《The Hero Slayers [LitRPG, Portal Magic]》 -- Maps -- Hi everyone! Here I''ll keep updated the map of the world of Alterra. As our action is focused in the Gentle Tundras, so too is our map. But that is sure to change... Click to expand Regions: The Gentle Tundras: a region with no overt power outside of local lords and mayors (in the larger towns / cities), who exert influence in a small radius. There''s no main industry, though the kingdom that was once located here (long since fallen) took advantage of the abundant local resources, namely the lush evergreen forest cover. It is here that our hero protagonist, Styk, begins his journey. The Northern Reaches: a barren, cold wasteland, braved primarily by the orcish population, who are hardier than most. This is where most of the orcs in the western continents reside, as they enjoy the cold. It''s an added bonus that this same cold keeps other races (who don''t fully understand their ways) out. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. The Badlands: a region of anguish and tragedy, the less said about it, the better. If you must know anything, know this: there is no central law here, but that doesn''t stop the abundance of gangs and tribes from making their own. The Dawnwoods: a supposedly utopian paradise, governed by the elite wood elves, who have ¡ª until recently ¡ª largely kept to themselves. The flora and fauna that exist in the Dawnwoods is quite unlike anything seen elsewhere in Alterra. The Goldmarch: the last of the great kingdoms, ruled over by the much-loved Queen Amira. This kingdom survived where all others have fallen, due to their riches ¡ª which are linked to the Goldmarch''s beneficial location within the western continents and most trade, therefore, passing through. The Isle Of The Old Ways: an almost-island in the southwest, that receives (or perhaps a better word is... "accepts") very few visitors. These citizens keep to the so-called "old ways", believing in the power of the Architects in a very literal sense ¡ª that Zeus himself might strike lightning from the heavens. The Beached Armada: a once-great fleet coming from forgotten lands far to the west, settling this part of the world when they realised that their enormous sea power could take them no further. They still possess a great sea force, though they have since settled into the more standard feudal system. Some would bring back the old glory, however... The Sundorn: a kingdom of self-described "enlightened" folk, who believe war to be below them and the simple meaning of life being to create art. -- Fan Art -- And this chapter I''ll keep updated with any and all fan art I receive! I absolutely love receiving art and absolutely treasure it - the best part for me is knowing that this story has resonated with you all; it makes all the work so worth it! Styk and Corminar by Kogata Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. 1. What A Waste Of A Perfectly Good Town Part I: A Hero In The (Un)making Like all great stories, it begins with a slaughter. I take no joy in starting at this point¡ªit hardly sets the tone for events still to come¡ªbut it¡¯s where my journey truly began. To gloss over it would be to remove a core part of my being, would be to remove the very motivation that set me upon this path. What do you want me to do, lie about it? So we¡¯ll start with the slaughter, yes, but¡­ bear with me. I was in attendance at a dinner party. The people were merry, singing songs and trading anecdotes, and our host¡ªthe much renowned Collector of Plainside, who brought much tourism and wealth to this small coastal town¡ªhad plenty to do with that. She was truly generous, both with her food and her company, and for that reason I really wished I wasn¡¯t here to rob her. Raising a goblet, I locked eyes with the host at the far end of the ornate table, across towering candlesticks, and I celebrated her with a silent toast¡ªone that she received with a raised goblet of her own, and a smile that existed not just in her mouth, but in her purple irises. Perhaps, in another world, I was here under my own name, and we might celebrate one another in more intimate ways. The merriment couldn¡¯t only be explained by the generosity of the Collector, however. The bottles of wine placed intermittently around the table had been supplied by myself, crafted by my very hand using an ability I¡¯d only recently found value in. Winemaking ¡ª Level 18 Floral Notes (Winemaking) ¡ª Disguise the strength of your vine-based creations by nurturing and bringing forth the underlying floral notes present in the fruit. Looking around at the other guests, at their glazed eyes and hearing their slurred words, I swirled the¡ªstill entirely full¡ªgoblet in my hand. It was funny how even the most seemingly useless ability choices could prove invaluable in the right situation¡ªthe tricky part was manipulating yourself into that situation. But a forged invitation handed over, a fake name given, and a crate of homemade wines had done just that. Once the guests were drunk enough, I could slip off into the basement, where the Collector keeps her¡ª ¡®You¡¯re not d-drinking,¡¯ the man at my left said, managing to communicate more with the stench of his breath than with his words. ¡®I assure you, sir, I am,¡¯ I replied. ¡®You¡¯re not! I been¡­¡¯ He paused, put a hand to his face, and hiccuped. ¡®Been watching you. You know, I been to parties before¡ª¡¯ ¡®Yes, I¡¯m quite sure that you have.¡¯ ¡®¡ªwhere someone wasn¡¯t drinking that which he brought, and it was because it was poisoned. Is your wine poisoned, sir?¡¯ I forced a smile to my face. It was, of course, but not in the way that this man was jokingly suggesting. It would not cause their flesh to rot away, or their minds to dissolve, or whatever manner of creative and cruel inflictions alchemists were inventing these days. It would only make them very, very drunk. ¡®I assure you, sir,¡¯ I said again, ¡®I wouldn¡¯t know how to do so. I¡¯m a simple¡­¡¯ I paused, forgetting my cover story just for a moment, ¡®merchant, and have no time for developing skills such as¡­¡¯ I trailed off when I realised that the man¡¯s feigned accusation had drawn some attention. Two elven women sat opposite had turned to face me, and were notably no longer drinking. ¡®Be that as it may,¡¯ one of the women said. ¡®It would not do for us to consume such a gift without its creator partaking. You would not force such ill manners onto us, would you? Poison or otherwise?¡¯ The tone of the woman¡¯s voice was harsh enough that more guests turned their attention to me¡ªwhen all I wanted was the distinct lack of attention. Only one action would swiftly divert their attentions away, and it would make the job¡­ slightly more difficult. The woman raised her own wine-filled goblet, beckoning me to drink. With a polite smile, I did so, taking a perhaps needlessly large gulp before placing the goblet back down atop the table. My Stamina bar drained before my eyes, a good quarter or so depleted just from that amount of wine. It really was strong stuff, though perhaps my underinvestment in Dexterity¡ªthe stat that governed my Stamina reserves¡ªwas partially to blame. My other two power bars, Health and Mana, were¡ªthankfully¡ªunaffected. I hadn¡¯t overdone it too much on the wine, then. Satisfied, the two women resumed their shrill conversation, and the man at my right passed out onto the table. I was forced suddenly to blink the table back into focus as the two women opposite continued their loud conversation. ¡®She did say there would be a Player in attendance.¡¯ ¡®And such would be a rare honour indeed, to have such a hero dine with us! Yet where are They?¡¯ ¡®Has the Collector ever given us reason to doubt her, dear cousin? I do believe¡­¡¯ ¡®Gods, I¡¯m already drunk,¡¯ I mumbled aloud, then prayed a silent prayer to Dionysus, willing that He sober me up some. The act was fruitless, though¡ªI would need to raid my host¡¯s collection¡­ in this state. ¡®Excuse me,¡¯ I said to nobody in particular, then stood from my seat at the table, swaying. Blinking my cloudy vision back into focus, I made for the bathroom, resisting the urge to gulp as I passed between two of the Collector¡¯s guards at the doorway of the feasting hall. Thankfully, their heads didn¡¯t turn to follow me; they thought me not a threat in my current, alcohol-fuelled state, just as I¡¯d planned. Of course, I hadn¡¯t expected to actually be drunk, but that was the hand I¡¯d been dealt. I strolled slowly, casually, down the long corridor towards the bathroom, but as I reached the door, I didn¡¯t enter. Instead, I continued onwards, to the door at the end of the hallway, where my sources had reported that the entrance to the basement was located. Stepping inside, I took one last look at the¡ªthankfully empty¡ªcorridor behind me, and closed the door gently, doing my best to disguise the creaking. Unfortunately, my Stealth tree investment had never yielded the option for abilities that dealt with creaky doors; you wouldn¡¯t believe how often this was an issue in my line of work. Why can¡¯t people oil their door hinges? Won¡¯t someone think of the thieves! Slowly, I pressed on, down a winding stone staircase, until I came to a grand cellar, lit by flickering candles, filled with loot the likes of which I¡¯d rarely seen before. My every instinct was to hoard all the valuable items I could find, but I forced myself to concentrate; I was here for one object, and only one. I scoured display case after display case¡ªnecklaces and blades and glowing stones each with power and abilities of which most could only dream. Some were so high in level requirement that my Identification skill couldn¡¯t even tell me what they did, and that only made me want them more. To my drink-addled mind, they were almost worth gambling with whatever traps the Collector had surely laid down here. And then, I saw it. Against the far wall, surrounded by gold and jewels and ornamental blades¡ªthe artifact. It was just as my client had described: an octahedron¡ªyes, I¡¯d had to ask what that was, too¡ªof pure silver, seven of its eight sides polished to perfection, the last inlaid with an emerald larger than any I¡¯d set my eyes upon before. Even if it didn¡¯t have any power, the raw material itself would sell for quite the price. I crouched by the artifact, making sure not to touch it, and I identified it. You know, just to make sure I wasn¡¯t being distracted by a fake¡ªit¡¯d been known to happen. Identification ¡ª Level 29 Advanced Identification (Identification) ¡ª Discover more detailed attributes for a particular object or person, and basic attributes for higher level objects and persons. Ability scales with [WIS] + [INT]. My skill check passed, and the item¡¯s name appeared before me. The Sisyphus Artifact, it read. Power: [unknown]. Charges remaining: (1 / 7). This was it, then. I had it. Weeks of hard work and planning had finally got me to this point, and all I had to do was reach out and¡ª I stopped my hand in mid-air, remembering myself. That wine had made a fool of me, had made me throw all my usual expertise out the window. Before I picked up this item, I had to, of course¡­ Stealth ¡ª Level 43 Identify Traps (Stealth) ¡ª Search for traps in an area limited to eyesight range. Scales with [WIS]. By itself, I¡¯d learned, this Identify Traps ability wasn¡¯t all that. Only when you scaled up your Wisdom stat did it start to work reliably, which was why I¡¯d never invested much in my Dexterity¡ªwhen the choice was there, Wisdom was the base stat I¡¯d invested in. Not just Traps scaled up based on Wisdom, either; many of the abilities relevant to my¡­ job were related to this stat, or at least the ones I¡¯d selected out of my lists of options. Stealth ¡ª +80xp Activating this ability did, indeed, identify a trap. The artifact was sitting atop a hex rune; surely nothing that the Collector had created herself, being that she had a social class, rather than a magic class. This would have been a contractor¡¯s doing. I¡¯d lucked out. Not a week ago, I¡¯d had a lovely conversation at knifepoint with the most renowned magic-based trapper in all of the Eastern Tundras, based on information that this was the Collector¡¯s preferred method of security. They¡¯d revealed to me¡ªafter, admittedly, an impressive amount of ¡°convincing¡±¡ªthat they built themselves a backdoor into all their hexes, in case they ever needed to deactivate them. To do so, all you had to do was speak a simple code word, though no doubt they had changed this phrase for all traps crafted since our little conversation. I leant close to the artifact, to speak this code. ¡®Mihi templus¡ª¡¯ I stopped, finding myself slurring and stumbling over the words. Damn wine! ¡®Mihi tempus v-venit. Venit.¡¯ Nothing. I sighed, and tried once more. ¡®Mihi tempus venit!¡¯ A turquoise glow illuminated the otherwise candle-lit dungeon for just a moment as the hex faded away, and in my excitement I threw my hands into the air¡­ Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡­and knocked a vase from a pedestal. Before I could think to react, it collided with the stone floor with an almighty crash, sending fragments of ceramic skittering into all corners of the dark room. I cringed, paused, and waited for sign of movement upstairs. Maybe it wouldn¡¯t come, I thought. Maybe the guards were distracted with the dinner guests. Maybe¡ª ¡®Who¡¯s down there?¡¯ someone shouted from the top of the stairs¡ªfrom the top of my only way out. ¡®Erm¡­¡¯ came the involuntary reaction from my mouth. Thinking quickly, or at least as quickly as I could what with my mind in its current drunken state, I grabbed the artifact and shoved it into my jacket pocket, then dived for cover. In a shadowed corner of the room I hid, clutching a thin steel dagger that had served me oh-so well in the last few years, since I¡¯d got the level to effectively wield it. It would need to serve me well again, now. The two guards entered the basement quietly, their footsteps soft on the stone floor. From my corner of the room, I could see swords glinting in the candlelight¡ªthey would have reach, so I would need to rely on my agility. No matter; it had worked out for me before. As the pair of guards reached the shattered pottery¡ªno small curses uttered at the sight¡ªI took advantage of the shadows to scutter along the perimeter of the room. With any luck, I could slip up the stairs without alerting¡ª I tripped on an uneven tile, tumbling to the ground with an ¡®oomph,¡¯ followed by a ¡®hmm.¡¯ Two glimmering blades turned towards me as I scrambled back to my feet. I met the eyes of the orc guard, and then both pairs in turn glanced at the exit. ¡®Hulm,¡¯ the orc said to the other guard, nodding him towards the stairs. I and the human guard both bolted for the door, and in normal circumstances I would¡¯ve put good money on me making it to the exit long before him, but with this strong wine in my system¡­ We arrived at the stairs at the same time, a blade coming down to block my path¡ªone that I instinctively reacted to with a raised dagger of my own. A metallic clang rang out as metal hit metal, and I staggered backwards at the force of the hit. Stumbling, I fell into a display case, causing the guard to freeze for a moment, his eyes wide with fear¡ªwould his employer be about to lose a few more items from her collection? Seizing the opportunity of the man¡¯s hesitation, I swung forward with my right fist, knocking the guard squarely in the temple. With just this one hit, he collapsed to the ground, unconscious. Guard (Level 25) defeated! Knifework ¡ª +1,000xp Bareknuckle ¡ª +1,500xp Bareknuckle increased to level 14! Base Points gained ¡ª +1 VIT, +1 DEX, +1 STR, +3 Free Points (VIT/DEX/STR) ¡®Huh,¡¯ I muttered. At my right, the orc guard growled, beginning to pace angrily towards me. ¡®Right. Yes,¡¯ I said, minimising the notification. ¡®Time for that later.¡¯ I steadied myself and raised my dagger, ready to strike quickly before the orc could swing his blade. For once, this went according to plan, and my dagger met the guard¡¯s hand as he swung, causing him to cry with pain and drop the sword to the ground with another almighty clatter. Hopefully all this noise won¡¯t attract too much attention¡­ But even barehanded, the orc¡¯s innate race boons meant that he would put up quite a fight¡ªespecially against a weapon as short-ranged as a dagger. I slashed at the orcish guard¡¯s swinging arms, flailing the tip of my blade near-blindly in an attempt to defend myself. But the orc had both height and strength on his side, and soon I found myself pacing backwards, losing ground with every¡ª I crashed to the floor hard, the stone ground knocking the wind from my lungs before I¡¯d even known what¡¯d hit me. The orc towering over me, I looked around for something¡­ anything that might get me out of this mess. I saw only one thing that might just work. ¡®I¡¯m too drunk for this,¡¯ I garbled as I lashed out with my right foot for a nearby pedestal. With one sharp kick, the unit was toppling, and the great collection of enchanted glassware began falling to the ground. ¡®You little¡ª¡¯ the guard started, but cut himself off instead to prevent as many of the collected items as possible from shattering on the hard stone floor. He held out the front of his tunic into a makeshift bag, and I didn¡¯t stop to find out just how successful this strategy was. Instead, I staggered to my feet, colliding with another pedestal in the process and causing the armour thereon to fall to the ground too¡ªthough at least this was surely less fragile than glassware. I dunno, though, I¡¯ve had some particularly terrible Light Armour in the past¡­ I hurried for the door, hopping clumsily over the other guard¡¯s unconscious body, and stretched my left leg out to begin my bounding up to the ground floor¡­ and to freedom. But it was only at this point, somehow, that the real trouble began. An almighty boom echoed around the underground chamber, reflecting an incredible release of power coming from somewhere above. Against my better judgement, I paused at the bottom of the stairwell and turned to face the orc guard. Screams, ear-pinching and heart-rending, erupted above. The guard stood, empty tunic in hand, hundreds of shards of glassware on the floor around him, and his eyes grew wide. Both the guard and I gulped, and in that moment we both understood that we were allies, not enemies, in whatever battle brew above. We charged up the stairs to find a world aflame. Half of the Collector¡¯s manor was missing, as though disintegrated from reality itself by the fire that still raged around it. I could see the rest of the town of Plainside from the top of the stairs¡ªbeing that the wall that had once hidden it from view was now gone. At the bottom of the gentle hill, this town had suffered no less than the Collector; its buildings were aflame, its people were screaming, fleeing, or dead. Nothing could have sobered me more. Fresh screams pierced my right ear and I spun my head to the source of the noise. A young girl, clutching a stuffed toy, stood facing a mahogany dinner table that was engulfed by flame, those who had been sat at it only halfway out of their seats before the destruction could end them. And there, through the flames, I saw three figures. Though only silhouettes to me, I could see that one was a burly orc, clutching a great battleaxe. Another was a blade-wielding tiefling, her wispy tail twisting and turning like the flames themselves, her eyes glowing a horrifying red. And in the centre, ahead of them, was a human clutching no weapon at all. These three did not scream, nor did they panic. They only strode silently, almost floating, towards me, the guard, and the young girl. I knew, deep down, that this trio were the source of the destruction, even before I identified their apparent leader. Level 42 Pyroknight Race: Human *System Note: Player At my side, the orc guard gasped. He too had identified the man ahead of us, it seemed, and I knew this for one simple reason. The guard hadn¡¯t gasped at the sight of the destruction of his employer¡¯s home, nor at the screams and cries of the pyroknight¡¯s victims. He had gasped only later, and there was only one thing in Alterra more surprising than a massacre of such scale: that a Player might be behind it. ¡®No,¡¯ the orc mumbled. ¡®No, no, I¡­ It can¡¯t¡­¡¯ In front of us, the young girl turned, and she gazed at me with wide, distinctively purple eyes. ¡®Where¡¯s my mummy?¡¯ she asked. Before I could answer¡ªthough I do not know what my answer could¡¯ve been, considering that the seat at the head of the table was still occupied by an unmoving host¡ªa voice boomed from the flames. The Player. ¡®Where is it?¡¯ he demanded, and with the raise of his hand a great sword formed of flame darted for my throat. I couldn¡¯t have moved to avoid it, not in the state of shock I was in, but its creator stopped it an inch away from piercing skin. The heat still licked at my neck. ¡®I¡­¡¯ was all the words I could muster. ¡®The artifact,¡¯ he said. ¡®Where is it?¡¯ Of course, I knew in that moment exactly what the Player meant. My every instinct was to hand it over, to beg for mercy, that he might save my life if nobody else¡¯s. I knew that all I needed to do was to reach into my coat pocket and pull the Sisyphus Artifact out, but¡­ then I caught sight again of the wide purple eyes of the newly orphaned daughter of the Collector. And a rage erupted inside my heart of an intensity to rival the flames around me. ¡®To Tartarus with you,¡¯ I spat. The Player stepped out of the flames, and a snarl twisted its way onto his face. ¡®I see,¡¯ he said. With the raise of his hand, a pillar of fire formed ahead of him, and not a moment later was it hurtling towards the three of us¡ªthief, guard, orphan. I had just Dexterity enough to both dive out of the attack¡¯s way and to grab the young girl as I did so. We fell hard towards the ground, and I heard a bone snap beneath me. It wasn¡¯t, I soon realised, any of mine. At my left, the orc guard was engulfed in his entirety by the vicious flames, and his scream lasted little more than a second before there was no life left to feel terror. I grabbed at the wailing young girl, grabbing her by the shoulders as she cradled her arm. ¡®You must¡­¡¯ ¡®But he was a Player,¡¯ the girl cried. ¡®He¡¯s supposed to help us.¡¯ ¡®Listen, you need¡ª¡¯ ¡®He¡¯s supposed to be¡ª¡¯ ¡®Listen!¡¯ I snapped, shaking the girl hard. ¡®You have to run.¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t¡ª¡¯ ¡®Run!¡¯ I roared, and I pushed the Collector¡¯s daughter through a gap in the crumbling wall of her home. Only once I saw that she was following my instruction did I turn to face our attackers, to buy this innocent seconds more in order that she might escape. I stood, reaching into my pocket not for the artifact, but for the throwing knives I kept back for tight spots. After all, where I seemed to be going, I wouldn¡¯t need them. With a glance at the current location of the trio, as well as at one of the last remaining pillars ahead of me, I activated a Knifework ability that I¡¯d only used once before. Ricochet (Knifework) ¡ª Throw blades at a hard surface for half your Stamina power to ricochet. Thrown blades retain 70% of speed with each bounce. Damage dealt scales with [DEX]. It was a last ditch effort. The three blades soared through the air, bouncing off the side of the pillar with a metallic clink, then flew towards my targets. I thought, if this plan failed, that the flames might melt the knives, or one of the Player¡¯s two bodyguards might protect them. But the truth was worse. Each of the three blades hit true, landing in the Player¡¯s torso. The failure was simply that he didn¡¯t care. The Player only glanced down at the knives protruding from his chest, furrowed his brow, and then cast a spell with the telltale white hue of a healing enchantment. Each of my three throwing knives hit the tiles below with another¡ªfar more pathetic, to my ear¡ªclink. ¡®You¡¯ll have to do better than that,¡¯ the Player said. Silently agreeing, I took a deep breath, then stepped out in sight of the enemy. ¡®You¡¯ll never find it. The artifact you wanted? It¡¯s far from¡ª¡¯ I started. ¡®He has it,¡¯ spoke the tiefling from the cover of the flames, her eyes glowing brighter. ¡®Ah,¡¯ I said. ¡®Yeah,¡¯ agreed the Player. ¡®¡°Ah¡± is right.¡¯ I swallowed, forcing myself to stand firm. If this was how I went out¡ªtrying the save the life of an innocent young girl¡ªI was fine with that. I could¡¯ve died doing something far less noble, perhaps springing a deadly trap or being beaten by guards. Maybe even rotting in a jail cell. It hadn¡¯t occurred to me, ever, that I might actually die doing something good. I took some comfort in that as I opened my mouth to taunt the man in front of me. ¡®If you want it, you¡¯ll have to¡ª¡¯ Fire engulfed me. Pain. Searing, at first, and then¡­ nothing. Nothing that I could feel, at least. My vision faded fast, but my hearing¡­ that remained longer. Long enough to hear the trio step closer, looming over me. ¡®Him?¡¯ the Player asked. ¡®He¡¯s a petty crook.¡¯ ¡®Lightfinger class, boss,¡¯ the orc corrected him. I felt something grow cold at my side. Cold? ¡®Innuendo, Lev. It means he¡¯s a thief.¡¯ A notification popped up in front of me, but there wasn¡¯t enough life left within me to read it. I swallowed, in vain hope of understanding it, but found myself choking. ¡®Where?¡¯ ¡®Inside his coat pocket,¡¯ the other bodyguard said. Someone rolled me over, and I felt the cold sensation abruptly end. Instead, the heat returned, growing stronger once more with every passing moment. A shout. From the Player. Not one of words, but of frustration. ¡®What is it, boss?¡¯ the orc asked. ¡®It¡¯s¡­ spent.¡¯ He spat the last word. No. That¡­ wasn¡¯t true. I remembered. One charge left, of seven. That¡¯s what it¡¯d said. ¡®We¡¯ll find another.¡¯ ¡®There is only one,¡¯ the Player replied. ¡®Another way. No artifact. Another way to get what you seek.¡¯ With that, three sets of footsteps began to pace away, fading into the distance, leaving me to die on the tiled floor of a burning manor. As my life force drained from me, I found one last rush of energy within me, and with it, I brought up the notification that was waiting for me. HP Depleted Sisyphus Artifact Activated Charges Remaining: (0 / 7) Respawning at Level 0 ¡­ 2. A Life In Ashes I gasped as I was wrenched back into life by the power of the artifact, the burning ruins of Plainside flickering in my blurry vision. I was lying just where I¡¯d been before, specks of ashes scattered over my body. I was just where¡­ just where I¡¯d¡­ died? I found that my memories were hazy. There¡¯d been a dinner party, an attack, I¡¯d¡­ Yes, I¡¯d died, hadn¡¯t I? And yet here I was, lying on the dirty ground, surrounded by flames, with a headache bad enough to put any hangover to shame. Must be Meterday. I pressed my hands to the ground beneath me, attempting to push myself upright, but found myself weak. The effort generated a fresh wave of nausea and my vision grew blurrier once more, and before I knew it, my head was hard against the ground. I¡¯d passed out. Again. Why was this so hard? I brought up my stamina bar, making sure I wasn¡¯t simply completely drained. Stamina ¡ª 10 / 10 Ten out of what, now? Out of ten? That wasn¡¯t right. I¡¯d underinvested in Dexterity, sure, but it wasn¡¯t like I¡¯d never put any points into it. My stamina was in the four hundreds. It was¡ª And then I remembered the artifact. The one I¡¯d been sent to retrieve. The one that had exhausted its last charge on me, in order to¡­ Respawning at Level 0 ¡­ That¡¯s what the notifications had said. But that couldn¡¯t be. Saving someone from death was one thing, but to reset a life¡¯s worth of progression? I must have imagined it, I thought. I must have been delirious. But if my maximum stamina was only ten, now, then¡­ I swallowed back the fear, breathed deeply, and brought up my stat screen. Level 0 Peasant Race: Human No! This couldn¡¯t be! This¡ª Power Bars: Health ¡ª 10 / 10 Mana ¡ª 10 / 10 Stamina ¡ª 10 / 10 Gods damn it! No! Death might have been better than¡ª Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 0 Intelligence ¡ª 0 Dexterity ¡ª 0 Strength ¡ª 0 Wisdom ¡ª 0 Charisma ¡ª 0 Gods, this hurt. Particularly that Charisma reset; I¡¯d prided myself on a high Charisma, had worked hard at it over the years, because it was so important to my job. And what would happen now, with it so low? Would people pay any attention at all to anything I had to say? Would I be able to tell even the most innocent of lies? Would my skills¡ª Prostrate on the floor, surrounded by burning buildings, I gasped. My skills¡ªsurely not them too? Surely not all the abilities that I¡¯d unlocked over the years? I bit my tongue, finding it harder than I ever had before to open my skills menu, and pressed my eyes closed as I found the brief moment of courage required to do so. Skills Menu: [None] If I¡¯d had the energy, I might have cried. Or screamed. Probably I would¡¯ve screamed, to be honest; that was more my speed. But as it was, with my stats so low, I was¡­ weak. Too weak to stand, too weak even to scream. I passed out once more. * * * When I next awoke, I was being dragged by the arms by two soldiers in shining heavy armour. I tried to speak, to ask them just what they thought they were doing, but upon opening my mouth, I found myself pass out again. As I finally came to¡ªwith more energy, this time, than before¡ªI found myself in a small, damp, dingy room. The floor was dusty stone, and there was a rickety bed in the corner, and bars across one wall. No. I wasn¡¯t in a room. I was in a jail. I groaned with effort as I swung one leg over the side of the¡ªactually ridiculously uncomfortable¡ªbed, and then the other, before pushing myself upright. I sat still for a moment, willing myself to believe that this was just a bad dream, that this was just some horrific nightmare caused by the strength of that wine I¡¯d crafted. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. But the world around me was too real, and the headache somehow realer. And the bed beneath me? Even at my worst, I wouldn¡¯t imagine a bed so uncomfortable. Honestly, it was like whoever had made it had gone out of their way to make it uncomfortable. But perhaps that was just the reality of jails; I¡¯d spent little time in them. ¡®Hey!¡¯ I tried calling out, but found that the words escaped as little more than a whisper. I coughed, finding my mouth and throat dry, before trying again. It made little difference. That being a bust, I tried a different strategy instead, banging on the metal bars with the base of my palm. And again. And again. ¡®Let me out!¡¯ I tried to cry, but managed again only a croak. Finally, I got a reaction¡ªbut not from whoever was in charge of these cells. A woman in a cell opposite rolled out of bed and glared at me with deep brown eyes. ¡®Will you cut that out? Some of us are trying to sleep.¡¯ ¡®On these beds?¡¯ I croaked back, but my voice was quiet enough that the women didn¡¯t hear. I sank back into bed, and tried, fruitlessly, to get comfortable. Soldiers finally arrived a good few hours later, silently pulling me to my feet and dragging me towards the door¡ªmuch as I remembered being dragged from the ruins of Plainside. They pulled me up a flight of steps, my legs struggling to keep up, and into a room somehow both darker and dingier than the jail cell. A bright oil lantern hung overhead. The pair of soldiers dumped¡ªor practically threw¡ªme into a wooden chair, and then stood over me, arms crossed. On their armour was a familiar badge¡ªthe golden sun of the Baron of Umlok. ¡®Think you got some explaining to do, eh?¡¯ one of the soldiers asked. A dwarf, though tall for his kind, and with muscles bulging enough that most taller races would avoid picking a fight. ¡®I¡­¡¯ I started. The other guard, a human woman with a kind smile on her face, crouched down in front of me. ¡®What¡¯s your name? Let¡¯s start with that.¡¯ ¡®Styk.¡¯ ¡®Styk? Styk what?¡¯ the dwarf asked. ¡®I just go by Styk.¡¯ With every word I spoke, my voice returned an ounce more to me. The dwarf blinked. ¡®Fine.¡¯ ¡®Tell us, Styk,¡¯ the human said. ¡®What happened back in Plainside?¡¯ ¡®It wasn¡¯t anything to do with me! I was just¡­¡¯ What was I doing there? I searched my spotty memories. ¡®I was just at a dinner party. With the Collector.¡¯ At this, the dwarf laughed, and even the kinder soldier had a smirk cross her face. ¡®Yes, mate,¡¯ the dwarf said, ¡®We didn¡¯t think it was you.¡¯ ¡®Just tell us who it was,¡¯ the woman said. ¡®What it was.¡¯ ¡®It was¡­ it was¡­¡¯ But the words got lost in my throat. They wouldn¡¯t believe my answer. If I hadn¡¯t seen it for myself, I wouldn¡¯t believe it either. But what other choice did I have than to tell the truth? ¡®Yes?¡¯ the kind woman prompted. I gulped. ¡®It was a Player.¡¯ The male soldier shook his head, rubbing his temple with his hand. ¡®He¡¯s an idiot,¡¯ he muttered, turning away. The woman licked her lips as she searched for the correct words. ¡®Well, that can¡¯t be, can it?¡¯ ¡®Why not?¡¯ ¡®Because a Player would never¡ª¡¯ ¡®Yes,¡¯ I said. ¡®I know how it sounds. And most Players wouldn¡¯t, I know. Most of them are honourable. I¡¯m just saying that this Player. This particular one¡­ they¡¯re a monster.¡¯ The kinder soldier looked back at me, her eyes glazing over. ¡®You don¡¯t believe me, do you?¡¯ I asked. ¡®I believe that you believe it,¡¯ came the reply. The rest of the interrogation went much along these lines, but the human soldier began to reveal her true colours more and more as time passed, the kind smile fading from her face and being replaced by an expression of frustration. But I stuck to my story¡ªwas it still a ¡°story¡± when it was the truth?¡ªdespite any attempts to lead me to blame something or someone else, and eventually the pair grew tired of me. They threw me back into my cell, where exhaustion soon overcame me, and I found that the bed wasn¡¯t quite so uncomfortable after all. * * * I awoke to a wooden bowl being shoved through the gaps in my cell¡¯s bars, one that contained a white substance of suspicious texture. Without thinking about my current lack of skills, I tried to engage my Identification skill to understand just how much eating this gruel would make me want to throw up. I narrowed my eyes, bringing the strange foodstuff into focus, and realised what it was¡ªoffcuts of meat mixed with old oats. Pet food, practically. Identification unlocked! This latest notification brought on the despair once more, acting as reminder that all my skills were gone. Well, all my skills but the most cursory of Identification. At level 0¡ªnot really a level in its own right¡ªit didn¡¯t even come with an ability. I was about the only person alive who was both level 0 and had had their fourth birthday party. No, that wasn¡¯t fair¡ªeven a four year old would have levelled Identification up a few times. If anyone identified me, I was screwed. Anyone would be able to see that I was only level 0. That I was easy pickings. While most people out there wouldn¡¯t take advantage of this power imbalance, a small handful would. And it wouldn¡¯t be too long before I ran into one of them. If I was ever released from this jail cell, at least. Why was I even in here? The soldiers had made it perfectly clear that they didn¡¯t think I did it. So surely I was just a witness. A victim, even. Surely not someone suitable for a jail cell. Unless they thought me complicit, somehow. At that moment, the penny dropped. Of course they didn¡¯t think I¡¯d done it¡ªthey would have identified me the moment they set their eyes on me. And they would¡¯ve seen just what I had: a level 0 peasant. What a fool I¡¯d looked. No wonder they¡¯d laughed. Everything had been taken from me but my life. Escaping death was all well and good¡ªhow many had dreamed of such a thing?¡ªbut losing twenty-four years of progression was about as good as dying. I was screwed. I was¡ª At that moment, I noticed I had one more notification still waiting for me, glowing in the corner of my vision. With a frown, I brought it up. My frown quickly faded. Active Effect: Legacy of Sisyphus Days remaining: 999 / 1,000 XP gain increased by +400% ¡®Huh,¡¯ I said. Maybe I wasn¡¯t quite so screwed after all.
"Styk" Level 0 Peasant
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 0 Intelligence ¡ª 0 Dexterity ¡ª 0 Strength ¡ª 0 Wisdom ¡ª 0 Charisma ¡ª 0
Skills: Identification ¡ª Level 0
Abilities: [None]
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +400%
3. Not Quite So Screwed After All ¡®You need to let me go,¡¯ I said to the guard on duty. Unfortunately it was the burly dwarf soldier at this particular moment¡ªthe one who hadn¡¯t even pretended to give me the benefit of the doubt. ¡®The baron requests you as a witness,¡¯ he replied, voice gruff. ¡®And they usually imprison their witnesses, do they?¡¯ The guard smiled that same mocking smile that I¡¯d seen in the interrogation chamber. ¡®They ain¡¯t normally level zero.¡¯ ¡®And that makes a difference why?¡¯ ¡®We let you go, there isn¡¯t any guarantee you don¡¯t get killed by a bandit. Or a stray cow. Or a¡­¡¯ ¡®...particularly strong gust of wind?¡¯ the woman in the cell opposite suggested. The dwarf pointed his thumb at her, as if to say ¡°yeah, or that¡±. ¡®I¡¯ll be fine!¡¯ I protested. ¡®I¡¯ll take it slow. I¡¯ll go after some starter beasts¡ªI¡¯ll go kill some wolves or whatever is in fashion these days. Easy. I¡¯ll be fine.¡¯ ¡®Even most twelve year olds have a couple of levels of combat skills under their belt, though, don¡¯t they? Not sure I¡¯d fancy your chances against a wolf. Might be some rats in these dungeons, though?¡¯ ¡®Oh good,¡¯ I mumbled, casting a quick glance at the floor. The guard turned to leave, opening the door to return to his post outside. ¡®You have no right to keep me here!¡¯ The dwarf responded only by raising his arms in a shrug, then closed the dungeon¡¯s door behind him once more. ¡®Very compelling,¡¯ the woman opposite said. ¡®Thanks.¡¯ The woman¡¯s dark brown eyes remained on me. ¡®Can I help you with something?¡¯ I asked. ¡®How¡¯d you get to this age without levelling up a single skill? You some rich noble or something?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m¡­¡¯ I started, then sighed. ¡®It¡¯s a long story.¡¯ The woman gestured to the cell around her. ¡®I got time.¡¯ ¡®Well, I don¡¯t.¡¯ ¡®No?¡¯ ¡®No. I gotta figure out a way out of here.¡¯ The other prisoner smirked¡ªI was getting really sick of these mocking smile that people couldn¡¯t seem to resist. ¡®Mm-hmm? Let me know how that goes, yeah?¡¯ I rolled my eyes and turned away, but couldn¡¯t help but feel like the prisoner¡¯s own eyes were still upon me. Not that I could blame her; there wasn¡¯t much else to look at around here. Certainly nothing prettier. Right. What could I do? Without skills, escape was going to be¡­ I didn¡¯t want to say ¡°impossible¡±, so I went with ¡°very difficult¡± instead. The only thing I had going for me? Five times experience gain¡ªsomething that might just afford me an advantage. But I¡¯d have to gain it from within this cell. Once I got out of here, I figured, it¡¯d be easy. I could level up my skills in no time, and I¡¯d have the tools on hand to do so. And now that I knew the system¡ªor rather, knew what I wanted from it¡ªI¡¯d make better choices. I wouldn¡¯t underinvest in Dexterity, for one; that low Stamina was always a pain. And when I got the choice of abilities¡ªevery time I gain 5 levels in any skill¡ªI¡¯d be able to make smarter choices. Better ones. Maybe this was a blessing in disguise. As long as I could, you know, get out of here. I looked around. One skill I could level up in any situation was Identification¡ªall I needed were people or objects to study. It might not help very much in my escape, but it was a start. Beginning with the most mundane object I could find, I stared at a stone wedged into the wall beside my bed. I forced myself to activate my identification skill even though I knew exactly what it was¡ªI¡¯d seen a good few of these so-called ¡°stones¡± in my time on Alterra. It took a moment of concentration before the notification popped up. Identification ¡ª +50xp The subsequent notification informed me that it was, in fact, a stone. The type of stone, alas, remained a mystery to me at this level. I concentrated on another object¡ªthe bed beneath me¡ªand activated the skill in exactly the same way. Identification ¡ª +50xp Identification increased to level 1! Base Points gained ¡ª +1 WIS, +1 INT, +1 Free Points (WIS/INT) If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Ability unlocked ¡ª Basic Identification Basic Identification (Identification) ¡ª Discover basic attributes for a particular object or person. Ability scales with [WIS] + [INT]. Level up! You increased to level 1! And there we had it! My first level. I was officially comparable to a two year old¡ªDad would be so proud. I felt a rush of exhilaration as these notifications appeared and my levels increased¡ªone that wasn¡¯t really comparable to, well, anything. I¡¯d forgotten, over the years, just how easy it was to level up entirely new skills. It took only 100xp for that first level, whereas the incremental xp requirement for each subsequent level increased by another 100xp each time. By the time you got a skill to level 50, you were looking at, oh, 150,000 or so until you got to the next level? Maybe a little less; maths was never my strong suit. And I¡¯d reached the skill requirements for my overall level to increase to level 1; I supposed that was very slightly less embarrassing. Only two more skill increases until I was level 2, as well! With an increase to my skill, I¡¯d got a few Base Points to invest. Not many, for such a minor skill, but it was something ¡ª one added to my wisdom stat by default, and another to intelligence. And then, of course, I had one free point to invest into either of them¡ªI selected wisdom, as the intelligence-led boon to mana didn¡¯t exactly interest me. Not that that was the only reason to invest in this Base stat, of course. I breathed a sigh of relief; it was small progress, but it was progress nonetheless. If I just kept identifying as much around me as I could, I¡¯d be levelling up before I knew it. * * * When I¡¯d finally exhausted every object in my tiny cell, I had levelled up Identification to level 4, put 5 points into my intelligence and 7 into my wisdom, and even levelled myself up to level 2. And I¡¯d done it all under the curious gaze of the prisoner opposite. ¡®Having fun over there?¡¯ she asked. I ignored her, scouring every corner of my cell for a new object to interrogate. I found nothing. ¡®Can see you¡¯re level 2 now,¡¯ the woman said. ¡®You must be very pleased with yourself.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t resist shooting her a dirty look. ¡®Could identify me, if you like?¡¯ Oops. I¡¯d been spending so much time thinking about the objects inside my cell that I¡¯d forgotten I could identify people too. I turned my attention to the irritating prisoner. Level 27 ??? Race: ??? Gods damn it. I wasn¡¯t high enough a level to identify her. Of course I wasn¡¯t. Not if she was level 27 and I still level 2. And the worst part? She would¡¯ve known that. A smile stretched across the woman¡¯s face. ¡®What did you get? Nothing?¡¯ ¡®Nothing,¡¯ I grunted. ¡®Thought not.¡¯ She stared me down for a few moments longer, then stuck her hand through the bars of her cell. ¡®Name¡¯s Val, by the way.¡¯ ¡®Wish I could say it was good to meet you, but¡­¡¯ ¡®You could tell me your name, at least.¡¯ ¡®Styk,¡¯ I replied. The woman looked fit to break into a smile once more. ¡®Funny name.¡¯ ¡®Coming from someone named ¡°Val¡±.¡¯ At this, the prisoner only shrugged. ¡®You ready to tell me why you¡¯re here, yet? Figure it has something to do with that low level of yours.¡¯ I sighed, taking a seat on the edge of my bed, still in full view of the woman across the corridor. ¡®Dunno if you¡¯d believe me. Them up there¡¯ ¡ª I gestured to the ceiling ¡ª ¡®sure as hells don¡¯t.¡¯ ¡®Try me.¡¯ I wiped my hands down my face. What was there to lose in telling the truth? Just another person who¡¯d think me crazy, as well as weak. ¡®A Player killed me.¡¯ Val sat forward. ¡®Sorry?¡¯ ¡®I know, I know,¡¯ I said, waving the woman down. ¡®Players don¡¯t do that. Players are honourable. Blah blah blah. I know all that. And yet¡­ one of them killed me. Burned down a whole town while he was at it, too.¡¯ Val studied me with narrowed eyes. ¡®Are you messing with me?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s not much of a joke, is it? Where¡¯s the killer punchline?¡¯ The silence that followed was strangely eerie; already it had been established that this ¡°Val¡± had trouble keeping her mouth shut, so to see her do so without struggling¡­ ¡®Where?¡¯ she asked, and all mirth was gone from her tone. ¡®Plainside,¡¯ I replied. ¡®You¡­ believe me?¡¯ At this, Val smiled. ¡®Oh yes, I believe you. After what I¡¯ve seen¡­ yes. At least, I believe that a Player is capable of killing¡ªI don¡¯t know about the whole ¡°coming back to life¡± bit.¡¯ Val rose, dusting down her slim-fitting light armour, and then shifted over to the bars of her cell, staring through them. ¡®I need you to tell me everything you know about this Player.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯d tell you everything I know about everything if you could get me out of here¡­¡¯ ¡®Deal,¡¯ Val said, sticking her hand through the bars once more. I looked down at the outstretched hand. ¡®You know I can¡¯t reach that, right?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s symbolic. Is it a deal, or what?¡¯ ¡®Is what a deal?¡¯ Val looked at me like I was stupid. ¡®I get you out of here, and you tell me about this Player.¡¯ I scrunched up my face, blinking at this peculiar woman. ¡®If you could break out of here, you¡¯d be gone already.¡¯ ¡®Not if I was hiding from someone.¡¯ ¡®I¡­¡¯ I put my head in my hands for a moment, not believing in this woman for a second. ¡®Fine. Deal.¡¯ ¡®Great!¡¯ Val said, and twisted her outstretched hand so that the palm was facing upwards. Moments later, the ground started to shake, and the stone around the bars of my cell began to crumble.
"Styk" Level 2 Peasant
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 0 Intelligence ¡ª 5 Dexterity ¡ª 0 Strength ¡ª 0 Wisdom ¡ª 7 Charisma ¡ª 0
Skills: Identification ¡ª Level 4
Abilities: Basic Identification (Identification) ¡ª Discover basic attributes for a particular object or person. Ability scales with [WIS] + [INT].
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +400%
4. A Matter Of Knife And Death I stepped back from the shaking iron bars, eyes wide. ¡®What are you doing?¡¯ I shouted. Val furrowed her brow. ¡®I thought you wanted to get out of here?¡¯ ¡®I didn¡¯t know you meant now!¡¯ ¡®What, do you have a spa treatment booked in that I don¡¯t know about?¡¯ ¡®I¡­ I¡­¡¯ My head spun to the door. ¡®What about the guards?¡¯ Val shrugged. ¡®Dunno.¡¯ ¡®What do you mean ¡°dunno¡±?¡¯ She shrugged again. ¡®Haven¡¯t planned that far ahead.¡¯ ¡®You haven¡¯t¡­¡¯ I began to repeat. ¡®That¡¯s literally the next step!¡¯ As the two sets of iron railings crashed to the ground, the dungeon¡¯s heavy wooden door swung open. The dwarven guard stood on the threshold to the room, eyes wide, clutching an axe. ¡®How?¡¯ he demanded of us. ¡®Those cells are warded against sorcery. How can you¡­¡¯ He shook his head, fixed his gaze on Val, and then stepped into the room. ¡®Right, what¡¯s next?¡¯ Val asked me. ¡®What! Why are you asking me?¡¯ She shrugged. ¡®Just thought you might want to have some input at some point.¡¯ The guard, correctly assessing Val as the biggest threat and not myself, made for her, swinging his axe high. With another twist of her hand, the room began to shake once more, before the stone walls cracked, giving way to long, winding tendrils. No, not tendrils. Roots. The plant roots grabbed the dwarf¡¯s hands in mid-swing, bringing the axe to a halt. ¡®Well?¡¯ Val asked, looking at me and nodding to the bound guard. ¡®Honestly, unless you want me to identify him, I got nothing.¡¯ ¡®Fair enough,¡¯ came the response, and Val turned her attention back to the guard, yanking his hand against the tendrils that bound it. Another root split through the wall and looped around the ring of keys on the dwarf¡¯s belt. ¡®I got more where that came from. Enough to tie you up from now til the end of days. So, the way I see it, you got two options: get in this idiot¡¯s cell, let us lock you in, and remain quiet, or¡­¡¯ Val looked to me. ¡®Or we kill you,¡¯ I said. Val furrowed her brow for a moment, then shrugged. ¡®I was looking for a little more artistry of imagination, but, sure, that.¡¯ The guard looked from Val, to me, and back to Val again. ¡®I¡¯ll get in the cell,¡¯ he mumbled. ¡®An excellent choice.¡¯ Without giving the dwarf any option, Val¡¯s roots lifted him off the ground and placed him in my old cell. One of the tendrils threw the ring of keys to me, which I managed to catch after only a few seconds of frantic fumbling. Val raised an eyebrow at the sight, but gracefully did not verbally comment on it. ¡®Alright,¡¯ I said, finally finding the correct key for this cell and locking the door. ¡®That¡¯s one guard. What¡¯s next?¡¯ ¡®What¡¯s next is I get my stuff.¡¯ Val led us out of the dungeons and into a long stone corridor, which was, thankfully, devoid of any further guards. We kept low, crouching, as we gently made our way down this room, making sure not to make a sound with each step of our¡ª I tripped, tumbling into Val¡¯s back, and she blinked at me as I used her shoulders to recover. ¡®What was that?¡¯ she whispered. ¡®Are you literally a child?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m level two right now; you¡¯re going to need to cut me some slack,¡¯ I whispered back. ¡®Oh, and next week you¡¯ll be, what? Level fifty?¡¯ ¡®If everything goes according to plan, I won¡¯t be far off it.¡¯ That was a ridiculous act of hyperbole, of course; even with the Legacy of Sisyphus status effect, I wouldn¡¯t be growing anywhere near that quickly. But in a few months? Maybe my level wouldn¡¯t be quite so embarrassing. We reached the end of the corridor with no further issue, and I hung back while Val poked her eyes around it. Stealth ¡ª +40xp ¡®Ooh, nice,¡¯ I mumbled, receiving an irritated glance from Val as a result. We waited for a few moments longer, and finally my new acquaintance turned to me. ¡®Alright. I think we¡¯re clear.¡¯ She led us down the winding, turning corridors of the castle like she either had a skill assisting her, or like she knew this building already¡ªI couldn¡¯t tell which¡ªand finally brought us to a storage room. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Val¡¯s eyes lit up as they landed upon a silver necklace inlaid with a gemstone as black as night¡ªone that glowed with a gentle green aura. ¡®Is that¡ª¡¯ I started, but then I was distracted by a sight of my own. ¡®My stuff!¡¯ I hurried for the pile on a rickety wooden shelf, one that held my trusty ornate dagger, my remaining throwing knives, and a small glass vial which may or may not have contained poison. ¡®Good,¡¯ the supposed sorcerer said. ¡®I suppose you¡¯re gonna be a tad more useful now?¡¯ I ignored the jab and strode across the room for my dagger, picking it up with one hand. Item Equipped ¡ª Blade of Samal Blade of Samal ¡ª +70% to damage when unnoticed by enemy. Suitable for poison coating. Warning: you do not meet level requirements to effectively wield this item! Requirement: Knifework ¡ª Level 22 ¡®Gods,¡¯ I spat. ¡®What now, peasant boy?¡¯ Val asked. ¡®Someone scratch your fancy blade?¡¯ ¡®...I can¡¯t wield it,¡¯ I eventually said, relenting and embracing the wave of mockery that was sure to follow. ¡®You can¡¯t¡­¡¯ Val started, then her eyes widened with mirth. ¡®You can¡¯t wield it!¡¯ She laughed, stopped, and then laughed again, this time with tears leaking from the corners of her eyes. ¡®What did they do to you?¡¯ I pressed my lips together. Hard. ¡®I said I¡¯d tell you when we got out.¡¯ Val held up her palms in surrender, and didn¡¯t press the matter further¡ªbut this didn¡¯t stop her getting a little more of a chuckle out of it. I wedged the blade back into its sheath and wrapped the belt around me; even if I couldn¡¯t use it right now, I would be able to soon, with any luck. And few blades had served me as well as this one. At least I¡¯d been wearing party clothes, I supposed. If I¡¯d been wearing my light armour, I would barely have been able to move, being that I wouldn¡¯t have the level requirements for it. I¡¯d be walking around naked in this moment, and I suspected that would¡¯ve tipped Val from pitiful aid to absolute despair at my existence. Not that the light armour had found a better fate, being that I¡¯d left it at an inn in Plainside¡ªone that had almost certainly been burned to the ground. ¡®You good?¡¯ Val asked, adding the last of her possessions to her person. I shrugged. ¡®Good as I¡¯m gonna get. Would¡¯ve liked a weapon, though, if we¡¯re breaking out of here.¡¯ The sorcerer nodded to the door. ¡®There¡¯s a kitchen across the corridor. You know, if knives are your thing.¡¯ I stuck my head back out into the hallway, and¡ªcontent that there was nobody around to spot me¡ªdashed across into the kitchen. It was a small room, clearly meant for preparing servants¡¯ meals rather than the baron himself, and as such was kept in¡ªI imagined¡ªa condition must less fussed over. Pots and pans were drying on the counter, alongside, helpfully, a wide selection of cutlery. I picked up the largest knife¡ªone with a long, deep blade. Item Equipped ¡ª Basic Cooking Knife Basic Cooking Knife (Blunt) ¡ª +2% to quality of prepared food. Warning: you do not meet level requirements to effectively wield this item! Requirement: Knifework ¡ª Level 3 or Cooking ¡ª Level 3 ¡®Gods damn it,¡¯ I hissed again, and thanked my lucky stars that Val wasn¡¯t in the room to witness this. ¡®I was level 36! 36! I¡­¡¯ But there was no use despairing; what was done was done, and I couldn¡¯t change a moment of it. Maybe not wielding an item effectively wasn¡¯t the end of the world, I figured, and tried waving the cooking knife around. The basic cooking knife. It was surprisingly end-heavy to my touch, and waving it around I¡ª I dropped the knife. It fell more quickly than I was able to react to, and it shot towards my shoes. I braced for pain as the knife pierced them, and then, finally, released a sigh of relief as the blade managed to slide between my first and second toes. Well, that was that question answered, at least. Best find another weapon for now. I searched the rest of the cutlery on offer for another knife. For something that I might be able to wield. For something¡ª And then I saw it: a humiliation to end all humiliations. A butter knife. I picked it up. Item Equipped ¡ª Basic Butter Knife Basic Butter Knife ¡ª +2 to quality of prepared food. -85% damage when used as a weapon. My heart sunk. Was this what I was reduced to? Wielding a butter knife? Hardly something that was going to stop another guard, once we ran into one. Maybe I could play it off, I figured¡ªmake them believe that I was so effective with a knife that all I needed to wield was a butter knife. ¡®You couldn¡¯t dream of what I can do with one of these,¡¯ I tried aloud, and then was mortified to find that Val was standing at the door. She looked from me, to the butter knife, and back to me again, then opened her mouth as if to say something. But no words came out; apparently the sight before her was too ridiculous for even her to comment on. And then, just as I thought that Val maybe wasn¡¯t the kind of person who would kick a man when he was down, she burst into laughter. ¡®Don¡¯t,¡¯ I said. This only seemed to make her laugh harder. ¡®Don¡¯t. I went through a very traumatic¡ª¡¯ This seemed to be doing no good. ¡®Stop laughing!¡¯ But all I could do was wait for her to tire herself out¡ªwhich, as it happened, took a great deal longer than I expected. ¡®Time we got going?¡¯ the sorcerer finally asked, wiping tears from her eyes, and then muttering something about butter knives under her breath. Keen to move on from this horrifically embarrassing incident, I nodded. Maybe I could find a way to level up my knifework, in all this. Butter knife firmly in grasp, I followed Val out into the corridor. Hooray.
"Styk" Level 2 Peasant
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 0 Intelligence ¡ª 5 Dexterity ¡ª 0 Strength ¡ª 0 Wisdom ¡ª 7 Charisma ¡ª 0
Skills: Identification ¡ª Level 4 Stealth ¡ª Level 0
Abilities: Basic Identification (Identification) ¡ª Discover basic attributes for a particular object or person. Ability scales with [WIS] + [INT].
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +400%
5. The OK-ish Escape The hallways of the Baronry of Umlok were surprisingly empty, considering they were owned by, you know, a baron. You¡¯d think they¡¯d splash out for some personnel to roam such a grand estate. It was only good news for us, though, as we made it up out of the dungeons and servants'' quarters without so much as seeing another soul. That all changed, however, when we found our way out. We got overconfident, I¡¯d say, but that was as much Val¡¯s fault as my own. We hurried up the stairs to the ground level, rushing around a corner towards what I noted as natural light, and Val came to a sudden halt in front of me. Not quite as athletic as I was a few days ago, I wasn¡¯t able to stop in time, and I crashed into the sorcerer¡¯s rear, eliciting an unintentional oomph from each of us. In front of us, a hulking woman in medium armour stood from a chair and table, and put her hand on her sword. As if that wasn¡¯t problem enough, the guard stood between us and our exit¡ªthe door to the castle yards at the far corner of the room, next to a thick stone wall lined with ornate tapestry. ¡®Err¡­¡¯ I started, staring at the woman. As if completely lacking in awareness of my hesitation, Val shoved me forward. ¡®Your turn!¡¯ Brow furrowed, I turned back to her and mouthed, ¡®Mine?¡¯ When I turned back, the guard was upon me, but with her sword down she was looking like she was in no rush to attack, so I could only assume that she¡¯d done a quick identification of me and deemed me no threat. Well, I decided, it was time to show her what I could do with a knife. Even if it was a butter knife. I raised the blunt blade, causing the guard to raise an eyebrow, and then I struck blindly forward. I remembered, in that moment, a time when my knife strikes were highly targeted and highly specific, where I could both aim at and hit a quarter-inch segment without much trouble. Without all my Knifework skill possession, though, I felt clumsy¡ªand the slice reflected that. The guard didn¡¯t react as the butter knife struck her chest armour, though her eyebrow remained raised. It was almost like I hadn¡¯t attacked her at all. ¡®You know you just did¡­ one¡­ point of damage, right?¡¯ Val asked. I looked at her, then back at the woman in front of me. All I could do was force an apologetic smile to my face, then shrug. The guard¡­ did not look impressed. I gripped the butter knife tighter, and slashed again, once more barely leaving a scratch in the woman¡¯s armour. ¡®Did you just try¡­¡¯ Val started. I flung my hands into the air. ¡®I don¡¯t know!¡¯ The guard with the slightly indented leather chest armour glared at me, and one hand began to slowly draw a long, shining sword from the sheath at her hips. ¡®Err¡­ Styk?¡¯ ¡®Yes?¡¯ ¡®Duck.¡¯ Maybe combat wasn¡¯t my thing right at this minute, but falling? Yes, I could do that. My chest hit the floor before I¡¯d really had a chance to register what I was doing, and I felt a great wind pass over me. Glancing upwards, I saw a cloud of dust¡ªpunctuated by the odd small stone¡ªpummelling into the guard. She staggered backwards with every hit of rock, and held her hands over her eyes to keep them unharmed. Feeling uncomfortably close to this magic cloud, I hugged the floor tighter, allowing myself just enough room to keep an eye on the woman who¡¯d accosted us. She grunted as her back hit the far stone wall, allowing her to retreat no further. I waited for Val to up the attack, to press the guard while she was routed, but instead the gust faded away. The guard growled. ¡®Now you¡¯re¡ª¡¯ Another magically created gust of wind sprung into life, flinging the door open and smashing the guard in the face. She had just enough time to mumble something that began with ¡®What¡­¡¯ before tumbling, unconscious, to the ground. Level 17 Guard defeated! Knifework unlocked! This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Knifework ¡ª +100xp Knifework increased to level 1! Base Points gained ¡ª +1 DEX, +1 STR, +2 Free Points (VIT/DEX/STR) Ability unlocked ¡ª Slice Slice (Knifework) ¡ª Slice the enemy for physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. I pulled myself back to my feet, staggered across the room, and looked down at the unconscious body of the guard. There must have been a smug smile on my face, because Val was soon to call me out on it. ¡®What¡¯s got you looking so happy all of a sudden?¡¯ I held up the butter knife. ¡®Gonna be rid of this before I know it.¡¯ ¡®You¡­ you got xp? For that? The system recognised that as contributing to the fight?¡¯ ¡®You said it yourself: I did one point of damage.¡¯ ¡®Two, actually.¡¯ ¡®Two points of damage!¡¯ I supported this point with two raised fingers, just in case Val had forgotten how to count in the past few seconds. Val shook her head in wide-eyed exasperation. ¡®Maybe you¡¯ll be able to wield a soup spoon next.¡¯ With that, she pressed through the door and out into the castle yard. I followed, keeping¡ªas she had¡ªto the shadows at the perimeter of the yard, this particular area apparently used as a stable. We paused at the castle¡¯s exterior wall, and as there was no obvious way to climb it, we instead looked for a ground-level exit. Across the yard, inconveniently located at the very far side, was the gate. But between us and it? A good half-dozen guards, standing¡ªadmittedly rather disinterestedly¡ªat their posts. ¡®Got any bright ideas?¡¯ Val asked. I looked at our surroundings¡ªat the three guards that would easily spot us if we continued on our path around the perimeter, at the bows hanging on two of the further guards, and at the handful of horses watching us while lazily chewing on dirty hay. I might have lost my skills, but that didn¡¯t mean I¡¯d lost my brains¡ªand I had a good head for strategy. ¡®You know?¡¯ I replied. ¡®I think I just might.¡¯ Before Val could respond, I picked up the last few strands of hay, and the three nearest horses immediately stopped chewing. Mid-mouthful. They got as worried as I did when someone got between them and their food, then. ¡®Shh,¡¯ I said to the nearest one, brushing its face gently. ¡®Here you go.¡¯ I dropped some of the hay in front of it, leading it ever so slightly away from the wall¡ªand closer to the gate. Val remained crouched in the shadows, her eyes narrow. ¡®Well?¡¯ I asked. ¡®You coming?¡¯ She sighed. ¡®Suppose I am.¡¯ We kept well hidden behind the massive beasts as I led them forward, dropping small bunches of hay every few paces. I directed them ever so slowly across the stable yard, keeping my breath shallow, willing that none of the guards spotted us. Two prisoners and three horses reached the far side of the horses¡¯ yard just as I ran out of hay, and¡ªafter a quick scan over the horses¡¯ back from Val¡ªwe dived over the fence for the cover of a low wall. From here, it was easy; we¡¯d made it through the eyelines of the guards on the ground floor, so from here we scuttled for the gate, slipping through it. As we reached a hay bale in the surrounding farmlands, I felt a notification or two pop up. Stealth ¡ª +80xp Stealth increased to level 1! Base Points gained ¡ª +1 DEX, +1 WIS, +2 Free Points (DEX/WIS) Ability unlocked ¡ª Basic Stealth Attack Basic Stealth Attack (Stealth) ¡ª Passive. 10% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. Level up! You increased to level 3! Level 3 already¡ªand I wasn¡¯t even out of here. Suddenly I was feeling a little more optimistic about my chances of surviving in the outside world long enough to return to a respectable level. And that was quite the number of base points I was building up, too. I looked to Val, who was waiting with hands raised, a look on her face that said something like ¡°what the hells are you waiting for?¡± ¡®What the hells are you waiting for?¡¯ she asked. ¡®Sorry,¡¯ I mumbled, hurrying after her¡ªbut not before putting two of my four free points into vitality and the other two into dexterity. At this point, both those stats were safe bets, as they¡¯d boost my health and my stamina, respectively¡ªboth of which I needed¡­ desperately. We ran for the safety of the woods, not looking back until the Barony of Umlok was long behind us. Finally we came to a rest, out of breath, though Val looking in a much better state than low-stamina me. We took a moment in silence, catching our breaths, and it was the sorcerer who finally spoke. ¡®Well that was fun, huh?¡¯ she said.
"Styk" Level 3 Peasant
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 2 Intelligence ¡ª 5 Dexterity ¡ª 4 Strength ¡ª 1 Wisdom ¡ª 8 Charisma ¡ª 0
Skills: Identification ¡ª Level 4 Knifework ¡ª Level 1 Stealth ¡ª Level 1
Abilities: Slice (Knifework) ¡ª Slice the enemy for physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Basic Stealth Attack (Stealth) ¡ª Passive. 10% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. Basic Identification (Identification) ¡ª Discover basic attributes for a particular object or person. Ability scales with [WIS] + [INT].
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +400%
68. New Normals Part VII: The Red Thorn Arzak clearly had the sense that something was horrifically, game-changingly, world-shatteringly wrong, but she also had the good sense not to pry. If she had, I wouldn¡¯t have told her, and I¡¯d toyed with the odd lie to get her off my case¡ªthat I had a stomach bug, or some sort of disease of the groin perhaps; anything that wouldn¡¯t invite any follow-up questions. But she didn¡¯t ask again after the first time, only keeping a close eye on me in our travel back to Lore¡¯s farm. I still didn¡¯t know if I believed it myself. The idea that I might have the blood of Players in me¡ªthe people who¡¯d I¡¯d learned to hate with a passion over these past few months¡ªI couldn¡¯t quite cope with. Part of me was in denial, the other part screaming. Silently, of course; I didn¡¯t want to give Arzak any more suspicions than she already had. Even once we arrived back on Lore¡¯s farm, I knew I was being oddly quiet. Mostly because Val kept telling me so. I realised I had to act more like my normal self, once I was back around her. While Arzak had the good sense to not interrogate me on what was the matter, Val¡­ Well, it wasn¡¯t often that the phrases ¡°Val¡± and ¡°good sense¡± were used in the same sentence without ¡°doesn¡¯t have¡± in between them. And so I¡¯d thrown myself into training up, alongside her. When I say ¡°training up¡±, I meant the Worldbending and Knifework skill trees, really¡ªthe idea that I¡¯d tell Val about my new Needlework skill was about as unlikely that I¡¯d tell her about my Player ancestry. While I eked out experience in my main combat skills¡ªeven with the Sisyphus bonus, there was only so much experience I could get without an enemy to fight¡ªVal worked on her Healing. In the past, she¡¯d only used it to battle hangovers, but now that Tokas had betrayed us, there was a very substantial demand for a healer in the party once more. ¡®A broken bone?¡¯ Val suggested. ¡®What?¡¯ I replied, concentrating on flicking a portal between two locations as quickly as possible¡ªsomething I still hadn¡¯t quite got the knack for. ¡®If you let me injure you, I can heal it,¡¯ the sorcerer said. ¡®How am I supposed to get Healing experience if I have nothing to bloody heal?¡¯ ¡®And your opening suggestion was that you snap one of my bones, was it?¡¯ Val shrugged. ¡®I thought we¡¯d haggle.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m not haggling.¡¯ ¡®OK, what about a flesh wound? Nothing mortal, just-¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re not injuring me, Val,¡¯ I interrupted. The sorcerer tossed her head back, rolling her eyes. ¡®Come on, you¡¯ve got to give me something to heal.¡¯ ¡®No.¡¯ ¡®Anything, please. Or do you want to face the next Player alongside a healer whose ability stretches, at best, to fixing an upset tummy?¡¯ I sighed, closing my pair of portals; this was clearly a conversation that Val wasn¡¯t giving up on any time soon. ¡®Why don¡¯t you injure one of Lore¡¯s sheep instead of your friend?¡¯ I suggested. Val blinked at me. ¡®Hurt one of them?¡¯ she asked, looking over at the surrounding field full of what Lore affectionately called his ¡°babies¡±. ¡®You know, there was a time not long ago that you suggested I tried cutting a sheep in two.¡¯ ¡®Well that was before I got to know them, wasn¡¯t it?¡¯ The sorcerer grabbed one of the sheep as they passed by and rubbing it affectionately on the head. It didn¡¯t seem to notice. ¡®And besides, I think Lore would kill me if I did. Or, try to.¡¯ ¡®Either way, you¡¯d have something to heal,¡¯ I said. ¡®I¡¯m not hurting Lore¡¯s babies,¡¯ Val said, metaphorically putting her foot down. I sighed again. I¡¯d never been one for sighing, all that much, but that was before I¡¯d met Val. ¡®You can slap me.¡¯ ¡®Slap you?¡¯ Val repeated. ¡®That¡¯s it?¡¯ ¡®Either that or you get me drunk. Again.¡¯ ¡®I think we¡¯ve already drunk Lore¡¯s supplies dry.¡¯ I gestured a thumb towards the dirt road. ¡®I could pop into town? Get some more?¡¯ Val¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡®Ooh, maybe more of that ruby ale that¡ª¡¯ She caught herself. ¡®No, wait, stop. I¡¯m not fixing any more hangovers. Do you know how much experience I get for those? It¡¯s double digits.¡¯ In the distance, someone shouted. My head snapped to face them, though I notice Val didn¡¯t have the same reaction; clearly one of us held more anxiety than the other. Across the field, Seld¡ªLore¡¯s farmhand¡ªgrabbed his behind as though pained. Nearby, a sheep munched on grass almost too casually. ¡®Lore!¡¯ Seld shouted. ¡®They¡¯re doing it again! They¡¯re headbutting me!¡¯ The owner of the farm popped his head out of the farmhouse. ¡®Who is?¡¯ Seld pointed at the nearby sheep. ¡®She is.¡¯ If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Lore looked at the sheep, peacefully chewing grass. ¡®Are you sure?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ve told you, they only do it when nobody¡¯s looking!¡¯ I glanced to Val, who shrugged. It wasn¡¯t that neither of us believed Seld, but neither of us had actually seen it happen. In fact, nobody had; if these sheep really were bullying the farmhand, they were doing a good job of doing it subtly. On the porch of the farmhouse, Arzak and Corminar watched on. From the looks on their faces, neither of them had seen the incident unfold either, though that was likely because they were hard at work. The orc, who had been so delighted that I¡¯d liked her gifted purple scarf so much, was working unashamedly on her own Needlework to produce me a purple sweater which I didn¡¯t have the heart to tell her was a bit too much purple. Val didn¡¯t make anything of Arzak taking up Needlework, but I didn¡¯t trust the sorcerer to treat my new crafting skill the same way. She¡¯d probably use the different specialism¡ªsewing versus knitting¡ªas a reason to insult me but not Arzak. At the orc¡¯s side, Corminar sat with furrowed brow, an array of flowers, roots, and monster parts in front of him. I¡¯d asked him a few days ago where the monster parts had come from, and he¡¯d stopped what he was doing, looked up at me, and with a raised eyebrow had replied, ¡®They are from monsters, Styk.¡¯ I hadn¡¯t pushed the matter further. The elf selected three particular ingredients¡ªwithout access to the Alchemy skill tree, I had no idea how this process worked¡ªand placed them into a small stone mortar. He picked up the pestle, and then paused, just before beginning to crush, and looked up at me. ¡®Would it matter if your mana potions made your vision blurry?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m sorry?¡¯ I asked, confused. ¡®Please, don¡¯t be. I ask only because I could provide you with a potion that both increases your mana and your maximum mana, if only you were not too attached to your vision.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯d like to see, Corminar, if possible.¡¯ Val opened her mouth, and I immediately knew something annoying was about to come out of it. ¡®You¡¯d like to see Corminar?¡¯ ¡®So many would,¡¯ the elf agreed, unconsciously fiddling with his long, lush hair. ¡®No,¡¯ I replied, voice strained, ¡®I¡¯d like to see, Corminar. I¡¯d like to see, comma, Corminar.¡¯ ¡®I quite like seeing Corminar,¡¯ Lore shouted out from somewhere inside the house, clearly having missed much of the sub-text¡ªand, indeed, text¡ªof the conversation. ¡®Perhaps I shall create you a handful of these such potions. We shall see how much you get on with them.¡¯ ¡®How blind are they going to make me?¡¯ I asked. ¡®And for how long?¡¯ ¡®Your eyes will be just a little blurry, that is all,¡¯ Corminar replied. I waited for the answer to the other question. It became soon apparent that it wasn¡¯t coming. ¡®And for how long, Corminar?¡¯ The ranger mumbled something I couldn¡¯t quite hear. ¡®What¡¯s that?¡¯ ¡®Five.¡¯ ¡®Five what?¡¯ I asked. ¡®It better not be years.¡¯ ¡®...Days.¡¯ I met the elf¡¯s gaze and held it. ¡®I shall create the normal potions, shall I?¡¯ Corminar asked, picking out one of the three ingredients from his mortar. ¡®Yes. Please.¡¯ I turned back to Val and was surprised by a slap in the face. Staggering backwards, I cradled my check with my hand. ¡®And what in the hells was that for?¡¯ Val furrowed her brow. ¡®Healing? You said I could?¡¯ ¡®I thought you¡¯d give me some warning!¡¯ ¡®Well, then, specify that, next time,¡¯ the sorcerer replied, then touched one of her soft hands to my cheek. As the warmth of her healing magicks healed what little injury had done to me, I looked up at Val, and she suddenly seemed unable to meet my gaze. ¡®And did you¡­ err¡­ get lots of experience from that?¡¯ I asked her. Val whipped her hand away from my cheek with more speed than was perhaps necessary. ¡®No.¡¯ I sighed. Again! And then pulled my Ranger¡¯s Blade from my side. ¡®Alright,¡¯ I said, holding the blade over the back of my arm, ¡®If you really need a flesh wound, then I guess I can give you¡ª¡¯ An almighty noise erupted across the farm, making me almost drop my knife in my scramble to cover my ears. Sheep scattered, running as far as the fencing would allow, while Seld did his best to avoid the charging animals. It took me a moment to recognise the intense din that was in danger of making my ears bleed. It was the shriek of a banshee¡ªa truly unsettling, bone-chillingly awful sound that, admittedly, I was responsible for. The latest of my Worldbending abilities, my shrill perimeter, was alerting us that trouble had crossed its boundary. I¡¯d only been able to place one of these perimeters, I¡¯d discovered, and the radius wasn¡¯t all that great. So I¡¯d placed it on the dirt road into Lore¡¯s farm, rather than on the neighbours¡¯ fields or at the treeline to the north, hoping that whoever brought trouble would approach us directly. It looked at though that gamble had paid off. Danger had found us once more. What a relief.
"Styk" Level 11 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 26 Intelligence ¡ª 103 Dexterity ¡ª 38 Strength ¡ª 50 Wisdom ¡ª 26 Charisma ¡ª 8
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 24 Knifework ¡ª Level 23 Identification ¡ª Level 10 Stealth ¡ª Level 6 Needlework ¡ª Level 4
Abilities: Slice ¡ª Slice the enemy for physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Stab II ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 20%. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Stealth Attack ¡ª Passive. 50% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA].
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
69. Prickly People A group of elves, each wearing a long crimson robe and a bow over one shoulder, ambled up the road to Lore¡¯s farm. All pairs of eyes were fixed upon the house, none of these visitors giving Val and I a second look. Every one of them had long hair twisted into a tight braid, as though to keep it out of the way in case of trouble. But were they seeking the trouble, or bringing it? ¡®We seek Corminar Cladenor,¡¯ one of the elves said, gesturing for the group to halt, a good twenty yards from Lore¡¯s house. My elven friend stared back at the new face, considering the man without expression, before slowly placing his potion ingredients back down on the small wooden table in front of him. He matched the visitors¡¯ paces as he strolled down from the terrace and onto the yard. Corminar stared the visitors down for a moment in silence, as though daring them to speak first. They didn¡¯t. I placed a hand on the hilt of my dagger, and back over at the house, I could see Arzak doing much the same with the sword leaning against the side of her chair. ¡®I must admit,¡¯ my elven friend finally said. ¡®What with all that has happened of late, our deal had rather slipped my mind.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t until this moment that I realised who these visitors were. There was only one group¡ªas far as I was aware¡ªthat Corminar had outstanding business with. And it wasn¡¯t the type of faction that you much wanted outstanding business with, either. The elves standing on the road to Lore¡¯s farm were, surely, members of the much-feared Red Thorn¡ªelves that had been exiled from the Dawnwood, operating in industries best kept in the shadows. The elf in charge, an older man with hair starting to grey, paced forwards one step while the rest of his contingent remained behind. ¡®How unbecoming of you,¡¯ he said, meeting Corminar¡¯s stare. ¡®And just what events might have kept you from fulfilling our bargain?¡¯ ¡®I do not think you would believe me if I told you.¡¯ The older elf raised an eyebrow. ¡®No? You think I would not believe that you were busy delivering justice to a Player that had overstayed their welcome?¡¯ Corminar¡¯s right eye twitched. This was about the only giveaway I¡¯d noticed him having, when it came to his emotions. ¡®You¡ª¡¯ ¡®We are informed sufficiently about the world around us to understand that the general consensus concerning Players is not rooted in reality. We would be rather terrible at our jobs if this were not so.¡¯ There was silence once more as Corminar considered these words. A sheep baa-ed in the distance. Lore stuck his head out of a window to see what was going on below, but managed to close his mouth before saying anything that might have got Corminar in trouble. ¡®Elandor, I¡ª¡¯ The older elf held up his hand. ¡®I am not present to listen to excuses; I am here to uphold the name of the Red Thorn. If it were known that we allowed you to escape a bargain, then our name would mean nothing. Do you not agree?¡¯ ¡®Perhaps we can strike a new arrangement,¡¯ Corminar suggested. ¡®One that grants me my life while demonstrating that the Red Thorn cannot be trifled with.¡¯ ¡®If you do not have the Mala with you,¡¯ Elandor said, ¡®then I believe it would be simpler to deliver our own form of justice now and be done with the¡ª¡¯ ¡®Kill him?¡¯ Val shouted across from the other side of the wooden fence, apparently able to keep quiet no longer. ¡®You can kill him over my dead body.¡¯ Elandor raised an eyebrow, making no effort to hide the smile that crossed his face. ¡®Such terms would be acceptable to us.¡¯ Corminar flung a hand out to signal to Val to stay out of this, that he had it under control, but it was too late. The sorcerer was already moving. Realising what was about to happen, Arzak grabbed her two sword and stood, ready to defend herself. Lore¡¯s face disappeared from the window above. ¡®No,¡¯ Corminar said. ¡®No!¡¯ Elandor¡¯s fellow elves, remaining strangely calm, responded in kind, and pulled their bows from their shoulders. What was it with elves and Archery skills? Why did they like it so much? Was it the wood involved? ¡®I had hoped it wouldn¡¯t come to this,¡¯ Elandor said. Corminar opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by me opening a portal underneath him and sending him tumbling back onto the porch, where his bow was waiting. A single arrow, that would have struck him firmly in the chest, soared over his head. Arzak stepped off the porch, parrying away the shot of another Red Thorn ranger with expert timing. ¡®You not want this?¡¯ she said, ¡®Then stop!¡¯ The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Val stood at my side with her arms stretched out at her sides, then suddenly clapped them together. A summon gust¡ªthough ¡°gust¡± was maybe underselling the strength of this blow¡ªbillowed across the road and caught the group of elven archers, blowing two of the five from their feet. ¡®Val, we¡ª¡¯ Arzak started, but was cut off when an arrow caught her in the shoulder. Up above, Lore appeared back at the window once more, this time¡­ leaping through it. He met the dusty ground hard, greatsword in hand, then rose to leap once more¡ªthis time at the members of the Red Thorn group who were still standing. As Lore attacked, his sheep¡¯s heads suddenly snapped to him, their eyes wide. Most of them were fenced in, but a few¡ªLore¡¯s favourites¡ªwere able to wander the farm at large. It was those ones, now, who began to charge at our new enemies. In the few seconds that this happened, I had gestured one hand to the leader of this enemy group, opening a portal at his side and linking it to one at Arzak¡¯s side, expecting her to strike through it. But the orc didn¡¯t move, her only efforts concentrated on defending herself. As Lore charged the enemies, so too did a pair of his sheep, from the elves¡¯ other side. He swung his sword forward at Elandor, but the older elf¡ªa smile still on his face¡ªsimply stepped backwards, out of reach. ¡®Thorns,¡¯ he said, ¡®concentrate your fire on this man, if you will.¡¯ The three archers still standing pivoted to point their bows at Lore, and he had just enough time to blink, dumbfounded, at them, before they fired. I was quicker, though. I flicked one of my portal to the space between Lore and the agents of the Red Thorn, catching their fired arrows with it, and sending them shooting instead into empty space and the dusty ground. The closest of the sheep reached Elandor at this point. While the older elf had anticipated the attacks of the Slayers, it seemed he hadn¡¯t anticipated the sheep attacking him too. This sheep headbutted the elf at the back of the legs, hard, sending him tumbling backwards to the floor. To Elandor¡¯s credit, he adapted the fall into a backwards role, landing on his feet once more a moment later with more agility than I had expected of an elf of his age. With a furrowed brow, the older elf glanced down at the sheep, then flicked his fingers. In the blink of an eye, Elandor was standing much further down the road, out of range of any of the conflict. He left a purple glow where he¡¯d been standing just for a moment¡ªthe familiar purple glow of Worldbending magicks. Lore turned his attention to the fire elven rangers, and charged at them. I wasn¡¯t quick enough to block the arrows, this time around, but Val was on it. The sorcerer sent another blast of air at the enemies¡ªone with enough force to push the fired arrows off-target or to mess up the rangers¡¯ aims. The barbarian leapt into the air, sword raised, and one of the rangers dropped their bow to the floor. In the same movement, they pulled a dagger from their waist and held it up to meet them. ¡®Lore!¡¯ I shouted, admittedly for no particular reason, before draining my mana some more to open another pair of portals. I caught Lore before he could meet the hidden blade, sending him rolling onto the ground at Arzak¡¯s feet. The orc looked down at Lore, then up at me, and nodded. This was a signal I knew, by now, all too well. With another flick of my hands, I opened another pair of portals once more¡ªone at Arzak¡¯s side, the other behind the group of enemies. She stepped through it, dropping one sword to the floor and holding the other high, then grabbed at the nearest elf. She held one sword to their neck, and then¡­ ¡®Enough!¡¯ she roared. The farm fell silent but for a sheep turning to charge at Elandor. With a whistle from Lore, they too came to a halt. Arzak pulled the enemy elf away from the rest of the group, blade still held to their neck, and then turned to face down their leader. ¡®We do this, we kill some of you. You kill some of us. Nobody win. There is better way.¡¯ Elandor considered her carefully before finally speaking. ¡®Pray tell.¡¯ ¡®We do better than Mala,¡¯ Arzak said. ¡®And we do it for free.¡¯
"Styk" Level 11 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 26 Intelligence ¡ª 103 Dexterity ¡ª 38 Strength ¡ª 50 Wisdom ¡ª 26 Charisma ¡ª 8
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 24 Knifework ¡ª Level 23 Identification ¡ª Level 10 Stealth ¡ª Level 6 Needlework ¡ª Level 4
Abilities: Slice ¡ª Slice the enemy for physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Stab II ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 20%. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Stealth Attack ¡ª Passive. 50% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA].
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
70. Haggle With Care ¡®Tell me¡­ more,¡¯ Elandor said, gesturing for the elven rangers not currently being held at the edge of a sword to stand down. They lowered their bows at once. ¡®If release this one,¡¯ Arzak said, nodding to the elf in her arms, ¡®you attack again?¡¯ ¡®We will not,¡¯ the enemy leader replied. ¡®You have my word. And, as Corminar will attest, your word is sacred, in this business.¡¯ The orc considered Elandor for a moment before finally releasing her captive, pushing them back towards the rest of the group. ¡®Please,¡¯ the elf said, gesturing now for Arzak to continue, ¡®you were saying you would deliver unto us a Mala, and that Corminar would be returning our up-front payment?¡¯ ¡®No,¡¯ I blurted out. I didn¡¯t quite know where Arzak was going with this. Maybe she was lying, just trying to get us out of trouble. But there was a chance she was being honest¡ªshe wasn¡¯t one for deception, normally¡ªand that she truly intended to free Corminar from his debt in this way. I couldn¡¯t have that. Not a Mala. No life was worth a Mala getting into the wrong hands, not even Corminar¡¯s. Elandor raised an eyebrow. ¡®So quick are you to rescind your offer. Is it your wish that we resume our skirmish?¡¯ ¡®Not a Mala,¡¯ I added. ¡®We¡¯ll get you something else¡ªsomething worth the same, or more¡ªbut we won¡¯t get you that.¡¯ ¡®Ah, but you see, it is not the monetary value with which we are concerned. My masters in the south require the creature. They have need for it. There is to be a conference of power that must be disrupted if our business it to survive.¡¯ Elandor sighed. ¡®Perhaps I speak too plainly.¡¯ ¡®This is plainly?¡¯ Val retorted. ¡®It is in your interest to deliver the Mala to us. Beyond this, I can say no more.¡¯ Arzak looked to me, as though allowing me to make the call. Perhaps she really was shedding herself of the responsibility of leadership. ¡®We can¡¯t.¡¯ ¡®You cannot, or you will not?¡¯ I shrugged. ¡®The result is the same. What else can we get you? Surely there¡¯s another way we can pay off what Corminar owes?¡¯ ¡®Gold, maybe?¡¯ Val asked. ¡®We could do a bank heist for you?¡¯ Arzak, Lore and I shot Val a perplexed expression, while Corminar seemed completely unphased by the suggestion. ¡®It would need to be¡­¡¯ Elandor said, taking a good deal of time about his response. ¡®We have gold. A more than sufficient amount, even. Riches do not interest me.¡¯ ¡®Then what?¡¯ ¡®There are things in this world that have no value. That gold cannot buy. For most¡¯ ¡ª he shot Corminar a meaningful look ¡ª ¡®a Mala is one of them. But perhaps there are¡­ equivalents?¡¯ I shot Val a nervous glance; I did not want to think about what Elandor considered equivalent to a Mala. ¡®Go on, then,¡¯ Val said. ¡®Like what?¡¯ ¡®I would ask you to use your imagination,¡¯ the Red Thorn leader replied, ¡®yet I expect that would only lead to a misunderstanding. Consider the¡ª¡¯ One of Lore¡¯s sheep headbutted him again. Elandor scowled down at it. ¡®If you do not restrain your beasts, then I will be forced to¡ª¡¯ An ear-splitting whistle rang out, coming from Lore¡¯s mouth. ¡®Oi, Daisy! Come here, girl.¡¯ The sheep baa-ed one more irritable baa at Elandor, then turned to strut towards the barbarian. ¡®Where was I?¡¯ the elf asked. ¡®You were being insulting and telling us what we could get for you,¡¯ Lore answered with a helpful smile. ¡®Ah, yes.¡¯ The old elf began to stroll back and forth, as though for show, his hands clasped behind his back. ¡®Equivalent in perceived value to a Mala, it must be¡ªfor the Red Thorn to retain their image. Perhaps an Elderbeest, I might suggest. Or a greyback. Or, if you are feeling particular adventurous, a bogspawn. Any of¡ª¡¯ ¡®Are you sure we can¡¯t interest you in a bank heist?¡¯ Val asked, clearly eager to move away from the idea of bogspawn; after all, she¡¯d seen one first-hand, and she knew damn well we couldn¡¯t control or overcome one. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. ¡®I have already been far more kind to you than I might have been with any of our other contractors¡ªyou have Corminar¡¯s history to thank for that. I do, however, still have the Red Thorn¡¯s image to maintain¡ªyou must be seen to suffer for your sins. Paying off this debt¡­ it will not be easy. But the alternative, I think you will find, is far worse.¡¯ ¡®We shall get you your creature,¡¯ Corminar said. ¡®Which creature?¡¯ ¡®Allow us to worry about that,¡¯ the elven ranger said. ¡®I assure you, you will not be disappointed.¡¯ Elandor stared Corminar down for quite a bit longer than was comfortable, as though searching his eyes for any sign of a lie. ¡®Very well,¡¯ he eventually said, ¡®but you must understand, we cannot take you at your word. We learn from our mistakes, Cladenor.¡¯ ¡®I assure you, I too learn from my mistakes. I would not cross you a second time.¡¯ ¡®Be that as it may¡­¡¯ Corminar pushed his hand down the top of his shirt, pulling from it a brass locket. ¡®I still have my birth seed,¡¯ he said. ¡®If I were to give that to you, might that serve as suitable assurance that I intended to deliver?¡¯ ¡®And just what might any of us elves do with a birth seed?¡¯ Elandor responded. ¡®You know as well as I that it is powerless outside of the Dawnwood. You might as well hand me a rock, for all that is worth.¡¯ Corminar said nothing, his face stoic but¡ªunless I was imagining it¡ªa shade paler than usual. ¡®No, I think I have seen for myself just what one member of your party values above all else,¡¯ Elandor said. ¡®It is my debt to pay, not¡ª¡¯ ¡®Did I not see your¡­¡¯ He searched for a word. ¡®...friends all hurry to your aid? Did they not all bare weapons against me? They share in this debt, now.¡¯ ¡®You will not take from¡ª¡¯ Corminar started, but was cut off when Elandor thrusted a hand into the air, snapping his fingers into a clenched fist. At the same moment, purple glows illuminated all around the farm. Portals. Val glanced to me for a second, as though she thought I was responsible. A chorus of animal squeals followed, as each and every one of Lore¡¯s sheep fell through their own portal. But where they ended up¡­ I could not see. This Elandor was far stronger in the magicks of Worldbending than I was. When I looked to Lore, I could see that Arzak was already holding him back¡ªa job easier said than done. ¡®Oh, do not worry yourself, human,¡¯ Elandor said. ¡®Where are they?¡¯ Lore shouted, globules of saliva arching from his mouth. ¡®What have you done with them?¡¯ ¡®A¡­ pocket space, you might call it,¡¯ the older elf replied. ¡®A place in which time passes slowly. A second in there might even be a day out here, in the real world. If you complete your quest quickly, your precious flock might not even notice that they are in there. If you complete it slowly, however¡­ Well, I must inform you that they are not alone in there¡­¡¯ ¡®You¡­ you¡­¡¯ ¡®You will have your prize,¡¯ Corminar said, stepping in front of Lore before he could finish whatever insult was about to come out of his mouth. ¡®I assure you of that.¡¯ ¡®See that you do,¡¯ Elandor replied. ¡®For it is not only the lives of sheep that are at stake.¡¯ With that, the older elf turned and gestured for the elven rangers to follow, which they did at once. They were well trained. Only once he was halfway down the road did Elandor turn. ¡®Oh, and I assume you still know where to find me?¡¯ Corminar nodded. ¡®Very good.¡¯ Once more, Elandor turned and began to amble away. ¡®So, Cor,¡¯ Val said, watching the Red Thorn contingent stroll down the path and out of sight, ¡®what¡¯s this creature you want us to go capture?¡¯ The elven ranger kept his eyes fixed firmly on the spot where Elandor had disappeared. ¡®I do have one lead. One that I received during my acquisition days.¡¯ ¡®Yes¡­¡¯ Val prompted him. ¡®We will need to fetch an artifact first, if we are to control it.¡¯ ¡®Cor, will you just tell us what we¡¯re gonna be doing?¡¯ ¡®Yes,¡¯ Arzak echoed. ¡®Tell. Now.¡¯ Corminar sighed, licking his lips as though he didn¡¯t want to speak the words. ¡®We shall acquire a depth-raider.¡¯ ¡®Ah.¡¯ ¡®Yeah.¡¯ ¡®You know,¡¯ Val said, ¡®I¡¯d really rather we just went and robbed a bank.¡¯
"Styk" Level 11 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 26 Intelligence ¡ª 103 Dexterity ¡ª 38 Strength ¡ª 50 Wisdom ¡ª 26 Charisma ¡ª 8
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 24 Knifework ¡ª Level 23 Identification ¡ª Level 10 Stealth ¡ª Level 6 Needlework ¡ª Level 4
Abilities: Slice ¡ª Slice the enemy for physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Stab II ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 20%. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Stealth Attack ¡ª Passive. 50% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA].
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
71. Golden Horizons We left Tanar that very afternoon, wanting to be seen to make good on our verbal agreement with the Red Thorn. Corminar was convinced they¡¯d be watching, and¡ªbased on their knowledge of the Player we¡¯d killed¡ªI was inclined to believe him. Lore left Seld in charge of the farm, but the young farmhand seemed a bit clueless about what to do when¡­ all the sheep were stuck in some alternative ¡°pocket¡± world. He seemed almost as distressed as Lore about the ¡°sheepnapping¡±, as he¡¯d called it, which made me wonder what he¡¯d have called it if Elandor had taken baby goats instead. Finally Lore, fighting through his own torment, calmed the farmhand by telling him he can head into town and start planting those crops they¡¯d spoken about. Seld seemed a bit more focused after this. The five of us left Lore¡¯s farm in the vicinity of the small town of Tanar, and head south to the seaside town of Birrow, where we were going to board a ferry. For the first time in my life, I was going to leave the Gentle Tundras. Corminar¡¯s lead on a depth-raider¡ªwhatever that was¡ªhad us crossing the Iron Sea, making for the midst of the Goldmarch. Here, we¡¯d track down his contact and get the latest information as to its whereabouts, but also¡ªmore importantly¡ªa lead on the artifact that could control it. Val, who¡¯d been uncharacteristically quiet on our journey to the coast, seemed particularly riled up by any talk of this artifact, the name of which Corminar had, almost intentionally, avoided saying. We reached Birrow in the mid-afternoon a few days later, and set our eyes on the ferry itself, a boat that was almost as large as the¡ªadmittedly quite small¡ªbuildings of this fishing town. For all that its size made it seem majestic, the patchwork of different colour wood in the hull and fabric in the sails made it¡­ not so majestic. Not that it mattered; the next nearest ferry was all the way in Ironview, and we didn¡¯t want to add any more days onto this trip that were absolutely necessary, for the sake of Lore and his missing sheep. ¡®Big guy, ain¡¯t you?¡¯ the captain of the Birrow-Last Soil ferry said, her eyes glistening, mouth agape, as she stared up at the barbarian. ¡®And handsome, too.¡¯ Corminar put a hand to his chest. ¡®Well, I don¡¯t know about big, but¡ª¡¯ ¡®She talk about Lore,¡¯ Arzak said, and the elf suddenly hurried aboard the large wooden vessel. ¡®I should charge you double, big lad,¡¯ the older captain said. ¡®Big, strong lad.¡¯ Lore blushed, and he too hurried on board. As he passed the captain on the ramp to the ship, the woman moved to touch him on the rear, but a dirty look from Val made her stop midway. Instead, the captain held up her hands as though to protest her innocence, then suddenly pulled out her spyglass to take a look at something¡ªin reality, nothing¡ªshe¡¯d seen in the distance. I was the last of our group to board the ship, and I was surprised by the sensation of the floor moving beneath me. I felt unsteadily, and something about the vessel gently bobbing up and down in the water made me feel a little queasy. How did sailors cope with it? Our group amassed towards the rear of the ship, Corminar sitting atop a barrel and pushing dried leaves into a pipe. From the looks of Lore, standing next to him with another empty pipe in his hand, he was hoping the elf would share. ¡®So,¡¯ I ventured, gulping down the acid that was rising up my throat. ¡®Depth-raiders. You still haven¡¯t told me what they¡­ are.¡¯ Corminar looked up at me, and then caught sight of the smiling Lore standing next to him. With a sigh, he handed his bag of pipeweed over to him. ¡®They are dangerous creatures indeed. Not mighty of frame or stature, but able to harness a power unlike anything else.¡¯ I raised an eyebrow. ¡®And¡­ should we feel comfortable handing one over to the Thorn? I know we said no Mala, but I don¡¯t exactly wanna hand over something just as bad.¡¯ Corminar shook his head. ¡®It is no Mala, that is for sure. From what you have told me, there is no power in this world as strong as those creatures. The depth-raider, however, might be a member of the same league. These beasts¡ªnot much larger than a Mala, in fact¡ªcan sense great power, and seize it for their own. Most would find them not dangerous in the least¡ªthey¡¯ve been known to be kept as pets, even¡ªbut once a man with power appears nearby¡­ Let us say only that I have seen communal bathrooms less disgusting.¡¯ ¡®OK,¡¯ I said. ¡®New question, then: if they¡¯re as dangerous as this, why did we just volunteer to go catch one? We¡¯ve just escaped one life-threatening situation, do we really need to go throw ourselves into another?¡¯ ¡®It what we do,¡¯ Arzak said. Lore nodded his agreement, his eyes on the captain who¡¯d taken a fondness to him, who was at this moment undocking the ship. ¡®You forget the artifact,¡¯ Corminar added. At mention of this, Val turned away, and ambled over to the edge of the ship, looking at the coast. ¡®This creature, though strong, has a notable weakness. Its powers are rooted in magicks of nature; an artifact which nullify these magicks can render the beast inert. This is why we must, first, find ourselves a witchfinder¡¯s clasp.¡¯ Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. My eyes darted over to Val. ¡®A what?¡¯ ¡®A witchfinders clasp,¡¯ Lore repeated, loudly and slowly. ¡®No, yes, I heard it. I just don¡¯t know what that is.¡¯ ¡®It is a metal binding,¡¯ Corminar explained, ¡®reforged from a witchfinder¡¯s blade. At least, a blade that has been stained by the blood of witches. There is a power in witch blood, you see; it is not just tradition that necessitates the slaying of¡ª¡¯ ¡®Corminar,¡¯ Arzak said. The ranger¡¯s eyes darted, too, to Val. ¡®Yes. Of course,¡¯ he said. ¡®The heart of the matter is this: we do not even consider fetching this beast until we have a witchfinder¡¯s clasp in hand. One that we have¡­¡¯ He shot a nervous glance at Arzak. ¡®...tested.¡¯ While Corminar, Arzak and Lore discussed the whereabouts of his informed contact, I slinked off to the side of the ship, and I tried my very best not to throw up. ¡®Did they send you to see how I was?¡¯ Val asked. I said nothing, mostly because a fresh wave of nausea swept over me as I saw just how far away the land had become. ¡®Tell them I¡¯m fine.¡¯ ¡®I¡­¡¯ I started, then steeled myself to ask the inevitable question. ¡®Why would they send me over for that?¡¯ Val sighed. ¡®I suppose it¡¯s time for¡­¡¯ she started, then trailed off, shaking her head, as though she¡¯d lost faith in that sentence. Meeting my gaze with almost pained effort, she continued, ¡®There¡¯s something you don¡¯t know about me, Styk. Something that might¡­ push you away, if you were to find out.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t help but think of my own secret¡ªthat of my newly discovered ancestry. ¡®Yeah, you and I both,¡¯ I said. Val couldn¡¯t seem to help but smirk. ¡®That you sew?¡¯ ¡®Arzak told you, huh?¡¯ ¡®It was the first thing she said when you two got back, yeah. She comes across as this mature, put-together woman, doesn¡¯t she, but really she¡¯s a massive gossip.¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t tell Arzak stuff,¡¯ I said. ¡®Noted. I think you misunderstood me, though, before. I wasn¡¯t asking why they¡¯d send someone over to see how you were. I was asking why they¡¯d send specifically me over for that. Surely any of them have known you longer.¡¯ Val looked at me with a slightly stunned expression on her face. ¡®Well, you know, because¡ª¡¯ I was flung across the deck as the ship suddenly collided with something, bashing my nose against the wood hard enough that blood began to pour forth and my health bar drained some. ¡®What the hells was that?¡¯ I asked Val. ¡®We hit something?¡¯ Val narrowed her eyes. ¡®Out here? There¡¯s no land to hit.¡¯ ¡®Then what¡­¡¯ An ear-splitting screech erupted as a beast burst forth from the water, several pink appendages¡ªeach covered in suckers the size of my face¡ªsprouting around the ship. ¡®What in the¡ª¡¯ Val started, and then one of these giant, thirty-foot-or-so appendages slammed towards us. I dove for my friend, opening a portal below us, and gestured open its partner somewhere behind and above me. We fell through the portal just as the suckered arm slammed into the deck, splintering it, and found ourselves¡­ in mid-air. Oops. I reached out for the closest thing I could find, grabbing at the cloth of the main sail while Val did the same thing at my side. From up here, near the top of the main mast, I could see the monstrosity for what it was: a squid, the size of which would rival most inns. ¡®Cephalopor!¡¯ the captain roared below. ¡®Cephalopor!¡¯ It was the stuff of legends. The sort of beast that featured in horror stories, used to keep naughty children in line. A creature that was so often suggested as the cause of so many missing ships over the years. And we had no choice but to fight it.
"Styk" Level 11 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 26 Intelligence ¡ª 103 Dexterity ¡ª 38 Strength ¡ª 50 Wisdom ¡ª 26 Charisma ¡ª 8
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 24 Knifework ¡ª Level 23 Identification ¡ª Level 10 Stealth ¡ª Level 6 Needlework ¡ª Level 4
Abilities: Slice ¡ª Slice the enemy for physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Stab II ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 20%. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Stealth Attack ¡ª Passive. 50% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA].
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
72. Suckers The sail ripped, sending Val and I hurtling towards the deck once more, just as a huge tentacle swept across the ship. Stifling a yelp, I grabbed Val and pushed the pair of us to the deck just in time to avoid it, the wet suckers sliding overhead. The captain, however, wasn¡¯t so lucky. The tentacle caught her by the torso, flinging her across the ship and crashing her into a splintered wooden wall. She began to cough up blood. ¡®Val!¡¯ I shouted at her. ¡®What?¡¯ came the response¡ªalso a shout. ¡®You want healing experience?¡¯ I asked, pointing to the injured captain. ¡®Get to it!¡¯ Val nodded, then sprinted across the deck, leaving me to spin my head around to pick out the rest of the team amongst the chaos. Between screaming passengers, I saw Corminar, staggering to his feet, nursing cuts down one side of his body. The elf pulled his bow up, ready to nock an arrow in it, and then found¡­ that it was snapped in two. He groaned, threw the bow to the floor, then armed himself instead with an arrow in each hand. ¡®Corminar!¡¯ I shouted, trying to get his attention, but the elf¡¯s was fixed on the monstrosity¡ªas mine should have been. A tentacle crashed across the deck once again, and while Corminar leapt deftly over it, I was forced to drain my mana some and fall through a portal, landing clumsily on my feet at the elf¡¯s side. ¡®Cormin¡ª¡¯ I tried again, but the elf charged into the fight. Following his line of sight, I saw Arzak and Lore standing back to back, swords raised, ready to strike. Not a second behind the elf, I charged across the deck towards my fellow party members, racking my brain for a plan to deal with a creature as large as this. It certainly wouldn¡¯t fit through one of my portals, at least not as they currently were, not without¡ª A crashing at my rear announced another sweeping tentacle just in time for me to know what was coming, and without enough time to react to it. The great, five-foot-tall limb crashed into both me and Corminar, knocking us from our feet and sending us careering through the air. While I crashed into the deck near Val, Corminar had been hit harder, and so was high in the air when another of the cephalopor¡¯s limbs caught him. ¡®Hi,¡¯ I said to Val. ¡®Going well?¡¯ ¡®No.¡¯ I pulled myself back to my feet and watched my elven friend struggling against the smaller tentacle that was wrapping itself around him. A great maw rose from the water below¡ªa circle of teeth, something that should really have been reserved for the deepest circles of Tartarus¡ªand¡­ opened. ¡®Ughh! Disgusting!¡¯ Corminar shouted, apparently more concerned with the gooey liquid that coated the tentacle than the fact that he was about to be eaten. The tentacle released him over the cephalopor¡¯s mouth, and I flicked a hand forwards to open a portal between the elf and his death, causing him to crash into the deck instead. ¡®What do you say?¡¯ I asked him. ¡®I did not enjoy any part of that.¡¯ ¡®Correct answer was ¡°thank you¡±,¡¯ I replied. Across the deck, Arzak¡ªstill standing back to back with Lore¡ªshouted, ¡®This side!¡¯ just as a tentacle came sweeping at them. The barbarian pivoted to face the same way as Arzak, and together they planted their legs strong and swung down their weapons as hard as possible. The three blades met the tentacle in the same spot, cleaving their way through about half of the limb. The damage dealt to the enemy beast caused it to scream¡ªor howl? it was somewhere between the two¡ªand the rest of its visible appendages quivered. Corminar, as ever seizing the advantage, ran and leaped at the damaged tentacle, burying his¡ªpresumably poison-tipped¡ªarrows into the cut. If I wasn¡¯t mistaken, this act made the enemy screech some more. The cephalopor pulled its injured tentacle from the deck, flailing it around in the air until it smashed into one of the masts, cleaving it in two. A great wooden beam plummeted towards the deck, causing Lore and Arzak to dive to one side. A rope from the fallen mast wrapped itself around Arzak¡¯s leg in the process, and as the mast began to fall over the side, the rope dragged Arzak across the deck, towards the deep blue below. ¡®Arzak!¡¯ Lore shouted, just as I opened a portal in front of him, its partner at the edge of the ship where the mast had gone over. He understood immediately¡ªnobody had taken to the portals quite like him¡ªand he hopped through the portal, blade swinging. He brought the Bane Sword down towards the deck, slicing the taut rope in two and saving Arzak from a horrific end. Distracted by the portals and the rope, I didn¡¯t notice when the cephalopor swept the deck once more, this time more force behind the attack. I opened a portal beneath me to avoid the attack, but was too slow, being only halfway through when the tentacle collided with my head and shoulders. I span through the portal, landing once again beside Val and the captain, who was now looking a lot less likely to die. ¡®I¡¯d ask again if it was going well, but¡­¡¯ Val gestured generally towards me. ¡®Thanks,¡¯ I said, then charged back into the fray once more, where Arzak and Lore were back to back again, ready for another strike. ¡®We must do more!¡¯ Corminar shouted from across the ship. ¡®Our approach is too¡ª¡¯ We didn¡¯t hear the rest as he ran for cover to avoid another of the leviathan¡¯s attacks. ¡®Land ahoy!¡¯ Val shouted, from behind me. ¡®What?¡¯ I cried back. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡®Land a¡ª It¡¯s what sailors say! It means, like, ¡°Look! There¡¯s some land over there!¡±¡¯ I pulled a face. ¡®OK? And how is that useful right now?¡¯ ¡®Because¡­¡¯ Val said, throwing me the captain¡¯s spyglass. ¡®This is a sea beast.¡¯ ¡®Ah.¡¯ I understood well and truly where she was going with this, but there was still one problem: this creature wasn¡¯t getting through one of my portals. At least, not without a great force squidging it through. ¡­Ah. I ran across the ship, the captain¡¯s spyglass firmly in my grasp, dodging as a tentacle smashed atop the deck in front of me, ducking and weaving to avoid splintering wood and injured passengers, until I arrived at the edge of the boat at Arzak and Lore¡¯s side. ¡®The rope!¡¯ I shouted to the orc. ¡®The rope?¡¯ ¡®Get the rope!¡¯ As Arzak ran after the rope that had caused her trouble earlier, I pressed the spyglass to my eye, squinting the land into focus. By know, Val knew my Worldbending abilities very well¡ªand she knew the specific verbiage of their restrictions. Local Portal II (Worldbending) ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. And the restriction of this one? ¡°Within current range of sight.¡± No part of that said I couldn¡¯t improve my vision beforehand. With the flick of my wrist, I willed open a portal high above the distant land, its partner opened above me temporarily, just to hold it in place. Arzak hurried back to me, pile of rope in hand. I snatched it from her¡ªthere was no time for politeness¡ªand hurriedly searched for the end. ¡®What doing?¡¯ the orc asked. I ignored her, finally finding one of the rope¡¯s two ends. In my haste, I dropped it, and had to pluck it from the deck once more before tying it firmly around my belt. ¡®You and Lore? Drop your weapons. Find the other end. Hold it tight¡ªit¡¯s going to pull hard.¡¯ ¡®What are¡ª¡¯ I eyed my mana bar, which was rapidly draining with every second I held the portals open. ¡®Just do it, Arzak; there¡¯s no time.¡¯ The orc nodded, unravelling the rope behind me as I turned to face the cephalopor on the right-hand side of the ship¡ªwhether that was port or starboard I didn¡¯t know and, frankly, didn¡¯t care. I glanced back to see Arzak holding the rope tight and Lore plunging his Bane Sword into the deck to do the same. With one nod to the orc, and one deep sigh, I ran. I charged towards the leviathan, leaping over the side of the ship, remembering to hold my nose shut only moments before I plunged into the freezing water below. My eyes stung when I opened them, but the salt water wasn¡¯t the most disturbing thing in the sea around me. The body of the creature hovered in front of me, its fleshy pink surface so terrifyingly different to that of any monster I¡¯d faced down before. In this moment, I fought the urge to panic, shaking my head to rid myself of questions like ¡°And just why in the hells did you think this was a good idea?¡±. Rather than surrendering to my fears, I reached a hand forward, and shifted the portal above the ship. Instead, I opened it just behind the creature, illuminating the murky depths with the midday sun. I felt the current shift immediately, as torrents of water flowed through the portal and towards the land below, pulling anything that was currently in the sea along with it. It was only at this moment that I realised that there could well have been people underneath where I¡¯d opened the portal, but it was too late to worry about that right at this moment. I lurched forwards, the rope jerking taut behind me, and¡ªthankfully¡ªnot splitting from the force. The cephalopor, however, had no such security. It flailed its tentacles desperately towards the ship, failing to get much purchase, as the waters pulled it backward. Soon, it reached the portal, and the rear of its horrifying form, for a moment, plugged it. I thought, then, that my usual plan of ¡°dropping things from a great height¡± had let me down. I thought that before long, the beast would notice me, that it would send a tentacle to wrap itself around me and fling me into that terrible maw. But then it slipped. It was just a little, at first, the water pressure in front and the gravity behind managing to overcome the creature in some minuscule way. But then it slipped again, more so this time. And again. Then, suddenly, daylight streamed into the water once more as the leviathan fell through my portal towards either its death or, at the very least, to a place far away from us. I breathed a sigh of relief as I closed my portal and pulled at the rope to drag myself back to the surface, where I gasped for breath just as the notification came in. Level ? cephalopor defeated! Worldbending ¡ª +4,200xp Worldbending increased to level 25! Base Points gained ¡ª +2 INT, +2 Free Points (INT/WIS/CHA) Ability selection unlocked ...
"Styk" Level 11 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 26 Intelligence ¡ª 107 Dexterity ¡ª 38 Strength ¡ª 50 Wisdom ¡ª 26 Charisma ¡ª 8
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 25 Knifework ¡ª Level 23 Identification ¡ª Level 10 Stealth ¡ª Level 6 Needlework ¡ª Level 4
Abilities: Slice ¡ª Slice the enemy for physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Stab II ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 20%. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Stealth Attack ¡ª Passive. 50% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA].
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
73. Sisyphus Rewards My ability selection was delayed by the fact that the ferry was taking on water. Honestly, I couldn¡¯t fault the ship build too much¡ªit had, after all, survived an cephalopor attack¡ªbut that didn¡¯t mean I fancied drowning any time soon. It was Arzak¡ªno surprises there¡ªwho hurried to organise a means of keeping us afloat. Not two minutes after we¡¯d beaten the cephalopor¡ªno time for celebrations, even¡ªArzak had us and the rest of the passengers standing in a line, stretching from the bottom deck to the top. Each of us had a bucket or similar container in hand, and between us we kept the ship afloat long enough for the remaining crew to mend the cracks in the hull. When the ferry finally made it to the Goldmarch town of Last Soil, I breathed a sigh of relief that we¡¯d encountered no more trouble. If I had my way, I wouldn¡¯t be setting sail again any time soon, but that did pose the question of how I intended to get back to the Tundras without adding literal weeks of travel to my journey. As we passed through the small town, we noticed a number of its residents hurrying eastwards, many dragging small carts behind them. Lore grabbed one such man by the arm and asked him what all the fuss was about. The local blinked at him, eyes wide in amazement, and replied, ¡®You wouldn¡¯t believe it¡ªa cephalopor has appeared out of nowhere, down the road!¡¯ Without sparing another moment, and likely not wanting to be beaten to the creature, he turned and continued on running. ¡®Was anyone hurt?¡¯ I called after him. ¡®Who cares?¡¯ the man cried back. ¡®The ink will be worth a small fortune!¡¯ I watched the man go before turning to the rest of my party. ¡®A small fortune? Why didn¡¯t any of you tell me that?¡¯ Arzak shrugged. ¡®Our reward is we are alive.¡¯ ¡®We could¡¯ve had two rewards!¡¯ This only elicited another shrug from the orc; she didn¡¯t seem to care much for coin beyond it putting food on the table. As matters moved on for all but the most coin-hungry of us¡ªCorminar and me, who were still grumbling about it¡ªArzak led us on the road south, towards Tarenthe, where our contact was waiting for us. I turned my attention instead to the notifications I had queued up: notifications of growth in power. Ability selection unlocked Select an ability from the list below: Option 1: Warped Shield (Worldbending) ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. So now we¡¯re talking. It took me a moment after reading this option to fully comprehend its real value, and that value was¡­ game-changing. So far, I¡¯d been pouring all my points into Intelligence, wherever possible, and as a result, I¡¯d been skimping on the Vitality. My mana reserves might be growing fast, but my health bar on the other hand¡­ well, let¡¯s just say a particular bad strain of the flu could still knock me out. The build I was rapidly growing into was one that so many called the ¡°glass arrow¡±¡ªable to deal some pretty hefty damage, but likely to run out of Health after just one or two decent hits. I¡¯d known this going in¡ªVal and I had discussed this at depth¡ªand I¡¯d decided that this was a price worth paying for ample mana, at least in the short-term. But with this new Warped Shield ability¡­ maybe that low health wasn¡¯t so much of an issue. After all, this basically worked as a mana-powered health bar. If I picked this, not only would I not have to worry about Stamina for my melee attacks, due to my Mana-Fuelled ability, but I¡¯d be able to not worry about Health either. I could just keep investing my points into Intelligence¡­ forever? Obviously, this didn¡¯t account for the downsides, namely the part about being hit by a ¡°low-level melee weapon¡±. I interpreted this as meaning that spells wouldn¡¯t be covered, for a start, and then any meaningful melee attack wouldn¡¯t be either. But I knew what ability upgrades were like, and this ability had the makings of one that would increase in coverage very quickly. Though my heart was already shouting for this particular ability, I forced myself to read the others with an open mind. Hidden condition met! Alternative ability choice unlocked. Option 2: Cloth Storage II (Worldbending) [Requires: Needlework skill unlocked] ¡ª Open a portal to an inventory space, wherein you can store up to 10 distinct Needlework supplies. The synergistic¡ªwas that a word?¡ªabilities that required you to progress in other skill trees were always powerful, and I could see that that was the case for this one, too. If I was fully invested in levelling up my new Needlework skill, then this would have been a great one; I could drop this thread and cloth that I¡¯d been lumbering around in my knapsack, and I¡¯d have a larger range of items on hand at any one time. I noticed also that this was a level II ability. Presumably I¡¯d already long since achieved the Worldbending requirements for the level I equivalent, and so the system was jumping me straight to the next. A recent memory tickled my mind¡ªthat of Elandor ¡°sheepnapping¡± Lore¡¯s animals, putting them in a so-called ¡°pocket world¡±. Did this not share some of those qualities? Was Elandor¡¯s ability not, at the end of the day, a storage ability? With this new information, I had to applaud the old elf¡¯s creative use of his abilities¡ªhe¡¯d turned a storage one into, essentially, an attack in its own right. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Elandor¡¯s ability was far more advanced than mine, of course. Surely storing a good twenty or so sheep required a much higher level than one that stored essentially ten bits of cloth. But it was a start, and if I picked this one, I might unlock new, more interesting, versions in the future¡­ As always, these decisions came with an opportunity cost. If I selected this Cloth Storage ability, then I was missing out on Warped Shield, and there was no way of knowing when I¡¯d next be able to pick this ability or its higher level equivalent. Not that I was considering picking the storage ability over the one that might keep me alive, of course. But there was one notification remaining; I still had another possible choice. Option 3: Local Portal III (Worldbending) ¡ª Upgrade to Local Portal II. Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Uses mana/second. Now, maybe I¡¯d been spoiled recently by all this quick progression, but my understanding of ability selections was as follows. You¡¯d get normally between three or four choices. The first one or two would be pretty decent, but not Alterra-shattering, and you¡¯d force yourself to properly consider them, weighing up all their pros and cons and use cases. And then you¡¯d¡­ move on. The next ability choice would be, inevitably, much better. You¡¯d spend a decent amount of time thinking this one through¡ªmuch more than the previous ones¡ªand you¡¯d actually get excited about this one. You¡¯d think ¡°Yes, this is it. Surely the last choice couldn¡¯t possibly beat this.¡± And then it does. The last ability choice is the best, as though the system were sentient. As though it understood drama, and knew to save the best until last. So maybe I¡¯d been, subconsciously, expecting that again. And then it was Local Portal III. Don¡¯t get me wrong, it was a strong enough upgrade, increasing the radius of my portals some decent amount. I could think of plenty of use cases for it¡ªrobbing a bank came to mind, though maybe I was spending too much time around Val¡ªand yet¡­ this upgrade just wasn¡¯t as exciting. What¡¯s more, I had the lower-level version of this ability already. From my previous experience, I knew that this meant I¡¯d see upgrades quite regularly, unlike the choices for any new abilities that I passed over. Looking at you, Cloth Storage. Now that I¡¯d muttered that ability name aloud¡ªresulting in a peculiar glance from Corminar¡ªI realised that it really wasn¡¯t a very good name. ¡®Styk, dear friend, are you feeling yourself?¡¯ Corminar asked. Before I could reply, Val piped up from the road behind us. ¡®If he¡¯s doing the face that looks like he¡¯s thinking so hard that his head is about to explode¡ª¡¯ ¡®He is,¡¯ the elf confirmed. ¡®Then he¡¯s got himself an ability upgrade,¡¯ Val finished. ¡®I do.¡¯ ¡®Ooh!¡¯ Lore said, turning around on the road in front of me. ¡®Need any help?¡¯ I shook my head. ¡®You know what? Not this time. I think I know exactly what I¡¯m about to pick. And then, when I do, I¡¯d like you to poke me with your worst weapon.¡¯ Lore furrowed his brow, absolutely perplexed by this suggestion, and I made my ability selection. Ability unlocked ¡ª Warped Shield Warped Shield (Worldbending) ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Immediately, I felt a strange sensation ripple over me¡ªthe same one that I got when stepping through a portal. The ability was in place. That was good to know; I didn¡¯t need to remember to switch it on every morning, or anything. Feeling a strange confidence wash over me, I slowed down my pace a tad and started walking at Val¡¯s side. ¡®You here to show off?¡¯ she asked. ¡®A bit.¡¯ ¡®Fine. Tell me about this new ability.¡¯ But I shook my head. ¡®No, it¡¯s not that, it¡¯s¡­ With this quest we¡¯re on, there¡¯s got to be some stuff to fight, hasn¡¯t there? And with the artifact¡¯s upgrade, I could progress even faster if I really¡ª¡¯ ¡®Faster? Styk, you¡¯ve been progressing at whiplash speeds.¡¯ ¡®And yet not fast enough, is it? I¡¯m done messing around, Val,¡¯ I told her. ¡®You know my biggest mistake in all that pyroknight stuff?¡¯ ¡®You mean other than making a near-godlike figure want to kill you?¡¯ I ignored the jab. ¡®It was not spending enough time gathering experience. If I¡¯d done that¡ªif I¡¯d done that properly¡ªthen maybe I wouldn¡¯t have had to die in the process of killing him.¡¯ ¡®Die again,¡¯ Val corrected me. Again, I ignored her, my mind¡¯s eye instead fixed on a man I¡¯d never thought I¡¯d could be. I saw myself, blazing daggers in hand, a glowing portal open behind me, crowds of admirers throwing themselves at my feet. With the power of the Sisyphus Artifact behind me, I realised, I could be a hero. A real one.
"Styk" Level 11 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 26 Intelligence ¡ª 107 Dexterity ¡ª 38 Strength ¡ª 50 Wisdom ¡ª 26 Charisma ¡ª 8
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 25 Knifework ¡ª Level 23 Identification ¡ª Level 10 Stealth ¡ª Level 6 Needlework ¡ª Level 4
Abilities: Slice ¡ª Slice the enemy for physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Stab II ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 20%. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Stealth Attack ¡ª Passive. 50% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA].
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
74. Answers Under Lock And Key Corminar knocked a very precise seven times on the dark green door. We were by this point in the middle of the large town of Tarenthe, one of the many key stopping points on the east-west Goldmarch road¡ªthat which connected the Badlands in the east to the Beached Armada in the west. It was a vibrant town, without an ounce of poverty to go around¡ªor at least, nothing that I could see, and I didn¡¯t think it would escape my notice. The people seemed happier as a result, some of them smiling, even greeting strangers in the street. It took me a moment to get my head around it, though Lore had been eagerly returning their greetings from the second we¡¯d stepped foot in town. Val had made the case for stopping at a tavern to try out the local craft, but Arzak and Lore had focused us¡ªthe sheep were on the line here, and the sooner we resolved all of this, the better. And so Corminar brought us to this address, to an almost intentionally average-looking home, with common vines stretching up the walls and a clean, vibrant, emerald door. ¡®Yes?¡¯ a voice called out from inside the house. ¡®Corminar Cladenor,¡¯ my elven friend said. ¡®Here for Aiwin Pelayor.¡¯ There was a moment of pause. ¡®On what business?¡¯ ¡®Information. We can pay handsomely.¡¯ ¡®Information on their crimes?¡¯ came the response from the man inside. It was Corminar¡¯s turn to pause. ¡®I am not sure I understand, sir.¡¯ ¡®Are you asking for information from Aiwin, or asking for information on Aiwin? Not that I can help all that much with both, you understand.¡¯ ¡®He just said he didn¡¯t understand, no,¡¯ Val called out. ¡®And neither do I.¡¯ Corminar hushed our big-mouthed friend with a held-out hand. ¡®We have no intention of asking for information on Aiwin, I assure you. It would not¡­ suit me for many of their crimes to be uncovered.¡¯ At this, a bolt slid back, and the green door opened to reveal an elderly man, his hair greying, wearing a necklace with elven text engraved thereon¡ªtext that he, as a human, surely couldn¡¯t read. ¡®You are a friend,¡¯ he said, looking up at Corminar. ¡®From times long past,¡¯ Corminar agreed, with a nod. The older man gestured us all to hurry in to the large house, then spent a moment on the boundary looking up and down the street. Satisfied that nobody had seen us¡ªwhich was probably not true; we were a pretty ragtag group of adventurer and likely to stand out in these parts¡ªhe closed the door behind him, and turned to face us. ¡®Aiwin?¡¯ Corminar prompted him. ¡®I would like to see them as soon as is possible. Do they not reside at this address any longer?¡¯ ¡®In a matter of speaking¡­¡¯ the old man said. ¡®Before I say any more, I have to know: are you truly friend to Aiwin? Can I really trust you?¡¯ ¡®How would you have me prove it?¡¯ Corminar asked. The old man considered this for a moment. ¡®I would have you answer a question: where does Aiwin consider home?¡¯ Val baulked at this. ¡®I thought this was their¡ª¡¯ This time, it was up to me to shut her up, which I did by putting my index finger on her lips. She made a show of moving to bite it. ¡®Their home? Like me, Aiwin has no home. Not exiled from the Woods¡ªwe are not Red Thorn¡ªbut both of us guilty of enough that we are no longer welcome there. I assure you, sir: whatever you think we might be, we are not. We are here on unrelated work.¡¯ The old man met Corminar¡¯s eyes, as though judging whether the elf was speaking truth, or regurgitating someone else¡¯s. Finally, he nodded. ¡®You wish to see Aiwin? Then, I have bad news, I¡¯m afraid. Aiwin was caught up in some rather nasty smuggling business. Seeds from the Dawnwood, you see¡ªa matter that the Goldmarch government take rather seriously, considering their shaky diplomatic relationship with the elves.¡¯ ¡®Birth seeds?¡¯ Corminar asked, eyebrow raised. So rare was it that he volunteer expressions like this. But the man shook his head. ¡®No, no, nothing like that. Regular old seeds, but enough, perhaps, to dilute the magicks of the Dawnwood. Not that Aiwin was directly involved, of course¡ªthey act only to put interested parties together¡ªbut the subsequent clamp-down has been broad.¡¯ ¡®Have they fled?¡¯ I asked. ¡®Where are they? We just¡ª¡¯ ¡®Tarenthe general prison,¡¯ the old man said. ¡®Awaiting trial. Queen Amira has broadened legal powers, however¡ªfor matters such as these, they can be held indefinitely. And until they secure any meaningful evidence, the authorities might just do that.¡¯ Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡®Sorry, just to be clear,¡¯ Val cut in, ¡®the only person who knows where this depth raider is is currently in¡­ prison?¡¯ ¡®If it is information you¡¯re after, I can check the notes,¡¯ the old man said. ¡®If the information is anywhere outside Aiwin¡¯s mind, then it¡¯d be there. Though these notes are not the most thorough, I am afraid.¡¯ Corminar shook his head. ¡®Anything Aiwin writes down will be encoded, and half of what they have written will be a lie, intended to fool anyone who pries. If we want the information, we will have to retrieve it directly from Aiwin.¡¯ ¡®Does prison have visiting hours?¡¯ Arzak asked. ¡®We go speak them.¡¯ ¡®Visiting hours?¡¯ the old man replied, blinking at the orc. ¡®No. No, dear, it doesn¡¯t. Things are changing, in the Goldmarch. It might not look like it, but they are. Queen Amira is tightening her grip on her subjects. The law is just a part of it, even, but it¡¯s where you¡¯re most likely to notice the change. No visitation, holding without charge¡­ all of that is new. Soon enough we¡¯ll lose the right to a jury of our peers. After that¡­ I do not believe there will be a trial at all.¡¯ Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Val trying to suppress a smile. Never a good sign. ¡®Tell me about this prison,¡¯ she said. The man furrowed his brow, but complied nonetheless. ¡®Built thirty years ago with the expansion of the new kingdom under Amira¡¯s father¡¯s reign. It sits on the old site of a human cemetery, and¡ª¡¯ ¡®Yes, yes,¡¯ Val said, waving the man down. ¡®I¡¯m not after its history. I want to know what it¡¯s like now. Tell me about the defences. What¡¯s keeping Aiwin from breaking out? Sounds like they¡¯re resourceful enough, after all.¡¯ The man laughed, then strolled across the room to take a seat in a plush armchair. ¡®¡°Resourceful¡± will only get you so far, dear. The prison is guarded by the finest of Goldmarch soldiers, trained in the ways of the sword and the bow. There will be a sorcerer on staff, as well¡ª¡¯ ¡®Was that a pun?¡¯ I asked. This question went unanswered. ¡®¡ªwho will be responsible for enchanted traps at every conceivable entrance, as well as being able to rain magicks down on any escapees. And that¡¯s before we even talk about the building itself. There is an outer wall, high enough to be near unscalable, and even if you were to scale it, that would only take you to the guards¡¯ sleeping and living quarters. The actual cells are behind another wall, just as high, patrolled day and night by soldiers in golden armour. If none of this is enough to deter you from attempting escape, then perhaps the artifact at the centre of this building is.¡¯ Before Lore could ask the obvious question, Aiwin¡¯s friend¡ªhousemate? ¡­lover? I realised I didn¡¯t quite know the relationship here¡ªcontinued. ¡®When a new prisoner arrives, their personal effects are taken away, and they are forced to wear a belt. This belt, upon equipping, becomes locked¡ªyou cannot take it off. This would not in itself be a problem, beyond it being unfashionable, however that it where the aforementioned artifact comes into play. ¡®Built into the very structure, at the centre of the complex, is a cube¡ªone powered by an enchanted gem. When one of the linked belts moves far enough away from the cube¡ªthat is, somewhere between the inner and outer walls¡ªthen the cube activates the belt.¡¯ I licked my lips, resisting the urge to ask¡ª ¡®What happened when it activates?¡¯ Val asked. ¡®It tightens. It tightens until it can tighten no more¡ªand few force in Alterra can stop it.¡¯ The sorcerer nodded. ¡®OK. OK, that¡¯s interesting. We can¡ª¡¯ ¡®Val, why are you asking all this?¡¯ Lore asked. ¡®Because we need to break them out,¡¯ Val replied with a wide, toothy grin on her face. ¡®I thought it was a bank heist that you wanted to do,¡¯ I said. ¡®Yeah, but do you know the only thing better than a bank heist? A prison break¡ªand it seems we have no choice but do to one.¡¯ She flung her hands in the air in celebration. ¡®How great is that!¡¯
"Styk" Level 11 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 26 Intelligence ¡ª 107 Dexterity ¡ª 38 Strength ¡ª 50 Wisdom ¡ª 26 Charisma ¡ª 8
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 25 Knifework ¡ª Level 23 Identification ¡ª Level 10 Stealth ¡ª Level 6 Needlework ¡ª Level 4
Abilities: Slice ¡ª Slice the enemy for physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Stab II ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 20%. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Stealth Attack ¡ª Passive. 50% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA].
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
75. Large Stealthy Barbarian Lore and I stood with our backs against the prison¡¯s outer wall, pipes in hand. Lore puffed away happily, but I¡ªwith alcohol always being my vice of choice¡ªstruggled with resisting the urge to cough. ¡®Did we really need to be smoking for this to work?¡¯ I asked Lore. The man shrugged, and between puffs said, ¡®Smoking always makes you look more casual.¡¯ ¡®What, so you¡¯re saying if we were stood up against this wall without anything in our hands, people would be suspicious, but because we¡¯re smoking, nobody cares?¡¯ Lore gestured to the people passing by, two of them wearing the gold¡ªwell, mustard really¡ªsurcoats of Goldmarch soldiers. None of them gave us a second look. I tried puffing again. ¡®Well, I still don¡¯t like it.¡¯ The barbarian didn¡¯t comment, instead nodding down the road to our right, where Arzak and Corminar had their wrists bound together, and were being led towards the prison entrance by a Goldmarch soldier. Not the real Goldmarch soldier, of course. No, she was currently unconscious, bound and gagged in the plush armchair of Aiwin¡¯s elderly housemate. If she regained consciousness, it was unlikely to be for very long, considering the very specific type of poison that Corminar had left the old man with. But this left Val free to take the soldier¡¯s place, without rousing any suspicions, and I couldn¡¯t help but remind her that she should be making use of her changeling abilities more often¡ªan idea that caused her to stick her tongue out at me. ¡®You ready?¡¯ Lore asked, as I pressed one hand flat against the wall behind me. ¡®Are we sure we¡¯re standing next to the supply closet? I don¡¯t wanna end up standing in the middle of¡­ of¡­ I dunno, a training yard or something.¡¯ The barbarian shrugged. ¡®Old guy said so. He seemed to know what he was all about, though, didn¡¯t he?¡¯ I wasn¡¯t sure I was quite as convinced by Aiwin¡¯s friend as Lore was, but the disguised Val and her two ¡°prisoners¡± had now reached the arch. Val was talking their way inside¡ªnew intake, by order of the captain¡ªand so we were already committed to our plan. ¡®As soon as they go through¡­¡¯ Lore said. ¡®I remember the plan, Lore.¡¯ The barbarian held up his hands in surrender. ¡®Sorry, just checking!¡¯ I placed my other hand on the stone outer wall of the prison. ¡®Ready¡­¡¯ Lore said, and I prepared myself to activate the spell. ¡®...Go!¡¯ In a flash, I opened one half of the portal ten yards behind me¡ªas far as I could open a portal without the aid of sight¡ªand another underneath our feet. As soon as our heads passed through it, I closed it again, and hoped nobody on the street we¡¯d left behind had noticed my magicks. Lore and I stood, as the old man had said, in a large supply closet, one filled with buckets and mops and various other contraptions that I didn¡¯t quite understand. Most importantly, we stood in this supply closet alone. Neither of us breathed, trying to be as stealthy as possible, one of us more adept than the other. And considering I was the more adept at stealth, being at level 6, this really wasn¡¯t that stealthy on the whole. But it was the best we had. As far as we could tell, this side of the thick outer wall, nobody on the street had seen us¡ªat least, there was no shouting, no metal armour clinking as guards rushed towards our position. The first part of the plan was complete. ¡®One wall down¡­¡¯ I said. ¡®...one to go,¡¯ Lore finished, though it hadn¡¯t been necessary. ¡®You got any thoughts on how exactly we¡¯re gonna deactivate this cube thing?¡¯ Like the last time he¡¯d asked me, I shrugged. ¡®I¡¯ll think of something. This is what I do.¡¯ It was what I had done, at least, though admittedly that had been with a whole different build. Keeping low, Lore and I approached the exit to the supply closet, and opened the door a crack, me poking my head through the gap low, and Lore poking through high. We saw that this would take us onto the open space between walls, illuminated by pole lanterns every five paces. This wasn¡¯t necessarily a problem¡ªI could portal us across fairly easily¡ªbut unless we remained hidden, one of the dozens of guards could still see us. ¡®You think the others have found Aiwin yet?¡¯ Lore asked, a bit too loudly. ¡®Lore, keep quiet.¡¯ ¡®Sorry.¡¯ I closed the door gently. ¡®They might have done, sure. I imagine they¡¯re being taken to the same cells. But that doesn¡¯t help anyone if we don¡¯t deactivate this artifact first, so¡­¡¯ Lore mimed himself zipping his lips shut, then immediately said, ¡®Got it.¡¯ I looked across the gap between the walls, scanning for signs of trouble. There were a few guards atop the inner wall, but if we portalled to the base of that wall quickly enough, they wouldn¡¯t notice. It was those roaming the grounds between the walls that were going to cause trouble. They patrolled in pairs, moving slowly but deliberately, spaced apart but not so much that any part of the ground was out of sight at any one time. If we were going to reach the base of the inner wall, and then open another pair of portals to get us inside, then we were going to need a distraction. ¡®Distraction,¡¯ I said to Lore. ¡®Any ideas?¡¯ ¡®I could juggle!¡¯ the man replied. ¡®Any ideas that don¡¯t get you spotted and captured?¡¯ Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Lore bit his lip. ¡®Oh, right, yes. Sorry, I just never get to juggle with a captive audience.¡¯ I blinked at the man; sometimes it was hard to know whether he was joking or not. ¡®If we had Corminar here, he could distract the guards with his arrows somehow. But¡ª¡¯ ¡®I could throw something. I got a good arm.¡¯ I waited for the final part of this thought, knowing exactly what was coming. ¡®...From all the juggling.¡¯ ¡®Not from swinging a massive sword around?¡¯ Lore considered this. ¡®Maybe a little of both.¡¯ I nodded, as Lore disappeared back into the closet proper. ¡®Right. There¡¯s an armour stand next to that empty training area to our right. If we can hit it, making enough noise, or maybe even knock it over, then¡ª¡¯ Lore suddenly reappeared at my side, heavy wooden brush in hand. ¡®Throw brush at armour, yeah?¡¯ Before I could respond, he shoved the door open enough to get his arm out, then lobbed the brush towards the stand of armour. It crashed to the ground. Turning back to face me, Lore asked, ¡®Wait, you were ready, right?¡¯ I responded by opening a portal beneath us, pairing it with one at the base of the inner wall. We fell through it, and before I could so much as worry that we¡¯d been spotted, I placed my hands on the wall behind me. Opening another portal ten yards back, and one on the wall behind us, we fell through it and out of sight. Well¡­ not quite out of sight. As Lore and I turned to take in our new surroundings, we found ourselves in very close proximity to a woman in a gold surcoat, her mouth open, a sandwich in a hand that had frozen on its way to her face. Lore and I stood deathly still, as though if we didn¡¯t move, then the guard wouldn¡¯t see us¡ªdespite the fact that we were standing no more than two feet directly in front of her. ¡®I can¡­¡¯ I started, ¡®explain?¡¯ The guard narrowed her eyes. I prepared to reach for my blade. Lore hit her with the butt of his sword. In just one hit, the woman fell to the ground unconscious, and I turned to blink up at Lore in surprise. ¡®What?¡¯ he asked. ¡®How¡¯d you do that?¡¯ The barbarian shrugged. ¡®Special ability. Two-handed ain¡¯t just killing people.¡¯ ¡®Not the way you do it, perhaps,¡¯ I said, which I supposed I meant as an insult, but judging by Lore¡¯s smile, he understood it as a great compliment. ¡®We should¡­¡¯ he gestured to the unconscious body. ¡®Yeah.¡¯ I looked around for a place to stuff her, and saw in the corner of the room a low cupboard that might just hold her if we pushed her in just right. I nodded to it, and between Lore and I we managed to succeed in the spatial awareness puzzle put before us. ¡®That was the hardest part of thing whole thing,¡¯ Lore said. ¡®The hardest part so far,¡¯ I corrected him, ever the optimist. With this, we made our way to the door of the room, and slowly inched it open. The door gave way to reveal a corridor¡ªone which, we had been told, would led to the innermost chamber, above the dungeons and cells, and where the binding artifact would be located. ¡®You know,¡¯ I whispered to Lore, ¡®did you ever wonder how that old guy knew all this?¡¯ Lore shrugged. ¡®Figured it was cos he was a soldier.¡¯ I posed a question to him with a raised eyebrow. ¡®What?¡¯ the barbarian replied. ¡®You didn¡¯t notice the tattoo on his hand? It¡¯s an army one.¡¯ ¡®...Huh.¡¯ Even having known Lore for a few months at this point, I still didn¡¯t quite know what to make of him. One moment you could think he was the dumbest¡ªif kindest¡ªsoul you¡¯d ever met, and the next he¡¯d completely outsmart you. We crept down the corridor to the wooden door at the end, and Lore readied his sword. There was a reason it couldn¡¯t just be me sneaking in, of course¡ªat this point, reaching the warden¡¯s chamber, we could well run into trouble. And I fancied my chances much more with Lore at my side. I took in a deep breath, nodded to Lore, and flung the door open. The room was empty. ¡®...Oh,¡¯ Lore said, as we pressed inside and I closed the door behind us. ¡®Problem?¡¯ ¡®No problem! Just thought that¡¯d be harder.¡¯ I laughed. ¡®Well, it¡¯s not over yet.¡¯ Stealth ¡ª +1,300xp Stealth increased to level 7! Stealth increased to level 8! Base Points gained ¡ª +2 DEX, +2 WIS, +4 Free Points (DEX/WIS) ¡®Nice,¡¯ I muttered, already excited for my next ability choice, which would be in just two more levels. For now, though, there was another priority. In front of us, a square stone pillar rose from the ground in the centre of the room. In the very middle, the stone gave way to a brass-like frame, and in the centre of that, floated a giant purple gem. ¡®Alright, Styk,¡¯ Lore said, ¡®do your thing.¡¯ I had no idea quite what ¡°my thing¡± was going to be, but there was a single focusing factor. Right now, Corminar and Arzak would be in the cells¡ªlikely alongside Aiwin, yes, but with belts of their own in place. If I failed here, they were doomed. They¡¯d never be able to escape. I took a deep breath, and I got to work.
"Styk" Level 11 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 26 Intelligence ¡ª 107 Dexterity ¡ª 42 Strength ¡ª 50 Wisdom ¡ª 30 Charisma ¡ª 8
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 25 Knifework ¡ª Level 23 Identification ¡ª Level 10 Stealth ¡ª Level 8 Needlework ¡ª Level 4
Abilities: Slice ¡ª Slice the enemy for physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Stab II ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 20%. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Stealth Attack ¡ª Passive. 50% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA].
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
76. Crimes Against Fashion ¡®Styk?¡¯ Lore asked, while I stood in front of the pillar in which the binding artifact was embedded. ¡®Yeah?¡¯ I answered, my hands hovering in the air at my sides, as though about to spring into action. ¡®Is this it? Are you doing your thing?¡¯ ¡®Yes,¡¯ I replied. ¡®Nice.¡¯ Still, I didn¡¯t move. Staring at the gem in front of me, I had nothing. All I could think of was brute force¡ªripping the gem from the pillar. But I knew from the experience of a past life that such simple solutions were often doomed to fail. There would be a trap or an enchantment or an enchanted trap that stopped us from doing so. Without a better plan, though¡­ ¡®Help me with this thing, will you?¡¯ I asked Lore. Together, we reached out and put our hands on the gem¡ªno ill effects so far, that¡¯s good¡ªand began trying to wrench it free of its frame. By myself, I might not have expected to pull it out, but Lore was about the strongest man I¡¯d ever met. Even with him helping, however, the gem didn¡¯t budge. Not an inch. ¡®I don¡¯t think it¡¯s gonna work,¡¯ said the barbarian, helpfully. With a sigh, I released the gem and went back to scratching my head. ¡®Nope.¡¯ At that moment, another idea occurred to me, and I tried to portal slice my way through the brass frame. Again¡­ nothing doing. The frame itself was enchanted, then, and likely why we couldn¡¯t wrench the gem free with hands alone. ¡®Alright, OK, OK,¡¯ I said, wondering if my deficiency in this situation was more down to no longer having thievery-based abilities or having an audience for the first time ever. ¡®Could you go keep watch?¡¯ I asked Lore, and found myself relieved when he smiled, nodded, and left me to it.
  1. What do I know?
I knew that brute force wasn¡¯t going to pull the gem from its frame, and I knew that, likewise, I wasn¡¯t going to be able to pull the frame from the pillar, considering that it was enchanted. More and more, it seemed like removing the binding gem wasn¡¯t an option¡ªnobody said prison break was going to be easy, after all. A vision of Corminar and Arzak, sitting in the cells, belts around them, flashed through my mind. Where before, a botch thievery attempt would just cost me a payday, it would now cost my friends their lives. This really wasn¡¯t the time to come up short. I couldn¡¯t remove the gem, then. But that didn¡¯t mean I couldn¡¯t destroy it. ¡®Lore,¡¯ I said, and the barbarian peered around from his position at the door. ¡®I don¡¯t expect this is going to work, but just in case¡­ could you attack it?¡¯ ¡®Attack what?¡¯ ¡®The gem.¡¯ Lore nodded furiously. ¡®Right, yes.¡¯ I took a few steps back¡ªknowing better than to get between Bane Sword and its target¡ªand watched as Lore swung his weapon through the air with almighty force. The blade clattered against the gem and reverberated away from it, not leaving even a scratch. ¡®You were right,¡¯ Lore said, inspecting the gem, ¡®that didn¡¯t work.¡¯ ¡®Worth trying, I guess. But I think we¡¯re gonna need something even stronger than your sword if we¡¯re going to destroy it.¡¯ Lore raised his eyebrows. ¡®You got something in mind? What we gonna find in the middle of a prison that¡¯s gonna be more powerful?¡¯ I couldn¡¯t help but smile at my idea¡ªthere was a simple elegance to it, using the prison¡¯s own magicks against them. ¡®We¡¯re gonna check out these belts.¡¯ ¡®Great!¡¯ Lore replied, and then, ¡®...where are they?¡¯ ¡®No idea. Want to go find out?¡¯ We crept out of the central chamber, blades¡ªLore¡¯s big, mine small¡ªat the ready, and kept our breathing quiet. This central chamber was much less protected than the outer walls, which made a certain sort of sense, I supposed¡ªanyone trying to get out of the prison would head, you know, out. At least, unless they knew what their fancy new belts did. We tried room after room after room¡ªthree rooms, yes¡ªlooking for these belts, but we found nothing. One was a meeting room, with flies buzzing around half-eaten pastries. One was a storage closet, which contained¡ªin addition to the usual¡ªa scented candle, a limp rose, and the suggestion that two of the guards had recently been a tad naughty in there. And the last of the rooms was a plain old corridor, which Lore and I crept along, the big man in front. Stealth ¡ª +1,300xp Stealth increased to level 9! Base Points gained ¡ª +1 DEX, +1 WIS, +2 Free Points (DEX/WIS) I blinked. That I was gathering experience for Stealth was no surprise¡ªwe were after all¡­ sneaking. But I didn¡¯t typically get Stealth experience until the stealthing was over. Which meant¡ª A black belt suddenly swept over my head. ¡®Lore!¡¯ I cried, at the same moment that I sank to the floor, trying to avoid being caught by the belt. As I sank, I turned, and saw a woman in a freshly pressed golden surcoat standing over me, her eyes wide. She pressed the belt down towards me, and I held up my hands to try to force it back. It was already over my neck by this point, though. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡®Her mouth!¡¯ I shouted to Lore. ¡®Don¡¯t let her shout!¡¯ Lore did exactly as I suggested, and I mean exactly. He jumped along the corridor, his hand shooting for the woman¡¯s mouth, and for some reason dropped his sword in the process. I scrambled for my Ranger¡¯s Blade, allowing the prison belt to droop over my shoulder for just a second, and readied myself to stab. The guard cried¡ªthe noise muffled by Lore¡¯s hand¡ªas blade plunged into her flesh. ¡®You¡¯ll survive this,¡¯ I told her. ¡®If you¡¯re quiet, you¡¯ll survive. If you make noise.. Well, I¡¯ll have to stab you some more, won¡¯t I?¡¯ The woman frantically nodded her understanding, reaching a hand into her pocket. ¡®Lore, you¡¯ll have to knock her out. We¡¯ll cover the wound and¡ª¡¯ The guard pulled a small purple crystal from her pocket. I glanced at it. ¡®What¡¯s¡ª¡¯ I started, and then realised at the same moment that the woman crushed it in her hand. The nearby belt¡ªthe one currently slumped over my right shoulder and left arm¡ªhummed for a second, and I made the incredibly quick decision to open a portal beneath me. I tumbled through it, pushing the belt away from me in the same moment, and it snapped from belt into disc in a flash. If I¡¯d still had it over me, I would have been in two distinct pieces. I didn¡¯t suspect my Health bar could handle that. Lore glanced down the other end of the corridor to where I¡¯d landed, made sure I was OK, and then nodded for his Bane Sword. I portaled it over to him, the man snatched it out of the air, and then before the woman could make another play, he hit her square in the forehead with the butt of the sword. Level 18 guard defeated! Worldbending ¡ª +400xp Worldbending increased to level 26! Base Points gained ¡ª +2 INT, +2 Free Points (INT/WIS/CHA) Knifework ¡ª +1,850xp ¡®We¡¯ll go find another cupboard?¡¯ the barbarian asked, standing over the body. ¡®Yes,¡¯ I said, and then, ¡®Wait¡ªfirst of all¡­¡¯ I hurried over to the unconscious woman¡¯s side, and I rummaged through her pockets until I found what I was looking for¡ªtwo more purple gems. They had to be linked to the central gem, that much was obvious, and if I could use one of them to close a belt, then¡­ All I needed was the belt. The answer to this part of the situation came quickly. As we located another room in which to stuff our unconscious attacker, we found spare uniforms. And part of spare uniforms, it turned out, was a spare belt. There was a logic to this¡ªif a belt ever went wrong, or their wearers managed to find a way to overcome the binding spell and removed them, the guards would want a fresh one on hand. And it explained why the guard we¡¯d encountered a moment ago had been ready with one. Belt in one hand, tiny purple gems in the other, I hurried back to the central chamber, Lore following at my heels and ready to strike at any more guards who came across us. Fortunately, we encountered none¡ªthe woman earlier had been our only obstacle. Wasting no time at all, I plunged the gems into my pocket for a moment and unclasped the belt, wrapping it around the pillar and the central gem therein. As soon as I touched the two ends of the belt together, it fused, becoming one solid circle that shrunk gently to the size of the object it was holding. In this case, that was the pillar. ¡®You ready?¡¯ I asked Lore. ¡®I¡¯m about to ¡°do my thing¡±.¡¯ ¡®Exciting!¡¯ I pulled one of the purple gems from my pocket and smashed it against the pillar. Nothing happened at first, or at least nothing seemed to. There was a faint straining sound, like leather stretched too far, as the belt tried its best to contract against the magically reinforced brass frame. It was the proverbial unstoppable force against the proverbial immovable objective. I considered checking with Lore if I was using the word ¡°proverbial¡± correctly, before deciding he probably didn¡¯t know. And then¡­ it happened. The brass frame buckled under the pressure of the closing belt, and once that had gone, the purple gem followed soon after. As the crystal disintegrated, so too did the belt. This belt, yes, but also every other belt that was magically linked to this pillar. Lore and I¡¯s part of the job was done, and all we needed to do now was¡ª A noise erupted around us. No, multiple noises. From all around the prison complex. Of course, we¡¯d known we were releasing the belts on every single prisoner. I, personally, had thought them cruel¡ªthey were already prisoners, there was no need for such a barbaric device on them. What hadn¡¯t occurred to me was the real impact of releasing all belts at once. It was, to the prisoners, an opportunity. Guards shouted and screamed, magick attacks screeched, and footsteps belonging to both guard and prisoner alike began to echo around the prison. The prisoners knew full well what those belts did, then. And they knew full well that this was their one and only chance to be without them. It wasn¡¯t just Corminar, Arzak and Aiwin trying to escape. It was everyone.
"Styk" Level 12 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 26 Intelligence ¡ª 111 Dexterity ¡ª 44 Strength ¡ª 50 Wisdom ¡ª 32 Charisma ¡ª 8
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 26 Knifework ¡ª Level 23 Identification ¡ª Level 10 Stealth ¡ª Level 9 Needlework ¡ª Level 4
Abilities: Slice ¡ª Slice the enemy for physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Stab II ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 20%. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Stealth Attack ¡ª Passive. 50% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA].
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
77. Free Range Prisoners ¡®Err¡­¡¯ Lore mumbled. ¡®Yep. I know.¡¯ ¡®You think that makes getting out easier or harder?¡¯ I ran towards the door, holding it open for him. ¡®Only one way to find out.¡¯ We charged down the corridor and out into the central building¡¯s main atrium, just at the same time as a number of freshly risen guard charged down the stairs. They hurriedly pulled their uniforms on, blades still in scabbards, their eyes on the door and not on the two fleeing saboteurs¡ªus. ¡®Fight?¡¯ Lore asked. ¡®Nope!¡¯ I said, flinging open a portal in front of us and opening another in the space I could see through the crack in the opening door. I jumped through, followed by Lore, completing by-passing the fight against the five new guards running out to help. Outside, in the space between the inner and outer walls, the prison was¡­ chaos. Dozens of guards in gold uniforms fought with prisoners, balls of fire and lightning, poison-tipped arrows, and throwing knives all flying through the air. There was a chorus of metal against metal, the smartest of the prisoners having rushed to retrieved weapons rather than heading straight for the outer wall. I scurried for cover, Lore close behind me, but quickly found that there was no cover to be had. ¡®Alright, portal time,¡¯ I told my barbarian friend. Lore grabbed me by the arm. ¡®What about the others? Shouldn¡¯t we help them?¡¯ ¡®If you can find them in this mess, sure. Otherwise, I think it¡¯s time we got the hells out of here.¡¯ Lore said nothing, frantically searching the skirmish for signs of our fellow party members, while I reached a hand up to the top of the outer wall to open up a portal. But just as I was about to open, a great wall of misty light¡ªno, not a wall, a bubble¡ªencapsulated the prison at the outside boundary of the outer wall. This magick-summoned wall was apparently enough to stop bodies passing through¡ªas evidence by a fleeing prisoner bouncing off it rather comically at the main gate¡ªbut also enough to stop me opening a portal beyond it. Our escape plan had been neutralised. ¡®Styk?¡¯ Lore asked, as one of the guards spotted us and he was forced to bat the resulting arrow out of the way with the flat of his sword. ¡®Styk? What¡¯s going on?¡¯ ¡®We¡¯re trapped,¡¯ I replied. ¡®We need to find¡­ We need to find their sorcerer. Knock them out.¡¯ ¡®There!¡¯ Lore suddenly shouted, pointing across the grounds to a point near the supply closet where we¡¯d entered the complex. ¡®The sorcerer?¡¯ ¡®No! Corminar!¡¯ Lore was already running by the point at which he said this, so I opened up a portal in front of him to carry him across the grounds as quickly as possible, minimising risk of him being hit by a stray arrow or spell. I too charged towards it and jumped through, landing with a stumble at the feet of my elven friend. ¡®Styk,¡¯ Corminar said, catching me. ¡®Good to see you too.¡¯ At his rear, Lore pushed open the door to the supply rooms, then Corminar and I charged inside. ¡®I assumed I would find you here,¡¯ the elf said. ¡®This was your entrance route, after all.¡¯ ¡®Where¡¯s Val?¡¯ I asked. ¡®And Arzak?¡¯ Corminar frowned. ¡®We were separated in the confusion. Val was preoccupied by orders from a ranking soldier, while Arzak has already joined a prison gang.¡¯ ¡®A¡­¡¯ I started. ¡®Yes. The Reach Fiends. She attempted to acquire me an invitation as well, though alas I was not Orcish enough for their tastes. Or, indeed, Orcish at all.¡¯ Lore held the door nearly closed, one eye peeking out through a crack. ¡®I don¡¯t see either of them. They¡¯re alright though, you reckon, yeah?¡¯ The elf shrugged. ¡®It is a mistake to worry too much about either of them, in my experience. They are perfectly capable of survival, even in such chaotic circumstances as these.¡¯ ¡®Yeah,¡¯ I said, ¡®I didn¡¯t really expect this.¡¯ ¡®Seems rather obvious in hindsight, though, one supposes.¡¯ I almost stuck my tongue out at him, then remembered he wasn¡¯t Val, and therefore was unlikely to take such a childish response in the same spirit. ¡®What¡¯s the plan, then?¡¯ ¡®It is my experience that you are the planner of the group,¡¯ Corminar replied. ¡®Why did you think we brought you on board?¡¯ ¡®I thought it was the portal stuff,¡¯ Lore suggested. ¡®That as well.¡¯ I blinked, but now wasn¡¯t the time to question the two guys on all of this. ¡®Guys¡­¡¯ Lore said. I turned to Corminar. ¡®OK, whether or not we¡¯re looking for the others, we need to find this sorcerer, get this magic wall thing down.¡¯ ¡®Guys¡­¡¯ ¡®Agreed. Our initial intelligence suggested she would be atop the wall. A view of the battlefield, if you will.¡¯ ¡®Yeah, so we head up there, we move quick¡ª¡¯ ¡®Portals,¡¯ the elf suggested. ¡®¡ªand we eliminate her as quickly as possible.¡¯ ¡®I must ask: are we killing or rendering unconscious. I do not think I agree with killing someone who is only doing their¡ª¡¯ Lore slammed the door closed just before a heavy something crashed into it, making the very room shake. Corminar and I turned to blink at him. ¡®I tried to tell you: I think we¡¯ve been spotted.¡¯ ¡®Ah.¡¯ ¡®Yeah.¡¯ ¡®How many?¡¯ ¡®Nine coming this way,¡¯ Lore replied. ¡®Ah.¡¯ ¡®Yeah,¡¯ Lore said again. ¡®Too many.¡¯ ¡®How high do you think the wall is?¡¯ ¡®More than ten yards, I am afraid to say,¡¯ Corminar said. ¡®You cannot do this blind. Is there another exit?¡¯ I shook my head. ¡®None.¡¯ ¡®Ideas,¡¯ the elf said. ¡®Quickly.¡¯ There was only one that came to me. ¡®Lore,¡¯ I said. ¡®Open the door.¡¯ The barbarian knew better than to delay on following instructions when in the middle of a fight¡ªact first, ask questions later, and all that. He flung the door open, and I charged straight through it, at the group of nine soldiers who were advancing on us. I bared my teeth at them for a moment, thinking for some reason that would make me look a lot scarier than I was, but in hindsight it maybe just made me look like an idiot. The nine soldiers didn¡¯t slow their advance at the sight of a thief charging at them, even if I was now being followed by a huge barbarian and a ranger who admittedly looked more like a talented hairdresser than a mercenary. One of the soldiers with a bow nocked it once more, preparing to fire, and in that moment I spun around, mid-step. I flung one hand back and the other gesturing up to the top of the wall, and I opened the pair of portals just in time. I fell through it backwards, landing hard on the solid stone wall and knocking my head, Lore and Corminar jumping through behind me. In the daze that followed from me hitting my head, I forgot for a moment to close the portal, and in that time, one of the soldiers slipped through. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡®Lore!¡¯ I said, alerting my barbarian friend to the danger close at hand. The barbarian, alarmed, swivelled on the spot, and in doing so knocked the soldier from both his feet and the top of the wall. He landed with a thud. ¡®...Oops,¡¯ Lore mumbled, and the three of us peeked over the side of a wall. ¡®You think he¡¯s¡­?¡¯ ¡®They probably got a good healer on hand,¡¯ I told him, very keenly aware that this could be a lie. ¡®He¡¯ll be fine.¡¯ Lore either believed it, or chose to believe it¡ªthe end result was the same¡ªand the three of us turned our attention to the few soldiers on the wall. The gold-cloaked guards were dotted every thirty or so yards along the wall, each of them armed with a crossbow, and unbothered by the prisoners below, who had no way of reaching them. None of the prisoners, of course, except us. ¡®I see Val!¡¯ Lore suddenly said, pointing to a woman in very loose-fitting uniform. She was at the bottom of the wall, by the entrance to the inner gate, and something¡ªlikely magicks¡ªhad forced her to drop her disguise. And the guards around her were just starting to notice. I eyed up my mana bar¡ªdrained a good way by this point¡ªbefore ultimately realising I had no choice here; only I could pluck her from trouble. I heard Val yelp at the portal appeared beneath her feet, and for a second she scrambled to avoid falling through it, before apparently realising what was going on. She fell to the top of the wall at my side, and managed to avoid hitting her head like I had. ¡®Took you long enough,¡¯ she said, punching me on the shoulder. ¡®Is that your version of ¡°thank you for saving my life¡±?¡¯ ¡®Yes,¡¯ Corminar and Lore both said in unison. ¡®...Fine.¡¯ ¡®Bit of a mess, all this,¡¯ Val said, quickly switching the subject. ¡®Yes, I know, I didn¡¯t account for it.¡¯ ¡®Guess it seems pretty obvious in hindsight, though.¡¯ ¡®Yes, thank you, Val. You happen to know where this sorcerer is?¡¯ A huge fireball exploded down below, and the four of us crept back from the edge of the wall. ¡®One of this lot,¡¯ Val said, nodding to the soldiers on the wall. ¡®What¡¯s-his-face back at Aiwin¡¯s was right. She¡¯s up here.¡¯ ¡®These are all rangers.¡¯ ¡®Nope,¡¯ Val said, nodding to our right. ¡®Look. The one four spots down. Not really firing, and anything she does fire¡­¡¯ The ranger released a shot that soared far over its presumed target¡¯s head. As though her ears were burning, the soldier in question turned towards us. Her eyes widened when she saw that four ¡°prisoners¡± had made it atop the wall. ¡®Styk?¡¯ Lore asked. ¡®Yeah?¡¯ ¡®How much mana you got left? How much portal?¡¯ I checked my mana reserves. ¡®About¡­ ten seconds? Not much. What are you thinking?¡¯ The sorcerer shouted, her fellow rangers suddenly snapping from their focus on the prisoners below, and following the sorcerer¡¯s gesture to, and I quote, ¡°Look the hell over there!¡± ¡®Don¡¯t need to kill them, do we?¡¯ Lore said. ¡®Just gotta make them unconscious.¡¯ I didn¡¯t quite know what it was, but Lore and I seemed to always be on the same page, more so than I had with any of the others¡ªexcept for perhaps Val when it came to whether or not to have another pint. In this case, with ten or more crossbows being suddenly pointed towards us, this aspect of our relationship was vital; we didn¡¯t have more than a few seconds before we were all speared. Lore began to charge. I flashed open a portal in front of him, opening its pair just in front of the nearest ranger. As soon as Lore was through it¡ªnot quite, even¡ªI closed it, preserving mana. The barbarian, instead of attacking, simply¡­ ran through the ranger, knocking him from the wall and screaming as he plummeted towards the floor below¡ªand then, silence. Level 20 guard defeated! Worldbending ¡ª +650xp Lore charged on, not slowly for a moment, and perhaps even gaining in speed. The next ranger released a bolt from his crossbow, and I blinked open a portal just in time to save Lore from being it. The burly barbarian bashed the guard in the shoulder, sending them too towards the ground far below. Level 18 guard defeated! Worldbending ¡ª +500xp ¡®I haven¡¯t bowled for a while,¡¯ Val mused as she watched the events unfold in front of us. ¡®My thoughts as well,¡¯ Corminar agreed. Once again, I flashed open a pair of portals in front of Lore, my mana now dwindling, and closed the gap between him and the next ranger. I think you know, dear reader, what happened next. Level 22 gambling enthusiast defeated! Worldbending ¡ª +650xp I noted the different class of this particular guard; it was good to see that not all of them lived to work, and at least one of them worked to live instead. The next ranger ahead of Lore was the one we were after¡ªwe eliminate them, and the shining white wall spell would be broken. We¡¯d be free. As I opened up one last portal, my mana reserves draining to a mere sliver, Lore jumped, swinging his Bane Sword pommel-first. He passed through the portal, and his target¡¯s eyes widened. The very beginnings of a new spell¡ªflames, from the looks of it¡ªformed in the guard¡¯s hands, but it was too late. The pommel of the Bane Sword collided with the woman¡¯s head, just between the eyes, and she staggered. It didn¡¯t knock her out in one go, like the guard back in the central chambers, but it was enough to cancel the fire spell and give Lore the chance to bash her from the wall. Level 25 sorcerer captain defeated! Worldbending ¡ª +900xp Worldbending increased to level 27! Base Points gained ¡ª +2 INT, +2 Free Points (INT/WIS/CHA) The shimmering white wall faded away, and it didn¡¯t take long for the remaining prisoners down in the grounds below to notice, many of them cheering at this apparent victory. Lore turned around, a good fifty paces down the wall, and gave us a thumbs-up, a goofy smile on his face. ¡®Alright, nice,¡¯ Val said. She nodded to the ground below, outside the prison wall. ¡®Styk, you wanna portal us down there?¡¯ ¡®I¡­ err¡­¡¯ I replied, one eye on the barest sliver of mana supply left in my power bar. ¡®...Styk?¡¯ Someone down below shouted, ¡®People!¡¯ ¡®What?¡¯ I replied. ¡®Are you seriously about to tell me that you¡¯re out of mana?¡¯ Val asked. Before I could either confirm or deny it, she continued, ¡®And how in the hells are we supposed to get out of here, then?¡¯ ¡®We could jump,¡¯ Lore said, appearing at our side once more. When Val and I raised an eyebrow at him, he clarified, ¡®Sorry. Was a joke.¡¯ ¡®People!¡¯ the voice down below said again, and in that moment, both Corminar and I realised this voice belonged to Arzak. We poked our heads over the side of the wall to see the orc standing with a beautiful elf at her side, apparently having already long since escaped the prison complex. This slender elf was Aiwin, I could only assume. If I had been a better man, I would have picked up my jaw from the floor more quickly. ¡®Finally,¡¯ Arzak grumbled. ¡®You could have¡­ used our names?¡¯ I replied. The orc shook her head. ¡®Then they know your names. Breaking prison? Crime too great. Best nobody know.¡¯ I sighed. ¡®Yeah, I¡¯m sorry about the confusion. I didn¡¯t think it would happen.¡¯ ¡®I did,¡¯ Arzak shouted back up. ¡®Was obvious.¡¯ ¡®See?¡¯ Val muttered. ¡®You not portal down?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m out of mana!¡¯ I replied. ¡®I thought always pick Intelligence?¡¯ ¡®I do!¡¯ ¡®Hmm,¡¯ Arzak said. ¡®Then need level up faster.¡¯ ¡®That doesn¡¯t help us right about now!¡¯ I replied, at the same moment that an arrow caught Lore in the back, making him furrow his brow but otherwise not even complain about it. Down below, Aiwin eyed the gate, a good way down the street, where guards were still doing their best to keep the prisoners contained. ¡®Might we move this along a little?¡¯ the new elf asked. ¡®Is OK,¡¯ the orc said with a shrug. ¡®I catch.¡¯ She held out her hands in front of her, and I was completely unconvinced. ¡®You sure?¡¯ I asked. ¡®It¡¯s quite a fall, and I¡ª¡¯ At that moment, Val gave me a quick, sharp shove, and only seconds later I found myself being cradled in Arzak¡¯s arms. ¡®See? I catch.¡¯ I looked back at the woman currently carrying me. ¡®This is very emasculating.¡¯ Arzak smiled. ¡®Yes,¡¯ she said.
"Styk" Level 12 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 26 Intelligence ¡ª 115 Dexterity ¡ª 44 Strength ¡ª 50 Wisdom ¡ª 32 Charisma ¡ª 8
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 27 Knifework ¡ª Level 23 Identification ¡ª Level 10 Stealth ¡ª Level 9 Needlework ¡ª Level 4
Abilities: Slice ¡ª Slice the enemy for physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Stab II ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 20%. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Stealth Attack ¡ª Passive. 50% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA].
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
78. In The Absence Of The Trees We accompanied Aiwin back to their home on the south side of town, them and Corminar striding far ahead of us and engaging in conversation that the rest of the team weren¡¯t privy to. Aiwin¡¯s hand, I noticed, often touched against Corminar¡¯s arm, and made it down to his bottom a couple of times too. ¡®Do you think those two¡ª¡¯ Lore started. ¡®Yep,¡¯ I replied, at the same time as Arzak grunted her agreement. ¡®When Cor¡¯s involved, is it ever really a doubt?¡¯ Val asked. ¡®S¡¯pose not.¡¯ The kettle was boiling over a magick-induced flame when we entered Aiwin¡¯s home, and the old man and the young elf hurried to embrace one another. ¡®You succeeded!¡¯ the man said to Corminar, once the embrace was over, and he then moved to hug the ranger as well. ¡®I don¡¯t suppose you really thought we would fail?¡¯ Corminar replied. ¡®Being that you do have the kettle on, ready for us.¡¯ The old man smiled. ¡®Always plan for the best outcome, I do.¡¯ Lore nodded. ¡®Me too!¡¯ We settled in various seats around the room¡ªCorminar and Aiwin on the sofa, Lore leaning against the wall, Arzak on the floor with legs crossed, and Val in one of the armchairs scowling at me for perching on one of the arm rests. A few moments later, the old man¡ªwho, it had turned out, was just an old friend of Aiwin¡¯s¡ªreturned with a tray full of cups on saucers, each of them clattering slightly in his shaky hands. He passed them out one by one, and when I took my own, a pungent wood smell filled my nostrils. ¡®What is it?¡¯ Val asked, staring into the red-brown liquid. ¡®The bark of the saltash tree,¡¯ Aiwin replied. ¡®It is no surprise that you haven¡¯t come across it before; there is little demand for it outside of the Dawnwoods. But for me, it is a taste of home?¡¯ Corminar murmured his agreement. ¡®My birthseed was a saltash, you know,¡¯ Aiwin said. Arzak leaned forwards, tiny teacup in giant green hands, pinky finger pointing out stiffly. ¡®What is birthseed? Corminar not tell us this.¡¯ ¡®It was no secret,¡¯ Corminar clarified. ¡®Only a matter I did not share.¡¯ ¡®And why not, Cladenor?¡¯ Aiwin said, knocking at Corminar playfully with the back of their hand. ¡®Always so secretive, this one.¡¯ They turned their head to the orc. ¡®Arzak, was it?¡¯ Arzak nodded, her face betraying no emotion¡ªas ever. ¡®For an elf, a birthseed is a seed plucked from the land where you were born. If planted in the Dawnwood, the wood of the resulting tree will be enchanted with properties tailored towards your class. Supposedly it is intervention from Gaia herself, plucking at the strings of reality, that enchants the plant in this way.¡¯ ¡®Is powerful?¡¯ Arzak asked, her eyes on Corminar. ¡®Why never plant it?¡¯ ¡®To plant it¡­ to nurture it¡­ this would require me to reside in the Dawnwood. You know I do not return there.¡¯ ¡®You never say why.¡¯ Aiwin gasped. ¡®Cladenor! Have you really changed so little?¡¯ The elf turned their attention to the rest of the room. ¡®This man will simply not talk about his demons. When we were together¡ª¡¯ Lore gasped. ¡®You were together?¡¯ Aiwin and Corminar both shot the barbarian a curious expression, and then the former shook their head and got back to their story. ¡®When we were together, this man would not tell you if he had so much as a headache. Ever the lieutenant, always seeking to lead his men by appearing untouchable.¡¯ ¡®Wait, what? You were a lieutenant?¡¯ I asked. Val elbowed me in the side. Hard. ¡®Styk.¡¯ ¡®What?¡¯ I replied, upturning my hands. ¡®What did I do?¡¯ ¡®I am assuming that your friend knows Corminar does not much like to talk about it,¡¯ Aiwin said, which earned a nod from Val. ¡®Unless¡­¡¯ Corminar shook his head, and an awkward silence fell over the room. To fill it, I sipped at my tea and took a slightly too pointed breath afterwards. ¡®I never asked,¡¯ Aiwin said, turning to Corminar. ¡®I suppose you are here to¡­ reconnect?¡¯ Though they¡¯d phrased it carefully, I think everyone in the room¡ªexcept maybe Lore¡ªknew exactly what they¡¯d meant. ¡®I¡¯ve never had a man put together a team to save me before¡­¡¯ Aiwin¡¯s hand stroked Corminar¡¯s long hair¡ªluscious enough to rival even their own. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. The ranger smiled at them. ¡®As much as I¡¯d like to¡­ reconnect, my dear, I am afraid we sought you out on rather urgent business.¡¯ Aiwin¡¯s hand paused mid-stroke, then surreptitiously moved it away from Corminar¡¯s head. ¡®Oh?¡¯ ¡®Difficulty with the Thorn,¡¯ Corminar explained. ¡®A matter of an unpaid debt. We seek the depth raider that you mentioned in your letters.¡¯ ¡®The Thorn?¡¯ Aiwin asked, raising an eyebrow. ¡®I was under the impression that you had sworn off all affiliation with our fellow emigrated kind?¡¯ There was a pointed look that accompanied this question. Aiwin knew something about Corminar that we didn¡¯t. A great many things, perhaps. ¡®I assure you, no affiliation was intended. For all their great many sins, the Red Thorn do pay rather well.¡¯ Aiwin held the ranger¡¯s gaze, as though silence might break him. They couldn¡¯t know him that well, then, if they thought that was going to work. ¡®Corminar¡­¡¯ I said, able to hold back the question no longer. ¡®Have you been¡­ exiled¡­ from the Dawnwoods? Like the Thorn?¡¯ The elf glanced over at me. ¡®Exiled? No. Do not categorise me with those criminals. I am only¡­¡¯ He searched for the word. ¡®I am discouraged from returning. They could not exile me¡ªcertainly not after all that I did for them.¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t suppose you have told them?¡¯ Aiwin asked. Corminar shook his head¡ªa single, definitive movement. It was Val, of all people, who saved Corminar from what was clearly an uncomfortable conversation for him. She turned to Aiwin. ¡®You can tell us where the depth raider is?¡¯ ¡®Certainly. The depth raider is no complicated matter; it is being kept as a pet by a young family not two days¡¯ travel from here.¡¯ ¡®As a pet?¡¯ Lore asked. ¡®Is that safe?¡¯ Aiwin nodded. ¡®The depth raider is a small beast¡ªone that many mistake for being harmless. ¡°Cute¡±, I believe is the word most often used. In most situations, they are, in fact. It is only once the raider moves into the vicinity of someone with immense power that the trouble begins, for immense power it can use. Immense power it can adopt as its own, if only for a short time, but a creature such as this only requires a moment to reap great destruction. But you know all this.¡¯ Aiwin glanced at Corminar, who gave no indication of his own feeling of the matter. ¡®Or at least Corminar does.¡¯ ¡®Good,¡¯ Arzak said, putting the empty teacup down as carefully as she could manage. ¡®We get your hair out, then.¡¯ ¡®¡°Get out of your hair¡±,¡¯ Lore whispered to her. ¡®We get out of your hair, then,¡¯ Arzak corrected herself. ¡®Tell us where is. We pay.¡¯ ¡®Pretty sure getting you out of prison is payment enough,¡¯ Val added. Aiwin glanced at the sorcerer, and if I wasn¡¯t mistaken, a flicker of annoyance flashed across their eyes. Val, sitting on the chair next to me, tensed slightly¡ªshe¡¯d noticed it too. But Aiwin didn¡¯t refute Val¡¯s statement, instead saying, ¡®The depth raider is the least of your concerns. Simple, in fact, is the retrieval of such a beast. The true value exists in knowing how to control it, and for that, you will require¡ª¡¯ ¡®A witchfinder¡¯s clasp,¡¯ Val said, voice low. Aiwin turned to Corminar. ¡®Oh, so that you have told them? Just which of our platoon¡¯s excursions have you spoken about, and which have you not? I will need to know, if I am to travel with you.¡¯ The ranger remained silent for a moment. ¡®They knew of the clasp regardless of context¡ªcontext that I had not shared.¡¯ ¡®And what makes you think you¡¯re travelling with us?¡¯ Val asked. ¡®You want a witchfinder¡¯s clasp?¡¯ Aiwin replied. ¡®This is no small feat. The witchfinders know their value¡ªthe blood of a witch is oh-so rare, these days¡ªand they will not part with one for just anybody. Fortunately for you all, I have contacts in the Goldmarch. The right word in the right ear, and anything can be yours.¡¯ They turned to Corminar. ¡®I learned that from the best.¡¯ Val opened her mouth to speak, but Arzak suddenly¡ªwisely?¡ªleapt in to speak before she could. ¡®OK. You come with. We get clasp first.¡¯
"Styk" Level 12 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 26 Intelligence ¡ª 115 Dexterity ¡ª 44 Strength ¡ª 50 Wisdom ¡ª 32 Charisma ¡ª 8
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 27 Knifework ¡ª Level 23 Identification ¡ª Level 10 Stealth ¡ª Level 9 Needlework ¡ª Level 4
Abilities: Slice ¡ª Slice the enemy for physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Stab II ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 20%. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Stealth Attack ¡ª Passive. 50% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA].
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
79. Interlude — Ted THREE WEEKS EARLIER ¡®Raspberry bonbons¡ªfive for a bronze!¡¯ Ted shouted over the murmur of the market goers as they strolled past his stall. ¡®Rose cubes¡ªfour for a bronze! Get ¡®em while they¡¯re¡­ a normal temperature.¡¯ He sighed; business was slow today. Ted¡¯s Confectionary had had maybe ten serious browsers, and only two of them had actually purchased anything. And, what¡¯s more, one of them had bought only five sweets, which was barely worth the trouble of bagging them up. It was no wonder, then, that Ted had had to pivot his business over the last few months. Creating and selling sweets¡ªthat had been his dream, back from when he was a young boy, but now that he was actually doing it, he realised just what a cutthroat world it was. There were narrow profit margins, high time investments required for actually cooking the sweets, and enough competition in the relatively small Tundras market that every so often merchants would sabotage one another. Ted had been the victim of such a crime twice, and the perpetrator around eight times. ¡®Raspberry bonbons, sir? For the partner, sir?¡¯ Ted tried, doing his best attempt at a smile as he shook a bag in the general direction of a passing gentleman. The man didn¡¯t so much as glance at him. Customers held all the power in this relationship, with this power came a complete disregard for social norms like being polite. But then Ted saw a woman he recognised¡ªor, at least, a hood that he recognised; he never saw the woman¡¯s face. The small woman approached casually, looking down at the stock atop the stall as though browsing it, before whispering, ¡®Do you have what I came for?¡¯ Ted nodded, meeting the woman¡¯s lack of gaze and rifling through the boxes underneath the stall. This side business¡ªthe aforementioned ¡°pivot¡±¡ªwas where the real money came from. Perhaps the term ¡°real money¡± overstated how much revenue it was pulling in; it was still few and far between. ¡®Here,¡¯ Ted said, pulling an identical paper bag up from beneath the stall, this one filled with blueberry bonbons. The difference with these ones, however, was that they were enchanted. ¡®Stamina drain?¡¯ the woman asked, her voice raspy. ¡®That¡¯s the one.¡¯ Ted handed the sweets over, taking the decent amount of coin from the woman in return. ¡®Could I ask what they¡¯re for, madam? I imagined a competition, perhaps, or¡ª¡¯ ¡®It wouldn¡¯t be good business to make a habit of it,¡¯ the customer replied. ¡®Asking, I mean. Patrons of your industry¡­ I cannot imagine they much want to advertise their deeds.¡¯ Ted held up his hands in apology. ¡®Please. Forget I asked.¡¯ The woman nodded, took the enchanted¡ªsome might say ¡°cursed¡±¡ªsweets, and then turned away. When she¡¯d taken a few paces, she turned back to Ted. ¡®I intend to challenge someone to a duel. One that I would not naturally win.¡¯ Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Ted smiled. ¡®For love or for honour?¡¯ The woman turned away once more, without replying. And so Ted filled in the rest of the story for himself. He daydreamed this duel¡ªa hooded woman storming into a grand castle, throwing down her disguise and revealing her beauty before challenging a duke to fight for the death. It was for both love and honour, in Ted¡¯s mind¡ªto win back the hand of the Duchess, to whom the hooded woman had always intended to be married. ¡®You got duprica?¡¯ a passing old woman said. Ted snapped from his daydream, pulling himself from the top of the cart and hearing it creak as a result. ¡®Duprica?¡¯ ¡®Fabric,¡¯ the old woman clarified. ¡®Yes, I know, madam, but¡­¡¯ Ted gestured towards the sign that read Ted¡¯s Confectionary. There was still an arrow hole in it. The woman looked at the sign, blinked, and then looked back to Ted. ¡®Duprica?¡¯ she asked again. ¡®I sell sweets, madam.¡¯ ¡®No fabrics then?¡¯ ¡®No, madam.¡¯ The woman said no more, and turned away. Ted couldn¡¯t help but eyeball his swinging sign once more. Specifically, he couldn¡¯t help but eyeball the damage those adventurers had done to it. He was trying to run a business here, and he didn¡¯t need adventurers hiding from soldiers behind his stall! At least fate had seen fit to allow him some revenge. Those cursed sweets had been meant for a customer¡ªone who had been very angry that Ted had got rid of them already¡ªbut it was worth it. He couldn¡¯t help but smile at the thought of that dumb rogue vomiting conjured water and not understanding where it was coming from. He only hoped that the pretty sorcerer hadn¡¯t got caught in the crossfire¡ªshe seemed the type to like sweets too. Ted sighed, and got back to work, shouting about his wares and getting only momentary glances in his direction in return. It was feeling like an increasingly futile business, all of this. The customers of the Tundras didn¡¯t know good produce when it was displayed in front of them, and they damned well didn¡¯t have the money to pay a fair price for it. If only he was able to¡ª Suddenly, a notification flashed before his eyes. A boost to enchanting experience¡ªthe skill he used to create those cursed sweets. It wasn¡¯t uncommon that he got notifications like these, as these enchantments were so often used in resolving a fight. Like all magick and combat skills, experience was rewarded at the close of battle, based on your contribution to the fight. What separated this particular notification apart was the amount of experience¡ªit was in the tens of thousands. Level up after level up notification came flooding in, boosting his Intelligence and Dexterity with every moment that passed. Someone out there¡ªsome genius of a person¡ªhad used his cursed sweets to take down someone or something of an incredibly high level. A rare monster, or a hero, or a god. Ted found himself sinking to his knees, closing his eyes in silent gratitude to whoever it had been that had helped him so. This amount of experience was game-changing. This increased his skill to a level that put him amongst the best enchanters in the land. ¡®Sir, could I get¡ª¡¯ a passing customer said. ¡®No,¡¯ Ted replied, batting the man away. The Gentle Tundras were beneath Ted, now. At this level of skill, he could be one of the finest enchantment merchants in the land. And he could take his business to somewhere rich, where the customers would hand over decent coin for his services. ¡®But I¡ª¡¯ the attempted customer tried again. ¡®I¡¯m closed,¡¯ Ted replied, and finally the man got the message. There was only one thing for it¡ªit was time to head to more prosperous lands. It was time to head for the Goldmarch. Fame and fortune awaited. 80. No Obvious Sign Of Trouble Part VIII: The Witchfinder Experiments The further east we travelled down the main merchant road, the more aged the population seemed to get. By the time we were only a day out from our destination¡ªa village that the witchfinders used as an informal base of operations¡ªeveryone in the inn with us looking like they could drop dead at any moment. Apparently this was normal, at least to a degree. For towns on the Goldmarch¡¯s famous trade routes, the young population so often went off to find fame and fortune, either as working merchants or through gainful employment in the prosperous Goldmarch cities. Recently though, there was another factor at play. Apparently no longer satisfied by dominating land trade, the government of the Goldmarch were now expanding into sea trade as well. But the geography of this part of the world didn¡¯t exactly make this easy, with all the major ports being on seas that were entirely separate from one another. This, the Goldmarch were looking to change. A decade or so ago, the town of Lenktra, on the Tundran border, had created a small canal system that connected the Coldwater in the northwest to the Iron Sea in the northeast. Building on this, there was a new canal project, not two days¡¯ ride from where we were¡ªa so-called ¡°Great Golden Canal Project¡±, which the locals thought was made fancy-sounding to convince all the young-uns to offer their services. This canal was a far more ambitious project, stretching over a good amount of land, but would¡ªupon completion¡ªconnect the Iron Sea with the Sea Of Roots. Sea trade would stretch from the Beached Armada to the Dawnwood, and the Goldmarch would be able to collect taxes on all of this. Now, I know what you¡¯re thinking, reader. You¡¯re thinking ¡°why in the hells are you telling me this?¡± My reasoning is two-fold. Firstly: as we all know, all great stories have substantial and detailed descriptions of trade deals between various factions. Secondly: I tell you this because Arzak was completely enchanted by the concept. ¡®Make money for go through land? Why?¡¯ the orc demanded of an old local. The local man seemed stunned by this response; clearly he¡¯d just been mouthing off about it all, rather than expecting any follow-up questions. ¡®Amira¡¯s in charge of this land, so she gets to say what goes on in it, right?¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t think this right, no.¡¯ The rest of our team, tired from many days¡¯ travel, watched this conversation at the bar from a corner booth, where we¡¯d all finished our beers but none of us could be bothered to buy any more. I considered trying to portal some beer from within the kegs into my glass, but I didn¡¯t really want to get kicked out, either. ¡®I ain¡¯t saying it¡¯s right,¡¯ the increasingly perplexed local said. ¡®Only that she can do it. And besides, walking down a toll road is one thing, sure, but using a canal that the queen¡¯s spent thousands, tens of thousands, whatever amount of gold on¡­ well maybe she deserves to get paid back for it?¡¯ ¡®So you for this canal now?¡¯ Arzak asked. ¡®No, of course not. But what I think is moral isn¡¯t the same as what is legal.¡¯ ¡®Why not? In Reaches, no law. We just do right things.¡¯ The old man opened his mouth to reply, and then thought better of it. He turned to the bar maid. ¡®Better call it a night, I think.¡¯ He tossed a bronze coin onto the bar. ¡®A drink for my friend here,¡¯ he said. ¡®What about my friends?¡¯ Arzak asked, nodding to us in the booth. The man left without saying another word. * * * The witchfinder base was a few hours¡¯ away from the main merchant road, taking us on a well-worn track through the beech forest, which we were forced to trudge down single-file. It had been quite a long few days of travel¡ªwe really needed to buy some horses at some point¡ªand conversation had grown quiet. In fact, I¡¯d spent some of the evenings barely participating in conversation, instead focusing on levelling up my new Needlework skill. This effort had got the skill up to level 7, which had the added benefit of putting me up to level 12 overall¡ªmore and more, my profile wasn¡¯t incredibly embarrassing. As I¡¯d passed level 5 in Needlework, I¡¯d had the choice of new abilities, and my decision was an easy one; I chose the ability most useful for myself. Ability unlocked ¡ª Basic Cloth Armour Basic Cloth Armour (Needlework) ¡ª Craft a basic cloth armour, quality dependent on materials, time and skill level. I¡¯d not been able to you know, use this ability yet, considering that all I was working with was a large piece of increasingly busy fabric, and a spool of thread that Arzak had loaned me. Next time we passed through a town with a suitable shop, however, I was going to stock up. We came suddenly upon our destination, a secluded village formed of wooden buildings, some newer than others, based on the amount of moss present on their walls. It was a surprise that we¡¯d stumble upon a place like this without knowing well in advance that it was ahead of us¡ªand it took me a moment to realise that this stemmed from the village being eerily quiet. ¡®Huh,¡¯ I mumbled to myself, then turned to the rest of the team at my side, everyone peeking through the bushes at the town like I had been. Everyone except Val and Arzak, at least. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. I turned back to see Val and Arzak a few dozen paces back, down the path, muttering something inaudible to one another. Val shifted from foot to foot, glancing nervously at the rest of us. ¡®You coming?¡¯ I called back to them, and the cry made Val flinch. She turned to glare at me. ¡®What?¡¯ I asked, accompanying the question with a shrug. ¡®Well there goes the element of surprise,¡¯ Val mumbled as she and Arzak cautiously approached. ¡®Element of surprise?¡¯ I repeated, then pointed to Aiwin. ¡®They know Aiwin. We¡¯re just here to talk, right?¡¯ Val raised her eyebrows, but made no further comment. ¡®Shall we?¡¯ Aiwin asked the group, their gaze flicking to Val. Without waiting for an answer, they stepped through the growth and out into the open of the secluded village, the rest of the group following close behind. Nobody in the village stirred, and nobody came to meet us. ¡®Hello?¡¯ Lore called out cheerily. ¡®Witchfinders? We¡¯ve come to buy something from you!¡¯ We waited. Still, there was nothing. No signs of life. ¡®I don¡¯t like this,¡¯ Val said, already itching away from the village. ¡®This certainly isn¡¯t right,¡¯ Aiwin added. ¡®There should always be someone here. There was a woman in charge¡ªa monster hunter of sorts; witches, demons and the like¡ªwho should be here, or an assistant in her place. That neither of them are present is¡­¡¯ ¡®Unsettling,¡¯ I said. Aiwin nodded their agreement. ¡®Blood,¡¯ Arzak said suddenly, staring around the village. ¡®What?¡¯ I asked, doing the same. ¡®Where?¡¯ ¡®Nowhere. No blood.¡¯ ¡®Well, you could have said¡ª¡¯ ¡®No blood, and no discarded weapons. No sign of a fight at all,¡¯ Corminar said. ¡®It is as though they have moved on.¡¯ Aiwin shook their head. ¡®Impossible. I am told they had work here.¡¯ ¡®Could be that they finished it?¡¯ Lore asked. ¡®It was impossible work, never to be completed.¡¯ ¡®Our job feel like that sometimes,¡¯ Arzak mused. We all fell silent, the only sound being the rustling of leaves in the wind and the cries of distance birds. ¡®So¡­ what do we do?¡¯ Val finally asked, shattering the silence. ¡®I suppose we look for information as to where they have gone,¡¯ Aiwin said. ¡®I am sure there will be a clue or two inside.¡¯ Val nodded. ¡®Great. Go ahead. I¡¯ll keep a lookout.¡¯ Arzak glanced at Val, and Val returned the look. Even though I couldn¡¯t translate it, I knew there was a whole conversation happening in the way they stared at one another. I turned to Lore, glancing at him, trying to do the same silent method of communication. ¡®What?¡¯ he asked. I sighed. ¡®Shall we go inside?¡¯ ¡®Oh! Yes.¡¯ While Arzak ambled inside a small building to our right, and Corminar and Aiwin took a new, freshly constructed building to our left, Lore and I made for the largest structure. This looked to be the largest of the buildings here¡ªthree floors, and a wider floorplan than most taverns, almost as if this had been here first and then built around. The village was no less creepy when you were inside the old abandoned structures, though maybe I should have seen that one coming. Ancient floorboards squeaked below Lore¡¯s heavy feet, and the sound of the wind billowing through cracks in the walls made an eerie whistling noise. I tried to ignore it as we searched the building, looking for anything that might give us a clue to our next move. I finally found it in a grand study at the rear of the building¡ªa room with an impressively ornate old desk with stacks of disorganised paperwork sitting on top of it. Most of these documents were meaningless to me, or at least not at all useful¡ªrecords of witchfinding reports, and the like. But one piece of paper caught me eye because of a familiar coat of arms printed at the head of the thick, posh paper¡ªthat of the kingdom of the Goldmarch. A lot of it, still, was meaningless to me, but a few parts stood out. For one, the woman who had been in charge of this operation¡ªapparently installed by someone in the capital¡ªhad been reassigned, and would not be returning. This, I could only assume, was the monster hunter that Aiwin had mentioned earlier. The other key piece of information, however, was more crucial. The instruction given to the witchfinders was to remain put, and to, under no circumstances, continued with their experiments. Just as I looked up to ask Lore what he made of all of this, I heard a distant scream.
"Styk" Level 12 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 26 Intelligence ¡ª 115 Dexterity ¡ª 47 Strength ¡ª 50 Wisdom ¡ª 32 Charisma ¡ª 14
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 27 Knifework ¡ª Level 23 Identification ¡ª Level 10 Stealth ¡ª Level 9 Needlework ¡ª Level 7
Abilities: Slice ¡ª Slice the enemy for physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Stab II ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 20%. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Stealth Attack ¡ª Passive. 50% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Basic Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft basic cloth armour, quality dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
81. Playing Our Hands Lore and I sprinted through the building, floorboards creaking underneath our feet, the big man¡¯s elbows knocking at the doorframes as he passed through them, and we spilled out into the centre of the witchfinder¡¯s encampment. Across the way, Corminar and Aiwin spilled out of their building, too, alarm plain on their faces. Val stood in the centre, spinning around, as though searching for the source of the scream. ¡®Who is it? What was that?¡¯ I asked. Before I could wonder if it was Arzak who had somehow produced that strange, high-pitched shriek, she too stumbled out of her building, apparently safe and sound. ¡®It wasn¡¯t you?¡¯ Val asked. ¡®That was a woman screaming.¡¯ ¡®What, men can¡¯t squeal?¡¯ ¡®We can,¡¯ Lore said. ¡®Mostly around spiders.¡¯ ¡®Who scream?¡¯ Arzak asked, hurrying over to the rest of us. ¡®Styk?¡¯ I blinked at her. ¡®No, it wasn¡¯t¡ª¡¯ ¡®It would appear that it wasn¡¯t any of us,¡¯ Aiwin cut in, their eyes scanning the dark trees that surrounded the secluded village. ¡®So someone¡¯s here?¡¯ Val asked. ¡®Did any of you find anyone?¡¯ There was a round of unsure head-shaking. ¡®Nobody,¡¯ I said. ¡®The place is deserted.¡¯ ¡®Then¡­¡¯ Val gestured to the woods around us. We each remained still, silent, barely daring to breathe, our ears open for sounds of movement, or¡­ further shrieks. But nothing came. ¡®Is anyone there?¡¯ Lore¡ªsometimes the bravest of us¡ªsuddenly cried out. We heard nothing but the rustling of leaves and the cries of the distant birds. ¡®Perhaps it was a fellhawk,¡¯ Corminar suggested. ¡®Rather odd for one to be this far from the Dawnwoods, yet¡­ They are said to have cries that resemble human screams.¡¯ There was a moment of pause before Arzak finally nodded. ¡®Fellhawk. Must be screaming bird. Yes.¡¯ Others in the team nodded. I didn¡¯t know whether this was just because they wanted to believe that the source of the noise was a bird, or because this was actually likely, but it was a convenient enough truth for me to leap on board. I clapped my hands together. ¡®Alright,¡¯ I said. ¡®Shall we make camp?¡¯ ¡®Here?¡¯ Val asked. ¡®Might as well. At least we¡¯d have a roof over our heads.¡¯ * * * ¡®Ladies and gentlemen,¡¯ Aiwin said, dealing out the playing cards, ¡®the game is six card twist. Buy-in is two bronze, or one item of clothing.¡¯ ¡®Just the coin,¡¯ Arzak grumbled. Aiwin shrugged, but continued dealing. All six of us were sat around the largest table we could find in the secluded village, which had been in the building that Lore and I had checked out earlier. We¡¯d made it to this table to discuss what I¡¯d found: the instructions for the witchfinders to remain here, an order that they clearly hadn¡¯t followed. There was one worrying moment where Val suggested that the witchfinders were still here, and that the scream was the bait in a trap designed to snap shut around us¡ªbut this fear was quickly put to bed when we realised that this was a completely bonkers idea. And so it was that we¡¯d settled into a game of cards, which was precisely the sort of activity that would distract Val from any fears, whether justified or otherwise. We each put our ante in the centre of the table, Corminar trying to buy in with his trousers until Arzak quickly put a stop to that, and picked up the cards. ¡®Wait, how does this work, again?¡¯ Lore asked. ¡®Three rounds of betting,¡¯ Val explained, ¡®a chance to draw between each one, and the best hand wins.¡¯ ¡®Oh, right, yeah. And what¡¯s the best hand, again?¡¯ Val sighed, and Aiwin leant in to offer Lore some help. ¡®I fold,¡¯ Arzak said, immediately throwing her cards into the middle of the table. ¡®Nobody has bet yet,¡¯ I pointed out. ¡®I fold,¡¯ Arzak said again. ¡®You have a chance to draw different cards?¡¯ Val reminded her. The orc grunted. ¡®I fold.¡¯ ¡®OK,¡¯ Aiwin said. ¡®Moving on. Corminar?¡¯ ¡®I raise two socks.¡¯ ¡®We play with coin,¡¯ Arzak reminded him. ¡®And what would that matter to you?¡¯ the elf asked. ¡®You are already out of this round.¡¯ ¡®Nobody want see your jollies,¡¯ the orc said, which caused Corminar to pull a face, remove his socks from the table, and throw in two bronze coins instead. ¡®Lore?¡¯ Aiwin asked. ¡®I assume you now understand how the hand rankings¡ª¡¯ ¡®All in,¡¯ Lore said, pushing all his coins into the centre of the table. Aiwin did their best not to wince. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡®I can change cards still, right?¡¯ Val, next in order, immediately pushed all her coins into the centre to match Lore¡¯s bet, taking full advantage of the barbarian¡¯s lack of understanding of the rule. ¡®Styk?¡¯ ¡®I fold.¡¯ Going up against Lore¡¯s presumably terrible hand was one thing, but I didn¡¯t want to go up against Val¡¯s hand, too. Corminar, apparently thinking the same thing, threw in his hand. ¡®OK,¡¯ Aiwin said. ¡®Lore, you are to trade in your hand first. How many cards?¡¯ ¡®Six,¡¯ he said. Aiwin blinked at him. ¡®That is your whole hand, yes?¡¯ Lore nodded. ¡®Yes. Six cards, I counted.¡¯ I tried to resist the urge to put my head in my hands, and ultimately failed. Val, already laughing and seeming to be counting the money in the centre of the table, traded in just two cards. Lore responded by sticking with his hand this time, while Val traded in one more card again. ¡®A rather interesting first hand,¡¯ Aiwin said. ¡®If you will please reveal your hands?¡¯ Val threw her hand down on the table¡ªthree sparrow cards, three blade cards¡ªand moved to take all the staked coin before Aiwin put a hand out to stop her. ¡®Usually we see all hands on the table before claiming victory,¡¯ they said. Lore placed down his hand hesitantly. Around the table, three jaws dropped upon sight of the barbarian¡¯s cards, all of which were crowns. ¡®This is good, right?¡¯ he asked. Val visibly slumped in her seat. ¡®How in Tartarus did¡­¡¯ she began to mutter, before shaking her head and rising from the table. ¡®I¡¯m gonna go drink my wine.¡¯ Corminar¡¯s head poked up. ¡®You brought wine?¡¯ The rounds continued in much the same fashion, with Lore¡¯s somehow incredible luck winning more hands for him than he lost, and the stack of bronze coins in front of him was growing much larger than anyone else¡¯s. While we played, Aiwin and Corminar reminisced about times long past, and though the latter was initially hesitant to speak of these events in front of the rest of the Slayers, Aiwin eventually won him around. It wasn¡¯t long before Corminar was speaking almost in sonnets about his home, the capital city of the Dawnwoods. ¡®Oh, t¡¯was a beautiful sight, those towers that reached for the heavens, the great trees which stood taller still. Orange, not green, was the colour of Sunalor, both for the ash-fed clay and the leaves of autumn for which the Dawnwoods are so famous¡­¡¯ Arzak had gone out of the game next, but remained at the table to analyse it and work out where she¡¯d gone wrong. After that, a particularly tense final round of betting between me and Corminar had ended with Corminar¡¯s hand just about beating mine, and I sought commiseration in Val¡¯s bottle of wine. I found her back outside, sitting on a moss-covered bench that faced only the dense woodlands. On the ground in front of her was a pile of sticks in the rough shape of a fire, with the one important distinction being that they¡­ weren¡¯t on fire. ¡®Cold?¡¯ I asked, sitting next to her. ¡®No.¡¯ ¡®OK,¡¯ I said, then left for a moment to amble over to my knapsack and retrieve a spare jacket for her. I offered it to Val silently, and she took it immediately, only barely mumbling a thanks in response. We sat side by side without saying a word for a few moments, passing the already half-drunk bottle of orange wine between us, before I¡ªnot Val, surprisingly¡ªshattered the silence. For some reason¡ªone which eludes me even to this day¡ªI¡¯d suddenly found the confidence to have that conversation. ¡®You¡¯re not liking it here, are you?¡¯ Val said nothing, but the next swig of wine was a lot larger than the one previous. ¡®I don¡¯t suppose you wanna tell me why?¡¯ I prompted her. Another swig of wine preceded any more words from Val. And then, finally, she sighed. ¡®I guess there¡¯s¡­ There¡¯s something I haven¡¯t told you. About who¡ª About what I am.¡¯ I tried to catch Val¡¯s gaze, but her eyes were fixed squarely on the dirt. As the pause extended into a silence, I realised she was going to need some help here. ¡®That you¡¯re a witch?¡¯ I asked. Val flinched. ¡®What?¡¯ Even though I knew damn well what kind of ¡°what¡± this was, I repeated myself. ¡®That you¡¯re a witch. I¡¯m not completely clueless, Val, as much as you think I am.¡¯ Now Val turned to look at me, though her expression wasn¡¯t what I¡¯d been expecting¡ªit was one of fear. ¡®How¡­ long have you known?¡¯ I shrugged. ¡®I had my suspicions back when you set those wolves on me. Quite witchy behaviour, if you ask me.¡¯ ¡®That was like the day after we met.¡¯ ¡®Well, yeah,¡¯ I replied. ¡®And then it¡¯s not like you¡¯ve done much since then to really dissuade me from that theory, is it? Control over plants, over air¡­ That¡¯s all nature magicks, right? Witchcraft? It wasn¡¯t exactly the hardest thing to work out.¡¯ Maybe I¡¯d been expecting relief from Val, or even perhaps a smile. I don¡¯t quite know now, in retrospect, what I¡¯d been expecting, but I¡¯d thought this was going to be a more positive interaction than it had so far turned out to be. I could tell from the way Val was looking at me that her brain was working overtime on figuring out the precise best words to follow up with. ¡®And this doesn¡¯t change¡­ how you feel about me? We¡¯re still friends, I mean?¡¯ I resisted the urge to laugh. If only Val knew the truth about me, about who¡ªor ¡°what¡±¡ªI really was. Would she be as generous if she knew about my own Player ancestry? I could only hope she would, but I definitely didn¡¯t want to find out. ¡®You are who you are. What you are doesn¡¯t change that.¡¯ The relief broke on Val¡¯s face then, at last. Something brushed at my hand, and I was surprised to see Val giving it a short, gentle squeeze of gratitude. ¡®You know,¡¯ she started, but I never found out quite what it was that she knew, because Lore suddenly burst out into the courtyard. ¡®Quick!¡¯ he shouted, and the high pitch reminded me on the shriek we¡¯d heard a few hours earlier. ¡®Come quick! Trouble!¡¯
"Styk" Level 12 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 26 Intelligence ¡ª 115 Dexterity ¡ª 47 Strength ¡ª 50 Wisdom ¡ª 32 Charisma ¡ª 14
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 27 Knifework ¡ª Level 23 Identification ¡ª Level 10 Stealth ¡ª Level 9 Needlework ¡ª Level 7
Abilities: Slice ¡ª Slice the enemy for physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Stab II ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 20%. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Stealth Attack ¡ª Passive. 50% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Basic Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft basic cloth armour, quality dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
82. Spooked Val and I charged after Lore back into the main building of the witchfinder village, back to where we¡¯d been spending the evening playing cards. When we spilled into the room, I was surprised to find both that the table had been upturned, and that there was no trouble in sight. ¡®What?¡¯ I asked, my head whipping around the room. ¡®What is it? What¡¯s going on?¡¯ ¡®Yeah, couldn¡¯t you have chosen a different moment to¡ª¡¯ Val began. ¡®They are here,¡¯ Corminar said. ¡®The witchfinders. They remain.¡¯ Val¡¯s face paled. ¡®Where?¡¯ ¡®Just here!¡¯ Lore said. ¡®In the room!¡¯ Everyone went quiet as Val and I looked around. ¡®...Where?¡¯ I asked, repeating Val¡¯s earlier question. ¡®You no listen. They here.¡¯ I blinked at Arzak, still completely lost. ¡®Was it me and Val drinking, or was it you lot?¡¯ Val waved the empty wine bottle to show support in this line of questioning, though her expression remained concerned. ¡®They weren¡¯t¡­ here,¡¯ Aiwin suddenly said. ¡®You all just said the exact opposite,¡¯ Val retorted. A dark look flashed across Aiwin¡¯s face. ¡®If you would listen for a moment¡­¡¯ ¡®Listen, it¡¯s a simple enough question: was there or wasn¡¯t there a witchfinder in here?¡¯ ¡®Yes,¡¯ Arzak, Corminar and Lore said, at the very same moment that Aiwin said, ¡®Almost.¡¯ ¡®Almost?¡¯ Val repeated. ¡®What in the hells does that mean, almost?¡¯ ¡®It was as though they were here, and they weren¡¯t,¡¯ Aiwin explained. They turned to the other three. ¡®Did you not see?¡¯ ¡®Was dark,¡¯ Arzak said. ¡®I saw only a silhouette,¡¯ Corminar agreed with the orc. ¡®Wearing a long coat, as the witchfinders do, but a silhouette none the less.¡¯ ¡®Are you telling me you all got spooked by a shadow?¡¯ I asked. ¡®I know we¡¯re in a creepy old building and all that, but I thought you lot would know better than that.¡¯ ¡®There was figure! In corner!¡¯ Arzak protested, pointing to a doorway at the other side of the room¡ªone which led into a hallway into which the light of the full moon spilled through a window. ¡®You¡¯re seeing things,¡¯ I said. ¡®There¡¯s nobody here; we would¡¯ve found them by now if there was. Seriously, you lot, I thought you¡¯d not get frightened by a bit of darkness here, a squeaky floorboard there¡­ You probably just saw me or Val outside.¡¯ Lore shook his head. ¡®No, you two were sitting together. This person was standing. Alone.¡¯ ¡®A tree, then, or a bird, I dunno.¡¯ I cast a glance at the still-pale Val, hoping my words would reassure her, being a witch in a witchfinder¡¯s den, and all that. ¡®There are no witchfinders here, alright? Get back to your game.¡¯ Lore looked down at the upturned table, and the cards and coins scattered across the floor. ¡®But how will we know who was winning?¡¯ ¡®You were,¡¯ Arzak and Corminar said at the same time. ¡®Oh, really?¡¯ Lore replied, scratching at the back of his head, apparently slowly coming around to the idea that we weren¡¯t under attack after all. ¡®I just thought¡ª¡¯ Another shriek cut through the quiet. Upon hearing it for a second time, I realised there was no mistaking it. This was no fellhawk. This was, without a doubt, human.¡¯ It was my turn to have my face grow pale. ¡®Nobody here?¡¯ Aiwin repeated, eyes on me. ¡®Are you sure?¡¯ Val took a step closer to me, her gaze fixed on the door. ¡®Mm,¡¯ Arzak said. ¡®Was elf.¡¯ ¡®It was human, darling,¡¯ Corminar corrected her. ¡®Elves do not shriek.¡¯ ¡®Not often¡­¡¯ Aiwin muttered. Nobody moved for a moment, and nobody said a word until Lore finally gathered the courage. ¡®Should we¡­?¡¯ ¡®We have two options presented to us,¡¯ Corminar replied. ¡®Either we confront our fears and understand the nature of the scream, or we cower here and we wonder. I believe I know which option I prefer.¡¯ He stepped towards the door, but Aiwin reached out to grab his arm. ¡®Together,¡¯ they said. Lore and Arzak pursued the pair of elves out of the room, leaving just me and Val left alone. I moved to follow, but spared a glance at Val that stopped me in my tracks. I¡¯d always seen Val as this incredibly resilient woman, someone who could rarely be touched by either word or blade. In this moment, though, I saw her pale face and her hands clasped tightly together, as though to stop them from shaking. The loudmouth wasn¡¯t here right now; all I saw in front of me was a terrified young woman. Stolen story; please report. ¡®What if it¡¯s them?¡¯ she asked. ¡®What if they¡¯re back? What if they realise what I am?¡¯ ¡®Val¡­¡¯ ¡®No, don¡¯t say it like that,¡¯ the witch replied. ¡®Don¡¯t say it like it¡¯s irrational, or something not worth thinking about. You know what they do to us, don¡¯t you? They don¡¯t just kill, they exterminate. And they take great glee in it.¡¯ ¡®That wasn¡¯t what I was going to say,¡¯ I told her, meeting her eyes. ¡®I was going to say that there isn¡¯t one of us who wouldn¡¯t die keeping the others safe. They might pretend otherwise, but¡ª¡¯ ¡®Aiwin would sell me out at the first opportunity,¡¯ Val cut in. ¡®I think they know what I am. You¡¯ve seen the way they look at¡ª¡¯ More noise erupted from outside, this more of the shouty ¡°we¡¯re under attack¡± kind than the terrified shriek we¡¯d heard previously. At this, the sound of our friend in trouble, Val and I turned and bolted for the door. We charged out into the centre of the encampment, where we saw our four friends staring at the dark treeline. ¡®What is it?¡¯ I cried out as we ran to approach. ¡®Witch!¡¯ Aiwin shouted, pointing to a figure stepping out from between the trees. Val stumbled almost imperceptibly. Her wide eyes shot to the approaching figure, before hardening. ¡®That¡¯s no witch. That¡¯s a hag.¡¯ ¡®Same thing,¡¯ the elf responded, their mouth warping into a snarl. ¡®Both use Witchcraft. Both are¡ª¡¯ ¡®Aiwin,¡¯ Corminar said, cutting them off. ¡®We must concentrate.¡¯ The hag stepped into the light of the moon. It was a strange creature, humanoid but definitely not human, being that its limbs were scrawny and bulbous in all the wrong places. It had covered itself in drooping moss, which blended in with its long black hair to give an overall slimy impression. That Val wouldn¡¯t want to be compared to one of these was completely understandable. The hag twitched its head to one side as it set its eyes upon each of us in turn, and then it growled, its voice deep. Up until this moment, it had crossed my mind that this hag was the source of the shriek, but now that I¡¯d heard its voice¡­ there was no way. Whoever had shrieked was still out there. ¡®Do you think she is going to¡­¡¯ Aiwin started, staring the creature down. ¡®It,¡¯ Val corrected them, resulting in a raised eyebrow from the elf. ¡®Not ¡°she¡±.¡¯ ¡®Is that really your concern in this moment?¡¯ the elf retorted. ¡®I just think it¡¯s important to be accurate with our¡ª¡¯ ¡®Enough,¡¯ Arzak barked at the pair of them. ¡®Be quiet. Noise make it angry.¡¯ I looked over at the hag again, the creature still lurking at the edge of the treeline, its black eyes stabbing at us. ¡®How intelligent are they?¡¯ I asked. ¡®They¡¯re not witches,¡¯ Val said again, ¡®they¡¯re¡ª¡¯ ¡®Hags, yes, I know. How intelligent are hags?¡¯ Val shrugged. ¡®Some smart, some dumb, just like any creatures. This one could be as smart as me, or they could be as smart as you.¡¯ I didn¡¯t need to ask which end of the spectrum I¡¯d landed on in this scenario. ¡®Why?¡¯ I nodded to the hag again. ¡®Cos I think that one is working out how to attack us.¡¯ I glanced at Lore, checking he had his sword in his hands. ¡®Big guy?¡¯ ¡®Yeah?¡¯ the barbarian replied. ¡®We¡¯re gonna strike first. You ready?¡¯ Lore adjusted his grip on the Bane Sword. ¡®Ready.¡¯ I nodded. Then, with the flick of two wrists¡ªone hand pointing to the ground at Lore¡¯s feet, the other to the air above the hag¡ªI opened a portal. The barbarian swung his great sword downwards as he fell towards the beast, this move already having proven to do enough damage to severely injure all but the strongest people. He roared as he did so¡ªLore couldn¡¯t resist a good roar when he was swinging his sword; I think he found extra strength in it¡ªand the hag looked upwards just in time to see the blade shooting towards it. And then it blinked out of existence. The six of us fell silent. ¡®Err¡­¡¯ I said. ¡®Val?¡¯ Corminar prompted her. She shrugged. ¡®It¡¯s a hag.¡¯ ¡®Which means¡­¡¯ ¡®Which means it can travel between the material and ethereal planes?¡¯ she replied, her tone seeming to imply that we were stupid. ¡®Did you not go to school?¡¯ OK, maybe her words were implying we were stupid, too. ¡®So it¡¯s gone?¡¯ Val made a show of looking over my shoulder. ¡®No. It just means it¡¯s behind you.¡¯ I spun around just in time to see two long-clawed hands swiping towards me. At last¡ªanother worthy opponent.
"Styk" Level 12 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 26 Intelligence ¡ª 115 Dexterity ¡ª 47 Strength ¡ª 50 Wisdom ¡ª 32 Charisma ¡ª 14
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 27 Knifework ¡ª Level 23 Identification ¡ª Level 10 Stealth ¡ª Level 9 Needlework ¡ª Level 7
Abilities: Slice ¡ª Slice the enemy for physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Stab II ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 20%. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Stealth Attack ¡ª Passive. 50% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Basic Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft basic cloth armour, quality dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
83. Be Witching Arzak whipped up her swords to slice at the hag¡¯s outstretched claws, and the creature disappeared from the material plane in the second before blade met flesh. An arrow, released by Corminar, soared through the air where it had been standing, and then buried itself in the exterior wall of a nearby building. I pulled my Ranger¡¯s Blade free of its sheath and each of us slowly edged around, looking for where the hag would next reappear. ¡®You seem to understand these hags, Valerie,¡¯ Aiwin said. ¡®Perhaps you can tell us how to fight it?¡¯ ¡®Her name is not Valerie,¡¯ Corminar replied. ¡®I don¡¯t think that¡¯s really what we need to discuss right about¡ª¡¯ Val started, but I cut her off. ¡®What? Val isn¡¯t short for Valerie? What¡¯s it short for, then?¡¯ Val gestured to a nearby building. ¡®I think it¡¯s over there.¡¯ ¡®Equivalence,¡¯ Corminar said, answering my question. ¡®Equivalence?¡¯ I repeated. ¡®Equivalence?¡¯ ¡®After her changeling grandmother, I believe.¡¯ ¡®Can we concentrate on the thing trying to kill us, please?¡¯ Val said, glaring at Corminar, clearly not wanting to get into this conversation. For whatever reason, I took enough pity on her to mumble, ¡®My real name wasn¡¯t Styk, either,¡¯ which resulted in raised eyebrows from many members of the group. ¡®Insult Val later. Fight now,¡¯ Arzak said, just as the hag reappeared. As before, the creature rematerialised in the throes of an attack, wrapping its clawed hands around Lore¡¯s neck. The barbarian, choking and with the beginnings of blood dripping down his shoulder blades, tried to attack it with his great sword, but failed to get an angle. Being closest, I charged first, jumping atop the hag¡¯s back with my blade drawn, stabbing it towards the creature¡¯s own neck. But again, just before the knife met the creature¡¯s flesh, it faded away from existence and I collapsed into the injured Lore¡¯s back. ¡®Equivalence, heal him,¡¯ I said, pointing to Lore. Val screwed up her face. ¡®Don¡¯t do that, ¡°Styk¡±.¡¯ ¡®May I enquire just what ¡°Styk¡± is short for, then?¡¯ Corminar asked. ¡®It¡¯s not short for anything, it¡¯s just¡ª¡¯ A screech announced the hag taking form once more, this time at my side¡ªapparently reacting to my attempted stab. I fell backwards through a portal to avoid the hag¡¯s attacks, using the gravity of my fall to land back on my feet on the other side. I appeared, by design, at Val¡¯s side. ¡®This is annoying,¡¯ she said as the hag disappeared once more. ¡®You¡¯ve gotta know a way to stop it, surely, Equivalence.¡¯ ¡®How soon before that gets old, do you think?¡¯ ¡®Three or four years,¡¯ I replied. ¡®Great.¡¯ Val whipped her head around to look for signs of the hag, but like me, she saw nothing. ¡®How stop it?¡¯ Arzak repeated, having heard my earlier question. Val furrowed her brow. ¡®Witchfinder tactics. Iron, spilled with the blood of¡­¡¯ She trailed off, her eyes darting anywhere but at Aiwin. ¡®Magic user¡¯s blood. It won¡¯t be as powerful as one of their clasps, but it might just stop the hag from using its witchcraft for long enough that we can kill it. Corminar?¡¯ ¡®Iron-headed,¡¯ the elven ranger said, throwing Val an arrow. The hag, apparently more intelligent than we¡¯d given it credit for, appeared in the space between them, snatching the arrow out of the air. With a glance at Val, it disappeared from this plane once more, the arrow going with it. I held up my blade¡ªthe one I¡¯d borrowed from Corminar all those months ago. ¡®Iron, right?¡¯ ¡®Styk, I swear to all the gods, if you stab me, then I¡¯ll¡­¡¯ Val said. I flipped the blade in my hand, taking it by the pointy end and handing it to Val. ¡®Do what you gotta do, Equivalence.¡¯ Val took the blade. ¡®And just what is your real name, Styk?¡¯ I mumbled the answer under my breath. ¡®What?¡¯ Val replied. Even her, closest to me, hadn¡¯t heard what I¡¯d said. I changed tack. ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s the name I was born with, not the one I chose. That man doesn¡¯t exist any more.¡¯ Val said nothing, staring back at me completely unimpressed. ¡®Besides,¡¯ I added, ¡®it was still better than ¡°Equivalence¡±.¡¯ Lore, still with small streams of blood flowing down the sides of his neck, laughed at this. Val blinked at him. ¡®And what¡¯s the deal with you, then? Or do we all think his real name is Lore?¡¯ She sliced at the back of her arm, drawing blood onto my blade, and I noticed the obscurem around her neck glow a subtle green colour. The hag appeared in the blink of an eye, standing over Val. I dove at her, flinging her and myself to the ground, opening a portal beneath us that would save us from the hag¡¯s attacks. As I fell through, I felt something wrap around my ankle. ¡®Err, Styk?¡¯ Val said from beneath me, looking down at my feet. ¡®Don¡¯t tell me,¡¯ I replied, just before the hag¡¯s bony hand started dragging me back through the not-quite-closed portal. I turned, kicking against the scraggly arm with my free foot, but it didn¡¯t seem to bother the creature. An arrow, released quickly by the ever opportunistic Corminar, buried itself in the hag¡¯s side, causing it to screech. But it didn¡¯t let go, and it didn¡¯t dematerialised; it was set on seeing this attack through. Arzak charged, twin blades held out at her side, but she was too far away¡ªshe wouldn¡¯t get here in the next few moments. I needed to act fast; my health reserves were forever low, and I didn¡¯t trust that the hag¡¯s claws would qualify as the ¡°low-level melee weapon¡± that my Warped Shield ability would repel. I turned back, meaning to open a portal in front of Arzak to help close the distance, but as I did so, Val made a sudden move. She threw the dagger to me, and the blade arced through the air the few feet towards me. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. I snatched it by the wrong end. ¡®Ouch.¡¯ ¡®Sorry,¡¯ Val said, cringing slightly. I flicked the blade around in my hand, ignoring the stinging pain of the deep flesh wound and the drain to my health reserves, and I swung around to stab at the hag. Once again, with my blade just half an inch away, the creature disappeared into the ether, releasing me. ¡®How does it know?¡¯ I cried. ¡®It is,¡¯ Lore said. ¡®What?¡¯ ¡®Lore. It is my real name.¡¯ ¡®Seriously?¡¯ Val asked. Lore smiled. ¡®Lore. Yes. Seriously!¡¯ ¡®So it¡¯s your last name that sucks, is it?¡¯ The barbarian shrugged. ¡®Yeah, it sucks.¡¯ ¡®Aha!¡¯ Val cried out in victory, in the same moment that the hag reappeared at Corminar¡¯s side, digging its claws into his skin. The elf cried out in pain as the hag tore its arms away from Corminar¡¯s shoulder, a horrific amount of flesh coming with it. The ranger fell to the ground at once, and Aiwin rushed to his side, clutching at his wounds. Where before the hag had seemed like a nuisance, like a small problem to solve, now I realised that even with claws alone, it posed a real danger. What¡¯s more, short of Corminar¡¯s one arrow, we hadn¡¯t been able to deal it any damage; it seemed to sense strikes before we could hit them. So if I needed to strike it with my blade in order to stop it shifting to the ethereal plane, and it shifted to the ethereal plane in advance of being hit, then¡­ We were caught in a cycle. The hag appeared at my side, and I moved to strike it before it could strike me. Again, as soon as my arcing blade was a fraction of an inch away from hitting the beast¡¯s flesh, it was gone again. ¡®Styk,¡¯ Arzak said. ¡®You need hit it.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m trying!¡¯ As I spun on the spot, the hag appeared in front of me once more, and a hurrying Lore released an uncharacteristically inaccurate attack¡ªhis thrown great sword not landing anywhere near the hag and almost slicing off my leg in the process. There wasn¡¯t time to complain though, and I dummied a strike with my blade, dropping the knife mid-attack and catching it with my other hand. The hag didn¡¯t disappear; it seemed to know somehow that it wouldn¡¯t be struck, or had some kind of witchcraft ability that automatically activated, like my Warped Shield. I prayed to gods I¡¯d lost faith in that it would think my second strike¡ªwith my left hand¡ªwas a fake out too, and I pushed almost all of my stamina into a powerful stab. My blood-stained blade met air. ¡®Gods, damn it!¡¯ I cried, as Arzak arrived at my side swinging her swords a moment too late. ¡®It move fast,¡¯ she noted, though it really hadn¡¯t needed to be said. This was just how the orc expressed frustration¡ªthrough a frank and reasoned accounting of events. At least this fight stretching on¡ªand my dwindling stamina reserves¡ªgave me a chance to try out an ability I¡¯d unlocked over the past few weeks. One that I hadn¡¯t had any excuse to use just yet: Mana-Fuelled. As the hag appeared once more, I struck with my knife once more, this time pulling on my mana reserves to slice at the creature. Not that this made much difference, my blade still meeting air, but it at least kept me useful for longer. ¡®I fear this creature means to exhaust us,¡¯ Corminar said, his voice strained as he and Aiwin clutched at his wound. ¡®Val,¡¯ Arzak said, nodding to the elf¡¯s injury. ¡®On it,¡¯ the witch replied, and hurried over to Corminar and Aiwin¡¯s side. ¡®We can¡¯t keep doing this. We can¡¯t¡ª¡¯ I started, and then cut myself off when the solution finally occurred to me. It was an old ability¡ªone I hadn¡¯t found much use of recently¡ªand the very first Worldbending-adjacent ability that I¡¯d unlocked. ¡®Styk?¡¯ Lore asked, clutching at his wounds as he made his way over to his tossed Bane Sword. ¡®Have you¡­¡¯ I nodded. The hag next materialised next to Arzak, its clawed hands wrapping themselves around the orc¡¯s wrists, squeezing tight enough that she was forced to drop her blades to the floor, grunting with pain as she did so. But I didn¡¯t waste any time, jumping into a sprint and closing the distance between the hag and me even further with the use of a pair of portals. Before the hag could disappear once more, I made to stab at its torso, but ceased the movement a mere three inches away from its flesh. As I hadn¡¯t got any closer, the hag remained present, and screeched as it further tightened its grip on Arzak¡¯s wrists. And then I activated Closed Reach. As reality bended on itself, the blood-stained blade pierced the beast¡¯s flesh instantly, not giving the hag a chance to disappear. I¡¯d landed a blow. I¡¯d temporarily extinguished the creature¡¯s witchcraft abilities. But we needed to strike fast. ¡®Lore!¡¯ I shouted, throwing the injured barbarian through a portal to land at the side of his discarded blade. ¡®Throw!¡¯ Lore, ever the good soldier, picked up his blade without a moment¡¯s hesitation, and he threw it. He had the power, but again, not the accuracy¡ªbut that didn¡¯t matter. I opened a portal in front of the soaring great sword, redirecting it squarely towards the hag¡¯s chest. The Bane Sword buried itself deeply. Level 17 forest hag defeated! Worldbending ¡ª +1,000xp Knifework ¡ª +3,600xp Knifework increased to level 24! Knifework increased to level 25! Base Points Gained ¡ª +2 DEX, +2 STR, +4 Free Points (VIT/DEX/STR) Ability selection unlocked ¡­ In the aftermath of the fight, after Val had successfully healed him¡ªlevelling up pretty substantially in the process, according to her¡ªLore approached my side. ¡®Thunder,¡¯ he mumbled to me. ¡®Sorry?¡¯ ¡®Thunder. That¡¯s my last name.¡¯ ¡®Your name is Lore¡­ Thunder?¡¯ I replied. The barbarian nodded. ¡®Gods that¡¯s cool.¡¯ Lore¡¯s forever-grin grew wider. ¡®I know!¡¯ As the barbarian strolled away happily, I turned my attention to my notifications; it was ability-unlocking time.
"Styk" Level 12 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 28 Intelligence ¡ª 115 Dexterity ¡ª 49 Strength ¡ª 54 Wisdom ¡ª 32 Charisma ¡ª 14
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 27 Knifework ¡ª Level 23 Identification ¡ª Level 10 Stealth ¡ª Level 9 Needlework ¡ª Level 7
Abilities: Slice ¡ª Slice the enemy for physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Stab II ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 20%. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Stealth Attack ¡ª Passive. 50% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Basic Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft basic cloth armour, quality dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
84. Notions Of Heroism I took a seat on the bench that Val and I had sat on earlier in the evening while the rest of the team saw to healing their wounds. Or getting Val to heal them, as the case may have been. Ability selection unlocked Select an ability from the list below: Option 1: Slice III (Knifework) ¡ª Upgrade to Slice. Slice the enemy for physical damage [+50%] worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. So it was an upgrade first, and not a bad one at all. I¡¯d never invested in the upgrade to Slice II¡ªonly my Stab ability I¡¯d so far chosen to upgrade¡ªand yet now I had progressed enough to skip that level of ability entirely. The rest of the team had reminded me again and again that upgrades were often the most powerful, if least exciting choices, so I forced myself to truly consider this option. That +50% to physical damage was now quite the modifier, and would mean I would start to be able to do pretty decent damage even without any imaginative trickery. Option 2: Execution II (Knifework) ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. This was an upgrade to an ability I¡¯d not selected, though¡ªif I remembered correctly; a lot had happened these past few months¡ªI had given it pretty substantial consideration. And if +50% damage boost on Slice III was tempting, then it was nothing compared to the +200% boost¡ªup from +100%¡ªthat I got here. The only difference, of course, being that I¡¯d have to remain undetected for this to work. I was doing well to level up Stealth, even though it hadn¡¯t been my main focus. Already at level 9¡ªand very close to turning level 10, I believed¡ªthen maybe a return to the stealth-oriented build of a past life could pay some dividends. And who knew what level 10¡¯s ability selection might offer? I turned my attention to the third and last of my ability selection options. Option 3: Parlour Tricks (Knifework) ¡ª Impress others with a wide variety of knife-related parlour tricks, including five-finger fillet and blind throws. Chance of success scales with [CHA]. Every fibre of my being wanted me to select this option. I supposed it was a side effect of the Needlework skill tree levelling up my Charisma that I got this ability as an option. That is, a Knifework ability that wasn¡¯t combat-related. It was certainly the coolest of the three choices, and I had made good use of this precise skill in a previous life to pick up a certain type of woman, but¡­ my priorities were different now. I looked up at the rest of the group, at Val helping Corminar to his feet, and at Arzak trying to get the red stain of blood out of the collar of Lore¡¯s tunic. This team were well on the way to being heroes, not just the slayers of fake ones. If we just tried a little harder¡ªif we were just a little less dysfunctional¡ªthen maybe we could be great. And part of that was me being great, too. I ruled out option 3, and return to options 1 and 2. I knew I¡¯d probably get the choice of both of these skills¡ªor more likely, their upgraded version¡ªdown the line, but what if that wasn¡¯t the case? Which would I regret not taking more? I already had a decent basic offensive attack in Stab II, and so it was Execution II, really, that gave me more breadth of options. ¡®Alright!¡¯ Val cheered. ¡®Level up!¡¯ ¡®Yeah, I¡ª¡¯ I started to reply, before realising that she was talking about herself. ¡®And a ability selection at that.¡¯ ¡®What you picking?¡¯ Lore asked. Val shrugged. ¡®Don¡¯t know. Gonna think on it while we figure out what happened here.¡¯ Aiwin looked up at that. ¡®What do you mean? We know what happened here; hags attacked. Perhaps as vengeance for fallen siblings.¡¯ Val, without looking back at Aiwin, shook her head. ¡®This hag? It only came cos of the noise we were making. And there was no sign of a fight, remember? There¡¯s no bodies. And¡ª¡¯ ¡®It wasn¡¯t the hag that screamed,¡¯ I called across the open space. Val pointed an index finger in my direction. ¡®Exactly.¡¯ Aiwin continued to stare down Val. ¡®And just how is it that you know so much about hags?¡¯ ¡®I studied at an academy,¡¯ Val said. ¡®Managlass Academy. Where did you study, Aiwin?¡¯ The elf remained quiet. ¡®Hags, they don¡¯t have notions of vengeance,¡¯ Val continued. ¡®They¡¯re not human. It¡¯s a stretch to even call them humanoid; they¡¯ve just adopted this form cos they¡¯ve spent so long trying to hide from us, trying to blend in.¡¯ ¡®Then we not know what happen here,¡¯ Arzak said. ¡®The hag not answer anything.¡¯ This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡®No,¡¯ Val agreed. I watched as the team fell into silence, considering their next steps, and I predicted exactly how the conversation would go next. ¡®One might argue that it does not matter,¡¯ Corminar said. ¡®We arrived at this location in search of a witchfinder¡¯s clasp¡ªlet us not forget that this is all that ties us to here. Perhaps we simply locate this clasp and leave, fulfil the terms of our deal with the Red Thorn, and retrieve Lore¡¯s sheep from Elandor?¡¯ Lore nodded his agreement. ¡®Are you scared, Corminar?¡¯ I called out, causing all head to swivel to face me. ¡®Corminar Cladenor does not feel fear,¡¯ Corminar Cladenor said. ¡®Then why are you in such a rush to get out of here? We don¡¯t know what¡¯s happened here, true, but I think it¡¯s pretty clear that something terrible did.¡¯ ¡®He¡¯s right, Styk,¡¯ Val said. ¡®There¡¯s no reason for us to¡ª¡¯ ¡®What do you call yourselves?¡¯ I asked them. Everyone remained quiet, some of them casting confused glanced to one another. ¡®I call myself Arzak,¡¯ Arzak said. ¡®I meant collectively. What do you call yourselves?¡¯ ¡®The Player Slayers,¡¯ Corminar replied, one of them finally giving me the answer I was looking for. ¡®Exactly. And that name should carry some weight. People should know what you¡¯ve done for them, by killing those evil Players. You lot are heroes, don¡¯t you see?¡¯ Val chuckled. ¡®Heroes? Styk, we¡¯re just¡ª¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re doing the right thing in the face of overwhelming odds. Without any chance of people being grateful and without expectation of being paid for it. What is that, if not the definition of heroes?¡¯ ¡®Styk, if this is more about you wanting to be some big hero, worshipped by¡ª¡¯ ¡®This isn¡¯t about wanting to be anything. This is about being it!¡¯ I resisted the urge to put my head in my hands. ¡®Don¡¯t you see? You¡¯re heroes already. And people have gone missing here. Maybe they¡¯ve been kidnapped, or killed. Do you all really think you can leave without wondering what happened to them? Do you think you won¡¯t regret trying to help them?¡¯ Quiet passed across the village once more, and Corminar seemed suddenly very interested in the ground. ¡®You want us to stay?¡¯ Val asked. ¡®Here? Really?¡¯ ¡®I want you to help the people who were here.¡¯ I saw Val¡¯s eye twitch. ¡®And if some of them were guilty of other crimes, we punish them proportionately.¡¯ After another pause, Arzak piped up, ¡®You want be new leader?¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t want us to have a leader. I just want us to do the right thing.¡¯ Lore, after another moment of consideration, put his hand into the air. ¡®Yes?¡¯ I asked him. He blinked back at me. ¡®Was there a question?¡¯ ¡®Oh, no,¡¯ the barbarian said, ¡®I was just saying I¡¯m in. I agree. Let¡¯s be heroes.¡¯ Val stared at me. ¡®I¡¯m trusting you,¡¯ she said, before raising her hand. Arzak and Corminar, perhaps due to peer pressure, followed suit, before the latter turned to his elven friend. ¡®I¡¯m not a part of this,¡¯ Aiwin said. ¡®It¡¯s your choice.¡¯ I nodded. ¡®Good.¡¯ When there was silence, and no movement, I realised I was going to need to take charge in this particular scenario¡ªit was my idea to stay, after all. ¡®We start by searching the village. More thoroughly, this time. We know there¡¯s something here¡ªwe¡¯ve heard the screaming¡ªso let¡¯s find it. Look for signs of life, yes, but also look for anything else that might offer a clue as to what¡¯s going on. OK?¡¯ The team nodded their agreement, and then everyone but Val and I paired off and began searching the buildings once more. Instead, I ambled over to the witch¡¯s side, who was standing over the body of the beast we¡¯d just slain, nudging it with her foot. ¡®I hate hags,¡¯ Val muttered to me. ¡®They¡¯ve got so much to do with why witches are so hated. It¡¯s just a magick type at the end of the day, Witchcraft. If hags hadn¡¯t hurt so many people over the years, people wouldn¡¯t be so scared of it. And I¡¯d be¡­¡¯ She trailed off, staring into space. ¡®People shouldn¡¯t judge you for your class.¡¯ ¡®Yeah, well, thanks for stating the obvious,¡¯ Val replied, her tone bitter. Then, she seemed to catch herself, and she turned to me, offering me a small smile. ¡®But thanks for saying it, too.¡¯ I nodded, and for a moment we fell into silence. ¡®Upgrade my Slice or get Execution?¡¯ I asked her. ¡®What?¡¯ ¡®I levelled up Knifework,¡¯ I said, then proceeded to explain what each choice did. Val gave a pretty definitive answer, and I did exactly as she chose. Ability unlocked ¡ª Execution II Execution II (Knifework) ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage.
"Styk" Level 12 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 28 Intelligence ¡ª 115 Dexterity ¡ª 49 Strength ¡ª 54 Wisdom ¡ª 32 Charisma ¡ª 14
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 27 Knifework ¡ª Level 23 Identification ¡ª Level 10 Stealth ¡ª Level 9 Needlework ¡ª Level 7
Abilities: Slice ¡ª Slice the enemy for physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Stab II ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 20%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Stealth Attack ¡ª Passive. 50% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Basic Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft basic cloth armour, quality dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
85. Disturbed Eventually, we had to sleep. I don¡¯t want you, reader, to think we all just made a token effort on the search of the witchfinders¡¯ village before calling it a night; it was the early hours before we finally decided that we might have better luck with rested and functioning brains. We¡¯d even been spurred on by a stray murmur from Lore¡ªthat ¡°whatever happened before might happen again¡±, not a comforting thought¡ªbut even then, we¡¯d had to rest eventually. Or, we¡¯d had to try to rest, in my case. Everyone else was asleep on their bedrolls in the main hallway of the main building, as this was the only space large enough to comfortably sleep the lot of us, and nobody was keen on the idea of splitting up in the current circumstances. The light was low, the one lit torch dying a slow death at my side, and I fiddled with needle, thread and cloth in the gentle glow. Since I¡¯d woken from the lightest sleep of my life drenched in sweat, I¡¯d tossed and turned¡ªresulting in a half-asleep grunt of annoyance from Val, who was nearest me¡ªuntil I¡¯d finally realised that dreams just weren¡¯t going to take me tonight. Instead, I¡¯d retrieved my crafting materials and sewn, in an effort to make full use of all my waking hours in terms of gathering experience. I¡¯d levelled up Needlework to level 8, but progress was slow. I needed new materials if I was going to take full advantage of my recently unlocked Basic Cloth Armour ability, which I could only assume would get me levelling up faster. When I could take sewing no more, I gathered my energy¡ªand my courage, I¡¯m afraid to say¡ªand rose from my bedroll to explore the village some more. I knew that splitting up from the rest of the team was a foolish idea, considering all the disembodied screaming we¡¯d heard, but I could stay in that room no longer. Besides, I had my trusty borrowed Ranger¡¯s Blade on me, and I had my shiny new Execution ability to go along with it. I moved slow and silently, just in case I had to use it. Floorboards creaked beneath my feet, and the wind rustling through the trees made an eerie whistling sound, but both of these noises were¡ªin regular circumstances¡ªcompletely normal. It was just the environment, the absence of people in manmade structures, that had made us feel that something wasn¡¯t right. It was only the silence that made the few penetrating noises seem terrifying. Except¡­ I was starting to come around to the idea that this wasn¡¯t entirely true. The presence of the hag was real enough, and Val seemed to think that something had drawn it here. And then there was the witchfinders, who so many of my friends seemed to think were still here, at least in some capacity¡ªand Corminar was not the type to scare easily. I adjusted my grip on my blade, held out in front of me, as I stepped onwards through the building. I didn¡¯t quite know what I¡¯d been looking for, but my feet had taken me back towards the study I¡¯d been in earlier¡ªwhere I¡¯d found the letters about the monster hunter being reassigned. Perhaps, subconsciously, I thought this was the place best suited to finding answers. As I turned the corner into the room, I nearly jumped out of my skin¡ªone of our party was already in there, standing over the desk. I couldn¡¯t make out their face in the shadows, but from their size I thought it must have been Corminar, Val or Aiwin. Whoever it was, they had their hands on the top of the desk, and were staring down, tensed, as if frustrated by our lack of progress¡ªa feeling I shared. ¡®Find anything?¡¯ I asked them. The figure didn¡¯t move, and I wondered if any among us had the ability to fall asleep standing up, as knackered as we were. ¡®I scoured the room pretty thoroughly before,¡¯ I continued, ¡®but didn¡¯t find anything else.¡¯ I stepped closer, into the room, not ten feet from my shrouded friend, but still I couldn¡¯t see who it was. ¡®Who¡¯s there, anyway? Gets so dark in these buildings at night that¡ª¡¯ I cut myself off when I noticed the shape of the figure¡¯s coat, of all things. It was long, a straight cut, and completely unlike any of the clothes any of my party wore. What it did remind me of, however, was the supposed traditional uniform of the¡­ ¡®Witchfinder,¡¯ I breathed. The figure snapped its head up at this word, and though I couldn¡¯t see its eyes, I knew with utter certainty that it was staring straight at me. I took an unconscious step backwards. ¡®So they were right,¡¯ I said, forcing my voice to be steady. ¡®You are still here. Where are you hiding? Where are you¡ª¡¯ The figure took a single step around the desk, as if to mirror mine, and I realised that it wasn¡¯t cloaked in shadow. It was shadow. A being formed of¡­ of nothing. Of the absence of light. Of an absence of reality, its shape defined only by the lack of anything else. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡®Witchfinder¡­¡¯ a breathy voice, so quiet it was almost silent, said¡ªa delayed echo of my earlier realisation. I stepped back, and the shape took another pace forward, towards me. I held my blade high. Would I even be able to attack such a being? Would my knife hit flesh? Would my blade, too, fade from reality? The figure¡¯s mouth opened wide in a silence scream. I whipped my hand to my mouth, to stop myself from compulsively echoing this noise of fear. The witchfinder slowly raised its arm, stretching towards me as I stumbled backwards, hitting wall rather than doorway. I whipped my hands behind me, searching frantically for the edge of the door, its located lost in my fright, in the room starting to spin, in the horror of the sight in front of me, the figure reaching forward, forward, forward, almost touching flesh, almost unleashing its¡ª The figure faded. Its form disintegrated, billowing away like a cloud of smoke, there one moment and then gone then next, leaving no sign that it had ever been there but for my rapidly beating heart. There was only one thing to do next. I turned, shouted for help, and ran. I passed through the doorway, out of the study, charging down a long hallway back towards the chamber we¡¯d been sleeping in. I reached the end, turning the corner, and¡ª Halfway down the corridor, illuminated only by the low, flickering light of a dying torch around the corner, was another figure. Another figure of shadow, and one that, this time, I was quick to identify as an enemy. It stood, staring me down, and my feet seemed to stop working, planting me on the spot. I reached both hands forward, my blade in one, preparation of a portal in the other, and I waited for it to move. To attack. But it only stood, staring me down, its outline a threshold between reality and the unreality. And that outline was not firm. At its shoulders, and at its elbows, wisps of nothing-smoke drifted into the hallway around it, bleeding slowly into reality. It spread, slowly at first, but growing faster with each second that the unreality was allowed to fester. The hallway around it faded away, replacing itself with the ghostly, dark outline of a cobbled courtyard¡ªone that could not have been part of the witchfinder¡¯s village. One that had architecture of some faraway land, unknown to me. There was no time to take it in, though, because the figure started to move. It took a step forward, then another, then another, its mouth opening in a wide scream that I never heard, and before long it was charging at me, the border of reality between the building and the courtyard following just behind. I flicked my hand to open a portal behind it, meaning to ger my blade on its throat before it could turn, but the portal¡­ never materialised. This shadow land that it had summoned was impenetrable to my magicks, a place that I could not portal to. I searched for another plan of attack, panicking like I¡¯d never panicked before, raising my blade to Stab the creature, if nothing else, and it drew closer, closer, five feet away, two feet away, and¡­ faded away again, a cloud of smoke of the unreal passing over me, completely without scent. I regained control of my feet¡ªthough whether this was an ability of the witchfinder, or my own fear, I didn¡¯t know¡ªand I turned on the spot. Again, I ran, and if you judge me for this, just remember that you weren¡¯t there, and you didn¡¯t see what I¡¯d seen. You, too, would have fled. I charged back down the corridor, around the corner, and I collided, heavily, with firm flesh.
"Styk" Level 12 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 28 Intelligence ¡ª 115 Dexterity ¡ª 50 Strength ¡ª 54 Wisdom ¡ª 32 Charisma ¡ª 16
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 27 Knifework ¡ª Level 23 Identification ¡ª Level 10 Stealth ¡ª Level 9 Needlework ¡ª Level 8
Abilities: Slice ¡ª Slice the enemy for physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Stab II ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 20%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Stealth Attack ¡ª Passive. 50% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Basic Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft basic cloth armour, quality dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
86. I Aint Afraid Of Not-Ghosts I pulled my head up slowly to get a look at the being I¡¯d just crashed into, countless thoughts running through my head, most of them along the lines of ¡°Is this a monster?¡± or ¡°Can shadows have form?¡± or ¡°Am I about to die a horrible and painless death, possibly with none of my friends ever knowing where I got to?¡± Fortunately, the first and last of these questions were answered when I saw a face frowning down at me. ¡®You no sleep?¡¯ Arzak asked. I took a moment to gather myself, trying to calm down my very rapid breathing, before finally being able to answer. ¡®No. No, I¡­¡¯ I looked over my shoulder at the hallway behind me. There was nothing there but shadows. Shadows of the regular kind, that was¡ªthough could I trust myself to know for sure? Were any of them about to move? ¡®Hmm?¡¯ Arzak prompted me. ¡®...Ghosts.¡¯ The orc stared at me blankly, her face barely illuminated in the light of the dwindling torches. ¡®No such thing.¡¯ ¡®Wanna bet? Cos up until five minutes ago, I would¡¯ve said the thing. And yet¡­¡¯ Arzak¡¯s face remained neutral¡ªjust why was she so bad at poker, with this ability?¡ªas she considered what I¡¯d just told her. ¡®No such thing,¡¯ she said again. ¡®Is mistake.¡¯ ¡®No mistake,¡¯ I assured her. ¡®It was made of shadows.¡¯ ¡®Ghosts not made of shadows.¡¯ ¡®You just said they weren¡¯t real, so how do you know what they¡¯re made of? What are they made of, then?¡¯ ¡®Ectoplasmic matter,¡¯ Arzak said, with no hint at all that she was joking. I blinked. ¡®Ecto-what?¡¯ ¡®Ectoplasmic¡ª¡¯ I turned past her. ¡®We should wake the others. There¡¯s danger out there.¡¯ The orc followed me down the hallway back into the central chamber, where the rest of our group were sleeping. ¡®We tell you this already. Witchfinders out there. Not ghosts.¡¯ ¡®Alright!¡¯ I shouted, clapping my hands together as loudly as possible. ¡®Alright, wake up, everyone!¡¯ Val sat bolt upright, eyes wide for a moment before realising it was me waking her, which caused her to glare nastily in my direction. Corminar gently shook Aiwin awake by their shoulders, and Lore continued to snore. We all looked at him. ¡®Seriously?¡¯ I asked¡ªthe question rhetorical. ¡®We haven¡¯t got time for this. I saw a ghost. Two ghosts, actually. Maybe three!¡¯ ¡®I believe we could defeat three ghosts. Four or five is perhaps our limit,¡¯ Corminar said. ¡®Ghosts not real,¡¯ Arzak said again, but her words were drowned out by Lore¡¯s snoring. I opened a portal beneath his bedroll and spilled him out onto the floor, eliciting a high-pitched yelp from the barbarian in the process. He blinked up at me, confused for a moment, then grinned. ¡®You got me!¡¯ ¡®What?¡¯ Confusion blinked across Lore¡¯s face again. ¡®This was a prank, wasn¡¯t it?¡¯ ¡®No! This was a ¡°we¡¯re under attack¡± wake-up!¡¯ ¡®Oh. From what?¡¯ ¡®Ghosts,¡¯ Corminar murmured, at the same time that Arzak said, ¡®Not ghosts.¡¯ Lore scrambled to his feet, reaching for his sword. ¡®How many? Not more than three or four, is it? Think we¡¯d struggle against more than that.¡¯ Corminar nodded his agreement. ¡®Not ghosts,¡¯ Arzak said again. ¡®Must be witchfinders. Using magicks on you?¡¯ ¡®They were ghosts, Arzak. I don¡¯t know how many times I¡¯ve gotta tell you. It was a person¡ªwearing a long witchfinder coat, sure¡ªbut one made of shadows.¡¯ Before Arzak could remind me that ghosts weren¡¯t made of shadows, I continued, ¡®And the shadows spread. They eat up some of the building. In them, I saw¡­ I don¡¯t know, another place? I couldn¡¯t open a portal in them, that¡¯s all I know, and¡­¡¯ I stumbled on my words when I realised I hadn¡¯t taken a breath in far too long. ¡®Some of the building¡¯s gone?¡¯ Val asked. ¡®Where?¡¯ ¡®It came back.¡¯ ¡®What did?¡¯ ¡®The building,¡¯ I replied. ¡®Look, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, I just know what I saw. Something¡¯s here! The ghosts of the witchfinders, I think, or if Arzak¡¯s right and they¡¯re not ghosts, then it¡¯s what¡¯s left of them.¡¯ The room fell silent for a second, before Val¡ªof course¡ªopened her mouth. ¡®Do you know what I¡¯m thinking?¡¯ ¡®Yes,¡¯ Aiwin said, beginning to pack their stuff, ¡®we leave immediately.¡¯ ¡®No. I¡¯m thinking we need to look into these experiments these witchfinders were doing. It¡¯s clear what¡¯s happened here, right? These¡­ people didn¡¯t just leave, did they? Something happened to them. And I think we¡¯d be idiots not to suspect whatever these experiments were.¡¯ Arzak nodded. ¡®We search for information. We look for people before, now we look for parchment. We look for paper.¡¯ She nodded to the elves. ¡®You two, go building over¡ª¡¯ ¡®No,¡¯ I said. ¡®We¡¯re not splitting up when there¡¯s ghosts around. You¡¯ve read the stories; you know what happens when people split up in these situations.¡¯ Corminar nodded. ¡®Disembowelment.¡¯ ¡®Besides, you want information on the experiments? I saw some. I know where it is.¡¯ With my friend grouped behind me, I led the way through the building once more, weapons raised, but this time I encountered no ghosts/not-ghosts. Of course, seeing one might have made the others a little more inclined to believe me. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. ¡®I saw something¡­¡¯ I said, leafing through the papers atop the desk, discarding the letters about the monster hunter being reassigned elsewhere, until I saw it: strange sketches of strange devices. Three small towers, almost. Metal columns with gem-filled orbs every few inches up their height. Placed¡ªaccording to the diagram¡ªin a perfect triangle. Val leant in as soon as she saw what I was looking at. ¡®You found this and you didn¡¯t think to mention it?¡¯ ¡®I didn¡¯t know it was relevant!¡¯ ¡®You don¡¯t even know what it is, how are you supposed to know if it¡¯s relevant or not?¡¯ ¡®Oh, so you do know what it is then, do you?¡¯ I retorted. ¡®Please, you two, if you will cease flirting for one moment,¡¯ Corminar said. ¡®If there are truly dangers still around, then the sooner we understand their meaning, the better.¡¯ ¡®Flirting?¡¯ Val replied, mouth agape, and I was about to do much the same before I saw Lore trying to hold back a grin. ¡®What this, Val?¡¯ Arzak said, tapping the parchment with the devices sketched on. ¡®What you know?¡¯ Val¡¯s eyes remained on Corminar for a moment, who met her gaze, before finally looking up at the orc. ¡®I don¡¯t know what they do, exactly, what I know what they channel.¡¯ ¡®What?¡¯ ¡®Witchcraft.¡¯ Aiwin raised their eyebrows. ¡®It cannot be. You do not know these folk, they would not dare gamble with such¡ª¡¯ ¡®Oh, so you think they were killing these witches for the fun of it, do you?¡¯ Val replied. ¡®Well, yes, maybe they were. But they were getting something in return, clearly.¡¯ Val traced her fingertip over the document as she skimmed it. ¡®Look, they were using witchcraft to power the devices, and then¡­¡¯ ¡®Then?¡¯ I prompted her. ¡®Then¡­ something else. It says only ¡°the creature¡±.¡¯ ¡®OK. So they build these devices?¡¯ our orc friend asked. ¡®How am I supposed to¡ª¡¯ ¡®Yeah, they built them,¡¯ Lore chimed in, matter-of-factly. All eyes turned to him. ¡®What?¡¯ ¡®Lore?¡¯ Val asked. ¡®Yeah?¡¯ ¡®How do you know they built them?¡¯ ¡®Cos they¡¯re in the basement, aren¡¯t they?¡¯ He paused. ¡®Did none of you go in the basement?¡¯ ¡®Did I go in the basement of a creepy¡ªpossibly haunted¡ªold building?¡¯ Val replied. ¡®Let me think.¡¯ ¡®Where is basement, Lore?¡¯ I asked, trying my best to steer this investigation back on track. We followed the barbarian through the building to a small storage room behind the kitchen, where there was an unassuming trapdoor in the floor. He paused before reaching down to open it, hesitating, and though he eventually opened the way for us, I could see he was gripping his sword tight, as though about to use it. ¡®You alright there, big guy?¡¯ Val asked. Lore remained still at the top of the staircase revealed by the now open trapdoor. ¡®It¡¯s like you said: dark basement in a creepy house. I only poked my head in before.¡¯ ¡®Scared?¡¯ ¡®Sensible.¡¯ Val raised her eyebrows in acknowledgement, and then led the way down into the dark, dingy room. After she went, I looked up at Lore, but he only gestured for me to go next. ¡®Fair enough, mate. Fair enough.¡¯ Val¡¯s torch flickered ahead of me, silhouetting her and casting a dim orange light around the surprisingly large basement. As she crept forward, me not far behind her, the rest of the team slightly further behind me, the first of the seven-foot-tall devices came into view. Unlike in the drawings, this real version was scarred, its metal fixing somehow charred, some of its magical gems shattered, or missing entirely. And unlike the diagrams, this one had a body chained to it. ¡®The witchfinders?¡¯ I asked Val. ¡®No,¡¯ Val replied, her voice quiet, small. ¡®Hags.¡¯ She raised her torch into the air, and the other two devices¡ªeach complete with their own chained bodies¡ªbecame visible. Though they were rotting, I could see that Val was right; the witchfinders had used hags for the sources of power. For their sources of witchcraft. ¡®I suppose this explains the one we saw earlier,¡¯ Aiwin said, nodding to the nearest of the beasts. ¡®Getting vengeance after all. I did say.¡¯ Val, for her part, didn¡¯t rise to the elf¡¯s bait, letting this dig slide. She came to a stop a few paces away from the nearest device, in its triangular formation, and I and the rest of the group arrived at her side. The flickering torches¡ªone in Val¡¯s hand, one in Arzak¡¯s¡ªwere enough for us to get far too good a view of the hags, in fact, and their flames illuminates the walls of the room. Something on one of the walls caught my eye. A shape. A humanoid shape. My heart skipped a beat, as I thought one of the ghosts had made it down here, that a shadow creature was about to attack, but then I saw it for what it was. The shape was etched into the wall, or rather, the wall had been etched away around this humanoid shape. As though something to do with the devices had eaten away at the walls, except for where its view was blocked by some clueless onlooker. Val stepped forward again, her eyes fixed on the hag at the nearest tower. ¡®Err, Val?¡¯ Lore asked. ¡®What¡¯re you doing?¡¯ ¡®Trying to get a better look,¡¯ the witch replied. ¡®You want to find out what happened here, or not?¡¯ ¡®Well, don¡¯t touch them,¡¯ I added. This made Val stop, slouch her shoulders, and turn to flash me an irritable glare. ¡®Oh yeah, Styk, I was going to touch the things that etched people into the walls.¡¯ ¡®You noticed.¡¯ ¡®Rather hard to miss,¡¯ Corminar said, his eyes sweeping across the room¡¯s perimeter. It wasn¡¯t until that moment that I realised there was a good dozen or so of the same shapes. ¡®Well, don¡¯t¡ª¡¯ And then, as Val grew close, as though sensing her magicks, one of the devices stirred.
"Styk" Level 12 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 28 Intelligence ¡ª 115 Dexterity ¡ª 50 Strength ¡ª 54 Wisdom ¡ª 32 Charisma ¡ª 16
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 27 Knifework ¡ª Level 23 Identification ¡ª Level 10 Stealth ¡ª Level 9 Needlework ¡ª Level 8
Abilities: Slice ¡ª Slice the enemy for physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Stab II ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 20%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Stealth Attack ¡ª Passive. 50% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Basic Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft basic cloth armour, quality dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
87. Fleeing Shadows Lightning arced between the three towering devices, stray sparks crackling in the air around it, causing the lot of us to stumble backwards. Before our eyes, we watched as the raw magical energy¡ªgreen, to my eye¡ªgrew greater, a power that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. And in the space the power left behind, I saw shadows. This time, I knew for certain that these were the same shadows as before¡ªthe ends of reality, burned into existence by these strange devices. From strands, the shadows grew, until the flickering torches did nothing to illuminate the space before us. ¡®This time,¡¯ Aiwin said, their eyes wide, ¡®might I suggest we run?¡¯ There wasn¡¯t a single soul upon us who wanted to argue this particular point¡ªeven Val seemed to agree¡ªand so all six of us turned on the spot and charged for the stairwell. And just in time, too. Figures of unreality stepped forward, out of the darkness, out of the power, out of the walls themselves. Eyes of nothing stared upon us, and though their gazes gave me surely nothing to feel, I felt chilled down my spine nonetheless. ¡®Ghosts!¡¯ Arzak shouted. ¡®I bloody well told you!¡¯ I cried back, at the rear of the group alongside Corminar, as we reached the stairs. ¡®I dunno¡­¡¯ Val started, apparently now unsure that these really were ghost, but now was not the time for me to start with any follow-up questions. As I sprinted up the stairs, something caught my leg. I tripped, my mouth colliding with the edge of a step and a splatter of my blood spraying over the dusty wood. I looked down to see two things: Corminar behind me, growing pale, and a ghostly hand, reached out from the wall, wrapped around my left ankle. They have form after all, then. I kicked at the unreal hand with my other foot, and Corminar drew his bow in this confined space to loose an arrow into it. His shot passed right through, but in the moment that the arrow would have it, the hand¡¯s form faded, and I was able to slip out. Corminar helped me to stagger back to my feet, and we continued onwards and upwards, back into the house proper, and towards the screams of our friends up ahead. We burst out of the pantry, back into the kitchen and saw as the rest of the team dodged similar reaching arms emerging from the walls of the corridor. But where, before, Corminar and I had only had to deal with a hand and wrist, now these arms were taking more shape, up to the shoulders, even. I opened up a pair of portals for Corminar and I to hop through, to catch up to the rest of the team. When we got to the other side, I immediately had to open another portal beneath us, to avoid the reach of the ghostly arms. We fell through the portals and stumbled out the other side, with the enemy hands snatching the air above our heads. Looking back at the hallway, I could see now shoulders, torsos and legs emerging from the walls, the silhouettes of the witchfinders taking shape just as they had before, when I¡¯d been roaming the walls overnight. The difference now? There were dozens of them. ¡®Faster!¡¯ I shouted, opening a portal for the team to leap through. ¡®Faster!¡¯ ¡®We know!¡¯ Val cried back as she fell out of a portal at my side. Lore and Arzak leaped through next, but Aiwin¡ªstill new to my portal magicks¡ªhesitated. And in that moment of hesitation, a shadow snatched them. ¡®No!¡¯ Corminar shouted, reaching towards his¡­ whatever Aiwin was to him; I still wasn¡¯t entirely clear on that. The arms yanked Aiwin into the wall, the impact knocking the wind out of them, and then the shadows began to spread. Just as I¡¯d seen before, the shadows spread across the wall, fading it away from reality, and building a whole new shadow reality¡ªfor lack of a better phrase¡ªin its place. And before Corminar could reach Aiwin, they were pulled through. The elf faded from this reality, yanked into the other¡ªif, indeed, it was even real, and not a Tokas-esque illusion. ¡®Styk!¡¯ Corminar shouted, pointing at the spot where Aiwin had disappeared. ¡®A portal!¡¯ ¡®I can¡¯t!¡¯ ¡®Then I shall press through my¡ª¡¯ ¡®You do no such thing,¡¯ Arzak shouted back at him, and flashed me a nod. I opened a portal in the corridor, between Corminar and the other reality, and the elf fell through¡ªsaving him from his own notions of heroism. ¡®Aiwin!¡¯ he cried, looking frantically up at me. ¡®We not know we can get back from there,¡¯ Arzak said, grabbing the elf by the upper arm and wrenching him backwards, despite his desperate, flailing limbs. One of the elf¡¯s stray legs kicked me¡ªlikely unintentionally, though I wouldn¡¯t put it past him¡ªand I stumbled backwards into the wall. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. A ghostly being grabbed me, yanking me once more to the floor by my ankle. I looked down, seeing the creature without a face somehow staring back at me, and pulled against the creature¡¯s firm grasp. Of course, it wouldn¡¯t budge, but this time I had some idea of how to get out of it. ¡®Val!¡¯ I cried. ¡®Help! Attack it!¡¯ My witch friend grabbed an arrow from Corminar¡¯s quiver, apparently meaning to use it as a weapon of her own¡ªwithout a bow. I glanced from her to the creature of shadows, and I realised that the ghost wasn¡¯t trying to pull me anyway. In fact, it only reached its other hand forward, and in that hand, a small leather notebook faded from unreality into reality, taking shape and form with every second that passed. I pulled again against the creature¡¯s grip, trying to free myself, but until Val attacked it, it was hopeless. I was trapped. The ghost pushed the small notebook into my chest, crushing against my ribs as though it didn¡¯t know how hard it was pressing¡ªor perhaps this was its strange form of attack. Either way, I had no option but to bash the notebook, now fully out of this shadowland, away, freeing myself from the attack just as I felt a rib crack. As I screamed out with pain, my fairly insignificant health reserves draining a good way, Val tossed the borrowed arrow into the air with one hand, and summoned a strong gust of wind with the other. It was enough to propel the arrow down the corridor, it landing squarely in the space that the ghostly arm had been until only a fraction of a second earlier. As the arm faded from reality to avoid being hit¡ªif this was, as I suspected, a conscious move¡ªI wriggled my leg free once more. I wasted no time in stumbling back to my feet, still clutching the notebook in my hands, and before the shadow-arm could grab me again, I opened a portal. The struggling Corminar, Arzak and I fell through it, pouring out the other side, just through the exterior door. Corminar moved to charge back inside again, but Lore and Val, who were just now reaching the doorway, blocked her. I say it was both of them¡ªboth of them certainly tried¡ªbut it was the broad Lore who did most of the heavy-lifting here. ¡®They got Aiwin!¡¯ Corminar shouted. ¡®We must¡ª¡¯ Arzak grabbed him again by the shoulders. ¡®We¡ª¡¯ ¡®We leave no one behind, is that not true?¡¯ ¡®We do not know can return!¡¯ The ranger grimaced. ¡®And yet we will not learn until we¡ª¡¯ He was interrupted by Aiwin tumbling back into reality from an exterior wall of the building. They took form slowly at first, but with every second that passed, it seemed more and more that they had their feet planted firmly in this reality once more. Corminar shot Arzak a glare that I interpreted roughly as meaning, ¡°Well, not a one-way trip, then, is it?¡± even though Aiwin¡¯s reappearance meant that they didn¡¯t actually need saving anyway. The elf hurried to catch Aiwin as their trembling legs gave way, and though Corminar asked them what had happened, they did not respond. I glanced back to the building, where the shadows were beginning to fade. Whatever we¡¯d done to activate the devices, its power was now waning again. The worst of it, it seemed, was over. Worldbending ¡ª +1,100xp It wasn¡¯t a bad amount of experience considering we¡¯d only fled, and I hadn¡¯t defeated a damn thing. But this wasn¡¯t the top priority right now. ¡®Aiwin,¡¯ Arzak said, ¡®what you see?¡¯ The elf blinked, then turned their head to look up at Arzak, gazing at the orc with blurred eyes. ¡®Please, Aiwin,¡¯ Corminar said at their side. ¡®Tell us: what did you see?¡¯ Still, Aiwin remained quiet, shaking her head, and I think the interrogation might have continued if not for the notebook in my hands beginning to crackle with the same lightning energy as the devices. ¡®Styk¡­¡¯ Val said. ¡®Just what in the hells is that?¡¯ Though the sound of the magicks were almost frightening, it didn¡¯t seem to do me any damage, the lightning passing through my hands as though they weren¡¯t there. I looked down at the notebook, glanced up at Val, and then opened it. ¡®Huh,¡¯ I said.¡¯ ¡®What? What is it?¡¯ ¡®I think it¡¯s¡­ answers.¡¯
"Styk" Level 12 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 28 Intelligence ¡ª 115 Dexterity ¡ª 50 Strength ¡ª 54 Wisdom ¡ª 32 Charisma ¡ª 16
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 27 Knifework ¡ª Level 23 Identification ¡ª Level 10 Stealth ¡ª Level 9 Needlework ¡ª Level 8
Abilities: Slice ¡ª Slice the enemy for physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Stab II ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 20%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Stealth Attack ¡ª Passive. 50% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Basic Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft basic cloth armour, quality dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
88. Seeing Enemies, Where There Are None The lightning slowly subsided as I stared down at the opening page of the notebook. If found, please return to Witchfinder Colonel Hara Teramura, it read. ¡®What do you mean, ¡°answers¡±?¡¯ Val asked. ¡®I mean¡­ it¡¯s one of the witchfinder¡¯s journals. A senior one, from the sounds of it.¡¯ ¡®And how¡¯d you get that?¡¯ ¡®A ghost handed it to me.¡¯ Lore blinked. ¡®Ghosts give people presents now?¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t think it was a present; it attacked me with it.¡¯ ¡®A peculiar choice of weapon,¡¯ Corminar commented, walking over to my side and peering at the book over my shoulder. ¡®I guess maybe their swords and whatever didn¡¯t get ghostified with them?¡¯ I suggested. ¡®And their books did?¡¯ Val replied. ¡®What kinda logic is that?¡¯ I shrugged. ¡®Fair point.¡¯ With that, I returned my attention to the book, and turned the page. Inside was an inordinate amount of scribblings, the quality of which¡ªas I discovered as I flicked through¡ªgot worse with time. The handwriting, the ink blots and the word choices all seemed to grow more manic, crazed, as though the owner of the journal was under a huge amount of pressure. I read it aloud to the team¡ªand the slowly recovering Aiwin¡ªand they listened in silence. The notebook told of the witchfinders¡¯ tale, of their journey from hunting Val¡¯s kind to being adopted by a group of powerful people in Auricia. It started with a good deal of money, as all things do. One of these powerful people had donated a large amount of coin to support the witchfinders in their ¡°valuable¡± efforts (Val rolled her eyes at this bit). The donations kept coming, every month, but more and more they came with requests. Then instruction. Then¡­ orders. And soon it was that the great monster hunter had arrived¡ªthe woman who had taken charge, that we¡¯d seen mentioned in other documentation about the village. Their efforts were torn away from witchfinding, and focused instead on a new goal: breaking through. ¡®Breaking through?¡¯ I said again, pulling my gaze from the book and looking at the rest of the team. Most of them looked just as clueless as me, except¡­ ¡®Reality,¡¯ Aiwin said. ¡®Breaking through reality. Into another.¡¯ The courtyard fell silent as the implications of what Aiwin had just said sunk in. ¡®There are¡­ other realities?¡¯ Lore finally asked. ¡®No, there¡¯s not,¡¯ Val replied. ¡®Aiwin must be mistaken.¡¯ ¡®The old scriptures do imply that our world is not the only one out there,¡¯ Corminar said. ¡®The word of the ancient Architects¡ª¡¯ ¡®You believe the words of Players now?¡¯ Val cut in. ¡®Cos that¡¯s what they were, at the end of the day, wasn¡¯t it? The Architects are Players.¡¯ ¡®They create this world,¡¯ Arzak said. ¡®Why not others?¡¯ ¡®Are you so arrogant as to think yours is the only world that can be?¡¯ Aiwin asked Val¡ªa question to which the witch did not react. ¡®I saw it. If you will take nothing else as proof, take my word.¡¯ I continued to read aloud from the notebook once more, as much to drown out the inevitable argument as anything else. I read Hara¡¯s increasingly mad scribblings about their progress with the experiments, slow at first, excruciatingly so, but just as it seemed they might scrap the whole project, advances were made. These advances grew more often as more time and resources were put into the project, and with new sources of power tested, they zeroed in more and more on success. They went through beasts of all kinds¡ªrockrats, hags, greybacks, and finally one they would not dare name, calling it only The Creature. It was with this last beast that they, eventually, breached the walls in reality. It was only for a second, for less than a second, and yet it was encouraging to all involved. This was possible¡ªup until this point, they hadn¡¯t been sure¡ªand focus redoubled. That is, until the monster hunter was reassigned elsewhere by her mysterious superiors. It was the monster hunter¡¯s extreme capabilities, Hara speculated, that was to blame¡ªthere was another, more desperate situation that needed seeing to. This left the witchfinders twiddling their metaphorical thumbs, until Hara, who was by default in charge, allowed her eyes to wander to the devices once more. Why not continue the tests without oversight, she thought. Would their new benefactors not appreciate this act of initiative? Did they really need the monster hunter to make such progress? Hara left the Creature caged; she would not dare release it onto the world. But they¡¯d had success with hags too, and their forest baits meant that they had no short supply. They would use more of them¡ªas many as it took¡ªto replicate the successes of their earlier experiments, and they would do so without incurring the risks associated with provoking the Creature. As I read on, the scribblings grew less and less legible, and from both this and the few words I could make out, I could tell that Hara was growing desperate. The hags weren¡¯t enough. No matter how many they drained, it was not enough. And then the journal abruptly ended. ¡®That¡¯s it?¡¯ Val asked. ¡®I thought we¡¯d get answers.¡¯ ¡®What, that wasn¡¯t enough for you? We know what they were doing, and we know¡ª¡¯ ¡®We know what happened to them,¡¯ Aiwin said, cutting me off. ¡®Arzak was correct; those are not ghosts.¡¯ ¡®See,¡¯ the orc said, then frowned and turned to Aiwin. ¡®What they then? They not dead?¡¯ ¡®They¡¯re not dead, no. The witchfinders are as alive as they ever were, in some ways,¡¯ Aiwin replied, sparing a glance to watch Val shift uncomfortably on her feet. ¡®They are alive, but they are trapped. Trapped between realities.¡¯ The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡®Not totally trapped though, are they?¡¯ Val replied. ¡®Otherwise we wouldn¡¯t have seen them.¡¯ ¡®No. But perhaps we should ask ourselves: what does that mean?¡¯ ¡®Nothing good,¡¯ Val said. ¡®Well of course nothing good,¡¯ Aiwin retorted. ¡®I meant beyond this.¡¯ From how Val¡¯s face paled next, I could see that the two of them were finally on the same page about something. ¡®We didn¡¯t just see them.¡¯ Aiwin nodded. ¡®We saw another reality.¡¯ ¡®What?¡¯ Lore asked. ¡®What¡¯s that mean? Do we need to worry?¡¯ ¡®I would say so,¡¯ the elf said. ¡®It means the borders between realities are disintegrating. It means our world is bleeding into another. The consequences could be¡­¡¯ Val trailed off before finishing the sentence, though in my head I was choosing between ¡°terrible¡± and ¡°catastrophic¡±. ¡®We must full power down these devices,¡¯ Aiwin said. ¡®How?¡¯ I closed the notebook gently, the next few words getting lodged in my throat for a second¡ªI didn¡¯t want to say them aloud. ¡®There¡¯s only one magick source we know they even had some success with before.¡¯ I glanced towards Val. ¡®Witchcraft.¡¯ If Val¡¯s face was pale before, it was paler still now. Everyone remained silent but for Aiwin, who said, only, ¡®Then it is hopeless; we will never wrangle the hag beasts enough to direct their magicks in¡ª¡¯ Corminar coughed pointedly, glancing from Aiwin to Val, and at that moment I realised something. I wasn¡¯t the only one who knew the truth about Val; the others did, too. She¡¯d already confided in them, and she¡¯d only recently come to trust me enough to tell me the same. I didn¡¯t like the way this revelation weighed heavily in my stomach. ¡®What do you¡ª¡¯ Aiwin started, but Corminar cut them off. ¡®Go.¡¯ They raised their eyebrows, a confused smirk crossing their face. ¡®What do you mean, ¡°go¡±? We need every capable mind here if we are to¡­¡¯ Aiwin trailed off, and the truth dawned upon them. ¡®Oh.¡¯ The other five of us remained artificially still, painfully quiet. ¡®Which of you is it?¡¯ Aiwin asked. ¡®Which of you¡­¡¯ Their eyes landed on Val. The witch amongst us began to take a step back, but with foot in mid-air, she paused, then placed it gently back down where it had been. ¡®I could have you exterminated,¡¯ Aiwin spat. ¡®I should.¡¯ ¡®I would not give you the chance,¡¯ Corminar said, before anyone else could respond. His voice carried a weight I¡¯d rarely heard in it before. ¡®You would kill me? For her?¡¯ Aiwin glared at Val. ¡®Why? Is she another of your conquests? Is that why?¡¯ Val, this time, did step backward, though this time it seemed more out of surprise than fear. ¡®Him? No. No, he¡¯s¡­¡¯ Val licked her lips as though to stifle a laugh. ¡®He¡¯s not my type.¡¯ ¡®Then why?¡¯ ¡®Because it would not be just.¡¯ Corminar paused. ¡®Go, Aiwin.¡¯ The other elf met his gaze for a moment, before tearing it away. They turned away from us, without another word spoken, and without another glance in our direction. We watched them go, until Corminar suddenly ran after them. I thought, at first, that Corminar meant to apologise to them. But in the conversation that followed, the body language was stiff¡ªthere was no love there. Whatever he told the elf, it had them hurrying away much faster than they had before. ¡®I am sorry about that,¡¯ the elf said, looking everywhere but at Corminar. ¡®I knew their temperament. Of their values. And yet I saw to overlook it in order to have someone warm my bed roll. Their was no real need for Aiwin to come, and for that¡­¡¯ He finally managed to look Val in the eye. ¡®I apologise.¡¯ The witch nodded, and flashed him a sad smile that was returned in kind. ¡®Styk?¡¯ she said, thrusting out an upturned hand. ¡®Yeah?¡¯ ¡®The book. If I¡¯m going to deal with these devices, then I¡¯ve got to figure out how.¡¯ I handed Val the book, and then watched her walk away. Just when she was almost out of sight, into the building furthest from the horrors from earlier, I hurried after her. Because I wasn¡¯t using my Stealth, she heard me coming. ¡®Leave me alone,¡¯ she snapped. ¡®No.¡¯ ¡®Why?¡¯ ¡®Cos I want to know if you¡¯re OK,¡¯ I replied. Val scoffed. ¡®Of course I¡¯m not. Styk, I¡¯m never OK. I¡¯m forced to hide what I am from everyone, forced to worry in every moment that someone will catch me. You saw Aiwin¡ªan otherwise intelligent¡­ish elf¡ªand even they would¡¯ve had me exterminated and think it was nothing more than justice.¡¯ I didn¡¯t know what to say. I couldn¡¯t know what she was going through with this¡ªI couldn¡¯t imagine what it was like. So instead I moved forward, to put a hand on her shoulder. Val pulled herself away. ¡®If you¡¯ll excuse me, Styk, I have some thinking to do.¡¯ I watched her walk away into the darkness, her eyes on the notebook.
"Styk" Level 12 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 28 Intelligence ¡ª 115 Dexterity ¡ª 50 Strength ¡ª 54 Wisdom ¡ª 32 Charisma ¡ª 16
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 27 Knifework ¡ª Level 23 Identification ¡ª Level 10 Stealth ¡ª Level 9 Needlework ¡ª Level 8
Abilities: Slice ¡ª Slice the enemy for physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Stab II ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 20%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Stealth Attack ¡ª Passive. 50% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Basic Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft basic cloth armour, quality dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
89. Patching Reality ¡®Are we all clear on the plan?¡¯ Val asked, her voice raised even though we could all hear her perfectly fine¡ªperhaps in an effort to rally us. We stood outside the main building of the witchfinders¡¯ village, our eyes on the door and the shadows that lurked inside. Dawn was just beginning to break on the other side of the building, silhouetting it, illuminating the dewdrops on the grass beneath our feet. ¡®Fight,¡¯ Arzak summarised. ¡®Get you to basement.¡¯ ¡®And then what do you do, Val?¡¯ Lore asked. ¡®You just let me worry about that,¡¯ the witch replied. It was refreshing to think of her as a witch, rather than having to pretend to myself that I still thought she was a sorcerer, in case my tongue slipped. Though when there were other¡ªless open-minded¡ªpeople around, I would still need to be careful. ¡®Styk?¡¯ she prompted me. ¡®I¡¯m all mana-ed up,¡¯ I said, raising the empty potion vial to Corminar in toast. ¡®Will portal you all the way. As much as I can, at least.¡¯ Val nodded, turning her attention back to the building. ¡®What do you think?¡¯ I asked her, and everyone, really. ¡®Doing the heroic thing? Makes you feel good, doesn¡¯t it?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m doing this because I don¡¯t want my world to slowly fade away, Styk. Not cos I¡¯m a hero.¡¯ I shrugged. ¡®Still, though.¡¯ ¡®Ready?¡¯ Arzak asked. Four heads nodded. ¡®Alright¡­¡¯ Val started. ¡®Go.¡¯ We charged into the building in our usual formation: Arzak and Lore at the front, their great health reserves meaning they were able to take the brunt of any damage; then Val and I, offering support and healing where necessary; and finally, Corminar, who was able to pick enemies off with his bow from afar. We stumbled into the building, into the shadows, and¡­ ¡®Nothing here,¡¯ Arzak said. ¡®Do we think it fixed itself?¡¯ Lore asked. ¡®Maybe we can just go back to finding that clasp and then get out of here.¡¯ ¡®These things,¡¯ the orc said, shaking her head, ¡®they not fix selves. They get worse.¡¯ Lore tilted his head to one side in acknowledgement of this. ¡®Had to ask, though. Just in case we¡ª¡¯ Movement up ahead caught my eye, and from the sudden pause, Lore¡¯s too. ¡®They¡¯re still here,¡¯ I said. Val snorted. ¡®Surprised?¡¯ ¡®I guess Lore had me hoping. He¡¯s an optimistic guy.¡¯ I saw Lore smile at this, though I wasn¡¯t sure I¡¯d intended it wholly as a compliment. ¡®Better get moving.¡¯ Arzak nodded, and began walking down the corridor towards the kitchen at the rear of the building, her dual swords held high. Lore followed close behind, creeping, but I had a suspicion that the shadows already knew we were there. I followed close after, keeping Val close, but I didn¡¯t hear Corminar behind us. ¡®Erm¡­¡¯ the elf said, and I turned to see a hand, reached out of the floor, grabbing him by the ankle. ¡®Yes?¡¯ Val said as she turned, then her eyes bulged. ¡®Run,¡¯ Corminar said. While he nocked and fired an arrow towards the clasping hand, I took Val by the arm and threw her into a portal, narrowly avoiding the shapes that suddenly sprang out the walls. We landed at Arzak¡¯s side, Lore at our rear. ¡®Didn¡¯t you hear him?¡¯ I shouted. ¡®Run!¡¯ Arzak began to chop at the hands, arms, heads and shoulders that were forming from the walls, their shapes an absence of reality. Her blades passed right through them, but as we know from our earlier encounter, it stopped the shadows taking form enough to grab us. It wouldn¡¯t work forever, but it might just work for long enough to get Val into the basement. I spun, flinging another hand forward and down the next hallway, opening a portal within the kitchen at the other end. I hopped through first, followed by Val, followed by Arzak. It took me poking a head back through the portal to realise that Lore wasn¡¯t following because there were five ghostly hands gripping him tightly, holding him to the wall. ¡®Go!¡¯ he shouted. ¡®Quickly, though!¡¯ He slammed the butt of his blade towards one of the hands, but it passed through. The shadow regained form in a second¡ªthey were getting faster at reshaping every time we attacked. I turned back to the kitchen to see Arzak and Val standing at the trap door, standing next to the pitch black basement. ¡®What are you waiting for?¡¯ I cried. ¡®We gotta move quick! Get a torch down there!¡¯ ¡®There is,¡¯ Arzak replied. ¡®What?¡¯ ¡®There is a torch down there,¡¯ Val said. ¡®Ah.¡¯ I realised then why the pair of women were so hesitant to step down. ¡®...We gotta go anyway, haven¡¯t we?¡¯ Arzak looked at me, nodded, and then jumped down the length of the staircase in one stride. She should¡¯ve handed heavily at the bottom, but I heard nothing. ¡®Arzak?¡¯ Val called into the darkness. ¡®Is¡­ on the¡­ need to¡­¡¯ Arzak words came and went, fading into and out of reality. It didn¡¯t take a genius to work out what that meant. I looked up at Val. ¡®What if, when you destroy the devices, someone gets trapped on the other side?¡¯ ¡®We¡¯ll have to make sure that doesn¡¯t happen.¡¯ ¡®OK, but how? How are we going to¡ª¡¯ Val leaped into the darkness, and I had no choice but to follow after her. I landed on grass. Looking down at my feet, I could just about make them out through the shadows, which were so thick here that they made me feel a bit claustrophobic. I stood upon grass¡ªnot the grass of our reality, but the other¡ªbut this grass was grey. For a moment I thought this was just the usual grass colour of this new world, but when I looked up at a farmhouse in the distance, I could see that it, and the mountain scenery all existed in a shade of grey. Perhaps I simply wasn¡¯t enough a part of this world to see it for what it truly was. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡®Styk?¡¯ a familiar voice shouted, and for whatever reason it took me a second to place it as Val¡¯s. I made towards it, stumbling through the sometimes patchy, sometimes intense shadows, doing my best to find any sign of the basement that I really should still have been in. I collided with Val after a few paces, and I hadn¡¯t been able to see her until I was completely upon her, which caused me to step on her foot. Though I couldn¡¯t make out her expression in the shadows, I knew she¡¯d be scowling at me. ¡®I can¡¯t find them,¡¯ she said. ¡®I can¡¯t find the towers. Can¡¯t see them, can¡¯t¡ª¡¯ She suddenly shot towards the ground, and I instinctively reached down to grab at her. I gripped tightly onto her arms as something in the shadows sought to tear her away. The opposing force grew stronger with every passing second, and soon it was all I could do just to keep Val¡¯s arms in my hands. ¡®Can you portal?¡¯ she asked, voice straining. ¡®I can try, but I¡¯d need to let you go.¡¯ For a moment, the shadows gave way enough for me to see her face, and one of sheer terror stared back at me. ¡®OK,¡¯ she said, voice quiet. ¡®Let me try something.¡¯ I gave it as long as I could before prompting her. ¡®Are you doing it?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m trying. My magicks seem to be struggling, I¡­¡¯ she paused for a moment. ¡®Wait.¡¯ Val screwed up her face, then suddenly ripped her hands from my grasp. She thrust them towards the shadows that were pulling at her, and she shouted as she released a gust of her wind magicks. It was enough to make the shadows all drop form at once, and she wriggled free. Not only that, but she clear a line of sight between us and one of the strange devices. ¡®There!¡¯ ¡®I got it!¡¯ I said, and even as I was speaking did I open a portal below us. Val and I dropped through, both of us slamming against the device in mid-air before tumbling to the floor. There hadn¡¯t been time to aim properly. Val pushed herself to her feet using the device for support, then placed one hand on the device before pushing the other down her shirt¡ªrevealing her obscurem, which was already glowing a vivid green as she drew upon her Witchcraft magicks. A lightning formed around both her and the devices, the other two of the latter illuminating in the distance. Val¡¯s hand on the device began to tremble as the power surged through her, her body slowly lifting off the ground, the obscurem glowing brighter and brighter. A hand wrapped itself around my right foot, then another hand around the other, and suddenly I was hurtling through the darkness away from my friend. ¡®Val!¡¯ I shouted, stretching out a hand in desperation. But she was already too far into the process; all I could do was try to survive long enough for her to fix reality. I whipped a hand down towards my knife, but another shadow¡ªthis one fully formed¡ªstepped out of the darkness and grabbed my arm, stopping me from arming myself. I tried the other hand, but that too was snatched by those trapped between realities. ¡®Val!¡¯ I shouted. ¡®Val, hurry!¡¯ I wrenched my head upwards to see Val floating, the lightning turning green around her, the obscurem glowing so bright that it pierced even the thick darkness. The shadows pulled on each of my four limbs, stretching me in different directions, the joints beginning to crack, the muscles beginning to strain, my health reserves beginning to drain. ¡®Val!¡¯ I shouted again. ¡®Val, hur¡ª¡¯ The witch screamed, and the obscurem exploded. A great wave of green lightning blasted out from each of the devices, passing over me without harm, but wiping the shadows away like extinguishing flames. There was a second of silence, before the same wave of lightning returned again, back to the devices that had returned it. Val dropped to the floor. Level 24 witchfinder private defeated! Level 26 witchfinder private defeated! Level 29 witchfinder sergeant defeated! Level 32 witchfinder colonel defeated! ¡­ The list went on, every person who had been trapped between realities considered now defeated¡ªbecause we¡¯d broken free of combat. Worldbending ¡ª +7,100xp Worldbending increased to level 28! Worldbending increased to level 29! Worldbending increased to level 30! Base Points gained ¡ª +6 INT, +6 Free Points (INT/WIS/CHA) Ability selection unlocked ¡­ ¡®Woah,¡¯ I heard Val say, her form becoming clear once more as the intensity of the darkness softened. ¡®You OK?¡¯ ¡®More than. Just levelled up Witchcraft, and let me tell you: these ability choices are incredible.¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t you think we should check on the others before doing that?¡¯ ¡®Is OK,¡¯ Arzak said, stumbling weakly to her feet, and brushing the dust off her shoulders. ¡®I here.¡¯ She turned and cupped a hand to her mouth. ¡®Other friends? You alive?¡¯ Lore popped his smiling head down. ¡®I¡¯m alive. You did it?¡¯ ¡®No, Lore, it just ended by itself, as if by magick,¡¯ Val replied. ¡®Well, it was by magick, wasn¡¯t it?¡¯ ¡®Is Corminar still with us?¡¯ I asked him. As if in answer, Corminar¡¯s elven hand waved his bow through the trapdoor. ¡®This bow is completely inadequate. I must insist that we replace this ¡°borrowed¡± bow with one of my usual calibre at the earliest opportunity.¡¯ ¡®So you¡¯re unhurt, then,¡¯ I replied. Val snorted, and in the silence that followed, all five of us found our breaths. ¡®Right, then,¡¯ I said. ¡®Heroic work done. How about we go find what we came here for?¡¯
"Styk" Level 12 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 28 Intelligence ¡ª 124 Dexterity ¡ª 50 Strength ¡ª 54 Wisdom ¡ª 32 Charisma ¡ª 19
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 30 Knifework ¡ª Level 23 Identification ¡ª Level 10 Stealth ¡ª Level 9 Needlework ¡ª Level 8
Abilities: Slice ¡ª Slice the enemy for physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Stab II ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 20%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Stealth Attack ¡ª Passive. 50% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Basic Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft basic cloth armour, quality dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
90. What We Came For With the shadows eliminated, and some peace and quiet at last, it took only thirty minutes of the team poring over Witchfinder Colonel Hara¡¯s notebook to work out where they kept the witchfinder¡¯s clasp. After all that had happened, I¡¯d almost forgotten what we¡¯d been looking for, and if I was honest, I was very thankful to put this all behind us. I wasn¡¯t as thankful as Val, however, who I¡¯d never seen so cheery as when we finally began trudging down the road that would put the village behind us. She¡¯d unlocked a new ability, too¡ªone which she simply would not shut up about, not that I¡¯d have ever asked her to. This ability was available to her only because shutting down the devices had been considered her defeating a lightning-wielding enemy, which met a hidden condition for her Witchcraft skill tree. All in all, this meant that Val was now the proud owner of an ability that allowed her to temporarily imbue objects with lightning effects. It wasn¡¯t the classic lightning ball ability that a Sorcerer might have, but it definitely made Val more useful in a fight. And then there had been my ability selection, too¡ªone that I¡¯d discussed in great detail with Val in between her picking up sticks and making them crackle with lightning. Ability selection unlocked Select an ability from the list below: Option 1: Soften Dirt II (Worldbending) ¡ª Your magicks alter the form of earth, making it soft, pliable and significantly more vulnerable to digging. Both Val and I had ruled this one out very early on¡ªthat is, without even seeing the rest of the choices¡ªfor the same reason: that it was boring. Arzak, who overheard, was not particularly impressed with this, telling us that ¡®Boring is good sometime. Should think about boring,¡¯ but already both of us were over this choice. Option 2: Ash Husk II (Worldbending) ¡ª Upgrade to Ash Husk. Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 60% resistance to fire attacks, and deal fire damage whenever you are hit while this ability is active. This was an update to an ability that I really didn¡¯t make enough use of, mostly because it had only really been useful when we were fighting down the Player. Come to think of it, we hadn¡¯t so much as met a fire-magick-wielder since. But with this upgrade, the ability would have a broader appeal¡ªdealing damage to anyone who attacked me. Though Val had sort of shrugged this one off, I was more keen, and kept it in my back pocket going into the last two choices. Hidden condition met! Alternative ability choice unlocked. Option 3: Tamed Portals (Worldbending) [Requires: Stealth level 5] ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. This was another good one. If I was really going to continue rebuilding my Stealth skill tree¡ªand I really was intending to, even though opportunities to level it up had been fairly few and far between¡ªthen this offered great¡­ I¡¯d failed to find the word, and described it to Val. ¡®Synergy,¡¯ she¡¯d told me. This was one of those ability choices that could become one core to my build, if indeed ¡°stealth portaller¡± was the way that I wanted to go. Synergy. But there was one more choice, for a massive total of four choices this time around. Hidden condition met! Alternative ability choice unlocked. Option 4: Saved Portal (Worldbending) [Requires: Local Portal] ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Uses significant mana to save new location. This final choice was very tempting, particularly if I wanted to create a home somewhere. It would mean I¡¯d be able to return home in the blink of an eye, without all the days¡ªor weeks, or months¡ªof travel in between. But the combat application was somewhat lacking, not just because I couldn¡¯t figure out a good use for it, but also because of the ¡°significant mana¡± required to save the location. Even though I was dumping most free stats into Intelligence¡ªbecause my Warped Shield helped prevent damage using mana rather than losing health, and because Mana-Fuelled let me use mana instead of stamina to melee attack¡ªI still couldn¡¯t go around draining my whole mana reserves for things like this. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. But then, if the team were all going to use Lore¡¯s farm as a base, then this would have a positive impact for all of them, not just me. After much discussion with Val, we decided that the selfless thing to do would be to pick Saved Portal, even though it wasn¡¯t quite as fun. Ability unlocked ¡ª Tamed Portals Tamed Portals (Worldbending) ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Sometimes you¡¯ve got to be a little selfish, though. As a treat. Looking at my profile, my list of abilities was getting to be pretty hefty, and it was no wonder that I didn¡¯t always think to use them all in the heat of battle. I¡¯d have to spend some time meditating on them, I figured¡ªso I would know better whilst in the middle of a fight what to do next. As we continued down the path back to the main traveller¡¯s road, the witchfinders¡¯ village not far behind us, Lore¡ªoccasionally the most philosophical of the lot of us, surprisingly¡ªpiped up with a thought that I think the rest of us had been repressing. ¡®Why¡¯d they give you the book, then?¡¯ I came to a halt. ¡®The notebook, I mean. If it was going to tell you how to shut down those devices, and trap them between worlds, why did they give it to you?¡¯ ¡®Because we were their only chance for salvation,¡¯ Val replied. ¡®I think the witchfinders thought we might use the knowledge to get them back.¡¯ ¡®May I ask,¡¯ Corminar said, ¡®might that have been possible.¡¯ There was a moment of hesitation before Val responded. ¡®No. No, I don¡¯t think so.¡¯ My thoughts dwelled more on the hesitation than the words¡ªwas Val the kind to convict the witchfinders to being trapped for, potentially, eternity, as punishment for their crimes? For all the fellow witches they would have tortured, and killed? I in the end decided I was better off not knowing, and didn¡¯t ask the question. ¡®This why they attack us,¡¯ Arzak said. ¡®On way out, not attack, just try give notebook. When we go back in¡­¡¯ ¡®Their efforts were certainly doubled,¡¯ Corminar continued for her. ¡®Perhaps because they knew what we were planning.¡¯ ¡®Mm.¡¯ ¡®Do you think we¡¯ll ever wholly understand what happened there?¡¯ I asked the group. From the silence that followed, the answer was clear. As we finally reached the main road, the muddy overgrown path giving way to well-worn hard-packed earth, a figure approached from the other side. Aiwin¡¯s eyes remained fixed on Val, not Corminar, as they drew near. I drew my hand towards my blade, anticipating trouble¡ªAiwin had seemed the sort to see that Val got the justice they deemed was necessary. But what they said was nothing of the sort. ¡®I won¡¯t tell anyone what you are.¡¯ Val remained quiet for a second before replying, ¡®How can I trust you?¡¯ Only at this did Aiwin¡¯s gaze blink, just for a second, in Corminar¡¯s direction. ¡®Because Corminar does not speak any idle threats. I have seen first-hand just what that man is capable of. I served with him, remember. One day, you will have to ask him what he did in the Honey Wars. You¡¯ll have to ask him why he can never go home. Then you¡¯ll understand.¡¯ Aiwin¡¯s eyes remained on Val a moment longer, before finally¡ªand seemingly with great effort¡ªturning to Corminar. ¡®Perhaps this will placate you. A peace offering, of sorts, a piece of information that I know you value greatly. The identity of the woman in charge, the great monster hunter? The one that was reassigned?¡¯ ¡®Tell me,¡¯ Corminar said, his voice quiet. ¡®She was a Player.¡¯ With that, Aiwin turned, and walked back into the shadows of the trees.
"Styk" Level 12 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 28 Intelligence ¡ª 124 Dexterity ¡ª 50 Strength ¡ª 54 Wisdom ¡ª 32 Charisma ¡ª 19
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 30 Knifework ¡ª Level 23 Identification ¡ª Level 10 Stealth ¡ª Level 9 Needlework ¡ª Level 8
Abilities: Slice ¡ª Slice the enemy for physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Stab II ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 20%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Stealth Attack ¡ª Passive. 50% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Basic Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft basic cloth armour, quality dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
91. Interlude — Witchfinder Colonel Hara Teramura The great Monster Hunter had departed many days prior, and still there was no sign of her replacement. In the basement of headquarters main building, the three world-punchers stood, gathering dust, calling out to be switched on once more. And Witchfinder Colonel Hara Teramura heard them calling. She awoke from dreams of her celebration, of the riches rewarded to her for her successes, and of the life she might have once these experiments were deemed complete. When she awoke, there was none of the moment where you exists between the unconscious and the conscious worlds; her mind was already functional, and working at maximum capacity. ¡®Orla!¡¯ she cried out, and a young woman, barely of age, hurried into the room. ¡®Yes, colonel?¡¯ the private asked. ¡®Fetch the Creature,¡¯ Hara said. ¡®We go again in an hour. Ensure that all parties are present.¡¯ ¡®Yes, colonel,¡¯ Private Orla said, and disappeared from the room once more. Hara ambled over to the window that overlooked the courtyard. Though the witchfinder village had existed at the start of Hara¡¯s leadership, it had been a humble affair. The village she looked onto now had grown¡ªtwo new buildings constructed since her elevation, each housing a new generation of privates. With this number of witchfinders under her command, they may yet rid the western continents of witches forever. Oh, what a delightful thought that was. Another private¡ªa new recruit, new enough that Hara had not yet thought to learn his name¡ªbrought her breakfast, and she ate it at her desk while leafing through the latest correspondence. The few notes or required actions she jotted down in an old leather journal¡ªone that her father had given her when she had been initially accepted as a witchfinder. The years had long passed, of course, and her father was not still of this world, but this notebook she treasured, her last remaining reminder of her loving father. As Hara rose, meaning to head to the basement in time for the next stage of testing, a knock on the door announced the arrival of a more senior employee. ¡®Walk with me,¡¯ Hara told them, and together they strode down the long corridors of witchfinder headquarters. ¡®You seek to use the Creature?¡¯ Witchfinder Sergeant Alti asked as they walked, his hands clasped behind his back, as so often he did when uncertain. ¡®Would it not be more prudent to continue to use the hags? If we were to accidentally kill the creature, then I¡¯m not certain our benefactors would forgive us¡­¡¯ ¡®Must you always be so negative, Alti? Perhaps they would appreciate a little initiative on our part, hmm?¡¯ ¡®But what about Ni¡ª¡¯ ¡®Our last supervisor was many things, but perhaps a little too cautious, a little too considered in her approach. After all, it takes a great deal of courage to make history, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡¯ By the time Hara arrived in the basement, she was pleased to discover that the requisite witchfinders were present, and the heavy wooden crate in the centre of the triangle signified that the Creature, too, was in attendance. A witchfinder sorcerer stood at each side of the triangle, each of their hands clasped in front of them, their eyes closed, preparing themselves for the task ahead. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡®The Creature is awake?¡¯ Hara asked, wasting no time on pleasantries. ¡®If not, it will be soon,¡¯ Alti murmured. The man had a point; for all his flaws, he rarely spoke that which was not true. Hara nodded, then took the one seat available in the room. She hadn¡¯t instructed Orla to provide it, but the woman had learned quickly. The witchfinder colonel gestured to the other seven witchfinders present in the room. ¡®Whenever you are ready.¡¯ ¡®Such haste, Hara?¡¯ Alti asked, and Hara noted both his familiarity and lack of correct address. ¡®I intend to conduct several such tests today,¡¯ Hara said, and had considered expanding on this point further, but soon realised that it would not do to explain herself to her underlings; it might encourage them to question her more often. ¡®Please, begin. Release the Creature.¡¯ Three witchfinders¡ªnot the three sorcerers¡ªstepped forth from the darkness, and gripped the edges of the crate. On the muttered count of three from the one in charge, they moved in one practised, fluid motion, allowing the box to unfold, revealing the creature inside. The Mala. The sorcerers released their spells, three lightning-based magicks that met around the Creature to trap it in a cage of a new making. Hara tensed for a moment as the Mala tested the boundaries of the trap, pushing against the sheets of lightning, before eventually settling once more. She breathed a sigh of release; it was a tamer one. Their suppliers of the Malae¡ªa rather unsavoury group of elves, so unlike the typical elven stereotypes¡ªhad been inconsistent with their deliveries. A failed shipment many moons ago meant that this was the last such creature available to the witchfinders. Their experiments would need to be successful. ¡®Is anyone compromised?¡¯ Hara shouted over the noise of the spells. ¡®Does anyone feel fear?¡¯ When none of her soldiers replied, the colonel nodded once more. ¡®Press!¡¯ Witchfinder Sergeant Alti commanded, and the sorcerers intensified their magicks. The Creature began to squeal, and began to push against its confines once more. Hara, at that moment, saw one of the sorcerers twitch, and she knew then that the trouble was beginning. ¡®Replacement sorcerer required on side¡ª¡¯ Hera began, but at that moment, the faltering sorcerer screamed, her hands slamming at her face, as though patting out flames that weren¡¯t there. One of the backup sorcerers stepped forward to replace her in the triangle, but the Mala was already pushing against its now weakened bindings. ¡®Faster!¡¯ She shouted, but it was too late¡ªthe inky surface of the Mala protruded through a vulnerability in the spells, and with a grotesque wet sound, it squeezed through the gap and flopped onto the floor. The sorcerers rushed to redirect their spells and recapture it once more, but it was slippery, managing to slip through the lightning until finally it squelched onto one of the world-punchers. Hara¡¯s heart dropped as she realised what was about to happen. ¡®No!¡¯ she screamed, reaching a hand forward. But it was too late. One of the sorcerers, in their haste to continue the fear-inducing creature, allowed their lightning magicks to touch one of the devices. A wave of dark light immediately erupted from the three world-punchers, sending the present witchfinders soaring into the wall, hitting them hard. Hara, winded against the staircase, and with several cracked ribs, tried to sit up, but another wave of dark light hit her again. And then another, and another, each with increasing frequency. She watched as Witchfinder Private Orla, pressed against a wall to her left, began to fade away. ¡®N-no¡­¡¯ Hara managed to breathe. Soon, the very walls began to fade, being replaced by a courtyard of stone, a tall wooden structure towering above them, the blazing flames of a signal fire at its crest. Hara, understanding but not quite comprehending that which was happening, tried to stand. She pressed her hand against the wooden steps, and it passed right through. Orla, falling backwards through the wall, screamed. 92. Big City Fun Time Part IX: To Reach A Golden Hand In the days that followed, we decided to split the team in two. Corminar and Lore would go after the depth-raider with the witchfinder¡¯s clasp in their possession, while Val, Arzak and I would begin investigating this Player. It hadn¡¯t taken us long to realise that we needed to act on Aiwin¡¯s information. The presence of a Player set off alarm bells at the best of times, but to know that one was involved with such dangerous schemes as the witchfinder experiments meant that they were definitely not up to anything good. Our solution to this problem of not having any more information than that was to find more information, naturally. Without any other semblance of a lead, we decided to head to Auricia, the capital of the Goldmarch. After all, where else would someone with enough coin to bankroll the witchfinders in such a way be from? All wealth of that description had to, surely, come from Auricia in some capacity. We said our goodbyes to Lore and Corminar, watched them walk away, then turn and mutter to one another before Lore jogged back over to us. ¡®Forgot the clasp,¡¯ he explained, then hurried off once more. ¡®Lore?¡¯ I called after him. The barbarian turned. ¡®Yeah?¡¯ ¡®Sword.¡¯ He patted his back, where his sword should be, then realised it was still on the floor in the camp that Val, Arzak and I were sitting around. He hurried back again. ¡®Whoops!¡¯ After that, Lore finally had everything, and the three of us were left to our own devices. We¡¯d continued along the merchant road for many days, until the taverns grew more frequent, and the dirt more well-trodden. Soon, we were passing through Auricia¡¯s peripheral towns, and not long after that, we caught our first sight of the capital itself. I had thought some of the peripheral towns were big, so it hadn¡¯t really prepared me for the sheer size of Auricia. Huge stone towers seemed to pierce the heavens themselves. The walls of the city, themselves as high as any building I¡¯d ever seen before, seemed to stretch for miles in either direction, and still the buildings sprawled out of the gates. A giant spiralling brass dome in the centre of the capital announced the presence of the seat of the goldmarch, Queen Amira¡¯s Golden Palace. ¡®Why¡¯s it brass, though?¡¯ I asked, nodding to the spiralling dome. ¡®Even queen not have that much gold,¡¯ Arzak responded. Fair enough; it was a bloody big dome, after all. We walked into town through the¡ªapparently ¡°poor¡±, though it seemed pretty much in line with the Tundras¡ªouter town, then had to queue at the gates to get inside the city proper. Certain citizens, armed with specific paperwork, were waved right through by the guards, but for the rest of us, we had to brave interrogated by the soldiers in mustard surcoats. When finally we were allowed through, it was early afternoon, and the people of Auricia seemed out in their masses. I put to Val and Arzak that it must be some kind of festival, but both of them replied that they thought this was just what Auricia was like. Neither of them seemed entirely sure, though. ¡®OK,¡¯ Arzak said as we strolled up one of the capital¡¯s main roads towards the centre. ¡®Straight to tax office. Find out about Player.¡¯ As she was saying that, though, the lovingly illustrated sign of a nearby shop caught my eye. I came to an abrupt halt, and it took Arzak and Val a moment to realise I wasn¡¯t walking alongside them. ¡®What this?¡¯ the orc asked. I nodded towards the shop¡ªNeedle & Felt. ¡®You want do shopping?¡¯ Arzak said. ¡®You can get your sewing stuff later, Styk,¡¯ Val added. ¡®We¡¯ve got stuff to do.¡¯ I shrugged. ¡®Lore and Corminar are going to be a few days, aren¡¯t they? I think we can spare ten minutes. Especially if it means I can start levelling up my Needlework.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re really that into sewing?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m into getting Dexterity and Charisma points every time I level, if that¡¯s what you mean. And if I get some decent armour out of it¡­¡¯ Val glanced to Arzak, who shrugged. ¡®We wait outside,¡¯ Arzak said. When I left the shop once more fifteen¡ªnot ten, admittedly¡ªminutes later, I carried a fresh batch of thread, as well as some thick dark green cloth that the shopkeeper had said I could layer into a very basic armour. It wouldn¡¯t be something that would fend off a blade, but would keep me from the odd graze here and there, and that was a good start. My rucksack hung heavy on my back, and I was starting to regret picking Warped Shield over Cloth Storage II purely because I didn¡¯t want to have to carry all this stuff, though I did know, really, that Warped Shield was still the better pick. I was distracted, anyway, by both Arzak and Val being missing. I spun around, searching the milling crowds, the striding workers and the ambling tourists, and spotted them a minute or two later inside a women¡¯s clothing store. With a sigh, I adjusted the straps of my rucksack, and followed them inside. ¡®What are you doing?¡¯ I asked Val, craning over her shoulder as she held a dress up to her body, studying it in the mirror. The witch blinked back at me. ¡®What does it look like I¡¯m doing?¡¯ ¡®It looks like you¡¯re¡ª¡¯ Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡®What do you think of this? Would it suit me? Blue has always been more of my colour.¡¯ ¡®I thought¡ª¡¯ ¡®Yes or no? Pretty?¡¯ Val prompted me. ¡®As pretty in red as in blue,¡¯ I replied. ¡®Where¡¯s Arzak?¡¯ Val didn¡¯t reply for a moment, instead tilting her head as she studied the dress in the mirror. ¡®Changing.¡¯ ¡®Changing what?¡¯ Finally, the witch scoffed and put the dress back on a nearby rack. ¡®Clothes? Gods, you really are dim sometimes.¡¯ Before I could reply, a nearby curtain swung open, revealing Arzak in a ballgown, one clearly made for the orcish frame. ¡®So me getting a few pieces of cloth was wasting time, but you two¡ª¡¯ I started, but was drowned out by cooing from Val and the two women analysing the dress and its fit in minute detail. Behind me, an older, dapper gentleman coughed pointedly, then gestured me towards a small stood. ¡®The boyfriend seat, darling,¡¯ he said, then strode confidently across the floor to join Val in encouraging Arzak to buy the dress. Many, many moons later, Arzak made the purchase, and the older gentleman wrapped it in a box and far too many ribbons. As we walked out, I couldn¡¯t help but voice a question I knew, really, that I shouldn¡¯t. ¡®And just when are you gonna wear that? It¡¯s not like we go to many balls, is it?¡¯ Val punched me on the shoulder, and didn¡¯t follow it up with the usual cheeky grin. ¡®You¡¯re not funny.¡¯ ¡®Are you joking?¡¯ I replied, finding myself more offended than I¡¯d expected. ¡®I¡¯m the funniest of the lot of us.¡¯ ¡®Am I joking? Are you joking?¡¯ Val responded. ¡®It¡¯s clearly me or Lore who is the funniest. Though I don¡¯t know how often Lore intends to be funny, and how often¡ª¡¯ ¡®It me,¡¯ Arzak said confidently. Val and I turned to her, faces blank. ¡®With orcs,¡¯ Arzak clarified. ¡®They say I hilarious.¡¯ Val and I remained silent, not sure whether or not this was an example of her humour. ¡®Right¡­¡¯ Val finally said, and at that point we dropped the whole conversation, instead focusing once more on tracking down the information we¡¯d come for. * * * Auricia¡¯s tax office was an incredibly large building not too far from the centre of town and the Golden Palace, and was manned by hundreds, if not thousands of people with ancestry from all parts of the world. This was a very serious affair, I realised, and that made sense: the Goldmarch was built on customs and import taxes. Without buildings such as this, the treasury¡ªand kingdom itself, I guessed¡ªcould crumble. Val eloquently lied to a man behind a desk on the ground floor, telling them we were here to retrieve public tax records. A little palm-greasing to merchant in the travellers¡¯ inn had given us some information: those people and business who had contracts with the monarchy had to publish their records publicly¡ªa matter of keeping these wealthy people under control, we suspected. So it¡¯s those records we claimed we were after, and not those of a private individual who had nothing to do with Queen Amira, and everything to do with punching holes in reality. We next were lead up to the third floor, where we were given a ticket number and were forced to wait¡ªfor literally hours¡ªon uncomfortable wooden benches. I had to suspect they¡¯d made these benches as uncomfortable as they had to convince people to give up waiting, and make the lives of these civil servants an ounce less painful. But we had a job to do, and it was the three most stubborn members of the Slayers who were here to do it. When our number was finally called, we were lead to a booth manned by an orc. A good few paces away, Arzak paused, and turned to us. ¡®Let me handle this,¡¯ she said. ¡®Err, don¡¯t you think¡ª¡¯ ¡®I handle this,¡¯ Arzak said, her tone making this sound more like an instruction than a suggestion, this time around. Before either Val or I could argue this point¡ªboth of us surely itching to point out that we needed to be smooth and charming here if we were going to get the documents we were after¡ªArzak turned away. I watched Arzak go. ¡®Is this a good idea?¡¯ ¡®Probably not,¡¯ Val replied, then after a moment shrugged her shoulders and took a seat on a nearby bench. I joined her. It was a minute later, when I heard the orc behind the counter laughed his head off, that Val and I turned, eyebrows raised, to look over at Arzak. ¡®And then said¡­ that not my sheep!¡¯ our friend said. The orc behind the counter laughed again, this time violently, and had to wipe away tears from his eyes. I looked at Val, who looked back at me blankly. ¡®I don¡¯t¡ª¡¯ ¡®No,¡¯ Val agreed. Eventually, Arzak returned to us with not only the information that we required but also the offer of a date the next evening. When we asked whether she was going to follow up on the latter, she only shrugged and said ¡®if have time¡¯. We turned our attention next to the information on the witchfinder experiments, only for Arzak to tell us something that made our hearts sink: the people funding these experiments were from the palace itself. If we were going to find out more, we¡¯d need to break inside the palace vaults. Val raised her hands in a cheer. ¡®Bank heist!¡¯ she cried.
"Styk" Level 12 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 28 Intelligence ¡ª 124 Dexterity ¡ª 51 Strength ¡ª 54 Wisdom ¡ª 32 Charisma ¡ª 21
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 30 Knifework ¡ª Level 23 Identification ¡ª Level 10 Stealth ¡ª Level 9 Needlework ¡ª Level 9
Abilities: Slice ¡ª Slice the enemy for physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Stab II ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 20%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Stealth Attack ¡ª Passive. 50% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Basic Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft basic cloth armour, quality dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
93. Lemon Sherbets Of Lightfoot The palace, and its various grounds and peripheral buildings, would have alone been larger than any town that Styk had ever seen. It wasn¡¯t so much that there were a huge number of buildings¡ªthough between the stables, the lauded merchants, the armourers and the various servants¡¯ quarters, there was a huge number¡ªbut that the buildings themselves were larger than any of those Styk had seen before. The sheer scale came with a substantial benefit, however: with so many people hurrying or milling about the palace grounds, we were more likely to blend in. This was what we decided: we would hide in plain sight. Already, Arzak gloated, her ball gown would come in handy; if we were going to look like the sorts of folk who belonged in a palace, then we¡¯d need to look the part. This lead to Val buying a dress of her own¡ªa blue number, her professed colour of choice¡ªas well as buying me a waistcoat, shirt and dress pants. These clothes didn¡¯t seem to fit me at all, but the man in the shop told me ¡°that is the style¡±, and I was forced to go along with it. After Val handed over the money to pay for all this stuff, I realised I¡¯d one day need to ask her where all the coin had come from. More and more I was starting to wonder whether she was so keen on heists not for the novelty, but because they were a way of life for her. As we strolled back towards the palace, Val starting to find her slim dress as confining as my waistcoat, we made an effort to walk as though we had a lot of money. To my mind¡ªand Arzak agreed with me on this¡ªI thought that looking rich was more to do with having a straight back and holding your head high, though Val was more of the opinion that it meant scowling at everyone. We settled for doing both. Obviously we were doing a good job, because the crowds of locals sometimes parted before us, the working classes of Auricia so conditioned to make way for their supposed ¡°betters¡± that they almost jumped to one side when they saw my waistcoat. Val stopped at the side of a main road not too far from the palace and suddenly turned to me. She licked her thumbs pretty substantially and then started fussing with my hair. ¡®Oi, what are you¡ª¡¯ ¡®Your mop is giving us away,¡¯ Val said, wrenching the hair back. ¡®We need you looking like you have servants to tend to this kind of thing.¡¯ ¡®Are you offering to be my servant?¡¯ The witch kicked me gently in the shins. ¡®Oi!¡¯ I said again, this apparently being my word of the day, but when I looked up at Val, I realised she was staring at something over my shoulder. ¡®What?¡¯ I asked, turning. I turned to see a shop with a queue of a few dozens people formed outside, many of them craning their heads to see if they¡¯d be getting inside any time soon. But it wasn¡¯t this that Val was staring at, I realised. She was staring at the banner above the shop, which read: GRAND OPENING: TED¡¯S CONFECTIONARY EMPORIUM. ¡®Oh, no¡­¡¯ I mumbled. ¡®You don¡¯t think¡­?¡¯ Val said. Arzak looked at us, then at the shop, then back at us again. ¡®What wrong? Hungry?¡¯ ¡®You remember those cursed sweets we had?¡¯ Val asked her. ¡®It was a guy named Ted who gave them for us. Blamed us for his stall getting beat up. But surely he wouldn¡¯t be here, would he? How could he be? How could he have the money for all of that?¡¯ She nodded at the store. I remained silent, having no answer for her. And then, against my better judgement, I made for the store, Val and Arzak following at my heel. A tiefling man dressed in black stopped me at the door by placing a hand on my chest. ¡®You not see the queue, pumpkin?¡¯ he asked, the ¡°pumpkin¡± bit delivered in a particularly sarcastic tone. ¡®We¡¯re old friends of Ted¡¯s,¡¯ I told him. ¡®Here to wish him well. And spend some coin on his big day.¡¯ ¡®Oh yeah? And how many times do you reckon I¡¯ve heard that today? You want in, then you get in line, alright?¡¯ ¡®If you know Ted as well as I do, then you¡¯ll know¡ª¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t,¡¯ the tiefling said. ¡®Sorry?¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t be.¡¯ ¡®No, I mean, you don¡¯t know him?¡¯ The man sighed. ¡®I¡¯m hired by the day. Just met the guy this morning, so¡ª¡¯ I groaned. ¡®Oh, screw this.¡¯ Turning to Val and Arzak, I asked, ¡®You both ready?¡¯ They responded by taking a step to stand in closer to me. ¡®What are you¡ª¡¯ the tiefling started as I raised a hand to gestured to the busy shop behind him. I didn¡¯t hear the end of the sentence because I opened a portal beneath us, and Arzak, Val and I fell through it, landing in the store proper. Though the Tamed Portals passive meant that my portals¡¯ glows were only 50% reduced, this was enough that three people appearing out of nowhere didn¡¯t seem to attract the attention of many of the shoppers. Perhaps that was due to the colourful and eclectic array of sweets piled in stacks on tables in front of them, however. ¡®Wow,¡¯ Arzak said. ¡®Pretty. I think Lore like this.¡¯ ¡®He would,¡¯ Val said, plucking a sweet from a nearby stall and moving to plop it into her mouth. I slapped it out of her hand. ¡®What was that for?¡¯ ¡®He enchants them, remember?¡¯ ¡®Some of them, yeah. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s putting the black market enchanted ones out on display, though, is he?¡¯ I raised my eyebrows. ¡®You really wanna take that chance?¡¯ Val, midway into reaching out for another sweet, reluctantly pulled her hand away. ¡®Fine.¡¯ ¡®So,¡¯ Arzak asked, looking around the room. ¡®Where this¡ª¡¯ ¡®You,¡¯ a familiar voice cried out. Val and I turned slowly, to see him standing there. Ted. The Ted we knew. ¡®You!¡¯ Ted cried out. ¡®How did you¡­ How did you find me? How did you track me all this way? How did you¡­¡¯ He blinked. ¡®Guard! Guard, chuck them out!¡¯ But over the din of the shop being absolutely packed with customers, the tiefling could neither see nor hear Ted. ¡®We didn¡¯t track you anywhere,¡¯ Val said. ¡®We just came across you. How can you be here, anyway? Last time we saw you¡ªjust a few months back¡ªyou only had a cart.¡¯ ¡®A damaged cart,¡¯ I reminded him. The young Ted glared at me. ¡®Are you here to do the same to my shop? Cos I got spells built in, you know. Came with the lease agreement. If you¡ª¡¯ Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡®We¡¯re not going to attack your shop,¡¯ I said. ¡®Look, we¡¯ve never attacked you or your stuff. Lambkin attacked your cart¡ª¡¯ ¡®Attacked my cart trying to get to you!¡¯ ¡®And I seem to remember you immediately selling me out to him, yeah? And you poisoned us!¡¯ Ted rolled his eyes. ¡®Oh a bit of watery vomit, big deal. You¡¯ll get over it.¡¯ ¡®Wolves were attacking us when the effects hit,¡¯ Val said. The shopkeeper glanced at Val, his cheeks flushing, and then his gaze dropped to the floor. ¡®Well¡­ I¡¯m sorry about that. But you¡¯re here now, you¡¯re alive, and you need to get out of my shop.¡¯ ¡®No,¡¯ I said, ¡®you gotta tell us. How did you get here? Did you steal?¡¯ ¡®No, I didn¡¯t steal!¡¯ Ted retorted. I held up my hands in surrender¡ªa mannerism I¡¯d picked up from Val. ¡®No judgements here, alright? I just¡ª¡¯ ¡®If you really have to know, I got a lot of experience a few months back. One of my enchanted sweets. Someone must have used it to off someone powerful, cos the amount of experience changed my life.¡¯ I eyed Val, who was pressing her lips together to suppress a laugh, ¡®And then, suddenly I can make the best sweets in the Tundras. So I figure why not go where the money is? And obviously the money is in the Goldmarch, cos¡­¡¯ Ted trailed off when he caught sight of Val trying not to laugh. ¡®What?¡¯ Val pointed a thumb at me. ¡®Him.¡¯ ¡®What about him?¡¯ ¡®It was him.¡¯ ¡®Him what? Him who¡­¡¯ Ted paled when he realised what Val was talking about. ¡®No. No, I refuse to believe that. Can¡¯t be him. Anyone but him.¡¯ ¡®It him,¡¯ my orc friend offered. ¡®I Arzak, by the way. It nice to¡ª¡¯ ¡®Go on then,¡¯ Ted said, cutting Arzak off. ¡®Who did you kill? A baron? A duke?¡¯ ¡®A Player.¡¯ I thought I¡¯d said it quietly, but apparently not, because a good dozen or so heads swivelled to look at me. Open a portal at their side, and they don¡¯t care, but talk about killing a Player¡­ Ted turned to soothe the crowd, waving them down with a sheepish smile on his face. ¡®He¡¯s joking! He¡¯s joking, everyone!¡¯ He turned back to me. ¡®You can¡¯t make those kinds of jokes. Not in the Goldmarch. You¡¯ll scare off my customers. No, worse¡ªit¡¯s treason, so you¡¯ll get killed.¡¯ He hesitated on this point for a moment. ¡®Worse for you, I mean. I don¡¯t care if you get killed.¡¯ ¡®Who¡¯s joking?¡¯ I replied, this time actually making sure to talk quietly. Ted, incredibly finding it within him to grow paler still, paused for a moment, before waving us through a door at the back of the shop. Passing through the threshold, we found ourselves in a stock room, the walls lines with jars of sweets and confectionary ingredients. While Ted fussed with closing a jar he¡¯d left open, Arzak leant in close to my ear. ¡®He handsome,¡¯ she whispered. ¡®Maybe young, but handsome.¡¯ ¡®OK?¡¯ ¡®He handsome and he like Val.¡¯ ¡®Why are you telling me this?¡¯ I asked. ¡®Is competition.¡¯ I blinked at her. ¡®Arzak? Shut up.¡¯ The orc smiled a knowing smile, but let the matter drop. ¡®I¡¯m handsome too,¡¯ I mumbled, and immediately recognised how pathetic that was, so I was glad when Arzak didn¡¯t seem to hear it. Finally, Ted turned around, glancing at the door to make sure Arzak had shut it behind her. ¡®So you¡¯re telling me¡­ All this, my whole fortune¡­ it¡¯s built on the death of a Player?¡¯ ¡®Fraid so, buddy,¡¯ Val said. Ted gulped. ¡®Players not good though. He not innocent. He¡ª¡¯ Again, Ted interrupted Arzak. ¡®I don¡¯t care about that. I care about my life.¡¯ ¡®We aren¡¯t going to go about advertising it,¡¯ Val said. ¡®It¡¯s not like anyone¡¯s gonna find out.¡¯ ¡®Well, hold on a minute,¡¯ I said, cutting in with a raised finger, sensing the opportunity for a little light extortion. ¡®We won¡¯t tell anyone, as long as¡­¡¯ ¡®Oh, no,¡¯ Ted mumbled. ¡®As long as you help us break in to the palace record office,¡¯ I finished. ¡®Oh, that¡¯s even worse than I was expecting. More treason? Double the treason?¡¯ ¡®Can they double-kill us?¡¯ I asked. ¡®No. So it¡¯s still just the regular single treason, when it comes to sentencing.¡¯ Ted glared at me as though this didn¡¯t reassure him in the slightest. ¡®I will do no such thing.¡¯ In answer, Val strode over to the door, flung it open, then cupped her hand to her mouth as though she was about to shout something. ¡®Wait!¡¯ the shopkeeper cried out. ¡®For the love of the Architects, wait.¡¯ Val, with a quick smirk in my direction, closed the door again. ¡®I don¡¯t know how I¡¯m supposed to help you,¡¯ Ted said, turning away and placing his hands on the edge of a worktop, one that was covered in a dusting of sugar. ¡®You can start by telling us about the palace,¡¯ Val suggested. ¡®What would I know about the palace? I¡¯ve only been here a couple of weeks, and it¡¯s not like I¡¯m rich enough¡ªyet¡ªto be hanging about with royalty, is it?¡¯ The witch pointed to the door, which seemed to make Ted rapidly reconsider. ¡®But¡­ I know that Amira isn¡¯t back until tomorrow. She¡¯s out on some diplomatic mission, overseeing some deal with some Tundran lords or something, I don¡¯t know. But this helps you¡ªit means that if you go today, you¡¯re not gonna see so many guards. Better for sneaking, right?¡¯ ¡®Right,¡¯ I agreed, with a nod. ¡®Good, so you can be on your way, and¡ª¡¯ ¡®No. No, that¡¯s not helping us. We need more than that.¡¯ Ted cast his head up to the ceiling and muttered a silent prayer. ¡®Alright. Alright! You want me to help, then I¡¯ll help.¡¯ He reached down into a cupboard and plucked from it a bag of sweets. ¡®This isn¡¯t¡ª¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re holding, there, hundreds of gold. Some of the best enchantments in the city, and in confectionary form. Lemon sherbets of lightfoot, rosey apples of voice throw, tintdrop, invisibility sticks¡ªthose taste like liquorice, they¡¯re good¡ªand a good deal more. All the information is in the pack.¡¯ He gestured towards the door. ¡®And now, I think, we¡¯re even.¡¯
"Styk" Level 12 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 28 Intelligence ¡ª 124 Dexterity ¡ª 51 Strength ¡ª 54 Wisdom ¡ª 32 Charisma ¡ª 21
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 30 Knifework ¡ª Level 23 Identification ¡ª Level 10 Stealth ¡ª Level 9 Needlework ¡ª Level 9
Abilities: Slice ¡ª Slice the enemy for physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Stab II ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 20%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Stealth Attack ¡ª Passive. 50% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Basic Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft basic cloth armour, quality dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
94. Finally, Some Good Stealth Abilities Val, Arzak and I stood leaning against the exterior of the palace walls, smoking a pipe as though we were simply enjoying the dazzling afternoon sun. In reality, Val was looking left, and Arzak was looking right, searching for the moment that nobody was looking this way. ¡®Clear left,¡¯ Val finally said. ¡®Wait,¡¯ the orc replied. ¡®Wait¡­¡¯ ¡®Still clear.¡¯ ¡®OK, we go.¡¯ I opened a portal on the wall behind us, and we toppled through it. I¡¯d positioned the other side of the portal behind us, in the palace grounds, at the perfect angle that we would fall back into a standing position once more. As I closed the portal¡ªnow with 50% less glow!¡ªwe each looked around for signs that anyone had spotted us. We¡¯d been quick enough, though, that nobody seemed to have noticed. And now we were just three rich folk, in their fancy clothes, taking a stroll about the palace grounds. Val took my arm while Arzak walked ahead, and we made a conscious decision to stroll at the pace of the rich. That is, painfully slowly, like we had nowhere better to be. Val made a show of pointing at the flowers, talking about them and stopping to sniff them¡ªbut if anyone had listened to her commentary on them, they¡¯d have realised she had absolutely no idea what she was on about. Fortunately, nobody seemed to be to worried about getting too close to what appeared to be a young couple having a simple stroll. Even the guards barely looked at us, though perhaps that had more to do with the surprising number of merchants, dignitaries and the like allowed inside the palace grounds. We were just three of many, and blended in just enough that we didn¡¯t appear to require any special attention. ¡®OK, cool it with the flowers,¡¯ I said, ¡®Queen¡¯s back tomorrow, and at this rate we¡¯ll still be sniffing roses.¡¯ Val kept a relaxed smile on her face and replied, ¡®Chill out, will you?¡¯ Still, she pulled on my arm a tad harder from there on, and we got moving more quickly. As we exited one of the palace¡¯s many gardens, coming onto one of the inner city¡¯s few roads, I caught one guard keeping an eye on us. It was just one¡ªnothing, necessarily, to worry about¡ªbut he¡¯d definitely seen something that he knew was wrong, on some level. ¡®Guard by the tower,¡¯ I muttered, still smiling. ¡®Got an eye on us.¡¯ I glanced at Arzak up ahead; she¡¯d evaded notice. ¡®Probably you having a go at me about the flowers that did it.¡¯ ¡®I imagine we¡¯re not the first ¡°couple¡± to have a little tiff in the gardens, Val,¡¯ I replied, then lifted her hand from my arm. ¡®Where are you¡­¡¯ she started, while I made straight for the guard, my eyes fixed on his. The man moved a hand towards the hilt of his sword, but didn¡¯t yet draw it. ¡®Excuse me, sir?¡¯ I asked. At this question, the man relaxed once more. ¡®Yes?¡¯ ¡®Might you point me towards the records office? My wife and I¡­ we have an appointment.¡¯ The guard cast his eyes towards Val, and they lingered for a moment. ¡®Straight up this road, and it¡¯s on the corner at the end. But you¡¯ll need a guard to accompany you; it¡¯s policy.¡¯ He cast his eyes to Val once more, who was approaching slowly. ¡®I could do so, if you¡ª¡¯ ¡®We¡¯ll be fine, thank you.¡¯ I turned away, and accepted Val¡¯s hand on my arm once more. ¡®What was all that about? He could¡¯ve seen right through you. You don¡¯t exactly hold up to scrutiny up¡ª¡¯ ¡®The best way to avoid suspicion, in my experience, is to walk straight up to it. Why would someone who shouldn¡¯t be here talk to a guard?¡¯ ¡®This is the thief in you talking, is it?¡¯ Val asked. ¡®Do you disapprove?¡¯ ¡®I didn¡¯t say that.¡¯ Arzak, up ahead, paused to apparently stare at a bird in a tree, but I knew she was allowing Val and I to take the lead, having noticed me talking to a guard. I led her towards the record office, at the end of the road, but on our way I noticed something more useful: a barracks. I pulled Val to a halt. ¡®Fancy being a guard?¡¯ ¡®I feel that¡¯s all we use my changeling abilities for¡ªimpersonating guards.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m going to take that as a yes.¡¯ I turned, signalled to Arzak with a nod of my head, and we disappeared off the road around the back of the barracks. There was no entry at the back of the building, but with my portal abilities, this didn¡¯t exactly matter. ¡®What it?¡¯ Arzak asked when she appeared around the corner in this dusty back alley. ¡®We need a guard to get into the records office,¡¯ I said. ¡®Gonna get¡ª¡¯ Arzak pointed to Val. ¡®Is this all that you think I¡¯m good for?¡¯ the witch asked. Arzak, like me, ignored her. ¡®OK. Sneaky inside?¡¯ ¡®Sneaky inside,¡¯ I agreed with a nod, thinking that we were on the same page, then, that Arzak would need to stay outside. I took a deep breath, opened a portal to get us through the wall, and moved to step through it. But so did Arzak. I closed the portal and looked at her. ¡®What¡¯re you doing?¡¯ ¡®I can be stealthy,¡¯ Arzak proclaimed. ¡®I work on it. Level 3 now.¡¯ I looked to Val, who shrugged, then ultimately decided that this wasn¡¯t a fight I could be bothered to pick. I opened the portal inside once more, and we all hurried through. As before, there had been nobody around to spot my only semi-glowing portal. At least, nobody awake. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Val, Arzak and I found ourselves in the sleeping quarters, about a third of the beds currently occupied by dozing soldiers. Hanging above the bunks were fresh uniforms, the mustard-gold surcoats and the thin leather armour. ¡®This easy,¡¯ Arzak said, and I hushed her. ¡®Stealthy!¡¯ I whispered, then turned to Val. ¡®Quick, pick one.¡¯ Val took a quick look around, then creeped over to a bed about halfway down the room. A woman was sleeping there¡ªone with roughly the same build as Val. The size didn¡¯t matter, of course¡ªVal¡¯s changeling abilities would see to that¡ªbut I suspected she didn¡¯t want to be caught out by the armour if she was forced to change back for any reason. The witch picked up the armour, began to strip, and then hesitated. She cast a glance in our direction. ¡®Turn around,¡¯ she hissed. I held my hands up to protest my innocence, but turned away alongside Arzak, finding ourselves staring at a large wooden wardrobe. ¡®Why they need wardrobe if uniforms out?¡¯ Arzak murmured. I hushed her again. ¡®I quiet.¡¯ A bell chimed through the building, making the floor itself seem to shake. No, not a bell, I realised¡ªa gong. Arzak and I snapped our heads to face each other, and then, thinking quickly, we jumped inside the wardrobe, pushing aside unmarked brown and black armours. Just as I pulled the doors closed behind us, the soldiers in the beds began to stir, and Val¡ªwith her new face¡ªhurried over to the corner of the room, busying herself by studying a bookcase. Stealth ¡ª +1,300xp Stealth increased to level 10! Base Points gained ¡ª +1 DEX, +1 WIS, +2 Free Points (DEX/WIS) Ability selection unlocked ¡­ ¡®Cosy,¡¯ Arzak whispered, and slowly adjusted her legs so they weren¡¯t quite as uncomfortably close to my crotch. I poked my eye up to the wardrobe¡¯s empty keyhole, to see the soldiers stretch as they awoke, grumbling as they pulled off their pyjamas¡ªany semblance of not wanting to be naked in front of their colleague notable missing¡ªand begin to wrench on their uniforms. One of them, the woman who Val was copying, cried out, ¡®Alright! Who took it? Who took my bloody armour again?¡¯ ¡®Maybe servants forget?¡¯ an orc guard suggested with a shrug. The woman grumbled something unintelligible¡ªthough I suspected it contained a lot of swearing¡ªand hurried from the room in her pyjamas, causing the rest of the soldiers to laugh. While the soldiers changed, I considered trying to portal Arzak and I outside again, but the wardrobe was simply too small. Even with the Tamed Portals passive, someone was sure to notice the purple glow, and the last thing I wanted to do was to alert them to trouble. So I contented myself to take a look at my Stealth ability options instead. There were only two, this time. Ability selection unlocked Select an ability from the list below: Option 1: Danger-Sense II (Stealth) ¡ª Passive. Your senses grow keener; you are 50% more likely to notice traps and ambushes. I knew this ability choice from a past life¡ªwell, two lives ago, now¡ªand so I wasn¡¯t in too much of a rush to pick it. It wasn¡¯t that it wasn¡¯t useful, because it definitely was. My hesitation came only from the knowledge that this particular skill had several levels, and so I would likely have lots of opportunities to pick it, or an upgraded version, at a later level. The other choice, however, was a little rarer. Option 2: In Plain Sight (Stealth) ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened ability to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales with WIS. I could see so many situations where this one was handy, and it was only making poor choices that meant I hadn¡¯t selected this in the previous life¡ªa matter that I¡¯d, on occasion, come to regret. I took another look through the key hole, at the two dozen or so soldiers preparing themselves for the day ahead, then decided my instinct was correct. Ability unlocked ¡ª In Plain Sight In Plain Sight (Stealth) ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened ability to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales with WIS. I put my free points from the level up into Wisdom, and made a mental note: between this and Identification, there was value in upgrading this particular base stat. Outside Arzak and my¡¯s cosy hiding spot, footsteps announced the departure¡ªat last¡ªof the soldiers. I poked my eye to the hole once more to get a look, and saw everyone but Val moving towards the door. The witch adjusted her hair to cover her face, and continued to pretend to study the bookcase. But the last two guards hesitated at the threshold of the room, spotting Val still in the corner. ¡®You¡¯ll be late for breakfast, mate! Don¡¯t wanna get stuck with Cook¡¯s porridge, do ya?¡¯ one of them cried to her. When Val didn¡¯t reply, the soldier left his colleague at the door and walked back towards Val. ¡®Oi, didn¡¯t you hear me?¡¯ Val, realising she had no choice, slowly turned away from the bookcase, putting on her best innocent face. It wasn¡¯t very good.
"Styk" Level 12 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 28 Intelligence ¡ª 124 Dexterity ¡ª 52 Strength ¡ª 54 Wisdom ¡ª 35 Charisma ¡ª 21
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 30 Knifework ¡ª Level 23 Identification ¡ª Level 10 Stealth ¡ª Level 10 Needlework ¡ª Level 9
Abilities: Slice ¡ª Slice the enemy for physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Stab II ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 20%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Stealth Attack ¡ª Passive. 50% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Basic Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft basic cloth armour, quality dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
95. The Humble Lives Of Soldiers ¡®Scril?¡¯ the soldier asked Val, who was wearing the borrowed face. ¡®Ain¡¯t realise you came back. You got your uniform sorted, then?¡¯ There was a very brief moment of hesitation from Val, which I hoped that the two soldiers hadn¡¯t notice. There was no sign that they did. ¡®No thanks to you two,¡¯ Val replied. ¡®One of you, was it?¡¯ The male soldier, from what I could see through the key hole, looked genuinely upset by this accusation. ¡®Us? You know we¡¯d never, Scril. Probably Myrc; you know he¡¯s got a thing for you. Doesn¡¯t know how to express it, I reckon.¡¯ The other soldier, the woman walked back into my view. ¡®Yeah, well, he better know she¡¯s all ours.¡¯ ¡®You try telling Myrc that. It¡¯ll be Calton Street all over again.¡¯ Val snorted knowingly, even though she definitely didn¡¯t know what they were talking about; she was easing into the role. Maybe it¡¯s worth me recommending she work on getting the Performance skill¡ªmight do her some good in these situations. ¡®Wait,¡¯ the female soldier said. ¡®Myrc¡¯s gone, anyway, ain¡¯t he? Went up north with Amira.¡¯ The other soldier shrugged. ¡®Well, I dunno then. Maybe just the servants doing their usual standard of work¡ªmissed you. By accident, like.¡¯ ¡®You gonna teach ¡®em a lesson, Soll, or am I?¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t think we gotta be hurting people for a simple mistake like that,¡¯ Val tried, maybe saying a little more than she should, considering how risky it was. ¡®You¡¯ve changed your tune,¡¯ Soll said, laughing. ¡®I¡¯ve seen you cut off a merchant¡¯s thumb cos you thought he short-changed you.¡¯ ¡®And he hadn¡¯t!¡¯ the other guard added. Val laughed along, but said nothing, apparently having realised she¡¯d gambled a little too much with that last remark. Arzak very slowly pulled a cramped leg out from the corner of the wardrobe, managing to succeed without making any substantial noise. I shot her a glare¡ªwe were both uncomfortable, wedged in here!¡ªwhich she ignored. I turned my attention back to the key hole, hoping that Val would wrap up this conversation soon and see these last two guards on their way. ¡®Hey, speaking of,¡¯ Soll said, ¡®Ela got a letter from the guys up north.¡¯ He flicked his head to the other soldier. ¡®You tell her?¡¯ ¡®Nah, not yet. Only just got it last night.¡¯ The soldier known as Ela raised her eyebrows enticingly at Val. ¡®You wanna know what it says?¡¯ ¡®Well, you know me,¡¯ Val said, then trailed off without finishing that sentence; it was up to the other two to decide whether Scril would normally want to know. ¡®Yeah, little gossip, ain¡¯t you?¡¯ Ela replied with a toothy grin, and my heart sunk. We were going to be in here for a while, then. Arzak, apparently realising the same thing, started to adjust her leg once more, but a glare from me brought that to a stop. ¡®Says they¡¯s killed a lord¡¯s husband,¡¯ Ela continued. ¡®A lord¡¯s husband! Don¡¯t get that kinda action in Auricia, do you?¡¯ Val, for her part, nodding along encouragingly, not quite sure where Scril would stand on this whole murder thing. Soll shook his head. ¡®When it¡¯s our turn, we gotta do ¡®em one better.¡¯ ¡®What¡¯s better than a lord¡¯s husband?¡¯ ¡®Err, I dunno, a lord, maybe? Or a duchess, or something, I dunno.¡¯ ¡®And, erm¡­¡¯ Val started, voice hesitant. I knew exactly where she was going with this, cos I had the same follow-up question for these murder-happy soldiers as well¡ªbut now really wasn¡¯t the time. ¡®Why are we killing lords¡¯ families, again? We aren¡¯t¡­ We ain¡¯t at war, are we?¡¯ Soll¡¯s eyes flicked to Ela, and he paused for a moment longer than Val¡¯s hesitation earlier. ¡®You feeling alright, Scril?¡¯ But Ela waved the question down. ¡®She¡¯s just daft sometimes, ain¡¯t she? That¡¯s why we love her.¡¯ She turned back to ¡°Scril¡±. ¡®They ain¡¯t up there as Goldmarch soldiers, remember? Ain¡¯t think Queenie would like us killing lords and little lordlings while wearing gold. They¡¯re up there as bandits.¡¯ Val gulped down any sign that this was news to her. ¡®Oh, yeah. Course. One of them mornings, I reckon. Don¡¯t know my arse from my tit.¡¯ ¡®Could show you, if you like,¡¯ Soll responded. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡®Anyway, there¡¯s always next time, ain¡¯t there? Amira¡¯ll need more bandits soon, I reckon, cos rumour is it ain¡¯t moving fast enough. So we get up there, put some pressure on them prissy local lords, get some killing in, and queenie gets her way. Gets these Tundran folk to let her soldiers in. Everyone¡¯s a winner.¡¯ I glanced at Arzak, whose eyes were narrowing. She mouthed an outraged question at me, but what with her fangs and slightly different syntax, I couldn¡¯t work out what it was. After the third try of mouthing it, the orc gave up. ¡®Oh, and, er¡­¡¯ Val was saying. It occurred to me then, a moment later, that we had faced bandits in the Tundras. In the southwest of the Tundras, in fact, in the area nearest to the Goldmarch. The roads had been full of them around Aptleed, and we¡¯d almost not been able to add Tokas to our party because so many bandits had attacked us¡ªnot that that would have been a bad thing, necessarily, considering what we¡¯d learned later. And there had been soldiers there, too. Goldmarch soldiers, wearing their mustard¡ªdefinitely not gold, no matter what they told you¡ªsurcoats, and saying they were under strict instructions not to intervene with the bandits unless the local leader gave the order. Queen Amira was manipulating the disparate powers of the Gentle Tundras, but to what end? These soldiers said they were not at war, but were they sure? This seemed like a conquest of sorts, one so insipid that I wasn¡¯t sure the Tundrans even knew they were being invaded. But then, if the mighty power of the Goldmarch was going to conquer anywhere, why the Tundras? There was nothing there of note, lots of the land barely workable, and no real industry beyond the basics. Surely, if the Goldmarch wanted to expand their territory, they¡¯d look south, to the realms of the Sundorn families, or to the Dawnwoods, or to the Beached Armada in the west. Not the Tundras. Nobody ever wanted the Tundras, not since the fall of the old empire. ¡®You alright, mate?¡¯ the soldier known as Ela asked Val. ¡®You been acting weird all morning. Not yourself, like.¡¯ ¡®Sick of the pranks, is all,¡¯ the witch gambled¡ªone that seemed to pay off. Soll looked to Scril again, then sighed. ¡®Come on,¡¯ he said, gesturing for the door. ¡®Guess we better get to breakfast. Gonna be oats for us, as late as we¡¯ll be. But if we leave it much longer we ain¡¯t even gonna have that, are we?¡¯ Scril snickered. ¡®Speak for yourself. I got a hookup with the cook. Thinks there¡¯s something between us. Don¡¯t worry, I ain¡¯t adding anyone to what we got going on.¡¯ But Soll didn¡¯t respond, instead moving to the door. I waited eagerly for them to pass through it, desperate by now to stretch my cramped legs. I could only imagine Arzak was feeling that temptation much, much more than me, considering her size, and I forgave her for her earlier fidgeting. ¡®Say,¡¯ the soldier finally said, pausing halfway to the door. He turned to Val. ¡®Remember that last guy we added in. That was your idea, wasn¡¯t it, Scril?¡¯ Ela opened her mouth to answer for the other soldier, but Val¡ªwho had a problem with keeping her mouth shut even in situations like these¡ªwas quicker. ¡®Yeah, that was me. I¡ª¡¯ Soll drew his blade, Ela quickly catching on and following suit.¡¯ In the wardrobe, I sighed, still making an effort to keep it quiet; I had stealth on my side at the moment, after all. ¡®You ain¡¯t Scril,¡¯ Soll said. ¡®You ain¡¯t her.¡¯ ¡®I¡­¡¯ Val started, then sighed when she realised the jig was up. ¡®What was it that gave it away?¡¯ ¡®There weren¡¯t no other guy,¡¯ Ela answered. I pulled my eye away from the wardrobe¡¯s keyhole, and looked at Arzak. ¡®Guess we¡¯re fighting,¡¯ I whispered. ¡®You ready?¡¯
"Styk" Level 12 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 28 Intelligence ¡ª 124 Dexterity ¡ª 52 Strength ¡ª 54 Wisdom ¡ª 35 Charisma ¡ª 21
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 30 Knifework ¡ª Level 23 Identification ¡ª Level 10 Stealth ¡ª Level 10 Needlework ¡ª Level 9
Abilities: Slice ¡ª Slice the enemy for physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Stab II ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 20%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Stealth Attack ¡ª Passive. 50% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Basic Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft basic cloth armour, quality dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
96. Executing, Plan A At the twist of my wrist, a portal opened beneath us, and Arzak and I tumbled through, onto the floor at the other side of the room. My blind aim had got better, it seemed, because the pair of us landed just where I¡¯d intended. And I¡¯d intended this spot because it was behind the two soldiers¡ªI was still undetected. It was time to find out if the damage bonuses from Stealth Attack and Execution II stacked. I gestured for Arzak to keep quiet, rather than scramble clumsily to her feet, and I turned my attention to the two soldiers who were at this very moment staring Val down. ¡®I can explain,¡¯ Val said, doing her best to avoid looking at me or Arzak, though she clearly knew we were there. After all, why else would she be trying to distract our enemies? I approached slowly, using my innate Stealth abilities to keep the noise of my footsteps to a minimum. The soldier who¡¯d realised the truth, Soll, was closer to me, and so it was to him I crept first, knife drawn. ¡®Oh yeah? You gonna explain why you¡¯re using our friend¡¯s face, are you?¡¯ Ela asked. ¡®Cos that¡¯s treason in these parts.¡¯ Val raised her new face¡¯s eyebrows. ¡®Maybe it is, but I got good reason.¡¯ Her eyes flickered, just for a moment, towards me. The two enemies didn¡¯t seem to notice. I stepped closer still, the man¡¯s unwashed stench filling my nostrils. And this guy has not one but two lovers? ¡®That I¡¯d like to hear,¡¯ Soll said. ¡®Give us one good reason we don¡¯t kill you where you stand.¡¯ I swung my blade around in front of the enemy, activated by Execution II ability¡ªmy Stealth Attack being a passive, and therefore always active¡ªand sliced the soldier across the throat. Level 19 soldier of the golden kingdom defeated! Stealth ¡ª +1,200xp Stealth increased to level 11! Base Points gained ¡ª +1 DEX, +1 WIS, +2 Free Points (DEX/WIS) Worldbending ¡ª +500xp Knifework ¡ª +1,000xp He began to drop. I, admittedly very clumsily, grabbed the man by one arm to stop him thudding to the ground and attracting the other enemy¡¯s attention. This had been a kill in one, and so, surely, the effects of the abilities had stacked? Or else otherwise the man hadn¡¯t really ever invested in Vitality¡ªthere was no real way of knowing. I internally cursed myself for not Identifying the man before I¡¯d killed him, as any information might have given me a clue. The other soldier began to turn. I stifled a cry, opening another portal beneath my feet, this time opening myself above the other enemy, readying myself for another Execution. But I hadn¡¯t moved quickly enough; even before the soldier was in reach of my knife point, she was shouting. ¡®Intruders!¡¯ she cried. ¡®Intru¡ª¡¯ The second shout was ended by me Stabbing my knife through her head. It wasn¡¯t enough to kill her, considering I¡¯d lost all my stealth buffs, but there was nothing like a wound to the skull to stop you shouting. The soldier staggered backwards, and I moved to stab once more. In the same moment, Val pushed both hands forwards and summoned a gust of wind to propel the woman towards me. Between the force of my stab attack and the movement towards me, I was able to pierce her armour, right where her heart would have been. Level 18 soldier of the golden kingdom defeated! Worldbending ¡ª +700xp Knifework ¡ª +1,000xp Knifework increased to level 26! Base Points Gained ¡ª +1 DEX, +1 STR, +2 Free Points (VIT/DEX/STR) She, too, dropped to the ground, and I staggered backwards before I could stain my new clothes with blood. Not because I liked them, of course, but because it would ruin the disguise. On any other day, I¡¯d feel bad about killing two people who were just doing their jobs¡ªeven if it was in inevitable self-defence. But these two¡ªwhat with all that apparent indiscriminate killing of my fellow Tundran countrymen that they¡¯d confessed to a minute ago¡ªthey hadn¡¯t earned quiet as much sympathy. Besides, if we¡¯d let them live, then the palace would be put in a state of alarm, looking out for intruders. It¡¯d make our lives a lot more difficult. I looked to the wardrobe, eyeing it up as a place to hide the bodies. ¡®Close¡ª¡¯ I started, and then footsteps announced the appearance of more guards charging towards the room. ¡®Uh-oh.¡¯ I moved to open a portal beneath Val, to bring her to my side while Arzak charged across the room. The witch fell through clumsily, not having anticipated it, and grabbed a bed post to stable herself. I moved next to open another portal and get us out of here, but remembered I couldn¡¯t do that without hiding the bodies first, or the whole palace grounds¡ªor city, perhaps¡ªwould be on lockdown. So instead I opened a portal beneath the two bodies, its pair inside the wardrobe, and they fell through with a heavy clunk. But before I could magick the three of us out of here, four guards burst through the door to check out what all the commotion was about. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. We froze. ¡®Err¡­¡¯ I said. ¡®Hi?¡¯ Nobody said ¡°hi¡± back. Instead, they started attacking. Three of them drew their standard issue blades, while another, in slightly different uniform, raised her hands. This gesture was familiar to me, because I was currently doing roughly the same thing¡ªshe was a spellcaster. Arzak rushed to stand in front of me and Val, protecting us with her brawn and drawn blades. ¡®Quick and quiet,¡¯ Val hissed. She was right, of course; we couldn¡¯t let anyone else know there was a fight in here or we¡¯d be in big trouble. I cursed myself; picking Silence as a Worldbending ability all those months ago would finally have come in handy, especially with my Stealth focus now. But that was the nature of levelling up; no matter how prepared you were, there was always an opportunity cost. So I did the next best thing; I portalled myself through the floor to the other side of the room, and I closed the door. Turning back to face the rear of our attackers, I realised something¡ªwhat with how broad Arzak was, the soldiers hadn¡¯t been able to see me. With the Tamed Portal ability reducing the glow of my portals too, they hadn¡¯t known I¡¯d gone anywhere. I was, surely, the very definition of ¡°unnoticed by enemy¡±. I drew my dagger once more and moved to attack, before the four soldiers could figure out what was going on. As the spellcaster released a fireball¡ªwhy was it always fire magicks? what was it about the allure of fire that always made people specialise this way?¡ªI realised there was another approach I might have taken, in activating Ash Husk, but this way was safer. Arzak suffered the brunt of the fire attack on her shoulder, damaging the new clothes she¡¯d spent, presumably, a lot of money on. And she seemed more annoyed about that than the hit to her health bar. Before the spellcaster could release another magick attack, I charged at her, it helping that she was standing at the rear of her group. I went straight in for another Execution boosted by my Stealth Attack passive, and because this woman had presumably put more points into Intelligence than Vitality¡ªmana over health¡ªshe was downed in one. This was despite me attacking her with the pommel of my knife rather than the blade. After all, neither ability said I actually needed to stab anyone, just ¡°attack¡±, and I couldn¡¯t say for sure whether this woman shared the horrific values of the first two soldiers. Level 24 fire mage of the golden kingdom defeated! Worldbending ¡ª +700xp Knifework ¡ª +1,400xp I moved quickly, not even letting the spellcaster hit the floor before I sprung¡ªassisted by a quick pair of portals¡ªto the next soldier. As I soared through the air, pommel of my knife arcing towards the soldier¡¯s temple, Val again summoned a blast of air that sent the man stumbling backwards. The movement towards me increased the impact, allowing me to fell this man, too, in one hit. Level 18 soldier of the golden kingdom defeated! Worldbending ¡ª +100xp Knifework ¡ª +1,000xp Knifework increased to level 27! Base Points Gained ¡ª +1 DEX, +1 STR, +2 Free Points (VIT/DEX/STR) But it also alerted the other two soldiers to my presence at their rear. I was noticed once more, and without the 350%¡ªby my count, I wasn¡¯t exactly adept at maths though¡ªboost to damage, I had no chance of taking out either of the others with one hit. Fortunately, Arzak took full advantage of the distraction I¡¯d created, reaching out and bashing one of the soldiers over the head with the end of one of her swords. When he didn¡¯t go down, she hit him again, in the same place, and then again, until he finally dropped. This left only one. I ran towards her, hoping that I¡¯d be able to at least do enough damage to cause a distraction, and allow Arzak to swoop in. I charged, weapon raised, point-first this time as I knew I¡¯d not inflict more than a light injury¡ªone that could be healed, by Val if necessary¡ªwhen the woman suddenly shifted. She hopped to one side, free arm stretched out, and she grabbed me with it. Before I knew it, I had one arm around my neck, squeezing tight enough that I went light-headed, and sword point in my face. ¡®Drop the swords,¡¯ the tiefling soldier told Arzak. ¡®No,¡¯ the orc replied. There was a moment of silence. ¡®But I have a sword to your friend¡¯s neck.¡¯ ¡®I not drop swords. They make loud clatter and then more soldiers come. I not do that.¡¯ ¡®OK¡­¡¯ the soldier said. ¡®But¡ª¡¯ Val stepped out from behind Arzak, a soldier¡¯s sword in her hands. ¡®Think fast!¡¯ she said, throwing the sword towards the soldier and me. As it left her hands, lightning magicks began to crackle around it. The tiefling, surprised by this sudden turn of events, loosened her grasp on me just enough that I was able to wriggle free, and I portalled myself to Val¡¯s side, not wanting to risk ending up in the same state all over again. The soldier caught the blade with her free hand, and all the muscles in her body went stiff as the lightning shocked her. Arzak ambled over to the incapacitated woman¡¯s side, and knocked her over the head with both weapons at once. She dropped to the ground, dropping the lightning-imbued sword, and the shocks slowly faded. ¡®Nice,¡¯ I said to Val. The witch smiled. ¡®Not bad, huh?¡¯ Silence swept over the room as we listened out for any more advancing assailants, but none came. Only when we¡¯d remained still for a couple of minutes, listening, did we finally relax, and I surprised myself with a long sigh of relief. ¡®Hmm,¡¯ Arzak said, weapons sheathed, hands on hips, looking down at the four unconscious bodies. She glanced over at where we¡¯d stuffed the first two soldiers. ¡®Going to be full wardrobe.¡¯
"Styk" Level 13 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 32 Intelligence ¡ª 124 Dexterity ¡ª 57 Strength ¡ª 62 Wisdom ¡ª 38 Charisma ¡ª 21
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 30 Knifework ¡ª Level 26 Stealth ¡ª Level 11 Identification ¡ª Level 10 Needlework ¡ª Level 9
Abilities: Slice ¡ª Slice the enemy for physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Stab II ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 20%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Stealth Attack ¡ª Passive. 50% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Basic Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft basic cloth armour, quality dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
97. The Records Office I¡¯d portalled us back outside the rear of the barracks, and all three of us had hurried into the street, away from the scene of the crime. Or, well, crimes. We very quickly remembered that our whole strategy here was to blend in, and three people walking quickly around a palace¡ªlike they actually had places to be¡ªdidn¡¯t scream ¡°wealthy and privileged¡±. Now back at a walking pace, Arzak grabbed my arm much like Val had done earlier, and we began walking like a couple, which had the added benefit of hiding the burn to the shoulder of her dress. I had to admit I preferred this pretence when I was doing it with Val, particularly because the witch had allowed me to lead, whereas Arzak did not. Val, still in her borrowed soldier¡¯s uniform and¡ªmore importantly¡ªborrowed soldier¡¯s face, lead us towards the record office at the end of the street. The sheer scale of the palace still struck awe in me; these roads within the palace walls were like a city in and of themselves, if with the notable difference of it being fancy, clean, and with well-maintained paintwork on the towering buildings. When we reached the records office, just where the soldier from earlier had told us it would be, Val kept her head held high and led us inside. ¡®Two for the records, on order of Her Majesty. I am required to accompany them.¡¯ The woman behind the desk, an old orc roughly Arzak¡¯s age, didn¡¯t look up from her paperwork, which she looked at through half-moon spectacles. She held out her hand. ¡®Form Cresent-E.¡¯ I looked at the doorway behind the woman¡¯s desk. It was a solid metal door¡ªno problem in and of itself for portalling through¡ªand one with glowing metal symbols around it. I¡¯d spent enough time in the thievery game to know exactly what those were¡ªthe markings of a trap, and a trap that they wanted visitors to know was there. That could mean one of two things: either it was a bluff, and there was no trap, or it was a trap so nasty that they didn¡¯t want to deal with the clean-up. In a place like this, I had no doubt that it was the latter. I couldn¡¯t portal us inside. This meant that both Plan A¡ªVal escorting us inside as a soldier¡ªand Plan B¡ªus using my portals¡ªwere both out. ¡®It is an order direct from Her Majesty, Queen Amira,¡¯ Val the ¡°soldier¡± said. ¡®Then must have right paperwork,¡¯ the orc said, pulling herself upright. When she saw Arzak, she did a double-take. ¡®Oh,¡¯ she said. ¡®Orc! Not many orc here. Only workers.¡¯ She gestured to herself. Arzak smiled, releasing my arm and stepping forward. ¡®Not in Goldmarch much. On holiday. Honeymoon.¡¯ The records keeper leant to one side to get a better look at me, then raised an eyebrow. I smiled as naturally as I could manage. ¡®He good at swordplay,¡¯ Arzak said, and from the knowing nod she received from the other orc, I realised this wasn¡¯t meant literally. At my side, I could see Val¡¯s body shaking slightly, as she struggled to suppress a laugh. ¡®You help us? We look for Player records.¡¯ The new smile that was crossing the civil servant¡¯s face faded as quickly as it had come. ¡®Oh. Oh.¡¯ ¡®We help with Player death in Tundras. Wrap up. Orders of queen.¡¯ The orcish records keeper kept quiet for a moment, studying Arzak and the burn on her dress. ¡®Need more forms for this. Much more forms.¡¯ ¡®We no have.¡¯ ¡®Maybe when colleague gets here, I go check?¡¯ the orc suggested. Arzak nodded. ¡®OK.¡¯ She returned to Val and I¡¯s side. ¡®Why did you say OK to that?¡¯ the witch whispered. ¡®As soon as she checks, she¡¯ll know we¡¯re lying.¡¯ ¡®I got plan. I charm her.¡¯ ¡®Arzak¡­¡¯ ¡®I charming with orcs!¡¯ Arzak insisted. ¡®Sure, but charming her is one thing, charming her so much that she lets us go look at highly sensitive documents is a whole other thing.¡¯ The orc shook her head. ¡®No. You not understand. I distract her. And you¡­¡¯ I reached into my pocket and pulled out a paper bag. One filled with a load of enchanted sweets. ¡®Sneak in.¡¯ Arzak nodded, then returned to the records keeper¡¯s side to begin chatting. The orc behind the desk looked curiously over at me and Val for a moment before Arzak began complimenting her glasses in a very rigid and overstated manner, which the other orc fell for completely. ¡®I don¡¯t get orcs,¡¯ Val said. I raised my eyebrows in agreement, and turned my attention to the sweets inside. I¡¯d already studied what each of them did, so it was just a case of pulling out the right ones. When I finally located the three I¡¯d been looking for, I looked Val in the eye. ¡®I¡¯d rather have my saliva in your mouth than yours in mine,¡¯ I said. ¡®Gross.¡¯ ¡®What, you never kissed anyone before?¡¯ ¡®Obviously I have. It¡¯s you putting it like that that¡¯s gross, not¡ª¡¯ ¡®So you don¡¯t have any problem with it, then. Good.¡¯ I tossed the first of the sweets into my mouth, sucking into it a good chunk before wrenching it out, and offering it, sodden, to Val. She groaned, sighed, then tossed it into her own mouth. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡®I hate you sometimes.¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s an improvement on ¡°all the time¡±,¡¯ I replied. Active Effect: Lightfoot Minutes remaining: 29 / 30 Footsteps silenced. ¡®You sure we should be wasting all these immediately?¡¯ I shrugged. ¡®It¡¯s like good wine; you get a nice bottle and then you spend years waiting for an excuse to open it. By the time you do, it¡¯s corked.¡¯ ¡®Like you know about ¡°good wine¡±,¡¯ Val said, taking the next of the wet sweets and putting it into her mouth. ¡®I used to make it.¡¯ ¡®You used to try, maybe.¡¯ Active Effect: Eyeslide Minutes remaining: 29 / 30 Dramatically reduces chance of being noticed. ¡®Might wanna stop bickering with me,¡¯ I said. ¡®We¡¯re trying not to draw attention.¡¯ Val stuck her tongue out at me, quickly enough that the woman behind the desk didn¡¯t notice. Or perhaps that was the eyeglide effect doing its job, I didn¡¯t know for sure. Active Effect: Invisibility Minutes remaining: 29 / 30 Renders you and all currently equipped items near-invisible. ¡®You not think this is overkill?¡¯ Val asked. ¡®You want a whole kingdom hunting you down for this?¡¯ I retorted. ¡®Fair point.¡¯ Armed with the three active effects, I grabbed the now invisible Val by the hand and strolled casually over to the door. As I put my hand on the handle, I prayed that these effects wouldn¡¯t be considered magick abilities, for purposes of the trap. I considered letting Val go first, but that was a terrible instinct for me to have. With a deep draw of breath, I opened the door, and stepped inside. I was faced by a human man the size of which I¡¯d never seen. He¡¯d have made Lore seem minute in comparison, and there was definitely something magick going on to make him so tall. He carried an ornate greatsword, engraved with runes that I didn¡¯t understand, but made me realised I absolutely did not want to mess with him. One swing of the sword would render me completely and utterly dead¡ªthis was something I knew for sure. But the guard¡¯s eyes remained glazed as Val and I stepped inside the room, and after a moment he furrowed his brow, walked over to the open door, looked about, and closed it again. Moments later he was returned to his original position. Val and I turned away from the guard to face the records room, and I felt a tug on my hand as the witch staggered backwards. From the number of bookshelves in front of us, twenty-nine minutes was clearly not going to be enough time. There were maybe a thousand, two thousand, maybe more boxes of records in here. I was never that good at estimations. When we were far enough away from the guard, Val whispered to me, ¡®Knight of the realm.¡¯ Her mouth was a bit closer to my ear than I¡¯d have liked, though I supposed it was hard to judge when you were both invisible. ¡®What?¡¯ ¡®Knight of the¡ª¡¯ ¡®Yes, I heard you, I meant¡­¡¯ ¡®The man at the door. Big boy. We don¡¯t wanna mess with him.¡¯ ¡®Yeah, I figured,¡¯ I said. ¡®I¡¯m not entirely stupid.¡¯ ¡®I know. Just mostly.¡¯ I shook my head in exasperation even though I knew Val wouldn¡¯t be able to see it. ¡®We should split up.¡¯ ¡®Yes.¡¯ Immediately I felt Val move to unlink hands. ¡®Wait.¡¯ I pulled a freshly purchased spool of thread from my pocket, felt for the end of it, and handed it to Val. ¡®Tie this around you. It¡¯ll help you find me.¡¯ ¡®And the documents that¡¯ll be floating in the air won¡¯t be enough of a giveaway?¡¯ ¡®Just do it, will you?¡¯ We parted ways, me still holding the end of the spool, and I hurried down one row of bookcases, glancing up at the helpful labels every few units announcing the section. The minutes faded faster than I¡¯d have liked, and we grew close to being very visible indeed. What¡¯s more, the spool was rapidly running out of thread, and soon enough I wouldn¡¯t have been able to find Val until the minutes were up anyway. So it was probably a good thing that, at the very end of the room, on a case of its own, I saw a sign that said, simply: THE RECORDS OF THE ARCHITECTS.
"Styk" Level 13 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 32 Intelligence ¡ª 124 Dexterity ¡ª 57 Strength ¡ª 62 Wisdom ¡ª 38 Charisma ¡ª 21
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 30 Knifework ¡ª Level 26 Stealth ¡ª Level 11 Identification ¡ª Level 10 Needlework ¡ª Level 9
Abilities: Slice ¡ª Slice the enemy for physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Stab II ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 20%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Stealth Attack ¡ª Passive. 50% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Basic Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft basic cloth armour, quality dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900% Lightfoot: Footsteps silenced. Eyeslide: Dramatically reduces chance of being noticed. Invisibility: Renders you and all currently equipped items near-invisible.
98. How Gods Touch The World I pulled down the first of the boxes, wasting not a moment of the eight minutes of invisibility, eyeslide and lightfoot that we had left. Within the boxes were dozens of folders, some thicker than others, each of which concerned one particular Player. My heart skipped a beat as my subconscious did the maths. There were twenty-four boxes here. And in the boxes I had, there was maybe sixty folders. If they all contained the same, then that meant¡­ There were over a thousand Players in this world. Maybe more. Maybe the ones here were just the ones that the Golden Kingdom had noticed. Or just that ones they cared about. Each, or at least almost all, of the files had a sketch attached¡ªthat of the Player in question¡¯s appearance. I supposed this would come in handy if the kingdom of the Goldmarch ever needed to track any of them down, whether to hire them or to inflict justice. Not that justice ever seemed to be served upon these descendents of the Architects. I pulled box after box from the shelf, skimming through the files for the name Aiwin had given us¡ªNiamh. With time on our active effects fading away, I searched quickly, desperately, almost so haphazardly that I became worried I¡¯d missed her. And then something gut-wrenching happened. I saw a sketch of a woman I recognised. The drawing wasn¡¯t quite right¡ªthe nose was larger than it had been, and the hair was different to what I¡¯d remembered¡ªbut otherwise¡­ It was the same woman that Dad had kept a portrait of all those years. It was my mother. I found myself staggering backwards, the record of my mother in hand, and I stared down at it for a moment, urging myself to open it. But my hands didn¡¯t move. Couldn¡¯t move. I gulped, trying to ground myself, trying to force my body to truly realise: this was one of those moments that could change the course of your life. I stared down at the sketch of the woman who had abandoned me all those years ago, abandoned me on a doorstep without even checking my father had still lived there. A woman who had abandoned me. My own mother. I realised she¡¯d given me one gift, however. Her blood, the blood of the Architects, ran through my veins. It was that very blood that had enabled me to use the Sisyphus Artifact. Without that blood, it would have been just a useless trinket to me. And I would have been dead. I flipped the folder open. Her name, the name that my father had never uttered, was Cleo. And Cleo was alive. According to the file, as member of a ¡°Council¡±¡ªa term I¡¯d heard a few times now, which worried me¡ªAmira¡¯s spies kept close eye on her. She¡¯d spent a good few years in the Badlands after my birth, on a mission that was redacted from the files. But she¡¯d been back to the Goldmarch since then, and more importantly, she¡¯d even been to the Gentle Tundras. Yet she¡¯d never bothered to check in on her child. I found my stomach churning, my eyes on the edge of watering, trauma falling free that I hadn¡¯t even known was there. It was as if¡ª ¡®What you got there?¡¯ Val asked, apparently suddenly at my side. Not that I could have noticed, what with her footsteps silence and her body invisible. Before I could reply, Val suddenly pulled the folder from my hands. ¡®You found it? Why didn¡¯t you say anything? We have¡¯ ¡ª she paused, presumably to check her active effects ¡ª ¡®five minutes left.¡¯ ¡®I got distracted. It was¡­ engrossing reading,¡¯ I said. There must have been something in my voice, because Val hesitated before replying. ¡®You OK, Styk?¡¯ ¡®Not feeling so good. Must have been something I ate.¡¯ ¡®You reckon Ted has poisoned us again?¡¯ ¡®No, I¡­ It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m fine. Let¡¯s find this record.¡¯ Boxes flew out of the bookshelf at my left as the invisible Val wrenched them free. I considered keeping my mother¡¯s record, but something deep within me was repulsed by the idea. Maybe I¡¯d never been supposed to learn this. Maybe I would have been happier if I never had. But then, that Player blood in me had to have come from somewhere, and it definitely wasn¡¯t going to have come from Dad. I pushed the record back in the box, finished leafing through the rest of it, then moved on to the next. Niamh was one of the first names within. ¡®Val,¡¯ I said. A box, halfway out of the bookcase, slid back in again. ¡®Yeah?¡¯ ¡®Found it.¡¯ I opened the file and began skimming through. From the gentle breath on my neck, I could tell that Val was reading over my shoulder. ¡®Alright,¡¯ I said, reading aloud. ¡®Niamh. Another member of this Council. Don¡¯t suppose that means anything good, does it? The Council.¡¯ ¡®Very foreboding,¡¯ Val agreed. ¡®And if the pyroknight was a part of it, then I can only imagine everyone else in it is evil too.¡¯ I tried to stop myself from dwelling on the fact that my mother, too, was in it. And if she was evil, what did that make me? I forced myself to continue reading aloud. ¡®Ah look here: she was in charge of the Council¡¯s relationship with the witchfinders. So it¡¯s definitely her. Good performance review from someone named Tara¡ªwhoever that is¡ªand it¡¯s that that got her pulled away. Reassigned elsewhere. Reassigned to replace a man called Jacob. In the¡­ Tundras¡­¡¯ Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. I paused, and Val remained quiet too. At least, just for a moment. ¡®Told you the pyroknight was called Jake,¡¯ she said. ¡®Lucky guess.¡¯ Before Val could say anything, I continued, ¡®This means he wasn¡¯t just in the Tundras for no reason. He was doing something. On behalf of the Council. We¡¯ve interrupted their plans, and I can¡¯t imagine an organisation as mysterious as this is going to let that go unchecked.¡¯ ¡®You think they¡¯ll be hunting us?¡¯ ¡®I reckon it¡¯s safer to assume that they are and be wrong than the other way around.¡¯ From Val¡¯s lack of response, I inferred that she agreed. ¡®So she¡¯s in the Tundras, picking up from where the pyroknight left off. Did we ever get the idea that he was working on anything?¡¯ ¡®Just trying to kill you, I think.¡¯ ¡®You reckon this whole Council is set up to kill me?¡¯ ¡®What? No!¡¯ She slapped me around the back of the head. ¡®How is your ego this big?¡¯ ¡®Pretty rich coming from you.¡¯ I read on, scanning the text for a place name, a location in which we might find her, or at least pick up the trail. ¡®Lenktra,¡¯ Val and I said at the same time, reaching that point in the text simultaneously. ¡®Let¡¯s get going,¡¯ Val said. ¡®If she¡¯s still there, we can make this quick.¡¯ ¡®What do you mean?¡¯ I asked. ¡®We still got to wait for Corminar and Lore, and we¡¯ve still got to deliver this depth raider to¡ª¡¯ ¡®Well we gotta find her before we can kill her, haven¡¯t we? And the longer we wait, the greater the risk of the trail going cold.¡¯ ¡®Kill her? We don¡¯t know that she¡¯s done anything wrong?¡¯ ¡®She¡¯s a Player,¡¯ Val said. ¡®Of course she¡¯s done something wrong. And do you not remember the witchfinder village? That in itself is¡ª¡¯ ¡®Potentially a science experiment gone wrong? We can¡¯t assume she¡¯s guilty just cos she¡¯s a Player, otherwise¡­¡¯ I didn¡¯t say the end of that sentence, but it would have been ¡°Otherwise you¡¯d have to kill me too¡±. Val sighed. ¡®Fine. We¡¯ll get some evidence of something she¡¯s done wrong; I¡¯m sure that won¡¯t be hard.¡¯ With a nod, I closed the folder. ¡®OK. Fine. Good. We know where to find her. We might not know what she¡¯s up to, but we can head north. We¡ª¡¯ ¡®No,¡¯ Val breathed. ¡®Sorry?¡¯ ¡®No, that¡¯s¡­¡¯ If my voice had sounded pained earlier, then it was nothing compared to Val¡¯s now. ¡®Val? Are you OK?¡¯ I moved my hand out to grab her shoulder, but missed; the witch had staggered backward. ¡®The sketch. On the front of the folder. I¡­ I know that face.¡¯ I could tell Val was fighting back tears. ¡®That¡¯s¡­ She survived the¡­ How could she have survived the bogspawn?¡¯ ¡®Val, what are you¡­¡¯ I started, but trailed off when I realised exactly what she meant. ¡®She¡¯s the Hunter. The one who tried to kill me. The one that exposed me as a witch, the one who ruined my life. It¡¯s her. Niamh is her. I can¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t think I can¡­¡¯ I reached out, found Val, and wrapped my arms around her. ¡®It¡¯s OK. It¡¯s OK, Val. We¡¯re here. We¡¯ll¡ª¡¯ But the rest of my reassurance was interrupted by the sudden ringing of alarm bells, all around the palace. They¡¯d found the soldiers. And we only had one minute left on our active effects. It was time to run.
"Styk" Level 13 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 32 Intelligence ¡ª 124 Dexterity ¡ª 57 Strength ¡ª 62 Wisdom ¡ª 38 Charisma ¡ª 21
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 30 Knifework ¡ª Level 26 Stealth ¡ª Level 11 Identification ¡ª Level 10 Needlework ¡ª Level 9
Abilities: Slice ¡ª Slice the enemy for physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Stab II ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 20%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Stealth Attack ¡ª Passive. 50% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Basic Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft basic cloth armour, quality dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900% Lightfoot: Footsteps silenced. Eyeslide: Dramatically reduces chance of being noticed. Invisibility: Renders you and all currently equipped items near-invisible.
99. A Welcome Overstayed Grasping Val¡¯s hand tightly, I sprinted back down the row of bookshelves, opening a portal with my free hand to shorten the distance. I had one eye on my active effects¡ªalready our Lightfoot had worn off, as evidenced by the footsteps echoing around the chamber. In a few moments, Eyeslide would wear off too, and then it would be the big one. At the door, the guard¡ªthe so-called Knight Of The Realm, as Val had said¡ªbegan to turn, eyebrow raised, looking for the source of the noise. As the Eyeglide active effect ran out of time, my witch friend thought quickly, summoning a great gust of wind to blow a couple of dozen of boxes off the nearby shelf. The knight ran to investigate, shifting away from the door, and I opened another portal behind him. And then Invisibility, too, faded away, and I saw Val¡¯s pale face, her eye makeup having run down her cheeks. My stomach lurched when I noticed the dried tears, and I hesitated just for a moment before swinging the door open. ¡®Arzak,¡¯ I said, leading Val through. ¡®Time to¡ª¡¯ ¡®Stop there!¡¯ the knight roared. ¡®Stop right there, on the order of¡ª¡¯ I didn¡¯t hear the rest of that sentence because I slammed the door shut behind me. ¡®Goodbye,¡¯ Arzak said to the civil servant, whose eyes were wide at the sight of Val and I leaving the records office, and together we moved for the exterior door. ¡®Wait,¡¯ Val protested, tugging on my hand. ¡®Val, now¡¯s not the¡ª¡¯ I started, releasing her grasp when I realised there was no need for it; we weren¡¯t invisible any more. ¡®Wait!¡¯ she said again, and grasped the handle of the door to the record¡¯s office, imbuing it with lightning magicks. ¡®This oughta slow them down a little.¡¯ As we ran out of the shop, I heard the crash of a door slammed off its frame, and I realised that Val¡¯s lightning magic had, in this case, not been of much help. ¡®OK, keep running!¡¯ I cried. Portals really should have been good in situations such as these, that is, running away from people, but there were a couple of problems with that. Firstly, I could only portal far away if I could actually see the intended location, which was tricky when buildings were crammed in close to one another. Secondly, and much more importantly, the orcish civil servant had just charged out from behind her desk and cast a strange spell upon me¡ªone that resulting in a glowing sigil on my chest and resulting in a not-so-fun new active effect. Active Effect: Mana-Halted Minutes remaining: 59 / 60 Prevents marked person from using their own magick abilities. ¡®Styk?¡¯ Val asked. ¡®What you waiting for?¡¯ ¡®I¡­ can¡¯t¡­¡¯ I said. ¡®Seriously, Styk, now is not the time to not be able to perform.¡¯ ¡®I can think of worse times.¡¯ We charged down the main street, Arzak leading the way, and if I wasn¡¯t mistaken she was leading us to the nearest gate in the palace walls. What we¡¯d do about all the guards when we got there was something I wasn¡¯t yet clued in on. ¡®Any ideas?¡¯ I asked Val, who was at my side. She shook her head and very wisely focused on running. Behind us, I could hear the heavy footsteps of the giant-like knight of the realm gaining on us, and my instinct again was to open up portals to get away from him. That this was still my instinct meant that I was probably over-relying on my Worldbending magicks in fights; I wasn¡¯t exactly a well-rounded combatant without it. What with my recent growths in Knifework and Stealth, among other things, I was at least working on it, but that didn¡¯t exactly help me in this moment. We rounded a corner and saw the gate up ahead. I scoured my mind for a plan, desperate, but came up short of anything that didn¡¯t involve opening a bloody portal. But Arzak, it seemed, had at least part of a plan. She ran up to the guards ahead of us, not trying to stay out of sight, but instead doing the exact opposite. She waved her hands in the air to get their attention, and cried out, ¡®Guards! Guards!¡¯ The Goldmarch soldiers all turned, alarmed, apparently expecting any danger to come from outside the palace grounds. ¡®Dragon! Dragon in palace!¡¯ As Arzak grew closer, Val and I hot on her heels, she pulled at her singed dress. ¡®It already got pretty dress! Might next get me! Or you!¡¯ A particularly alarmed soldier began pulling the great wooden gates open, allowing us¡ªas fleeing, well-respected citizens¡ªa way out. But amongst the crowd of soldiers, one or two weren¡¯t distracted by Arzak enough to miss the knight of the realm, running after us, shouting, ¡®Arrest them!¡¯ while¡ªpresumably¡ªpointing at us. ¡®Close the gate!¡¯ a quick-thinking guard cried out, but the three of us were already close to squeezing through. A well-placed blast of air from Val knocked one of the soldiers at the gate to his arse, and we were able to slip through the remaining gap. But that didn¡¯t mean it was over, of course. We still needed to lose them. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Arzak faltered at this point, and I took the lead in our running. I directed us back the way we¡¯d come, partially out of habit and partially because it was at least an area of the city we¡¯d seen before, and had some knowledge of. I risked a glance over my shoulder at this point, to get an idea for the number of soldiers that were following us, and I wish I hadn¡¯t. To our three, there were seven soldiers following¡ªmore than two for every one of us, and one of them was that huge Knight of the Realm fellow. At least I, then, had an idea. ¡®Maybe Ted can help us,¡¯ I said aloud, and Val nodded frantically as we charged down the street. I pulled the paper bag of enchanted confectionary from my pocket, and scrambled around as best I could while running. One of the sweets fell out as I thrust my hand into the bag, and I prayed I hadn¡¯t just lost the one I was looking for. Val took the lead in the running, as I was slowly just a smidgen by my frantic search for the white sweet with two red band around it¡ªthe rhubarb drop of copycat. As I unwrapped it, Val suddenly veered left¡ªinto a familiar building. The queue outside Ted¡¯s Confectionary Emporium still stretched down the road, though it had at least shrunk slightly. Part of this was down to the security guard no longer being at his post, I suspected¡ªa few people had ¡°snuck¡± in, in much the same way that Val, Arzak and I had just done. That is, we¡¯d just run in with no regard for social decency. ¡®What are we doing in here?¡¯ I shouted to Val over the din of the crowded shop, customer browsing the many display stand chock full of non-enchanted sweets. ¡®I thought you said maybe Ted could¡ª¡¯ I pushed the unwrapped rhubarb drop in her face. ¡®I meant the sweets!¡¯ ¡®No time for bicker!¡¯ Arzak shouted, and grabbed both Val and I under her arms and pushed through the crowd towards the rear of the shop. Even from this position, hanging from Arzak¡¯s arms, Val managed to stick her tongue out at me. I ignored her and instead pushed the sweet into my mouth, sucking enough of the¡ªadmittedly very pleasantly flavoured; good work Ted¡ªcandy that I¡¯d get some of its active effect. I could only hope that my Mana-Halted magick-prevention wouldn¡¯t prevent me from using Ted¡¯s magick, too. The answer to this doubt came quickly, just as Arzak turned a corner, and hit my dangling head into someone¡¯s arse. Active Effect: Copycat Minutes remaining: 19 / 20 Creates formless copies of the user that distract and confuse any opposition. I spat the sweet back out into my palm, and handed it to Val. ¡®You know the drill.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m using the sweet first next time,¡¯ the witch replied, but didn¡¯t give me any more sass than that. While she sucked, I looked around for signs of my copies, but couldn¡¯t see any of them¡ªthat I was hanging upside-down in a very crowded place probably had a lot to do with that, though. ¡®Arzak?¡¯ Val said. ¡®Mm?¡¯ ¡®Let us down.¡¯ We were in the storage room where we¡¯d been earlier when Val and I were finally allowed back on our feet, but Ted wasn¡¯t in sight. Presumably he was elsewhere, making a hard sale on his confectionary. ¡®Arzak,¡¯ Val said, handing her a particularly soggy sweet. The orc raised an eyebrow. ¡®Just eat it,¡¯ Val said. Outside, I could see copies of both me and Val dotted around the shop, seemingly browsing the stock, apparently copying what the people around them were doing. On closer inspection, I realised these illusions were copying a little too precisely¡ªunnaturally so, if you gave them a proper look. ¡®Do you think they followed?¡¯ Val asked. ¡®Do you think¡ª¡¯ Her question was answered by the booming voice of the knight of the realm roaring, ¡®Would all customers please freeze. We have criminals to arrest.¡¯ ¡®...Great,¡¯ Val said.
"Styk" Level 13 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 32 Intelligence ¡ª 124 Dexterity ¡ª 57 Strength ¡ª 62 Wisdom ¡ª 38 Charisma ¡ª 21
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 30 Knifework ¡ª Level 26 Stealth ¡ª Level 11 Identification ¡ª Level 10 Needlework ¡ª Level 9
Abilities: Slice ¡ª Slice the enemy for physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Stab II ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 20%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Stealth Attack ¡ª Passive. 50% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Basic Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft basic cloth armour, quality dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900% Copycat: Creates formless copies of the user that distract and confuse any opposition. Mana-Halted: Prevents marked person from using their own magick abilities.
100. Collateral Damage ¡®Mm,¡¯ Arzak said, crunching down on the last of the boiled sweet with enough noise that it made my teeth hurt. ¡®Fruity.¡¯ As copies of Arzak faded into existence, dotted around the shop, Val moved to peek around the doorframe. ¡®How many?¡¯ ¡®Seven. Big boy¡¯s here too.¡¯ Val whipped her head back around quickly, like she was almost spotted. ¡®Got your portal magicks back yet? Not sure the three of us can take down that many.¡¯ ¡®We don¡¯t have to take them down, just escape,¡¯ I reminded her. ¡®What crimes have they committed to warrant us killing them? Thought we were doing the hero thing these days.¡¯ ¡®They probably have committed crimes though, haven¡¯t they?¡¯ ¡®Yeah, probably.¡¯ The three of us shuffled back to the door, peering around it more subtly than Val had been doing before. ¡®How long left until you can magick again?¡¯ Val asked. I checked. ¡®Forty-eight minutes. You reckon we can hide for that long?¡¯ I meant it as a sarcastic comment, but Val glared at me like I was stupid. ¡®Alright, it¡¯s going to have to be stealth time, I reckon.¡¯ ¡®I no have stealth,¡¯ Arzak said. ¡®Might be a good time to get it. Give it a go, and if it doesn¡¯t work out¡­ barge through?¡¯ ¡®Mm. I do that.¡¯ I poked my head out around the corner, just at the same moment that the knight of the realm¡ªwho was most familiar with what the three of us looked like¡ªpointed at one of my copies. He thought he¡¯d found me. ¡®Alright, time to shine.¡¯ We dropped to a crouch and began moving slowly through the store while the soldiers concentrated their attention on a figure they¡¯d soon realise wasn¡¯t real. I thanked the Architects¡ªprobably a bad habit, at this point¡ªthat Ted had managed to draw such a crowd, as it made our navigating through the shop easier, being that it shielded us mostly from sight. Up ahead, I spotted one of the soldiers in the crowd, not moving on the fake me with the rest of his colleagues. It was an idea opportunity to eliminate him from the situation, and help to even the playing field a little. Realising that a crouched man might draw unwanted attention, I rose slowly to a stand, and activated In Plain Sight to blend in with the crowd, which allowed me to draw in close to my target. I removed my blade from its sheath as I approached, getting leers from various customers who seemed to be wondering if they should just leave the store at this point, but thankfully none of them drew attention to me. When I reached the soldier, I grabbed him tight, holding the pommel of my dagger facing downwards, and activated Execution not once, not twice, but three times. What with me not using the point of the blade, I wasn¡¯t going to do much damage¡ªeven with the boost applied by Execution¡ªand I didn¡¯t want to risk leaving the soldier conscious. Level 20 soldier of the golden kingdom defeated! Stealth ¡ª +1,200xp Stealth increased to level 12! Base Points gained ¡ª +1 DEX, +1 WIS, +2 Free Points (DEX/WIS) Knifework ¡ª +1,000xp ¡®You ever notice we take out more people than monsters?¡¯ Val whispered. ¡®Not now, Val,¡¯ I replied, easing the soldier to the floor. The crowd around me had noticed the attack¡ªof course they had¡ªand while, thankfully, none of them had screamed, there were now very noticeably moving away from me. It drew another of the guards¡¯ attention. ¡®Arzak, stay here,¡¯ Val said. ¡®Styk, go right. I¡¯ll go left.¡¯ I nodded, and the witch and I left Arzak crouched in the centre of the ring of empty space in the otherwise crowded store. Between Val and I, we had the next soldier flanked, and though Val hadn¡¯t said anything, I was pretty sure I knew by now what the plan was. When the soldier in mustard surcoat passed between us, their eyes widened as they spotted Arzak, and realised that she was one of the so-called ¡°criminals¡± who had fled through the gate. Not that I could really argue this label; if nothing else, we were criminals, even if we were currently committing crimes for good reason. Val burst out of the crowd at the other side, flinging both hands forward and blasting the soldier with a blast of air. At the same moment, I pounced, bottom of my knife pointed towards the soldier, Execution well and truly activated. With the extra impact added by the blast of air, I was able to fell the soldier in one hit. I caught her as she fell and placed her gently on the ground. Level 21 soldier of the golden kingdom defeated! Stealth ¡ª +900xp Knifework ¡ª +900xp The gap around us grew larger still, and it was only a matter of time before the rest of the soldiers spotted it. The only problem? The other five were still just about in the way of the exit. There was one idea I was yet to try, and I pulled the paper bag of enchanting sweets from my pocket, beginning to rummage through them. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡®What in the gods¡¯ green¡ª¡¯ a familiar voice said, and I turned to see Ted emerge from the crowd. His eyes narrowed when he saw me. ¡®Oh, no. No. Not again. Not again.¡¯ It took me a moment to understand what he meant by ¡°again¡±, but then it hit me. We¡¯d damaged his place of work once before. And if this got out of control, we were about to do it again. With this in mind, what he did next was absolutely the wrong decision. ¡®Guards!¡¯ Ted shouted, pointing down at me, snatching the bag of his enchanted sweets from my hand. ¡®Oh, Ted,¡¯ Val murmured. Cries erupted as soldiers barged through the crowd of customers, not caring for the wellbeing of those they cast aside. ¡®Scatter!¡¯ Val half-whispered, half-shouted, then me, her and Arzak all began to run our separate ways, preventing the five remaining soldiers from being able to completely surround us. I soon realised I was, at this point, hurrying away from the door, and then took a hard left between two high display cases. The jars of sweets in each were arranged in colour order, which I thought was a nice touch on Ted¡¯s part, really. Up ahead, I saw one of the soldiers getting distracted by a copy of Arzak¡ªsurely he would have known it wasn¡¯t her, as she¡¯d been on the other side of the shop only seconds earlier?¡ªand I swung left once more, past an elaborate alchemical display. This display featured two tanks of some liquid, as well as complex-looking glassware down which colourful liquids ran. From the fact that it seemed to be a closed system, I figured it was just for show; Ted had really put his heart into the shop decor. Moving on, I kept low, weaving through the crowd, which was thinning, as some people were now starting to leave. Two soldiers were up ahead, so I doubled back to the alchemical display, and risked poking my head up above the display cases to search for a route out. I saw Arzak¡ªthe real one, not a copy, based on her movement¡ªgetting close to the exit. What I didn¡¯t see, somehow, was the knight of the realm barrelling straight towards me. He hit me with a tackle rather than a sword, which was probably a good thing, considering I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d survive a hit from his weapon. But that wasn¡¯t to say he didn¡¯t do any damage; I felt a rib crack as I hit one of the two metal tanks of liquid, and involuntarily cried out with pain. I grit my teeth, pulling myself to my feet, desperately searching for a way out that didn¡¯t involve my portalling abilities, and completely failed to notice the tank wobbling on the table behind me. The knight swung with his heavy sword, an attack just slow enough that I was able to jump to the floor to avoid it, and he hit the tank instead. At this point, it toppled. I rolled out of the way as the heavy drum hit the floor with a clang, the top bursting off and its contents washing over both me and the storeroom floor. I couldn¡¯t help but to taste the liquid as it washed over me, and I can¡¯t tell you how happy I was to discover it was just salt water. The knight charged to swing his blade down at me, and I skittered backwards across the wet floor. As the knight swung, he lost his footing on the now slippery stone tiles, and had to grab the top of a desk to stabilise himself. I took advantage of this distraction to climb to my feet¡ªalso nearly sliding over in the process¡ªand charged for the door. Clearly we weren¡¯t going to win this fight; our best bet was to keep running until my Mana-Halted active effect wore off, so I could portal us away. Which was just another¡­ forty-one minutes. Great. At least I still had plenty of mana, and through my Mana-Fuelled ability, I could use that to power my Knifework attacks, if it came to that. As I arrived at the door, I skidded into someone, and pushed my hands out to separate us before realising it was Val. ¡®Run!¡¯ she cried, and we hurried for the door, where Arzak had already arrived. The witch slipped on the wet ground, the salt water now having covered the whole shop floor, and I grabbed her arm to keep her upright. As we crossed the threshold into the outside, Val suddenly halted. ¡®What is it?¡¯ I asked, as she turned back to the shop. The witch grit her teeth. ¡®Sorry, everyone.¡¯ She dropped to the floor, pressing her hands into the spilled salt water, and activated her newest ability. Lightning erupted all around the store, making everyone in it¡ªsoldier, owner and customer alike¡ªsuddenly tense all their muscle, freezing them to the spot. As I caught sight one of the display tables starting to catch fire, the three of us fled. 4x soldiers of the golden kingdom escaped! Level 32 knight of the realm escaped! Stealth ¡ª +2,200xp Stealth increased to level 13! Stealth increased to level 14! Base Points gained ¡ª +2 DEX, +2 WIS, +4 Free Points (DEX/WIS)
"Styk" Level 13 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 32 Intelligence ¡ª 124 Dexterity ¡ª 60 Strength ¡ª 62 Wisdom ¡ª 47 Charisma ¡ª 21
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 30 Knifework ¡ª Level 26 Stealth ¡ª Level 12 Identification ¡ª Level 10 Needlework ¡ª Level 9
Abilities: Slice ¡ª Slice the enemy for physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Stab II ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 20%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Stealth Attack ¡ª Passive. 50% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Basic Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft basic cloth armour, quality dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900% Copycat: Creates formless copies of the user that distract and confuse any opposition. Mana-Halted: Prevents marked person from using their own magick abilities.
101. Regrouping Lore and Corminar arrived promptly to our arranged meeting point, a tavern just outside the Auricia perimeter. We¡¯d been there a couple of days, killing time, and we¡¯d been digesting both terrible tavern food and the information I¡¯d found in the palace records office. That is, Arzak and Val had been processing the information about the Player¡ªthough Val hadn¡¯t shared the woman¡¯s true identity with the orc¡ªwhile I¡¯d been processing the information about my mother. I still didn¡¯t know much about my Player heritage, even with the records we¡¯d leafed through. But I knew she was about there, and a part of the same so-called ¡°Council¡± that the pyroknight had been a member of. This definitely didn¡¯t mean anything good. If my mother was evil, and her blood ran through my veins, what did that make me? Was I doomed to become just like them one day, if I ever grew strong enough? Yet that wasn¡¯t the point that weighed most heavily on my mind. The revelation that my mother was both alive and had been in the Tundras was the information I dwelled on. She¡¯d known where I was, and she¡¯d been in the area, but she¡¯d never checked in. I¡¯d always assumed, as a child, that there was some great reason my mother had never come back¡ªthe go-to had been that she¡¯d died for some noble cause in the Badlands¡ªbut now I had the truth¡­ I didn¡¯t quite know what I felt, just that I had a heavy pit in my stomach. When Lore and Corminar walked in, thatched carrying case in the former¡¯s hands, I was relieved; I had a distraction now, and didn¡¯t have to swell on the matter of my mother any further. We said our hellos, and Lore placed the carrying case atop one of the tavern¡¯s tables, before hurrying over to the barmaid to place in an order for five ales and one large bowl of roasted carrots. ¡®It is the only food we can consistently get the depth raider to eat,¡¯ Corminar explained, as Lore began pushing the carrots through the bars in the case. I peered inside, expecting something horrific or otherworldly¡ªthere¡¯d been so much of that kind of thing in my life recently¡ªbut inside, the creature looked only like a small rodent. It had two sharp, pointy ears, and large black eyes, and its two spindly hands gripped on the roasted carrot slices as it nibbled away. I caught sight of the small metal band of the witchfinder¡¯s clasp wrapped around its neck. ¡®That¡¯s it?¡¯ I asked. ¡®I was expecting something¡­¡¯ ¡®Scarier?¡¯ Lore guessed. I nodded at this. ¡®Have you never heard the expression, ¡°One must not judge an elf by their face?¡±¡¯ Corminar asked. ¡®It is a being of immense power, you must remember, despite its gentle visage. It might level the town were the right person¡ªa strong person¡ªto walk nearby. I keep reminding Lore of this, but, alas, it has not helped.¡¯ ¡®I named him Oli,¡¯ Lore explained. ¡®You know it boy?¡¯ Arzak asked. ¡®He has not gendered the beast, no,¡¯ Corminar said. ¡®He says only that¡ª¡¯ ¡®It just feels like a boy, you know?¡¯ the barbarian broke in. Corminar pursed his lips together, completely unimpressed. ¡®Not had any trouble, then?¡¯ Val asked. ¡®Or I figure you probably wouldn¡¯t have named it.¡¯ ¡®Him,¡¯ Lore corrected her. ¡®We have not been unfortunate enough to encounter someone strong enough for it to latch upon. Apparently even I am not strong enough to gain its interest, though perhaps this is related to how useless my bow currently is.¡¯ He placed the weapon on top of the table. ¡®That¡¯s a new one,¡¯ Val pointed out. ¡®Indeed, yet it is still useless. Until I find another bow that is up to my usual standards, I¡¯m afraid that I¡ª¡¯ Val piped up, ¡®I don¡¯t think that¡¯s how it works. I think the depth raider¡­¡¯ She trailed off when she caught sight of Arzak gently shaking her head; there was no point in telling Corminar this. ¡®The family were keeping it as a pet, you know,¡¯ Lore said. ¡®Thought it was a mouse. We had to pay quite a bit just to get it off them. Nice bunch, though. Said they were gonna use the money to go on holiday. I recommended the Tundras but they said they wanted somewhere warmer. I told them they could go sledding, and the kids seemed quite excited by that, but, no. No more Tundran friends for us just yet.¡¯ ¡®Yes, thank you, Lore,¡¯ Corminar said, then turned to the rest of us. ¡®And may I ask how your task went? We have information on this Niamh, I trust?¡¯ This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡®She¡¯s gone north,¡¯ I said. ¡®Into the Tundras. More friends for you, Lore.¡¯ ¡®I wish.¡¯ ¡®Any ideas what she is doing up there?¡¯ the ranger asked. ¡®I imagine something terrible.¡¯ ¡®Almost certainly,¡¯ Val grumbled. ¡®We know she¡¯s the member of a Council¡ªthe same one the pyroknight mentioned. The fact that a Council exists means there must be a purpose to what all these Players are up to; we don¡¯t think they¡¯re going around killing people for the fun of it, but¡ª¡¯ ¡®I wouldn¡¯t put it past them,¡¯ the witch added. I pointed to her; that had been exactly what I¡¯d been about to say. ¡®The reason she was pulled away from the witchfinders is because she was needed elsewhere. She was needed to replace the pyroknight.¡¯ Corminar raised his eyebrows. ¡®So it was our doing that¡­¡¯ I nodded. ¡®Whatever the pyroknight was up to, she¡¯s now seeing it through. Up in Lenktra. So that¡¯s where we head, in the morning. And we go find out just what it is that she¡¯s up to.¡¯ The elf and the barbarian nodded. ¡®Works for me. But my sheep¡­¡¯ Lore trailed off, leaving the question hanging in the air. ¡®If Elandor is to be believed, they are safe and sound in this portal dimension. Whether we rescue them now, or we rescue them later, they won¡¯t know the difference.¡¯ ¡®No, it¡¯s not that,¡¯ Lore said. ¡®Or at least not just that. What if we¡¯re too late? What if he gets sick of waiting? What if he just¡­ closes the dimension?¡¯ ¡®He will wait, Lore, I assure you,¡¯ Corminar said, reaching up to place a comforting hand on the man¡¯s shoulder. ¡®Elandor is smart enough, at least, to know that retrieving a depth raider will take time. We can afford the diversion.¡¯ ¡®How sure are you?¡¯ ¡®Very sure,¡¯ Corminar said. He turned away from Lore to face the rest of us, then mouthed, ¡®Not very sure at all, in fact.¡¯ None of us said anything, though; as much as we liked Lore¡¯s sheep, we all knew that stopping this Player had to be our top priority. ¡®I think that¡¯s everything,¡¯ I said, then made eye contact with Val. It wasn¡¯t everything, of course; the witch still hadn¡¯t told anyone else about her personal history with Niamh. ¡®Unless I¡¯ve forgotten anything, Val?¡¯ The witch licked her lips a moment, considering, then said, ¡®No. No, I think that¡¯s all.¡¯ I held her gaze, and nodded; this would stay between us for the time being, at least until Val was comfortable sharing it with the wider group. We drank until late into the night, allowing ourselves just one evening of downtime. As always, it was Arzak to call it a night first, followed some time later by Corminar and then Lore, leaving just Val and I to finish off the last of the tavern¡¯s nice stout. When even I could drink no more, I stumbled up to the room I¡¯d booked, and collapsed into the bed almost fully clothed¡ªI did at least have the good sense to remove my shoes. Sleep took me quickly, and within moments of closing my eyes did I begin to lose consciousness. That is, at least, until I felt someone putting their weight on the bed. I opened my eyes just enough to see that it was not an enemy, but Val, slipping under the covers with me. ¡®What are you doing?¡¯ I mumbled, still half-asleep. ¡®I¡¯m sick of pretending,¡¯ the witch replied, ¡®and I think you are too.¡¯ At that, I wrapped one arm around her, pulled her close, and sank into the deepest sleep I¡¯d had in a good long time.
"Styk" Level 13 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 32 Intelligence ¡ª 124 Dexterity ¡ª 60 Strength ¡ª 62 Wisdom ¡ª 47 Charisma ¡ª 21
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 30 Knifework ¡ª Level 26 Stealth ¡ª Level 12 Identification ¡ª Level 10 Needlework ¡ª Level 9
Abilities: Slice ¡ª Slice the enemy for physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Stab II ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 20%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Stealth Attack ¡ª Passive. 50% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Basic Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft basic cloth armour, quality dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
102. Interlude — Duke Cambelny Of Duke Cambelny of Aptleed¡¯s three sons, only the youngest, Maximilian, was interested in his poetry. Timothy, James and even his wife, Kimberley, entertained this desire to create with good manners, but only Xim asked questions, and only he began creating his own. The duke would spend hours upon the tower¡¯s balcony, the whole of his city stretched before him, parchment and quill in hand. He would fiddle with the words in front of him from dawn til dusk, scouring his mind for the precise, specific, perfect word to occupy each position in his work. That was the beauty of poetry, in his mind: that this form of art was so limited in length meant that every word must be given ample consideration¡ªwas it indeed the best word for this particular moment? Did it convey the emotion that the duke intended? Did it convey the imagery that he held, oh so vivid, in his mind? But, as with all days of late, he found little joy in the process. ¡®Arnus?¡¯ he called out, and his aide arrived promptly at his side, looking down upon the parchment before him. ¡®You know, my lord, not every poem has to rhyme,¡¯ he said. Duke Cambelny ignored the cutting remark. ¡®Tell me. What is the latest news on our news soldiers?¡¯ Arnus hesitated. ¡®All information will be presented at the morning briefing,¡¯ he replied. ¡®Tell me now.¡¯ The prolonged silence that followed was almost answer enough; the Duke knew, in his heart, the truth of the matter. Ever since he had accepted Queen Amira¡¯s aid in dealing with the recent bandit menace, the situation had devolved. It had, at the time, seemed to be the deal of a lifetime. The foreign queen had not demanded payment for the ¡°borrowed¡± soldiers in gold, but in timber¡ªand this was a resource that the Gentle Tundras had in plentiful supply. He would hand over this timber¡ªa significant amount, to be sure¡ªand the soldiers in gold would drive out the bandits that had seemed to emerge from nothing over the past few months. Yet the timber had not been the true payment. Now granted access to the city, the Goldmarch soldiers had taken certain¡­ liberties. Crime was at an all-time low, or so the duke had been told in his morning briefings, but it seemed that the definition of ¡°crime¡± had changed. That is, anything that the Goldmarch soldiers deemed necessary was by default legal in the city of Aptleed. It was legal only because their number was far greater than that of the local guards, and the duke¡¯s loyal men could do nothing without risk of injury or death. And of that, there had been plenty. With every day that passed, the duke found his authority eroded. Goldmarch soldiers hassled innocent locals, those simply going about their work. They stole, they attacked, they committed dreadful crimes of which Duke Cambelny would not permit himself to think about. For, of course, he was to blame. ¡®Any communication from my fellow statesmen?¡¯ the duke asked. ¡®No, sir. I¡­¡¯ Again, Arnus paused. ¡®If you will excuse me, one of your guards is signalling that you have a visitor.¡¯ Duke Cambelny sighed; it had been so long since he had heard from any of them. The last letter, in fact, must have been received over a week ago, and the Duchess of Lenktra had not sounded her usual self. ¡®Very well, let them in,¡¯ he told Arnus, then turned his attention back to his latest poem¡ªone that, it was clear, possessed no heart. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡®My lord,¡¯ Arnus said at the duke¡¯s rear. ¡®May I present to you¡ª Oh, sword of Ares¡­¡¯ The duke¡¯s heart sank in his chest, and he whipped himself from his city-facing chair just in time to avoid the coming attack. A woman stood at the threshold of the balcony in the fine clothes of the upper class, though there was an air about her of anything but. Arnus, who only put on the visage of having come from a wealthy background, could not have noticed. She released a dagger from her hand, throwing it forward. It stuttered forth, and with every foot that it passed away from her, it stopped, duplicated, and then continued on its path. The last of these copycat knives hovered in the air just where Duke Cambelny¡¯s head had been only a second earlier. The woman ripped her hand back, and the furthest knife began to retreat, merging with the one before, until soon she had the full weapon back in her grasp. Arnus roared something unintelligible, his words losing all the effected air of the upper middle class, and he threw himself at the would-be assassin. They tumbled to the floor, while the duke drew his ceremonial sword. Ceremonial it may have been, and blunt as a result, but that did not mean it was useless. A local enchanter by name of Steven had imbued it with a powerful attack¡ªone so powerful that it might only be used a single time. ¡®Arnus, stand clear!¡¯ the duke commanded, but at the same moment, the aide¡¯s eyes bulged. The tip of a dagger emerged from his chest, then duplicated, then shot forward and duplicated once more, heading again for the duke¡¯s head. Duke Cambelny dove to one side, careful not to land on his blade. Though it may have been dull, it could still do damage, and he would not want to activate the enchantment until the correct moment. The last of the duplicating blades caught him by the ear, slicing through it, but doing little enough damage that the duke¡¯s health reserves could manage. He drew his blade, pointing it towards the assassin, and he couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡®Do you really think¡ª¡¯ the assassin began to ask, but the duke was never able to hear the end of the question. Duke Cambelny activated the enchantment, and magicks of all kinds shot forth. Fire attacks combined with frost attacks combined with lightning attacks, combined with the dark aura of magicks he really should not have possessed. As these magicks ploughed forth, the blade risked slipping from his hand, and he gripped it with the other to steady himself. When the enchantment finally ended, the woman sank to the floor, a hole in her low abdomen and indeed in the wall behind her. The duke sank to the floor, exhausted, dismissing the resulting notifications for the time being, for there were other matters to attend to. The duke staggered over to the felled assassin, grit his teeth together, and ripped open the woman¡¯s shirt. The answer to a question he had not yet voiced was there in front of him¡ªthe ink of a Goldmarch prison. This woman was not a local, was not disgruntled by the terrible deal the duke had struck. She was the next stage in Amira¡¯s plan; she had intended this all along. Duke Cambelny could not help but be impressed; in all his dealings with Amira, he had not thought she had such a strategic head upon her shoulders. Though, of course, the duke could not discount the possibility that this scheme had come from new aides of hers. The duke stood, and the duke ran, down the long corridors of the tower he called home, rushing for the room in which he might find his family. As he slammed open the door, he was relieved to find his wife and his three young boys were all together. ¡®Kim, Tim, Jim, Xim¡­ pack your bags. We need to leave.¡¯ His beautiful wife rose from her chair, her face paling. ¡®Darling? What is it? Why must we¡ª¡¯ She ceased her question when she saw the blood stains on his hands. ¡®An attack on my life. And almost certainly not the first. We must leave. Now.¡¯ ¡®Father?¡¯ Xim asked, still so, so young. ¡®What are we packing for? When will we return?¡¯ ¡®My boy¡­ I do not know that we ever will.¡¯ 103. On Crossed Paths Part X: Gentle No More I awoke from vivid dreams that I couldn¡¯t quite remember, of my childhood and my father, but also of war, and I was pretty sure Corminar¡ªof all people¡ªwas there too. There was something strangely lifelike about the dreams, even considering how weird some of their contents were¡ªat least, what I could remember of them. I opened my eyes to find long black hair in my face, and it took me a moment to remember that I hadn¡¯t fallen asleep alone last night. I pulled my face away from Val and spat out a couple of hairs that had made their way into my mouth. I removed my arm from around her as gently as I could, wanting her to continue to sleep, but then my heart skipped a beat when I realised that there were three people standing over us. ¡®It certainly took you two long enough,¡¯ Corminar said, a smirk on his face that put all previous classic Corminar smirks to shame. At his side, Lore begrudging handed over a handful of coins into Arzak¡¯s upturned palm. ¡®OK. You were right,¡¯ he said. Val, disturbed by the noise, crumpled up her face and turned around. ¡®What¡­ what¡¯s going on?¡¯ she mumbled, looking at me. When I nodded to the rest of the team, she was suddenly totally awake, scrambling backwards. ¡®Oh, thanks for that,¡¯ I said. ¡®This going cause issues?¡¯ Arzak asked. ¡®Might stop them bickering quite so much,¡¯ Lore replied. ¡®Could even be good for us.¡¯ Corminar nodded his head sagely. ¡®Perhaps we might get fewer headaches without all such arguing.¡¯ ¡®Who says we¡¯re not gonna argue?¡¯ Val asked, glancing in my direction. The elf¡¯s shoulders slouched. ¡®Ah.¡¯ ¡®OK, maybe not,¡¯ Lore added. ¡®Want us leave so you put clothes on?¡¯ Arzak asked. In response, Val grabbed the sheet and whipped it back over us, to reveal that we¡¯d both passed out fully clothed. ¡®Aha!¡¯ Lore said, at the same moment that Arzak grumbled, ¡®...Oh,¡¯ and then handed the coins back to the barbarian. I nodded to the transaction. ¡®Do I even want to know what¡ª¡¯ I started to ask, but was cut off by the woman next to me elbowing me in the ribs. ¡®Why are you lot even up so early?¡¯ Val asked, grasping her head and beginning to heal her hangover first, as evidence by the yellow-white glow of her magicks. ¡®Why are you up so late?¡¯ Lore retorted. ¡®It¡¯s past lunchtime. We were getting worried, especially when we found your room empty.¡¯ ¡®Well, I¡ª¡¯ Val started, but was interrupted by Arzak clapping to prompt us out of bed. ¡®Up! Up! We have kill horrible Player.¡¯ ¡®We don¡¯t know they¡¯re horrible,¡¯ I replied, aware now that I was apparently going to have convince not just Val of this. ¡®They Player. They horrible.¡¯ ¡®What crimes has she committed? What does¡ª¡¯ ¡®Might I remind you that she is a member of a so-called ¡°Council¡±?¡¯ Corminar asked. ¡®I have only encountered ¡°councils¡± when there is some evil afoot. Particularly when they capitalise the C.¡¯ Lore nodded knowingly. ¡®Up! Up!¡¯ the orc said again, once more clapping her hands together to spur us into action. Lore thrusted his hands forward, a package wrapped in paper in each. ¡®I packed you sandwiches for the road.¡¯ * * * We travelled north, along the winding merchant road that connected the Goldmarch with the Gentle Tundras and, further north still, the orcish reaches. With our foray into the palace records office revealing that Niamh was in Lenktra, we couldn¡¯t make use of a ferry to cut days off our journey. Instead it was the good old fashioned method of travel that consisted of putting one foot in front of the other. As we journeyed, we occasionally passed through small towns on the merchant route, and I activated my In Plain Sight ability to acquire more Stealth experience, but without there being any real danger, I hadn¡¯t quite levelled it up from 14. Likewise, I made a habit of using Shrill Perimeter to make sure we were warned of any approaching enemies while the whole team slept, though there had been none of the sort. There probably would be none, too, or at least I¡¯d thought so until Arzak had voiced something she¡¯d apparently been pondering. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡®So pyroknight work for Council?¡¯ she¡¯d asked. ¡®Jacob. Yeah,¡¯ I replied. ¡®Jacob work for Council, and we kill Jacob. Now Niamh do same Council work. I follow, yes?¡¯ ¡®You follow, yes.¡¯ ¡®Think Niamh know about us?¡¯ Lore, who¡¯d been sitting at the campfire at my side, suddenly stopped slurping his stew to look up at us. ¡®Why would she¡ª¡¯ I started, but Arzak cut me off. ¡®Council know Jacob dead. Council are powerful, so much know who kill Jacob. So¡­¡¯ ¡®Niamh might want to avoid the same fate,¡¯ I finished for her. ¡®She knows we¡¯re coming?¡¯ Lore asked. After a pause, the orc shrugged. ¡®Eat stew,¡¯ she said. If the rest of the team had thought that Val might stop picking fights with me after what had happened¡ªthough admittedly they all thought that I was just as guilty of fight-picking¡ªthey were dead wrong. If anything, the casual digs became more common than ever, and I¡¯d been forced to return them in kind. Once we¡¯d spent one night too many under the stars for Arzak¡¯s back, the orc talked us into staying at a tavern overnight¡ªon the condition that ¡°some of us¡± didn¡¯t get carried away on the beer. I had no idea who that applied to. Val and I were three pints deep when the vibe changed. Corminar had been nursing a glass of what he described as ¡°swill¡± but was in fact wine¡ªI mean, I don¡¯t know what he expected from wine served on the south Tundran border, to be honest¡ªbut paused to watch as a group entered the tavern. At the sight of whoever had entered, his eyes widened, and I immediately wrenched myself around in my seat to get a look. It was a group of elves that had arrived in the tavern, and were looking around with absolutely no expression on their faces, but I¡¯d been around Corminar long enough to read elven eyes. They couldn¡¯t quite seem to believe that they were entering a building such as this¡ªa matter on which most of the patrons seemed to agree. I turned back to Corminar. ¡®Red Thorn?¡¯ The ranger shook his head, but said nothing more, only continuing to study the group of elves as they ambled¡ªthough, ¡°floated¡± might have been a better descriptor¡ªover to the bar, and ordered more of the same wine that Corminar had described as ¡°swill¡±. Corminar remained oddly silent for the next hour or so¡ªnot that he was the Slayer with the loudest mouth at the best of times¡ªhis eyes trained on the elves at the bar. But he didn¡¯t move, nor did he comment on them. And, if I wasn¡¯t mistaken, one of them was glancing back. Knowing Corminar, there was only one possible answer to this question¡ªthe grizzled elf glancing back at him was a former lover. Though, that didn¡¯t exactly narrow it down. ¡®Marriage?¡¯ Arzak asked. ¡®Babies? Grand babies?¡¯ ¡®Arzak, shut up,¡¯ Val replied. ¡®What are we talking about? I got distracted,¡¯ I said, returning to the conversation. ¡®Arzak is interrogating me on my intent.¡¯ ¡®Intent with what?¡¯ ¡®With you,¡¯ Val replied. ¡®I defend your honour,¡¯ Arzak explained. ¡®Make sure she not break your heart.¡¯ ¡®If anyone¡¯s getting their heart broken around here, it¡¯s¡ª¡¯ The sound of glass shattering against floor interrupted me, and I looked around to find that Val had dropped her¡ªnearly full¡ªpint glass. Her face grew pale as she stared at an older gentleman sporting an old-style sorcerer¡¯s hat, who had just entered the tavern. ¡®Val?¡¯ I asked, placing a hand on her upper back. ¡®Are you alright?¡¯ ¡®He¡­¡¯ Val started, though immediately trailed off. Her eyes remained on the older human as he hurried over to the elves at the bar and clapped a couple of them around the back. ¡®Sorry about that, old chaps,¡¯ the man said. ¡®Had to nip off. Academy business, you understand. How is the wine? Good, good¡­¡¯ Val suddenly stood from the table, swaying slightly though I suspected that didn¡¯t have much to do with the beer, and she turned as if around to leave. ¡®Val, what are you¡­?¡¯ As she moved towards the exit, I also rose from the table and hurried after her, grabbing her softly by the forearm. ¡®Val, what¡¯s going on?¡¯ ¡®He knows,¡¯ Val said. ¡®He knows what I am.¡¯ ¡®Equivalence Vignor,¡¯ the voice of the sorcerer boomed across the tavern floor. ¡®I did wonder if we would ever meet again¡­¡¯
"Styk" Level 13 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 32 Intelligence ¡ª 124 Dexterity ¡ª 60 Strength ¡ª 62 Wisdom ¡ª 47 Charisma ¡ª 21
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 30 Knifework ¡ª Level 26 Stealth ¡ª Level 12 Identification ¡ª Level 10 Needlework ¡ª Level 9
Abilities: Slice ¡ª Slice the enemy for physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Stab II ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 20%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Stealth Attack ¡ª Passive. 50% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Basic Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft basic cloth armour, quality dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
104. Travelling Companions Val raised her hands, moving her fingers in much the way that I¡¯d seen before, when she¡¯d been about to start weaving her magicks. But these days, ever since the incident with the witchfinder village, she wasn¡¯t carrying an obscurem to mask what would be the green glow of Witchcraft. I grabbed her hands, lowering them. ¡®Val, no. Not here. It isn¡¯t¡ª¡¯ ¡®He already knows!¡¯ the witch hissed back at me. ¡®He might, but nobody else does. Let¡¯s keep it that way, yeah?¡¯ ¡®Equivalence?¡¯ the sorcerer called out again behind me. ¡®Do you not recognise your old tutor?¡¯ Val and I turned slowly, and I placed myself between her and the stranger, still expecting trouble. ¡®I recognise the man who expelled me,¡¯ Val said, after a moment of staring the man down. ¡®Yes, well¡­ We all know what that was about.¡¯ By now, a good chunk of the tavern¡¯s patrons were staring at the interaction; the atmosphere had changed enough that they recognised that something could be about to go down. ¡®Do you intend to¡­ seek further ¡°justice¡±?¡¯ Val asked, talking around the point so as to not clue the onlookers in on what was going on. The older man¡¯s eyes shifted from her, to me, and then to the rest of the group. Of the others, all four¡ªArzak, Corminar, Lore and the depth raider, in its cage¡ªstared back at him. The sorcerer¡¯s eyes lingered on the last of these. ¡®Perhaps I¡­ acted too swiftly, all those years ago. Without due consideration. What you¡ª¡¯ He cut himself off, also apparently keen to avoid using the word ¡°witch¡±. ¡®The disciplinary matter of which we speak perhaps was rooted in archaic rules. Rules that perhaps do not hold up to the evolving standards of the modern day.¡¯ I could feel Val remaining tense, but she said nothing. ¡®Come,¡¯ the sorcerer said, waving her over towards him and the group of elves he was apparently here with. ¡®Allow me to buy you and your friends a drink. It would not be enough to make amends, but it would, perhaps, be a start.¡¯ Val stirred behind me, and I glanced over my shoulder at her. Though still tense, it had softened somewhat at the mention of free beer. ¡®He¡¯s making peace,¡¯ I whispered to her. ¡®Sometimes it¡¯s best to go with it.¡¯ After another moment of consideration, Val finally nodded, and walked¡ªvery slowly¡ªover to the sorcerer and his elven friends. ¡®What will it be?¡¯ the sorcerer said, waving to the bar keep. ¡®Ale. Red,¡¯ Val replied. The barkeep nodded their acknowledgement of the order, and the sorcerer turned to me, raising his eyebrows as though to repeat the question. ¡®The same.¡¯ ¡®Excellent,¡¯ the sorcerer said, then pushed forward a hand to shake mine. He gripped it firmly. ¡®Arnold Orellan. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard of me.¡¯ I wasn¡¯t quite sure whether I was supposed to have heard of the man through Val or more generally, but either way, I had absolutely no idea who he was. I answered only with a polite smile and a nod. Arnold turned back to Val. ¡®And for your friends?¡¯ ¡®Three more of the same.¡¯ ¡®Won¡¯t Corminar want¡ª¡¯ I started. Val shook her head. ¡®He doesn¡¯t know what he wants. He¡¯ll prefer the beer to the wine, he just thinks he should be drinking wine.¡¯ ¡®Wine is the preferred drink of his people,¡¯ one of the elves¡ªthe man who had eyed up Corminar earlier¡ªoffered. ¡®He¡¯s not been one of ¡°his people¡± for a long time,¡¯ Val said, almost snapping at the elf. I thought if she hadn¡¯t been so stressed in the currently situation, she probably wouldn¡¯t have been so snippy about the matter. As the night went on, Val began to relax, and the team began to mingle with the sorcerer and his elven friends. It took me asking to find out that the elves were low-level diplomats from the Dawnwoods, and part of Queen Amira¡¯s ongoing efforts to bring their two countries closer together. All around the Goldmarch were other elven diplomats, being given tours around the land by locals in high standing¡ªlike Arnold Orellan here¡ªand becoming experts in specific regions. The group that the sorcerer was travelling with had been charged with becoming experts in the Goldmarch¡¯s trade with the Gentle Tundras, to the north. By the time that the hour grew late, Val had relaxed some more. Enough even that when Arnold Orellan asked if we would consider travelling north with them¡ªwe would provide the group with protection on these bandit-infested roads and be offered payment in return¡ªVal accepted the deal. Well, to be honest, ¡°accepted¡± might have been overstating it; Arnold didn¡¯t seem to give us much of an option, but Val at least didn¡¯t push back on it. And so it went that our group, for the time being, grew larger. * * * Over the next few days, we managed to avoid the bandits, though we saw and heard that they were operating in these parts. Locals complained and sought to hire us to deliver justice, and there was no shortage of burnt buildings¡ªthose who had resisted the criminals. No bandits had attacked us, however, though I thought this was more to do with them preferring to pick on smaller groups, rather than the dozen or so of us. As we travelled further north, near enough to Camp Claw, the landscape began to grow desolate. We were in a part of the world where the forest should have grown denser, but that was no longer the case. Instead, there were tree stumps as far as the eyes could see. All the timber in this region had been harvest, with no evidence of any reforestation efforts taking place. But that was far from the only strange thing we saw on our travels. As we made our way along the coastal road, we encountered locals who complained about disturbances in the Iron Sea. Some recounted events so horrifying that they were abandoning their homes, and based on the evidence we saw first-hand, I was inclined to believe them. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Some spoke of monsters rising from the depths, slaughtering livestock and single travellers alike. I¡¯d seen many the odd animal ripped apart on the road, and at one point we came across a farmyard consisting of two dozen cows in much the same state, none left alive. Lore was particularly horrified by this sight. Other locals spoke about cephalopors making trips onto the land, too, and we¡¯d seen this one for ourselves. We saw no sign of any other ones making the trip to the coast, thankfully, but I was very wary of the depth raider sometimes stirring in its cage¡ªwere these beasts strong enough to engage the creature¡¯s powerful abilities? Whether these tales were true or not, there were enough to form a trend, and one thing was clear: some new power was forcing these creatures from the Iron Sea. I sat one evening outside a tavern, doing my best not to overindulge after the headache I¡¯d woken up with the night before¡ªone that Val had refused to heal, saying it served me right¡ªand worked on my Needlework. The gentle waves of the Iron Sea lapped the beach in front of me, though the night was dark enough that I could barely make them out, even with the torch planted in the sand next to me. As I finished a stitch, a notification popped up in front of me. Needlework increased to level 10! Base Points gained ¡ª +1 DEX, +1 CHA, +1 Free Point (DEX/CHA) Ability selection unlocked Select an ability from the list below: Option 1: Flamboyant Stitch (Needlework) ¡ª Replaces ¡®Stitch¡¯. Create an artful stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales more significantly on [CHA]. It would have been a decent enough ability choice if my plan for Needlework had been to sell my wares; people¡ªparticularly wealthy people¡ªpaid substantially more for clothes with a flair of design beyond the usual functional elements. But my plan for this skill was more practical than that: I wanted to create armour that I could wear, that would assist Warped Shield in making up for underinvesting in Vitality. After all, I was going to continue to put points into Intelligence over Vitality at every opportunity, to boost my mana reserves. Fortunately, I had another option. Option 2: Cloth Armour (Needlework) ¡ª Replaces ¡®Basic Cloth Armour¡¯. Craft a cloth armour of higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level. I didn¡¯t need to give it a second thought; this was the ability choice for me. Even removing the ¡®Basic¡¯ from ¡®Basic Cloth Armour¡¯ might not allow me to create armour that protected me too much, but it was a start, and it surely lended itself to more similar abilities as I continued to progress. Ability unlocked ¡ª Cloth Armour Cloth Armour (Needlework) ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level. I put my crafting materials down for a moment, and stared out at the dark sea. My thoughts returned to my dreams. Ever since we¡¯d left Auricia, I¡¯d begun to dread going to sleep. Dreams had become¡­ not quite nightmares, but definitely both manic and vivid enough that I wasn¡¯t exactly enjoying them. I couldn¡¯t blame Val even¡ªshe¡¯d only returned to my bed a couple of times since Auricia¡ªand I didn¡¯t think it was the beer either, because that was hardly new. The most common dream I¡¯d had was one of being restrained, while Players stood over me and discussed me, considering me in a language I couldn¡¯t quite understand. They told me they would reveal who¡ªwhat?¡ªI was, and that bit I could understand. From my restraints, I could only watch as they told my friends, one by one, and one by one they turned against me. Last night I¡¯d been woken from it by someone shaking me awake. I regret to say that I¡¯d hoped it had been Val joining me again, but instead it was Lore, this time. He¡¯d held the depth raider¡¯s cage in his arms. ¡®Lore? What¡¯s¡­ I don¡¯t think we¡¯d both fit in this bed,¡¯ I mumbled, still only half-awake. ¡®Someone tried to get in my room. Tried to break in.¡¯ I blinked up at him. ¡®Probably a drunk. Probably Val. We¡¯re in an inn, after all.¡¯ Lore had looked down at me, considering this, then nodded, and went back to his room. I was interrupted from my daydreaming by someone joining me on the beach, planting themselves down at my side. I could sense who it was before they spoke. ¡®I¡¯ve been drinking too much,¡¯ Val said. ¡®Tonight, or this lifetime?¡¯ ¡®Last few days. Thought I¡¯d try some of this ¡°fresh ocean air¡± you were talking about, instead.¡¯ She nodded down at the Needlework supplies. ¡®How¡¯s it going?¡¯ ¡®You really want to know? Thought you thought it was stupid.¡¯ ¡®Tell me,¡¯ she said. I paused for a moment, waiting for a punchline that never came, and then began to tell her all about the different techniques I¡¯d been trying, and the new ability I¡¯d just received. All the while, the witch remained quiet, listening intently. It would have been nice if I wasn¡¯t distracted by the feeling that something was lurking in the Iron Sea. And I hadn¡¯t known then just how right I was to fear it.
"Styk" Level 13 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 32 Intelligence ¡ª 127 Dexterity ¡ª 61 Strength ¡ª 62 Wisdom ¡ª 47 Charisma ¡ª 24
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 30 Knifework ¡ª Level 26 Stealth ¡ª Level 12 Needlework ¡ª Level 10 Identification ¡ª Level 10
Abilities: Slice ¡ª Slice the enemy for physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Stab II ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 20%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Stealth Attack ¡ª Passive. 50% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
105. Not The Bees Val and I returned to the traveller¡¯s inn that night to find the downstairs empty but for Corminar and the elven diplomats. They were usually first to go up for the night, but they¡¯d discovered that this particular inn actually had good wine, and were making up for lost time. We¡¯d planned to head straight up to my room, but Corminar caught sight of us and waved us over, and there was nothing we could do to excuse ourselves that wouldn¡¯t have made our nighttime plans obvious. Corminar poured us each a rather healthy glass of wine when we joined them, and my promise to myself about not drinking on this particular night was shattered. They spoke of elven things¡ªthat is, things very specific to elvish culture¡ªand Val and I largely kept silent, sipping our wine. But then the grizzled male elf suddenly snapped his head to Corminar, his eyes wide. ¡®I fancy that I know who you are,¡¯ the elf said. ¡®Urlwan,¡¯ one of the other elves warned him, but the elf was undeterred. ¡®You are the Champion of Iranir, are you not? Lieutenant¡­ Cludelor?¡¯ ¡®Cladenor,¡¯ Val said absent-mindedly, and Corminar shot her the closest he ever achieved to a glare. ¡®It is a matter of which I would rather not discuss,¡¯ Corminar responded to the elf. ¡®My brother served under you,¡¯ Urlwan continued. ¡®On many an occasion did he explain that you were the only reason he survived the Honey Wars. You may not wish to discuss it, yet I must offer you my utmost gratitude. You saved the life of my kin and the hearts of my parents.¡¯ ¡®Yes, well¡ª¡¯ Corminar started, but Urlwarn, bolstered by the wine, continued some more. ¡®And yet I find you in such lands as the Goldmarch? Surely you should be home, leading the Rooted Guard or living the life of a hero?¡¯ ¡®Urlwan,¡¯ the same elf from earlier said, this time putting more emphasis into the name. She clearly knew the answer to this question, and knew why Corminar might not be comfortable answering it. ¡®Yes, quite,¡¯ my ranger friend said. ¡®Well, I assure you that I am here with purpose. We are looking for someone, in fact. A woman who dwells in powerful circles.¡¯ ¡®Oh?¡¯ one of the elves asked. ¡®Please, provide us with a name. Perhaps we know her. After all, we have spent the past six months in the presence of those who fit that description.¡¯ ¡®Her name¡ª¡¯ ¡®Corminar?¡¯ Val prodded him. ¡®Are you sure this is a good idea?¡¯ ¡®My kind can be trusted, I assure you. We do not tend to gossip quite as much as humans, or tieflings, or Arzak. And perhaps we might learn some vital information.¡¯ He turned back to the group of elves. ¡®You may indeed know her. She is a Player. One by name of Niamh.¡¯ Many of the elves leant back in awe, almost unconsciously. ¡®We do indeed know Niamh, for she is on one of Queen Amira¡¯s councils.¡¯ There¡¯s that word again. ¡®And who are you, in these days, that you have business with the descendents of the Architects?¡¯ ¡®We mean only to assist her, I can assure you of that,¡¯ Corminar lied. ¡®Though in order to do so, we must first find her. I am afraid, alas, that we have only a physical description, and little information about class and skills that may aid in our location of her.¡¯ Urlwan leant forward once more. ¡®In this, I can aid you. Anything for the elf who saved my brother. The Player you are looking for¡­ amazingly intelligent she is, particularly for a human¡ªthough I mean this in the social sense, rather than that of the system. Though she demonstrated little of her actual skills to us, I do at least have it on good authority that her class is in the Hunter line, perhaps Trapper, I do believe?¡¯ I glanced over at Val, who was doing a very good job of keeping her expression neutral. ¡®Thus, you might find her in the forests, though I believe she has risen to a station, these days, where she has attendants to see to any such hands-on work. As far as I am aware, she spends her days in Lenktra, and the surrounding area.¡¯ Corminar nodded. ¡®Good. This matches the information we already possess. I am grateful.¡¯ Urlwan smiled, which doesn¡¯t sound like an extreme reaction, but you¡¯ve got to remember that elves don¡¯t express emotions very often. ¡®Of course. Any time.¡¯ ¡®I think we should be getting up,¡¯ I said, gulping down the last of my wine¡ªan action that resulted in blank stares from all the elves but Corminar¡ªand gesturing to the stairs. Val nodded, and¡ªoblivious to the elven glares¡ªdid the same thing with her wine. Corminar, who seemed a bit less comfortable with the other elves now that he¡¯d been recognised, made to do the same. As we reached the landing, I stopped. ¡®Corminar,¡¯ I said, then pointed into my room. The elf paused, looking at Val and me. ¡®I always knew this day would come, though I didn¡¯t think your bedroom antics would grow dull so quickly.¡¯ ¡®What?¡¯ I replied. ¡®No. We need to talk.¡¯ The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Corminar nodded. ¡®Of course. Perhaps next time, then.¡¯ I closed the door firmly behind him, and listened at it for signs that the elven contingent were coming up to bed. From the sounds of it, they were still happily drinking downstairs. ¡®She¡¯s a Trapper,¡¯ I said, turning. ¡®A Trapper. Do any of you get the impression that¡¯s exactly what we¡¯re walking into? A Trap?¡¯ ¡®I think you overstate how much these Players care about¡ª¡¯ Corminar started. ¡®Do I? Don¡¯t you remember what Arzak said, a few days back? Niamh could know we¡¯re coming, especially if she was on this same ¡°council¡± as the pyroknight.¡¯ Corminar paused, then shrugged. ¡®I do not believe this changes anything. We still must do what we must do.¡¯ ¡®We can be more careful about it, though. We don¡¯t have to go blundering in,¡¯ Val said, and only now was she letting her face pale. The ranger paused when he saw her, immediately recognising something was wrong. ¡®You seem¡­ nervous?¡¯ he asked. ¡®You should tell him,¡¯ I told Val. ¡®All of them, really. They have a right to know.¡¯ I was right, of course, but that didn¡¯t change the fact that this was deeply traumatising for Val. Having to relive it again wouldn¡¯t be easy. The witch shook her head for an instant, and then¡­ sighed. ¡®Maybe.¡¯ The room fell silent, both Corminar and I allowing Val the space to process. ¡®I¡¯ll show you mine if you show me yours, Cor,¡¯ the witch finally said. Before Corminar could inevitably start undressing, she clarified, ¡®Tell me about the Honey Wars. Tell us what happened at Iranir.¡¯ The elf said nothing for a moment, licking his lips as though deliberating. ¡®How much do you know about the Honey Wars?¡¯ he asked. ¡®I know they were bad,¡¯ Val replied. ¡®Killer bees infested the Dawnwoods. Took lots of lives. But that¡¯s from what I read. I¡¯ve never spoken about it with anyone who was there.¡¯ Corminar nodded. ¡®There are not words to describe the horrors I witnessed, and so I will not attempt to. Know only this: times were desperate, and in the most desperate of times, you might find you have to bend otherwise firm moral codes. Do you know we still have treason written in law, in the Dawnwoods? Even after the fall of the elven kings?¡¯ ¡®I didn¡¯t,¡¯ I said. I knew little of elven affairs, if I was honest, particularly those of the Dawnwoods. ¡®I would not say it a crime worse than murder or the like, of course, but it is a crime treated equally by elven law. Now that there is no king to rebel against, you can commit treason in only one way: by burning the Dawnwoods.¡¯ He trailed off there, leaving Val to fill the silence. ¡®And at Iranir¡­¡¯ ¡®I was a Lieutenant there, but so many of my kin had fallen that command rested on my shoulders. There was still a captain there, it would later turn out, but our soldiers were so scattered that we could not have known. The bees, they¡­ there were too many of them. Our prospect of victory was none, and yet my fellow elves looked to me to save them. And I did just that. By burning Iranir to the ground.¡¯ I felt a chill run down my back. I knew enough about elves at least that I could see burning the trees was truly a last resort for them. It was beyond a last resort, really, and yet Corminar had chosen to do so. ¡®They couldn¡¯t charge a hero,¡¯ I said. The elf nodded. ¡®Not formally. But they made it very clear: treason had been committed, and I would never be able to turn home.¡¯ The room fell to silence, everyone processing their thoughts. It was Corminar who recovered fastest¡ªnone of this being news to him, of course¡ªand he looked up at Val. ¡®Your turn,¡¯ he said. And so Val told him. She gave him little more detail that she¡¯d given me, only that Niamh had hunted a changeling, and decided one changeling corpse was as good as another. There was only the one thing that she hadn¡¯t said before. ¡®I was a kid,¡¯ Val croaked. ¡®Just a kid. And when I survived, after the bogspawn, people started to put things together. A month later, all of the northern Goldmarch knew I was a witch. Including my parents.¡¯ Suddenly, she turned on me, almost snarling. ¡®You say we can¡¯t be sure she deserves to be killed? We bloody well can.¡¯ I said nothing, but I nodded. ¡®Then you know more than you¡¯ve said,¡¯ Corminar said to Val. ¡®Urlwan says she¡¯s a trapper. Is that correct?¡¯ ¡®My information is years out of date, but¡­¡¯ the witch nodded. ¡®Yeah. Yeah, that adds up. But if you think her traps and her tracking and her bow is what we need to watch out for¡­ no, you¡¯re mistaken. ¡®The most dangerous thing about Niamh is her mind.¡¯
"Styk" Level 13 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 32 Intelligence ¡ª 127 Dexterity ¡ª 61 Strength ¡ª 62 Wisdom ¡ª 47 Charisma ¡ª 24
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 30 Knifework ¡ª Level 26 Stealth ¡ª Level 12 Needlework ¡ª Level 10 Identification ¡ª Level 10
Abilities: Slice ¡ª Slice the enemy for physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Stab II ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 20%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Stealth Attack ¡ª Passive. 50% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
106. From The Depths They Rise Twilight had cast red across the sky, punctuated only by long, fluffy clouds, as we made our way north along the coastal road, still accompanied by Arnold Orellan and his elven guests. Lore, who did not share a single thing in common with any of our new elven friends, had been spending most of his time with the depth raider, which he had decided was definitely male, based on its ¡°energy¡±. You might not have known it was a beast capable of levelling cities from the way that the barbarian kept tickling its belly. According to the information we had, the witchfinder¡¯s clasp should have kept it from gaining any power from any particularly strong people around him, but Val was nervous about it. ¡®Those things only go so far,¡¯ she said. Corminar had grown distant from the other elves since their recognising of him last night. He seemed ashamed of his past, though these diplomats did not seem to see any reason he would, Urlwan in particular. With time, Corminar¡¯s uncharged crimes had been¡­ if not forgotten, then at least they seemed less important. We were running late for the stop that Arnold Orellan had planned for us, and if we didn¡¯t get there soon, then we were going to be travelling in darkness. It wouldn¡¯t matter how many of us there were, then¡ªbandits would surely give robbing us a go. Arnold hadn¡¯t spoken to Val really since the first night, and Val was starting to think his words about making amends had been just that¡ªwords. I had suggested to her that maybe there were some nerves on his side, but she disagreed, saying he wasn¡¯t the kind of man to get nerves. Based on what I¡¯d seen so far, I was inclined to agree. Maybe he really had just wanted protection through these increasingly dangerous lands, and was the type to say whatever he needed to to secure it. It was always those sorts that became rich and powerful, after all. Instead, Arnold Orellan had spent a lot of his time with Lore, interrogating him about the nature of the depth raider¡ªit being ¡°one of those few creatures I¡¯ve never had the pleasure of dissecting¡±. Lore wasn¡¯t exactly thrilled to hear this, and he always kept his swords nearby just in case, though it was hard to believe this otherwise mild-mannered old man had anything but academic discussion in mind. As we climbed over the crest of a sand dune, right on the beach, we finally spotted the inn we intended to stay at. And it was a good thing too, because the red sky had grown dark, and the last of the sun¡¯s rays was just disappearing over the barren, deforested landscape to our left. It was almost peaceful, the sound of the waves lapping against the beach, but again I had this sense of something being wrong with the sound, something about the way the waves swept in that wasn¡¯t quite right. Val was walking slower, too, her eyes on the shoreline. ¡®What is it?¡¯ I asked. ¡®Do you hear it?¡¯ ¡®Hear it? No. I feel something.¡¯ We stopped, at the front of our party, causing the rest of the group to slow to a halt behind. ¡®Let¡¯s not dilly-dally, chaps,¡¯ Arnold said, approaching us. ¡®There will be dangers out on the road, this time of night. Bandits, and¡ª¡¯ Val shook her head. ¡®No,¡¯ she said, almost under her breath. ¡®Not¡ª¡¯ We heard the unmistakable sound of something moving in the water. ¡®Another cephalopor?¡¯ I asked. The witch shook her head. ¡®No, I don¡¯t think so. Something else. Something¡­¡¯ We heard the sound again, and then a figure broke forth from underneath the surface. In the low light, I had to squint to make it out, and all I could see was the head and shoulders of¡ªit seemed¡ªa man. ¡®Who¡­¡¯ Another figure pierced the surface. A woman, it looked like. Staring at the lot of us. ¡®Not sure this good,¡¯ Arzak said, joining Val, Arnold and I at the front of the pack. A third head, then a fourth, then three more, and more still all emerged from the water, each exactly the same distance from one another, all of them staring at us. ¡®Get to the inn,¡¯ Val said, softly. Arnold did not need to be told twice, and he began running forward, incredibly agile for his age, without sparing a glance for the elves he was supposed to be guiding. ¡®Get to the inn!¡¯ I shouted, echoing Val, waving the elven diplomats onward, drawing my blade with the other hand. The shapes in the Iron Sea charged at once, running through the water like it was air, not being slowed for a moment, their eyes fixed upon the members of the party who were standing their ground. Corminar loosed an arrow, then another, then another, each of them embedding in one of the figures¡¯ chests, but not seeming to do any damage. ¡®This gods-forsaken bow!¡¯ the ranger roared, but still he kept firing. Val rushed forward, into the shallows of the sea before the creatures could reach her. She bent down, touching the water, and then summoned lightning magicks to ripple through it. The surface of the water sizzled from the spell, and Val was immediately shot backwards into the air by the very same magicks, but still the figures were undeterred. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. I flinged a hand upwards, opening a portal behind Val as she flew through the air, and opened another near me so I could catch her. ¡®You OK?¡¯ I asked. Val didn¡¯t reply, and hopped free of my grasp, ready to launch more attacks on the encroaching enemies. Meanwhile, Lore and Arzak were charging forth, weapons in hand. ¡®Styk!¡¯ Arzak shouted, and I got the message, opening a portal in front of her and its partner in the air above the closest of the enemies. The orc brought two swords down upon the manlike¡ªmanlike because it was clear, at this point, that they weren¡¯t men at all¡ªand the blades¡­ passed right through it. It wasn¡¯t like the spectres of the witchfinders that we¡¯d encountered before¡ªthe blades still hit flesh, and cut through it, it was just that the wounds sealed up again the moment the sword was clear. ¡®Guys? I think we might have a problem here!¡¯ Lore shouted, still running into battle anyway, the depth raider¡¯s cage strapped to his back and the creature within bouncing around. ¡®The raider?¡¯ I cried back to him. ¡®No! The scary sea-people!¡¯ ¡®Oh, right.¡¯ ¡®There¡¯s magicks in the air,¡¯ Val shouted. ¡®Not just mine and Styk¡¯s. Theirs too.¡¯ ¡®Idea what they are?¡¯ Arzak said, still swiping away with the blades but getting nowhere. One of the creatures flung the back of a limb into her, knocking the heavy woman into the air with ease. ¡®I¡¯ve not seen anything like it,¡¯ the witch replied. ¡®I don¡¯t know!¡¯ ¡®Blade no work,¡¯ Arzak grunted, lifting herself back to her feet. ¡®Magicks no work. What left?¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t¡ª¡¯ ¡®Running away?¡¯ Lore suggested, and immediately took his own advice, sprinting, sword in hand, down the beach. The other four of us hesitated for a moment, before Arzak shouted, ¡®Regroup!¡¯ and that gave us all permission to flee. We quickly put distance between us and the enemies, as they were slower on land than in water, and a year ago I might have used that simply to run away. But we were supposed to be heroes now, of a sort, and besides¡ªwe¡¯d been paid good money to protect the people currently in the tavern ahead of us. I opened a portal in front of me and Val, and we leaped through it, landing heavy on our feet at the door to the inn. The witch hurried inside, beginning to shout orders at whoever was inside, while I turned back to open more portals, bringing the rest of the team to the building. Behind them, I could see the creatures creeping steadily towards me. I heard a shrill, grumpy woman¡¯s voice behind me, and suddenly I was barged out of the doorway by a short, stout barmaid with her hand on her hip. ¡®Scare my customers, will you?¡¯ she shouted at Val, back inside. ¡®¡°Creatures attacking¡±? Good grief, there¡ª¡¯ The barmaid immediately trailed off when she looked around at the dozen humanoid figures running towards her inn. She turned back inside. ¡®Creatures attacking! Merfolk attacking!¡¯ Merfolk, was it? ¡®Do what the weird woman says!¡¯ she continued. ¡®Barricade the windows! Barricade the door.¡¯ ¡®Not wait for us be inside?¡¯ Arzak asked the woman as she hurried past me into the building. The barmaid ignored her. As soon as the last of our group was inside, I allowed the barmaid to slam the door closed, and Val and Urlwan were ready with an upturned table. They rammed it into place against the door. ¡®Think it¡¯ll hold?¡¯ Val asked. Arzak responded by slamming one sword, then the other, into the floorboards just behind the table, helping to keep it in place. ¡®It hold.¡¯ I nodded, then looked around at the other windows, where other customers were propping up tables in much the same way, or¡ªin the case of a man in a cook¡¯s hat and an apron¡ªwere hammering loose floorboards across the windows. When the last nail was used, the inn suddenly turned silent. ¡®And now what?¡¯ I asked. Nobody had an answer for me, and the enemy began to knock on the door.
"Styk" Level 13 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 32 Intelligence ¡ª 127 Dexterity ¡ª 61 Strength ¡ª 62 Wisdom ¡ª 47 Charisma ¡ª 24
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 30 Knifework ¡ª Level 26 Stealth ¡ª Level 12 Needlework ¡ª Level 10 Identification ¡ª Level 10
Abilities: Slice ¡ª Slice the enemy for physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Stab II ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 20%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Stealth Attack ¡ª Passive. 50% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
107. The Siege Begins It was several hours before the merfolk stopped banging on the doors and walls, but the fact that we were surrounded never got any less terrifying for the patrons of The Net & Anchor. Even once the noise stopped, we were still incredibly aware that the merfolk were outside, because we could see movement through the gaps in the floorboards on the windows. Rounds of beer, purchased by the elven diplomats for everyone trapped here, went some way to distract from the enemy outside, but it wasn¡¯t enough. Even for me, it wasn¡¯t enough. Normally I wouldn¡¯t have been too distressed by the promise of a fight, but we¡¯d seen already that these merfolk were invulnerable to our attacks. Any fight that happened would surely end in our deaths. I turned back to my Needlework to keep my mind off things, but even growing it to level 12¡ªthe experience bolstered by the use of my new Cloth Armour ability¡ªdidn¡¯t settle me. At my side, Arzak and Val discussed strategy, but the only possible solution seemed to be waiting the enemies out. But how long would that be? It could be hours, or it could be days. And with the merfolk¡¯s invulnerability, there was little chance of any assistance. With a sigh, I put my needle down and strolled over to the bar, where the previously disgruntled barmaid poured me a pint without charging me. Over here, I could hear Arnold Orellan still badgering Lore about letting him study the depth raider, which was making the barbarian increasingly uncomfortable. ¡®Don¡¯t you have other things to worry about, right now?¡¯ I called over to him. The academic¡¯s easy smile faltered for a moment before he regained composure, and then he nodded. ¡®Quite right; the merfolk are equally worthy of study.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t quite what I¡¯d meant, but it took Arnold¡¯s attention away from the depth raider, and for that, Lore smiled his gratitude. I raised my pint in mock cheers in response. The ale didn¡¯t taste as good as it should have. The barbarian turned to the man in the apron and the chef¡¯s hat. ¡®Are you¡ª¡¯ ¡®Kitchen¡¯s closed,¡¯ the cook replied, his arms crossed and his eyes trained on the barred door, as though wary that our besiegers could break through at any moment. Lore pulled a sad face. ¡®I heard about em, you know,¡¯ the barmaid said, and I turned back to see her polishing a not-quite-clean glass with a dish rag. ¡®Depth raiders?¡¯ ¡®Is that what we¡¯re calling merfolk, these days? Ain¡¯t heard of them raiding before, but¡­¡¯ She gestured to the walls. ¡®I guess you could call this that.¡¯ ¡®Ah, no,¡¯ I said. ¡®Depth raiders is something else. What have you heard? Anything that could help us?¡¯ ¡®I heard about them killing people.¡¯ ¡®So no, then.¡¯ The barmaid shrugged, placed down the glass next to plenty more not-quite-clean ones, and picked up another. ¡®Ain¡¯t saying it¡¯d help, just that I¡¯d heard of them. Last few months, like. Heard merchants, coming through here, saying something is forcing things out the Iron Sea. Magicks or something, I guess. It¡¯s always magicks, ain¡¯t it? How often when something big happens is it a woman with a sword behind it? Never.¡¯ ¡®How¡¯d these merchants escape, then?¡¯ I asked. ¡®Dunno that they did.¡¯ ¡®Well, I mean, they came here, right? And told you about them? So they must have still been alive to do that, unless your husband¡¯s a necromancer or something.¡¯ The barmaid stared me down for a moment, then stared into the dirty glass instead. With a sigh, she placed it under the tap and poured a beer for herself. ¡®Necromancers are another one, ain¡¯t they? Always up to trouble. At least that¡¯s outlawed. Not that that stops people. But these merchants¡­ I dunno if they saw the merfolk for themselves, just heard rumours. That¡¯s what merchants sell as often as not¡ªrumours, rather than knowledge.¡¯ ¡®OK, well same question applies: how did the people they heard this from survive? Cos someone must have done at some point.¡¯ ¡®Maybe they saw the bodies, then.¡¯ Val arrived at my side, clearly here for more beer but immediately distracted by the topic of conversation. ¡®Bodies? What bodies?¡¯ ¡®You not heard about em? The bodies, all up and down the coast. Sucked dry.¡¯ ¡®Of blood? That¡¯s vampires,¡¯ I corrected her. ¡®Not vampires, you twit. They were sucked dry of¡­ water, I guess. Moisture! That¡¯s the word: moisture.¡¯ ¡®And you¡¯re saying these merfolk did it?¡¯ Val asked. ¡®Either that or fancy vampires.¡¯ The barmaid shot me a glare that said she knew it wouldn¡¯t actually be ¡°fancy vampires¡±. Over my shoulder, I heard some commotion. It wasn¡¯t the first time there¡¯d been any; an hour or so earlier, an older local had decided he¡¯d go outside and take on the merfolk by himself. Free beer had a lot to do with that decision, I thought. Others, including Arzak, had had to hold him back from pulling the floorboards off the windows and distract him with more beer instead. He was now dozing safely in an armchair in the corner of a room. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. This time, however, I was surprised to find that Corminar was the source of the disruption. He was cornered on the far side of the room by the group of elven diplomats, though I couldn¡¯t hear what they were saying from the bar. I jumped from the bar stool, started across the room, returned to the bar for my half-drunk pint of ale, and then joined the group of elves. ¡®You must,¡¯ Urlwan was saying. ¡®There is nobody else; it must be you.¡¯ ¡®What¡¯s going on here?¡¯ I asked, butting in. Urlwan pointed to Corminar. ¡®Please, tell your colleague: only he can lead us to victory in this battle. He must take command.¡¯ ¡®Corminar? A commander?¡¯ I asked, though of course I supposed he had been that once¡ªif not now. ¡®Lieutenant Cladenor, the Hero of Iranir. That is who must take command if we are to survive.¡¯ I looked to Corminar, who shook his head at me. ¡®I don¡¯t know what difference he can make right now. We can¡¯t hurt them. We could have the best commander in all the continents, but if we can¡¯t hurt them, there¡¯s no chance of victory.¡¯ Urlwan considered this, nodded, and then turned back to the ¡°Hero of Iranir¡± once more. ¡®You must identify a weakness. Tell us how we might defeat them.¡¯ ¡®As I have already told you,¡¯ Corminar said. ¡®I do not have the answers you seek. I am no hero. I am no commander. Not any more.¡¯ ¡®Then we die,¡¯ Urlwan responded. It took everything I had not to roll my eyes. ¡®I¡¯m sure there are other options.¡¯ ¡®By all means,¡¯ the elf said, ¡®tell us about these options. Or is the alternative only to be trapped in here until we starve?¡¯ ¡®We¡¯ll find a way.¡¯ ¡®No. The Hero of Iranir will find a way. The Hero of¡ª¡¯ Corminar suddenly snapped, grabbing the other elf by the front of his shirt. ¡®If I¡¯m such a bloody hero, then why am I not allowed home?¡¯ he shouted in Urlwan¡¯s face. The other elf paled some, his otherwise typically elven stoic expression giving way to one of shock. ¡®You were exiled? But you saved thousands!¡¯ ¡®Not exiled, but if you know that title¡ªHero of Iranir¡ªthen you know what I did. You know I committed treason.¡¯ ¡®You were not charged. None have been charged with treason since the Old Kings fell.¡¯ ¡®Yet you find me here, in the Tundras, where few who have any other choice choose to live.¡¯ ¡®Hey!¡¯ I protested, but Corminar silenced me with an upheld hand begging my forgiveness. I gave it to him; I¡¯d certainly not have grown up in these parts if I¡¯d have had a choice. Urlwan said nothing, though I swore I saw him swallow some words. ¡®I am exiled in all but name,¡¯ Corminar continued. ¡®I am considered a traitor to my people. I am certainly not a leader.¡¯ I thought for a moment that Urlwan was going to continue to contest this, but his mouth opened and no words came out. Finally, the elf took a seat on an unused armchair, and muttered, ¡®Then all hope is lost.¡¯ As if to reinforce this point, the merfolk suddenly began thumping on the tavern once more, causing the walls to shake and the occupants to grow quiet. A chill ran over my spine. Though everyone else was distracted, their eyes on the walls¡ªand the merfolk on the other side¡ªI caught sight of a gentle green glow in the corner of the room. A glow around Val¡¯s hand. She was up to something. Witchcraft. And she was lucky that nobody else saw. When Val caught my eyes, she immediately released the spell, lowering her hand. It was just in time, too, because as soon as she ended her magicks, the banging stopped, and there was nothing to distract the other patrons. She turned and ambled over to my side. ¡®Styk¡­ I think I know how to defeat them,¡¯ she said. ¡®How?¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re not gonna like it.¡¯ ¡®When you¡¯re involved, I rarely do.¡¯ Val ignored the dig. ¡®I¡¯ve been testing. I can make them vulnerable. It¡¯s the moisture, that¡¯s the key. With moisture¡ªmoisture they¡¯ve stolen from humanity¡ªthey gain strength, even on dry land. But without it, we can defeat them.¡¯ ¡®OK, so how do we do that?¡¯ ¡®A ritual. Styk, I need to use Witchcraft. And I need to do it in front of everyone.¡¯
"Styk" Level 13 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 32 Intelligence ¡ª 127 Dexterity ¡ª 63 Strength ¡ª 62 Wisdom ¡ª 47 Charisma ¡ª 28
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 30 Knifework ¡ª Level 26 Stealth ¡ª Level 12 Needlework ¡ª Level 12 Identification ¡ª Level 10
Abilities: Slice ¡ª Slice the enemy for physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Stab II ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 20%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Stealth Attack ¡ª Passive. 50% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
108. The Exile From Managlass ¡®In front of¡­ everyone?¡¯ I repeated. Val nodded. ¡®I¡¯ll need to draw on their life forces for the ritual to work. It¡¯s one¡­ I¡¯ve only done it once or twice before.¡¯ I met Val¡¯s gaze, asking the inevitable question with my eyes. ¡®Trust me,¡¯ she said. I nodded. ¡®I do. The others, though¡­ Do they have to let you draw on their¡­¡¯ ¡®Life force,¡¯ Val finished for me. ¡®No. But anyone adept with magicks will know that it¡¯s happening.¡¯ I paused once more. ¡®OK. Get ready. I¡¯ll warn the others; if need be, we¡¯ll protect you.¡¯ Val nodded her thanks, then hurried off around the room collecting supplies: dirt from a plant pot, cupped in her hands; a fallen leaf from the same plant; and a drop of her blood, sliced from the back of her forearm. She rubbed the blood upon the leaf, and then took the pile of dirt and began scattering it in a loose circle around her. ¡®Gaia,¡¯ she whispered, sat in the middle of the circle, her eyes closed, ¡®lend us your power. Gaia¡­¡¯ By now, she¡¯d started to draw the attention of others in the inn¡ªmaking yourself bleed and rubbing mud around the floor generally had that result¡ªbut it wasn¡¯t until the sorcerer saw what was going on that anyone said anything. ¡®I recognise this,¡¯ Arnold said. ¡®This is precisely the kind of magicks that got you expelled from Managlass.¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t say that like you didn¡¯t have anything to do with it,¡¯ Val muttered, her eyes fixed on the preparation of the ritual rather than the sorcerer. ¡®You could have put a stop to it. You could have¡ª¡¯ ¡®You think I could forgive Witchcraft?¡¯ ¡®I think you could forgive a young woman for just using the class bestowed upon her. And I think you could¡¯ve made others forgive it, too. You had sway at the academy. You could¡¯ve stepped in. At the very least, you could have not told my parents.¡¯ Arnold Orellan frowned. ¡®They had a right to know. They had a witch in their house.¡¯ ¡®They had a daughter in their house!¡¯ Val roared, snapping her attention away from the dirt lines and rising to meet his gaze. ¡®You say you¡¯ve changed. Do you really regret none of it?¡¯ Arnold swallowed, his eyes shifting from the witch and scanning the room, lingering upon Lore and the depth raider. ¡®Like many, I have regrets. But I had a position to uphold¡ªcan you imagine I would still be a professor if I¡¯d acted in the way you wanted? If I¡¯d chosen to ignore your¡­ If someone had found out that I had known?¡¯ Val raised her arms as though to attack, but I could see her hands trembling. ¡®If you attack me, girl, there is only one way this will¡ª¡¯ Arnold started, but was interrupted by a knife being placed gently upon his throat. I was as surprised as him to discover that it was my knife. ¡®Enough,¡¯ I said in the man¡¯s ear, my voice barely above a whisper. ¡®Enough?¡¯ Arnold repeated, loudly enough that it was clear my threat hadn¡¯t landed. ¡®I think everyone in this inn has the right to know what this is. It¡¯s witchcraft¡ªmagicks that will pull on your¡­¡¯ I opened a portal beneath the sorcerer¡¯s feet and tossed him across the room, making sure to land him upside-down. But the damage was done; the others in the inn were already murmuring, and the barkeep¡¯s husband in particular was scowling like he might do something. ¡®You wanna know what the situation is?¡¯ I shouted, arms raised at my sides. ¡®Alright, yeah: she¡¯s doing witchcraft. But you know what else she¡¯s doing? Saving all your bloody lives. So if any of you so much as step towards her, I¡¯m going to have to do something about it.¡¯ The murmuring fell to a silence. Lore put down the depth raider atop the bar and stepped forward. ¡®And so am I,¡¯ he said. Arzak and Corminar stepped forward, each of them recognising that they didn¡¯t need to say anything; the message was clear. ¡®Anyone gonna try it?¡¯ I asked. Nobody moved, and nobody said word. ¡®Good,¡¯ I said, then look back to Val, who seemed to be trying to repress a smile. ¡®Over to you, then.¡¯ Val nodded, then looked straight forwards and closed her eyes. ¡®Gaia, lend us your power. Gaia, your daughter beckons. Gaia, lend us your¡­¡¯ The prayer repeated over and over, Val¡¯s words beginning to echo as though her voice was joined by an unseen choir. It took me a moment to realise that we were the choir¡ªthose from whom Val drew life¡ªbut only myself, Arnold, and two of the elven diplomats seemed conscious enough to realise. ¡®She must stop,¡¯ the sorcerer cried, but I whipped a hand up in front of him to stop him approaching. The older man looked at me, eyes wide. ¡®She draws our souls! She will kill us all!¡¯ ¡®No, she¡ª¡¯ A blinding green light suddenly exploded from Val, a glow hovering in the air above her. Within it, I swore I could see a figure¡ªone that the witch was talking to¡ªbut I couldn¡¯t focus enough to make her out. * * * I woke up on the inn¡¯s floor, stirring at apparently roughly the same time as everyone else. Humans, elves and orcs alike murmured groggily as they stumbled back to their feet. Val grabbed me by the arm, helping me up. ¡®How you feeling?¡¯ ¡®Weak. What did you¡ª¡¯ ¡®It¡¯ll pass. Give it a moment.¡¯ I caught sight of my beer, still half-drunk, on the table next to me, and I took a swig. ¡®Yes, that¡¯ll help,¡¯ Val said, and I had no idea if she was being sarcastic or not. ¡®How long we were out?¡¯ ¡®About thirty seconds,¡¯ she said, and I turned to look at her. I was surprised¡ªfunnily enough¡ªto find her eyes had turned bright green, and a vivid green flame burned around her forearms. The flames didn¡¯t seem to hurt her, or me, for that matter. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡®I take it it worked, then?¡¯ ¡®For now. I was granted the strength we need, but¡­ we only have a few minutes.¡¯ I turned to Lore and Corminar, the former helping the latter up. ¡®You hear that? We¡ª¡¯ ¡®We hear,¡¯ Arzak said, from another corner of the room. She took a deep breath, gathering and composing herself. ¡®We ready.¡¯ She moved over to the door and reached for her blades, which were still wedged in front of the upturned table. ¡®Are we?¡¯ I asked, still finding myself a tad weak, though it was fading with every moment that passed, as Val had said it would. Corminar and Lore shuffled over to the door, taking deep breaths of their own, then looked to Val and me to join them. ¡®Alright, I guess we are.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re opening the door?¡¯ the barkeep called out. ¡®But they¡¯ll¡ª¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s now or never. We fight now, or we¡¯re trapped in here for good.¡¯ At Val¡¯s words, and her stony expression, the woman put up no more protest. ¡®Alright,¡¯ I said, nodding to Arzak. ¡®Do it.¡¯ The orcish woman pulled her swords free of the floor, and then¡ªwith Lore¡¯s help¡ªpicked up the table and tossed it into a corner. Arzak turned next to Val, asking a question through the medium of raised eyebrows. ¡®Do it,¡¯ Val said, and the flames engulfing her arms roared brighter. The orc flung the door open, revealing the group of merfolk standing evenly spaced apart, their dark eyes reflecting the low light spilling out from the inn. There was a moment of silence as each side of the inevitable fight stared one another down, and then Val roared. She charged towards the group of merfolk and whipped her glowing arms out, blasting them with her granted magicks. The creatures hissed and squealed as water evaporated from their skin like in a pan over a hot flame, but it didn¡¯t kill them. When Val¡¯s borrowed magicks were exhausted¡ªas evidenced by the flames dying¡ªall twelve of the merfolk were still standing. ¡®A little more than two each, by my count,¡¯ Corminar said, and then he raised his bow. This time, when he fired, the arrow ripped flesh apart for good. What followed was a web of chaos, and I could only just about follow my own role in this fight, let alone that of the other¡¯s. But merfolk were dropping left, right and centre, and with the enemy in their weakened states, none of my friends seemed to be taking any meaningful damage. When the first arrow hit, I hadn¡¯t wasted any time in launching an attack of my own. I portaled myself and Arzak into the air, and we tumbled down onto the merfolk at the rear¡ªArzak using her strength, me using the broken line of sight to activate my Stealth Attack passive. I didn¡¯t kill the first merfolk in one hit, but each Slice that followed did ample enough damage that I could kill it before it hurt me. And what with my Mana-Fueled ability, I was draining Mana instead of Stamina to do it. I hopped through a portal as this enemy fell and landed behind another. Val blasted it with her wind magicks as I Stabbed it from behind, forcing my blade deeper than it would have gone otherwise. My knife got wedged in the creature¡¯s flesh, and I gave it a yank but still it didn¡¯t budge. ¡®Styk,¡¯ Val said, nodding to the ground. I opened a portal beneath her feet and its partner above the enemy¡¯s head, and she landed with her feet on its shoulder. The force of the impact freed my blade and killed the creature in the same move, and I spun on the spot just in time to block the swipe of another enemy behind me. I stumbled into Lore¡¯s back, and the merman charged in for another attack. I couldn¡¯t duck, because that would have made Lore vulnerable, so instead I portaled the both of us through the floor and three paces to one side. The two merfolk collided with one another, and turned, swinging his heavy blade to cleave through the both of them in one hit. ¡®Styk!¡¯ Corminar cried out, and I turned just in time to avoid one of his arrows, which whizzed past my ear and into the head of another enemy at my side. The creature hissed, but didn¡¯t die at this damage, and I launched it into the air with another portal. Corminar fired another arrow which hit the creature in the air, and the fading cry indicated that it had been a fatal hit. I turned to see Arzak surrounded by most of the remaining merfolk, and even with two blades, she couldn¡¯t kill all of them. Two of them pressed into her, their snarling, toothy mouths snapping at her face, and she was unable to swipe at them with her blades. I charged towards her, Stabbing my knife into her back, and then at the last second activating my Closed Reach ability to make the blade pass through her. The creatures on the other side cried and hissed, stumbling backwards from my blade and giving Arzak enough room to attack them with hers. As those two merfolk fell, the orc and I turned to see Val and Lore finish off the last of them. It was over. 6x merfolk defeated! Knifework ¡ª +3,750xp Knifework increased to level 28! Base Points Gained ¡ª +1 DEX, +1 STR, +2 Free Points (VIT/DEX/STR) Level up! You increased to level 14! Worldbending ¡ª +5,200xp Worldbending increased to level 32! Base Points gained ¡ª +2 INT, +2 Free Points (INT/WIS/CHA) Stealth ¡ª +950xp Stealth increased to level 15! Base Points gained ¡ª +1 DEX, +1 WIS, +2 Free Points (DEX/WIS) Ability selection unlocked ¡­ ¡®Nice,¡¯ I said.
"Styk" Level 14 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 32 Intelligence ¡ª 130 Dexterity ¡ª 69 Strength ¡ª 63 Wisdom ¡ª 48 Charisma ¡ª 29
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 32 Knifework ¡ª Level 28 Stealth ¡ª Level 15 Needlework ¡ª Level 12 Identification ¡ª Level 10
Abilities: Slice ¡ª Slice the enemy for physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Stab II ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 20%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Stealth Attack ¡ª Passive. 50% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
109. Academic Privilege As the team ambled back into the inn to the applause of those who¡¯d been cowering inside, I¡ªnaturally¡ªturned my attention to the ability screen. It was one of those great days, where you get to choose a new one. Was there ever anything better than that feeling? And that it was Stealth too was excellent, because I¡¯d really been focusing on levelling up that skill of late. Ability selection unlocked Select an ability from the list below: Option 1: Identify Traps (Stealth) ¡ª Search for traps in area¡ª Shouting erupting around me distracted me from the ability selection notifications, and I was forced to minimise them once more. It was Lore¡ªa typically unfrazzled man¡ªwho was shouting, his hands on his head in distress. ¡®He¡¯s gone! He¡¯s gone!¡¯ he cried. ¡®Who¡¯s¡­¡¯ I started, and then my eyes darting to the spot on the bar where the depth raider¡¯s cage had been. ¡®Where is it?¡¯ Corminar demanded. He turned his attention to Urlwan. ¡®Who took it? You must have seen.¡¯ ¡®I¡­ I¡­ My attention was on you. My attention was on the fight. Whoever stole your creature¡­¡¯ ¡®They must¡¯ve taken advantage of the distraction,¡¯ the barkeep said. ¡®We was all watching you.¡¯ Arzak stepped forward, into the centre of the room. ¡®Who?¡¯ she shouted. ¡®Tell now and we not kill.¡¯ Even under her snarl, the culprit didn¡¯t reveal themselves, and the inn went quieter than it had been even with the merfolk on the doorstep. And in that quietness, we heard a gentle whimpering noise. A noise emerging from Arnold Orellan¡¯s robe. Countless faces turned to him. The sorcerer held up his hands to protest his innocence. ¡®Don¡¯t look at me, chaps, I¡­¡¯ he started, but trailed off when he realised the jig was up. ¡®Aw, hells,¡¯ he muttered, and then he flung his hands to the wall behind him and summoned a huge blast of fire magicks to blow a hole in it. ¡®You,¡¯ Val spat, stepping forward as the dust settled, finding Arnold halfway out the new exit he¡¯d created. ¡®You would sink so low as to steal?¡¯ I thought about protesting that particular question; I¡¯d made a decent career out of stealing, in a previous life. ¡®Is it stealing to take from you that which does not belong to you?¡¯ the professor of Managlass responded. ¡®You should not have such a rare creature. It belongs with me¡ªwith the Academy. We must study it, for the benefit of future students, and future generations. That is what matters, not the schemes of a witch and her depraved friends.¡¯ ¡®You never had any intentions of making amends, did you?¡¯ Val asked. ¡®You lied, just so you could figure out a way to steal the¡ª¡¯ ¡®At last she catches up.¡¯ The professor smiled, or smirked, rather. ¡®It takes a particular brand of naivete to have been convinced of my intentions so quickly. Did you really think that I, a high sorcerer at the great Managlass Academy, would lower myself to socialise with a witch? To forgive her of her sins? I could barely bring myself to speak with you, woman.¡¯ I took an unconscious step forward. ¡®Oh yeah? And what sins are they?¡¯ I put a hand to my dagger, and prepared to fling the other forward to open a portal behind him. The professor took one look at me, and at my knife, then raised an eyebrow. ¡®Please. Don¡¯t tell me you intend to fight me. What was it I saw, Worldbending magicks? And you intend to use those up against a Sorcerer? Do you really think you would stand a chance?¡¯ ¡®It ain¡¯t just Worldbending though, is it?¡¯ Lore said, unsheathing his only recently sheathed great sword. ¡®Oh, and a sword. Whatever will I do?¡¯ Arzak stepped forward, raising her weapons. ¡®Three sword.¡¯ Finally, it was Corminar¡¯s turn. ¡®And a¡ª¡¯ he started, but was cut off by Arnold suddenly raising a hand and sending a ball of ice magicks blasting into Corminar¡¯s chest. He flew across the room and landed hard on top of a table, with Urlwan and the other elves rushing to his aid. Arnold Orellan turned and ran. I opened a portal through which Val and I¡ªand later the other three members of the Slayers¡ªjumped onto the cold, hard mud of the desolate, deforested plains outside. Ahead, I saw Arnold summon a sheet of ice which floated ahead of him and slightly to one side, positioned so that the reflect gave him a clear view of his pursuers. Of us. Glancing back¡ªhaving no handy summoned ice sheet of my own¡ªto check that we were all through the portal, I opted to close it, then opened another pair that would land us just in front of the sorcerer. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. But as it opened, Arnold Orellan cast a spell with an elaborate flourish of his hands¡ªa glowing light blue ball, floating in the air, which immediately charged towards my portal. I¡¯d thought for a moment that it meant to blast through it, hitting anyone who tried to use the portal, but instead it suddenly sprouted long, squid-like tendrils, which wrapped around the edges of the portal. Once latched on, it suddenly slammed the portal shut, and it looked like¡ªif any of the team had reached the portal¡ªit might have sliced through them, not obeying by the usual rules. We had no choice, then, but to sprint faster, though with our enemy¡¯s advanced age, we closed on him easily. At least, we would have done, if he hadn¡¯t started lobbing orbs of dark green liquid over his shoulder. Where these spells hit the ground, the remaining foliage and tree stumps fizzled, the magicks eating away at them. Though none of the spells hit us¡ªit almost seemed like the high sorcerer didn¡¯t want to hit us, considering he was aiming so low¡ªthey did mean that we had to twist and turn in our pursuit, to avoid our flesh being eaten away. Still, we grew steadily closer, Arzak and Lore closing the gap out ahead of Corminar, Val and me. I opened another portal to try and grow closer, hoping that Arnold Orellan wouldn¡¯t realise, but the moment I cast my spell, another glowing orb sprung from the sorcerer, wrapping its tendrils around the portal before I¡ªor anyone¡ªhad a chance to hop through. It was almost as though the sorcerer¡¯s spell automatically triggered when my magicks were used nearby¡ªI wasn¡¯t going to be able to portal any time soon. It was time to change up my strategy. Portals might have been out, but I had a whole array of Worldbending magicks in my arsenal, ones that I really didn¡¯t get enough use out of. Some of them really weren¡¯t useful right now¡ªthere was nothing non-sentient, non-magick-reinforced to Portal Slice through, and Arnold was hardly using enough fire magicks that Ash Husk was relevant, but then¡­ there were other abilities that maybe just seemed irrelevant. Like Shrill Perimeter. I already knew there was an enemy nearby¡ªthe alarm itself wasn¡¯t exactly useful right now¡ªbut the noise was. I flung both hands forward and summon a 20-foot glowing circle around Arnold. Being adept in magicks, this circle would have been visible for him, but in this circumstance it didn¡¯t matter. Because the sorcerer had ill intent, the system immediately recognised him as an enemy, and the spell immediately triggered. The shriek of a banshee echoed across this desolate plain of wood stumps and low hills, but nowhere would it have been louder than in its very centre. Where Arnold Orellan was. In surprise, he whipped his hands to his ears, covering them, shielding them from the noise, and he stopped his casting in the process. This allowed the charging Arzak and Lore to grow closer to him without risk of being hit by spells, but it had another consequence that I hadn¡¯t intended. The depth raider¡ªapparently incensed by the noise¡ªhopped from the pocket of Arnold¡¯s robe, landing on the hard, cool mud, and began to bounce away from him. Or rather, it bounced towards Lore. I released the spell¡ªit had done its job, and I got the impression that I needed to save mana, as this could be a long fight. ¡®No!¡¯ the high sorcerer shouted, turning to reach down and scoop the creature up once more. It squealed¡ªan eerie, bone-shaking, spine-crawling noise. Arnold Orellan stopped, spinning on the spot, and the intensity of the rage of his face was enough to encourage Arzak and Lore to a halt, as though fearful of what he¡¯d release next. And, it would turn out, they were right to. ¡®Enough of this,¡¯ the high sorcerer spat. ¡®I fled so that I would not need to harm innocents, but I think we¡¯re well past that.¡¯ The man pushed the depth raider back into his coat¡¯s pocket, then raised both hands at his sides. As he began to float in the air, balls of magick appearing from nothing, spinning around him, I began to wonder if we hadn¡¯t bitten off more than we could chew. And then the pain began.
"Styk" Level 14 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 32 Intelligence ¡ª 130 Dexterity ¡ª 69 Strength ¡ª 63 Wisdom ¡ª 48 Charisma ¡ª 29
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 32 Knifework ¡ª Level 28 Stealth ¡ª Level 15 Needlework ¡ª Level 12 Identification ¡ª Level 10
Abilities: Slice ¡ª Slice the enemy for physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Stab II ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 20%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Stealth Attack ¡ª Passive. 50% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
110. Total Sorcery Arnold Orellan shoved his hands forward. The dozens of orbs¡ªof all manner of colours, sizes, effects and types¡ªthat had been spinning around him like a tornado suddenly stopped spiralling, and soared towards all five of us. We had only a split second to react, and my instinct was to protect the most vulnerable among us. I flung a hand back towards Corminar, opening a portal underneath him which he fell through before the blue orb could close it, and he tumbled to the ground at Val and my¡¯s feet. I then opened up another portal just ahead of us, with no more than a second to spare. It caught most of the spells heading in our direction, sending them into the sea at our right¡ªI¡¯d not had enough time to think about where to aim them¡ªbut still a few slipped through after the portal was forcibly closed. One of these spells¡ªa fire spell, naturally, considering I¡¯d decided not to spend Mana on Ash Husk¡ªcaught my arm, searing the skin from it. Up ahead, the charging Arzak and Lore had caught most of the spells, but where I¡¯d shielded three of us with portals, Arzak had chosen to use her own body. She¡¯d spun around as the spells had shot off towards us, wrapping her giant arms around Lore and preventing him from getting hit even once¡ªwhich was more than I had managed. Unfortunately, this also caused the old orc to collapse onto the floor. ¡®Val!¡¯ I shouted, pointing to our severely injured friend. ¡®On it!¡¯ I opened a portal to help Val close the distance, but Arnold¡¯s magicks threatened to slam it shut before she could step through. I let it close myself, deciding not to risk any injury to Val, in case Arnold¡¯s spell stopped the portals from not closing around living beings. Arnold raised his hands again, summoning the same storm of all kinds of sorcery, but we knew what to expect, this time. I opened another portal amidst the tornado of magicks, and each of the orbs soared through¡­ straight into the Iron Sea, where the high sorcerer lost control of them. In the mean time, Corminar launched arrow after arrow after arrow into the enemy, but the man knocked all but one away with invisible, fleeting wards. The one that hit caught Arnold in the shoulder, and I thought at first that it hadn¡¯t done much damage. But then I saw the telltale black growths on the sorcerer¡¯s skin that told me that Corminar had seen fit to use a poisoned arrow¡ªa decision I was fully on board with. Lore, too, had been on the move. While we¡¯d both charged towards Arnold, he had the advantage, being both closer and larger of build. The barbarian reached the enemy as the sorcerer¡ªpossessing magicks of so many kinds, it seemed¡ªfinished healing the poison before it could take root proper. Lore swung his Bane sword at Arnold, but the sorcerer raised his hands just in time to summon another ward to stop the blow. Lore pushed against the magical barrier, grunting as he put all his weight into it, but soon it became as clear to him as it was to me that he wasn¡¯t going to win this one. He spun like a ballerina¡ªa strange sight on a man his size¡ªand swung again with his sword. Arnold moved to summon a ward once more, to stop it, but it became clear very quickly that hurting the man hadn¡¯t been Lore¡¯s intention this time. As he slammed sword into ward, Lore slipped his hand into the sorcerer¡¯s pocket, and the depth raider squealed as it ran up the barbarian¡¯s arm to perch on his shoulder. With the enemy distracted by Lore¡¯s attack, Corminar was able to slip another arrow past Arnold¡¯s wards¡ªthis one also poison-coated. The sorcerer slapped a hand to his neck to wrench the arrow out, blood spraying everywhere, and he was fast enough that not much of the poison could take hold. I pressed the attack, arriving at Lore¡¯s side with my admittedly much smaller blade in hand, and together we sliced and stabbed at the enemy. Even with blood trickling from his neck, Arnold was able to fend off melee attacks from the both of us, though it did seem to strain him to do so. My knife hit ward not like a solid surface, but in fact sinking part way into it. I tried pressing my weight into the knife and activating Closed Reach, but it seemed the wards were effective against magicks too¡ªmy ability didn¡¯t do anything. When I thought finally we might overwhelmed Arnold Orellan, he seemed to get a new lease of life. His eyes, once brown, turned blue, and the wards grew larger, pressing into Lore and my¡¯s attacks, forcing us away from him. And behind them, he began to summon his whirlwind of spells once more. On Lore¡¯s shoulder, the depth raider squeaked, apparently becoming enchanted by whatever abilities the sorcerer was making use of. I glanced its large, dark eyes growing wide, staring at Arnold and the magicks he was conjuring. The squeaking grew ever more excited-sounding with every passing moment. ¡®Val¡­?¡¯ I cried out as I continued to try to slip blade past ward. ¡®How you doing? We need a hand over here.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s bad!¡¯ came the reply. ¡®It¡¯s going to take some time.¡¯ ¡®Just get her stable, we¡ª¡¯ The wards suddenly merged, and expanded, and a wall of magicks blasted out from the high sorcerer, sending Lore and I flying through the air to land with a heavy thunk, me atop him. Arzak¡¯s unconscious body slid across the dirt, bashing up against a tree stump, and Val slid after her. Even Corminar, furthest away from the enemy, almost fell from his feet, though Urlwan and the other elves arrived at his side to steady him. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡®I don¡¯t like this¡­¡¯ I muttered, staggering off Lore and back to my feet, and I turned back to the enemy to see that his power was growing ever more so. Arnold Orellan¡¯s newly summoned tornado of spells grew greater than we¡¯d seen before. Far greater. It twirled far into the sky, the man floating in the air, his eyes glowing with the sheer blue light of absolute sorcery. And the depth raider, too, began to glow. ¡®Guys¡­¡¯ Lore said. ¡®Guys¡­ we gotta¡­¡¯ ¡®Soldiers!¡¯ Corminar cried out. ¡®On my mark, release!¡¯ I turned to see the elven diplomats lined up behind Corminar, a bow in each hand, the arrow tips coated in a substance that could only be some kind of poison. Lieutenant Cladenor¡¯s eyes were on me. ¡®As with the pyroknight,¡¯ he shouted to¡ªno, commanded¡ªme. ¡®Into the sea.¡¯ I nodded my understanding as the elf turned to Val, but my witch friend was ahead of him. She nodded. ¡®I see where you¡¯re going with this.¡¯ ¡®Soldiers? Fire!¡¯ Seven elves fired as one. Though many of the arrows were blocked by spinning orbs or summoned wards, two of them slipped through, and met their mark. The sorcerer¡¯s spells began to flicker, and then fade away, and I glanced at Corminar just long enough to hear him explain. ¡®Poison of Manahalting. Ted¡¯s ideas aren¡¯t all bad.¡¯ I didn¡¯t know how long the effect would last for¡ªI couldn¡¯t imagine long, if Corminar was new to this particular poison¡ªso I launched into action. I flung one hand forward and one towards the Iron Sea, and I opened a portal below where Arnold was falling. As the sorcerer slipped through the portal, landing in the sea with a splash, the depth raider began to crackle, radiating the same glow as Arnold¡¯s eyes had moments earlier. Lore dropped it to the ground, backing off slowly. ¡®Hurry!¡¯ he roared. Val jumped across the beach to the edge of the Iron Sea, and she pressed her hands in the water once more. Huge lightning magicks shot out from her hands, making her limbs tremble as she sucked up the pain of her spell rebounding upon her. And then all of the storm energy suddenly shot towards the high sorcerer. Without access to his mana reserves, Arnold could not defend himself, and more importantly¡­ he couldn¡¯t heal. Only when we got the notification that he was defeated did Val stop her spell, and she staggered away from the water, then tumbled to the ground. Level 38 High Sorcerer of Managlass defeated! Worldbending ¡ª +7,900xp Worldbending increased to level 33! Worldbending increased to level 34! Worldbending increased to level 35! Base Points gained ¡ª +6 INT, +6 Free Points (INT/WIS/CHA) Ability selection unlocked ¡­ It was quite the victory, and quite the display of the team working as one, but there wasn¡¯t time to celebrate. All eyes turned to the depth raider. Had we just made a huge mistake, exposing it to that kind of power? I drew my knife and readied myself.
"Styk" Level 14 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 32 Intelligence ¡ª 130 Dexterity ¡ª 69 Strength ¡ª 63 Wisdom ¡ª 48 Charisma ¡ª 29
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 35 Knifework ¡ª Level 28 Stealth ¡ª Level 15 Needlework ¡ª Level 12 Identification ¡ª Level 10
Abilities: Slice ¡ª Slice the enemy for physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Stab II ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 20%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Stealth Attack ¡ª Passive. 50% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
111. The Tundras, Reimagined The depth raider¡¯s squealing, crackling and glowing grew more and more intense with every passing moment, and I got the terrifying idea that it was about to explode. But Lore, finding within himself a new source of courage, edged closer to the beast once more, his hand held out, palm up, trembling. ¡®Shh,¡¯ he said, gently. ¡®It¡¯s all over, now. Shh¡­¡¯ Oddly, the creature seemed to respond to him. It turned to face Lore, its wide eyes staring up at him, and the crackling and glowing softened some. ¡®There¡¯s a good boy,¡¯ the barbarian continued. ¡®Come back to daddy. There¡¯s a good boy.¡¯ The depth raider softened more still, and it turned to look up at Lore. It squeaked at him. ¡®Good boy¡­¡¯ Lore said, stepping steadily closer, until his outstretched hand was just in front of the creature. After another moment of consideration, the depth raider released its growing power, and it hopped back onto Lore¡¯s arm, then crawled up to perch on his shoulder. The amassed crowd stared silently as Lore petted the beast and then turned to face us. ¡®What?¡¯ he asked, a toothy grin on his face. ¡®Is that¡­ safe?¡¯ Val asked, whose healing magicks had returned Arzak to consciousness, though she was still looking worse for wear¡ªthose remaining injuries would need some time, or a stronger healer. ¡®Maybe put it back in the cage?¡¯ I suggested. Lore looked around at the creature on his shoulder, then back at me. ¡®I don¡¯t think it¡¯s going anywhere?¡¯ I met Val¡¯s gaze, but she¡ªlike me¡ªdidn¡¯t have the energy to fight Lore on this point any further. Behind us, the elven diplomats approached Corminar, and I could just make out what they were saying. ¡®Perhaps it is best we return home,¡¯ one of the elves whose name I didn¡¯t know said, ¡®if this is what is to be expected of human regions¡ªbetrayal and aggression around every corner.¡¯ ¡®Indeed,¡¯ another agreed. ¡®We have been away from home for long enough; it is time we return to our own kind.¡¯ But Corminar shook his head. ¡®Do not judge whole regions by the actions of one man. You will notice that for one monstrous sorcerer, there were four non-elves putting their lives at stake to see him brought to justice. If you are to judge the Goldmarch and the Tundras by any standard, just it by theirs.¡¯ He turned around to gesture at the four of us as he said this last bit, and I responded with a nod of gratitude. * * * Corminar convinced the elves to continue the last leg of their planned journey, telling them that we had been paid to accompany them to Lenktra, and that was exactly what we would do. From there, they could return home via ship¡ªthough they would admittedly have a full day¡¯s wide as they crossed land from the Iron Sea to the Sea of Roots. At least, unless the Great Golden Canal project was finally complete, and those seas connected. As we journeyed north, I turned my attention back to the not one but two ability selection choices I had to make¡ªStealth from the battle with the merfolk, and Worldbending from our fight with Arnold Orellan. I¡¯d thought Val might have been relieved in a sense to be rid of the high sorcerer, but having killed him¡ªeven if in self-defence¡ªshe had retreated into herself a little. She¡¯d assured me she was fine, but just needed a little space. It was the ability selection choices I concerned myself with while I was doing so. Ability selection unlocked Select an ability from the list below: Option 1: Identify Traps (Stealth) ¡ª Search for traps in area limited to eyesight range and determine how to disarm. Success chance scales with [WIS]. The first of my two Stealth ability options was a good one, and one I¡¯d found ample use of in a previous life. Though, admittedly, I¡¯d made a career out of stealing, and so this ability was likely to have come in handy more often. Since teaming up with the Player Slayers, had I really encountered that many traps? The ones I could think of I could count on one hand. Still, it didn¡¯t mean we wouldn¡¯t encounter any in future, and even a single trap had the potential to be deadly. I mentally put this choice in the ¡°maybe¡± column. Option 2: Stealth Attack II (Stealth) ¡ª Upgrade to Stealth Attack. Passive. 80% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemies. Being an upgrade to an existing ability, picking this one wouldn¡¯t broaden my effectiveness, but it made my existing strategies a lot stronger¡ªputting the damage boost up from 50% to 80%. This might, in many cases, be the difference between taking an unsuspecting party down in one hit, and them surviving to counterattack. After much consideration, I decided there was only one real answer to the question of which I picked. Ability unlocked ¡ª Stealth Attack II Stealth Attack II (Stealth) ¡ª Upgrade to Stealth Attack. Passive. 80% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemies. I was happy with that. Very happy indeed. But that was only one of two ability selections I had to make on this journey. I also had what was increasingly my core skill tree: Worldbending. Ability selection unlocked If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Select an ability from the list below: Option 1: Far Hands II (Worldbending) ¡ª While active, your barehanded attacks have a 50 yard range, extended through portals. This first one was a disappointment, I wasn¡¯t going to lie. I¡¯d already ruled out Far Hands as not being useful 20 levels ago; I didn¡¯t¡ªand was never going to have¡ªsufficient barehanded strength for this to be viable. If I¡¯d been able to use the ability for things other than attacks, I could see some functionality for it, but¡­ No. I ruled it out. Hidden condition met! Alternative ability choice unlocked. Option 2: Silence II (Worldbending) [Requires: Stealth level 10] ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana/second. This was another upgrade to a skill I¡¯d passed on before, but this one I could get behind. In fact, I¡¯d almost selected the first version back at level 5, if memory served. I¡¯d had concern then that 5 yards wouldn¡¯t be enough for this to be useful, but now that bubble was 20 yards. This could have been really useful in preventing eavesdropping, as well as maybe as part of any sneaking around I was doing, which would pair well with my Stealth abilities. However, as I was about to discover, the third and final option also had a synergy with a skill I was levelling up. Hidden condition met! Alternative ability choice unlocked. Option 3: Cloth Storage III (Worldbending) [Requires: Needlework level 10] ¡ª Open a portal to an inventory space, wherein you can store up to 30 distinct Needlework supplies. This, the third version of the Cloth Storage ability, was getting pretty strong. Whereas the first two version had allowed for five and ten items respectively, this new one increased the limit to thirty¡ªpretty huge. If I was serious about levelling up my Needlework skill¡ªand I definitely was¡ªthen this would allow me to carry around a range of materials and tools without them weighing me down. Plus, maybe I could get a little trade out of it, buying and selling these goods at local towns based on their pricing. It was a tough decision, this one. Really tough. I would have liked to talk Val¡¯s ear off about it, but I¡¯d heard her when she¡¯d said she needed some space, so I turned to Arzak instead. ¡®Storage,¡¯ she grunted. ¡®Why?¡¯ ¡®You soft feet anyway. Basically silent. Not big, strong man.¡¯ ¡®Thanks, Arzak,¡¯ I said, pressing my lips together. ¡®Was compliment! I enjoy little guy. I like know can snap.¡¯ I wasn¡¯t entirely convinced by Arzak¡¯s logic¡ªcan you blame me?¡ªbut it was just enough to push me from straddling the fence. Besides, maybe there would be a Silence III ability option down the line anyway. Ability unlocked ¡ª Cloth Storage III Cloth Storage III (Worldbending) ¡ª Open a portal to an inventory space, wherein you can store up to 30 distinct Needlework supplies. I sighed, enjoying the sensation of gaining new abilities, and even closed my eyes for a moment. This was a mistake, because it caused me to trip slightly on an old tree root, poking through the dry dirt, but fortunately I was at the back of the group and so nobody could have seen. ¡®You trip?¡¯ Arzak called out ahead of me without turning. OK, maybe not. ¡®Clumsy little guy.¡¯ ¡®Please stop calling me little,¡¯ I replied. ¡®I¡¯m average height.¡¯ ¡®For human, maybe.¡¯ We continued on, and the sun grew lower and lower in the sky, casting a red glow pierced only by vibrant white clouds. As we¡¯d grown closer to Lenktra, the devastation of the Great Tundran forests was even more prevalent¡ªthere wasn¡¯t a tree left alive in sight, and there was absolutely no sign of any efforts to reforest. Whatever need Lenktra had had for timber had been a desperate one, and so I was almost dreading climbing the final crest of the low hills that put the city in sight. When we finally did, I breathed a sigh of relief to find that Lenktra was still standing¡ªand, in fact, didn¡¯t seem to be under attack at all. It hadn¡¯t been a defensive need for timber, but then¡­ what other needs were there? And then, up at the front of the group, Lore suddenly came to a halt. ¡®What is it?¡¯ Val asked¡ªone of the first things she¡¯d said today. The barbarian remained very still, and very quiet, and so I and the rest of the slayers joined him at his side. I followed his line of sight, and then realised what he¡¯d seen. The flags atop the towers on Lenktra¡¯s walls weren¡¯t that of the duchy of Lenk. Instead, the flags were red, featuring the golden sun of the Golden Kingdom. Of the Goldmarch. Of Queen Amira. ¡®It¡¯s a conquest,¡¯ I said, surprising myself with the words. ¡®She¡¯s conquering¡ª¡¯ ¡®No,¡¯ Corminar said glumly. ¡®No? Cos it bloody well looks like¡ª¡¯ ¡®It is not a conquest, Styk, because she has already won.¡¯
"Styk" Level 14 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 32 Intelligence ¡ª 140 Dexterity ¡ª 69 Strength ¡ª 63 Wisdom ¡ª 48 Charisma ¡ª 31
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 35 Knifework ¡ª Level 28 Stealth ¡ª Level 15 Needlework ¡ª Level 12 Identification ¡ª Level 10
Abilities: Slice ¡ª Slice the enemy for physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Stab II ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 20%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Cloth Storage III ¡ª Open a portal to an inventory space, wherein you can store up to 30 distinct Needlework supplies. Stealth Attack II ¡ª Passive. 80% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
112. Interlude — Niamh Niamh stood over a large wooden table, one she¡¯d had intricately carved to display a map of the region known as the Gentle Tundras. It had been an expensive pursuit, but coin was no object when you worked with Amira, Queen of the Goldmarch, and future Empress of the Golden Empire. Upon the table, too, were small cast iron sculpture of the castles in each town and city that boasted significant nearby land part of their domain. And, finally, small statuettes of Goldmarch soldiers were dotted around the map, largely in cities or in their vicinities. ¡®This is up to date?¡¯ Niamh asked her chief aide. She nodded at the army on the western coast. ¡®I thought we were projected to capture Garnokk last week?¡¯ Sulla licked her lips. ¡®Is correct. Chancellor Orjkan put up more resistance than we think. But think she flee now.¡¯ Niamh nodded to the orc. ¡®Increase the pressure. Shift some of our ¡°bandits¡± from Aptleed¡ªany remaining government in Garnokk should surrender within the week. Understand?¡¯ ¡®It take five days to¡ª¡¯ Sulla started, but a sharp glare from Niamh cut her off. ¡®Within week. Yes. Understand.¡¯ ¡®Good.¡¯ Still, Niamh stood over the table, hands clasped at its side. She took in every possible piece of information until she knew it intuitively; as with all things, she did not know when and how information would prove useful, just that it would. Her System-assigned class considered her an Expert Trapper, and she was, in a way¡ªthough she considered her greatest skill not to be the traps she laid with her hands, but those she laid with her mind. Though Tana and Amira had since forgotten, the Tundran venture had been her plan initially. That they had gifted oversight of the project to Jacob had hurt at first, but the experiments in the eastern Goldmarch had proven intriguing in their own right. Still, she was happy that Jacob had not succeeded in delivering upon this plan, so that she might now see it to fruition. Amira would get her reward, the Council¡¯s terms of the arrangement would be fulfilled, and then Niamh would be once more involved with their own grandest of schemes. Her mind might have been Niamh¡¯s greatest asset, but that was no excuse to forsake training her other skills¡ªthat had been an oversight of late. ¡®Walk with me,¡¯ she told Sulla, and began walking down the corridors of her makeshift fort on the coast near Aptleed. ¡®There is other thing,¡¯ Sulla said, her voice dropping to a near-whisper, so Niamh knew it could be about only one thing. The Player turned off from her planned route into a small room, where four of her commanders were discussing troop placements. ¡®Out,¡¯ Niamh said, pointing to the door, and the soldiers hopped to obey her order. Only when they were alone in the room did Sulla speak. ¡®Ascendency Cult not happy.¡¯ ¡®Tell me.¡¯ Sulla sighed. ¡®Their spies say Jacob killers are back in Tundras. Say you should have killed them now.¡¯ ¡®They do know we have larger concerns right now? I am not going to go out of my way to deal with a band of peasants who happen to have ideas of godslaying. Either Jacob was a one-off, in which case we have little need to worry, or he wasn¡¯t, in which case they are coming for me. If that should prove to be the case, I¡¯ll deal with them then, but not before.¡¯ Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡®Will not make happy.¡¯ Niamh resisted the urge to huff; so many of her colleagues not being to operate on her level was so often a source of frustration. ¡®Then please remind their dear leader that I know his identity. I could reveal it to the world in a matter of minutes, and then his life would be forever changed. Remind him of that, and then let¡¯s see if the pressure stops.¡¯ Of course, Niamh didn¡¯t just have documentation on Yusef, leader of the Cult of Ascendency. This cult were a group of devout Player-worshippers who believed that with enough devotion, the Players might take them to the so-called Ascended World. Of course, none of them knew that the ¡°Ascended World¡± was broken, that even Niamh and her fellow Players couldn¡¯t return there for any period of time without risking harm, or death. But none of the Players were going to tell them that, for the cultists were so often a useful resource. Stored away in her quarters, Niamh also had documentation on every member of the Council, whether they had intentionally revealed their identities or not. They may have kept their faces hidden, but there were always clues: their handwriting, their gait, their dominant hand, the topics that interested them, and the timbre of their voice, to name but a few. Should the need arise, Niamh would have no hesitation but to blackmail. She did it for a noble cause; nobody wanted more than her for their plans to be successful, though other members of the Council did so often pose obstacles. Yusef was no exception¡ªfar from it¡ªand the day was growing steadily closer that Niamh would have to make use of his file. Niamh continued down the corridors to the training room she¡¯d had built for her, complete with a range of bows, targets, mana potions and trap equipment. While Sulla continued her update, Niamh set about disarming and dismantling the traps from her last training session, which had been under the last moon. ¡®Timber,¡¯ Sulla said. ¡®Up twenty-two percent.¡¯ ¡®We need it up at least forty,¡¯ Niamh replied as she delicately unbinded the enchantment on one of the traps. ¡®I know this. This is Garnokk. Lot of forest near Garnokk.¡¯ ¡®Within the week,¡¯ Niamh reminded her. ¡®Within week, yes.¡¯ ¡®And logistics?¡¯ ¡®We paying farmers now to use their carts. Is working. Up more than thought. Even with no Garnokk, target should be hit in eleven days.¡¯ Niamh nodded to herself, taking this on board as she disarmed a bear trap by touch, the process so familiar to her by now. ¡®Our lost leaders?¡¯ she asked, and Sulla began leafing through the papers she carried. ¡®Did we ever track down Duke Cambelny, or the Duchess of Lenktra¡­ Duchess Yar, was it?¡¯ ¡®Yua.¡¯ Niamh cursed herself silently. Perhaps there was too much on her plate; she should not have forgotten a name. Who knew what that error might have brought, down the line? ¡®Yua. Yes. Did we retrieve her? Execute her?¡¯ Sulla shook her head. ¡®No sign. We think she move north. To Aptleed.¡¯ ¡®Then she doesn¡¯t know Aptleed has fallen too?¡¯ ¡®Looks like this, yes.¡¯ The Player sighed. ¡®No matter. What harm could a few fallen crowns truly reap? They are nothing without their cities.¡¯ Niamh extrapolated from all this information. They were nearly there; this was almost enough, and the Great Golden Canal project had reached its completion. Soon, this part of the plan would need to be put in action. The trap¡ªher trap¡ªwould spring. She took no joy from the fact that so many would die. 113. The Sun Rises Part XI: Border Wars ¡®Stay low,¡¯ I told the rest of the team, ¡®trouble ahead.¡¯ Since dropping off the elven diplomats in the city of Lenktra¡ªQueen Amira¡¯s latest addition to her kingdom¡ªwe¡¯d headed north. All the whispers on the street said that Lenktra was far from the new Goldmarch border, and the queen¡¯s influence stretched much further into the continent. From what we knew of Niamh and the Council¡¯s involvement with Queen Amira, we could only assume that she would be at the frontline, long since departed from Lenktra. Val and I had tried to sneak into the city anyway, on the basis that we might have been able to get a more precise location out of someone. But we¡¯d fallen at the first hurdle; in the queue at the gates, Goldmarch soldiers roughed up all those trying to get in, extorting them, sometimes seemingly just doing it for enjoyment. We could have portalled our way inside, but as we peered in through the gates we could see how many soldiers in mustard surcoats were already inside; moving around in Lenktra¡ªand trying to find information¡ªwas going to be difficult. Instead, we turned north, and hoped the density of Goldmarch soldiers wouldn¡¯t be quite what it had been in Lenktra. We couldn¡¯t have been any more wrong. Soldier presence actually seemed to increase on the roads leading north, particularly towards the eastern coast. Wherever you looked, there were people in the sun-marked armour of the Goldmarch, and they definitely didn¡¯t get any better behaved outside of Lenktra. All of them seemed keen¡ªor perhaps even briefed¡ªto take whatever they wanted, and to hurt anyone who tried to stop them. I¡¯d made that mistake once in the past couple of days, stepping in to stop a half-dozen soldiers from taking the crop of an elderly farmer. We¡¯d won the battle, but they¡¯d been stronger than I¡¯d anticipated, and Val once again had opportunity to level up her Healing magicks to fix injuries to Lore, Corminar and myself. She healed me last, as I ¡°was the one who got us into this mess¡±. At least I¡¯d levelled up Knifework and Worldbending some in the process. But all of this hadn¡¯t even been the worst of it. The morning after Lenktra, as the team had awoken, still groggy, from our sleep, Corminar had barged into our shared bedroom and slammed a stack of papers onto the chest. I¡¯d wiped my eyes, trying to focus them, and then my stomach lurched when I saw what the elf had brought in. ¡®Wanted posters,¡¯ he said. ¡®One for each of us. They know not our names, but the sketched likeness is largely very accurate.¡¯ ¡®Largely?¡¯ Val said, picking one of the papers up, raising her eyebrows. ¡®I am more handsome in person,¡¯ Corminar clarified. The bounty placed on our heads had been¡­ large, but that wasn¡¯t the most surprising part. The bit that shocked me most was who had placed the bounty¡ªnot Niamh, or the Council, as I might have expected, but the Cult of Ascendency. I hadn¡¯t thought about them in a long, long time¡ªnot since killing that cultist who had attacked Val and I in that tavern, from whom I unlocked the Worldbending skill tree. That they¡¯d be interested in us threw me for a loop, at least until I realised why. The cult were Player worshippers. Somehow, they knew we¡¯d killed one of them. And they were out for revenge. All of this led, days later, to the five¡ªor six, as Lore insisted on the depth raider¡¯s behalf¡ªtrying to sneak into a small village just off the main road, hoping to grab some overdue food. My stomach was rumbling just thinking about it. ¡®I swear we didn¡¯t have to sneak around so much until we met you,¡¯ Val said, glancing in my direction along the low stone wall we were crouched behind. ¡®Are you really blaming me for¡ª¡¯ ¡®You have a suspicious-looking face.¡¯ ¡®No time for bicker,¡¯ Arzak said, slapping Val and I around the head. ¡®Not eat in long time. Need food.¡¯ I gestured to the two dozen or so Goldmarch soldiers milling about the village in front of us¡ªalmost enough of them to outnumber the locals. ¡®We got time. Gotta wait for an opportunity. Unless you want to start a fight we definitely can¡¯t win.¡¯ ¡®Reckon it¡¯s time for a Styk-Val snatch and swap?¡¯ Lore asked. ¡®A what?¡¯ ¡®You know, that thing you do.¡¯ Val and I looked to one another, both apparently equally lost. ¡®Styk opens a portal, grabs a soldier, pulls them here, we all knock em out, and then Val wears their armour and changes into them,¡¯ Lore explained. ¡®Lore¡­ that¡¯s happened once,¡¯ I replied. ¡®Why do you have a name for it?¡¯ ¡®And why do you expect us all to understand it?¡¯ Val added. Lore shrugged. ¡®Sorry, thought you smart folk would know what I meant.¡¯ ¡®He has point,¡¯ Arzak said, interrupting both Val and me before we could respond to this strange assertion. ¡®Good way get food. Soldier can do what want, nobody stop them.¡¯ I sighed, preparing myself to summon a portal on one of the soldiers who was out of sight of the rest. ¡®Alright,¡¯ I said to Lore and Arzak, ¡®get ready to knock them out.¡¯ ¡®Ready,¡¯ Lore said, with a toothy grin. I nodded, opened a portal just behind the lone soldier, put my arms around them and then tumbled backwards through the portal, spilling out onto the floor next to them. Just as the soldier was crying out, ¡®You fools! The army will¡ª¡¯, Lore hit them around the head with the butt of his sword. Due to his strength, they passed out in one hit. Level 18 soldier of the Goldmarch defeated! Worldbending ¡ª +650xp ¡®You know, we¡¯ve really gotta do that more often,¡¯ I said. Lore mumbled his agreement. ¡®What was this about an¡ª¡¯ Val started, and then Corminar suddenly straightened, alert. Not that he didn¡¯t always possess perfect posture¡ªhe did¡ªbut suddenly he found an extra half an inch in his spine, and peered around, eyes wide. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡®We must flee. Immediately,¡¯ the elf said. ¡®What? Why?¡¯ I asked, looking around. Whatever he could see, I definitely couldn¡¯t. Though elven eyes and ears were so often said to be better than human senses, and he had the hunting abilities to back that up. ¡®An army,¡¯ he said. ¡®It approaches from the south.¡¯ We attempted to hurry around the town without being spotted, but there were enough soldiers ahead that it wasn¡¯t going to be easy, even with my low-glow Tamed Portals ability up my metaphorical sleeve. So we instead turned east, towards the distant Iron Sea, running while keeping low as the sound of marching grew louder and louder behind us. ¡®If we continue going east, the army will soon be upon us,¡¯ Corminar said. ¡®Then what do you suggest?¡¯ I asked. ¡®We find cover.¡¯ Val dropped to the ground, placing her hands on the dust, and closed her eyes. She breathed deeply, and when she opened her eyes again, they glowed gently green. ¡®There¡¯s a cave. Not far from here.¡¯ She began to jog northeast. We wasted no time in following her, but I had to ask, ¡®How do you know? Witchcraft, was it?¡¯ ¡®Worms,¡¯ she said. ¡®With my summoning magicks, I can sense them, too. And there¡¯s none in a large cavern a little way under our feet.¡¯ I nodded, and accidentally pulled a face that reflected how impressed I was; I couldn¡¯t really risk inflating Val¡¯s ego any further. We came soon upon a river, and following it upstream led us to a small opening in one of the banks¡ªone still large enough to fit through if you crouched slightly, but obscured so that anyone passing might not see it. ¡®I not want go in,¡¯ Arzak said, as Lore and Corminar hopped in first. ¡®Why not? There¡¯s no other option,¡¯ Val replied as I slipped into the dark. It was roomier than it looked from the outside¡ªa reasonably sized cavern that seemed to go further back in the form of a couple of tunnels, but they were dark enough that I wasn¡¯t about to hurry into them. ¡®I not like small spaces.¡¯ ¡®Close your eyes, then,¡¯ the witch said, then she too slipped inside. When it became clear that Arzak¡ªthe largest and most noticeable of us¡ªwasn¡¯t going to step inside, I poked my head out, summoned a portal under her feet, and tossed her inside the cave. She grabbed at the rims of the portal to stop herself falling through completely, but an irritated, ¡®Arzak¡­¡¯ from Cominar had her release her grasp. I closed the portal, and the cave fell into darkness once more, no longer illuminated by the gentle purple glow of my portal. And then we waited. It was hard to know how long we waited¡ªit seemed like a long time, though I had a feeling it wasn¡¯t as long as I thought¡ªbefore we heard the army marching over our heads. The rumbling noise of the footsteps of hundreds¡ªcould it really be hundreds?¡ªpassing overhead grew louder then quieter, and I breathed a sigh of relief that we¡¯d escaped undiscovered. But that celebration was a moment too soon. Two faces appeared at the mouth of the cave, and from what little I could make out of their torsos, they were in the uniform of Goldmarch soldiers. ¡®Your turn,¡¯ one of them said. ¡®Nah, it¡¯s yours.¡¯ ¡®I did the last one!¡¯ ¡®The last cave wasn¡¯t a gave, though. Just looked like one. You still owe me.¡¯ There was a pause as the first soldier considered this counterargument, and then he said, ¡®...Doesn¡¯t matter. Still your turn.¡¯ ¡®Nah, cos if I do it, my head will be bitten off by a cave spider or something, won¡¯t it, knowing my luck.¡¯ ¡®Cave spider?¡¯ Lore repeated under his breath. Someone¡ªI couldn¡¯t see who¡ªhit him, presumably to get him to shut his mouth. ¡®Alright,¡¯ the other soldier said. ¡®How about this: neither of us go in, and we just report that we did? Say we swept the lands all thorough and that.¡¯ There was the barest hint of a pause, as though the woman was trying really hard to be in two minds about it. ¡®Yeah, fine. Deal.¡¯ With that, the two soldiers left, and the next sigh from me was surely not too soon. Rocks fell deeper inside the cave, followed by the sound of something approaching. It was too soon after all. Gods damn it, Styk. Arzak and Lore hurried towards the cave mouth, but I rushed to stop them. ¡®Not yet. You go out there, and you¡¯ll be spotted. We¡¯ll have a whole army on us.¡¯ ¡®Better that than a cave spider,¡¯ Lore replied, only half-whispering. ¡®No it isn¡¯t and you bloody well know it. Now stand your ground and¡­¡¯ But then I noticed something about the approaching sound. It wasn¡¯t the pattering of animal legs on stone, but the steady dun-dun of a footstep. Of a thick-soled boot, in face. Whoever was inside this cave in us was¡­ human. ¡®Weapons ready,¡¯ I said, and Arzak and Lore drew their blades, rushing towards the noise to stand between the enemy and the more fragile members of our party¡ªme included. A gentle yellow glow started to appear around the bend in the cave tunnel¡ªflickering, so it was flame, not magick. We stayed deathly still as the noise grew closer, praying that the potential enemies didn¡¯t know we were there, affording us the advantage we might so desperately need. The figures that came into view were not what I¡¯d expected. Their faces were greying, their movements weak, their body language saying they hadn¡¯t eaten in days. These weren¡¯t enemies; these were people in trouble. Yet their clothes said they should have been anything but. They wore the sorts of threads we¡¯d seen in the palace at Auricia¡ªdefinitely not clothes suitable for delving into caves. So what could they have been doing down here? The woman at the front of the group¡ªwho carried herself with her head held high, despite her obvious tiredness¡ªstudied us with glossy eyes. ¡®Who are you?¡¯ Val asked, after a moment of the two groups staring one another down. It was the woman who spoke. ¡®You may put down your weapons. I have the feeling we share the same enemies.¡¯ ¡®Not until you tell us who you are,¡¯ the witch continued. The pale woman sighed. ¡®You have the honour of speaking to Duchess Yua of Lenktra. Now, please, put down your weapons. We must talk.¡¯
"Styk" Level 14 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 32 Intelligence ¡ª 140 Dexterity ¡ª 69 Strength ¡ª 63 Wisdom ¡ª 48 Charisma ¡ª 31
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 35 Knifework ¡ª Level 28 Stealth ¡ª Level 15 Needlework ¡ª Level 12 Identification ¡ª Level 10
Abilities: Slice ¡ª Slice the enemy for physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Stab II ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 20%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Cloth Storage III ¡ª Open a portal to an inventory space, wherein you can store up to 30 distinct Needlework supplies. Stealth Attack II ¡ª Passive. 80% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
114. Fallen Crowns After the army had moved on¡ªturning northeastwards, from the sounds of it¡ªthe Slayers led Duchess Yua of Lenktra and her group out of the cave. I portalled them into an abandoned barn that Val and I spent an hour or so scouting out, shielding them from sight in a place that didn¡¯t have them worrying about cave spiders. Even better, the barn had a lock on it¡ªpresumably placed there by its absent owner, who might have been fleeing the conquesting soldiers¡ªso we didn¡¯t have to worry about anyone getting in easily. Val, disguised as one of the soldiers, brought everyone some food, and the duchess and her group ate hungrily before finally committing to their previous promise to talk. After some kind of non-verbal signal from Duchess Yua, she and another man rose to walk over to where I and the other Player Slayers were sitting, eating food that was long overdue for us, too. ¡®Duke Cambelny of Aptleed, at your service.¡¯ The man at Duchess Yua¡¯s side bowed awkwardly, clearly not accustomed to bowing all that often. ¡®Behind me ae my wife, Kim, and my children, Tim, Jim, and¡ª¡¯ ¡®How many of you are there?¡¯ Val interrupted. ¡®Not in your family. Fallen leaders, I mean. Lenktra, Aptleed¡­ where else has fallen to Amira?¡¯ ¡®We believe that every town of note west of Tanar has fallen,¡¯ Duchess Yua answered. ¡®Though reports do vary. The advancement of the Goldmarch has been swift; each of us struggled with the rising bandit problem and were eager for aid from someone we thought an ally. Of course, we did not know then what Amira intended, and her agent in the Tundras moved on all cities near-simultaneously.¡¯ ¡®Am I to assume you understand the nature of the bandits?¡¯ Corminar asked. ¡®That they were the very same soldiers, out of uniform?¡¯ The duchess nodded. ¡®We understand that now, but of course ¡°now¡± is too late.¡¯ ¡®You say all cities fall?¡¯ Arzak asked. ¡®Where other leaders?¡¯ ¡®Many have passed on,¡¯ Duchess Yua replied. ¡®Not all; only few of us, in fact, were lucky enough to escape. Not all of us had sufficient escape strategies. Those who escaped number only myself, Duke Cambelny, and¡ªor so the reports say¡ªChancellor Orjkan or Garnokk, with whom we are supposed to meet at Fort Tanil in two days. Of course, that will not happen; even if we were to depart this very moment, it would take three days to reach the fort by foot. This precludes, too, any chance of encountering Goldmarch soldiers on our journey¡ªa chance that is more likely than not.¡¯ A moment of silent contemplation passed over the barn. I didn¡¯t like it. ¡®You¡¯re telling us a lot,¡¯ I said. ¡®Stuff that could get you killed.¡¯ ¡®Do we not all hide in this building together? I think it likely that you, too, would lose your lives in any encounter with the Goldmarch.¡¯ ¡®They might try, but they would not succeed,¡¯ Corminar clarified, though if we encountered a whole bloody army then I wasn¡¯t so sure about that. Val shifted from foot to foot at my side, and a quick glance over at her told me that she was wrestling with saying something¡ªcaught between biting her tongue and speaking her mind. ¡®I much enjoy your confidence,¡¯ Duchess Yua said, a twinkle in her eye as she glanced Corminar up and down, ¡®though I suspect you underestimate our enemy. In ability, perhaps, they are middling, but they number enough to outweigh any such weakness. And of course, that is to say nothing of their leader in the Tundras, who¡ªit seems¡ªis of considerable intellect. Their capacity for strategy certainly cannot be overstated.¡¯ At my side, Val broke, her mouth opening compulsively, as it so often did. ¡®They¡¯re a Player,¡¯ she said. When Duchess Yua turned to her, eyebrow raised, Val continued, ¡®The woman in charge. We believe she¡¯s a Player, operating on Queen Amira¡¯s behalf.¡¯ The witch then went quiet, allowing this information to soak in the silence that followed. ¡®We know,¡¯ the duchess finally replied, her tone glum. ¡®A woman by name of Niamh. It is she with whom Duke Cambelny and Chancellor Orjkan negotiated their deal¡ªGoldmarch soldiers would enter their cities in order to help deal with the bandit menace. I am ashamed to say it was a man named Jacob¡ªa strange, frivolous man, but still wearing the title of ¡°Player¡±¡ªwith whom I came to my own arrangement. In hindsight, so obvious a ploy, yet who would think to call into question the sincerity of a Player, of all people?¡¯ ¡®Then you know that it is your trust of Players that cost you everything,¡¯ Corminar said, holding Yua¡¯s gaze as it lingered on him. The Duchess nodded, though even this seemingly stoic woman could not help but blush. I supposed it was embarrassment rather than Corminar¡¯s gaze that did it, though I¡¯d seen the latter have the same impact on numerous occasions. ¡®Indeed.¡¯ ¡®This is what Players are like, you know,¡¯ Val said. ¡®They¡¯re just people. Descendents of the Architects, sure, but just people. People with a good public image. You lot might think they¡¯re all heroes, but that¡¯s about as true for them as it is for the rest of us. And you know what? Maybe that¡¯s even more true for them¡ªsomething about being lauded seems to go to their heads. ¡®You might think they¡¯re heroes. You might still think that, but they¡¯re not. They just do whatever gets them money. Or power. Or fame. They¡¯re just as mortal as the rest of us.¡¯ Throughout all of this, Duchess Yua met Val¡¯s gaze, not glancing away for a second. In that moment, I got the sense that she¡¯d actually been a good leader¡ªready to listen, even if it challenged her dearly held beliefs. This was a woman who could keep an open mind. But, still, she needed someone to tip her over the edge. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. I put my hand on the small of Val¡¯s back to comfort her, the thought of Niamh¡ªthe woman who¡¯d once tried to kill her¡ªclearly having distressed her, but I kept my attention on the once leader of Lenktra. ¡®One man¡¯s hero is another man¡¯s enemy,¡¯ I said. ¡®That¡¯s the nature of questing; there¡¯s always someone suffering on the other end. It just so happens that that¡¯s you, this time, not some criminal or murderer or someone, who might deserve it.¡¯ Finally, the duchess¡¯s steady gaze broke, snapping down to the floor. She sighed, and with it, I got the impression that it was a sigh she¡¯d been keeping in for a good long time. ¡®I know,¡¯ she said. ¡®I know. I tell myself that all I can do now is mend that which I have broken, but¡­¡¯ She sighed once more, turning to the man at her side. ¡®We should discuss.¡¯ Duke Cambelny replied to her with a nod. ¡®If you will excuse us,¡¯ he said, followed by another poorly practised bow. The two once-leaders left me and the rest of the team alone in the corner of the abandoned barn. ¡®What make of them?¡¯ Arzak said, keeping her voice quiet, at least for her. ¡®They¡¯re desperate,¡¯ Lore said, ¡®but I guess I¡¯d be desperate, too. I think we can trust em.¡¯ Val piped up next. ¡®Trust is one thing, helping them a whole other.¡¯ ¡®Who said we help them?¡¯ Arzak asked. ¡®It¡¯d be the heroic thing to do,¡¯ I cut in. ¡®I thought you were all on board with that? Killing heroes is just gonna make people hate us¡ªeven if those heroes aren¡¯t actually heroes. But if we can present ourselves as an alternative¡­¡¯ ¡®Even if we ain¡¯t heroes,¡¯ Lore said, ¡®the Tundras is still our home. If we do nothing, and Amira and her soldiers keep taking towns for her kingdom, then we ain¡¯t gonna have one. A home, I mean. It¡¯ll be gone.¡¯ ¡®You believe we¡ªa mere five people¡ªcould make a difference?¡¯ Corminar asked. ¡®Maybe not us, but¡­¡¯ ¡®They can,¡¯ I finished for Lore, nodding to the exiled leaders. ¡®You ever heard a bad word about them? You get all these stories about foreign lords and kings and such, and they sound tyrannical. But this lot? They¡¯re popular. They¡¯ll be able to bring people back to their cause.¡¯ Val looked up at me, her brown eyes dark in the low light, giving me the impression that she was studying me. She looked away when I met her gaze, and nodded. ¡®Styk¡¯s right. This lot? They¡¯ve gotta be around after we kill Niamh. They gotta be around to take back what they lost.¡¯ Lore nodded eagerly, though Corminar and Arzak hesitated in following suit. ¡®Long as we not die in process,¡¯ the orc said. ¡®Do we ever?¡¯ I asked. ¡®You have twice,¡¯ Arzak pointed out. ¡®Oh, yeah.¡¯ Maybe that wasn¡¯t quite as good an argument as it had originally seemed. A few minutes later, Duchess Yua of Lenktra and Duke Cambelny of Aptleed returned to us, bringing their families and remaining personal guard with them, this time. This was a conversation that all involved needed to be privy to, it seemed. ¡®I can see that you are strong.¡¯ The duchess glanced at me as if to say ¡°except you¡±, but I let it go. ¡®You do not live so long as a duchess without a highly levelled Identification skill, believe me. Perhaps, then, we might pay you to escort us to Fort Tanil? There, alongside Chancellor Orjkan, we intend to scheme, to plan how we take back our cities from the invaders. We would pay handsomely¡ªwe conceal gold, gems and artifacts on our person¡ªand do not believe we would make it there alive without protection.¡¯ ¡®You wish to add mercenaries to your revolution?¡¯ Corminar asked. ¡®I wish to survive our revolution. Will you help us?¡¯ I stepped forward, and reach out a hand. Duchess Yua took it.
"Styk" Level 14 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 32 Intelligence ¡ª 140 Dexterity ¡ª 69 Strength ¡ª 63 Wisdom ¡ª 48 Charisma ¡ª 31
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 35 Knifework ¡ª Level 28 Stealth ¡ª Level 15 Needlework ¡ª Level 12 Identification ¡ª Level 10
Abilities: Slice ¡ª Slice the enemy for physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Stab II ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 20%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Cloth Storage III ¡ª Open a portal to an inventory space, wherein you can store up to 30 distinct Needlework supplies. Stealth Attack II ¡ª Passive. 80% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
115. Roots Of Revolution It took as many as five days to reach Fort Tanil, on the southwestern coast of the Tundras. It was two or three days¡¯ journey, under normal circumstances, but we¡¯d had to avoid Goldmarch platoons marching north, and we¡¯d had to double back some to cover our tracks. That wasn¡¯t to say we¡¯d entirely avoided fighting, however. Sometimes, it had been quicker to deal with the smaller handfuls of soldiers than it had been to go around them¡ªwhich had the added benefit of turning the war effort in our favour, in some small, small amount. There¡¯d been another benefit too, in fact. The few skirmishes we¡¯d had on our way here had helped me level up both Worldbending¡ªnow up to level 38¡ªas well as Knifework¡ªup to level 31. Because the latter skill had passed another milestone level, I¡¯d been given the opportunity to choose from a couple of abilities. There had been no execution ability upgrades this time around, but I had been able to upgrade Stab to level III, which offered a 50% increase to damage. Because this particular ability had proven to useful lately, this was what I had gone for¡ªthough I was yet to have a chance to use it. We¡¯d come across areas of unpatched woodland on our journey west, but any hope of finding more landscape untouched was quickly dashed as we grew nearer to the lands governed by Garnokk. Once more, the story was the same: trees that were decades¡ªif not centuries¡ªold, felled down to a stump. Wherever the wood had gone wasn¡¯t clear, though I did on occasion see impressions in the dirt suggesting that laden carts had headed northeast. This sparse landscape had left little cover to hide behind, and so Corminar and Arzak had been on careful watch of the horizon; if they could see any enemies, then it was likely that they could see us, too. But the last day of travel¡ªour fastest day by far¡ªwas devoid of any enemies, who seemed to be concentrating in the east rather than the west. As such, we arrived at Fort Tanil at around dusk, and we arrived there to discover trouble brewing. Lore and Corminar raced ahead the moment we first heard the shouting of battle, while Arzak, Val and I remained with our defenceless party of exiled leaders and their families. Soon enough, Corminar returned, darting back and waving for us to hurry. Val, Arzak and I charged ahead, deciding that any danger posed to Yua, Cambelny and company was probably based in the tower ahead of us. At the base of the tower was an orc woman, who managed to look glamorous despite wearing very heavy armour and carrying a great sword in a sheath over her shoulder. She and Lore were looking up at the tower, where the shouting was coming from. ¡®Chancellor Orjkan, I assume?¡¯ I asked the woman as we arrived at her side. She nodded, her expression serious. ¡®And personal guard. All that left, at least.¡¯ Her way of speaking was less noticeable than some orcs I¡¯d met¡ªArzak included¡ªwhich suggested to me that she¡¯d spent a good amount of time among humans, elves and other races. ¡®Your guard are inside?¡¯ Val asked. ¡®Who are they fighting?¡¯ ¡®Is not who. Is what. Forest spirits are inside. Dryads.¡¯ As she said this, a worrying cry echoed out from the tower. ¡®We try to clear out, but are outnumbered. If you get inside, maybe some of them survive. You can help?¡¯ ¡®We¡¯re pledged to,¡¯ I replied, though the pledge in this case was a monetary transaction rather than the usual hero deal; I would work on that with the Slayers at a later date. I reached a hand up at the tower, and opened a portal inside, just through a small arrow slit in the round stone building. Lore was through in an instant, having grown used to portal travel by now, and Arzak followed soon after, as she was the other part of the team that could take a few hits. After a few seconds passed, and we were sure it was safe enough, Corminar, Val and I followed them inside. We stepped into chaos. In the centre of this floor of the tower, we joined three of Orjkan¡¯s soldiers, each of whom were battered with wounds. Down the adjoining corridor, I got my first look at the forest spirits¡ªtree-like beings that floated gently through the air. From their skin, petals dropped, these too gliding slowly around and towards us. ¡®Don¡¯t let petal touch you!¡¯ one of the soldiers roared at Lore and Arzak as they hurried to the door to protect the rest of our party. ¡®Why?¡¯ Lore asked, and then quickly had has question answered. One of the petals¡ªtravelling slowly and gently through the air though it might have been¡ªbrushed against Lore¡¯s arm. The edge of the petal sliced through his bracer as through it was butter, and moments later blood began to pour from the wound. ¡®Val?¡¯ I asked, turning to the witch. But she was in a bit of a daze. ¡®Yeah? What?¡¯ ¡®Lore! He needs Healing.¡¯ The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡®Right.¡¯ She nodded and ran to his side, taking care to hide around the corner, where the dryads wouldn¡¯t be able to attack her. While Lore clutched his bleeding arm, Arzak sliced at the floating petals with her dual blades. These petals moved slowly enough that hitting them was no trouble, and once she sliced them in two, they dropped limply to the ground, where they began to rot at an accelerated pace. But there was enough of them that Arzak had to keep moving, with no opportunity to pause, otherwise she and Lore would be hit. I opened a portal between us and the dryads to slow the advance of the petals, and though I was able to send the flowery attack back at our enemies, all of the petals turned around in midair to begin soaring back at us once more. ¡®Ah,¡¯ I said. Corminar poked up behind Arzak to fire an arrow at the dryads, landing the attack perfectly. It caused the enemy to stagger, the arrow wedged into its body¡ªor trunk?¡ªbut not seeming to do enough damage to slow the attack. The elf turned to one of the soldiers. ¡®Please, a small cloth and a lit torch.¡¯ The soldier replied with a nod, and then set about striking iron on flint next to an unlit wall torch. ¡®I don¡¯t¡­¡¯ Val started, but a heavy wave of petals forced everyone else¡¯s attention away from her. ¡®Fire!¡¯ the soldier said, hurrying back to Corminar¡¯s side with a torch, handing a piece of torn cloth¡ªfrom his own tunic¡ªto the elf, who began wrapping it around the head of an arrow. I could see where he was going with this: wood and fire made a deadly combination. Corminar nocked the flaming arrow, aimed it, and¡ª ¡®No!¡¯ Val suddenly roared, snapping her hand out towards Corminar. It was too late. He fired. Instinctively, some deep-rooted part of me recognised the fear in Val¡¯s voice and realised that she¡¯d have very good reason for not wanting Corminar to launched the attack. So I stopped it. I reached out and opened a portal in the arrow¡¯s path, catching it and sending it slamming into the wall above our heads. Fortunately, there was no wall decoration or anything around it to catch fire, or then we might have been in trouble¡ªwe¡¯d have spent a week travelling here only for me to burn the would-be revolution headquarters down at the earliest opportunity. The elf turned on me, then Val, then looked back to me again, not quite sure who he blamed more for his failed attack. ¡®Would one of you care to explain why¡ª¡¯ ¡®How many of you are there?¡¯ Val asked, turning to the soldier at Corminar¡¯s side. ¡®Eight. Or was. Not sure how many now.¡¯ ¡®Three of you here, so potentially five of your colleagues out there? Killing the dryads?¡¯ Lore hesitated a moment at this, almost missing one of the petal attacks he was trying to take down. ¡®Why¡¯d you say it like that?¡¯ Val gulped. ¡®They¡¯re beings of witchcraft. I didn¡¯t know what I was sensing before, but it¡­ It was their feelings. Their thoughts. They¡¯re one and the same I think, and¡­¡¯ She trailed off, then shook her head to get herself back to the heart of the matter. ¡®Point is: the dryads, they¡¯re not evil. They¡¯re just¡­ like us. Refugees. Trying to survive. Their homes torn down by the Golden Kingdom.¡¯ ¡®...The trees,¡¯ I said. Val nodded glumly. ¡®We don¡¯t have to kill them,¡¯ she said. ¡®We have to save them.¡¯
"Styk" Level 14 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 32 Intelligence ¡ª 140 Dexterity ¡ª 77 Strength ¡ª 67 Wisdom ¡ª 48 Charisma ¡ª 31
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 38 Knifework ¡ª Level 31 Stealth ¡ª Level 15 Needlework ¡ª Level 12 Identification ¡ª Level 10
Abilities: Slice ¡ª Slice the enemy for physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Cloth Storage III ¡ª Open a portal to an inventory space, wherein you can store up to 30 distinct Needlework supplies. Stealth Attack II ¡ª Passive. 80% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
116. Holding Back ¡®Save them?¡¯ one of Orjkan¡¯s personal guard repeated. ¡®They try kill us!¡¯ ¡®Did they? Or were they just trying to defend themselves?¡¯ Val replied. ¡®They find themselves a home, a place where they can escape their attackers, and¡ª¡¯ ¡®We not their attackers!¡¯ the orcish soldier cried. ¡®We not Goldmarch soldiers!¡¯ ¡®Do you think they know that? Do you think they see the difference in our kind? Or do you think they were lacking that nuance, just like you were?¡¯ The soldier stared back at her, dumbfounded. ¡®Cos you saw them and immediately assumed they were monsters to be slain, didn¡¯t you? You didn¡¯t stop to ask yourself not just whether you should, but whether you had to.¡¯ ¡®Guys¡­¡¯ Lore said, he and Arzak still frantically slashing at the forest spirits¡¯ petal attacks, which weren¡¯t slowing. If anything, the attacks seemed to be growing more frantic. ¡®Styk,¡¯ Val said, ignoring the barbarian to look to me. ¡®Portal.¡¯ I nodded, then ran over to the arrow slit so I could see the ground below, and I opened a portal down there that paired with one in the room. ¡®In,¡¯ Val ordered the orcish soldiers. ¡®Now.¡¯ ¡®But this¡ª¡¯ ¡®Now,¡¯ the witch said again, and she did so with such force, and such a glare, that three orcs more than twice her size slumped their soldiers and did what she instructed. Once the three soldiers were out of the way, I closed the portal behind them, to conserve mana. Even with all the points I¡¯d put into Intelligence these past few months, I still only had so much mana to use¡ªand all the more recently acquired Worldbending abilities used more mana than the basic ones. ¡®You think you can get the dryads to stop attacking us?¡¯ Lore asked, sweat dripping down his forehead and chin. ¡®Maybe if those other soldiers stop attacking them!¡¯ Val turned to me. ¡®Think you can portal us around until we find them?¡¯ ¡®I think if we can break off this attack then we might not need to search¡ªwill be able to hear them?¡¯ ¡®Mm,¡¯ Arzak agreed. ¡®Attacking or screaming.¡¯ I hurried over to the other side of the tower, the arrow slits over here looking down onto the main courtyard of Fort Tanil, as well as onto the walls. I spied two of the soldiers down below, fighting off petal attacks in much the same way as Arzak and Lore were. The difference was that these soldiers were outnumbered. ¡®I see two,¡¯ I said. ¡®Get ready to portal. At Lore and Arzak¡¯s side.¡¯ Corminar nodded, and he and Val ran behind the other two members of the party, standing just behind them and shielding themselves from any attacks. I opened a portal on top of a wall below, and its partner just below the rest of the team¡¯s feet. They fell through, and suddenly dozens of petals turned towards me instead. ¡®Oh, right, yep,¡¯ I said, then closed the portal and opened another pair, through which I fell to the walltop below. The rest of the team were already fixing their attention on the battle below, doing their best to draw the attacks of the forest spirits so that the orcish soldiers wouldn¡¯t be so overwhelmed. But they could only defend against the dryad attacks, not wishing to do damage of their own. ¡®Styk? You gonna hurry up or what?¡¯ ¡®Hold your bloody horses,¡¯ I replied to Val, and crept over to the edge of the wall to get a look on the soldiers below. Petal attacks rose up to meet my face, and I cowered backwards just in time to avoid having my cheeks slice. Arzak swept in to deal with the rising attacks, dual blades sweeping rapidly through the air. ¡®I say when clear,¡¯ she said. ¡®But Val said¡ª¡¯ ¡®No time for bicker,¡¯ the orc interrupted, then added, ¡®now, go!¡¯ Trusting in my party member, I peered again over the edge of the wall, one hand reaching forward. The two soldiers had become separated as the dryad attacks overwhelmed them, so I was forced to open a portal below one and throw him into the air above the other. The moment the soldier appeared, falling, through the other side of the portal, I opened up another pair below the both of them to bring them up to the wall with us. They tumbled to the stone, clutching their heads and their wounds, and then one of the two soldiers vomited. ¡®I get Worldbending sickness,¡¯ she explained. ¡®OK,¡¯ I replied, not really sure what to do with this information. ¡®Where are the others?¡¯ Val demanded of the soldier that wasn¡¯t throwing up. Looking up at her in a daze, dozens of cuts on his skin that were in dire need of Healing, the soldier pointed back to the tower. ¡®In there. At ground.¡¯ Val looked up to me, and I nodded once more. I stepped back from the two orcish soldiers to give my portal space and then sent the pair of them tumbling¡ªand vomiting, probably¡ªonce more, landing them outside of the fort and out of trouble. ¡®Styk¡­¡¯ Lore said, nervously, as the petal attacks¡ªnow focused entirely on us¡ªthreatened to overwhelm him and Arzak. One of the forest spirits, larger than the rest, with eyes glowing not just green, but blue too, suddenly pressed its arms into the ground. The moment its body touched dirt, new roots suddenly shot through the ground, erupting from it, in a line that rushed towards the wall. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡®Time to go, I think!¡¯ Lore cried, as the roots shot towards him at a frightening pace. ¡®Jump!¡¯ I shouted, and the whole team did as I¡¯d suggested, leaping from the top of the wall. We fell through the air just before the dryad¡¯s attack reached where Arzak and Lore had been standing moments earlier, shattering the wall, and I reached down to open a portal beneath us. The five of us fell out the portal at the other side, at the base of the tower, tumbling across the ground. Arzak¡ªso often the most agile, surprisingly¡ªwas on her feet first, running for the doors and presumably about to tear them open to grant us entrance to the¡ª Arzak charged through the old, rotting doors, splitting them from their frames. Or that. That works too. The other four of us followed inside, bursting in on a fight between the last two soldiers of Orjkan¡¯s personal guard. But where the previous soldiers had been outnumbered, this time it was the orcs overwhelming a single dryad. A dryad on the verge of dying, it looked like. Rotting petals littered the floor as a weakened forest spirit laid on the floor, raising a shaking arm in a pointless attempt to block the swinging blade of one of the orcish soldiers. I wasn¡¯t quick enough with my portals to stop him, but Val, fortunately, was. She roared as she lit up with a green glow, and roots shot forth from the ground in much the same way as the dryad¡¯s had outside, a moment earlier. The roots burst towards the soldier¡¯s sword arm, wrapping themselves around it in mid-swing, and stopping the blade before it could reach the dryad. The soldier turned his head to Val, eyes wide. ¡®They enemy! Not us!¡¯ ¡®No they bloody aren¡¯t!¡¯ she cried. The other soldier, seeking to end this fight even despite the team¡¯s involvement, charged towards the fallen dryad, great sword arching through the air. Val shot her hand forward to summon more roots, but they snapped against the soldier¡¯s running feet, unable to get purchase. Corminar whipped an arrow from his quiver and shot it towards the charging soldier¡¯s foot, and¡­ missed. Or, at least, that¡¯s what I initially thought. The arrow buried itself in the ground just ahead of the soldier¡¯s leading foot, doing no damage. But within a split second, the orc moved that foot again in his sprint towards the ¡°enemy¡±, and the arrow was so deeply embedded in the ground that he tripped on it, falling to the floor. ¡®They¡¯re not your bloody enemies!¡¯ Val shouted, summoning more roots that this time found purchase on the fallen orc, binding him to the ground. Only when it was clear that he wasn¡¯t getting out of his own accord did Val sigh. ¡®Err¡­ guys?¡¯ Lore said, standing at the door and peering out. ¡®It¡¯s good that you saved that one, but what about this lot?¡¯ I turned to look outside, and saw the other forest spirits floating menacingly towards us. Fast. ¡®If you¡¯re gonna get them to stop attacking, Val, now might be a good time to do it.¡¯ The witch nodded, and touched her hands to the ground once more. This was something she did a lot, I noticed, and I was starting to wonder if this wasn¡¯t about getting more in touch with nature¡ªthe heart of Witchcraft abilities. She glowed green once more as she activated her magicks, and veins of magical energy shot through the ground towards the strange creatures, but then¡­ They faded. ¡®Doesn¡¯t look like it¡¯s working,¡¯ I said. ¡®Yes, thank you,¡¯ Val replied. She furrowed her brow, thinking deeply, and then turned back to me. ¡®Styk¡ªget me on top of them. The largest one. With the blue and green eyes.¡¯ I knew better than to argue¡ªwell, I didn¡¯t, but I decided not to on this particular occasion¡ªand I opened a portal in front of Val, its partner in the space just above the space between the door and the dryads. ¡®Get ready¡­¡¯ I waited until the largest spirits was directly under the portal. ¡®Now!¡¯ Val leaped through, appearing in the air above the creatures, and tumbled down onto the dryad. She grabbed at its shoulders and neck, steadying herself, and tried to climb onto its shoulders as it twisted and turned, trying to rid itself of this new attacker. The witch hanged on for dear life, slowly getting to a point where she had her hands positioned on either side of the creature¡¯s head. When she activated her powers this time, both her eyes and the largest dryad¡¯s glowed a bright green. Within a second, the dryad¡¯s advancement came to a halt. ¡®Did it work? Did you¡ª¡¯ I started to ask. 8 x forest spirits defeated! Worldbending ¡ª +4,900xp Worldbending increased to level 39! Worldbending increased to level 40! Base Points gained ¡ª +4 INT, +4 Free Points (INT/WIS/CHA) Ability selection unlocked ... Yes, then. It absolutely did work.
"Styk" Level 14 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 32 Intelligence ¡ª 140 Dexterity ¡ª 83 Strength ¡ª 67 Wisdom ¡ª 48 Charisma ¡ª 33
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 40 Knifework ¡ª Level 31 Stealth ¡ª Level 15 Needlework ¡ª Level 12 Identification ¡ª Level 10
Abilities: Slice ¡ª Slice the enemy for physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Cloth Storage III ¡ª Open a portal to an inventory space, wherein you can store up to 30 distinct Needlework supplies. Stealth Attack II ¡ª Passive. 80% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
117. A Legion Is Born Only Val could communicate with the dryads, and so naturally she managed the peace talks between these strange creatures and the exiled leaders. Peace talks, as it turned out, weren¡¯t something that happened particularly quickly, so that left me, the rest of the Slayers, and the families and guards of the leaders kicking about a bit. One of the soldiers was showing Lore and Arzak a new orcish card game, and though it was new only to the human, he seemed to be consistently winning it, much to the annoyance of everyone else. Still, it was hard to be annoyed at Lore, particularly with his goofy smile and sincere excitement at having the best hands. Corminar, meanwhile, was busy making another batch of potions, me having used the last of his mana vials to replenish after the fight. I, meanwhile, occupied myself by wandering around the now quiet fort and reviewing my ability selection choices. It really hadn¡¯t been long since my last Worldbending ability, I noted, though there¡¯d been a fair few fights between then and now. Not to mention that Arnold Orellan had been of quite a high level, too. I supposed that at this rate, that +900% boost to experience points offered by the Legacy of Sispyhus artifact really would bring me back in line with my peers eventually. At least, it would if we kept getting into these sorts of scrapes. Ability selection unlocked Select an ability from the list below: Option 1: Skinsmith III (Worldbending) ¡ª Toughen skin to act as natural armour. Strength of armour scales on [WIS]. Uses significantly less mana/second. I knew deep down that I should pick a Skinsmith ability at some point, because I hadn¡¯t invested all that much in Vitality, to increase the size of my health bar. But I already had my Warped Shield ability, which used mana to deflect any melee attacks¡ªat least, low-level ones¡ªand that meant the low investment in Vitality maybe didn¡¯t matter. Besides, I was sure to get an upgraded version of it at some point, and I could only assume this would increase its ability beyond ¡°low-level¡±. With all this in mind, I was very much on the fence about picking this ability. I didn¡¯t want to rule it out entirely, but I had other options to review first. Option 2 Ash Husk II (Worldbending) ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 90% resistance to fire attacks. It was another upgrade¡ªI¡¯d had a lot of these sorts of options lately, it felt like¡ªbut this was a very encouraging one. The ability to have 90% resistance to fire attacks would greatly increase my strength¡­ when fighting users who specialised in fire magicks. There were a lot of these, admittedly, which did make this choice a compelling one, but I had to admit it was more niche¡ªif more powerful¡ªthan just picking the Skinsmith ability. I kept this option in the runnings, and opened up my third and final option. Hidden condition met! Alternative ability choice unlocked. Option 3: Pocket Worlds (Worldbending) [Requires: Any ¡®storage¡¯ Worldbending ability] ¡ª Replaces ¡®Cloth Storage III¡¯. Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. There was a lot to take in here. I¡¯d only just gained Cloth Storage III¡ªI hadn¡¯t even had a chance to use it yet, as we¡¯d hardly been by any shops lately!¡ªand already I had the opportunity to replace it. Normally, I would have ruled it out immediately; I wanted to at least test how an ability might work in the real world before I upgraded or evolved it. But in this case¡­ I could see exactly how it would change. I would no longer be restricted to just Needlework supplies, which I would still want to include, but would be able to carry just about anything. I could carry Alchemy supplies for Corminar, or I could have an array of knives, each suited for a particular type of enemy. Or I could store Lore¡¯s sheep in there, if I ever decided to become a weird elven crime lord, like Elandor. The possibilities were endless. And that was before I even interrogated the wording. ¡°Open and access pocket dimensions¡± didn¡¯t specify it had to be my pocket dimensions, did it? It was almost worded like I could access them in general. The two health bar proxy abilities would have to wait to come around again; I knew exactly which one I wanted to pick. Ability unlocked ¡ª Pocket Worlds Pocket Worlds (Worldbending) ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. And then, of course, I did exactly the same thing anyone would do in the situation of just having unlocked the ¡®Pocket Worlds¡¯ ability¡ªI tested it. I turned to find a weed at my side and decided it was probably as good a trial item as any. I ripped it from the ground and turned to find an empty patch in front of me in which to open my pocket world portal. It came as naturally to me as opening any portal, and the portal itself even appeared largely the same. Though, there were two notable differences: the glow of the magicks of this portal were darker, and there was no partner to it. At least, not on this plane of existence. I resisted the urge to stick my head straight into the portal, and instead pushed the weed inside, letting as little of my arm go into the portal as possible. I released the weed, pulled my hand out, and allowed the portal to close. There were no system messages or anything¡ªnothing, in fact, to let me know how much of my pocket world¡¯s capacity the weed had used up. I supposed I would only find out that I was at capacity when I wasn¡¯t able to push anything else inside. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. I gave the portal world another few moments before opening an access again, and I put my hand into to find the weed. My fingertips touched¡­ nothing. My stomach churned; was I not going to be able to retrieve things I put in here again? Was this ability pointless without some way of summoning the stored items once more? Was I not going to be able to pull this weed from the¡ª As soon as I thought of the weed, it seemed to shoot to my hand within the portal. I closed my grip around it and pulled it out, and the weed was just as it had been going in. If what Elandor had said about his version of this ability was true, then no time had passed for the weed¡ªthere had been no chance for anything to happen to it. I took a deep breath, staring at the portal, and then stuck my head in. I simply had to know. Inside, it was like how I imagined it would be to be inside a large, fluffy cloud, if purple. Every way you looked, all you could see was the same purple glow as existed on the portals themselves, though it was bespeckled slightly in here with tiny dark dots, as though some other material was fighting to get in. Well, now I knew, and it seemed pleasant enough. I pulled my head back out and allowed the portal world to close. ¡®...What¡¯re you doing?¡¯ Val said, appearing in front of me at the other side of the portal. ¡®New ability. Just testing it.¡¯ The witch raised an eyebrow, apparently unable to stop a smirk from crossing her face. ¡®You done with the dryads?¡¯ Val nodded. ¡®Yua is sipping tea with them as we speak.¡¯ ¡®Ooh, tea?¡¯ ¡®I wouldn¡¯t. This isn¡¯t normal tea, it¡¯s nasty root stuff. Yua¡¯s being polite when she says it¡¯s nice, I reckon.¡¯ I slumped my shoulders; I¡¯d been in the mood for a nice cup of tea. ¡®Turns out they have a lot in common, after all. I didn¡¯t exactly have to do much.¡¯ Val looked over at Yua, Cambelny and the forest spirits, and I followed her line of sight. The cups of tea in their hands were glowing green, and suddenly I didn¡¯t have quite so much of a craving. ¡®Yua and her lot want their cities back, and the dryads want their forests back. They have the same enemy, and want different things out of fighting them¡ªthere¡¯s never been such a good groundwork for a diplomatic relationship.¡¯ ¡®You know a lot about diplomatic relationships, then?¡¯ I asked. ¡®I read.¡¯ Val shook her head. ¡®Anyway, I came to get you. We¡¯re all supposed to gather. Yua¡¯s gonna speak to us all.¡¯ I followed Val back to where the exiled leaders and the forest spirits had been talking, and found the rest of the team¡ªas well as the soldiers and families¡ªmaking their ways there too. I remained at the back of the milling crowd, leaning against a nearby wall, as Yua began to speak. ¡®Thank you all for your patience,¡¯ she started, pausing to sweep her eyes across the crowd, seeming to look at every single face. ¡®We have discovered much in common with our new forest friends. So quick were we to fight that we did not realise that we shared an enemy. We have Equivalence to thank for reminding us of this.¡¯ Yua nodded to Val, at my side. Sometimes I forgot that Val¡¯s full name was Equivalence. That really was a terrible name. ¡®Still,¡¯ the ex-Duchess of Lenktra continued, ¡®we have much work ahead of us. Together with our dryad allies, we will take the battle to Amira¡¯s soldiers, and their general in the region: the woman known as Niamh. It will be long, and it will be gruelling, and we have only a small number of soldiers in comparison to Amira¡¯s own legion. ¡®But we have something that she does not: loyalty that extends beyond coin. Her soldiers fight because they are paid, but the brave people of the Tundras will fight because it is their home. We will recruit where we can, and we will strike only where we can deal maximum damage to Amira¡¯s empire. We will need to be smart with our strategy¡ªthat goes without saying¡ªbut I do believe one thing above all else: we will triumph.¡¯ At this, a smattering of folk in the small crowd cheered, while others clapped. Though the reaction was quiet, I sensed that those who heard Yua¡¯s speech were encouraged by it, that many of them too thought that winning wasn¡¯t so impossible. When the crowd dispersed, Yua locked eyes with Val, and came striding through the amassed audience to take my friend¡ª¡±friend¡± didn¡¯t feel like the right label for what we were now, but this wasn¡¯t the right moment to work that out¡ªby the hands. ¡®In case I did not make it clear,¡¯ the ex-duchess said. ¡®I know now that I have misjudged witches. I will do better in future.¡¯ Val met the woman¡¯s gaze, and nodded¡ªa gesture that Yua returned in kind. When the witch turned to me, she smiled an easy smile. ¡®So, Styk, are you ready to go to war?¡¯
"Styk" Level 14 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 32 Intelligence ¡ª 140 Dexterity ¡ª 83 Strength ¡ª 67 Wisdom ¡ª 48 Charisma ¡ª 33
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 40 Knifework ¡ª Level 31 Stealth ¡ª Level 15 Needlework ¡ª Level 12 Identification ¡ª Level 10
Abilities: Slice ¡ª Slice the enemy for physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Stealth Attack II ¡ª Passive. 80% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
118. Bread & Circuses Imagine, dear reader, that you sit upon a hard wooden stool, a small, rickety, flimsy desk in front of you. You hold a chewed pencil in hand, and upon the documents on the desk you doodle¡ªperhaps flowers, perhaps dragons, perhaps rough impressions of male genitals. I ask you to imagine all of this because I am about to take you back to school. The Gentle Tundras only received this name after the old kings fell. These were a cruel, tyrannical bunch, but I won¡¯t go into any more detail on these people because they don¡¯t deserve your time, and this isn''t about them. What I want to talk to you about is what happened after the kingdoms fell. Some of this I knew already, and some of this I learned over the next few days from Yua, who¡ªby virtue of her privileged position in society¡ªhad far better education than I¡¯d had the opportunity to receive. She was generous in sharing it. After the old kingdoms fell, there was talk of the orcs in the north, or the Goldmarch in the south¡ªalready established by this point¡ªsweeping in to take over management of the region. But, of course, this never happened, and it happened because the new leaders¡ªchampions of the uprising¡ªunderstood the Tundras like the kings never could. They knew that the Tundras could survive based on one resource alone: the ample, strong timber that grew in the region. They collectively set up trade routes with their neighbours to the north and south, and even with the elves, two seas away. They would trade this timber for the one thing they¡¯d never be able to produce enough of: food. The soil simply didn¡¯t support wheat and other staple crops in the same way that it could support the old, established forests. Through these trade routes, the people of the broken kingdoms were able to support themselves. More than that: thanks to the food imports, they even flourished, at least for a few decades. It was these very same food imports that we now attacked. Over the past few weeks, we¡ªthat is, the Slayers, the dryads and the few soldiers that Yua had already recruited¡ªhad been involved in skirmishes all across the southwestern Tundras. We¡¯d fought Goldmarch soldiers, all of whom had been marching east, though in the last few days we¡¯d barely encountered any. It had been good to not be outnumbered, for once, and so the battles had been fairly one-sided, and I¡¯d been able to level up Worldbending and Knifework once each as a result. When we¡¯d finally arrived at the outskirts of Aptleed, Yua¡ªthe only ex-leader with us, who had insisted on travelling with us for recruitment purposes¡ªhad instructed us to scout out the city for a while. In particular, she wanted us to scout out any trade going in or out of the walled city. She was satisfied when Orjkan¡¯s soldiers reported ¡°the usual¡± in terms of imports, which meant that Niamh had relied on Duke Cambelny¡¯s old methods of keeping the people fed. If we interrupted that, then¡­ well, Yua was pretty sure that the people of Aptleed would no longer be able to bear their new leader, and the revolution might have a chance of seizing one of the major cities back to their cause. From there, they could raise an army. But it would take time. We crouched now in a wheat field, half of us either side of the main road, awaiting our target. A few carts had passed us already, but they¡¯d been heading out from the city rather than in, and besides, they¡¯d carried timber rather than food. But if the scouts borrowed from Chancellor Orjkan were correct, one of the major trains of carts would be passing by shortly. I looked to Arzak and Corminar at my side. We had orcish soldiers here too¡ªVal and the dryads being on the other side of the road¡ªbut I was less interested in talking to them being that we¡¯d found absolutely nothing in common. ¡®Anyone else¡¯s thighs starting to ache?¡¯ I asked. ¡®It has been a long while since I crouched for so long,¡¯ Corminar agreed. ¡®It almost takes me back to my days in the Dawnwoods. To the days of war.¡¯ This was quite a change from the normal Corminar; he¡¯d never mentioned the war before Aiwin and the elven diplomats had dragged it out of him, and now he seemed willing to bring up the subject of his own accord. ¡®Less talk,¡¯ Arzak whispered. ¡®More concentrate.¡¯ And she was right to call us out, because in the distance I heard wheels rumbling along the rocky road. Lots of them. This was it. ¡®Wait until Val give signal,¡¯ Arzak reminded us, though I was pleased to see that she was addressing the trained, disciplining soldiers as much as she was the two men complaining about crouching. The rumbling wheels grew louder and closer, and I couldn¡¯t help myself but open a portal next to me and in the sky above the convoy, so that I might get a look at what we were dealing with. It was a good job that I did. The food carts were just as expected¡ªone or two drivers on each, a half dozen horses at their head, a full cart of vegetables and grains behind them. And enough of them, too, that it would affect Aptleed if they lost this batch. What we hadn¡¯t anticipated was the Goldmarch soldiers riding at the front and rear of the pack. ¡®Hm,¡¯ Arzak grunted softly at my side, looking through the portal. ¡®They hadn¡¯t been protected before, right?¡¯ ¡®They had not,¡¯ Corminar agreed. ¡®Perhaps we must retreat and regroup?¡¯ ¡®No time for this. Too close. And plan must go ahead anyway.¡¯ I closed the portal. The soldiers were getting close, now, and I didn¡¯t want anything tipping them off to our presence. ¡®Niamh,¡¯ I said. ¡®She must have anticipated this attack. Maybe she got reports of our presence, and figured this was the obvious weakness in her position? Cambelny and Yua did say she was smart.¡¯ Arzak said her eyebrows in agreement, but kept her eyes fixed on the road. As she said, it changed nothing; we still had a job to do. The convoy grew closer, and I gripped my knife with one hand. At my side, Corminar nocked an arrow in his bow. It grew closer still, and Arzak and the orcish soldiers rose ever so slightly from their crouches. And before long, it was upon us. On the other side of the road, Val stood up, shouting for us to attack, and Corminar released the first shot. As it hit the first soldier square in the chest, a soldier riding the first merchant carriage pushed a glowing stone into the air, and then something exploded. * * * Val dragged me back into the cover of the wheat, desperately healing my wounds. I could barely make her out, my vision blurry and black, the ringing in my ears drowning out whatever she was saying. I blinked down at my stomach, finding it covered in red, and it took me a moment to realise I was covered in blood. My blood. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. ¡®Hold still, idiot!¡¯ I just about made out, and I did as Val instructed, going limp against a low stone wall. ¡®What¡­ happened?¡¯ ¡®Niamh was ready for us,¡¯ Val said, a yellow-white glow flowing from her hands and into my body, making me feel all tingly. ¡®Set a trap. They¡­¡¯ I realised then that the fight was still going. I could hear the cries of soldiers and the clink of blade against blade. ¡®Is everyone else¡­?¡¯ ¡®Last I checked, they¡¯re fine. Left Lore lying somewhere in the field, but he was alive, and stable. Arzak and Corminar¡­ they¡¯re still out there.¡¯ I moved to stand. ¡®We should help.¡¯ ¡®Woah, no. I¡¯m going to make sure you don¡¯t die or anything, but you¡¯re not going to be fighting until we can get one of Corminar¡¯s health potions in you.¡¯ Val moved to leave, but I reached out to grab her arm. ¡®Styk, I can¡¯t stay here to coddle¡ª¡¯ ¡®No. Not that. Just¡­¡¯ I shook my head. ¡®Go. I¡¯ll do it myself.¡¯ As Val rushed off into the fray once more, I tried to pull myself up onto the low stone wall that demarcated the wheat field. As soon as I did so, a soaring pain erupted in my stomach and side, and I realised that it wasn¡¯t going to be possible. So instead I did what I always do, and resorted to portals. I placed a hand on the ground below me, and fell through the resulting portal onto the top of the wall, where I landed with enough force that I felt the soaring pain once more, if only for a moment. Up from my new position, I had a view of the battlefield that lay before me. On the left-hand side of the road, Arzak, Corminar and the remaining orcish solders faced down Goldmarch soldiers, while the dryads continued to attack from the right. All of them looked worse for wear, and it was only that we were outflanking our enemy that meant we even stood a chance, it seemed. To turn the tide of the fight some more, I opened a portal below one of the soldiers, launching her into the air, and I turned away to avoid seeing the resulting splat. I flicked my hand around to the next, but these soldiers were clearly highly trained, because they¡¯d seen what had just happened from their colleague and learned from it. The soldier I¡¯d aimed at swiftly repositioned his body to grab at the nearest cart, stopping him from falling through and instead swinging himself atop the cart to avoid the portal completely. Alright, then. Time to switch it up. I opened another portal, but this time positioned it underneath one of the food transport carts, aiming to dump the cart on top of the soldiers. But of course¡­ my portals weren¡¯t that big. All I managed was to put the back wheels halfway through the portal, sloping the back of the cart down, all its carried cabbages rolling to one side. I closed the portal again, portal slicing through the wheels¡ªthat cart wouldn¡¯t be going anywhere fast, at least¡ªand one of the two wheel segments fell on top of one of the soldier¡¯s heads. This distraction allowed the dryads to overwhelm them with their petal attacks, and they screamed as they were sliced. Right then, looking at the tilted carriage, I had an idea. ¡®Corminar!¡¯ I shouted. ¡®Corminar!¡¯ But he couldn¡¯t hear me over the noise of the fight. I opened up a portal at my side instead, paired with one near Corminar, and shouted through it. ¡®Corminar! The hinges on the back of the cart. For unloading. You think you can hit them?¡¯ ¡®May I ask your plan?¡¯ Corminar replied. ¡®Cabbages. Get the soldiers ready to charge.¡¯ ¡®When?¡¯ the ranger asked, loosing an arrow into the carriage hinge. ¡®Now!¡¯ I closed the portals between us and instead opened another¡ªat the back of the tilted carriage, just below where all the cabbages were rolling out of the cart. With the opening of another portal, I rained down cabbages upon the enemy. Corminar and the orcs charged into battle, seizing the advantage of the enemies being pelted by heavy vegetable rain, and it wasn¡¯t long until the Tundran Resistance had its first meaningful victory. 9 x Goldmarch soldiers defeated! Worldbending ¡ª +4,600xp Worldbending increased to level 41! Base Points gained ¡ª +2 INT, +2 Free Points (INT/WIS/CHA) Knifework ¡ª +3,750xp Knifework increased to level 32! Base Points Gained ¡ª +1 DEX, +1 STR, +2 Free Points (VIT/DEX/STR) Level up! You increased to level 15! Cheers erupted around the street, the merchant¡ªneutral in this¡ªwondering what we might do to them. But there wasn¡¯t time to celebrate too much; there was still a lot of work to be done.
"Styk" Level 15 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 34 Intelligence ¡ª 145 Dexterity ¡ª 84 Strength ¡ª 67 Wisdom ¡ª 48 Charisma ¡ª 33
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 41 Knifework ¡ª Level 32 Stealth ¡ª Level 15 Needlework ¡ª Level 12 Identification ¡ª Level 10
Abilities: Slice ¡ª Slice the enemy for physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Stealth Attack II ¡ª Passive. 80% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
119. Swords In The Hands Of Farmers The days went on like this. We led attacks¡ªof varying levels of success¡ªon transport convoys. We pushed out the remaining Goldmarch contingents from small outposts. We found allies in more dryads, communicated with through Val¡ªwho was rapidly becoming Duchess Yua of Lenktra¡¯s closest ally in this campaign. Cambelny and Orjkan, still based in Fort Tanil, sent us in the frontlines scouting reports, identifying more weaknesses in the Goldmarch¡¯s presence in the Tundras¡ªunprotected food carriages, small clusters of soldiers, and the like. We¡¯d been in quite a few scrapes over the last week or so, and even with Val¡¯s¡ªrapidly improving¡ªHealing, we were starting to feel a bit sore. At least, I¡¯d picked up another couple of levels in Stealth, as well as one in Knifework, which was enough to make me feel this was all worth it. You know, in addition to saving my homeland from foreign invaders. Speaking of Yua, in fact, Arzak and I had been trying to convince her to leave the frontlines for a few days now. There¡¯d been a scrape before where a Goldmarch soldier had landed a bad blow with her blade on Yua, and it had only been Val¡¯s Healing¡ªalong with some Healing support from the dryads¡ªthat had saved her. She was better now, she said, but I still noticed her hobbling when she thought nobody was looking. It was her duty, she said, to be here¡ªto convince potential loyalists to join the cause. It was for this very reason that we were currently travelling to a small town not far from Aptleed, perhaps only a few hours¡¯ ride. Duke Cambelny¡¯s scouting reports said that the people of this town were ripe for the picking; they were dissatisfied with the new Goldmarch order, and one of the enemy soldiers had turned up dead in the last few days. Nobody had stepped forward to claim responsibility, and not a single person had claimed to witness the incident. When we¡¯d reached the town borders, I¡¯d been ready for a fight, if not exactly excited for one¡ªI was really after a day off¡ªand so was relieved to find that there wasn¡¯t a single soldier in a mustard-coloured surcoat in sight. The Goldmarch had abandoned this town, and according to the tracks that Corminar had spotted, had headed east, towards Aptleed. We must have come close to stumbling across them¡ªanother battle I was, frankly, happy to have avoided for now. Our large group walked down the main road into the centre of town, and though there were people around, it grew eerily quiet. The locals stopped in the streets and poked their heads out of windows to stare at us, but their expressions were neutral and they didn¡¯t say a word. Finally, Yua came to a stop at the crossroads in the centre of the town, and turned around slowly to look almost everyone in the eyes. The rest of her contingent¡ªme included¡ªstood uncomfortably, shifting from foot to foot, waiting for the Duchess to take the lead. I caught sight of a few eyes set upon me, and I saw something in them. Not quite fear, not quite anger, but something in the neighbourhood of both, for sure. I couldn¡¯t blame them, I realised; they¡¯d just rid themselves of occupying soldiers, and here were some more soldiers marching into town. Maybe it didn¡¯t matter that we didn¡¯t wear the same Goldmarch uniforms. ¡®People of Refton,¡¯ the Duchess finally said. ¡®Fear not our presence here, we come in peace.¡¯ She¡¯d noticed the same thing as me, then. Though, I supposed she¡¯d told me already: her Identification skill was very highly levelled. She probably saw all that I saw and far more. ¡®If it is your will, I and my fellow peace seekers will leave your town immediately, never to return. But I ask this of you first: you listen to that which I have to say, and you give it due consideration. If, after such time, you still wish for us to leave, we will do so with no hard feelings, and without a moment¡¯s hesitation. Is there a mayor here, who might represent you in such discussions?¡¯ I¡¯d heard this speech before, in other towns, though usually someone was quick to step forward at this part. In the town of Refton, nobody spoke, and nobody moved. ¡®I do not wish to harm them,¡¯ Yua continued, ¡®only to know who to direct¡ª¡¯ ¡®Ain¡¯t no mayor,¡¯ a woman poking her had out of the window of the first floor of a nearby building said. The Duchess nodded, ¡®Very well. A council leader, or a¡ª¡¯ ¡®Nah, we had a mayor,¡¯ the same woman continued. ¡®But they killed him, didn¡¯t they? Them soldiers.¡¯ ¡®Yeah,¡¯ another guy piped up, ¡®and now more soldier come in, asking to see a mayor. You¡¯re gonna have to forgive us if nobody be stepping forward.¡¯ ¡®We are not with the Goldmarch,¡¯ Yua said. ¡®Forgive me for not properly introducing myself. I am Duchess Yua, of Lenktra, to the south. I know I never had the pleasure of administrating your region¡ªthat duty fell to Duke Cambelny¡ªbut I assure you that¡ª¡¯ ¡®Yeah, we figured you was something like that.¡¯ For the first time, I saw Duchess Yua look almost lost for words. Even then, she took only a half-second to regather herself. ¡®Then may I ask why you resist us so?¡¯ ¡®Cos none of you lot protected us, did you?¡¯ the woman in the window said. ¡®You got your castles and your palaces and stuff, and yeah, maybe you rule over us with all the best intention in the world, but you still let them Goldmarch soldiers in, didn¡¯t you? And you ain¡¯t protect us for them. Tyll died cos of that.¡¯ ¡®And Tyll was¡ª¡¯ If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡®Our mayor! Proper good woman, she was. Never let any of us go hungry, always shamed those who hoarded crops. Paid to get food into the mouths of my nephew, she did, out of her own pocket. But she¡¯d dead now, and here you stand, in your pretty dress and your silver necklace, and all.¡¯ Duchess Yua unconsciously touched the pendant hanging down from her neck. She¡¯d never been forced to face her own inadequacies, I realised. Duchess Yua was a good woman¡ªshe¡¯d proven that to me already¡ªbut even good women of her station didn¡¯t properly understand how the rest of us lived. There were¡­ gaps in her visibility. Gaps that had cost Mayor Tyll her life. I couldn¡¯t help myself here. There was something that needed to be done. Something heroic. I stepped forward. ¡®Duchess Yua messed up, yes.¡¯ Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed I was getting a stern stare and flared nostrils for my troubles here, but I continued. ¡®But she¡¯s been out here these past couple of weeks trying to put things right. She¡¯s put her life on the line, took a nearly mortal wound just a few days ago. With her help, we¡¯ve disrupted supply lines, eliminated enemy soldiers, and recruited others to our cause. So she made a mistake, yes, but she¡¯s also our best hope of putting things right.¡¯ I stepped back, handing the floor over to Yua once more. I could see that her glare had softened, that she was no longer flaring her nostrils. She might well still have been annoyed at me, but I realised that there was something that even her high Identification skill didn¡¯t let her see. While in her usual role as duchess, she might never have been able to admit to mistakes, commonfolk like me and those of Refton didn¡¯t respond in the same way to her peers. Making mistakes made you human¡ªor orcish, or elven, or tieflings, and so on. They happened. Even to leaders, apparently, they happened. But nothing was worse than not admitting to them. And nothing was better than putting your life on the line to try and fix them. Duchess Yua nodded to me, and then turned to the crowd of amassed locals. ¡®I come to you with an offer: pick up your blades, and fight with me. Help us in repelling the southern invaders. Return the Gentle Tundras to Tundran rule. And in return, you will be rewarded. I will sell all my finery, my estates, everything down to the clothes on my back, and I will use the revenue for your benefits. Wells for every town. The latest in agricultural technology for each and every farmer. Reforestation efforts to undo the damage reaped by Queen Amira and those under her command. I will do everything¡ªand I certainly mean everything¡ªnot just to return the Gentle Tundras to the way they were, but to inspire a new golden age for its tough and loyal people.¡¯ The crowd of Refton remained silent for a moment, considering Yua, and then one man spoke up. ¡®We ain¡¯t got no mayor. You speak to all of us. We all make our own decisions. But mine? I¡¯ll pick up a sword. I¡¯ll fight with you.¡¯ Another local stepped forward, and then another, nodding their agreement to Duchess Yua¡¯s terms. She had made quite the promise, forsaking all her riches, though based on what I¡¯d seen of her over the past two weeks, I was inclined to believe that she meant it. From the masses of new soldiers now flocking to her cause, it seemed the people of Refton believed it too. This recruitment drive became the most productive yet, bolstering our number significantly. Once the people were settled, Yua returned to the Slayers and Orjkan¡¯s soldiers to tell us that we had enough people that we could split into squads, hitting Niamh all around the Tundras simultaneously. It would give us an advantage, and it would leave Niamh to split her resources, to plug enough holes in this metaphorical bucket that she surely couldn¡¯t fill them all. At least, that was what we¡¯d believed until one of Cambelny¡¯s spies in the region tracked us down. ¡®Ma¡¯am!¡¯ he said, riding fast for the duchess. ¡®Ma¡¯am!¡¯ ¡®What is it, soldier?¡¯ she asked. ¡®I came straight for you. News from Aptleed, ma¡¯am. Niamh has new reinforcements from Auricia. Reinforcements that are here with the expressed purpose of shutting down the revolution. Amira has sent Knights of the Realm, ma¡¯am.¡¯ Duchess Yua paled, and I met Val¡¯s wary gaze. Players might have been the strongest people in the world, but the Knights of the Realm were second to them. If we¡¯d thought the tide of revolution was turning in our favour, we were wrong. The true test was only just beginning.
"Styk" Level 15 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 36 Intelligence ¡ª 145 Dexterity ¡ª 87 Strength ¡ª 68 Wisdom ¡ª 54 Charisma ¡ª 33
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 41 Knifework ¡ª Level 33 Stealth ¡ª Level 17 Needlework ¡ª Level 12 Identification ¡ª Level 10
Abilities: Slice ¡ª Slice the enemy for physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Stealth Attack II ¡ª Passive. 80% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
120. The Knights Of The Realm Over the next few hours, further scouting reports reached us. The Knights Of The Realm weren¡¯t just heading out to put an end to the leaders of the resistance¡ªus¡ªbut were also part of an effort to intimidate the people of the Gentle Tundras into forsaking the cause. Niamh knew what she was doing; she knew the people were the real power in any region, provided they had someone¡ªor something¡ªto spur them into action. Duchess Yua wasn¡¯t happy to let these Knights Of The Realm come to us, as there was no knowing what damage they might do to the cause before then. We¡¯d have to go to them, and there were only so many of us with proper combat experience who even stood a chance. And that was including me, so we were really scraping the barrel. This was how it was, then, that each member of the Slayers was given a squadron of farmers, a bunch of light armour, and as many blades as they could carry. Our mission? Take down a Knight Of The Realm. * * * Our target knight had last been seen heading southwest from Aptleed¡ªNiamh¡¯s base of operations¡ªand based on the most up-to-date maps, we could get a pretty good idea of where they were heading, assuming they were going to continue going from town to town. We¡¯d set course for a point further along their journey, one far southwest enough that we were sure we¡¯d be there first. After all, my plan depended on us catching the knight by surprise. We arrived in the small town of Pelry to find that everything, so far, had gone according to plan¡ªthe residents hadn¡¯t seen a Knight Of The Realm pass through, and were shocked, even, to learn that one was coming. We had a few hours to prepare, so I set about telling the locals to hide inside their homes, before Sir Claudia Fastus, Knight Of The Realm, Second Order, could arrive. Because once she did, I said, there was a chance they¡¯d all be in danger. Ordering the locals about was one thing, but ordering around my battalion of armed farmers was another thing entirely. ¡®My niece has a higher level than you,¡¯ one of them was saying. ¡®Why should I be taking orders from you?¡¯ ¡®And I assume your niece has experience taking down heroes, then?¡¯ I asked. ¡®Otherwise you wouldn¡¯t put her forward for the job, would you?¡¯ ¡®My point is,¡¯ the farmer continued, undeterred, ¡®you¡¯re level 15. I¡¯m level 24. Maybe it¡¯s best I take this one.¡¯ ¡®Yeah, but my level is all combat skills and magicks. What skill is it that most of your levelling has come from?¡¯ ¡®...agriculture,¡¯ the man replied. ¡®Agriculture,¡¯ agreed another farmer. ¡®Necromancy,¡¯ said a third. Everyone looked at her. ¡®Seriously?¡¯ I asked. ¡®No, it¡¯s agriculture.¡¯ ¡®And that¡¯s why I¡¯m in charge,¡¯ I replied. ¡®Levels? They¡¯re a vanity metric. I could be level 100, but if all I had was experience in, I dunno, Wordsmithing, then I wouldn¡¯t be much help, would I?¡¯ ¡®Maybe you could talk them to death?¡¯ one of the militants asked. I ignored this suggestion. ¡®Besides, if everything goes according to plan, then all you lot need to do is stand in a group with your swords raised in the air.¡¯ ¡®How will that help?¡¯ ¡®You¡¯ll see.¡¯ The mutiny-in-progress now put to bed¡ªwas it still a mutiny when it wasn¡¯t on a ship? probably not, but I wasn¡¯t going to let that stop me from calling it that¡ªwe took our positions around the town. The armed farmers took shelter in a barn that opened onto the main road, ready to charge out on my signal, whereas I stood in the middle of the road, in plain sight. I had some doubts about the plan; I didn¡¯t know that these knights didn¡¯t attack first and ask question later, in which case I was a goner, but it was still the best plan I had. The Knight Of The Realm came before long. She rode in on a huge, brown stallion, galloping fast at first, but slowing as she entered the town. When she put her eyes upon me, in the middle of the road in the otherwise deserted town, she slowed to a stop. The knight stared at me through the visor of her heavy metal helmet, considering me for a moment, before stirring her steed into action once more. ¡®What is this?¡¯ she cried out to me. I remained quiet, still, baiting her with my silence. The Knight Of The Realm drew closer. At this distance, I could make out the fine quality of her armour. This had been crafted by a high-level blacksmith, but still there were weaknesses in it¡ªthere had to be, for the woman to be able to move. I just had to hope that one of the many farmers¡¯ blades would find one of those cracks. I glanced at the barn where my fellow soldiers were waiting to pounce. I couldn¡¯t help it, my glancing happened before I really knew I was doing it, but the knight didn¡¯t seem to notice. For all her combat strength, she wasn¡¯t the most observant. ¡®I asked you what this was,¡¯ the knight tried again. ¡®I am a knight of the realm, and you will¡ª¡¯ ¡®Not of this realm, you¡¯re not,¡¯ I said, and I readied my hands. ¡®Soldiers?¡¯ I cried out. ¡®Now!¡¯ Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. The barn door burst open, distracting the Knight Of The Realm in the same moment that I opened a portal below her horse¡¯s feet, paired with one high in the sky above. The horse cried as it fell through, clawing its front legs on the dirt road as it tried to stop itself from falling. This gave the knight just enough time to realise what was happening, and she swung her long sword to smash against the side of the portal. I thought for a moment that she¡¯d meant to attack it¡ªand figured she really wasn¡¯t the sharpest blade¡ªbut then something new happened. The purple glow of my portal magicks crept onto the blade, as though being absorbed by it. The portals themselves began to close as the Knight Of The Realm extracted the magic from them, shutting around the horse without any regard for it still being in the way¡ªI won¡¯t go into too much detail on that bit¡ªand soon all of their magick flickered around the knight¡¯s blade like a raging purple flame. Oh well, I figured, I¡¯ll just open another one, then. She¡¯ll be falling onto raised swords before she knows what hit her. But when I raised my hands once more¡­ nothing happened. I realised then what was going on. For the purposes of my Worldbending magicks, I still had a portal open. And I was only ever allowed one pair. My portal magicks were going to be useless while that sword remained enchanted. ¡®Is this part of the plan, sir?¡¯ the farmer who had questioned my orders earlier asked. I was forced to improvise. ¡®Attack!¡¯ I shouted. To their credit, the farmers all charged, not a single one of them hesitating on the order for more than a second. They knew what they were getting in for, it seemed. Either that, or they didn¡¯t want to be shown up in front of their fellow villagers. I charged the knight too, my Blade of Samal in hand, very aware that even one good hit of the enemy¡¯s blade could be enough to kill me. After all, my Warped Shield only covered off low-level melee weapons¡ªfor now¡ªand I had sneaking suspicions that a Knight Of The Realm, of all people, would not be carrying a low-level blade. Besides, this ability used a portal to deflect the attack anyway, and I suspected for that reason it wouldn¡¯t work anyway. So it was a good thing¡ªfor me, at least¡ªthat the knight chose to focus first on the swarm of armed farmers rather than the one guy with a knife. She swung her now-enchanted blade at the soaring farmers, and purple magicks flowed out of the sword. The magicks formed a circle as they passed through the air, splitting into two. As each of these circles formed portals, a group chunk of the charging farmers suddenly found themselves falling from the air. At least it was only a few feet. Enough of the farmers remained charging¡ªthough admittedly they seemed a lot less enthused about the whole matter now¡ªthat the knight¡¯s attention remained on them. I instinctively reached to open a portal between me and the enemy, to close the gap, but of course that wasn¡¯t an option. I had to rely on plain old feet. The knight sliced her blade through the air once more, this time having more of an idea of how to use its newly imbued powers. Some of the farmers dived out of the way of the purple magicks, but still a couple were caught, and this time they tumbled from a portal high above them. I heard bones crunch as they landed on their arms and yelped from the pain. But I was close enough now. The enemy was just in reach. I arched my dagger through the air towards them, activating Execution, hoping against hope that they¡¯d been distracted enough that it would work, and that my Stealth Attack passive would kick in. I aimed for the gap in the armour at the woman¡¯s neck, between helmet and cuirass. The world seemed to slow. I was nearly there. I nearly had her. The blade tip was just inches away from its target. And then the Knight Of The Realm turned. My knife slipped on the metal armour, clinking. I was at risk of dropping it from the impact, but I scrambled my fingers around it just as the woman¡¯s elbow came around to knock me in the stomach. I fell backwards, winded, my vision blurry from the knock. I blinked my sight back into focus just in time to see the knight¡¯s Worldbending-imbued sword point squarely at my face.
"Styk" Level 15 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 36 Intelligence ¡ª 145 Dexterity ¡ª 87 Strength ¡ª 68 Wisdom ¡ª 54 Charisma ¡ª 33
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 41 Knifework ¡ª Level 33 Stealth ¡ª Level 17 Needlework ¡ª Level 12 Identification ¡ª Level 10
Abilities: Slice ¡ª Slice the enemy for physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Stealth Attack II ¡ª Passive. 80% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
121. The Siege Of Aptleed ¡®Enough,¡¯ the knight said, the tip of her blade half an inch from the ridge of my nose. I mentally scrambled for a way out of this, wracking my brain for abilities I could use. I still had my knife in hand, but even a decent Stab wasn¡¯t going to take down a Knight Of The Realm without Stealth Attack and Execution to back it up. And while the enemy¡¯s sword still had my portal magicks absorbed, I wasn¡¯t able to open any portals. Unless my Needlework abilities had an application I hadn¡¯t seen, then I was well and truly¡ª Wait. There was still one ability I could use. One that specified explicitly ¡°bending reality¡±, not portal uses. ¡®Enough,¡¯ the knight spat again. ¡®Call off your peasants.¡¯ ¡®No.¡¯ I rolled to one side, away from the tip of the blade, and though I couldn¡¯t seem the woman¡¯s face, I got the strange feeling she was amused by this. ¡®You amuse me,¡¯ she said. Ah, that¡¯ll do it. I took a step backwards, facing down the knight with only a dagger in hand, compared to the woman¡¯s huge sword. The farmers watched from a very safe distance. ¡®Don¡¯t suppose you¡¯re willing to drop the sword?¡¯ I asked. ¡®Make this duel a bit fairer?¡¯ ¡®I assure you, you do not become a Knight Of The Realm by fighting fair.¡¯ ¡®So that¡¯s a no, then?¡¯ I replied, and without waiting for an answer I charged. I ran straight for the woman¡¯s outstretched blade, then at the last second twisted to one side, ramming the tip of my blade into the woman¡¯s armoured wrist. There was a loud clink of blade against metal armour, and the knight laughed¡ªa gentle snort at first, but then it grew with every brief moment that passed. ¡®You really thought¡ª¡¯ she began, but I cut it short by activating Closed Reach. The woman screamed as I bent reality to push my knife into her wrist, and she dropped her magick-imbued blade. As she released it, the purple magicks suddenly rushed back into their owner¡ªme¡ªcausing me to stumble backwards from the impact. Both the knight and I stared down at the disarmed blade for a moment, before the woman leaped at it. I instead reached a hand down towards it, opening a portal underneath it. But this wasn¡¯t just any portal. This was my Pocket Worlds ability coming in handy. ¡®I think I know someone who¡¯d like that,¡¯ I said. ¡®I don¡¯t suppose you mind?¡¯ Without her weapon, it didn¡¯t matter that the Knight Of The Realm was armoured. She was outnumbered, and that was enough. If only that hadn¡¯t meant the experience points would be spread so thinly. * * * ¡®This is best gift ever got,¡¯ Arzak said, hugging the sword I¡¯d pulled from my pocket world. ¡®You¡¯ll be able to carry it in one hand? The Knight Of The Realm needed two.¡¯ ¡®Knight is human. I orc. We stronger.¡¯ To prove the point, Arzak shifted the weapon into her right hand and drew another sword from her back with her left. She waved them around in a half-arsed mock attempt at fighting. ¡®See. One hand.¡¯ We had regrouped in the hills beyond Aptleed, just out of sight of the city. Corminar and I had been first of the Slayers to return, much to the elf¡¯s surprise¡ªsurprise at me returning first, not him, I suspected¡ªand the others followed suit within the day. Soon enough, it wasn¡¯t just Slayers and farmer accomplices in the camp, but Duchess Yua and a few hundred newly collected soldiers. Even Duke Cambelny had shown up on the front lines, and that gave a very clear signal to all involved what our next move would be. It was time to make some meaningful progress in this revolution. It was time to take back Aptleed. Duchess Yua spoke to us all on the dawn of the following day. ¡®I ask you to remember: these foreign invaders hold your fellow countrymen hostage. After the work we have done to seize food imports, they will be desperate. Some Tundran citizens may have been coerced to do that which they might later regret. When we take Aptleed, we must remember that we do not ourselves deal justice, as we see fit. That is for courts to decide. Any traitors¡ªif indeed there are any¡ªwe will deal with at a later date. For now, we seek to remove those in gold from our city. From Aptleed, our revolution grows. We are seen as a meaningful power, and we might tip the fence for those who have been too nervous to join our cause. Citizens of the Gentle Tundras: this is a turning point. This is the first step on a road to inevitable victory. ¡®Today, we take our positions outside of Aptleed¡¯s walls. Tomorrow, a week from now, or a month from now, we walk inside. We take back that which is ours!¡¯ With this, we marched. There was an air of optimism to us¡ªone which Val and her remaining dryads seemed most of all to emit. The forest spirits loosed their typical leaves and petals, but these were pink blossom, and each petal seemed to heal sore muscles and minor wounds. Spirits¡ªas in morale, not dryads¡ªwere high when we marched over the crest of the hill, the walled city of Aptleed sprawling before us. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Our hastily cobbled together excuse for an army spread out wide. We may not have had many great warriors in our midst, but we definitely had numbers on our side. At least, that¡¯s what Duke Cambelny¡¯s spies had reported¡ªour army numbered two for every one Goldmarch soldier within Aptleed. Our siege might take time, but it would work. There was just no telling how much time that would¡ª ¡®Rider approaching!¡¯ a soldier at the front of the line roared, and Duchess Yua called her army to a halt. She looked around to us¡ªwell, Val, really¡ªand summoned us over. ¡®Is it her?¡¯ she asked. ¡®Does Niamh ride out to speak with us?¡¯ ¡®Or fight, perhaps,¡¯ Corminar suggested. ¡®It¡¯s not her,¡¯ Val said, her eyes fixed on the woman on the horse rapidly approaching, charging for Duchess Yua. ¡®Lore,¡¯ Arzak said, and motioned with her head for her and him to stand in front of Duchess Yua, to block her from any attack. ¡®Any scouting reports?¡¯ I asked the duchess. ¡®Any super powerful people in there?¡¯ ¡®Only Niamh,¡¯ Yua replied. ¡®Perhaps one or two Knights Of The Realm, though we believe we have eliminated all such threats already. I am forced to believe that this is not an attack, but a message. Though¡­ of what kind?¡¯ ¡®There¡¯s only one way to find out¡­¡¯ Val murmured. We remained quiet as the rider drew close, watching as the woman swerved to one side a good dozen yards from us. She called out, ¡®Niamh wishes to speak with you. Now.¡¯ ¡®We do not take orders from invaders,¡¯ Duchess Yua replied, holding the woman¡¯s gaze. ¡®Do you speak for yourself, or for all?¡¯ the messenger asked. ¡®As their leader, I speak for all, as a united front.¡¯ The messenger held Yua¡¯s gaze, then nodded. ¡®A shame. Because it¡¯s not you that she wishes to speak with.¡¯ The messenger turned away from the duchess and then looked Val in the eye. And then Lore. And then Arzak, Corminar. And then, finally¡­ me. ¡®She wishes to speak with Jacob Taylor¡¯s murderers.¡¯ This had me, Val and Lore shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot, while Arzak and Corminar kept a neutral expression. With a poker face like that, it was a wonder that the orc was so bad at card games. ¡®I assume this man¡­ needed elimination?¡¯ the duchess asked Val. ¡®As much as Niamh does.¡¯ Yua considered this response for a moment, and then nodded. ¡®There will be opportunity for justice later. For now, I leave this decision to you: would you and your allies enter Aptleed? Would you negotiate their surrender?¡¯ Val glanced to me, and I replied with a nod. Yua¡¯s eyes flicked to me and then back to Val. ¡®Very well. You have my blessing. But please, remember: you know what the invasion has cost us already. We do not wish it to cost us anything further.¡¯ ¡®I know,¡¯ Val said. If she¡¯d replied to me with those words, I¡¯d have thought she was being passive-aggressive, but to Yua they only sounded sincere. The messenger, who had been silently following this conversation, turned her horse around to face the tall walls of Aptleed. With one last look at Duchess Yua, formerly of Lenktra, I stepped out from the lines of soldiers and stood at the messenger¡¯s rear. Val followed soon after, then Lore, and then the last two members of the team. ¡®Sure about this?¡¯ Arzak asked Val quietly. The witch responded with a nod. The deforested plains outside Aptleed¡¯s walls were eerily quiet as we began the walk towards the city bearing Goldmarch colours, the only sounds being the clop of hooves on dirt and the gold flags flapping in the wind ahead. I could feel countless eyes on our backs¡ªhundreds of Tundran citizens who risked everything to be here, who were counting on us to see their homes returned to them. It was time. A few moments from now, we would stare Niamh in the eye. And I could see no way that this didn¡¯t end in a fight.
"Styk" Level 15 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 38 Intelligence ¡ª 145 Dexterity ¡ª 88 Strength ¡ª 69 Wisdom ¡ª 54 Charisma ¡ª 33
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 41 Knifework ¡ª Level 34 Stealth ¡ª Level 17 Needlework ¡ª Level 12 Identification ¡ª Level 10
Abilities: Slice ¡ª Slice the enemy for physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Stealth Attack II ¡ª Passive. 80% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
122. What Matters Is Whats Real The surroundings grew little less silent as we passed through the main gate into the city. Soldiers wearing Goldmarch uniform stood in even measures on both sides of the road, their gazes on us and the messenger. Few citizens were out and about, despite the time of day, and those that were seemed to keep their head down, trying to avoid notice. The spirit of Aptleed had been quashed. We followed Niamh¡¯s messenger up the main road towards the central castle¡ªwhere else would she be?¡ªand the longer this went on, the more I wondered if we¡¯d made a mistake coming in here alone. The siege would have been long and arduous, and many of Aptleed¡¯s citizens would likely have died, but¡­ if we failed to negotiate surrender, then that would still be the case. That would be the case and we, probably, would also be dead. Even a team as dysfunctionally functional as us couldn¡¯t handle quite this many enemies. Only when we reached the keep did I allow myself to breath a sigh of relief; it didn¡¯t look like this was a trap for us, then, as we¡¯d have been attacked by now. The gods knew there were enough soldiers out here to deal with us without any trouble. So this meant instead that Niamh really did want to speak with us. Some part of me thought that this might even be worse. Up the tower we went, my heart racing more and more with every step, my every instinct being to grab Val and the rest of them and get us out of there, my brain swimming with thoughts of Val facing down the woman who¡¯d once tried to kill her. This was a mistake. This couldn¡¯t end well. This¡ª ¡®Come in,¡¯ a woman said, standing on the other side of a long, dark wood table, one that looked to my untrained eye to be freshly polished. This woman was short, maybe three inches over five foot tall, and she didn¡¯t carry anything I could reasonably describe as a weapon. ¡®Please, sit.¡¯ She pointed to the chairs. Corminar and Lore reluctantly did as suggested, but Arzak and I remained at Val¡¯s side. At the side of the woman who had paled like I¡¯d never seen her pale before, whose arms were shaking, whose nostrils were flaring, and whose eyes were at risk of dealing real damage to the woman she glared at. ¡®Yes, I thought it might be you,¡¯ Niamh said to Val. ¡®Perhaps we can let bygones by bygones, for the sake of useful discussion?¡¯ Lore and Corminar turned in their chairs, the former raising an eyebrow, to see who Niamh was speaking to¡ªbut neither of them commented on it. ¡®I¡¯ll stand,¡¯ was Val¡¯s only reply. As an act of solidarity, I remained standing with her, and Arzak did the same. Niamh shrugged, and she took a seat. An orc drifted from the corner of the room to stand at her side. ¡®I don¡¯t wish to hurt anyone.¡¯ Val scoffed. The Player begged for the witch¡¯s patience with the raising of her hand. ¡®Once upon a time, I did. This, I concede. But are we not all capable of change? Of growth? Is that not what the System¡ªso crude in its implementation¡ªseeks to achieve in all of us?¡¯ ¡®We not here to speak philosophy,¡¯ Arzak said. The orcish aide at Niamh¡¯s side struggled to suppress a smirk. ¡®Very well,¡¯ the Player said. ¡®I suppose after all the unfortunate geopolitical tensions of the past two months, it is only right that you do not trust me. You would be a fool to, in fact. But allow me to say it again, nevertheless: I do not wish to hurt anyone. Unlike my colleagues in the Council, that is the last thing I want. But do not mistake that for me saying I will not do what has to be done. I will.¡¯ Niamh¡¯s eyes drifted over us, hovering over Lore, then me, then landing on Val. ¡®So you do know about the Council. I suspected as much. Jacob¡¯s murder seemed too targeted. A commoner dies, and nobody bats so much as an eyelid. But when someone as powerful as him is murdered¡ªeven if he was the weakest of us¡ªthen there is a certain level of planning required. Someone who seeks to take down the Council.¡¯ All five of us remained quiet; Niamh had made a mistake here, and none of us were keen to correct it. We knew of the Council, yes, but our killing of Jacob was his own doing, really. We were happy to kill a Player, but we didn¡¯t know of any greater schemes. We all knew that if we kept quiet, we might learn more. ¡®But I talk too much,¡¯ Niamh said, gesturing to the orc at her side, who disappeared into another room, leaving the Player alone. ¡®This is to be a two-way street, as it were. Which of you speaks for the team as a whole?¡¯ She glanced at Val. ¡®The changeling?¡¯ ¡®We all speak for ourselves,¡¯ Val spat back at her. Niamh nodded. ¡®Then I shall address you all.¡¯ The orcish aide returned with a cup of steaming tea, which she placed in front of the Player and got precisely zero thanks for. ¡®I hope to make a deal. I address you, and not that duchess, because I think you are less¡­ how shall we say it? Emotionally invested? And also because I think I know where I stand with you, and you with me. We understand each other.¡¯ Lore raised a hand. ¡®I¡¯m not sure I understand any of this,¡¯ he said. Niamh smiled at him like an exhausted mother might smile at one of her children. She turned back to address the lot of us. ¡®You want Aptleed returned to Cambelny,¡¯ she said. ¡®There seems to be a few Goldmarch soldiers standing in the way,¡¯ Corminar said. ¡®As well as a Council member. Unless you are happy to relinquish your grasp on¡ª¡¯ ¡®I rode into town only to speak with you; my interest in Aptleed is over,¡¯ the Player said. ¡®It has served its purpose. For all I care, you can claim it this afternoon. I will even ask Amira¡¯s soldiers to stand down¡ªthere will be no bloodshed.¡¯ ¡®And in return?¡¯ Val asked, nostrils flaring. ¡®In return, I ask only that you return the favour. No bloodshed. You allow us to leave unharmed. We will leave Aptleed, and even the Gentle Tundras entirely, within the week.¡¯ The room fell quiet as I, and the rest of the team, digested this offer. ¡®You¡¯re giving it back to us? Just like that?¡¯ I asked. ¡®As I said, Aptleed is no longer useful to me. If I can return the Tundras to their previous status without another drop of blood spilled, then I will do just that. Duchess Yua has given you permission to negotiate on our behalf, yes?¡¯ Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡®She¡¯s given me permission,¡¯ Val said, and I didn¡¯t much like that she didn¡¯t seem to trust the rest of the team to do it. Well, actually, I just didn¡¯t like that she didn¡¯t trust me. ¡®Very well,¡¯ Niamh said, fixing her attention on Val. ¡®Then answer this: do you wish to see more innocents killed in all of this? Or would you rather ride back to the duchess with news that we offer conditional surrender? I think I know which she would prefer.¡¯ The chamber fell quiet once more, Val and Niamh holding one another¡¯s glares. ¡®Of course, there is another alternative,¡¯ Niamh continued. ¡®I could activate the enchantment placed under this table. A rather complex trap, you see. Upon activation, it emits a poison gas¡ªa cloud which will cover half of Aptleed before the enchantment fades.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯d kill yourself?¡¯ Lore asked. ¡®My dear, of course not. I just drank the antidote.¡¯ Niamh turned to her aide. ¡®Sulla, perhaps you should fix yourself a cup, too.¡¯ ¡®And the Goldmarch soldiers?¡¯ I asked. ¡®You¡¯d kill them too.¡¯ Niamh waved a hand. ¡®As I said, I will do what must be done. I just won¡¯t take any joy in doing it.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re a monster,¡¯ Val said. It wasn¡¯t a shout, and she didn¡¯t spit it at the Player. In fact, it was worse; she said it with her voice level, calm, and matter-of-fact. Niamh rolled her tongue around her mouth, chewing back her instinctual response. ¡®You think I want this? You think anyone but children and man-children wanted to live in these worlds we created? No. If it were possible¡ªif I could step outside without dying, there¡ªI would live in the real world. Not this excuse for one.¡¯ ¡®Our world is real,¡¯ Val replied. ¡®No, no,¡¯ Niamh said, this now her turn to be matter-of-fact. ¡®No, it¡¯s not. Do you think the food tastes the same here? Do you think the wind feels the same as it brushes along you skin? No. None of it is real. Not even¡­¡¯ She trailed off, gesturing to the team who sat opposite her. To me. To Val. To my friends. ¡®Oh, I assure you, I¡¯m bloody real,¡¯ I spat. Val whipped out a hand to get me to back off¡ªsomething I did after a moment¡¯s rebellion. ¡®If we agree to your terms,¡¯ the witch asked. ¡®You¡¯ll disarm the trap? Everybody lives?¡¯ ¡®Everybody lives.¡¯ ¡®We¡¯d need proof that you¡¯ve disarmed it.¡¯ ¡®Val, you¡¯re really considering this?¡¯ I asked. ¡®Of course I¡¯m bloody considering it!¡¯ she said. ¡®If it saves lives, if it saves innocents, then¡­ what kind of person would say no?¡¯ ¡®A hero would¡ª¡¯ ¡®Please, stop talking about what heroes do, Styk. You don¡¯t know, I don¡¯t know, none of us will ever know what it is to be a hero. We just do our best, and that has to be enough.¡¯ Val turned back to Niamh. ¡®On Duchess Yua¡¯s behalf, we accept your terms.¡¯ Niamh smiled. * * * I and the rest of the Slayers stood in silence as the Goldmarch soldiers¡ªled by Niamh¡ªmarched out of Aptleed, heading to a camp in the north to regroup. Duchess Yua had been ecstatic when Val had delivered the news, going so far as to hug her before she remembered herself, at which point she apologised profusely. But us Slayers couldn¡¯t be so happy¡ªpart of the terms of the deal were that Niamh escaped unharmed, and that was out whole purpose: Player killing. ¡®It cannot be this easy,¡¯ Corminar said under his breath, and I¡ªthe only person to have heard him¡ªnodded my agreement. It was too easy. The campaign had only been going a couple of weeks, and we¡¯d been effective, sure, but Niamh hadn¡¯t seemed like someone who budged that easily. Whatever she¡¯d wanted from Aptleed, she really much have got it. ¡®You don¡¯t really mean to let her escape,¡¯ I said to Val. ¡®After all that¡­¡¯ I considered spelling it out: after all that Niamh had done to Val. ¡®After all that she¡¯s done?¡¯ ¡®Of course not,¡¯ Val said. ¡®They leave. Cambelny gets back Aptleed. And then we go after her.¡¯ ¡®Her and her two-hundred-strong army?¡¯ I asked. ¡®We were in a room with her. We could¡¯ve taken her then.¡¯ ¡®Maybe. We wouldn¡¯t have made it out the city, though. We all know that.¡¯ ¡®What next?¡¯ Arzak asked. ¡®We follow,¡¯ Lore replied, with more confidence than we usually expected from the timid if brawny fellow. I turned to look at him, to see him staring into the depth raider¡¯s cage. No, the depth raider¡¯s eyes. ¡®What if we get spotted? You reckon Niamh will hesitate to set her army on us?¡¯ ¡®Trust me,¡¯ Lore said, still meeting the creature¡¯s gaze. ¡®They¡­¡¯ he paused for a moment. ¡®It¡¯s about¡­ it¡¯s about the timber. That¡¯s what she wanted from Aptleed, isn¡¯t it? That¡¯s what we¡¯ve seen all around the Tundras. It¡­¡¯ He paused again while the depth raider grew closer to him, within its cage. ¡®We follow the timber, we find what Niamh¡¯s been planning.¡¯ We agreed, though I suspected I wasn¡¯t the only one wondering where this newfound wisdom had come from. Still, this would turn out to be the right move. The answers that were coming soon would change everything.
"Styk" Level 15 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 38 Intelligence ¡ª 145 Dexterity ¡ª 88 Strength ¡ª 69 Wisdom ¡ª 54 Charisma ¡ª 33
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 41 Knifework ¡ª Level 34 Stealth ¡ª Level 17 Needlework ¡ª Level 12 Identification ¡ª Level 10
Abilities: Slice ¡ª Slice the enemy for physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Stealth Attack II ¡ª Passive. 80% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
123. Interlude — Lore ¡®Quiet now, little thing,¡¯ Lore said to the depth raider, squeaking in its cage as he carried it away from the camp, using the cover of darkness to stop any of the other Slayers from seeing. Abstract images appeared in his mind¡¯s eye¡ªan array of locations, the rest of the team fading away, the strange glossy tint to them that Lore had eventually realised meant the creature was asking a question. ¡®Away from them, little guy,¡¯ Lore answered. ¡®They won¡¯t understand this next bit.¡¯ The depth raider squeaked, and Lore cast a glance back over his shoulder. But the team didn¡¯t stir from their sleep, only Styk moving, and only to put an arm around Val. The barbarian continued on, away from the road, wishing there were still trees around to hide behind. Lore wished he was asleep too, if only to get one more night to interpret the messages he¡¯d been receiving. All of the Slayers had complained of strange, lifelike dreams over the past couple of weeks, but none of them had made the connection. Only Lore, the only member of the team who¡¯d spent real time with the creature, could see that there was magicks at play, and that the depth raider was responsible for them. He¡¯d resisted the dreams too, at first, discounting them as coming about because of stress or the like, but only once he¡¯d embraced them did he see that there was more meaning to them. His own depth raider-induced dreams had so often been about the Malae, and for that reason, he¡¯d thought they were just nightmares. He¡¯d never told the rest of his friends about his own previous encounter with those creatures¡ªthe only ones he didn¡¯t think deserved to live. He¡¯d kept it all to himself. For a moment, he¡¯d thought these dreams were punishing him for that. But over time, when he¡¯d stopped resisting the dreams, he¡¯d realised that they weren¡¯t nightmare but warnings. He dreamt of Malae, yes, but he also dreamt of old friends, and towering devices like those they¡¯d seen in the witchfinder village. The images were erratic, and abstract, but that was just how the depth raider spoke¡ªit couldn¡¯t help that. All Lore could do was try to interpret these warnings, and tell his friends once he understood them. But until then¡­ he kept his dreams to himself. Until then, they might just think he was mad. With enough distance between himself and his friends, Lore placed the depth raider cage down on the ground. He moved his hand to its latch, and then¡­ hesitated, the creature¡¯s deep black eyes staring up at him. ¡®I¡¯ve got to,¡¯ Lore said, and it was as much for his own benefit as the depth raider¡¯s. He flicked open the latch, expecting the creature to jump out, seizing its newfound freedom. Instead, it just continued to stare up at him with those big eyes, and squeaked a confused noise. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡®I¡¯ve got to let you go, little guy. I¡¯ve got to. Where we¡¯re headed¡­ There¡¯s a Player there. And there won¡¯t be Duchess Yua and her soldiers around to watch you while we meet her. You¡¯re a lovely little guy now, but¡­ what happens when you¡¯re around that much power? We¡¯ve heard the stories. You, your type, you¡¯re world-enders. I can¡¯t risk you hurting anyone. Whether you mean to or not.¡¯ The depth raider hopped out of its cage, then turned and looked up at him once more. More images flashed through Lore¡¯s mind. He saw Coldharbour. He saw the Player that betrayed them. He saw Plyas¡¯s face, turning to dust. He saw the tieflings he¡¯d grown up among, mourning. He saw his journey across the Coldwater, in search of new horizons. He saw Corminar, and Arzak, and Tokas, and Val. He saw the first Player they¡¯d killed, and he saw his friends smile. He saw Seld, and Styk, and, finally, he saw the sheep he cared so deeply for. It was these last¡ªthe animals¡ªthat the depth raider asked about. ¡®I¡¯ll find another way,¡¯ Lore said. ¡®I¡¯ll get them back. But I can¡¯t risk anyone else getting hurt in the process. Elandor seemed like a decent guy really. Maybe he¡¯ll listen to reason. Maybe we¡¯ll find some other way to repay him, and get the sheep back from his pocket world. Styk says he¡¯s got a new ability that could help if Elandor doesn¡¯t cooperate¡ªwe can do some kind of portal dimension heist? I don¡¯t really understand it, but Val seemed very excited about the possibility.¡¯ Lore caught himself. He was rambling. This wasn¡¯t like him, but he was distressed. It was like saying goodbye to an old friend. He drew in a deep breath, and then waved the depth raider away. ¡®Go,¡¯ he said. ¡®Go, now. Not before I change my mind, because I won¡¯t. I¡¯ve thought about this a lot. This is what I have to do.¡¯ The barbarian reached down to the creature¡¯s tiny neck, took the witchfinder¡¯s clasp in his big, clumsy fingers, and undid the clasp. It fell to the ground at the depth raider¡¯s side, and it blinked down at it. Only then did the creature seemed to understand what Lore intended. Mental images, more erratic and vibrant than any that the depth raider had pushed Lore¡¯s way before, filled his head. They flashed before him, growing faster and faster and faster, causing his head to erupt in searing pain. He clutched at it, trying to process the images, trying to understand what the depth raider was trying to communicate. He pushed himself to focus despite the pain, and¡ª It stopped. The depth raider stared up at Lore for one last moment, and then turned away. It hopped across the undergrowth, stopping to twitch its mouse-like nose up in the air, like it had caught a scent, and then it¡­ popped out of existence. ¡®You can teleport?¡¯ Lore exclaimed. ¡®Why didn¡¯t you just do that all along?¡¯ He shook his head to himself, then regretted it, because the pain from the flashing images hadn¡¯t quite faded. The images¡ªbeautiful, horrifying. Try as he might, Lore could only interpret the depth raider¡¯s final message in one way: I will see you before the world is born. 124. The Trappers Mark Part XII: The Trap Slams Shut ¡®You did what?¡¯ Val asked. Lore blinked back at her, his face pale, and he shrugged¡ªthough I could tell he didn¡¯t meant it. ¡®I let it go.¡¯ We¡¯d woken in camp the morning after our meeting with Niamh to find a notable absence¡ªthe creature we¡¯d crossed continents to find, one that we¡¯d spilled blood over. We¡¯d put in weeks of work, all for Lore to let the depth raider go. ¡®And what, in all that is holy in Alterra, encouraged you to do such a thing?¡¯ Corminar asked. ¡®Is there something left unresolved between us? Do you wish my debt to go unpaid?¡¯ Lore shrugged again. ¡®It wouldn¡¯t¡¯ve been right, giving the creature away like that.¡¯ ¡®That was the whole point of doing all this!¡¯ Val exclaimed. At my side, perched next to me on a fallen tree that for whatever reason hadn¡¯t been taken away with the rest, Arzak raised her eyebrows. Like me, she was more resigned to Lore having done what he¡¯d done than the other two. ¡®It was¡­ what¡¯s the word? Sentient?¡¯ ¡®All animals are sentient!¡¯ Lore raised his hands in protest. ¡®Well, I dunno, the other word, then! He was smart. Smarter than humans!¡¯ ¡®Smarter than you, maybe,¡¯ Val snapped, and then her tense shoulders softened; she¡¯d realised she¡¯d gone too far, there. ¡®Sorry. Look. We put a lot of work into this, so you can imagine we¡¯d be a bit miffed, yeah? And now how are we going to pay off the Red Thorn? Unless you want to go back to us getting them a Mala, which¡­ no. What¡¯s the plan here?¡¯ ¡®Sentience aside,¡¯ Lore started. ¡®Sapience,¡¯ Arzak called out to correct him. ¡®Sapience aside, what was your plan? Take it to meet a Player? I think that would¡¯ve set it off, wouldn¡¯t it? Niamh is strong enough that if we brought it anywhere nearby¡­¡¯ ¡®He has a point, Val,¡¯ I called out. ¡®Unless you were planning on checking it in to an inn for a few nights or something.¡¯ Val shot me a glare. ¡®Not helping.¡¯ It was my turn to hold up my hands¡ªin surrender. ¡®It said it¡¯d come back¡­¡¯ Lore mumbled. ¡®What was that?¡¯ ¡®Nothing.¡¯ ¡®It said it would come back?¡¯ Val repeated. ¡®It doesn¡¯t speak!¡¯ ¡®It does, just not in words.¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s what speaking is! Words!¡¯ Lore, looking increasingly distressed, shrugged again. ¡®Well it still said things! With pictures! What, did you think all those weird dreams you been having was just us not eating so well?¡¯ There was a moment of pause. ¡®...How do you know about the dreams?¡¯ Val asked. ¡®Styk told me.¡¯ I held up my hands again in pre-emptive surrender. ¡®Styk¡­¡¯ Val growled. ¡®I meant, he told me about his dreams,¡¯ Lore corrected himself. ¡®You just talk in your sleep, Val.¡¯ I nodded my agreement. ¡®Loudly.¡¯ ¡®Look,¡¯ Lore said, ¡®I don¡¯t regret what I done. You can shout at me all you want, but it¡¯s done now. He popped away. Teleported. We¡¯ll just have to find some other way of paying the Thorn back.¡¯ ¡®After we kill Niamh,¡¯ Val added. ¡®I¡¯m not letting her roam free any longer. You¡¯ve seen the damage she¡¯s done already.¡¯ ¡®Sure, after we do that.¡¯ They both turned to Corminar. ¡®You on board?¡¯ the witch asked. ¡®I don¡¯t suppose that I have any other choice, do I?¡¯ ¡®You do not.¡¯ ¡®Then, yes, Val, I am on board.¡¯ Lore looked relieved. ¡®Good. I¡¯ll get us some scouts, then,¡¯ Val said, and she knelt to place her fingertips on the mossy around. Her hands and eyes began to glow with that familiar green tint of Witchcraft magicks. It wasn¡¯t long until our scouts arrived. * * * ¡®Witch!¡¯ the soldier roared, finger pointing at the glowing Val, her wolf scouts circling around her. We¡¯d done well to avoid notice, even in the barren, deforested landscape, but we hadn¡¯t been expecting anyone to be in what had looked like an abandoned barn. The two men in Goldmarch armour who exited the barn, though, were a low level, and both Arzak and I were out of sight. I nodded for Arzak to take one of the soldiers while I took the other, and we both crept up on the two soldiers before they could charge into battle with Val. With my level two Stealth Attack passive and my Execution ability activated, I was able to take down my enemy in just a little over one hit¡ªthe first attack having alerted him to my presence but done enough damage to him that the fight was already over. Arzak, for her part, had no trouble, but that didn¡¯t stop Corminar backing her up with a well-placed arrow. At long last, this one enemy was enough to tip my Knifework progression over the edge. Goldmarch scout defeated! Knifework ¡ª +1,500xp Knifework increased to level 35! Base Points Gained ¡ª +1 DEX, +1 STR, +2 Free Points (VIT/DEX/STR) Stolen story; please report. Ability selection unlocked Select an ability from the list below: Val must have caught me smiling, because she asked, ¡®You OK?¡¯ ¡®People who hate witches are really starting to get on my nerves,¡¯ I replied. ¡®Tell me about it. Get yourself a new ability?¡¯ ¡®Oh yes.¡¯ Option 1: Ricochet (Knifework) ¡ª Throw blades at hard surface for half your Stamina power to ricochet. Thrown blades retain 70% of speed with each bounce. Damage scales with [DEX]. It was an ability that I¡¯d chosen in a previous life, and one that had come in handy on numerous occasions. Back then, I hadn¡¯t had any Worldbending abilities, and so I¡¯d leant on this and Throw as my only real ranged attacks. In fact, if my memory was correct, this ability had been my very last attack the first time I¡¯d faced down Jacob, Lev and Tokas¡ªthat spoke for itself in terms of how much I used it. But then again, it was the very same change¡ªhaving Worldbending magicks now¡ªthat made this less useful. Not only did I have other options for range, namely either portalling myself next to an enemy or dropping them through a portal, I also hadn¡¯t invested in Dexterity to anywhere near the same extent as I had previously. And why would I? Worldbending had naturally become my primary skill tree, and I had my Mana-Fuelled ability that allowed me to use mana in place of stamina for my Knifework attacks. Because Ricochet¡¯s damage scaled with Dexterity, this wasn¡¯t such a good choice this time around. There, see? I do sometimes learn. Hidden condition met! Alternative ability choice unlocked. Option 2: Needle Blade (Knifework) [Requires: Needlework level 10] ¡ª You may use needles as weapons, in place of knives. Needles deal [-90%] damage, but when dipped in poison, that poison is [+100%] effective. It was an interesting selection for sure, and would have been more interesting should I have had an Alchemy skill tree. I could ¡°borrow¡± Corminar¡¯s poisons, obviously, but that wasn¡¯t quite the same. If I was going to rely on something else for an ability to be effective, I wanted that something else to be fully under my control. I kept this one in the back of my mind as a possibility as I looked at the third and final option. Hidden condition met! Alternative ability choice unlocked. Option 3: Knifestorm (Knifework) [Requires: Dexterity over 90] ¡ª Replaces ¡®Slice¡¯. Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. It was always nice to get two hidden ability choices on one level-up, but that did always make the decision harder. I¡¯d been given the choice to select this ability early on in a previous life, and I hadn¡¯t picked it. I think I¡¯d only ever been given the choice once more, and on that level there was another ability that was more vital. It might have even been Ricochet. This time, though, it felt like the right decision to select this ability. I didn¡¯t have many other ways of dealing with enemies if I ever got surrounded. If these enemies were so close that they were in arm¡¯s reach, I couldn¡¯t even escape through a portal, as they would fall through with me. After one last look over the other two option to check that I hadn¡¯t missed anything, I locked in my choice. Ability unlocked ¡ª Knifestorm Knifestorm (Knifework) ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. I felt immediately better for it, as though my range and versatility of abilities was growing with every week that passed. I didn¡¯t worry all that much that I was only level 15, now; I¡¯d been efficient with my ability growth, so maybe that wasn¡¯t all that big of a deal. I concentrated once more on the road ahead, Val¡¯s eyes glowing green as she sensed the presence of our commandeered wolf scouts. Corminar and Lore were just behind her, playing a game where Corminar had to guess what object in sight Lore was thinking of¡ªso far, the answers had been, ¡°road¡±, ¡°tree stump¡± and ¡°sky¡±. And Arzak was at the rear of the pack, in theory making sure that nobody sneaked up on us, but in practice still gazing lovingly on the sword I¡¯d given her. Suddenly, Val stopped. ¡®What is it?¡¯ I asked, hurrying to her side. ¡®Over the next hill,¡¯ she said. ¡®Niamh¡¯s destination.¡¯ ¡®Where?¡¯ Lore asked. ¡®There¡¯s nothing here. Nothing on the map.¡¯ Val shook her head. ¡®The wolves¡­ they don¡¯t have a word for it. The closest they have is¡­ ¡°sea beasts¡±.¡¯ Anticipation¡ªor was it dread?¡ªwas heavy in my stomach as we silently strode up to the crest of this next hill. When we got there, when we saw what lay before us, suddenly everything we¡¯d seen over the past few months fell into place. It was like the last piece of the puzzle had been put down, only we¡¯d not been able to see the full picture until it was amongst the rest of the pieces. Below us, along the coast of the Iron Sea, was a camp of shipyards¡ªrecently built, and of a scale unlike anything I¡¯d seen before. A makeshift fort in the middle looking down upon each individual shipyard. Some ships in these bays were only half built, some were of this very moment having glowing blue and orange enchantments placed upon them. And most of the ships? They were already asea. The mass deforestation. The creatures forced from the iron sea. Both of them made sense now. The timber was going here, from all across the Gentle Tundras, building a fleet like nobody in the western continents had ever seen before. And Niamh, with her Trapper class, had been overseeing strong enchantments to be placed upon these ships, to make them stronger still. It was this power that had disturbed the cephalopors, and the merfolk, and all the other creatures that rumour had it had emerge from the Iron Sea. Here, before us, was Niamh¡¯s true plan. We¡¯d thought we¡¯d been so clever, disrupting the food imports to weaken Niamh¡¯s hold on Aptleed. But we¡¯d disrupted only those that had come via land, when so much more came via sea. There was an elegance to Niamh¡¯s plan: just what we¡¯d been doing, except on a much, much grander scale. We thought we¡¯d won the battle for the Tundras, but the truth was that they¡¯d only just begun.
"Styk" Level 15 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 40 Intelligence ¡ª 147 Dexterity ¡ª 89 Strength ¡ª 70 Wisdom ¡ª 55 Charisma ¡ª 33
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 41 Knifework ¡ª Level 35 Stealth ¡ª Level 17 Needlework ¡ª Level 12 Identification ¡ª Level 11
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Stealth Attack II ¡ª Passive. 80% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
125. To End It Once More The five members of the Slayers lay across the crest of the hill, using the cover of one of the few bushes not deemed worth tearing down. ¡®This not good,¡¯ Arzak said for maybe the fifth time. ¡®No,¡¯ Val murmured back. ¡®No, not good at all. It doesn¡¯t seem like¡­ a perfect plan, though, does it? If Yua can create an alliance of all the Tundran factions, then surely they can hold off a sea force?¡¯ ¡®The food imports,¡¯ I reminded her. ¡®Still, though. We can just increase the purchases coming in from elsewhere?¡¯ ¡®What, from the Goldmarch?¡¯ I retorted. ¡®I¡¯m sure Queen Amira will be happy to oblige.¡¯ Val stuck her tongue out at my sarcasm. ¡®You will have to eat orcish food. Nice produce grow in snow. Trust me. You will like,¡¯ Arzak said. ¡®Lots of weltroot.¡¯ I didn¡¯t much want to find out what something called ¡°weltroot¡± tasted like, so I turned my attention back to the new shipyards and figuring out what to do about them. ¡®I think this is it. We¡¯ve got to go in and kill her, before she really gets going.¡¯ ¡®You think she¡¯s in there?¡¯ Lore asked. ¡®I think it¡¯s our best bet, sure. If she¡¯s launching a new attack on the Tundras, where better than from a new base that nobody knows exists?¡¯ Val nodded. ¡®And if she¡¯s smart¡ªand she is, trust me¡ªshe won¡¯t want to be at the front line. So she won¡¯t be on one of those ships unless she absolutely has to be.¡¯ ¡®I had hoped to have a sufficient bow before we faced her, however if this is what needs to happen¡­¡¯ Corminar grumbled, ¡®then happen it shall. We will need disguises.¡¯ Before Val could pipe up, he clarified, ¡®And not only Val; we all must be able to walk into Niamh¡¯s office without a soldier taking notice.¡¯ ¡®We get uniforms,¡¯ Arzak agreed. ¡®You thought about what happens once we start fighting?¡¯ Lore asked. ¡®Cos all these soldiers down there are gonna come running.¡¯ ¡®We¡ª¡¯ Val started, but she didn¡¯t get to finish that sentence because suddenly war drums erupted from around the shipyards¡ªa great, thundering, echoing noise that I could feel in my bones. We turned our attention back to the shipyards to see that this sound was announcing the departure of the fleet¡ªthey were already putting the next stage of the plan into motion. Those vessels in the shipyards that had been completed rolled one by one into the sea on long round wooden rollers, crashing into the water with an almighty splash. And those in the fleet that were already at sea¡ªthe vast majority of them¡ªbegan to turn in the distance, pointing east. ¡®We¡¯re too late?¡¯ Lore wondered aloud. But Val shook her head. ¡®It makes no odds. We move now, we kill Niamh, and they¡¯ll have nobody capable of strategy. At least, nobody capable of it on her level. It doesn¡¯t change the plan.¡¯ There was a shakiness to her voice that was subtle enough that only I¡ªand from the furrowed brow, Arzak¡ªnoticed, and I squeezed her hand. ¡®It¡¯s gonna be over soon,¡¯ I said. She looked back at me and smiled a sad smile¡ªonce that said she wasn¡¯t quite convinced. And she was right, of course. If we killed Niamh, then the woman who¡¯d ruined Val¡¯s life would be gone, but she still had to deal with the fallout. She still wouldn¡¯t have a family. People the world over would still see witches dead and think that justice had been served. The five of us turned our attention back to the shipyards once more. ¡®Are you ready?¡¯ Val asked. ¡®Never am.¡¯ She nodded, but still we began to sneak down the hill, to do battle with a Player once again. * * * At the perimeter of the encampment, we used all our collective stealth experience to keep out of sight through the advanced and elaborate strategy of hiding behind a wall. ¡®How many?¡¯ Val asked Corminar, who had somehow ended up with the responsibility of subtly poking his head around the corner. ¡®Only a small guard presence,¡¯ the elf replied. ¡®I am forced to assume that the majority of the Goldmarch army is aboard the ships.¡¯ ¡®Could we fight our way through, then?¡¯ Lore asked. ¡®There are still too many for that to be a valid strategy.¡¯ ¡®Hmm,¡¯ Arzak said, and everyone but Corminar turned to face her. ¡®What is it?¡¯ Val asked. ¡®You not feel we always doing this? Sneaking into places, taking disguises? Must be better way of doing these things.¡¯ ¡®If you have a better idea, we¡¯re all ears.¡¯ Arzak held her hands up in protest. ¡®No better idea, just thinking aloud.¡¯ This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡®I have it,¡¯ Corminar said. ¡®An idea?¡¯ ¡®No, the location of the barracks. It is across the courtyard to our left; I saw the same man enter without uniform and exit with. Styk, would you care to do the honours?¡¯ I shuffled over to his side. ¡®Just tell me when.¡¯ I poked my head around the corner of the wall underneath where Corminar was peering around, very conscious that if anyone spotted us, it would look ridiculous. ¡®Prepare yourself,¡¯ Corminar said, where anyone else would have instead opted for ¡°Get ready¡±. I raised one hand towards the side of the barracks closest to us, and lowered the other to point at the floor at my feet. Arzak, Val and Lore shuffled closer. ¡®And¡­¡¯ the elf started, and then a soldier suddenly came around a corner, who would see us if we were to open the portal in that moment. ¡®Hold!¡¯ ¡®You know I can see, right?¡¯ I asked. Corminar ignored me, ¡®And¡­ now!¡¯ At his prompting, I opened the pair of portals, and the five of us tumbled through, landing on the hard dirt at the outside of the barracks. I immediately whipped my hands backwards to the barracks¡¯s wall, and again portalled us inside¡ªthis time, flying blindly. Last time we¡¯d portalled our way into a barracks, we¡¯d managed to avoid detection, at least initially. It was only Val¡¯s poor acting skills that had given the game away, forcing Arzak and I to jump out of the wardrobe we¡¯d been hiding in to help. This time, we again tumbled out of a portal into the right room, but unlike last time, we did so in front of eight Goldmarch soldiers. Lore raised a hand in greeting. ¡®...Hi?¡¯ he said, a toothy grin on his face. But it wasn¡¯t enough to disarm this particular bunch. One of the soldiers looked to the exit. ¡®Arzak!¡¯ I shouted. ¡®Door!¡¯ She nodded, and I opened a portal beneath her¡ªone that dropped her in front of the only exit to the room, and she slammed the door closed behind her. If we were about to fight, then we didn¡¯t want any reinforcements heading this way. We could only hope that nobody would overhear us, and not for the first time I regretted never picking Silence as a Worldbending ability, when I¡¯d been given the option. I made a mental note. ¡®Soldiers¡­¡¯ a woman in the middle of the room said, her ¡°gold¡± armour tinted by light blue magicks emanating from her hands. ¡®Attack!¡¯ There were enough people in this room that I didn¡¯t quite follow what happened next. All I know is that the soldiers nearest Lore and Arzak fell quickly, their builds being perfect for this kind of close quarters combat. Corminar and Val, however, seemed more hemmed in, and I joined them at their side, figuring three people who didn¡¯t like close quarters fighting was better than two. Val twisted to one side to avoid an arcing greatsword, then ducked under it to knock the sword¡¯s owner in the stomach. But she didn¡¯t rely on bare-handed attacks alone, and she used her recently acquired lightning powers to drop the soldier to the ground. Corminar, meanwhile, released arrow after arrow into the approaching soldiers, though at this range it was only a matter of time before the injured enemies overwhelmed him. I jumped to support, portalling myself around the room and using the broken line of sight to quickly activate my Stealth Attack and Execution abilities on various targets, ignoring the experience point notifications as I did so. I didn¡¯t always take an enemy down in one hit¡ªin fact, more often than not, I didn¡¯t¡ªbut it was enough to slow the soldiers down, and thin them out some. Between my stabs, Corminar¡¯s arrows, and Val dealing magick damage, we weren¡¯t a half-bad team, even in this environment. I¡¯d thought the tide was turning, when the woman in the centre of the room¡ªwho so far hadn¡¯t attacked anyone¡ªwhipped her glowing arms out to her side. Echoes of the weapons of the fallen soldiers, formed of ghostly, light-blue magicks, floated into the air. ¡®And what in Alterra is¡­¡¯ I started, but my question was soon answered. After only a second of hesitation, the conjured weapons began flying towards all members of the Slayers at once. We hadn¡¯t turned the tide at all. In fact, the fight had only just begun.
"Styk" Level 15 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 40 Intelligence ¡ª 147 Dexterity ¡ª 89 Strength ¡ª 70 Wisdom ¡ª 55 Charisma ¡ª 33
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 41 Knifework ¡ª Level 35 Stealth ¡ª Level 17 Needlework ¡ª Level 12 Identification ¡ª Level 11
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Stealth Attack II ¡ª Passive. 80% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
126. Swords, Swords & More Swords ¡®Uh-oh.¡¯ A half-dozen floating, conjured swords stopped spinning in mid-air to point squarely at me, then shot in my direction. I surprised myself by jumping to the floor while the swords flew overhead, opening my usual portals not between me and the swords but between Val and the ones flying towards her. The weapons shot through the portal and out at a wall, in which they became buried¡ªbut seconds later, they began trying to yank themselves back out again. Somewhere between six and ten conjured weapons shot towards each member of the Slayers. I¡¯d avoided the first wave, and I¡¯d saved Val from the same, but the other three were having more trouble. Lore desperately swung his wide blade to parry the attacks of the floating weapons, and Corminar cowered behind the quartermaster¡¯s desk, frantically kicking the swords away as they approached. Only Arzak, of all of us, seemed to have a more viable long-term strategy. The orc parried some of the conjured weapons away with her old sword, but she also used the enchanted sword that I¡¯d given her to suck¡ªfor lack of a better word¡ªthe floating blades into it. From the looks of it, she could only capture the magicks of one weapon at a time, but with every conjured weapon that she sucked in, her new sword glowed brighter. Even though it was a slow process, she was whittling down the enemy¡¯s attack, and every little helped. The swords that had flown over my head turned in mid-air and swerved back towards me, and this time I again dove to the floor, but also opened a pair of portals to ¡°catch¡± the attacks. The portal caught the conjured weapons in mid-attack and sent them soaring towards the last three Goldmarch soldiers¡ªthe conjurer included. While the weapons pierced two of the soldiers, sending them stumbling backwards into the wall and pinning them there, the swords passed straight through the woman that had conjured them. ¡®Perhaps an ounce of assistance could be provided?¡¯ Corminar called out, his voice shaking, his legs frantically kicking the swords away. The swords I¡¯d just portalled turned around again, half pointing to me, and half splintering off towards Val. There wasn¡¯t much time to help them both, so I opened a portal below Val¡¯s feet without asking first¡ªif she had a problem with that, then she¡¯d have to bring it up later¡ªand threw her into the corner behind where Arzak and Lore were successfully parrying or absorbing any attacks. Next, I fixed my attention back to Corminar, dropping myself through a portal of my own just in time to avoid the conjured swords flying towards me. I dropped at Corminar¡¯s side and immediately grabbed two of the conjured weapons from the air¡ªby the hilt, naturally, not the blade, though I¡¯d once made that mistake in the past. I brought them down as I crouched, and buried them deeply in the wooden floor. Corminar, recognising what I was doing, took advantage of me slowing the attack. Instead of kicking the next sword away, he rolled out of its way at the last minute, hopped nimbly to his feet, and buried it in the floorboards in much the same way as I had just done. Before long, this area of the room was clear besides the last sword, which Corminar and I were wrestling towards the wall. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the conjuror with her arm stretched toward us, willing the magick sword away from the wall. Corminar released his grip on the floating sword to pull out his bow once more, and he shot an arrow towards the enemy. She whipped another sword away from Lore to block the arrow, but in doing so she broke her concentration, and I was able to bury the sword in the wall. I thought, for a moment, that we were on our way to victory. What a fool I was. The conjuror roared, frustrated, and with the flick of her wrist she dematerialised the weapons that were buried in the wall or floor, and created new ones at her side to replace them. That was interesting, then; she had a limit as to how many swords she could conjure. And from the look of Arzak¡¯s sword, glowing brighter than ever, the conjuror wasn¡¯t able to unsummon those that she¡¯d captured. If we could keep Arzak protected, doing her thing, then it was only a matter of time until this fight was won. Unfortunately, the conjuror had just had the same realisation. All the remaining conjured weapons¡ªa good twenty-five or so, though I didn¡¯t exactly have the time for a thorough count¡ªceased their attacks on Lore, Val, Corminar and I, and all reposition to point at Arzak instead. ¡®Err¡­¡¯ the orc mumbled, eyes wide. ¡®Need help!¡¯ Lore, standing closest to Arzak, rushed in the way of the soaring blades, knocking as many from the air as he could. Arzak, for her part, did her best to parry and absorb the rest, but it was clear that they were getting slowly overcome. ¡®Styk!¡¯ Val shouted to me, but I was already on it. I reached to open another portal to shield my friends from the conjured weapons, but an idea struck me midway through. Instead of opening one of my usual Local Portals, I tried something else. I tried a Pocket World. The floating swords, with no real minds of their own, did little to avoid the portal, and they shot straight into my pocket dimension, removing them from play. I felt through the magical connection with my ability that I was already eating well into my storage capacity¡ªconjured weapons used up a lot of space, it seemed. The conjuror¡¯s eyes widened as she saw her magicks disappear into the portal, and she tried first to pull them back out again. But I was quicker than her, and I snapped the portal shut once more before the first sword tip could come through and wedge it open. With so few swords left¡ªonly six or so, compared to the original number, which had been four times that¡ªit crossed my mind again that the fight might now be turning. For a second time in the past five minutes, I was wrong. I really had to stop assuming things like that. The conjuror, sensing that she wasn¡¯t going to be able to pin down¡ªor kill¡ªall five of us with so few weapons, changed up her tactic. All but one of the remaining conjured swords shot back towards the woman who¡¯d magicked them, twisting at the last moment before hitting her to instead begin spinning around her, like some strange magical tornado. The last conjured weapon hovered in front of her, pointing at Lore, who happened to be closest. The sword hovered there as though daring Lore to attack, to find out what would happen if he did. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Lore took the dare. The barbarian charged forward, swinging his heavy blade to knock the single floating sword out of the way, and then he swung it again at the conjuror. His blade met spinning weapons, moving fast enough that he and the Bane Sword bounced away again¡ªbut not before he took a good few deep scratches in the process. ¡®Styk!¡¯ Val shouted. ¡®Get her out of there!¡¯ I nodded, then pressed my right hand forward to open a portal beneath the conjuror¡¯s feet. But just like had happened a few times before when facing down an adept magic user, the conjuror was ready for this. One of the swords in the tornado tore off from its path and shot down below the woman¡¯s feet, stopping her from falling through. So these swords could touch her when she wanted them to. I gritted my teeth together as closed this futile portal. ¡®Gonna need to try something else!¡¯ Arzak, with her imbued blade, charged forward next, swinging her weapon into the tornado. But again, the storm of blades was moving fast enough that she only bounced off, unable to touch metal to spell for long enough to absorb the remaining swords. ¡®Reinforcements required!¡¯ the conjuror shouted. ¡®Reinforcements required!¡¯ Val¡¯s gaze flicked to me; she knew as well as I did that we needed to end this fight before someone actually heard us. Corminar released an arrow over my shoulder, but again it was unable to get passed the spinning weapons. It was seemingly impenetrable. But there was still one thing left that I could try. I made a show of roaring¡ªand attracting the enemy¡¯s attention¡ªas I pressed my right hand forward once more, looking as though I meant to open another portal beneath the woman¡¯s feet. The conjuror immediately pulled one of the swords from her tornado, whizzing it towards the spot under her feet where my portal was about to be. Or would have been, if I¡¯d actually intended to open one there. Instead, I opened a portal between the ground and the shifting blade. And I created its partner in front of the conjuror¡¯s chest. The blade shot through, and because the woman had wanted to be able to stand on it, it was solid to her. She yelped as it pierced her chest. Her eyes bulged, and she let her conjured weapons fade as she instead shifted to yellow-white Healing magick. But Lore, Arzak and Corminar weren¡¯t going to let her get out of this so easily. They seized the advantage of the break in the enemy¡¯s defence, letting her have sword and arrow and in plentiful supply. This time, the fight really did turn in our favour. As the woman dropped to the floor, I let the notifications that had piled up come through. 4x Goldmarch Soldiers defeated! Goldmarch Bladebinder defeated! Worldbending ¡ª +4,320xp Worldbending increased to level 42! Base Points gained ¡ª +2 INT, +2 Free Points (INT/WIS/CHA) Knifework ¡ª +4,250xp Knifework increased to level 36! Base Points Gained ¡ª +1 DEX, +1 STR, +2 Free Points (VIT/DEX/STR) Stealth ¡ª +3,900xp Stealth increased to level 18! Stealth increased to level 19! Base Points gained ¡ª +2 DEX, +2 WIS, +4 Free Points (DEX/WIS) Nice, I thought, up I go some more. And then I returned my attention to the task at hand: killing a Player.
"Styk" Level 16 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 42 Intelligence ¡ª 151 Dexterity ¡ª 96 Strength ¡ª 71 Wisdom ¡ª 57 Charisma ¡ª 33
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 41 Knifework ¡ª Level 36 Stealth ¡ª Level 19 Needlework ¡ª Level 12 Identification ¡ª Level 11
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Stealth Attack II ¡ª Passive. 80% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
127. The Mix-Up Our borrowed Goldmarch armour now on, we set about marching across the new shipyards, doing our best to look as though we were striding with purpose. We hadn¡¯t bothered to clear up our mess in the barracks; chances were that the alarm would get raised soon enough anyway, when we took on Niamh. Once that alarm was raised, we just had to hope we finished her off quickly enough that I could portal us out of harm¡¯s way before the remaining soldiers swarmed us. Admittedly, there weren¡¯t all that many Goldmarch soldiers left here. It seemed that most of Niamh¡¯s army had become her navy, taking positions on the ships built from Tundran timber. That explained why our earlier fight hadn¡¯t attracted any further attention, then. We strided along the shipyards, the few remaining Goldmarch soldiers we passed nodding in our direction, or saluting to me. We hadn¡¯t realised when we picked out uniforms that fit us that I¡¯d picked up a major¡¯s uniform¡ªand all the respect I was now commanding was really getting on Val¡¯s nerves. So it was then that when we reached the tallest building in the new shipyards¡ªNiamh¡¯s apparent makeshift fort¡ªI nodded to the soldiers standing guard to give us access. And they stood aside in a hurry; I could really get used to this ¡°commanding respect¡± business. We walked through the corridors of the building, still doing our best to look like we knew where we were going, and soon we found the stairs. Val¡¯s logic had been that Niamh would be using the highest point of this building as her command centre. It gave her the best view of her fleet, and why else would she build a fort so high if not to be at the top of it? We climbed the staircase to the top level, and found that the top floor was all one room. In the centre of the room was a wooden table, intricately carved with a map of the western continents¡ªeverywhere from the Beached Armada to the Dawnwoods¡ªand on this table were small models of ships, just off the coast near where we were. And standing just across the table, staring at us¡­ was an orc. ¡®Where is she?¡¯ Val spat. ¡®Where¡¯s Niamh?¡¯ The orc¡ªthe one I only at this moment placed as Niamh¡¯s assistant¡ªlooked up with a smirk on her face. ¡®Not here,¡¯ she replied. ¡®Not here, in this room?¡¯ Lore asked. ¡®Or not here, at these shipyards?¡¯ ¡®Make no odds to you.¡¯ Val took another step forward, but the orc¡ªSulla, if I remembered her name correctly¡ªheld up an index finger. ¡®No. No, not come closer.¡¯ ¡®And why the hells not?¡¯ Val asked. ¡®Niamh is trapper, yes? Physical traps, strategy traps, yes. But also magick traps. You step closer and I activate.¡¯ The room went silent. Five Slayers stared down one Player¡¯s assistant. ¡®So¡­¡¯ Lore finally said, breaking the silence. ¡®What¡¯s this trap do then?¡¯ ¡®You not want find out.¡¯ Again, the room went silent. At least, until Arzak stepped forward. ¡®Woah, what are you doing?¡¯ Lore asked. The friendly orc shrugged. ¡®Maybe she lie. Maybe not. But trap or not, we do same thing? We attack and interrogate?¡¯ Val thought about this for a moment, and then nodded. ¡®Yep, fair enough.¡¯ Her and Arzak turned and launched themselves across the table, and in the same moment, Sulla slapped a hand down atop the carved wooden table. A sigil glowed into life. Something¡ªsome magical force¡ªgrabbed at my heart. It choked me, just for a moment, and from the look of the rest of the team, it was doing the same to them, too. And then¡­ Active Effect: Class Swap Minutes remaining: 4 / 5 Your class and progression is temporarily swapped with another of target [5] entities. Arzak and Val, choked by the trap, fell to the floor hard at Sulla¡¯s feet, and she smiled down at them before giving Val a good kick. Snarling, I instinctively reached forward, meaning to open a portal beneath the enemy¡¯s feet that would stop her kicking Val again. But¡­ nothing came. ¡®Err¡­¡¯ I said. Corminar shot an arrow from his bow, and managed to launch it into his own foot. ¡®What going¡ª¡¯ Lore began, and then suddenly accidentally opened a portal beneath his feet. He fell through it, then tumbled out of its partner, on the ceiling above him. Then he fell back into it, and¡­ Well, you can see where this was going. I ran over to the edge of the portal, reaching out to catch him, but already he was moving too fast for me to have any chance of stopping him alone. I stopped him. Alone. As Lore clung on to my outstretched arms, I stared down at them. I was¡­ lifting him? Lifting Lore? About the largest human I¡¯d ever encountered? Sulla kicked Val in the stomach once more, and she spat out blood. Val clutched at her chest, desperately trying to heal it, but nothing came. Alright. I¡¯m starting to understand what¡¯s happened here. ¡®Who¡¯s the witch?¡¯ I cried out as Sulla strolled slowly to the other side of the room to draw an axe from atop a nearby table. ¡®Who¡¯s the damned witch?¡¯ I looked to Arzak, who scrambled over to Val¡¯s side, meaning to heal her, but she shook her head¡ªnothing came. I reached within myself, searching for one of Val¡¯s powers, and tried to summon a wolf. But if I was doing it right¡ªand I had no idea if I was, admittedly¡ªnothing came. I looked instead to Corminar, whose eyes began to glow green. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. ¡®Oh, I do not approve of this at all,¡¯ he said. Still, he leaped into the air and charged to the injured Val¡¯s side to heal her. Sulla, meanwhile, approached the fallen Arzak with her great axe in hand. Arzak raised her dual blades to block the inevitable swing of the axe, but I knew already how that would end. She wasn¡¯t a warrior anymore. Someone else was. ¡®No!¡¯ I shouted to Arzak, reaching forward to open a portal that I knew wouldn¡¯t come. But it did. Arzak fell through the portal on the floor and came out of one above Lore¡¯s head, crushing him. From the once-barbarian¡¯s hand, glowing purple, I realised he¡¯d been quick to act; he¡¯d been paying attention all these months. ¡®Oopsie,¡¯ he said, as Arzak pulled herself off him. Sulla grunted, then turned his attention back to the injured Val, and the elf leaning over her, trying to work out how her Healing magicks worked. ¡®I require assistance!¡¯ Corminar shouted, sensing Sulla¡¯s approach without looking up. ¡®Who among you is the ranger?¡¯ Arzak and I looked to each other, then shrugged at the same time. ¡®Could be Val,¡¯ I said. Val roared with pain as she wrenched Corminar¡¯s bow off him and tried to fire it. She fumbled the arrow as she tried to nock it, tearing a gash in her palm in the process. ¡®It is not Val!¡¯ Corminar confirmed, then took the bow back off her and chucked it and his quiver towards Arzak and me. Arzak, being substantially taller, snatched the items out of the air first, and in a flash she nocked the arrow and fired it at Sulla. It hit the enemy squarely in the shoulder. ¡®I think it might be Arzak,¡¯ Lore pointed out. I¡¯d started to put it all together by this point. Arzak had temporarily become a ranger, Corminar had become a witch, and Lore had become a worldbender. Which meant that Val and I were either a warrior or a barbarian. Having never experienced either of those skill trees, I didn¡¯t quite understand what the difference in those two classes was, but I knew the gist of it: get a big weapon and swing it. Arzak tossed me her two swords, and I snatched them nimbly out of the air. They felt¡­ they just felt right in my hands. It was her class that I¡¯d adopted. ¡®I have it!¡¯ Corminar suddenly cried, yellow-white healing magicks pouring into Val¡¯s stomach. For his troubles, Sulla swung her axe his way, and the elf had just enough time to throw himself across Val¡ªbut not without suffering a deep gash wound in his back. I charged in towards Sulla to prevent her landing another attack, jumping across the wooden table with more strength and athletic ability than I¡¯d ever before experienced. I brought my borrowed swords down towards the enemy, and Sulla swung her axe up to block me, its metal handle able to hold off even my strong attacks. ¡®Dual swipe!¡¯ Arzak called from behind me as I pushed against Sulla¡¯s axe, gritting my teeth with the strain. ¡®I don¡¯t know what that is!¡¯ I cried back. Just like Corminar had found, the swapped abilities weren¡¯t coming naturally to me, and it was for this reason that Sulla stood a very good chance of winning this fight. It was a stroke of genius, really; most magick-based traps would do damage to everyone in the room, friendly or otherwise. But this? This was more targeted¡ªor at least Sulla, and likely Niamh, were excluded from it¡ªand it weakened the enemies through means of making sure they had absolutely no idea what they were doing. As if to punctuate this thought, Lore yelped as he accidentally fell through a portal again, though this time at least he was able to close them again before it got out of control. Meanwhile, Arzak loosed another arrow, narrowly avoiding hitting me but successfully catching Sulla in the chest. This damage weakened the orc¡¯s attack for a moment, and I was able to press forward, knocking her to the ground. ¡®Dual swipe!¡¯ I cried, trying my best to activate this ability. ¡®You only moving one sword,¡¯ Arzak noted. Sulla released one hand from her axe and, rising, caught me hard in the throat. I stumbled backwards, choking, my attack called off. The enemy rose back from her knees to her to her feet and pressed her own attack, swiping at me again and again with an axe that I was only just about quick enough to block. ¡®A little help here?¡¯ I cried out. ¡®Unless you want me to bleed on her, or Corminar to summon some wolves, it¡¯s gonna have to be from the others,¡¯ Val replied, her voice weak from the damage she¡¯d suffered. Lore stumbled forward, and out of the corner of my eye I could see his brow furrowing like it did when he was really concentrating. He pressed one hand forward towards me and Sulla, and with the flick of his wrist¡­ ¡­opened up a portal behind us. Corminar fell through it, and came out tumbling towards Sulla. The movement of her axe once again narrowly caught him, dealing some damage but not enough to put him out of action. Lore winced. ¡®Sorry!¡¯ ¡®Lore, you¡¯ve got to¡ª¡¯ I started, but doing so distracted me just enough for Sulla to find an advantage. She knocked the bottom of her axe into my stomach, sending me falling backwards towards the floor, and she raised her weapon high in the air. As she stared down at me, she growled, and even Arzak burying another arrow in the enemy¡¯s leather armour wasn¡¯t enough to stop her. She brought the axe down.
"Styk" Level 16 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 42 Intelligence ¡ª 151 Dexterity ¡ª 96 Strength ¡ª 71 Wisdom ¡ª 57 Charisma ¡ª 33
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 41 Knifework ¡ª Level 36 Stealth ¡ª Level 19 Needlework ¡ª Level 12 Identification ¡ª Level 11
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Stealth Attack II ¡ª Passive. 80% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
128. Niamhs True Plan I winced as Sulla¡¯s axe came tumbling down towards me. In that fraction of a second, there wasn¡¯t enough time to block. There wasn¡¯t enough time to do much of anything, except wait for the inevitable. I could only hope I¡¯d inherited enough Vitality from Arzak that I was going to survive the hit¡ªeven without armour. I closed my eyes, preparing myself for the pain, and¡ª I fell. Opening my eyes, I saw Lore¡¯s outstretched arms rushing up to meet me as I fell towards the floor. He caught me, found me too heavy, and then dropped me to the floor after all. I didn¡¯t like what this said about the number of Strength points he¡¯d inherited from me. ¡®That¡¯s more like it, buddy,¡¯ I said, looking up at him from the floor, and he responded with a thumbs up and a goofy grin. ¡®Watch out!¡¯ Val shouted, and I rolled to the right just in time to avoid Sulla¡¯s flailing axe. I raised my hands, and¡­ realised I¡¯d dropped the swords when I¡¯d fallen through the portal. Sulla approached, crazed eyes fixed on me, arrow after arrow hitting her in the back, swinging her axe closer and closer with every second. I retreated backwards, towards the wall, my every instinct being to activate a portal to get me out of this mess, but of course¡­ that wasn¡¯t possible. I flashed Lore a meaningful, wide-eyed look, and he tried to activate a portal beneath me, but lightning didn¡¯t strike twice¡ªunpracticed at magicks, he missed again. He¡¯d saved me once, but very quickly I found myself pinned down again, this time with my back against a wall. I needed to think quickly. I needed to find some ability that Arzak had that I could use to get out of this. I needed¡ª Active Effect: Class Swap Minutes remaining: 0 / 0 Effect removed! ¡ªportals. I smiled, and fear flashed through Sulla¡¯s eyes. She¡¯d realised what had happened. She realised she¡¯s messed up, wasting time, not pressing the attack quickly enough. Her advantage was gone. Just as her swinging axe was about to meet my face, I opened a portal beneath us, and we both fell through, landing at Lore¡¯s feet. Arzak, moving quickly, reached for the Bane Sword and tossed it the way of the barbarian, who swung it down, holding it still only a fraction of an inch from the enemy¡¯s neck. Level 18 council advisor defeated! Worldbending ¡ª +750xp Worldbending increased to level 43! Base Points gained ¡ª +2 INT, +2 Free Points (INT/WIS/CHA) A shame; that was a pitiful amount of experience points. Though I realised I couldn¡¯t exactly get experience for my two-handed attacks if I didn¡¯t have that skill tree unlocked any more. At least it had been enough for a level-up. I turned my attention to Sulla, who was now totally restrained by means of three swords pointing at her head. ¡®Drop the axe.¡¯ She did so without needing to be asked twice. I saw the yellow-white glow of Healing magicks out of the corner of my eye, followed by Val bringing herself to her feet. She hadn¡¯t suffered that much damage then, just more than Corminar had been able to figure out how to fix. Val turned her attention next to the big wound in the ranger¡¯s back. ¡®I¡¯ll ask you again: where is she?¡¯ I demanded of Sulla. ¡®I tell you: not here,¡¯ Sulla spat back at me. She¡¯d surrendered, then, but she wasn¡¯t going to give up any information that easily. I sighed. ¡®You know, I don¡¯t think that trap was all that good. You had all these threats at first, and you were all intimidating and such, and now¡­ well, I just don¡¯t think you followed through on those promises.¡¯ Sulla spat upwards at me, but at my height it didn¡¯t reach me. ¡®Unless¡­ you didn¡¯t know what it did?¡¯ I suggested. ¡®You just knew that Niamh had set a trap there, but she¡¯d never told you what it did? Does she often keep stuff from you?¡¯ This time, the orc didn¡¯t react. Though she didn¡¯t show it on her face, I suspected she was considering my words carefully. ¡®Was it intentional, do you think? Did she mean to leave you in the dark? Or did she simply not bother to tell you?¡¯ ¡®Not sure which worse,¡¯ Arzak added, nodding along. ¡®Must be hard not be trusted.¡¯ She understood what was going on here, then. I was playing the bad guard, while she¡ªa fellow orc¡ªwould play the good. Someone that Sulla might open up to. ¡®Do you even know where she is, your boss?¡¯ I asked. ¡®Or did she not bother to tell you that, either?¡¯ ¡®I know where she is!¡¯ Sulla insisted. I shook my head. ¡®She doesn¡¯t know,¡¯ I said, directing this over my shoulder at Val. ¡®See, I told you she¡ª¡¯ Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡®I know!¡¯ the enemy orc said again. ¡®You not convince unless you say,¡¯ Arzak offered. ¡®She here, yes?¡¯ ¡®Pfft. Why this?¡¯ ¡®Because she would need to control her operations in the Tundras from somewhere, wouldn¡¯t she?¡¯ I said. ¡®And I don¡¯t exactly think a ship is the best place to do it.¡¯ At this, the orc on the floor tipped her head back and laughed. I could almost see tears forming in her eyes. ¡®She did say you stupid. You Lore, yes?¡¯ ¡®Hey!¡¯ Lore exclaimed. ¡®...Oh,¡¯ Sulla said. ¡®You are Styk then?¡¯ Sulla didn¡¯t wait for me to confirm. ¡®She say you stupid, but I not believe it. Nobody can be this stupid, I say. But she right! You think all this is about Tundras still? This never about Tundras. Tundras just have wood we need.¡¯ I narrowed my eyes. If I hadn¡¯t heard the way Sulla had said this, I¡¯d have thought she was lying. But this woman spoke like she had nothing to lose, like we were so far from the mark that she risked nothing by speaking the truth. ¡®What do you mean, this isn¡¯t about the Tundras? You just wanted the wood?¡¯ ¡®You not see our ships? Big Goldmarch fleet. No fleet of this size seen for ages.¡¯ ¡®We saw the fleet. It was about control of the Tundras¡ªinterrupting food transport links, starving us into submission.¡¯ Sulla laughed again¡ªa bold move for someone with so many sword points to her neck. ¡®Nobody care about Tundras. Nobody invade Tundras for generations, and know why? Because no point. Nothing to gain.¡¯ ¡®You gained something.¡¯ ¡®True. We gain wood. For ships.¡¯ ¡®And the ships are for¡­?¡¯ I asked, but I could sense I was losing her. I¡¯d lost my advantage; she thought all of us fools now. Sulla stared up at me, and smiled. I found this infuriating. ¡®Tell me what the ships are for, or we¡¯ll turn your neck into a bloody hedgehog.¡¯ When Sulla looked up at me, confused, I clarified, ¡®...Cos it¡¯ll be spiky. Cos of the swords in it.¡¯ The orc nodded. ¡®Right.¡¯ ¡®Still not telling us?¡¯ Sulla stared up at me again, and at this, Arzak suddenly decided to smash her in the head with the pommel of her sword. I blinked at her. ¡®What¡­ did you just do?¡¯ ¡®Knock her out,¡¯ the orc said. ¡®I learn it from Lore.¡¯ Lore nodded knowingly. ¡®And so what is it that you suppose we do next?¡¯ Corminar asked, staring on at the unconscious orc. Arzak shrugged. ¡®She not speaking.¡¯ ¡®Well of course she¡¯s not now!¡¯ Val cried. ¡®Not before, not now. But now nobody annoying me.¡¯ Arzak gestured around the room. ¡®We in command centre. We look around.¡¯ I sighed; the whole point of interrogating this woman had been to avoid having to actually look around. After all, someone could stumble inside at any moment and raise the alarm. But I supposed there was no other option now. I shifted to the side of the carved wooden table, staring down at the little models of ships with markers for the sailors standing upon them. They were sailing east, just as we¡¯d seen them do in real life. Between them, there was enough to disrupt trade all across the Iron Sea, to hold the Gentle Tundras in Niamh¡¯s grasp. Of course, Sulla had claimed they had no interest in the Tundras any more. Behind me, the rest of the team ruffled through paperwork. Lore tossed a big pile onto the floor. When everyone looked at him, eyebrow raised, he explained, ¡®Tax returns.¡¯ I stared back down at the ships, the vessels with such power that they were driving creatures like cephalopods out of the water. Surely Sulla was just lying to us, trying to throw us off the scent. Because what was the alternative? What else could this fleet do? A chill ran down my spine when I noticed a model under my right hand, in the south-east. The Great Golden Canal Project. The canal network that connected the Iron Sea to the Sea of Roots, enabling trade all the way from the Tundras to the Dawnwoods¡ªa project sponsored by Queen Amira herself, in a display of gratitude to her supposed future allies. Only, there was another way of looking at it, wasn¡¯t there? You could send trade ships through the Goldmarch-controlled canals, yes. But you could also send warships. And when your shipyards were so far north, how could anyone at or beyond the canals expect the oncoming sea force? This was an invasion, yes, but it really wasn¡¯t the Tundras that Amira wanted. It was the Dawnwoods. ¡®Guys,¡¯ I said. ¡®I think we¡¯ve messed up.¡¯
"Styk" Level 16 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 44 Intelligence ¡ª 154 Dexterity ¡ª 101 Strength ¡ª 73 Wisdom ¡ª 57 Charisma ¡ª 33
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 43 Knifework ¡ª Level 36 Stealth ¡ª Level 19 Needlework ¡ª Level 12 Identification ¡ª Level 11
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Stealth Attack II ¡ª Passive. 80% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
129. Setting Sail Corminar stared down at the wooden model of the Dawnwoods, paling, the truth of what I¡¯d just told him setting in. ¡®No¡­¡¯ he whispered. ¡®No.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s the only explanation, Cor,¡¯ Val said, hand on his shoulder. ¡®Sulla wasn¡¯t lying. And what else could the Golden Canal Project have been for? A real act of charity?¡¯ The elven ranger shook his head. ¡®Fools,¡¯ he muttered. ¡®What?¡¯ ¡®Fools,¡¯ he said again. ¡®All of us. All of my kind, too, to have trusted Amira in these supposed ¡°diplomatic efforts¡±. We should have looked to the larger picture, to how the pieces interconnected. We should have known this was coming.¡¯ ¡®Cor, we couldn¡¯t have¡ª¡¯ Val started, but Corminar turned away from the table, snarling with anger. ¡®We most certainly could have! Or is it not our proclaimed occupations to distrust Players?¡¯ ¡®We did distrust her,¡¯ I said, backing Val up. ¡®We fought in a war to remove her from our home. That was our distrust.¡¯ ¡®Your home,¡¯ Corminar corrected me. ¡®The Tundras are your home.¡¯ ¡®And yours. You know as well as I do that you¡¯ve not been welcome in the Dawnwoods for a long time, now. That¡¯s not your home anymore.¡¯ ¡®Styk¡­¡¯ Val said. She flashed me a look that said she didn¡¯t think I was helping. ¡®OK, fine, look,¡¯ I continued. ¡®That¡¯s not the point anyway. The point is that we¡¯ve been fighting. We¡¯re not fools, we were just¡­ misdirected. What matters is what we do next. And I reckon we¡¯ve got to do what heroes do.¡¯ ¡®And what¡¯s that?¡¯ Val asked. ¡®We follow.¡¯ * * * ¡®Coo-ee!¡¯ I shouted, standing on the docks by the last seaworthy ship, jumping up and down. ¡®Over here, you big idiots!¡¯ A face popped over the side of the ship¡ªa woman wearing Goldmarch armour. ¡®Oi!¡¯ ¡®What, should I not be here?¡¯ I asked, playing oblivious. ¡®No you bloody well should not be here,¡¯ she replied. Then she turned to others on the ship. ¡®Enemy on the pier!¡¯ This was what I¡¯d set out to achieve, so at that I turned and jogged slowly away from the ship. The guards took their sweet time in following, balancing clumsily on the plank that joined the vessel to the docks. I turned, running backwards. ¡®Nice secret bunch of dockyards you have here! Would be a shame if someone, I dunno, reported them to Duchess Yua of Lenktra, wouldn¡¯t it?¡¯ The guards were following already, but I couldn¡¯t resist rubbing it in a bit further. Once my pursuers were on land, I began to sprint properly, turning around the corner of a tall wooden palisade wall¡­ and bumping straight into more guards. ¡®Oops.¡¯ ¡®Yeah, bloody oops,¡¯ the tall soldier I¡¯d just collided with replied, then he began to swing his sword towards me. I responded by opening a portal beneath my feet, and I smiled and waved as I dropped through it, coming to land on the platform of a watch tower up above. ¡®Missed me!¡¯ I shouted, to both the pursuers from the ship and to the man I¡¯d bumped into. I glanced back at the vessel, and the four familiar figures creeping on to it, rushing for the capstan. They¡¯d needed a few minutes of peace before they could raise the anchor and drop the sails. They¡¯d needed someone to goad the guards into chasing them away from the last seaworthy vessel. Fortunately, I could be very annoying when I wanted to be¡ªand I had the portal magicks to effectively evade capture. It really hadn¡¯t taken the Slayers very long at all to realise that this was the correct course of action. ¡®He¡¯s up there!¡¯ the woman who¡¯d first spotted me shouted, pointing up to the watch tower. ¡®Hi!¡¯ I waved back at them, conscious of the soldier at her side raising his bow to point at me. Just as the ranger could fire, I opened another portal in the way of the attack, pointing the arrow back at the man who¡¯d shot it. He stumbled backwards, looking at the arrow pointing out of his right upper arm. ¡®Oh,¡¯ he mumbled. I risked another look at the ship, not wanting to look too much in case it tipped off the Goldmarch soldiers. Val, Lore, Arzak and Corminar were all now at the capstan, beginning to turn it, though it looked like the warrior and the barbarian were doing most of the heavy lifting. There was a clunk, clunk, clunk noise as they lifted the anchor, and if I wasn¡¯t distracting enough, the soldiers were going to realise that this wasn¡¯t being done by people from the Goldmarch. ¡®Well?¡¯ I asked. ¡®What are you waiting for? Come up here! We can have a nice chat.¡¯ The woman in charge gestured for her soldiers to begin to climb the ladder up, but it was a long way to go. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. I made a show of tapping my foot impatiently¡ªan act that really got on the woman¡¯s nerves¡ªbefore calling out, ¡®This is taking too long! Want me to help?¡¯ Before she could answer, I opened a portal underneath the first soldier¡¯s feet, bringing her up to the top of the watch tower with me, where I proceeded to arc my knife forward in a Stab. But the soldier recovered quickly, and she brought her blade around to meet mine, smashing it out of the path of attack, but not quite out of my grasp. I attacked again, hoping my weapon being smaller meant that I¡¯d be quicker on the attack, but that hope was unfounded. She turned on the spot to avoid the attack, and as she came back around to face me once more, she lunged with her sword. I was rapidly running out of time to defeat her¡ªfour of her five colleagues would soon be up the ladder, and I¡¯d be surrounded. In this enclosed environment, I wouldn¡¯t be able to guarantee portalling away without someone following. I had to act now. But I¡¯d planned for this. And it had been exciting to find a use for an ability that I didn¡¯t get to use all that option, what with most objects seeming to be magically reinforced, these days. With the flick of my wrist, I opened up a portal at the top of the ladder, but this wasn¡¯t one of my usual Local Portals. This was a Portal Slice. The metal ladder was sliced clean through, and began to creak. The soldier up on the platform with me baulked, eyes wide, as she saw what had just happened. For a moment, when the ladder didn¡¯t immediately fall, I thought I was going to have to shift around the platform to get a look at the bottom of the ladder too, and slice through there. But then the creaking got louder, and louder, and the base of the ladder began to warp and bend, sending the four soldiers tumbling towards the ground. It wasn¡¯t enough to eliminate any of them, but it bought me some time. The soldier on the platform lunged with her blade once more, and I had just enough time to lean to one side to avoid the attack. But I wouldn¡¯t keep being that lucky. I risked a glanced over to the deck of the seaworthy ship, and then I saw the signal: Val jumping up and down and waving both hands in the air. They were ready to go. As the soldier raised her blade to attack me once more, I opened a portal behind me and stepped through it, out onto the deck of the now-stolen ship. But a hand poked through before I could close it. The woman pushed herself through the closing portal, gritting with determination, and stumbled out onto the deck. ¡®Stop!¡¯ she cried. ¡®In the name of Empress Amira, leader of the¡ª¡¯ She didn¡¯t finish that order because Lore collided with her chest, tackling her towards the wall of the captain¡¯s cabin. Before they could hit the wall, I opened another portal¡ªconscious that I¡¯d depleted a lot of my mana reserves already¡ªand summoned its partner at the edge of the ship. Lore and Goldmarch soldier both fell through the portal and over the rail, tumbling towards the sea below. In a fraction of a second, I closed the last portals and opened one last pairing¡ªone that caught Lore in mid-air and caused him to come out rolling across the deck. From the water below, I heard a huge splash. 6x soldiers of the golden empire escaped! Worldbending ¡ª +900xp Between the soldier¡¯s barked order and the new notification, I realised that the Golden Kingdom was no more. It was the Golden Empire now, what with Amira having parts of the Gentle Tundras in her domain already, and the Dawnwoods surely about to fall to a sea force they could not have seen coming. Niamh¡¯s plan was coming together, and the only chance that the elven homeland had was that she could be stopped by a witch, a gentle barbarian, a narcissistic ranger, an orc warrior who would really rather be knitting, and¡­ me. Whatever I was, these days¡ªsimply a bladespinner, a hero, or the spawn of a Player? As the western banks of the Iron Sea faded into the distance behind us, I closed my eyes and breathed. At my side, Val, squeezed my hand, though this time even she didn¡¯t say a word. We were heading for war once more. The real war. Except, this was one we had no hope of winning.
"Styk" Level 16 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 44 Intelligence ¡ª 154 Dexterity ¡ª 101 Strength ¡ª 73 Wisdom ¡ª 57 Charisma ¡ª 33
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 43 Knifework ¡ª Level 36 Stealth ¡ª Level 19 Needlework ¡ª Level 12 Identification ¡ª Level 11
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Stealth Attack II ¡ª Passive. 80% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
130. Payment ¡®Up,¡¯ Arzak said, shaking me awake in my bunk. Her and Corminar had been on sailing and watch duty, after we¡¯d figured out that we could man the ship with just two people if need be. I hadn¡¯t voice this thought, but I suspect the ships were designed that way so that as many soldiers as possible could disembark and be part of the invading force. Groggily, I looked to my side, to find that Val had already risen for the day. ¡®It¡¯s morning already?¡¯ The orc shook her head. ¡®No. We being followed.¡¯ At this, I sat bolt upright, and narrowly avoided hitting my head on the bunk above this one. So many bunks had been packed onto these fairly compact ships¡ªenough to carry an invading force as efficiently as possible for the two or three days it would take to reach the Dawnwoods. I followed Arzak up to the deck, where Lore and Corminar were standing looking at the horizon. I narrowed my eyes, trying to adjust to the low light of the pre-dawn morning. ¡®How long has it been following?¡¯ ¡®Long enough that we know it is following,¡¯ the barbarian replied. ¡®Goldmarch?¡¯ I asked. ¡®Was there another seaworthy ship at the dockyards? One we missed?¡¯ Lore shrugged. ¡®Can¡¯t tell at this distance. Will know once it catches us up, though.¡¯ ¡®And how long until that happens?¡¯ ¡®At this rate? Maybe a couple of hours?¡¯ I gulped. ¡®You given any thought about what happens when they do catch up? Back on land, I could portal us away. Here, though¡­ we¡¯d be trapped.¡¯ ¡®We know,¡¯ Arzak said glumly. I dwelled on this a moment. ¡®Anything we can do to go faster? Something with the sails?¡¯ ¡®I look like sailor to you?¡¯ the orc replied, arms crossed. ¡®And I checked, and there weren¡¯t any sailing guide books anywhere,¡¯ Lore added helpfully. I looked about. ¡®Where¡¯s Val? And Corminar? You asked them?¡¯ ¡®Val¡¯s up in the top bit,¡¯ Lore said, pointing up the main mast. ¡®I asked her already.¡¯ ¡®Crow nest,¡¯ Arzak corrected him. ¡®And¡­ Corminar? Dunno. Inside somewhere? Figure elves don¡¯t really sail much though, do they? Like their feet on solid ground.¡¯ I nodded. ¡®I¡¯ll go find him. See if he¡¯s got any thoughts. Otherwise¡­ prepare to fight, I guess?¡¯ I couldn¡¯t help but sound defeated already. Resisting the urge to sigh, I turned and walked down into the hold of the ship, walking amongst the rows of bunks. There was an eerie quality to this ship being so empty, there being so many spots where people should have been, but weren¡¯t. In fact, the only figure I found was Corminar, holed up on a bunk at the very front of the ship. ¡®You doing OK?¡¯ I asked the elf with glazed-over eyes. ¡®Lore says you don¡¯t like boats.¡¯ ¡®My people do not, as a rule, enjoy being on water. Much preferable is it to feel the roots beneath our feet.¡¯ ¡®Through shoes, you mean?¡¯ I asked. Corminar didn¡¯t respond, not at all in the mood for jokes right at this moment. ¡®There¡¯s another¡ª¡¯ I started, meaning to explain the situation, but at that second, the elf chose to speak. ¡®In the most wild of my dreams, I did not expect to return home in this manner. I never imagined it would be under these circumstances.¡¯ I nodded. ¡®Can¡¯t blame you. Not sure I¡¯ve ever read about an invasion of the Dawnwoods. Not something that¡¯s happened in the past few generations, is it?¡¯ ¡®It has never been invaded, Styk. Never before has anyone had the gall, the malice, the¡­ greed. And yet it is to happen in my lifetime. Chances are, I sail to watch my homeland fall.¡¯ ¡®Others have underestimated us too, though haven¡¯t they?¡¯ I retorted. ¡®And look where they¡¯ve ended up. We¡¯ve got to stay confident, Corminar. We¡¯ve got to remember that we are heroes. And heroes do not give up. Heroes always find a way to triumph. We will sail to the Dawnwoods, we¡¯ll save them, and we¡¯ll make you a legend of the elves. Maybe we¡¯ll even get that birthseed of yours planted, make a proper bow for you. How does that sound?¡¯ ¡®Impossible,¡¯ Corminar responded. ¡®So was killing the pyroknight. So was killing those other Players, before you met me, I imagine. We¡¯ve faced the impossible before, and yeah, we face it again now. But I expect to live to see the other side.¡¯ The ranger remained quiet, then shook his head. ¡®No.¡¯ ¡®No?¡¯ ¡®No, not this time. This time, the odds are truly stacked against us. We no longer face one single enemy, a situation wherein the enemy out-levels us, but we have a numerical advantage. In this scenario, the Goldmarch outnumbers us a hundred to one. These situations are not even comparable. You would be insane to treat them as such.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ve been called insane before.¡¯ ¡®Yes, I overhear you and Val flirting on occasion.¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s not¡ª¡¯ I shook my head; this wasn¡¯t a conversation there was any point having. ¡®Look, Corminar. You¡¯re the Hero of Iranir. That means something to your people. You can lead them to victory, if you¡¯d do it.¡¯ ¡®No,¡¯ the elf said again. ¡®That battle, in the Honey Wars¡­ that was a one-time stroke of inspiration. Nothing more. I will never be that leader again.¡¯ ¡®But Corminar, I¡¯ve seen you be that¡ª¡¯ Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Before I could finish that sentence, I noticed Lore lurking down the cabin. He¡¯d been peculiarly quiet, considering his large body type, as though he¡¯d been approaching slowly, softly, delaying the moment until he¡¯d have to deliver whatever news he¡¯d come with. ¡®Styk,¡¯ he said. When I realised how pale his face was, my stomach churned. ¡®Yeah? What is it? What¡¯s wrong?¡¯ ¡®We were wrong,¡¯ the barbarian explained. ¡®About the ship.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s not following us? That¡¯s good news, isn¡¯t¡ª¡¯ ¡®No. We were wrong; it¡¯s not one ship.¡¯ I began to feel sick, and it wasn¡¯t just being at sea. At my side, Corminar didn¡¯t respond to this news, his eyes fixed on the floor, still glazed over. ¡®...How many?¡¯ ¡®Six. At least.¡¯ ¡®Then it is over,¡¯ Corminar said, finally piping up. ¡®It is over before it even began. Our quest is futile. Hopeless. Who did we think we were, that we might sway the outcome of a war?¡¯ He paused for a moment, then looked pointedly at me. ¡®Did we truly think we were heroes?¡¯ ¡®I did,¡¯ I answered honestly. ¡®I still do.¡¯ Lore nodded. ¡®Me too. But I think¡­¡¯ He paused, licking his lips. ¡®I think it¡¯s just us two, though, Styk.¡¯ After a moment, the ranger rose from his bunk. ¡®We should adjourn to the deck,¡¯ he said. ¡®Perhaps there is more that can be done to increase our speed.¡¯ Lore and I nodded our agreement, and followed him up to the deck, but I think we all knew in our heart of hearts that there was nothing we could do, that our capture was inevitable. * * * Our capture was inevitable. By this point, it was clear. We¡¯d done all we could¡ªall we¡¯d known to do¡ªwith the sails, but the truth was obvious: these ships were faster, and were always going to be faster. This left us with only one question, then. If they were faster than the ship we were on, then they weren¡¯t other Goldmarch ships. So who in Alterra were they? Corminar, the member of the Slayers with the best eyesight¡ªthis being a natural ability of the elven race¡ªkept his gaze fixed on the nearest of the ships. I watched as he narrowed his eyes, trying to bring the ship into focus. ¡®You see it yet?¡¯ Lore asked. ¡®Please, Lore, will you stop asking?¡¯ Val answered on the elf¡¯s behalf. ¡®He¡¯ll tell you when he sees it.¡¯ ¡®OK, but it looks closer. I think. Surely he¡ª¡¯ ¡®Enough, Lore.¡¯ ¡®I just wanna know how quickly we¡¯re gonna die.¡¯ I moved to nudge Lore to follow me, to draw him away from the rest of the team. We already knew the plan, for when we were caught. Or, at least, we knew enough of it; we¡¯d fine-tune the details once we knew what we were up against. None of us had any faith in the plan¡ªthat much was clear¡ªbut we¡¯d at least go down fighting. I¡¯d have felt a lot better about our odds if I could see land on the horizon. But instead, all I could see was a thin layer of fog over the gentle Iron Sea, the brightest of the Architects¡¯ stars shining up above. ¡®Come on, Lore. Let¡¯s talk a walk.¡¯ Lore nodded, and we moved away, just as Corminar murmured something. ¡®What was that?¡¯ the barbarian asked, eyes wide, suddenly very interested once more. ¡®I know who it is,¡¯ the ranger said. ¡®And just how screwed are we?¡¯ Val asked. The elf kept his gaze on the nearest ship. ¡®This remains to be seen.¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t¡­¡¯ Val said, shaking her head. ¡®You will see before long.¡¯ ¡®Should we prepare to fight?¡¯ ¡®No,¡¯ the elf said with a sigh. ¡®I think our greatest chance of survival comes from not fighting, just this once. Drop the anchor.¡¯ ¡®You sure?¡¯ Corminar nodded. After the ship had come to a halt, I and the other four members of the team stood in silence, watching out across the sea, as the closest ship approached. One by one, we all realised who was chasing us, and once it was my turn, I wasn¡¯t sure how to feel. All I could do was trust that we could handle it. Though, knowing them, the danger was very real, and very likely. Finally, the ship approached, slowing down as it came closer, before coming to a stop about as close to our vessel as any ship could come; it was sailed by some expert sailors. Almost to a person, these elven sailors had a bow in hand, and a full quiver over one shoulder. And amongst these elves was a familiar face. A face from weeks long past, from a moment in time that had set us on an adventure once more. The man to whom Corminar owed his debt. ¡®You think you can deceive the Red Thorn?¡¯ Elandor¡¯s voice boomed. ¡®We didn¡¯t deceive, we just¡ª¡¯ Val started, but a raised index finger from the elf cause her to snap her mouth shut. ¡®I see no depth raider aboard, sorcerer.¡¯ ¡®Oh, that¡¯s my fault,¡¯ Lore said. ¡®I¡ª¡¯ ¡®The time for explanations is over. No, now it is time that the Red Thorn collect its debt, one way or another. The world will not here that the Thorn relinquish their dues so easily.¡¯ He signalled to the legion of elven rangers on the nearby ship, and in an instant, all four dozen or so raised their bows, aiming them at the members of the Slayers. ¡®Your time is up. Payment is overdue.¡¯
"Styk" Level 16 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 44 Intelligence ¡ª 154 Dexterity ¡ª 101 Strength ¡ª 73 Wisdom ¡ª 57 Charisma ¡ª 33
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 43 Knifework ¡ª Level 36 Stealth ¡ª Level 19 Needlework ¡ª Level 12 Identification ¡ª Level 11
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Stealth Attack II ¡ª Passive. 80% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
131. Exiles End ¡®Payment is overdue.¡¯ I and the other four members of the Slayers stared him down, waiting for Corminar¡ªthe most familiar to the Red Thorn¡ªto speak. ¡®There are more important matters to contend with,¡¯ my ranger friend finally said. Elandor¡¯s glare did not soften for a moment. ¡®I assure you, nothing is more important to me¡ªas the head of the Red Thorn in the Tundran region¡ªthan the respect that our organisation commands. By failing to deliver on your debt, you call our various attributes into question.¡¯ Corminar considered the man before him, and all the rangers on the nearest ship. ¡®Then you do not know.¡¯ ¡®You would be a fool to assume so. I know who sails across this very sea, and I know of their destination. I know that Empress Amira seeks to add the Dawnwoods to her empire.¡¯ It was so rare that I saw Corminar truly lost for words, but this was one of those moments. ¡®And yet you consider a debt more important?¡¯ ¡®I consider our image more important. If the Hero of Iranir thinks he may default on our debt, then who else might follow suit? It is easier to dam the stream than protect against the flood.¡¯ ¡®But surely you understand why payment may be delayed? Why our hands have been forced? Why our attention has been diverted elsewhere?¡¯ Elandor shook his head. ¡®We cannot accept excuses. Even¡ª¡¯ ¡®Even the fall of our shared homelands?¡¯ Corminar interrupted. ¡®They are our homelands no more,¡¯ Elandor replied, then turned to look at the nearest squadron of his employees, bows still nocked and ready to fire. ¡®Look upon your fellow elves. We have been without the trees for long enough, now, that our fellow exiles have started families in these human realms. There are elves growing up today who will never think of the Dawnwoods as home, only the Gentle Tundras. And, too, their parents begin to think of the Tundras as home. We speak of debt¡ªwhat debt do we owe the Dawnwoods, the land to which we can never return?¡¯ Enough of this. ¡®You don¡¯t owe them anything,¡¯ I shouted. ¡®You do it because it is right. Because it¡¯s what you should do.¡¯ Elandor smirked. ¡®You think we base such decisions on notions of ¡°right¡± versus ¡°wrong¡±? You know what we are, do you not?¡¯ ¡®Criminals,¡¯ I replied. ¡®But you don¡¯t have to be. You can be heroes instead.¡¯ The head of the Red Thorn in the Tundran region no longer made any attempt to stem his laughter. ¡®As though it were so simple.¡¯ ¡®Why isn¡¯t it? I did it! And if I can, surely the great Elandor can too?¡¯ The elf¡¯s smirk faded; I¡¯d backed him into a corner here. Elandor glared back at me, eyes seeming to pierce into my very soul. ¡®As I say¡­ it is not so simple.¡¯ ¡®Yes it bloody well¡ª¡¯ I started, but was cut off by Corminar gently grabbing my elbow, pulling me back. The once Hero of Iranir stepped forward once more. ¡®I understand if you have no notions of heroism; that is a stance that I, too, share. Or, rather¡¯ ¡ª Corminar glanced to me ¡ª ¡®shared. I do not quite know where I stand, today. But perhaps I can provide a different motivation.¡¯ ¡®A motivation to allow you leave to pay your debt?¡¯ Elandor asked. ¡®No,¡¯ Corminar clarified, ¡®a motivation to sail to war.¡¯ The two vessels went eerily quiet at this, and all I could hear was Val¡¯s breathing, next to me, and the waves lapping up against the hull of the ship. ¡®This would be quite the ask,¡¯ Elandor finally replied. ¡®You sail seeking payment?¡¯ Corminar asked. ¡®You wish for me to pay my debt? I can pay your debt a hundred times over, should you allow me to do so.¡¯ ¡®Tell me.¡¯ ¡®As payment, I will grant you all permission to return to the Dawnwoods.¡¯ Corminar shouted loud enough for all Thorn employees on the other ship to hear, loud and clear. ¡®All of you. This is worth far more to you than any depth raider, than any mala. I know this for certain.¡¯ Elandor paused, considering. He might not have necessarily found this offer particularly appealing, but he had the other elves of the Red Thorn to think about. If his employees heard him turn down such an offer, then his leadership would be more in question than a single unpaid debt could ever cause. Corminar had played his hand well. ¡®How can you make such assurances?¡¯ the leader of the Tundran Thorn finally asked. ¡®You said it earlier: I was¡ªam¡ªthe Hero of Iranir. If I save the Dawnwoods again, the Red Thorn sailing at my side, the council will have no choice but to listen to me. You will regain your homeland. You will plant your birthseeds, and you will see them grown. A generation of exile will be over. This is my payment; do you accept these terms?¡¯ Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Even considering how neutral and stoic this elf¡¯s face typically was, I could see that he was considering this from every side. What happened if he turned this down? With so many Thorn members having overheard this offer, there was no way he could avoid this information spreading. And if this news spread, then surely one member of his organisation would take offence. At least one. And that surely wouldn¡¯t end well for him. ¡®You give me your word?¡¯ Elandor finally asked. ¡®You have your exile ended, or you have my life,¡¯ Corminar replied. Elandor nodded, and the rangers lowered their bows. ¡®I will summon all those under my command. You will have your army; be sure to deliver to them all that you promise.¡¯ * * * Seven ships sailed southeast, with more on the way, sailing as fast as they could, summoned by means of magical signals¡ªa Worldbending magick that I hadn¡¯t yet unlocked. Elandor¡¯s expectation was that the other Red Thorn vessels would catch us up before we reached the Great Golden Canal Project, being that they were positioned further east and were faster than the slowest of our ships¡ªthe one that I and the rest of the Slayers had commandeered. Tensions had settled, and in this temporary newfound state of ¡°not feeling like we¡¯re about to die¡±, I tracked down Val, to find her leaning against the railing at the bow of the ship. I placed a hand on her back as she approached, and she flinched, having been so lost in thought. ¡®How are you doing?¡¯ I asked. ¡®We ride for a war we¡¯re probably not gonna win, and I¡¯m about to face down the woman who ruined my life.¡¯ It was a pretty eloquent response. ¡®You¡¯ve faced her once already,¡¯ I pointed out. ¡®That was different; this time, we¡¯re going to kill her.¡¯ I raised my eyebrows. ¡®Fair enough.¡¯ I joined Val in leaning on the railing, staring into the misty distance. There was nothing to see, not really¡ªjust the grey sky and the sea disappearing into the horizon. Yet at the same time it was captivating. Something about it made me calm, allowed me to block out all thoughts of the terror we were about to encounter. I closed my eyes, focusing on the sea air washing over me, and Val pressing herself into my side for feelings of comfort. Of safety. ¡®I want to kill her,¡¯ Val said, out of the blue. ¡®Niamh?¡¯ ¡®Who else? I want to kill her. I want to be the one to do it, to see the life fade from her eyes. I¡¯m owed that.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯ve been spending too much time around the elves, I reckon. All that talk of who owes who what.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m not joking, Styk. It needs to be me.¡¯ I fiddled with the Sisyphus Artifact, forever on a chain around my neck¡ªthe artifact that had saved my life twice, and was powered by the deaths of the Players. ¡®What about¡­¡¯ I pulled the octahedron out of my shirt, gesturing to it. ¡®There¡¯s some things in life that are more important than progression. This is one of them. I know you want the experience buff, but¡­¡¯ She turned to look at me, those dark brown eyes staring into mine. ¡®I need this. After what she did to me, after everything that she took from me¡­ I need to be the one to take something of equal value from her. Her life would do it, I think.¡¯ I shook my head. ¡®What does it matter, as long as we win? As long as we eliminate her? A hero wouldn¡¯t¡ª¡¯ ¡®We¡¯re not heroes, Styk,¡¯ Val replied, her voice firm but her hands gently cradling my face. ¡®We never will be. I think it¡¯s time you faced up to that.¡¯ Before I could reply, she pressed her lips to mine, and we held each other for a time, the warmth of each other¡¯s bodies triumphing over the bitter sea air. And then we released one another, not another word said, and looked back at the misty Iron Sea. Together with our newfound comrades, we sailed southeast, for the Great Golden Canal Project. And war.
"Styk" Level 16 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 44 Intelligence ¡ª 154 Dexterity ¡ª 101 Strength ¡ª 73 Wisdom ¡ª 57 Charisma ¡ª 33
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 43 Knifework ¡ª Level 36 Stealth ¡ª Level 19 Needlework ¡ª Level 12 Identification ¡ª Level 11
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Stealth Attack II ¡ª Passive. 80% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
132. Interlude — Relaar, Captain Of The Rooted Guard Distant footsteps echoed down the grand hallways of the Evergreen Palace, with their arching roofs and their large, open windows that allowed in not just the plentiful light of the sun, but the noises and aromas of all that the Dawnwood had to offer. As Captain Relaar of the Rooted Guard stood on the balcony of her great office in the western tower, she should, by all rights, have been at peace. For nothing was as peaceful as this, the view across the rooftops and trees of her home, the capital city of Sunalor, taken in with the accompaniment of elder tea, brewed from the finest of leaves. There was just one problem: by custom, nobody ran in the Evergreen Palace. Yet these echoing footsteps grew closer with every moment that passed. Captain Relaar retreated from the balcony to sit behind her desk, and she sipped the last of her cup of tea before the scout burst in the door. The young man had none of the grace and decorum that the world associated with the elves, and yet if he did not, there was surely good reason for it. But what news could he possibly bring that would cause him to act in such a way? And what news could he bring that the Captain of the Rooted Guard was the first port of call? This was a near-honorary position, overseeing the capital¡¯s guard force, whose main responsibilities were to offer a form of ceremony to the opening of new libraries, public baths, and the like. This organisation had not seen combat since the Honey Wars, and yet¡­ ¡®What news, soldier?¡¯ Relaar forced herself to ask. The scout opened his mouth, but at first, no sound emerged. And then he managed, only faintly, ¡®...Attack.¡¯ Relaar rose to her feet. ¡®The swarm?¡¯ she asked, memories of her battles with the witchcraft-imbued bees flooding her mind as it had so many nights over the past few years. Yet the scout shook his head. ¡®Goldmarch,¡¯ he breathed. ¡®Goldmarch? Queen Amira thinks to march upon the Dawnwood? Where do your spies report such activity? I cannot imagine our neighbours in the Sundorn would allow such¡ª¡¯ ¡®They do not march, captain, they sail. They sail through the Great Golden Canal as we speak.¡¯ Relaar felt her world flip on its head in that moment. She, of course, knew of the canal project¡ªit had been labelled a beacon of cooperation between these two powerful nations. Her involvement in this project, however, had been minimal; no use was there for soldiers, even ceremonial, in matters of democracy. And yet even should she have been involved, could she have seen this coming? The Goldmarch had for decades had no navy to speak of, their sea borders split in four, and therefore it being of much more significant military advantage to build instead a land army. Where could a Golden fleet have emerged from? ¡®How many?¡¯ she asked. ¡®Our scouts report thirty ships, somewhere between sixty and one hundred soldiers aboard each vessel. They should arrive by sunfall.¡¯ Relaar resisted the instinct to sink back into her chair; it would not do to show weakness, for that could ripple through the ranks like wildfire, and impact the result of this apparent inevitable war. Instead, she nodded, and forced herself into action. ¡®Listen to me carefully,¡¯ she said. ¡®Find Lieutenant Seralin, tell him he is needed in my office at once, and tell him all that you have told me. Once you have done so, leave him and seek the Master of Alteration. Tell him nothing except to retrieve soldiers all across the Dawnwood as efficiently as possible. Once he has relayed these orders, he is to report to my office. The Master of Alteration is under Seralin¡¯s command, but he will have to excuse this singular misinterpretation of protocol. Understand?¡¯ Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. ¡®Find Lieutenant Ser¡ª¡¯ the scout began to repeat. ¡®Yes or no, private?¡¯ ¡®Yes,¡¯ the scout said with a nod, and Relaar gestured for him to carry out his duty. Lieutenant Seralin appeared momentarily, his face paling for the first time that Relaar had seen in five years of working together. ¡®Attack? From the sea?¡¯ Relaar ignored the question. ¡®I have asked the Master of Alteration to summon the national guard,¡¯ she informed him, not apologising for not looping Seralin in, considering the circumstances. ¡®How many soldiers will he retrieve by sunfall?¡¯ ¡®I do not know, I¡­¡¯ ¡®How many?¡¯ Relaar repeated, more forcefully this time. Even Worldbending magicks only go so far, captain. There are mana reserves to think of, and efficiencies of groupings to consider. I¡ª¡¯ ¡®How many?¡¯ ¡®Perhaps one thousand.¡¯ ¡®Then we are outnumbered three to one,¡¯ Relaar said, this time sinking into her chair; she could trust Seralin to maintain morale. ¡®And we must assume that the enemy has a plan. Seralin, command all alchemists in the city to create explosive potions, and every worldbender¡ªsoldier or otherwise¡ªto relocate these potions into the sea.¡¯ ¡®Mines, captain?¡¯ Relaar nodded. ¡®As best we arrange. Though we should not count on this strategy; any good general will have anticipated this, and will have ensured the proper countermeasures. From our reports of disturbances in the Iron Sea, I am forced to assume that this means enchanted hulls¡ªmagicks that have the secondary impact of driving the natural away.¡¯ Lieutenant Seralin returned the nod, and moved to leave the office. ¡®Those are not the extent of your orders, lieutenant.¡¯ Seralin paused at the threshold to the office, turning back to face Relaar. ¡®Provide all summoned troops with the best bows and lances in our arsenal. Position them atop the harbour walls; this is our more opportune defensive position. Should the harbour walls fall, there should be a standing order to retreat to the inner walls.¡¯ ¡®What of those in the outer city? Should we evacuate?¡¯ ¡®No,¡¯ Relaar replied. ¡®Arm them.¡¯ ¡®But captain, they are not soldiers. So few of them have combat skills at all.¡¯ ¡®Only those who volunteer,¡¯ Relaar said. ¡®But we must arm as many as possible if we are to fend off the invaders.¡¯ Before the lieutenant could confess further. ¡®And send word to the council. Invasion is under our domain, but they must be informed. Perhaps there is work that can be done to maintain morale¡ªput this idea to them.¡¯ Seralin nodded. ¡®I will.¡¯ Once more, he turned towards the door, to carry out the orders as Relaar had given them. ¡®There is¡­ one more thing. I ask that you keep this as quiet as possible.¡¯ Seralin, hearing the tone of Relaar¡¯s voice, pressed the door closed. ¡®Yes?¡¯ ¡®Pick out the tallest tree at each side of the harbour. Evacuate its residents. Arrange potions of rot at their base. As a last resort, we fell them, and we set them aflame.¡¯ ¡®We¡­¡¯ Seralin started, his eyebrows raised. ¡®The fire would¡­¡¯ ¡®The inner wall¡¯s enchantments will stop it.¡¯ ¡®But those outside, their homes¡­ They would be lost.¡¯ ¡®If it comes to the felling of the trees, then those homes are already lost. Seralin, we must do as the Hero of Iranir once did. Should it come to this, we must commit treason to protect our home. Are you ready to pay the price of exile?¡¯ The lieutenant nodded. ¡®I¡­ will arrange it as you say. Let us pray to the Architects that it is not needed.¡¯ 133. The Great Golden Canal Project Part XIII: The Battle For Sunalor Two Goldmarch ships were anchored at the canal. For what it¡¯s worth, the Great Golden Canal Project was something to behold. I¡¯d never been to this stretch of coastline on the southeast of the Iron Sea before, but I imagined it once looked like every other near-deserted bit of coastline in this part of the world, so close to the Badlands. But now there were two walls of shining white rock, imported from some faraway land, that seemed to part the land itself. Between these two massive walls was a giant metal gate, ornately designed. I supposed that this project was supposed to look like a diplomatic effort, and so no expense could be spared on such important things as aesthetics. And there, before this great metal gate, were two imperial warships, like those we¡¯d commandeered and were at this very moment sailing aboard. ¡®Wish my portals were bigger,¡¯ I mumbled. ¡®What, you wanna stuff those ship in a pocket world?¡¯ Val asked, standing at my side at the prow of the ship. ¡®That or just portal our fleet past them. That¡¯d be handy, wouldn¡¯t it?¡¯ Val looked around at the six other ships, eyebrows raised. ¡®Handy, sure. A little overpowered to be possible, though, don¡¯t you think?¡¯ I shrugged. ¡®With the artifact, who knows how strong I¡¯ll get?¡¯ I left out the part where I hadn¡¯t necessarily agreed to let Val kill Niamh¡ªI did want that experience boost, after all. ¡®Besides, what about the rest of the Thorn ships that are coming? Best we fight and clear the path.¡¯ I sighed; I knew there was a lot of fighting in my near-future, and I hadn¡¯t anticipated it starting here and now. ¡®Guess so.¡¯ Val turned to Elandor, still aboard our ship¡ªand not letting Corminar out of his sight for a second¡ªand nodding him over. He joined us at the front of the ship, along with the rest of the Slayers. ¡®Any thoughts?¡¯ ¡®Two ships?¡¯ Elandor asked, eyebrow raised. ¡®This is hardly enough to be concerned. We shall surely triumph.¡¯ ¡®Well, yeah, but any thoughts on how we do it without losing anyone?¡¯ the witch asked. Corminar opened his mouth to back Val up. ¡®We will require every last soldier if we are to turn the tide of war.¡¯ Elandor remained quiet, his eyes fixed on the enemy ships that we were rapidly approaching. As I followed his gaze, a thought occurred to me. ¡®I do have¡­ one idea,¡¯ I said. * * * The Red Thorn ships furled their sails, slowing down their pace, while our ship¡ªonce again hosting only the Slayers, Elandor this time allowing Corminar out of his sight¡ªapproached the enemy. With only five people aboard, there was reduced chances of significant losses. The flip side, however, was that there was an increase change of losing the five people still aboard¡ªwhich included me. So I had a pretty vested interest in my plan working out. ¡®You ready, bud?¡¯ Lore asked. ¡®Yeah, are they ¡°in sight¡± enough for you yet?¡¯ Val smirked, and from her expression I took that she was just teasing; she didn¡¯t really have any doubts. I studied the ships we were rapidly approaching, and nodded. ¡®Get ready to raise the sails.¡¯ Val and Lore hurried off to join Arzak and Corminar at the ropes, and I raised my hands. ¡®Do it!¡¯ I shouted, and immediately the team began to slow the ship, while I set about executing my plan. I stretched a hand towards the hull of the nearest enemy vessel, and I activated portal slice. ¡­Nothing happened. ¡®Is it working?¡¯ Val cried out. ¡®I don¡¯t see any holes in the hulls.¡¯ ¡®Yes, I know.¡¯ I tried again; maybe I¡¯d missed. ¡®Still nothing!¡¯ ¡®Thanks for the update.¡¯ I¡¯d failed to consider something, clearly. My portal slice ability only worked on objects that weren¡¯t reinforced by magic. But if the hulls were enchanted to withstand damage¡­ this ability wouldn¡¯t work. ¡®Stop raising the sails!¡¯ I shouted. ¡®If we not raise sails now, we move in attack range,¡¯ Arzak pointed out. ¡®That¡¯s the idea.¡¯ ¡®That not good idea,¡¯ the orc added. ¡®The hulls are reinforced. I can¡¯t slice them. But if we get within ten yards¡­¡¯ I let the rest of the team fill in the gap. Three of the Slayers nodded knowingly. ¡®If we get within ten yards, what?¡¯ Lore asked. I blinked at him. ¡®...Then I can open a portal beneath the deck. Pour the water in. Like we did with the pyroknight.¡¯ ¡®Oh, right. Yeah.¡¯ Once again, I regretted not upgrading Local Portal II when I had the chance. It would have been really nice not to need to be ten yards away, right about now. The team began to raise the sails when we were much, much closer, until the momentum threatened to cause us to crash. I shouldn¡¯t have been worried, though, because our ship stopped quickly¡ªbut these two enemy vessels wouldn¡¯t be very good guards if they didn¡¯t come to attack. And that¡¯s exactly what they did. ¡®Ready? Again?¡¯ ¡®Yes, Val.¡¯ The other members of the Slayers raised their weapons to attack, and I stretched a hand towards the bottom deck of the enemy ship. ¡®Got it!¡¯ I shouted, as I opened one portal in the ship and one in the Iron Sea. None of the Goldmarch soldiers aboard noticed, because they were distracted by the other four members of the Slayers hopping onto their ship. With a great leap¡ªand really wishing that I could use my portals to get across¡ªI joined them. All we needed to do was distract them long enough that their ship was sunk, and at the rate that I knew water came through my portals¡­ that wasn¡¯t going to be very long. ¡®How dare you¡ª¡¯ the captain started, eyes bulging, before Corminar released an arrow that landed squarely in the middle of his forehead. And then twenty soldiers of the Goldmarch¡ªfortunately a small contingent¡ªwere upon us. Lore and Arzak stood at the forefront of our group, defending us against the worst of the attacks, while Val sent powerful gusts of wind blasting the encroaching soldiers backwards and Corminar loosed arrow after arrow, slowing or felling the enemies. I stood at the back with my knife, and concentrated on keeping the portal open; if I got hurt, I could lose my focus, and the portals would close. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. At the far side of the ship, I saw a man, paling, stagger up onto the deck, into the midst of a fight. ¡®Err¡­ boss?¡¯ said the soldier who¡¯d just come up. ¡®Boss dead,¡¯ an orcish soldier grunted back. ¡®OK, well¡­ we¡¯re sinking. Pretty fast.¡¯ I glanced back to our ship, but found that it had drifted away; we weren¡¯t getting back aboard without my portals, and I couldn¡¯t close the current ones until the job was done. But the other enemy ship was approaching, and that one, we might just be able to reach. ¡®Lore, Arzak!¡¯ I shouted. ¡®The mast!¡¯ I pointed to the approaching ship, and they nodded their understanding. The barbarian swung his Bane Sword hard into the side of the mast, chipping away at it with every strike, until he stepped back. Corminar and Val stepped up their attacks for just a moment to fend off the enemies while the largest two Slayers ran at the mast, hitting it with their shoulders. The remaining wood splintered, and the mast began to fall, towards the enemy ship, sail ropes snapping from the weight and flying towards enemy soldiers, who ducked to avoid them. All of the ropes snapped except for one¡ªwhich held the mast tantalisingly close to falling on the other ship. Corminar reacted first. He swung his bow upwards, pointing it towards the rope, and one arrow later, the mast fell¡ªsquarely onto the other enemy ship. ¡®Go!¡¯ I shouted, and we jumped onto the fallen mast, sprinting delicately across it to the other ship, where twenty more soldiers were waiting for us. Arzak, first onto the mast, leaped off with a roar, bringing her two swords down into the deck, sending splinters of wood into the soldiers around her. This helped clear a spot for the rest of us aboard this ship¡ªand not the sinking one¡ªbut this time around we didn¡¯t have the advantage of surprise. The enemy were organised, and their captain barked strict orders to the sailors, which they followed without question. This put their strongest fighters at the front, with the archers delivering arrows in waves, making it harder for us to block. ¡®Any time now, Styk!¡¯ Val cried out, voice a bit shaky. ¡®I haven¡¯t got portals yet! They¡¯re not¡ª¡¯ 15x Goldmarch sailors defeated! Worldbending ¡ª +2,800xp Worldbending increased to level 44! Base Points gained ¡ª +2 INT, +2 Free Points (INT/WIS/CHA) It was a disappointingly small amount of experience, considering how many enemies I¡¯d ¡°defeated¡±. But of course that was because I¡¯d thrown them into the water¡ªkilling them would have been worth a lot more. I still got another Worldbending level out of it, and in this moment¡ªwith another ship to sink¡ªI could be happy with that. ¡®OK, scratch that!¡¯ I shouted, and I shifted the portals from the first ship to the second. Based on how quickly the first ship had gone down¡ªand this one being built to the same specifications¡ªwe just needed to last around three minutes. That, surely, we could do. Arzak and Lore were forced backward by the encroaching enemies, unable to fend them all off at once. Between Corminar, Val and myself, I was the next most able to manage being hit¡ªwhat with my Warped Shield ability¡ªand so I could see exactly what needed to happen next. I stepped forward, towards my two larger friends, and kept part of my focus on the portal filling up the hold with water. ¡®Styk, what are you¡­¡¯ It was almost touching to hear the note of concern in Val¡¯s voice. ¡®Buying some time!¡¯ I stepped between Arzak and Lore, weapon raised, and I activated a newly acquired skill that I hadn¡¯t had the opportunity to use yet¡ªKnifestorm. Was this really why I was throwing myself into trouble? I didn¡¯t know, and there wasn¡¯t exactly time to give it much thought, all things considered. I threw myself towards the nearest two enemies as I activated the ability, spinning on the spot and lashing out at the soldiers, landing hit after hit after hit after¡ª Another, third, soldier caught my arm and stopped me turning, the other two writhing on the floor from their many wounds. ¡®Uh-oh. Lore?¡¯ The barbarian swung his blade into the soldier who had just grabbed me, leaving only an arm with its fingers wrapped around me. I shook it off and tried to ignore the rising nausea and the Knifework experience notification. ¡®How long?¡¯ Arzak asked, her voice strained with the energy of¡ªjust about¡ªfending off the attacks of three Goldmarch sailors at once. ¡®Should be nearly there!¡¯ I replied, retreating back to behind the meat shield that was Lore. Not that he was only that, obviously. ¡®And yet not a one of them seems to have noticed?¡¯ Corminar said. ¡®True,¡¯ the orc replied, then turned back to the soldiers she was fighting off. ¡®You should look down in ship.¡¯ Only one of the soldiers hesitated. ¡®...Why?¡¯ ¡®New cargo. Very wet.¡¯ ¡®Did you not notice how low we are in the water?¡¯ Val added. More soldiers hesitated at this, enough that Lore and Arzak were able to stop retreating and still be able to fend off the attack. Which was pretty handy considering we were running out of space to retreat to. ¡®Ship¡¯s pretty far¡­¡¯ Lore said. I could, of course, portal us back to it, but that would mean close the current pair of portals, and the ship wasn¡¯t quite sunk. But we couldn¡¯t hold out much longer¡­ ¡®Styk?¡¯ Lore asked. ¡®You got anything?¡¯ ¡®Yeah,¡¯ I replied. ¡®Catch me.¡¯ At that, I closed the current portals and opened a new one beneath Val and Corminar¡¯s feet, sending them tumbling back to the deck of our ship. Then I turned to do the same to Arzak and Lore and myself. ¡®Bye!¡¯ I said, with a wave, to the Goldmarch soldiers, before leaving them on their mostly sunk ship. They weren¡¯t going to go anywhere fast, of course, but there were enough rangers on board to potentially hurt anyone who came close¡ªincluding us, right in that moment. It was far better to sink the ship entirely. I opened a portal in the air above the top deck, that being the best I could do without being within ten yards of the lower decks, and I positioned the portals to blast down the open stairwell. Even as the many soldiers rushed to collect buckets and bail the water from their ship, it was too late. 23x Goldmarch sailors defeated! Worldbending ¡ª +4,500xp Worldbending increased to level 45! Base Points gained ¡ª +2 INT, +2 Free Points (INT/WIS/CHA) Ability selection unlocked Select an ability from the list below: ¡­ Now, we were talking.
"Styk" Level 16 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 44 Intelligence ¡ª 158 Dexterity ¡ª 101 Strength ¡ª 73 Wisdom ¡ª 57 Charisma ¡ª 33
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 45 Knifework ¡ª Level 36 Stealth ¡ª Level 19 Needlework ¡ª Level 12 Identification ¡ª Level 11
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Stealth Attack II ¡ª Passive. 80% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
134. Last Orders We put the Great Golden Canal Project behind us¡ªafter some fumbling with a new technology called locks, which split the sea level¡ªand set sail across the wholly new horizons of The Sea Of Roots. So far away from land, there was nothing to differentiate the old elven sea from the sea I¡¯d stared out across for so many years of my youth, but still something had changed about the feel of the water. Though, maybe that was because we were now so close to battle. Other Red Thorn ships had joined us, as Elandor had promised, and we now numbered twelve¡ªthough some of the vessels carried more soldiers than the others. I could only hope that we were enough to make a difference to the outcome of this war, but when I¡¯d asked Corminar for his thoughts on the matter, he hadn¡¯t committed either way. This didn¡¯t give me much hope. But I couldn¡¯t control that. In fact, the only thing I could control as we sailed¡ªthe only thing that might have made the slightest difference to the battle ahead¡ªwas my ability selection. I brought up the notifications once more, but kept one eye on the horizon for signs of trouble. Ability selection unlocked Select an ability from the list below: Hidden condition met! Alternative ability choice unlocked. Option 1: Ripple Husk (Worldbending) [Requires: Any ¡®Husk¡¯ Worldbending ability] ¡ª Replaces ¡®Ash Husk¡¯. Dynamically warp the fabric of your skin into materials best able to repel oncoming attacks for ten minutes. Gain 30% resistance to all attacks while active. It was a strong start. A very strong start, in fact, though it being a hidden alternative choice usually had a lot to do with that. If I picked this, I would lose my Ash Husk ability, yes, but I barely used it anyway. And this? This was a lot more useful, being that it seemed to work against all types of attacks. The only downside was that it offered 30% resistance to these attacks, whereas my original Ash Husk offered 50%¡ªif only against fire attacks, admittedly. This basically worked as an extra 30% health, as far as I could see. I needed that. But did I need it more than the other options, considering I had Warped Shield doing a similar-ish thing already? Admittedly, that currently only worked against low-level melee weapons. I put a bin in this choice and turned to the other options. Hidden condition met! Alternative ability choice unlocked. Option 2: Silence III (Worldbending) [Requires: Stealth level 15] ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Here it was: an improved version to the ability I¡¯d regretted passing over many times before. I¡¯d told myself that next time this came up, I¡¯d select it, because it was so useful when combined with my Stealth abilities. And yet, again, it was up against some very serious competition already. I cast my eyes over the description again, to look for what had changed. It had been a 20 yard radius for the rank II version, if I remembered correctly. But what had changed was the mana cost. If I selected this, I wouldn¡¯t need to use mana to maintain the silent bubble, only to cast it, which was a very compelling new addition. Of course, there was still a restriction in that I could only have one bubble active at once¡ªI couldn¡¯t just travel the world slowly eliminating any sound, as much as the idea amused me. ¡®What are you grinning about?¡¯ Val asked, raising an eyebrow at me. ¡®Nothing!¡¯ I said. ¡®Better be.¡¯ She turned her attention back to the horizon. With two very compelling options presented to me already¡ªand whatever of those I didn¡¯t pick this time, I was definitely going to give real thought to when they came back around¡ªI focused on the third and last ability. Hidden condition met! Alternative ability choice unlocked. Option 3: Ultra Tamed Portals (Worldbending) [Requires: ¡®Tamed Portals¡¯] ¡ª Replaces ¡®Tamed Portals¡¯. Focusing large volumes of mana allows you to reduce portal glow by 99%, for near-invisible portals at the cost of significant mana/second. It was yet another hidden option¡ªmy build was apparently so effective that the stronger alternative ability choices had replaced every single standard option. I was clearly doing something right. This one was an interesting one, as it replaced a passive ability with an active one. This wasn¡¯t necessarily an issue¡ªit just meant I¡¯d actually have to think about using it¡ªand for what it afforded me in nearly invisible portals, that might just be worth it. I thought about the applications: sneaking into places more easily, maybe creating portals in front of someone and stabbing them through it. But were these applications as good as those for the first two? The only problem with this great selection of abilities was that¡­ I could only choose one. I read through the three again, looking for which of the three I could eliminate first, before finally settling on removing Ripple Husk from the running. It was a good ability, don¡¯t get me wrong, it¡¯s just that it seemed to have fewer useful applications than the other two. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. And as for the other two¡­ There really was no obvious answer. I could reasonably pick either of these two and that not be an incorrect choice. But considering I needed to make this selection now and not, you know, in the midst of a war, I stared at them both a while longer, before, finally, I picked¡­ Ability unlocked ¡ª Silence III Silence III (Worldbending) ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. I closed my eyes and sat with this decision for a moment, searching for a deep-rooted feeling that I¡¯d chosen the wrong one. But none came. It really was a hard choice, and having this Silence ability meant that I could make more use out of my Stealth Attack and Execution abilities, both of which boosted damage as long as I was undetected. It was, I decided, as good a choice as any. * * * Corminar spotted the distant, hazy shoreline first. Of course it was him; he¡¯d been the one standing without moving at the prow of the ship, his eyes fixed on the horizon ahead of us. And he had the elven eyesight to see what Val, Arzak, Lore and I couldn¡¯t. At least, not at first. But soon it came into view: not the city, but the fleet of Goldmarch ships beginning their attack. Each of them bore those familiar golden sails, making no attempt to hide where they¡¯d come from. It didn¡¯t matter now, of course; the trap had snapped shut, and all the elves could do was defend their capital. Next, the trees came into sight through the mist. Of course, trees were the buildings, in a way¡ªevery house, tavern, palace was built into or around one of the trees this part of the world was famous for. I was taken aback; I knew logically that the Dawnwoods were tall, being so ancient, but I hadn¡¯t been prepared for quite how tall these trees were. Even the shortest of them would have towered over the Golden Palace in Tarenthe¡ªthe building which had given me vertigo just looking up at. I made a mental note not to look up when we got closer, as vertigo was the last thing I needed in the middle of a battle. And then I started to make out the lights in the buildings, twinkling in the low evening sun. Corminar hadn¡¯t spoken about Sunalor much, but from what little he¡¯d said, I¡¯d known it was a beautiful city, full of¡ª A huge explosion erupted in the bay, powerful enough to blow one of the Goldmarch ships to one side. The sound made ripples across the surface of the sea as it travelled, and I had to put one foot back to stable myself from the blast. There were mines in the water, but¡ªlooking at the ship that had sailed into it¡ªthey weren¡¯t powerful enough to blow holes in the enchanted hulls of the Goldmarch ships. At least, one wasn¡¯t powerful enough. Multiple might yet do some damage, if the elves had planted that many of them. Another explosion, then another, and another, immediately answered my question¡ªthe bay was filled with them. They might take down a Goldmarch ship or two yet. ¡®This poses a problem,¡¯ Elandor said, still occupying our commandeered ship. I turned to him. ¡®Your hulls aren¡¯t magically reinforced.¡¯ ¡®Indeed, they are not.¡¯ I turned back to the scene of the erupting battle, making out clouds of arrows raining down both upon Goldmarch ships and on the distant harbour walls. The war had well and truly started. ¡®Then I think¡ª¡¯ I started, but Corminar, his brow intensely furrowed, stepped forward. ¡®We head east,¡¯ he instructed. ¡®Around the minefield. We disembark on the eastern coast, and from there, we march to Sunalor¡¯s aid.¡¯ Elandor nodded and turned to the nearest Red Thorn ship, bellowing the orders and demanding they be passed along. Meanwhile, I saw Corminar grasp his bow so tightly that his fingers turned white. While the rest of the Slayers adjusted course, I stood by his side, my hand resting upon the pommel of my dagger. I watched as the land of the Dawnwoods grew closer, the sound of explosion and shouting and screaming growing louder, the deep sounds of the war drums echoing through my heart. As we neared the coastline, I caught glimpses of elves running from the city they called home, dragging crying children and crates of precious belongings, some abandoning the latter as they realised they would need to move faster to outrun the grasping hand of the new Golden Empire. I¡¯d seen fighting before. The Architects knew I¡¯d seen fighting. But I¡¯d never seen a battle like this. ¡®So it is, then,¡¯ the ranger said. ¡®The battle for Sunalor has begun.¡¯
"Styk" Level 16 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 44 Intelligence ¡ª 158 Dexterity ¡ª 101 Strength ¡ª 73 Wisdom ¡ª 57 Charisma ¡ª 33
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 45 Knifework ¡ª Level 36 Stealth ¡ª Level 19 Needlework ¡ª Level 12 Identification ¡ª Level 11
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Stealth Attack II ¡ª Passive. 80% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
135. On Elven Soil ¡®Pull!¡¯ Val shouted, and the rest of the Slayers pulled an oar. ¡®Pull! Pull!¡¯ With every stroke of the oar, our row boat grew further from our anchored ship and closer to the coastline. Around us, dozens¡ªperhaps as many as a hundred¡ªmore row boats, filled with members of the Red Thorn, did the same. Though I faced away from the shoreline, I could see the branches of the great elven trees towering overhead. If any of them fell, nobody underneath would survive¡ªthough Corminar had assured me that the trees of the Dawnwood never fall; the old magicks running through them were too strong. I had wanted to crash our ships into the coast¡ªpartially because it would have been more immediate, and partially because I liked the drama of it¡ªbut that idea had been quickly overruled. Corminar had reminded me that we had no certainty of victory, and with that came a need for an escape route. So we left the ships safely moored off the coast, and not on the beach with their hulls in splinters. ¡®And¡­¡¯ Val said, making a change from the ¡°Pull! Pull! Pull!¡± that had been echoing around my head for the past half hour. Before she could say any more, the rowboat knocked against the coast. We had landed. All of us hopped out into the shallows, the water splashing beneath our feet, as the nearest of the Red Thorn did the same. We turned our attention towards the city, through the suburbs had sprawled as far out as us, abandoned homes built out from the trees that towered high above us. There was no time to wait for our full contingent to land; we needed to start carving a path into the city. And between us and the outer city walls, soldiers in golden uniform were waiting, terrorising the citizens simply seeking to flee, robbing them of their valuables, slaughtering those who stood their ground. Up until now, I¡¯d thought that the new Empress Amira had been having her soldiers pose as bandits, but I¡¯d got that wrong. In fact, it was the other way round: these were bandits posing as soldiers. With that realisation, any semblance of merciful thoughts left me. ¡®On me,¡¯ Corminar said, his voice booming with a confidence that was abnormal even for him, as though he was making an effort to project such a thing. We followed him without complaint, even Elandor taking no issue with his order, trudging up the sand onto sturdier ground. With hands on our weapons, we stepped onto the cobblestone road leading into Sunalor, weaving through the fleeing locals. My eyes remained upon the closest of the empire¡¯s soldiers, and so too did those of my allies. ¡®Drop it!¡¯ a Goldmarch soldier said, trying to tear an ornate chest from the hands of a young elven man, her allies sneering on, taking great joy in their pillaging. ¡®I said¡ª¡¯ The enemy didn¡¯t get to finish that sentence, because in a flash, Corminar had drawn his bow and released an arrow which wedged itself firmly into the soldier¡¯s ear canal. ¡®And you say you want better bow?¡¯ Arzak asked, in the same moment that the lot of us charged into battle. But this was just the first skirmish of many. * * * ¡®Heal him!¡¯ I roared to Val, only two dozen feet away but also separated by the clash of ten Red Thorn elves against twice that in golden uniform. ¡®Heal him!¡¯ I grunted as I heaved Lore with all my might, trying to get him out of trouble, unable to drop him through a portal in case he fell onto one of the two swords that were currently sticking out of his abdomen. At least he¡¯d killed their owners already. A bloodied Val pushed through the clashing soldiers, ducking to avoid a swinging blade before twisting to grab their arm and shock them with her lightning magicks. ¡®Like prickled pie,¡¯ Lore mumbled hazily, and I only had the slightest clue what that meant because he¡¯d once before mentioned this delicacy from his home¡ªa pie baked with fruit skewers sticking through it. ¡®Stay with me, buddy¡­¡¯ We¡¯d been fighting for probably around two hours by this point, and even with Corminar¡¯s health, stamina and mana potions, all our reserves had taken a hit. We had lost a good few Red Thorn elves by this point, though¡ªif we thought about only our chances of success and not the loss in life¡ªwe at least had more joining us with every moment that passed. The path we¡¯d attempted to carve hadn¡¯t remained clear, what with more Goldmarch soldiers spilling out from ships nearer the capital, so the Thorn elves behind us had still had to battle their way through. Finally, Val arrived at our side, and immediately set about healing Lore. When she gave the nod, I pulled one of the swords from his stomach, and the witch tried to close the wounds fast enough that the loss in blood wasn¡¯t too great. But her eyes lingered on my arm, and the huge gash thereon. ¡®You¡¯re hurt,¡¯ she said. I shrugged it off; I really hadn¡¯t noticed the pain all that much in all the chaos. ¡®It¡¯s not as bad as it looks.¡¯ ¡®Still, though, I¡ª¡¯ ¡®Focus on Lore,¡¯ I replied, ¡®he¡¯s the ones looking like prickled pie.¡¯ Val raised an eyebrow. ¡®Like what?¡¯ I didn¡¯t have a chance to answer, because a Goldmarch soldier spotted that Val and Lore were vulnerable. I opened a portal beneath me and another over the charging soldier¡¯s head, coming down hard with my knife to wedge it in the top of their head. In the midst of the fight, my approach from the sky went unnoticed this time, and I was able to get the damage boost from my Stealth Attack and Execution abilities. Unlike the fights before this particular soldier, this enemy went down in one hit. When I returned to Val and Lore¡¯s side, ready to defend them against any more attacks, the witch handed me a health potion. ¡®No,¡¯ I said. ¡®You need that too. There aren¡¯t many.¡¯ ¡®Just take it, will you?¡¯ Val snapped. ¡®For me? So I don¡¯t have to worry?¡¯ Who would have thought that there would be acts of love at the centre of a battle? I took the potion and drank it, and the familiar warm yellow-white light of Healing magicks wrapped around my wound. Down on the ground, Lore was looking more with it. ¡®Did someone mention pie?¡¯ he asked. ¡®You did,¡¯ I reminded him. ¡®Oh. Damn,¡¯ he replied, like if there was pie available in this moment then he would take a moment in the middle of his battle for a quick snack. This look faded from his face when I yanked the other sword from him, on Val¡¯s say so. ¡®That hurts!¡¯ ¡®Yes,¡¯ Val agreed, and said nothing more. * * * Arzak shouldered the Goldmarch soldier through the portal, and they tumbled out of its other side¡ªfar in the sky above. They fell, spinning, until they clipped their arm on the top of the city wall, then impacted against the giant tree root protruding from the mud below. Again, I ignored the experience notification¡ªthere were going to be a few of these before we finally secured Sunalor, and there was no time to be reading them now. Stolen novel; please report. ¡®Open the damned gate, curse you!¡¯ Corminar bellowed to the elves in green and brown light armour at the top of the city wall. ¡®I am under strict instructions not to open this gate for¡ª¡¯ the young elven soldier replied, her voice shaky. This was not someone who had seen battle before; even I could tell that. ¡®Do you not see what we are? Do you see that we do not wear the uniform of the Goldmarch? Do you not see the shapes of our ears?¡¯ The soldier on the wall pointed to me. ¡®Yet that one is human.¡¯ Corminar blinked and then gestured to the group of perhaps four dozen members of the Red Thorn who had already amassed at our side¡ªwith more coming every moment. ¡®Perhaps focus on the majority rather than the¡ª¡¯ ¡®How can I be sure he is not a saboteur? Or one of the other two? Or the orc?¡¯ Elandor stepped forward from the crowd. ¡®You are too young to remember the Honey Wars, are you not?¡¯ The elf atop the gate hesitated before responding. ¡®I was but a child.¡¯ ¡®Do you have a superior near you? One who served during the Honey Wars? Retrieve them.¡¯ The elf blinked down at Elandor, weighing up the risk of doing as he said. But the bulk of the Goldmarch attack was on the coastal side of the city, and the walls were high and the gate strong. They could spare one other guard for this interaction, so she waved over an older looking elf with a furrowed brow. He glanced down at the crowd outside the gate, did a double-take when he spotted Corminar, and then his face paled. ¡®Open the gate,¡¯ the older elf said, quietly at first, then shouting. ¡®Open the gate!¡¯ She turned to the first guard. ¡®See that they are escorted directly to Captain Relaar.¡¯ ¡®But¡ª¡¯ ¡®You will follow orders immediately, without question, or you will be stripped of your rank. Understand?¡¯ The elf blinked, nodded, and then looked down at Corminar in awe, unable to comprehend who he is that he commanded such respect. * * * The city of Sunalor was both beautiful and desolate, and somehow also beautiful in its desolation. The buildings largely stood embedded into the trees, though not so much that the life of the plant was at risk¡ªonly cutting into the trees enough for support beams or the intricate artistic carvings that lined any bare bark. Not that I had much time to study it. We¡¯d been escorted through the empty city by the elf at the gate, Private Ollaria, who I had since learned was a member of the so-called Rooted Guard, the almost ceremonial military service that watched over Sunalor. Though, I suspected, they¡¯d been entirely ceremonial up until about twelve hours ago. Ollaria kept us travelling away from the walls, and this was why it had been so quiet¡ªthe locals had either fled or were armed with bows on the city walls, giving their lives to protect their home. We cut towards the harbour walls down a wide road which might have one boasted a vibrant market, but now only had wooden frames of stores now abandoned. Our group approached the harbour wall, and the private pointed out where Relaar was. ¡®She is a glamorous woman, and should be wearing¡ª¡¯ Corminar raised a hand to cut her off. ¡®We are old acquaintances; I will know her.¡¯ Ollaria nodded, then stepped aside for us to climb the steps to the top of the harbour wall. ¡®Allies inbound!¡¯ she shouted up, to avoid the rangers on the wall immediately turning around and firing at us. ¡®You know Relaar?¡¯ Elandor asked Corminar quietly. ¡®She was promoted to captain at the same time that they delivered to me my notice of informal exile.¡¯ The head of the Red Thorn nodded. ¡®Good, then she will know your intentions. I am afraid to say that she will know me as well.¡¯ ¡®I understand.¡¯ Corminar increased the speed of his climb, pushing to the front of the now hundred-plus-strong group of Thorn and Slayers, while Elandor dropped back. When we reached the top of the wall, we found the apparent captain flanked by two other highly decorated elves, one of whom gripped a wooden staff that glowed gently with the familiar purple light of Worldbending magicks. ¡®The Hero of Iranir,¡¯ Captain Relaar said with a nod, speaking clearly but quickly¡ªelsewhere along the harbour wall, the enemy was beginning to raise ladders formed of Tundran wood, and she would need to deal with this sooner rather than later. ¡®We learned of the attack. I bring reinforcements.¡¯ ¡®Yes, I see that,¡¯ Relaar replied, her eyes skimming to Elandor. ¡®Red Thorn, if I am not mistaken.¡¯ She turned to one of the men at her side¡ªthe one in ornate armour, rather than the elf with the staff. ¡®Lieutenant Seralin, just how many of these elves are exiled?¡¯ ¡®As the humans say, desperate times call for¡ª¡¯ Corminar didn¡¯t finish that sentence, because a spray of red blood washed over him. Captain Relaar blinked at Corminar, tilting her head to one side in confusion, unsure where the blood had come from. And then, slowly, she looked down, and she saw the giant bolt that had pierced her torso, protruding halfway out the other side. ¡®Oh,¡¯ she said, and then dropped to the hard stone of the harbour wall. The elf she¡¯d called Lieutenant Seralin rushed to her side, cradling her, but my attention shifted to the man who had fired this bolt. A Knight Of The Realm stood behind the dropped captain, holding a weapon mechanical in design, as though someone had taken a bow and rotated it on its side, using a gear mechanism to add more power to the fired bolt than any hand-drawn bow could achieve. And more soldiers in gold poured forth from the ladder resting against the wall next to him. ¡®Seralin!¡¯ the elf with the worldbending staff shouted. ¡®Seralin!¡¯ But the man was cradling the now dead captain, tears pouring down his face. ¡®Lieutenant!¡¯ Corminar shouted, and I rushed to the elf¡¯s side to shaking him back to reality. But nothing changed; he just blinked up at me with glazed-over eyes. ¡®Corminar,¡¯ Arzak said, and she met the ranger¡¯s gaze with such intensity that she communicate some pre-arranged elaborate message. It took me only a moment to realise what it was: the orc told him it was time to become the Hero of Iranir once more. And then, Lieutenant Cladenor took command.
"Styk" Level 16 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 44 Intelligence ¡ª 158 Dexterity ¡ª 101 Strength ¡ª 73 Wisdom ¡ª 57 Charisma ¡ª 33
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 45 Knifework ¡ª Level 36 Stealth ¡ª Level 19 Needlework ¡ª Level 12 Identification ¡ª Level 11
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Stealth Attack II ¡ª Passive. 80% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
136. The Outer Wall With every second that passed, dozens of Goldmarch soldiers spilled from the long wooden ladders over onto the top of the harbour walls. And that was to say nothing of the thousands more waiting to climb from down below. All that stood between this army and the elven capital of Sunalor falling to the Golden Empire was a few hundred elves, the Slayers, and Lieutenant Cladenor, Hero of Iranir. ¡®You two,¡¯ Corminar said, pointing to Arzak and me. ¡®Take down the ladders. Now.¡¯ ¡®Err, there¡¯s like a few dozen soldiers in the¡ª¡¯ I started to point out, but the ranger¡¯s glare stopped me. ¡®The remainder of our contingent will worry about the enemies.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t much of an answer, but I didn¡¯t exactly have any better ideas, and someone needed to take those ladders down before we were overwhelmed. I nodded to Arzak, and we charged across the wall for the nearest ladder. I opened a portal before us just as the soldiers were about to strike us, slipping us behind them and leaving them to follow through on their attacks¡ªbuying us approximately an extra second. I moved to Portal Slice through the ladder, but there was nothing doing; Niamh had thought to imbued this wood as well as the wood of the ships. She really had thought of everything. Well, hopefully not everything, or we were in real trouble. But pushing things was where Arzak excelled, and I figured that was probably why Corminar had paired up the two of us. The orc slammed her shoulders into the ladder, heaving it¡ªand all the soldiers on it¡ªaway from the wall, pushing, pushing, straining as she¡ª ¡®Help or just watch?¡¯ she asked. ¡®Right. Yep.¡¯ I ran into the ladder in much the same way as Arzak, shoulder-first, and bashed it. It reverberated in the air for a second, balancing, and just as I thought it was about to fall back towards us again, the orc ripped a stone brick from the top of the wall and threw it at the ladder. This was the push it needed, and both the ladder and the dozen or so soldiers in gold uniform upon it plummeted towards the ground. We spun back around just in time to see the soldiers swiping their swords at us once more, and the tip of ones of these blades caught my stomach, ripping my clothes and slicing my stomach open. Hopefully it wasn¡¯t as bad a wound as it¡­ My legs gave way beneath me, and Arzak wasn¡¯t around to catch me because she had soldiers to ward off. Behind her, Corminar and the rest of the elves pressed the attack on this group and the other enemies spilling out from the other ladders. They were holding their ramp down from the wall effectively for now, but how long would that last? I had a moment to breathe, fortunately, and I pulled the health potion from my pocket. Thank the Architects that Val insisted on giving it to me. I drank hungrily at the fluid, embracing the fizzing heat as it encompassed my stomach, closing the wound and reversing the darkening of my vision. ¡®Alive?¡¯ Arzak grunted. This question didn¡¯t seem to be short just due to her usual strange syntax; there wasn¡¯t the time to say much more. ¡®For now!¡¯ ¡®Then help.¡¯ I hopped back to my feet, dagger in hand, and charged into the midst of the enemy soldiers, activating Knifestorm before any of them could turn to attack. I didn¡¯t deal enough damage to fell any of them, but I distracted them enough that Arzak or an elven archer were able to see them off. I received more experience notifications as a result, but there wasn¡¯t time to read them. I may have helped take two or three soldiers down, but there were probably a thousand times that still to go. ¡®Next ladder!¡¯ I shouted, and ripped Arzak from the middle of a skirmish by opening a portal beneath her feet. To her credit, though, she went with it. We landed by the next ladder, this time amidst a small group of soldiers¡ªthose who had just reached the top of the wall and hadn¡¯t yet charged towards the elves defending the nearest ramp. I Knifestormed again, slashing at them, pushing a group to the floor, and then Arzak roared¡ªactivating some Warrior-class skill, probably¡ªand took on the lot of them with her dual swords. She moved faster than I¡¯d seen her move most times before, and I glimpse the pupils in her eyes having expanded to cover nearly the whole eye. One of the Goldmarch soldiers, a mage, threw a fireball at her¡ªwhy was it always a fireball?¡ªand she blocked it with her sword, absorbing it. From there, her blade wasn¡¯t just dealing its usual damage, it was dealing fire damage too. As soon as we got a moment, we turned our attention to the ladder, just as a man in more elaborate golden armour and a glowing purple band of magicks around one ear reached the top. ¡®Oh no you don¡¯t,¡¯ the senior soldier said, grabbing on to the wall and using his feet to reinforce the ladder¡¯s position. I began to push, but Arzak had other ideas, instead whipping her dual blades slashing inwards, and¡­ cleaving the soldier¡¯s hands clean off. ¡®Yes we do,¡¯ she said, and kicked the ladder. This time, there was no uncertainty about which way it would fall; it was another one down. As I looked along the wall to the next ladder, I spotted something. Down below, two enemy mages let forth the blue glow of Sorcery magicks in a combined stream, blasting at the top of the nearest ladder. My eyes bulged when I saw what they were doing; they were morphing the stone bricks of the city walls as though it was dough, forming from it large stone clamps to hold the ladder in place. They¡¯d changed up their strategy, and because they¡¯d used magicks to do it, I couldn¡¯t use Portal Slice to remove the clamps once more. ¡®Problem,¡¯ I said to Arzak, nodding towards the enemy¡¯s change in strategy. ¡®Mm.¡¯ ¡®What now?¡¯ ¡®Back to Corminar. He in charge today.¡¯ I could have portalled us back, but Corminar had provided me with only so many mana potions, and we could well have been in this for the long haul. Instead, we ran, weaving through the remaining stragglers as the enemy side pushed up their siege ladders once more, rejoining our friends at the ramp. Arzak swiftly dealt with the last enemies of this wave, catching them unaware as we¡¯d arrived at their rear. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡®I cannot help but notice that ladders remain at the wall,¡¯ Corminar said. ¡®Can¡¯t do anything about it,¡¯ I replied. ¡®They¡¯ve learned. Got magicks holding them in place.¡¯ ¡®Sir,¡¯ one of the elven soldiers said. ¡®Sir?¡¯ ¡®Yes?¡¯ Corminar replied. In his position, I would be snapping at someone trying to demand my attention, but the elf was keeping his cool. The soldier nodded to the east, towards where another group of elves were struggling against a group of enemies only half their number. Corminar turned back to me. ¡®Styk. Traverse me to their side; I shall remind them to hold formation.¡¯ ¡®If I may¡­¡¯ the elf with the staff¡ªwho had been standing at Relaar¡¯s side¡ªoffered. ¡®Many of our soldiers, there, they have no combat background.¡¯ At this, Corminar¡¯s calm expression finally faded. ¡®What in name of Gaia do you mean?¡¯ The other elf hesitated. ¡®We have little standing army. In order to defend against such an unprecedented invasion, we were forced to ask for volunteers.¡¯ ¡®Then what are they?¡¯ Val asked. ¡®Merchants. Farmers. Tradespeople. People that are willing to die for their home.¡¯ Corminar swallowed, glanced at the approaching swarm of soldiers¡ªthe siege ladders now back in place¡ªand turned back to me and Val. He pointed to the elf with the staff. ¡®This is Debayur, Sunalor¡¯s Master of Alteration. Work with him. See what you might yet do.¡¯ Corminar, Lore, Arzak and the rest of this group of elven soldiers pushed forward to defend us, and I turned my attention to the master of alteration. ¡®Alteration? Worldbending?¡¯ ¡®Correct,¡¯ Debayur replied. ¡®With two dozen more such specialists at my disposal. We were responsible for placing the explosives into the Sea of Roots, but alas that is where our usefulness has ended.¡¯ ¡®Can we close up the ramps somehow?¡¯ Val asked. ¡®Open some portals, or¡­?¡¯ I suggested. Debayur shook his head. ¡®I am afraid we have attempted this already. The enemy has Worldbenders; temporary portals are left alone, but any attempt to use them to stymie enemy progress attracts their attention. We would need¡­¡¯ He trailed off, but it was inspiration, not overwhelm, that burned in his eyes. ¡®What? Is there another way? What is it?¡¯ Val¡¯s eyes dashed over to the next ramp, where the enemy was about to break through. ¡®We might use voids, not portals,¡¯ Debayur said, his face paling. ¡®Voids?¡¯ I asked. ¡®What are¡ª¡¯ ¡®Dark magicks. Portals that have no end, that spill out only into the void. They cannot be closed by another, only fading as time passes.¡¯ ¡®Then what in the hells are we waiting for?¡¯ Val asked. ¡®Do it.¡¯ ¡®I have not the magicks. I¡ª¡¯ ¡®Then I¡¯ll help,¡¯ I cut in. ¡®Can I feed you my power?¡¯ Debayur shook his head. ¡®No. But there is one way.¡¯ From the fact that his voice croaked when he said this, I imagined I wasn¡¯t much going to like what this ¡°one way¡± was. But we were out of options, so I resisted the urge to ask. ¡®You must tell Corminar: order the retreat to the inner walls. If we time this correctly, then the voids might eat a few hundred soldiers before the enemy truly knows they are there.¡¯ I nodded; now wasn¡¯t the time to be questioning orders¡ªthe elven capital hung in the balance. Instead, I turned, and I portalled myself into the middle of the crowd of friendly soldiers, grateful that Corminar¡ªbeing a ranger¡ªwasn¡¯t at the front. ¡®Order retreat.¡¯ ¡®Styk, now is not the time for¡ª¡¯ ¡®It comes from Debayur. Trust him. It¡¯s the only way to buy ourselves some time.¡¯ Corminar hesitated, lowering his bow to look at me, and then nodded. He turned to one of the elven soldiers. ¡®Retreat,¡¯ he said. As the elf in question ran off to start ringing on a large metal bell¡ªone that was soon echoed down the wall, and then further still¡ªI ran back to Debayur¡¯s side. I nodded to the elf, and he nodded back in kind. ¡®Please,¡¯ he said. ¡®Win.¡¯ Before I could question why he was telling us this, Debayur whipped his hands out at his side and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, they were burning a vibrant purple. ¡®Oh,¡¯ Val said. ¡®Oh.¡¯ ¡®What? What¡¯s happening?¡¯ Val staggered backwards, away from Debayur, and nudged me back too. Master of Alteration¡¯s glowing eyes grew brighter, as though burning with a purple fire. He rose into the air, slowly at first, but then higher and higher and higher, until he was towering over most of Sunalor, if not quite the Dawnwood itself. And then, he exploded.
"Styk" Level 16 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 44 Intelligence ¡ª 158 Dexterity ¡ª 101 Strength ¡ª 73 Wisdom ¡ª 57 Charisma ¡ª 33
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 45 Knifework ¡ª Level 36 Stealth ¡ª Level 19 Needlework ¡ª Level 12 Identification ¡ª Level 11
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Stealth Attack II ¡ª Passive. 80% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
137. Voidstorm Debayur exploded with the light of a sun, raining down Worldbending magicks in arcs of fizzling purple fire. Each arc shot towards the top of the wall near the exit ramps, igniting into huge blazing portals. But though I was familiar with portals being purple, this one was filled with black. The sheer power of these voids being brought into existence made the ground shake, and the trees¡ªsending giant seeds plummeting towards the city. Goldmarch soldiers, charging after the retreating elves, were sucked into the voids¡ªalongside a small handful of friendly soldiers too. As far as I could see from here, at least a hundred soldiers of the empire fell into the darkness, and likely more still were eaten by the voids elsewhere along the wall. Debayur had been true to his word; we just needed to use the advantage he¡¯d given us. Lore grabbed Val and I by the arm as he ran past us. ¡®Didn¡¯t you hear? We¡¯re retreating to the inner wall!¡¯ ¡®Yes, we heard, Lore,¡¯ Val grumbled, running and shaking her arm free of the barbarian¡¯s grip. She whipped her arm free and accidentally slammed it into Elandor¡¯s side, who responded with a scowl but nothing else. I had no doubt that if we hadn¡¯t been in the middle of a battle, he would have berated her. On we charged, the Slayers, the Red Thorn, and the Sunalorian elven contingent, running along cobbled streets on the ground level of this towering city. Platforms and houses and whole places of business loomed over us, wedged into the trees in the outskirts of the city. Dirt dripped from their foundations as the many voids created an extreme quake that was rippling through Sunalor. ¡®Watch out!¡¯ someone up ahead roared, and I looked up to see one of the tree-embedded struts sliding out of its position, the quakes having shaken it loose. Nothing happened at first, and I carried running, charging along the path through the trees and under where the foundation looked ready to fall. Just as I passed under it, an almighty creak announced not just the wooden strutting beam falling, but the whole building it was supporting. Screams and shouts erupted from behind me, but I didn¡¯t look back, telling myself that I didn¡¯t have the time but really just not wanting to see. I glanced around quickly enough only to confirm that the Slayers were all still with me, and I kept going. Up ahead, between the wide trees, I saw the inner wall, and the majority of the city towering up behind it. If the outskirts fell to the enemy, many would lose their homes and places of business, but it was nothing compared to if this inner city fell. At the centre, low in this vertical city that stretched towards the treetops, between rope bridges that crossed between trees, I saw a beautiful and elaborate palace¡ªone that looked like it had been conjured from the roots themselves, rather than built by elven hands. I almost missed my step, admiring it, before reminding myself that my being here wasn¡¯t exactly an act of tourism. More buildings fell behind us as the quakes reached their highest intensity, the trees themselves creaking from the strain, before¡ªall of a sudden¡ªit¡­ stopped. I could only imagine that the voids, too, had faded away behind us, which meant that the enemy would be charging us once more. ¡®Corminar,¡¯ I shouted to the ranger running ahead. ¡®I know,¡¯ he called back. We piled into the city through one of three visible main gates in the inner city¡¯s wall, this bottleneck slowing our entry. Without speaking, the Slayers¡ªas well as much of the Red Thorn, including Elandor¡ªremained close to Corminar, who climbed atop the city wall to look down upon the field of battle. ¡®Corminar¡­¡¯ Val said. ¡®I am thinking,¡¯ he said, his eyes intense, looking from the roads of the outer city to the elves, bunched up upon the wall. So few of them looked like real soldiers, so few of them seeming ready for the next wave of attack. ¡®Corminar!¡¯ the witch insisted. ¡®What are we doing?¡¯ The elf gulped, shaking his head, and then stopped. ¡®Where is Debayur?¡¯ he asked me. I shrugged. ¡®Exploded.¡¯ ¡®Of course he did.¡¯ Corminar stared down the wall at the lines of soldiers so far from ready. ¡®I suppose there is another way¡­¡¯ He rooted through his pack, pulling out a herb for his alchemy. ¡®What¡¯re you thinking?¡¯ Corminar ignored Val, turning to the elves. ¡®Do any of you still carry your birthseeds? I am looking for the seed of a babel tree.¡¯ Nobody responded, but Elandor was glaring at one of the members of the Thorn. ¡®You will hand it over,¡¯ he told them. The elf in question approached. ¡®Will I get it back?¡¯ they asked as they handed it over to Corminar. The Hero of Iranir crushed the seed with a pestle. ¡®You will not.¡¯ I cast my attention over the wall, back towards the harbour. There was no sign of the enemy wave yet, but it was coming. I could hear it. ¡®Any time now,¡¯ Val muttered. Corminar held up an index finger to demand her patience. He merged the two ingredients into a vial, shaking it and shaking it, until it began to glow with the light of a completed potion¡ªthis one a dark yet vibrant blue. He drank the liquid without giving it a second thought, and didn¡¯t react to what was surely a disgusting flavour. When he spoke next, everyone nearby grabbed their ears. His voice boomed across the city, louder than¡­ well, pretty much anything I¡¯d heard before. At least we now knew what sort of potion that was. ¡®Citizens of Sunalor,¡¯ Corminar boomed, talking to all elves who still remained in the city. ¡®My name is Corminar Cladenor, though I know that I am most often known as the ¡°Hero of Iranir¡±. It is not a title I enjoy, but it is a title that has me standing before you, leading this defence. ¡®I know that many of you do not possess warrior classes, or mage classic, or ranger classes. But that does not mean that you are not soldiers. That you stand here, today, willing to give everything for the city that you love¡ªthat is true heart, and that is what makes you a soldier.¡¯ Between Corminar¡¯s words, I heard that the city was silent but for the sound of the charging invaders. He had a whole city¡¯s attention. They were listening. ¡®But there is more to be done, if we are to repel these Goldmarch invaders, and if we are to retain our home. Here, on this wall, we make our last stand. We hold this wall, or we die. Though I intend to do my best to ensure that the latter does not occur. ¡®I ask you now: form lines along the wall. Those with spears should stand at the front, and be ready to repel enemy siege ladders. Those with bows should stand behind, and should be prepared to fire upon my mark. We will rain a storm down upon the invaders.¡¯ This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. The first of the enemy soldiers charged into view, followed by hundreds more. Thousands more, really. To look upon the remaining elven force, I couldn¡¯t imagine how we could hope to win. But all we could do was try. ¡®Arrows,¡¯ Corminar ordered. The enemies grew closer, charging the walls, war cries erupting around the city. ¡®Draw,¡¯ the Hero of Iranir said. I noticed that the soldiers began to sprint towards the gates, not the walls in general; they were targeting the weakest points. They carried no siege ladders with them¡ªCorminar had got that wrong¡ªbut I supposed they were still clamped in place on the harbour wall. ¡®Corminar¡­¡¯ I began to point this out. The ranger nodded; he knew. ¡®Fire!¡¯ The elves released their first wave of arrows, and though so many fell short, dozens of enemy soldiers fell. ¡®Ready!¡¯ the Hero of Iranir demanded. ¡®Fire!¡¯ And again, more fell. But we were so severely outnumbered that even a dozen Goldmarch soldiers dying at a time would only get us so far. After three more waves, the enemy reached the gates, and Corminar gave the order to fire at will. While Goldmarch soldiers tore at the wooden gates, elves rained arrows down from above. I poked my head over the wall for just a moment to see how many enemies had fallen, but realised that wasn¡¯t important. What was important was the number left¡ªand how quickly they were disintegrating the wood with their axes and fire magicks. ¡®We need to reinforce it,¡¯ I told Corminar. ¡®It won¡¯t hold.¡¯ He responded by nodding, then giving his next order. ¡®Those of you who do not have a clear shot: reinforce the gates. Use anything you can. The stones of the ground level buildings, wooden beams¡ªanything that can add weight.¡¯ The elves followed his command, some continuing to kill while orders stacked rocks and bricks against the gate. Before long, there was a pile there that the enemy couldn¡¯t hope to get through. At least, not quickly. But then something exploded. This wasn¡¯t the explosion of advanced magick, like Debayur had given his last breath to summon; this was something far more basic. The wooden gate was torn apart by the blast, many of the stones and bricks behind it scattered with enough force to kill locals in one hit, and injuring others. I could only take some solace in the fact that we were atop the wall and out of the danger area. ¡®What in hells was¡ª¡¯ Arzak started, and then another blast on the top of the nearby wall cut her off. This explosion threw off a dozen elves, and blasted debris over the lot of us. My ears rang from the blast, and I blinked to keep my vision straight. ¡®Wards!¡¯ I shouted. ¡®We need wards!¡¯ ¡®Soldiers!¡¯ Corminar boomed. ¡®Those of you with sufficient magicks should begin to summon¡ª¡¯ Another explosion hit the wall, closer this time, knocking Corminar, Val and I from our feet. And at this point, Val realised what was going on. ¡®It¡¯s the mines!¡¯ she shouted. ¡®It¡¯s the elven mines¡ªthey¡¯re launching them back at us!¡¯ Arzak grunted as she helped Corminar and me to our feet. ¡®Hm. Hate Worldbenders.¡¯ She looked at me. ¡®Not you.¡¯ ¡®Wards!¡¯ Corminar shouted, getting straight to the point this time. ¡®Summon wards!¡¯ Dotted along the wall, the few elven mages began to follow his command, balls of glowing blue light encompassing some of the soldiers. But there weren¡¯t enough of them. We couldn¡¯t keep everyone protected. Another blast on the gate down below cleared the path for the enemy, a couple of dozen spilling in instantly, some of them with those same glowing purple rings around one ear. I seized the moment to portal slice twice, grateful that the elves had never needed to magically reinforce these walls, and I dropped the top of the gate arch down onto the soldiers. But it would only slow them for a minute. If these explosions kept coming, I couldn¡¯t comprehend how we could win this. It was a stroke of genius on the enemy¡¯s part, really, to use the elves¡¯ own tactics against them. I wasn¡¯t sure I would have thought of it, at least not in the midst of a battle. It took someone with¡ª I realised, then, what was going on. Niamh was their commander. She was the strategic genius behind all of this. We¡¯d assumed she would have been back on the ships, separated from the battle. And that was right, but we¡¯d made one fatal assumption there. She was still giving orders. Those glowing purple rings around her field commanders¡¯ ears? Those Worldbending magicks? She was using them to communicate. She was getting updates from the field of battle. She was updating her strategy in real time. At that moment, I had to resist the urge to drop to my knees. All felt lost. How could we hope to compete with that? But I gulped, steadying my nerve, and focussed on what needed to be done. ¡®I¡¯m sorry,¡¯ I told the Slayers. ¡®I¡¯m sorry, I need to go.¡¯ Val and Lore looked at me like I¡¯d lost my mind. Fair enough, really. ¡®What?¡¯ the witch demanded. ¡®What in the hells are you talking about?¡¯ ¡®There¡¯s only one way of winning this,¡¯ I told her. ¡®We need to go kill Niamh. We need to go now.¡¯
"Styk" Level 16 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 44 Intelligence ¡ª 158 Dexterity ¡ª 101 Strength ¡ª 73 Wisdom ¡ª 57 Charisma ¡ª 33
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 45 Knifework ¡ª Level 36 Stealth ¡ª Level 19 Needlework ¡ª Level 12 Identification ¡ª Level 11
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Stealth Attack II ¡ª Passive. 80% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
138. Turning Tides ¡®I¡¯m coming with you,¡¯ Val shouted over the clashes and screams of battle. ¡®If you¡¯re killing her, I¡¯m coming with you.¡¯ ¡®Me too,¡¯ Lore agreed. ¡®You¡¯ll need someone who can take damage. And¡­¡¯ He looked to Corminar. And then something surprising happened. Of all the people in the world, it was Elandor, head of the Red Thorn in the Gentle Tundras, who did something noble. He stepped forward. ¡®You will require a fourth if you are to commandeer a ship, and you will need a ranger. And Sunalor needs the Hero of Iranir here. I will go with you.¡¯ Val and I made a meaningful sort of eye contact¡ªDo we have any other choice?¡ªand then nodded. ¡®Corminar Cladenor?¡¯ Elandor said, looking into the ranger¡¯s eyes. I expected him to reiterate the terms of the deal, to remind him¡ªand the rest of the Slayers, by extension¡ªwhat he owed. But instead, he said only, ¡®Win.¡¯ Corminar responded with a nod, and then, as the four of us departed to take down the enemy general, he returned to giving orders. To saving his home city. Seralin, Relaar¡¯s lieutenant pushed passed us to speak with him. ¡®Cladenor,¡¯ I just about heard him saying as we began to weave our way along the wall. ¡®There is something else you should know¡­¡¯ The four of us¡ªincluding an honorary Slayer I¡¯d never expected to have on our side, in Elandor¡ªpushed through the elves desperately trying to defend their home, shifting away from the gate, where the enemy was concentrating their advance. The further along the inner wall we travelled, the more sparse the enemy legions grew, until we were halfway between one gate and the next. There were still plenty of soldiers in our way, but now that this side of the inner city was practically surrounded, it was our only option to get to Niamh before she could deal any more damage. Getting past this sparser coverage of soldiers was going to be down to me. ¡®Everyone ready?¡¯ I asked. ¡®I could never be prepared for this,¡¯ Elandor said. ¡®The defence of my city. The massacring of a people I could never truly leave behind. The¡ª¡¯ ¡®He means ¡°are you ready to fall through a portal¡±,¡¯ Lore informed him. Without waiting for the elf¡¯s response, I opened one between the four of us, and we fell onto the cobbled streets in the distance. The charging soldiers immediately closed upon us, and Lore bashed one away with the swing of his huge right arm before I could open another portal. We fell through it, the typically stoic Elandor stifling a yelp, and spilled out down the road, towards the rear of the invasion force. One of our attackers fell through with us, and Val leaped towards her to imbue lightning magicks into the soldier¡¯s uniform. If the Goldmarch invader had an hope of surviving the attack, it was put to bed by Elandor loosing an arrow into her head. ¡®You know,¡¯ Elandor murmured to me. ¡®I do sometimes regret my Worldbending ability selections, particularly having overlooked portals in favour of pocket worlds. If I were to do it all again¡­¡¯ I suppressed the urge to agree that although I wished he hadn¡¯t picked pocket world abilities and stolen Lore¡¯s sheep, we wouldn¡¯t be here to save Sunalor if he hadn¡¯t. Instead, I concentrated on opening the next portals¡ªto the harbour walls¡ªbefore the sparser nearby soldiers could deal us any damage. We spilled out atop the wall, all enemy soldiers having now long-since passed this point, and turned our attentions to the distance. ¡®Where is she?¡¯ Lore asked, his eyes scanning the ships in the Sea of Roots. ¡®Where¡¯s Niamh?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m gonna guess¡­ there,¡¯ I replied, pointing to the big one. For all of Niamh¡¯s strategic know-how, and her ability to anticipate or react quickly to changing enemy tactics, she¡¯d failed on this account. She¡¯d built herself a flagship, one that easily identified her location. If she¡¯d ever expected a splinter force to tear off from the defence of Sunlar and bring the fight to her, then she had considered a smaller threat than ensuring she projected strength. I almost felt patronised. ¡®Worldbender,¡¯ Elandor ordered, ¡®summon one of your portals to allow us access to¡ª¡¯ ¡®Styk,¡¯ I corrected him. ¡®Clarify?¡¯ ¡®My name is ¡°Styk¡±, not ¡°Worldbender¡±.¡¯ The regional leader of the Red Thorn blinked at me. ¡®Is now the correct time for such assertions?¡¯ ¡®Say Styk.¡¯ ¡®Styk, summon one of your portals to allow us access to the nearest ship. Once aboard, we should¡ª¡¯ I opened a portal in front of me. ¡®Yep,¡¯ I said, ¡®I know. I just wanted to hear you say it. Cos once all this is done, I¡¯m thinking there¡¯s a whole continent who are gonna consider us heroes; I¡¯d like for them to know our names.¡¯ Val cast a quick glare at me, but said nothing, and we stepped towards through the portal. We spilled out into the air above the ship, landing clumsily on the deck. I¡¯d opened the portal a little too high in the air¡ªthat was the danger with creating portals at a distance; my accuracy at range wasn¡¯t great¡ªand the shock of hitting the wood made pain flash through my ankles. As Lore and Elandor spilled through the portal, I considered asking Val for a quick heal, but then I spotted that the ship wasn¡¯t empty. Two soldiers, still blinking with surprise, stumbled out of the main cabin into the low light of the evening sun. ¡®Err¡­¡¯ one of them said, and then grabbed her sword while her colleague sent a fireball in Val¡¯s direction, knocking the witch from her feet. As the soldier with a sword braced to meet the blade of the charging Lore, the mage turned to me, loosing a fireball. I opened a portal above her, and I activated Ash Husk as I fell through it. My skin rippled and changed into ash, limiting the damage any fire magicks could do to me¡ªand had the added benefit of it being nice to get to use this fairly niche ability for once. I took a fireball to the arm, spinning me in the air, and I capitalised on this by shifting from using Stab to using Knifestorm. My dagger caught the woman a few times, but she was armoured enough that it didn¡¯t kill her. I landed on the wooden deck and shifted back to my feet, but in doing so I gave the enemy enough time to swing her sword. I moved to open a portal beneath me, to remove me from harm¡¯s way, but I knew I was going to be a split-second too late¡ªthe enemy was about to deal decent damage. But mid-swing, an arrow buried itself in the side of her head, and she fell to the floor, loosing her grasp on the sword. Looking behind her, I saw Elandor, bow in hand. He nodded. ¡®Thanks, Elandor.¡¯ ¡®You are welcome, worldbender.¡¯ So he hadn¡¯t quite learned my name just yet. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. A blast of air from Val made the other Goldmarch soldier stumble, and this was enough for Lore to break their block. Within seconds, we¡¯d seized control of the ship. I supposed Niamh hadn¡¯t exactly been planning for anyone to attempt this; the two remaining soldiers were maybe there only to bring the ship into the harbour once the battle was over. We set about turning the capstan to raise the anchor, fully conscious that time was of the essence. Only once the sails were down and we were moving steadily towards the flagship did I take a moment for myself, in the middle of all this madness. Some notifications had piled up. 14x Soldiers of the Golden Empire defeated! Worldbending ¡ª +7,650xp Worldbending increased to level 46! Base Points gained ¡ª +2 INT, +2 Free Points (INT/WIS/CHA) I marvelled at how few experience points I¡¯d received for fourteen soldiers defeated. Though, I supposed, in all cases I''d only contributed to their deaths, and not been the one to deal the most damage. There had been plenty of arrows flying around, not to mention the Master of Alteration''s void magicks, all of which had split the experience many ways. And of course, it was silly to be worrying about experience right now¡ªboth when there was a battle raging and when I was about to get a ton of it from taking down a Player. And I¡¯d get more points to invest into the Sisyphus Artifact too, boosting my experience gain from here on. At least, if Val let me deal the final damage. I turned to her, opening my mouth to remind her of the reasons I needed to be the one to kill Niamh, not her¡ªbut I hesitated when I saw her shaking. ¡®Are you OK?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m fine.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s OK if you¡¯re a little scared. I mean, it¡¯s a Player, after all, and she is the one who¡ª¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m not afraid.¡¯ Val turned to me then, and when I saw her eyes I realised she wasn¡¯t lying. Those deep brown eyes weren¡¯t fearful, they were burning with a red hot anger. ¡®I want this done, Styk. I want this over. I¡¯ve carried this with me for too long. But now, I¡¯m going to get revenge on the woman who ruined my life.¡¯ I said nothing, leaving it at that. Val wasn¡¯t in the state of mind to be reminded of the power of the artifact, and saying anything now might only make her less likely to allow me the final blow. So instead we became silent, and we trained our eyes on the flagship that we were rapidly approaching. The enemy was so close, and yet still out of reach, and all we could do was wait for the inevitable. Lore and Elandor joined us at our side, and together¡ªa team even more ragtag than the last¡ªwe thought about ending the life of another Player. Soon, we were close. ¡®So, any thoughts on what we do next?¡¯ I asked. ¡®Anyone got a plan?¡¯ Elandor blinked at me. ¡®There is no plan?¡¯ he asked. I shrugged. ¡®I dunno, portal in, kill her¡­ how hard can it be?¡¯ ¡®Incredibly difficult, worldbender. It could be incredibly difficult.¡¯ ¡®We¡¯ve done it before,¡¯ Lore said. ¡®You would not believe how little confidence that instils in me, shepherd.¡¯ ¡®Listen,¡¯ Val said, cutting through the bickering, and not a part of it, for once. ¡®I know her. I know what she¡¯s about. We can do this, but we¡¯ve got to be careful. She¡¯s got a broad range of abilities; that¡¯s part of why her level is so high. Enchantment, sure, but also Stealth, Illusion, even a bit of Archery. She¡¯s gonna hit us with all kinds of stuff, and we¡¯re not going to know what¡¯s coming next. Watch out for attacks, watch out for traps. Watch out for anything.¡¯ ¡®The advice to ¡°watch out¡± does not a plan make.¡¯ ¡®We¡¯ll use the element of surprise,¡¯ I said. ¡®We¡¯ll spring everything we have on her before she even knows we¡¯re there. Even someone as strong as her couldn¡¯t hope to survive that.¡¯ I turned to Val. ¡®What¡¯s her health situation like?¡¯ The witch shrugged. ¡®She¡¯s put most of her points into Intelligence and Dexterity rather than Vitality, as far as I could tell. Though, that might have changed. She¡¯s a fragile but powerful weapon¡ªdon¡¯t let her hit you, but if we can deal lots of damage fast, then¡­ Yeah, we might have a shot.¡¯ ¡®And as a backup plan?¡¯ Lore asked. I nodded to him. ¡®The usual. You at the fore, taking the damage. Val behind you, healing, keeping you strong. Elandor and I dealing damage at range.¡¯ ¡®And if not,¡¯ Val said, her eyes glazing over some as she thought of times long past. ¡®I do have one other trick up my sleeve. Something that got me out of trouble last time.¡¯ I looked at her, and shook my head. If she did that, then we¡¯d never survive. Not on a ship. We¡¯d have nowhere to run from it. ¡®No. Not that. We¡¯d die.¡¯ ¡®But if we¡¯re dying anyway¡­ You want to be a hero, Styk. What¡¯s more heroic than dying for a cause?¡¯ ¡®None of us are dying. Not today.¡¯ I thought of the rest of the Council, and their mysterious scheme that could only spell trouble for the rest of the poor souls in this world. ¡®We still have so much work to do.¡¯ Elandor raised his hand, index finger pointing upwards. ¡®If I may ask¡­ Your initial plan hinges upon us retaining the element of surprise. Do you not think that a vessel sailing straight towards the Player¡¯s flagship might alert her to our presence?¡¯ ¡®Sure, but I have a plan for that. Something to distraction.¡¯ ¡®Yeah?¡¯ Lore asked, his eyes lighting up. ¡®I¡¯m gonna portal us aboard,¡¯ I said. ¡®And then, this ship is going to ram them.¡¯
"Styk" Level 16 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 44 Intelligence ¡ª 162 Dexterity ¡ª 101 Strength ¡ª 73 Wisdom ¡ª 57 Charisma ¡ª 33
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 46 Knifework ¡ª Level 36 Stealth ¡ª Level 19 Needlework ¡ª Level 12 Identification ¡ª Level 11
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Stealth Attack II ¡ª Passive. 80% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
139. The Trapper Lore wrenched on the wheel, shifting the ship a little to the left. ¡®How¡¯s that?¡¯ he shouted out. Val, at the front of the ship with me, narrowed her eyes, staring at the enemy flagship. ¡®Yeah,¡¯ she cried back, ¡®yeah, that¡¯s it! Hold it there!¡¯ Back at the helm, Elandor plunged a sword¡ªstolen from the soldier we¡¯d killed earlier¡ªthrough the wheel and buried it into the wooden deck, holding the wheel in place. ¡®It is done.¡¯ Lore tested the wheel anyway, trying to nudge it this way, then the other. He nodded to confirm, and then the pair of them joined me at the ship¡¯s bow. We were close now, the flagship well in sight, and I could just about make out one figure standing on the deck. Hopefully Niamh was too distracted by managing the invasion of Sunalor to notice that there was a ship coming for her¡ªone not sailed by Goldmarch soldiers¡ªbut I wasn¡¯t going to count on it. ¡®Shall we?¡¯ Elandor asked, adjusting the bow on his shoulder and flexing his hands. ¡®Not yet. Just a little closer,¡¯ I told him. ¡®Unless you want me accidentally dropping us in the water.¡¯ ¡®With every second that passes¡ª¡¯ Elandor started. ¡®I know, I know.¡¯ ¡®Are you ready?¡¯ Val asked the elf. ¡®This isn¡¯t some normal fight. This is a Player.¡¯ When Elandor was about to protest, Val waved him back down. ¡®I know you know that. But it¡¯s worth saying. You got any other tricks up your sleeve? Don¡¯t suppose you can throw her into a pocket world, never to be seen again? Or can you only do that with Lore¡¯s sheep?¡¯ ¡®The power of sheep is near enough the limit of those abilities, alas. I cannot use it on any creature with particular sapience.¡¯ ¡®Sentience,¡¯ Lore corrected him. Elandor blinked at the barbarian. ¡®No, sapience.¡¯ ¡®Oh. Yeah.¡¯ ¡®Worldbender, if you will¡ª¡¯ ¡®Alright, now,¡¯ I said, opening a portal beneath the four of us. We fell through it and out its partner¡¯s side, onto a balcony of the quarter galley protruding at the rear of the ship. We landed with heavy thumps, and I twisted to look for any sign that we¡¯d been spotted, but when I peered inside, I saw no one. ¡®Distracted by the ship coming straight for them, I imagine,¡¯ Val whispered. ¡®How long til it gets here?¡¯ Lore asked. ¡®Maybe thirty seconds. Let¡¯s go.¡¯ I led the group into the captain¡¯s cabin, finding it deserted. Wherever Niamh was managing the invasion from, it wasn¡¯t here. But what I did see were dozens of maps pinned to the walls, with all kinds of markings on, looking to be plans for different scenarios: for if the elves mustered a sufficient fleet, for if the harbour walls did not fall, for if they needed to blank their enemy, and more. She¡¯d really accounted for every permutation of events. Except, I could only hope, this one¡ªfour idiots ramming her ship and trying to take her down. Wasting no time, I crept forward, Lore, Val and Elandor following closely at my heels. At the exit to the room, I hesitated¡ªthe moment we stepped out into the light, there was much more chance of being spotted. I kept close to the door frame as I peered out, looking for signs of trouble. But I saw only three: two Knights of the Realm, and the Player herself. Niamh stood in the centre of the deck, flanked by her borrowed knights, bow and quiver over her shoulder, and small glowing portals floating all around her. Through these portals, she might hear reports from and give instructions to her commanders in the field¡ªbut her attention wasn¡¯t on the portals. It was on the ship now only moments from crashing into her. ¡®Alright, ready?¡¯ I asked the team, and I edged onto the deck. At that moment, an almighty noise erupted¡ªa squeal like a siren¡¯s wail¡ªand Niamh¡¯s head snapped to face me. ¡®Ah,¡¯ I said, looking down at the sigil glowing on the floor beneath me. A trap. At that moment, before Niamh could react, the ships collided. Splinters of wood shot into the air, some of them burying themselves in the bodies both of the enemies and of myself. I could hear water begin to rush in below, the hull having splintered, having been enchanted against enemy attacks and not against other enchanted hulls. And the flagship itself jolted to one side, throwing six of the seven people aboard off their feet¡ªonly Niamh remaining effortlessly upright. As the flagship jolted back the other way, the knights rushed us. We retreated back into the cabin as planned, in the case of other soldiers being aboard, and Elandor loosed an arrow that hit one of the knights squarely between the brows. But these were Knights of the Realm; it would take more than a well-placed arrow to stop them. I swung a hand forward to open a portal in front of the two giant, burly Knights of the Realm, and they and their great axes fell through, coming out the other side to collide with one of the cabin¡¯s walls. Lore slammed the door to the captain¡¯s quarters shut, delaying Niamh¡¯s entry into the fight, and giving us a few extra seconds to eliminate the knights. We could only hope that out across the bay, Corminar was giving her trouble to contend with¡ªbecause any further seconds might be the difference between life and death. The Knights of the Realm regathered themselves, one of them turning to swing their axe at the nearest Slayer. Val dived out of the way of the axe, narrowing avoiding getting hurt, and blasted them with a wave of air that knocked them staggering backwards. For our plan to work, we needed at least one knight still aboard. And we had two. ¡®Oi!¡¯ I shouted to the knights, and then I charged them. But this was a fakeout; I hadn¡¯t suddenly grown suicidal. As I sprinted across the luxurious cabin, I opened a portal beneath one of them, and they were distracted enough by my feigned attack that they fell through it. I heard a splash in the near distance as they landed in the water. ¡®One down¡­¡¯ Lore said, and suddenly there was a bash on the door. His eyes widened, and he reinforced himself again it. ¡®I thought you said this would buy us enough time!¡¯ ¡®I said it might!¡¯ I shouted back, but my attention was on the other knight. ¡®Styk?¡¯ Val prompted me. ¡®On it!¡¯ I flung a hand downwards, opening a portal in the deep sea beneath the ship, and I opened its partner inside the cabin, only for the briefest of seconds. A heavy blast of water knocked the Knight of the Realm backwards, against the wooden wall once more, and I breathed a sigh of relief that the wall held. When I closed the portal a second later, we were wading in a thin layer of water, but the enemy was absolutely drenched. ¡®Now!¡¯ Val shouted, and the four of us leapt up to grab onto the rafters above, separating ourselves from the layer of water. Except the witch also used her new lightning magicks. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. The knight shook as the lightning shot through them and their wet covering, dropping to the floor as Val released the magicks. Elandor and I released ourselves from the rafters, and I portaled us over to the enemy, meaning to waste not a second. We released attack after attack after attack of arrow and blade, and it didn¡¯t take long the elimination notification to pop up¡ªone that I swiftly minimised. A heavy thud announced another attack on the cabin door, and Lore grunted with the strain of resisting. ¡®Hurry!¡¯ he cried. The other three of us got to work. * * * ¡®Ready?¡¯ Lore asked. We nodded, and the barbarian took a deep breath before standing back from the door. The door blasted open immediately, and he, Elandor and I stared at the silhouette standing before us. Niamh was a small, thin woman, and yet we already knew enough of her to know that this was deceiving. Even Jacob, the pyroknight and the strongest person we¡¯d ever fought, couldn¡¯t measure up to the trapper. ¡®Knock knock¡­¡¯ she muttered. ¡®You know, I really did hope you would stay out of this. I had sympathy for you before, back when you were only defending your home. But now that you threaten my plans, I am forced to cast you down. For this, I do sincerely apologise.¡¯ ¡®Yeah, I bet,¡¯ Lore replied. ¡®Doubt me all you like, barbarian, but I do mean it. Perhaps as an act of¡ª¡¯ Niamh suddenly stopped talking, her attention diverted by someone talking through one of the portals. She held up an index finger to demand that we wait. It was infuriating, but if the next stage of the plan was going to work, then we had to bite our tongues. ¡®No matter,¡¯ she told someone through one of the small portals. ¡®Order a fifth of the remaining force to splinter away, to circle the city and approach from the rear. They are few; if we stretch them far enough, the city will fall.¡¯ It was good to know that Corminar was still holding the enemy off, at least. Niamh turned back to us. ¡®Now, where we were?¡¯ ¡®Something about an act?¡¯ ¡®Ah, yes. An act of small mercy,¡¯ she said, then stepped aside, gesturing us past. ¡®Would you like to bathe in the sunlight one last time before I cut you down?¡¯ What an exciting opportunity. I glanced to Lore and Elandor, who nodded, and then in silence we stepped outside onto the main deck. We¡¯d not intended for this, but we could work with it¡ªmore space to fight in was always handy. ¡®I am sorry to see that you witch friend has fallen already,¡¯ Niamh said. ¡®I once thought she would some day die at my hand, when she finally tracked me down, and yet¡­¡¯ She shook her head, and turned to face the three of us standing and staring her down¡ªport versus starboard. The flagship suddenly lurched to one side, as water broke away at one of the lower decks. ¡®I suppose I will have to transit to another ship. A shame; a copy of my personal library is aboard, and printing does not come cheap. Especially when you are forced to eliminate those involved.¡¯ At that moment, I saw a flash of movement to my left. It was time. ¡®Now!¡¯ I shouted, and the three of us charged. Two of us began to glow with purple magicks, while one of us used the tried and tested strategy of swinging a big sword. I hopped through a portal to attack Niamh from behind, but the moment I touched her, an invisible sigil glowed into life¡ªone that blasted me across the deck and out over the water. It was only my portal magicks that stopped me falling into the depths, instead stumbling back out onto deck. Elandor, meanwhile, opened a portal world entrance above the Player¡¯s head, dumping a rain of arrows onto her head. But with the flick of her wrist, more sigils still glowed into life all around the ship, and the arrows diverted towards them, as though compelled. Only Lore, using the simplest of all the attacking techniques, came close to hurting Niamh. But as he charged, a Knight of the Realm sprinted into action, crossing the deck in a flash and putting themselves between Niamh and Lore, knocking him to the floor with almost performative ease. A Knight of the Realm with a dead woman¡¯s face, that is. As Niamh grimaced down at the barbarian, the knight retreated to the Player¡¯s side. And when the knight got close, she grabbed Niamh by the throat and revealed her true face. Val¡¯s face. Val, who Elandor and I had hurriedly help dress in Goldmarch armour, then portalled her across the ship. Val imbued Niamh¡¯s throat with her lightning magicks. ¡®Surprise, bi¡ª¡¯ But any cocky retort was cut short. The body in her grasp didn¡¯t react to the magick attack at all. In fact, it only smiled at Val, and then¡­ it faded from existence. Val retreated, stumbling backwards in her oversized armour, blinking at the spot where Niamh had been standing only seconds earlier. ¡®An¡­ an illusion,¡¯ she said. ¡®But you touched her!¡¯ ¡®A powerful illusion,¡¯ she said. ¡®A decoy.¡¯ The implications sunk in. Niamh really had planned for everything; she¡¯d planned for this too. And then another Niamh appeared, at the other end of the deck. ¡®Surprise, witch,¡¯ she said. But there was no real malice in it, and even a smile on her face. The Player clapped. ¡®Oh, very good, very good! I thought I had the constructs of this world all figured out, but you surprise me. You are capable of meaningful thought after all! Of course, this doesn¡¯t change what I have to do, you understand.¡¯ ¡®Doesn¡¯t change much for us, either,¡¯ Val spat back at her. Niamh¡¯s smile didn¡¯t fade. ¡®So, the witch lives after all. And she still has quite the sharp tongue on her. Is that what all this is, then? Not the defending of a region, but revenge?¡¯ ¡®No,¡¯ Val replied. ¡®Not revenge. Justice. Delivered by Witchcraft.¡¯ She pulled a small, seemingly insignificant flower from her pocket, plucked from the ground with roots intact, and she threw it to the deck. ¡®Witchcraft isn¡¯t all that powerful away from nature, you know? And out here¡­ well, I don¡¯t have all my plant life to work with. So I thought I¡¯d bring some with me.¡¯ Val thrusted both hands forward, and they glowed a vibrant green as she worked her magicks. Roots sprung forth from the tiny, limp flower, shooting in every direction. A hundred. A thousand. Each of them buried themselves in the wood of the deck, piercing a hundred trap sigils that glowed as they were shattered. Finally, the smile faded from the enemy¡¯s face.
"Styk" Level 16 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 44 Intelligence ¡ª 162 Dexterity ¡ª 101 Strength ¡ª 73 Wisdom ¡ª 57 Charisma ¡ª 33
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 46 Knifework ¡ª Level 36 Stealth ¡ª Level 19 Needlework ¡ª Level 12 Identification ¡ª Level 11
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Stealth Attack II ¡ª Passive. 80% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
140. The Mice & The Lion Niamh pulled her bow from her shoulder, though she still snarled down at her broken traps. ¡®A rare treat, I suppose, to be able to indulge in the more primitive skill trees.¡¯ Before she could draw her bow, the four of us charged across the deck, bringing the fight once more. I opened a portal beneath Lore, as the slowest of us, to close the gap between him and the enemy¡ªwhich also meant that the person able to withstand the most damage was at the front. As Lore began to swing the Bane Sword at the enemy, Elandor loosed arrow after arrow at Niamh, while Val preemptively started her Healing magicks. Niamh blocked the swipes of Lore¡¯s sword not just with ease, but using her bow, of all things¡ªthough the glowing wood was another giveaway that something magick was at play here. The limbs of her bow blocked the Bane Sword¡¯s strikes without suffering any chips to the wood, and not only that, but the bow seemed to push back against the sheer force of Lore¡¯s attacks, meaning that Niamh didn¡¯t need to put her body weight behind the blocks. Sigils shattered in the air around her as Niamh¡¯s enchanted traps blocked shot after shot of Elandor¡¯s arrow, these being the only traps left that Val¡¯s roots couldn¡¯t destroy. But she surely had to have a limited supply, right? Either she had manually made them all, or they were powered by mana¡ªeither way, there had to be an end to them. We just had to live that long. I leaped into the air, knife raised above my head in two hands, and I moved to Stab down with it¡ªbut Niamh batted me out of the way with the swipe of her hand. I landed on the hard wooden deck, tumbling head over heels. ¡®Don¡¯t you see?¡¯ Niamh said through clenched teeth, the fight apparently not quite as simple as she¡¯d maybe imagined. ¡®You are mice to me. Rodents. Vermin. Barely worth the effort it takes to kill you. I offered you mercy before out of the kindness of my own heart¡ªbut I treat such creature with respect only while they do not stand in the way of progress.¡¯ ¡®Oh yeah?¡¯ I said, stumbling back to my feet. ¡®And just what is this ¡°progress¡±, then?¡¯ ¡®You think I would divulge the Council¡¯s plans so easily? Perhaps you are a fool after all.¡¯ ¡®He is,¡¯ Val said, ¡®but I¡¯m not.¡¯ At that moment, she leaped over Lore¡¯s shoulder, putting a foot on his back to get purchase as she jumped into the air. She landed on the Player¡¯s back, grasping on to the woman¡¯s neck for dear life, and she screamed with fury as she sent lightning magicks into the real Niamh, this time. Another sigil activated, sending Val¡¯s magicks shooting back through the witch¡¯s body. She screamed her head off, but still she hanged on for dear life, pushing the magicks back into the enemy. Niamh screamed too, then, and this was just the opening that Lore needed to land a swipe of his blade. Lore nicked Niamh, a spray of blood whipping across the deck. Niamh screeched further, ripping Val from her back with her bare hand and throwing her away. The damage didn¡¯t last long, because one of Niamh¡¯s sigils activated, and a glowing yellow-white light encompassed the wound in her side. But it was evidence that she could be hurt. And if she could be hurt, she could be killed. It was the morale boost we needed. As Val, Lore and I charged once more, Niamh fired an arrow towards the barbarian. In mid-air, the arrow split into ten, and the arrows¡¯ trajectories changed to tear off towards each of the Slayers¡ªhonorary or otherwise. And if that wasn¡¯t enough, they suddenly erupted with magicks of all kinds, shapes and colours. Lore was hit first, taking the arrows to his chiselled torso, flame encompassing his left side while a dark corruption took his right. Val leaped to heal him, and in doing so avoided the two arrows sent her way, just about. Meanwhile, I opened a portal beneath me and allowed myself to drop through it and out of danger¡ªbut Elandor wasn¡¯t so lucky. The leader of the Tundran Red Thorn took three hits¡ªone arrow that dealt frost damage to his legs, another which made his eyes glow with the red of Illusion magicks, and one more: a plain old arrow crafted from the finest of metals. This one hit him in the neck. Elandor staggered backwards, eyes bulging, clasping his wound to stop the blood flowing as best he could. ¡®Val!¡¯ I shouted, but she was busy Healing Lore¡¯s wounds, so instead I portalled myself to the elf¡¯s side. I yanked my one and only remaining health potion from my pocket, pulled the cork free, and forced it down Elandor¡¯s throat, closing the man¡¯s jaw with my hands. He coughed and gulped, but it did the work. At least, enough to ensure the damage from the arrows only knocked him out, rather than kill him outright. We were down to three. Val had Lore standing back up, the worst of the enchanted arrows¡¯ effected now faded, though he was still looking a little worse for wear. ¡®How do we beat this?¡¯ I shouted to her. ¡®We don¡¯t know what¡¯s coming next!¡¯ ¡®Indeed you don¡¯t,¡¯ Niamh agreed, and fired another three arrows at once. Again, these arrows changed direction in mid-air¡ªone of them shooting towards each of us. I opened another portal to avoid the shot, but too late I realised that the arrow wasn¡¯t aiming directly for me. As I was about to fall through the portal, the arrow exploded in a blaze of blue, forming a pillar of light from which¡­ I couldn¡¯t move out. I glanced around at my two remaining friends, and saw that they, too, were caught by Niamh¡¯s latest trick up her sleeve. I tried to pull myself free, but the magick pulled back, meeting any force I used with an even greater force. I tried to cut through the pillar of light with my knife, but it made no difference. I tried to Portal Slice my way out of it, and then simply open a portal to get out¡­ but neither worked. Looking across the deck, I saw Niamh, her eyes on Val, taking her time as she approached the witch, as though savouring the moment. I saw Val, struggling against the trap, but having about as much luck as me. And then I saw Lore. Big, lovely, strong Lore. Lore was having much more luck. He strained against the pillar of light, pushing himself to one side, and then part way out of it. But as he strained, he was grunting, and any moment now he could grunt loud enough to attract the distracted Player¡¯s attention. So it was at this moment that I got to use my most recently acquired ability. I pushed an arm forward as much as I could, but couldn¡¯t outstretch it within the confines of this trap. But when Val had taught me the basics of magicks, she¡¯d told me to use my arms to control the aim of the magicks¡ªshe had said explicitly that they weren¡¯t required. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. I twisted my hand to point roughly towards Lore, doing the best that I could, but then¡­ I closed my eyes. I concentrated on where I wanted the magick to go in my mind¡¯s eye, not with my outstretched hands. I imagined it¡ªa bubble around Lore, one that prevented any sound from escaping¡ªand as soon as I thought I could see it, I activated Silence III. When I opened my eyes, it was there. I couldn¡¯t see it¡ªthis particular ability not giving off a glow of any kind¡ªbut I knew it was there. Mostly because Lore was by this point shouting, his mouth wide open, as he forced his body through the portal. With her eyes on Val, Niamh drew a bow from her quiver. Lore looked from Val, to me, and then back to Val again, and I had to bite my tongue to stop myself from shouting at him¡ªand drawing the Player¡¯s attention. Finally making a decision, Lore charged across the deck towards me, then threw himself into the pillar to tackle me from it. We came rolling out the other side just as Niamh drew her arrow. I immediately opened a portal below where Lore had fallen, catapulting him towards Val. The great barbarian collided with the witch, knocking her from the pillar trap just in time for the arrow to breeze harmlessly past the both of them. ¡®The mice flee, but they cannot hope to defeat the lion,¡¯ Niamh proclaimed. I skirted around the fight to join Lore and Val at their side. ¡®Alright,¡¯ I told them. ¡®One big push. Everything we¡¯ve got.¡¯ ¡®Everything?¡¯ Val repeated. ¡®No. Not that.¡¯ If she did that, then chances were that one of them would be dead long before Niamh was. ¡®Ready?¡¯ Lore asked, eyes bearing into Niamh, and then without waiting for a response, he rushed her. Val and I had no choice but to follow suit. The witch blasted Niamh with waves of air, while I reached for the water below. We¡¯d sunk a good way by this point, the flagship now sitting a lot lower in the sea, so I didn¡¯t need to reach far to find water. As with the Knight of the Realm and the pyroknight before her, I opened a portal to empty the contents of the sea onto Niamh. From the force, she staggered backwards, but a moment later she¡¯d wrenched her bow forwards to hover vertically before her, the limbs of the weapon splitting and parting the water attacks. I closed the portal a half-second before Lore reached Niamh, and he swung his Bane Sword once more, this time again managing to bury it deep in the enemy¡¯s side. She screamed with a combination of pain and surprise, and this time¡ªwhile Healing magicks engulfed the wound once more¡ªshe snarled at Lore. She pulled an arrow from her quiver and shot it immediately into Lore¡¯s chest. Lightning engulfed him. Niamh pulled another arrow, and once again she concentrated her fire on Lore. This time, his right arm twisted inhumanly¡­ and then snapped. I opened a portal beneath my feet, launching myself into an attack of Niamh, activating Execution alongside Stab even though she had to know I was there. I buried the knife in between her shoulders, and she howled, shaking me and the dagger loose, but didn¡¯t stop firing arrows at Lore. The barbarian sank to his knees as the third hit him, and bright yellow ghost-like echoes of the depth-raider appeared before him. And then, giant ghostly pillars like those we¡¯d seen in the witchfinder village, but a hundred times their size, their spectral images bursting from the water. Only at this did Niamh suddenly stop, eyes wide, and hesitate. ¡®Then it¡¯s true¡­¡¯ she said. ¡®It will work. Tana¡¯s plan will work. But¡­¡¯ she looked down at Lore. ¡®You will need to be there to witness it?¡¯ She hesitated, then pushed over to Lore while Val blasted her with magick attacks¡ªwhatever that was, whatever she¡¯d seen¡­ it was enough to distract her from literal attempt on her life. Niamh crouched down at Lore¡¯s side, and wrapped her hands around his head. ¡®No!¡¯ I shouted. But Niamh didn¡¯t attack Lore. No, quite the opposite. Whatever she had seen¡­ whatever she had conjured with her yellow Divination magicks¡­ It had convinced her that Lore needed to survive. A white sigil appeared on her forehead, and then traversed down one of her arms to Lore¡¯s own head, where it activated. She wasn¡¯t hurting him, she was healing him. Lore closed his eyes, drifting not from life, but from consciousness. We were down to two. I turned to Val, and I told her something with my eyes, and my eyes alone. The woman I loved responded with a nod. She understood. She knew what needed to be done¡ªthe one thing we could count on, when all else failed. It was time to summon the bogspawn.
"Styk" Level 16 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 44 Intelligence ¡ª 162 Dexterity ¡ª 101 Strength ¡ª 73 Wisdom ¡ª 57 Charisma ¡ª 33
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 46 Knifework ¡ª Level 36 Stealth ¡ª Level 19 Needlework ¡ª Level 12 Identification ¡ª Level 11
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Stealth Attack II ¡ª Passive. 80% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
141. Forbidden Magicks Val would need time to summon the bogspawn; this I knew. I also knew that Niamh wouldn¡¯t freely give time to us, so it was going to be up to someone else to buy Val this time. I looked with regret at Lore and Elandor, both unconscious on the deck of the sinking ship¡ªif they were still with us, this would have been so much easier. So there was only one thing for it: it was time for an all-out attack. With one eye on my mana reserves¡ªand grateful for one of Corminar¡¯s mana potions still in my pocket¡ªI opened a portal next to me and dropped through it, coming out behind Niamh for just long enough to get a quick stab in. As she turned, enraged, I stepped back through another portal and came out behind her again, once again able to land a stab before she could meet me with her enchanted bow. Niamh, scowling, quickly drew a bow and fire an arrow towards me. Or, at least, towards the spot where I would have been if I hadn¡¯t just disappeared through a portal. Out of the corner of my eyes, I¡¯d seen Val¡¯s hands and eyes begin to glow in that bright green that said she was working on a powerful ritual¡ªshe was already at work, I just needed to survive long enough for her to see it through. I reappeared from a portal above Niamh, mixing it up a bit, and just like I had with the pyroknight, I used gravity to improve the damage dealt by a stab of my blade. But this woman was far stronger than that Player had ever been, and it was going to take a lot more than that to bring her down. I landed on her shoulder, and it felt stronger than it looked, hitting me hard in the chest and sending me spinning to the deck. I wasted no time in looking back at Niamh, knowing that she would easily hit me if I stayed still too long, and I opened a portal in the root-bound wooden deck. I fell through back to behind Niamh, where I brought my knife arm around to¡ª Without looking back, the Player caught my wrist in mid-air. Her hand was tight around me. Strong. I couldn¡¯t break free, not easily. Not by myself. ¡®Enough, now,¡¯ Niamh said. ¡®It¡¯s time for this to be over.¡¯ ¡®Agreed,¡¯ Val replied, and streams of crackling green energy poured forth from her hands. Niamh turned and saw this, and moments later she recognised for what it was¡ªfor something she¡¯d seen already, all those years ago. And now I was seeing it for the first time, too. The streams of green Witchcraft magicks didn¡¯t form the bogspawn itself, but seemed to grab a hold of the very edge of reality¡ªin a way not unlike I¡¯d seen in the witchfinder villages. Those glowing green arcs tore the borders of this world open, and through this tear, I saw¡­ nothing. The void. Not darkness, but the absence of reality. And, from out there, in the nothingness, a paw grabbed at the edge of reality. The paw looked like that of a large cat, but when the head appeared, it looked like anything but. It had the antlers of a stag atop a long, leathery face. The lion-like paws tore away at the entrance into reality that Val had created for it, revealing the rest of its form. It stood on four long legs, its large body seeming to be made of rotting flesh¡ªany number of beasts stitched together like some lunatic¡¯s attempt at replicating the Architects¡¯ act of creation. When it stepped forth, into our world, I half-expected flies to buzz around it, but of course there was nothing. I got the sense that even had flies been interested in its rotting flesh, the creature would have struck such fear into them that they would have flown away. That was precisely what I wanted to do right now, presented by this foul creature, but I forced myself to stand my ground. Finally, Niamh released my wrist¡ªshe¡¯d realised that there were greater dangers around now¡ªand I staggered backwards, putting as much space between myself and the enemy as possible. The bogspawn surveyed those surrounding it. It looked first at Val, then at me, and then at Niamh. I knew that there was only a one in three chance that it would pounce on the Player first, that it would kill her before either of us, and I didn¡¯t much love those chances. But it was all we had, now. All three of us, the Player included, remained still and quiet as the beast considered each of us¡ªnot wanting to do anything to make the bogspawn choose us over the others. Then, the bogspawn stopped surveying us, and it concentrated its attention on none other than the Player. ¡®I¡¯ve escaped you once before¡­¡¯ Niamh growled to the creature. We¡¯d done it. We¡¯d won. We¡¯d lucked out. I resisted the urge to jump with joy, to cheer, to¡ª The bogspawn snapped its head to me. Then, it turned. As soon as it pounced, I ran. I sprinted, without really knowing where my feet were taking me, down the stairs to the lower decks of Niamh¡¯s flagship. I could hear the heavy footsteps of the bogspawn chasing after me, making the wood shake with every step. When it grew too close to bear, I flicked a portal open ahead of me and slipped out of range of its long antlers and sharp teeth. I collided with the wall of the ship as I tumbled out the other side, and put my hands against it to steady myself. While I had increased the distance between myself at the horrific monster, the bogspawn was fast, and it was only a matter of time before it found me once more. I sprinted onwards, but found myself delayed by the rising water levels. This ship was well and truly sinking, and it was only a matter of time until we were all in the water. Would the bogspawn do so well in that scenario? And would I live long enough to find out? I moved to open another portal as the bogspawn drew closer, hoping to buy myself some time to figure out how we might still use the creature¡¯s appearance to our advantage, but I caught sight of my mana reserves as I did so. After all this fighting, they were nearly empty. I pulled the glass vial filled with mana potion from my pocket, and I yanked the cork free in a hurry. But the bogspawn was too near, and I had to suddenly open a portal beneath me to escape its swiping paw. As I fell through the portal, the bogspawn¡¯s claws caught my hand¡­ and as they sliced through my flesh, I dropped the potion. Falling out the other side of the portal, closing it behind me, I reached out to catch the potion in mid-air, but it was out of reach. It smashed upon the hard wooden deck. ¡®Val!¡¯ I shouted across the top deck. ¡®I¡¯m almost out! I¡¯m almost out of mana!¡¯ The witch nodded as she faced down Niamh¡ªthe latter still willing to fight despite the presence of an admittedly distracted bogspawn on the ship. Maybe that was precisely why she wanted to fight then; she could take Val down before focussing on the bogspawn and me. ¡®Then we need to end this. Now.¡¯ ¡®Well, yeah. Any ideas?¡¯ It really, really wasn¡¯t looking good. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡®How many portals?¡¯ the witch cried back, blasting Niamh with air. ¡®Maybe two? Three? Depends how long I keep them open. Why, what are you thinking?¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t know yet. I¡ª¡¯ Val stopped mid-sentence, and both Niamh and I immediately knew why. We followed Val¡¯s gaze to the stairs, where the bogspawn had appeared once more. I turned back to the witch. ¡®Val! Any ideas? What are you thinking?¡¯ I repeated. But Val looked pale. She shook her head. ¡®I don¡¯t know! I¡­ I¡­¡¯ I looked back to the bogspawn, who looked around ready to pounce once more, but as I skimmed over the deck, I saw something. Elandor. Elandor was still alive, if unconscious, laying on the wooden deck. And maybe, just maybe, he held the key to evening out the odds. If what I suspected about my Pocket Worlds ability was true, then¡­ I shook my head. It didn¡¯t matter. We were out of other options; it was time to try something else. As the bogspawn pounced towards me, I charged at it¡ªan action that both the monster and I seemed genuinely surprised by. The monster bounded, and I slipped to the ground, opening a portal above me that the bogspawn had no choice but to slide through¡ªlanding it next to Niamh. But it had its eye on its prize already, and it turned back to me. Meanwhile, I slid to Elandor¡¯s side, and I grabbed his head with both hands. ¡®Let¡¯s hope this works¡­¡¯ I activated my Pocket Worlds ability, hoping against all hope that ¡°Open and access pocket dimensions¡± really did mean those that I hadn¡¯t created. I put almost all my remaining mana into this attempt, saving only the tiniest amount, doing everything I could to make sure that this worked. And¡­ it did. As the first of the sheep fell through the pocket world¡¯s exit portal, I thanked the Architects that Lore wasn¡¯t awake to see this. Two dozen sheep fell, bleating, from the portal to the pocket portal, landing in a huge pile¡­ on top of Niamh. Suddenly, the bogspawn¡¯s choice of prey needed to be reassessed It looked from me to the pile of sheep¡ªwith a Player buried, shouting, beneath them¡ªand it reconsidered. And this time, it was an easy decision to make. The bogspawn pounced into the pile of sheep, tearing their flesh apart with its wide, toothy mouth¡­ but making no distinction between sheep flesh and human flesh. Blood splattered the deck, beginning too to pool beneath the dying sheep, trickling across the roots and the wooden planks. With so little mana remaining, all I could do was stand and stare at the chaos before me, apologising to Lore a hundred times over in my head for what I¡¯d had to do. It really had been the only way. And then, from the pile, a human shape staggered out. When she emerged from the madness, Niamh was covered in blood¡ªboth hers and the sheeps¡¯¡ªand was down one arm. Instead of concentrating her traps on her wound, she spat towards me, ¡®I¡¯ll deal with you next,¡¯ and then turned her attention back to the monster. She approached it while it was busying itself with a sheep, and she reached her remaining arm forward. Niamh weaved a sigil into life in the air before her, this one glowing blue with Sorcery magicks, and when she was done, she pressed her hand into the bogspawn¡¯s rotten side, and the sigil attached itself to the creature¡¯s flesh. From the look of it, this had taken most of Niamh¡¯s remaining mana to craft¡ªit was no simpler magick¡ªand her legs shook beneath her as she stumbled backwards, away from the monster. The sigil began to grow brighter and brighter, glowing into life. But just before it could activate, the bogspawn whipped its head up to face the Player. It looked from Niamh to the symbol on its chest, and then it understood¡ªon some primal level¡ªwhat was about to happen. It pounced at Niamh at the same moment that the sigil activated. ¡®No, no, no!¡¯ Niamh shouted. And then the bogspawn exploded. Niamh was caught in the centre of the blast, and was blown to the floor. Even Val and I, at some distance, suffered some major damage, and I had to put my weight on the witch as she gave me a quick Healing boost to keep me conscious. A shrill noise rang through my ears from the explosion, and I chewed my jaw on the empty air to try to get my hearing back. When the dust finally settled, the bogspawn was gone¡ªbut Niamh, still, was not. I checked my notifications¡ªsurely that had been enough to kill the Player, surely she was not still with us¡ªbut I only had those for the Knights of the Realm. Niamh was still alive, for now. If deathly injured. Val and I took a moment to regather control of our breathing, the battle now finally over, before we strolled over to Niamh¡¯s body. The Player looked up at us as she tried to reach towards her wound, the yellow-white light of Healing magicks flickering in and out of existence¡ªshe was too weak. ¡®No,¡¯ Val said, her voice gentle. ¡®Don¡¯t bother. It¡¯s over now.¡¯
"Styk" Level 16 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 44 Intelligence ¡ª 162 Dexterity ¡ª 101 Strength ¡ª 73 Wisdom ¡ª 57 Charisma ¡ª 33
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 46 Knifework ¡ª Level 36 Stealth ¡ª Level 19 Needlework ¡ª Level 12 Identification ¡ª Level 11
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Stealth Attack II ¡ª Passive. 80% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +900%
142. One Of Many ¡®It¡¯s over now.¡¯ Val and I hurried over to Niamh¡¯s side, and only when I was satisfied that she really was dying, rather than faking it, I allowed myself to breathe. When the Player saw us standing over her, she didn¡¯t move to strike, or to spit at us. In fact, she smiled. ¡®Does she know what you are, Styk?¡¯ Niamh asked through a bloody mouth. ¡®She might be a witch, but I think she would believe what you are to be so much worse.¡¯ I hesitated, then. Every instinct told me to end the Player¡¯s life, there and then, before she could reveal to Val what she knew of me. But I hesitated. I hesitated at possibly the most important moment of my life. ¡®Does she know you are the spawn of a Player?¡¯ Niamh finished. Val stumbled backwards, facing paling, and I watched as she looked from the Player to me, unbelieving. ¡®Is it true?¡¯ Niamh answered for me. ¡®Cleo, her name is. A member of my Council. A smart woman, though I see that never¡­¡¯ The Player had to stop, to cough up blood. ¡®I see that attribute did not get passed on.¡¯ And then, to Val, she continued, ¡®Did you never wonder why he could use that artifact? An artifact meant only for Players? He has our blood within him. He is one of us.¡¯ Val¡¯s eyes remained on Niamh, apparently unable to tear them away¡ªor, perhaps, to look at me. ¡®Val, you know me,¡¯ I said to her. ¡®You know what I am. What I believe in. You know I¡¯m nothing like one of them.¡¯ Only then did the witch look up at me. ¡®We¡¯re both ashamed of what we are,¡¯ I said. ¡®But we both know that we¡¯re more than what we¡¯re born, right? Right?¡¯ Was I convincing her, or convincing myself? Slowly, Val nodded. ¡®You understand?¡¯ ¡®I¡­¡¯ she started, her voice croaking. ¡®I¡¯ll need some time to process. You¡­ understand that, right?¡¯ I thought about reminding her of my reaction to the news that she was a witch¡ªit didn¡¯t bother me for a second. But that wasn¡¯t helpful right now. ¡®I understand,¡¯ I said, and turned back to Niamh. ¡®Was that your final ploy? Turn us against each other by telling her what I am? That I¡¯m the man who is part human, part god?¡¯ ¡®The man?¡¯ Niamh repeated, beginning to laugh. ¡®The man? You thought it was just you? You thought you were special?¡¯ The Player stopped her laughing only when the coughing and spluttering became too great, and for a moment it looked like she might slip away from this world then. ¡®I thought¡­¡¯ ¡®Our kind have roamed these lands for generations. From the days that your so-called Architects created it. You must know that our lives are far longer than yours. Did you really think that only one of us would have birthed children with the locals, that only one of us might have accidentally blessed her spawn with the magicks of our homeworld? There are hundreds with Player blood in them, if not thousands. Any one of them could have used the Artifact.¡¯ She laughed again. ¡®And you thought you were special?¡¯ ¡®I am special,¡¯ I said, raising my dagger. ¡®I have the artifact.¡¯ I moved forward as if to kill her, and at that moment the fear came out. Niamh¡¯s eyes widened at last. ¡®Stop!¡¯ she croaked. ¡®Stop. I¡¯ve made arrangements. I created a standing order, after our encounter in the Tundras. If I should die, the Council are to be notified that you and your friends are coming for them. You will be hunted to your last breath.¡¯ ¡®So what?¡¯ Val asked, and I saw that her eyes were on my dagger point; she hadn¡¯t forgotten our discussion about who should be the one to end the Player¡¯s life. About who deserved to. ¡®If I die here, in this world, more Creations remain to me. And once Tana is successful in this one, I will be practically immortal. If you die, however, it is over¡ªwhether you have Player blood in you or otherwise.¡¯ ¡®I best not die then.¡¯ With that, I plunged my knife down, activating the simplest of all my abilities: Stab. As I twisted the knife in Niamh¡¯s stomach, watching the life fade from her eyes, Val didn¡¯t complain; that she was here to see it seemed to be enough. Either that, or she was still sidetracked by the news of my ancestry. The reason didn¡¯t matter, because there was something else far more important: that I levelled up the Sisyphus Artifact once more, whatever the cost. As I twisted once more, Niamh drew her last breath, and a single tear dripped from Val¡¯s right eye. 2x Knights of the Realm defeated! Level 46 Expert Trapper defeated! Worldbending ¡ª +21,050xp Worldbending increased to level 47! Worldbending increased to level 48! Worldbending increased to level 49! Worldbending increased to level 50! Base Points gained ¡ª +8 INT, +8 Free Points (INT/WIS/CHA) Ability selection unlocked Select an ability from the list below¡­ Knifework ¡ª +13,200xp Knifework increased to level 37! Knifework increased to level 38! Knifework increased to level 39! Base Points gained ¡ª +3 DEX, +3 STR, +6 Free Points (VIT/DEX/STR) Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Level up! You increased to level 17 Descendant of the Architects defeated! Sisyphus Artifact: Charge replenished! Sisyphus Artifact: Levelled up! Artifact upgrade unlocked Select [2] upgrades from the list below¡­ 1. Increase Charges VI [8 > 9] 2. Extend Active Period II [1,000 > 1,500] 3. Increase Effect I [+900% > +1,400%] 4. Add Experience Preservation Charge IV [+1] This time around, I knew exactly what to pick. If Niamh was telling the truth¡ªand for all her faults, she didn¡¯t strike me as a liar¡ªthe Council would be coming for us now. If they came, there was a good chance I¡¯d need to use the Sisyphus Artifact again. So I might as well keep the experience when I did die. But until then, I was going to want to grow stronger as quickly as possible. Artifact upgraded confirmed! Sisyphus Artifact Charges Remaining: (1 / 8) Active Effect: Legacy of Sisyphus Days remaining: 902 / 1,000 XP gain increased by +1,400% The rest of the notifications weren¡¯t time-sensitive; I could deal with those later. For now, Val and I had to turn our attention to the two unconscious men lying on the deck of the sinking ship. Unsurprisingly, it was Lore that we ran to first, though we quickly established that he was¡­ absolutely fine? Sleeping, but fine. Niamh really had spent so much of her mana healing his wounds¡ªbut why? I had the worrying feeling that we¡¯d find out before long. We¡¯d need to wake Lore up soon, before the ship sank entirely, but that was nothing a bucket of cold water over the head couldn¡¯t fix. Elandor, however, was much worse for wear. He¡¯d taken some very heavy wounds, wounds which Val poured all her Healing magicks into¡­ but it wasn¡¯t enough to fix them. The witch did just enough to bring Elandor conscious, to face down his rapidly approaching end. For what it was worth, the elf did so with honour. ¡®Worldbender,¡¯ he croaked, and this time I let it slide. ¡®My bow¡­¡¯ ¡®The battle¡¯s over, Elandor. We won. We killed her.¡¯ ¡®And¡­ Sunalor?¡¯ I cast a glance over my shoulder at the coastline, but I simply couldn¡¯t tell; it was too far. ¡®I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t know.¡¯ Elandor forced a smile to his face. ¡®You might have lied to me, but I respect that you did not. My bow¡­ do you see it?¡¯ In answer, I nodded. ¡®Please, take it. As a gift.¡¯ I slid the bow out from under his hand. ¡®For¡­ me?¡¯ Elandor laughed. ¡®I never will understand human humour. No, worldbender. Not for you. For the Hero of Iranir. For Lieutenant Cladenor. I think¡­ he has earned it.¡¯ These would turn out to be the last words of Elandor, leader of the Red Thorn. * * * As it happened, waking Lore up had ended up being much more difficult than I¡¯d expected. Splashing cold water on him hadn¡¯t done it, and I¡¯d been about out of ideas when it had occurred to Val to slap him in the face¡ªseveral times. When Lore awoke, sporting a bright red patch on his red cheek, he blinked at the situation around him. ¡®Did I kill her?¡¯ he asked. Val and I couldn¡¯t help but laugh, and the witch clapped the barbarian around the shoulder. ¡®You did a good job, buddy.¡¯ From the bright smile that emerged on his face, Lore was happy enough with that result. I tried to smile at Val too, but though she was otherwise acting normally to me, she didn¡¯t seem to quite be able to meet my eye. What with me still having so little mana left in my reserves, we¡¯d had to swim to the nearest ship¡ªwith the now fresh Lore doing most of the work. After we tired ourselves beyond all belief, Val and I clinged onto the barbarian¡¯s loose-fitting top as he continued swimming, not slowing down even slightly. Lore even considered climbing the rope ladder at the side of the ship with us still hanging on, but ultimately asked us to get on by ourselves. I grunted my teeth as I pushed my exhausted legs up one by one, and then staggered onto the deck of a ship without any holes in the hull. Only then could the three of us look back at the city of Sunalor, and hope that our friends had been successful in their quest to save it. We sailed back towards it as the invasion continued, Val and I admittedly unlikely to make any difference to the tide of war, so exhausted were we by our encounter with Niamh, but we went anyway¡ªdetermined to see this journey through to its end. And then an explosion¡ªno, two¡ªrang out across the harbour. I thought at first that this was another mine¡ªperhaps we¡¯d hit something, even¡ªbut then the noise was followed up by an almighty screech, and a crack. We watched on as two of the towering Dawnwood trees began to fall, one on each side of the city, plummeting towards the dirt. Even at this distance, we could hear the smashing of buildings beneath them, homes sacrificed in the name of the defence of Sunalor. But we also knew that to fell a tree of the Dawnwood was heresy. It was the act of a desperate man, an act that Corminar had needed to resort to once before. ¡®It wasn¡¯t enough,¡¯ I breathed, and though neither Val nor Lore replied, I knew that they agreed. All we had done, by killing Niamh, was take their general away. But we¡¯d been too late, and the new Golden Empire¡¯s had been too great in number. In those latter stages of the invasion, they¡¯d been powerful enough even without Niamh to ensure that the elves hadn¡¯t stood a chance. Corminar had failed. Sunalor had fallen.
"Styk" Level 17 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 50 Intelligence ¡ª 174 Dexterity ¡ª 104 Strength ¡ª 76 Wisdom ¡ª 57 Charisma ¡ª 37
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 50 Knifework ¡ª Level 39 Stealth ¡ª Level 19 Needlework ¡ª Level 12 Identification ¡ª Level 11
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Local Portal II ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a ten yard radius. Uses mana/second. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Stealth Attack II ¡ª Passive. 80% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
143. Extraction ¡®Are you sure about this?¡¯ Val asked me, her eyes on the city and not on mine. ¡®We¡¯ve got to give them something to aim for. And I can think of nothing better. Unless you want to go into the city yourself, and find them?¡¯ Lore raised his hand. ¡®If it¡¯s all the same to you, I quite like it here on this ship and not surrounded by thousands of enemies. I¡¯ve had enough of enemies.¡¯ Val sighed; she knew the alternatives. Either we produced a signal for Corminar and Arzak to run towards¡ªassuming they were still alive¡ªor we go in and get them ourselves. And I think even Val was getting tired of jail breaks by this point. Of course, there was a third option: we could have turned our ship around and sailed away¡ªbut it was so far from the heroic thing to do that I didn¡¯t even bother to voice it. The witch closed her eyes, gathering her remaining mana and then beginning a ritual. It didn¡¯t matter what the ritual was¡ªVal had chosen one that took a little while¡ªbecause what we really were after was¡­ Val shot the green glowing Witchcraft magicks into the air¡ªa pillar of light that lit up the harbour for all to see. Of those in the city, many would know it was Witchcraft, but only Corminar and Arzak would realise that Val was the one doing it. When the pillar of light had shone brilliantly for a good half a minute, I tapped Val gently on the shoulder, bringing her back down to Alterra. Unless I was mistaken, she flinched at my touch. Our signal released, all we could do now was wait¡ªand see whether it was friend or foe that reached us first. With nothing but time to kill now, I brought up some recent notifications once more¡ªmy Worldbending ability selection window. This time, I¡¯d levelled up my skill to level 50, and I knew from past lives that this could only be a big one. Ability selection unlocked Select an ability from the list below: Option 1: Portal Relay (Worldbending) [Requires: any ¡®Portals¡¯ ability] ¡ª Passive. Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned relative to an entity, and used to communicate sound. This ability had to be what Niamh had ordered casted on her, so that she could manage the invasion from afar. There were definitely use cases, particularly because I worked in a team¡ªthough whether the rest of the Slayers would like me being the hub that provided orders was another matter entirely. Having access to more portals at once definitely had its upside too, but they were ¡°small-scale¡±, so I imagined I wouldn¡¯t exactly be able to fit through them. Still, if it meant I could put my hand through and steal things¡­ I shook my head, reminding myself that I wasn¡¯t a thief anymore; I was a hero. A hero. After taking down not one but two Players, how could I be anything else? This was already a high bar in terms of ability choice, but I could see that there were still three more options to come, so I put it aside mentally for now. Hidden condition met! Alternative ability choice unlocked. Option 2: Pocket World Transit (Worldbending) [Requires: ¡®Pocket Worlds¡¯ ability] ¡ª Enter your pocket worlds. When you exit once more, any distance you cover within your pocket world will be reflected on the outside. I had to resist the urge to smile at this one, but its applications were definitely appealing. It meant that I could cover huge distances undisturbed, appearing out of nowhere in, perhaps, the middle of an enemy camp, or a bank vault. There were just two issues with it. First, would I be able to properly measure distance from within a pocket world, with no landmarks to speak of. And secondly¡­ was I really sure I wanted to go inside them? I kept my mind open to it, and move on to the next option. Hidden condition met! Alternative ability choice unlocked. Option 3: Needle Dart (Worldbending) [Requires: Needlework level 10] ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings and magick-imbued objects. Uses mana per use. This was quite a fun one, but perhaps not as game-changing as the previous two. I could already throw needles through portals if I really wanted to, though this ability would presumably have these ¡°minimised¡± portals be much subtler. And the targeting exclusions were more limiting than they initially appeared. Without them, I could launch needles at vital organs. But with them¡­ not so much. But there was still one option left to me. Hidden condition met! Alternative ability choice unlocked. Option 4: Enhanced Portals (Worldbending) [Requires: ¡®Local Portals¡¯ ability] ¡ª Replaces ¡®Local Portals¡¯. Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. ¡®Wow,¡¯ I mouthed to myself. At first glance, this was a decent improvement to an already vital ability of mine. But then I¡¯d thought about it further, reading it through again and again so that I could see everything that it changed. Having two pairs of portals instead of one essentially doubled the Local Portals ability¡¯s power alone¡ªthough I¡¯d have to practise holding four portals in my mind¡¯s eye at the same time. But this wasn¡¯t all that this ability replacement achieved. Instead of requiring mana per second to keep a portal open, the mana cost was only to open them. This meant that my mana went a lot further, and I could keep more back for my Warped Shield ability, or to power my dagger attacks through my Mana-Fuelled passive. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Also, when combined with the whole ¡°having two pairs of portals¡± thing, it meant that I could keep one half of a pair open at a safe location without doing myself in. We could always have an exit open to us at any time, simply by having me move or open its partner. All these possibilities appeared to me immediately, and I could only imagine that there were more still to come. My selection was obvious to me. Ability unlocked ¡ª Enhanced Portals Enhanced Portals (Worldbending) ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. I closed my eyes, allowing myself to feel the upgraded ability seeping in through my body. Was it my imagination, or could I really feel it? At that moment, Val cried out, pointing into the water. I followed her line of sight. There, in the distance, was a figure, swimming through the Sea of Roots. No, I realised. Two figures; one was carrying the other on their back. We couldn¡¯t help but cheer when we saw who it was¡ªArzak, covered in injuries, straining herself to carry an unconscious Corminar on her back as she swam through the water. Lore ran to roll down the ladder on the side of the ship, then leaped down it, offering an outstretched hand. Arzak took it. ¡®Nice see you,¡¯ she said. ¡®Yeah, you too,¡¯ replied the barbarian, and heaved Arzak onto the ladder before pulling Corminar from her exhausted frame. ¡®Heal,¡¯ Arzak said, holding her wounds. ¡®Heal him now.¡¯ Val ran to Corminar¡¯s side as Lore lowered him to the deck, rifling through his robe. I saw the injuries he¡¯d suffered in the pursuit of defending his homeland¡ªtears, bruises, broken bones. He¡¯d given everything. And still, we¡¯d failed. Val pulled a small blue vial from Corminar¡¯s pocket and downed it. The vial didn¡¯t even hit the deck before she began healing him, pulling him back from the verge of death. ¡®We lose,¡¯ Arzak said. ¡®We know,¡¯ Val replied. ¡®I¡¯m sorry; we weren¡¯t fast enough.¡¯ ¡®You kill her?¡¯ the orc asked. ¡®Styk did.¡¯ Arzak didn¡¯t celebrate this, only holding Val¡¯s gaze before casting a glance in my direction, presumably too exhausted to find joy in this. Corminar stirred while Val healed him, mumbling about the invasion, and how he''d ¡°had to do it¡±. There was distress in the elf''s voice¡ªdistress that wouldn''t fade once he finally did wake up. ¡®Guys,¡¯ Lore said. I looked immediately to the horizon, not to him, thinking that he was saying an enemy was approaching. But there was no one. ¡®What¡¯s up?¡¯ ¡®I¡­ have an active effect.¡¯ Arzak and I blinked back at him. ¡®What?¡¯ ¡®Man of Prophesy,¡¯ Lore read from the system messages before him. ¡®I think¡­ I think Niamh did it to me, before she died. When you said she was healing me? Cos I saw what she saw¡ªsomething huge, something I don¡¯t understand yet. Something that the depth raider showed me too. Something¡¯s coming, and I think¡­ I have to be there.¡¯ Silence crossed the ship for a moment. ¡®What does it do, this effect?¡¯ Val asked. ¡®It gives me¡­¡¯ Lore swallowed. ¡®It gives me visions of destiny. I only found the effect cos I saw one. Something flashed in front of my eyes¡ªa woman. Cleo.¡¯ My mother. I felt Val¡¯s eyes bearing into me. ¡®I think we were fighting alongside her? We were fighting with¡­ a Player? Or against Cleo, too? I can¡¯t tell, I think there¡¯s¡­ I think there¡¯s two futures, one good, one bad. I think this effect, it tells us what we need to do to get to where Niamh saw me. She wanted me there so much, she gave me a glimpse into my future.¡¯ ¡®You know what we need do next?¡¯ Arzak asked. Lore shook his head. ¡®No, I don¡¯t think it works like that. I think¡­ I don¡¯t know, I think we just have to wait, see what the visions say when they come, and make the right decisions in the moment.¡¯ ¡®Or the ¡°wrong¡± ones,¡¯ Val said. ¡®We should make sure Niamh doesn¡¯t get her way.¡¯ ¡®But if we make the wrong ones, maybe we don¡¯t make it to the Council¡¯s grand plan. Maybe we don¡¯t get to stop it.¡¯ The ship fell quiet once more, before I spoke. ¡®The ¡°why¡± is important, sure. I want to know why Niamh wanted you there as much as the rest of you. But there¡¯s something else we¡¯re missing: this effect, it seems to be leading you to the Players. It¡¯s leading us to the fight. Niamh said that the Council would be hunting us, but we have a weapon of our own, now. ¡®Now, we can hunt them too.¡¯
"Styk" Level 17 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 50 Intelligence ¡ª 174 Dexterity ¡ª 104 Strength ¡ª 76 Wisdom ¡ª 57 Charisma ¡ª 37
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 50 Knifework ¡ª Level 39 Stealth ¡ª Level 19 Needlework ¡ª Level 12 Identification ¡ª Level 11
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Stealth Attack II ¡ª Passive. 80% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
144. Interlude — Val Val held Styk¡¯s Blade of Samal in her hand, balancing it on her fingers as she stared down at her sleeping lover. They were sailing north at a rapid pace, the Great Golden Canal Project not far ahead of them. Corminar, who Val had just about saved from death¡ªnot that anyone had thanked her for it¡ªthought that the canal would be abandoned now, it having served its singular purpose. Arzak wasn¡¯t so sure, and had volunteered to keep watch on the upper deck just to ensure they didn¡¯t run into any trouble. But none of this was of concern to Val in that moment; she had bigger things to worry about. Like what to do with the information that Niamh had handed her on the flagship¡ªthat Styk was the son of a Player. He¡¯d been so kind to her after learning what her real class had been, and she would have loved to return that favour, but¡­ There was a difference between being naturally gifted at Witchcraft and being the spawn of the invaders from the ascended world. That was something that ran in the blood. Something that, maybe, couldn¡¯t be overlooked. Val adjusted her grip on the knife, holding it like Styk would, when he intended to use it. None of the others knew. Not yet, at least. Val had considered telling them, warning them of what they were travelling with. They had the right to know. But Val¡­ just couldn¡¯t bring herself to say the words. Who really was he? What did she really know about Styk, truth be told? He¡¯d always glossed over his past life, and the people he¡¯d killed. Not to mention how he reacted to any talk of his parents, though at least Val understood why, now. Styk might have been content to not know where he¡¯d come from, but Val wasn¡¯t. Could she really trust a man like that? Val toyed with the knife, knowing she wasn¡¯t going to do it. Knowing she couldn¡¯t do it. No matter Styk¡¯s sins, no matter who he was¡­ she couldn¡¯t kill the man she loved. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. She placed the knife gently down next to Styk, where she¡¯d found it, and turned away. A large figured loomed in the doorway. Val¡¯s heart skipped a beat at first, expecting danger, but then she recognised the shape as Arzak. ¡®How much of that did you see?¡¯ she whispered, thankful that Styk was a heavy sleeper. Maybe not as heavy a sleeper as Lore, but heavy nonetheless. In answer, Arzak, gestured for Val to follow her up onto deck. This¡­ probably wasn¡¯t a good sign. If her orc friend had seen her with the knife, playing with the idea of¡­ Well, best not to think about it, really. Up on deck, Arzak turned to her. ¡®You know?¡¯ Val took a very literal step back. ¡®You know?¡¯ she threw back at her friend. ¡®For some time. Do research of own back in Rose Home. About Sisyphus Artifact. About who can use. About¡­ him. Thought better to keep close. To watch.¡¯ The orc looked down at the newest of her pair of swords. ¡®He not show sign of turning out like Players.¡¯ Val wished she could agree. ¡®You sure? Have you not heard all this stuff he¡¯s been spouting about us being heroes? He¡¯s really beginning to see himself that way. As a hero.¡¯ ¡®Is problem? Long as he do good¡­¡¯ ¡®He think we¡­ he thinks he is better than everyone else. Don¡¯t you see it?¡¯ Arzak stared back at her for a moment. ¡®Mm-hmm.¡¯ She nodded. ¡®Do we really think that¡¯s not how Players start out? We know they think they¡¯re being honourable. We know they do stuff for people, get people lauding them. But then, as time passes¡­ Suddenly they think themselves heroes without actually doing anything heroic.¡¯ Arzak remained quiet, allowing Val to sit with this thought for a time. The waves splashed against the hull. The lights of the canal glowed just ahead of them. It was this, the sight of the Great Golden Canal Project, that made Val realise what she had to do. ¡®I¡¯m¡­ going, Arzak.¡¯ The orc nodded, taking this in her stride. ¡®No. You not go. We go.¡¯ 145. The Boys Club Part XVI: The Councilman The city of Westbara: a glamorous locale, built on the riches of Goldmarch merchants, a joining of the traditional human architecture and the tiled arches of tiefling design from the west. To this day, the very same trade flows through this hub¡ªsilks, spices, jewels¡ªand more than ever before. Fort West was the epitome of this amalgamation of culture, both in terms of the architecture and the rulers of this large province. Queen¡ªnow Empress¡ªAmira so often pointed to this city as evidence of the Goldmarch being made stronger by their acceptance of other peoples, and rightly so; few cities the world over were as beautiful as this one. It was just a shame I was here to kill someone. ¡®Hit him again,¡¯ I told Lore. The barbarian looked down at their prisoner, tied to a chair in the basement of their own home. A member of the Cult of Ascendency¡ªa group of devout Player-worshippers who believed that if they served the Players enough, they would be taken with them to their home. Of course, me and the team knew that the Ascended World was broken, that the Players were fleeing it¡ªbut try telling a cultist that. Lore punched the man again. ¡®Tell us. Tell us where the Player is.¡¯ The cultist said nothing, spitting a globule of blood onto the dusty floor. Corminar¡ªthe only other person in the room¡ªwatched on. ¡®Perhaps an arrow might loosen his tongue.¡¯ ¡®I told you,¡¯ I said. ¡®He¡¯s weak enough. An arrow could kill him!¡¯ ¡®Well, this certainly isn¡¯t working, is it?¡¯ Corminar asked. ¡®We have been here for, I am estimating, an hour? At this point, we would be fools not to alter our strategy.¡¯ Lore groaned. Again. Then turned to the prisoner. ¡®They¡¯ve been like this ever since Val and Arzak left. Bickering. If Arzak was here, she¡¯d have put a stop to it by now, but¡­ Well, they don¡¯t listen to me, do they?¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t know,¡¯ said the prisoner. ¡®They don¡¯t,¡¯ Lore insisted, then hit him again. It was true; Corminar had been getting right on my nerves. I¡¯d tried to hold my tongue at first, because he¡¯d just watch his home fall to invaders. We¡¯d been there to try to stop it, killing a Player in the process, but we¡¯d been too late¡ªthe new Golden Empire had made the Dawnwoods their latest acquisition. But this excuse only went so far, and I was getting pretty sick of his attitude¡ªsomething that he said about me, too. ¡®Reveal the location of the Player now,¡¯ Corminar growled, drawing the bow gifted to him by Elandor in his dying breath. ¡®Woah!¡¯ I said, jumping between Corminar and the prisoner. ¡®What did I just say?¡¯ ¡®You are not the leader of this team.¡¯ ¡®Lore, back me up here,¡¯ I tried. I didn¡¯t hear anything from the barbarian standing behind me for a moment. ¡®I¡­ dunno.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re on his side?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m not on any side!¡¯ Lore protested. I heard him turn back to the prisoner and begin mumbling under his breath again. ¡®See what I mean? This is about as bad as it has been, since Arzak and Val left, admittedly, but¡­ Oh!¡¯ I whipped my head around to look at Lore, thinking he was in trouble. ¡®What? What¡¯s going on?¡¯ ¡®I got an idea!¡¯ Lore said. ¡®Can I try my idea?¡¯ ¡®He is not your leader,¡¯ Corminar reminded him. ¡®You may do as you wish. As long as it is sensible.¡¯ Excitedly, Lore turned back to the cultist. ¡®Arzak and Val, they were our friends, see. We didn¡¯t know why they¡¯d disappeared at first, but then like a week later, Styk here¡ªhe¡¯s the dishevelled one¡ª¡¯ ¡®Thanks?¡¯ I cut in, but Lore ignored me. ¡®¡ªhe decided to tell us. Was a big to-do, asked us to promise not to run away or attack him, and all that. And you know why they left? Because they found out who his mum was.¡¯ He looked to the cultist. ¡®I think you¡¯ll like this part. Styk¡¯s mum, she¡¯s a Player.¡¯ The cultist¡¯s eyes widened. ¡®Yeah, look, see?¡¯ Lore said to Corminar and me, pointing at our prisoner. ¡®He likes that!¡¯ The elf and I both sighed, which was about as close as we¡¯d come to agreeing with each other over the past couple of weeks of travel. We¡¯d abandoned our ¡°borrowed¡± ship at the Great Golden Canal, and we¡¯d headed west, chasing Lore¡¯s visions of a Player. His active effect¡ªMan of Prophesy¡ªhad been gifted to him by the last Player we¡¯d killed, the one who¡¯d lead the invasion of the Dawnwoods. She was determined that Lore make it to the completion of the Council¡¯s plan, foretelling that he was important somehow in ensuring it actually happened. This meant that Lore could now see the path that got him there. We weren¡¯t interested in much of it, but the parts that involved killing Players? That, we could get on board with. And one such vision had brought us to Westbara. That didn¡¯t mean we¡¯d hadn¡¯t got into some trouble along the way¡ªthe Goldmarch was quickly becoming a more violent place¡ªand I¡¯d made plenty of use of my experience gain boost to level up some more. This included upgrading my Stealth Attack ability to level 3, which granted me a massive +200% to damage when I attacked unnoticed, as well as an improved Cloth Armour ability on the Needlework front. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡®Val didn¡¯t take kindly to it, we think,¡¯ Lore continued. ¡®And Arzak went with her; they¡¯re good friends. But me and Corminar here, we¡¯re pretty open-minded. Corminar especially. We don¡¯t mind this kind of thing.¡¯ ¡®You¡­ have the blood of the Architects running through your veins?¡¯ the prisoner asked. It was about the most we¡¯d heard him say in¡­ well, ever. I pulled the Sisyphus Architect out from my inner jacket pocket. ¡®Only way I can use this. Does this mean you¡¯re going to tell us where the Player is?¡¯ ¡®I assumed that you meant to hurt them, but if they are family¡­ if you mean to aid them¡­¡¯ ¡®No, we¡ª¡¯ Lore started, but a pointed cough from Corminar made him slam his mouth shut. ¡®Sure,¡¯ I said, very happy to tell any lie if it got me what I wanted. ¡®We just wanna help my¡­ cousin.¡¯ The cultist narrowed his eyes. ¡®Swear on your mother, the Player.¡¯ ¡®I¡­ swear?¡¯ I said, unable to resist saying the second word like a question, because it couldn¡¯t be this easy. It was that easy. ¡®The Player you are after, he is known in these parts as the Councilman.¡¯ ¡®Yes, that sounds like the man we are after,¡¯ Corminar said. Councilman, Council¡­ it was a perfect fit. ¡®Where is he?¡¯ ¡®Right now?¡¯ the cultist said. ¡®He should be accepting the key to the city. For services rendered.¡¯ Lore grabbed his sword. ¡®Where?¡¯ ¡®Town square,¡¯ the prisoner replied. ¡®Why? Is he in trouble?¡¯ ¡®He is now,¡¯ I said, and then I opened a portal to the street outside. The three of us leaped through the portal and began to run, Lore somehow keeping up despite the fact that he had a massive sword to lug with him. We charged through the narrow, winding streets of this ancient city, and whenever there was enough straight road ahead of us, I opened a portal to close the distance. My portals attracted the attention of the soldiers in gold. The Goldmarch had changed since it moved from kingdom to empire, its soldiers cracking down on anything they even perceived as a threat to the peace. Anyone who got on their bad side would face down the full, heavily funded, force of the law, and those soldiers who did the cracking down could do whatever they wanted with impunity. We¡¯d discovered in our travels that the best thing to do was keep our heads down. But there was no time for that now. We ignored the shouts of the soldiers, charging onward, Corminar and Lore trusting me to use my portals to keep us out of trouble¡ªor to lose ourselves among the winding streets. Finally, I saw the crowd ahead of us, thousands standing in the town square, their attention on the steps that lead up to Fort West. With guards still following behind us, I opened a portal for the three of us to step through¡ªspilling us out into the centre of the crowd. ¡®Sorry, sorry,¡¯ Lore mumbled apologetically as people had to shift to one side to make room for his large frame. A short woman behind him, her view now blocked, coughed pointedly. Lore apologised again, then seemed to try to make himself as short as possible. Meanwhile, Corminar and I looked up to the steps to Fort West. On it, the Duke of Westbara shook the hand of a small, weedy man. Around us, thousands erupted in applause and cheers, sending their love to the man being honoured. Though, looking around, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder just how sincere this applause was¡ªwith some many Goldmarch soldiers around, did the locals just want to avoid being called traitors to the empire? Finally, Lore looked up at the man on the steps. ¡®Ah,¡¯ he said. ¡®That him?¡¯ I asked. ¡®The man with dozens of soldiers at his side, and thousands celebrating him? That¡¯s our Player?¡¯ ¡®Yep.¡¯ Lore nodded. ¡®That¡¯s him. That¡¯s our Councilman.¡¯ ¡®Oh good,¡¯ I said. This wasn¡¯t going to be easy.
"Styk" Level 18 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 50 Intelligence ¡ª 192 Dexterity ¡ª 109 Strength ¡ª 76 Wisdom ¡ª 70 Charisma ¡ª 41
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 51 Knifework ¡ª Level 39 Stealth ¡ª Level 22 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 16
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
146. Another Day On The Job ¡®Any thoughts?¡¯ I asked the two other Slayers who were standing at my side in the midst of this huge crowd. ¡®I assume a well-placed arrow in this moment is out of the question?¡¯ the ranger replied. I shook my head. ¡®Not unless you can guarantee that you could kill him in one hit.¡¯ Corminar opened his mouth, inevitably to say that he could, so I quickly continued, ¡®And not unless you can guarantee there aren¡¯t wards around to block the hit. I don¡¯t want hundreds of Soldiers chasing us down; even with my portals, I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d be able to get us out of that one.¡¯ The ranger sighed. ¡®Then we must scout. Monitor his habits. Discover where and when he is alone.¡¯ I nodded. ¡®Agreed. Lore, anything to add?¡¯ The barbarian blinked at us. ¡®Sorry, I got distracted. What we saying?¡¯ ¡®We¡¯re gonna follow him.¡¯ ¡®Works for me!¡¯ We looked back at the Player, huge grin on his face as he continued to speak enthusiastically to the woman who had handed him the oversized ¡°key to the city¡±. He was saying something about the great and important work he¡¯d done, how he was Westbara¡¯s saviour, blah blah blah¡­ I wasn¡¯t really listening. ¡®He¡¯s¡­ not moving any time soon, is he?¡¯ Lore asked. ¡®No,¡¯ Corminar replied. ¡®Tavern?¡¯ I asked, nodding to one on the edge of the town square. ¡®Tavern,¡¯ both the ranger and the barbarian agreed. We pushed through the crowd towards the tavern, taking care to weave around any soldiers in gold uniform who might recognise us. At the edge of the crowd, I looked around for any more guards, but the only ones in sight were busy kicking a man who was already on the ground. At least¡­ they were distracted? I hurried across the open space to the tavern door, Corminar close behind me, and then we turned to find that Lore had stopped. His eyes were on a shop next door, one that catered towards people organising fetes and fairs. ¡®Are you coming?¡¯ I asked. ¡®Get me a beer, I¡¯ll be there in a pop.¡¯ Corminar and I looked to each other and shrugged, then entered the tavern. This close to the city centre, the taverns were busy, so when I spotted a free table I hurried over to grab it. ¡®This round on you?¡¯ I asked Corminar. He looked as though he was about to refuse, but then he shrugged and disappeared to join the mass at the bar. While I waited, I sat and looked around at the big city folk in the tavern, those with fancy¡ªand clean!¡ªoutfits, freshly trimmed hair, and the occasional ornate weapon. We could have lived like that if we¡¯d wanted to, admittedly¡ªVal seemed to have a never-ending supply of coin¡ªbut we had a more important purpose. My heart dropped as I thought of Val again. I¡¯d known she wouldn¡¯t take the news about my Player ancestry well, but I¡¯d thought she of all people would understand that you were more than your blood. I¡¯d thought maybe she¡¯d be in a huff for a few days, or we¡¯d have an argument. I didn¡¯t think she would disappear entirely. I almost felt¡­ angry that she¡¯d had this reaction? Like I deserved more. I may not have ended up being one of the heroes who saved Sunalor¡ªbecause, well, nobody saved Sunalor¡ªbut we¡¯d still done plenty of good in the world. We¡¯d taken down two evil Players. We were heroes. So why wasn¡¯t that more important than where I¡¯d come from? Lore arrived at the table first, and when he did so, he was wearing a pointy paper hat, tied by a string under his chin. ¡®What¡­ are you wearing?¡¯ I asked. He blinked back at me. ¡®A party hat.¡¯ ¡®OK. Why are you wearing a party hat?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s my birthday.¡¯ It was my turn to blink with surprise. ¡®Oh. Why didn¡¯t you say anything? We¡¯ll get a few beers in, celebrate properly.¡¯ Lore shrugged. ¡®Didn¡¯t wanna make a big deal out of it. And we¡¯ve got other stuff on our plates, haven¡¯t we?¡¯ I nodded in agreement, though I felt a little guilty about it. Maybe I should have bought him a present or something. Could I afford to lose more friends? When Corminar returned, grasping a triangle of glasses between two hands, we had to have the same conversation again. ¡®Your hat¡­¡¯ he said, placing the beers down. ¡®Is it¡­?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s a party hat,¡¯ I replied. Corminar didn¡¯t take his eyes off the hat. ¡®And, may I ask, why¡ª¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s his birthday,¡¯ I said, at the same time that Lore said, ¡®It¡¯s my birthday.¡¯ The elf paused for a moment. ¡®I see. Perhaps after we deal with this so-called Councilman, I will purchase a cake.¡¯ Damn. I should have offered that. We sipped our beers, one of us occasionally peering outside to see when the Councilman was finished. The crowd was slowly evaporating, but from what we could tell, the Councilman himself was taking a lot of joy from giving a long, long speech. ¡®Probably shouldn¡¯t have another, should we?¡¯ I asked as I drank the last of the beer. ¡®Want to have clear heads when we¡ª¡¯ This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡®He¡¯s moving,¡¯ Lore suddenly noticed. We rose from the table and hurried out of the tavern, spilling onto the street¡ªone of us still wearing a silly hat. ¡®Should probably take that off,¡¯ I told Lore. ¡®Makes you stand out to the guards.¡¯ ¡®No, I¡¯ve thought about this, it¡¯s a disguise, see? If they start looking for a guy with a party hat on, I just¡­ take it off. Then I¡¯ll be invisible to them.¡¯ I considered this for a moment, and then shrugged; I couldn¡¯t find any flaw in that logic. We waited for the Councilman to finally finish his speech, in awe of his ability to ignore just how much the crowd was dwindling. Finally, bowed deeply, long and drawn-out, and the ceremony was finally over. When the Councilman departed, he was flanked by a half dozen rather large soldiers in the golden uniform of the empire, and so we kept our distance; now that there were only three of us, we wouldn¡¯t be able to handle so many. The Councilman traversed the city streets with these soldiers at his side, and I¡¯d expected him to keep to the inner city, where the rich and the powerful lived. But instead, he tore off to the west, towards the¡­ well, ¡°slums¡± might not be the right word, but it wasn¡¯t the wrong word either. Out here, the number of weapons we saw grew greater, and none of them, now, were ornate. But still, people knew better than to mess with the soldiers of the empire; even if they were to pick a fight and win, they¡¯d then have to deal with the whole of the city watch coming down on them. That didn¡¯t stop people eyeing up us, though, and it took Lore growling at a couple of people¡ªeven with the party hat, yes¡ªto warn them off. Eventually, the Councilman turned down a dark alley, and we approached the end of it, peering around the corner, to see what he was up to. In the alley, facing down the weedy Councilman and his much broader entourage, were three people: a young half-tiefling, half-human woman with a smirk on her face; a large warrior man who would have put us to shame if we didn¡¯t have Lore with us; and a very tall woman with a metal contraption on her forearm. It was to the half-tiefling woman that the Councilman spoke, though we couldn¡¯t quite make out what he was saying. Not for the first time, I regretted picking Enhanced Portals over Portal Relay when we¡¯d defeated Niamh, though admittedly the former had come in handy too. ¡®What are they saying?¡¯ I asked. ¡®Dunno, can¡¯t hear,¡¯ Lore replied. ¡®Cor?¡¯ ¡®You two talking is not helping matters,¡¯ the ranger replied. ¡®I believe they are speaking of¡­ a deal? Though it is not clear if they are making or resolving said deal.¡¯ The Councilman turned away, his guards doing the same, and we yanked our heads back around the corner. I searched around us for a spot to hide, and finally saw another shallow alley over the road. I portalled us over and out of sight just before the Councilman and guards turned the corner. ¡®What do we think, keep following?¡¯ I asked. Corminar nodded his agreement, and we turned the corner back out onto the street a few seconds after our targets passed. We kept slow, increasing the gap between us and the Councilman so we wouldn¡¯t be spotted, and¡ª A metal dart¡ªfor lack of a better word¡ªshot out from the original alley and landed squarely in the centre of Lore¡¯s party hat, pinning it to the wall of a nearby building. He struggled with the string as he tried to whip it off before it strangled him. I snapped my head towards the source of the dart, and spotted the tall woman, who had raised the metal contraption on her arm. She was flanked by the two others we¡¯d seen in the alley. ¡®Why are you spying on us?¡¯ the metal-arm woman asked. ¡®The Councilman may not have noticed, but we sure as well do.¡¯ ¡®And why are you wearing that, anyway?¡¯ the half-tiefling asked, nodding to the party hat nailed into the wall. ¡®It¡¯s his birthday,¡¯ Corminar and I explained simultaneously. ¡®Happy birthday. Why¡¯re you spending it eavesdropping? Or is this how you boys like to celebrate?¡¯ She clicked her fingers, and with that, a familiar purple glow burst into life beneath her feet. The woman fell deftly through it, landing at my side, and then whispered into my ear. ¡®If you¡¯re looking for a fight, you¡¯ve got one.¡¯ Before I could react, the woman kicked my leg behind my knee, dropping me to the floor. I spun around with my dagger, but it hit only air¡ªthe woman had disappeared through a portal once more. Another metal dart shot out of the tall woman¡¯s device, clipping Lore in the shoulder with enough force that he staggered backwards, and Corminar drew his bow on the other stranger, now charging at him. It looked as though we had a fight on our hands.
"Styk" Level 18 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 50 Intelligence ¡ª 192 Dexterity ¡ª 109 Strength ¡ª 76 Wisdom ¡ª 70 Charisma ¡ª 41
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 51 Knifework ¡ª Level 39 Stealth ¡ª Level 22 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 16
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
147. The Trio Alright, three on three. We can do this. It seemed we had already paired off, based on how the enemies had attacked us; Lore was facing down the woman with the metal magicks, while Corminar released his first shot into the Lore lookalike. This left me to face down the other worldbender. I looked at the street around me, watching people hurry away from the danger, and slam doors and window shutters behind them. I found the worldbender in the distance, down the alley, making a show of inspecting her long nails, and I couldn¡¯t help but be irritated by this¡ªeven though I knew that was the exact reaction she was looking for. I opened a portal beneath my feet and dropped through it, projecting myself across the alley with my dagger swinging. The other worldbender opened her eyes in surprise¡ªshe hadn¡¯t expected to be faced with her own magicks¡ªand hesitated, but not long enough that I could make contact with my knife. She opened another portal beneath her, and I pushed myself through it, using my body to stop it closing. ¡®Hmm,¡¯ the worldbender said as I pushed myself through the portal, and then she kicked me in the chest to try to force me back out of it again. ¡®Yeah, annoying when people do this, isn¡¯t it?¡¯ I replied. She replied with another kick, harder this time, and I stumbled back out the portal. After orienting myself once more, I spotted her down the alley, but this time she wasn¡¯t making a show of escaping¡ªrecognising now that I did actually pose a threat. I charged towards her, opening a portal in front of me once more, and I leaped through it. But this time, I opened the portal¡¯s partner in the air above her, and I fell down towards her. The worldbender saw me coming¡ªshe must have tried this trick before¡ªand she whipped her hands upwards to open a portal. I expected it to open between me and her, but instead she opened it at my side, managing to catch my knife arm. The impact disarmed me, sending the knife clattering to the ground down the alley, and I began to spin through the air. As I spun, I saw the woman open a portal beneath her once more, and this time I focused on getting through it before it could close. As I was falling at speed, this was no problem, and I managed to stop myself spinning in the air by holding out my hand and colliding it with the enemy. I grabbed on to her, not much worrying where my hands went. The woman gasped. ¡®Oi! Mind yourself!¡¯ I spun us around so that we¡¯d hit the ground enemy-first, but the worldbender saw through my plan. She whipped her hands back and opened a portal on the ground, which we fell through and then came out another one that was launching us directly upwards. Now, I was on the bottom. As we reached the apex of our launching into the air, I realised the woman would have closed the portal beneath us, so I opened one again. ¡®Oh, really?¡¯ she complained. ¡®Carle? Ama? Any help here? Think we¡¯re just gonna go around in circles otherwise.¡¯ We fell together through the portals, and now I was on top once more. When no answer came from the woman¡¯s colleagues, she grumbled to herself, ¡®Alright, well we¡¯ll try this then, won¡¯t we?¡¯ Her skin began to ripple, and I thought I was about to see the burning texture of Ash Husk come forth, but instead her skin grew¡­ cold? ¡®Frost husk?¡¯ I asked. ¡®Yeah. Pretty cool, yeah?¡¯ ¡®Yeah, pretty cool. But not as cool as¡­¡¯ I activated my Ash Husk ability, and my ashen skin began to cause the woman¡¯s to sizzle. The other worldbender yelped, trying to pull herself away, but I held on tight, hoping to distract her long enough that we¡¯d collide with the ground once more. We plummeted fast. ¡®Raelas!¡¯ the woman with the metal magicks cried out, and a large ball of metal suddenly shot towards me. It hit me in the side, spinning me around until I was on the bottom again. There was just enough time to open a portal, but not enough time to position it well. The woman, Raelas, and I fell through the portal in the ground, both of us hitting an elbow on the side of the portal and sending us spinning once more. ¡®I¡¯m starting to see why others find portal magicks annoying,¡¯ the woman said. ¡®Yeah, right?¡¯ I agreed. We flew out of the other portal, flying diagonally across the air and over our allies. Lore was now locked in a tussle with the other large man¡ªCarle, presumably¡ªand Corminar was using his agility to avoid the metal mage¡¯s attacks while loosing the odd arrow. Switching enemies had probably been a good idea. ¡®Need help?¡¯ I called out as the other worldbender and I soared over them. ¡®Yes!¡¯ both Corminar and Lore complained. I opened a portal beneath both of the other two enemies, dropping them onto their heads and giving my friends an advantage, before closing them again and opening another portal to catch me. This portal I paired with one horizontal to the ground, and Raelas and I came tumbling to a stop on the dusty street. ¡®You can do two sets?¡¯ the other worldbender exclaimed. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡®Yep.¡¯ ¡®Any chance we can call the portal magicks a wash, and like, not use them? Might make this quicker.¡¯ I shrugged. ¡®Sure.¡¯ ¡®Really?¡¯ With the flick of my wrist, I opened a portal below her. ¡®No.¡¯ Raelas fell tumbling through, and I opened another portal beneath her which I paired with one directly above. One thing I¡¯d realised since my portal magick upgrade was that having two pairs made it easy to trap someone in an unending loop. While Raelas fell, over and over and over, I turned my attention to the others. Corminar seemed to be the one having the most trouble. I opened a portal beneath my discarded dagger, dropped it into my hands, and then leaped into the air. Using my magicks, I was in the blink of an eye above the metal mage¡ªwho hadn¡¯t yet realised I was no longer occupied. I fell, knife pointing down, and I was just about to land the tip of my dagger in her flesh when Corminar made the mistake of glancing at me. Ama realised I was there in an instant, and she ripped some of the liquid metal from her sleeve and cast it above her¡ªmaking a solid sheet between me and her. My dagger bounced off the sheet, the impact knocking it from my hand, and my wrist cried out in pain. ¡®Think I broke something!¡¯ I shouted. ¡®Not your dagger, I hope?¡¯ Corminar asked. ¡®No, my wrist.¡¯ ¡®Good.¡¯ At that moment, the other burly man swept Lore¡¯s leg, knocking him to the ground. I whipped my good hand over to them, opening a portal to save Lore before Carle could bring his sword down into him, and Lore tumbled out at my side. ¡®Concentrate on the mage!¡¯ I shouted. ¡®We gotta thin their ranks!¡¯ At that moment, I saw a flash of movement out of the corner of my eye¡ªone which was followed up by a punch to the nose. ¡®Broke something else!¡¯ I shouted, stumbling backwards. Raelas stood before me, having broken out of my infinite fall trap. I cursed myself; of course she¡¯d have had no problem with that, she had portal magicks to use. Lore put himself between me and the other worldbender, and tried to punch her right back, but she used her portal magicks to be out of reach in a flash. ¡®This lot are ruining my birthday,¡¯ he grumbled. ¡®That¡¯s your fault for taking jobs on your birthday then, isn¡¯t it, big boy?¡¯ Raelas shouted. All three of us hesitated. ¡®What do you mean, ¡°taking jobs¡±?¡¯ I asked. Now it was Raelas¡¯s turn to hesitate. ¡®I mean¡­ you took the bounty on us, right? The Councilman sent you to tie up loose ends?¡¯ All efforts at attacks were starting to fade. I blinked at the half-tiefling woman. ¡®What? We didn¡¯t take any bounty.¡¯ ¡®Then why were you here?¡¯ ¡®Spying on him!¡¯ Raelas¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡®Not on us?¡¯ ¡®My dear, we do not know who in all the hells of creation you are,¡¯ Corminar replied. The worldbender glanced at him and then back to me, apparently thinking I was going to be easier to deal with. And maybe I was, these days. ¡®We¡¯re¡­ well, we don¡¯t have any official name, but people call us the Trio.¡¯ ¡®It sounds like you¡¯re just called the Trio, then,¡¯ I replied. ¡®No, people just call us that,¡¯ the worldbender insisted. ¡®So you¡¯ve heard of us?¡¯ ¡®No.¡¯ Raelas looked to Ama, then shrugged. ¡®Who are you lot, then?¡¯ ¡®The Slayers. Maybe you¡¯ve¡ª¡¯ ¡®No,¡¯ Raelas immediately cut me off. ¡®Though perhaps I should have done, one of you being so handsome and all¡­¡¯ Both Corminar and Lore beamed. ¡®Stop smiling!¡¯ I snapped at them. ¡®They tried to kill us!¡¯ ¡®Oh, right,¡¯ Lore mumbled. I turned back to Raelas. ¡®One thing I don¡¯t understand. You were making a deal with him, weren¡¯t you? The Councilman? Why would he want to kill you?¡¯ Raelas smiled. ¡®Because that big job he did? The one that saved Westbara, and got him the key to the city? He didn¡¯t do it. ¡®We did.¡¯
"Styk" Level 18 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 50 Intelligence ¡ª 192 Dexterity ¡ª 109 Strength ¡ª 76 Wisdom ¡ª 70 Charisma ¡ª 41
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 51 Knifework ¡ª Level 39 Stealth ¡ª Level 22 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 16
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
148. More Important Things To Worry About ¡®Because that big job he did? The one that saved Westbara, and got him the key to the city? He didn¡¯t do it. We did.¡¯ None of us three Slayers said anything for a moment. Lore, in the end, was the one who opened his mouth first. ¡®What job?¡¯ Raelas slouched. ¡®You lot aren¡¯t from round here, are you?¡¯ ¡®Tundras,¡¯ I replied. ¡®The Dawnwood,¡¯ Corminar said. ¡®I am. I¡¯m from here,¡¯ Lore finished. We all turned to look at him, and he looked back at us, confused. ¡®Grew up round here, didn¡¯t I? Well, further west. Northwest, really. In the Beached Armada proper. A little town called Coldharbour. But these sorts of parts, at least. And I thought that would count.¡¯ He looked at Raelas. ¡®Does that count?¡¯ ¡®I¡­¡¯ Raelas started, then didn¡¯t seem to find an end to that sentence. ¡®If you are not here in order to kill us,¡¯ Carle said, in an accent far posher than I had expected, given his whole¡­ vibe, ¡®then why are you here? Surely you do not mean to kill a Player?¡¯ ¡®No, course not,¡¯ I replied, instinctively. Admitting such a thing in any parts¡ªparticularly here, under the empire¡ªwas a recipe for dying fast. ¡®Who¡¯d wanna do that? Even saying that would put the whole city on our case, and we¡ª¡¯ ¡®Cos we do,¡¯ Raelas interrupted. ¡®We wanna kill him.¡¯ I trailed off. ¡®Oh, right. In that case, yeah. Yeah, we do too.¡¯ ¡®Nice. Not often you meet people who want to kill the offspring of the Architects, is it? Some like-minded souls, and all that.¡¯ ¡®Really?¡¯ Lore asked. ¡®This isn¡¯t some kind of trap? You¡¯d really kill a Player?¡¯ Raelas shrugged. ¡®We kill all sorts; we don¡¯t discriminate. You wanna team up?¡¯ This wasn¡¯t quite the heroic response it could have been. She could have said they slayed evil no matter who it was, but the way she phrased it seemed to imply that the ¡°evil¡± bit was optional. Still, with Arzak and Val still missing, we could use all the help we could get. ¡®Do you know where he lives?¡¯ I asked. The half-tiefling smiled. ¡®I¡¯m going to take that as a ¡°yes¡±.¡¯ * * * I¡¯d suggested going to a tavern and talking through the plan over a pint or two, but this idea had been met with raised eyebrows. Ama had said, ¡®We would want a clear head if we are going after a Player,¡¯ in a tone like you¡¯d use to talk to a child. So instead we were sitting in a place that served only food¡ªyou couldn¡¯t even buy beer if you wanted!¡ªthat had a slightly obscured view of the manor where the Councilman took residence. ¡®We¡¯re all clear on the plan, then?¡¯ Raelas asked. After the nods and murmurs of agreement, she reached towards the large breadcrumbs she¡¯d used to mark our positions on the table in front of us. She reached across me, almost uncomfortably close, and swept the crumbs onto the floor. Raelas lingered there to glance at me, surely noticing how rigidly I was sitting in my chair. ¡®You OK there, handsome?¡¯ ¡®I still think we should portal him elsewhere,¡¯ I said, stumbling on my words, flustered. ¡®We don¡¯t know how many guards he has inside there with him. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to fight on our terms?¡¯ I didn¡¯t really buy this logic that was coming out of my mouth, but it was better than acknowledging the other worldbender¡¯s question. ¡®We don¡¯t know how many guards are inside, correct,¡¯ Ama said. ¡®But we also do know how many are outside.¡¯ ¡®Thousands,¡¯ Lore said, nodding knowingly. I opened my mouth to defend this point of view further, but snapped it shut again when I realised I¡¯d only be digging myself deeper. Anything else I might have said instead was completely lost when Raelas winked at me. Lore caught my eye from across the table, and then glanced at Raelas. ¡®Why do you wanna kill him, anyway?¡¯ This question drew Raelas¡¯s attention away from me and to the barbarian instead. I smiled my thanks to Lore, though I admittedly wasn¡¯t completely sure this was why he¡¯d done it. ¡®We completed work for him, and he didn¡¯t pay. That¡¯s what you three stumbled on to. Thinks he can get the key to Westbara and then bring his new guards with him to tell us he¡¯s not paying. Only reason we took the damned job was because it paid well.¡¯ ¡®And if we were to let this slide, then of course that might give future employers ideas about not paying us either¡­¡¯ Carle added. We¡¯d heard a similar thing from the Red Thorn. Of course, we had been the ones who hadn¡¯t paid up, back then. ¡®Yeah, I know a few elves who¡¯d agree with you.¡¯ I gestured to Corminar. ¡®He still has one of their bows, actually. Gave it to him after the Battle of Sunalor.¡¯ Ama raised her eyebrows. ¡®You were there?¡¯ ¡®There?¡¯ I repeated. ¡®Corminar here was leading the¡ª¡¯ The elf shook his head abruptly, and I changed course. Fair enough really; I probably wouldn¡¯t want people talking about my failures either. ¡®We were there, yeah.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯ve been all around, huh?¡¯ Raelas asked, her eyes trained squarely on me. As she held my gaze, she fiddled with her long hair, adjusting it around her short, curling horns. I did not know what to do with such unabashed attention. Lore coughed. ¡®Yeah, we were there. Us three, Arzak, Val¡­¡¯ I had to assume that this comment was for my benefit, even though I hadn¡¯t done anything; it was Raelas who was being so forthcoming here. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡®And where is this Val?¡¯ the fellow worldbender asked. ¡®She¡ª¡¯ ¡®Oh, good heavens, look at the time,¡¯ Corminar said, looking up at the sun hanging low in the sky. ¡®Perhaps we should be killing a Player now?¡¯ I smiled to Corminar, thanking him for the interruption, and the six of us rose from our seats. Raelas threw down a large handful of coins onto the table to pay for our food. ¡®It¡¯s on me,¡¯ she said, her eyes fixed on me to let me know that this act was entirely for my benefit. We strolled along the road, taking care not to glance at the manor in which the Player was staying all that much, and slowed to a halt on the junction. ¡®Alright,¡¯ Raelas said. ¡®Remember the plan: Styk, you create a distraction. I¡¯ll portal the rest of us inside. Then you¡¯ll join us, yeah?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll join you,¡¯ I confirmed. ¡®Don¡¯t be long, now,¡¯ the other worldbender said with eyes that seemed to challenge me. ¡®I¡ª¡¯ ¡®I knew it!¡¯ a voice suddenly shouted. Our six faces whipped up to face the source of the cry¡ªa window in the manor house overlooking the cobbled street. ¡®I knew you would not be able to let it go!¡¯ The Councilman beamed, his tone sounding almost excitable as he looked down on the Trio from up above. ¡®Arch-nemesis¡­es at last!¡¯ ¡®Nemeses,¡¯ Carle corrected him. ¡®Arch-nemeses at last. They always told me you could not rise so high without drawing the envious eyes of the locals, and here we are, about to do battle because¡ª¡¯ ¡®We ain¡¯t envious!¡¯ Raelas shouted up to him. It was nice for her attention to be fixed on someone else for a moment. ¡®Well, what are you then?¡¯ ¡®Unpaid,¡¯ Ama answered. ¡®Yes, well, one and the same, are they not? You are envious of the money that I have not handed over for services that you claim you rendered.¡¯ ¡®We did render them!¡¯ ¡®As I say, ¡°claim¡±.¡¯ ¡®Are we gonna stand around here bickering all day, or are we gonna fight?¡¯ I interrupted. The Councilman looked down at me. ¡®And who is this? A member of your ¡°Trio¡±?¡¯ ¡®You do know what ¡°trio¡± means, don¡¯t you?¡¯ Ama asked. Lore raised a hand. ¡®Are we still doing the plan, or¡­?¡¯ ¡®They¡¯re here to kill you, same as us,¡¯ Raelas informed the Councilman. ¡®Well don¡¯t say so that loudly!¡¯ I hissed at her. This was all going off the rails fast. I wasn¡¯t sure I¡¯d ever seen a plan go so wrong so quickly, in fact. The worldbender shrugged. ¡®Why not?¡¯ She looked around; most of the nearby people were hurrying off since the use of the word ¡°kill¡±, but a few guards were suddenly very, very interested in this conversation. ¡®Oh, right, yeah. You don¡¯t mind a few guards though, do you?¡¯ ¡®I mean, we¡¯re about to fight a Player, aren¡¯t we? Kinda think we need all the advantages we can get.¡¯ ¡®He¡¯s right, you know,¡¯ the Councilman said, glancing at me. ¡®We should begin. Oh, it¡¯s been so long since I was in a decent fight.¡¯ He flicked his wrist, and blue-white flames engulfed in hand. When they died away, a ghostly blue axe was in his hand. The Trio had already told me that the Councilman had decent Conjuration and Warrior skills, but it was weird to see a man as small and weedy as this one holding an axe. It almost felt like he should have been a pure magick user. ¡®Guards?¡¯ the Councilman called out to the approaching soldiers in golden uniform. ¡®Arrest these six for the crime of treason. And kill them if you must.¡¯ Treason¡ªthat¡¯s what it was, these day, to seek to kill a Player. The Players were the agents of Amira, Empress of the Golden Empire, and so trying to kill one of them was like hurting the empire itself. It was no wonder, then, that the soldiers jumped to follow his command. I looked around at those in golden uniform, encroaching on us in a broad circle, about seven of them so far, but more surely on the way. ¡®Yeah, maybe we should take this inside.¡¯ I reached one hand to the road beneath our feet, and the other up to the room the Councilman was peering out from, and was about to activate a portal, when¡ª Screams erupted from the near distance. All of our faces snapped to the source of the noise, friend and foe alike. Along the road from here we could just about see the western gate¡ªand people running, dragging their children, away from some evil that we could not see. ¡®What?¡¯ the Councilman asked, voice suddenly panicking. ¡®What is it?¡¯ Only Corminar, using his improved elven vision, could give an answer. ¡®Malae,¡¯ he said. ¡®Malae are attacking the city.¡¯ All chill ran down my spine, and the soldiers turned away from us. Suddenly, the accusation of treason didn¡¯t seem so important.
"Styk" Level 18 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 50 Intelligence ¡ª 192 Dexterity ¡ª 109 Strength ¡ª 76 Wisdom ¡ª 70 Charisma ¡ª 41
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 51 Knifework ¡ª Level 39 Stealth ¡ª Level 22 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 16
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
149. Monster Hunting ¡®How many? How many Malae?¡¯ I demanded of Corminar. From the looks of it¡ªthat is, people running screaming¡ªthere were a lot of them. ¡®At least four,¡¯ he said. ¡®Perhaps more.¡¯ The thing about Malae was that four was a lot. Even one had the potential to destroy a city this size, its touch likely to corrupt, its very presence pulling forth everyone¡¯s greatest fears. Corminar¡¯s eye twitched. ¡®Bees?¡¯ I asked, thinking back to the last time we¡¯d encountered a Mala together. ¡®Just buzzing,¡¯ he replied. ¡®For now.¡¯ ¡®Lore?¡¯ I asked. He shook his head, saying nothing, but his face was pale. ¡®No visions, either?¡¯ Again, he shook his head. ¡®Nothing that I saw. No Malae.¡¯ ¡®OK,¡¯ I said, and raised my voice to include not just the Slayers, but the Trio too. There was a speech that needed to be given whenever you faced down the Malae; something I knew from prior experience. Corminar had been there the last time we¡¯d faced down the Malae, back when we¡¯d been trying to fulfil his debt to the Red Thorn, but Lore had only heard us talk about the Malae, back when we¡¯d discovered the witchfinders had used them to power their experiments. And the others? As far as I knew, they had no real working knowledge of the monsters. ¡®There are three things you need to know before fighting a Mala,¡¯ I shouted. ¡®One: don¡¯t let it touch you. If it touches you¡ª¡¯ ¡®Then we¡¯ll have to kill you,¡¯ Lore said, his eyes trained fiercely on the gate where the Malae were roaming. ¡®Two: you¡¯re gonna feel some fear. Fear about things you didn¡¯t even know you were scared of. You gotta ignore it; it ain¡¯t real.¡¯ ¡®Lore, how do you¡ª¡¯ I began to ask. ¡®And last: it¡¯s like depth raiders¡ªthe stronger you are, the stronger they are.¡¯ I hesitated as I looked at Lore, there being a fire in his eyes that I wasn¡¯t sure I¡¯d seen before. Was it possible he¡¯d encountered the Malae in the past too? Was it possible that he had also lost someone to them? ¡®You¡¯re talking like we¡¯re going to fight them,¡¯ Raelas said. ¡®We¡¯ve faced them before; it¡­ ain¡¯t easy.¡¯ Carle nodded. ¡®I would much rather we leave town. There is a city guard to deal with this.¡¯ I shook my head. ¡®No. No, there¡¯s some things that go beyond all else. It doesn¡¯t matter right now that the guards want us dead; if we don¡¯t do something¡ªif we don¡¯t help¡ªthen many innocent people will die.¡¯ ¡®...And it might earn us some favour with the guards?¡¯ Ama added. It was this addition, not my reasoning, that seemed to convince the rest of the Trio. ¡®Alright,¡¯ Raelas said. ¡®Malae. Never fought Malae before. Could be fun.¡¯ ¡®It won¡¯t be.¡¯ Lore¡¯s eyes remained on the western gate. As we were about to move, a voice rang out from above. ¡®Excuse me!¡¯ The Councilman. ¡®Are we, or are we not, about to have our epic showdown?¡¯ I glanced to Corminar and Lore. ¡®Is it just me, or is this Player not anywhere near as intimidating as the others?¡¯ ¡®Others?¡¯ Raelas asked, eyebrows raised, whipping around to look at me. ¡®Impressive¡­¡¯ ¡®There are Malae attacking the city,¡¯ Corminar called up to the Player. ¡®Do you not think this comes before your petty squabbles?¡¯ How far he¡¯d come since I met him, when he was trading in these creature. Watching his home city fall to the enemy had matured him, though I hadn¡¯t told him that; he would have thought he was mature already. ¡®I think you should finish what you started,¡¯ the Councilman replied. In response, the six of us turned away. ¡®Fire?¡¯ I asked. ¡®Anyone have fire?¡¯ I looked to the three new allies, who all shook their heads or shrugged. ¡®I have a single explosive potion,¡¯ Corminar said. ¡®Though only one; we would need to use it well.¡¯ I nodded, then looked to Raelas. ¡®OK. I have some ideas on that, but I¡¯ll need your help.¡¯ The other worldbender nodded. ¡®The rest of you: draw the Malae¡¯s attention away from the others, but don¡¯t let them get too close. And definitely don¡¯t let them touch you. Understand?¡¯ Lore nodded knowingly, while the others expressed their agreement. ¡®Alright,¡¯ I said, ¡®let¡¯s go.¡¯ Raelas opened a portal that flicked the six of us closer to the action, all while the Councilman was prattling on about the supposed destined fight in the background. We stepped through, and out into chaos. Screaming erupted around me as people ran, clutching their heads, shouting about things that weren¡¯t there¡ªand only existed in their minds, conjured by the Malae. And there, on the centre of the road, were two the monsters. They approached slowly. Shlop. Shlop. Shlop. ¡®You said four!¡¯ I shouted to Corminar, and was answered by a new wave of screaming erupting from a nearby traveller¡¯s inn, followed by people coming storming out. ¡®Ah. Found em.¡¯ I turned back to the other two Malae, taking stock of the situation, and adjusting my plan accordingly. ¡®You reckon that inn has insurance?¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t know, but I love where this is going,¡¯ Raelas said. ¡®What you thinking, handsome?¡¯ I ignored her; even if I wanted to acknowledge that descriptor, there wasn¡¯t time. ¡®Lore, Ama, Corminar¡­ get those two¡¯s attention,¡¯ I said, pointing to the two Malae that were still outside. ¡®Bring them into the tavern. Corminar, chuck me the explosive potion.¡¯ The elf approached and placed it gently in my hand. ¡®It is fragile. Do not ¡°chuck¡± it until you intend to use it.¡¯ ¡®You got a plan?¡¯ Lore asked. ¡®Yes.¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t always like your plans.¡¯ ¡®I know, buddy.¡¯ I turned, gesturing for Raelas and Carle to follow me. I hoped I could wrangle these two into doing what I wanted, and I could trust Corminar and Lore to deal with the other Malae sensibly. We ran into the tavern, slipping around people still stumbling out, and as I entered, I staggered to a halt. There, standing directly in front of me, I saw Val. She stared back at me with dead, greying eyes, and her skin began to rot and flake away. The image was so intense that I couldn¡¯t tear my eyes away, the horror of what was before me snaking its way into my heart. Someone grabbed me by the arm, and I was finally able to look away, to see Raelas staring up at me. ¡®You OK?¡¯ she asked, and this time there was none of the flirty drawl I was becoming used to; she recognised the seriousness of the situation. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡®It¡¯s Val,¡¯ I croaked, looking back at her. ¡®She¡­¡¯ But there was nothing there, now. It was a vision. It was my greatest fear made real. I almost felt guilty. Last time I had encountered the Malae, it was another woman I¡¯d seen¡ªor heard, rather. A woman I¡¯d long since lost, that parts of me were beginning to move on from. But wasn¡¯t it time? Wasn¡¯t it time I moved on with my life, and made something with someone else? Someone who had disappeared in the night, admittedly. ¡®Styk,¡¯ Raelas said, shaking my arm. ¡®Come on!¡¯ We plunged into the centre of the tavern¡¯s main chamber¡ªa large, two-story room with a railed balcony around the next floor up. Light poured in through large pane of glass in the roof, illuminating the tavern floor and the woodwork below. As well as two Malae. ¡®What now?¡¯ Carle asked, choking back the same sensation that I felt growing within me¡ªfear. ¡®Keep them busy. Get everyone else out.¡¯ The two of them nodded, and while Carle went one way, while Raelas and I went for the other creature. It grew closer to a young tiefling couple, who cowered in the corner, too overwhelmed by feelings of fear to flee¡ªsomething that was very understandable, all things considered. While Raelas tried to open a portal beneath the Mala, I knew better. The monster stretched instinctively around the purple portal as it burst into life, stopping itself from falling through, and continuing on its slow advance towards the tiefling couple. But I¡¯d opened a portal too, and I¡¯d opened it beneath the cowering couple. They fell tumbling out at my side, and I picked them up with one arm each. ¡®Run!¡¯ I shouted. ¡®Now!¡¯ The shock of the fall had been enough to bring them back to their senses, and they did as I instructed without hesitation. As they left, they ran past new figures entering the building. The guards who had once been about to kill us arrived at our sides, and jumped into attacking the creatures without any question of sorting us out first¡ªMalae really were the great unifiers. ¡®Keep them occupied!¡¯ I shouted to the soldiers. ¡®I can deal with them, but we need the other two in here first!¡¯ Nobody complained, so I took that as agreement, that they were on board with my plan. But though the soldiers might have deferred to my plan, they clearly weren¡¯t experts in fighting Malae. They got in close, swords slashing towards the dark, tiny enemies, thinking that killing them was as easy as chopping them in two. But when sword met void-like flesh, the Mala parted around it, unharmed. And then they were close enough for the Mala to strike. One of the monsters hopped onto a soldier¡¯s leg, wrapping itself around it. The soldier began to panic, and his colleague tried to slice it free¡ªbut it was already too late for the man, whether they knew it or not. I opened a portal beneath man and Mala and together they plunged through it, out into the middle of the courtyard. At least, when the enemies were attached to a person, it was easier to move them around with portals¡ªthey were too busy feasting to prevent themselves running through. The soldier gasped as the Mala drove its tendrils into its flesh, feeding on his mind, his sapience, his very soul. ¡®Carle!¡¯ I shouted to the gentleman warrior, who was dealing with the other Mala not far from when I¡¯d just thrown the dying soldier. ¡®He¡¯s corrupted!¡¯ The man stared blankly back at me. ¡®You need to kill him, before he turns!¡¯ If the warrior had any questions, he was sensible enough to keep them to himself. The man flicked the other Mala back with the tip of his long sword and then turned to the dying man¡ªand the Mala feasting upon him. ¡®No!¡¯ one of the soldiers shouted, flinging a hand forward as he charged towards his colleague, apparently still looking to save him. I flicked a hand up, meaning to open a portal in front of the charging soldier to stop him¡ªbut another portal appeared there before I could. I turned to Raelas, and we nodded to one another simultaneously. Carle brought his sword down onto the soldier¡¯s neck, separating it in¡ªunfortunately¡ªnot one blow but three. But it was still quick enough to kill him before he could be corrupted, like I¡¯d seen happen before. Val¡¯s voice echoed through my mind. ¡®Maybe me next. How do you know I haven¡¯t been corrupted, if there¡¯s all these Malae running about?¡¯ I shook my head, ignoring her. ¡®What do you see?¡¯ Raelas shouted across the interior courtyard. ¡®Nothing I want to talk about,¡¯ I cried back. ¡®You?¡¯ ¡®Poverty.¡¯ I was about to question this, but the second Mala was approaching Carle once more, and he was going to need help if he was to keep out of their range. I leaped into the air, blinked through a portal in a now very well-practised manoeuvre, and arrived at his side. As the Mala sloped closer, I flailed a Knifestorm attack forth threateningly¡ªbut of course these weren¡¯t the sort of creatures to be intimidated. Instead, I opened another portal, this time to my pocket world, and I dumped out dozens of Needlework supplies onto the Mala. It was a costly attack¡ªcloth wasn¡¯t cheap¡ªbut anything was worth it if it meant killing these monsters. Besides, this cloth would burn. The tavern doors burst open, and Corminar, Lore and Ama charged inside, followed quickly by the other two Malae. They¡¯d done it¡ªthe plan was coming together. All that was left was¡­ I hurried to Carle¡¯s side, then opened a portal below us that would get us out of the centre of the courtyard. I just needed to get these two recently arrived monsters into the same spot, and then my plan could really begin. But how could I get them through the portals? I cast my eyes around the well-lit tavern interior until I found my answer: another casualty from before we arrived. I opened a portal below them and tossed the body next to the two new Malae, who immediately hopped onto it to feed. As soon as they were settled¡ªand distracted¡ªI opened some more portals to throw the body and Malae next to the others. Now, they were all in one place. Now, I could throw that potion. I pulled Corminar¡¯s explosive potion from my pocket, and I tossed it into the centre of the tavern. Flames burst forth as glass shattered, lighting the wooden interior and my Needlework supplies alike. The Malae squealed as they faced fire, their greatest weakness, but only two of them died. 2x Level ? corruption defeated! Worldbending ¡ª +2,200xp Worldbending increased to level 52! Base Points gained ¡ª +2 INT, +2 Free Points (INT/WIS/CHA) As for the others? I¡¯d hurt them, yes, but what I¡¯d mostly done was enrage them. And now, they were headed right for me.
"Styk" Level 18 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 50 Intelligence ¡ª 196 Dexterity ¡ª 109 Strength ¡ª 76 Wisdom ¡ª 70 Charisma ¡ª 41
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 52 Knifework ¡ª Level 39 Stealth ¡ª Level 22 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 16
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
150. Like A House On Fire ¡®Oh, now the tavern¡¯s on fire,¡¯ Lore said. ¡®Cool, cool.¡¯ His eyes were wide, flicking towards something in the corner of the room that wasn¡¯t there; the Malae¡¯s fear magicks had got to him like they had me. The two monsters shloped towards me, slow and steady, never ceasing. They¡¯d escaped the fire¡ªthe only thing that could potentially kill them. But the fire was spreading fast, and the fight wasn¡¯t over yet. ¡®Raelas!¡¯ I shouted. ¡®You got Portal Slice?¡¯ ¡®Got what?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll take that as a ¡°no¡±.¡¯ Styk raised a hand to the wooden beams above. ¡®Gonna need your portals¡ªwatch what I do!¡¯ Corminar fired an arrow at the approaching Malae to slow them down, but he was too busy being distracted by vision of Witchcraft-imbued demon bees to aim well. I opened a portal that dumped some of my burning Needlework supplies onto the wooden beams above. The fight took a moment to spread, but the beams caught before the cloth could fall back to the floor once more. Good. Now we have more to play with. I Portal Sliced through a small section of the beams, dropping flaming blocks of wood to the ground. I tried opening a portal during its fall that would land it on the enemies, but I wasn¡¯t fast enough¡ªthe wooden block landed at their side. ¡®I think I see where you¡¯re heading with this,¡¯ Raelas said, appearing close at my side. ¡®Again.¡¯ The others¡ªsoldiers and non-soldier alike¡ªformed a wall in front of us, doing their best to slow the Malae movements with makeshift shields. Their efforts were minimal, however, because they all knew that they couldn¡¯t risk letting the creatures touch them. I sliced through the wooden beams once more, and Raelas whipped her hands around to catch the flaming debris with a portal. The flaming chunks appeared out the other half of the pair and smashed into one of the Malae, the void-like flesh extinguishing the flames. It squealed with pain, its flesh rippling and burning, but it wasn¡¯t enough to kill it. Not yet, at least. ¡®Again!¡¯ Raelas shouted. I dropped another section of recently lit beam down, and Raelas again moved to catch it. Even as the wood fell, I could tell that her aim wasn¡¯t quite so good this time, but her portals gave me enough time to move to correct it. I opened another portal in front of Raelas¡¯s and redirected it back toward the same creature. It hit square and true, and if I wasn¡¯t mistaken, the Mala was looking a little smaller, as though some of it had burned away. ¡®Feels like we¡¯re a pretty good match, huh?¡¯ Raelas said. Corminar glanced over at me. ¡®You have a type.¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t think now¡¯s the time,¡¯ I snapped back at him, and then dropped another chunk of flaming wood for Raelas to throw at the enemy. She opened a portal, and¡ª ¡®You dare turn your back on me?¡¯ a voice boomed behind us. Both Raelas and I hesitated, then turned to see the Councilman standing in the tavern¡¯s doorway, furious. ¡®There was¡­¡¯ I started. ¡®Do you not know who I am? I am a Player! I am the spawn of the great Architects themselves! And you think you can challenge me then turn away?¡¯ ¡®We¡¯re kinda in the middle of something, darling?¡¯ Raelas said. ¡®Yeah, can¡¯t you see the¡­¡¯ I gestured to the two remaining Malae. We turned back to attack them once more. ¡®I don¡¯t care that you¡ª¡¯ ¡®After,¡¯ I told him. The Councilman spluttered with fury behind me, and I let him do so¡ªbut not without someone to keep an eye on him. ¡®Lore?¡¯ I asked, gesturing to the Player. The barbarian nodded, and then circled around us to stand between us and the Councilman. We continued, smashing a couple more pieces of flaming wood to the same Mala until it hissed away into nothing. Raelas was right about one thing; we did work well together. Level ? corruption defeated! Worldbending ¡ª +1,200xp And then, there was just one left. As the flames spread, one of the supporting wooden pillars began to crack, and part of the balcony on the floor above began to buckle. I flicked my eyes down to Ama, who was standing under it, and opened a portal beneath her for her to fall through just before the flaming balcony above could crush her. She spilled out at my side and brushed her legs as she stood. ¡®You could¡¯ve warned me.¡¯ ¡®Usually people just say ¡°thank you¡±.¡¯ I moved my hands back to dump more flaming beams onto the enemy, and was about to do so when Lore yelped. I whipped around, to see Lore tangling with the Councilman¡¯s ghostly axe, the aura flickering into his flesh and singeing it. Lore shouldn¡¯t have had any problem with this skirmish, but his eyes were darting¡ªthe Mala had its teeth in him, inflicting fear in someone it deemed powerful. From the looks of the Player, he wasn¡¯t having quite as much trouble with fear¡ªbut was that due to weakness or the strength to ignore his fears? As I glanced over, the Councilman parried Lore¡¯s bane sword away and pushed past him, apparently fixating instead on me¡ªpresumably for having infuriated him. ¡®Corminar!¡¯ I called out, and the elf tore away from the shield wall while I kept my attention on attacking the last of the Malae. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. He spun around in a graceful manoeuvre as he drew an arrow into his bow, and then shot it at the charging Councilman. Except, at the last moment, something buzzed in his vision, putting him off at the last second. The resulting arrow shot over the sprinting Player¡¯s shoulder. Corminar hurried to fire another arrow, and this one hit the Councilman in the shoulder. This was enough, apparently, for the Player to retrain his focus on the elf, rather than me. ¡®Nobody attacks a Player and lives to tell the tale!¡¯ the Councilman shouted. I had plenty of evidence to the contrary, however. The Player charged through the spreading flames, and swung his axe through the air at Corminar. The elf leaped back, retreating deeper into the tavern, to avoid the hit and managed to loose another arrow into the Councilman¡¯s chest at the same time. As I knew full well, the Malae¡¯s visions of fear came and went¡ªhe could fight undistracted for now, at least. I sliced another major chunk of beam free, and as it hit the ground where Raelas dumped it, it made the building shake. More of the flaming balcony dropped to the floor, right where Corminar had been moments earlier¡ªthe rest of us were separated from his fight with a Player. ¡®Oi, handsome!¡¯ Raelas nudged me, drawing my attention back to the Mala. ¡®More fire, please.¡¯ I was about to loose more of the wood, when I heard Corminar cry out with pain. I looked back over to my friend, through the flames, and saw the Councilman standing, axe raised, over the fallen elf. ¡®I may be in need of assistance!¡¯ the ranger shouted. I threw my hands forward to open a portal, but only a purple glow fizzled forth. ¡®Damn Mana reserves,¡¯ I mumbled. My newer Enhanced Portals ability only required mana to open the portals, rather than sustain them, but there was still a hefty mana cost to conjuring them at all¡ªand I hadn¡¯t been keeping an eye on it. I might not have had enough mana for any more portals, but I did still have enough for another Worldbending ability. My skin rippled and changed as I used almost the last of my mana to activate my Ash Husk ability. With this new fire resistance, I charged through the flames, and even with this ability, the heat was enough to hurt. I gasped as I emerged from the other side, but I didn¡¯t slow down, instead throwing myself into a tackle that pushed the Councilman to the ground. The Player should have had enough time to kill the elf, and yet my friend was still breathing. Still, that didn¡¯t change what I had to do. I drew my knife and swung it around towards the enemy¡¯s neck. But in that same moment, his ghostly axe changed form, morphing into a long, sharp, chain-like object. It moved seemingly of their own accord, and wrapped itself around my wrist before I could land the attack. The enemy¡¯s weapon wrenched me sideways, to the ground, and the Councilman stood over me, silhouetted by the raging inferno. ¡®And now,¡¯ he said, his voice croaking, ¡®I must¡­¡¯ The Councilman swung his axe, and his ghostly chain darted at me. But then, he hesitated. The chain came to a stop just before my neck. And he¡­ gulped. ¡®What¡¯s¡­ going on?¡¯ I asked. The Councilman shook his head. ¡®Have you never killed someone before?¡¯ ¡®Your friend seems awfully chipper about the prospect of dying,¡¯ Carle shouted over the raging battle. ¡®Yeah, usually dying¡¯s not a big deal for him!¡¯ Lore shouted back. And he was right¡ªthis one wouldn¡¯t take either, considering my Sisyphus Artifact currently had a charge in it. ¡®I¡¯m¡­ gonna stand up now?¡¯ I said, and couldn¡¯t help but frame this sentence as a question. I slowly retreated from the points of the enemy¡¯s ghostly weapon, and clambered back to my feet. ¡®You¡¯ve really never killed someone before, have you?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m trying!¡¯ the Councilman insisted. ¡®It¡¯s just¡­ it¡¯s just¡­¡¯ He didn¡¯t get to finish that sentence, because at that moment, Corminar reappeared and dumped a heavy bar stool onto his head, knocking him unconscious. The elf and I made eye contact. ¡®Probably the easiest Player yet, right?¡¯ ¡®Indeed.¡¯ We turned our attention back to the last remaining Mala, and I saw Raelas trying to throw flaming items of furniture onto it. There was no need for Portal Slicing anymore, considering half of the tavern was now alight. ¡®Little help?¡¯ she shouted across the room to me. But she couldn¡¯t see that the battle was already won. The building was disintegrating, more and more flaming debris collapsing inwards. Soon enough, the Mala would be surrounded¡ªall we needed to do was let it happen. ¡®Time to go!¡¯ I shouted. ¡®But the¡ª¡¯ ¡®It¡¯ll be dead in a minute anyway. And if we hang around here, we will be too.¡¯ I turned around, grabbed the unconscious Player by the scruff of his tunic, and opened a portal to dump us outside¡ªand out of trouble. It was time to find out what this pathetic excuse for a Player had to do with Tana¡¯s grand plan.
"Styk" Level 18 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 50 Intelligence ¡ª 196 Dexterity ¡ª 109 Strength ¡ª 76 Wisdom ¡ª 70 Charisma ¡ª 41
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 52 Knifework ¡ª Level 39 Stealth ¡ª Level 22 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 16
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
151. Council Work I learned something new that evening. If you need to carry a body¡ªor a body-shaped object¡ªthrough a crowded city without drawing trouble, just put a cloth over it. Anyone with an ounce of sense would know that it was a body that the burly Lore was carrying over his shoulder, but the fabric gave them an excuse not to check. This applied to the locals, at least¡ªthey didn¡¯t want any trouble¡ªbut the guards were another matter. We¡¯d had to keep to the winding alleyways of Westbara that Raelas knew so well, and an elaborate distraction at the gate, to keep out of sight of the guards. From there, it was simple, and one decently sized bribe later, we were standing in the basement of a traveller¡¯s inn with the Councilman tied to a pillar. We were really starting to get the hang of this ¡°kidnapping and interrogation¡± thing. It took Corminar slapping the Player lightly around the face in order to wake him up. When he awoke, he did so with a start, glancing worriedly at the six of us glaring down at him. ¡®At last,¡¯ Lore said. ¡®Was beginning to think Corminar hits harder than we thought.¡¯ ¡®I¡ª¡¯ the Player start, but I interrupted him. ¡®We got a few questions.¡¯ The Councilman snarled. ¡®I don¡¯t answer questions coming from¡ª¡¯ ¡®Interrupt me again, and Lore here will punch you in the mouth.¡¯ Lore punched him in the mouth. Both the prisoner and I blinked at the barbarian. ¡®I said if he interrupted me again,¡¯ I said. Lore scratched the back of his head sheepishly. ¡®Oh, right. Sorry.¡¯ ¡®I thought you said you were good at this,¡¯ Ama called out from the back of the room. I held up a hand to beg her for her patience, then turned back to the Player. ¡®You work for the Council¡¯ ¡ª the prisoner looked around shiftily ¡ª ¡®so tell us: what¡¯s their plan?¡¯ ¡®I¡­¡¯ the Councilman started, then trailed off. ¡®OK, new rule: interrupt me or fail to answer me, and Lore will punch you in the mouth.¡¯ Lore moved again to hit the prisoner, and I held out a hand to stop him. ¡®Last chance,¡¯ I said. ¡®What¡¯s the Council¡¯s plan?¡¯ ¡®I¡­ I think it¡¯s¡­¡¯ ¡®OK, hit him.¡¯ Lore connected his fist with the man¡¯s face, and this time blood splattered out his mouth. ¡®What¡¯s their plan?¡¯ I demanded. Still, the Player didn¡¯t look like he was going to respond. ¡®We know they¡¯re after us. We know they¡¯ve put a bounty on us; Niamh saw to that. We know Tana is organising¡­ something. We just don¡¯t know how it all comes together.¡¯ ¡®It is time for you to fill in our gaps in knowledge,¡¯ Corminar added. ¡®Now. Else we kill you.¡¯ ¡®I¡­¡¯ the Player spluttered through bloody teeth. ¡®Tell us,¡¯ Lore said. ¡®Now,¡¯ I added. ¡®I¡­ I¡­¡¯ the Councilman¡¯s eyes flicked around the room, damp and pitiful. He didn¡¯t find a friendly face. ¡®I don¡¯t¡­ know?¡¯ ¡®How can you not know?¡¯ I cried back, exasperated. I kept my volume down so as to not to let any patrons upstairs in the tavern know what was going on down here. ¡®You¡¯re the Councilman! You are, therefore, a member of the Council, aren¡¯t you?¡¯ Silence swept over the basement. ¡®Oh, gods,¡¯ Corminar breathed. I shook my head in disbelief. ¡®You¡¯re not a member of the Council at all, are you?¡¯ The Player¡¯s voice cracked as he replied. ¡®They¡­ rejected my application.¡¯ ¡®And so you calling yourself ¡°The Councilman¡± is¡­?¡¯ ¡®Have you ever heard the phrase ¡°dress for the job you want¡±?¡¯ the Player replied. ¡®This is like that.¡¯ ¡®No it isn¡¯t.¡¯ None of this was adding up. First of all, this man¡¯s insane logic¡ªI couldn¡¯t find how he¡¯d come to justify calling himself the Councilman when he wasn¡¯t a member of any council I knew of. But secondly, also¡­ Lore¡¯s visions had lead us to him. And if they¡¯d lead us to him, then us having met him was a vital stage on our journey towards Tana¡¯s grand plan. Yet it was hard to believe that this pitiful soul had¡ªor would have¡ªanything to do with it. ¡®When are you gonna ask him about our payment?¡¯ Raelas asked, piping up from the back of the room. ¡®...Never? I don¡¯t care about that.¡¯ The Councilman¡ªthough maybe we shouldn¡¯t still call him that, all things considered¡ªsnarled. ¡®Payment? Payment for what?¡¯ ¡®We did the job!¡¯ ¡®Well clearly you did not!¡¯ the Player shouted back at her. ¡®Considering what just happened.¡¯ I raised an eyebrow. ¡®What¡­ does he mean, exactly?¡¯ I asked Raelas. ¡®Just what was the job you did for him?¡¯ ¡®Err¡­¡¯ the half-tiefling replied, non-committedly. But the Player answered for her. ¡®Killing Malae!¡¯ he shouted. ¡®Westbara¡¯s been having a bit of a Malae problem lately¡ªyou saw it. You were supposed to eliminate the threat.¡¯ ¡®We thought we had,¡¯ Ama replied. ¡®We eliminated the one we found.¡¯ ¡®One?¡¯ the Player repeated. ¡®One? I sent you to kill dozens!¡¯ ¡®Guess they¡¯ll have to take back that key to the city, huh? Considering that you didn¡¯t save Westbara, like you said.¡¯ ¡®You didn¡¯t save¡ª¡¯ ¡®Alright, enough!¡¯ I shouted, risking a loud voice and potentially alerting those above us to the commotion. There was something in this, I could feel it. And, judging by the look I shared with both Lore and Corminar, they saw it too. We wondered why the so-called Councilman was important in getting us to Tana¡¯s great plan? Well, maybe this was the answer. A few weeks ago, now, we¡¯d stumbled across an abandoned witchfinder village. In that village, we¡¯d seen some strange contraptions, and the witchfinders themselves had seemed to be trapped in a tear between worlds. We¡¯d fixed the tear, potentially trapping them forever¡ªthey were witch hunters, so who cares?¡ªand then we¡¯d found the experiment¡¯s notes. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. It had been a Mala that had powered those devices. The same creature we now stumbled across. What with Lore¡¯s visions having lead us this far, I couldn¡¯t just discount this as a coincidence. ¡®Tell me about the Malae,¡¯ I snapped¡ªboth at the prisoner and at the Trio. Both Raelas and the Councilman spoke at once, and I couldn¡¯t understand what either of them were saying. ¡®Not both at once!¡¯ I cried over them. ¡®Then perhaps don¡¯t ask them all at once,¡¯ Ama suggested. ¡®Yeah, thank you.¡¯ This mismatched group were proving even more dysfunctional than the mismatched group I was used to. I missed Val already, but right then I really missed her. ¡®Raelas, you first.¡¯ ¡®Been a few sightings of those Malae in the area. Mostly around the fringes, picking off travellers and stuff, yeah? And the duke and his cronies here don¡¯t care about that. But then they started coming inside the city, and people started panicking.¡¯ ¡®Yeah, so they should,¡¯ Lore said. Raelas raised her eyebrows; she didn¡¯t disagree. ¡®Anyway, they put out a bounty on the Malae, this idiot¡¯ ¡ª she waved to the Councilman ¡ª ¡®responded and¡­ what¡¯s the word?¡¯ ¡®Sub-contracted,¡¯ Corminar said. ¡®Yeah, sub-contracted it to us, and the rest is history.¡¯ I tried to resist the urge to put my head in my hands. I failed. ¡®Gods alive¡­¡¯ ¡®Rather the mess you have put yourselves into,¡¯ Corminar added, echoing my thoughts. ¡®Yeah, idiot,¡¯ Raelas agreed, not realising that the elf was including the Trio in that ¡°you¡±. I turned away from the prisoner, trying to figure out what was next. It seemed sensible to follow this line of investigation¡ªif the Malae were entering the city, then they were breeding out there. And who was to say that wasn¡¯t being managed by a member of the Council, seeking to power their machines? ¡®You,¡¯ I said, prodding my finger into the Player¡¯s chest. He widened his eyes in surprise. ¡®These Malae, what do you know about them? You had to have a plan beyond getting the key to the city, right? You want to be in the Council, and I¡¯m guessing you thought this would get you there. So what is it? Are you clearing up their messes?¡¯ From the lanky Player¡¯s hanging mouth, lip twitching as he struggled to find the words, I realised I was on to something. ¡®Don¡¯t make me make him hit you,¡¯ I said. Lore cracked his knuckles for dramatic effect; we¡¯d practised that particular bit of theatre. The Player looked hesitantly at the barbarian¡¯s hands before glancing back up at me. If I wasn¡¯t mistaken, he was shaking slightly. Was he really this new to actually being hurt? ¡®Alright, alright,¡¯ he said. ¡®I tell you, you let me go, though.¡¯ ¡®As a rule,¡¯ Corminar said, ¡®we do not allow Players their freedom.¡¯ ¡®Why not?¡¯ ¡®Because you kill people,¡¯ Lore answered. The Player pushed against his bindings, and I got the sense he was trying to raise his hands to protest his innocence. ¡®I don¡¯t! I¡¯ve never killed anyone.¡¯ ¡®This guy just gets more and more pathetic by the minute, huh?¡¯ Raelas mumbled. ¡®We don¡¯t believe you,¡¯ Lore said. ¡®Err¡­¡¯ I muttered, and everyone looked at me. ¡®I really don¡¯t think he has. He had the chance to kill Corminar, and he had the chance to kill me, and he just¡­ didn¡¯t. I think he might be¡­¡¯ I looked into the Player¡¯s eyes. ¡®I think he might be afraid to kill.¡¯ The man¡¯s eyes widened in fear¡ªnot from the fear that we had him tied up and might be about to kill him, but instead due to his greatest fear made a reality. We¡¯d found him out. The secret was out. ¡®I¡­ I¡­¡¯ he stuttered. I pounced on the opening. ¡®Tell us everything about the Malae, and we¡¯ll leave you alive. Otherwise¡­¡¯ ¡®Styk¡­¡¯ Corminar said, grabbing my arm. I looked around at him. ¡®What harm could it do? He won¡¯t kill anyone. And it feels like a bit of a pisstake to kill someone like him, even if he is a Player.¡¯ The elf frowned, but said nothing else on the matter. ¡®Tell us,¡¯ I ordered the Councilman. ¡®Now.¡¯ The man held my gaze for a moment, running the calculations, before finally realising that giving us what we wanted was his best chance of getting out of here. ¡®Alright,¡¯ he said. ¡®The Malae. I suppose I can tell you¡ªbut if you do run into any other Players, you didn¡¯t hear it from me.¡¯ ¡®We make no promises,¡¯ Corminar said. ¡®Ignore him,¡¯ I said. ¡®The Malae.¡¯ The Councilman drew in a deep breath. ¡®I came to Westbara because I heard that a member of the Council was here. Yusef, his name was. The leader of the Cult of Ascendancy¡ªdo you know it?¡¯ I nodded; we¡¯d had dealings with these Player-worshippers before. In fact, the reason I¡¯d even got access to the Worldbending skill tree had been through a defeat of one of these cultists. ¡®I wanted to impress him. I wanted to show him that I could be a valuable asset to the team. So he tested me. He asked me to¡­ To¡­¡¯ ¡®Kill someone,¡¯ Carle guessed, from the rear of the room. The Player gulped, then nodded. ¡®So you failed the test,¡¯ I said, ¡®your application rejected. What¡¯s this got to do with the Malae?¡¯ ¡®Because he¡¯s the source. I saw it, when I was there with him, out in the Beached Armada. He is trading in them, collecting them for the Council for schemes unknown. Those that have been seen around the peripheries of Westbara¡­ they are those that escaped.¡¯ I made eye contact with Corminar. ¡®So if we wanted to find this Player¡­?¡¯ ¡®Then you would follow the Malae,¡¯ the prisoner finished. Corminar nodded. ¡®Good,¡¯ I said. ¡®We¡¯re done here.¡¯ I gestured up the wooden steps to the tavern proper, and the Trio were the first to climb. ¡®Guess we¡¯re not getting that payment, then¡­¡¯ Raelas grumbled, just loud enough for me to hear. Lore, Corminar and I walked away next, leaving the Player to call after us. ¡®Wait!¡¯ he cried. ¡®Wait! You said you¡¯d let me go!¡¯ From the top of the staircase, I crouched down and made sure to look the Player in the eyes. ¡®No, I said we¡¯d leave you alive. I didn¡¯t say anything about letting you go.¡¯ With that, I slammed the door shut, leaving the Councilman in the dark, and tipped the bard upstairs to play as loud as he could until the tavern closed for the night, drowning out the Player''s shouting. Then, we set our sights on the next step: Malae hunting.
"Styk" Level 18 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 50 Intelligence ¡ª 196 Dexterity ¡ª 109 Strength ¡ª 76 Wisdom ¡ª 70 Charisma ¡ª 41
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 52 Knifework ¡ª Level 39 Stealth ¡ª Level 22 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 16
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
152. Quench The Thirst We¡¯d left the city of Westbara the morning after abandoning the pitiful not-worth-killing Player in the tavern basement, and I was surprised to find that the Trio came with us. When I¡¯d asked them about it, Carle and Ama had glanced at one another, while Raelas had shrugged, telling us that tracking down these Malae was¡ªand I quote¡ªthe ¡°right thing to do¡±. It wasn¡¯t what I was coming to expect of this small gang of mercenaries, but I wasn¡¯t exactly going to argue this point with them. And so from Westbara, we travelled further West still, which was the furthest both Corminar and I had ever been from our respective homes and made me feel strangely anxious. Lore, on the other hand was loving it¡ªthere was nothing quite like a return home, he said. ¡®If you keep on this road,¡¯ he continued, blabbering on even though nobody had responded to him in the past five minutes or so, ¡®you get to the Naval Temple. They took lots of the old ships from when the Armada invaded and they turned them into holy sites. You can go there, you can see a bit of history, you can pray to the creators¡ªthat¡¯s what they called the Architects¡ªand you can drink. You know anywhere else in the world where you can drink at church? I don¡¯t. It¡¯s very low alcohol, admittedly, what with all the heat, but it¡¯s still nice.¡¯ I nodded politely. ¡®And at certain times of year, the sun lines up with the hull of the ship, and the shadows make patterns that ripple across the dunes. It¡¯s great. We should go.¡¯ ¡®May I remind you that we are here for a specific purpose?¡¯ Corminar said. ¡®Well, yeah, but maybe we can go after.¡¯ As we continued on the western merchant¡¯s road, the greenery started to become more like¡­ yellowery, and then the plants became fewer and father between. Lush green field gave way to a brown excuse for grass, and before much longer there was more sand than grass. It was strange¡ªI knew the temperature out here wasn¡¯t much higher than in certain parts of the Goldmarch, but it definitely felt it. It wasn¡¯t long before my water tankard was empty, and I¡ªand the others, from the looks of it¡ªneeded a place to rest a while. There was no shortage of taverns on the merchants road, capitalising on this thirst. Some of them were proper buildings, formed of clay, while others were large, glorified tents. The next we came across was a clay building, though I would have been fine with either at this point. There were no windows, only holes in the thick, beige walls, but the furniture inside was strangely ornate¡ªwood carved with patterns that must have come in with the ancient tiefling invaders. I sat on a plush stool next to this ornate wooden bar, bought a round of beer with coins swiped from a wealthy diplomat¡¯s house in Westbara¡ªit was amazing that it had taken me this long to realise that portals were an ideal skill for the purposes of burglary¡ªand handed them out. Carle and Ama thanked me and took theirs to the edge of the building, where they stared out at the sand dunes while still just about shielded from the midday sun. Lore and Corminar inspected their beers before, finally, thanking me, and I couldn¡¯t blame them¡ªthe beer was flatter than I had expected. And this left only the half-tiefling gazing at me along the bar. Realising I could avoid her attention no longer¡ªI¡¯d only managed it so far because Lore was strangely protective of Val, even though she¡¯d abandoned us¡ªI slid the beer along to the other worldbender. ¡®Nah, I don¡¯t drink,¡¯ Raelas said, pushing the glass back towards me. ¡®Bad habit.¡¯ ¡®Could¡¯ve told me before I ordered. You don¡¯t drink cos it¡¯s unhealthy?¡¯ ¡®Cos if you get in a fight when you¡¯re drunk, you ain¡¯t sure to win it.¡¯ I pulled a face, then looked down at the surface of my beer, considering this a moment. On balance, I decided it was worth the risk. The beer might have been flat, but it tasted good if unlike any beer I¡¯d had before¡ªthere was a floral aroma to it. Raelas watched me as I drank. ¡®Nice to have another Worldbender around. Not often you get to meet them, is it?¡¯ I shrugged. ¡®The elves have plenty of them,¡¯ I replied. ¡®Or¡­ had? I don¡¯t know how many of them escaped.¡¯ I glanced over at the others, and I saw Lore sheepishly approach Carle and Ama, his eyes on the other big guy. ¡®What were you doing there? I heard it fell to Amira, but¡­¡¯ ¡®Trying to stop that happening.¡¯ Raelas smiled. ¡®Just the three of you?¡¯ ¡®Well, we had two others. And a whole bunch of criminal elves, but¡­ yeah. We killed their general, but it wasn¡¯t enough. We were too slow. I don¡¯t think Corminar has forgiven himself for it.¡¯ The bar grew quiet, the only sounds being a blanket flapping in the breeze and Lore talking Carle¡¯s ear off about sheep. I took another sip of one of the two beers in front of me, and I tried to put our failure out of my mind. I didn¡¯t manage it. ¡®Must¡¯ve got some decent abilities out of all that, though?¡¯ Raelas asked, and I couldn¡¯t help but think she was trying to lighten the mood. ¡®Enhanced Portals,¡¯ I replied. ¡®You got that yet?¡¯ Raelas shook her head, pulling a face. ¡®Never even got the option. Though, I don¡¯t think I specced into portals as much as you did. Manipulating material, however¡­¡¯ She reached out to the half-empty glass of beer, wrapping her hand around it, and soon the glass began to¡­ melt? ¡®Isn¡¯t that hot?¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t always need heat to melt things,¡¯ Raelas replied. ¡®I saw you went for Ash Husk, though. Probably a smart move; there¡¯s so many¡ª¡¯ ¡®¡ªfire mages about,¡¯ I finished for her. The woman smiled. ¡®Yeah, that¡¯s it exactly. Makes my Frost Husk not so good. Bad decision.¡¯ I opened my mouth to speak, but hesitated. The question I wanted to ask¡ªhad to ask, really¡ªhad the potential of pushing her away. And it was nice to have a little attention since Val fled, all things considered. ¡®What is it?¡¯ she asked. ¡®Why are you with us? Really?¡¯ Raelas shrugged. ¡®Maybe I just wanna keep looking at your handsome face?¡¯ ¡®You know I¡¯m travelling with Lore and Corminar, right?¡¯ I replied. ¡®Usually they¡ª¡¯ Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. The worldbender waved me down. ¡®They¡¯re a bit pretty for my taste.¡¯ ¡®Be serious.¡¯ ¡®I am! They¡¯re too pretty. I tend to like¡ª¡¯ I shook my head. ¡®No, not about that. About why you¡¯re with us.¡¯ Again, the half-tiefling shrugged. ¡®Killing Malae? There¡¯s gotta be a decent reward for that, hasn¡¯t there?¡¯ This was all the answer I ever got, though in part that was because I was distracted. Across the inn¡¯s floor, I heard someone use a word that was on my mind. Malae. I stood from the bar stool and must have rushed over a little too fast, because the two old men blinked and recoiled slightly. ¡®You mentioned Malae? Where?¡¯ One old man looked to another, before replying, ¡®A half day north, they said. On the merchant¡¯s road.¡¯ ¡®How many?¡¯ I asked. ¡®How many Malae?¡¯ ¡®They didn¡¯t say,¡¯ he croaked. ¡®All they said was: too many.¡¯ * * * Once our flasks were full of water, our bellies were full of food, and the sun was hanging lower in the sky, we set out once more across the Armadan Desert. As we got further west, it turned out we¡¯d barely hit the worst of it. Soon there was not a tree in sight, and absolutely no water sources to speak of. Raelas¡ªwho was now walking by my side, Lore having given up on getting between us¡ªtold me that the only water sources out here had small villages built around them, and that we wouldn¡¯t find water until we found civilisation. So it was worth rationing the water. It was at this point that I regretted filling one of my two flasks with that delicious lowish alcohol beer, but I kept the fact that I¡¯d done that to myself. I was assured that there would be another village coming up soon, where we could barter for some water. It would be expensive, but it sounded like I have more than enough stolen funds to cover it. So I drank water while I could, knowing I¡¯d have to ration it later. My flask was empty¡ªagain! I had little self-control¡ªwhen we finally climbed a dune and saw the village stretched before. I was on the verge of storming down towards it when Corminar suddenly whipped out his hand to block my path. His elven eyes had spotted something. ¡®What does your intense friend see?¡¯ Ama asked. ¡®You know, he wasn¡¯t always this¡ª¡¯ I started, then realised the Battle of Sunalor probably wasn¡¯t useful context right now. ¡®Never mind.¡¯ ¡®What you see, Cor?¡¯ Lore asked. ¡®Nothing.¡¯ I narrowed my eyes. ¡®In that case¡­¡¯ After I moved to take a step forward, Corminar blocked my path once more. ¡®Nothing,¡¯ he repeated. ¡®There is not a soul in the village.¡¯ My heart dropped. ¡®Malae?¡¯ ¡®I see no corruption. If Malae are to blame, they have since departed, or they are hidden inside one of these structures.¡¯ I nodded. This time, when I took a step forward, he didn¡¯t stop me. ¡®We move slow,¡¯ I said. ¡®Keep an eye out for movement. If you see any, announce it immediately. We can¡¯t afford any Malae getting the jump on us.¡¯ We crept into the abandoned village, each of us focussing in different directions, not a single part of the settlement avoiding notice. But as we pushed between the buildings, we saw and heard nothing but the squawk of a bird circling above. ¡®Vultures,¡¯ Ama grumbled, pursing her lips. ¡®Then there has been death here,¡¯ Carle added. We continued through the town, towards the largest of the buildings, where Raelas whispered that the water would be. As I stepped inside, I called out, ¡®Hello? Anyone home? We¡¯ve come to purchase some water.¡¯ When nobody replied, and I added, ¡®We can pay well!¡¯ But still, there was nobody in sight. ¡®I don¡¯t like this,¡¯ Raelas said. ¡®Yeah,¡¯ Lore agreed, and it was about the first time those two had agreed on anything. The vulture¡ªmultiple vultures, in fact¡ªcried out overhead once more. Feeling suddenly very mortal, I set my eyes on a trough of water at the far end of the building, and filled up both my flasks, tipping the beer onto the floor. Ama watched me, eyebrow raised. ¡®What you waiting for? Fill up,¡¯ I told them, swigging from the flask while we still had more water available. ¡®What if the water was the problem?¡¯ Ama asked. I stopped drinking mid-sip, and everyone watched me. ¡®...Feel anything?¡¯ Raelas asked. ¡®Like what?¡¯ ¡®Poison.¡¯ I paused again. ¡®...No?¡¯ Everyone nodded and went about filling up their flasks. I stepped outside while they did so, keeping to the shadow of the building, and stared up at the vultures circling above. They were bigger than any vultures I¡¯d ever seen, though I¡¯d admit that my experience was limited. The others joined me at the door. ¡®Where next?¡¯ Raelas asked. I shrugged. ¡®Don¡¯t see any Malae here; can¡¯t be where those men were talking about. I say we move on. Keep going. Sooner or later, we¡ª¡¯ ¡®Err, guys?¡¯ Lore said, which was the exact thing he usually said before delivering horrific news. I looked around at him to see him peering up at the sky, hand over his face to block out the harsh light. ¡®I don¡¯t think those are vultures.¡¯ ¡®Yes they¡ª¡¯ Ama began, at the same moment that Corminar looked up and paled. ¡®Get to cover!¡¯ he roared. And then the ¡°vultures¡± dived to attack.
"Styk" Level 18 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 50 Intelligence ¡ª 196 Dexterity ¡ª 109 Strength ¡ª 76 Wisdom ¡ª 70 Charisma ¡ª 41
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 52 Knifework ¡ª Level 39 Stealth ¡ª Level 22 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 16
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
153. Winged Beasts We fled back into the village¡¯s main building¡ªa communal marketplace, of sorts¡ªand each dived behind the cover of a nearby item of furniture. The architectural style meant that the building was open to the elements on two of its sides¡ªand from the looks of it, these were closed up only by thick sheets of fabric which were currently rolled up at the top. This design choice meant that the ¡°vultures¡± had no problem swooping into the building after their would-be prey: us. Keeping behind the cover and out of sight, I didn¡¯t get a proper chance to look at them, so I shouted across the building to Corminar. ¡®What are they?¡¯ ¡®Vultures!¡¯ he shouted back. ¡®What? I thought Lore just said¡ª¡¯ But I didn¡¯t get a chance to finish that sentence because at that moment, one of the birds soared into the building, shrieking. I got a more of a look at it as it swooped overhead. It was a vulture, sure, but there was more at play here. Its body was black, its skin beginning to rot, and a strange ooze was dripping from its wings. I¡¯d see this before. And so had Lore. ¡®They¡¯ve been touched!¡¯ the barbarian shouted across the room. ¡®They¡¯ve been touched by Malae!¡¯ ¡®At least we know we¡¯re on the right track¡­¡¯ Ama grumbled at my side as she hid behind the same unit. The bird fluttered to the ground at the far edge of the building, then tilted its head as it looked around. Its dark eyes landed on Raelas. ¡®Corminar! Fire!¡¯ I shouted, as I looked around desperately for anything to use as a weapon. A market stall at Lore¡¯s side caught my eye¡ªa stall that had once sold lanterns, many of them upturned. And some of them were oil lanterns. ¡®Lore¡ª¡¯ My shout was drowned out by the second of the corrupted vultures swooping into the building, again shrieking as it did so. The first turned slowly around to face Raelas, who scrambled backwards into the wall. As the vulture began to charge at her, its wings raised and its beak low, I whipped a portal over its head and dropped the unit Ama and I were hiding behind into its long neck. Raelas nodded her thanks and ran for the exit, only to find the third and last vulture circling above, ready to pick out whoever left. She opened a portal beneath herself as it swooped down for her, and disappeared from sight. Meanwhile, Ama and I were now exposed, so I opened another portal to drop us at the side of Corminar¡ªwho I had a very important question to ask. ¡®How many?¡¯ ¡®Three vultures,¡¯ he replied. ¡®No. How many fire potions. You knew we were after Malae, so I assume you did make some fire potions?¡¯ ¡®...One.¡¯ ¡®One?¡¯ I repeated, aghast. ¡®My supplies are lacking.¡¯ I shook my head, sighing. Corminar clearly wanted to say something about this reaction but he didn¡¯t, correctly recognising that there were more important things going on right now. ¡®Give it,¡¯ I said, holding out my upturned hand. Corminar glared, but handed over the small vial, burning red and hot. ¡®Use it well,¡¯ he said. ¡®I assume you have a plan?¡¯ I did, but I wasn¡¯t going to waste time explaining myself. I turned to Ama. ¡®You, Carle and Corminar keep them busy, OK? And don¡¯t let them touch you!¡¯ I didn¡¯t give the woman time to argue, and I disappeared down through a new portal that spilled me out at Lore¡¯s side. ¡®You¡¯re really getting the hang of portals,¡¯ he said. He stood with his Bane Sword raised, his eyes on the closest of the corrupted vultures. Lore was experienced enough with Malae corruption to know not to charge it like he normally would; here, patience was a virtue. And so was fire. ¡®Thanks.¡¯ I reached onto the market stand and began shaking the oil lanterns, listening for the sound of liquid sloshing around. Finally, I found not one but two with oil already filled. ¡®Lob this at the wall,¡¯ I said. Lore did so without a second thought, and he did so with enough power to smash the admittedly flimsy glass in the centre of the lantern. The oil within began to seep out onto the floor. ¡®Feed the flames!¡¯ I cried to him, then lobbed Corminar¡¯s single fire potion onto the oil, where it too smashed. The flames took immediately, setting the clay wall and floor ablaze. But it would die out soon without flammables thrown onto it. ¡®Now!¡¯ I shouted, reiterating the urgency. I ripped open the top of the other lantern as Lore charged over to a chair and threw the cushions onto the new fire. Ahead of me, I saw a corrupted bird fixing its gaze on Carle and beginning to move towards him. I had to act fast. Taking my dagger from its sheath, I dipped it into the oil and then dropped it, clattering to the hard stone floor. I looked from enemy to Carle to Corminar to flames, and I came up with a quick strategy¡ªone that made having Enhanced Portals absolutely critical. I leaped through the air, and as I did so, I opened two pairs of portals. One, I opened under my knife, dropping it into the flames, and the other I opened in front of me. This one spilled me back out next to Ama and Corminar, and I pushed the oil lantern in the latter¡¯s direction. ¡®Hello again,¡¯ Ama said. ¡®Dip your arrows,¡¯ I told Corminar, and then whipped myself around to close one portal and open another, dropping the now flaming oil-dipped dagger back into the air in front of me. I activated Ash Husk as it fell, knowing it was going to be hot and wanted to reduce any resulting damage, and I snatched it from the air. As Corminar pulled his arrows back out, I held my flaming blade next to them, and they caught alight. But this oil wouldn¡¯t last long. ¡®Carle!¡¯ I shouted, pointing to the large muscular gentleman as he swung an axe to try to ward off the advancing creature of darkness. Corminar shot a flaming arrow into the vulture¡¯s side, and its flesh fizzled and warped at the flame¡¯s touch. The monster immediately became more interested in Corminar than Carle, and it turned to charge at the ranger. But Corminar was quick, and he used the bow Elandor had left to him to loose arrow after arrow after arrow, each one burning away more of the monster¡¯s form. By the time it reached him, it was already disintegrating on the ground. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. I didn¡¯t hang around to watch, mostly because another of the creatures was in that moment swooping down towards me. I ran away from Ama and Corminar just enough to prevent them from being touched by the monster¡¯s corrupted wing, and then I opened a portal to drop me out of the enemy¡¯s path. I stumbled back to my feet at the side of the building, just in time to see a circle of glowing purple magicks fizzling into life near the centre of the ceiling. Raelas was still alive, then, and using her Worldbending abilities to her advantage. With a squawk, a vulture emerged from the portal and flew fast into the interior wall, hitting it hard. ¡®Having fun out there?¡¯ I shouted to Raelas. ¡®Yes!¡¯ It was all well and good, but now there were two enemies inside in this small space once more. The other vulture looked around to see where I¡¯d gone, and its head stopped tilting when it spotted me. It hopped up into the air and began to swoop at me once more, but this time I was ready for it. I raised my hands in front of me, forcing myself to wait until the last possible moment before I activated the portals. I lobbed my flaming knife with one hand to distract the enemy¡ªbarely catching it; I really missed my Throwing Knives ability right about now¡ªbut it still enough. The creature squawked its alarm, and in that same second, I opened a portal between us. It disappeared through it and emerged from its partner. Landing right into the fire. Lore¡ªwho had been feeding the flames still¡ªlooked around in alarm, because the monster had almost touched him. I bit my lip. ¡®Sorry!¡¯ I shouted. Ignoring the notifications that were piling up, I turned my attention to the third and last of the enemies. The bird had its eyes fixed on me. ¡®Corminar?¡¯ I asked. ¡®Alas, my fires are extinguished.¡¯ ¡®Alright,¡¯ I cried back, and then focused my attention on repeating my last strategy. The flames on my dagger, too, had gone out, so I couldn¡¯t rely on a flaming throwing knife to distract it. I¡¯d need to time this perfectly. The bird swooped towards me. I raised my hands. This one was the largest of the three, with the greatest wingspan. Just one wrong move, and one of those corrupted feathers could touch me. My life would be over. It grew closer, and my eyes remained on those wings. I opened the portals before I really knew I¡¯d done so, and the vulture swooped to one side. The enemy caught the edge of the portal with one of its wings, sending it spinning through the air towards me. I had to dive to one side just to avoid its touch, and I found myself back out in the afternoon sun. As the vulture batted its wings to get back to its feet, I turned around to face it once more The enemy monster knew my strategy, but as they say, there¡¯s more than one way to slice up a rockrat. Again, I¡¯d need two sets of portals for this to work. At least. I could only hope that Raelas understood what I was doing. I let the vulture swoop at me once more, and then I opened another portal¡ªthis time beneath my feet, knowing that there was no certainly the void monster would go through it. I stumbled out against the outside wall of the building, and I shouted out to get its attention once more. ¡®Over here, you big idiot!¡¯ Maybe Val was right, and I really did need to work on my insults. Still, it did the job¡ªI don¡¯t think the vulture spoke the common tongue anyway¡ªand the monster turned back towards me. From on top of the sand dune where I¡¯d disappeared, it swooped at me once more. This time, I really did wait until the last moment. I crouched as it approached, flinging one arm in front of my face to protect it¡ªeven though corruption was corruption, no matter where it touched¡ªand I opened a portal beneath me to fall through. As I plummeted, the vulture collided with the wall¡ªhard. I span out onto the side of a sand dune, and I didn¡¯t waste the half-second it would have taken to stand up. I opened one pair of portals, then another¡ªboth positioned against the side of the dune to send tonnes of sand pouring onto the spot where the vulture had dropped to the ground. Another portal, doing the same, announced Raelas¡¯s presence, and her understanding of my strategy. At first, the Malae-touched bird tried to fight it, beating its large wings to pull itself away from the ground. But the amount of sand coming was just too great. It couldn¡¯t fight it. It could only be buried. 3x Level ? corrupted vultures defeated! Worldbending ¡ª +4,200xp Worldbending increased to level 53! Base Points gained ¡ª +2 INT, +2 Free Points (INT/WIS/CHA) Knifework ¡ª +1,450xp Knifework increased to level 40! Base Points Gained ¡ª +1 DEX, +1 STR, +2 Free Points (VIT/DEX/STR) Ability selection unlocked Select an ability from the list below¡­ ¡­ I breathed a sigh of relief. It was over. For now, at least; I knew there was only more Malae in our future, if we were going to find the Player responsible for trading in them. That was a problem for later, though. Right now, I had an ability to select.
"Styk" Level 18 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 50 Intelligence ¡ª 198 Dexterity ¡ª 112 Strength ¡ª 77 Wisdom ¡ª 70 Charisma ¡ª 43
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 53 Knifework ¡ª Level 40 Stealth ¡ª Level 22 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 16
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution II ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +200% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
154. Corruption Spreads All six of us were silent as we regrouped in the small village¡¯s main building, each of us rattled by the stress of the fight before. When a monster could kill you simply by touching you, then you couldn¡¯t let your guard down even for a moment. Not that I much wanted to let my guard down and get stabbed with a sword or whatever, either. We stood around the remains of the corrupted bird that Corminar had shot down with his flaming arrows. The one that I had thrown into the flames was now completely disintegrated, while the third was buried beneath a mound of sand taller than the building itself. This one, then, remained the most visible, and acted as a reminder of the danger we¡¯d just faced. ¡®They survived it,¡¯ Lore said, echoing the thought that was going through my mind in that same moment. ¡®They survived the corruption.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m gonna take it that¡¯s not normal?¡¯ the other worldbender asked. I shook my head. ¡®No. Only the strongest people usually survive. And even then¡­ it¡¯s only the body that survives. Not the mind. Not the soul.¡¯ Lore nodded thoughtfully. ¡®I suppose this does not bode well for the future?¡¯ Corminar asked, though the question was rhetorical. ¡®If there is a malae infestation out in these western lands, and those corrupted survive long enough to spread this disease further¡­¡¯ ¡®Then it¡¯s only a matter of time before the Beached Armada falls,¡¯ Ama muttered, her eyes remaining on the creature, drifting towards the remains of its head. Lore looked up at Corminar at this. ¡®I won¡¯t watch my home fall,¡¯ he said. The elf nodded a single nod; he understood this sentiment very, very well, after the events of the past few months. ¡®Carle, look at this,¡¯ Ama said, pointing down at what remained of the creature¡¯s beak. The warrior crouched, and for a moment I thought he was going to touch it. ¡®Careful,¡¯ I said. Carle nodded up at me, confirming his understanding, and then removed a pair of small half moon spectacles from his pocket and placed them gently atop his nose. To look at him now, I wondered how I ever thought Lore and him were similar¡ªthey were just muscular and had trained up in ¡°hitting things¡± skills; that¡¯s where the similarities ended. ¡®The beak?¡¯ he asked Ama. The metal mage nodded. ¡®The scars indicate to me a higher density of corruption. Could this mean this was where the mala latched on?¡¯ Carle paused for a moment before replying. ¡®No.¡¯ ¡®No?¡¯ ¡®No, I hypothesise that mala didn¡¯t latch on at all. I think these vultures might have been eating them¡ªor trying to.¡¯ He looked up at me. ¡®Could this be how lowly beasts survived the corruption?¡¯ I shrugged. ¡®I¡¯m no doctor.¡¯ Carle looked next at Lore, who held out his hands, palms up, to express that he also had no bloody idea. ¡®We can know only one thing for sure,¡¯ Corminar said. ¡®If we are to stop this corruption, we must act fast. I will not see another land fall to evil.¡¯ I nodded. ¡®Gather your stuff. Fill your flasks. It¡¯s time to move.¡¯ * * * We traversed west, using the last of my Needlework supplies to create makeshift hats that held off the worst of the sun¡¯s rays. We were heading for the next water well, as both Lore and Raelas agreed that there was our best bet¡ªthe vultures would usually have a water source to return to after feasting, and this was the nearest one. If they¡¯d come from anywhere, it was there. And besides, even if this turned out to have been a faulty guess, we¡¯d still be able to replenish the water in our rapidly diminishing flasks. While we walked, we kept talking to a minimum due to the heat¡ªwith the exception of Lore who seemed still used to this discomfort from growing up around here. Even Raelas seemed not after my attention, which was fine by me, as it gave me a moment to circle back around on the ability selection I¡¯d received from our fight with the corrupted birds. Ability selection unlocked Select an ability from the list below: Option 1: Dual Wield (Knifework) ¡ª Passive. You can now use a dagger in each hand with equal ability. Ability level is copied from dominant hand to non-dominant hand. Two knives! It was hard to go too far wrong with that, I thought. Double the damage, surely? But then I thought it through. For a start, I only had one dagger at the moment, except that part was at least easily rectified at the next weaponsmith. There was a larger problem, however. If I had a dagger in each hand, it was going to be harder to use my portals. I could open portals without gesturing, but they tended to not end up quite where I wanted them. And precision was key with portals¡ªopening them a foot to the left of where I really needed it could be make or break. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. I kept this option in the runnings, but moved on to the next of the three options. Option 2: Execution III (Knifework) ¡ª Upgrade to Execution II. Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. It may have been a little less exciting than the first option, but I¡¯d learned my lesson on upgrades¡ªdepth of ability, assuming you picked well, was usually better than breadth. I could almost hear Val nattering in my ear, telling me to upgrade this ability cos I used it so often. And she¡ªor my imagined version of her¡ªwas right. An extra half damage again, up from +200% to +300%, was a substantial increase, particularly when combined with my bonus to damage from my Stealth passives. I really had to give this one proper consideration. But there was still one more option. Option 3: Mana-Fuelled II (Knifework) ¡ª Upgrade to Mana-Fuelled. Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. When mana is used, cost is reduced by 20%. This was another upgrade, and pretty inconveniently it was another upgrade to an ability I used regularly. I¡¯d not invested too many of my free points in Dexterity, and so my stamina reserves were pretty pitiful. This didn¡¯t matter, because I had put loads of points into Intelligence, and therefore had plenty of mana. At least, usually I did. I had run out when fighting that particularly long battle in Sunalor, and then against Niamh. If I could reduce my ¡°stamina¡± costs by 20%, then maybe that went a long way¡­ In the end, after much consideration, I decided that there was a clear winner this time around, and I made my selection Ability upgraded ¡ª Execution III Execution III (Knifework) ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Yes, I decided once I was locked in to my choice, this is the right decision. We continued onwards, following the stony merchant road across the dunes, the sun beating down on us. I swigged from my flask, finding it drinking quicker than I would have liked, and based on the filthy look Corminar gave his own flask, he was running into the same issue. In the distance, I saw the mountains that I knew stood tall in the centre of the Beached Armada, their peaks white with snow even in this hot environment. I¡¯d have done anything to be lying in some snow right about then. Not even snow, I¡¯d take sleet. Or a shallow puddle, even. ¡®Just ahead!¡¯ Raelas, at the front of the pack, shouted¡ªit was as though the Architects had heard my prayer. The oasis stretched in front of us, palm trees and lush green grass spreading irregularly around it, birds¡ªnone of them corrupted¡ªsitting at the side of the pool, lapping up the refreshing water. I would have run to join them, to charge into the water, if I hadn¡¯t thought it was properly inappropriate to contaminate a water source with my sweat and dirt. But there was another reason I didn¡¯t, too; three dozen people huddled around it, far too many of them nursing fresh wounds. And these weren¡¯t the usual sort of wounds either¡ªnot slashes from swords or burn marks from fireballs¡ªthese were whole limbs, cut clean through. Almost as if they¡¯d intended to cut them off. So we approached slowly, and I wasn¡¯t the only one of us that made sure their weapon was easily accessible. ¡®Hold!¡¯ one of them shouted. They were an older tiefling man, skin leathery from the sun, his eyes red not just in the iris, where we might have expected it. I came to a stop, and so did the rest of my party behind me. ¡®We don¡¯t want any trouble,¡¯ I said. ¡®We want water, and¡­¡¯ I gestured to some of their injured. ¡®And to help, where we can.¡¯ ¡®Speak for your¡ª¡¯ Ama started, but was cut off by Raelas coughing pointedly. ¡®What¡¯s happened here?¡¯ I asked, in part to bring the man¡¯s attention off Ama and back to me. The man stared back at me with red, empty eyes. ¡®Malae,¡¯ he said.
"Styk" Level 18 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 50 Intelligence ¡ª 198 Dexterity ¡ª 112 Strength ¡ª 77 Wisdom ¡ª 70 Charisma ¡ª 43
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 53 Knifework ¡ª Level 40 Stealth ¡ª Level 22 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 16
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
155. A Chasm, A Void I had a great many burning questions, but the priority right then was to help those in need. Lore, Corminar and I followed the older tiefling man to a man about his age lying on the floor, cradling a elbow point that was bleeding profusely and carried no hand. Corminar pulled out a healing potion, and poured just the smallest amount down the man¡¯s throat. I blinked at him. ¡®Will that be enough?¡¯ ¡®I have only two in my possession.¡¯ ¡®Can you make more?¡¯ Lore asked. Corminar hesitated. ¡®Scout the oasis,¡¯ he said. ¡®The primary ingredient I need to create more are soothing succulents.¡¯ ¡®What¡¯ll they look like?¡¯ I asked. ¡®They will have thick leaves,¡¯ the elf replied as he inspected the man¡¯s wound. The worst of the bleeding seemed to have stopped. ¡®Sturdy. The relevant plants in this continent are said to have a blue trim.¡¯ I nodded, and Lore and I hurried over to the oasis. I considered opening a portal to close the gap, but it would save only a handful of seconds, and I didn¡¯t want to startle anyone. The last thing these people needed was to think that they were under attack. At the water¡¯s edge, Lore and I parted, each traversing around one side. There were few plants here that fit Corminar¡¯s specifications, only a handful, and one that I could see with the telltale blue trim that the elf had told us to watch out for. I sliced it from the ground with my dagger, revealing and almost fleshy, gel-like interior, and hurried back to Corminar¡¯s side. The elf nodded, and handed Lore and I a healing vial each. ¡®Ration them,¡¯ he said. ¡®Even with this, I will still only be able to brew so much.¡¯ I nodded, and as I turned back to the rest of the injured, I noticed the Trio watching on, out of the corner of my eye. Ama was muttering something to Raelas, but at this distance, I couldn¡¯t hear what. I considered shouting out, demanding their help, but instead turned my attention to the next of the injured¡ªa younger tiefling, who¡¯d lost a leg. ¡®Here,¡¯ I said, tipping a little of the potion into her mouth. I could see the wound heal some¡ªenough, at least, to keep her alive for now. ¡®Who did this?¡¯ I asked, nodding to the wound. She stared blankly back at me, and in that moment I understood. She¡¯d done it to herself. It had been the only way to stop the corruption spreading, and to survive. Except¡­ those vultures had survived it somehow¡ªin a way, at least. ¡®You¡¯ll get to a healer. They¡¯ll be able to¡­¡¯ I stopped myself from saying more; at this point, it was best not to promise anything. Lore and I continued around the injured as Corminar finished brewing more, and he flashed a nod for us to give more to each injured person. Before long, we¡¯d stopped the worst of the bleeding, and no more would die this day. As Lore and I returned to Corminar¡¯s side, the elf was speaking with the older tiefling who¡¯d first met us. ¡®Thank you,¡¯ he said. ¡®The Architects bless you, thank you.¡¯ ¡®Yes, yes, that is quite alright,¡¯ Corminar replied. The tiefling flung himself forward and wrapped his arms around the elf, hugging him tight. ¡®You saved my husband! You saved all of them!¡¯ ¡®I only use my alchemical gifts to¡­¡¯ Corminar began to reply, blushing helplessly in the tiefling¡¯s arms. ¡®Sent by the gods themselves!¡¯ the older man continued. When it all became too much, Corminar wrenched himself free of the tiefling¡¯s arms, and the tiefling instead shifting his attention to Lore. The barbarian met the older man¡¯s hug with as keen a hug of his own. When it came to be my turn, I portaled myself to the other side of Corminar to avoid it. ¡®We need to find where these creatures are coming from,¡¯ I said, hoping to trade on the goodwill we¡¯d brought with Corminar¡¯s potions and move on from the whole hugging thing. The man narrowed his eyes. ¡®Why?¡¯ ¡®We seek to put a cork in the metaphorical bottle. We seek to kill them all,¡¯ Corminar replied, and this answer put the tiefling at ease. ¡®I don¡¯t know where they all came from originally, but I can tell you where lots of them are now.¡¯ ¡®The ones that hurt you? Tried to corrupt you?¡¯ I asked. But the tiefling shook his head. ¡®No, our battle took place in our home, a few hours to the southeast. Corrupted vultures swooped down from on high, to¡ª¡¯ ¡®We know,¡¯ Corminar cut in. ¡®We fought them.¡¯ The tiefling raised his eyebrows. ¡®And you escaped without injury?¡¯ ¡®No,¡¯ I said. ¡®We didn¡¯t escape; we killed them.¡¯ The older man took a very literal step backwards, though I sensed that it was out of a sense of theatrics rather than genuine surprise. ¡®Then perhaps you stand a chance after all! Perhaps we may rid these holy lands of the blight. Perhaps we might live our lives once more.¡¯ Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡®You¡­ mentioned Malae?¡¯ Lore cut in. ¡®Other Malae? Where?¡¯ ¡®I¡­¡¯ the tiefling said, and his so recently bright expression faded to one of darkness. ¡®I think it is best I show you. Would you and your¡­¡¯ ¡ª he looked over to the Trio, still watching on ¡ª ¡®friends like to join us?¡¯ ¡®Travelling companions,¡¯ Corminar corrected him. ¡®Not friends. Though yes, they should be provided with the same information as ourselves.¡¯ The tiefling nodded, then begged our patience while he returned to his partner, and picked up an old, rusting metal flask. He pointed north, towards the hills. ¡®This way,¡¯ he said. ¡®Is it far?¡¯ I asked, considering filling up my own water flask. ¡®Not as far as we would like,¡¯ came the reply. * * * The tiefling turned out to be correct¡ªit took only ten minutes or so before we grew close; something I sensed only because the man grew hesitant to proceed. We¡¯d climbed across increasingly steep sand dunes, and across outcrops of bright orange rock that seemed to be slowly pushing forth from the ground. And then, in front of us, we saw a canyon cut into the rock below. The tiefling whipped out his hand in front of Corminar to halt us. ¡®We should not step closer,¡¯ he said. ¡®We might disturb them.¡¯ ¡®We must see for ourselves,¡¯ the elf replied, and though still glum, the tiefling removed his arm from Corminar¡¯s path. The six of us approached the canyon edge slowly, and fear reared its ugly head in my gut. From the pace of the others, I suspected they were feeling much the same. Our guide had said the canyon had formed in aeons past, the river that had carved it long since dried up¡ªor diverted by tiefling settlements. Now, it was dry, and a reminder of what this land might have been if properly tended to. As we approached, we realised just how deep the canyon went, the opposite cliff face growing larger and larger with every step we took closer. And then, when we finally reached the cliff edge, we saw that the canyon floor was covered in darkness. Lore staggered backwards, paling. My heart dropped. I realised then what I was seeing. Not darkness, not shadow, but a layer of Malae crowded on the canyon floor. Not one. Not even dozens. Hundreds. Behind me, Lore roared, clutching his hands to his head. He was the only other among us who had truly seen what the Malae were capable of. What a single Mala was capable of. Let alone hundreds. This many could destroy entire continents. Maybe even entire worlds. ¡®We¡¯ll find a way, Lore,¡¯ I told him. ¡®We¡¯ll find a way to kill them.¡¯ ¡®No,¡¯ he breathed, still clutching his head. ¡®We will. We¡¯ll rain fire down on them from the heavens above if we have to. We¡¯ll¡ª¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s not that,¡¯ he croaked. ¡®You haven¡¯t got it, have you? There¡¯s hundreds in there.¡¯ ¡®Yes, I saw. We¡ª¡¯ ¡®That doesn¡¯t just happen, Styk! They don¡¯t just reproduce like that. Don¡¯t you see? The Councilman was wrong! These people ain''t just trading in Malae. They''re¡­ they''re¡­¡¯ Lore stumbled over the words, seemingly unable to bring himself to say them. But I could. I¡¯d made the leap in logic, now. I¡¯d realised what he had a minute earlier, when he¡¯d stared down into the chasm, and seen the void incarnate staring back at him. ¡®They¡¯re not trading them,¡¯ I finished for the barbarian. ¡®They¡¯re breeding them.¡¯ Lore gulped, then nodded.
"Styk" Level 18 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 50 Intelligence ¡ª 198 Dexterity ¡ª 112 Strength ¡ª 77 Wisdom ¡ª 70 Charisma ¡ª 43
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 53 Knifework ¡ª Level 40 Stealth ¡ª Level 22 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 16
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
156. Interlude — The Councilman The barkeep finally freed Simm next morning. Not only had he suffered the indignity of being tied up, but he¡¯d also been drinking heavily the previous day, and a full bladder had eventually become wet trousers. The woman sniffed her nose as she untied him. ¡®Councilman,¡¯ he said with a smirk. Simm considered snapping something back at her, but nothing came; there was really nothing he could say that would make this look good. Instead, then, he stood, flexed his limbs, and hurried out of the tavern. He kept his head low as he walked through the streets of Westbara on that busy morning, hoping nobody would recognise him. The stink on his trousers drew some attention, but none of the locals at least seemed to realise he was the Player who had saved Westbara from the Malae threat. Except, of course, he hadn¡¯t. Not only had he outsourced the problem¡ªhis weapon was for training only, he rarely used it on beasts; at least not powerful ones¡ªbut also they had failed to deliver. He cursed himself¡ªthis was the last time he hired mercenaries with no brand recognition. And to brand themselves ¡°The Trio¡± simply because there was three of them? That was pretty uninspired. That should have been the first clue. It was as though the gods from home were turning a blind eye to his troubles today, for when he arrived back at his manor, he found that the door was ajar. Someone had broken in. Simm summoned his bound alterblade, and gripped it tightly, ready to defend himself. Not that he¡¯d kill, of course; killing someone in retribution for a simple burglary was hardly just. He stepped inside and closed the door gently behind him. As his eyes adjusted to the lower level of light, he saw a figure walking down one of the two grand staircases at either side of the atrium, and he raised his blade. ¡®You there! What are you¡­¡¯ Simm trailed off when he recognised the face¡ªone of the Duke of Westbara¡¯s aides. And the man was carrying his ceremonial key. ¡®In lieu of yesterday¡¯s events¡ªthe Malae incursion on the western gate¡ªthe Duke sees fit to strip you of your reward.¡¯ ¡®But I¡ª¡¯ The aide looked down at the oversized key. ¡®I argued he should let you keep it, for what it¡¯s worth. It¡¯s not as though it unlocks anything, and despite yesterday¡¯s rather long ceremony, the people will forget you the next time a hero comes along, anyway. But he insisted. He said these things matter, that we should rescind your award as a point of principle. And so¡­ here I am.¡¯ The aide continued down the staircase towards the front door that Simm still stood in front of. Another indignity. It was all too much, after the day Simm had had. Bloodied, beaten, urinated on¡ªadmittedly that last was his own doing¡ªand now this. ¡®You don¡¯t look well, friend,¡¯ the aide said as he approached, nose twitching as he picked up the smell of urine. ¡®Did someone get the best of you?¡¯ Too much. Before Simm knew he was doing it, he reached out to snatch the key to the city back. ¡®It¡¯s mine! I won¡¯t let you take it!¡¯ This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. But the aide held on tight, trying to pull it out of the Councilman¡¯s hands. ¡®It doesn¡¯t open anything!¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s mine!¡¯ Simm repeated, and he tried to yank it once more, but the aide got the better of him¡ªthe key slipped from his hands. And so Simm drew his alterblade, concentrating on keeping it in axe form¡ªhis preferred weapon¡ªthough such raised emotions played havoc with this sort of magick. ¡®Really?¡¯ the aide asked, both smirking and raising an eyebrow for good measure. ¡®You really think I¡¯ll believe you¡¯ll attack me?¡¯ He moved to push past Simm, but the Councilman didn¡¯t budge. ¡®Simm, please. Move.¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s ¡°Councilman¡± to you,¡¯ Simm growled. The aide¡¯s smirk grew greater. ¡®You know, my employer has dealing with Players all around the continent. Some of them are those in Amira¡¯s pocket. The Council themselves. And do you know what they said, when I asked about you?¡¯ Simm¡¯s nostrils flared. ¡®What?¡¯ ¡®They said¡­ ¡°Who?¡±¡¯ The Councilman¡¯s anger got the better of him, a wave of red rising within. And with this anger, his weapon changed. He couldn¡¯t control it¡ªor, if he could, he didn¡¯t want to. At least, not in that moment. The axe became chain, and the chain shot straight forward, lashing out, Simm¡¯s anger made weapon. And it shot forward directly through the man¡¯s heart. The aide blinked down at his chest, at the huge gaping wound from which blood was already starting to pour. ¡®...Oh,¡¯ he said, as he dropped first to his knees, and then the ground. Bile rose in the Councilman¡¯s throat as he rushed to the aide, horror at what he¡¯d just done making vomit rise up his throat. He choked it back. ¡®No, no¡­¡¯ Simm gasped, pushing his hands onto the wound to try to stem the bleeding. ¡®No, I didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡¯ He knew already this effort would be in vain if he didn¡¯t cry out; without the serious attention of a healer, fast, this man was not going to live. ¡®Guards!¡¯ he shouted, but stopped himself mid-word. Simm looked down at the man, dying in front of him. If he shouted, if he got the soldiers¡¯ attention, there was the smallest chance that the aide might live. But there was a certainty that he would be locked up, potentially for the rest of his life in this world. This world would not longer be available to him, and what with the corruption that was sweeping across so many of the others¡­ Simm stood up, releasing the wound, letting the blood flow. The aide tried to cry out, but whatever they¡¯d wanted to say was lost beneath the blood pouring from their mouth. ¡®I¡¯m sorry,¡¯ the Councilman said. ¡®I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to. But I¡­ I can¡¯t go to jail. I can¡¯t. I¡¯m sorry.¡¯ He forced himself to watch the man die. Today, after so many years, he¡¯d done the one thing he told himself he¡¯d never do. He killed a living soul. One of the locals of this world. An innocent. Simm stumbled backwards, panic rising and a terrible sense of change washing over his body. He looked around erratically, trying to force himself to ignore his emotions, to be practical. The emotions were there, and they were just like he¡¯d always expected: horror, terror, and above all¡­ guilt. Guilt that he¡¯d done something unforgivable. But at the same time¡­ it wasn¡¯t so bad. It felt terrible, sure, but it wasn¡¯t insurmountable. He could breathe. He could settle his heart rate. He could¡­ cope. Did, then, a whole new world open to him? Could he kill after all? And if he relented to such a base instinct, could he rise to even greater heights? Would the Council finally grant him entry? A memory of the night before flashed before his mind. The worldbender: We know they¡¯re after us. We know they¡¯ve put a bounty on us; Niamh saw to that. Simm stared down at his hands and sleeves, both dyed red with the aide¡¯s blood. There was one way he could prove himself to the Council¡ªhe could deliver this bounty. He could take down the meddlers. He could kill again. 157. The Road To Home Part XV: Dark Markets There was little we could do about this many malae. One, two, maybe even up to a dozen we could handle, given some fire. But this many? We¡¯d die before we really made a dent in their number. We had no choice but to leave the malae where they were, but that didn¡¯t mean we were happy about it¡ªor were about to leave them unprotected. ¡®You and your people,¡¯ I said to the old tiefling who¡¯d shown us to the canyon. ¡®Do you think you can watch over this place? Stop any travellers from stumbling upon the malae?¡¯ The old man looked back at me with his vibrant red eyes, fear in them. ¡®You don¡¯t have to get close. And I don¡¯t think the malae are going anywhere; they¡¯re fenced in well. We just don¡¯t want¡ª¡¯ The tiefling shook his head. ¡®It¡¯s not that. It¡¯s¡­ sooner or later, the traders will return. Black market merchants. They are powerful people¡ªindividually, but even more so as a whole. I can¡¯t stand in their way; I won¡¯t do that to my family.¡¯ I glanced to Lore, who nodded; he knew these parts, and if he agreed with what the man was saying, then that was good enough for me. ¡®OK. Stay out of the traders¡¯ ways, but everyone else¡­¡¯ ¡®I will keep them away.¡¯ ¡®Thank you,¡¯ I said. This was a far from perfect plan; without anyone protecting the malae, then someone would come along for them eventually. They¡¯d trade them away, and the corruption would spread. But equally, we couldn¡¯t stay here. Maybe we would kill off a few black marketeers, but more would keep coming. We wouldn¡¯t address the root problem. We had to go elsewhere; we had to find the Player behind this trading, and we had to find the person responsible for breeding the malae¡ªpresumably to meet Yusef¡¯s demand. There was a question about just where we would go next, as we had no idea where these malae had really come from. But this was swiftly answered with Corminar spotted an old, rusting knife buried in the sand by the canyon. Treating it as a clue, he handed it around for us each to look at, but only Lore¡ªwho knew these parts well¡ªwas able to provide additional context. ¡®This mark here,¡¯ he said, pointing to a spot on the blade, near the base. ¡®It¡¯s a touchmark¡ªthe mark of a specific blacksmith. And this one, I know.¡¯ ¡®You know touchmarks by heart?¡¯ Ama asked, eyebrow raised. ¡®Just this one,¡¯ the barbarian said. ¡®It¡¯s famous. Famous all around the northern Armada. It belongs to a blacksmith in Coldharbour, where I¡¯m from. I¡¯d know that symbol anywhere¡ªeven the guards used to carry his weapons, and I saw no shortage of their swords as a kid.¡¯ I made a note to ask Lore about his supposedly criminal background later; for now, we had a job to do. I clapped the barbarian around the shoulder. ¡®Sounds like you¡¯re going home, then.¡¯ Lore smiled. * * * Two days later, the sprawling city of Coldharbour stretched before us. Though it was still very much a desert city, greenery had returned over the past few hours of walking. Palm trees stood over the sides of the road, obviously tended to and placed strategically to make the entrance to the town more appealing¡ªthough also a sign that there was plentiful enough water for this to be possible. And of course there was, what with Coldharbour being a coastal city. The bay known as the Coldwater stretched as far as the eye could see behind the city. It was the same body of water I¡¯d seen from the Tundras a few times over the years, though here the sea was a vibrant blue-green, and looked warm enough that its name didn¡¯t really fit. The city itself shared some of the traits I¡¯d come to expect of cities¡ªit had the familiar tall walls of a central old town, with the city having grown far beyond them in the years since its founding. The buildings were a pale yellow-white, matching the local rock, though there were patches of bright colour as large fabrics created shade on the many rooftops. Tall spires¡ªancient monuments to the Architects¡ªshot forth from the city skyline here and there, stripes of dazzling gold reflecting the high, bright sun. Lore sighed when Coldharbour had first come into view, a smile on his face. ¡®It¡¯s been a long time,¡¯ he said, though halfway through that sentence the joyful tones seemed to waver, just for a moment. We proceeded down the palm tree-shaded road into the sprawling outer city, and the noise seemed to hit us like a wave. This was a city full of life, and unapologetically so¡ªpeople shouted across the rooftops, people cried out about the wares they were selling, and there was the general racket of people¡­ enjoying themselves? It was very different to what we¡¯d seen in the Goldmarch over the past few weeks, what with the soldiers of the new Golden Empire cracking down on pretty much anything that brought people joy in the name of keeping them in line. ¡®Don¡¯t suppose you remember where the blacksmith¡ª¡¯ I started to ask Lore, only to turn to my side to find him gone. ¡®Lore?¡¯ Carle caught my eye and nodded towards a nearby market stall¡ªone that served steaming buns of some variety I¡¯d never seen before. Currently handing over some coin, with three buns cradled in his left arm, was Lore. I sighed and approached, and was at his side at the same moment that he finished the interaction and turned around. ¡®...What?¡¯ he asked, presumably in response to the unimpressed glare I was giving him. He picked up one of the buns from his arm. ¡®You want one?¡¯ Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. ¡®Where¡¯s the blacksmith?¡¯ I asked. ¡®Oh. Right. Yeah.¡¯ Lore took a moment to look around, getting his bearings. ¡®You know, it¡¯s been a while since I was here, but¡­ I think it¡¯s¡­ this way?¡¯ And so that way we went. I should have known, looking back, that Lore¡¯s memory of the place was a little iffy, considering he phrased that last as a question rather than a sentence. By the time he actually led us to the blacksmith, it was almost an hour later and I couldn¡¯t help but think we weren¡¯t more than ten minutes away from where we¡¯d started. The blacksmith itself was a big operation. They seemed to have a whole building to themselves¡ªand it wasn¡¯t some tiny shop either, it was four storeys tall and each floor was about the size of a tavern. Most of the ground floor was dedicated to customer service¡ªblacksmiths, still covered in soot from the forges, took client orders down and passed the notes back to the dozens of other workers behind them. The rest of the ground floor was dedicated to the forging itself, it seemed¡ªthough I could see leather being passed up for pommels and I could hear the sound of grindstones being used for sharpening blades. And there was a queue. A big queue. I wasn¡¯t sure, looking back, I¡¯d ever seen a queue that size before¡ªand I hoped never to again. We left the Trio in the shade across the road, and Corminar, Lore and I joined the queue at the back, the big man peering over the heads and counting how many were still ahead of us. It wasn¡¯t massively thrilling to hear that number be so large. But it moved quickly, at least; they had this operation running as efficiently as possible, and it was maybe twenty minutes before we reached the front¡ªand a tiefling blacksmith with her hair tied up in a headscarf. ¡®Your order?¡¯ she shouted over the noise, skipping the pleasantries. ¡®Information, actually,¡¯ I said, placing the rusty dagger down on the desk in front of her. ¡®We wanted to know who you made this for.¡¯ ¡®This line¡¯s for orders only,¡¯ she said, without looking up. ¡®Is there an information queue, then?¡¯ I asked. ¡®No.¡¯ With a sigh, she looked up, and took a look at the discarded blade. ¡®You haven¡¯t looked after this much, have you?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s not mine. Like I said, we¡¯re just looking for who you made it for. You have records?¡¯ ¡®Yep,¡¯ she said, tapping her skull. ¡®Up in here. Doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m telling you, though.¡¯ ¡®We just want to return it,¡¯ I lied. ¡®You ever heard of blacksmith-client confidentiality?¡¯ she asked. ¡®No,¡¯ I replied, and this time I was telling the complete truth. ¡®Well, like I say: can¡¯t tell you.¡¯ I sighed, then turned to my two friends, huddling us in close together. ¡®I think we need a bribe,¡¯ I whispered to them, both of whom nodded. We turned back to the smith and both Corminar and Lore slid something across the table to her¡ªa pile of coin and a steamed bun, respectively. The smith looked from the coins, to the bun, and to Lore. I was just about to interrupt and apologise for my friend when she smiled at him, picked up the bun and began to eat it¡ªcompletely ignoring the coins. Corminar and I shared a look, then shrugged. ¡®One of Yusef¡¯s lot,¡¯ she said through mouthfuls of pastry. ¡®Can¡¯t remember who precisely, but one of his team. That¡¯s all I can tell you.¡¯ Lore smiled, winked at the smith, and then turned away¡ªto be faced with Corminar and I¡¯s suspicious faces. ¡®A bun?¡¯ I asked. ¡®And that worked?¡¯ ¡®People like food round here.¡¯ ¡®Is that where you get it from?¡¯ I shook my head, then led Lore and Corminar back to the Trio. ¡®You get what you need?¡¯ Raelas asked. I nodded. ¡®We¡¯re on the right track¡ªthe blade was made for one of Yusef¡¯s team. That¡¯s evidence enough for me; he isn¡¯t just trading the malae, he¡¯s involved in their breeding, too.¡¯ The Trio were silent for a moment, before one of them asked the obvious question. ¡®So what is next?¡¯ Carle asked. ¡®Now, we go find him.¡¯
"Styk" Level 18 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 50 Intelligence ¡ª 198 Dexterity ¡ª 112 Strength ¡ª 77 Wisdom ¡ª 70 Charisma ¡ª 43
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 53 Knifework ¡ª Level 40 Stealth ¡ª Level 22 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 16
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
158. Those Lost We found some beds for the night at an inn, one that Corminar described as a ¡°boutique inn¡±. The stone walls were bare and flush, decorated only occasionally by ornate water fountains which the owner insisted we could all drink from whenever we wanted. There was talk of a palm-wine tasting downstairs this evening, but with all the hot sun I¡¯d suffered over the past couple of days, even I wasn¡¯t that interested. So instead I retreated to my¡ªsingle!¡ªroom, and I continued to work on my cloth armour. I was working on some simple cloth-based bracers, which were supposedly the simplest thing to make. And if they were simple, then hopefully that meant that I could make them to a higher quality. Besides, some cloth bracers were a whole lot better than the armour I had currently, which was¡­ nothing. I thought of Val as I worked on the last part. Where was she right now? Was she away in some far-off land continuing the work? Or had she had enough of Players, staying away from them¡ªor us, as she might have thought¡ªfor the time being? I finished the last stitch, and took in my latest creation. Needlework ¡ª +3,150xp Needlework increased to level 17! Needlework increased to level 18! Base Points gained ¡ª +2 DEX, +2 CHA, +2 Free Points (DEX/CHA) Level up! You increased to level 19! With my Legacy of Sisyphus active effect upgraded by the lifeforce of Niamh, I was progressing fast. Obviously, my overall level was more of a vanity metric than anything else, but it made me feel a bit more comfortable in myself that I was comparable in level to those I passed in the street. And it had taken so little time, in the grand scheme of things. Who knew that fifteen times the experience points and a lifestyle with action could be so conducive to levelling up. Conducive, I thought, big word. Maybe I¡¯ve been spending too much time around Corminar. I pulled the bracers onto my arms. They fit fairly nicely, which was good considering I¡¯d made them with myself in mind. They could have been better, admittedly, but they were worth it for the option of knocking away any glancing strikes. Satisfied, I took them off again¡ªit was the early hours of the morning by this point, and I didn¡¯t intend to get into a fight right about now. Placing the bracers to one side, I got into bed. For an inn that cost so much per night, the beds really weren¡¯t as comfortable as they should have been. I tossed and turned for a while, until I heard movement in the hallway. With sleep not taking me, I crept across the room to see which of our party was heading out at this time. I inched the door open just in time to see Lore disappearing down the staircase. Maybe it was not being able to sleep, or maybe it was some innate nosiness, but I instinctively decided to follow him. I hurried back inside my room and yanked my trousers back on before hurrying down the stairs. I spilled onto the moonlit street and saw the silhouette of the big man heading west, towards the outskirts of town. I could have called out to him at that point, but some instinct within told me to keep quiet. If Lore was heading out at this time, he probably didn¡¯t want anyone to know about it. Maybe I should have given him some privacy, but he¡¯d been acting increasingly antsy over the course of the evening, and this surely had something to do with it. I kept a distance as I followed him, and hovered a hand over the dagger I¡¯d thought to bring with me; if I ever returned home, then I¡¯d definitely have a fight or two on my hands. But nobody came to ambush Lore, and nobody even spoke to him, the streets being as deserted as they were. And eventually the barbarian arrived at his destination: a small cemetery on the outskirts of the city. I hesitated on the boundary. ¡®You coming, Styk?¡¯ Lore called out without looking back. I paused for a moment, but the jig was up. ¡®How¡¯d you know it was me?¡¯ ¡®Battlesense abilities aren¡¯t just good in a fight,¡¯ he said. I approached the man¡¯s side. ¡®You mind?¡¯ Lore shook his head, and led us on into the cemetery. He took a route that said he knew exactly where he was going, through the winding graves, his eyes fixed on a small one at the far side. There, he removed one of the steamed buns from his pocket, knelt down, and placed it atop the gravestone. PLYAS ERELOS DAUGHTER, SISTER, HERO I waited to ask the question, giving Lore the moment of peace that he¡¯d wanted, that I¡¯d intruded on. ¡®Who is she?¡¯ I finally asked. ¡®My sister.¡¯ ¡®Plyas? That¡¯s a tiefling name isn¡¯t it?¡¯ The barbarian nodded. ¡®Foster sister. I was adopted.¡¯ ¡®Oh, I didn¡¯t¡ª¡¯ ¡®My parents, they were merchants. Came through here. Weren¡¯t doing well. Couldn¡¯t afford to feed me. Left me on the doorstep of the Erelos family.¡¯ Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. I found a lump in my throat. ¡®You never said.¡¯ Lore shrugged. ¡®I was young, I don¡¯t remember them. Didn¡¯t even know my own name, so they let me name myself.¡¯ Well, that¡¯s the mystery of the cool name answered, at least. ¡®What happened to her?¡¯ I asked, then immediately added, ¡®If you don¡¯t mind talking about it.¡¯ I knew the answer before Lore spoke it. ¡®A Mala,¡¯ he said. ¡®Back when they were rare. We were playing in the dunes¡ªsaw it coming, but were too young to know what it was. Plyas¡­ she was always the braver of us¡­ she touched it.¡¯ The rest of the story hung in the air, Lore not wanting¡ªor needing¡ªto spell it out. ¡®I left about a year after that. I was angry. I fought a lot. Fell into a Barbarian class and barely looked back. It was only when I checked in on the folks a few years later that I¡¯d learned one of the Malae had slipped through a mercenary¡¯s attack on them.¡¯ ¡®A Player, I¡¯m guessing?¡¯ Lore nodded. ¡®I didn¡¯t blame him, not at first. These things happen. But when I spoke to him, when I mentioned it¡­ he didn¡¯t care. He didn¡¯t care that a kid had been killed by his carelessness. And I¡¯d thought he¡¯d be a hero. No, the only hero around here was her.¡¯ He nodded down to Plyas¡¯s grave. ¡®I lost someone to malae too,¡¯ I said. ¡®I thought you might¡¯ve, yeah.¡¯ ¡®Losing her¡­ it hurt. Made it hard to open up to someone again, after that.¡¯ Lore turned to me. ¡®Until Val?¡¯ I gulped. ¡®Until Val.¡¯ ¡®She¡¯ll come back,¡¯ the big man said. But I wasn¡¯t quite so sure. * * * I woke up late the next day, finding the bed surprisingly comfortable after all. The sun was high in the sky, pouring in through the wooden shutters. I staggered downstairs to get some food from the kitchen, and found only Corminar and Lore sitting in the hall¡ªthe latter still yawning and very sleepy. ¡®The Trio?¡¯ I asked, grabbing a seat on the bench next to Lore. The elf shook his head. ¡®Absent.¡¯ ¡®They¡¯ve left?¡¯ ¡®Belongings remain in their rooms. I broke in.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m a bad influence on you,¡¯ I told him. As I ate a heart breakfast, we spoke about our plan for the day¡ªnamely, hunting down the Player behind the Malae breeding: Yusef. We had absolutely no leads. We didn¡¯t even know if he was still in the city, just that he¡¯d at some point been through here. So the first step was asking around to find out. Surely, if a Player was still in Coldharbour, someone would know about it. We stepped out into the near midday sun and I immediately insisted we stop for a lot of drinks. This was something that Lore in particular was keen on, though I suspected that was just because he wanted to pay a visit to some old haunts from his youth. We walked wherever our legs carried us, having no real destination, which sent us west once more. Though instead of veering off towards the cemetery, we stuck to the main road, heading towards the Mountain Gate. Lore had fallen into the role of casually asking people about any Players coming through town, or occasionally about Yusef specifically. Though it was quite a direct question, the barbarian seemed to phrase it in ways that resonated with the locals¡ªhe understood their ways and culture so well, having grown up here. All knew of Yusef, their eyes lighting up at his very mention, but none knew his current whereabouts¡ªsuggesting that he was not in Coldharbour. We were just about to find another spot to get a drink when the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. There was some silent, indiscernible change to the bustling main road, one which caused all three of us to stop, searching for its cause. And we found it staggering in through the gate. It wasn¡¯t a Mala, this time, but a man. A man who cradled his arm¡ªan arm touched by dark corruption. I ran to help him, pushing through an amassing crowd of locals. ¡®Don¡¯t touch him!¡¯ I shouted. ¡®Don¡¯t touch him!¡¯ But the locals all looked at me like I was crazy. ¡®Well of course we don¡¯t touch him,¡¯ one of them said, ¡®he¡¯s been attacked by a Mala.¡¯ The same woman turned to the corrupted man. ¡®Stay with us, OK? We know what to do: we need to get you to the Doctor. He specialises in this kind of thing.¡¯ I flashed a questioning look to Lore. ¡®You know about this Doctor?¡¯ The barbarian shook his head. ¡®Nope, never heard of him.¡¯ ¡®Then maybe we go pay him a visit.¡¯
"Styk" Level 19 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 50 Intelligence ¡ª 198 Dexterity ¡ª 114 Strength ¡ª 77 Wisdom ¡ª 70 Charisma ¡ª 47
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 53 Knifework ¡ª Level 40 Stealth ¡ª Level 22 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
159. The Scientific Method We followed the locals as they carefully steered the corrupted man the way of the doctor, using thick reams of cloth to hold him upright while preventing risk of getting corrupted themselves. I¡ªand Lore and Corminar, from the looks of them¡ªfelt excess to requirements, but this was our only lead on someone who might know a bit more about the Malae, so we stuck with them, trailing some way behind. The locals led the corrupted man around the outskirts of the city, to a neighbourhood that looked dingier than the rest, with people well armed and watching newcomers carefully. That is to say, my kind of place. But Lore seemed to be right at home here, his eyes lighting up at the sight of old, dirty inn and shops and stalls. He even cried out a greeting to an old cloth merchant who waved back, confused, not recognising the young boy who¡¯d left in the burly barbarian who had returned. We finally came across a building cleaner than the rest, with fresh paintwork and glowing newfangled light magick bulbs across the top of the front. It was in here that the two women hurried the corrupted man, and then as soon as he was across the threshold, they scurried away¡ªpresumably not wanting to be on the hook for any medical costs. But someone inside moved to support the man, a tiefling woman covered from head to toe in a transparent protective material, ready for such a situation. When she looked up at the three of us, her eyes fixed to Lore, and widened. ¡®Lore?¡¯ she asked, voice lilting with joy. ¡®Alenna?¡¯ the barbarian threw back at her, equally excited. The doctor almost dropped her patient as she moved to hug Lore, arms wide, then realised the man needed support. ¡®We¡¯ll hug later,¡¯ she said, then began pulling the man deeper into her clinic. ¡®He a friend?¡¯ ¡®No,¡¯ Lore replied, ¡®we just stumbled across him.¡¯ Then he came to an abrupt stop and took in the clinic properly. And fair enough, really; this was unlike anything I¡¯d ever seen before. One wall of the shop was lined from floor to ceiling in shelves filled with glass specimen jars. Almost all contained an alchemical ingredients or a monster part or glowing magicks, and only some of them I even recognised, let alone understood what they did. Alenna had a waist-height stone plinth in the centre of the room, upon which she urged the corrupted man. In the corner of the room, hot enough that I could feel it from here, was a stone oven with a raging fire inside¡ªand I got the impression that was where any corrupted body parts went, because it took fire to kill corruption. ¡®Will I keep the arm?¡¯ the man asked to the doctor, glancing at the three of us nervously, as though he had no idea why we were there. ¡®We¡¯re gonna do our best!¡¯ Alenna shouted, then pushed the man¡¯s shoulder back down onto the stone plinth. ¡®Lie still?¡¯ ¡®Is that a question?¡¯ ¡®Lie still.¡¯ Alenna turned to her wall of medical supplies and tapped a finger against her chin. ¡®What do we need? What do we need,¡¯ she murmured, then suddenly seemed to have a moment of revelation, and pulled a jar full of green-glowing worms from the shelf. She turned back to the corrupted arm, and tossed the worms onto where the Mala had touched him. I leaned over to Corminar. ¡®Do you have any idea what she¡¯s doing?¡¯ ¡®None whatsoever.¡¯ Alenna put her face close to the corruption, watching the glow-worms closely. As the man began to move, she leaped backwards. ¡®Still! Lie still!¡¯ ¡®...OK.¡¯ ¡®OK,¡¯ Alenna said, turning away. ¡®The glow-worms aren¡¯t working. I¡¯ve had some luck with them before, but I think they might only like elf flesh.¡¯ Corminar shifted nervously. ¡®Tiefling flesh? Not so much.¡¯ ¡®What¡¯s that mean for me?¡¯ the patient asked. Alenna turned back to him, axe in hand. ¡®It means you¡¯re gonna lose the arm.¡¯ Before the patient could react, she flung a hand forward and released a blue magick that emerged as a glowing rope, binding him in place. ¡®Sorry,¡¯ she told the corrupted man. ¡®But it¡¯s for your own good.¡¯ Then, as if practised in the motion, she brought the axe down on the affected limb, above the spread of corruption. Alenna clearly had more strength that she looked like she had, because she took the arm off in only one strike. As the man screamed, the doctor immediately held cloth to the wound. ¡®Lore, would you mind¡­¡¯ she nodded to the cloth, and the barbarian took it, holding it in place. Meanwhile, Alenna took the corrupted arm and tossed it into the oversized oven. She sighed when it was done. ¡®Phew,¡¯ she said. ¡®Hard work, this.¡¯ ¡®Lenna¡­¡¯ Lore said nervously. The doctor jumped. ¡®Oh! Right.¡¯ She took the cloth from Lore and began feeding low levels of yellow-white Healing magicks into the wound. The patient, meanwhile, had passed out. * * * It was some time before Alenna had stabilised the once-corrupted man, and she had us wait upstairs in her living quarters, telling us to make ourselves at home. Lore clearly took the doctor at her word, because he was immediately looking in her cupboards for snacks and something to drink¡ªboth of which he found. As we sat nibbling on biscuits and sipping some sort of hot, spiced drink I hadn¡¯t had before, the doctor finally arrived upstairs. ¡®How about that hug now, big guy?¡¯ she said, arms stretched wide. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Lore practically sprinted to his old friend, grabbing her in his arms and returning the hug so enthusiastically that he lifted her from the ground. When he finally put her down, the two of them traded stories of what they¡¯d been up to in the years since they saw each other, while Corminar and I sat uncomfortably, feeling like we were intruding. From the sounds of it, Lore had seen Alenna only once since he¡¯d left home, but before that they¡¯d been close friends. Alenna knew Plyas, too, because she referenced her before Lore did¡ªdrawing a confused expression from the ranger in the process. The tiefling, for her part, had applied herself in the magicks before realising that maybe there was another route to helping people¡ªusing the natural ingredients of the world in a way similar to alchemy, but without the magicks element, just using their innate properties. She¡¯d had some success, as evidenced by the clinic, but the growing Malae scourge had brought with it a new challenge. ¡®It¡¯s what I¡¯ve been trying to do here,¡¯ Alenna said, ¡®come up with a way to make people survive the corruption through a combination of magick and science. I¡¯d had some success with those worms eating up the corruption enough that the host survives¡ªthe worms don¡¯t¡ªbut they don¡¯t always take. And then the host gives in a few days or weeks later. It¡¯s progress, but it¡¯s not enough. So then we have to resort to more traditional methods.¡¯ ¡®Cutting it off,¡¯ I said. The doctor nodded. ¡®Yeah.¡¯ ¡®It looks as though people understand you are making progress,¡¯ Corminar said, nodding to the room¡ªas finely decorated up here as the clinic itself had been, if cosier. The doctor blinked as though caught off-guard. ¡®Oh?¡¯ ¡®I noticed there was no charge for the patient, yet it would require significant funding to have a place such as this. Donations, I would assume? Perhaps from a handful of wealthy benefactors?¡¯ Alenna hesitated before smiling. ¡®Right on the money. You have smart friends, Lore.¡¯ She hit the man playfully on the upper arm, and Lore didn¡¯t seem to notice. ¡®That¡¯s why we¡¯re here, actually,¡¯ I said, wanting to bring us onto the topic that had put us on Alenna¡¯s doorstep. ¡®We¡¯re looking for leads on the malae. As far as we can tell, someone is breeding them, and we think that person might be¡ª¡¯ Lore coughed pointedly; though this woman was a friend, clearly she was still as fooled by Players as most of the world. If I spoke negatively of them in her presence, she would be less likely to help us. ¡®We think that person might be in the city,¡¯ I finished, switching up from what I¡¯d originally intended to say. ¡®Have you heard anything? Do you know anything that would help us?¡¯ The doctor licked her lips thoughtfully before replying, training her eyes on me in a way I didn¡¯t quite like¡ªwhat was going on in that brain? ¡®What do you intend to do with the malae once you find them?¡¯ ¡®We are here to exterminate them all,¡¯ Corminar said, sparing no drama. Alenna nodded. ¡®Good. There¡¯s getting to be too many of them¡ªnot that one isn¡¯t too many. But, fair warning: many adventurers and mercenaries have tried to wipe them out, and many of them have ended up back in my clinic. Or never shown up at all.¡¯ She turned to Lore. ¡®You¡¯ll be careful out there, won¡¯t you?¡¯ The barbarian nodded, kind smile on his face. ¡®Good.¡¯ Alenna stood from her seat, and halfway down the stairs, she called out, ¡®I¡¯ll be right back; got something that might help you.¡¯ When she returned, she carried a stone in her hand¡ªone with glowing green energy hovering around it. ¡®I borrowed some magick to make this.¡¯ ¡®Witchcraft?¡¯ I asked, noting the colour of the spell. Alenna shrugged. ¡®We do what we must. This spell, here, it looks for Witchcraft magicks. A particular kind of witchcraft, in fact¡ªthose associated with the malae.¡¯ Lore held out his hand to take the stone, eyes fixed upon it. ¡®Are you saying what I think you¡¯re saying?¡¯ The doctor nodded. ¡®It tracks malae. And you can have it, but I ask one thing in return.¡¯ ¡®What¡¯s that?¡¯ ¡®If you do find any malae, give them to me to study. The only way I can save people is if I know what I¡¯m working with.¡¯ Lore met the woman¡¯s eyes and nodded, that kind smile still on his face. ¡®We can do that,¡¯ he said.
"Styk" Level 19 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 50 Intelligence ¡ª 198 Dexterity ¡ª 114 Strength ¡ª 77 Wisdom ¡ª 70 Charisma ¡ª 47
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 53 Knifework ¡ª Level 40 Stealth ¡ª Level 22 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
160. The Coldharbour Sprawl Lore gave the malae-locator stone to Corminar to monitor as we roamed the city, suggesting that he trusted Corminar to use it better than he trusted himself. But as we weaved through the narrow streets of Coldharbour, I began to think it was for another reason: so he could concentrate on looking around the city he¡¯d grew up in. He took us into the odd shop here and there, for food, for drink, sometimes just to have a look around¡ªmostly it was for food¡ªand enthusiastically explained who had owned each business, how long they had been there, and a handful of supposedly amusing anecdotes from his childhood. After a while, it felt like he¡¯d forgotten why we were here in the first place. So I reminded him. ¡®Lore, you know we¡¯re hunting malae, not¡­ shopping?¡¯ The big man¡¯s smile faltered. ¡®...Yes?¡¯ From the way he¡¯d said it, I could tell this was a lie; he wasn¡¯t exactly the best liar in the world. ¡®Just one more stop,¡¯ Lore said. ¡®We really¡ª¡¯ Corminar started, but the barbarian interrupted him. ¡®You¡¯ll like this one. I promise.¡¯ And so, reluctantly¡ªand with no shortage of sighs on the elf¡¯s part¡ªwe followed Corminar towards the centre of town. Here, in the heart of the city, the buildings stood stall and were crammed close together, every square foot of real estate built upon over the course of the years. Lore led us between these tall buildings, and I was grateful for the shade from the mid-afternoon sun, then came to a stop. He closed his eyes, and drew in a deep breath. While he¡­ did whatever we was doing, I looked at the sprawling market in front of us. It was wedged between the tall buildings, stalls and stores crammed into every nook and cranny, continuing in the distance through arches and tunnels under buildings. The stalls here sold vibrant cloths, aromatic spices, and no shortage of the curved blades that the tieflings of the Beached Armada so preferred. It was a feast for the sense, and I understood why Lore had brought us here. ¡®The Coldharbour market!¡¯ Lore proclaimed, almost shouting¡ªbut there was enough of a din from the throngs of customers that few seemed to even notice. ¡®Isn¡¯t it great?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m assuming they sell snacks here,¡¯ I replied. ¡®Ahem,¡¯ Corminar coughed pointedly, clearly keen to be getting on. I, however, could see the appeal of this place, and what harm was there really in letting Lore relive a few childhood memories? ¡®Lots!¡¯ Lore replied. ¡®Buncakes and spit-veg and roca and¡ª¡¯ ¡®Ahem,¡¯ Corminar repeated. I turned to him. ¡®Yes, we¡¯ll be getting¡ª¡¯ And then I saw that he was looking down at the magical device that Alenna, the Doctor, had given us. ¡®Ah.¡¯ ¡®What¡¯s¡­¡¯ Lore started, and then he caught up with what was going on¡ªthere was a mala nearby. ¡®Oh. How close?¡¯ Corminar looked up, straight ahead of him, following the indication on the locator stone. He stared at a woman who froze abruptly to the spot, fabric disguising her face and clutching something in her hand that was covered by a bright magenta cloth. She was hiding the creature in plain sight. ¡®Oh, not far,¡¯ he said. We burst into a sprint towards the woman, and she at the same moment turned to flee into the dense market. The three of us immediately hit the wall that was the milling crowd, none of them in any rush to get out of our ways and much more interested in browsing wares at their own pace. It was Lore that had the least trouble with the crowd, which was surprising considering that he was by far the largest of us¡ªbut I supposed if you saw him barrelling towards you, you¡¯d get out of his way in a hurry too. I glimpsed our target fleeing into the distance, weaving amongst the market stalls, able to move faster than us even with a large disguised crate in one hand¡ªshe was from the city, and seemed to know innately how it moved. ¡®She¡¯s getting away!¡¯ I shouted to the other two, and then caught myself. ¡®Wait, what am I doing?¡¯ I first reached forward to open a portal in front of our target, but I couldn¡¯t aim properly through such a dense, ever-shifting crowd. So instead I aimed roughly above her and opened a portal for me to fall through to catch her up. As I leaped through the portal on my side, I saw Corminar leaping through to join me. He¡¯d really got his head around all this portal stuff at last. We fell out the other side and tumbled down into the crowd¡ªme landing on top of a young couple who were holding tails and Corminar onto the roof of a market stall. If he had been Lore, he would have crushed it and put someone out of business, but instead he bounced off the top and fell nimbly to his feet. The two of us¡ªand Lore, not so far behind¡ªcontinued to charge after the woman, winding through the stalls and around a sharp corner. We stumbled to a halt when we didn¡¯t initially see her, but then Corminar threw his hand forward, gesturing to some reams of cloth swaying in the wind¡ªwhere the target had just run through. I opened more portals to close the gap some, bringing us to the cloth merchants, and we burst through the same wall of fabric that our target presumably had. I saw nobody the other side, but Corminar¡¯s sharper elven senses had him running to the right, down a narrow alley that stretched away from the marketplace and into thick shadow. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. I charged after him, hearing Lore approaching¡ªand apologising to people he pushed through¡ªat my rear. The alley grew narrow as it steered off to the left, not wide enough for two people to pass through side by side, and maybe even not wide enough for Lore to get through without sucking his stomach in. The alley turned again, sharply, putting Corminar out of sight, and I charged down it. It suddenly opened up into a courtyard, and I collided with Corminar¡¯s back, as the elf had stumbled to a halt. I was about to insult him for stopping so abruptly when I looked around to see the reason why. Here, there wasn¡¯t just one person with cloth covering her lower face. There were a dozen. Our target had fled for the support of her allies¡ªand now, we were greatly outnumbered. ¡®Err¡­ hi?¡¯ I said, waving timidly. ¡®Nice to meet you all.¡¯ Lore charged into the courtyard and collided with both me and Corminar, sending us falling forwards to the dirt. ¡®Sorry,¡¯ he mumbled as the elf and I jumped quickly back to our feet, anticipating the fight that was to come. ¡®I think we¡¯ve taken a wrong turn somewhere,¡¯ I said, edging backwards, my ranger friend following suit. ¡®We¡¯ll just be¡ª¡¯ One of the disguised enemies, an archer looming over us on a balcony at our left, loosed two shots in quick succession. One landing just where I¡¯d been about to place my foot, and the other landing just where Corminar had been about to step. ¡®Impressive¡­¡¯ the elf murmured. He appreciated good archery when he saw it. Back down on our level, one of the enemies stepped forward, out of the shadows of one of the buildings. ¡®Ooh, very good,¡¯ Lore said. ¡®Very dramatic.¡¯ The man who¡¯d just stepped into the light glared at the barbarian like he was being sarcastic, but I knew him well enough to realise he¡¯d been sincere. Still, it probably wasn¡¯t worth calling that out right about now. ¡®Why do you harass my employees?¡¯ he asked, staring at Lore with bright red eyes. ¡®I promise you, he¡¯s not harassed anyone in his life,¡¯ I replied. ¡®Besides, I think we should be the ones asking the questions here. Questions like¡­ why are you carrying malae around? And who are you selling them to?¡¯ A few of the enemies drew their blades at the mention of the malae, but the man in charge waved them down. For now. I kept one hand behind my back, ready to portal us out of here if the inevitable battle turned out to be one-sided¡ªand not one-sided in our favour. ¡®I don¡¯t think that¡¯s any of your concern,¡¯ the mysterious stranger replied. ¡®That¡¯s our business. Not yours.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s everyone¡¯s business when those malae you¡¯re trading in are out there killing people. That canyon, to the southwest¡ªis that your doing too?¡¯ The man¡¯s eyes gave no answer, but he did at least hesitate. Was this canyon news to him? And did that mean that it was unrelated to this particular piece of enterprise? Maybe he just headed up the trade in Coldharbour, rather than the Armada as a whole. This man would surely have a boss, wouldn¡¯t he? ¡®You must know,¡¯ Corminar said, ¡®we cannot leave here until we exterminate your stock.¡¯ I lowered my portal-ready hand; Corminar was right. We¡¯d need to give this our all, not have one foot out the door. Those dead from corruption deserved that. ¡®And you must know,¡¯ the stranger replied. ¡®We cannot let you leave.¡¯ I sighed, raised my blade, and readied myself to fight.
"Styk" Level 19 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 50 Intelligence ¡ª 198 Dexterity ¡ª 114 Strength ¡ª 77 Wisdom ¡ª 70 Charisma ¡ª 47
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 53 Knifework ¡ª Level 40 Stealth ¡ª Level 22 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
161. A Bazaar Battle As Lore and I drew our blades¡ªone bigger than the other¡ªthe enemies attacked. I skirted my eyes over them, counting exactly how many, and came up with nine. That would mean taking down three each¡ªfairly long odds unless we figured out a good plan fast. The archer on the balcony above loosed a shot and it skimmed my ear, drawing blood. It was about as close as it could get without doing real damage. Seven more of them¡ªtheir leader not included¡ªstepped menacingly towards us¡­ and still I had no plan. ¡®Regroup?¡¯ I asked my friends. ¡®Regroup,¡¯ Lore agreed verbally, and Corminar did so with a nod. We turned and ran, weaving down the winding narrow alley, Lore allowing Corminar and me to go first, as he could bear more damage. ¡®Wish the others were here right now!¡¯ I cried. ¡®Val and Arzak?¡¯ Lore replied. ¡®...Yes!¡¯ I lied. Had I so quickly replaced them with the Trio in my mind? Lore grunted behind me as he swung his blade to fend off the enemies. They¡¯d grown close already, and we needed to put some distance back between us if we were going to come up with a plan. One idea flashed through my mind¡ªtake the battle back to the markets, and hope to lose the enemies in the crowd. But then I got suspicions that these enemies wouldn¡¯t mind a little collateral damage¡ªor, at least, they¡¯d mind it less than we did. I pushed my hands forward instinctively to open a portal ahead of us, but the alley was narrow and winding enough that I couldn¡¯t open a portal far enough ahead for it to do any good. ¡®Rooftops?¡¯ Corminar shouted, and I figured out where he was going with that¡ªhe wanted me to portal us up there. ¡®Can¡¯t see them, and they¡¯re too high! Out of range!¡¯ Instead we continued to flee down the alleyway, stumbling back out into the marketplace. I looked around quickly for a plan, and spotted that there were a number of balconies hanging over the bazaar. I opened a portal next to myself and Corminar and paired it with one on the closest balcony. ¡®Through! Through!¡¯ I shouted, and Corminar did so with only a second¡¯s hesitation. But a second was too long. Though the ranger had made it onto the balconies¡ªand was in this moment readying an arrow to fire at one of our pursuers¡ªthe enemies had grown too close. Now that the alley had broadened out into a street, the Malae traders had been able to get around Lore. Most of them very sensibly realised that he wasn¡¯t the easiest pickings, and so they were now charging at another member of the team¡ªme. One of them swung their blade at me before I could disappear through the portal, and I dived backwards to avoid the attack. I aimed my movement poorly, not getting through the open portal but instead clipping my shoulder on it, sending me spiralling towards the ground. I didn¡¯t have a second to spare on another attempt, so I burst back up into a sprint, vacating the spot where a sword was arching down just in time. And, just like that, I found myself among the crowds once more. I was about to open another portal to get me out of trouble, but the masses had grown so dense that I couldn¡¯t even see a spot to open one to enter. I pushed through the shoppers, five or six of the enemies charging after me. I wanted to call out to Corminar for help, but I knew that as soon as I did, the enemies would know he was there, and would find cover. But there was another way. I spun around just long enough to fling my hands in the direction of my pursuers, glimpsed through the crowds, and instead of opening a portal¡ªwhich would have been ineffective in such a crowd¡ªI used another of my abilities that hadn¡¯t proved all that versatile so far. I activated Silence. A giant, faintly purple bubble appeared around the enemies and shoppers alike, and immediately all of them blinked at the sudden change in sensation¡ªall sound having been eradicated for them. Some of them even stumbled to a halt. But the confusion would be temporary. ¡®Corminar!¡¯ I shouted, not taking my eyes off the enemies so that they couldn¡¯t see who I was yelling to. ¡®Get them!¡¯ He immediately fired an arrow that caught one of the traders in the shoulder, sending them to the ground, clutching their wound. It wasn¡¯t a fatal one, but it was enough to eliminate them from the fight¡ªat least until they saw a healer. I felt the uncomfortable sensation of an unread notification popping up, but I ignored it for now¡ªthere were still at least five others to deal with. I continued pushing through the crowd, stretching my head above them to look for a way out. The masses were good for slowing my attackers down, but they also slowed me down¡ªand rendered my portals useless. I needed a little space. To my left, I spotted another cloth merchant¡ªone I¡¯d need to return to later, to restock my Needlework supplies¡ªwith their wares hung on solid ropes that stretched across an offshooting road. I swerved towards their store. Shouting behind me announced Lore¡¯s return to the fray, and I glimpsed him managing to take out another of the Malae traders before they could notice him coming¡ªtheir attention fixed on me. But then the four remaining turned on him, and even Lore wasn¡¯t strong enough to hold off that many. ¡®Lore!¡¯ I shouted. ¡®Over here!¡¯ Corminar¡¯s arrows had been few and far between, and it was only at this point that I realised why. He was as limited as I was by the crowds¡ªwith these dense masses moving in unpredictable patterns, he couldn¡¯t always get a shot with no risk of hitting an innocent. I saw him leap across the narrow-ish street, from balcony to balcony, trying to find a better angle. Lore stumbled out of the thick crowd near me, and we charged on down the quieter street. As we passed under the first line of colourful cloths, one of the enemies caught up, striking a blade towards me. Instinctively, I raised my hands to protect myself¡ªwhich would have been a foolish move if I hadn¡¯t been wearing my new bracers. They stopped the worst of the attack, the blade only just catching my skin, but they were ruined in the process. Already. Lore roared and tackled my attacker to the ground, which would have been a kind gesture if it didn¡¯t leave me with three others to deal with. I backed up down the street, passing through the pieces of fabric, and glancing up, a thought occurred to me. ¡®Lore!¡¯ I shouted. ¡®Be ready!¡¯ The barbarian headbutted the trader he was dealing with, sending them to the ground, clutching their nose, then he looked at me. In the same moment, I reached a hand up and portal sliced one end of the ropes from which the fabric was hanging. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it And at the same moment, the three traders charged at me. ¡®Now!¡¯ I shouted, as one end of the rope fell to the ground at Lore¡¯s feet. The barbarian thought just quickly enough to grab the rope from the ground and yank it taut¡ªjust as the three attackers ran into it. Two of them fell from the impact, and Lore whipped the rope again to topple the other one. From there, it was easy. * * * ¡®Come out! Now!¡¯ I bellowed to the leader of the traders as we reentered the courtyard, his employees bound by the rope I¡¯d taken from the cloth merchant. I¡¯d paid him for his troubles and promised a return to buy more of his wares, and at that point he¡¯d been happy enough with the deal to even help us tie up the prisoners. All of the Malae traders who¡¯d still been conscious had snarled and spat at us as we did so¡ªall of them except one, the archer, who had been strangely quiet. The leader of the Malae trader sneered at us as we approached, though I got the impression that the sneer was as much for his employees as it was for us. What did it say about how he ran his business that his team had managed to get captured even though they¡¯d greatly outnumbered us? ¡®Now, my good fellow,¡¯ Corminar said, ¡®you are going to tell us everything you know about the Armadan Malae trade, and then you are going to show us to your stock. Do you understand?¡¯ The man didn¡¯t reply. ¡®I asked you: do you understand?¡¯ Still, nothing. ¡®I don¡¯t think he understands,¡¯ Lore said. Instead of speaking, the enemy finally answered by striking his arms down at his side¡ªwith particular dramatic flair, I¡¯ve got to admit¡ªand forming within his hands the blue-white glow of Conjuration magicks. Corminar raised his bow to strike, landing an arrow firmly in the man¡¯s chest. As a droplet of blood dripped down the side of his mouth, the dust underneath each of his hands began to fly into the air, twisting and turning and taking shape. The shapes of men. ¡®Sand spirits!¡¯ Lore shouted. I moved to charge them with him, dagger in hand, readying to activate Knifestorm to deal damage fast, but the barbarian whipped out his arm to block me. ¡®Swords are useless,¡¯ he said. ¡®They¡¯ll shift around them.¡¯ From the confident tone, I could tell he¡¯d encountered these before. He knew what he was talking about. ¡®Do you have, then, any suggestions?¡¯ Corminar shouted above the blustery wind that kept the sand spirits¡¯ shapes. ¡®I¡­¡¯ The spirits charged towards me and Lore, and I instinctively opened a portal to block them. Only I didn¡¯t open a typical portal. I opened an entrance to a pocket world¡ªone that they blasted right into. When I snapped the portal shut again, the winds died. ¡®You dare¡ª¡¯ the injured merchant leader began, but was cut off by Corminar firing another arrow at him¡ªthis one doing the job. ¡®...Huh,¡¯ Lore said to me. ¡®I wouldn¡¯t have thought of that.¡¯ Corminar nodded approvingly. ¡®Best be careful when you next access your pocket world. Though perhaps the magicks will have faded by then.¡¯ I breathed a sigh of relief; fighting in this heat was not much fun, and only then did I allow the notifications to come in. 6x merchants of the dark markets defeated! Worldbending ¡ª +5,350xp Worldbending increased to level 54! Worldbending increased to level 55! Base Points gained ¡ª +4 INT, +4 Free Points (INT/WIS/CHA) Ability selection unlocked Select an ability from the list below¡­ ¡­ The ability choice would have to wait for now, at least until we¡¯d decided what to do with these traders. Already, Corminar had begun by taking it upon himself to pull the cloth from their chins, revealing each of the traders¡¯ faces. He moved down the line, revealing mostly tieflings, but the odd human in there too. There was even an elf, sporting on his wrist the red rose symbol of the Red Thorn¡ªa member of the organisation of elves still technically exiled from the Dawnwood, even if it was now under imperial control. And then Corminar reached the end of the line, standing in front of the archer. ¡®I must say,¡¯ the elf said. ¡®You are a fine shot. A shame that you take¡ª¡¯ But Corminar stumbled over his sentence when he pulled the cloth from the human¡¯s face¡ªrevealing his identity as someone we knew well. ¡®...Lambkin?¡¯ Lore asked. Captain Lambkin. Or, ex-captain Lambkin, at least. The last time we¡¯d seen him, he¡¯d helped us take down Jacob, the pyroknight and the first Player I¡¯d killed. Then, he¡¯d gone off to oversee Tokas, to make sure she didn¡¯t get into any trouble after we¡¯d learned she¡¯d made a deal with the very same Player. From the looks of it, we¡¯d picked the wrong man for the job¡ªbecause this¡­. This was trouble and a half. ¡®Call the guards, then get me out of here,¡¯ Lambkin said. ¡®I will explain everything.¡¯
"Styk" Level 19 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 50 Intelligence ¡ª 204 Dexterity ¡ª 114 Strength ¡ª 77 Wisdom ¡ª 70 Charisma ¡ª 49
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 55 Knifework ¡ª Level 40 Stealth ¡ª Level 22 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
162. Old Friends As the guards descended on the courtyard, we hurried Lambkin out of sight. The Malae traders needed locking up, and so too did Lambkin, probably¡ªbut we had some questions to ask him first. Lore held our captive by the wrists bound behind his back as we weaved through the crowds of the marketplace. You might have thought that so many people being around would mean that someone would surely spot that Lambkin was a prisoner, and perhaps even question what was going on. But the truth was that the crowds were so dense, so tightly pressed together, that nobody could even see the ropes around the man¡¯s wrists. As we walked in silence away from the courtyard, through browsers and guards charging to the scene of the crime, I perused my ability selection choices. Having regretted not picking it first time around, I skimmed the list first, looking for another shot at Portal Relay or an improved version of it, but found nothing¡ªnot yet anyway. Ability selection unlocked Select an ability from the list below: Option 1: Warped Shield II (Worldbending) ¡ª Upgrade to Warped Shield. Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a melee weapon, Warped Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. I already had Warped Shield, of course, though I tended not to get into situations where I had to use it. The original ability was nowhere near as useful as I¡¯d thought it would be, considering it had only applied to non-enchanted weapons. The whole world seemed to be carrying enchanted weapons these days, and even if the enchantment was minor it meant that my ability wouldn¡¯t kick in. I mentally earmarked this option as I knocked into a broad, scarred man¡¯s shoulder. I glared up at him, thought better of getting into another fight, and hurried through the crowd after Lore. Option 2: Saved Portal II (Worldbending) ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. This was the problem with getting a skill to a decent level¡ªevery ability choice you had to select from was very compelling. I¡¯d passed over the original Saved Portal for another ability before. I don¡¯t remember what that other choice had been, but I did remember feeling bad about not picking this one. There were so many applications to it, not least of which was around making a ¡°base¡± for the team to operate from. But nowadays, with Val and Arzak gone, that didn¡¯t seem so important. Still, it meant that we¡¯d always be able to quickly retreat from a fight if we got in over our heads¡ªand the Architects knew that we did that very often¡ªso it was still a very compelling option. But, as the crowds started to thin ahead of us, as we approached the end of the bazaar, I looked at my third and final ability choice. Hidden condition met! Alternative ability choice unlocked. Option 3: Disintegrate Seams (Worldbending) [Requires: Needlework level 15] ¡ª Use your magicks to tear away at the seams of light or medium armour, immediately weakening the armour. I almost laughed when I envisioned using this ability. I face down a huge, towering enemy¡ªthe large guy I¡¯d just bumped into a minute ago springed to mind¡ªand I have no hope of piercing his armour with my dagger. So I activate this, then the string that hold the man¡¯s armour together falls apart¡­ and so too does the armour itself, dropping to the ground. Maybe it even reveals some embarrassing underclothes. It really was tempting, simply for that reason. But my mind won over my heart, and I picked the option that I¡¯d told myself I would select next time it came up. Ability unlocked ¡ª Saved Portals II Saved Portals II (Worldbending) ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. My instinct whenever I got a new ability was to try it out straight away and see what I was dealing with. In this case, though, there was no location around me that was useful to keep saved, so I had to hold back. Maybe we¡¯d find somewhere soon. Maybe we would even go track down a safehouse for this precise reason. Finally, we left the din of the marketplace behind us, and Lore hurried Lambkin into the cover of a small, dark alleyway. ¡®You could unbind my hands now, good sir,¡¯ Lambkin said. Lore didn¡¯t do any such thing. ¡®Nah, first you tell us why you¡¯re involved with malae traders.¡¯ Lambkin looked to me next, holding his hands out behind his back. But I shook my head; I was in no mood to disagree with Lore here. The ex-captain, seeing he wasn¡¯t getting anywhere, hung his head down and sighed. ¡®I am not involved with malae traders.¡¯ This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. ¡®You were in their camp!¡¯ Lore protested. ¡®You fought alongside them!¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re literally wearing the same headscarf as them,¡¯ I added. ¡®Yet you will notice I damaged none of you?¡¯ Lambkin said. ¡®And as Corminar Cladenor here says¡¯ ¡ª he nodded to the ranger ¡ª ¡®I am a fine shot. I would have hit you if I¡¯d wanted to, as the second highest levelled archer in the Tundras.¡¯ ¡®We are not in the Tundras,¡¯ Corminar growled. ¡®Be that as it may¡ª¡¯ ¡®I think¡­ we¡¯re getting a little off-topic,¡¯ I interjected, not wanting this to devolve into another pissing contest between the two rangers. ¡®Why were you there, Lambkin? You should be in Aptleed, keeping an eye on Tokas, and you not being there would worry me, let alone¡­¡¯ I gestured back the way we¡¯d came. ¡®I am no malae trader,¡¯ Lambkin said. ¡®I was infiltrating the traders. Months of work, it was, to get me this far¡ªand all of that had now gone down the drain.¡¯ ¡®Down the drain?¡¯ I asked. ¡®The guards will arrest them, and¡ª¡¯ ¡®You think that is the extent of the operation?¡¯ Lambkin asked, echoing my earlier doubts. ¡®No, Styk. They are just one unit. One local unit. Who knows how many more are out there, and who knows who they report to? My intention was to work my way to the top, to understand¡ª¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s a Player,¡¯ Lore said. ¡®It¡¯s a Player in charge. His name is Yusef.¡¯ Lambkin held the barbarian¡¯s gaze, then nodded. ¡®Then it¡¯s as she suspected,¡¯ he said, and then immediately paled. ¡®...What was that?¡¯ ¡®Nothing.¡¯ ¡®You said something about ¡°as she suspected¡±. Who is ¡°she¡±, Lambkin? Tell me it¡¯s not her. Tell me you didn¡¯t.¡¯ ¡®I¡­¡¯ Lambkin started. ¡®You were supposed to watch her! Not team up with her!¡¯ The bound man gave shrugging his best attempt. ¡®We thought you were all dead!¡¯ ¡®Why?¡¯ Lambkin blinked at me. ¡®There was a Player-led invasion of the Tundras. And where were you? We figured that the Player-slaying had fallen to us, considering that you were nowhere to be seen. Though, I must admit that the Player in question fell through our fingers, and died over the course of her next invasion, as far as I could¡ª¡¯ Corminar coughed pointedly. ¡®...You were in the Dawnwoods,¡¯ Lambkin realised aloud. ¡®We were.¡¯ ¡®Ah. And you¡­¡¯ ¡®Eliminated the Player, yes,¡¯ Corminar finished for him. ¡®You might have written to me.¡¯ It was my turn to blink now. ¡®We were a bit busy!¡¯ ¡®Before then!¡¯ Lambkin said next. ¡®I move halfway across the continent on behalf of my new friends to watch over a tiefling gone awry, and I expected they might check in on us every now and then.¡¯ ¡®Well I figured you¡¯d be making a new life with Sae. That¡¯s what you said, didn¡¯t you? Thought you¡¯d put all this behind you.¡¯ Lambkin mumbled something under his breath. ¡®What¡¯s that?¡¯ ¡®She didn¡¯t come, alright?¡¯ the ex-captain repeated. ¡®When I got back to Umlok, she was gone. Her father, the baron, he¡¯d taken advantage of my absence to marry her off to some cousin of a duke. Never saw her again. And so the only friend I¡¯ve had is¡­¡¯ ¡®Tokas,¡¯ Lore finished. The bound man nodded, and finally I reached forward with my knife to slice the ropes from his wrists. ¡®Alright,¡¯ I said. ¡®We¡¯ll let you go free on one condition: take us to Tokas.¡¯ ¡®And if she doesn¡¯t repeat everything you just told us,¡¯ Lore said, ¡®we¡¯re gonna have some words, you and me.¡¯ The barbarian towered over the ranger as he delivered this implied threat. Lambkin nodded, and then began to lead us through the winding streets of Coldharbour, to see a woman who we¡¯d though we¡¯d never see again. To see a woman who¡¯d betrayed us.
"Styk" Level 19 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 50 Intelligence ¡ª 204 Dexterity ¡ª 114 Strength ¡ª 77 Wisdom ¡ª 70 Charisma ¡ª 49
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 55 Knifework ¡ª Level 40 Stealth ¡ª Level 22 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
163. Rehabilitation Even Lore was quiet as we followed Lambkin through the streets of Coldharbour towards where Tokas, the woman who had betrayed us, was staying. I couldn¡¯t quite work out how the tiefling¡ªnot exactly the most charming woman I¡¯d ever met¡ªhad convinced Lambkin to work with her, but maybe the latter had got tired of the quiet life, particularly if Sae wasn¡¯t living it with him. I cast my mind back to the moment of realisation, when we¡¯d fled Jacob the pyroknight after our first, doomed attempt to kill him. We¡¯d been cowering in a cave when it had all come together, and I¡¯d reached out to take Tokas¡¯s obscurem from her. When I¡¯d shattered it, I¡¯d seen her true face¡ªthat of the pyroknight healer, who had been there during the devastation of Plainside. She¡¯d been involved in a deed so evil that there was surely no forgiveness. Lambkin finally came to a halt in front of an unassuming door near the edge of town, the faded blue-green paint peeling from the woodwork, dust lining on the windows. He gestured for us to enter, but¡­ none of us did. ¡®You can go in,¡¯ he said. ¡®This has been our base of operations for the past few weeks. It¡¯s safe.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s not that,¡¯ Lore said. ¡®It¡¯s¡­¡¯ He didn¡¯t need to say it; I was right there with him. And from the expression on Corminar¡¯s face, the elf agreed too: we were not in a rush to see Tokas again. But we all knew we had to, that we had to make sure Lambkin had been telling the truth, and that we had to find out what she knew. We each drew in one last, deep breath before following the Tundran archer into the house. As we stepped inside onto a narrow hallway, the floor consisting of a mosaic of tiles so common in this area, our shoes against the ceramic announced our arrival. And at the end of the hallway, turning around from a stove placed in front of a large window, we saw the silhouette of a tiefling. A familiar tiefling. ¡®Hi, Tokas,¡¯ Lore said. There was a moment of silence that could have been anything from a second to a full minute before the tiefling replied. ¡®Hi, Lore.¡¯ Two children with worryingly loud footsteps¡ªsteps that seemed to make the very ground shake¡ªrushed out into the hallway to see who had arrived. Tokas¡¯s kids, Punnas and Lopas, emerged smiling, blissfully unaware of their mother¡¯s past crimes. As they should be; they were too young, still, to hear such things. ¡®Woah!¡¯ Lore said enthusiastically, putting it on a bit as he crouched down to meet them at their eye level. ¡®Haven¡¯t you two grown! You gotta be, what, ten feet tall by now?¡¯ ¡®Nooo!¡¯ Punnas replied, chuckling. ¡®Not ten feet!¡¯ ¡®Well you two look it to me,¡¯ the barbarian said, then glanced up at Corminar and Tokas. ¡®Why don¡¯t we go play in the other room, let the grown-ups talk?¡¯ ¡®But you¡¯re a grown-up!¡¯ the other child protested. ¡®You don¡¯t have to become grown up if you don¡¯t wanna,¡¯ Lore said. ¡®That¡¯s the secret they don¡¯t tell you.¡¯ He continued nattering on about something or another as he led the two children up the staircase and out of earshot. I met the barbarian¡¯s knowing gaze for just a second and nodded my thanks. Not for the first time I took a moment to note that the big man was smarter than he looked¡ªsomething that I often forgot. ¡®So,¡¯ Tokas finally said, holding Corminar¡¯s gaze. ¡®They told you I was here, did they?¡¯ Both the elf and I narrowed our eyes, but it was Lambkin who answered first, shaking his head. ¡®We ran afoul of each other. Chance, nothing more. They weren¡¯t searching for you.¡¯ If I wasn¡¯t mistaken, this answer caused a little sadness to emerge behind the tiefling¡¯s eyes; she wanted us to have been looking for her. She wanted us to want her. It was a feeling I could empathise with¡ªI¡¯d spent a lot of time alone in the past. ¡®You brought them with you? The kids?¡¯ I asked, trying my best to move Tokas¡¯s thoughts along. For all her past transgressions, it was hard to see her as sad as she was. Tokas shrugged, then looked to the ex-captain. ¡®Lambkin has explained to me that I was over-relying on my father¡¯s kindness and offers for child care. Besides, it is important they see and understand my work, for once they learn what I did¡­¡¯ The tiefling¡¯s voice cracked, just for a moment. ¡®They won¡¯t think me all bad. They will understand that there is good and bad in everyone, their mother included. Though I suppose all children learn that at some point.¡¯ Corminar and I nodded glumly, while Lambkin didn¡¯t react. Clearly his childhood had been healthier than that of everyone else in the room. ¡®And just what, may I ask, is it that you are here for?¡¯ Corminar asked. When Lambkin moved like he was about to speak, the elf whipped a hand up to demand his silence; we had to make sure that the stories aligned. ¡®Lambkin told you about the malae trade?¡¯ ¡®We knew already,¡¯ I replied. ¡®We just didn¡¯t expect to find him a part of it. So you came here to take it down?¡¯ Tokas shook her head. ¡®Not initially. We¡¯re here to take down Players.¡¯ Corminar gulped. ¡®You¡¯re continuing the work?¡¯ I asked. ¡®You¡¯re back slaying again?¡¯ ¡®I never stopped. Lambkin and I, we¡¯ve already taken down one together¡ªa man named Sandar, if you really have to know¡ªand when we heard about Yusef from merchants travelling across the Coldwater, we knew he was our next target.¡¯ Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. I nodded. ¡®The same man we¡¯re here for. Do you know his location? Or his weaknesses, how we can kill him?¡¯ The tiefling shook her head. ¡®No, you¡¯re not understanding me. We¡¯re not here to kill anyone. We¡¯re here to take them down. Expose them.¡¯ Tokas turned to look out the dusty window and down onto the street below, clearly preferring it to forcing herself to meet our gazes. ¡®You remember the Tundran invasion?¡¯ ¡®Kinda hard to forget,¡¯ I replied. Tokas nodded. ¡®The dukes, the barons, the leaders¡­ they only allowed Amira¡¯s forces to help them because Amira had a Player speaking for them. And we know what most people think of Players¡ªthat they¡¯re heroes, that they can do no wrong, and so on. But really, they¡¯re just people, like the rest of us. Some of us¡­ make mistakes. And some of us are evil. That¡¯s true of them too.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re here to demonstrate that,¡¯ Corminar said. ¡®How?¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s about as far as we got. We suspected that Yusef was involved in the malae trade, and so we began to infiltrate. If we could get undeniable proof from the inside that he was involved¡­ we could spread it. We could show people that Players aren¡¯t to be lauded. That some are manipulative, evil, and able to force you to do terrible things.¡¯ This was the third time, by my count, that Tokas had referenced her crime of teaming up with the pyroknight. It was as though she wanted to talk about it. But it was up to Corminar, not me, to decide if he was ready to. He wasn¡¯t. ¡®I am on board with such a plan,¡¯ he said. ¡®Styk?¡¯ I nodded. ¡®Works for me. As you say, if people knew what Players were really like, the Tundras would never have been invaded. And the Dawnwood¡­¡¯ I trailed off; we could all fill in the blanks here and it didn¡¯t help Corminar to keep spelling it out. I looked to the elf for guidance here, as it seemed like if we wanted the same thing as Tokas, then it would make sense to work with her. And yet¡­ after what I saw the pyroknight do in Plainside, back when this all began, and with her at his side¡­ Well, I didn¡¯t know if I could deal with her travelling with us. But Corminar seemed to be on the same page. ¡®Good. Then we will share information in our efforts. We will continue our investigations, and if we learn of anything significant, we will share this with you.¡¯ He nodded to the tiefling. ¡®Tokas,¡¯ he said, like he was breaking off this interaction, then turned and did the same to the other ranger. ¡®Lambkin.¡¯ I nodded a timid goodbye too, and we shifted towards the door just for a second before the tiefling spoke again. ¡®If you do see them,¡¯ she said, voice now definitely shaking, her eyes fixed on the floor, ¡®will you tell her I¡¯m sorry?¡¯ ¡®Who?¡¯ Only then did Tokas glance up at us, any sadness behind those eyes replaced by confusion. ¡®Arzak. You¡¯re here with them, aren¡¯t you? In the Armada?¡¯ My heart dropped. ¡®Arzak and Val are in the Beached Armada?¡¯ Corminar asked, with a much more level tone of voice than I would have managed. ¡®You didn¡¯t know.¡¯ ¡®No,¡¯ I said, surprised to find my voice come out as little more than a breath. Tokas furrowed her brow. ¡®Then it seems I am not the only one to have hurt them.¡¯ I opened my mouth to speak, but Corminar grabbed my arm and turned me away; this was a can of siltworms he didn¡¯t want to open. ¡®If we learn any more of the Player, we will tell you,¡¯ the elf said to Tokas and Lambkin. ¡®You will have our cooperation.¡¯ Corminar left out the end of that sentence, which was, to my mind, ¡°...and nothing more.¡± As we left the building, I was sure I heard a voice whisper behind us. ¡®I¡¯m sorry,¡¯ it said.
"Styk" Level 19 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 50 Intelligence ¡ª 204 Dexterity ¡ª 114 Strength ¡ª 77 Wisdom ¡ª 70 Charisma ¡ª 49
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 55 Knifework ¡ª Level 40 Stealth ¡ª Level 22 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
164. Special Delivery ¡®There¡¯s kinda a lot going on.¡¯ When Corminar, Lore and I had returned to the inn after a long day, we¡¯d found the Trio tucking into a hearty meal¡ªone that we joined them for without any hesitation. While they were fairly vague about their day in Coldharbour¡ªtelling us they¡¯d just been ¡°looking into a few things¡±¡ªwe¡¯d given them the basics as to our own day. We told them we hadn¡¯t found the Player responsible for the mala, but people around here knew of him. We told them we¡¯d met a doctor, who¡¯d turned out to have been an old friend of Lore¡¯s, and was looking into a cure for the malae-inflicted corruption. We mentioned taking down the local gang involved in the malae trade, leaving them for the guards. And we even mentioned running into a couple of other people we used to know, Lambkin and Tokas, but we left out the part about the latter¡¯s terrible betrayal; that would only have resulted in a lot of questions. I¡¯d thought until this point that it had been a productive day, but really we were no closer to finding Yusef, the Player seemingly responsible for the malae trade in the continent as a whole. Still, we¡¯d done some small good, at least, in helping that mala-touched man to Alenna and by sorting out some black market traders. We¡¯d earned our stew tonight. Corminar and Lore left soon after dinner, neither of them having spoken much, really, since we¡¯d left Tokas behind. Both of them were still chewing the matter over, and I supposed they had more history with Tokas than I had, excluding the part where she¡¯d been there in Plainside the first time I¡¯d died. This left me with Raelas, Carle and Ama, though I¡¯d just popped over to the bar to order a pint when I turned around to find that only the tiefling was left. Something told me she¡¯d had a lot to do with the sudden disappearance of her friends. I sat back at the table, opposite her, keenly aware of those bright red eyes upon me as I concentrated my attention on the beer instead. ¡®You know I¡¯m¡­¡¯ I started, realising I was going to have to put to words why I was wary of Raelas¡¯s advances. ¡®You know I¡¯m kinda with someone, right?¡¯ Raelas didn¡¯t look away for a second. ¡®Yeah. Val, right? But where is she, cos I¡¯ve been travelling with you for a week now and I haven¡¯t seen her.¡¯ She brushed a lock of her hair behind a small, curly horn. ¡®We¡¯ve been going through something.¡¯ ¡®Wanna talk about it?¡¯ I shook my head. ¡®Not really.¡¯ Raelas smiled. ¡®That¡¯s OK.¡¯ From her tone, it seemed she meant it. Not that I was comparing her and Val or anything, but it was nice to be talking to someone who wasn¡¯t combative all the time. ¡®You know, we found someone touch by malae today too,¡¯ she said, kindly changing the subject. ¡®Came in through a gate.¡¯ ¡®You get them to Alenna?¡¯ The tiefling shook her head. ¡®They were too far gone.¡¯ ¡®Might not have been if we had a cure,¡¯ I replied. I thought back to the malae we¡¯d found in the traders¡¯ courtyard. We¡¯d left them there, alive but firmly caged, as evidence of what the merchants were involved in, showing why we¡¯d left them tied up. The guards would put two and two together and sentence the traders sufficiently for their crimes, as everybody in these parts knew what a mala was capable of. But maybe we should have taken one of the monsters with us, delivered it to Alenna to study, and make good on our deal. Lore wouldn¡¯t have been on board with the idea. He¡¯d already lost Plyas to the malae, and taking a living one to his only remaining childhood friend was a recipe for digging up past trauma. He didn¡¯t have to know about it, though. ¡®You wanna get out of here?¡¯ I asked Raelas. The tiefling¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡®What did you have in mind?¡¯ She didn¡¯t need to spell it out for me to know what she was implying. ¡®Not that,¡¯ I said. ¡®Instead¡­ I was thinking we¡¯d go steal something.¡¯ * * * Raelas wasn¡¯t quite as excited by the prospect of theft as Val would have been, but she was still a willing participant. Though I got the impression that she was doing this only because I had asked, and¡ªas she had suggested many times¡ªbecause she thought this was a bit like a date. The last time she mentioned this being like a date was while we were pressed up against each other in a tiny broom closet. ¡®What kind of dates do you usually go on?¡¯ I hissed back at her, and Raelas didn¡¯t quite get to reply because we heard the voices of guards approaching. We¡¯d followed Alenna¡¯s mala locator stone to find where the city guards had taken the living evidence of the traders¡¯ crimes, and it had taken us to a smaller outpost not too far from the bazaar. What with three pairs of portals between us, as well as us both having levelled up the Stealth skill somewhat, it wasn¡¯t too hard for us to get inside. What was hard was getting to the right room, which just so happened to be the basement. We¡¯d portalled our way inside, almost run afoul of guards immediately, and then darted for the nearest doorway, hoping for somewhere to hide. And that brings us up to date, to the pair of us wedged into a broom closet, me pretending I couldn¡¯t smell Raelas¡¯s floral perfume and feel her fingertips resting gently on my forearm. The guards seemed to come to a stop just outside the door, and¡ªfearing that they were about to find need of a broom¡ªI pointed my hand towards the ground. As Raelas repositioned herself closer still, I cast the spell, sending us falling through one portal and out into the darkness of a basement. Stealth ¡ª +2,250xp If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Stealth increased to level 23! Stealth increased to level 24! Base Points gained ¡ª +2 DEX, +2 WIS, +4 Free Points (DEX/WIS) ¡®I can¡¯t¡­¡¯ I started, but Raelas had anticipated the complaint, and with the flick of her wrist she summoned a purple mote of light. ¡®One of those ability choices I made while you were busy speccing into portals,¡¯ she said. We looked around the dimly lit basement at hundreds of crates of evidence, and I sighed. ¡®Any ideas where they are?¡¯ ¡®If the guards were smart, they already killed them,¡¯ I said, removing the locator stone from my pocket. ¡®But then if they had¡­ this wouldn¡¯t be working.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯ve got to let me borrow that at some point,¡¯ Raelas said. ¡®To do some mala hunting?¡¯ ¡®Something like that.¡¯ I followed the glowing arrow on the stone as it pointed me across the room, towards a stack of familiar-looking crates by the door. The guards had just dumped them here, then. They should¡¯ve known better. But it was handy for me. I picked up one of the crates and shook it slightly. Only when I heard a familiar squeaking noise from inside did I know that there actually was a monster inside. ¡®You got it?¡¯ Raelas asked. I nodded, then passed her the crate to hold. ¡®Careful.¡¯ ¡®You worried about me?¡¯ the tiefling said with a smile. I ignored it¡ªclearly Raelas wasn¡¯t going to be put off, no matter what I said¡ªand returned to the remaining crates of mala. I activated my Ash Husk ability, but just on one finger, and I used my smouldering finger tip to singe a message into the side of one of the wooden crates. ¡®Burn me immediately,¡¯ Raelas read it aloud. ¡®Think they¡¯ll get the message?¡¯ ¡®Dunno how they could miss it.¡¯ * * * I knocked on Alenna¡¯s door a third time, on this occasion far louder than the ones before. ¡®Alright, alright,¡¯ I heard a voice cry out from inside. ¡®I¡¯m coming. I¡¯m coming. But this better be a real emergency. You better have corruption on your damn¡ª¡¯ Alenna stopped talking when she swung her door open and saw me standing there with Raelas at my side, crate in hand. ¡®Fast-track delivery,¡¯ I said. ¡®Thought you wouldn¡¯t want to wait.¡¯ ¡®You thought right, yeah,¡¯ Alenna said. ¡®Come in, come in.¡¯ She practically yanked Raelas inside, her eyes on the crate in the woman¡¯s hands. After I nodded, Raelas let the scientist take the crate from her hands. ¡®Oh, goodie! Been a while since I got my hands on a live one.¡¯ Alenna looked up at me. ¡®You¡¯ve done good. This is gonna help a lot of people. But, can I ask¡­¡¯ ¡®Lore¡¯s fine,¡¯ I replied, getting where she was going with the question. ¡®I just didn¡¯t think he¡¯d like me putting you in danger. Especially after what happened with¡­¡¯ I trailed off, but Alenna said her name. ¡®Plyas.¡¯ Raelas raised an eyebrow at this, but didn¡¯t ask. Good on her. Other people I knew¡ªmyself included¡ªwould have asked without a moment¡¯s hesitation. ¡®You reckon you¡¯ll be able to find a cure, with this?¡¯ I asked. Alenna shrugged. ¡®Could do¡­ but that¡¯s the thing with science; you don¡¯t know how close you are to a breakthrough until you¡¯ve actually¡­ broken through. So I can¡¯t promise anything, but¡­ yeah, it¡¯ll help.¡¯ ¡®Alright,¡¯ I said, turning away to leave the scientist to her work. ¡®Glad to have helped. If there¡¯s anything else we can do¡­¡¯ Raelas grabbed me by the arm as I was halfway out the door. ¡®You forgot to ask for payment,¡¯ she whispered. ¡®No, I¡ª¡¯ I started, but Alenna calling out behind me cut me off. ¡®You know,¡¯ she said. ¡®There is one more thing you could do to help¡­¡¯
"Styk" Level 19 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 50 Intelligence ¡ª 204 Dexterity ¡ª 120 Strength ¡ª 77 Wisdom ¡ª 72 Charisma ¡ª 49
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 55 Knifework ¡ª Level 40 Stealth ¡ª Level 24 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
165. The Return Of The Estat Order ¡®You went back to Alenna without me?¡¯ Lore asked. We¡ªthe six of us; three Slayers, three Trio members¡ªwere sat in the tavern once more, having some breakfast, and Lore and Carle were eating more than the rest of us combined. If I wasn¡¯t mistaken, there was a little friendly rivalry going on around who could eat more. Maybe they had some things in common after all. I shrugged. ¡®We couldn¡¯t sleep.¡¯ ¡®We?¡¯ Raelas waved to signal that she was the other half of ¡°we¡±, and Lore frowned to show that he wasn¡¯t a fan of that at all. ¡®A date?¡¯ the barbarian asked. ¡®Yes,¡¯ Raelas said, at the same time that I said, ¡®No.¡¯ Carle and Ama looked to one another, vaguely amused expressions on their faces. I got the impression then that I wasn¡¯t the first person Raelas had pursued aggressively in this way. ¡®Look,¡¯ I said, ¡®the point is: there¡¯s something else we can do to help her. She needs information. Experimenting on those touched by the malae is all well and good, but there¡¯s other related research out there that¡¯s already been done. She just needs to read it.¡¯ Lore¡¯s eyes lingered on Raelas for a moment. ¡®OK, so where do we get this research for her then?¡¯ I mumbled the answer under my breath. ¡®What¡¯s that?¡¯ Ama asked. I sighed. ¡®From a library of the Estat Order.¡¯ ¡®...Ah,¡¯ Lore replied; he¡¯d been there the last time we¡¯d had to deal with this lot. ¡®They are the librarians with the excessive late returns policy, yes?¡¯ Corminar asked. ¡®Those with whom you two have tussled before?¡¯ ¡®They¡¯re the ones who kill you for late returns, yeah,¡¯ I replied. ¡®I¡­ don¡¯t think we ever got to the bottom of why they do that, did they?¡¯ Lore shrugged. ¡®Maybe they¡¯re just a bit weird.¡¯ ¡®¡°Just a bit weird¡± is putting sugar in your stew. Killing people for forgetting to return books is just a little bit passed that, don¡¯t you think?¡¯ Carle raised an eyebrow. ¡®A peculiar returns policy indeed. And they still get patronage?¡¯ ¡®I wonder if this policy isn¡¯t intended to discourage such a thing,¡¯ the ranger replied. Ama leaned forward, cutting through the rest of the conversation and steering us back to the most important aspect of the matter at hand. ¡®And this job¡­ it pays?¡¯ ¡®Yes, Raelas was quick to establish that.¡¯ The tiefling nodded enthusiastically. ¡®Is that all that matters to you?¡¯ Lore asked, with more irritation in the typically gentle man¡¯s voice than I was used to. ¡®Saving people isn¡¯t its own reward?¡¯ ¡®No reason we can¡¯t have two rewards!¡¯ * * * It was supposed to be a quick day trip. We¡¯d leave Coldharbour in the morning, straight after our surprisingly tasty breakfast, and we¡¯d head southwest to Fallenstone. We¡¯d visit the ruins of the ancient city¡ªin which a small town was beginning to form around the water well¡ªand we¡¯d track down the library. We¡¯d go in, request the book in question, pray that this particular library was staffed by more reasonable people, and we¡¯d head back again in time for dinner. That was the plan, anyway, but I had doubts about one part in particular: that these particular members of the Estat Order would be more reasonable than the last. They didn¡¯t have a good track record. You¡¯ll be unsurprised to learn that it was Raelas who walked at my side as we travelled. ¡®You really won¡¯t tell me a little about your past?¡¯ she asked. ¡®What¡¯s there to tell? I stabbed some people, got stabbed a few times, and drank a lot of beer.¡¯ Raelas raised her eyebrows as we climbed up the latest sand dune along the traveller¡¯s road. ¡®We both know there¡¯s more to you than that. You¡¯ve killed Players, tried to stop an invasion¡ª¡¯ ¡®Failed to stop an invasion,¡¯ I corrected her, then glanced around to make sure Corminar wasn¡¯t in earshot; he wouldn¡¯t like the reminder. ¡®¡ªand you¡¯ve done all this without going past level nineteen. And don¡¯t think I haven¡¯t noticed that strange relic you fiddle with in your pocket.¡¯ I whipped my hand away from the Sisyphus Artifact, then tried to act casual about it. I could maybe trust the Trio with some details about our Player killing, but I wasn¡¯t in any hurry to reveal the truth about the artifact¡ªor the Player blood required to use it. It was time to change the subject. ¡®Well, I don¡¯t exactly hear you volunteering anything about your own past.¡¯ ¡®You haven¡¯t asked!¡¯ ¡®Consider this me asking.¡¯ Raelas smiled. ¡®So you¡¯re interested after all?¡¯ I sighed; this woman could make something out of anything. ¡®So, Carle, Ama and I, we¡¯ve known each other forever. As far back as I can remember, at least. We grew up together on the streets of Oalem¡ªno parents, no money, no prospects. Called ourselves the Trio since we were small. Had to steal food, find shelter where we could¡­¡¯ Raelas glanced over at me. ¡®And I¡¯m guessing that¡¯s all pretty familiar to you, too?¡¯ I shrugged. ¡®See? Lots in common. Don¡¯t suppose this Val had to go through what we¡ª¡¯ At a glare from me, Raelas stopped mid-sentence. ¡®OK, OK. Sorry. Just thought it had to be said, is all. Anyway, one day some rich merchant comes to town. An elf, from the Dawnwood. She¡¯s visiting the local lords, and they all throw some huge feast in the palace gardens. We¡¯re not allowed in¡ªnobody is¡ªbut we can see enough to know that there¡¯s too much food. It¡¯s going to waste. We¡¯re hungry¡ªstarving, maybe¡ªand that food isn¡¯t going to get eaten. So, when the feast is winding down, we sneak in, and we try to reduce food waste. ¡®It¡¯s the merchant that caught us. She alerted the guards, and they catch me. I tell them we were just hungry, that we just thought nobody would mind. But they keep going on about how it¡¯s theft, like it¡¯s against the law so it must be morally wrong, too. No¡­ what¡¯s the word?¡¯ The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡®Nuance?¡¯ I suggested. ¡®Not the word I was looking for, but it works. Nuance. Yeah. So they arrest me, and they want me to pay a fine to let me go. Carle and Ama don¡¯t have the money, obviously, and eventually the jailhouse gets too full any they let me go anyway. When I found the others, do you know what we swore?¡¯ ¡®That you¡¯d try to feed the poor?¡¯ I asked. ¡®Make sure nobody ever goes hungry again?¡¯ Raelas laughed. ¡®No. We swore that we would get filthy, filthy rich. At any cost. We swore we¡¯d never go hungry again.¡¯ * * * When we finally arrived in Fallenstone, the midday sun high in the sky above us and making me desperate not for beer, but for water, Lore grabbed me and Corminar by the arm. Though Ama watched with pursed lips and an unabashed raised eyebrow, none of the Trio tried to eavesdrop on whatever was going on here. From the familiar look on Lore¡¯s face, I had some idea. ¡®Another vision?¡¯ I asked. He nodded glumly. ¡®I was speaking with the Player we¡¯re after. Yusef. I was asking him about¡­ about prophecy. About these visions. Like he was an expert.¡¯ ¡®A vision about visions? Very cool.¡¯ But Lore didn¡¯t seem to find this funny. ¡®What if¡­ what if we shouldn¡¯t be here? These visions, they¡¯re supposed to get us where Niamh wanted us, right? For that Council¡¯s plan to get done?¡¯ ¡®Are you saying we shouldn¡¯t kill a Player involved in a transcontinental malae trade?¡¯ I asked. At this, he hesitated. ¡®...No. Course not. I just¡­ I dunno. Feels like we¡¯re¡­¡¯ ¡®Damned if we do, and damned if we don¡¯t, as you humans say,¡¯ Corminar finished for him. Lore nodded, sadness in his eyes. I clasped the big guy around the shoulder. ¡®Alright,¡¯ I said. ¡®I hear you. We¡¯ll think on it, yeah? Maybe there¡¯s a way to kill Yusef without helping the Council. And if there is, we¡¯ll find it.¡¯ Again, the barbarian nodded, but didn¡¯t seem reassured by this. Whatever he was seeing due to his own active effect, it felt very real to him. More real than I could imagine. We returned to the others and fixed our attention on the library¡ªwhich, as it turned out, hadn¡¯t been all that hard to find in a town of maybe fifty buildings. ¡®Alright,¡¯ I said. ¡®We know the plan. Corminar, Lore, Ama and Carle, you¡¯re going in the front entrance. You¡¯ll ask for the book and hopefully the librarians will hand it over. And if they don¡¯t¡­¡¯ ¡®We¡¯re sneaking in the back anyway while they¡¯re distracted,¡¯ Raelas said. Raelas and I hurried around to the rear of the building while the rest of the team approached the front door. I picked a spot that felt like it would have nobody inside to spot us entering, but of course that was guesswork, as I could see nothing. At least with my Tamed Portals passive, the portals wouldn¡¯t glow brightly; if we were quick enough, Raelas and I might be able to sneak inside even if there were people about. ¡®Ready?¡¯ I asked. Raelas stepped in close. ¡®Ready.¡¯ I opened a portal below our feet, and the other worldbender and I fell through. The moment we were out through the other end of the portal, inside the library, I cut off the spell and crouched towards the floor. Nobody immediately started crying out, which was a pretty good sign as far as breaking and entering went, and the only talking I could hear was on the other side of the building. Keeping still, I could hear that it was Corminar asking politely for the book in question. Even better, I had picked a spot where there was nobody around. And there was nobody around because Raelas and I were surrounded by tall bookcases, full of¡ªno points for guessing¡ªbooks. ¡®Any ideas how we find the one we want?¡¯ Raelas asked, echoing my own internal monologue; my plan hadn¡¯t accounted for there being literally thousands of books here. I cast my eyes over the spines. ¡®Looks like it¡¯s alphabetical by title.¡¯ ¡®Must have taken them a while.¡¯ ¡®Yeah, maybe we need to introduce these librarians to a hobby.¡¯ We moved down the aisle towards where the book in question should have logically been, and had to come to a sudden stop when an older tiefling man in a long robe glided by. I hadn¡¯t heard his footsteps at all¡ªthey were really serious about being quiet in libraries, huh?¡ªbut fortunately he seemed too absorbed in the book he held to notice us. Raelas and I remained deathly still as he passed through the junction ahead of us, not daring to move. He drifted away, and I breathed a controlled sigh of relief. ¡®Alright, good,¡¯ I said, turning to Raelas. ¡®Now, let¡¯s¡ª¡¯ But the other worldbender had idly drifted her fingertips along the spines of the books. And neither of us had known that the shelves would be protected. A layer of blue light rippled where Raelas had touched the books, and for half a second I thought we¡¯d got away with it. But then the siren blared. Stealth ¡ª +1,650xp Stealth increased to level 25! Base Points gained ¡ª +1 DEX, +1 WIS, +2 Free Points (DEX/WIS) Ability selection unlocked Select an ability from the list below¡­ ¡­ The notifications were a sure sign that we¡¯d now been spotted, and though I was excited to finally have another Stealth ability selection, it was going to have to wait. Shouting erupted at the other side of the library, and the old librarian whipped around to face the source of the noise¡ªus. Once again, we had to do battle with the Estat Order.
"Styk" Level 19 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 50 Intelligence ¡ª 204 Dexterity ¡ª 122 Strength ¡ª 77 Wisdom ¡ª 74 Charisma ¡ª 49
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 55 Knifework ¡ª Level 40 Stealth ¡ª Level 25 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
166. The Book Thieves ¡®Hi,¡¯ I said to the librarian who¡¯d spotted us, and in that same moment shouting erupted from the other side of the building. Corminar, Lore, Carle and Ama had understood exactly what had happened and had thrown themselves into the fight I¡¯d hoped to avoid¡ªthough I couldn¡¯t see them because rows of tall, heavy bookcases stood in the way. The old librarian swung his hands up and together, and a blast of crackling blue energy shot towards us. Raelas shifted in front of me, catching the worse of the blast to the chest and sending her soaring backwards into a bookcase. The unit wobbled but didn¡¯t tumble, and Raelas fell, winded, to the floor. As the librarian moved to blast again, I dived to the left, behind the cover of the bookshelves that I knew the staff here wouldn¡¯t risk damaging. ¡­And the spell passed right through it without harming the books. Lightning magicks caught me in the arm, burning the skin and making my muscles tense enough that I dropped the dagger I¡¯d just drawn. I groaned as I spun to the floor, and I whipped a hand out just in time to stop myself colliding with the wood nose-first. Using a quick portal, I collected my dagger from where it had fallen on the floor and tossed it through another portal above me before snatching it from the air. Quickly rearming myself was a use case for portals that I¡¯d only recently come to properly appreciate. Having experience with these librarians of the Estat Order already, I knew how to fight them. Reaching up, I yanked a handful of heavy hardback tomes from the nearest shelf and I tossed them towards the floor. After peering back around the corner at the charging librarian, I waited for him to attack again before countering with an attack of my own. As the librarian pushed his hands together, I opened a portal beneath the books on the floor and dumped them just in front of the enemy. The heavy books collided with the librarian¡¯s head and distracted him enough from the attack, just as a handful of metal spikes shot down the gap between the bookcases. From another glance, I realised these were part of one of Ama¡¯s spells, and hadn¡¯t been aimed this way. She¡¯d been fighting a librarian of her own, but had missed. It was a wonder she hadn¡¯t hit me in the process. With the nearest librarian still staggered by my whole ¡°dumping books on top of him¡± attack, I pressed the advantage. I charged towards him, dagger arching through the air. But the librarian recovered as I approached, flinging another lightning attack at me. I veered to one side, avoiding the worst of the attack, but a groan behind me announced that I¡¯d moved aside just to let Raelas get hit by it again. ¡®Oops! Sorry!¡¯ I called out. Raelas responded with another groan. Suddenly, Carle and Ama cried out, and I glimpsed them soaring backwards through the next aisle between the bookshelves, apparently having been caught by another librarian¡¯s spell. ¡®Going alright over there?¡¯ I shouted to them. ¡®Yes,¡¯ they groaned in unison. As I shot forth once more, the librarian responded with another spell, and I regretted that I didn¡¯t have a Throwing Knife ability, which would have been perfect in this scenario. Instead I settled for opening a portal beneath me and falling through it to avoid this latest attack, emerging from the portal¡¯s partner above the enemy. As I fell, I activated Knifestorm, spinning towards the ground and lashing out with my blades as I did so. The old man cast a ward, but not before I¡¯d slashed up his left shoulder some. As I bounced off it, the librarian nursed his fresh wounds, and I thought I glimpsed fear in his eyes. ¡®Artur!¡¯ the librarian shouted, presumably to one of his colleagues. ¡®Activate the¡ª¡¯ But neither another member of staff nor I heard the rest of this instruction, because I¡¯d thought quickly enough to activate a spell of Silence around him. I charged into this sphere of silence roaring, which of course was abruptly cut off as I entered the area of the spell¡¯s influence, and I arched my blade through the air towards the enemy. The librarian responded by pushing his two hands forward, fingers splayed, and he summoned a magical ball between us. As this glowing blue sphere expanded, we were both blasted backwards, outside of the Silence area. I ran immediately back into and through it, pushing my knife forward into a Stab, with all my weight behind it. I was just about to pierce flesh with knifepoint when¡ª ¡®Stop!¡¯ the librarian said holding his hands up in the air. ¡®Stop! Stop.¡¯ I paused mid-stab, not quite sure what to do with this. I wasn¡¯t used to being asked to stop mid-fight. ¡®What?¡¯ The others¡ªfriend and foe alike¡ªalso seemed to stop fighting, as evidenced by a break in the shouting, grunting, and fizzling noise of spellwork. ¡®Everything alright?¡¯ Lore called out from somewhere across the library. Still with his hands in the air, the librarian continued, ¡®It¡¯s clear you¡¯re stronger than me. Please, this doesn¡¯t need to end in blood.¡¯ The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡®Stronger? I¡¯m level 19.¡¯ Though I¡¯d said this, I was admittedly pretty pleased that someone considered me strong; it had been a while since that had happened. ¡®Do you think us librarians are really so blind?¡¯ the old man croaked. ¡®We read, perhaps more than anyone else in the western continents. We know our history. We know that there are things more important than levels, than strong vs weak, than citizens vs Architects. We see what is happening out there, both far abroad and on our doorsteps. If there is a reason you need a book¡ªa good reason, one that helps people¡ªthen we can bend the rules. We can make an exception.¡¯ I lowered my blade slowly, allowing my hand to fall to my side. Across the library, I saw another of the staff lowering their weapon too. ¡®Well?¡¯ the librarian prompted me. ¡®Is it? Is it for good reason?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s to help people.¡¯ ¡®Tell me,¡¯ the man said. ¡®Which book?¡¯ ¡®Elgar¡¯s Meditations on Cosmic Barrier,¡¯ I replied, and then got ahead of the next question by adding, ¡®No, I don¡¯t know what it¡¯s about, either.¡¯ The old librarian held my gaze for a moment, then retreated backwards down between the bookshelves. Last time I was in one of these libraries, the fight had ended with me pushing over these bookshelves in a domino-like effect; if this man really was going to help me, then I¡¯d make sure that didn¡¯t happen again. The librarian reached behind him and took a book from the shelf without looking, familiar enough with the layout of this dense library to have known exactly where the book in question would be. He held it in his hands and made no attempt to approach. ¡®Promise me.¡¯ ¡®Huh?¡¯ ¡®You say you want to do good with this book. There¡¯s no way you can provide any evidence that this is true. So I¡¯ll have to ask for the next best thing: a promise. Promise me that you will use the knowledge I give freely for good, not evil.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s for good,¡¯ I said. ¡®I promise. It¡¯s for a doctor. Someone who is trying to find a cure for the malae corruption. She thinks¡­ she thinks that book holds the key. That¡¯s all.¡¯ Still, the librarian didn¡¯t approach, but Lore and Corminar shuffled over from across the library, nobody making any attempt to attack them. ¡®Do you know why we are forced to kill those who do not return these books?¡¯ the old man asked. ¡®We take no joy in it. It seems almost absurd a policy, doesn¡¯t it?¡¯ ¡®Yep,¡¯ Lore murmured. ¡®We kill because we have to. The books in here¡ªmany of them, at least¡ªthey contain knowledge which defies the laws of the System. Knowledge that, with prolonged exposure, can turn the strongest of us mad.¡¯ He tapped the cover of the leatherbound book in his hands. ¡®This one I catalogued, and so I know a little of its contents. It refers to the creation of wards¡ªwards powerful enough to withstand practically anything. But they take their power from the soul. Elgar, who wrote the book? They disappeared after publishing, never to be seen again, though they left behind a house with messages scrawled on the walls. Messages scrawled in blood. You say you want to cure malae corruption, but I can¡¯t understand how this knowledge gets you there. So, I ask again: do you promise?¡¯ The librarian held out the book in front of his as he repeated this question, anddI placed my hand on the book as I held his gaze. ¡®I promise,¡¯ I said.
"Styk" Level 19 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 50 Intelligence ¡ª 204 Dexterity ¡ª 122 Strength ¡ª 77 Wisdom ¡ª 74 Charisma ¡ª 49
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 55 Knifework ¡ª Level 40 Stealth ¡ª Level 25 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
167. Flock We left the library, spilling back out into the town of Fallenstone, and I couldn¡¯t help but be happy that we¡¯d parted ways with the Estat Order on better terms this time. We¡¯d damaged far fewer books, hadn¡¯t smashed in a window to escape, and in general there wasn¡¯t going to be as much of a clean-up job. That didn¡¯t stop the members of the Trio grumbling about it, however, each of whom thought libraries really shouldn¡¯t operate like that. The six of us sat down on the side of the road, enjoying the shade of an old palm tree, as we took a quick breather. I¡¯ll admit that I was the one who suggested doing so, and I¡¯d suggested it purely because I had a Stealth ability to select. Ability selection unlocked Select an ability from the list below: Option 1: Danger-Sense III (Stealth) ¡ª Passive. Your senses grow keener; you notice all but the most elaborate traps and ambushes. I¡¯d been offered a Danger-Sense ability twice before, since having to start my progression from scratch. And both times, I¡¯d opted for something else instead. This wasn¡¯t to say I didn¡¯t think these abilities were valuable¡ªback in my thievery days, I¡¯d relied on this ability for almost every job¡ªbut were they as valuable as other options? Very possibly not, especially now that ¡°item relocation¡± wasn¡¯t my day-to-day employment. I kept an open mind on this ability choice anyway, before shifting to the next one. Option 2: Gentle Step (Stealth) ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. My initial reaction was that this option was a bit more useful. I had both Stealth Attack and Execution which massively improved my damage when I was unnoticed, and if I could disguise my presence further with an ability like this, that would make those other abilities even more viable. I already had Silence, a Worldbending ability which completely eradicated sound within a bubble that I summoned, however there were few things in life more alarming than a spell bubble suddenly forming around you. This meant that the Silence ability was useful when I was trying to avoid combat, but less so when I was trying to sneak up on someone. Taking Gentle Step would fix that, so it was top of my list so far, but there was still one ability choice left¡­ Option 3: Rogue¡¯s Instinct (Stealth) ¡ª Passive. You have a 50% greater chance of noticing others who are using Stealth abilities. This, my third and final option, was almost the inverse of Gentle Step. Instead of making it harder for others to notice me, it would make it easier for me to notice others. And that was tempting! With my health points being fairly limited as I hadn¡¯t invested much in Vitality, I was weak to a sudden, high-damage attack like an assassin might hit me with. I had Warped Shield which occasionally helped with that kind of thing, but it was far from enough. And yet¡­ What was more likely? A scenario where I was sneaking up on someone else, or a scenario where someone else was sneaking up on me? Considering I was usually surrounded by at least two other members of the team, there was a clear answer. Ability unlocked ¡ª Gentle Step Gentle Step (Stealth) ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. As soon as it was done, I slapped my thighs and stood up. ¡®Well?¡¯ I asked the others. ¡®Ready to move?¡¯ Corminar groaned. Yes, groaned. How far he¡¯d fallen that he would make noises like that. ¡®It is a long journey,¡¯ he said. ¡®And the sun is still high in the sky. Might we not rest for a moment longer?¡¯ ¡®It would be, but¡ª¡¯ I started. ¡®I could go for a snack,¡¯ Raelas volunteered raising her hands. ¡®Fighting is hungry work.¡¯ Lore nodded his agreement, as he always did when someone suggested eating. ¡®It¡¯s not a¡ª¡¯ I tried again to explain myself, trying to reveal the trick I had up my sleeve to surprise them all with. ¡®Do you think they would serve grilled vegetable skewers?¡¯ Carle asked Lore. ¡®I have a craving.¡¯ ¡®He¡¯s on a low-fat diet,¡¯ Ama explained. ¡®I¡¯m trying to tell you that¡­¡¯ I tried for the third and final time, but this time I trailed off on my own, without anyone interrupting me. The reason? I¡¯d glimpsed movement on the road at the edge of town¡ªhundreds of people walking into Fallenstone, all wearing the same pale orange robes, and all the robes sporting the same emblem: a golden sun with a line through it. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. The Cult of Ascendancy. I took an unconscious step backwards; never before had I seen so many in one place. These were dangerous people, people who believed in serving the Players above all else, who believed that if the world worshipped them enough, the Players might bring us with them to Olympus, the Ascended World, the land of the gods. This, of course, was the exact opposite of the Slayers¡¯ own cause, which wasn¡¯t so much about worshipping Players as it was about killing them. ¡®Guys¡­¡¯ I said, and everyone followed my line of sight. Both Corminar and Lore¡ªknowing what this meant¡ªstood, just in case we had a fight on our hands. Not that we¡¯d be able to fight off hundreds. We watched this group stroll into town, none of them slowing even for a moment, and this crowd of hundreds streamed through Fallenstone without thinking of rest. I reached out and touched one of the cultist gently on the arm to get their attention; I couldn¡¯t help myself, I had to know. ¡®What is this?¡¯ I asked the stranger. ¡®Where are you going?¡¯ The cultist blinked down at my hand, and then looked me in the eyes. From the expression, I could tell he thought this was a ridiculous question. ¡®It is Yusef,¡¯ he said. ¡®The Seer. He heads to Coldharbour; we pilgrimage to have our destinies read.¡¯ The man moved away, and I let my hand fall. ¡®What did he just say?¡¯ Lore asked. ¡®Destinies read? Do you think he¡­¡¯ ¡®Has the powers of Divination,¡¯ Corminar finished for him. ¡®You think that¡¯s why you¡¯ve seen yourself asking him about your visions?¡¯ I asked Lore, forgetting about the presence of the Trio for a moment. ¡®His what?¡¯ Ama asked, but the three of us ignored her. ¡®Forget Lore¡¯s visions,¡¯ Corminar said. ¡®If this Yusef has the gift of foresight, then there are broader complications.¡¯ I nodded. ¡®Maybe he sees us coming. And then what hope do we have of killing him?¡¯ ¡®Wait, you want us to kill someone who can see the future?¡¯ Raelas asked, standing and arriving at my side. ¡®We didn¡¯t sign up for this. No reward is worth dying for.¡¯ ¡®Depends on the reward,¡¯ I replied, unconsciously touching the Sisyphus Artifact in my pocket. I¡¯d died for that, and I¡¯d do it again, given the choice; it had got me out of plenty of trouble already, and even better: it still had a charge in it. I could die again. ¡®No,¡¯ Ama said, she too standing. ¡®No, we¡¯re out. We¡¯ll help you stop the malae trade, sure, for the right money, but we won¡¯t go up against a diviner.¡¯ Corminar shook his head. ¡®There is no stopping the trade without killing him. He is a Player, a Council member, a man with near unlimited resources at his disposal. If he remains alive, then anything of the trade we undo, he will build back. We must kill him.¡¯ ¡®He¡¯s right,¡¯ I said, finally tearing my eyes away from Yusef¡¯s pilgrims and facing down the Trio. ¡®We have to kill him. If you want to run, fine. Run. But we will succeed. This is what we do, we find Players, we find ways of killing them, and you know what we do next?¡¯ ¡®We actually kill them,¡¯ Lore said. I pointed to him to signify that this was the correct answer. ¡®Yusef is heading to Coldharbour, they said. He¡¯s not there yet. We have a headstart¡ªwe can return and we can prepare a trap.¡¯ ¡®While I do agree with this course of action,¡¯ Corminar said, ¡®I must stress that we are the best part of a days¡¯ journey from Coldharbour; he may beat us there.¡¯ And then, I smiled. ¡®You know, back when we were fighting the malae traders, I got a new Worldbending skill. A really, really handy one. One called Saved Portals, which allows me to specify a certain location where I can always open a portal, from any distance.¡¯ I flicked my wrist, and a portal appeared in front of us. ¡®Before we left, I made sure to do so.¡¯ With that, I stepped through the portal, and emerged half a world away. One by one, the team followed me, appearing at my side on the grand staircase that led up to Coldharbour¡¯s house of government, that overlooked the city¡¯s central square. Hundreds of people looked on, curious, as we appeared amongst the crowds, but none were so interested that they gave us more than a second look. ¡®Now,¡¯ I said, ¡®shall we get to work?¡¯
"Styk" Level 19 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 50 Intelligence ¡ª 204 Dexterity ¡ª 122 Strength ¡ª 77 Wisdom ¡ª 74 Charisma ¡ª 49
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 55 Knifework ¡ª Level 40 Stealth ¡ª Level 25 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
168. Interlude — Arzak ¡®Mm,¡¯ Arzak grunted. ¡®Orange not my colour.¡¯ She and Val had adorned the robes of the Cult of Ascendancy in an effort to hide in plain sight. Of course, Yusef¡¯s pilgrims had thus far shown them only acceptance, welcoming the orc and the human into their midst without so much as batting an eyelid, and making any attempts at stealth largely unnecessary. But this was now; would that change once Yusef was dead? For the witch¡¯s part, she pulled off the orange robes as well as she did everything else¡ªsomething that Val reminded Arzak of far too often. It was frustrating to dress for the orcish build and her pallid green skin tone, at least while observing human and tiefling fashion senses. Arzak looked down and pulled on the waist of her robes, pulling it taut. The orange hue nearly perfectly matched the smooth sides of the surrounding sand dunes, as though this particular dye was chosen in an attempt to blend in. This wasn¡¯t the real explanation, of course; it couldn¡¯t be, not when the pilgrims otherwise made every attempt to be seen and attract others to their cause. No, instead Arzak suspected there was a spiritual meaning behind this chosen colour. In the eyes of the Players, those of this world were as meaningful and as consequential as grains of sand¡ªthis colour was an effort at humbling the self. The warrior tried to communicate this theory to Val, but as ever this was too complex a concept for the clumsy common tongue. Instead, she settled on saying only, ¡®Hate it.¡¯ ¡®Well, it¡¯s an assassination attempt, not a fashion show, Arzak,¡¯ Val replied, her eyes on the masses of pilgrims huddled in the shade of the cliff. ¡®You think we close?¡¯ The witch cast her eyes again over the crowds, and Arzak could tell that Val had just now seen what she¡¯d seen. The looser body language, the smiles, the twinkling in the eyes¡ªthere was excitement here. Anticipation. A sense that they were close to the supposed prophet. ¡®Not long now,¡¯ Val said. ¡®We ready?¡¯ Arzak nodded. Would the other pilgrims stare on at them now and notice that they stood away from the rest of the group? Would they see that there was something different around the orc and the human? Would they recognise that they were not true believers? And even if they did see all of that, could they ever imagine what the orc and the human would do next? Only one person involved had the gift of foresight, and that was the Player himself. Arzak could only hope that she and Val would seem inconsequential enough that Yusef didn¡¯t read their futures¡­ and foresee his own death. * * * Yusef possessed a humble godliness. Unlike the other Players that Arzak had encountered over the years, this man did not surround himself with gold and fine threads and all the other trappings of extreme wealth. Instead, he dressed as a humble man, even Arzak¡¯s new robes seeming finer than those he wore. At least, that was as far as Arzak could tell at this distance. They were two days¡¯ journey south of Zelas, amongst the foothills of the Ullite mountain range, their steep orange spears seeming to pierce the heavens in the backdrop of Yusef¡¯s makeshift stage. The Player proselytised to a silent audience¡ªnever before had Arzak seen so many so enchanted by the words of one man that they wouldn¡¯t speak¡ªand he spoke of the Ascended World. The supposed prophet knew his audience. ¡®It is a world where each soul has the freedom to achieve a better life. It is a world where the hardest of workers are rewarded with richest beyond their wildest dreams. A world of social mobility, of opportunity, of accessible heaven.¡¯ ¡®If it¡¯s so good, why did they leave?¡¯ Val murmured, echoing Arzak¡¯s own doubts. Already, Yusef had proven himself not to be trusted; his words conflicted with Niamh¡¯s own testimony¡ªthat their home world was destroyed¡ªand she had been a woman with no reason to lie. This man, however, wielded hope as a weapon; if those who followed him worked hard, and did his bidding, then maybe they too would be rewarded. This was a far more dangerous weapon than any sword, or any spell. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡®Now we know he a liar,¡¯ Arzak summarised. The sermon went on for hours, this Yusef enjoying the sound of his own voice a touch more than was healthy. When finally the Player ceased his talked of the Ascended World, he made the offer that the pilgrims had spoken of. He offered to read their futures. This was the moment that Arzak and Val had been waiting for. They didn¡¯t want their futures read, of course. Even if they hadn¡¯t been intending to kill the Player, Arzak didn¡¯t imagine anything good could come of that foresight. When they had put the other Slayers behind them, Lore had been struggling with this very issue, and it hadn¡¯t seemed to be doing him any favours. Instead, the pair skirted around the crowd, using their robes to blend in with the other pilgrims, those who weren¡¯t here to kill the man being worshipped. They slipped through the crowd slowly, taking their time, making sure only to push forward where there were gaps, rather than risking attracting any unwanted attention. The Reading would last hours, so the pilgrims said, and so they had time. They needed to be patient. As one by one the pilgrims were shown their destinies, Arzak and Val slipped through to the front of the crowd. The enemy was a hundred yards away, then fifty, then twenty, and then¡­ almost within their grasp. Arzak turned to Val, who nodded. It was time. The orc placed a hand on the knife hidden underneath her robe, one commissioned exclusively for this purpose. It was a dagger in the orc¡¯s eyes, but large enough for the smaller races that it was considered a One-Handed weapon¡ªand therefore Arzak could put all of her lifetime of progression behind it. It had, too, a specialist enchantment, one created by an old friend of Val¡¯s called Steve¡ªa peculiar man, though the orc kept that view to herself. This enchantment would replicate something Arzak had seen of Styk¡¯s progression; it would deal significantly higher damage if the user went unnoticed. Which is what led them to this moment. To Arzak and Val slipping forth from the crowd, their eyes on the Player¡¯s back, to a glorified knife sliding forth from its sheath and arcing through the air, to an expectation that they would put down this Player before they could do even more damage to the world Arzak called home. Yusef spun where he stood, bringing forth no weapon nor the blue glow of sorcery. Instead, he attacked with the only power he seemed to possess: divination. A ball of yellow magicks shot forth from his hand, catching Arzak in the chest. For a moment, she expected to be sent flying backwards, but instead the spell washed over her like a warm shower. ¡®I will¡ª¡¯ Arzak started, and then the vision began. * * * Familiar black eyes stared back at Arzak, that colour unusual even for a tiefling. Tokas looked up at her, those dark eyes communicating¡­ what? Sadness? Regret? Anger? Arzak could only see it as some combination of the three. The tiefling was close, almost touching her. ¡®It had to be this way,¡¯ she said. Only then did Arzak blink and look down at the knife, pierced through her thick flesh, her rib cage, her heart. Tokas twisted. ¡®It¡­ had to.¡¯ What more could Arzak expect of her oldest friend, these days, than betrayal? * * * Arzak collapsed to the ground, the horror of what she¡¯d been forced to foresee washing over her. Tokas¡¯s first betrayal had been bad enough, making the orc loathe to trust anyone again¡ªa cynicism that had led to her finding the truth about Styk and the Sisyphus Artifact, even before Val. But even that first betrayal could not come close to this. Tokas, her oldest friend, would be the one to end her life. Tokas¡ªthe woman she¡¯d treated like a sister. Tokas¡ªthe woman who Arzak had pulled back from the blink of oblivion. As the orc lay paralysed on the ground, she felt her heart break. She couldn¡¯t bring herself to react to the crowd of orange descending on Val, restraining her with hands and spell. Even when one of the pilgrims brought forth a knife, Arzak could only manage numb acceptance. It was the Player, not her, who would end up saving Val¡¯s life. ¡®No,¡¯ Yusef said, staring down at Arzak but speaking to his flock. ¡®There is no need for violence. Given time, all will see the light.¡¯ 169. Visions & Strength Part XVI: Matters Of Prophecy While Corminar led the Trio to Tokas and Lambkin in preparing for the Player¡¯s imminent arrival, Lore and I took our borrowed¡ªand cursed¡ªlibrary book to Alenna. This meant that they could get the introductions out the way without us, and I was almost sad to miss that; I kind of wanted to see how Corminar would manage introducing Tokas. I imagined him introducing Tokas to the Trio as follows: This is Tokas, she was blackmailed by a Player over the death of her children to stand idly by while he slaughtered dozens of people, and blackmailed all her friends in the process. We will now be working with her. For the record, I couldn¡¯t imagine introducing Lambkin was going to be much easier: This is Lambkin. He is a disillusioned ex-guard who thought that a level 2 person was responsible for the devastation of Plainside, rather than believe a Player could be involved. Yes, we know he¡¯s an idiot. And finally, there was the Trio. These three are the Trio. We still don¡¯t really know what they¡¯re about just yet, to be honest, just that they have a dumb name for their team. For a moment, I considered parting ways with Lore to catch up with them, but a glance at him stopped me in my tracks. From the expression on his face, I could see he was seeing another vision of the future, and from the grimacing I could tell that it was another bloody one. ¡®Anything fun?¡¯ I asked. ¡®You were thinking about going to join the others, weren¡¯t you?¡¯ Lore replied. ¡®How could you tell?¡¯ ¡®These visions, I don¡¯t think any of them are certain to happen. In fact, I think I only see them when people are about to make important decisions.¡¯ I raised an eyebrow. ¡®And leaving you to hang out with an old friend is an important decision?¡¯ ¡®Apparently. You leaving me now causes Arzak to die.¡¯ I stopped in my tracks. ¡®Arzak? Was Val there?¡¯ Lore shrugged. ¡®I dunno. It¡¯s the first I¡¯ve seen of them.¡¯ I tried pressing him further on the matter, but he wouldn¡¯t budge. Whatever he¡¯d seen was¡ªagain¡ªbloody enough that he didn¡¯t want to dwell on it. When the doctor opened the door to find her old friend there, she wrapped her arms around him in a big hug, and Lore didn¡¯t seem to mind that her hands were covered in blood. ¡®Another one?¡¯ I asked. Alenna hesitated for a moment, then realised I was referring to her bloody hands. ¡®Ah. Yeah. More every day. No luck sorting out the malae problem, then, I¡¯m guessing?¡¯ Lore shrugged. ¡®A bit of luck, but we ain¡¯t there yet. Disassembled the local trading group, or one of them, but¡­¡¯ ¡®But there¡¯s a lot more out there,¡¯ Alenna finished for him. ¡®Yeah.¡¯ The doctor turned to me. ¡®You got it? The book?¡¯ She paused for a moment before adding, ¡®Or anything else?¡¯ I knew exactly what she was referring to; she was asking if we had any more mala bodies for her to dissect, but she didn¡¯t want to spell it out in front of Lore. I waved the book in the air in answer, and Alenna hurried us in. I noticed Lore tried to keep his eyes off the body on the stone plinth in the centre of the room. For my part, however, I couldn¡¯t help but stare. Alenna had made incisions all around the dead woman¡¯s body but primarily around the neck and shoulders. Whatever she¡¯d been trying to do, clearly it hadn¡¯t worked. We followed Alenna upstairs and away from the metallic scent of spilled blood. In her living quarters, she began brewing a batch of the local, earthy drink, and I took a seat at the table, placing the book down in front of me. ¡®So this¡¯ll help, will it?¡¯ I asked, nodding to the book. ¡®Can¡¯t promise anything, but yeah, I think it will.¡¯ ¡®Lenn¡­¡¯ Lore started. ¡®Yeah?¡¯ ¡®The guy in the library said that this book was about soul-powered wards.¡¯ The tiefling nodded. ¡®Yep, that¡¯s the one.¡¯ ¡®I¡­¡¯ Lore said, again hesitantly. I hurried this conversation along. ¡®He¡¯s asking how that¡¯s gonna help.¡¯ Alenna sighed. ¡®It¡¯s about using the malae¡¯s own¡­¡¯ She trailed off, apparently rethinking her explanation. ¡®You know much about the history of the Beached Armada? I¡¯m talking back in invasion times.¡¯ ¡®History isn¡¯t my strongest subject,¡¯ I replied. Lore turned to me. ¡®What is your strongest subject?¡¯ ¡®Sociology.¡¯ Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. The barbarian¡¯s face didn¡¯t move; he didn¡¯t know quite what to make of that. Alenna got us back on track. ¡®OK, right, so. The tiefling locals weren¡¯t always here, right? They came from well out west, from islands that there isn¡¯t even a name for in the common tongue. They were a naval empire, and they spread and they spread and they spread until¡­¡¯ ¡®They ran out of sea?¡¯ I suggested. The doctor pointed at me. ¡®Exactly. When they got to these continents, they found landmasses that stretched for an eternity north and south, and they couldn¡¯t go around them. So what we nowadays call the Beached Armada is¡­ a beached armada. A navy forced into fighting a land war. A war we shouldn¡¯t have won. ¡®But there¡¯s this old tiefling concept about using your enemy¡¯s strength against them, and that¡¯s the only reason that the tiefling empire actually¡­ won. These locals, back then, they were stronger. They were used to fighting on land, and they knew the area, which is, you know, pretty important when you¡¯re fighting in a desert.¡¯ ¡®Ooh!¡¯ Lore said excitedly, understanding where this was going. ¡®Water! Water sources.¡¯ ¡®Water sources, yeah. The locals knew where they were, and the tieflings didn¡¯t. That was their enemy¡¯s greatest strength. So the empire sent out scouts all across the continents. They climbed the Ullites, found the source of the streams and the rivers, and they¡­ poisoned them all with their magicks. Really, we as a people should carry a lot more guilt with us than we do, but other people don¡¯t know their history like I do. History is fun, though? When it¡¯s not about poisoning people, at least.¡¯ ¡®Yeah, probably worth specifying that last bit,¡¯ I said. ¡®The point is, that¡¯s how the old empire won. That was how they always won. Now, I¡¯m not saying that what they were doing was good, by any means. But you¡¯d be a fool to think it wasn¡¯t effective. They won far more often than they lost, and it all came back to that one central idea: use your enemy¡¯s strength against them. That, in a nutshell, is what I want to do with the mala problem. With the corruption. I want to use the malae¡¯s power against them. This is the only way we can win. And we must, must, win.¡¯ Her eyes drifted to Lore, and I could see the pain within them that spoke of their shared loss¡ªof Plyas, lost to the malae. That was Alenna¡¯s driving force here; she¡¯d already lost too much to these monsters. ¡®...Does that answer your question?¡¯ Lore and I glanced at one another. ¡®Not really,¡¯ we both said at once. Again, the tiefling smiled. ¡®It will. In time. Trust me.¡¯ Lore looked as satisfied by this answer as I was. That is, not at all satisfied. ¡®Just¡­ be careful, will you, Lenn? The librarian said the guy who wrote the book went mad. Said the book¡¯s cursed. Once you¡¯d got the info you need, you¡¯ll put it down, yeah? You¡¯ll let us take it back to the Estat Order?¡¯ Alenna approached the barbarian¡¯s side and squeezed his shoulder. ¡®After all this time, it still surprises me that you¡¯re a big softy.¡¯ ¡®Promise you¡¯ll be careful,¡¯ Lore said, not letting the point drop. The doctor smiled. ¡®I¡¯ll be careful. I promise.¡¯ Lore breathed a sigh of relief. ¡®Good. Now¡­¡¯ He gestured to the empty cup in front of him. ¡®Where¡¯s the loo?¡¯ While Lore stepped away, I took the opportunity to ask Alenna about the mala that Raelas and I had secretly delivered to her. ¡®Did it help? What we¡­¡¯ I left the rest unsaid, just on the off-chance Lore could still hear. Alenna smiled. ¡®Every step is a step forward.¡¯ From that, all I could take was that she was moving in the right direction with her research; hopefully the delivered book would help more. All this science stuff was beyond me, but I trusted her¡ªLore was a good judge of character, after all, and if Alenna said she was getting there, then I believed her. But with the number of malae attacks growing, even with the work we¡¯d been doing¡­ I just hoped she wouldn¡¯t be too late.
"Styk" Level 19 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 50 Intelligence ¡ª 204 Dexterity ¡ª 122 Strength ¡ª 77 Wisdom ¡ª 74 Charisma ¡ª 49
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 55 Knifework ¡ª Level 40 Stealth ¡ª Level 25 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
170. Setting The Trap When Lore and I arrived at the house where Tokas and Lambkin were staying, we found that the introductions were well and truly complete. Lambkin, Corminar and Raelas stood standing over a map of the city, Tokas and Carle were reading books on the Divination skill tree, and Ama was¡­ ¡®Where¡¯s Ama?¡¯ Lore asked. ¡®In the other room, with the kids,¡¯ Raelas replied. ¡®...Traumatising them?¡¯ I asked. The tiefling blinked at me. ¡®Playing with them. She likes children.¡¯ ¡®I didn¡¯t think that woman liked anything.¡¯ Lore and I shuffled over to the table, and the sketched map of the city thereon. ¡®What we thinking?¡¯ ¡®Unlike in Sunalor, we do not have the forces to make use of the city walls,¡¯ Corminar said, apparently having put his ¡°Lieutenant Cladenor¡± hat back on for the first time since the fall of his homeland. He was thinking like a leader, at least. ¡®The defensive nature of this city¡ªthough nothing like that of the Dawnwood capital¡ªis useless to us without a great number of allies. Instead, we search for an area to which we might lure the Player. One where we might spring a trap.¡¯ I nodded. ¡®Alright. Where are you thinking?¡¯ ¡®We don¡¯t know,¡¯ Lambkin answered. ¡®Less alright.¡¯ ¡®We are open to suggestions, Styk.¡¯ I studied the map further. There was the main square, outside Coldharbour¡¯s house of government, with the high staircase overlooking the rest of the plaza, and where I had my Saved Portal ability set to. But would high ground help us here? Otherwise, there were the markets¡ªwe could potentially use the chaos of the hubbub to our advantage, but then¡­ maybe Yusef was used to that environment? And then there were the rooftops, a potential arena away from the locals and collateral damage. Here, maybe Raelas and I could use our portals to the team¡¯s advantage, shifting us around from rooftop to rooftop and keeping ourselves out of harm¡¯s way. I couldn¡¯t answer, and the reason was simple: we just didn¡¯t know enough about our enemy. We didn¡¯t know how strong he was, we didn¡¯t know what abilities he had. All we really knew was that he could foretell the future in some way, though even that we didn¡¯t know the limitations of. ¡®I don¡¯t know either,¡¯ I finally admitted. ¡®With what little we know about Yusef, how can we know what plan would work best? If I had to choose now, then maybe the rooftops? Raelas and I could use portals to move us all around, while we limit the movement of the enemy. But for all we know, the Player can jump thirty feet in the air.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m game if you are,¡¯ Raelas said. Corminar nodded. ¡®We will pencil in the rooftops of the southwestern district until such a time as we have a better plan.¡¯ ¡®Perhaps we need to take a step back, here?¡¯ Lambkin asked. Lore took a step back from the table. ¡®I don¡¯t see how this helps.¡¯ ¡®Not¡­ not literally. I mean, maybe we¡¯re approaching this the wrong way. Styk is right; what really do we know about this Yusef? We know he is strong, that he has earned the loyalty of the Cult of Ascendancy, that he has some affinity for Divination, but how might we overcome such power, regardless of location?¡¯ Lore¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡®We turn his strength against him.¡¯ Raelas looked up at him with recognition in her eyes; she too knew her Armadan history. I nodded. ¡®Yes. But how? The Cult of Ascendancy have so many people by now that surely we can¡¯t hope to get close to him. We¡¯d need either to separate him, or¡­¡¯ I trailed off as an idea came to me. ¡®You got something, handsome?¡¯ someone¡ªno points for guessing¡ªasked. ¡®Yusef¡¯s strength is in the number of cultists. But the weakness is that he can¡¯t possibly know them all. What if we found some of their robes? We blended in? We could get close to the enemy without him even knowing we were there.¡¯ It was my thieving past coming in handy again; surely nobody else on the team would have thought of this. Well, Val might have done, but she wasn¡¯t here. ¡®You¡¯re saying we assassinate him?¡¯ Raelas asked. ¡®But he¡¯s a Player,¡¯ Tokas piped up from across the room. ¡®He will be too strong. How can we deliver so much damage so quickly?¡¯ ¡®We¡¯d need to strike all at once, yeah,¡¯ I said. ¡®Our strongest attacks. Maybe some new weapons, and poisons. I don¡¯t know all your classes, so I leave that up to you to figure out your strongest attacks. But for me¡ª¡¯ ¡®Oh,¡¯ Lambkin said. ¡®Oh?¡¯ the elven ranger asked. ¡®Yes, oh. I just thought of something.¡¯ We waited for a moment for him to continue, before I prompted, ¡®Are you gonna tell us, or¡­?¡¯ ¡®The malae trader group. The one that Tokas and I were infiltrating? They were armed to the teeth. I don¡¯t know who was proving such powerful weaponry, but¡ª¡¯ ¡®The Player,¡¯ Corminar and I said at once, before the elf continued, ¡®He would want those trading in the malae to be able to protect themselves. He would know the value in protecting his trading organisation.¡¯ This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Lambkin nodded. ¡®The point is: they had weapons. Weapons that we can use. Weapons we might turn against the Player, in the spirit of turning his strength into weakness.¡¯ ¡®We should head back to the markets,¡¯ Tokas said. ¡®We should retrieve the weapons before¡ª¡¯ But Lambkin shook his head. ¡®The guards will have already seized the cache. They will be selling the weapons on for some ¡°under the table¡± coin. A guard salary isn¡¯t sufficient; trust me, I know.¡¯ ¡®So we gotta steal the weapons from the guards?¡¯ Lore asked. ¡®If Val was here, she¡¯d love that. Loves a heist.¡¯ ¡®Alright,¡¯ I said, returning us to the task at hand. As we¡¯d been discussing, Ama had returned from the other room and was standing in the doorway. ¡®Disguises and weapons. What else? We need more than this if we¡¯re definitely gonna win this one. We¡¯ve gotta have enough of an advantage that we can kill the Player even if he can see us coming with his magicks.¡¯ Tokas threw her book to the sofa and joined us at the table. ¡®You¡¯ve got to remember, Lambkin and I weren¡¯t here just to kill him. We were here to expose him, to turn others against him and his kind. This should still play a part in our strategy; the more allies we have¡­¡¯ ¡®The better chance we have,¡¯ I finished for her. A couple of weeks ago I really wouldn¡¯t have expected to be planning a slaying at Tokas¡¯s side, but here we were. The enemy of your enemy really was your ally, after all. Once this was over, though¡­ Well, it was hard to put my memories of the devastation of Plainside behind me. If Tokas was after redemption, then that was going to be a long, long journey. I nodded. ¡®OK, good. We have a plan. Let¡¯s¡ª¡¯ Lambkin raised his hand, and at that moment I realised all eyes were on me. Somehow, I had fallen into the role of the team¡¯s leader; everyone else looked to me for confirmation. ¡®...Yeah? You don¡¯t need to raise your hand, you know. You can just speak. ¡®I didn¡¯t want to interrupt.¡¯ ¡®Lambkin, pretty much all we do on this team is interrupt each other.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s a bit rude, though.¡¯ I shrugged. ¡®No argument there. You got something else?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s what Toke just said,¡¯ he replied. Toke? Were they on a nickname basis now? I hadn¡¯t realised they¡¯d grown so close. ¡®About having more allies.¡¯ He looked over to Raelas and Carle, who were standing to my right. ¡®I hope you don¡¯t mind me saying, but you three of mercenaries, right?¡¯ ¡®Why would we mind you saying that?¡¯ Raelas asked, not realising that Lambkin was honourable enough to think ¡°mercenary¡± was a dirty word. ¡®You¡¯re here for the money,¡¯ Lambkin said. ¡®Whatever Styk and the team are offering you.¡¯ We really needed to figure out where the payment we¡¯d promised to the Trio was going to come from. ¡®And that¡¯s fine. We can use all the allies we can get. But why not reach out for more? Over the past two months, Tokas and I have seen no end of mercenaries travelling through Coldharbour. We should use them in this fight.¡¯ ¡®Ooh, time for some networking,¡¯ Raelas said excitedly. ¡®It is nice to meet others in the business.¡¯ ¡®And who¡¯s gonna pay them?¡¯ I asked. ¡®Because I don¡¯t have any money.¡¯ I hesitated, feeling Ama¡¯s eyes on me. ¡®...Besides what we¡¯re gonna pay the Trio, obviously.¡¯ ¡®I have been syphoning money from the traders since I joined. I thought stealing from them would be the honourable thing to do, though I have not spent a penny of it. Who could justify spending money earned from malae trading?¡¯ Lore nodded thoughtfully. ¡®I will pay for aid out of this pot. Mercenaries, yes, but enchanters too. Anyone who might give us an advantage.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re right,¡¯ I said, realising this was a departure from how the Slayers usually worked. ¡®We shouldn¡¯t just keep this to ourselves. Everything we can get, we should use. Lambkin, you lead us to the guardhouse. We¡¯ll steal the weapons from there. Afterwards, you begin recruitment while the rest of us steal Ascendancy robes and being to sow dissent amongst the cultists. Everyone on board with that?¡¯ There was a murmur of agreement, before people began to grab their jackets and weapons. Only Lore stood still, raising his hand, having picked up Lambkin¡¯s bad habit. ¡®Yeah?¡¯ I asked. ¡®What if the Player gets here before we¡¯re done?¡¯ ¡®We better hope he doesn¡¯t. And we better hurry.¡¯
"Styk" Level 19 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 50 Intelligence ¡ª 204 Dexterity ¡ª 122 Strength ¡ª 77 Wisdom ¡ª 74 Charisma ¡ª 49
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 55 Knifework ¡ª Level 40 Stealth ¡ª Level 25 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
171. Cash For Cache Lambkin led us across the city of Coldharbour to the guardhouse nearest where the malae traders had been set up. The plan was simple: he would sweet talk the guards, acting as though we were interested in buying the recently acquired weapons cache, and by doing so he¡¯d learn its location. As soon as we knew where it was, the rest of the team would portal in and steal it. It was a pretty straightforward plan, but that was what the situation deserved; Lambkin said the guardhouse wasn¡¯t going to be equipped with traps or anything, so this plan would do just fine. After all, them having acquired the cache to sell under the table wasn¡¯t strictly by the book. Or, you know, not at all by the book. When we arrived outside the guardhouse, Lambkin and Raelas approached the woman in uniform out front, and the rest of us stayed back, in the cover of shadows. We watched in silence as Lambkin and Raelas charmed the guard, Corminar shifting uncomfortably from side to side, apparently still thinking he should have been the one to go over. We awaited the moment that Raelas would make her excuses and come over to us to tell us where the cache was, but¡­ That didn¡¯t happen. Instead, the pair of them turned away from the guardhouse looking dejected, and I felt dread hanging heavy in my gut. ¡®What is it?¡¯ ¡®They¡¯ve sold them already,¡¯ Lambkin said. ¡®All of them?¡¯ ¡®All of them.¡¯ ¡®Yeah,¡¯ Raelas added. ¡®Lammy weren¡¯t kidding about there being a lot of mercenaries coming through here; apparently some bought up all the weapons within about an hour. Sounds like the guards underpriced them, though, so maybe that¡¯s something to do with it.¡¯ ¡®They wouldn¡¯t have experience with high-strength weaponry. Their swords, their bows, they are all simple and unenchanted. I should have realised. I should have suggested we come sooner.¡¯ The man looked genuinely disappointed in himself. There was another option, though. ¡®You know where they went? These mercenaries?¡¯ Lambkin hesitated, then turned away and approached the guard once more. Another minute later, after some coin had changed hands, the ex-captain returned with more of a smile on his face. ¡®They¡¯re staying in a camp outside the western gate, she said. If we hurry, we might catch them.¡¯ * * * And so it was that the seven of us¡ªyes, seven, I counted; everyone but Tokas was here, who had been unable to find someone to watch the kids so last minute¡ªtraversed the city and poured out the western gate. Carle was the one who spotted the mercenary camp first, being one of us who knew what to look for. I wasn¡¯t sure what made him so confident that one particular camp was the mercenary camp, but he seemed sure. I put it down to there being some signs that someone was a mercenary that was imperceptible to me but very obvious to someone in the industry. We took shelter behind a sand dune not too far from the camp, and Corminar and I crawled slowly to the top of it, to peek over. ¡®Seventeen,¡¯ he said. ¡®What?¡¯ ¡®There are seventeen of them. There are only seven of us. That means that there are ten more of them than there are of us.¡¯ ¡®I can do simple maths, Cor.¡¯ ¡®You have said the opposite in the past.¡¯ ¡®No I¡ª¡¯ I stopped myself. ¡®Forget it. You see the weapons?¡¯ The elf¡¯s eyes were naturally keener than mine, so of course he¡¯d seen them already. ¡®The tent to the northwest,¡¯ he said. ¡®It is the only one guarded; the others must be sleeping quarters. May I ask if you have any thoughts on how we retrieve the weapons?¡¯ ¡®Could portal them?¡¯ ¡®You can¡¯t portal everything, Styk.¡¯ ¡®I can bloody well try.¡¯ Corminar sighed. ¡®And when this plan fails, they will be alerted to our presence. You do not know that the crates would fit through your portal. You do not know if the tent is warded against magicks. There are too many unknowns for ¡°portal it¡± to be plan B, let alone plan A.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re no fun sometimes.¡¯ ¡®It is more important to be right than to be fun.¡¯ I almost replied with Sunalor changed you, Corminar, before realising that was probably a bit much. I kept it to myself, instead opting for, ¡®OK, what¡¯s your plan, then?¡¯ There was no reply. ¡®You don¡¯t have one, do you?¡¯ ¡®I am considering.¡¯ ¡®Considering what?¡¯ ¡®Considering our options.¡¯ ¡®And what are they?¡¯ I asked. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡®Perhaps if you give me a moment, I will determine the answer to that very question.¡¯ I turned my attention back to the camp in front of us. This was a large group of mercenaries, far more than I¡¯d been expecting. What was the need for so many? Ousting rogue leaders? Clearing infested dungeons? I could see why they¡¯d need to buy so many new weapons, at least. A large handful of the mercenaries were building a fire in the middle of the camp, preparing for the sun to set. Their body language was casual, unworried; they didn¡¯t think anyone would plan to attack them, that anyone who did would be foolish to do so. Maybe we were foolish, but I really really wanted that weapons cache. ¡®A distraction,¡¯ Corminar said. ¡®That¡¯s what you¡¯ve come up with? A distraction? That¡¯s like textbook stuff.¡¯ ¡®I didn¡¯t know you read textbooks.¡¯ I ignored him. ¡®Any thoughts on what that distraction could be?¡¯ ¡®Someone could insult them and then run away.¡¯ I hesitated, not sure if he was joking. ¡®I am not joking,¡¯ he clarified, anticipating my reaction. ¡®Unless you have a better idea, I think drawing as many of the enemies away would be our best approach.¡¯ With a sigh, I nodded. I really didn¡¯t have any better ideas, this time¡ªwhich is pretty shocking, really, considering I was supposed to be good at this kind of thing. ¡®Alright. Who should¡­¡¯ I started, and then we both said at once, ¡®Raelas.¡¯ We shuffled away from the peak of the dune and then hurried, crouching, to the rest of the team¡¯s side. ¡®Alright, we have a plan,¡¯ I said. ¡®Raelas, you¡¯re going to insult them. Be really creative. Really creative. We want as many of them chasing after you as possible.¡¯ ¡®Wait, how many are they? How many are gonna be chasing me?¡¯ the tiefling replied. ¡®Seventeen, if possible,¡¯ the elven ranger answered. ¡®Seventeen?¡¯ Raelas replied, eyebrows raised. ¡®I don¡¯t think I can outrun seventeen different¡ª¡¯ ¡®Portals,¡¯ I whispered to her. ¡®Oh, yeah.¡¯ ¡®Happy?¡¯ ¡®Kiss on the cheek for luck?¡¯ Raelas replied. ¡®No.¡¯ ¡®Fine.¡¯ The tiefling drew a deep breath, then scurried off around the encampment to the otherside, so that she¡¯d be drawing the attention away from us. Corminar and I returned to our places, poking our heads over the top of the dune, and waited for Raelas to do the honours. When the tiefling finally stepped out into the open, she cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted the most horrific appalling things I have ever heard in my life. They were so creatively nasty¡ªcreative because she completely avoiding any discriminatory language¡ªthat I don¡¯t think I can even repeat them here. Suffice to say, I was taken aback by it and Corminar¡¯s mouth hanged open with surprise. And the insults were good enough to draw away a good handful of the mercenaries, leaving only nine left for us to deal with. In an ideal world, she would have drawn them all away, but these soldiers for hire were sensible enough not to leave their camp completely unprotected; eight going after one woman would surely be enough, from their perspectives. ¡®Eight,¡¯ Corminar said. ¡®Yes, I can count.¡¯ We watched as Raelas turned and ran, and we waited until the departing mercenaries were far enough away that they wouldn¡¯t hear any fighting back at their camp. At that point, the elf and I rose to our feet, and the rest of the gang charged up the dune behind us. The team knew the order¡ªincapacitate, don¡¯t kill. These mercenaries hadn¡¯t done anything wrong, as far as we knew. Even stealing from them was a bit unkind, really, but I¡¯d justified that because it was to take down a Player¡ªand their malae-breeding operation. As we charged into the fight, I hoped everyone had taken this instruction to heart¡­
"Styk" Level 19 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 50 Intelligence ¡ª 204 Dexterity ¡ª 122 Strength ¡ª 77 Wisdom ¡ª 74 Charisma ¡ª 49
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 55 Knifework ¡ª Level 40 Stealth ¡ª Level 25 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
172. The Trouble With Mercenaries I made a beeline straight for the weapons cache while the others occupied the mercenaries. Sadly, though, our enemies weren¡¯t quite on board with this plan. One of them¡ªa tall woman who I¡¯d expected from her solid build to be a barbarian¡ªpushed herself into my way, and activated a warding spell. I bounced off the shimmering blue bubble into the air, though not high enough that I had time to open a portal before crashing into the sand. I tumbled head over heels once before whipping a leg out to steady myself, and then I charged towards the woman who¡¯d attacked me as the rest of the gang dealt with enemies of their own. The woman raised her hands to prepare another ward, but I knew what was coming, this time. As I closed the gap on the mage, I opened a portal in front of me and blinked through it, appearing behind the enemy before she knew I was there. There, I took a leaf from Lore¡¯s book, bringing the butt of my knife down into the back of the woman¡¯s head¡ªto render her unconscious, not kill her. With both my Stealth Attack and Execution abilities, I did enough to drop the woman to the sand in only one hit. Lightwarder defeated! Worldbending ¡ª +1,050xp Knifework ¡ª +1,300xp Stealth ¡ª +750xp But there were others still to deal with. I whipped my head around, searching for who to attack next. Lambkin, who was most effective at range, was rapidly being encroached upon by a man wielding two swords. Before long, he would be in trouble. I opened a portal beneath my feet and dropped through it without looking, appearing in the air above the dual-wielding enemy. As I fell, I activated the very same abilities that would boost my damage, and slammed the butt of the knife into the man¡¯s head. Again, they fell in one hit¡ªthough in part that was because this enemy already had some tactically placed arrows in him, each of them coated in poisons of drowsiness. The Blade of Urcat defeated! Worldbending ¡ª +1,900xp Worldbending increased to level 56! Base Points gained ¡ª +2 INT, +2 Free Points (INT/WIS/CHA) Knifework ¡ª +1,450xp Knifework increased to level 41! Base Points Gained ¡ª +1 DEX, +1 STR, +2 Free Points (VIT/DEX/STR) Stealth ¡ª +700xp ¡®Just like that?¡¯ Lambkin asked. ¡®Just like that.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re stronger than your level suggests.¡¯ I cast my eyes around the battleground as I replied to him. ¡®That¡¯s what an efficient build will do. How many level 19 people do you know with a level 55 skill?¡¯ Spotting two enemies approaching Ama, I left Lambkin without hearing his reply, once again falling through a portal to arrive behind one of the enemies. I once again arced my blade through the air to knock the enemy out, but even with my Gentle Step passive, they noticed me joining the fray. The enemy twisted to block my attack with their forearm, and though I still caught them with my attack, it was only a glancing blow. They were about to launch some spell at me with their other hand when Ama attacked. The mage lifted her hand, pulling forth thousands of grains of iron from the sand around us. These grains came together in an arrowhead-like shape, melting into one solid object, and then with the flick of Ama¡¯s hand, launched at the enemy with enough power to¡ª ¡®Ama no!¡¯ I had just enough time to shout, realising what she intended to do, before this metal object shot towards the enemy, slicing through the side of their neck. Blood sprayed over me, covering my face and torso, and the enemy fell to the ground, clutching their neck. Firespouter defeated! Worldbending ¡ª +900xp Knifework ¡ª +950xp While the next nearest mercenary blinked on at their colleague in terror, I shouted to Ama, ¡®This isn¡¯t what we decided!¡¯ The metal mage shrugged. ¡®An accident. It happens.¡¯ ¡®That was not a bloody¡ª¡¯ I started, but we¡¯d have to finish up this argument later because the other enemy had recovered and was charging Ama. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. The metal mage stretched both hands towards where her crafted object had shot into the sand, trying to wrench it back out. Before she could succeed, I made a split-second decision. I portalled myself to her side, activating the same damage-boosting abilities as before, and I brought the butt of my blade down into the back of her head. It didn¡¯t fell her in one, but fortunately she was so caught aback by this that she didn¡¯t immediately react, and I had the chance to do it again. The mercenary hit her with a frost attack to the side of the head, unsteadying her, and when my blade once more bashed into her skull, she became unconscious. Metal Mage of The Trio defeated! Worldbending ¡ª +650xp Knifework ¡ª +950xp The mercenary was on me before I had a moment to regather myself, so I opened a portal beneath me that I fell through¡­ but the enemy did too. We tumbled out onto a dune not so far away, and I was first to steady myself once more. I pounced the enemy, knowing that there was no chance of breaking line of sight, and so instead of relying on the Stealth abilities, I tried something else. I held my dagger with the blade facing me, and I activated Knifestorm. As I spun, blade in hand, I hit the enemy again and again and again in the side of his temple. Somewhere in that¡ªI¡¯ll admit I don¡¯t know when¡ªI knocked them out. Frostcaster defeated! Worldbending ¡ª +250xp Knifework ¡ª +1,950xp I stagged back up to my feet, and saw someone charging at me. I was ready to attack them, about to open another portal at my feet, when I realised that the person charging was¡­ Carle. ¡®Styk, what are you doing?¡¯ Lore shouted as he finished off the mercenary he¡¯d been battling with. ¡®She killed one of them!¡¯ I cried. ¡®That wasn¡¯t what we agreed!¡¯ ¡®Ah,¡¯ Lore said. ¡®And so you¡ª¡¯ Carle started. ¡®I just knocked her out! She¡¯ll be fine! We¡¯ll get one of Corminar¡¯s healing potions in her, and she¡¯ll be right as¡ª¡¯ Nobody had interrupted me, but I¡¯d seen something over the big man¡¯s shoulder. The mercenaries who had chased Raelas away were returning. Fast. Carle followed my eyeline, and his eyes narrowed. ¡®We will have to talk about this later,¡¯ he told me, before turning to do battle once more. We were again outnumbered, having not quite dealt with all eight of the mercenaries who remained. With all seven of the others coming back¡ªI hoped this didn¡¯t mean something had happened to Raelas¡ªwe were outnumbered more than we¡¯d been initially, even. But we didn¡¯t need to take them all down; that wasn¡¯t why we were here. ¡®Occupy them!¡¯ I shouted to the team at large while I opened yet another portal to fall through, this time stepping out next to the storage tent. I kept low as I creeped inside, managing to avoid being spotted by the mercenaries returning to find their camp under attack, and I looked around. Lambkin hadn¡¯t been kidding. Inside was crate upon crate upon crate, and from what I could tell, more of them were filled with swords, axes, armour¡­ even a couple of spellbooks which were good for one-off spell uses. They were all very neatly packaged in crates too big to fit through a portal, so it was a shame that I now had to tip everything onto the ground. Bracers and chest plates and swords and shields all went crashing onto the ground¡ªor, at least, they would have crashed if I hadn¡¯t cast a spell of Silence to hide what was going on. Only when I was done did I poke my head outside the tent. The rest of the team were all grouped together, still standing¡ªwell, except for Ama, who was currently draped over Carle¡¯s shoulder¡ªbut losing seemed to be a case of ¡°when¡± rather than ¡°if¡±. So it was probably a good thing that I was ready to go. I reached my arm out of the tent, pointing one behind the team and the other far in the distance. I opened a portal at each location, the one far away a little higher above the ground than I¡¯d intended, but it was hard to aim perfectly at that distance. ¡®Run!¡¯ I shouted, and the team did as instructed without hesitation. I didn¡¯t quite know how I felt about that; from their point of view, they were leaving me alone in a camp with ten enemies, but I suppose they knew that I could quickly get away with portals myself. When the last of my friends and acquaintances were through the portal, I closed it, and prepared another one under the pile of weapons and armour at my feet. This time, I used a Saved Portal, and I fell back into Coldharbour¡¯s central plaza amongst a pile of stolen goods. Step one was complete.
"Styk" Level 19 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 50 Intelligence ¡ª 208 Dexterity ¡ª 125 Strength ¡ª 78 Wisdom ¡ª 74 Charisma ¡ª 49
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 56 Knifework ¡ª Level 41 Stealth ¡ª Level 25 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
173. Finding Faith From what I could tell, as I stood amongst the busy central plaza outside Coldharbour¡¯s house of government surrounded by a stack of weapons and armour, the Player had not yet arrived. People were still going about their day to day business as though nothing had changed, and I saw only one or two orange robes of the Ascendancy Cult amongst the crowds. It was because everything was still normal that there was a guard on the steps of the plaza very curious about my stack of items. ¡®Trouble here, sir?¡¯ he said. The tiefling¡¯s eyes weren¡¯t on me but the pile of weapons and armour around my feet. ¡®Nope. No trouble!¡¯ This didn¡¯t seem to satisfy the guard. ¡®You sure?¡¯ ¡®I just¡­ dropped all my weapons.¡¯ ¡®Your bag of holding go wrong?¡¯ he asked. ¡®Err¡­ sure.¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s a lot of weapons for one person.¡¯ This guy really wasn¡¯t giving up any time soon. ¡®I like to be prepared for all eventualities.¡¯ ¡®Oh yeah? Well, piece of advice: you drop hundreds of coins¡¯ worth of weapons around here, expect to be robbed. I¡¯d get moving, if I were you.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll get right on that.¡¯ With no way of holding all the items, I opened a portal to my pocket world and started tossing objects inside. The guard stood there watching me, so I gave him a big thumbs up to signal that everything was fine. He soon lost interest. I quickly got to the point where my pocket world couldn¡¯t hold any more items, and I still had a lot of stuff around me that was starting to draw unnecessary attention. I was just choosing between some Shoes of Minor Waterwalking¡ªI didn¡¯t know how this could be ¡°minor¡±, surely you walked on water or you didn¡¯t¡ªand a spellbook that detailed how to put out fires with a breath when a familiar face arrived. ¡®I thought I¡¯d find you here,¡¯ Raelas said. I looked over her shoulder to see if the rest of the Trio was with her, but she was alone. ¡®How¡¯d you¡­¡¯ The tiefling shrugged. ¡®When the mercenaries gave up chasing me, I knew they¡¯d go back to camp. So you¡¯d need to get out of there fast, with the goods if possible. And you did say this was where you¡¯d saved your portal location to for now. You get anything good?¡¯ She picked up a short sword from the ground. ¡®There¡¯s something I should probably tell you,¡¯ I said. Raelas¡¯s smile faltered just for a second. ¡®What?¡¯ ¡®I had to knock Ama out.¡¯ ¡®You what?¡¯ ¡®She was killing the mercenaries. You know, the one thing I explicitly said we shouldn¡¯t do; they hadn¡¯t done anything wrong.¡¯ Raelas considered me for a moment, then sighed. ¡®Fine. Alright. If you had to do it, then I guess I believe you. You have trustworthy eyes.¡¯ Just this once, to keep her on my side, I didn¡¯t rebuff her attentions. ¡®Don¡¯t suppose you can give me a hand with what¡¯s left?¡¯ * * * Ama, now conscious once more, stormed at me as I entered Tokas and Lambkin¡¯s rented house¡ªwhich seemed to have become our centre of operations. ¡®Woah, woah, woah,¡¯ I said, putting my hands up. A clothes iron flew from a bookcase as Ama flicked her wrist, soaring towards my head. Raelas stepped in front of me, and the lump of metal came to an abrupt halt, though I got the impression that it was going to regardless of whether or not the tiefling was in the way; Ama wasn¡¯t interested in killing me, only intimidating me. ¡®Ama, stop,¡¯ Raelas said, flinging the armful of weapons down onto the floor. I followed suit. But the metal mage didn¡¯t stop glowering, and the clothes iron didn¡¯t fall from the air. ¡®He knocked me out!¡¯ ¡®Sounds like you gave him no choice.¡¯ At this, the mage¡¯s expression faltered. ¡®This again? You promised men weren¡¯t going to get between us anymore.¡¯ ¡®This isn¡¯t that,¡¯ the other worldbender insisted. ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter that he¡¯s handsome; you were in the wrong.¡¯ ¡®Last I checked, we were mercenaries. Killing other mercenaries is sometimes part of the job.¡¯ ¡®Last I checked, mercenaries follow the orders of those paying us. And you weren¡¯t following orders!¡¯ With a grimace, Ama threw the clothes iron into the wall. The plaster buckled beneath the force. ¡®I guess we¡¯re not getting our deposit back,¡¯ Lambkin grumbled, staring glumly at the damage. ¡®They¡¯re the ones paying us,¡¯ Raelas pressed on. ¡®So they¡¯re the ones we take orders from. Understand?¡¯ Ama looked to Carle for backup, but after a moment of hesitation, the big guy shook his head. ¡®Fine,¡¯ the metal mage said with a scoff. From the glare she was still giving me, I had a sneaking suspicion it wasn¡¯t fine, but we had other things to deal with right now. Corminar approached the pile of weapons and armour on the floor and nudged it with the tip of his boot. ¡®Is this all? I thought¡ª¡¯ I opened a portal to my pocket world above the pile, and the other eighty percent of the weaponry poured out with a crash. The noise summoned Punnas and Lopas, and the two half-tiefling watched from the doorway, their heads poking around the frame. ¡®...Ah,¡¯ Corminar said. ¡®Ah is right,¡¯ I replied. ¡®There¡¯s a lot to sort through. I figured some of us could stay behind and do that while the rest of us steal these disguises?¡¯ Ama and Carle volunteered immediately, and I couldn¡¯t help but assume that it was to get away from me. I wasn¡¯t going to argue that point though, as they definitely needed some time to cool off. Lambkin and Tokas too said they¡¯d stay behind and help. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡®I will earmark any useless items to sell, too,¡¯ the ex-captain said. ¡®I know someone who will buy them; any extra coin can go towards hiring more mercenaries.¡¯ I nodded. ¡®Good. Raelas, Corminar, Lore, you¡¯re coming with me. Should be enough to sneak into the local sect, steal some robes, and start sowing dissent amongst the cultists.¡¯ ¡®Him?¡¯ Ama asked. I followed her line of sight to Lore. ¡®What¡¯s wrong with that?¡¯ I asked. Probably Ama was just in the mood to pick a fight over anything I said. ¡®He knows the city; he¡¯s probably the best one of us to help convince people that the Player isn¡¯t the man they think he is.¡¯ ¡®He¡¯s not just good for hitting things, then?¡¯ Lore seemed taken aback, and fair enough, really; there was no reason he should be taking stray shots from this brewing resentment. ¡®No?¡¯ he replied, then pulled a rock out of his pocket. ¡®I got this rock charm too, see?¡¯ From the glint of mischief in his eye, I could see he was messing with her, so I played along. ¡®Oh yeah? What¡¯s it do?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s a¡­ banishing rock.¡¯ ¡®Nice. Where¡¯d you get it?¡¯ Lore nodded. ¡®I picked it up earlier. Thought it looked pretty.¡¯ ¡®Are you two going to stand around talking rubbish or are we going to get to work before the Player arrives?¡¯ Ama asked. ¡®Could do a bit more rubbish?¡¯ Lore suggested. I almost played along with him to mess with Ama some more, but she was right; time was precious. Instead, I gathered Lore, Corminar and Raelas, and we traversed the city to the nearest temple of Ascendancy. It was a pretty humble affair, all things considered. I¡¯d really expected a temple to the ¡°great¡± Players and Architects to be something elaborate and colourful, perhaps with stained glass and tall spires. Instead, it was just¡­ a hall. The building was formed on plain sandstone, and the interior¡ªas we soon discovered¡ªwas bare. We stepped into a lobby where a woman smiled up at us from behind a desk, and at her rear I could see two open double doors through which there was the temple¡¯s main chamber. ¡®Church of Ascendancy,¡¯ the woman behind the desk said. ¡®How may we be of service?¡¯ Of course, the cultists never called it the cult of Ascendancy; that¡¯d be a bit too on the nose. I peered behind her. Only two other cultists were in the building at that particular moment; we could take them. ¡®Ready, team?¡¯ I asked. Corminar drew his bow. ¡®Ready.¡¯ The cultist¡¯s hands shot immediately into the air. ¡®There¡¯s no need for violence! We¡¯ll give you whatever you want!¡¯ ¡®Oh. Really?¡¯ I asked. ¡®What is it you¡¯re after?¡¯ the woman asked, voice shaky. ¡®Coin?¡¯ ¡®We want¡­ your robes?¡¯ Lore replied. The cultist slowly lowered her hands. ¡®You mean you want to¡­ sign up?¡¯ ¡®Wait, is that an option?¡¯ I asked. ¡®You just let anyone join?¡¯ ¡®Of course! What would make you think otherwise?¡¯ I took a minute to work out my answer. ¡®I don¡¯t know? I don¡¯t have any experience with organised religion.¡¯ ¡®Well, allow me to assure you: there is no need for violence. Were you going to fight me for the robes?¡¯ the cultist asked. ¡®I¡­ err¡­¡¯ I stuttered, trying to think of the correct answer here. We¡¯d really started on the wrong foot. ¡®I admire your conviction. It is an honour to welcome such passionate new initiates to the fold,¡¯ the woman said, sliding a box of orange fabric across her desk. She then pointed to a doorway coming off the lobby. ¡®You can get changed in there.¡¯ With a polite smile, I took the case of robes off the cultist and nodded for the rest of the team to follow me into the room¡ªwhich, as it turned out, was a storage room. Only when the door was closed behind me, I told the team. ¡®Remember: we need to get spares for the rest of them. Lore, get a spare for Carle. I¡¯ll cover Lambkin. Corminar, you do Tokas and Ama.¡¯ ¡®Do you mean to say I have a feminine build?¡¯ the ranger asked. ¡®Yes.¡¯ ¡®Good.¡¯ We ruffled through the crate of Ascendancy Cult robes until we found a size that would fit us, then pulled them on over our other clothes. ¡®OK,¡¯ I said. ¡®So next thing we do; get out there into the temple and start convincing people that the Player isn¡¯t someone to worship. Be subtle, though; saying it outright isn¡¯t gonna convince anyone. But the more people we have disillusioned, the fewer allies he¡¯ll have at his side when it comes time to kill him.¡¯ I turned to Raelas. ¡®Can you do subtle?¡¯ ¡®When I have to,¡¯ the other worldbender replied with a smile. ¡®Why? Would that work on you?¡¯ Someone coughed in the doorway, and we all immediately froze before turning to see who had walked in on us. A young man in an orange robe¡ªone of the cultists¡ªblinked back at us. ¡®...How long were you standing there?¡¯ I asked him. ¡®Long enough to hear you say you wanted to kill a¡ª¡¯ Lore launched his so-called ¡°rock charm¡± at the cultist, hitting them in the head and knocking them, unconscious, to the floor. ¡®See? Banished.¡¯ ¡®Bet you wish Ama was here for that punchline, huh?¡¯ ¡®Yep,¡¯ the barbarian replied, then shrugged. ¡®Can¡¯t have everything, though.¡¯ I nodded. ¡®Right. Ready to say some insulting things about a Player?¡¯ ¡®Always,¡¯ Corminar said.
"Styk" Level 19 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 50 Intelligence ¡ª 208 Dexterity ¡ª 125 Strength ¡ª 78 Wisdom ¡ª 74 Charisma ¡ª 49
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 56 Knifework ¡ª Level 41 Stealth ¡ª Level 25 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
174. Friends Of The Cult We hurried the unconscious cultist into a crate tucked into the very corner of the storage room, then sauntered as casually as we could out of the room, wearing our new pale orange robes. I led the team towards the church¡¯s main atrium, where more of the cultists were gathering, when the woman on the front desk cleared her throat. ¡®And where do you think you¡¯re going?¡¯ the receptionist asked, hands on hips. My heart dropped. Had she noticed her colleague enter the room and never leave? ¡®We¡­ err¡­¡¯ ¡®You haven¡¯t had your induction presentation yet!¡¯ ¡®Oh!¡¯ I replied. ¡®That¡¯s OK. We were just gonna go talk to our fellow cul¡ª¡¯ Corminar coughed pointedly. ¡®¡ªworshippers,¡¯ I corrected myself. The receptionist smiled. ¡®There will be plenty of time for that after the presentation. There¡¯s free t-shirts at the end!¡¯ ¡®Ooh!¡¯ said the barbarian. ¡®Lore.¡¯ ''Is this a vision?¡¯ Corminar asked. ¡®Do you see our attendance here to be important?¡¯ ¡®No, it¡¯s just¡­ free stuff.¡¯ Corminar, Raelas, and I stared Lore down. ¡®OK, no free stuff then.¡¯ I turned back to the receptionist. ¡®I think we¡¯re good. We know the gist of it; Players are great, am I right? We¡¯ll just be¡­¡¯ I gestured to the ten or so cultists in the main hall. The receptionist hissed through her teeth. ¡®Oh, I¡¯m afraid access to the main hall requires the induction. Church rules. I¡¯m sorry.¡¯ ¡®And there¡¯s no bending them just for us?¡¯ I asked, trying on my winning smile. ¡®We¡¯re kinda in a hurry.¡¯ ¡®I would if I could, but the rules came straight from the top.¡¯ ¡®From¡­?¡¯ ¡®Yusef himself.¡¯ I cast my eyes back to the main hall. In normal circumstances, we could fight our ways in, but we were here to change minds, and that would hardly have been starting off on the right foot. I sighed. ¡®Well, if a Player said so¡­¡¯ The woman¡¯s eyes lit up, and we followed her into another small room adjoined to the hallway. In this room was a number of very uncomfortable-looking fold out chairs facing a blackboard. I grimaced; if there was one thing I hated more than a group of Players doing untold damage to this world to further their own goals, it was the sound of chalk on slate. ¡®Welcome! Welcome!¡¯ the woman said, clapping her hands together. ¡®Please, take a seat. My name is Wuila, and I am the deputy administrator of the western Coldharbour church of Ascendancy.¡¯ ¡®Quite the job title,¡¯ Corminar muttered under his breath. Wuila¡¯s eyes flicked over to him to suggest she¡¯d heard, but she didn¡¯t comment. ¡®It is lovely to have so many new faces joining us today. Perhaps we could all go around the room, and both introduce ourselves and say one interesting fact about ourselves?¡¯ Nobody said anything, all of us staring back at her. ¡®OK, I¡¯ll start! As I said, my name is Wuila, and I won bronze in the Coldharbour junior gymnastic championships when I was fifteen. And now¡­¡¯ Still, nobody said anything. ¡®I¡¯ll pick someone, shall I?¡¯ Wuila looked around the room, casting her eyes over all of us, before landing on Corminar. The elf shook his head. Wuila looked instead to me. ¡®Could you¡­¡¯ I sighed. ¡®My name is Styk and I have died twice.¡¯ The cultist narrowed her eyes. ¡®Um¡­¡¯ I nudged my elven friend. ¡®My name is Corminar and I watched my homeland fall to foreign invaders while it was under my command. Raelas?¡¯ The tiefling smiled a saccharine smile. ¡®My name is Raelas and I think this guy is super hot.¡¯ I kept my eyes fixed on the cultist, not meeting the other tiefling¡¯s gaze. ¡®OK, but that¡¯s not really about you, is it?¡¯ Wuila pointed out. Raelas nodded. ¡®Fair point. Here¡¯s one: as a child, I was once so close to starving that after I fell unconscious, I woke up in a morgue.¡¯ She turned to Lore. ¡®Big fella?¡¯ ¡®My name is Lore and I like sheep!¡¯ Lore¡¯s smile was less saccharine, more sincere. ¡®Also I have an active effect that forces me to see possible futures whether I like it or not, including occasionally the deaths of my closest friends!¡¯ ¡®Huh,¡¯ Raelas said, this being the first she¡¯d heard about all that. Wuila stood at the end of the room in stunned silence, and we looked back at her. After a moment, she clapped her hands together. ¡®OK! Maybe I will skip the introductions section in future.¡¯ She turned and began scrawling on the blackboard with the chalk, and all four of us cringed at the noise. Lore raised his hand. ¡®When do we get the free stuff? You said it includes t-shirts?¡¯ ¡®At the end,¡¯ Wuila muttered, finishing up her scrawling on the board. The message she¡¯d written read CHURCH OF ASCENDANCY, with a tick next to it, followed by CULT with a big cross next to it. ¡®The first thing you must know about the church is that it is not a cult. Malicious agents around the western continents have sowed the seeds of this idea, and alas, it has taken hold. So, again: not a cult, just a group of lovely people worshipping Players so that we might ascend to heaven. But as you¡¯re here, you know all of this.¡¯ ¡®Sure,¡¯ Lore said encouragingly. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡®Our church began as a small number of loyal followers of Yusef, the Player gifted with knowledge of the future.¡¯ ¡®Like me!¡¯ the barbarian added. ¡®I¡¯d keep that to yourself,¡¯ Wuila suggested. ¡®Trust me.¡¯ She turned back to the room at large. ¡®Yusef will in time lead us all to the land of the Architects. However, until this day comes, we must obey his every instruction, and live as he wishes us to live. In normal induction meetings, I would now reiterate Yusef¡¯s orders: to obey all Players, to eliminate those who would opposite them, and so on. However, I received glad tidings this very morning¡ªYusef is coming to Coldharbour!¡¯ The cultist went silent for a moment, as though expecting applause. Raelas and I figured this out first and began cheering and clapping as much as we could manage without looking like we were taking the piss. Lore and Corminar joined in. ¡®Yeah!¡¯ Wuila said, also now clapping and cheering, not realising that we were only doing so to fit in. ¡®That¡¯s it, yeah! Very exciting times! Yusef will be here in the next few days, according to my reports, and so you¡¯ll soon be able to hear from the man himself¡ªprobably on the steps of the central plaza, as that¡¯s where he usually speaks. You might even find people are hanging about there already, as space will be at a premium!¡¯ When Wuila trailed off, I raised a hand. ¡®Are we done?¡¯ Raelas nodded. ¡®Yeah, we¡¯d love to go meet our fellow cul¡ª¡¯ Again, Corminar coughed pointedly. ¡®We¡¯d love to go meet our new friends.¡¯ ¡®We¡¯re done! I¡¯ll go get the t-shirts.¡¯ As Wuila disappeared from the room, Raelas and I rose from our seats, then hesitated when it looked like Lore and Corminar weren¡¯t following. ¡®Aren¡¯t you coming?¡¯ I asked. Lore stared back at me, confused. ¡®Didn¡¯t you hear? She¡¯s getting the t-shirts.¡¯ I tried Corminar instead. ¡®I expected this of him, but you?¡¯ The elf shrugged. ¡®Perhaps they will be fashionable.¡¯ I shook my head, exasperated, then led Raelas out of the room and into the main hall. More cultists still had gathered there, apparently having been drawn in by the news of Yusef¡¯s arrival in the near future. I glanced over them, figuring out who would be the best person to start with, then realised that I was probably going to have to sow the seeds of doubt in all of them anyway. While Raelas went right, I went left, towards a group of young tieflings in the same pale orange robes as me. ¡®How¡¯s it going, fellow worshippers?¡¯ I asked, butting in on their conversation. They all blinked back at me. ¡®My name¡¯s Styk. Just joined. Players are pretty great, right?¡¯ ¡®...Yeah, they¡¯re pretty great,¡¯ one of them replied. ¡®Well, most of them, at least,¡¯ I carried on. ¡®Don¡¯t suppose you heard about what happened in the Dawnwood?¡¯ The tieflings looked to one another, and their eyes changed from distrustful to interested. ¡®No?¡¯ ¡®You didn¡¯t? Huh. I suppose we¡¯re a long way from there.¡¯ ¡®What happened? Was a Player hurt?¡¯ Well, yes, but that¡¯s not the point I want to linger on, particularly because I was the one who hurt her. ¡®A Player went rogue! Led an attack on the elven homelands. Slaughtered thousands. Tens of thousands, maybe. I didn¡¯t know a Player could do that.¡¯ ¡®A Player¡ª¡¯ one of the tieflings started, but I didn¡¯t let this narrative get thrown off course. ¡®I imagine Yusef will sort it out though, won¡¯t he? He wouldn¡¯t let that happen.¡¯ One of the tieflings, with a furrowed brow¡ªin fact, they all had a furrowed brow, not being able to comprehend this¡ªleaned in. ¡®Yusef would not stain his hands with the blood of¡ª¡¯ ¡®Spawn?¡¯ a voice called across the room. I ignored it at first. ¡®So you¡¯re saying he would let that go unchecked? That¡¯s not very benevolent of him.¡¯ ¡®Spawn!¡¯ a voice shouted louder, marked with the tangs of orcish accent. Only on this time did I look over, and I saw an orc in orange robes having just entered the room. I didn¡¯t recognise her at first, but she certainly recognised me¡ªbecause I was the ¡°spawn¡± she was talking about. And then my heart dropped. I remembered. A long way back, just after we¡¯d taken down the pyroknight, I¡¯d travelled north with Arzak to get more information on the Sisyphus Artifact. Up there, I¡¯d sought out an artifact expert named Lillya, who¡¯d told me that only those with Player blood in them could use the device. And it was this orc that stood before me. ¡®Spawn of Architects!¡¯ she shouted, arms raised at her sides as though meaning to embrace me. ¡®No! No no no¡­¡¯ I started. ¡®It is him! He with Player blood inside!¡¯ Lillya was pointing at me by this point, and the whole room was looking. ¡®You guys already have a Player to worship!¡¯ I protested. ¡®Yes. But there is thing better than Player.¡¯ I knew I was going to regret this, but I asked anyway. ¡®What?¡¯ ¡®Two Players!¡¯ Mouths began to open, adoring eyes falling upon me. This wasn¡¯t good. I needed to be invisible if I was going to have any chance of killing Yusef. Being known to all his cultists was hardly invisible. ¡®I¡­ err¡­¡¯ And then I turned and ran.
"Styk" Level 19 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 50 Intelligence ¡ª 208 Dexterity ¡ª 125 Strength ¡ª 78 Wisdom ¡ª 74 Charisma ¡ª 49
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 56 Knifework ¡ª Level 41 Stealth ¡ª Level 25 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
175. God Chasers I burst through the temple¡¯s doors out onto the busy streets of Coldharbour. I didn¡¯t stop to look how many were following me, but I heard at least two pairs of footsteps following me. ¡®Styk!¡¯ Raelas cried. ¡®Wait!¡¯ I didn¡¯t wait. The best thing for me right now was to get out of this situation as fast as possible. The less time I gave the cultists to see my face, the less chance there would be of them remembering me when the time came. But I knew in my heart of hearts that much of the damage was done; word would spread quickly that there was already someone with Player blood here in town. ¡®Styk!¡¯ another voice cried. Lore¡¯s. ¡®There¡¯s nobody following!¡¯ I came to an abrupt halt and looked around. He was right; there was only the pair of them there, Corminar apparently still inside. Was I really that arrogant that I thought the cultists would chase me just because of what Lillya said? I was only the spawn of a Player, after all. Surely that was different. ¡®...Oh,¡¯ I said. Then a dozen cultists burst forth from the temple. Lillya scanned the street and then, seeing me¡ªin my not-very-camouflaged orange robe¡ªpointed. ¡®He there!¡¯ ¡®Oh,¡¯ I said again. ¡®OK,¡¯ Lore said. ¡®My bad.¡¯ The three of us turned and ran. ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯ Raelas shouted as we weaved through the crowds. ¡®Are they trying to kill you?¡¯ ¡®No, worse!¡¯ I cried back. ¡®What¡¯s worse than that?!¡¯ ¡®They¡¯re trying to worship me!¡¯ As a gap appeared in the crowds before me, I opened a portal for the three of us to hop through, which brought us stumbling out a good way down the street¡ªbut not out of sight of my pursuers. ¡®Is that¡­ bad?¡¯ Raelas asked. ¡®It is when your whole plan depends on being invisible!¡¯ ¡®Fair point.¡¯ I collided with someone as they stepped out of a shop, spilling the pile of fruit they¡¯d been clutching in their arms. ¡®Sorry!¡¯ I shouted back, then opened another portal. I risked a glance back at the cultists as I did so, and noticed one of them gaining on me¡ªa small tiefling woman who seemed able to move faster than anyone I¡¯d seen before. The crowds were no obstacle either, as whenever she found her path blocked, she blinked out of sight and then reappeared at their other side¡ªa magick not entirely dissimilar to my portals. I leaped through my portal, followed by Raelas and then Lore, and then the big guy suddenly cried out, clutching his head. Another vision. ¡®Lore, come on!¡¯ I said, trying to yank him forward. ¡®Now¡¯s not the time.¡¯ ¡®I can¡¯t control it!¡¯ Raelas appeared at my side, trying to tear me away. ¡®Styk¡­¡¯ ¡®I see¡­ I see¡­¡¯ Lore snapped his head up at me, and I saw his eyes glowing yellow. ¡®If we go after Yusef, Alenna will die.¡¯ I stared back at him for a moment, before catching sight of the fast tiefling behind him. ¡®We¡¯ll talk about this later¡ªwe gotta go!¡¯ ¡®They¡¯re not after him!¡¯ Raelas said. ¡®They¡¯re after you; leave him behind.¡¯ I didn¡¯t like the phrasing of ¡°leave him behind¡±¡ªespecially not when he was seeing his friend die¡ªbut she had a point. I let go of Lore¡¯s arm, then turned and ran, pushing through the crowds. Raelas and I knocked an old couple to the ground by accident, and I hissed in embarrassment. I took some solace in the fact that everyone around would look at our robes and think the Cult of Ascendancy was responsible; they deserved that and far, far worse. ¡®So it¡¯s true?¡¯ Raelas asked between breaths. ¡®You actually have Player blood in you?¡¯ ¡®Well don¡¯t go announcing it to everyone!¡¯ ¡®No, it¡¯s just¡­ you didn¡¯t tell me!¡¯ I darted around a corner, hoping that we¡¯d done so without our pursuers noticing. But we weren¡¯t that lucky. ¡®And why would I have?¡¯ ¡®Well, I thought¡ª¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t pretend you¡¯re telling me stuff! Or are we really saying you, Carle and Ama are here just for what we¡¯re paying you?¡¯ Raelas remained suspiciously quiet on this point. The alley ahead of us grew narrower and narrower, and at its very end, I saw a flash of orange. The same shade of orange as my robes. ¡®There!¡¯ a familiar voice shouted again, and I realised turning had been a bad idea; Lillya and a few of the other cultists had circled around to cut me off. Presumably they knew these winding streets far better than I did. I stumbled to a halt, then turned to run back the way we¡¯d come, only to see the tiefling cultists appearing from that side. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡®What do we do? Fight?¡¯ Raelas asked. ¡®That¡¯s about the only thing that¡¯ll get me even more well known,¡¯ I replied, then back against one of the two walls, placing my hands against it. Raelas saw what I was doing, and then charged at and collided with me just as I opened the portal. We fell through it together, straight into the building¡¯s living space. I stumbled backwards over a low table, and saw a young tiefling child staring back at me, nibbling on a piece of vegetable. ¡®Cult?¡¯ he asked. ¡®Eat your vegetables and don¡¯t tell your parents I was here,¡¯ I replied, before opening another portal that would take me, Raelas and the low table out onto the street on the other side of the building. ¡®You¡¯d make a good dad,¡¯ Raelas said. ¡®Don¡¯t get any ideas.¡¯ I stumbled back to my feet and cast my head around. Both ends of this streets were clear of cultists¡ªat least of any who were chasing me, though there seemed to be more around than usual¡ªand so I picked a direction at random. Raelas and I charged down the alleyway towards the next junction¡­ just as the tiefling appeared from the turning to the right. Instead of stopping and going the other way, I instinctively pushed my hands forward and opened a portal in front of us. Raelas and I sprinted through, appearing some way down the street, but I had no doubt that the cultists were still on our tail. ¡®I can¡¯t shake them!¡¯ I shouted. ¡®They¡¯re a stubborn bunch of¡ª¡¯ ¡®Wait, what about your saved portals?¡¯ Raelas asked. ¡®...Oh yeah.¡¯ I threw my hands forward once more and opened yet another portal, which Raelas leaped through, to spill out onto the steps of the busy central plaza. 8x Cultists of Ascendancy escaped! Worldbending ¡ª +2,650xp Worldbending increased to level 57! Base Points gained ¡ª +2 INT, +2 Free Points (INT/WIS/CHA) Once the portal was closed behind me¡ªand once I¡¯d checked that none of those following us had squeezed through¡ªI dusted myself down and breathed a sigh of relief. ¡®It¡¯s kinda weird that they pretend they¡¯re not in a cult when the notifications literally say that they are,¡¯ I mumbled, causing Raelas to shrug. ¡®Couldn¡¯t you have thought of this earlier?¡¯ the tiefling asked. ¡®My stamina reserves are¡­¡¯ She trailed off. ¡®Well, that¡¯s the thing about having so many abilities; you forget you have some of them.¡¯ ¡®Err,¡¯ Raelas started. ¡®What? Really? You don¡¯t? Cos I¡¯m not practised enough in¡ª¡¯ The tiefling tugged me gently on the shoulder. ¡®Styk?¡¯ ¡®Yeah?¡¯ I asked, looking up at her. Raelas¡¯s eyes were fixed on something in the centre of the plaza, so I followed her line of sight. I¡¯d known the plaza was busy. What I hadn¡¯t realised was that it was far more busy than normal. And those extra people? So many of them were wearing the same pale orange robes as us. They stood not disorganised, but in an almost uniform formation, in circles around something in the centre of the plaza. No, I realised. Not something. Someone. Stood atop a makeshift stage was a face I¡¯d never seen before, but recognised instantly. I saw on their face the confidence of a god, I heard in their booming voice the unabashed sense of power. Before me, I saw a Player. While we¡¯d been preparing for the battle ahead, Yusef had already arrived.
"Styk" Level 19 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 50 Intelligence ¡ª 212 Dexterity ¡ª 125 Strength ¡ª 78 Wisdom ¡ª 74 Charisma ¡ª 49
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 57 Knifework ¡ª Level 41 Stealth ¡ª Level 25 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
176. Armed To The Teeth ¡®He¡¯s here.¡¯ I grabbed Raelas by the arm, my grasp firm but not tight. ¡®Get back to the temple,¡¯ I told her. ¡®Fetch Corminar and Lore, bring them to the house. I¡¯ll get the others ready. Understand?¡¯ The tiefling nodded. No smiles, no batting of her eyelashes, just a nod. ¡®Good.¡¯ I turned away and began sprinting through the sea of orange robes, resisting the urge to portal my way through. That would surely get me noticed, and even if it didn¡¯t, it could plant a seed in the back of the Player¡¯s mind¡ªone that might have him expecting a portal. My feet hit the hard cobbled streets as I slid between flocking pilgrims and unimpressed locals, working my way across the city and back towards the house that Tokas and Lambkin had rented for the duration of their work here. As I approached the front door, I spotted Lambkin coming from the other direction. He raised a hand to get my attention, but before he could say anything, I shouted, ¡®Inside. Now.¡¯ A serious expression crossed his face in a flash. When I bombed through the door, four faces looked up at me. Tokas, Ama, Carle and Punnas¡ªLopas nowhere in sight¡ªstood and crouched around piles of the equipment commandeered from the mercenaries. ¡®What¡ª¡¯ Ama started, but Tokas caught on quick. ¡®He¡¯s here,¡¯ the tiefling said. ¡®Yes.¡¯ ¡®And the others?¡¯ ¡®On the way. They¡¯ll be here soon.¡¯ I looked around at the piles of equipment. From what I could tell of the piles, they¡¯d organised them into weapons, armour, artifacts, and¡­ a mix. Possibly those items not useful to anyone in this makeshift team, to be sold to pay for hired help. But there wasn¡¯t time for that, now. Yusef was here for a reason, and the longer we waited to strike, the more chance we¡¯d have of finding out what that reason was. I really didn¡¯t want to find out. ¡®What do we got?¡¯ Tokas stood from her crouched positions, stretching her back as she did so. ¡®Weapons were the easiest. We¡¯re looking for damaging-boosting equipment, and that usually happens on the weapon side rather than the armour. But that doesn¡¯t mean the armour was a complete bust.¡¯ The tiefling strolled across the room to the pile of weapons, and pulled a thin dagger from the pile. She brought it up towards me fast. I flinched. Tokas¡¯s face paled, and as she gulped, an awkward silence swept over the room. After a second, she flipped the blade around, facing the handle towards me for me to take. Neither of us made eye contact with one another; we didn¡¯t want to talk about the reasons I¡¯d flinched¡ªthat I could never really trust her¡ªbut at the same time that meant we couldn¡¯t resolve it. I kept my eyes on the blade as I took it from Tokas¡¯s hands, and I saw sigils on the dagger glow gently, the glow taking on the purple hue of Worldbending to my touch. Item Equipped ¡ª Sorcerer¡¯s Friend Sorcerer¡¯s Friend ¡ª +100% to damage when user has magicks active. ¡®We figured this was ideal for you,¡¯ Tokas said, looking at nobody in particular. ¡®I know it says ¡°sorcerer¡±, but the description says it works for all magicks. Worldbending, we figured, would be included.¡¯ I held up my other arm, and activated my Ash Husk ability. As my skin rippled and reformed into fire magick-repelling ash, the sigils on the blade glowed purple once more. ¡®Looks like you were right,¡¯ I said. And wasn¡¯t this handy? If I went unnoticed by my target, then I could use my Stealth Attack ability for +200% damage, and the Execution Knifework ability for another +300%. Now that I had this weapon equipped too, that was seven times the usual rate of damage¡ªassuming its added its bonus rather than multiplying, which was how these things usually worked. I forced myself to look up at Tokas. ¡®Thanks,¡¯ I said. The tiefling met my eye for just a second. She nodded, before turning away once more. This time, she went to the armour pile, and pulled a pair of bracers. This time, she handed the equipment over to me slowly. I began pulling the armour on. Item Equipped ¡ª Whirlwind Bracers Whirlwind Bracers (Rare) ¡ª Knifework attacks required 30% less stamina. Warning: you do not meet level requirements to wield this item effectively! Requirement: Knifework ¡ª Level 50 I wrenched the straps tight as the warning message flashed before me, and the bracers themselves seemed to start humming with energy. ¡®Ah,¡¯ I said. ¡®I don¡¯t meet the¡ª¡¯ One bracer shot off my right arm, shooting across the room into the wall, creating another dent in it. Then, just as the front door opened, the other bracer shot off me, repelled by the missing level requirements. Lore stepped inside just in time to get hit in the head by a flying bracer. ¡®Ow?¡¯ he said, looking at the bracer and then around the room with a very confused expression on his face. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. ¡®Sorry,¡¯ I said through clenched teeth. ¡®My bad.¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t have the level requirement?¡¯ Raelas asked as she stepped inside behind Corminar. ¡®We can do something about that.¡¯ ¡®You can¡ª¡¯ Lambkin started to ask. ¡®You got any belts there?¡¯ Raelas asked Carle. ¡®Without any level requirements.¡¯ The barbarian immediately whipped his hand up, four leather belts therein; he¡¯d been on the same page. Raelas took the bracer that had hit Lore from the floor, and grabbed the belts with her other hand. ¡®Alright,¡¯ she said, handing me the bracer. ¡®Put this on, and hold it in place.¡¯ I hesitated. ¡®Don¡¯t you trust me?¡¯ she asked. ¡®No.¡¯ Raelas looked up at me, apparently genuinely upset by this answer. ¡®Alright, fine,¡¯ I said, then wrenched the bracer on once more, pulling the straps tight. Already I could feel the energy building up within it, about to spring off me once more. But the tiefling moved in with the belts, and using two of them, she wrapped the bracer tight, fixing it to my arm. When Raelas was done, she stepped back hesitantly. Though the bracer wanted to spring off¡ªI could feel it pulling away from my arm¡ªthe belts held it in place. ¡®...Huh.¡¯ ¡®And this¡­ works?¡¯ Corminar asked. ¡®I¡¯d say about seven times in ten,¡¯ the tiefling replied. This answer didn¡¯t fill me with confidence, but I allowed Raelas to do the same with the other bracer. ¡®OK,¡¯ she said. ¡®Now, don¡¯t fidget.¡¯ I slowly began to move my arms around, making sure I could use my full range of motion without dislodging the armour. I couldn¡¯t live my life like this, but I could bear with it for the time it took to assassinate a Player. Tokas, Ama and Carle distributed the rest of the useful items to the team, Tokas hurrying to cover off Raelas rather than risking a repeat of the earlier incident. Lore and Carle took new armour that gave them good resistance to melee attacks. Ama had already taken her equipment, namely a quiver full of arrows made entirely from metal. Corminar rejected the bow he was offered, apparently happy with the bow Elandor had left him, so this bow was given to Lambkin instead, who was much more happy about it. Instead, the elf took bracers¡ªwhy were there suddenly so many bracers in the world?¡ªwhich improved the potency of his alchemical creations. And finally, Raelas was given an obscurem, to hide any glows from her magicks and help her retain the element of surprise. ¡®Hey!¡¯ I protested. ¡®I want one of those! Why give that to her and not me?¡¯ ¡®Your portals are fainter,¡¯ Ama said. I shrugged. ¡®So I got Tamed Portals, and what? I¡ª¡¯ Lore placed his hand gently on my shoulder. He didn¡¯t need to say anything to communicate that he thought this wasn¡¯t a battle worth fighting. And so my quest for an obscurem would continue. ¡®What about you, Tokas?¡¯ Raelas asked the tiefling. ¡®What are you taking?¡¯ Tokas went oddly still. ¡®Me? Oh, I¡­ I don¡¯t need anything.¡¯ ¡®Why not? You¡¯re coming with us, aren¡¯t you?¡¯ The tiefling¡¯s eyes darted to Corminar, lingering for half a second. ¡®No. No, I have to stay with the kids. Besides, I wouldn¡¯t want to¡­ to get in the way.¡¯ She glanced at Corminar again. ¡®You won¡¯t get in the way,¡¯ Lore said. ¡®And the kids will be¡ª¡¯ ¡®She¡¯s right,¡¯ Corminar interrupted him. ¡®It¡¯s best she stays here. It¡¯s best she¡­ watches the children.¡¯ The room went quiet. Everyone here knew something had just happened, but the Trio didn¡¯t know quite what that was. Still, the atmosphere was awkward enough that nobody¡ªnot even Ama¡ªworked up the courage to ask. Lambkin stood from a chair, slapping his knees. ¡®Right, then,¡¯ he said. ¡®If that¡¯s everything¡­ I suppose it¡¯s time to kill a Player?¡¯ Once again, the occupants and visitors of this house looked to me. I nodded. ¡®Remember,¡¯ I told them. ¡®We hit him hard and fast.¡¯
"Styk" Level 19 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 50 Intelligence ¡ª 212 Dexterity ¡ª 125 Strength ¡ª 78 Wisdom ¡ª 74 Charisma ¡ª 49
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 57 Knifework ¡ª Level 41 Stealth ¡ª Level 25 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
177. A Death Foretold A sea of orange stretched before us. The crowd that had been dwindling before was now a thousand strong, two thousand strong, worshippers having flocked from all around the lands to be here. Yusef stood on a stage near the steps that led up to Coldharbour¡¯s governing building, facing the plaza at large. It was a shame he wasn¡¯t on the steps; a little further back and he would have been just where my saved portal location was. Oh well, you can¡¯t have everything. The Player was preaching already, but at this distance¡ªus on a balcony at the other side of the square¡ªI couldn¡¯t make out a word he was saying. Part of me wished I¡¯d taken that Worldbending ability that let sound travel through my portals, as it¡¯d have been nice to know what we were dealing with. At my side stood Raelas, Lore and Corminar, as well as the homeowner that we¡¯d bribed for access. The old woman must have assumed we were fellow devouts, based on our pale orange robes, and couldn¡¯t have known she was about to be accessory to an assassination. ¡®What¡¯s that he say?¡¯ the homeowner asked. ¡®Not sure,¡¯ Carle mumbled back to her. ¡®Can¡¯t hear him.¡¯ The old woman shrugged. ¡®No refunds.¡¯ She shuffled off back into her apartment proper. ¡®Think we can aim our portals well enough from here?¡¯ Raelas asked. That was the plan; she would make a portal to drop her and Carle over the Player¡¯s head, while I¡¯d do the same for myself and Lore. We¡¯d considered dropping the others in too, but figured that the process would be too slow. Much better was it that Corminar, Lambkin and Ama entered the crowds hours earlier, and schmoozed, bribed and intimidated their way to the front. They¡¯d be ready to strike at a moment¡¯s notice, the signal being the purple glow of Raelas¡¯s portal. They were out there amongst the thousands right this second. ¡®It¡¯s not that I¡¯m worried about,¡¯ I replied. ¡®It¡¯s getting back out again.¡¯ ¡®Agreed,¡¯ Carle murmured, drawing in a deep breath. ¡®Perhaps we should rethink our fee, Rae. I¡¯m not sure we account for this much peril.¡¯ ¡®Now¡¯s not the time,¡¯ the tiefling replied. ¡®Besides, we¡¯ve got¡­¡¯ She trailed off for a moment. ¡®We¡¯ve got good reason for being here.¡¯ Carle didn¡¯t react. ¡®How much longer should we give em?¡¯ Lore asked. ¡®Should be in there by now, shouldn¡¯t¡ª¡¯ A scream cut him off, and the four of us wrenched our upper bodies over the edge of the balcony. The cry had come from the streets down below us, just off to our left. My heart skipped a beat, and for good reason; the last couple of times we¡¯d heard screaming in the city streets, it had announced the presence of mala. And from what Tokas had said, there¡¯d been more sightings in the last day, handled by the guards¡ªbut not without loss of life. This time was no different. There amidst shouting, fleeing locals was a small black blob¡ªthe most powerful monster anyone could possibly expect to see in their lives, except maybe for elderbeest or depth raiders. I cast my eyes back to the distant Player, the man we were here to kill. Many of his crowd, mostly those towards the rear, were becoming aware of the creature¡¯s presence, and panic was rippling through them like a wave. I had a choice, now: begin the assassination attempt amidst the chaos, or¡­ do what¡¯s right, and try to stop it before innocent lives were lost. I sighed before I opened a portal just off the edge of the balcony. ¡®Guess we¡¯ve got some work to do first,¡¯ I said to the other three as I leaped the low wall and fell through my purple magicks. I dropped nimbly to the dusty cobbled street a good distance away from the mala and straightened up once more as the others fell one by one to my side. ¡®Let¡¯s be quick,¡¯ I told the others. ¡®Raelas, you¡¯re with me. Portals. Lore, Carle, find something to catch it in.¡¯ They nodded, and I took a step closer to the mala. It was funny. In my first life, I wouldn¡¯t have dreamed of willingly approaching one of these monsters like this. And back then, I¡¯d been a higher level than I was now. I felt stronger, this time around, my build being more efficient, having more synergy, being tall rather than wide. To look at me, I was only level 19, but I was confident I could beat someone as high as level 28 or so in a fair one-on-one fight. A mala was more powerful than a level 28 person, admittedly, but I wasn¡¯t alone; I had friends at my side. I opened a portal beneath the creature, dropping it into the sky high above, where it began to fall. I knew from experience though that these monsters adapted quickly; I wouldn¡¯t get many more portals before it started stretching to avoid falling through them. ¡®Got one!¡¯ Lore shouted. I glanced to my left to see him raising an open crate, a bunch of oranges falling out of it onto the ground. He winced, then apologised to a nearby stall owner, who seemed more interested in fleeing the mala than any damage to his produce. Lore threw the open crate to the ground, open end pointing upwards. ¡®Good!¡¯ I shouted, then opened another portal beneath the enemy to throw it into the empty crate. Immediately, the monster had adapted, stretching out in midair to grow too wide to fit through the portal, wrapping its black tendrils around the side of the ring. I opened another pair of portals to one side, and began throwing things at the creature. Raelas, seeing where I was going with this, followed suit, and soon there were two portals raining heavy market furniture down on the creature. The creature squealed as the larger objects hit it, but didn¡¯t budge. ¡®Rae!¡¯ Carle shouted, and I glanced over to him to see him lifting an anvil off the ground. Yes, a literal anvil; even Lore¡¯s eyes bulged. The tiefling nodded, then opened a portal in front of him. Carle heaved the anvil until it was placed perfectly above the mala, then dropped it. I closed the portal immediately, the monster only partway through, because I didn¡¯t want the anvil slipping through too and potentially demolishing the wooden crate. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Lore slammed the lid of the crate shut immediately, using a hammer and nails to reinforce the opening, and the anvil cracked the cobblestones as it smashed to the ground. Level ? corruption defeated! Worldbending ¡ª +1,700xp I breathed a sigh of relief. It was done. We had a much more dangerous battle ahead of us, but we¡¯d managed this without anyone getting hurt and without draining our reserves too much, so I was gonna chalk this up as a victory. Carle approached the crate, wrapping his hands around it. ¡®I will leave to dispose of the creature,¡¯ he said. ¡®You¡¯ll what?¡¯ I replied. ¡®No, the guards can deal with that. We need you for Yusef.¡¯ ¡®I¡ª¡¯ the warrior man began to protest, but was interrupted by Lore shouting out for guards¡¯ help. A couple of them finally turned the corner, eyes on Lore. Not a great response time, I thought, but perhaps they¡¯d been there the whole time and afraid to face down a mala. If that¡¯s what Carle was going through¡ªfear of the inevitable fight¡ªthen I couldn¡¯t blame him. Once satisfied the guards knew how to dispose of the mala, we turned our attention back to that sea of orange robes. * * * We reached the same balcony using portals, figuring that we¡¯d already drawn attention to the magicks when we¡¯d used them to fight the mala. From there, we looked on at Yusef¡¯s thousand followers, who had settled back into the same position as before, now that the mala incursion was dealt with. Visibly, those at the rear were more on edge now, but hopefully that hadn¡¯t set in closer to Yusef¡ªwe needed them as relaxed, and as slow to react, as possible. ¡®I guess there¡¯s no time delaying any longer,¡¯ I said, and with one last sigh, I pulled my dagger from the sheath, and raised one hand to the air above Yusef¡¯s stage. At my side, Raelas did the same. ¡®Everyone ready?¡¯ I asked. Lore and Carle adjusted their grips on their weapons. They knew they were going through first, to take the brunt of any retaliation, but Raelas and I would be through soon after. ¡®Then let¡¯s¡­ do it.¡¯ I activated my portal. Though mine was Tamed, and therefore didn¡¯t glow brightly in the air, Raelas didn¡¯t have that passive ability, so hers did. Lore and Carle leaped through the two portals, and Raelas and I didn¡¯t have time to watch them fall from the other side before tumbling through ourselves. I activated all my relevant abilities¡ªStab, Execution, and my Stealth Attack passive that was already working in my favour¡ªand I slammed towards the ground, and Yusef. It was a move that reminded me of my final attack on the pyroknight, all that time ago. But at that distance, I¡¯d aimed poorly, and Yusef was just out of reach. So instead I landed, pushed myself into a sprint, and charged at him. Lore, Carle and Raelas did the same, having emerged from the portals, while the others pushed forth from the crowd. It was, of course, too easy. A hand snapped out to grab my wrist, knocking the belt holding the bracers to it. The armour slipped from its binding, flying through the air and slamming into the shoulder one of the nearby cultists. Around me, the others met the same response, those cultists closest to Yusef reaching out and moving to block their attacks. Lambkin¡¯s knocked bow fired an arrow high into the sky, while a familiar orc leaped to grab Ama¡¯s metal arrows from the air. Lillya. ¡®Hello again, spawn,¡¯ the orc worshipper said. I wrenched against the hands holding me back, desperately trying to free myself, and a glance at the others showed me that they¡¯d suffered the same fate. We¡¯d been fools to think that striking fast would be enough, that blending in, avoiding his notice would mean he wouldn¡¯t see out future; this was a man with a far higher Divination skill than we could have possibly expected. He¡¯d known we were coming. ¡®Here at last,¡¯ Yusef said, dark brown eyes sweeping over the team. Behind him and around us, people in orange robes roared and shouted and tried to burst forth to attack us, but a hand held up by the Player instructed them to stand back. Yusef strolled over first to Corminar, then to Lore, and then finally to me. My heart dropped when I realised what it meant that he¡¯d picked out the three of us. ¡®The Slayers,¡¯ he said. ¡®We meet at last.¡¯
"Styk" Level 19 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 50 Intelligence ¡ª 212 Dexterity ¡ª 125 Strength ¡ª 78 Wisdom ¡ª 74 Charisma ¡ª 49
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 57 Knifework ¡ª Level 41 Stealth ¡ª Level 25 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
178. The Greater Good ¡®The Slayers. We meet at last.¡¯ Corminar spat at the man¡¯s feet, and cultists roared at him, desperately to deliver justice but unable to disobey their leader¡¯s orders. For his part, Yusef only smiled back at the elf, sadness in his eyes. He raised his hand and waved some of his most loyal followers in. ¡®Keep them restrained and move them to my new home.¡¯ He turned back to us, hands clasped behind his back, and he sighed. ¡®I have orders to eliminate you on sight, you know. Orders straight from the Council¡ªkill those that have been killing our members. But I do not yield violence as a weapon; instead, I convert with rhetoric and with knowledge of all that is to come. We will speak, and, in time, you will see the light.¡¯ ¡®See the light?¡¯ I asked, snarling, pulling in vain against the hands that gripped me tight. ¡®And what if we don¡¯t?¡¯ ¡®Then, like the rest of your team, I will have to imprison you until you do.¡¯ My heart dropped. We¡¯d known Val and Arzak were in the area. We¡¯d known that they were after him. But we didn¡¯t know that they¡¯d already been caught. Probably those two would have had a better plan of attack than sneaking out of the crowd to assassinate the Player, and even they had been caught at his hand. Would they be there, where Yusef wanted to take us? Would I have to face Val again? Somehow, that part was more terrifying than anything else. The Player turned to his most trusted and gestured again. ¡®Go.¡¯ With that, each of us were dragged by the arms and shoulders back, out of the crowds, our feet left to drag along the cobbled streets until the sea of orange was far behind us. Enough cultists remained with us that fighting back was futile; we were outnumbered five to one. If we were going to escape, we¡¯d need to choose the right moment. The locals actively looked away when they noticed what was happening; they knew better than to involve themselves in the business of the cult, especially when it now seemed to be taking prisoners. It was a survival mechanism, and one that I definitely could not blame them for. We took an abrupt turn off the main street and soon entered a small, cramped apartment¡ªone that Yusef seemed to have made his own. For all that it was humble in size, in decoration and in furnishing, it also¡­ didn¡¯t seem to be his. The little decoration that did still exist included a sketch of a happy tiefling family, hanging on the wall. Where were they now? Had they given their home up willingly, or had the cult taken it from them by force? Those in orange finally dumped us on chairs surrounding a large dining table¡ªone large enough for the large family that had been evicted under mysterious circumstances¡ªbefore binding our hands behind our back. Though perhaps they were making the mistake of using regular, not magickally reinforced, rope. We were positioned, bound, to face a single chair on the other side of the table¡ªone which Yusef took, notably without any rope bindings. He scratched his long, wild beard as he considered us with those dark eyes. He looked to Carle, Ama and Raelas before flicking to Lambkin. ¡®You, I have intelligence on, but¡­¡¯ he looked back to Ama. ¡®You are¡­?¡¯ ¡®Mercenaries,¡¯ I replied for them. ¡®Ah! To replace those you lost in your team¡¯s schism? Very good.¡¯ Lillya, who was apparently part of the cult¡¯s inner circle, appeared from the kitchen to place a jug and empty cups of iced tea in the centre of the table. ¡®Thank you, Lillya,¡¯ Yusef said, and the orc took a step back to wait on him from the corner of the room. The Player began to pour out a cup of tea for Corminar, then paused. ¡®Ah. The bindings, yes.¡¯ ¡®You foresaw that problem, did you?¡¯ I growled at him. Again, Yusef¡¯s reaction was only to smile. He considered us again, silently, carefully. It was Lore that spoke next, that silent resentment boiling up until it was silent no more. ¡®You¡¯re breeding mala,¡¯ he said. It wasn¡¯t a question, only a statement, but it came attached to flaring nostrils and a deep, out-of-character scowl. The Player nodded. ¡®I am.¡¯ Lore hesitated. ¡®Were you expecting me to deny it?¡¯ ¡®I was expecting some shame at least.¡¯ Yusef drank from the cup he¡¯d began pouring for Corminar, taking his time before replying. ¡®Is it shameful? Out of context, perhaps. But in context, given that we need such abundant Witchcraft magicks to complete Tana¡¯s plan¡­ perhaps not.¡¯ ¡®We saw the canyon,¡¯ Corminar said, holding the man¡¯s gaze. ¡®Ah. A shame. I had instructed no guard presence as I did not want to draw attention to it, but alas that gambit seems not to have paid off.¡¯ ¡®You will kill hundreds,¡¯ the elf continued. ¡®Thousands. More.¡¯ Again, the Player took a sip of his tea before replying, and pulled one foot up over the other knee to rest it there. ¡®Agreed. But it is for the greater good. Our tests in the eastern Goldmarch showed us that the mala were the only way. And for our needs¡­ we will need them in great number.¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t suppose you¡¯re about to tell us what your needs are?¡¯ Lambkin tried. It was a good attempt¡ªdon¡¯t ask, don¡¯t get, and all that¡ªbut the Player was hardly going to¡ª ¡®Of course!¡¯ Yusef replied. ¡®Like I say, my weapon is the truth, and the future. How could I convert you without bringing you into my confidence?¡¯ Lore opened his mouth to reply, and I silenced him with a glare. ¡®It was Tana¡¯s plan, originally, but she could not do it alone. She recruited Players from this world¡ªthose whose presence was faded in most other worlds¡ªand formed the Council. You see, the Council is not some dark, mysterious organisation; we are only a group of friends working towards some common goal.¡¯ ¡®Niamh didn¡¯t seem to think so,¡¯ I said, interrupting only because I thought this provocation might encourage Yusef to reveal more than he already had. The Player nodded. ¡®Perhaps. Our goal is¡­ important. It¡¯s only natural that emotions run high. You see, if we rebuild the land of the Architects, we will have a home once more. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Lillya, amongst others in orange, visibly raised their eyebrows at this revelation; this was news to them, that the Architects¡¯ world needed rebuilding. ¡®And to rebuild this world¡ªor create a rough approximation of it¡ªwe will need the power that the mala afford. That is why we risk the lives of those here; because it will save millions more. Because it will give us a home once more. That is it, our grand plan: to go home.¡¯ Silence swept over us for a moment. Lore shattered it. ¡®The towers,¡¯ he said. ¡®I saw them.¡¯ Lore had told us what he¡¯d seen in his visions: three great towers, standing around the city of Auricia, each taller than the grand palace itself, each crackling with the green energy of Witchcraft magicks. And him, there, looking up at them, the depth raider at his side.¡¯ ¡®You saw them? You mean in the witchfinder village? Our scouts confirmed that it was your team that fixed the experiment gone awry.¡¯ ¡®No,¡¯ Lore said, and my heart dropped. He was doing it; the one thing we¡¯d told him not to do. He was revealing Niamh¡¯s final gift. ¡®I saw it in my visions. I was there. Niamh made sure that I saw that I was there. That I needed to be there.¡¯ The Player before us didn¡¯t move, didn¡¯t adjust his posture or sip on his tea. Instead, he sat there stunned for a moment; this, he really hadn¡¯t seen coming. ¡®You¡­ are blessed with the gift of prophecy?¡¯ Lore nodded. ¡®Niamh cursed me.¡¯ Yusef narrowed his eyes, then his posture softened. ¡®Niamh always was jealous of my gifts; it¡¯s no wonder she developed Divination within herself. But to give it to you¡­ that is curious. She wanted you there so badly? She saw that you were so important to our success?¡¯ ¡®See for yourself,¡¯ Lore said. ¡®You have prophecy too.¡¯ ¡®Tell me,¡¯ Yusef said, rising from his chair and moving around the table to slouch against it in front of Lore. ¡®What, precisely, did you foresee?¡¯ ¡®The three towers. Activating. I saw that I needed to be there for it to work, though I don¡¯t understand why. And if I don¡¯t get there¡­¡¯ Lore trailed off, and glanced to me. ¡®Yes? If you don¡¯t get there, our plan is unsuccessful?¡¯ Yusef prompted him. ¡®Sure. You¡¯re unsuccessful. But also¡­ Styk and Val die.¡¯ I gulped. ¡®What? You didn¡¯t tell¡ª¡¯ ¡®I just want them all to live. I¡¯ve lost too many friends over the years already,¡¯ Lore replied. The Player stared back at him, those eyes considering once more. ¡®Interesting.¡¯ He raised his hand and gestured for his followers to approach. ¡®Free them,¡¯ he said. ¡®Free them?¡¯ Lillya repeated, hesitating. ¡®Do you disobey?¡¯ ¡®No. I only think¡­¡¯ ¡®Do not think. Do.¡¯ Lillya and the rest of the cultists approached, knives drawn, slicing the bindings between our hands. Lillya, who¡¯d approached me, found that mine were already cut; I¡¯d used my Portal Slice ability already, freeing myself to move when the opportunity presented itself. ¡®You¡­¡¯ I started. ¡®You may go,¡¯ Yusef interrupted us. ¡®...Just like that?¡¯ Raelas asked. ¡®Good villain you are.¡¯ The Player winced. ¡®Not a villain,¡¯ he said. ¡®Just a man who wants to go home. And it seems that your freedom is necessary, if our plan is to be a success. Even I would not mess with matters of prophecy. But make no mistake, if you come for me again, I will execute your friends and I will set a thousand worshippers upon you. You would not live to see sunrise.¡¯ Yusef shifted his gaze to Lore. ¡®You excluded. You¡­ We will speak again soon.¡¯ We rose from our seats, and I would be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t a bit stunned. In this strange, revelatory, confused daze, I stumbled out onto the streets of Coldharbour under the midday sun. The seven of us soon began to hurry away, taking our freedom before the Player could change his mind. Some distance away, I turned back to the others. ¡®We¡¯ve been arrogant,¡¯ I said. ¡®I¡¯ve been arrogant. We shouldn¡¯t have underestimated Yusef¡¯s powers of Divination. He was always going to see us coming. If we¡¯re going to kill him, we¡¯re going to need to get creative. More creative than ever before. We¡¯re going to need to do something that even someone with the gift of prophecy won¡¯t see coming. And we¡¯re going to need to free Val and Arzak first.¡¯ I heard a round of agreement from everyone but Lore. Instead, the barbarian stared blankly back at me, his face glum, and his eyes glowing yellow.
"Styk" Level 19 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 50 Intelligence ¡ª 212 Dexterity ¡ª 125 Strength ¡ª 78 Wisdom ¡ª 74 Charisma ¡ª 49
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 57 Knifework ¡ª Level 41 Stealth ¡ª Level 25 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
179. Interlude — Lillya ¡®We will speak again soon.¡¯ Lillya watched the would-be assassins leave, aghast that the descendant of the Architects was simply allowing them to go. She knew his core tenet was to convert, not harm, but to see it put into action against such a dangerous group of individuals shook her to her core. Of course, there was one amongst them that had Player blood running through his veins, which only complicated Lillya¡¯s feelings further. ¡®Oh, Divine Player,¡¯ one of her fellow worshippers said, practically throwing himself at Yusef¡¯s feet, ¡®with great humility, may I ask, is this wise? We must assume such fanatics will not give up so easily. Is there something you see in their future that gives you context we do not have?¡¯ Yusef¡¯s eyes remained on the doorway. ¡®Give it time,¡¯ he said. ¡®I foresaw their arrival, and just the same, I foresee their conversion. And what did I say about that form of address? I am Yusef. That is my name. That is what you will call me.¡¯ ¡®Of course¡­ Yusef,¡¯ the man in orange said, bowing even further, his eyes fixed to the floor at the Player¡¯s feet so as to not look upon him. So many of these westerners believed that they were not worthy. Up in the Northern Reaches, members of the church did not share this belief. Lillya met Yusef¡¯s eye when she spoke to him, and though he had instructed them all to do so, the orc couldn¡¯t help but think he was taken aback when it actually happened. ¡®You like me to arrange the big man come back?¡¯ Lillya asked. ¡®You say you speak again to him soon. Is instruction or prophecy?¡¯ ¡®In good time,¡¯ Yusef said, as he so often did, though the orc noted that this was no answer one way or the other. The prophet could be so terribly vague in his replies, though Lillya suspected that he did not wish to cast too big a stone into the rivers of fate with his revelations. ¡®I will have some alone time now,¡¯ he continued, ¡®to divine. Please ensure those we displaced are fed.¡¯ All of those in orange hesitated, lingering for a moment. All of them wished to ask about something Yusef had said just minutes earlier¡ªabout the realm of the Architects needing rebuilding. Not once, in all those parables and allegorical stories, had Yusef mentioned this. And yet these Slayers enter, and the truth¡ªif that¡¯s what it was¡ªcame out. Why had he not told his closest aides that his world, and their intended destination, was in disrepair? But it was too bold a question to emerge from anyone¡¯s lips, so everyone soon did as the Player commanded. Except¡­ Lillya lingered on the threshold. ¡®Is there something else?¡¯ Yusef asked. The orc gulped, steeling herself, before turning around and closing the door gently behind her. ¡®You say something earlier.¡¯ ¡®About the Ascended Realm?¡¯ Yusef asked. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! ¡®No. Yes, this too, but also¡­¡¯ Lillya hesitated once more; she hadn¡¯t dreamed of being so bold as to ask about the world of the Architects, but there was another perhaps less dangerous question on her lips. ¡®You say earlier you foresee Slayers coming.¡¯ ¡®I did.¡¯ ¡®But¡­ I tell you they coming.¡¯ Yusef drew in a deep breath before turning to her. ¡®Sometimes, the art of Divination can be¡­ fickle. Elusive. We must plug any gaps as they emerge. You understand?¡¯ ¡®So you¡­¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t lie, I augment.¡¯ Yusef said, apparently having foreseen Lillya¡¯s question. Or was she simply that predictable? Before the orc could open her mouth once more, the Player continued, ¡®That¡¯ll be all, Lillya.¡¯ From his stern tone, there was no room for argument here. And so Lillya left Yusef alone to work his magicks. She knew well enough by now¡ªfrom previous weeks spent in the Player¡¯s employ¡ªthat moments such as these were few and far between. She should take the opportunity to get some rest. Lillya¡¯s current lodgings were in a small room at the top of the house, shared with another follower of the Player who she¡¯d liked well enough, but with whom she had little in common. The younger tiefling woman was in the room as Lillya arrived, apparently having come to the same conclusion. ¡®Weird one, huh?¡¯ she asked, her tone suggesting this was idle conversation rather than the start of a meaningful discussion. But Lillya did not do this ¡°small talk¡± that the other races were so fond of. ¡®He say the Ascended World need repair?¡¯ Lillya asked. ¡®You know of this?¡¯ The tiefling hesitated, trained well enough to think before she spoke on such potentially dangerous matters. ¡®I wouldn¡¯t repeat what you heard in that room outside of it. Few know about this. If you were to say it in front of the wrong person¡­ well, they might just accuse you of heresy.¡¯ ¡®But how can be heresy when said by Yusef?¡¯ Lillya retorted. ¡®Refuting what he say is the heresy, not repeating it.¡¯ ¡®I know that, and you know that, Lillya, but the others? They wouldn¡¯t understand. And if word about the Ascended Realm got out¡­ that might just lose Yusef followers. We can¡¯t have that. At least, not until the Council get their way¡ªafter that, it won¡¯t matter. We¡¯ll have our realm once more, and Yusef says we¡¯ll all ascend with him.¡¯ But Lillya had doubts. Doubts that she knew she had to keep to herself. If Yusef had this¡­ casual relationship with the truth, then what else had he not been entirely honest about? He had kept this pivotal news hidden, and he had used Lillya¡¯s gathered intelligence to ¡°augment¡± his prophecies. Just what else was out there? Lillya shook her head¡ªcausing a raised eyebrow from her roommate in response¡ªand tried to quell these doubts within herself. If she did not trust Yusef, then why was she here? What was her purpose? And if she could not trust him, then would she ever enter the Ascended World? And then, too, if she never entered this paradise, then was this it? Was her time on this world all she really had? Again, she shook her head. She had to trust Yusef. She had to. But if she didn¡¯t, wasn¡¯t there another Player in town? Or, at least, the next best thing? The young human man known as Styk, the man who¡¯d slipped through her fingers back in Rose Home, he was half Player. What wise words might he have, in Yusef¡¯s place? 180. On The Orange Sea Part XVII: The Corruptions Yusef hadn¡¯t been kidding about how many followers he had. We¡¯d seen only some of them before on the road to Coldharbour, when I¡¯d made the mistake of thinking that was a lot of followers. And then, when Yusef had threatened us with retribution through setting ¡°a thousand worshippers¡± upon us, I¡¯d thought he¡¯d meant that was the whole of his flock. But, judging by the sight before us, that would only have been some small part of it. Beyond the calls of Coldharbour was a sea of tents, stretching if not as far as the eye could see, at least some great distance. Amidst these tents, almost everyone wore those familiar orange robes¡ªthe robes that the team were still wearing too, seeing no good reason to lose our disguises. There were merchants amongst them, and armourers, and mages, and bards, people from all walks of life, united by Yusef and his words of hope. It had been two days since Yusef had revealed that he had Val and Arzak prisoner, and we¡¯d spent the time trying to track them down. Lambkin¡¯s bribed eyes and ears in the city had proven most valuable, and we¡¯d learned quite early on that Arzak and Val were amongst the camp somewhere. But this camp was large enough that we¡¯d needed more specifics¡­ Slowly, we¡¯d unpicked the inner workings of this large mass of followers. They worked their trades as they travelled, selling their goods on the road at prices that undercut the locals, with any profit going towards supporting their church. It had taken us a moment to understand how they could afford to go so low on prices, but we¡¯d stumbled across an interaction between the cult and a local mining guild, and¡­ Well, to cut a long story short, the answer was intimidation. If people didn¡¯t sell to them cheap, then who knows what might happen? It was funny how these people thought that just because they were with a Player, they could do whatever they wanted¡ªthat the rules didn¡¯t apply to them. It infuriated me, but there wasn¡¯t much we could do. Except kill their leader, of course. But this couldn¡¯t happen until we¡¯d freed Val and Arzak, as we couldn¡¯t have their lives hanging in the balance. All this led to this moment, where we walked through the camp in our orange robes, doing our best to look as though we belonged. We strode with purpose, our brows furrowed, doing our best to emulate the true followers so we would blend in. Our destination was towards the outer perimeter of the camp, away from the prying eyes of the city and the Coldharbour patrols, but also away from the merchant roads into town. Out here, hidden in plain sight, the cultists could do what they wanted. I checked the map our informant had sketched for us, before handing it again over to Lambkin. He seemed to have a far better sense of direction with this kind of thing, and I suspected it was something to do with his Ranger build. He took one look at the sketch, cast his head around, then nodded; he agreed we were heading in the right direction. I locked my eyes upon a large tent some way off, and figured that was our destination¡ªany prisoners they had would need space to move around, at least if they were being treated right. For all Yusef¡¯s fault, I thought he was probably above mistreating his prisoners. Or at least he considered himself above it, which played to our favour. ¡®Got it,¡¯ I said, then the others at my side¡ªLambkin, Corminar, Lore and the Trio, prepared themselves. We didn¡¯t know what we¡¯d find in the tent, if we¡¯d need to swing into action or if we could simply walk our old friends out of there. So we had to be prepared for every eventuality. As I approached the tent flap entrance, a woman happened to emerge from it at the same moment. She took a step back when she looked up at me and the others staring back at her. ¡®...Can I help you?¡¯ she asked. ¡®The Divine Prophet sent us,¡¯ I said, adopting the cult¡¯s usual deference for the Player, even though it made me feel a bit sick. ¡®The Divine Prophet sent you¡­ here?¡¯ the tiefling woman in orange replied. ¡®I didn¡¯t know he took such interest in our work?¡¯ I could see elation behind the woman¡¯s eyes; for all that she was sceptical of it, she really wanted to believe that Yusef took an interest in her personally. He held that much power over her. ¡®Of course he does!¡¯ Corminar said. ¡®Our Divine Lord takes great interest in all of his most loyal.¡¯ Though he wore a big smile, there was nausea behind his eyes to match mine. ¡®He sent us for¡­¡¯ I gestured to the tent behind her. ¡®For the packages?¡¯ she asked. ¡®The¡­¡¯ Corminar started, then trailed off, a bit confused. ¡®You know, the packages?¡¯ the cultist replied. ¡®The ones we collected a few days back?¡¯ ¡®Ah, yes,¡¯ I said, catching on. I gave the woman a knowing wink. ¡®The ¡°packages¡±. We¡¯re here for the packages.¡¯ The worshipper stared blankly back at me, and then stood aside, granting us access to the large tent. Inside, Corminar and I saw not prisoners, but stacks of crates, filled with fresh fruit and ironed robes. I turned back to the tiefling woman. ¡®Where are they?¡¯ I asked. ¡®The packages?¡¯ The worshipper gestured to the crates in front of us. I nodded. ¡®Ah. I think there¡¯s been some¡ª¡¯ If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡®Err, Styk?¡¯ Lore said, poking his head between the sheets of fabric and looking around. ¡®Wrong tent.¡¯ I smiled an apology to the tiefling woman, and then Corminar followed me back out into the sun. Across the makeshift alleyway, Raelas held a flap of fabric open, revealing an array of desks inside this neighbouring tent. People in orange were bent over the desks, studying books and making notes, and I wouldn¡¯t have thought anything of it if they hadn¡¯t been guarded. I poked my head in the tent, caught the eye of a guard, and then pulled back into the sun once more. ¡®You see em?¡¯ Lore asked. ¡®Val and Arzak?¡¯ ¡®It was crowded, but I¡¯m pretty sure I caught a glimpse of an orc woman in there, yeah. Considering they were¡­¡¯ ¡®Much taller?¡¯ ¡®Yep.¡¯ ¡®And Val?¡¯ the big guy asked, and I could see a certain level of expectation on his face. ¡®I didn¡¯t see her.¡¯ ¡®But she might have been in there?¡¯ I shrugged. ¡®I dunno. Maybe?¡¯ ¡®Is this the manifestation of your awkward feelings surrounding Val, or do you sincerely, in fact, not know?¡¯ Corminar asked. ¡®I sincerely don¡¯t know.¡¯ ¡®Would you like to have another look inside?¡¯ ¡®What, and tip off the guards? What do you think they¡¯ll reckon about me poking my head in and out over and over?¡¯ Lore raised his hand to have a go at answering. ¡®Maybe that you really like the game ¡°peek-a-boo¡±?¡¯ ¡®I honestly don¡¯t think that¡¯s any better than them thinking we¡¯re doing a prison break.¡¯ I turned instead to the Trio, who stood there with painfully neutral expressions as this conversation unfolded. Ama raised her hand, copying Lore. ¡®So, are we doing this, or¡­?¡¯ ¡®It pays extra, I assume?¡¯ Carle added. Really we should have had that discussion before we¡¯d got this far, but maybe that was part of this bartering strategy. ¡®Sure,¡¯ I told him, mostly to keep us focussed. I had no idea where the reward money for killing the Player was going to come from anyway, so what was the harm in making it a larger amount? That was a problem for another day. ¡®Shall we?¡¯ Without waiting for an answer, I flipped open the tent flap, and strode in confidently, my eyes on the people at the desk, ignoring the guards as though I wasn¡¯t worried by their presence. I clasped my hands behind my back, as I thought that made me look more like I knew what I was doing. It must have worked, because although the guards stirred at our presence, they didn¡¯t immediately jump to attack. I found the orc woman in the rows of desks once more, and made my way towards her. In this low light, I couldn¡¯t quite tell if it was indeed Arzak, but there was an easy way to find out. I made my way through the rows of desks, the rest of the team remaining at the side of the large tent. As I walked, I cast my eyes down at what these people were working on. A man at my left was copying out one of Yusef¡¯s speeches onto new parchment. The next prisoner along adjusted a large bracelet on her wrist before stretching her fingers and going back to copying out another speech. Was that all that was going on in here? Were they just put to work copying out Yusef¡¯s words? Or was there more to it? Were they expected to internalise the words they were copying? Were they expected to be converted? As I passed the next desk, a hand shot out to grab my wrist. Instinctively, I reached towards my dagger, but then I saw who¡¯d reached out for me. A familiar face looked up from her desk, quill in her ink-stained hand. ¡®...Styk?¡¯ Val asked.
"Styk" Level 19 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 50 Intelligence ¡ª 212 Dexterity ¡ª 125 Strength ¡ª 78 Wisdom ¡ª 74 Charisma ¡ª 49
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 57 Knifework ¡ª Level 41 Stealth ¡ª Level 25 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
181. Saving The Saved ¡®Styk?¡¯ Val asked again, after I hadn¡¯t replied. At seeing her, I¡¯d frozen. A huge mess of emotion had come rushing back as I¡¯d met those deep brown eyes. Complicated feelings¡ªones of love, and ones of betrayal, not to mention everything else in between. I¡¯d recoiled my hand, pulling myself from Val¡¯s grasp, and her eyes had widened. But this was hardly the full extent of our problems in this moment. When Val had called me by name, the guards had started putting two and two together. One of the prisoners knew me¡ªand probably the rest of the visiting group¡ªby name. We either had once been friends¡­ or still were. They¡¯d not worried about our presences here because we wore their uniform, but now narrowed eyes suggested they realised the robes were just robes, that they were no guarantee that we were allies. As the first soldier pulled her sword free, Lore pounced, pushing her into the edge of the tent, tearing the fabric as they fell through. Everyone else leaped into action next, the tent devolving into a chaos that I couldn¡¯t keep track of. While the others fought off the guards, I focused on why we were here: freeing Val and Arzak. If we didn¡¯t get out of here soon, then more cultists would surely descend on us. I grabbed Val by the wrist just as Arzak rose from her desk some ten yards away, jamming her quill into one of the cultists¡¯ necks. ¡®Styk¡­¡¯ Val said, but thinking she wanted to discuss things beyond the immediate moment, I didn¡¯t reply. It was time for action, not introspection. I threw my other hand forward and opened one end of my Saved Portal in the centre of the tent. It crackled into life, revealing the steps overlooking Coldharbour¡¯s central plaza. A woman stumbled backwards on the other side, having been just about to collide with it. ¡®Through,¡¯ I told Val. ¡®Now.¡¯ ¡®The bracelets!¡¯ the witch said, waving her hand in front of me. ¡®Yes, very nice.¡¯ ¡®They¡¯re not a bloody fashion accessory, Styk. They¡¯re trapping us here. Remember the prison in Tarenthe? It¡¯s Council work.¡¯ It took me a moment, but then it came back to me. Once upon a time¡ªit felt like eons ago, now¡ªwe¡¯d had to save a friend of Corminar¡¯s called Aiwin from a Goldmarch prison. This hadn¡¯t just been any prison break, though, and we hadn¡¯t just had guards to contend with. All prisoners had a belt that they couldn¡¯t remove. If they strayed too far from a gem-based artifact, this belt would close around them and continue closing until they were cut in half. From the looks of it, Val and Arzak¡¯s bracelets were of a similar style. ¡®Alright,¡¯ I said, and nodded. I looked around at the chaotic fighting just in time to see Lambkin fire an arrow at a guard that the guard rebounded with a spell. I did not look in time to react to it heading towards me. ¡®Ow?¡¯ I said, as I pulled the arrow from my shoulder. Val approached to heal it, and I allowed her to without making eye contact. Raelas glanced at me from across the skirmish. ¡®Where¡¯s the artifact?¡¯ I shouted over the din. ¡®Next tent over!¡¯ the witch cried back. ¡®But, Styk, it¡¯s surrounded by a metal box, you won¡¯t be able to¡ª¡¯ I didn¡¯t wait for the end of that sentence; I had a plan. I opened another portal and leaped through it, landing at the edge of the tent and crashing into two new guards who¡¯d just stormed in, knocking them to the ground. But it hadn¡¯t been them I was after. I swung around, activated my Knifestorm ability and tore to shreds a cultist that had been attacking some of my hired help. Protector of the Divine Servants defeated! Worldbending ¡ª +900xp Knifework ¡ª +1,350xp Knifework increased to level 42! Base Points Gained ¡ª +1 DEX, +1 STR, +2 Free Points (VIT/DEX/STR) Stealth ¡ª +650xp Stealth increased to level 26! Base Points gained ¡ª +1 DEX, +1 WIS, +2 Free Points (DEX/WIS) Level up! You increased to level 20! There wasn¡¯t time to celebrate my levelling up. ¡®Ama,¡¯ I said. ¡®With me.¡¯ The woman nodded, and I opened another portal that took us back out into the sun and the makeshift alleyways between the rows of tents. Dozens of cultists, weapons raised, were storming towards us. ¡®Better act fast.¡¯ Ama nodded again, slightly more aggressively, this time. I wasted no time in launching myself at the next tent along, again using my Knifestorm ability but this time to slash the tent fabric into shreds, rather than flesh. The cries of battle grew louder behind me as my friends held off the enemies. Glancing back, I realised I should have told someone to get the other prisoners ready to flee¡ªit would hardly be heroic to leave them behind. My instinct was to open a portal, but without the ability to transmit sound through it, I¡¯d need to stick my head through and shout for someone, and I simply didn¡¯t have the seconds to spare, what with so many enemies storming towards us. ¡®The metal box!¡¯ I shouted to Ama. ¡®Break it!¡¯ For all of Ama¡¯s faults¡ªincluding killing people when I¡¯d explicitly told her not to¡ªshe always jumped at the opportunity for destruction. She gritted her teeth together and roared with effort as she wrenched the metal box apart with her magicks, this protective box apparently reinforced by enemy magicks. Soldiers burst in behind us, and I opened a portal to drop through the ground at my feet, reappearing behind them. I had just enough time to slay two of them, my damage boosted by having broken their line of sight, before the other three turned to me. 2x Divination Students defeated! You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Worldbending ¡ª +1,950xp Worldbending increased to level 58! Base Points gained ¡ª +2 INT, +2 Free Points (INT/WIS/CHA) Clearly their Divination studies hadn¡¯t gone that well. Faced down by the other three cultists, I hesitated, unsure in that split-second how to act next. But Ama answered that question for me. ¡®Out of the way!¡¯ I glanced at her, and saw her hands raised at her side, the fragments of the metal box floating in the air around her. I had enough time to get out of the way, as instructed, because I opened a portal beneath me. The other three¡­ they didn¡¯t have enough time. Scraps of metal tore into them, and before long, we were the only ones left in the tent. For now. I ran for the gem, arching my Sorcerer¡¯s Friend blade through the air in a Stab, and¡­ my blade ricocheted from the gem. We needed something stronger. So instead, I grabbed the gem from the remains of the crate and portalled Ama and I back into the action. There were¡­ far more enemies in this tent, now. But at least their prisoners had now risen from the desks, and even though most of them weren¡¯t fighting back, they were doing a very good job of getting in the way, which was just as good. ¡®Lore!¡¯ I shouted across the tent to the big guy, then threw the gem through the air without waiting for a response. One of the guards, apparently recognising the gem for what it was, leaped through the air and snatched it. ¡®...Oh.¡¯ I shook my head, pressing after the guard with Ama at my side. As I passed Lambkin and Raelas, I shouted to them, ¡®Get everyone ready to go!¡¯ ¡®The other prisoners?¡¯ Raelas asked. ¡®Everyone!¡¯ I reiterated. Ama and I were on the enemy with the gem only seconds later, and I went to my new crutch ability, Knifestorm, to attack. The enemy brought up an armoured arm to block it, and in doing so knocked loose one of the belts holding my remaining bracer in place¡ªthe other one had been lost somewhere in the chaos. The bracer leaped free of my arm, and this time shot upwards, hitting me in the nose. I staggered backwards, and blubbed to Ama through a bloody nose, ¡®Get it!¡¯ Ama raised her hands, and a second later ripped free all the pegs holding the top of the tent in place. These metal stakes all turned to face the enemy with the gem. Before Ama fired them, she said, ¡®After this, I¡¯m out of mana.¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t miss, then,¡¯ I suggested. To her credit, she didn¡¯t. The metal stakes almost all struck firm, but the enemy was armoured enough not to be completely felled by this attack. I pressed the advantage, leaping forward and tearing the gem from their hand, before running with it to Lore this time. As I appeared at his side, I stabbed a cultist in the side, which gave Lore an opening to finish the job. Office Manager¡¯s Assistant defeated! Worldbending ¡ª +650xp Knifework ¡ª +850xp I threw the gem down on the ground. ¡®Both at once!¡¯ I shouted, and we moved immediately, because there wasn¡¯t a moment to waste in this chaos. Lore brought his great Bane Sword down on the gem, and I timed my Stab¡ªcoupled with Closed Reach to attack from inside the gem¡ªto hit at the same time. The gem splintered into a dozen pieces, and all around me, I saw bracelets falling to the sand. ¡®Alright!¡¯ I shouted to the prisoners. ¡®Through the portal! Now!¡¯ Nobody seemed to be moving. ¡®I¡¯m on your side, idiots!¡¯ I shouted, and this¡ªof all things¡ªwas what stirred them into action. Carle and Raelas began physically pushing the prisoners through, and they spilled out onto the plaza in the centre of Coldharbour. Val was one of them, pushed through rather enthusiastically by Raelas, and soon there was only the team¡ªand Arzak¡ªleft. Carle, Arzak and Lore took positions around the portal whilst the last of us filtered through, doing so without any discussion as they knew they¡¯d last the longest against the onslaught. But I wasn¡¯t going to force them to find out how long that was. As Corminar and Lambkin stepped through, I grabbed Raelas¡¯s arm and pushed her through in a manner not dissimilar to how she¡¯d pushed Val, then called out to the three of us left behind, ¡®Now!¡¯ They all turned at once, and leaped through the portal in quick succession¡ªCarle, then Arzak, and then Lore. As Lore was halfway through, I let the portal closed, and it shut the moment the tip of his last shoe was through. Back in Coldharbour, and out of trouble¡ªfor now¡ªwe collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily. A crowd had formed around us, perplexed by the portal opened in the centre of the plaza and the fighting on the other side of it, and no small proportion of them were members of the Cult of Ascendancy. ¡®Traitors,¡¯ I explained to them, through bloodied nose and wheezy breath, and this seemed to satisfy them. Gathering myself, I staggered back to my feet, and turned to meet the eyes of the team. Well, not quite the whole team. Still, I couldn¡¯t meet Val¡¯s gaze.
"Styk" Level 20 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 50 Intelligence ¡ª 216 Dexterity ¡ª 130 Strength ¡ª 79 Wisdom ¡ª 76 Charisma ¡ª 49
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 58 Knifework ¡ª Level 42 Stealth ¡ª Level 26 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
182. Friction We walked across the city of Coldharbour back towards the house Tokas and Lambkin were renting with few words shared. I could feel how tense everyone was, including the typically carefree Lore, with Val and Arzak eyeing our new¡ªhired¡ªacquaintances with suspicion, Raelas returning the favour to Val, and Corminar keeping a close eye on both me and Val. When we finally arrived outside the house, it was almost a relief, but as I was about to reach out to touch the door, Corminar turned to the rest of the group. ¡®Before we enter, there is something else you should know,¡¯ he said, eyes on Val and Arzak. ¡®...What?¡¯ the witch asked. ¡®We did not stumble across only Lambkin out there.¡¯ ¡®What you mean, Cor?¡¯ Arzak asked, glancing nervously at the door. ¡®What you mean?¡¯ ¡®I¡­¡¯ But before Corminar could answer, Arzak pushed him aside and swung the front door open. Through the hallway, she could see into the kitchen area, and the tiefling standing there, bowl in hand, child at her side. Tokas froze, meeting Arzak¡¯s gaze. ¡®Oh, no,¡¯ Val breathed. From how tense Val had suddenly become, I¡¯d thought Arzak was going to get violent, that this was going to end in tears. Punnas and Lopas¡¯s tears, mostly. But instead, the orc turned around and slammed the door behind her. ¡®Keep her away from me,¡¯ she growled at Corminar, then strode away from the building, showing no signs of stopping. ¡®Arzak!¡¯ Lore cried after her, but it made no difference. ¡®I¡¯ll check on her,¡¯ Lambkin said, gesturing towards the door. ¡®She won¡¯t¡­ have taken that well.¡¯ ¡®It was a cruel surprise,¡¯ Corminar said. ¡®For us to spring Tokas¡¯s presence on her, after all that she did.¡¯ ¡®She¡¯s not the same woman,¡¯ the other ranger replied. ¡®The one who betrayed you, she¡¯s gone. Tokas has grieved. She has done good. She has tried to make amends. She doesn¡¯t deserve¡ª¡¯ ¡®Let¡¯s not get into what she deserves,¡¯ I cut in, before Corminar could. ¡®See to her. We¡¯ll be in the tavern.¡¯ Lambkin nodded then turned away, and I hurried after Arzak. ¡®You should said earlier,¡¯ the orc growled as I appeared at her side, Val hurrying after me. ¡®We didn¡¯t know how to break the news. We couldn¡¯t think of a good way.¡¯ Arzak turned, scowling, and for the first time I felt on the receiving end of her terror. ¡®There no good way! She was best friend. She betray me. Us.¡¯ The orc shook her head. ¡®And greater betrayal still to come.¡¯ This last bit was under her breath, as though she couldn¡¯t quite bear to speak it. ¡®What do you¡ª¡¯ I started, but Val stepped in, putting her hand on the orc¡¯s arm. ¡®Let¡¯s get a drink,¡¯ she said, and led us towards the tavern, having heard my interaction with Lambkin. ¡®We¡¯ve¡­ got a lot to talk about.¡¯ I forced myself to meet her eyes, but found that Val was still looking at anyone at me¡ªwhich included the three members of the Trio. Raelas, Carle and Ama were following at a distance, their scrunched-up body language betraying that they felt they were intruding on this pretty awkward interaction. ¡®A drink,¡¯ I said. ¡®Good idea.¡¯ * * * ¡®So¡­¡¯ Lore said, with less of his usual cheeriness, ¡®anyone wanna go first?¡¯ The eight of us were sat around a large table in the centre of the tavern, the raucous laughter of drunk locals erupting sporadically around us. A drunk woman staggered backwards into Ama, who responded with a swift elbow to the leg. ¡®Sorry we didn¡¯t warn you about Tokas,¡¯ I said, though the apology was a little forced; we had a job to do, and I didn¡¯t like apologising for taking all the help we could get. ¡®You should be,¡¯ Val snapped, then immediately caught herself, blushing. ¡®You said she¡¯s going to betray us again?¡¯ I prodded. ¡®Not us. Me,¡¯ Arzak replied. ¡®She kill me. I saw it.¡¯ Lore leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. ¡®Did Yusef show you this?¡¯ The orc nodded. ¡®He showed me things too.¡¯ All faces snapped to Lore. ¡®He what?¡¯ Raelas and I asked him at the same time. Val looked to the tiefling, then back to me, eyebrow raised. ¡®What he show you?¡¯ Arzak asked. ¡®How to save you all.¡¯ We all grew quiet. Really, this was a great way to dampen the spirits of a conversation; I took note for next time I wanted someone to stop speaking to me. ¡®We save everyone by killing the Player,¡¯ I said. ¡®That¡¯s why we¡¯re all here. That¡¯s why Tokas is here, because we need every advantage we can get. We¡¯ve never fought anyone this strong before¡ªthe pyroknight, Niamh, they were strong in their own rights, sure, but they couldn¡¯t see us coming.¡¯ ¡®And how do you suppose we get around that?¡¯ Ama asked. ¡®Who these three?¡¯ Arzak asked. ¡®Hired help.¡¯ If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡®And friends,¡¯ Raelas added. This resulted in her getting a dirty look from Val¡ªone that the tiefling met with a feigned, polite smile on her face. ¡®He always going see us coming,¡¯ the orc continued, ignoring the three new faces. This wasn¡¯t like her, she was usually polite. Clearly her brief encounter with Tokas had thrown her for a loop. Though maybe this was fair enough if Tokas really was prophesied to kill her. ¡®We cannot kill him.¡¯ ¡®Nobody is unkillable.¡¯ Except me, sometimes, but I left that bit out. ¡®All we gotta do is bake some redundancy into the plan. OK, he might see the first strike coming, but the second? Third? Forth? Fifth? Si¡ª¡¯ ¡®And so on,¡¯ Corminar cut in. ¡®He will see,¡¯ Arzak said. ¡®What do you suggest, then?¡¯ Raelas asked. ¡®Cos Styk has got us this far, and¡ª¡¯ ¡®Undo his work,¡¯ Val said, glaring at the tiefling woman now, making absolutely no attempt to hide it. If Raelas was bothered by this, she didn¡¯t show it. Right now, I was regretting sitting next to the tiefling woman. ¡®You know about his work?¡¯ Arzak asked. ¡®The mala trading,¡¯ Corminar replied. ¡®We conducted sufficient investigation to acquire this knowledge, yes.¡¯ ¡®That, we can do something about,¡¯ Val said. ¡®We already did! We took down his operations in the city. Got them all arrested. Job done. So now, we¡ª¡¯ ¡®All of it?¡¯ the witch seemed suddenly to have the confidence to meet my eyes, but I suspected it was powered by Raelas-inflicted wrath. ¡®Because that¡¯s not what we heard.¡¯ ¡®Well sorry if you didn¡¯t get the most up-to-date information, considering you were prisoners.¡¯ ¡®This has nothing to do with us being prisoners, it has to do with¡ª¡¯ ¡®Alright,¡¯ Lore said, standing up and slamming his hands down on the table. ¡®You two need to sort this thing out.¡¯ Neither Val nor I needed to look at him to know he was talking about us. ¡®Maybe later,¡¯ Val said, as Raelas scooted her chair ever so slightly closer to me. Lore glared at her. ¡®There still mala trading in city. Shipment went east yesterday,¡¯ Arzak said. ¡®If we stop this, he not get his way. Council not get their way. Almost as good as killing him.¡¯ ¡®Almost,¡¯ Corminar echoed. ¡®We¡¯ll take almost,¡¯ Val said. I forced myself to keep meeting her gaze. ¡®No, we won¡¯t.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m with Styk,¡¯ Raelas said. ¡®We know,¡¯ said Val and Lore in unison. Carle raised a hand. ¡®Should we be here?¡¯ ¡®If we aren¡¯t going to kill him, we¡¯ll take our payment now,¡¯ Ama added. ¡®Can we talk about that later?¡¯ Corminar asked. Val began swigging from her beer, and my instinct was to do the same, but I resisted. Lore thumped his head down against the top of the table, while Raelas put her hand on my arm reassuring me, causing me to snap my hand back¡ªbut not before Val saw. Ama was still looking at me expectantly, while Corminar slumped his shoulders and sighed. This reunion wasn¡¯t going like anyone wanted it to. At that moment¡ªand I almost thanked the Architects themselves for their timing here¡ªthe tavern¡¯s door slammed open, revealing Lambkin and a young half-tiefling boy. They looked around, and upon spotting us, the ranger pointed the boy in our direction. As they approached, Corminar looked up at him, and said under his breath, ¡®Oh, thank Hades.¡¯ He put his hand to his mouth when he realised what he¡¯d just said; never before had he been happy to see Lambkin, his rival in Archery. ¡®Drink, Lammy?¡¯ Lore asked. ¡®Apparently beer is the only positive thing to come out of this meeting,¡¯ Carle added. Lambkin looked around at us all nervously, though I couldn¡¯t tell if that had to do with the furious expressions on some of our faces, Tokas¡¯s wellbeing, or the reason that the boy was here with him. ¡®Who¡¯s this? Your son?¡¯ Val asked. Lambkin looked down at the young boy. ¡®Could it be? Father?¡¯ the kid asked, blinking big eyes up at him. The ranger hesitated. ¡®No, I¡ª¡¯ ¡®Just kidding. I¡¯m a courier. Got a message for a Mister Lore?¡¯ Lore raised his hand. ¡®See, I told you he was here,¡¯ Lambkin grumbled. ¡®What¡¯s the message?¡¯ I asked, cutting through whatever bickering was going on between the ranger and the young lad. ¡®Alenna needs ya. Says there¡¯s a problem. A mala problem.¡¯ ¡®See?¡¯ Val murmured. I sighed, sinking down in my chair. This was not going to be fun.
"Styk" Level 20 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 50 Intelligence ¡ª 216 Dexterity ¡ª 130 Strength ¡ª 79 Wisdom ¡ª 76 Charisma ¡ª 49
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 58 Knifework ¡ª Level 42 Stealth ¡ª Level 26 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
183. Corruption Evolves The reformation of the Slayers hadn¡¯t gone very well. I think anyone amongst us would have admitted that, what with the usual bickering having evolved into arguing, and with our open emotional wounds showing no signs of healing. It was maybe no wonder then that the message from the young courier¡ªthat Alenna needed our help¡ªcaused the group to split once more. Lore, Corminar and I, as well as the Trio, left the tavern to go see what Alenna had found, while Arzak and Val stayed behind, the latter showing no sign of slowing down on the drinking. At least we¡¯d agreed that we would remain in touch, sharing information, and that we¡¯d need to work together in some capacity if we were going to defeat Yusef. It was only after I left the tavern that I realised I¡¯d included Lambkin and Tokas in that ¡°together¡±, which maybe Arzak needed spelling out. It surprised me too that my subconscious had included Tokas in our group after our earlier betrayal, but maybe that spoke to how anxious I was about taking down this Player¡ªthat we really did need all the help we could get. There was a lingering pain in my chest as we put the tavern behind us. At some point, Val and I would need to talk. Properly. I¡¯d need to find out while she left. Not that I didn¡¯t know the answer¡ªI knew it was because of my ancestry¡ªbut I needed to hear her say it. And I needed to hear that she couldn¡¯t get passed it. Only then, maybe, would I be able to move on. With that thought, move on, chaos erupted in my chest; no part of me wanted that, but maybe it was what I needed. Alenna was waiting in her doorway as we approached, her face pale. If before she shared her old friend¡¯s penchant for cheeriness in the face of horror, she didn¡¯t any more. And Lore, for that matter, wasn¡¯t his usual jolly self either, ever since that interaction with Yusef. It really felt that everything had started going wrong during that fight with Niamh¡ªsince then, nothing came naturally, and everything seemed to lead to disaster and melancholy. Or maybe I was just in a bad mood. ¡®Everything OK?¡¯ Alenna asked as Lore passed her, entering her place of business. ¡®It will be. Eventually.¡¯ Judging by her expression, this answer didn¡¯t satisfy the doctor, but there was apparently other priorities right now. We settled around the two chairs in the downstairs surgery, Ama and Corminar taking those seats while the rest of us stood around them. Carle was about to prop himself up on the medical plinth before Lore gently stopped him by pointing to a piece of flesh that hadn¡¯t been cleaned up. ¡®What is it?¡¯ Raelas asked. ¡®Take it it¡¯s not a surprise birthday party for Ama?¡¯ ¡®It is your birthday?¡¯ Corminar asked. ¡®Next week.¡¯ ¡®Happy birthday for then. Lore has a party hat you may wish to borrow.¡¯ Alenna remained still, staring on glumly. A cough from Lore refocused us on why we were here. ¡®There¡¯s a man on the loose,¡¯ the scientist said. ¡®He¡¯s been¡­ touched by the malae. It¡¯s corrupted him.¡¯ I glanced to Corminar, who met my gaze across the room. We were on the same page: this was reminiscent of the vultures we¡¯d come across. ¡®Let me guess,¡¯ I said. ¡®He¡¯s not all there?¡¯ ¡®He¡¯s not there at all. He might look like a man, but he¡¯s a monster. He needs to be¡­ put down.¡¯ Corminar rose from his seat, drawing in a deep breath. ¡®A simple enough problem,¡¯ he said, which was probably not the correct description of any mala-related issue. ¡®Do you have a location?¡¯ Alenna nodded glumly. ¡®To the west, that¡¯s all I know. You¡¯ll see the chaos. But¡­ I don¡¯t think you¡¯re taking this seriously enough. This corruption has the brain of a man. It is smarter than any mala you have dealt with before, and that¡¯s not to say they¡¯re dumb usually. This ¡°man¡±, it¡¯s¡­ hiding. Striking from the shadows. It¡¯s¡­ adapting.¡¯ * * * We followed breadcrumbs of destruction. At first, the screaming had been a pretty good indicator of where to pick up the trail. A woman, attacked by the walking corruption, lay dead on the street, guards holding their friend back while they¡ªsensibly, if horrifically¡ªbegan to burn the body. Further north, a wooden building extension had been smashed through, the strength required for such a feat begin beyond what the local population were capable of. We next found ourselves back in the narrow, winding markets in the centre of the city, where there was no shortage of witnesses who¡¯d seen the ¡°man of shadows¡±, who pointed us deeper into the market still. It was at that point that I realised where we were headed¡ªback to that small courtyard in which that mala-trading operation had been based. I turned to Corminar with a furrowed brow, who nodded to confirm that he was on the same page. ¡®Why there?¡¯ I asked. ¡®Could the answer be as simple as ¡°coincidence¡±?¡¯ I shook my head. ¡®I think we¡¯d be idiots to put it down to that.¡¯ ¡®Agreed. But then¡­ what else might be the reason?¡¯ We entered the courtyard in single file, this formation necessary due to the narrowness of the alley entry, but we did so with our weapons raised, ready to strike. Lore, at the front of the pack, waved the flaming torch he¡¯d picked up at the market on the way, making sure to keep it between himself and the enemy. But the enemy wasn¡¯t there. Not in sight, at least. Keeping our footsteps quiet, we crept towards the building that had once between the headquarters of this mala-trading operation. Lore pushed the door open gently, causing it to creak on its hinges. We paused, waiting for the noise to alert the monster to our presence, but nothing jumped out at us. Nothing ambushed us. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. So we entered, our breaths shallow, our weapons raised, and our eyes peeled for any signs of movement. ¡®I don¡¯t like this¡­¡¯ Ama whispered, getting a nod from Raelas in response. I spotted something in the corner of one of the rooms. It was an otherwise bare room, no furnishings, not so much as paper or paint on the walls, with only one exit. The only distinguishing feature in here was a large burn mark on the floor. It was where the guards had dealt with the traders¡¯ stock. Corminar crouched down at my side, sweeping his fingertips through the ash. ¡®Perhaps it seeks its brothers,¡¯ the elf said, voice hushed. ¡®Or to mourn them.¡¯ ¡®Slayers?¡¯ Carle called out from another room, a bit louder than I would have liked considering the creature could still be around here somewhere. Instead of shouting back, Corminar and I went to the source of the cry, to find Carle leafing through correspondence atop a nearby desk. ¡®How much did you investigate this operation?¡¯ Carle asked. ¡®Well, there wasn¡¯t exactly any time, considering we had to get Lambkin out of¡ª¡¯ ¡®Did your friend know these traders were here before the Player?¡¯ I hesitated, then half-snatched the letter from his hands. Corminar read it over my shoulder, and I could tell that he was a faster reader considering he groaned a few seconds before I did. ¡®What?¡¯ Lore asked in whispered tones. ¡®What is it?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s from Yusef,¡¯ I said, handing him the letter. ¡®He didn¡¯t create this operation. He bought it.¡¯ ¡®So that means¡ª¡¯ ¡®It was here already,¡¯ I finished. ¡®If, seemingly, on a smaller scale,¡¯ Corminar added. Lore, face pale, handed the letter back to me, and I folded it neatly before pushing it into a pocket. It was evidence, and evidence that might come in handy later, if Tokas and Lambkin were to complete their mission of exposing rather than killing the Player. ¡®Alright,¡¯ Raelas said. ¡®So, before the Player knew about these traders¡­ who was buying? Supply and demand, isn¡¯t it? This business wouldn¡¯t exist unless someone needed the malae. But who? For what?¡¯ ¡®That, my dear, is the question,¡¯ the elf¡ªand only person I¡¯d ever met who had the phase ¡°my dear¡± in their vocabulary¡ªreplied. ¡®We¡¯ll ask Lambkin about it later,¡¯ I said. ¡®Maybe there¡¯s more to the story.¡¯ ¡®Would he keep information back?¡¯ Corminar asked. ¡®I do not believe so; he is not that kind of man.¡¯ How far the elf had come in his views of the rival ranger; once upon a time he wouldn¡¯t dream of defending Lambkin, and yet here we were. I shrugged. ¡®Well unless you have any better¡ª¡¯ Something scuffed the ground in the next room, and all six of us froze. Our heads snapped towards the source of the noise. Now, if this was a story I was telling you in a tavern, or maybe a bard¡¯s tale, this situation would normally be followed up by us discovering that the source of the noise was something inane. Maybe a stray dog. Or a rat. In this case, I¡¯m afraid to say, there was no wry twist at the end of the story. A figure shuffled into the doorway¡ªone that, in the low light, we might have been forgiven for thinking was a man. But we knew better. The awkward gait, the spluttering noises, and the lack of the ¡°what are you doing in here?¡± question gave it away. As all six of us took a step backwards, adjusting our grips on our weapons, the figure stepped forth, into a stream of light pouring in through the open front door. The once-man¡¯s skin had turned grey. His jaw hung open, slack. His eyes, while still the usual tiefling pink-red hue, had no life behind it. And, perhaps most worryingly of all, a strange black ooze seeped from the man¡¯s eyes and pores¡ªan ooze that matched the once-vultures we¡¯d seen on the road to Coldharbour. Lore handed the flaming torch to Carle, before grabbing a nearby wooden chair and smashing it against the ground. As he tore a piece of wood free and held it against the torch, the corrupted man snarled. And then it lunged.
"Styk" Level 20 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 50 Intelligence ¡ª 216 Dexterity ¡ª 130 Strength ¡ª 79 Wisdom ¡ª 76 Charisma ¡ª 49
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 58 Knifework ¡ª Level 42 Stealth ¡ª Level 26 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
184. Spoken Like A True Monster All of us took a semi-unconscious step back, our base instincts driving us to put as much space between us and the corrupted man as possible. But it wouldn¡¯t be enough. If this corruption played by the same rules as all the malae-created corruption we¡¯d faced down in the past, then we absolutely could not let him¡ªit?¡ªtouch us. ¡®Out!¡¯ I shouted. Lore, Ama and Carle, who were closest to the door, bombed outside. At the same moment, I opened a portal. Corminar, having been around me long enough, knew that it was coming, and jumped through immediately. But Raelas took another half-second to realise, so I grabbed her by the arm and yanked her throw, allowing the portal to close behind me just as the monster reached out for us. The portal snapped shut, and¡ª No, I realised, it hadn¡¯t. The creature¡¯s fingertips were already across the portal¡¯s threshold, and it pushed itself into the faint purple magicks. Fingertips became hand, which became arm, which became snarling body. Alenna hadn¡¯t been kidding; this monster had brains. It really was a level up on the malae we¡¯d battled before, not that they were unintelligent by any means. The creature snarled as it pushed itself through the portal, stumbling to the ground in the courtyard, and it hissed something that I almost thought was a word. Missed? Must? ¡®Plan, Styk?¡¯ Raelas asked. ¡®Same as always: kill it with fire.¡¯ I looked to Lore, and on this signal he charged to the front of the group, Carle following close at his side, both of them wielding flaming torches. The monster recoiled at the sight of fire, snarling, but it wasn¡¯t warded off. Not that we wanted to ward it off; if it ran, then it could hurt more people before we could put it down. ¡®Ama,¡¯ I shouted, glancing to the metal mage then nodding to the one alleyway leading out of the courtyard, ¡®take the exit. Make sure it doesn¡¯t escape.¡¯ The woman nodded, and did immediately as commanded. Whatever Raelas had said to her about following orders had worked. Lore and Carle pressed forward with their torches, pushing the creature back into the corner of the courtyard, keeping it hemmed in. But I wasn¡¯t under any illusions that it would be this easy; already I could see those black eyes darting around, searching for a way to fight back. Corminar hurried to the side of the two large men, then raised a cloth-bound arrowhead to Lore¡¯s torch, setting it alight. In a flash, he nocked the now-flaming arrow and shot it at the monster¡¯s chest. As fire met corruption, its flesh sizzled like food in a frying pan, and the creature squealed with pain. When the sizzling faded, it snapped its dark eyes to Corminar, and it growled. ¡®Cor, I think it¡¯s¡ª¡¯ Lore started. The corrupted man then launched into the air, soaring above both Lore and Carle¡ªno easy feat¡ªand landing behind them, at Corminar¡¯s side. The elf froze for just a moment, but fortunately I was quicker to react. I whipped a hand forward and opened a portal behind Corminar, the haste making my aiming sloppy, putting its edge just under his feet. The elf teetered on the edge for a moment, but when the mala-corrupted man moved to attack, he took a step backwards and found no ground beneath him. As the monster leaped towards where Corminar had been only moments earlier, I realised that it was going to keep flying through the air into Carle. My breath catching, I opened my other pair of portals¡ªthanking my past self for picking the Enhanced Portals ability back at level 50, allowing me to open two pairs at once. This second set I placed between Carle and the enemy, expecting the creature to fly through it. But it reacted quickly upon seeing the portal, flinging its limbs wide and catching the edge of the magicks to avoid falling through. At that moment, two metal projectiles¡ªcourtesy of Ama¡ªshot towards the monster, burying themselves in its flesh. Each impact visibly knocked the monster backwards, but they weren¡¯t enough to push it through the portal and out the other side, which I¡¯d positioned high in the sky above us. Corminar, meanwhile, had skirted around the edge of the battleground, once again lighting an arrow from Lore¡¯s torch. If it had worked before, it would work again, but I had a feeling that killing this creature was going to take more fire than any one arrow could deliver. As this flaming arrow met its target, the creature shrieked. Once again, amongst the noise, I could swear I could hear a word. A word in the common tongue. Was the man¡¯s brain not entirely corrupted? Carle charged, roaring, bringing his flaming torch in an arc through the air and down towards the beast. In that moment, I made a¡ªpossibly bad¡ªsplit second decision. ¡®Stop!¡¯ I shouted. The warrior hesitated, stopping his attack in mid-swing, then looked to me, confused. For the record, everyone else in the courtyard was also giving me that same expression¡ªone that silently asked, ¡°Have you gone mad?¡± ¡®I think it¡¯s¡­¡¯ I started, meeting the creature¡¯s black eyes. ¡®I think there¡¯s still a man in there.¡¯ ¡®A man that¡¯s killed multiple people,¡¯ Ama shouted back. ¡®A man who¡¯ll kill anyone he touches,¡¯ Carle added. When did they become such experts in mala? I ignored the pair of them, keeping my eyes on the creature, whose demeanour had changed. It no longer snarled, it no longer looked like it was about to attack. Had we just been dealing with a cornered animal? One with no real malicious intent? A creature just looking to survive? The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡®Lore,¡¯ I cried to him, keeping my eyes on the possible enemy. ¡®Do you have any visions? Do you see what happens if we don¡¯t kill it?¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t kill it?¡¯ Raelas repeated. I ignored her too. ¡®Do you see anything, Lore?¡¯ ¡®Nothing.¡¯ The reply was glum. ¡®Never come when you want them to, huh?¡¯ To this, Lore had no reply. Was that a disagreement? If so, what had he seen already that he¡¯d wanted to? What possible fates had he avoided? ¡®Can you hear me?¡¯ I asked the creature. It didn¡¯t reply, but stared back at me with bleak eyes. ¡®Can you understand me? Is there still a man in there?¡¯ I pressed the question. This time, it made some kind of noise, again a noise that¡ªif generous¡ªyou might describe as being a word in the common tongue. ¡®It does not understand you, Styk,¡¯ Corminar said. ¡®It is a monster. Nothing¡ª¡¯ ¡®Stand,¡¯ the creature hissed, and my heart dropped. ¡®That was definitely a word,¡¯ Raelas said. ¡®We¡¯re all already standing,¡¯ Lore added, a tad perplexed. ¡®Under¡­stand,¡¯ the corrupted man said, this time managing the full word. I continued holding the creature¡¯s gaze. This posed a pretty bad problem. Carle and Ama had been right¡ªthis ¡°man¡± had killed people already, and would do again, if left alive. Anyone it touched, even unintentionally, would too succumb to the corruption. And yet¡­ it was an innocent. A victim. A cornered animal. ¡®I don¡¯t know what to do here,¡¯ I said. ¡®Kill it,¡¯ Corminar snapped. ¡®It didn¡¯t do anything wrong! Not intentionally, at least.¡¯ ¡®You do not know that. Alenna said this creature was far more intelligent than any mala we have faced before; perhaps this is a ploy?¡¯ The corrupted man held my gaze too, and in those dark eyes, I could swear I saw sadness. I gulped. My heart began beating so hard that I could hear it reverberating around my head. And I took a steady step forward towards the corrupted man. ¡®Styk?¡¯ Raelas asked, and I could here the genuine concern in her tone. I took another step forward. The creature didn¡¯t recoil. ¡®I dunno if this is such a good idea¡­¡¯ Lore said, also worried. ¡®A vision tell you that?¡¯ I asked. ¡®No, just common sense.¡¯ I ignored the big guy and kept moving, holding one hand out in front of me to reach towards the monster gesturing that I was coming in peace, the other hand pointing at the ground. ¡®Don¡¯t let it touch you!¡¯ Ama shouted. ¡®Yes, I know the drill.¡¯ ¡®Then why¡ª¡¯ I shook my head firmly, and continued to look into the eyes of the corrupted tiefling. ¡®I¡¯m not going to hurt you, OK?¡¯ The creature said nothing, but cast its eyes over at Carle and Lore¡¯s torches. ¡®Put the torches away,¡¯ I told them. ¡®Do no such thing,¡¯ Corminar said. The two larger men settled instead for holding the still-flaming torches behind their backs. I took another step towards the creature. ¡®We¡¯re going to help you. We¡¯re going to get you to someone who can help. We¡¯re going to get you to the doctor.¡¯ And then, the monster snarled once more. It bared its grime-covered teeth at me. And it lunged once more.
"Styk" Level 20 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 50 Intelligence ¡ª 216 Dexterity ¡ª 130 Strength ¡ª 79 Wisdom ¡ª 76 Charisma ¡ª 49
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 58 Knifework ¡ª Level 42 Stealth ¡ª Level 26 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
185. Created The monster lunged. With my right hand, still pointing to the ground, I activated a portal, and I slipped through just in time to avoid the creature¡¯s swiping hand. As I stumbled out at Raelas¡¯s side, I breathed a sigh of relief. At least, until the tiefling stared up at my head with wide, terrified eyes. ¡®What?¡¯ I asked. ¡®What¡¯s wrong?¡¯ Without replying, Raelas suddenly leaped for my sheath, yanking the knife free. I thought for a moment that she was about to stab me with it, but instead she whipped it fast over the top of my head. Locks of my long hair fell to the ground at my side, and looking down upon them I saw the corruption just starting to take hold. Raelas had just saved my life. ¡®Thanks,¡¯ I offered her. ¡®Is that all I¡¯m getting? Not even a kiss.¡¯ ¡®Now¡¯s not the time.¡¯ ¡®A kiss later, then. Got it.¡¯ Ignoring her, I turned my attention to the corrupted locks of hair, and portalled them to Lore¡¯s side. He knew exactly what to do, bending over with his torch to burn the hair from existence. The creature still had its eyes trained squarely on me¡ªsomething had focused it away from the flames and instead on the one guy who¡¯d tried to save it. Him? It? I wasn¡¯t sure. ¡®I was trying to help you,¡¯ I told the creature. It responded by charging across the courtyard towards me, arms flailing wildly. I opened a portal behind me with plenty of time to spare for Raelas and I to step through. ¡®There is no reasoning with this creature,¡¯ Corminar said as he loosed another flaming arrow. ¡®We must eliminate it.¡¯ The corrupted man shrieked again as the fire hit its grimy flesh, but still this wasn¡¯t enough to distract it from me. As it charged again, I shifted to the left to keep Raelas well out of harm¡¯s way and I stepped through another portal. ¡®It really doesn¡¯t like you,¡¯ Raelas said. Ama followed that up with something under her breath, and I was pretty sure I could work out what it was. But now wasn¡¯t the time to get into an argument. ¡®Remember Westbara?¡¯ I shouted to Raelas, who was now the other side of the courtyard from me. The tiefling nodded. ¡®We bring the house down on it.¡¯ I opened a portal at Lore¡¯s side and he stepped through to the other end¡ªinto the building that the traders had been using as their headquarters. The clay building. You know, a material that famously didn¡¯t burn. ¡®Err, Lore?¡¯ The big guy poked his head back out of the door. ¡®Yeah?¡¯ ¡®Is there enough wood in there?¡¯ ¡®...Not much!¡¯ The monster charged at me again, and once more I shifted out of the way using a portal. This was good¡ªthe longer I could keep it occupied with its anger towards me, the longer we could figure out how to kill it. ¡®Any bright ideas?¡¯ Raelas asked. ¡®Anywhere we can get something to burn, and fast?¡¯ As everyone looked around, I kept my eyes on the charging monster, making absolutely sure I didn¡¯t let it get close¡ªeither to me or to anyone else. As I opened the latest portal, something occurred to me. I¡¯d seen plenty of wood lately, and it was just the other side of my Saved Portal. But those in orange robes were not going to like it. ¡®I¡¯m about to open a portal!¡¯ I shouted to the team. ¡®There¡¯s plenty of wood just a Portal Slice away, but we¡¯re going to need to move fast. Raelas, can you be ready with the portals? And Carle, Corminar, you¡¯ll throw the wood in.¡¯ ¡®Yeah,¡¯ Raelas said. ¡®Of course, but where are you¡ª¡¯ I opened the Saved Portal in the middle of the courtyard, revealing the stairs overlooking Coldharbour¡¯s central plaza¡ªand the Player¡¯s wooden stage thereon. ¡®Ah,¡¯ the tiefling said. ¡®Got it.¡¯ I shoved my head through the portal and activated Portal Slice after Portal Slice, cutting through the foundations of the non-enchanted wood. Lillya, who was on stage amongst a number of other cultists, looked on with wide eyes as the floor beneath them began to shake, and then, quickly, collapsed. As Carle, Corminar and Raelas leaped through the portal, I retreated, leading the enemy away from our source of wood. The monster began to charge once more, and then, mid-charge, slowed to a halt. It turned gradually towards the saved portal, where plank after plank after plank of wood was soaring out after being catapulted through by Raelas¡¯s portals. ¡®Oh no you don¡¯t!¡¯ I shouted, waving my hands to get its attention. ¡®Over here! It¡¯s me you want.¡¯ But still the corrupted tiefling was turning, apparently working out what we meant to do next. ¡®What was it I said before? Something made you really hate me. Was it saying I¡¯d help you? Was it saying¡ª¡¯ The creature charged, grimy arms flailing once more, but this time it headed for the portal. ¡®Cor, Rae, I¡ª¡¯ I started, but realised any warning would be too late. Instead, I snapped the Saved Portal closed for a moment, stranding the others in the courtyard, but causing the monster to charge through that spot without interfering. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. As I opened the portal once more, next to me, a piece of wood soared out and knocked me in the side. ¡®Ouch?¡¯ I said. Any more complaints I had were quickly silenced by Corminar, Raelas and Carle leaping through the portal, a hundred cultists in orange robes charging after them. ¡®They weren¡¯t happy,¡¯ Carle explained. ¡®No, I bet.¡¯ Ama moved away from the exit to the courtyard, but I held out a hand to stop her. ¡®No! Stay there. We have to keep him here, at all costs.¡¯ The metal mage nodded her agreement. ¡®The rest of you, well¡­¡¯ I opened a portal beneath the pile of wood, throwing it inside the building. ¡®I¡¯m still in here!¡¯ Lore shouted to remind me, popping out the building amidst a rush of debris. ¡®Sorry!¡¯ The barbarian lit the pile of wood, and the flames lit fast. Now, all there was to do, was¡ª Raelas opened a portal, the flaming interior of the trader headquarters visible on the other side. ¡®Push it through!¡¯ she roared. ¡ªwell, that. The monster croaked something I chose not to understand, before Corminar loosed a flaming arrow and Carle threw a nearby rock into its chest. The corrupted man stumbled backwards, but it wasn¡¯t enough. Ama, pressing the attack, yanked four metal-headed arrows from Corminar¡¯s quiver with her magicks, and threw them at once into the creature. It stumbled back, into the portal, the flames licking at its back, and it grabbed at the edges of the portal. It howled. And then it ran. Ama¡¯s eyes widened as the creature charged her¡ªor not her, really, but the single exit to the courtyard. I opened a portal in front of the monster, but it was smart enough to avoid it, twisting to one side to move around it. I opened another portal, and again the creature anticipated it, this time sliding across the ground underneath the very faintly purple magicks. But there was another option. ¡®I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m doing this again,¡¯ I grumbled as I activated my Pocket World ability. Dozens of scraps of cloth rained down upon the creature, knocking it to the ground at Ama¡¯s feet. It dragged itself forward, both towards Ama and the exit, but Corminar was ready. ¡®Lore!¡¯ he shouted across the courtyard. The barbarian was ready. He raised his torch into the air, eyes glowing yellow once more. And Corminar shot. The cloth-bound arrow passed through the flames, lighting instantly¡ªan ability afforded by Corminar¡¯s potions¡ªand landed squarely in the pile of cloth. My Needlework supplies, and the enemy, went up in flames. The corrupted tiefling staggered, trying to stand even when sapped by fire¡ªthe malae¡¯s only weakness. Corminar and I arrived at its side just in time for the ranger to release another flaming arrow into it, knocking it to the ground once more. ¡®Kill¡­ creator¡­¡¯ it said. Level ? corruption defeated! Worldbending ¡ª +5,200xp Worldbending increased to level 59! Base Points gained ¡ª +2 INT, +2 Free Points (INT/WIS/CHA) Corminar and I stood at the corrupted man¡¯s side, and the ranger loose another shot, even though we had the notification to confirm that we¡¯d defeated it. It was better safe than sorry with this kind of danger, after all. As Ama scooted backwards, away from the dead creature, I put my hands on my sides and sighed. ¡®You know, at some point, I¡¯m actually going to do some Needlework with these supplies,¡¯ I said as I watched the cloth burn. ¡®I shall believe it when I see it,¡¯ Corminar replied. ¡®How much did this cost you?¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t wanna talk about it.¡¯ ¡®I¡­ Err¡­¡¯ Ama started, as Lore, Raelas and Carle appeared at our sides. ¡®Yes, you¡¯ll be paid for this,¡¯ I said. ¡®I¡¯ll add it to the bill.¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s great, but¡ª¡¯ ¡®We can talk amounts later. Any idea what that meant, about killing the¡ª¡¯ Ama said nothing, but she raised her foot. The skin around her ankle was¡­ paling. It was grey. The corruption had taken hold. And, unlike my locks of hair, there was no simply cutting it off. ¡®Ah,¡¯ I said.
"Styk" Level 20 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 50 Intelligence ¡ª 220 Dexterity ¡ª 130 Strength ¡ª 79 Wisdom ¡ª 76 Charisma ¡ª 49
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 59 Knifework ¡ª Level 42 Stealth ¡ª Level 26 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
186. Emergency Surgery ¡®Go,¡¯ Corminar said to me, face paling, the fire spreading throughout the building behind us. ¡®Go.¡¯ ¡®But the¡ª¡¯ I started, gesturing to the flames. ¡®We¡¯ll handle it,¡¯ Lore said. ¡®Go.¡¯ I nodded. We were on the same page; there was only one chance to stop the corruption before it claimed Ama¡¯s life. ¡®Raelas,¡¯ I told the tiefling. ¡®We¡¯re portalling. Get ready.¡¯ Without waiting for a reaction, I opened a portal beneath Ama, dropping her into the sky high above. And then we ran. We sprinted through the streets of Coldharbour, opening portals beneath the tumbling Ama, magicking her back into the sky once more. Raelas opened portals at our sides so that we could traverse the city quickly, while I focused my own portals on the woman touched by malae. I considered using my Saved Portal once more, but this was a situation where it wasn¡¯t helpful; its location on Coldharbour¡¯s central plaza was about as far from Alenna¡¯s surgery as we were. And, of course, it was surrounded by hundreds or thousands of cultists. For all their idiocy in worshipping Players, they didn¡¯t deserve to be put at risk of being corrupted. Few¡ªif any¡ªdeserved that. And so on we went, Ama¡¯s screaming having long since faded, but thankfully this was due to her getting used to falling rather than the corruption having spread too far already. From what I glimpsed as she tumbled towards the lower of the latest pair of portals, the corruption was still located only on her leg. Hopefully, we still had time. Hopefully. It wasn¡¯t long until we reached Alenna¡¯s practice, and I opened the final portal facing upwards, not dropping Ama from a height but instead using the momentum to send her up into the air. At the peak of her flight, I whipped open another portal below her, so she only had to fall a couple of feet before she was on the ground. Raelas was already knocking on the door of the surgery, pounding it with all her might. ¡®What?¡¯ a familiar voice cried when the door swung open, and Raelas replied to Alenna simply by pointing at Ama, on the ground outside. The scientist¡¯s face paled. ¡®What happened? Was it¡­¡¯ I knew what the rest of the question would be. Was it the corrupted man that she¡¯d sent us after? Well, I wasn¡¯t going to lie to her. ¡®You can make it up to us by fixing her. Stop it spreading.¡¯ ¡®She¡ª¡¯ Alenna started. ¡®Do whatever you need to,¡¯ Raelas interrupted. ¡®Anything. As long as she lives.¡¯ Alenna nodded glumly. ¡®Wait there. Don¡¯t touch her.¡¯ For a few moments, I had to stretch out my arms to warn away the crowd that was forming. The crowd were interested in our portal magicks only; as soon as they saw Ama, they backed up. Fast. Alenna stepped forth from the building again, this time wearing a thick apron and a face mask, and she chucked both me and Raelas an apron each. ¡®Alright,¡¯ she said. ¡®Bring her in.¡¯ * * * Alenna insisted on doing her surgery behind a curtain, though it seemed this wasn¡¯t so much about protecting her secrets as it was about protecting us from the trauma of watching. When the other three¡ªLore, Corminar and Carle¡ªarrived, they entered the room in silence that matched our own, and the five of us waiting without speaking for Alenna to enter once more. At one point, I glanced over in Lore¡¯s direction, and I saw his eyes glowing yellow once more. The visions were coming harder and faster than ever before. Not that you¡¯d know without looking at him¡ªhe¡¯d gone from talking about every single one to not mentioning them at all. Was this because their contents had changed? We knew he¡¯d foreseen some of our deaths, and had worked secretly to avoid them, but what else was he not telling us? Was he seeing things even worse than that? There was a knock on the door as we waited, and when nobody else moved, I dragged myself up from my perch to swing it open, expecting to have to tell people that the doctor was busy. But standing there, in the street, were two familiar faces¡ªVal and Arzak. ¡®Hey,¡¯ Val said. ¡®Lambkin say you here. We want talk.¡¯ I stepped aside to reveal the rest of the team sitting, heads in hands or face pale, waiting for Alenna to be done. The other two members of the Slayers looked past me and one of them, at least, read the room. ¡®We talk outside, maybe,¡¯ Arzak said. ¡®No, it can wait, Arz,¡¯ Val said, glancing pointedly to the crowd of glum adventurers further into the building. ¡®It can wait.¡¯ The orc nodded. ¡®Where you stay? Not with Tokas? We not stay with Tokas.¡¯ ¡®No, not us either,¡¯ I replied, semi-exasperatedly. ¡®You don¡¯t think we¡¯ve forgiven her, do you? After all she did? It¡¯s a means to an end, gotta take all the help we can get.¡¯ Arzak opened her mouth, but I wasn¡¯t in the mood for this to spiral into an argument. ¡®We¡¯re in the Crooked Well, towards the western side of town. You want me to show you the¡ª?¡¯ I started to ask. ¡®We can find it,¡¯ the witch replied. ¡®We¡¯ll¡­ see you there?¡¯ I nodded, then turned away, back towards the rest of the team. Only when I was sure Val was far enough away that she wouldn¡¯t look back, I glanced back over at her, a heavy weight in my stomach. The best part of another hour passed before Alenna finally appeared once more, pulling back the curtain to reveal Ama. The metal mage was pulling herself upright, and Lore¡¯s scientist friend had to rush back over to help her. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡®She¡¯s¡­ alright?¡¯ Raelas asked, eyes blinking with disbelief. ¡®She¡¯s¡­¡¯ And then she saw the corrupted leg¡ªthe corruption, and foot, sliced away. ¡®I stop the spread,¡¯ Alenna said. ¡®Isolated the corruption, I think.¡¯ ¡®You think?¡¯ Lore repeated. Ama brought her foot down to the ground, and instinctively tried to put her weight on a foot that wasn¡¯t there. The woman grimaced, and for a second I had a moment of sympathy for her. ¡®We¡¯ll get you to a healer,¡¯ I said. ¡®Maybe Tokas can help, even.¡¯ Corminar glanced at me, and shook his head once. Firmly. ¡®Well, someone out there will be able to¡ª¡¯ Ama responded by raising one hand into the air. Metal surgical equipment around the room started to shake, then move towards the air in front of the mage. There, a ball of metal objects formed, shaking, then vibrating with an ever-increasing intensity. The metal began to glow before our eyes, bending and then melting entirely as Ama¡¯s magicks heated it up. She whipped up her other hand to steady her magicks, Alenna having to hold the injured woman upright, and formed the molten metal into shape. I realised what the shape was only moments before Ama shot it towards her injured limb¡ªit was half of an artificial leg. Ama screamed as the molten metal hit her skin, but so determined was she that she carried on, morphing the metal into a shape that bound itself to what remained of her leg. The screaming faded as the metal cooled, and everyone else in the room was too stunned to move, or to talk. Even Alenna, who was surely more familiar with this kind of stuff. The mage breathed deeply through the last of the pain, before pushing herself to her feet¡ªone old, one new. ¡®Good,¡¯ she said, nodding. Maybe Ama was a lot tougher than I¡¯d given her credit for. * * * ¡®She did to herself?¡¯ Arzak asked. We were back in the basement of the inn we were staying in, flagons of ale in hands. Around my table sat Arzak, Raelas and Corminar, while Lore and Val sat at the bar. Carle was at Ama¡¯s bedside upstairs while she got some doctor-prescribed rest. The two at the bar were talking in such hushed voices that I got the impression they were talking about me, but maybe that was just innate paranoia or having too large an ego. ¡®Yep.¡¯ ¡®Maybe need her on our team,¡¯ Arzak said. ¡®Can get rid of this one.¡¯ She pointed to Corminar; he was the butt of the joke, this time. ¡®Are we still one team, then?¡¯ Corminar asked, as ever going straight for the most awkward and difficult to answer question. Arzak staggered over her reply. ¡®I¡­ Is¡­¡¯ She almost grimaced at the elf. ¡®Maybe not answer for that, yet.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t help but notice she glanced at Val while she said this. ¡®Then when?¡¯ Corminar asked, apparently not willing to let the matter drop, despite how awkward it made the vibe at this table. ¡®Don¡¯t know,¡¯ Arzak replied, and then¡ªperhaps in desperation to change the subject¡ªasked, ¡®How?¡¯ I furrowed my brow. ¡®How what?¡¯ ¡®How this Lenny save her?¡¯ ¡®Alenna,¡¯ Corminar corrected her. ¡®She¡­¡¯ I started to answer, but then realised I didn¡¯t quite know. We¡¯d seen the end result, the woman being down half a leg, where the corruption had taken hold, but we knew from prior experience that this wasn¡¯t always enough. ¡®I guess Ama was lucky?¡¯ ¡®Hmm.¡¯ The orc nodded approvingly. ¡®She good. We have her on team too?¡¯ ¡®Just how big a team are you after?¡¯ ¡®Millions of us.¡¯ Arzak smiled, as though envisioning it. ¡®How is Needlework going?¡¯ As the night grew dark, I caught up with Arzak and drank probably a tad too much beer. It should have been enjoyable, being able to spend time with an old friend¡ªeven if Val seemed to be painstakingly avoiding me¡ªbut there was something else casting a cloud over the affair. A thought. Just what had Alenna done behind that curtain?
"Styk" Level 20 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 50 Intelligence ¡ª 220 Dexterity ¡ª 130 Strength ¡ª 79 Wisdom ¡ª 76 Charisma ¡ª 49
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 59 Knifework ¡ª Level 42 Stealth ¡ª Level 26 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
187. The Metal Mage I¡¯d drunk just enough yesterday evening that I had a disturbed night¡¯s sleep. When I first awoke, it was the dead of night, not even a hint of light in the sky outside the cramped room¡¯s window. The room was so dark that I couldn¡¯t even see Lore on the other cot, and strangely there was none of his usual snoring. I tried to ignore a full bladder and get back to sleep, but it was uncomfortable enough that I eventually realised it was a futile effort. I rose, stumbled down the hallway to the shared bathroom, trying my best not to creak the floorboards and wake anyone else up. I couldn¡¯t resist a sigh of relief as I emptied my bladder, though I immediately regretted making noise. From the sounds of movement down the hallway, towards the rooms where the others were sleeping, I¡¯d probably already disturbed some of them. I was quiet as I went back to my room, Lore¡¯s snoring still absent¡ªmaybe he was sleeping lightly too¡ªand after another half an hour or so, I drifted back to sleep. * * * The second time I awoke, I saw the faint silhouette of a woman standing over me. Groggily, I snapped my hand to the dagger I kept under my pillow, and whipped it towards them. But the woman¡¯s own hand snapped down to block me. ¡®It¡¯s me,¡¯ the figure said. ¡®Val?¡¯ There was a pause. ¡®Raelas.¡¯ ¡®Oh,¡¯ I whispered, putting the dagger down and wiping the sleep from my eyes. ¡®Sorry.¡¯ Raelas remained quiet, then took a seat on the end of my bed. ¡®Lore here?¡¯ she finally asked. I squinted through the darkness at his bed, and where he should have been. I hadn¡¯t considered this as a possibility. ¡®Not sure. Maybe not. Why? And¡­ why are you here?¡¯ ¡®I¡­ thought I heard something.¡¯ It was my turn to pause. ¡®OK? What kind of thing?¡¯ ¡®Something¡­ I don¡¯t know, wrong?¡¯ ¡®So you came to me for reassurance?¡¯ I retorted. ¡®It¡¯s probably just some stranger in another room. People have weird snores.¡¯ I glanced over at Lore, or where he should have been. ¡®Trust me.¡¯ ¡®Reassurance? Sure, if you¡¯re offering. It is just me in my room if you want to¡ª¡¯ ¡®No,¡¯ I answered, quickly, but maybe not as quickly as I should have done. At least there wasn¡¯t any time for Raelas to read into that moment of hesitation, because suddenly there was a noise coming from down the hallway. A noise that was animalistic, almost. A noise that was human, but not. A noise that I could only describe as¡­ wrong. ¡®That noise,¡¯ Raelas said. We rose from the bed and stuck our heads out the door, looking down the hallway towards the source of the noise. Towards, I realised, Carle and Ama¡¯s room. Down the hallway, between us and the noise, two more doors opened. Corminar stuck his head out of one, and Val and Arzak the other. Both of the women seemed immediately more interested in Raelas being stood next to me than they were in the strange noises coming from Ama¡¯s room. This was going to be A Thing, but there was no time to deal with it now. ¡®Ama¡­¡¯ Raelas breathed. I took a step out the door, towards Ama and Carle¡¯s room, when suddenly their door creaked open. It took me a moment for my eyes to adjust enough to the low light to see who it was, but then again the large frame should have been enough of an indication. ¡®Carle?¡¯ Raelas asked. ¡®What¡¯s¡­¡¯ The warrior took a step forward without speaking, then gently closed the door behind him, turning a key in the lock. His voice was calm and measured when he finally did speak, but it was artificially so. ¡®It¡¯s Ama,¡¯ he said. I felt Raelas tense at my side. ¡®What¡¯s happened? Do we need Alenna?¡¯ ¡®I think¡­¡¯ Carle started, then drew in a deep breath. ¡®I think it¡¯s too late for that.¡¯ A chill ran down my spine. ¡®What do you mean, too late? What do you¡ª¡¯ Raelas started, but abrupt cut off when someone¡ªsomething¡ªpounded the door behind Carle. ¡®She¡¯s turned, Rae. The doctor failed.¡¯ ¡®What do you mean?¡¯ the tiefling replied, shaking her head. ¡®I saw her last night. She was fine. She was on the mend.¡¯ Carle took another step back when Ama pounded on the door once more, and only now did I realise he¡¯d brought his sword out the room with him. ¡®Alenna used magicks to heal her,¡¯ the warrior said. ¡®I saw those magicks fade. A blue glow. A ward, if I¡¯m not mistaken. And when those magicks did fade, then¡­¡¯ Ama pounded on the door once more, harder this time, shaking the wood hard enough that I thought the hinges were about to give way. Raelas gulped, and croaked, ¡®You¡¯re saying we have to kill her.¡¯ ¡®No. I¡¯m saying she¡¯s already dead.¡¯ The door shook once more. And again. And again. Each time, the door seemed like it was going to come crashing down. It held, but I could see that it was splintering even in this low light. Other doors started opening at this racket, the noise waking people from their slumbers. They poked their heads out of the doors, looking angrily on. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡®Just what is the¡ª¡¯ one of them started. ¡®Get out,¡¯ I said. When they hesitated, I raise my voice, bellowing. ¡®Get out!¡¯ Carle and Ama¡¯s door shook once more, and this time, it fell. We saw Ama¡¯s silhouette standing in the doorway, and even in the shadows I could see that something was very, very wrong. I could see the beginnings of ooze dripping from her fingertips. I could see her jaw hanging open. When she took her first step out the room, I could see that the movement was clumsy, as though she was learning to walk all over again. Corminar reacted first. He raised his bow, firing an arrow into the creature that was once Ama. It caused her to stagger backwards, but of course it wasn¡¯t enough¡ªwe needed fire to defeat corruption like this. It bought us only a few seconds. ¡®Val,¡¯ I said, whipping my head to her. ¡®Get everyone out.¡¯ She seemed surprised. ¡®Me?¡¯ ¡®Yes, you.¡¯ Maybe it was a selfish order. Maybe I wanted her out of harm¡¯s way. This cramped hallway was no place to fight a monster like this; chances were someone was going to get hurt. But maybe we didn¡¯t need to fight here. I called after Val, ¡®Get them far away, alright? I¡¯m going to take this fight outside.¡¯ The witch nodded, then began ushering the onlookers out of the inn, shouting at them where necessary. Arzak, ever fearless, charged the figure we¡¯d once called Ama. I hoped I didn¡¯t have to remind her that she couldn¡¯t let Ama touch her¡ªit was the usual malae rule. As Arzak approach, Carle jumped to one side, pressing himself against the wall and giving the orc ample space to get past. Too much space, really, so I wasn¡¯t sure what that meant he thought about her. The orc brought her twos arcing down in front of her, and the enemy made no effort to block them. The blades wedged themselves in a shoulder each, and Ama looked down at one of them before flicking her hand. At this flick, Arzak¡¯s two swords shot backwards down the hallway, almost catching Corminar as he raised his bow. ¡®We¡¯re taking this out of here,¡¯ I told Raelas, but she¡¯d frozen, paling at my side. I turned and grabbed her by the shoulders, looking into her eyes. ¡®Your friend is gone. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so, so sorry, but there isn¡¯t time for grieving now. You understand?¡¯ Raelas blinked up at me. ¡®She¡­ took blades to the shoulders.¡¯ ¡®She did, yes. Now, move.¡¯ ¡®She¡¯s not that strong,¡¯ the tiefling breathed. It was as though she preferred to linger on this impossibility than face the truth¡ªthat Ama was dead. ¡®She is now,¡¯ I said, turning away. Raelas was too stunned; I was going to need to do this myself. Ama staggered out of her room, enraged by Arzak¡¯s attack. The orc stumbled backwards, then reached towards me. ¡®Swords!¡¯ she shouted. ¡®Get swords to me!¡¯ She meant for me to portal them over to her, but I wasn¡¯t going to do that. Ama had touched those blades, which meant that the corruption could still be lingering on them; we¡¯d need to engulf them in fire before the orc used them again. So instead Arzak turned and ran, and the monster charged after her, notably ignoring Carle, who was still pressed up against the wall. I pressed one hand forward and opened a portal just in front of Ama, dumping her into the sky thirty yards above the inn. At the same time, I opened a portal behind me, which I stepped through to come out onto the empty street. The faintest glow of twilight¡¯s arrival silhouetted the falling monster, and I opened another portal beneath Ama to launch her back into the air once more, giving my tends enough time to step out the portal at my side. But this particular corruption knew something of portals. Perhaps it retained some of Ama¡¯s memories, and remembered my magicks from before. Whatever the reason, it meant that Ama flicked her wrist and tore a metal drainpipe from the tavern, launching it towards herself and knocking her out of the way of the portal. She landed hard on the cobbled streets, but rose to her feet near-instantly, the landing having done little damage. This corruption really was strong. Stronger than the man in the courtyard, even. I steeled myself for a tougher fight than before as my friends stepped out the portal. In the same moment, Ama flicked her wrist once more. She raised the metal drainpipe from the ground, and she brought it within arm¡¯s reach. At her touch, she imbued it with the corruption of the malae. Then she launched it.
"Styk" Level 20 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 50 Intelligence ¡ª 220 Dexterity ¡ª 130 Strength ¡ª 79 Wisdom ¡ª 76 Charisma ¡ª 49
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 59 Knifework ¡ª Level 42 Stealth ¡ª Level 26 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
188. The Gentleman Warrior The creature with Ama¡¯s face launched the metal coated in corruption. Of the two of us Worldbenders, only I opened a portal to avoid the oncoming strike, with Raelas too rattled by the recent loss of her friend. Corminar and I fell through the portal, landing nimbly on our feet, while Arzak moved quickly enough to swipe Raelas out of the way. Carle and Val, meanwhile, prepared to strike. ¡®Fire!¡¯ I shouted, but the witch was already yanking something from a new apothecary bag. Corminar¡¯s eyes lit up when he saw what she had¡ªa small, faintly glowing glass vial. What with his Alchemy skill, it was only natural he¡¯d know what it was. He responded not with words but with action, shooting an arrow to Val¡¯s feet. The witch pulled the stopper from her vial, then yanked the arrow from the ground. As she dipped its head in the liquid, it immediately caught alight. ¡®We knew there were mala around,¡¯ she explained. ¡®So we came prepared.¡¯ There wasn¡¯t time for me to wonder if that was a cutting remark about our lack of preparedness, so I tried not to. With the twist of her wrist, the creature that was once Ama brought the metal drainpipe careening back through the air towards us. ¡®Heads!¡¯ I shouted, ducking to the ground just in time to avoid the corruption touching me¡ªand my hair too, this time. But it was only a matter of time until someone did get touched by the corruption, considering that Ama had such a fine control over it. We¡¯d need to strike before then, and we were going to need more than one flaming arrow. ¡®Raelas!¡¯ I shouted, and when she didn¡¯t reply, Arzak grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her my way. ¡®How do these metal magicks work? Moving something that heavy has got to be draining her mana pretty quickly, right?¡¯ This question was more based on hope than any particular evidence. ¡®She¡­¡¯ Raelas started, voice quiet at first. ¡®She should be out already? She uses small fragments, normally, cos that¡¯s a lot less of a drain. I¡­ don¡¯t know how she¡¯s still going.¡¯ I suspected that I did know how. Alenna had told us that these corrupted people were stronger, and maybe this was why¡ªthey had higher power reserves than the person they¡¯d once been. Maybe even infinite¡­ I thought, before silencing that despairing part of my brain. That wasn¡¯t helpful right now. As the metal mage brought the corrupted metal back towards us once more, I opened a portal to block it. The drainpipe was far too wide to fit through¡ªat least lengthways¡ªbut I wasn¡¯t trying to magick it anywhere else. I was trying to keep it in place. It was a use for these magicks that I¡¯d never need, or even thought of, before. The drainpipe smashed against the sides of the portal, reverberating backwards. I thanked my lucky stars that the corruption was considered an enchantment, otherwise my Portal Slice ability might have cut the drainpipe into three. And then we¡¯d have three corrupted projectiles to avoid. Corminar and Val made good use of the few seconds I¡¯d bought them, having lit aflame a few more arrow heads, but also a few chunks of wood that Arzak had ripped from a nearby market stall. Still, if they were going to do any good then we needed to get closer. With a snarl that was almost typical of Ama, the creature wearing her face gestured the corrupted metal around the portal. She sent the drainpipe soaring towards the three of us with the fire, recognising them as the greatest threat. Val, Arzak and Corminar were too busy with their task to react in time, but fortunately I was solely focused on our enemy. I whipped my hands forward to open another portal in front of my friends, doing so just in time to prevent the metal from hitting them. It hit the edges of the portal and bounced backwards again. This time, the metal had momentum enough that it bounced down into the cobbled street, scratching a line in the rock that oozed with the same black corruption. I hoped the monster hadn¡¯t spotted that. The corrupted tiefling flicked her hands once more, and with it, began scrawling corruption into the road, creating a perimeter around us. ¡®Back!¡¯ Val shouted to the onlookers, gesturing them away with sweeps of her hands. ¡®Back! Run for your bloody lives, idiots!¡¯ I couldn¡¯t have put it better myself. Ama had crafted a perimeter of corruption that arched in a semi-circle around the lot of us, the monster herself standing in the centre of the open end. The beast snarled, like it had us surrounded, but we could step over the perimeter unscathed if we were careful enough, and had portals otherwise. Still, it contained the action and made movement just a little more difficult¡ªwhich is exactly what Ama needed in this moment. ¡®Styk!¡¯ Val shouted, and I whipped my head back to her, Arzak and Corminar to see that they were ready to strike. I opened a portal in front of Val and Arzak, allowing them to appear behind the enemy armed with fire, while Corminar shot flaming arrows from where he stood. I knew from our previous encounter with corrupted tieflings that this wouldn¡¯t be enough to kill it, but it would maybe weaken it. And it would buy us more time. Ama shrieked as Arzak¡¯s wielded flaming plank hit against her grey flesh, the oozing corruption recoiling at the touch. Immediately, the metal mage turned her attention to Arzak and Val, bringing the corrupted pipe soaring back towards them. I moved again to open a portal in the way to block the attack, but the corrupted tiefling had learned. Ama flicked her wrist around, and as it rotated, so too did the metal. It whipped around to be perpendicular to the portal, then dipped under it, still moving quickly towards the two women. ¡®Val!¡¯ I shouted, at the same moment that I opened a portal beneath them. Arzak and Val fell through, but as had happened before, the corruption just about caught a strand of long hair. I charged to Val¡¯s side, pushed her to the ground, and then sliced the corruption free. The witch blinked up at me. ¡®You cut my hair?¡¯ ¡®I saved your¡ª¡¯ ¡®You cut my hair?¡¯ The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡®Not now,¡¯ Arzak grunted, then burnt the corrupted strands of hair with her makeshift weapon. Meanwhile, Carle charged. He grabbed two arrows from Corminar¡¯s quiver, lit them on the arrow already nocked in the elf¡¯s bow, and then ran at Ama. He howled as he sprinted, gripping the arrows close to their heads. ¡®Careful!¡¯ I shouted. ¡®Don¡¯t let her touch you!¡¯ But the warrior seemed to pay no heed. He ran in as carelessly as he¡¯d attack any other enemy, stabbing her with his flaming arrowheads and roaring all the while. There was a pain in his roar, as though something rooted deep within him was screaming for him to not attack the woman he¡¯d known for so many years. Not that she was that woman anymore. Carle stabbed and he stabbed, and I had to tear him away with a portal underfoot. The warrior fell through, hopefully before the corruption could touch him, and stumbled to his feet at my side. To his credit, Ama looked solidly weakened, but he¡¯d done so at such a risk to himself that¡ª The warrior charged again. ¡®Carle, what are you doing?¡¯ I shouted. ¡®What must be done!¡¯ came the reply. At this point, Raelas snapped back to reality. In hindsight, I think it was her watching another of her friends charging towards almost certain death that did it. Some deep-rooted part of her knew she couldn¡¯t handle losing both of them in one day. ¡®Not you too!¡¯ I cried as Raelas slipped through a portal, coming out at her friend¡¯s side. The tiefling crouched to the ground, placing her palms against it, and moments later the stone around Ama morphed into frost¡ªan evolution of Raelas¡¯s Frost Husk ability, presumably. The creature turned and snarled towards her once-friend, but as it¡ªshe? it? I wasn¡¯t sure anymore¡ªtried to lift a foot to close on Raelas, it found that it was stuck to the ground. At least for a moment. ¡®Arzak!¡¯ I shouted to my orc friend, lifting an open hand in the air. The orc threw me a flaming piece of wood, assuming that I knew what I was doing. I didn¡¯t, but I was working on it. Carle attacked again with his flaming arrowheads, able to dodge the monster¡¯s mad swipes only because its feet were now frozen to the floor. Shrieking from the pain, the creature turned to snarl at Raelas, recognising her as the source of the trap, and it swipes now at her instead. And the frost began to crack. Raelas¡¯s eyes widened with fear moments before the creature lunged, her own feet frozen to the spot through more figurative means. But Carle saw it coming too. The gentleman warrior launched himself at the corrupted woman, tackling her to the ground next to a nearby building with no regards for his own safety. Arzak, Val and I gasped. Carle was on top of his corrupted friend, pressed against her. There was no way he could have avoided the corruption. He¡¯d sacrificed himself. Before any of us could react, the figure once called Ama roared, and pushed herself back to her feet with her corruption-enhanced strength. She shrieked, pushing both hands forward and then yanking them backwards. As Carle stood once more, the corrupted metal drainpipe shot towards him. He had just enough time to grab the monster and wrench her to one side. Into the path of the soaring metal fragment. The sharp end of the broken pipe pierced the creature¡¯s flesh, going straight through before wedging itself in the wall behind her. Carle, miraculously, saved himself from being hit¡­ but that didn¡¯t mean he was saved. Anything but. The gentleman warrior gestured for me to throw the flaming plank, and I did so. As the creature with Ama¡¯s face shrieked from the subsequent pain¡ªa shriek that grew quieter with every second that passed¡ªI looked at Carle¡¯s hands. I looked at the black ooze dripping from them. And his arms. And his chest. There was no cutting that corruption away. Level ? corruption defeated! Worldbending ¡ª +2,300xp Worldbending increased to level 60! Base Points gained ¡ª +2 INT, +2 Free Points (INT/WIS/CHA) Ability selection unlocked Select an ability from the list below¡­ ¡­ ¡®You¡­ you let yourself get corrupted?¡¯ Raelas asked her remaining friend, half-shouting, half-crying. ¡®You¡ª¡¯ But Carle shook his head. ¡®I was already corrupted. Before I opened that door, before any of you knew Alenna had failed to heal Ama. She corrupted me over an hour ago. All this? I¡¯ve just been¡­ treading water.¡¯ As the rest of us looked on in dumbfounded silence, the gentleman warrior threw the flaming torch to Corminar. ¡®Do what must be done,¡¯ he said.
"Styk" Level 20 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 50 Intelligence ¡ª 224 Dexterity ¡ª 130 Strength ¡ª 79 Wisdom ¡ª 76 Charisma ¡ª 49
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 60 Knifework ¡ª Level 42 Stealth ¡ª Level 26 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
189. Post-Mortem Corminar went to retrieve Alenna. Faced with the two bodies in their corrupted, burnt states, we knew it wouldn¡¯t do any good. There was nothing that even the most talented healer could do to save them now, and yet it seemed the right thing to do. At the very least, the scientist might be able to explain what went wrong. There was a school of thought¡ªone which Raelas shared¡ªthat Alenna was to blame. That if she hadn¡¯t assured us that Ama was fine, then we wouldn¡¯t have brought her here. Carle would never have been touched by the corruption. Raelas would have lost one friend, not two. The owner of the inn plied us with food and drink and anything else we needed, recognising both the grief and the fact that we¡¯d saved her inn from certain destruction¡ªignoring the fact that we¡¯d also brought the destruction to her. It was a nice gesture, and one I think the pale Raelas would have been more grateful for if she wasn¡¯t in a daze. Even Val had been sympathetic to the tiefling, in a departure from her normal glaring. She was at this very moment making her a tea in the inn¡¯s kitchen, something that I¡¯d never seen her do for anyone. I was sitting at Raelas¡¯s side, a comforting hand on her upper back as she stared numbly at the bowl of stew sitting in front of her, untouched. And that wasn¡¯t to comment on the quality of the stew; if Lore wasn¡¯t off somewhere, he¡¯d have been salivating at the aroma. My incomplete ability selection notification weighed on my mind, but there was be time for that later; some things were more important. At that moment, Corminar entered the inn, Alenna at his side. ¡®They¡¯re out there,¡¯ Raelas breathed. Alenna nodded. ¡®I¡¯ll see to them. I just wanted to say¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Raelas. I really thought she was cured.¡¯ I noticed that the wording was I thought she was cured, and not I thought I¡¯d cured her. Raelas said nothing, but turned back to the bowl of stew, and shifted a shaky hand towards the spoon. I watched her take a deep breath before sipping lightly at the broth, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Arzak slink upstairs. As we sat in silence, and nobody would be any the wiser, I thought there might be time to review the ability selection after all, so I brought it up. There were only two choices this time. Ability selection unlocked Select an ability from the list below: Option 1: Weaken Metal II (Worldbending) ¡ª Your magicks find flaws within metalwork and exacerbate these flaws, leading to objects becoming immediately weaker. Some enchanted objects may still withstand this spell. This was an upgrade to an ability I¡¯d passed on previously. There were definitely a good few use cases for it¡ªbreaking into place and, shattering weapons to name a few¡ªbut it didn¡¯t feel like enough. If I picked this, then I¡¯d be missing out on the other ability choice, and in this case, the latter seemed to be more useful. Option 2: Portal Relay II (Worldbending) ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. I¡¯d been given the level 1 option of this ability back when we¡¯d defeated Niamh, and I¡¯d immediately come to regret it. This ability came with use cases including spying on people¡ªsomething I was a big fan of¡ªbut also allowing us to coordinate our attacks better as a group, as we could all be in direct communication with one another. It would almost be selfish not to pick this one. And I liked to think I¡¯d grown out of selfishness. Ability unlocked ¡ª Portal Relay II Portal Relay II (Worldbending) ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. As Alenna and Corminar entered the inn once more, I turned to the scientist. ¡®Do you know what you¡­¡¯ I started. ¡®Do you know what went wrong?¡¯ Alenna shook her head. ¡®The ward, it¡­¡¯ She glanced at Raelas, and I took the unspoken point; maybe the tiefling didn¡¯t need to hear this. I stood up, and approached Alenna and Corminar at the edge of the room. ¡®I used a ward to stop the corruption spreading,¡¯ Alenna said. ¡®You remember that book you retrieved for me? It was about using the body¡¯s power to sustain wards. That was supposed to be the cure, and I thought from my tests that it would work.¡¯ ¡®You didn¡¯t check?¡¯ I asked. A flash of irritation crossed Alenna¡¯s eyes. ¡®I did check. The ward was stable. The corruption shouldn¡¯t have spread. But something¡ªI don¡¯t know what¡ªit overwhelmed the ward. It¡¯s almost like the corruption grew more powerful by itself.¡¯ ¡®Can that happen?¡¯ Corminar asked. ¡®No. Not without¡ª¡¯ Alenna trailed off, her eyes on something across the room. I followed her gaze to see Arzak standing at the foot of the stairs, her nostrils flaring with an anger I¡¯d never before seen in her. ¡®Upstairs. Now,¡¯ the orc said. Raelas whipped her head up from her bowl. ¡®What¡ª¡¯ Val started, poking her head in from the kitchen. ¡®Now,¡¯ Arzak said again. ¡®Stuff you need see.¡¯ The grieving tiefling rose from her seat, eyes on Arzak. ¡®What stuff?¡¯ she asked. There was panic in her tone. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. The orc didn¡¯t acknowledge her in the slightest. ¡®How many time I need say? Come now.¡¯ Val, Corminar, Alenna and I strode over to the stairs, and Raelas whipped her hand out to grab my arm as I passed. ¡®It¡¯s not what you think,¡¯ she said. I looked to Arzak, who held my gaze, a scowl on her face. ¡®What isn¡¯t?¡¯ I asked the tiefling. But Raelas had no answer. I yanked my arm free of her grasp, and as I joined the others on the staircase, Arzak led us upstairs and along the corridor. ¡®I went up to Ama room, see if more information for Alenna. See if more information to understand corruption.¡¯ Arzak paused. ¡®I think I find it.¡¯ She came to a halt in front of Carle and Ama¡¯s room, and she placed her hand on the door. She sighed, and then pushed. The hinges groaned as the door opened. I saw nothing at first, only a dusty room much the same as my own. Except, this one had more stuff being stored in it, a good dozen small crates stacked in one corner of the room, away from the beds. One of them moved. Just a little. But enough. ¡®Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡¯ Val said, getting there before I did. ¡®Malae,¡¯ Arzak said. A chill ran down my spine. ¡®Why? What in the gods¡¯ names could they want with¡­¡¯ I started, but then an answer occurred to me. ¡®Ah,¡¯ Alenna said. ¡®That¡­ that¡¯d do it. That¡¯s why my ward didn¡¯t hold up¡ªthe corruption did grow stronger. It fed on the malae in this very room. My ward¡­ didn¡¯t stand a chance.¡¯ But I wasn¡¯t interested in this anger; I now felt ire to rival Arzak¡¯s. I turned around, pushed through the small crowd at the threshold of the room, and charged down the corridor. Raelas recoiled when she saw the fury burning on my face. ¡®It¡¯s not what you¡ª¡¯ she said, stumbling backwards into a table, knocking glassware smashing to the floor. ¡®Why?¡¯ I roared. ¡®Why do you have them?¡¯ ¡®It was¡­ it was¡­¡¯ Raelas stuttered, gulping. ¡®Why?¡¯ I shouted once more, striding towards her. ¡®It was payment!¡¯ the tiefling blurted out. I came to an abrupt stop, perplexed by this response. ¡®We knew you were never gonna pay up,¡¯ Raelas said. ¡®And I think you knew we knew.¡¯ ¡®I thought you wanted to do what was right.¡¯ ¡®You heard our story,¡¯ the tiefling replied, now shouting too. ¡®You know what we came from. What we had to survive. There¡¯s safety in coin. There¡¯s no safety in doing the right thing. But we came anyway, because we know how valuable those creatures are. This was our payment.¡¯ Fury blossomed through me. To think I¡¯d thought Raelas might have been a good one. No. No, she was no hero; she was just like the rest of them. Without a word, I grabbed Raelas by the wrist and pulled her towards the staircase. ¡®Styk, no, I¡ª¡¯ ¡®Yes, Raelas. You¡¯re dealing with them now. I don¡¯t care what else you¡¯re going through, this is too far. You saved malae. Malae! You know what these creatures can do, and you gambled lives on them for the sake of coin. I can stand you gambling your own lives on them, but what about everyone else? What about the others staying in the inn? What about me? Or did you not think about that?¡¯ Raelas followed quietly, giving up any resistance. The others parts at the doorway as I pushed Raelas inside. ¡®Portal them out, and burn them,¡¯ I said. ¡®Now.¡¯ ¡®Styk, I didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡¯ Raelas said, staggering back to her feet and coming back towards me with begging eyes. ¡®I do care. I did think about¡ª¡¯ When she tried to touch me, I instinctively pushed her away. I didn¡¯t want her touching me. I couldn¡¯t stand the idea anymore. But I didn¡¯t mean to push her towards the crates. As Raelas fell backwards into them, the stack toppled, a handful of boxes falling to the floor. We all went immediately silent, waiting with bated breath to see if any of the monsters were free. And then we heard a familiar noise. Shlop. An oozing black limb popped out from behind one of the boxes, climbing on top. It waited there for a moment, looking at the fives of us. Then it pounced towards Raelas. For all her crimes, the tiefling didn¡¯t deserve this. She didn¡¯t deserve being touched by a mala. And I¡¯d been the one to push her. I was the one who¡¯d done it to her. It was that line of thought, perhaps, that led to me yanking my dagger out and leaping between Raelas and the mala. My blade blocked it in midair, and I was about to breathe a sigh of relief when I felt something strangely cool touch my wrist. When I looked down, I realised what I¡¯d done. The mala had touched me. And the corruption began to spread.
"Styk" Level 20 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 50 Intelligence ¡ª 224 Dexterity ¡ª 130 Strength ¡ª 79 Wisdom ¡ª 76 Charisma ¡ª 49
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 60 Knifework ¡ª Level 42 Stealth ¡ª Level 26 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II - Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
190. Touched By Darkness I staggered backwards, eyes bulging as I looked at the growing dark grey patch on my right arm. The corruption. I turned around slowly, and five pairs of eyes landed on the mala¡¯s touch. Nobody spoke for a moment, stunned, their faces paling. And then Val, half screaming, half sobbing, roared, ¡®No!¡¯ She leaped forward, reaching towards me, but Arzak reacted quickly. The orc snatched Val by the neck of her dress and yanked her backwards. Yanked her away from me before she could touch me. Before the corruption could spread to her, too. ¡®I¡­¡¯ I said, still in a daze, eyes drifting to Corminar. ¡®Alenna,¡¯ the elf said, his face betraying no emotion, still keeping his cool. ¡®The ward. Now.¡¯ Lore¡¯s scientist friend stepped forward, and began conjuring the blue magicks of sorcery. But I¡¯d seen what had happened before, to Ama. I knew how Alenna¡¯s magicks worked. They trapped the corruption in the already-infected part of the body, using a ward that was sustained by my own body to do so. It would surely weaken me. And there was no guarantee that it would work. ¡®No,¡¯ I said. ¡®No?¡¯ Alenna repeated, confused. ¡®No?¡¯ Val shouted, collapsing to the ground at Arzak¡¯s feet with tears streaming from her eyes. ¡®What the hells do you mean, no? You¡¯re gonna die, Styk. You¡¯re gonna die! And we never even¡­ I never even¡­ I never got to say I was sorry.¡¯ She reached towards me once more, but Arzak still held her back, face glum. Raelas slumped against the wall at the other side of the bedroom, her eyes upon me. She let her head fall into her knees. I couldn¡¯t help but feel a rage build within when I looked at her. It was her fault that I was in this mess. Her fault, and Carle¡¯s and Ama¡¯s, but the latter two were gone, now. Raelas was the only one left, and so it was to her that I directed my ire. But I pulled my eyes away, trying to concentrate. Trying to think. There had to be another way. Another way that didn¡¯t leave me a shell of a man, a ward the only thing stopping the corruption from reaching my mind, in fear for the rest of my life that it might fail, that it might take me. Or worse, that it might spread to those that I loved. I looked around. At Corminar, at Arzak, and at Val. Especially at Val, the witch who even now struggled against Arzak¡¯s hands, trying to come for me, even though it would risk the corruption spreading to herself. There had to be another way. There had to be. I caught myself. Here I was, thinking I could be smarter than Alenna. Smarter than someone who¡¯d spent years researching these creatures. I didn¡¯t have anything she didn¡¯t, so who was I to¡ª Except¡­ I did, didn¡¯t I? I had the blood of the Architects running through me, and with this blood, access to an ancient power¡ªthe Sisyphus Artifact. It had a charge, still, from our defeat of Niamh. It was a charge I¡¯d been saving for when we approached Yusef, but there was no point saving it when it meant I wouldn¡¯t be alive to face him. Although, even then¡­ how could I be sure that it would work on something like this? There was nothing for it. I snatched the octahedron from the twine around my neck and I pushed my mana into it. The world went black. * * * I looked around. I was in the void once more. The limbo state, that I¡¯d only seen a single time before, back when I¡¯d died facing down Jacob, the pyroknight. My instinct even now is to describe it as ¡°dark¡±, but it wasn¡¯t that. My surroundings were simply¡­ empty. A space between life and death. A space in the aether. Sisyphus Artifact Activated Charges Remaining: (0 /9) Preservation Charged Used: Respawning at Leve¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ªConflict detected. Resolving¡­ Resolving¡­ Conflict sustained. Not good. I waited for more messages, but nothing came. I tried to turn around in this void, and though there was no ground on which to plant my feet, I got the sense that it was working. In the distance, I thought I saw a glimmer of light, but when I narrowed my eyes, I could see nothing. Warning: Emergency conflict resolution in progress. Nature of conflict: entity tainted by reality fabrics. Impossible to identify perimeter between entity and void. World structures compromised. Well, that wasn¡¯t encouraging. I couldn¡¯t much understand what any of it meant, but I got the gist of it: I was well and truly screwed. Something about the mala¡¯s touch had interfered with the Sisyphus Artifact, that much was clear. But what were the implications of that? Did it mean that the malae were in touch with something fundamental to our existence? And surely that could only mean the corruption. But¡­ what? And why? And just how did that help me right about now? I tried to turn around once more, resisting against this cage of void, desperate to find an escape from this impossible place. Again, I thought I saw a glimmer of light out of the corner of one eye. When I looked towards it, it was gone. Possible Conflict Resolution Option #1: Identify versions of entity in other worlds. Use copies to identify entity perimeter. Resolving¡­ If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Resolving¡­ Error¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ªEntity copies not found. User exists in [0] world structures. And that wasn¡¯t much encouraging either, to be honest. What did it mean, no other world structures? Was this referring to the other worlds that the Players had mentioned? The ones they no longer had any presence in? Maybe they could exist across the multiverse, but I sure as bloody hells couldn¡¯t. Again I saw light in the corner of my eye, though this time when I looked to it, it didn¡¯t fade. There were shapes in the light. There was movement. I focused my eyes as best I could, and I urged myself towards it. As I grew closer, I realised I was glimpsing back into the world. Maybe this was my way out. If I could just squeeze through, then¡­ But as I grew nearer still, a chill ran down my spine. In this tear in the aether, I saw a world that wasn¡¯t my own. I knew it wasn¡¯t mine so innately, like something within me was repulsed by it. The architecture was strange, with each structure a hundred stories tall, towering over one another, formed of rippling magicks. I saw humans and tieflings in this place, true, but I also saw reptilian humanoids, and beings covered with feather-like structures and wings of metal blades. I saw four moons in the sky above, and a sun that burned blue. I pulled myself away, bearing to look upon it no longer. Warning: If conflict is not resolved in the next [299] seconds, then user will be lost. That was five minutes, by my count. I didn¡¯t have long. And if the system wasn¡¯t going to resolve this for me, then I¡¯d need to get out by myself, which meant finding a tear back to my world. I urged myself through the void towards another glimmer of light, as though swimming through darkness. But the world I saw next was one of jungles, set inside a huge orb that rose into the sky above. I moved on to the next¡ªa land of humans with strange metal horses and crackling lightning magicks and glowing glass vials. And the next, a land with wealthy realms and pink skies and palaces and where every denizen carried metal tubes in belt sheaths. More and more glimmers of light appeared around me. Not dozens, but hundreds. I¡¯d grossly underestimated how many worlds the Players had access to. And I was running out of time. Warning: If conflict is not resolved in the next [59] seconds, then user will be lost. Desperate, I willed myself to find my home world. I urged myself towards it, and I found myself soaring through the aether, dozens of worlds drifting by me, strange chills passing over my skin as I drew close. And then I saw it. A small bedroom, filled with crates. A tiefling with her head in her hands. An elf and a human shouting at one another. A witch crying, being held back by a tall orc woman. I shot towards this world, soaring through the aether, and reached my hands into the light like it was a portal back home. But this wasn¡¯t a portal. And my hand didn¡¯t enter it. I saw a body, unconscious on the floor of the inn. My own body. The corruption still spreading. I couldn¡¯t get back. I was trapped. I was¡ª Possible Conflict Resolution Option #2: Issue entity signal to identify entity perimeter. Resolving¡­ Resolving¡­ A pain shot through me like nothing I¡¯d ever felt before. My limbs snapped straight, both here in this aether and out there, through the glimmer of light, back in the real world. Screams erupted from my mouths, uncontrolled, and tears of pain streamed down my cheeks. Warning: Artifact integrity possibly compromised. Please confirm. Conflict resolved. * * * I gasped as I awoke, and as my eyes snapped open I was pleased to see not the aether, but the real world before me. I sat bolt upright, then lifted my arm to check for signs of corruption. There was no grey tint, no black ooze. I¡¯d survived. The artifact had triumphed over the corruption. The artifact. The void messages had said the artifact was compromised. Was it destroyed? Was it over? Could I no longer rely on it to keep me alive? And how could I be a hero without it? As Val gasped with relief, Arzak released her. The witch ran towards me just as I felt desperately on my chest for the familiar octahedron. It was gone. My heart skipped a beat before I spotted it on the floor not too far from me, presumably having been dropped during the healing process. As Val ran to embrace me, I pushed her aside to scramble across the floor for the artifact, grasping it. I turned it around in my hands, looking for any signs that it was broken. But I still had that same old active effect. It was still fine. I¡¯d lucked out. I realised then that Val was standing over me, that I¡¯d cast her aside for the artifact. I looked up at the witch, meeting eyes filled with despair, with terror, with anger, and cheeks lined with running makeup. I gulped. ¡®Val, I¡­¡¯ The witch turned around and hurried from the room.
"Styk" Level 20 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 50 Intelligence ¡ª 224 Dexterity ¡ª 130 Strength ¡ª 79 Wisdom ¡ª 76 Charisma ¡ª 49
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 60 Knifework ¡ª Level 42 Stealth ¡ª Level 26 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II - Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
191. Interlude — Yusef The barbarian arrived at Yusef¡¯s door. ¡®You came,¡¯ Yusef said, trying not to betray the surprise in his voice; it wouldn¡¯t do for the others to know he¡¯d had doubts. He was their prophet, after all, and supposed to know for certain all that was to come. Would they follow him if they didn¡¯t? His most loyal followers in their pale orange robes considered the man in the doorway carefully, and though nobody moved hands towards their weapons, he knew they were ready to strike. It didn¡¯t take the gift of Divination to know that. ¡®Yeah, I got your messages,¡¯ the barbarian said, eyes sweeping around the room and landing for a second on the orc. ¡®Lore,¡¯ Lillya said, with a nod. The man nodded back to her. ¡®And what of the others?¡¯ Yusef asked. The barbarian swallowed. ¡®They¡¯ll know I¡¯ve left by the morning. I left a note.¡¯ ¡®You told them you would be travelling with me?¡¯ ¡®I did, yeah.¡¯ ¡®And will they follow?¡¯ The barbarian held Yusef¡¯s gaze. It was refreshing; so few would do so, these days. Not since his following had swelled in number. ¡®You¡¯re the prophet; you tell me.¡¯ The man¡¯s eyes drifted over the others in this small room, uncertain. If he had something to say, he wouldn¡¯t say it in front of the others. ¡®Out,¡¯ Yusef said. Of those in orange, only the orc hesitated. ¡®I said out, Lillya,¡¯ the Player said again. But still the orc paused, her eyes darting to the visitor. ¡®You safe? You foresee this?¡¯ ¡®Would I tell you to leave if I hadn¡¯t?¡¯ Lillya raised her eyebrows, then turned away, slamming the door shut behind her. Yusef would need to investigate the orc¡¯s recent change in manner, but he had greater priorities. He always had greater priorities. Only when the others were long since departed from the room did the barbarian enter properly. He kept well away from Yusef, skirting around the other side of the room, then perched himself against a side table. His enormous sword clattered as metal touched wood. ¡®Your messengers said coming was the only way my friends would be safe. That¡¯s the only reason I came. That true?¡¯ ¡®I assume that your own visions showed you much the same,¡¯ Yusef replied. This bit was a risk; he knew it was. But he had his magicks ready to go. He could make Lore see what he wanted him to see, if he had to. And nobody would see the glow of those magicks because of the obscurem he gripped in his robe¡¯s pocket. The barbarian shook his head. ¡®I¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡¯ No matter. It was an easy fix. Yusef didn¡¯t even need to stand as he raised his hand towards the stranger, using his magicks to show the barbarian what he needed to see¡ªvisions of his friends¡¯ attack on Yusef. Visions of his friends being killed by the cult. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. And then, the opposite. Visions of the man standing at Yusef¡¯s side. Of his elven friend reclaiming his homeland. Of the worldbender and the witch putting aside trouble past. Of a cultist stilling the tiefling¡¯s blade before she could kill the orc. The barbarian stood still for a moment, the red glow of magicks fading from his eyes. ¡®Those were clear enough, I suppose, but I can¡¯t always make sense of them. The visions. I came for my friends, but¡­ Maybe you could also show me¡ª¡¯ ¡®How to make sense of the visions? How to control them? How to use them to seize power, to change mind and reign dominion over man?¡¯ Yusef finished for him. Again, he didn¡¯t need powers of Divination to see that one coming. Who wouldn¡¯t want those things?¡¯ ¡®No,¡¯ the man said. ¡®I was hoping you could show me how to get rid of them.¡¯ Yusef found himself caught off-guard. He turned away from the man, focusing down on the papers on the desk in front of him¡ªmissives from faraway sects, reports from spies, and requests from the Council. ¡®You want¡­ rid of these powers?¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t want to see my friends die over and over. I can¡¯t keep seeing that. I¡¯ve¡­ lost enough people already.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯d be throwing away a divine gift.¡¯ The barbarian shook his head. ¡®I dunno about all that. I¡¯ve never been one for magicks, really. Give me a sword and I¡¯m happy, but magicks? This is all¡­ this is all beyond me. Will you¡­ help me?¡¯ ¡®There are worlds out there without magick, you know,¡¯ Yusef said. ¡®Or, at least, worlds that aren¡¯t aware of the magicks that hold their realities together. They¡¯ve created some wondrous inventions in its absence¡ªcarriages powered by steam, not horse; medicines that use the innate attributes of plants; navigational devices fixed to the poles of their worlds. Truly incredible things, and things I have seen first-hand.¡¯ ¡®Sounds like a nice place. Why aren¡¯t you there? Why are you here?¡¯ It seemed the barbarian made no effort to disguise the disdain he had for Yusef. This was a man forced into a corner, doing what the prophet wanted only because he felt he had to. It wouldn¡¯t do to push him too far. Yusef smiled. He could say, now, the truth. The truth that he kept from others in his flock. And why could he say it? Because nobody would believe a slayer of the Architects. ¡®Because the magicks that bound me there faded when I died. It is true of all the worlds I visited. Reckless lifestyles, full of glutton and extravagance and a lack of concern with upsetting the locals¡­ all of those ended the same way. With my death. Now, only a handful of worlds remain available to me. Hence¡­¡¯ The member of the Council sighed; perhaps sharing this particular piece of information would be going too far. ¡®Well, you¡¯ll see.¡¯ The barbarian didn¡¯t need to know about Yusef¡¯s plans. About the Council¡¯s plans. Not yet, at any rate. Perhaps once Yusef had sufficiently converted the man with his visions, then he might be able to trust him. But until that time, he would keep the matter of the malae to himself. ¡®So you can¡¯t help me?¡¯ Lore said. ¡®I¡¯m already helping you. I¡¯m keeping your friends alive. Is that not enough? Because I can ask my followers to keep you away from me, and then we¡¯ll see what happens. You never know, the fates might smile kindly upon them. Maybe only some of them will die.¡¯ The man¡¯s hand drifted ever so slightly towards that huge sword of his. But then he caught himself¡ªas far as he knew, striking Yusef down would be enough to seal his friends¡¯ fates. The stranger possessed the gift of prophecy, but not so much that he would know the future for certain. Still, it was enough that Yusef could use it to plug the gaps in his own gathered intelligence. ¡®In fact,¡¯ Yusef continued, ¡®I think it is you who ought to help me.¡¯ ¡®How?¡¯ the barbarian said. ¡®How can I¡ª¡¯ ¡®Your Divination,¡¯ the Player interrupted. ¡®Your vision. What have you seen? You say you need to be there, under the towers, when Tana completes the great plan. ¡®Why don¡¯t we start with that?¡¯ 192. Follow Them Part XVIII: Pilgrimage ¡®Out!¡¯ the innkeeper bellowed. ¡®Out!¡¯ I raised my hands to protest my innocence. ¡®But we saved your inn!¡¯ The man snarled. ¡®You were the ones who put it in danger in the first place!¡¯ He wasn¡¯t wrong, and that¡¯s probably why my efforts to keep the rooms ended up being fruitless. It didn¡¯t matter, not really, as there were hundreds of other inns in the city of Coldharbour. We¡¯d just have to move to another. Val and Arzak were downstairs, the former drinking, while Corminar, Raelas, Alenna and I were in the hallway, trying to work out how to get rid of so many malae. We could either put them somewhere and start a big bonfire¡ªthough space was a premium in this dense city, and we didn¡¯t want to commit some accidental arson¡ªor we could get the guards to deal with them. But then there would be questions. Questions we didn¡¯t have good answers for. Either way, I opened a portal to the road outside and the four of us began carefully transporting the crates out of the inn, freeing the innkeeper of this dangerous merchandise. We were very careful to make sure the crates were fully sealed before touching any of them. I¡¯d been lucky, last time, but now I didn¡¯t have a charge in the Sisyphus Artifact. If one touched me, I was a goner. Honestly, even if I did have a charge, there was no knowing that the artifact would save me. It struggled with the corruption of the malae, or, as the artifact called it, the ¡°fabrics of reality¡±. Raelas was silent the entire time, communicating only with the odd nod. Corminar had met my eye, raising an eyebrow at her. The truth was, nobody knew quite what to do with her. For all her sins, she¡¯d just lost the only family she had in the world. Nobody could bring themselves to be so cruel to her as to tell her to go. As we were finishing up, Arzak left the inn grumbling about something¡ªVal noticeably not with her¡ªand stood watching us carrying the heavy crates. ¡®Perhaps you would be so kind as to¡ª¡¯ Corminar started. Arzak interrupted him by stepping into the street and accosting a merchant carrying a near-empty hand cart. ¡®We buy this,¡¯ she said, pointing to the cart. ¡®How much?¡¯ The short tiefling man looked up at the huge orc, blinking, and squeaked a reply. A moment later, Arzak was placing an empty hand cart down by the pile of crates. ¡®There. I help.¡¯ Corminar smiled up at her, and he managed to express that it was intended sarcastically. He¡¯d really been around us for too long. ¡®Where Lore?¡¯ Arzak asked. Alenna looked up from the latest crate at that. ¡®Yeah, I¡¯ve been meaning to ask. He¡¯s been gone all night?¡¯ The elf looked to me to answer, as I¡¯d been the one sharing a room with the missing barbarian. ¡®Guess so. I didn¡¯t see him leave.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s not like him to go without sleep,¡¯ Alenna said, and I was taken aback by this very correct assessment of the gentle giant. But Alenna really was an old friend of his; maybe she knew him even better than us. ¡®I¡¯ll check he didn¡¯t stumble back to bed in all the chaos,¡¯ I said. ¡®You good with¡­¡¯ I gestured to the cart full of monsters. ¡®The weight might be a¡ª¡¯ Corminar said, but once again Arzak interrupted him not with her words, but her actions. She lifted the end of the cart with ease. ¡®Big fire in desert, yes?¡¯ Corminar nodded. ¡®Yes.¡¯ As the elf and the orc made their way towards the outskirts of the city, Alenna took a seat on the ground at the side of the road, and Raelas stood around awkwardly. I turned back into the portal, and as I stepped through it, I saw the tiefling follow me through. I¡¯d need to do something about that at some point, but right now I was glad to have another priority. I opened the door to the room Lore and I had been using, expecting to her the familiar booming snores, but instead I only heard the creaking of the door hinge. Nobody was in the bed, but now, in the low light of dawn, I could see that it wasn¡¯t empty. Placed gently atop the pillow was a clumsily folded scrap of parchment, and I could see upon it the large, erratic handwriting of my good friend. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. Whatever this was, it surely wouldn¡¯t be good. Feeling the presence of Raelas behind me, in the doorway, I reached forward to lift the letter from the bed, and I paused for a moment before opening. As my eyes skimmed the awkward handwriting, only one thought came to mind. ¡®Oh, what the¡ª¡¯ * * * ¡®What do you mean ¡°he¡¯s gone¡±?¡¯ I¡¯d waited for Arzak and Corminar to return before revealing what I knew; the whole team needed to hear this at the same time. And, as far as I could tell, Arzak and Val were currently part of ¡°the team¡± once more. We¡¯d need them for what was to come. We were now sat around the table downstairs in the inn, ignoring an innkeeper who was tapping his toe but had realised that, frankly, there was nothing he could do to kick us out. ¡®Like I said: Yusef is leaving Coldharbour. And Lore is going with him.¡¯ ¡®Maybe Arzak and I have been gone too long. You remember we¡¯re supposed to kill Players, not befriend them?¡¯ Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Alenna raised both eyebrows at that, but said nothing. Clearly Lore hadn¡¯t filled her in on everything. ¡®Does that mean you¡¯re back?¡¯ I asked. The question came out before I really realised I was asking it. Val had no answer, but her cheeks flushed and suddenly the floor was very interesting to her. ¡®Why he go?¡¯ Arzak asked. This was about the only piece of information I was dreading sharing even more than the fact that Lore was gone. And I was dreading it because I couldn¡¯t help but think Corminar and I had a role in it. ¡®He¡¯s been¡­ struggling with the visions,¡¯ I said. ¡®I think more than Corminar and I realised.¡¯ ¡®Typical men,¡¯ Val grumbled under her breath. Alenna raised her eyebrows in agreement. ¡®What was that?¡¯ ¡®Nothing.¡¯ I chose to ignore it. Now wasn¡¯t the time. ¡®He¡¯s¡­ he¡¯s been seeing our deaths. Or, foreseeing, I suppose. I don¡¯t know quite what that means, but I¡¯m starting to think here that he¡¯s been working to keep us alive all this time. And, now, he says there¡¯s only one way to save Alenna¡¯s life.¡¯ The doctor visibly jumped at the mention of her name. ¡®Save¡­ my life? What does it¡­ Does it say what happens to me?¡¯ I shook my head. ¡®All it says is that, after Plyas, he can¡¯t face losing any more friends. He¡¯ll do whatever it takes to keep you alive, and in this case, that means leaving with Yusef. Learning from him, maybe. I don¡¯t know, it¡¯s not clear.¡¯ ¡®He doesn¡¯t say?¡¯ Val asked. ¡®No, I think he does, I just can¡¯t read his handwriting.¡¯ I placed the letter down on the table, and we all pored over it. ¡®Fair enough,¡¯ Val eventually said, when we all gave up. ¡®Allow me to ask the question, then,¡¯ Corminar said. ¡®What do we do with this information?¡¯ ¡®I mean, we go after him, right?¡¯ I asked. Arzak nodded. ¡®Yes. Go after.¡¯ ¡®Excellent,¡¯ replied the elf. ¡®My thoughts precisely.¡¯ Alenna slowed raised a hand. ¡®What about¡­?¡¯ I could only assume the rest of the question was ¡°...my prophesied death?¡± It was a good question, really. ¡®Stay out of trouble,¡¯ I told her. ¡®No patients. No fights. Nothing. We¡¯ll come back with him, and we¡¯ll keep you alive. We¡¯ll find a way.¡¯ Alenna didn¡¯t say anything, but I thought she could tell that she wasn¡¯t going to change our minds on this. I stood from the table. ¡®Alright. Grab your stuff. We¡¯re going.¡¯ * * * We stood now outside a familiar building in the western districts of Coldharbour, and Arzak wasn¡¯t happy. Since we¡¯d left the inn, I¡¯d noticed a change in the air. The thousands of cultists in this city had spurred into action, pale orange robes fluttering as they strode around Coldharbour. It was strange that they were still here; if Lore¡¯s letter was to be believed, then Yusef had already left the city. I could only imagine their supposed ¡°prophet¡± had given them a mission here. It worried me, then, when one of the cultists pushed a neatly drawn pamphlet into my hand: one offering huge sums of coin for fighters willing to join their cause. I pushed it out of my mind for now as we had other priorities¡ªsomething that I seemed to be doing a lot lately. ¡®No. Not this,¡¯ Arzak said for the second time. ¡®Not Tokas.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s Lore,¡¯ Val said, echoing what I¡¯d been about to say. ¡®We need all the help we can get.¡¯ ¡®You don¡¯t have to be friends with her. You don¡¯t have to forgive her for what she did. None of us have. But she wants to make amends. She¡¯ll fight for Lore.¡¯ Arzak grimaced. ¡®I not be so sure,¡¯ she said. ¡®Because Yusef show her killing me.¡¯
"Styk" Level 20 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 50 Intelligence ¡ª 224 Dexterity ¡ª 130 Strength ¡ª 79 Wisdom ¡ª 76 Charisma ¡ª 49
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 60 Knifework ¡ª Level 42 Stealth ¡ª Level 26 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II - Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
193. To The Edge Of The Desert The Prophet fled across the desert, and we followed. Not that we necessarily knew that Yusef was fleeing us; for all we knew, he might have thought us no threat at all, not even worth dealing with. Maybe it was like the situation with the Councilman flipped on its head, us now at the pitiable end of it rather than the enemy. Maybe he didn¡¯t think about us at all. The camp outside the city was all but gone. Only a handful of tents remained, few and far between, supporting those followers who remained in Coldharbour. That was still hundreds of cultists, but in the grand scheme of things, that was nothing at all. In place of the tents, I could see long lines in the sand, indents of the wheels of heavily laden carriages. We had no such means of transport, so I could only hope that the sheer number in Yusef¡¯s party of travellers would slow them down. Otherwise, we would just have to wait until they reached their destination. And I wasn¡¯t sure I wanted to face the Player down in an arena of his choosing. The sun beat heavily on our heads as we followed the merchants road west. We¡¯d thought to bring ample supplies with us¡ªmy Portal World was full of water flask and food enough for the seven of us¡ªbut still the heat could the end of us. ¡®Any idea where he¡¯s heading?¡¯ I called out to the disparate, quiet crowd. ¡®If he¡¯s continuing to tour the cities, Zelas might be his next destination,¡¯ Lambkin said. ¡®There is quite the population there; many to recruit.¡¯ ¡®And if he¡¯s not recruiting?¡¯ I asked. ¡®Elassos,¡¯ Tokas said. ¡®An old tiefling fortification, up in the mountains.¡¯ ¡®Sounds like the perfect place to¡ª¡¯ ¡®Spring a trap,¡¯ the tiefling finished. Good. We were on the same page. I glanced over at the rest of our party to check that they¡¯d heard. Arzak and Val, at the rear of the group and furthest away, wore glum expressions. They¡¯d heard too, then. ¡®There¡¯s nine of us, and only one of him,¡¯ I reminded them. ¡®We¡¯ve got this. Even if he does have the gift of foresight.¡¯ ¡®No,¡¯ Val said. ¡®Not one of him.¡¯ She gestured to the hundreds of wheel marks on the road. ¡®Hundreds of them.¡¯ * * * On the evening of the first day, we stopped to camp outside a small hamlet¡ªone small enough not to have somewhere for travellers to stay. The air had grown cool in the hours after the sun had passed below the horizon, though the sand still seemed to hold some warmth. As always, I volunteered for the first watch. I acted as though this was some selfless gesture¡ªthe others could rest¡ªbut really I mostly wanted an uninterrupted night of sleep. While the others slept, I kept my eyes not just on the horizon, but on those in the nearby hamlet. Curious locals stared at us from by the village well. At least, I hoped it was only curiosity. Could they have been spies for the enemy? We knew that those in the Council had access to ample funds with which to bribe and buy loyalties, but Yusef had a power beyond even that¡ªhe could win peoples¡¯ hearts, not just their coin purses. As I watched, the locals finally retired to their homes, their interest having waned. I returned to watching the horizon, and the dark blue sky faded to blackest black. * * * Val woke me by shaking my shoulder. It was aggressive enough that I thought something was wrong, and I whipped my hand to my blade, but it was just that she didn¡¯t care about being gentle. It was progress, at least; Val was communicating with me more. I just didn¡¯t know that I wanted her to, after she abandoned me. Raelas sat, propped up against a nearby rock, eating cold beans. She glared up at Val, who acted like she didn¡¯t notice. ¡®We found this in night,¡¯ Arzak said, throwing a pale orange robe to the ground in the centre of the camp. ¡®Where?¡¯ Lambkin asked. ¡®I scouted the village,¡¯ Corminar said. ¡®You went spying, you mean,¡¯ I clarified, but moved the conversation on. ¡®So Yusef has spies even here. I thought he might. But they didn¡¯t attack us.¡¯ ¡®Mm,¡¯ Arzak grunted. ¡®Not yet.¡¯ We departed before the day broke, before the northern deserts lost their chill. Without the heat, we moved faster, and I could only assume we were catching up on our prey, though of course I had no evidence. Days passed like this. As we travelled, we stumbled across more greenery¡ªfirst the odd plant, here and there, but before long oases became more commonplace. Arzak¡ªand Val, perhaps out of solidarity¡ªkept well away from Tokas and Lambkin. Raelas barely spoke a word. Lore¡¯s absence was a presence greater than even his usual, broad self. Only Corminar seemed to have kept any semblance of normality, though of course his benchmark of ¡°normal¡± had changed since he¡¯d watched his homeland fall. We reached the first town of meaningful size a few days later, and all seven of us were nervous about approaching. We knew that Yusef had left spies behind, but for what purpose? He knew that we would follow him¡ªor if not him, then Lore¡ªbut what would he do about it? Did he just want to monitor us, or was it more than that? Was he planning a trap? Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡®There¡¯s something wrong here,¡¯ Tokas said, staring on at the town. She¡¯d only been saying what we were all thinking, but the disdain on Arzak¡¯s face was palpable. I think I¡¯d probably dislike someone who had been prophesied to kill me, too, though. So that was fair enough; they could stay away from each other so long as we got Lore back. That was all that mattered at this stage. ¡®Yes,¡¯ Val said flatly, fury communicated on behalf of Arzak. ¡®Spies. We got it.¡¯ Tokas glanced down at the floor. Even I¡ªnot someone typically good with analysing emotion¡ªcould sense the turmoil going on within her. For all her crimes, both past and future, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a little sorry for her. At least she had Lambkin to speak on her behalf. ¡®What is it, Tokas?¡¯ he asked, voice gentle. ¡®What do you see?¡¯ I noticed him put a comforting arm on her shoulder; maybe he¡¯d got a tad too close to the woman he was supposed to have been monitoring. ¡®It doesn¡¯t¡­ feel right,¡¯ the tiefling answered. This was hardly the meaningful answer any of us were after. ¡®What doesn¡¯t?¡¯ Lambkin prodded. ¡®There are magicks at play here, but I¡­¡¯ Tokas gestured to the sight before us. There stood small stone buildings, coloured the same as the sands around us. Those inhabitants of the town looked just like all those we¡¯d seen before; they went about their business with nothing to hint at aggressive intentions. Children played in the streets, tapping a small wooden hoop towards one of two goals. It was mundane¡ªand that, I think, was what Tokas was trying to get at. I opened myself to the idea of magicks before us, closing my eyes and breathing in the air, as though trying to taste mana on the wind. But I tasted, saw, and felt nothing. ¡®Val? Raelas?¡¯ I asked the other magick-users among us. The latter shook her head. The former said nothing. ¡®Just you, Tokas,¡¯ I told her. ¡®I¡¯m not lying,¡¯ she said, as though anticipating doubts from some of us. I didn¡¯t doubt her, but judging by scowling expressions, others did. ¡®Do we have a map?¡¯ ¡®A map?¡¯ ¡®Yeah, I¡ª¡¯ Tokas froze mid-sentence, drawing in a sharp breath. ¡®What is it?¡¯ Lambkin asked. ¡®What¡¯s wrong?¡¯ The tiefling paled. ¡®Trap.¡¯ At that moment, a flash of orange appeared above me. I snapped my head up to it just in time to see a man appear as if from nothing. His pale orange robe billowed behind him as he fell two feet to the crest of the sand dune, and he brought his quarterstaff down towards me. As I drew my blade, the weapon knocked against the top of my head, causing me to stagger backwards and fall down the side of the dune. Around me, I glimpsed more ambushers appearing from nothing, launching straight into an attack on our whole party. By my initial cursory glance, they numbered not too many more than us; Yusef hadn¡¯t accounted for Val, Arzak, Lambkin and Tokas joining our party. His spies on the road hadn¡¯t reported our number, or at least word of our number hadn¡¯t reached him before he set this trap. The nearest assailant brought his quarterstaff down on me once more, and I responded by opening a portal beneath me and tumbling through it. I closed it just in time to see the closing portal slice through the end of the man¡¯s quarterstaff, diminishing his ability to attack but also telling me that the weapon wasn¡¯t enchanted. As the end of the staff fell to the sand at my feet, I raised my blade and looked to the woman who was standing at my side. Not Raelas, not Val, but Tokas. ¡®Told you something was wrong,¡¯ she said.
"Styk" Level 20 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 50 Intelligence ¡ª 224 Dexterity ¡ª 130 Strength ¡ª 79 Wisdom ¡ª 76 Charisma ¡ª 49
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 60 Knifework ¡ª Level 42 Stealth ¡ª Level 26 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II - Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
194. Hurt ¡®Oh good,¡¯ I said, ¡®another fight.¡¯ The man with the quarterstaff charged, swiping his broken weapon wildly. I ducked to one side, avoiding the arcing weapon, then charged in to Stab with my blade. My dagger hit flesh, and I pushed the attack by activating my Closed Reach ability. Recruit of the Ascendancy Cult defeated! Worldbending ¡ª +1,050xp Knifework ¡ª +1,300xp Someone shouted something off to my right, but I couldn¡¯t quite make it out over the sounds of battle. And then someone else clubbed me over the head. Raelas appeared at my side, stepping out of a portal at my side. She turned her right arm to ice and used it to block the attack of the enemy I hadn¡¯t seen. ¡®Duck, I said,¡¯ she repeated. ¡®Could¡¯ve said it a bit lou¡­¡¯ I started, but then my latest ability selection returned to me. With the flick of my wrist, I activated my Portal Relay ability, creating with it seven small portals, no larger than an apple, one for each of us. I had the ability to create up to ten of these, but I just couldn¡¯t see any point of creating more than we could use. I burst my hands forward, fingers splayed, and six of the seven small portals soared off towards my travelling companions. They slowed as they approached, then began gently circling their heads. ¡®What in hell,¡¯ Arzak mumbled as she met enemy blade with blades of her own. ¡®New ability,¡¯ I shouted through my own portal, though I didn¡¯t really need to shout. ¡®Use it to communicate.¡¯ ¡®Styk, turn around,¡¯ Corminar said. ¡®Yeah, communicate just like that!¡¯ ¡®No,¡¯ the elf repeated. ¡®Turn around. Raelas is about to die.¡¯ ¡®Oh, right.¡¯ I whipped myself back to the tiefling who¡¯d saved me just in time to see the enemy pushing down against her icy arms. I leaped into action, activating my Knifestorm ability while just out of range of my ally¡ªbut not the cultist. Knife wounds peppered the man¡¯s side, not quite enough to eliminate him but enough that Raelas could push back. The tiefling rose steadily to her feet, then headbutted the enemy. As the cultist staggered backwards in surprise, I charged in for the finishing blow. Ascendancy Warrior defeated! Worldbending ¡ª +950xp Knifework ¡ª +1,650xp Knifework increased to level 43! Base Points Gained ¡ª +1 DEX, +1 STR, +2 Free Points (VIT/DEX/STR) I whipped around just as I heard a cry from Arzak. One of the ambushers had struck her from behind while she¡¯d been facing another. As a result, her right arm now sported a huge gash. My orc friend dropped her right-hand sword, leaving her only with the one I¡¯d given her all those weeks ago¡ªthe one I¡¯d ¡°borrowed¡± from a knight of the realm. I opened a portal to blink to her side. I fell out of the portal above one of the enemies, knocking them from their feet. At the same moment, Arzak turned to meet the glowing blade of the other attacker. It was nice to know that even after all this time apart, we were still in sync when it mattered. Arzak¡¯s blade clattered against the enemy¡¯s, and a second later the glowing blue aura of the other sword began shifting into Arzak¡¯s. ¡®No, no, no¡­¡¯ the enemy began to mutter as the glowing grew brighter and brighter before¡­ It exploded. The magicks sent a shockwave out that knocked the enemy from her feet, but passed over me and Arzak like a gentle breeze. ¡®I¡¯d almost forgotten it did that,¡¯ I said, then pressed the attack on the man now stumbling back to his feet. I stabbed forward with my blade, but the man was quick enough to block it with his leather bracer. I tried again, to much the same result. ¡®Oh, to hells with this.¡¯ I lowered my free hand to the ground, fingers splayed, and opened a portal beneath the man¡¯s feet, its partner high in the sky above. He fell through and began tumbling to the ground, and I turned my back, thinking the fall damage would do the trick. But when his feet hit the sand once more, it was like he¡¯d barely fallen at all. He landed in a crouch, almost on one knee, and then rose slowly back to his feet, rage in his eyes. ¡®Huh. Quite a cool landing.¡¯ The man charged, blade arching through the air, and I stepped back through a new portal to avoid it. ¡®Let¡¯s try something else,¡¯ I said, allowing myself a quick smirk. I raised my hands to¡ª Something hit me in the shoulder. Hard. ¡®Ouch?¡¯ I turned around just in time to see an enemy ranger about to fire a second arrow at me¡ªbecause that¡¯s what I¡¯d been hit by¡ªand I slipped back through the same pair of portals to avoid it. ¡®On it,¡¯ Tokas said over the portal relays. A moment later, Val added between strained breaths. ¡®Maybe spend more time fighting and less time being smug? OK. No more smirks. As the same enemy charged me once more, I opened a portal in front of him and once again dumped him in the air high above. But this time, before he could reach the ground once more¡ªand look really cool in his landing¡ªI opened another portal that tossed him into the air above me. At the same time, I arched my dagger overhead, slicing through the man¡¯s back, rendering his light armour too damaged to be functional. Another arrow careered overhead, missing me by a foot or more as Tokas worked her illusion magicks on the enemy, making them see things that weren¡¯t there. As someone who¡¯d been on the receiving end of that before, it filled me with more dread than I might have expected. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡®Behind,¡¯ Val said through the relays. I didn¡¯t react, because I had no idea who she was talking to, and then someone stumbled into me. ¡®I said ¡°behind¡±!¡¯ Val shouted, this time not requiring the relay. ¡®Maybe tell us who you¡¯re talking to next time?¡¯ I retorted, wondering whether this was the normal good-natured bickering or actual arguments rooted in the complex feelings we had about one another. There wasn¡¯t time to find out, because another enemy launched a fireball at us. I spun around, stepping in front of Val, and activated my Ash Husk ability. As Val was now forced to deal with the now armourless swordsman, I prepared myself to face down a sorcerer. There were so many fire magick specialists out there, and I¡¯d recently had an idea how to deal with them. I grabbed the fireball from mid-air, just before it hit me. Even with my ashen hands, this hurt. A lot. I screamed as I tried to work through the pain, then opened a portal at my feet. I fell through it, appearing in the air above the sorcerer, and I tumbled fireball-first. The fire engulfed the sorcerer, and so used were they to dealing the fire damage that they clearly hadn¡¯t prepared for receiving it. Apprentice of the Boundless Flame defeated! Worldbending ¡ª +2,250xp Worldbending increased to level 61! Base Points gained ¡ª +2 INT, +2 Free Points (INT/WIS/CHA) Though we were turning the tide on our ambushers¡ªthey now numbering fewer than us¡ªthere was no time to waste. I turned back to Val and the swordsman, and saw that the enemy was overpowering her. Even her green-glowing magicks that summoned scorpions from the desert was not enough to slow him down. The scorpion¡¯s poisons were fast-acting in these parts, but not so fast that they¡¯d kill the man before he killed Val. I stepped through a portal, back to the man¡¯s side, and activated Knifestorm once more. But the man was quick enough to block it, and even though his armour was rendered useless, he still had his blade. When my ability had run its course, he swiped with that sword and I was lucky to avoid it, staggering backwards across the loose sands of a dune. I had half a second to think before he pressed the attack, and think quickly I did. I knew he could survive a fall, and he knew that too. So far, that had meant he saw no problem with tumbling from the sky, and therefore he¡¯d made little attempt to avoid my portals. But I still had a trick up my sleeve. I opened another portal in front of him as he charged, just in time to avoid the tip of his blade meeting my heart. The man fell through it, and¡­ disappeared. Vice-Champion of Fallenstone escaped! Worldbending ¡ª +2,400xp I breathed a sigh of relief. ¡®...Where¡¯d he go?¡¯ Val asked. The enemy was probably standing in Coldharbour¡¯s central plaza in that very moment, wondering the same question. Maybe my Saved Portal ability was more useful than I¡¯d given it credit for. ¡®Coldharbour.¡¯ A wry smile crossed her face. ¡®Nice.¡¯ ¡®Thanks.¡¯ She turned away after that, remembering herself, and all that had passed between us. The rest of our ambushers fell soon after that, Corminar and Lambkin picking off the last of them as they fled. ¡®It was my arrow that felled them,¡¯ the elf told us¡ªa point that needed clarification because both had hit the enemy at the same time. ¡®OK?¡¯ Val said, with a shrug. I wrenched the arrow from my shoulder and winced with the pain. The witch, sighing as though it was some great chore, placed her hands over the wounds and started her Healing. I nodded to the yellow-white glow. ¡®You¡¯ve got better,¡¯ I said. Val nodded. ¡®Thanks.¡¯ As she was about to turn away, I raised my hand, revealing my heavily-burned palms. The witch sighed once more. A little way away, I saw Tokas notice Arzak¡¯s gaping wound, and the tiefling hurried to be helpful. She placed her hands over the orc¡¯s arm and began healing, generating that same yellow-white glow as Val. ¡®Thank¡ª¡¯ Arzak started, then her eyes bulged when she saw that it was Tokas, not Val, who was healing her. She recoiled fast, stepping backwards up the side of a dune, a gaping wound apparently far more preferable than having the tiefling so close. Than having the tiefling who was prophesied to kill her so close. ¡®I won¡¯t¡ª¡¯ Tokas began, but the orc cut her off. ¡®Stay away from me. Away from me,¡¯ Arzak said. The tiefling nodded, choking back her distress. Lambkin stepped forward and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder once more. I met the eyes of the ex-captain, and understood what he was silently telling me. We needed to fix this before something bad happened. I just didn¡¯t know how.
"Styk" Level 20 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 52 Intelligence ¡ª 227 Dexterity ¡ª 131 Strength ¡ª 80 Wisdom ¡ª 76 Charisma ¡ª 50
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 61 Knifework ¡ª Level 43 Stealth ¡ª Level 26 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II - Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
195. The Potential For Evil We set off from camp the next morning just as the sky turned from midnight black to simply very very dark blue. The ambient light of the sun was just enough for us to navigate with, and the sooner we got going, the more we could justify resting while the midday sun passed over. I found myself trudging down the road next to Arzak, who was never the loudest among us, but had been particularly quiet since her brief argument with Tokas. I couldn¡¯t honestly say I knew what she was going through, and part of me regretted bringing Tokas along with us. But then I remembered Lore, somewhere out there, across the lands, being manipulated by our terrible enemy. We really did need all the help we could get. Still, I could try to comfort Arzak some. ¡®How¡¯s it going?¡¯ I asked. ¡®I head to fight Player who can see future, and I do so with woman who betrayed me and prophesied to kill me,¡¯ came the simple answer. ¡®Fair enough.¡¯ I gulped. ¡®Anything I can do to help?¡¯ ¡®No,¡¯ Arzak snapped, then after a moment she sighed. ¡®Sorry. I have lot of stress on top of me.¡¯ ¡®You mean you¡¯re under¡ª¡¯ I started, then shook my head. Now wasn¡¯t the time. ¡®It¡¯s OK. I get it. But you understand why I had to bring them along?¡¯ I nodded my head towards Lambkin and Tokas, who were at the rear of our pack by quite some way. ¡®I understand. Is Lore.¡¯ I noted that she was echoing my earlier wording. ¡®Is Lore, yeah.¡¯ ¡®Got protect him.¡¯ I nodded, and we proceeded on in silence for a few minutes. Arzak spoke next. ¡®You leader now, huh?¡¯ The question took me aback. ¡®What? No. I¡ª¡¯ ¡®You say ¡°Why I had to bring them¡±. Not why ¡°we¡± had to bring them. I.¡¯ Before I could protest any more, Arzak shook her head and smiled. ¡®Is OK. I think we all know by now that you leader. Or would be. You progress fast, thank to artifact. You be stronger than all of us soon, if not already. And got brain that even Val jealous of.¡¯ I didn¡¯t answer. What could I say to this? I knew I was progressing quickly, and I was lying if I said I hadn¡¯t noticed that I was the one giving the orders these days. I looked forward, towards Val, my eyes skimming over Raelas, who was looking my way. I still couldn¡¯t figure out how I felt about her. Part of me wanted to run to her, to embrace her, to be with her every second. But another part roared with a furious anger about what she¡¯d done. About how she¡¯d left. About how she blamed me for something I could do nothing about. And yet, she¡¯d run to me, hadn¡¯t she? In the moments that the corruption took hold, she¡¯d run to me. That had been her instinct. Not to run, not to flee, but to risk herself. Arzak watched me stare. ¡®She need time,¡¯ she said, and then, ¡®Maybe you do too.¡¯ ¡®She knows I can¡¯t help who my parents are, right?¡¯ ¡®In head? Yes. In heart¡­ more complicated.¡¯ Arzak kicked aside an old, leather satchel that someone had discarded on the road. ¡®We all suffer from Players. They do terrible things to us. Those wounds not close. Not completely. Is hard. But she come around, in time.¡¯ ¡®Will she?¡¯ I found myself asking. ¡®I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d do if she didn¡¯t.¡¯ Arzak¡¯s eyes widened, and she came to a halt for a moment. ¡®Maybe you tell her this. Maybe she not know. Maybe she think she love man who not truly love back.¡¯ ¡®Does she?¡¯ The orc shrugged. ¡®Not my business.¡¯ ¡®But you just said¡ª¡¯ ¡®Not my business,¡¯ Arzak repeated. I shook my head. Arzak had removed her metaphorical ¡°gossip¡± hat and put on her ¡°good friend¡± hat once more. There was nothing that could be done about that. So I instead jumped at the opportunity to ask something that I¡¯d been wondering about for some while. ¡®You said everyone here suffered at the hands of Players. I know what happened to Val, to Corminar, to Lore¡­ but what about you? You¡¯ve never spoken about it.¡¯ Arzak remained quiet while we passed two merchants on the road, travelling the other way. We offered them polite smiles and nods, and they returned the sentiments. I could tell we were drawing close to another settlement, because we passed an ever-growing number of travellers, setting off with the dawn. ¡®Is not story I like tell.¡¯ ¡®I figured,¡¯ I replied. ¡®You don¡¯t have to if you don¡¯t want to.¡¯ The orc shook her head. ¡®No. Is OK. I tell. Story start in Northern Reaches. Far north. Off human maps. Very cold up there. Miss it now, in this place.¡¯ ¡®Yeah, I bet.¡¯ ¡®If I tell story, no interruption.¡¯ ¡®Got it. Sorry.¡¯ I snapped my trap shut. ¡®In far north, is frozen tundra. Hard to live in tundra. Cold, yes, but also there are beasts up there. Emerge from snowstorms. Eat crops. Eat orcs. Eat buildings, sometimes. We not always cope. Our clan, we reached south, to call in outside help. A Player answered the call, a fearsome warrior.¡¯ ¡®Ah, and they¡ª¡¯ I began. ¡®What I say about interruptions?¡¯ ¡®Sorry,¡¯ I said again. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. ¡®You and Val perfect for each other. Two big mouths, not know when to close.¡¯ Arzak shook her head. ¡®This Player not like the others. This one, kind. This one show me ways of swords. Bought me gifts. Gave me a¡­ how you say, a role model? Saved my home four times over. Took payment, yes, but was never much, and she never ask for more. I join her on journeys, on quests, left clan behind¡ªelder gave permission. I loved her.¡¯ I resisted the urge to speak, but only just about; my mouth moved a little. ¡®Two years later, I watch her die. She die at hands of another Player. The second Player I ever meet. I learn that I lucky to have met her and none others. I learn that those from Ascended World not care about us. Most of them not care about us. Most of them not love us. Most of them not like El.¡¯ Silence passed over us for a moment as Arzak retreated into herself, and her memories. ¡®Not all Players are evil,¡¯ I said, ostensibly summarising the story, but of course thinking about a specific Player. ¡®Not all,¡¯ Arzak agreed, though she saw right through me. ¡®But your mother, she in Council. I¡­¡¯ The orc didn¡¯t need to finish that sentence; we all knew that the Council were involved in deadly schemes, and if my mother was a part of it, then¡­ Well, I couldn¡¯t quite bring myself to think about it. The orc glanced back at Tokas¡ªthe first time she¡¯d put eyes on her, as far as I could remember. ¡®And then I meet Tokas. She save me. Not from physical danger, but from emotional. I was not in good place, and she¡­ she pull me out. I love her, too, but in different way. As sister. And then¡­¡¯ Arzak gestured generally, but it was enough for me to know exactly what she was talking about. The betrayal. Accompanying Jacob during the devastation of Plainside, if to save her children. But the tiefling was here, now, trying to make up for it, even leaving her children in care back in Coldharbour to do so. I could see that Tokas was trying to make amends, but¡­ did Arzak? Could Arzak? ¡®Do you think you can forgive her?¡¯ I asked. ¡®Forgive? How I forgive someone who betray like that? How I forgive someone who going to kill me?¡¯ ¡®We don¡¯t know that. The future is unwritten. I¡¯ve watched Lore change it time and time again over the past few weeks, though I didn¡¯t realise at the time that that was what he was doing. You don¡¯t know what will happen.¡¯ ¡®I know it can happen,¡¯ Arzak said. It was hard to argue with that, but I was about to give it a go anyway, when suddenly I heard loud voices up ahead. Turning to face the front of our pack, I saw Val standing over Raelas. ¡®Why are you still here, anyway?¡¯ the witch demanded of the tiefling. ¡®I¡­¡¯ Raelas started, but Val didn¡¯t give her a chance to speak. ¡®Cos if you¡¯re anything like your friends, then you¡¯re gonna betray us as soon as you see some opportunity to get money. We don¡¯t need that on¡ª¡¯ ¡®Val,¡¯ Corminar said, his voice calm. ¡®Enough.¡¯ ¡®What? We¡¯re not all thinking it? We should have handed her into the guards, rather than having another liability with us.¡¯ I made a very conscious effort not to look over at Tokas. ¡®I have nowhere else to go!¡¯ The words seemed to burst forth from Raelas¡¯s mouth, as though she¡¯d been fighting to keep them back. ¡®I have no one. No one. Can¡¯t you understand that? Can¡¯t you have a little bit of sympathy?¡¯ ¡®After what you¡ª¡¯ Val started, but a firm look from Corminar cut her off again. Val wasn¡¯t wrong, though. Raelas had been collecting malae, arguably the most dangerous species alive. And she¡¯d done it thinking only about coin. But then, if Tokas deserved a second chance, didn¡¯t Raelas too? ¡®I want to be good,¡¯ Raelas said. ¡®I want to be a hero. Like you.¡¯ Val¡¯s eyes flicked to me. ¡®We have to give her a chance to redeem herself, Val,¡¯ I said. ¡®Do we?¡¯ the witch replied, and then turned away. I couldn¡¯t help but feel like I¡¯d made another poor decision. I could only hope that Yusef and Lore weren¡¯t much further, because our group was falling apart at the seams. I nodded to another merchant who was passing us on the road. I was again smiling, but this time trying to communicate that I was sorry for this scene he¡¯d paid witness to. Then I saw his face. One I recognised. One that recognised me. Ted began to run.
"Styk" Level 20 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 52 Intelligence ¡ª 227 Dexterity ¡ª 131 Strength ¡ª 80 Wisdom ¡ª 76 Charisma ¡ª 50
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 61 Knifework ¡ª Level 43 Stealth ¡ª Level 26 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II - Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
196. The Destitute ¡®No!¡¯ Ted roared, clutching his head and bolting away from us, down the road. ¡®No! No! No! Not you! Not you! Leave me alone! Leave me alone!¡¯ From the muffled sound of his words, he was shouting through tears. ¡®You?¡¯ Val called out from up ahead. ¡®What are you doing here?¡¯ ¡®Should not be in Auricia?¡¯ Arzak asked. The last time we¡¯d seen him, he¡¯d found new riches, and had opened a popular new sweet shop in the capital. One which traded in enchantments under the table. Ted didn¡¯t reply, instead continuing to flee, so I opened a portal beneath his feet and dropped him back in front of us. He hit the ground harder than I¡¯d intended, but at least the sand was soft around here. The man scurried backwards on hands and feet, looking up at me as I loomed over him. ¡®What you doing here, Ted?¡¯ I repeated Val¡¯s question. ¡®Leave me alone!¡¯ the man cried again, stumbling to his feet, his bag falling from his shouder. He turned to run, and collided heavily with Arzak¡¯s broad chest. He bounced off it, landing back on his arse once more. ¡®You spy on us?¡¯ the orc asked. It was a fair enough question, considering we knew Yusef had people monitoring us. And what with how much this man hated us, it was a reasonable leap to assume he was one of them. ¡®Spy?¡¯ Ted spluttered. ¡®What do you mean spy? And on you? I want to be as far away as possible at all times from you people!¡¯ ¡®Then why not in fancy shop?¡¯ ¡®Oh, I dunno, maybe because last time you were they you bloody flooded it?¡¯ ¡®Huh,¡¯ I said. ¡®I forgot about that. My bad.¡¯ ¡®Your bad?¡¯ Ted repeated. ¡®Your bad? Do you know how much I had to pay the landlord for all the repairs? And that¡¯s not to mention all the stock I lost, and the customers never really came back in the same way after someone mildly electrocuted half of them.¡¯ The man stared daggers at Val¡ªthe woman who I suspected he¡¯d once had a bit of a crush on. That had changed, then. ¡®My bad,¡¯ Val said, echoing me. ¡®Stop saying that!¡¯ Ted turned and tried to run once more, but I opened a portal in front of him. He didn¡¯t fall through it, but it was enough to stop him in his tracks. He turned back, his eyes on the satchel bag that he¡¯d dropped in the confusion. ¡®You ruined me. My benefactors demanded their money back¡ªmoney I no longer had. I had to flee. Had to leave the human realms behind, had to come out here and start from scratch. Had to start looking for salvation.¡¯ ¡®Salvation?¡¯ Corminar asked. He¡¯d had the same thought as me. ¡®Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re running off to join the cult.¡¯ ¡®Cult? No,¡¯ Ted replied. ¡®I¡¯m looking to join the Church of Ascendancy. I¡¯m¡ª¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s the cult!¡¯ ¡®¡ªafter a new start, in a new world. There¡¯s a man who¡¯ll grant us that if we serve him. A Player. I¡¯m going to¡ª¡¯ ¡®He¡¯s not granted anyone anything!¡¯ I cried. ¡®He¡¯s lying to you! Seriously, why do none of you see that? Honestly, is all it takes some charismatic, strong¡ª¡¯ ¡®Handsome,¡¯ Val added. I turned to her. ¡®Seriously?¡¯ ¡®Mm,¡¯ Arzak added. ¡®Nice legs.¡¯ I rolled my eyes. ¡®Some charismatic, strong, handsome guy and you¡¯re all falling over yourselves to believe every word he says. That¡¯s how despots get their power, you know.¡¯ Ted glared back at me. ¡®I read history books,¡¯ I explained. ¡®I doubt that,¡¯ the once sweet shop owner retorted. ¡®That I like history books?¡¯ ¡®That you can read.¡¯ I replied by tossing him through a portal, just for the hells of it. ¡®Don¡¯t join the cult, Ted,¡¯ Val said. ¡®You¡¯re better than that. Well, you¡¯re not, but don¡¯t join it anyway.¡¯ Lambkin picked the man¡¯s satchel bag up off the ground, shaking the sand from it. This was a man who was honourable even in the face of an enemy; it was sometimes infuriating. ¡®We¡¯re going to kill him,¡¯ I told Ted. ¡®Your Player hero. So no point you going. Why don¡¯t you trot back on to the Tundras and¡ª¡¯ The ex-captain handed the man his bag, and Ted¡¯s hand shot straight into it. I realised the mistake a moment too late. ¡®Lambkin, no!¡¯ But it was too late. Ted¡¯s eyes lit up as he withdrew a round purple sweet from the bag. He popped it in his mouth, and¡ª The man disappeared. ¡®Ah,¡¯ Lambkin said. ¡®My apologies. Portal magicks, was that?¡¯ The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. It was a good point. For all we¡¯d seen of Ted¡¯s enchantments before, none of them seemed close to my particular brand of Worldbending magicks. I looked down, seeing footsteps in the sand, and realised the truth. ¡®Not portals,¡¯ I said. ¡®Invisibility.¡¯ We chased the footprints across the dunes, but soon they faded; Ted had an enchantment even for that. ¡®Hm,¡¯ Arzak grumbled, eyes on Lambkin. Her ire for Tokas had now started bleeding onto the ex-captain too. ¡®Wouldn¡¯t worry,¡¯ I said, clapping Arzak on the shoulder. ¡®We¡¯ll run into him again.¡¯ I sighed. ¡®We always do.¡¯ Even I was prophesying now. * * * Our journey northwest continued. Nobody had got into an argument for a while, which I was considering a success. If we could just keep that up until we faced down Yusef, then that was fine. We could all fall apart once the job was done, and once Lore was saved. We passed through small hamlets on the road, all of them near-desolate. Corminar had thought to ask about it at one point, and the answer given was that all the young, working people had left with the cult, leaving just the old behind. They were looking for a greater life than these small desert towns could provide, and the allure of ascendancy was strong. It was no wonder that Yusef had so much success recruiting in these parts; these were places forgotten by the region¡¯s leaders, left without support, left to face the harsh realities of life. So when we arrived at a town that was lively and bustling¡ªat least compared to those that came before¡ªwe were a little surprised. Tokas again hesitated at the perimeter of the town¡ªshe¡¯d done this once before¡ªand all of us slowed to a halt at her side. ¡®Perhaps Yusef did not travel this way,¡¯ Corminar suggested, seeing what I¡¯d seen about the town ahead of us. ¡®What, he veered off the merchant road?¡¯ I asked. ¡®Like Tokas said, there¡¯s nothing in these parts until Zelas City, and that¡¯s down this way.¡¯ ¡®Maybe there was something going off the road for?¡¯ Val said. Arzak shook her head, and the reasoning that followed reflected my own. ¡®Only thing he interested in is strength. Strength in recruits. Recruits in city. Ergo, he pass through here.¡¯ ¡®Ergo?¡¯ Val repeated, eyebrow raised. ¡®Did I not use right?¡¯ ¡®If he came through this way, then his recruitment efforts didn¡¯t go so well,¡¯ Lambkin said. ¡®Why might that be?¡¯ I shrugged, then took a step forward. ¡®Let¡¯s go find out.¡¯ ¡®No,¡¯ Tokas said. All this time, her eyes had been on the village, scowling as if trying to penetrate the minds of those who lived there. As if trying to hear their intentions. ¡®Something wrong?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s as before,¡¯ Tokas said. ¡®Like when we were ambushed. I felt something. Magicks. Could be another trap.¡¯ We turned to look at the village ahead of us. The people were smiling, which I suppose was odd in itself, but it didn¡¯t exactly scream ¡°trap¡±. We could have simply skirted around the village to be safe, but if these people had somehow resisted Yusef¡¯s charms, then maybe it would be useful to know how. ¡®Alright,¡¯ I said, ¡®We¡¯ll scout it out first.¡¯ ¡®Who put you in charge?¡¯ Val asked. ¡®Arzak.¡¯ Val looked to the orc. Arzak shrugged. ¡®Little bit, yes.¡¯ ¡®Why would you do that? His head is big enough as it¡ª¡¯ ¡®Look, I¡¯m going in because I can portal straight back out again if anything goes wrong. That¡¯s all.¡¯ ¡®And I¡¯m coming,¡¯ Tokas said. ¡®If this is what I think it is, then you¡¯ll need me to sense the magicks.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m a magick user too, you know,¡¯ I replied. ¡®Not like this you¡¯re not.¡¯ I furrowed my brow, but didn¡¯t press the matter further; I didn¡¯t think Tokas would volunteer to walk into a potential trap unless she really thought she could help. ¡®Fine,¡¯ I said, and stepped towards the town. ¡®But don¡¯t cause trouble.¡¯ Tokas didn¡¯t reply.
"Styk" Level 20 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 52 Intelligence ¡ª 227 Dexterity ¡ª 131 Strength ¡ª 80 Wisdom ¡ª 76 Charisma ¡ª 50
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 61 Knifework ¡ª Level 43 Stealth ¡ª Level 26 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II - Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
197. Uneasy Tokas and I walked, not portalled, into town. I didn¡¯t want to draw any attention to us in case the tiefling was right, that there was danger here. So we waited for a pair of merchants to pass us on the road, then fell in step behind them, acting as though we were with them. ¡®Why did you ask me to come?¡¯ Tokas whispered, glancing back at the others¡ªand at Arzak specifically, I suspected. ¡®Extra hands,¡¯ I replied, hoping that this would be a good enough answer. It wasn¡¯t. ¡®You don¡¯t want me here, not really. If you have to ask me not to cause trouble, then you don¡¯t trust me.¡¯ Tokas quickly scrambled to add, ¡®Not that I blame you.¡¯ ¡®Let¡¯s just concentrate on the task at hand, yeah?¡¯ But Tokas wasn¡¯t put off. ¡®Arzak doesn¡¯t like it. Me being here. I should go.¡¯ ¡®Once we get Lore, you can do whatever the hells you want. Until then, we need you here. We owe him that. You, in particular, owe him that.¡¯ The tiefling went quiet. I should have known; any talk about what she¡¯d done to betray us was usually quick to shut her up. She just couldn¡¯t face it. I admittedly wasn¡¯t sure I could either. At least we were both talented in emotional compartmentalisation, unlike our orcish friend. We drew closer to the town, the sights and smells¡ªwhat little there were of each¡ªtickling our senses. Sand-lashed walls in the eyes, grilled vegetables in the nose. ¡®You feel anything?¡¯ I asked. ¡®Remorse.¡¯ ¡®Magicks, I mean. Do you feel a trap?¡¯ ¡®No more than before. Which is to say¡­ I still think we are in danger.¡¯ I kept my eyes peeled as we entered the town proper. None of the locals seemed to be paying us any mind, not looking at us with anything more than a fleeting glance. Or were they taking care not to look at us? I shook my head. Tokas was making me paranoid. To prove my paranoia unfounded, I pulled out a handful of loose change, and approached one of the two market stalls, geared towards those on the long road from Zelas to Coldharbour. ¡®What¡¯ll it be, young sir?¡¯ a man probably double my age asked, looking down at me with what I can only describe as kind, purple eyes. ¡®Water¡¯s cool, fresh from the well,¡¯ he said, gesturing to the selection of waterskins on the stall in front of him. ¡®Or I have some rations for the road, cooked this morning.¡¯ ¡®You got something to cover my head?¡¯ I asked. ¡®A cloth, or¡­¡¯ Something cheap enough that it wasn¡¯t the end of the world in terms of my wealth. ¡®Ah, yes, got a little red to your head, ain¡¯t ya? A little red for a human, at least!¡¯ He tossed his head back and laughed as though the joke was hilarious. I smiled politely. ¡®I got just the thing,¡¯ the merchant continued, then pulled some cloth from beneath the table. It was sea green, the exact same shade as Val¡¯s magicks. ¡®I¡¯ll take it,¡¯ I said, then, handing over the coins, added, ¡®Thanks kindly.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re welcome, young sir.¡¯ I retreated from the stall to where Tokas was waiting for me in the shade of a building, tying the new scrap of fabric around my head. Tokas looked at it, but didn¡¯t say anything. With her, that meant she had nothing nice to say about it. ¡®You learn anything?¡¯ the tiefling asked. ¡®Only that I¡¯m a ¡°young sir¡± around here.¡¯ Tokas said nothing. ¡®And you?¡¯ ¡®The same uneasy sensation of magicks at play. But I cannot sense the source, as though it is far away, or as though the magicks have been tied off, allowed to fester.¡¯ ¡®Could be something as simple as a bound water spring?¡¯ I suggested. ¡®I heard about them in Coldharbour.¡¯ Again, the tiefling said nothing, shaking her head. ¡®Come on,¡¯ I said, holding out my arm for her to hold. ¡®Act natural. We¡¯ll look around more.¡¯ ¡®As a couple?¡¯ ¡®As a fake couple, yes. Lone travellers arouse more suspicion than couples.¡¯ Tokas hesitated. ¡®Aren¡¯t you worried that I¡¯ve just lured you out here to hurt you?¡¯ I lowered my arm. ¡®Well I am now you¡¯ve said that.¡¯ I shook my head. ¡®No, I know you won¡¯t do that. Not any more.¡¯ Tokas almost seemed pleased to hear this, but I kept my arm lowered nonetheless. ¡®Maybe we¡¯re a couple who¡¯ve just had an argument, instead,¡¯ I suggested. Tokas nodded. Together, we roamed around the town, nodding and smiling politely to the locals, and I was called ¡°young sir¡± a handful more times. The inhabitants of one of the houses we passed had opened up two of their rooms for travellers, and were even opening up their front room to sell food and drinks. Though they didn¡¯t seem to have quite got this concept down, I insisted Tokas and I stopped in for one. Where better to hear gossip than an inn? Or, at least, the closest thing this small town had for one? If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The proprietor hesitated when we sat down at a table outside and ordered drinks, but that didn¡¯t stop him calling me ¡°young sir¡± either. ¡®They are very polite in this town,¡¯ Tokas noted, and I couldn¡¯t help but hear the judgemental tone that laid under those words. When the beer came, I took a greedy sip, only to find the liquid warm¡ªnot hot¡ªand tasteless. I placed the beer back down on the table. ¡®Not¡­ amazing,¡¯ I said. Tokas hadn¡¯t touched hers, and so couldn¡¯t agree. Instead, she peered around the town, eyes narrowing. ¡®Everything alright, young sir?¡¯ the proprietor asked, and I worried for a second that I¡¯d spoken too loudly. Then they continued, ¡®Got a little red to your head, ain¡¯t ya? A little red for humans, at least!¡¯ It hadn¡¯t been funny the first time around, but I smiled at the tiefling local and assured him all was fine. Tokas looked at me with a furrowed brow. ¡®What is it?¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s what the other guy said to me.¡¯ Her brow furrowed further. ¡®Exactly?¡¯ ¡®Yeah, same thing.¡¯ ¡®No, I mean: exactly? Word for word the same?¡¯ I shrugged. ¡®Yeah. I think so.¡¯ ¡®You think so, or you know so?¡¯ ¡®I know so. Why¡¯s it important.¡¯ Tokas glanced once more at the proprietor, then at the town at large. She looked back to me. ¡®I need your blade.¡¯ I whipped my hand to the dagger in its sheath at my side, holding it in place. ¡®I need you to trust me,¡¯ Tokas continued. ¡®I don¡¯t. You know that.¡¯ Tokas swallowed. ¡®This isn¡¯t Plainside. This isn¡¯t¡­ that. Please, Styk. I¡¯m trying to do better.¡¯ The words sounded awkward coming from her mouth, but that was Tokas. Staring back into those eyes, against my better judgement, I believed her. With a reluctant sigh¡ªand one hand pointing towards the ground at my feet, ready to open a portal¡ªI handed over the knife, pommel first. ¡®Thank you,¡¯ the tiefling said, with glistening eyes that suggested she really meant it. Then she stood from her seat and stabbed the local in the chest. ¡®Tokas, no!¡¯ I shouted, my stomach dropping, a wave of guilt washing over me. I¡¯d done this. I¡¯d given her the weapon. I¡¯d¡ª But there¡¯d been no blood. In fact, the proprietor of this establishment didn¡¯t seem to have noticed the attack at all. He only looked back at me, and asked, ¡®Everything alright, young sir?¡¯ Then, the illusion broke. Ripples of red magicks appeared around us as a huge illusion shattered. The walls faded away. The people too. The edge of the illusion spread further and further from the proprietor¡¯s chest¡ªor, at least, where the man¡¯s chest had been, because there was no man any longer. The seat underneath me disappeared, and I fell, spreadeagled. I landed not on the ornate tiles I¡¯d seen before, but on soft, dry sand. Even the beer was gone, but that wasn¡¯t, I supposed, any great loss. Further the red glowing ripples travelled, until they encompassed the whole town. It wasn¡¯t just the one man. It wasn¡¯t just the one building. The whole town wasn¡¯t real. The whole town was an illusion. In the distance, more of the ¡°locals¡± faded away from existence. In the distance, I saw the dark speckles of our allies charging towards us. A paling Tokas staggered backwards as the illusion shimmered and faded around her. ¡®Who¡­¡¯ she started. ¡®Who could have such power?¡¯ I felt a chill run down my spine¡ªa strange sensation in such a warm climate. Then I noticed something worse still. Some of the figures around us didn¡¯t fade. Some of the people were real, hiding within the illusion. But their faces changed. And their clothes took on pale orange hues. One of them¡ªone with a familiar face¡ªstepped forward, hammer raised. ¡®Am sorry, spawn,¡¯ Lillya said.
"Styk" Level 20 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 52 Intelligence ¡ª 227 Dexterity ¡ª 131 Strength ¡ª 80 Wisdom ¡ª 76 Charisma ¡ª 50
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 61 Knifework ¡ª Level 43 Stealth ¡ª Level 26 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II - Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
198. Fates Entwined Lillya brought the hammer down towards my head, and then¡­ stopped. Our eyes met. I saw in hers not the wrath of battle, but regret. Guilt, even, perhaps. ¡®No,¡¯ she breathed, loud enough only that I¡ªand perhaps Tokas, who wasn¡¯t so far away¡ªcould hear. ¡®Boss?¡¯ one of the other cultists asked, eyes darting, unsure. The man looked from Lillya to me, to our friends charging forth from the distance, and then even to a riding merchant approaching fast behind them. ¡®This not right,¡¯ Lillya said. ¡®But Yusef ordered us to¡ª¡¯ ¡®I know,¡¯ the orc growled. She caught herself, and her voice soften. ¡®I know. Stand down.¡¯ Some of those in pale orange robes lowered their weapons, while others paid no attention to the orc¡¯s orders. Among the latter group was another familiar face. ¡®These are the people we¡¯re supposed to kill?¡¯ Ted said, now dressed in the uniform of the cult. He¡¯d moved fast to join them, presumably having come across this group on the roads. ¡®Kill them and you¡¯ll be Yusef¡¯s favour,¡¯ the other man said, as though reiterating an earlier deal. This man, too, hadn¡¯t lowered his weapons¡ªa spiked mace. ¡®Ted¡­¡¯ I growled, my nostrils flaring. ¡®S¡¯pose it¡¯d put an end to them ruining my life.¡¯ ¡®You know spawn?¡¯ Lillya asked Ted, eyebrows raising. I groaned; the last thing I needed was for other people to be impressed by Ted. I was about to say something on the matter when Ted popped a sweet into his mouth and disappeared from sight once more. Others in the group did the same; he¡¯d been sharing his enchantments. ¡®I say stand down!¡¯ Lillya shouted, repeating her earlier order. ¡®This man spawn of Architects!¡¯ Nobody else spoke. Nobody else moved a muscle. If the cultists believed Lillya about my bloodline, it didn¡¯t matter to them. They were loyal to Yusef, and he¡¯d given them a job to do. All I could hope to do was convince enough of them not to attack, or at least to buy time until the others arrived. Even with Raelas¡¯s¡ªfairly limited¡ªportal magicks, there was only so fast they could move. I could hear Corminar shouting something from the distance, and for a moment I considered opening some portals of my own, but this might have been all it took to trigger the attack once more. ¡®She¡¯s telling the truth,¡¯ I said, and caught sight of Tokas¡¯s eyes bulging; she¡¯d never been privy to this information. ¡®My mum, she was¡ª¡¯ ¡®Yusef¡¯s orders are sacred,¡¯ the loudmouth man cut in. ¡®We obey them at all costs.¡¯ ¡®Even if target is Player?¡¯ Lillya retorted. ¡®If it¡¯s true, then you knew this when you received the orders. Nothing¡¯s changed.¡¯ The orc looked to me with sad eyes, as though to say that something had. Perhaps that something was that she¡¯d realised she couldn¡¯t go through with it. I heard Corminar¡¯s shouting grow louder as they approached, now echoed by Val and Arzak. As I glanced at them, many of them glanced back at the horseman merchant that was fast approaching. I counted the number of cultists¡ªcould we hope to triumph, if it did come to a fight? When I reached two dozen, I stopped counting; by then, the answer was clear. Even with the others charging in to help, we wouldn¡¯t win this one. Or, at least, we wouldn¡¯t all survive the encounter. Still, that didn¡¯t stop me from putting my hand on the pommel of my dagger. Tokas¡¯s fingers moved, preparing to cast a spell. Neither of these went unnoticed, and the enemies adjusted their grips on their weapons. ¡®I said stand down!¡¯ Lillya insisted, sweat forming on her brow, and not just from the high desert sun. If this orc had changed her mind about her orders, it was because of my ancestry and nothing else. If it could convince her, maybe it could convince others. I reached my hand down the neck of my tunic and began to pull forth the object that was dangling over my chest. The Sisyphus Artifact. If Lillya could explain what it was, and who could use it, then maybe we had a chance to turn the tides in our favour. ¡®There is one thing that might¡ª¡¯ I started, but then I caught sight of many of the cultists looking over my shoulder. Looking down the road at my charging allies. They must surely have known that these people were coming to my rescue, yet the expressions on their faces weren¡¯t ones of fear or preparedness. They were of¡­ confusion. And then the gentle breeze carried Corminar¡¯s cries over to me. ¡®Player!¡¯ he shouted. ¡®Player!¡¯ Tokas whipped her head to Lillya, her face paling. ¡®He¡¯s here? You brought him with you?¡¯ But Lillya shared that same expression of confusion as the others in her contingent. This was news to her as well. I turned around, placing my back against Tokas¡¯s, recognising that protecting each others¡¯ backs was the best chance we had of survival if Yusef really was here. I really would¡¯ve have preferred it was anyone else in our party protecting me, though. As I turned, I caught sight of the riding merchant once more. I caught sight of glistening, ornate armour. I realised that no sensible man would wear armour in such heat¡ªnot unless it was enchanted. And if there was a frost enchantment built in to the armour, then this metal was far beyond what any merchant could afford. That was the Player. ¡®The rider!¡¯ I shouted to Tokas, and the tiefling turned around. Suddenly the two dozen or more cultists weren¡¯t the priority; the charging Yusef was far more dangerous. And atop his horse, he was catching up on the rest of the team fast. ¡®To hells with it,¡¯ I muttered, then reached out an arm to open a portal in front of my friends, bringing them to my side. Many of the cultists moved as if to attack, but hesitated just enough that Tokas and Lillya¡¯s outstretched hands gave them pause. This was a fragile truce if I ever saw one. ¡®Could¡¯ve done that sooner,¡¯ Val said as she stumbled out into me, and this made my heart skip a beat. Was she back to smarmy insults? Was she back to the Val I knew? I opened my mouth to retort, but found that nothing came forth; there was still part of me that didn¡¯t want all to return to normal. Not that this was the time for it. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. I closed the portal as the team fanned out in the usual formation ahead of the charging Player. Those who could take a few hits stood at the front¡ªwhich, without Lore and Carle around, was just Arzak. Then came me, Raelas, Tokas and Val, or those who could inflict damage quickly at medium range. And at the back stood the greatest and second-greatest archers in the Tundras, though I was no longer interested in which of Corminar and Lambkin was which. ¡®Ready yourself for illusions,¡¯ I shouted to the team. ¡®Illusions?¡¯ Corminar replied. ¡®Yeah, this whole town was a¡ª¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s not Yusef,¡¯ Raelas said, her voice still quiet. ¡®Well who is it then?¡¯ I asked, my strained voice betraying the panic I felt. ¡®That¡¯s the Councilman.¡¯ I hesitated, lowering my dagger. ¡®Wait, what? Really? And we¡¯re worried about that?¡¯ The loudmouth cultist coughed pointedly behind us. ¡®You remember we¡¯re still here, right? Lillya, are we attacking or not?¡¯ He caught himself. ¡®No, don¡¯t answer that; we¡¯re attacking.¡¯ ¡®Stand down!¡¯ the orc cultist repeated, and though this still held back the tide of attacks, I could see that we were going closer to a shattered peace with every time she had to give this instruction. There was no time for any more words between Lillya and the rest of her team, because the Player was upon us. The man wrestled his horse clumsily to a stop, almost ploughing straight through us in the process, and then looked around at everyone standing here. ¡®All of you?¡¯ he asked. ¡®All of us what?¡¯ I replied. ¡®Hello again,¡¯ Corminar said reluctantly. ¡®I wish I could say it was a pleasure.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re all together? I have to kill all of you?¡¯ ¡®Nobody has to kill anyone,¡¯ I retorted. ¡®Though honestly I can think of one person who¡ª¡¯ Lillya¡¯s right-hand man stepped forward. ¡®We aren¡¯t here with them. We¡¯re here to kill them on the orders of the Divine Player Yusef.¡¯ The Councilman raised his eyebrows. ¡®Oh really? And how is my old friend?¡¯ Lillya choked a bit on this. ¡®You friend with Yusef?¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re a Player?¡¯ the male cultist asked. ¡®They weren¡¯t lying?¡¯ ¡®I come from the upper world, or whatever Yusef calls it, yes.¡¯ ¡®The Ascended World,¡¯ Lillya and I said at once. ¡®Sure, that. I come from there.¡¯ The Player looked around at us again, his eyes glistening, and then started laughing. ¡®I don¡¯t get what¡¯s so funny,¡¯ I said after a moment. ¡®Villain not need reason for evil laugh,¡¯ Arzak said with a shrug. ¡®They just do.¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t you see?¡¯ the Councilman said after a moment more of particularly irritating chuckling. ¡®This is perfect. This is as intended. It is an opportunity for me to prove myself in front of those loyal to Yusef.¡¯ ¡®And I suppose you¡¯re going to do that by¡­¡¯ ¡®Killing you.¡¯ ¡®Killing us,¡¯ I repeated. ¡®Right. So the one thing that you struggle with?¡¯ The Player put his armoured hands on his armoured hips, threw his head back and laughed once more. More loudly. More annoyingly. Guffawed might have been the better word for it, really. ¡®I am that man no more. I have experienced the sweet taste of fresh blood. I have¡ª¡¯ ¡®You been drinking blood?¡¯ Arzak asked. ¡®You not supposed to do that. You vampire?¡¯ The Councilman slumped his shoulders. ¡®I was talking metaphorically.¡¯ ¡®Right, so¡­¡¯ I started. ¡®Let me get this straight. After we left you tied up in that basement, free to go on the condition that you don¡¯t hurt anyone, you went and immediately killed someone? And that gave you the taste for it? And then you sought vengeance on us for¡­ having mercy?¡¯ ¡®I am rather beginning to regret allowing this man to live,¡¯ Corminar grumbled. ¡®He is not even particularly pretty.¡¯ I nodded my agreement. Agreement with the first part of that sentence, at least, though it didn¡¯t stop Raelas and Val from looking at me funnily. ¡®Won¡¯t make that mistake twice, though, will we?¡¯ I adjusted my hand on my dagger, and the enemy¡¯s eyes bulged. He might have killed some people, but it seemed he still wasn¡¯t used to his opponents putting up a fight. ¡®Cultists?¡¯ the Councilman asked. ¡®You¡¯re probably gonna wanna call them something like ¡°fellow devouts¡± or something,¡¯ Val suggested. ¡®They don¡¯t like being reminded they¡¯re in a cult.¡¯ ¡®We¡¯re not,¡¯ that loudmouth man in orange insisted. Val smiled at him, making no effort to hide that she was being patronising. ¡®Well, then,¡¯ the male cultist said. ¡®By my count, that¡¯s two votes versus one.¡¯ ¡®Wait, what?¡¯ I asked. ¡®Votes?¡¯ ¡®To kill you.¡¯ Then he charged. With this move, the cultist shattered the fragile peace, and all hells broke loose.
"Styk" Level 20 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 52 Intelligence ¡ª 227 Dexterity ¡ª 131 Strength ¡ª 80 Wisdom ¡ª 76 Charisma ¡ª 50
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 61 Knifework ¡ª Level 43 Stealth ¡ª Level 26 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II - Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
199. Blood On The Road ¡®Tokas!¡¯ I shouted, alerting her to the swinging mace about to hit her in the back of the head. I dropped her through a portal to save her anyway, but it was worth her knowing what was coming. I¡¯d lost track of the others in the confusion. Fights these days were so often these huge affairs, with dozens of people involved and therefore with it being impossible to track what was going on. I missed the days where it was just the five of us against one enemy. Even when we were facing down the pyroknight¡ªand almost dying in the process¡ªI at least knew what was going on. Tokas scrambled back to her feet at my side, and turned to face the two cultists that were charging at us. While I used Closed Reach to close the distance on one of them, surprising the enemy with this ability, Tokas pressed her hands forward and the bright red glow of Illusion magicks shot forth. Bladesmith defeated! Knifework ¡ª +1,950xp Knifework increased to level 44! Base Points Gained ¡ª +1 DEX, +1 STR, +2 Free Points (VIT/DEX/STR) I spared half a second to look down at the cultist bleeding out on the sand. I almost felt sorry for him. What had his crime been? He¡¯d attacked us, sure, but he¡¯d done so because he¡¯d been a true believer. He thought Yusef a god, one who should be obeyed above all else. To him, not attacking us would have been wrong. The cultist¡¯s only crime was that he¡¯d fallen for Yusef¡¯s lies. And when there were so many others in orange robes also telling you that Yusef was to be worshipped, you might well come to believe it. I wouldn¡¯t have done, obviously. But that¡¯s another matter. ¡®Styk,¡¯ Tokas said, then kicked the other cultist in my direction, the enemy distracted by visions of her creation. I ducked under the man¡¯s flailing blade, then hit him with my own. My dagger met the flesh of his thigh, and I twisted. A stray arrow¡ªfrom Corminar, Lambkin, or enemy, I did not know¡ªhit the man in the shoulder. I barged the man to the ground, and the impact buried that arrow deeper into his shoulder. Coal merchant defeated! Knifework ¡ª +1,450xp I grimaced at this notification. These weren¡¯t fighters, not really. These were just people who¡¯d had little to lose and a lot to gain from joining Yusef¡¯s cause. No wonder the Player¡¯s lies were so appealing. Yusef had power over people even from afar. Turning on the spot, I sought out the Player who was here, and saw the Councilman pressing an attack on Corminar and Arzak, the orc doing her best to block the Player¡¯s summoned ghostly axe. Arzak raised her blades in a cross to defend against the enemy¡¯s axe, but in the next attack, it had changed form to a spear. The orc ducked to one side and knocked the spearhead out of harm¡¯s way, but it was a close one. Behind her, Corminar loosed arrows furiously, trying to bury one of them between the cracks in the man¡¯s armour. They were holding their own for now, but it was only a matter of time before the Councilman found a weapon shape that bested Arzak. ¡®Tokas, on me!¡¯ I shouted, opening a portal at my side. I didn¡¯t wait around to see if she was stepping through it; we didn¡¯t have the luxury of that much time. We were outnumbered enough that we had to focus our attacks if we were going to turn the tide, and who better to eliminate first than the Player¡ªthe man who had inspired the cultists to disobey Lillya¡¯s instructions? A blast of red magicks coming from over my shoulder confirmed that Tokas had indeed joined me. The red bolt arced through the air, soaring towards the Player, until another blast of magicks engulfed it¡ªthis one purple. The engulfing spell changed the direction of Tokas¡¯s spell and turned it back towards her. The tiefling dived to the soft sand just in time for her own magicks to pass overhead. As I charged at the Councilman, I cast a glance over to the right to see one of the cultists surrounded by three purple orbs, spinning around her. This was a type of Worldbending magicks very different to my own. I thought about shouting to one of the others to deal with this cultist, but Val, Lambkin, and Raelas were all preoccupied with not dying. Even Lillya, who was at this very moment trying to stop her own colleagues¡¯¡ªif that was the word¡ªattacks, couldn¡¯t do enough to give my friends any breathing room. ¡®I¡¯ll take the spellwarper!¡¯ Tokas shouted, then started off towards the cultist who¡¯d turned her own attack against her. I jumped into the air, opened a portal in front of me, and launched myself at the Councilman. At the same moment, Arzak parried one of the man¡¯s attacks and risked throwing herself at him, shoulder first. She¡¯d clearly seen me coming. As the Player was distracted by this sudden change in the rhythm of the fight, I brought my blade down towards his back¡ªand activated Closed Reach once more. Using the Worldbending ability, I could easily cut through any armour. Including this one. The Councilman¡¯s back arched and he roared, with both pain and surprise. His spellbound weapon changed form into a long, glowing chain, and whipped back towards me. I opened a portal beneath my feet and was halfway through it when the Player¡¯s attack soared over my head. As Arzak pressed the attack on the Councilman, making the best of the opening I¡¯d given her, another of the cultists charged, mace raised. It was the man who¡¯d given us so much grief before. If I had some sympathy for the cultists before, I forgot it when I saw this irritating man running in for an attack. I allowed the man to get close, swinging his long mace towards me, and then I opened a portal between us. The heavy weapon entered the portal and reappeared on the other side¡ªright behind my attacker. The man cried out as I hit him with his own attack¡ªa tactic inspired by the spellwarper. Wasting not a moment, I jumped at the man, activating my Knifestorm ability. The man¡¯s robe was no match for the many slashed of my blade, and I couldn¡¯t help but think Yusef maybe should have improved his cult¡¯s uniform a little. Chair of town council defeated! This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Worldbending ¡ª +1,100xp Knifework ¡ª +1,750xp I had little time to take a breath, because before I knew it, two more of them were on me. I skimmed the site of battle to pick out a little help. I saw Val, a little way away, facing down three of the cultists¡ªand struggling. I dropped her through a portal without warning her, but she was used to this by now that she landed on her feet. ¡®Thank¡ª¡¯ she started, then realised that I¡¯ve saved her from one fight and put her in the middle of another. Val flicked a hand forward and whipped up a dust storm, the sand darting at the faces of the two oncoming attackers. I knew this wouldn¡¯t stop them for long, so I rushed at the nearest one. I ducked under their wild swings of their blade and this time opted for activating Execution, because I knew they wouldn¡¯t be able to see me until they¡¯d blinked the sand from their eyes. The attack downed them in one. Schoolteacher defeated! Knifework ¡ª +1,350xp Knifework increased to level 45! Base Points Gained ¡ª +1 DEX, +1 STR, +2 Free Points (VIT/DEX/STR) Ability selection unlocked Select an ability from the list below¡­ ¡­ Stealth ¡ª +750xp I grimaced a bit at the sight of this class; I could live with killing a chair of a town council¡ªI¡¯d had encounters with them in the past¡ªbut killing a schoolteacher felt like a bit much. ¡®Styk!¡¯ I heard Arzak shout behind me. I whipped my head around at the shout, expecting her and Corminar to be in trouble. But instead, I saw the Councilman hurriedly backing up from the fight. ¡®Is he¡­?¡¯ ¡®Running!¡¯ Arzak shouted. I left Val to deal with the other cultist and portalled back over to the Councilman, meaning to land another Closed Reach attack. But then I saw the Councilman reaching towards his waist, pulling out an enchanted looking stone. My memory flashed back to Lev, the pyroknight¡¯s assistant, who¡¯d been equipped with portal stones in case of any emergency. I wonder where he got to, in the end? ¡®Arzak!¡¯ I cried. ¡®Portal stone!¡¯ Corminar raised his bow as if to shoot the object from the enemy¡¯s hand. But it was too late. Even as the elf raised his bow, the Player was bringing the stone down towards the ground. It crashed into the sand, activated, and¡­ There was no flash of light. Instead, the stone erupted in a cloud of black smoke, thick enough to make me cough. I stumbled forward, wary of attack, trying to wave the smoke out the way. I crashed into Arzak¡¯s side, then we turned and hurried straight in one direction. When we finally came out the other side of the smoke, we saw¡­ ¡®Seriously?¡¯ I asked. ¡®He not serious,¡¯ Arzak echoed. We saw the Councilman running away. He shouted for his horse, who was trotting off ahead of him. I was about to exclaim some more, but I heard shouting to my right. ¡®Help! Styk, h¡ª¡¯ Back in the centre of the battleground, I saw Raelas overwhelmed, desperately in need of a portal. I opened one beneath her, dropping her to my side. Then, seeing Lambkin was in much the same boat, I did the same for him, too. Val appeared at my side looking not so happy. ¡®Another damsel in distress saved.¡¯ Lambkin furrowed his brow for a moment, then flicked his eyes to Raelas and realised what Val meant. There wasn¡¯t time for any further bickering, because the remaining twenty or so cultists were running towards us. ¡®What do you reckon?¡¯ I asked the group at large. ¡®Run?¡¯ ¡®If it is good enough for Players¡­¡¯ Corminar said. ¡®Run,¡¯ Arzak agreed, eyeing up Tokas as she retreated to our side. I opened a portal next to us, and one in the distance near the Councilman. If we were going to flee, we might as well take down the Player while we were at it. I was about to hop through the portal, when I caught sight of a flash of purple magicks out of the corner of my eye. The spellwarper¡ªnot dealt with, as Tokas had promised¡ªshot one of her orbs towards my portal. It encompassed the portal, slamming it shut. Or¡­ nearly shut. I knew what would happen next, but I opened my other pair of portals anyway. Another of the spellwarper¡¯s three orbs shot towards it, closing that one nearly shut too. Raelas moved to try, but I shook my head. ¡®Don¡¯t bother,¡¯ I said, then turned my backs on the charging enemies. ¡®We¡¯re going to have to run the old fashioned way.¡¯ I began to sprint across the sands, my friends at my side, and the cultists followed.
"Styk" Level 20 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 52 Intelligence ¡ª 227 Dexterity ¡ª 137 Strength ¡ª 82 Wisdom ¡ª 76 Charisma ¡ª 50
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 61 Knifework ¡ª Level 45 Stealth ¡ª Level 26 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II - Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
200. Ichor ¡®They catching up!¡¯ Arzak shouted. A breeze had picked up while we were fleeing the cult, whipping up the loose top layer of sands and forcing us to shield our eyes. Only Raelas and Tokas didn¡¯t seem to bother, though whether this was due to a difference in tiefling biology, or because they thought they deserved to suffer a little to make up for past sins, I did not know. Behind us, the cultists really were gaining on us. We¡¯d been travelling for days by foot, under the heat of the desert sun, so we weren¡¯t exactly rested. The cultists, however, had access to horses and carriages; perhaps Yusef had chosen those most rested for the job of springing this trap on us. ¡®I know!¡¯ Val shouted back to Arzak, then added to me, ¡®Sure there¡¯s no way to get those portals working?¡¯ She summoned a gust of wind to cut a path in the light sandstorm. ¡®Not while the spellwarper is still alive!¡¯ I cried. Looking back once more at the group of pursuers, I searched for the woman in question. She was easily identifiable from the three purple glowing orbs hovering around her, and I soon spotted her towards the rear of the group. Protected by her fellow cultists. These cultists didn¡¯t seem to just be protecting the spellwarper from us, but from Lillya too; they¡¯d sensed that her loyalties were split somewhat, that she couldn¡¯t be trusted. I saw another familiar face near the spellwarper, shouting something into her ear. A face that I increasingly wanted to punch with every encounter we had. ¡®Of course Ted¡¯s still alive,¡¯ I grumbled. I¡¯d lost track of him in the confusion of the fight, but clearly he¡¯d been standing back and letting his new friends do the heavylifting. Classic Ted. It occurred to me then that this was how the spellwarper had been so on it with us; Ted had been warning her what abilities we had. In particular, he already knew about the portals, and so cutting off our means of escape was easy. I was conscious that I had a Knifework ability selection available to me, and though it seemed a long shot, there was a small chance that it could help. Keeping one eye on the shifting sands ahead of me, I opened up the notifications. Ability selection unlocked Select an ability from the list below: Option 1: Dual Wield (Knifework) ¡ª Passive. You can now use a dagger in each hand with equal ability. Ability level is copied from dominant hand to non-dominant hand. I¡¯d had this option available just five levels ago, on my previous ability selection screen, and so it was probably no surprise that it wasn¡¯t yet upgraded. At the time, I¡¯d chosen to upgrade my Execution ability, which made sense considering the Stealth element to my build, but even at the time I¡¯d been hard-pressed not to select this new passive. Option 2: Parlour Tricks II (Knifework) ¡ª Impress others with a wide variety of knife-related parlour tricks, including five-finger fillet and blind throws. Has a very high chance of success, scaling further with [CHA]. Loose sand gave way beneath me and I stumbled towards the ground. Val slowed just enough to help me back to my feet. ¡®Thanks.¡¯ ¡®No problem,¡¯ the witch said, sparing another glance for our pursuers. I could quickly rule out the Parlour Tricks ability, even at this higher rank. I needed something for combat right about now, and I think even just generally, the time for parlour tricks was behind me; I had much bigger fish to fry these days than impressing women in taverns. There was only only more option. Option 3: Throw III (Knifework) ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. I couldn¡¯t help but feel that my list of abilities was starting to get a little out of control. I¡¯d intended to keep my build tall, rather than wide, this time around, and yet here I was with three new options in front of me, and no option to upgrade an existing ability. Still, though, they were good options. Dual Wield was a solid option always, and I¡¯d been missing Throw from my previous life. Sure, I could still throw knives even without an appropriate ability, but they missed far more often than they hit. With this, I could have a realistic expectation of throwing knives to actually do damage¡­ and not just to disarm myself. Considering that right now we were fleeing for our lives, I had to choose the ability that stood most chance of getting us out of this mess. Dual Wield might have been good if I¡¯d had a second knife on hand, but as it was¡­ Ability unlocked ¡ª Throw III Throw III (Knifework) ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. I felt the innate knowledge and capability flow through me, and a big part of me wanted to try this out immediately. But, still, I only had the one blade at the moment, and I¡¯d have to portal it back to me. Not something that was easy to do while running away. ¡®What¡¯re you grinning about?¡¯ Val asked me. ¡®I don¡¯t see what¡¯s so¡ª¡¯ She stopped herself. ¡®Oh. New ability? Something to get us out of this?¡¯ Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡®Throwing knives,¡¯ I said. ¡®So¡­ no, then.¡¯ I would have been annoyed, but she smiled, gently, as she said it. ¡®They catching up more!¡¯ Arzak reiterated, her voice straining. ¡®Now time for plan.¡¯ She glanced at me. ¡®Not sure I have one.¡¯ ¡®You not have one then we die.¡¯ I nodded. ¡®I¡¯ll think.¡¯ I really had become the ¡°man with a plan¡±. What could we do? We couldn¡¯t portal away, that much was clear. And if we kept running, it was only a matter of time before the charging cultists caught up. By then, we¡¯d also be weaker, and less able to withstand a fight. It felt like we were trapped, like we¡ª I roared with pain and sank to the ground. An arrow had pierced my shoulder, entering at the back and its head sticking halfway out at the front. Again, Val stopped to pull me up to my feet again, this time her eyes wide with concern¡­ and on the arrowhead. ¡®I¡ª¡¯ I started. ¡®Keep running!¡¯ she shouted, practically pulling me with her. I did my best, but as the blood poured from the fresh wound, I felt my legs growing weaker, my vision beginning to darken around the edges. ¡®Val, I¡­¡¯ The witch glanced at me, and from that look, she understood the rest of the sentence. ¡®Keep running!¡¯ she cried, though she kept her own eyes fixed on the arrow. ¡®I¡¯m going to have to pull it through. Ready?¡¯ Before I could answer, she yanked. The pain erupted something fierce, and I stumbled to the ground once more. Val quickly yanked me back up to my feet for a third time before beginning to work her healing magicks. ¡®Poisoned¡­¡¯ she mumbled. ¡®You can¡¯t fix it?¡¯ ¡®I can. It¡¯ll just take longer.¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t think we have longer.¡¯ I didn¡¯t need to risk a glance back over my shoulder to know that this was true. Another couple of arrows had soared passed us since the first, but they were getting closer with every moment. Val said nothing, continuing to heal my wound as best she could as we ran. Behind, I heard Lillya shouting to her fellow cultists, her voice strained and desperate. ¡®Stop!¡¯ she roared. ¡®Stop arrow! He spawn of Player!¡¯ I think we all knew by that point that this line of negotiation had lost its power. Her fellow cultists didn¡¯t believe her. Not one but two Players had ordered the deaths of me and the other Slayers, and why would they want one of their own dead? To those in the Cult of Ascendancy, who thought in such black and white terms, it didn¡¯t make sense. Nothing would convince them of it now. And at that moment, Arzak¡¯s much-requested plan came to me. I didn¡¯t know that it would work, but I had to try it. So these cultists didn¡¯t believe that I had the blood of the gods flowing through me? Fine. Why don¡¯t I prove it? I halted mid-stride, Val¡¯s eyes bulging, the rest of the Slayers continuing to run. I grabbed the octahedron that was hanging around my neck, thrust it into the air, and turned to face down our pursuers. ¡®Do you know what this is?¡¯ I roared. This was the riskiest part of the plan; if I didn¡¯t pique their curiosities then they¡¯d probably just kill me right then and there. As it was, though, the two dozen cultists stumbled to a halt¡­ but didn¡¯t lower their weapons. ¡®Styk, I¡­¡¯ Val started, but I hushed her with a glance. Up ahead, my friends had just started realising they¡¯d left Val and I behind. To their credit, they stopped pretty quickly. ¡®Artifact of ancients,¡¯ Lillya said, more to her fellow cultists than to me. ¡®Sisyphus Artifact.¡¯ She sought out a woman in the crowd. ¡®Hualya, you remember? Months ago, Yusef mention it? Say it belong with Council? Say it meant for Players?¡¯ One of the cultists¡ªthankfully one that we hadn¡¯t already killed¡ªstepped forth from the crowd. ¡®I¡­ remember. Yes. Sure.¡¯ Lillya turned back to me, pointing desperately towards the device I held in the air. I tried not to let the pain in my shoulder show, gritting my teeth through it. ¡®That is Sisyphus Artifact! He use it to come back to life.¡¯ ¡®Twice,¡¯ I mumbled. ¡®Two and a half,¡¯ Val corrected me, thinking of the corruption. ¡®You not see?¡¯ Lillya said. ¡®He is spawn of Player.¡¯ At that, some of the cultists lowered their weapons.
"Styk" Level 20 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 52 Intelligence ¡ª 227 Dexterity ¡ª 137 Strength ¡ª 82 Wisdom ¡ª 76 Charisma ¡ª 50
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 61 Knifework ¡ª Level 45 Stealth ¡ª Level 26 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II - Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
201. Heretical Testimony ¡®Put down your weapons,¡¯ I said, keeping the Sisyphus Artifact held above my head for all to see. Some of the cultists did, some of them didn¡¯t. ¡®Put down your weapons,¡¯ I said again, this time taking on the air of command. Only a handful, now, still held theirs, but I¡¯d done enough that the attack was over; even if those few remaining sceptics tried anything, there were more than enough cultists presumably now on my side. The loud-mouth cultist who¡¯d started the attack was one of those still holding his weapon, adjusting his grip on his mace as he stared me down. ¡®What about Yusef? He gave us a direct order. It¡¯s him we follow, not¡ª¡¯ ¡®You want Player blood on hands?¡¯ Lillya demanded of him. The man seemed lost for words. ¡®Hmm?¡¯ the orc pressed him. From the man¡¯s darting, wide eyes, I could see that this simple question had taken the wind from his sails. ¡®He has a point,¡¯ Hualya said. When the orc turned on her, she hastily put up her hands. ¡®I¡¯m not saying we attack again, I¡¯m not. But what do we do now? Do we return to Yusef and explain that we failed? Or, worse, that we disobeyed?¡¯ It was Lillya¡¯s turn, now, to not have an answer. I saw the woman lick her lips before finally replying, ¡®We will think about this.¡¯ From the expressions worn by her fellow cultists, this wasn¡¯t a good enough answer for some, but it was the only answer they had. I cast a look back over my shoulder at the rest of our party, who were stopped some way ahead of us, but making no effort to join Val and I¡¯s side. Sensible, really; they didn¡¯t know what was going on, and there could be another attack at any moment, for all they knew. I¡¯d have to let them know what I¡¯d done, but before that¡­ I turned to Val, expecting a grimace on her face, or some visceral reaction to the reminder that I was the son of a Player. But instead, when I turned, she simply returned to healing the wound on my shoulder once more. ¡®You OK?¡¯ I asked her. ¡®I¡¯m OK.¡¯ ¡®With what I¡­ with what I did, I mean.¡¯ Val nodded, sparing a second to look up at me. ¡®I know.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re OK?¡¯ I repeated. ¡®I¡¯m getting there.¡¯ Lillya approached before we could move this very stilted conversation along any further. ¡®They not happy,¡¯ she said. ¡®Yeah, I got that,¡¯ I replied. ¡®You think they¡¯re gonna attack again? I mean, we did kill half their friends.¡¯ I was probably good to get that point out there. The orc shrugged. ¡®Not really friends. Yusef not like us get close. If we close then maybe we not report heresy.¡¯ ¡®Seems like a lovely guy,¡¯ Val said. To this, Lillya had no response. ¡®We¡¯re going to need to ask you some questions,¡¯ I said. ¡®About Yusef.¡¯ I left out the part about ¡°so we can kill him¡±; I didn¡¯t think that would go down so well, even with someone who was clearly having doubts. Lillya nodded, then glanced back at the others in orange robes. ¡®OK. Not here.¡¯ I agreed, as we didn¡¯t want anyone else overhearing. Worst case scenario, they attacked us again for it, and even the best case was that they¡¯d report it back to Yusef. I opened a portal next to us, and we stepped through it, appearing next to the rest of the Slayers. ¡®Care to explain how you ended their attack?¡¯ Corminar asked. ¡®I assume it was not simply your supposed smooth talking?¡¯ Arzak glanced down to the artifact, still in my hand, and she understood immediately. ¡®He prove he son of Player.¡¯ Her eyes flicked to Val, who shrugged. ¡®He did,¡¯ the witch replied. I turned to Lillya, wanting to move the conversation on. Corminar and even Raelas knew enough of all this that Val¡¯s reaction would prompt further questions. Admittedly, Tokas and Lambkin were in the dark, the latter of which had eyes bulging at this new piece of information. ¡®Lillya, you know you¡¯re in a tricky position here, right?¡¯ The orc in orange nodded. ¡®We go back to Yusef, he kill us. We fail him. But will not kill you either.¡¯ ¡®So I have to ask,¡¯ I continued, ¡®what do you value more, your loyalty to him, or your life? Cos if it¡¯s the former, then by all means, go back to him, get killed. I won¡¯t stop you. But if you quite enjoy living, then maybe you can adjust your faith ever so slightly and worship Players in general, rather than him specifically?¡¯ Val opened her mouth, and I knew exactly what she was about to say¡ªthat Players shouldn¡¯t be worshipped, that they were evil, and so on. But I shook my head at her; she was right, but with people as far gone as Lillya, it was best to take this one step at a time. ¡®I need¡­¡¯ Lillya shook her head, then pulled up a shirt sleeve to reveal a gaping wound. There was an opportunity to win some goodwill here. ¡®Val, would you¡­¡¯ I said, gesturing to the orc¡¯s arm. The witch nodded and set about working. In the meantime, I saw Corminar approach a figure in orange who had wandered closer to the camp. Ted, watching on, apparently hesitant. As Corminar grew close to the enchanter, the elf stood up straight, making an effort to stand over the young man. I couldn¡¯t hear quite what was said next, but I could see Corminar growling it, and I could see Ted¡¯s head shrinking down between his shoulders. A moment later, the elf pointed back to the rest of the cultists, some way away, and wandered back over to us. I watched Ted slink away as my elven friend approached. ¡®You let him live?¡¯ I asked. Corminar nodded. ¡®I told him that I spared his life, but in doing so, I invoke the power of the Dawnwood. I place upon him a blood debt, his essence bound to mine until he saves my life as I did his.¡¯ I raised my eyebrows. It wasn¡¯t a voluntary reaction. ¡®And¡­ that¡¯s a thing? A blood debt?¡¯ Corminar smiled, and for a moment I glimpsed the old Corminar¡ªthe one from before he¡¯d watched his home fall to the enemy. The one¡­ not completely unbroken, but at least far less broken than he¡¯d been since then. ¡®It is not,¡¯ the elf replied. ¡®But he does not know this.¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t know,¡¯ I said. ¡®We might live to regret that.¡¯ Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. ¡®He is my charge now,¡¯ the elf replied. ¡®If he causes issues, I will deal with him, but I believe there might be something within him worth saving.¡¯ ¡®I have absolutely no idea what you¡¯re talking about.¡¯ Corminar smiled. ¡®Perhaps one day, I will be able to demonstrate. Until then, though¡­¡¯ He gestured to Lillya, freshly healed, being helped back to her feet by Val. ¡®It¡¯s time to talk,¡¯ I told her. I made an effort to keep my voice calm, and gentle. We were all friends here. What came out of Lillya¡¯s mouth next, I did not expect. ¡®I have doubt about Yusef anyway.¡¯ I glanced to the others, who also remained quiet, this silence apparently intended to urge Lillya on. But the orc needed more prompting. ¡®You¡­ have doubts? You don¡¯t think he¡¯s a Player?¡¯ Lillya shook her head furiously. ¡®No, not this. I know he Player. My doubts about his prophecies.¡¯ My mind flashed to Lore. Clearly Yusef¡¯s prophecies were convincing enough to my friend, and he currently was the sort of guy who would know, considering he was dealing with some of his own. ¡®They¡¯re not coming true?¡¯ ¡®No, I¡­¡¯ Lillya gulped. ¡®You can tell us,¡¯ Arzak said, catching the other orc¡¯s eyes. ¡®We might help.¡¯ Still, the orc in orange looked hesitant, but she was smart enough to know that there was no other way. She couldn¡¯t return to Yusef, and Yusef wasn¡¯t the kind of guy to let betrayal go unpunished. Her only hope of survival was for us to kill the head of the cult before he killed her. ¡®I think his gift of prophecy flawed,¡¯ Lillya finally said. ¡®They¡¯re not coming true?¡¯ ¡®No, they come true, but¡­ how say this? I think reason he know all he know is because of spies. He have thousands of spies. All report information to him. Each of them not contribute so much that they suspect him, but contribute enough together that he knows all. Enough information make his Divination look powerful.¡¯ Ah. Arzak and Lambkin nodded, and Corminar and Val were considering this thoughtfully. But across the group, I met Tokas¡¯s eyes. From the look on the tiefling¡¯s face, I knew we¡¯d reached the same conclusion. We¡¯d been the only ones within the town, before the trap had been sprung. Only we had experienced the truth, rather than simply knowing the key pieces of information. ¡®OK,¡¯ Arzak said, ¡®so he supplement Divination with spies. Not all-powerful, then. We stand chance.¡¯ ¡®No,¡¯ Tokas and I said at once. The tiefling immediately hesitated, yielding the floor to me. But I shook my head. ¡®No, Tokas. You tell them. You understand this more than me.¡¯ The tiefling gulped, but then drew in a deep breath to speak. ¡®Don¡¯t you see? He¡¯s fooling everyone. He¡¯s fooling his followers, his enemies¡­ maybe even the Council themselves. He¡¯s a¡­¡¯ Tokas shook her head to herself. ¡®I need to go back a bit, to explain this properly. Do you remember, a few days ago, I asked to see a map?¡¯ Before anyone could answer, she continued, ¡®It¡¯s because I had this suspicion even then. It¡¯s because I felt Illusion magicks in the air. I almost wondered if that village wasn¡¯t real, or if it wasn¡¯t as big as it looked.¡¯ Val shrugged. ¡®OK? We know there¡¯s been some illusions at play, we just saw a whole town disappear in front of our eyes.¡¯ ¡®But that¡¯s my point,¡¯ Tokas continued, ¡®it might not just be one town. How many traps did he lay for us? Did he really think Lillya would be successful, or did he have a backup plan? And a backup plan for that backup plan?¡¯ ¡®We don¡¯t know that he operates like that.¡¯ Tokas held up a finger to beg to Val¡¯s patience. ¡®Oh but we do. That level of Illusion magick, that is extreme. To create illusions of entire towns? You would need dozens of skilled illusionists. Or¡­¡¯ ¡®One very powerful person who has been training in Illusion their entire life,¡¯ I finished. Tokas nodded. ¡®You¡¯re saying¡­¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m saying Lillya was right to have doubts about his prophesies,¡¯ I said. ¡®But not just because he¡¯s supplementing them. Because he¡¯s never foreseen anything in his life.¡¯ The orc in orange almost choked at this. ¡®All these prophecies? Everything he¡¯s seen coming¡ªour presence here, our attacks¡ªit¡¯s because his spies told him it was coming. He¡¯s had people watching us this entire time. Dozens of them. A whole church desperate to tell him even the slightest piece of information that might help him, that he might reward them for. He¡¯s not a prophet at all. He¡¯s a false prophet.¡¯ Tokas nodded. ¡®He¡¯s a con man.¡¯
"Styk" Level 20 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 52 Intelligence ¡ª 227 Dexterity ¡ª 137 Strength ¡ª 82 Wisdom ¡ª 76 Charisma ¡ª 50
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 61 Knifework ¡ª Level 45 Stealth ¡ª Level 26 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II - Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
202. Interlude — Alia, Great Elder Of Zelas He was late. Nobody made the Zelas Assembly of Elders wait, at least not in normal times. But these were far from normal times, and this was a man used to having others wait for him. As the leader of the Council of Elders, Alia could not allow the others to see her disdain, or her anger. She clasped her hands around her back to resist the urge to clench them, ignoring the pain that erupted in her swollen knuckles. She strolled over to the window, taking care to appear relaxed. Alia could feel the eyes of the other Elders upon her back, each of them still sat at the ornate carved granite table; Alia had been the only one standing. She trained her own eyes on the city of Zelas, beyond the window of the Elder Tower. They were based on the highest floor of one of the tallest towers in the city, afforded a view of almost every other rooftop or grand parade that spiralled out from the centre of town. Zelas was conical in shape, the tallest towers in the centre of the city, decreasing in size to mere humble shacks at the very perimeter. Without city walls, Zelas relied instead on the centricity of all their most valuable structure to hold out against any enemies. Not that there had been any since the tiefling sprawl so many decades ago. Alia heard him coming long before the door opened, the man making no effort to disguise the sounds of his shoes hitting the elaborate painted tiles. When the servants finally opened the door of the chamber, Alia saw no sweat on the man¡¯s brow, no sign that he had made any particular effort to be here on time. ¡®I¡¯m glad you waited,¡¯ Yusef said. Alia noted that this was not an apology. In fact, it only seemed to really imply that he was worth waiting for. Over the past few years, she¡¯d been starting to wonder if this wasn¡¯t typical of Players, no matter what the legends say. ¡®We waited,¡¯ Alia echoed. ¡®But our time is short. Perhaps we might jump straight to matters of importance?¡¯ Yusef bowed his head in agreement. ¡®That¡¯s my preference too. We all have places to be, and I don¡¯t think this needs to take any longer than it has to.¡¯ There that arrogance was again. Alia drew herself tall, taking in a deep breath. ¡®Since arriving in Zelas three days ago, you have caused quite a commotion. Key industries find themselves without employees. Mothers have lost sons and daughters to you. Our economy is on the brink of¡ª¡¯ ¡®Yes, yes,¡¯ Yusef said, waving Alia down. This time, Alia failed to stop the irritation from appearing on her face. Many of the other Elders noticed, but none seemed to mind; this was a slight too great even for a Player. ¡®Yes, yes?¡¯ the Great Elder repeated. ¡®Yusef, this is of rather too much importance to dismiss us with a mere ¡°yes, yes¡±.¡¯ Yusef blinked, raising his eyebrows in irritation, then approached the granite table, placing his hands upon it. ¡®I am being pursued. I do not have time for this. In fact, I took this meeting out of good manners, but¡­ no, let¡¯s get right to it.¡¯ The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. A vision erupted in Alia¡¯s mind. Despite the images before her, the Great Elder still had enough presence of mind to note the gasps of her colleagues; they, too, had been gifted prophecy. She saw herself and her colleagues dressed in the pale orange so fashionable of late, standing in the desert amidst a crowd of thousands. Perhaps tens of thousands, or more. She saw Yusef himself, floating above them, glowing with the magicks of Divination. She saw the Player raised his hands, and in a moment, they were transported. These thousands in orange were no longer in the harsh desert environment in which they¡¯d spent their lives. They found themselves instead in a paradise, lush with plants and flowing fresh water. No longer was the air dry, harsh on the throat. No longer was the heat something to combat each and every day. What¡¯s more, their bodies, too, had changed. Alia¡¯s skin, so leathery in the past two decades, was soft and smooth. She reached a hand out in front of her, eyes bulging, and she clenched her fist. Her knuckles no longer caused pain. Nothing did, in fact. This was¡­ ¡®Your reward!¡¯ Yusef shouted, his voice echoing around this new landscape. ¡®The realm of the Architects. Your new eternal paradise.¡¯ And then, in an instant, the vision was over. Alia, for one, needed no more convincing. ¡®So, will you serve?¡¯ Yusef asked. ¡®Is this meeting over?¡¯ The Great Elder couldn¡¯t quite believe herself when she was the first to move, running to the Prophet¡¯s side and throwing herself at his feet. It had been so long since she bowed to another, and yet, with what great gift this man would eventually bestow on her¡­ how could she not? ¡®Good,¡¯ Yusef said, smiling faintly, as though this was a sight he¡¯d seen so many times before. ¡®Whatever it takes, I will¡ª¡¯ Alia started. ¡®Find the spawn of the Architects,¡¯ Yusef cut in. ¡®Use all your resources in the city, and find he who goes by the name ¡°Styk¡±.¡¯ ¡®Kill him?¡¯ Alia asked. ¡®If you can, but that will follow anyway if you can steal the artifact he carries. The one he uses to seduce others away from our cause. Do that, and you will be rewarded as you see¡ª¡¯ The door to the chamber burst open once more. This time, the man standing in the doorway was coated in the layer of sweat that Alia¡ªthe poor, naive old Alia¡ªhad once expected of Yusef. To Alia¡¯s surprise, she saw Yusef groan, slumping his shoulders at the sight of their latest guest. ¡®You? Again?¡¯ Yusef asked, though from his tone it was rhetorical. ¡®The Councilman does not admit defeat so easily,¡¯ the other man replied. ¡®For the last time, Simm, you¡¯re not in the Council. We don¡¯t want you. You¡¯re lucky we even let you live, considering the mess you made in Tradum.¡¯ At this, the other man¡¯s eyes widened. ¡®Let me live?¡¯ he repeated. ¡®But I¡¯m one of you! I want all the same things you do! I¡¯ve even killed for the cause now.¡¯ He said this last bit with a slightly strained voice. ¡®I want in. Just tell me what to do, and I¡¯ll do it. Whatever it takes to prove myself to you, to the Council¡­ I¡¯ll do it. I can do it.¡¯ Yusef stared the man down for a minute, perhaps two, considering him. Finally, he sighed. ¡®There is¡­ one way that you might prove yourself.¡¯ Yusef turned to Alia, and the others gathered around the table. ¡®Elders, if you might give us the room?¡¯ Alia leaped to follow his command, standing at the door to usher her fellow elders away. As she bowed to the Players, and closed the door gently behind her¡ªsincerely attempting not to eavesdrop¡ªshe gleaned only one word. Coldharbour. 203. The Touch Of The Crowd Part XIX: Lies Of Ascension We arrived in Zelas after dusk the following day, just in time to watch the lanterns light up around the peculiarly shaped city. The lights seemed to bloom first around the towers in the centre of the city, before spreading slowly to its outskirts over an hour or so. Raelas, who knew these parts well, suggested that it was because those in the tower were rich enough to have servants to light these lanterns for them, whereas elsewhere in the city the residents lit them only when they had time. We, however, remained beyond the perimeter of the city, using the lingering warmth of the desert sun to remain at a distance, and plan our next move. Since the revelation on the road, two days ago, we knew now just how extensive Yusef¡¯s network of spies was. It was a fair assumption that someone would spot us as soon as we entered the city, especially considering how many orange robes we¡¯d seen on the merchants¡¯ road in the past few hours. Maybe they¡¯d spotted us already. Maybe he already knew we were here. Still, though, we needed a moment to figure out what was next. Prophet or con man, a central issue remained: Yusef was surrounded by hundreds¡ªif not thousands¡ªof loyal followers. We simply couldn¡¯t compete with that, even with Raelas, Tokas and Lambkin added to our number. ¡®We figure out where he is, and then we take it from there,¡¯ I said. ¡®No point in planning anything until we have all the information we need. Raelas and Corminar will go in as one team, Arzak and I as the other. If we run into trouble, we open a portal and we flee. There¡¯s¡ª¡¯ ¡®What, split up?¡¯ Val asked. ¡®Have you learned nothing over the past couple of years?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ve learned to sew,¡¯ I countered. I don¡¯t really know why I said that. ¡®Point is,¡¯ the witch continued, ¡®if we split up, we¡¯re weaker. We¡¯re easier for Yusef and his cronies to pick off. We¡¯re much better off staying together. We can still run, we can still open portals and get out of there, but we stay together and we watch each other¡¯s backs.¡¯ She looked at me as though expecting an argument. ¡®As the lady says,¡¯ I replied. ¡®I¡¯m not a lady.¡¯ ¡®Yeah, I know.¡¯ With that, I turned, and lead out crew of seven towards the towering desert city of Zelas. As we reached the outermost buildings¡ªwhere on other cities there might be a towering wall, manned with guards¡ªI felt the easy buzz of the people hit me like a wave. This was a place where activity did not die down with nightfall, and from the looks of it, it was all only really getting started. The people here must have hidden from the heat during the day, with most of their trade¡ªas evidenced by market stalls¡ªand socialisation¡ªas evidence by entertainers roaming the streets¡ªhappening at night. It was a place in which I felt immediately at home, like I could settle down here one day. But I was a long way away from settling down anywhere, what with the Council¡¯s plan still barreling towards success. It was better to focus on the task at hand, and that was finding Yusef. We¡¯d still had our robes in our satchels, so we¡¯d put them on before entering the city, hoping it would keep enemy eyes off us. What I¡¯d not expected was that it would help us blend in quite so much; Yusef could only have been here a week, tops, and yet a huge chunk of the city seemed to have been converted to his cause. More people than not wore pale orange, and they greeted their fellow cultists with nods and broad smiles. Our best chance of finding Yusef? Ask. I continued pushing through the ever-growing crowd. The only problem was figuring out who was new to the cult, and who wasn¡¯t. If we accidentally asked someone with experience, perhaps some of the contingent who Yusef hadn¡¯t left behind in Coldharbour, then they might recognise us as enemies. They might attack. And if they attacked, then there would be hundreds of cultists upon us within seconds. I knew by then that Yusef didn¡¯t have the gift of prophecy, but he¡¯d maybe been right about one thing: if we attacked him, then his horde of followers wouldn¡¯t let us live to see the sun rise. We¡¯d need to be careful. Just then, I felt someone brush past me, and something tingled in the back of my mind. There was something about that brush that hadn¡¯t felt natural, something almost imperceptibly different to the feel of all those others who¡¯d squeezed by. My heart jumped when I realised what it was. Something I¡¯d done plenty of in a past life. I whipped my hand to my chest, finding my tunic sliced, and far more importantly, a complete lack of artifact dangling from my neck. ¡®Stop!¡¯ I shouted, reaching forward where I thought the pickpocket had run, but the crowd was bustling, eddying this way and that. There was no way of knowing for sure who had stolen the Sisyphus Artifact. I came to an abrupt halt, the city beginning to spin around me. I¡¯d had that artifact with me for so long. I¡¯d come to depend upon it. I¡¯d taken it for granted. And now it was¡­ gone? Just like that? ¡®Styk?¡¯ Val, who had been closest to me, asked. ¡®What¡¯s wrong?¡¯ ¡®The artifact,¡¯ I replied, my voice shaking. ¡®Someone¡¯s taken it.¡¯ Val moved around me to look into my eyes, studying me. ¡®You know who?¡¯ I shook my head. ¡®They know we¡¯re here. We should get off the street.¡¯ Val nodded to Arzak to gather the others, then led me by the arm down the nearest alley. As she dragged me along, I felt the city still spinning around me. It almost came as a surprise to find that we¡¯d stopped. I looked around, seeing Arzak and the others some way down the alley from the rest of us; Val wanted to speak to me alone. ¡®Val, I need it back. I can¡¯t be without it.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s gone, Styk. In a city like this? It¡¯s gone. You won¡¯t see it again. We need you to get your head around that sooner rather than later, if we¡¯re gonna survive.¡¯ I shook my head. ¡®I could die.¡¯ ¡®You didn¡¯t have any charges on it; you could¡¯ve died anyway.¡¯ ¡®Then I¡¯ll get one. I¡¯ll get the artifact back, and then I¡¯ll get a charge. We¡¯ll kill Yusef. I¡¯ll get a charge, and then I¡¯ll be safe.¡¯ Val stared into my eyes, and I got lost in her own¡ªdeep, brown, gorgeous¡ªfor a moment. Part of me wanted to kiss her, then, but I knew the instinct was built on a lie; with part of me so recently snatched away from me, I wanted something else familiar to take its place. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ¡®You know why I left?¡¯ Val finally asked. ¡®Because my mum¡¯s a Player,¡¯ I replied. There was no point talking around this. If we were going to have this conversation now, of all times, then we might as well have it properly. ¡®No. Because I thought you might be turning into one of them. Not just a Player, but a Player. The ones we hear about. I¡¯m under no illusion that there are more Players out there than we stumble across, but some of them are living nice, peaceful lives. Maybe they¡¯re even helping people. I¡¯m not worried about you becoming like them, I¡¯m worried about you becoming like Yusef. Like Jacob. Like Niamh. To tell you the truth, before I left, I thought I¡¯d have to kill you before you killed me.¡¯ I took a step back. ¡®That¡¯s¡­ quite the admission?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯d never do it, obviously,¡¯ Val replied. ¡®Obviously. It¡¯s you. But that was how my messed-up brain reacted to the news. I panicked. I¡¯m not saying I¡¯m perfect¡ªwe all know I¡¯m so far from it¡ªbut you¡¯re not exactly perfect either, Styk.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re still worried,¡¯ I said, picking up on her earlier wording. ¡®Yes.¡¯ ¡®After all I¡¯ve done? Why?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s precisely because of what you¡¯ve done,¡¯ Val hissed, sparing a glance back down the alleyway, not just at our friends, but at any other onlookers. ¡®All this talk of being heroes, of power, of fame.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s not about power and fame, it¡¯s about doing the right thing.¡¯ ¡®Yet you seem to want to do the right thing very loudly, not quietly. You want the fame. You want people to look up to you.¡¯ I furrowed my brow. ¡®Don¡¯t you? Isn¡¯t that part of being alive?¡¯ Val shook her head. ¡®Not like that. Look, Styk, I love you. You know that. I¡¯m pretty sure you love me too. But I can¡¯t be with someone going down this path. I won¡¯t.¡¯ I took the opportunity to kiss her, then¡ªeverything else be damned. Val returned it for a second, and then broke off, eyes widening. ¡®What?¡¯ I asked her. ¡®You¡¯re surprised I¡¯ve forgiven you for leaving? I suppose I was surprised too, when I realised a few days back. But I knew what I was getting into with you. I knew it was going to be a bumpy ride.¡¯ ¡®I didn¡¯t think you were the kind of man to let things like that go.¡¯ ¡®Why not?¡¯ Val shrugged. ¡®I don¡¯t know, it¡¯s the opposite of what we¡¯re told to do, isn¡¯t it? Someone does something to hurt you, and you¡¯re expecting to get them back. Hit them harder.¡¯ ¡®There¡¯s strength in forgiveness, too, Val,¡¯ I told her. ¡®Probably more strength in that than battling it out, even. So I choose to forgive. We don¡¯t have to be on these manic paths of vengeance all the time. I¡¯ve forgiven you for leaving; surely you can be big enough to forgive me something that I can¡¯t even help?¡¯ ¡®What did I just say, Styk?¡¯ Val hissed back at me. She glanced over at Arzak, who was now looking anywhere but at us, and blushing. ¡®It¡¯s not your ancestry; I¡¯d never hold that against you. It¡¯s what you¡¯re becoming.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll prove it,¡¯ I replied. ¡®But how? How do you want me to prove that I¡¯m not going to change? That I¡¯m not going to become like that?¡¯ The witch considered me for a moment, her eyes meeting mine, our faces still close together. ¡®Let it go, Styk. The artifact. Let it go.¡¯ ¡®No.¡¯ ¡®No? You¡¯d choose that over me?¡¯ I shook my head again. ¡®It¡¯s not like that. I wouldn¡¯t choose anything over you, if we had a choice. But what we¡¯re involved with¡ªthe Council, their schemes, their murders¡ªit¡¯s bigger than us. We need every weapon we can possibly get, and part of that is the Sisyphus Artifact. We¡¯d be crazy to let that go.¡¯ Val said nothing, but held my gaze. ¡®I know you know that¡¯s true,¡¯ I added. Finally, the witch sighed, and nodded. ¡®Fine,¡¯ she said, and turned away, returning to our friends down the alleyway. ¡®Where are you going?¡¯ I called after her. ¡®To go find your bloody artifact,¡¯ she said. Against my better judgement, I smiled. We weren¡¯t back where we were¡ªthere was a lot of work to do, on both our sides¡ªbut we¡¯d communicated. I¡¯d take that.
"Styk" Level 20 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 52 Intelligence ¡ª 227 Dexterity ¡ª 137 Strength ¡ª 82 Wisdom ¡ª 76 Charisma ¡ª 50
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 61 Knifework ¡ª Level 45 Stealth ¡ª Level 26 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II - Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
204. Whispers Val shook the borrowed face away, her skin rippling back into the visage that we all knew. ¡®Was nobody going to mention she had changeling powers?¡¯ Lambkin asked¡ªa question that we all ignored. We were still hidden down one of the winding alleys of Zelas, though a different one to where Val and I had had our talk. More and more we¡¯d noticed lingering eyes upon us, owned by members of the cult, and so we¡¯d decided to keep to the shadows. Only Val, who could change her face at will, was perhaps safe from spies, and so we¡¯d sent her out to scout. ¡®Well?¡¯ I asked. ¡®Any news?¡¯ ¡®They¡¯re looking for us,¡¯ Val said. ¡®All of them. A lot of the cultists don¡¯t have more than vague physical descriptions to go on, but they¡¯re still looking. It¡¯s a wonder we¡¯ve lasted this long, even.¡¯ ¡®Though, I imagine it is only a matter of time before the hordes descend upon us,¡¯ Corminar said, echoing what we were all thinking. ¡®Then we move fast, steal back the artifact, and¡ª¡¯ ¡®There¡¯s more,¡¯ Val said, and at this her face grew glum. More glum than was typical of late, at least. We were all silent, none of us asking the obvious question, none of us quite wanting to know what Val was hesitant to say. But, of course, she had to say it. ¡®There are prophecies spreading through the ranks.¡¯ ¡®Well, we know those are all lies, now, don¡¯t we?¡¯ I said. But Val¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. ¡®From what I¡¯ve heard, they¡¯re not just coming from Yusef. They¡¯re coming from Lore, too. The Player is squeezing him for his curse, using it to reinforce his own supposed Divination skills. And I¡¯m thinking, if Lore is involved¡­¡¯ ¡®Then maybe they¡¯re true,¡¯ I finished for her. Val nodded. Down the end of the alleyway, the hubbub of the crowd grew louder. We all looked around the street, lit with flickering lanterns, anticipating trouble. But none came; the cultists weren¡¯t upon us just yet. ¡®What were they? These prophecies?¡¯ Lambkin asked. Val shrugged. ¡®Most of them aren¡¯t relevant to us. Most of them just seemed to be positioned to prove that Yusef could tell the future¡ªtomorrow¡¯s weather, the Zelas lottery numbers, that kind of thing.¡¯ ¡®Then he¡¯s worried we¡¯ve figured it out. And he¡¯s worried we¡¯re telling his followers.¡¯ ¡®Perhaps this why he steal artifact too,¡¯ Arzak suggested. ¡®Want make sure they not listen to you.¡¯ ¡®Maybe,¡¯ I agreed, then turned back to Val. ¡®You said¡­ most of them? What about the ones that are relevant?¡¯ The witch¡¯s eyes darted to Arzak, then back to me. ¡®Just one, really. Sounds like it came from Lore himself. It says¡­¡¯ She gulped. ¡®It says someone is going to die. One of us. And from the sounds of it, it¡¯s going to be¡­¡¯ Val again looked to Arzak, this time holding her gaze on her. ¡®Hm,¡¯ the orc said. ¡®Yeah.¡¯ Arzak stood for a moment, digesting this information, and then looked to Tokas. ¡®This change nothing,¡¯ she said. ¡®But Tokas stay away from me.¡¯ ¡®That prophecy was a lie,¡¯ Val reminded our orcish friend. ¡®Yusef was just playing on your fears. We don¡¯t know that Tokas¡ª¡¯ ¡®And I not want find out,¡¯ Arzak interrupted. ¡®Maybe Yusef kill me, yes. Maybe cultist do. Or maybe it is woman who betray us before.¡¯ Tokas took a small step backwards, positioning herself behind Lambkin. This was all coming to a head, and I¡¯d promised myself I¡¯d do something about it before it snowballed out of control. But here we were again with more important things to worry about¡ªnamely, getting my artifact back. ¡®The artifact,¡¯ I reminded Val, cutting off the glaring competition between Lambkin and Arzak. ¡®Did you learn where it is?¡¯ The witch nodded. ¡®Yeah, I did. But you¡¯re not gonna like it.¡¯ * * * ¡®You¡¯re right, I don¡¯t like it,¡¯ I said. The lot of us stood in the centre of the city, on the rooftop of a tall, stone, residential complex, away from the eyes of Yusef¡¯s spies. And we looked up at where the Sisyphus Artifact was stored¡ªin a tower. A particularly tall tower. Probably the third tallest tower in the city, though it was hard to tell from this severe, neck-twinging, angle. It was built from brick that matched the colour of the surrounding deserts, stacked high and held together with the gentle blue glow of sorcery¡ªhow else could they build so high? Windows and the odd balcony marked every storey, but even with this aid, I couldn¡¯t get an accurate count of how many there were. Maybe thirty. On these balconies, and around the base of the tower, we saw guards standing at attention, allowing access to the tower only to those dressed in familiar pale orange robes. The cult had already taken the building. ¡®I don¡¯t suppose there is any chance they are storing the artifact on the ground floor?¡¯ Corminar asked. ¡®It¡¯s in the Chamber of Elders,¡¯ Val replied. ¡®And where is that?¡¯ ¡®Top floor.¡¯ Corminar nodded. ¡®Lovely.¡¯ Val gritted her teeth, though this wasn¡¯t a reaction to Corminar¡¯s sarcasm; I think we were all on the page on that front. ¡®The way I see it, there are two ways in to the Tower of Elders. We could fight our way past the guards and up every single floor¡ªthere¡¯s thirty-two, I counted¡ªand hope that we survive to take on the Elders who are protecting the artifact.¡¯ ¡®I vote other way,¡¯ Arzak said. ¡®The other option is we use Styk and Raelas¡¯s portals to climb the outside.¡¯ ¡®I vote first way,¡¯ Arzak corrected herself. ¡®How accurate can you be at this distance?¡¯ Corminar asked me. ¡®Could you open a portal that places us at the top balcony?¡¯ ¡®Not from this range. I¡¯d need to be closer. We¡¯ll have to do it bit by bit.¡¯ ¡®I was afraid that you would say that.¡¯ ¡®OK,¡¯ Val said. ¡®We¡¯ll wait until after dark, and¡ª¡¯ This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. I shook my head. ¡®No. It could be too late by then, they could have moved it. We go now.¡¯ ¡®But they¡¯ll see us.¡¯ ¡®And we¡¯ll be thirty-two storeys above the ground. By the time anyone reaches us, we¡¯ll have the artifact and be portalling out way back down again. We don¡¯t have to kill anyone in there, we just have to steal the artifact.¡¯ It was just like the good old days. I opened a portal in front of us, its partner on top of a building adjacent to the base of the tower, and I gestured towards it. ¡®After you,¡¯ I said to Arzak, who was closest. ¡®I not happy about this,¡¯ she said, but she stepped through nonetheless. After the rest of the team pressed through, I followed. And then the climbing began. * * * ¡®Is high!¡¯ Arzak said, having to raise her voice over the wind. It was funny; from down below, it had seemed like a perfectly still day, but now we were ten storeys up¡­ not so much. Most of our number were crowded on a balcony below, holding the door closed against an oblivious local who thought the lock was stuck. Arzak, Corminar and I, however, were clinging to the bottom of a window ledge and about to make our next move. ¡®By my calculations, we¡¯ll need to be at least three times this high,¡¯ the elf said. ¡®This not reassuring!¡¯ I raised my arm, pointing it up at the next target balcony¡ªabout seven more storeys up¡ªopening a muted portal in front of it. On my first attempt, I opened it too far away, but on my second, it was close enough that we would make the leap. With a little momentum, at least. But I¡¯d thought of that, and I¡¯d opened the other half of the pair of portals below us. ¡®...Why portal down there?¡¯ Arzak asked. ¡®You need to let go,¡¯ I told her. The orcs eyes widened. ¡®No force on Alterra make me let go.¡¯ Corminar sighed, then looked at me with an expressed silent question. You sure about this? I nodded, and the elf released his grip on the exterior of the tower, falling through the portal and appearing in the air above us. He grabbed the edge of the next balcony nimbly. ¡®See?¡¯ I told Arzak. ¡®Hm,¡¯ she replied, then after a large sigh, she finally released. Arzak tumbled towards the portal, caught the side of it against her broad shoulders, and then tumbled past it. ¡®Arzak!¡¯ I cried, but another portal appeared below her, dropping her back where she¡¯d been a moment before. This time, she hit the mark, and with the added momentum she came out flying into the stone side of the tower. I looked down to Raelas. ¡®Thank you,¡¯ I said. ¡®No problem,¡¯ the tiefling replied. It was nice to see her coming out of her shell a little bit more, after what she¡¯d been through. I still couldn¡¯t agree with what she¡¯d done¡ªmalae trading was a dangerous game¡ªbut with the benefit of distance, I was starting to see how she¡¯d been driven to it. Had I forgiven her? No, not yet, but maybe it would come. I was forgiving people all over the place these days. If that wasn¡¯t heroic, then I didn¡¯t know what was. I leaped through the portal next, appearing on the balcony above, then ushered Corminar and Arzak to the ledges of a nearby window to make space for the rest of them. ¡®Why you volunteer me for this bit?¡¯ the orc asked. ¡®You¡¯re strong, Corminar¡¯s nimble, and I have portals,¡¯ I replied. ¡®It had to be us three.¡¯ ¡®Corminar and Styk not afraid of heights,¡¯ Arzak mumbled. ¡®Arzak is!¡¯ ¡®Do you always talk in the third person when you¡¯re scared?¡¯ ¡®Sometimes.¡¯ Still, she got out the way just in time for Val to come barreling through. Lambkin came through after her, and the witch caught and stabilised him. If I thought she wouldn¡¯t do the same for Tokas and Raelas¡ªwhat with what had passed between them¡ªI was wrong. ¡®All good?¡¯ I asked her, clinging onto a protruding piece of stone for dear life. ¡®Yep,¡¯ Val replied. ¡®You?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m all good.¡¯ ¡®I preferred Raelas¡¯s flirting,¡¯ Corminar piped up. ¡®This is dreadful.¡¯ This comment didn¡¯t help at all. We proceeded in much the same way, up until the penultimate balcony where the wind had grown stronger and, more importantly, Arzak¡¯s complaining had become too great to bear. We traded her out for Raelas, who also had portals at her disposal. As the balcony wasn¡¯t quite big enough for Arzak, Val, Lambkin and Tokas to stand there at the same time, Arzak resorted to holding Lambkin in the air to my space. ¡®I have never felt so degraded,¡¯ the ex-captain said¡ªsomething that nobody paid any attention to. Finally, we were up on the top balcony, outside the Chamber of the Elders. At least, provided that Val¡¯s information was correct. I couldn¡¯t tell if anyone had spotted us, as the distance to the ground and the loud, billowing winds made it impossible to tell, but it was worth us moving quickly. The last thing we wanted was a hundred cultists coming to the Elders¡¯ aid. As the last of our number hopped up onto the balcony, I slowly pried the door open. Inside, the chamber consisted of a large stone table surrounded by wide, high-backed chairs, each of them facing the door. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d been expecting the Sisyphus Artifact to be hidden away, necessarily, but what I hadn¡¯t been expecting was for it to be displayed on a pedestal in the middle of the table. I stepped into the room, and then realised I¡¯d missed something. Sat on each of the large chairs was an old tiefling, their legs crossed, their slim bodies obscured by the backs of the seats. One of them poked their head around to look at me. I raised a hand in a pretty ambitious wave of greeting. ¡®...Hi?¡¯ I said.
"Styk" Level 20 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 52 Intelligence ¡ª 227 Dexterity ¡ª 137 Strength ¡ª 82 Wisdom ¡ª 76 Charisma ¡ª 50
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 61 Knifework ¡ª Level 45 Stealth ¡ª Level 26 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II - Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
205. In The Heavens ¡®Hello,¡¯ one of the elders replied¡ªa woman who couldn¡¯t have been younger than eighty. I hadn¡¯t realised until now that the title of ¡°Elder¡± was a literal one. Where were all the young elders at? ¡®Are we ¡°hello¡±-ing intrudes now, Alia?¡¯ another said. ¡®I was caught by surprise,¡¯ the woman said, considering Styk and the others who were just now stepping in through the doors. ¡®But now that I have a moment, do we think that this is¡­?¡¯ ¡®We do,¡¯ replied the other. ¡®The seducer.¡¯ Corminar, Raelas and Val all smirked at this. Well, actually, Corminar full-on burst out laughing. ¡®Seducer?¡¯ he repeated. ¡®I don¡¯t think they mean it like that,¡¯ I retorted over my shoulder, but this didn¡¯t seem to do much to stop members of the team grinning at the idea. The elder known as Alia rose slowly from her seat, her arms shaking a little with the effort. ¡®We will have to report your trespass, you know,¡¯ she said. ¡®Well, yeah? We figured,¡¯ I replied. ¡®Either way, though, we¡¯re gonna be taking back what you stole.¡¯ ¡®Is it thievery when you steal from a thief?¡¯ Alia retorted. I looked back at the rest of my team. ¡®I mean, yes? I¡¯m gonna go with ¡°yes¡±, it is.¡¯ Alia ignored me. ¡®This artifact, and those like it, was meant for the Architects. It is meant for those who bless us with their presence, having made the journey from the Ascended Realm. It¡¯s not for the likes of you.¡¯ Those like it? I didn¡¯t like the sound of that. ¡®You say that like they¡¯re here of their own free will,¡¯ Val said. ¡®Like they¡¯re so kind to be living around us. But they¡¯re¡ª¡¯ I shook my head at her; it wasn¡¯t that I disagreed with what she was saying, only that I knew it¡¯d be fruitless. These people were clearly already loyal followers. I would have known that even if they weren¡¯t wearing pale orange. ¡®I just wanna say¡ªin case you hadn¡¯t realised¡ªthat if it comes to a fight, we¡¯re probably going to win.¡¯ The Council of Elders said nothing. I took a step towards the table. ¡®So, we¡¯re gonna be taking this now. And I assume you¡¯re gonna let us?¡¯ ¡®No,¡¯ Alia said. ¡®OK, well it¡¯s just that you seemed to have trouble even standing up, let alone doing a whole fight.¡¯ ¡®No,¡¯ the elder repeated. I gestured a thumb back towards the balcony, and the outside. ¡®I could just drop you through a portal, fling you into the air out there. Just so you know.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re not having the artifact.¡¯ ¡®Did you hear what I just said about throwing you into the air?¡¯ ¡®Hm,¡¯ Arzak said pointedly behind me. I looked around to see her raising her hand. ¡®If this is opposition, why we all need to come?¡¯ ¡®Well, I didn¡¯t know¡ª¡¯ Alia took a step towards me. It would have been menacing if she didn¡¯t seem to be having trouble with every step. ¡®You will not have the artifact. It is our privilege to serve Yusef, and it is our duty to protect it with our lives.¡¯ ¡®If Yusef wanted you to protect it so bad, why didn¡¯t he leave you with guards?¡¯ Val asked. ¡®He did,¡¯ Alia replied. We all went tense, as though they were about to spring a trap on us. But no trap came. ¡®...Where are they?¡¯ Tokas asked. ¡®Downstairs.¡¯ ¡®We didn¡¯t think you would come in through the window,¡¯ another elder volunteered. ¡®You know, these Players used to feel a lot more menacing than they do these days,¡¯ Val said. ¡®The pyroknight almost killed all of us. Twice. Niamh is, well, Niamh. But this Yusef? I don¡¯t know, it feels like he¡¯s a lot more fragile than we thought, since we learned he was a fraud.¡¯ One of the elders roared with fury at this assertion, and charged at Val, dagger raised in the air. It was just a shame that this ¡°charge¡± took approximately twenty seconds. ¡®So, are we fighting them, or¡­?¡¯ Val asked as the elder charged at her. ¡®They¡¯re attacking us,¡¯ I replied. ¡®I suppose we¡¯d be in our right to defend us.¡¯ ¡®It doesn¡¯t feel very heroic,¡¯ Lambkin said, hitting the nail on the head in terms of my doubts. The elder swung his dagger at Val, and the witch stepped casually out of the way. ¡®Hey, he was the one suggesting throwing them out of windows. And he thinks he is a hero.¡¯ ¡®Whatever we do, may I suggest that we do it soon?¡¯ Corminar asked. ¡®We know there are guards below, but we do not know how soon they will arrive. Best we, as you humans say, skedaddle.¡¯ ¡®Nobody says that,¡¯ Val replied. The elder swung a dagger slowly towards her once more, and I stepped through a portal to push him out the way. He cried out with pain as he fell to the floor. Elder of Zelas defeated! Worldbending ¡ª +10xp Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. We all looked down at the fallen man as the rest of the elders rose from their seats. ¡®Did you just¡­?¡¯ Val started, pointing to the man who was motionless on the floor. ¡®...Yeah.¡¯ ¡®How you feeling about that?¡¯ ¡®Not great.¡¯ I turned back to the ¡°charging¡± elders. Admittedly, some of them were faster than others, though I still could have played a full game of stones before having to dodge any attacks. ¡®So, we¡¯re killing them?¡¯ Tokas asked. Arzak glared at her. ¡®I don¡¯t want to,¡¯ the tiefling clarified, ¡®I just thought¡­¡¯ ¡®OK,¡¯ I said, stepping aside as a weak fireball flew past me. How were even their spells this slow? ¡®New plan: no more killing.¡¯ ¡®But you just¡ª¡¯ Val started. ¡®I really didn¡¯t think that was gonna be contentious. No more killing. I¡¯ll grab the artifact, and we¡¯ll get out of here. Any questions?¡¯ Everyone raised their hands. Val blasted a fireball away with a casual summoned gust, and it caught a wall hanging. ¡®Oops,¡¯ she said. ¡®So no killing. Is arson fine?¡¯ I put my head in my hands. ¡®OK, Arzak, what¡¯s your question?¡¯ ¡®Do still have to leave on outside of building?¡¯ ¡®Yes. Corminar?¡¯ ¡®When they say seducer, do they mean¡ª¡¯ ¡®Val?¡¯ I asked, cutting him off. ¡®If the artifact is here, then Yusef¡¯s been here. He trusts these people.¡¯ I caught an elder¡¯s wrist in mid-swing, holding their sword in place, before turning back to Val. ¡®I don¡¯t hear a question.¡¯ ¡®Question is, maybe we should look around quickly?¡¯ I nodded. ¡®Raelas, you take Arzak, Lambkin and Tokas, start getting down. The rest of us will have a quick look around and catch up.¡¯ Raelas matched my nod, and the four of them began their escape while the rest of us fanned out in the room. I hopped up onto the table, narrowly avoiding the swing of Alia¡¯s knife. And when I say ¡°narrowly¡± I mean ¡°it wasn¡¯t at all close¡±. Alia scoffed at me. ¡®Problem?¡¯ I asked, as I crossed the table to pick up the Sisyphus Artifact. I considered placing it in my Pocket World storage for safekeeping, but there was something comforting about feeling it dangling against my torso. So I still opened the pocket world, but instead pulled out a piece of thread from my Needlework supplies. I pushed the thread through the loop on the top of the artifact and hung it back around my neck. When I felt its touch, I let out a breath I didn¡¯t know I¡¯d been holding in. ¡®The problem is that you should treat your elders with respect!¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s ambiguous.¡¯ ¡®What?¡¯ ¡®I mean,¡¯ I said, ¡®is it that we should treat all older people with respect, or just this council? Because I¡¯ve got an answer for each of them, neither one that you¡¯ll like.¡¯ Alia spluttered. ¡®Good answer,¡¯ I said, before turning to the rest of the gang. ¡®You got anything?¡¯ ¡®Over here,¡¯ Corminar said, gesturing to a stack of papers on the council¡¯s table. He leafed through it. ¡®Follower movement charts. There are still hundreds in Coldharbour, but Yusef seems to have realised that a mistake; every follower west of Coldharbour is heading here, or here already.¡¯ ¡®He means to use them against us?¡¯ Val asked. ¡®Either that or something else. Perhaps we should attack him now.¡¯ ¡®You think we¡¯d still have the element of surprise?¡¯ I asked. ¡®Cos I don¡¯t. I think there are more than enough cultists here already.¡¯ The elder nearest to Corminar pulled a document from the table, and from his manner, it seemed that it was a document he¡¯d chosen specifically. I approached, and plucked it from his hand. ¡®Got something?¡¯ Val asked. I nodded. ¡®He¡¯s staying in the Tower of Hope, wherever that is. And¡­ Lore¡¯s there with him.¡¯ At that moment, I heard a sound coming from behind the door. Footsteps, on the staircase, maybe. But was that the noise of charging guards or servants going about their business? It didn¡¯t matter, I supposed; it was time to get out of here. I hurried over to the window, my friends running at my side, the elders behind us, moaning something about this being completely disrespectful. And I opened the first portal.
"Styk" Level 20 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 52 Intelligence ¡ª 227 Dexterity ¡ª 137 Strength ¡ª 82 Wisdom ¡ª 76 Charisma ¡ª 50
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 61 Knifework ¡ª Level 45 Stealth ¡ª Level 26 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II - Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
206. Loyalty We took turns keeping watch. The seven of us were camped well out of town, close to a nearby watering hole but not so close that anyone would have good reason to come near. Val and Lambkin took the first watch, as the last of the sun¡¯s light left the sky, and I dreamed. I dreamed of a family. Not just Val and I¡ªeven after finding the strength to forgive her leaving, I still wasn¡¯t there yet, I wasn¡¯t dwelling of that. I dreamed of a family that included Arzak, and Corminar, and Lore. I¡¯d never had a family before, beyond my father, and even that had been a¡­ strained relationship. And my mother, the Player, I¡¯d never met. So it was a family of choice, not of blood, of which I dreamed. Of course, one of this family of five were missing. When Val shook me awake for the second watch, I found myself coated in sweat. ¡®Lore?¡¯ she asked. ¡®What?¡¯ ¡®You were talking about Lore,¡¯ she said. ¡®In your sleep.¡¯ I shook my head. ¡®It¡¯s nothing,¡¯ I replied, but it was anything but. I was only just becoming conscious of it, but while I¡¯d slept, I¡¯d realised what I had to do next. Over the past year and a bit, Lore and I had become close. Close enough, I thought, that I might still be able to reach him. And now I knew where he was staying. ¡®Alright,¡¯ Val replied, then looked over at Lambkin, who was waking Tokas at the other side of the camp. ¡®You¡¯re on. Your turn.¡¯ I nodded, and the witch began to leave, returning to the shoddy tent she was sharing with Arzak, but her eyes lingered on my own. I gestured to it. ¡®You want to sleep here?¡¯ ¡®Are we there, yet?¡¯ Val asked. I shook my head. ¡®I don¡¯t know.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m sorry, Styk,¡¯ she said. ¡®I don¡¯t think I said that before, did I? I¡¯m sorry.¡¯ I nodded, which was perhaps not the reaction she was looking for. ¡®At least stay here until my watch is over,¡¯ I said, tapping the mass of fabric I¡¯d pulled from my pocket world. ¡®The bed¡¯s warm. And Arzak snores.¡¯ Val raised her eyebrows in agreement. ¡®Yeah, OK,¡¯ she said. ¡®We¡¯ll talk some more in the morning?¡¯ ¡®Oh, you bet we will,¡¯ I replied. There was still a lot more to say, between us, before we could continue rebuilding this relationship. But I had a feeling that wouldn¡¯t be what everyone wanted to talk about when I returned. Only when I saw sure Lambkin and Val had drifted off¡ªit took neither of them particularly long¡ªI approached Tokas. ¡®You reckon you can keep watch by yourself?¡¯ ¡®Would Arzak like that?¡¯ the tiefling replied. ¡®What she doesn¡¯t know won¡¯t hurt her.¡¯ Tokas nodded. ¡®Sure. I can do it alone. But¡­ where are you going?¡¯ ¡®To see a man about his destiny,¡¯ I replied. ¡®I don¡¯t know what that means.¡¯ Of course she didn¡¯t; Tokas was nothing if not literal. ¡®I¡¯m going to try to talk some sense into Lore.¡¯ ¡®Alone? Is that a good idea? I could come with, if you¡ª¡¯ I shook my head. ¡®No, it¡¯s best I do this alone. Less chance of raising the alarms. Will you tell the others?¡¯ ¡®No,¡¯ Tokas replied. ¡®I can be trusted.¡¯ That, of course, remained to be seen. * * * I climbed the Tower of Hope in much the same way as we¡¯d climbed the Tower of Elders only a few hours ago. Only now, I was obscured by the thick darkness of the Armadan night, and my Tamed Portal passive ability meant there was little chance of others spotting my portals. Without the others¡ªparticularly Arzak¡ªthis process was easy, calming even. As I hung from the edge of the balcony¡ªI¡¯d soon become comfortable with heights after mastering my portal abilities¡ªI looked down upon the sprawling conical city of Zelas. Few lanterns remained lit at this late hour, and those few remaining were on the main thoroughfares. I watched small dots stagger home after quests that had stretched on longer than expected, or more likely, after drinking sessions that had stretched on longer than expected. I paused to close my eyes, just for a second, and breathe in the air. I was calm. I was ready to work. Keeping the calm in my heart, I continued the climb, counting the storeys until I finally arrived where Lore should have been staying, only a few storeys down from the top of the tower. I was painfully aware that Yusef would be sleeping nearby, and if I hadn¡¯t thought he¡¯d be far more guarded, I might have tried a cheeky assassination attempt. As cheeky as an assassination attempt could be, at least. I poked my head in through the nearby window to make sure that I was in the right place, and was answered not by the sight of Lore, but by his familiar snores. ¡®Oi,¡¯ I said, in as loud a voice as I dared, ¡®sleepyhead. Wake up.¡¯ I waited for signs of Lore doing so, and was sorely disappointed. Fortunately, I¡¯d prepared for this. I opened a portal to my pocket world at my side, reached in for my water flagon, and then upended it over Lore¡¯s head. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. He snapped bolt upright. ¡®Woah, woah,¡¯ I said, ¡®It¡¯s me, big guy.¡¯ Lore¡¯s eyes widened. ¡®Styk?¡¯ he whispered. ¡®You shouldn¡¯t be here. There are guards all around this place. Especially after what you did to the Elders.¡¯ ¡®Oh, you heard about that already?¡¯ ¡®Yusef¡¯s furious, he¡ª¡¯ Lore caught himself. ¡®You scaled the tower again? Then he¡¯s seen you. You better go, before¡ª¡¯ OK, so that centre of calm was gone already. If I needed to act fast, then I wasn¡¯t going to waste a moment. ¡®Come with me, Lore,¡¯ I said. ¡®You shouldn¡¯t have left us. Come with me now, and I¡¯ll get you out of here. We¡¯re camped just outside town. We¡ª¡¯ ¡®No.¡¯ ¡®No?¡¯ Lore shook his head. Even in the low light, I could see the sadness in those eyes. ¡®If I leave, Alenna dies. It¡¯s foretold.¡¯ ¡®Yusef¡¯s a fraud, Lore,¡¯ I said, getting straight to the point. ¡®He doesn¡¯t have the Divination skill at all, as far as we can tell. He does illusions. Illusions!¡¯ ¡®I know,¡¯ came the barbarian¡¯s sad reply. ¡®Cool, so let¡¯s¡ª¡¯ I caught myself; he hadn¡¯t replied what I¡¯d expected him to. There was no ¡°Oh, really, Styk? Well in that case let¡¯s get the hells out of here¡±. ¡®You know?¡¯ I repeated. ¡®I figured it out a few days ago,¡¯ Lore said. ¡®He only knows what his spies tell him. And what I tell him. I haven¡¯t challenged him on it or anything, but¡ª¡¯ ¡®Then why in all of Tartarus are you staying here?¡¯ I demanded. ¡®I can get you out. I have a Saved Portal back to Coldharbour, if you want distance. I can get you away from him in an instant. So why stay?¡¯ ¡®Because I¡¯ve seen it,¡¯ came the reply. That was a lot harder to argue with. All the Slayers had been acting weird lately, but Lore was the one of us with a good excuse; he was doing what he had to to keep us all alive. He was the one battling with the strings of fate. ¡®If I leave Yusef, Alenna dies. I¡¯ve tried everything I can to get out of it, but¡­ there¡¯s nothing.¡¯ Both our heads snapped to the door when we heard movement outside. But it was the casual cough of an uninformed guard, not one charging to kill me. They weren¡¯t here yet. ¡®We¡¯re going to kill him, Lore,¡¯ I said. ¡®We have to.¡¯ ¡®Good. I want him dead. I don¡¯t wanna be here, Styk. I just¡­ have to be.¡¯ ¡®Then help.¡¯ The barbarian shook his head. ¡®I can¡¯t go with you. I really can¡¯t.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t believe I was about to say this. ¡®I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m saying this, but don¡¯t come with me, then. You can tell help from here.¡¯ ¡®How? He¡¯s desperate. I think he knows you lot have seen through him. This man isn¡¯t like Jacob or Niamh, he¡¯s not actually strong. His power is in lying and making connections. And he¡¯s realised that you lot aren¡¯t falling for any of his traps. Now he knows that even the Towers of Zelas aren¡¯t safe. He¡¯ll lash out, Styk. You¡¯re not safe. You¡¯re not¡ª¡¯ I grabbed Lore by his shoulders. The man was rambling, and needed snapping back to reality. Just what had he seen in those visions? Just how many of our deaths had he been forced to sit through? I could think of nothing else that would make him like this. ¡®Use that,¡¯ I told him. ¡®Use his desperation against him. We need him away from Zelas, from his followers. They are his strength, as you say. If you can convince him that he¡¯s in real trouble, if you can convince him to flee, then we might stand a chance. Get him away from his followers, and we¡¯ll deal with him. Can you do that?¡¯ Lore nodded; this, he could do.
"Styk" Level 20 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 52 Intelligence ¡ª 227 Dexterity ¡ª 137 Strength ¡ª 82 Wisdom ¡ª 76 Charisma ¡ª 50
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 61 Knifework ¡ª Level 45 Stealth ¡ª Level 26 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II - Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
207. To Elassos As the first light of dawn crawled its way across the deserts outside Zelas, we watched two horses kicking up dust into the air. These were two of the fastest steeds that money¡ªor, in this case, power¡ªcould buy. After the discussion I¡¯d had with Lore last night, I had no doubt that he was one of them, and Yusef the other. He¡¯d succeeded. He¡¯d separated Yusef from the cult. But we now had rides of our own. * * * ¡®And where in hells have been?¡¯ Arzak demanded when I¡¯d returned to camp in the dead of night. Tokas and I¡¯s watch had ended while I¡¯d been gone, and the tiefling had clearly had no choice but to wake the next watchers, Arzak and Corminar. ¡®I went to see Lore,¡¯ I replied. ¡®Alone?¡¯ demanded Val, sitting up from the mess of blankets in my tent. ¡®Oh, you¡¯re awake too.¡¯ ¡®You could have been hurt,¡¯ Arzak said. The foot tapping hadn¡¯t stopped, or even slowed, as far as I could see. ¡®We say we not split up. Why you go?¡¯ ¡®Cos he¡¯s our friend. And we owed him a way out, if he wanted one, especially after¡­¡¯ I trailed off, but my meaning¡ªI hoped¡ªwas obvious; after Corminar and I had overlooked how much he¡¯d been struggling with the burden of prophecy. ¡®He not here.¡¯ ¡®No. He¡¯s staying. He says if he leaves, Alenna dies. I don¡¯t blame him for choosing his friend¡¯s life over killing Yusef.¡¯ Val opened her mouth as if about to say ¡°I do¡±, but nothing came out. ¡®So pointless then,¡¯ Arzak said. ¡®You risk life for nothing.¡¯ I shook my head. ¡®Oh, I didn¡¯t say that.¡¯ I turned to Val. ¡®It¡¯s good you¡¯re up; I need you. We¡¯re going to need to steal some horses.¡¯ * * * As Lore and Yusef fled across the desert sands, we hopped up onto steeds of our own. We¡¯d stolen eight¡ªone apiece, plus one for carried items that I couldn¡¯t fit in my pocket world. This would keep us quick, if not quick enough to catch up Yusef on a horse like that. But sooner or later, he would grow tired of running, and then the battle would begin. There would be no fragile truce this time. Yusef could no longer threaten us with visions of the future that we now knew were false. This time, when we caught him, it would end one of only two ways¡ªwe¡¯d kill him, or he¡¯d kill us. Just how much of a chance did he stand without his cult behind him, and with only Illusion magicks at his disposal? Lore being forced to his side had really been a blessing in disguise. Yusef, perhaps considering himself some master manipulator, had thought he was strengthening himself and weakening us by bringing Lore to his side. But Lore, accidentally charismatic as he was, had got under the man¡¯s skin. He¡¯d been able to do as I¡¯d suggested. He¡¯d played on the man¡¯s paranoia, on his fear, enough that Yusef would seek to flee fast enough that the cult couldn¡¯t follow. Not that they weren¡¯t trying; even as Zelas disappeared behind us, we saw the familiar shade of pale orange as his worshippers took chase. We would have to finish this fight before the cultists could catch up, but what with their relatively slow pace, the longer that Yusef fled, the longer we¡¯d have to do so. We settled in for the long haul. Nobody spoke until the hot rays of the midday sun were upon us. We¡¯d slowed our horses¡¯ paces so as not to wear them out, and stopped momentarily at a water hole to refill our tankards. From the tracks in the sand, Yusef and Lore had stopped here too, and not so long ago that the desert winds had hidden those imprints. I hurried us all back onto our horses the moment we¡¯d stocked up on water, as we couldn¡¯t linger. Not if we wanted to catch him. We rode once more, the road fading fast beneath our horses¡¯ hooves. This was a part of the world not well served by merchants or travellers; there was little need for established paths. If the road grew soft, it would slow us, but it would slow Yusef, too. ¡®You all know where he¡¯s going, right?¡¯ Tokas shouted. In the din of the galloping horses, it was no easy thing for us all to respond, so she added, ¡®He¡¯s heading to Elassos.¡¯ I brought my horse over to her side, finding it difficult; my experience with horseriding was very limited, considering that I wasn¡¯t filthy rich. But eventually I got there, almost as if my horse knew what I was getting at and was being considerate, even though I was pushing him hard. ¡®Tell me,¡¯ I shouted over the noise, ¡®Why Elassos? What¡¯s there? I thought it was abandoned?¡¯ ¡®It is,¡¯ Tokas cried back. ¡®Except for bandits, perhaps. He won¡¯t find help there.¡¯ ¡®Then what will he find? Why go there at all?¡¯ ¡®It was built back during the invasion,¡¯ Tokas said. ¡®And being a sea people, the tieflings had never really encountered fortresses like we¡¯d seen here. But the tiefling way is to turn an enemy¡¯s strength against them, and so they established their foothold in this region by building a fortress to put all to shame, except perhaps Great Hearth. It¡¯ll have defences, it¡¯ll have enchantments.¡¯ I nodded. ¡®So he¡¯s setting traps for us again? He has no other tricks up his sleeve?¡¯ ¡®I believe we were weak enough only a year ago that these traps would have finished us,¡¯ Corminar pitched in. ¡®That we¡¯ve survived so many speaks to how far we¡¯ve come. Perhaps Yusef has not ever before needed another ¡°trick up his sleeve¡±.¡¯ There was that. If Jacob the pyroknight had been smart enough¡ªor less blinded by rage¡ªthen any traps he¡¯d left for us could well have been the end for us. We were stronger, now. I was stronger now. I touched the artifact dangling from my neck. Maybe we shouldn¡¯t feel fear when we rode to meet our enemy. Maybe this was what the future of the Slayers looked like¡ªstill working toward the same purpose, but no longer terrified for our lives when we did it. I, for one, could go for that. The sun was lower in the sky, casting great shadows from the mountain range, when Elassos finally appeared over the horizon. As Tokas had promised, it really was a sight to behold. It stood atop one of the lower hills in the outer mountain range, yet with its great height, it still seemed to tower above us. The structure itself had small balconies that ran around its square floor plan on every level, punctuated occasionally by great platforms that protruded from one side or another. These platforms, supported by metal beams but surely magicks too, paid host to building, and I got the impression that these had once been training grounds for the tiefling troops stationed there. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. As we grew closer still, I saw more signs of life. There were footprints on the road¡ªnot Yusef¡¯s or Lore¡¯s, who were surely still on horseback¡ªand there were signs of campsites. Slowly, strange shapes at the bottom of the fortress came into focus, and I saw that they were tents. Tokas hadn¡¯t been wrong; bandits really did use this fortress as a refuge. We¡¯d just have to hope they didn¡¯t get in our way. Faces appeared from these tents as the fortress loomed in our vision, faces attached to bodies holding curved swords and spears and preparing magicks in case of attack. But we made no effort to move for our weapons¡ªwe had bigger fish to fry¡ªand slowly these bandits became more relaxed. Arzak asked one of them the obvious question with her eyes, and the bandit replied in kind¡ªlooking upwards to the heights of the fortress. They¡¯d gone up there. And where they went, we followed. We rode up the ramps leading to Elassos¡¯s main entryway¡ªan archway larger than most taverns, with its two huge wooden doors rotting away and fire-scarred. Inside, Elassos was large enough that we didn¡¯t need to dismount. We could ride the horses up the gentle ramps that took us upwards into this eerily empty, ornate fortress. Their speed was slowed, of course, but this only gave us time to inspect the glowing lines that seemed to stretch from ground floor to spire. Whatever these magicks were, I did not know, and their ever-changing colour gave no indication even which specialty they related to. All we knew was that the tieflings had once thought them important in protecting this fortress, and I prayed that Yusef didn¡¯t know more than this either. The horses were moving very slowly when we reached the higher floors, and Arzak¡ªwhose horse was, predictably, the most tired of all¡ªmade the decision to dismount. We all did the same, Raelas and Lambkin tying the reins to an arched pole on the wall that I could only assume had been made for this very purpose. And then, still not a word shared, we proceeded to the topmost storey. Two men stood on the platform protruding eastwards from Elassos, the sun now low enough in the sky that the spire cast them in shadow. The edges of this wooden platform were raised, but only perhaps a foot from the floor¡ªthe tiefling weren¡¯t massively concerned with safety, it seemed. Beyond that, the only object of note on this platform was, for lack of a better word, an altar¡ªand where all of the glowing lines came together. It worried me that Yusef had chosen there, of all places, to let us catch up. ¡®Do you never stop?¡¯ the Player asked, saliva splattering the floor in front of him as he spoke with such disdain. I held his eyes as I spoke to him. ¡®We won¡¯t stop chasing you. We need you to realise that. So why don¡¯t we end this now, one way or another?¡¯ Yusef¡¯s eyes darted to Lore. He was no fool. He knew that his grasp he had on Lore was dependent on keeping his friends alive. He¡¯d set traps on the road, but none of them had been successful. If they had been, he¡¯d have needed to kill Lore, and lose the gentle giant¡¯s grasp of Divination. That would have been no problem with the hordes of his cult around him, but now, if he lost Lore, he was alone. But he would have known that. He was smart enough to anticipate that, even if he was as paranoid as Lore had said. And yet he¡¯d come here anyway. My eyes darted to the glowing altar once more. ¡®One way, perhaps,¡¯ Yusef replied, holding our gaze. We stared back. ¡®The¡­ way where you die?¡¯ Val suggested. Yusef shook his head to himself, but said nothing, instead turning to the altar. ¡®What?¡¯ I goaded him. ¡®That¡¯s it? No great speech? No threats? Just¡­ that?¡¯ ¡®Yes,¡¯ Yusef replied, and he placed his hands on the altar. ¡®Just that.¡¯ The glowing lines that stemmed out from the altar turned red in a blink, Yusef¡¯s Illusion magicks flowing from the altar so fast you might missed it. And then the tower, my friends, even Yusef himself disappeared from my sight. This was an illusion to surpass even those he¡¯d left for us on the road, in some way using the innate powers of this fortress. There was the answer to the question. Why had he come here, even without his cult to defend him? The answer was simple: because here was a trap that we couldn¡¯t hope to survive.
"Styk" Level 20 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 52 Intelligence ¡ª 227 Dexterity ¡ª 137 Strength ¡ª 82 Wisdom ¡ª 76 Charisma ¡ª 50
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 61 Knifework ¡ª Level 45 Stealth ¡ª Level 26 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II - Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
208. The Eyes Of Our Ancestors I stumbled forward in the artificial darkness, my dagger raised. Yusef was in front of me. Or, at least, he should have been in front of me. But as I arrived where he should have been, I found nothing but the glowing red altar. He¡¯d fled within the darkness, and I was going to have to move quickly to find him again. I heard a muffled scream off to my right¡ªsomewhere deep in the fog-not-fog. Raelas. I charged towards her, moving as fast as I could without risking running into the point of Yusef¡¯s own knife. I crossed the glowing red lines that stemmed from the altar, and then my vision misted for a moment. I ignored it, pushing forward, until¡ª The platform disappeared beneath my foot. I fell forwards, opening a portal in front of me to stop me plummeting to my doom, and opened its partner somewhere back above where the platform was. I hit the wooden platform again hard, and I hoped that Raelas¡¯s scream from a moment ago hadn¡¯t been her doing the same¡ªthe platform, and its edge, was still here, whether we could see it or not. ¡®Are you alright, my child?¡¯ a voice came through the darkness. A familiar voice, one that pulled forth emotions of joy¡­ and despair. I whipped my head around once more and approached the voice, this time taking care with every step. A figure loomed in the darkness. ¡®...Val?¡¯ I asked, though I knew deep down it wasn¡¯t. In hindsight, I realised I already knew who it was at this point, but I was deep in denial at the time. ¡®Come to me,¡¯ the same voice replied. Definitely not Val. I took another step forward, expecting the altar to appear in front of me once more, but it didn¡¯t. I¡¯d lost my sense of direction in the thick fog. Instead, a familiar face appeared¡ªone that made my heart skip a beat, but not lower my weapon. ¡®Mum?¡¯ I asked. ¡®My child.¡¯ Her familiar face beamed back at me, having not aged a day since the portrait my father had treasured, or since I¡¯d seen her image in Empress Amira¡¯s files. She held her arms out at her sides, as though encouraging me to embrace her. ¡®No, you¡­ you¡¯re not here,¡¯ I said. ¡®You left. And you¡¯re not coming back.¡¯ ¡®Yes,¡¯ the image of my mother agreed, gazing upon me with eyes I recognised. Eyes I¡¯d seen so many times in the mirror. ¡®I left. I was the first of many to leave you, wasn¡¯t I? Then your father, snatched by his enemies. Then Gwin, infected by the corruption. Then Val, who left on her own accord. Yet you are so quick to forgive them.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re saying I should forgive you, too,¡¯ I replied, then caught myself. I was arguing with an illusion. I had to remember that, or Yusef would¡­ what? End me here? Trap me here forever? I didn¡¯t quite know his plan just yet. ¡®I¡¯m asking a question, is all. I¡¯m asking whether you forgave them so that you might find the courage to forgive me.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m not scared, I¡ª¡¯ ¡®Not scared of me, no,¡¯ the woman said. ¡®Scared of absence. If you forgive me, then you let me go. And if you let me go, then I may never return. That¡¯s it, isn¡¯t it?¡¯ I realised then that I¡¯d taken a few unconscious steps closer to the woman with outstretched arms. How had she done that? Or had she even done anything at all? I forced myself to a stop. ¡®Cleo, no,¡¯ I said. ¡®Cleo, now, is it?¡¯ the woman replied. ¡®What happened to Mum?¡¯ Still, she kept her arms wide open. I forced myself to step backwards, away from her. ¡®You¡¯re not real.¡¯ ¡®No? Then how do I know so much about you?¡¯ I held my blade higher, ready to defend myself. ¡®Because that¡¯s how he works. Yusef. His illusions are personal. Your greatest fears made to seem real. He did it to Arzak, with Tokas prophesied to kill her, and he did it with Lore by threatening the lives of his friends. That¡¯s what this is. That¡¯s what you are. A trick.¡¯ The woman¡¯s smile faded. ¡®Very well.¡¯ With that, she charged, her dagger arching through the air. Instinctively I defended myself with my own blade, but then realised¡­ this was an illusion. My mother, here, couldn¡¯t possibly hurt me, because she was just in my¡ª My dagger smashed against hers, and we rebounded. In that moment, I saw that Cleo didn¡¯t have the same eyes as me. She had Yusef¡¯s eyes, now. I charged, pressing the attack, activating Knifestorm to increase the damage dealt. But my mother¡ªor the image of my mother¡ªdisappeared into the darkness, and my attack hit only air. I heard another muffled cry from somewhere else nearby. Nearby on the platform; I must remember we¡¯re on a platform. This one I recognised¡ªVal¡¯s. I hurried to her side as carefully as I could, wishing I didn¡¯t have the Tamed Portals passive as their glow might have helped cut through this darkness. And I stumbled over a child. Well, I would have stumbled over a child if I hadn¡¯t instead walked straight through them like they weren¡¯t even there. This was an illusion, and it was one that Yusef wasn¡¯t inhabiting. I wouldn¡¯t have given them a second look, but then the child whimpered. I stopped, then, and I looked down at her. It was only then that I realised this was a vision of Val. The child held up a small mouse, which lay limp in her cupped, upturned hands. ¡®I didn¡¯t mean to,¡¯ she said. ¡®I didn¡¯t mean to hurt it.¡¯ The sincere distress in her voice almost broke my heart. ¡®It¡¯s OK,¡¯ I started to say, recognising in that moment that I was talking to an illusion, ¡®you didn¡¯t mean to¡ª¡¯ ¡®Oh, Equivalence,¡¯ a voice said, emerging from the darkness. A short woman arrived at the young girl¡¯s side and cradled her. ¡®It¡¯s OK. It¡¯s OK.¡¯ The woman looked around, and in that moment I caught a glimpse of her face. Niamh¡¯s face. The Player we¡¯d killed in the Bay of Roots. So she had not always been an enemy to Val. From the looks of it, she¡¯d once been a friend. I stepped backwards carefully, away from the vision. I didn¡¯t know what game Yusef was playing with this, but I didn¡¯t want to stick around to find out. I kept the vision of the child and the Player in my sight as I edged away, expecting a trap, expecting¡ª If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. I stumbled into something solid, and I whipped around, blade out, nearly catching Val in the stomach. ¡®Val?¡¯ Her eyes were fixed on the vision of her younger self. ¡®Is this¡­ real?¡¯ I asked. The witch hesitated before nodding. ¡®You never told me¡­¡¯ I trailed off, not quite sure how to phrase this question. ¡®You didn¡¯t tell me you knew her like this.¡¯ Before Val¡ªthe adult Val¡ªcould give any reply, the vision changed. The child version of herself was older now, perhaps ten or eleven. She poked her head through a door, into some kind of village hall. There, Niamh sat again, at the head of an ornate dining table laden with food. But the real Val¡¯s eyes weren¡¯t on her¡ªthey were on a timid-looking couple sat at Niamh¡¯s right. ¡®Mum,¡¯ she said, ¡®Dad.¡¯ More parents. Yusef really needed more imagination. Though, I wasn¡¯t sure we could withstand any more imaginative traumas. ¡®They knew her? They knew Niamh?¡¯ ¡®They became friends. Niamh wasn¡¯t always¡­ what you saw. For a while¡ªfor many years¡ªshe was a friend to our town. She fought back the terrok infestation, dealt with the rockrats, even took down a neereagle. She encouraged my changeling abilities, supported me with them. She popped in on birthdays, brought me gifts.¡¯ A growl echoed around the fog, followed by the sound of a falling tree. ¡®But then we both came to understand what was happening to me. We both realised what my powers were. And she turned. She poisoned the minds of my parents, making them hate me. She destroyed my friendships. Made me an outcast. And never told me why. Why did she hate witches so much? What possible threat could I have been to her?¡¯ Something clicked in my mind, then. I¡¯d already come to forgive her¡ªYusef¡¯s vision of my mother was right about that, and probably about the reasons why, too¡ªbut now I understood her. I understood why she was so scared of me changing. She was scared of me turning on her like that. Taking everything from her that she held dear¡ªincluding the Player that she¡¯d come to love. ¡®Val,¡¯ I said. ¡®Yeah?¡¯ I nodded to the vision of Niamh. ¡®I think it¡¯s time you got some revenge.¡¯ ¡®She¡¯s not real.¡¯ ¡®So what?¡¯ Val blinked up at me for a moment, then nodded. Her attacks wouldn¡¯t hit anything, but there was maybe still a catharsis in taking down even an echo of the woman who betrayed her. The witch raised her hands, summoning her lightning magicks, and launched the attack down the table. The crackling power passed over everyone at that imaginary table without hurting them. Everyone, but one. A diminutive man at the closest end of the table shrieked with pain, then snapped his head towards us. ¡®What the¡­¡¯ Val mumbled, at the same moment that I said, ¡®Yusef!¡¯ As the man charged, I was tempted to open a portal underneath myself and Val to remove us from trouble. But what with this platform having an edge somewhere, I couldn¡¯t risk it; if Val fell and I couldn¡¯t see her, then she was as good as dead. Instead, I¡¯d have to rely on my other skills for once. I activated Knifestorm once more, as this ability was a more effective defence than simply trying to meet blade with blade. My dagger slashed against Yusef¡¯s curved sword, knocking him backwards. But a Player¡ªsomeone of Yusef¡¯s level¡ªshouldn¡¯t have been staggered so easily. Just what was going on here? Val pressed her own attack, relying on her lightning magicks as we were so far from nature up here. The attack made Yusef¡¯s body convulse, and I wasted no time in jumping in to stab, stab and stab again. The man croaked as his last breath escaped his body, and then fell to the floor. The witch arrived at my side. ¡®That¡­ was Yusef?¡¯ I shook my head. ¡®Can¡¯t be. He would have¡ª¡¯ Swordsman of the Desert Sons defeated! Knifework ¡ª +1,900xp The vision faded from the dead man, revealing him for what he truly was; one of the bandits who had been camped outside the fortress. We¡¯d thought they¡¯d simply wanted no trouble when they¡¯d let us by, but the truth was darker. Yusef had already enchanted them. They were part of his trap. Whispers erupted around us, amongst the fog. Then screams, and shouts. But were these real, or part of Yusef¡¯s trap? And just how many of our friends were still alive, within the mist? Val and I looked at one another, and nodded. We had friends to save, visions to shatter, and a Player to kill. We stepped forward, and got to work.
"Styk" Level 20 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 52 Intelligence ¡ª 227 Dexterity ¡ª 137 Strength ¡ª 82 Wisdom ¡ª 76 Charisma ¡ª 50
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 61 Knifework ¡ª Level 45 Stealth ¡ª Level 26 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II - Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
209. To Fight Our Fates Val and I kept close to one another as we stepped through the fog, keenly aware how easy it would be to lose one another amongst this great illusion. A battlefield blossomed into view. It took me a moment to place it, considering it felt like so long had passed since we were there. But the clear blue waters of the bay, the towering trees, the magick traps exploding against the hulls of the invading ships¡­ this was just as the siege of Sunalor had been. These distressing memories could only belong to one person; the elf who had watched his homeland fall. ¡®Cor!¡¯ I shouted over the din of a siege in progress. ¡®Cor, where are you?¡¯ Val and I kept our eyes on those charging around us, both elven and Goldmarch soldiers alike, as either could turn out to be a bandit in waiting. A group of elven soldiers ran to reinforce the part of the wall we were standing on, each of them passing through us as though we weren¡¯t even there. Though, I supposed that we weren¡¯t. And there, along the wall, I saw him. ¡®Cor!¡¯ I shouted, waving at him. But this Corminar was busy leading troops, giving orders to a man who looked up at the trees towering overhead. ¡®Styk, look,¡¯ Val said, tugging on my sleeve. She pointed down from the wall to the ground outside the inner city, where Corminar¡ªour Corminar¡ªbattled his failure. He released arrow after arrow in frantic haste, each of them passing through the soldiers of the Golden Empire unnoticed. Did he know already that there were real, tangible threats amongst these illusions, or was he simply reliving an old trauma and fighting for a different outcome? I stepped through the vision of Sunalor¡¯s inner wall, expecting to have to jump down to the other side, but the ground came up fast. There was no height difference at all in reality, and the illusion had needed to bend to reflect that. ¡®Cor!¡¯ I shouted, charging through the enemy soldiers, having to fight my body¡¯s instinct to move around them with ever step, ¡®Cor, there are bandits in¡ª¡¯ I collided heavily with one of the soldiers, and it caught me by surprise enough that I bounced off them, falling backwards to the ground. Before I could react, they had their curved blade swinging down towards me. The blade had just hit the flesh of my right shoulder when crackling lightning magicks soared forth from behind me. The enemy crumpled from the pain of the attack, and my elven friend, having witnessed this, pivoted to fire arrow after arrow into this soldier¡¯s back¡ªeach of them, this time, hitting. Val¡¯s face appeared over me, and she held out an arm to pull me up. I used my left arm, not right, to grab her hand, and only when I was back on my feet did I look at my wound. It was bleeding, sure, but it could have been much worse if Val had been only half a second slower to react. ¡®I¡¯ll heal,¡¯ the witch said. ¡®No use you being¡ª¡¯ But at that moment, I spotted the eyes of one of the charging soldiers behind her. This man wasn¡¯t looking up at the wall, like the rest of those in Goldmarch uniform; he was looking at Val. He¡¯d seen her. As the soldier swung his blade, I yanked Val out the way of the attack, and brought my knife up with my injured arm. The attack was weakened by my injury, but it helped that I¡¯d managed to bury the dagger into the man¡¯s stomach. As the man¡¯s eyes bulged, I activated Closed Reach to bend reality and bury the knife even further, and I twisted, just for good measure. That, alongside a couple of well-placed arrows from Corminar, was enough to down the enemy. Swordsman of the Desert Sons defeated! Knifework ¡ª +2,100xp Knifework increased to level 46! Base Points Gained ¡ª +1 DEX, +1 STR, +2 Free Points (VIT/DEX/STR) But there wasn¡¯t time to celebrate this minor victory, because at that moment, Corminar roared with pain. Another bandit had made themselves known in the grand illusion, this time striking at the party member who relied on distance between him and his enemy¡ªand therefore had little in the way of health or damage resistance. I portaled to Corminar¡¯s side, leaving it open for Val to join us, and hit the enemy with both a Knifestorm and a Closed Reach at the same time, figuring that there was nothing in the wording to say I couldn¡¯t use both at the same time. The power afforded me by the flurry of attacks plus the bended reality, allowed me to hit the enemy multiple times, and deeply, too. Normally, I would have expected any of my knife attacks not to do enough damage to down an enemy, but this time¡­ it worked. My strength really had grown fast over this past year and a half. Swordswoman of the Desert Sons defeated! Knifework ¡ª +2,350xp Across the fake battlefield, lightning magicks roared out once more, and Corminar pivoted to fire an arrow at another bandit¡ªone that Val was grappling with. As the third arrow put this enemy down, I heard a distant scream. A familiar voice. Raelas. I met Val¡¯s gaze, and the witch nodded. Her, Corminar and I charged across the battleground for a moment, before I remembered where we really were¡ªon a platform suspended high in the air above the ground. I slowed the others down with a splayed hand gesture, and we proceeded hesitantly. Who knew if that scream was even real? Could that not have been part of Yusef¡¯s illusion? Even when I saw Raelas ahead of me, my questions weren¡¯t answered for certain. Strange, warped images of Carle and Ama stood over her, terrorising her, each of them ten, maybe twelve feet tall. ¡®You let us die,¡¯ Ama hissed at Raelas. ¡®That was your only job, and you failed. You¡¯re alone, now. Alone for all eternity. You think your new travelling companions are your friends? No. They hate you for what you did. They¡¯ll never care for you. Not like we did. And maybe that will save their lives.¡¯ ¡®They¡¯re not real!¡¯ I shouted, waving desperately at Raelas. I knew from experience just how convincing these illusions could be; they didn¡¯t just fool the eyes, they fooled the heart as well. ¡®They¡¯re not¡ª¡¯ And then Carle pushed his sword downwards, stabbing Raelas in the chest, clean through. He snapped his head towards us, snarled, and I saw his eyes. Yusef¡¯s eyes. The two giants began charging at us. I opened a portal for Val to step through to Raelas¡¯s side¡ªeven with such a deep wound, Val¡¯s Healing abilities seemed to have progressed enough that she might still save the tiefling. This left Corminar and I to deal with the giant Ama and Carle. ¡®Cor! Ama!¡¯ I shouted, pointing at the image of the woman who¡¯d been corrupted. The elf understood my meaning; we knew Carle¡¯s image was inhabited by someone who could do damage, but we didn¡¯t yet know if Ama was the same. I allowed myself a sigh of relief when the elf¡¯s arrow passed straight through Ama; it meant we could focus on fighting the Player. Yusef was probably the weakest of the Players we¡¯d battled, at least in terms of combat ability. His power lay instead in his grip he had on others, afforded him by his Illusion magicks. But even the weakest of Players would be a challenge for a mere ranger and worldbender. I scoured my brain for a plan, and with so little time to think, I circled back to the familiar: portals, portals, portals. A second later, Yusef was upon me, his sword shimmering, revealing itself as one of the curved swords of the bandits rather than the one that Carle had used. As Carle¡¯s image blinked, I opened a portal beneath myself, putting myself out of range of the Player¡¯s attacks, and when I looked back¡­ Carle¡¯s eyes had changed. I knew Yusef wouldn¡¯t have great ability with the sword, but I knew that Yusef knew that I knew, too. But the one strength he did have was his illusions. Even a fool with a sword could do real damage if his target didn¡¯t know an attack was coming. Fortunately, there was only one other figure around that Yusef could reasonably inhabit¡ªAma. ¡®Cor! Watch out!¡¯ I shouted, pointing to the giant metal mage. But I was a moment too late; Corminar dived out of the way of the tackling woman, but not before she got a hand around his ankle. I suffered a flash of realisation, then: if I¡¯d activated my Portal Relay earlier, we¡¯d have been able to keep in touch more easily, using my portals to transmit sound. I activated the ability now as I charged at Ama-Yusef, flinging two of the tiny portals that came with the ability over to Val and Ama. The others, I kept orbiting me for now, at least until we could find the others. I launched myself into the air with the aid of a pair of portals, and I gripped my dagger in two hands. As I soared down towards Yusef¡¯¡¯s back, I brought the knife arcing down in a stab. It surely wouldn¡¯t be enough to severely hurt the man¡ªhe was a Player, after all¡ªbut it might have been enough to get Corminar free. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. As it happened, my knife tip met ground. Yusef had left Ama¡¯s form amongst the billowing mist, and Corminar immediately wrenched his ankle free. That was the good news. The bad news was that we had absolutely no idea where Yusef was. ¡®No,¡¯ I heard Val say through her mini portal relay, ¡®you don¡¯t get off that easily. You have to live with what you¡¯ve done.¡¯ The healing going well, then. I released another of the miniature relays to orbit around Corminar, and as the elf staggered back to his feet, gathering himself, I heard the sound of¡­ ¡­an army? The noise of charging army grew louder and louder, and suddenly the first wave of Niamh¡¯s invasion force was upon us. Corminar and I spun around, desperately searching for who among the illusions could deal us actual damage. ¡®I¡­¡¯ the elf said. ¡®I don¡¯t¡­¡¯ We kept turning and turning, pushing our backs up against one another. As we turned, I lost track of Raelas and Val¡¯s positions in the fog; rejoining them was going to need a little bit of luck. ¡®Keep looking,¡¯ I said. ¡®He could be any one of¡ª¡¯ I cried out with pain as a knife caught my side, slicing a deep gash in the flesh. I grabbed it, pressing the flesh together, trying to stop the bleeding as much as possible. I looked for the person who¡¯d dealt the damage, but they were already lost to the crowd. ¡®Are you dead?¡¯ Corminar asked. ¡®No.¡¯ ¡®Good.¡¯ A hand came out at my side¡ªone grasping a glowing vial. I took it from him without worrying about snatching. ¡®It is a health potion. Dri¡ª¡¯ This time, it was Corminar¡¯s turn to cry out. But now I was ready. I turned the moment that the elf stopped talking, flinging my knife forward in a wild knifestorm. Most of my flails of my weapon met only air, but one¡ªjust one¡ªhit. But that one cut was enough to tell reality from fantasy. I gritted my teeth through the pain of the wound in my side and pressed the attack, looking at the enemy¡¯s eyes. Yusef¡¯s eyes. ¡®It¡¯s him!¡¯ I shouted, and then activated Closed Reach as I swung my knife forward once more. The tip of the blade met the man¡¯s flesh and he stumbled backwards. Though he didn¡¯t cry out in pain, I could see a thin stream of blood running down his chest. I¡¯d hoped Corminar would join me in the attack, but I could see him on the ground, the damage he¡¯d suffered being enough to down him. I threw the potion back to him, and in that split-second while I was distracted, Yusef disappeared amongst the charging soldiers once more. ¡®Gods, damn it.¡¯ If we could only land one hit at a time, then for all we knew, Yusef was simply healing himself. And if we kept accruing damage at this slow but steady rate, we could well all fall before the fight was done. We needed to think of something, and fast. I looked back at Corminar, or where he¡¯d been, and now I saw only figments and fog. Yusef had shifted the illusion between us, keeping us separately. Keeping us weak. I touched my side, and hissed at the pain. The damage was deeper than I¡¯d thought; I¡¯d been powering through before. My movements would be limited, and without the ability to use my portals in this dense fog, I was going to be slow. I just had to hope Yusef didn¡¯t take advantage of it. I took a deep breath and pressed after him, part of me hoping that I¡¯d stumble back across Val and Raelas, and the witch could heal me. I lashed out wildly at the soldiers, finding them all to be illusion, and conscious all the while that by pressing on at Yusef, I was leaving Corminar unprotected. I could only hope that he¡¯d drunk that potion and was moving nimbly through the illusion, keeping himself out of harm¡¯s way. ¡®She¡¯ll leave again,¡¯ that voice said. My mother¡¯s voice. I looked around for her visage, but found nothing. Still, I backed away from the direction in which I¡¯d heard it. ¡®You know she will.¡¯ ¡®I know no such thing,¡¯ I replied. ¡®She¡¯s sorry. I know she is.¡¯ ¡®And that¡¯s good enough for you?¡¯ The answer was ¡°yes¡±, but I wasn¡¯t going to dignify this illusion of my absent mother with a reply; there were more important things going on. I heard blade battling blade amongst the oppressive, dense fog, and I pushed towards it. A beautiful human woman stood at Arzak¡¯s rear, standing back to back with her just as Corminar and I had done moments earlier. They fought off giant rockrats, the size of which I¡¯d never seen before, though I could see that Arzak¡¯s swords passed through the monsters without harming them. Only the woman at her side could kill the creatures. ¡®Arzak!¡¯ I shouted, and the orc snapped her body around to face me. ¡®Away from her! She¡¯s part of the illusion. She could be Yus¡ª¡¯ A sword point burst from her chest, and this sword very much wasn¡¯t an illusion. The rockrats disappeared in a flash, and only the woman remained. A woman, I noticed, who sported a curved blade. ¡®Arzak, no!¡¯ I cried out. At the same moment, the orc blinked down at the sword protruding out of her chest. ¡®...El?¡¯ she asked. Then she dropped to the floor. I charged. I couldn¡¯t do anything to heal Arzak¡¯s severe wound, but I could at least stop this enemy from inflicting another. I burst into a knifestorm, this flurry of attacks being the most useful ability I had when I struggled to tell real from illusion, and my attacks struck flesh. The woman¡¯s visage faded, revealing herself to be¡ªof course¡ªone of Yusef¡¯s bandit thralls. Powered by fury, I stabbed and I stabbed and I stabbed, even when the woman was falling to the floor. Even when she was on the floor, I stabbed, before remembering myself. I rushed to Arzak¡¯s side, putting my hand over her chest, doing my best to stem the bleeding. But the wound was too deep. She needed healing, and she needed it now. ¡®Val!¡¯ I shouted. ¡®Val! Here! Now! It¡¯s Arzak! Val!¡¯ I shouted myself hoarse, but pushed through the pain in my throat¡ªit was hardly the worst thing going on right now. The fog took shape around us, forming huts and forest, and it took me a moment to recognise it. Arzak¡¯s eyes bulged as she blinked around at the image of the witchfinder village, back where we¡¯d seen the ¡°ghosts¡± trapped between worlds. And those ghosts had their eyes upon us. ¡®Val!¡¯ I cried out some more. ¡®Val, please! We need you.¡¯ The ghosts stepped forward again. My eyes drifted to the curved blades in their faint hands. ¡®Val!¡¯ I couldn¡¯t remove my hands from Arzak¡¯s chest, or she¡¯d die. I couldn¡¯t defend myself. I could only watch as the ghosts approached, forcing me towards a dreadful decision: let Arzak die, or save myself. The closest enemy hovered over me, savouring the moment before finally raising their curved blade. ¡®Val!¡¯ I shouted one last time, in vain. Part of me wanted to remove my hands from Arzak, to save one life¡ªmy own¡ªinstead of the both of us dying. But another part of me¡ªanother more sentimental part¡ªwas stronger. If this was it, then I would stare my attacker down all the while. ¡®Go on, then,¡¯ I whispered. The enemy swung their blade. And, with the sound of a clap, a bright red light blossomed behind them. The illusion of the ghosts shattered, revealing the bandits for what they were. All of them turned to face the woman who¡¯d entered the fray. Tokas. ¡®I¡¯m not Val, but I can save her.¡¯ I nodded, removed my hands from the dying Arzak, and drew my blade.
"Styk" Level 20 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 52 Intelligence ¡ª 227 Dexterity ¡ª 139 Strength ¡ª 84 Wisdom ¡ª 76 Charisma ¡ª 50
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 61 Knifework ¡ª Level 46 Stealth ¡ª Level 26 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II - Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
210. The False Prophet I roared as I arced my dagger at the closest bandit, my fury seeming to fuel the attack. A beam of glowing yellow-white light passed around me, soaring towards Arzak as Tokas yanked her back from the brink of death. The bandit brought up their sword to block my attack, clashing against my dagger rather than flesh. I pushed into our tangled blades, holding my knife where it was, not so far from their neck. Close enough to their neck, in fact, that I activated Closed Reach once more. My Worldbending magicks bent reality further, pushing the knife another 8 inches towards my enemy. Knife point met flesh, and the bandit recoiled from our clashed blades. I seized the advantage, opening a portal beneath them, sending them tumbling through the air at my side. I yanked my blade around, using the enemy¡¯s momentum to bury its sharp point deep in their chest. Swordsman of the¡ª No. There will be time for notifications later. I pushed them out of mind, and turned to the rest of the attackers, feeling my rage and my strength burning through me. I kept one eye on each of the bandits with curved blades, using them as a guide for where there would be platform underfoot, and I embraced my portals. Taking inspiration from Yusef¡¯s own strategies, I blinked around the platform, stepping in and out of portals, releasing attacks before my enemies knew what hit them and then disappearing amongst the fog once more. With so many of these attacks having damage boosted by my Stealth Attack passive and my Execution ability, I found these enemies dropping like flies. I really had grown. I really had become strong. But it had required embracing my strength and putting all qualms of violence aside to see how strong I¡¯d really become. As the last of the bandit-ghosts faded away, I breathed deeply, pushing the oxygen through me, barely feeling the wound in my side¡ªthough it had been healed slightly by my charge through Tokas¡¯s magicks. ¡®Styk?¡¯ Tokas asked, now crouched over the still-living Arzak. I turned to her, becoming aware that I was grimacing, my eyes wide, but not quite caring. I¡¯d almost watched a friend die. I was done with Yusef, now. It was time to end him. I didn¡¯t know how we could, but I knew someone who might. ¡®Lore!¡¯ I roared through the mist, tone hard, demanding. ¡®Lore, where are you? As I put Tokas and Arzak behind me, the mist encompassed me once more, the sound of the tiefling¡¯s magicks fading to a hush in a second. I heard nothing as I kept putting one foot in front of the other. ¡®Lore, he¡¯s killing us. You say you don¡¯t want to watch any more friends die? Well, it¡¯s happening either way!¡¯ I staggered on through the fog. ¡®You say Alenna is dead if you betray Yusef?¡¯ I continued, shouting, remembering what he¡¯d told me back in the tower. ¡®We¡¯re all dead if you don¡¯t. Deal with that now, and Alenna later.¡¯ I clutched my wound and finding my hand growing wet with thick red liquid. I pushed on, conscious that I was leaving a trail of blood behind me. Tokas¡¯s healing had been focused on Arzak; if she¡¯d closed my wound, then my attacks on the bandits had opened it again. ¡®Lore!¡¯ I shouted. ¡®Lore!¡¯ ¡®He¡¯s not here,¡¯ I heard Val shout through the portal relays. ¡®He¡¯s not¡ª¡¯ She cried out as an attack landed on her. But I couldn¡¯t help her when I didn¡¯t know where she was. ¡®Val?¡¯ I asked, drawing a breath. ¡®I¡¯m OK. For now. Find Lore.¡¯ Her reply was staggered, as though speaking for too long at one time was causing her pain. ¡®Lore!¡¯ I shouted again, then thought of the relays. I sent one of my remaining, orbiting relays out into the fog, and I shouted some more. ¡®Lore, do you hear me? Do you bloody well hear me? We¡¯re dying. It¡¯s slow, but we¡¯re dying. We need you. We need you now.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m here.¡¯ The voice was quiet, but steady. He wasn¡¯t hurt, just overwhelmed. ¡®Follow the relay,¡¯ I said, then urged it back towards me. I heard his heavy feet hitting the platform. ¡®We need to end him. Now. And we need your help doing it. What do you see, Lore? What future do you see where we escape this alive?¡¯ ¡®Alenna dies,¡¯ came the response. I heard him both through the portal and through the fog. He was growing closer. ¡®If I help you, she dies.¡¯ ¡®We¡¯ll save her.¡¯ ¡®Will we?¡¯ I saw the big man emerge through the fog. ¡®Look at me,¡¯ I told him. Lore met my eyes. He met my eyes with his own¡ªsoft, brown, gentle eyes. It was really him. ¡®We¡¯ll save her, Lore,¡¯ I promised. ¡®But right now, we need you to save us.¡¯ He held my gaze, and I saw terror in those round eyes. The gift of prophecy was no gift at all; it was a curse. So many times had he foreseen deaths¡ªsome illusions crafted by Yusef, others true visions, and the line between the two having grown so blurred. There was something blood-curdlingly awful in that. ¡®We¡¯ll save her,¡¯ I said, softly, one last time. Lore nodded, then turned, his eyes glowing yellow. ¡®Lore?¡¯ ¡®This way.¡¯ He moved with a confidence that the dense fog shouldn¡¯t have allowed, with the edge of the wide platform potentially springing itself on us with every step. But then, there were those glowing eyes he had, yellow with the hue of Divination. Since we¡¯d last spent time with him, Lore had learned to better control Niamh¡¯s curse¡ªthat he could use it for this purpose showed that it wasn¡¯t all bad. I pressed after him, taking care to keep close, unwilling to put one foot wrong, even though I always had portals to get myself back on the platform, should the worse happen. But the worse did not happen, and soon we saw a familiar sight before us. The strange altar stood before us, those glowing red lines illuminating the fog, and casting a crimson colour over Lore¡¯s face. Through Val¡¯s relay, I heard a cry. ¡®Whatever you¡¯re doing, better do it quickly!¡¯ she said. I met Lore¡¯s eyes. We didn¡¯t need to communicate any further; we both knew what had to happen next. Lore charged towards the altar, throwing himself into the air with his bane sword swinging in an arc above him. I opened a portal in front of him, in mid-step, launching him further into the air above the altar. As he fell, he brought his sword arcing down towards the amplifier of Yusef¡¯s power. Alone, it might not be enough. But I had one last trick up my sleeve. As Lore fell through one pair of portals, I stepped through another, bringing myself into the air at Lore¡¯s side. I reached out in the air, twisting my body around as we fell, and I put my hands around the pommel of Lore¡¯s great sword¡ªwith its enormous size, there was room enough to spare. It had taken me far too long to realise the great thing about my Closed Reach ability. It read, only: Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. At no point did it specify that it had to be my blade. Bane Sword clashed against stone, and the moment I felt the two connect, I activated my Closed Reach ability. The great sword split the stone, creating a gash eight inches deep, causing the red glowing lines to brighten and fade and brighten and fade, more erratically with every second that passed. Then, the altar exploded. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. All around us, the fog faded in a blink, revealing my allies and the great injuries they¡¯d suffered battling both past and present. A great, final, wave of red magicks erupted from the etched stone, throwing me and Lore backwards and through the air. Lore fell in a heap on the platform, while I arced through the air, relying on my portals to keep me from falling to my doom. As I blinked through the portal, I landed at Val¡¯s side. The witch was clasping her stomach, hurriedly healing a wound that had bled profusely over her exposed skin and torn clothes. I stepped over to support her, and looked around. Only one of the bandits was still standing, but that was a matter quickly seen to by Corminar, who was probably the least wounded of us, excluding Lore. Presumably he¡¯d gone through his deep supply of potions to still be looking so well. Raelas was on the ground, bleeding but breathing and being seen to by Lambkin¡ªnotably not a healer¡ªwhile Tokas still worked on Arzak¡¯s once-horrific wound. And that left only one more: Yusef. The Player stood at the stairwell, snarling as he stared the lot of us down. He¡¯d lost his advantage; the illusion was shattered. But the team were in no place to battle a Player, even one as weak as him. With only Lore uninjured, it would be a hopeless task. Unless we could flip the situation on its head. I cast my eyes around, looking for the answer. ¡®You lot just won¡¯t stop, will you?¡¯ Yusef spat. The man had once carried himself with a grand presence¡ªone appropriate to his image as, for lack of a better word, a god. But now, the person before us, snarling and tired and spitting as he was, he revealed himself as just another man. A mortal, at least in this world. Corminar raised his bow. ¡®Do you know what you endanger?¡¯ the Player shouted at the elf. ¡®Do you know?¡¯ ¡®We will end the Council¡¯s scheme before¡ª¡¯ Corminar started. ¡®Yes, yes, the scheme. But do you even know what that scheme is? Do you understand why it¡¯s important?¡¯ Lore took a step closer to Yusef, his sword still in his hand. This was enough to get the Player¡¯s attention. ¡®And you!¡¯ he shouted at his temporary travelling companion. ¡®Do you know what you¡¯ve done? Alenna will surely die, now. That¡¯s more blood on your hands.¡¯ I could open a saved portal, get Lore back to Coldharbour in a moment, but the barbarian¡¯s eyes were on Yusef. ¡®Maybe we can still save her,¡¯ the Player said. ¡®Come. Join me. Defend me against these others, and I will help you with her.¡¯ I heard this as a desperate bargain, but from the wide-eyed expression on Lore¡¯s face, he heard it as anything but. The barbarian, slowly, reluctantly, sheathed his sword, and ambled over to Yusef¡¯s side. ¡®Lore, no,¡¯ I breathed. ¡®Really? He¡ª¡¯ ¡®I told you, Styk. I ain¡¯t gonna watch another one of you die.¡¯ Yusef smiled at this. With Lore still untouched, he was the strongest of us. With the barbarian at his side, we definitely wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat him. But then Lore made eye contact with me, and for a moment, I thought I saw something twinkling within them. He half-turned to Yusef. ¡®What was that, you were about to say?¡¯ the barbarian prodded him. Suppressing a grin, I understood. With the flick of a hand behind my back, I cast my magicks. ¡®About the scheme?¡¯ Lore pressed the Player, stepping in front of him to keep the enemy¡¯s attention on himself. ¡®Maybe they should know. Maybe they¡¯d stop chasing us then.¡¯ Yusef, straightening his back and regaining a posture more typical of the man¡ªand more in keeping with his image¡ªsmiled. ¡®The scheme? Sure, I¡¯ll tell you. It¡¯s simple. Our Ascended World is dead. Let¡¯s not mince words, especially as everyone here knows that. When it died, we were all forced into the games¡ªor, worlds we created as a game, at least. Worlds formed of powerful magicks that only accelerated the destruction of our home.¡¯ ¡®A game?¡¯ I repeated. ¡®Our existence, our world is a game to you? We¡¯re alive! Living, breathing creatures in a living, breathing world! If you cut me, don¡¯t I bleed?¡¯ Yusef shrugged. ¡®Well, yes, but it¡¯s not real blood. Not in the way that mine is. Your blood was created by magicks; ours, with the birth of the universe, evolving over millennia. You are¡­ a lower lifeform.¡¯ Well, that¡¯s a pretty cut and dry way of looking at it. ¡®And these worlds¡­¡¯ the Player continued, ¡®they turned out to be only a temporary measure. There are only so many, and over the decades¡­ we have died in so many. For some members on the Council, this is the only world left to them. For others, myself included, we are alive in only a handful. These worlds aren¡¯t enough. They could never be enough.¡¯ ¡®So, what¡¯s the solution?¡¯ Lore asked, pushing the Player for information. We were nearly there. So close now. We just needed a little more detail to seal the deal. The Player smiled; he took great delight in this scheme, it seemed. ¡®Create a new world. Use the magicks of all those other worlds we created to make a new world, one in which we are immortal, and can live out eternity in peace. Not all can come with us, only those surviving members of my kind and a select few locals. That¡¯s what you miss out on, you see. If you stopped hunting my Council, maybe we could reach a deal. Maybe you could join us in heaven, rather than being left here, in a dying world.¡¯ Nobody said anything, letting these words linger in the air for just a moment. This was it. We just needed one final push. ¡®So we could buy our way into this new world?¡¯ Lore asked. ¡®But you¡¯ll take all your followers with you, right?¡¯ Yusef cast his head back and laughed. ¡®Take them with me? No. They¡¯ll stay in the crumbling, magick-stripped hellhole we leave behind.¡¯ It was Lore¡¯s turn to laugh. He stepped away from the Player¡¯s side, ambling back towards me and Val, and he smiled at Yusef. Though I was exhausted, I couldn¡¯t help but join in; there was something infectious about it. And then Corminar, and Val, and even Lambkin began to laugh, all because they knew one thing. They knew the job was done. Because, of course, it wasn¡¯t just my relay portals that transmitted sound. All my portals did, now. Everyone in hearing range had heard Yusef¡¯s admission, his truth about the ascended world and the fate of his people¡ªbut so too had all those the other side of the saved portal I¡¯d opened two minutes earlier, behind Yusef. So, too, had all those devout cultists the Player had left behind on Coldharbour¡¯s main plaza. Thousands of them. All staring at the portal that had appeared before them. All silent, because they dare not interrupt the man they worshipped. All hearing Yusef¡¯s plain and simple truth: that he¡¯d lied to them. That he¡¯d told them a great and terrible lie. A moment too late, Yusef turned. He saw the portal. He saw through the portal, and he realised what he¡¯d done. I took great delight in his smirk fading, in his eyes widening. From Coldharbour¡¯s dusty streets, the cultist horde charged.
"Styk" Level 20 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 52 Intelligence ¡ª 227 Dexterity ¡ª 139 Strength ¡ª 84 Wisdom ¡ª 76 Charisma ¡ª 50
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 61 Knifework ¡ª Level 46 Stealth ¡ª Level 26 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II - Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
211. Illusions End The cultists charged. I staggered backwards as the masses swarmed Yusef, emboldened by their rage just as I had been. So many years they¡¯d followed him, worshipped him, all with the promise of a divine reward. But now they knew it had been time wasted, that there was no world to ascend to. And, as was often the case with mobs, they¡¯d fed on each other¡¯s anger. I wouldn¡¯t get my artifact charge. Not for this Player. But there were many others out there to take down¡ªa whole Council to kill¡ªand I¡¯d realised my true strength. We would take the fight to them, and we would concede no quarter. We would hunt them down, and we would kill them all. Yeah, there would be plenty time for artifact charges later. I never saw Yusef die, and I barely even heard him scream, as the crowd attacking him had grown so large. Val and I had needed to take a few steps back to make space for the rabid hundreds, each of them wanting a piece of the man who¡¯d deceived them. I caught sight of Val eyeing me, her brow furrowed, curious that I was allowing Yusef to be defeated by others. Through all this, the only reason I knew that the Player was defeated was the notifications that began piling up. 5x Swordsman of the Desert Sons defeated! Level 44 Veilcaster defeated! Worldbending ¡ª +16,150xp Worldbending increased to level 62! Worldbending increased to level 63! Worldbending increased to level 64! Worldbending increased to level 65! Base Points gained ¡ª +8 INT, +8 Free Points (INT/WIS/CHA) Ability selection unlocked Select an ability from the list below¡­ Knifework ¡ª +7,250xp Knifework increased to level 47! Knifework increased to level 48! Base Points gained ¡ª +2 DEX, +2 STR, +4 Free Points (VIT/DEX/STR) Level up! You increased to level 21 It was an almost disappointingly low amount of experience considering all we¡¯d been through, but then again¡­ my involvement had been far from the finishing blow, as far as the system was concerned. Maybe I was lucky even to get this much. And there was a new ability selection to pick from! Yet¡­ still, all this felt somehow incomplete. ¡®You OK?¡¯ Val asked, and it took me a moment to realise she wasn¡¯t talking to me. Lore nodded, but shifted from foot to foot, looking at the crowd still charging through the portal, not yet fully aware that their vengeance was already complete. ¡®Yeah, I¡­¡¯ ¡®Alenna,¡¯ I said. The big man nodded, meeting my eyes. I returned the nod in kind, and allowed my saved portal to close, stemming the flow of once-cultists from Coldharbour. ¡®Be ready,¡¯ I said, and then opened the saved portal once more, in front of him. Lore was through in a blink, rushing off to see Alenna, to make absolutely sure that Yusef¡¯s illusion of her death had been just that¡ªan illusion. ¡®Don¡¯t suppose you could¡­¡¯ I started, pointing down to the deep wound on my side. While Val got to work Healing me, I looked over at Tokas and Arzak, the former helping the latter back to her feet. ¡®How¡¯s it feel?¡¯ the tiefling asked. ¡®Are you better? Are you going to be OK?¡¯ Arzak looked back at Tokas, then reached a hand forward and squeezing the tiefling gently at the shoulder. ¡®Thank you, Tokas,¡¯ the orc said, and I was surprised to see that her glistening eyes seemed to display sincerity. Not that Arzak was ever much of one to disguise her true feelings. ¡®You not ever going to kill me, were you? Just silly illusion. Silly illusion, is all. Sorry for doubting.¡¯ ¡®Alright, enough!¡¯ Lambkin shouted at the crowd, waving his hands to encourage the cultists back through the portal. ¡®It¡¯s done! Better get home before you all get stranded here.¡¯ This last thought alone was enough to begin to reverse the flow back into Coldharbour. But I was more interested in what Arzak and Tokas had to say than the sea of orange heading back home. From Lambkin¡¯s glances in the same direction, I suspected he was too¡ªbut was trying to hide it. ¡®It¡¯s OK,¡¯ Tokas said. ¡®I still¡­ I did what I did. I have to deal with the consequences. Tim¡¯s helped me realise that.¡¯ Arzak and I reacted to this in the same way¡ªwith a quizzical expression. ¡®Tim?¡¯ the orc asked. Tokas nodded towards Lambkin. ¡®Hm. He should stick with Lambkin.¡¯ I opened my mouth to agree, but was distracted by Val patting my wound. ¡®All done.¡¯ She cast a glance over to Raelas, who was on the ground, struggling back to her feet, clearly sporting a broken leg. ¡®I suppose I better¡­¡¯ Val shook her head in exasperation, then hurried over to the tiefling¡¯s side. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. As I turned back towards Arzak and Tokas, not at all trying to hide that I was watching them, the orc looked over at me. Arzak shot me a quick, almost apologetic glance, then turned back to Tokas and let out a deep, long breath. ¡®You should join us. Come back to team. Not all forgiven, but¡­¡¯ Yet already Tokas was shaking her head; if she¡¯d wanted that once, then no longer. ¡®I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m grateful. But I think that¡¯s behind me now. I have children to raise. And I don¡¯t think¡­ I don¡¯t think I¡¯m cut out for this life anymore. Tim and I, we¡¯ll stamp out the last of the malae trade, then we¡¯ll go home.¡¯ The man in question¡ªTim¡ªappeared at my side, him too looking over at the tiefling and the orc. Well, the tiefling, really; his eyes were fixed on her. ¡®You¡¯re going with her?¡¯ I asked him. Lambkin nodded. ¡®Yeah, I¡­¡¯ He allowed himself a laugh, and I couldn¡¯t blame him; the battle was won, and we deserved a little joy. ¡®I guess maybe Sae wasn¡¯t my soulmate after all. We find love in the strangest of places, don¡¯t we?¡¯ ¡®Yeah, you can say that again.¡¯ Almost against my better judgement, my eyes slid over to Val. The witch stood over Raelas, working her Healing magicks on the tiefling, and from the looks of it, actually treating the woman with kindness. I felt a smile cross my face, and then Val¡ªperhaps sensing my eyes upon her¡ªlooked back at me. She returned the smile in kind. ¡®You think you two will work it out?¡¯ Lambkin asked. ¡®Yeah,¡¯ I replied. ¡®Yeah, I think I do.¡¯ Lambkin stuck out a hand and clasped me around the shoulder¡ªan act of friendship. How far we¡¯d come since our first encounter, with him trying his best to kill me. As Lambkin moved away once more to encourage the cultists back through the portal, I drew in a deep breath. The battle was done. We¡¯d survived it. That was another Player death under my belt, and a cause for celebration¡ªeven if there were so many other members of the Council still to contend with. For all we knew, their scheme could still go ahead even without Yusef. In fact, it almost certainly would still go ahead; this didn¡¯t seem the type of plan that they would just give up on. And while our world was still threatened, we had work to do. Still, we could take this moment for ourselves, just this once. While Val finished up with Raelas, I took a look through the ability selection I¡¯d just unlocked. There were just two choices on this particular level. Ability selection unlocked Select an ability from the list below: Option 1: Enhanced Portals II (Worldbending) ¡ª Upgrade to Enhanced Portals. Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to three pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Three pairs of portals sounded handy in principle, but the limitation then was on my ability to coordinate six portals at once, rather than any ability limitations. I struggled enough with two pairs of portals, so I was hardly jumping at the bit to accept this ability choice. And that was before I even saw the other option. Conflict encountered. System adaptation complete. Unique ability choice unlocked. Unique ability choice strongly recommended. Option 2: Titan Husk (Worldbending) ¡ª Replaces Ash Husk. Warp your flesh to totally withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. So my encounter with the malae had done some good. The artifact, in resolving my conflict with the so-called ¡°reality fabrics¡± had triggered something spoken about as though it were only a myth¡ªa unique ability choice. These unique abilities were created through unique circumstances¡ªcircumstances that the Architects of the system had never truly accounted for. And in this case, my encounter with the malae had forced the system to provide me an ability that withstood corruption. Even without the corruption resistance, this would have been a fantastic ability. We might well be done dealing with Yusef¡¯s malae, but even without this corruption resistance coming in handy, this was still an ability worth having. I was just about to lock in my choice when something magical happened, something so perfect for the situation that it seemed created by divine intervention. Corminar found a bottle of wine.
"Styk" Level 20 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 52 Intelligence ¡ª 243 Dexterity ¡ª 143 Strength ¡ª 88 Wisdom ¡ª 76 Charisma ¡ª 50
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 65 Knifework ¡ª Level 48 Stealth ¡ª Level 26 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II - Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
212. Reasons To Be I say Corminar found a bottle of wine. What I really mean is that certain parts of the recently fractured Cult of Ascendancy gave wine an almost religious significance. Wine was the drink of the gods, that which should be gifted to them, that which should be kept on hand in case the prophet should return to them. The recently healed Corminar had spotted it in the hands of a cultist¡ªheld as if about to be used as a weapon against their now dead leader¡ªand chosen to relieve them of it. The ranger stuck an arrowhead in the cork and then wrenched it out. I could only assume he¡¯d made sure not to use a poison-coated arrow. With the flick of his hand, Corminar gestured the seven of us over to the edge of the platform, where he sat with his legs hanging over the edge, hundreds of feet above the ground. ¡®Is safe?¡¯ Arzak asked. Corminar took a big swig of wine, then gestured to me and Raelas. ¡®There is no longer the mist of illusion, and we have two worldbenders among our number. I am sure they will catch us should we fall.¡¯ Val shrugged, then joined the elf at his side, hanging her legs over the edge too. Corminar handed her the bottle, and she swigged from it just as greedily as the elf had. They shared their love for alcohol. Wait, so do I. I hurried over to join them, and Val handed me the bottle. It was good wine. Dry, just as I liked it, but smooth. I didn¡¯t have the vocabulary to describe it more than that¡ªdid it have notes of berries, perhaps?¡ªso I instead handed it off to Raelas as she joined us. Soon, it was only Arzak who remained standing away from the edge, her fear of heights still controlling her, but we could forgive her a little fear just this once. Lambkin, at the end of our line, offered the bottle to Arzak, who creeped over to the edge timidly, stretching her arm out as far as possible so she wouldn¡¯t need to get near us. As I stared forward at the long shadows stretching east, I closed my eyes. Nobody said a word for a few minutes, each of us enjoying the respite, the view, maybe even one another¡¯s company, though I suspect they were enjoying the wine first and foremost. ¡®You didn¡¯t kill him,¡¯ Val said at last. ¡®Yusef, you let the cultists take him down.¡¯ I shrugged. ¡®Don¡¯t see there was any other way. We were all weak from his illusions. We needed them.¡¯ Maybe it was the wine talking, or the world-shatteringly impressive view in front of us, but what Val said next surprised me. It wasn¡¯t just the words, but the way she said them, too. ¡®I¡¯m sorry, Styk. I¡¯m really, really, well and truly sorry. You shouldn¡¯t forgive me, that¡¯s¡ª¡¯ ¡®But I have.¡¯ ¡®Yeah, you have, haven¡¯t you? Cos you¡¯re better than me.¡¯ ¡®Val, don¡¯t. Don¡¯t think I¡¯m better than you¡ªI¡¯ve messed up so many times in the past. Got people killed. Hurt people I care about, sometimes even intentionally. You messed up, sure. I¡¯m not pretending you didn¡¯t. But we¡¯ve all been through some stuff, and we all carry it with us. And what I saw back there¡­¡¯ I gestured back onto the platform, where I saw her younger self¡¯s encounters with Niamh. ¡®Still,¡¯ Val said, reaching over to hold my hand. ¡®You forgave me, and I¡¯m gonna do everything I can to make sure you don¡¯t regret it.¡¯ She, very hesitantly, put her head down to rest on my shoulder, only letting it settle when I didn¡¯t recoil. And then, when I didn¡¯t, she squeezed my hand, too. We sat like that for a while, even Arzak eventually beating out her fear of heights to join us. The landscape before us turned from yellow, to blue, to black, as the sun set behind the mountains. And up here, at the top of this tower, the wind grew bitter. Lambkin was the first to pull himself back from the edge and stand. ¡®I suppose we better be going. Check in on the kids¡ªthe minder will be relieved to see us, I reckon.¡¯ Tokas, using Lambkin¡¯s hand to pull herself back to her feet, shot the man a dirty look. But then she smiled; she knew he didn¡¯t mean it. We watched them leave through the portal I¡¯d left open. Next, it was Raelas¡¯s turn to stand, perhaps sensing that she was now the odd one out. ¡®So,¡¯ Val said, turning to look up at the woman, ¡®you coming with us?¡¯ The tiefling immediately became very rigid, apparently stunned by this extended olive branch. ¡®We could use all the help we could get,¡¯ Val pressed. But, just like Tokas, Raelas shook her head. ¡®I appreciate the offer and all, but you already have a worldbender. And one far stronger than me, at that. I¡¯ll help you, sure, but I¡¯m not gonna join you. I think, after all of this¡­ I think I¡¯ve got to find my own place in the world. Not as a team, but as me. As Raelas. Besides, you¡¯ve exposed the Players with what you did here, haven¡¯t you? You¡¯re gonna need someone to go around spreading the word.¡¯ Raelas stepped towards the saved portal back to Coldharbour, then paused at the threshold. She looked over her shoulder and blew me a kiss, this act making it Val¡¯s turn to go rigid. ¡®Be good, handsome.¡¯ And with that, she was gone. I felt Val¡¯s wrath before I saw it. ¡®I hate that woman,¡¯ the witch said. ¡®But you just offered for her to¡ª¡¯ I started, then shook my head. This wasn¡¯t a conversation I needed to have; now was a time for celebration, not¡­ whatever this was. And this left just the Slayers. The Slayers without Lore, at least. ¡®We reckon Lore¡¯s OK?¡¯ Val asked, as though she¡¯d read my mind. I saw a cloud of dust lift from the dark sands below, a group of riders charging for Elassos. Cultists from Zelas perhaps, not yet aware that it was too late to save their prophet. ¡®He¡¯s been through a lot,¡¯ I answered. ¡®Not much helped by any of us, I gotta say. We really need to learn to communicate better.¡¯ ¡®Hm,¡¯ Arzak agreed. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ¡®He¡¯ll be OK, though, given time. Maybe we can figure out a way of getting Niamh¡¯s curse removed? I think he¡¯d like that.¡¯ ¡®Would we not rather he learn to control it?¡¯ Corminar asked. ¡®I think that¡¯s up to him.¡¯ Corminar nodded his agreement, but kept his eyes lingering on Val and me, the witch¡¯s head still rested against my shoulder. ¡®I must ask, have you two worked out this ridiculous argument now? We are stronger as a full team, and so I hope that you have.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s not¡ª¡¯ Val started to say, but then she caught herself. Maybe she¡¯d been about to claim that the argument wasn¡¯t ridiculous, but then realised that she didn¡¯t believe that. ¡®We¡¯re working on it,¡¯ she eventually said, and then glanced up at me. I nodded back my reply, and in silence we stared across the desert once more. With a sigh, I brought myself back to my feet, taking care not to topple over the edge¡ªsomething that was slightly more likely to happen with the equivalent of a glass of wine in me. ¡®Come on, let¡¯s get off this platform,¡¯ I said, waving the team towards the portal back to Coldharbour. ¡®More wine when we get there?¡¯ Val asked. ¡®Of course,¡¯ replied the elf. ¡®Provided that I am able to select the¡ª¡¯ But he didn¡¯t get to finish that sentence, because at that moment, the cultists we¡¯d seen riding over from Zelas appeared on the platform. My initial instinct was to fight, and then to simply step through the portal and leave them behind. But then I noticed that it was Lillya¡ªperhaps the friendliest of all the cultists¡ªstanding at the head of the pack. The orc stared down at the dead Yusef in the centre of the platform. ¡®Oh,¡¯ she said. ¡®Yeah, sorry,¡¯ I replied. ¡®If you were here to help him, then I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re like two hours too¡ª¡¯ ¡®No,¡¯ Lillya said, cutting me off. Only then did I recognise the glimmer of urgency still in her eyes. Urgency that existed even after Yusef¡¯s demise. ¡®Something I need tell you.¡¯ ¡®Perhaps it can wait?¡¯ Corminar asked, eyeing the portal. ¡®I have a thirst for northern Armadan wine, and it is a thirst not easily quenched.¡¯ ¡®No, we¡ª¡¯ ¡®We¡¯ve earned a rest,¡¯ Val added, gesturing to the dead Yusef. ¡®Let us celebrate for a bit first, before we get caught up in¡ª¡¯ ¡®No,¡¯ Lillya said, forcefully now, cutting off even Val. ¡®You not understand. It not over.¡¯ Val looked at the dead illusionist. ¡®It looks pretty over.¡¯ Lillya ignored her, and raised a flimsy piece of parchment into the air, waving it at us. A letter. ¡®Found in Tower of Hope. In Yusef¡¯s room. Your fight isn¡¯t over, there is¡ª¡¯ ¡®The Council?¡¯ I asked. ¡®If it¡¯s the Council, then we know. We¡¯re on it. But like Val said, we¡ª¡¯ ¡®Yusef in contact with person in Coldharbour,¡¯ Lillya said, now speaking over me. Whatever this was, apparently it really couldn¡¯t wait. ¡®Someone he bought malae breeding programme from. Someone he gave lot of coin to, to fund research. It is someone who want to revive old tiefling tradition. You know one? Turn enemy strength against enemy. We need destroy malae before Coldharbour is lost.¡¯ I took an unconscious step backwards. I¡¯d missed something. I¡¯d known there were loose ends, questions we¡¯d unearthed without any answers, but we¡¯d been so focused on killing Yusef that I¡¯d put them to one side. But we knew the malae breeders had been here before Yusef ever arrived. We knew there had been others involved in this dangerous industry. We¡¯d just not realised they were right under our noses. I asked the question that I already knew the answer to. ¡®This person in Coldharbour, that Yusef was dealing with, do you know their name?¡¯ ¡®Alenna,¡¯ Lillya replied. Lore¡¯s visions of Alenna¡¯s death hadn¡¯t been an illusion. He really had foreseen it. We¡¯d stumbled into the chain of events that may well have caused her to die, but in a much more real sense, it had been her own actions that would lead to her death. Her dances with demons, her drive to dissect the malae, to understand them, maybe even to use their power. Without Lore at her side, there would be nobody to protect her against her own mistakes. Nobody to protect her against the corruption. ¡®I understand now,¡¯ I said. Ability unlocked ¡ª Titan Husk Titan Husk (Worldbending) ¡ª Warp your flesh to totally withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. As I ran for the portal, I locked in my ability choice. I was going to need it.
"Styk" Level 20 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 52 Intelligence ¡ª 243 Dexterity ¡ª 143 Strength ¡ª 88 Wisdom ¡ª 76 Charisma ¡ª 50
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 65 Knifework ¡ª Level 48 Stealth ¡ª Level 26 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II - Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
213. Interlude — Alenna Alenna knew the moment was upon her the second she heard the door slam open. The man that stood in her doorway was no hulking warrior, possessed no long limbs or bulging muscles, but then again, Alenna didn¡¯t need him to. All she needed was a willing host. Someone who wanted to grow stronger. ¡®Did he send you?¡¯ Alenna asked. The man nodded, so she gestured him over to her operating table. This wasn¡¯t the first man that her benefactor had sent her way¡ªfar from it¡ªbut it was the first since she¡¯d found the answer. There, in that book that Lore¡¯s friends had retrieved for her, had been the spell that she could use to stop the corruption spreading¡ªa ward sustained by the lifeforce of its host, a ward that prevented the corruption from reaching the brain steam. It had taken a few attempts to perfect the spell, of course. Alenna regretted that nasty business with the metal mage, and even more so all the damage that had followed. Ama would have been lost without Alenna¡¯s intervention, but that large gentleman warrior should never have been hurt. That life weighed on Alenna, but she kept herself going with the knowledge that if she was successful, no lives would be lost to the malae ever again. As the man settled on the stone platform, Alenna tapped the enchanted gems, and they blossomed into life, casting a vivid light all across the patient. ¡®What do I call you?¡¯ she asked. ¡®Simm,¡¯ came the reply, ¡®though people call me the Councilman.¡¯ This last bit seemed like it was added as a second thought. ¡®Simm it is,¡¯ Alenna replied, which seemed to cause the man to grumble. ¡®Do you know why you are here?¡¯ ¡®Yusef said you could make me stronger. Unstoppable, in fact. He used the words ¡°perfect soldier¡±.¡¯ ¡®And just what would you give up to become this perfect soldier, Simm?¡¯ ¡®Everything.¡¯ Alenna nodded. ¡®Correct answer. Let¡¯s begin.¡¯ She turned away for the metal cabinets at the rear of her room, and began undoing the first lock. With this first lock, protections fell away¡ªwards against sound, against light, against anything she could think of. There was no overdoing it when it came to caging the malae. Inside, crammed into a box too small for it, was one of these creatures. Alenna was comfortable enough with these boxes for now to know that she could hold it without danger to herself, though she still kept both eyes on it for any sign of escape. ¡®The malae have always been a problem in the Beached Armada,¡¯ Alenna said as she placed the mala box down and set out her tools. ¡®The first one ever reported was found here, you know that? It was a few years after the invasion¡ªthat long ago. The invasion force, they¡¯d had no real trouble with the people living here, but battling the malae? That nearly destroyed them.¡¯ She took a step back, making sure she had everything in place¡ªthe patient, the mala, her tools, and the borrowed spellbook. ¡®And as a result, we lost our ways. We forgot our central tenet¡ªfight fire with fire, use our enemy¡¯s strengths against them. That applies for monsters just as much as it does for people, I reckon. And the greater the strength, the greater the power we can extract. That¡¯s how I¡¯ll make you the perfect soldier, Simm. I¡¯ll imbue you with the power of corruption. Are you ready?¡¯ Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡®Oh, yes,¡¯ her patient replied. ¡®Good.¡¯ Alenna got to work. It was the ward that she¡¯d focus on first; this was the most important step, and there could be no flaw in her work. If the ward had even the slightest gap, the corruption would find it in time. Her patient would end up one of those walking monsters, barely conscious yet just conscious enough to know that the corruption now controlled them. And Lore¡¯s friends weren¡¯t around right now to handle one, so she would need to be extra careful. The ward glowed as she established it, before fading away as she tied off the magicks and allowed the man¡¯s soul to feed it. She kept her hands on the man¡¯s neck, just where she¡¯d placed the ward, testing it, pushing at it, seeking any sign of weakness. But Alenna was right; she¡¯d perfected it. ¡®OK, Simm,¡¯ she said. ¡®You¡¯re about to feel a slight pinch.¡¯ Before her patient could react, Alenna lifted the box, pressed it against the man¡¯s chest, and slid open one side, exposing flesh to corruption. She slid the side of the box back into place a moment later. There was no point overdoing it; even the slightest touch would fester, though it would take longer to do so. This gave Alenna time to escape if anything did go wrong. The man cried out with pain as the mala touched his flesh, and the ward briefly glowed into life once more, reacting to this corruption. This ward would stop the corruption spreading to the man¡¯s brain, but in theory it would also prevent the patient from spreading corruption with his touch. If such a powerful being could spread corruption as easily as that, then Coldharbour was doomed, so this really was the most important aspect of the procedure. Alenna opened her mouth, beginning to talk to distract the man from the pain. He was turning into a living weapon, but he was a person, too. She would spare him the torture as much as she could. ¡®I know it hurts, but it¡¯s for a good cause. Think of all you¡¯ll do when you¡¯re the strongest being to walk Alterra. You¡¯ll be able to destroy all the malae without risk to yourself, their corruption unable to hurt you. You¡¯ll save us all. You¡¯ll be worshipped. Doesn¡¯t that sound good?¡¯ The doctor lit her torch and pressed the flames against the wound on the man¡¯s chest, causing him to cry out louder. ¡®It hurts to become a god,¡¯ she said. ¡®But it¡¯s worth it.¡¯ It had to be. After Alenna finished up the procedure, she stepped back from the patient as far as she could manage, her back up against the wall. She would give this Simm as much space as she could, but she needed to know whether or not this procedure had been successful. If it had, she would give him his orders. If it hadn¡¯t¡­ well, that didn¡¯t bear thinking about right now. The man stopped screaming. His breathing grew quieter, then silent, and then Alenna could no longer see his chest rising and falling. ¡®...Simm?¡¯ she asked. The man didn¡¯t reply, though his eyes were open. ¡®Simm, are you¡ª¡¯ At that moment, the corrupted man swung his legs down from the platform, and he stared at her in silence with cold, black eyes. ¡®Oh, good,¡¯ Alenna said, relieved. ¡®You¡¯re alive. That¡¯s good. Could you just reassure me that it¡¯s still you in there?¡¯ ¡®It is still me,¡¯ the man replied. His cold eyes didn¡¯t change. Alenna resisted the urge to swallow. ¡®OK, great. The hard part is done. The next part? You find the malae. You kill them. You save us all, and¡ª¡¯ Simm charged forward from the stone table in a flash, his limbs empowered by the corruption surging through them. Alenna barely had time to blink before the man¡¯s hand was around her neck. She tried to cry out, but the man squeezed tight. All she could do was gasp for air. ¡®That sounded like an order,¡¯ the patient said. ¡®I¡¯m done taking orders from the likes of you. You think I care about being worshipped? You think I care about this world anymore, now that I know what the Council intends? No. I care about only one thing now: revenge.¡¯ Alenna gasped for air, struggling against the firm hand wrapped around her neck. ¡®Please,¡¯ she wheezed. ¡®Let me¡ª¡¯ The perfect soldier squeezed. 214. Corruption Returns As I stepped back through the portal, I expected to emerge into chaos. But there was only the usual hustle and bustle of a city, particular in the main plaza, and with the cult only just starting to scatter. If there had been any of the screaming and panicking that I¡¯d been expecting, then I of course would have heard it from the platform¡ªwhat with my portals communicating sound these days. This was good. This meant that whatever Alenna was really up to, she hadn¡¯t finished it yet. Part of my mind couldn¡¯t help but worry that Lore had hurried straight for her¡ªwhat if he stumbled across something he shouldn¡¯t? Just what would she do to protect her secret, and would she do it to a man she thought of as a brother? The last of our team, Corminar, stepped through the portal, and I looked back through it at the orc. ¡®You coming?¡¯ I asked. ¡®Last chance.¡¯ ¡®Can get me back to Rose Home?¡¯ she asked. ¡®This is as close as you¡¯re gonna get.¡¯ The orc in orange robe shrugged, then stepped through with a handful of other cultists from Zelas. I allowed the portal to shut behind her; whatever was coming next, I suspected I¡¯d need two pairs of portals to¡ª Someone screamed. It was distant, barely noticeable above the din of the cultists crowding the square, but it was the sort of noise I¡¯d been listening for. Sounds of panic. Alarm bells¡ªthis noise metaphorical, existing only in my head¡ªstarted ringing. ¡®Where?¡¯ I asked Corminar, the only other person in our group to have noticed the scream, and the only one of us with superior elven hearing. ¡®Southwest,¡¯ he replied. ¡®Perhaps two hundred yards.¡¯ I nodded, oriented myself based on where I¡¯d once seen the sun set over Coldharbour¡¯s western sprawl, and began to push through the crowd in the direction the elf had said. I heard scoffs and tuts erupted behind me as I pushed through without regards for people being in the way, and without worrying about stepping on people¡¯s feet. The scream could have been nothing. I hoped it would turn out to be nothing, that I would irk all those people without solid cause. But, as these stories so often go, the person who¡¯d screamed had done so with good reason. A woman stood, unmoving, in the centre of a main road that led directly out of town from Coldharbour¡¯s main plaza. Others on this busy street gave her a wide berth, staring and cowering and fleeing. In a time long since passed, I might have done the same, considering this woman¡¯s skin had turned grey, and a black ooze was just now beginning to seep from her pores. The people of Coldharbour were well versed in corruption by now; they knew it when they saw it. ¡®Corminar!¡¯ I shouted, but the elf was already moving. He grabbed a glowing glass vial from his alchemist¡¯s satchel, and he tossed it to me. I snatched it from the air in the same moment that I portal sliced into a nearby carriage, sending its bags of produce tumbling onto the ground. I snatched a plank of wood from the debris, then poured the contents of Corminar¡¯s potion over it. The wood burst in flames. ¡®I should¡ª¡¯ Arzak started, reaching out to take the flames from me. ¡®No,¡¯ I said. There wasn¡¯t time to explain my latest ability selection, but now that I could use Titan Husk, I was the person safest to approach the corrupted woman. Still, the team could do with fire of their own to defend themselves. I touched the end of my makeshift torch to the scattered wooden debris of the shouting merchant¡¯s cart, setting it alight, and turned back to the enemy. When I met her eyes, I saw no life behind them. I drew in a deep breath. We could do this. We¡¯d done this before. I just didn¡¯t think we¡¯d ever have to do it again. I raised torch in one hand, and my dagger in the other, and I activated my new ability for the first time. As with Ash Husk, my skin rippled and changed¡ªbut it settled on no solid form, instead continuing to warp and shimmer. As I crossed the dusty road towards the enemy, it looked for a moment like she wouldn¡¯t react, that the corruption had not yet taken hold enough for her to do more than stagger around town. But then, at the last moment, an oozing arm whipped up to block my attacks. I bounced off the arm, hitting the dirt hard. ¡®Styk!¡¯ Val cried, fear sharp in her voice. I¡¯d not explained, of course. She didn¡¯t know that I could resist the corruption now, with this new ability. Maybe that was an oversight, that it was an unkindness to let her think I was about to die. Oops. I thrust a hand up in the air, flashing the witch a shimmering thumbs-up sign, before opening a portal on the ground and falling back through it. I landed in front of the enemy once more. ¡®I forgot how strong this made you,¡¯ I said. The corrupted woman didn¡¯t reply. As I charged in again to attack, I became peripherally aware of more shouts and screams erupting around me, but I was too focused on this fight to give them a second thought. I dummied with my dagger, causing the enemy to swing their arm up to block once more, and then I stepped through a portal. Appearing behind them, I bought my flames down upon their back. The monster¡¯s flesh sizzled. It wasn¡¯t enough to kill the beast. Far from it. Fire was the corruptions¡¯ weakness, but it still took a good deal of it to get anywhere. Last time we¡¯d fought one of these, I¡¯d dumped masses of flaming Needlework supplies on it. Since then, however, I¡¯d not had a chance to stock back up. I did have one advantage over last time, though; I could touch it. I leaped onto the monster, feeling the oozing corruption against my rippling flesh. As before, it was cold to the touch, almost so cold that it felt like a burn. I ignored the sensation and wrapped my limbs around the creature, holding on tight while pressing the flames against it. To distract the monster, I also opened a portal beneath it, sending the pair of us high into the sky above Coldharbour. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. We tumbled down towards the ground, spinning. The monster hissed with the pain of the torch now pressed against its chest. Despite being weakened by the flames, it was still strong enough to wrench me away, and a moment later, we tumbled separately. I caught sight of crowds fleeing down streets below, of not one but two pillars of smoke. Then it hit me¡ªwhere there was smoke, there was fire. And I could control where we landed. One of the pillars of smoke was just one road away, on a narrow street that ran mostly parallel to the main road we¡¯d been on. I put my arms out at my side, trying to stop myself spinning, and then focused on opening a portal both above the fire and below the falling monster. My aim was true, the corrupted woman falling through the portal and landing on the source of the smoke, but now I had two new problems: I didn¡¯t know that the monster was dead, and I was now fifty yards away from a very sudden stop. I dealt with the ¡°me being about to die¡± problem first, opening a portal beneath me an another near to the pillar of smoke¡ªbut this one facing upwards. As I¡¯d practised a couple of times before, I waited until I was at the peak of my soaring back into the air, then opened a portal directly beneath me. I fell through it, landing back on the streets of Coldharbour. The source of the pillar of smoke was a burning building¡ªa bakery, in fact. Both customer and patron had long since fled the establishment, which lent itself to me returning to a tried-and-tested technique: dropping a building on the monster. I whipped my hands forward, using them to aim properly, and I portal sliced and portal sliced at the burning beams of the ceiling, until the two-storey building collapsed in on itself¡ªand the monster burning within. Level ? corruption defeated! Worldbending ¡ª +6,700xp Worldbending increased to level 66! Base Points gained ¡ª +2 INT, +2 Free Points (INT/WIS/CHA) Knifework ¡ª +1,300xp I staggered backwards from the falling, burning building, coughing the billowing dust back out of my lungs. To my left, I saw Val, Arzak and Corminar running down the alleyway from the adjoining street. ¡®How did you¡­¡¯ Val asked, staring at my rippling skin. ¡®New ability. I¡¯m corruption-proof. Will explain later.¡¯ In situations like these, there wasn¡¯t time for full sentences. Panicked ex-cultists, still in pale orange robes, ran down the street with wide, frantic eyes. And the shouting grew louder behind me. I turned around slowly, already knowing what I was about to find. That¡¯s when I realised why everyone had fled the bakery. It wasn¡¯t just the flames, it was what caused the flames: another of the corrupted locals. ¡®Just how many of these things are there?¡¯ If there was more than one, then chances are that there were more than two. Chaos was taking hold in Coldharbour, and quickly the city was spiralling out of control¡ªthese monsters being at the heart of it. We needed to take these down while they were few in number, else this would get out of control. This rapidly spreading corruption had the potential to destroy not just the city, but Alterra itself. ¡®How could Yusef want this?¡¯ I asked, more out of exasperation and panic than because I was actually looking for an answer. But Val gave me one anyway. ¡®He couldn¡¯t. Something¡¯s gone wrong.¡¯ I nodded, then charged into battle once more. As I struck monster with fire, I felt something weighing heavily on my gut¡ªa sense that we couldn¡¯t kill the corruption quickly enough. A sense that we were doomed.
"Styk" Level 20 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 52 Intelligence ¡ª 247 Dexterity ¡ª 143 Strength ¡ª 88 Wisdom ¡ª 76 Charisma ¡ª 50
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 66 Knifework ¡ª Level 48 Stealth ¡ª Level 26 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II - Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
215. Birthright Level ? corruption defeated! This was the fourth monster of its kind that we¡¯d killed, and even the resulting Worldbending and Knifework skill level increases weren¡¯t enough to offset my growing nausea. Corminar had very narrowly escaped being corrupted himself at one point, and if we kept going like this, this possibility would end up an inevitability. With Coldharbour falling around us, we needed to switch up our strategy, or else we were only giving this city a few more hours of life. ¡®Styk¡­¡¯ Arzak grumbled, presumably getting at just the same thing. ¡®We gotta find the cause,¡¯ I replied while scanning the streets for more signs of trouble. In the midst of the spreading chaos, it was hard to tell what was threat and what was simply people fleeing in terror. ¡®Any thoughts on¡­¡¯ Val started, then she found the answer herself. ¡®Alenna.¡¯ I nodded, opening a portal in front of us that stretched as far in the distance as I could reasonably aim. ¡®Come on. Let¡¯s go pay a visit to the good doctor.¡¯ We stepped through the portal into a crowd of people running north, though whether they were fleeing a corruption or simply carried along by the waves of panic was yet to be determined. I had to push through these throngs of people just to make enough space for Val, Corminar and Arzak to come through the portal behind me, then stood on tiptoes to aim another portal down the street. ¡®Styk! Val!¡¯ I heard someone shouting through the crowd. Lambkin. ¡®Thank the gods we found you. We were just coming back to the portal¡ªthe city¡¯s gone mad.¡¯ ¡®Yes, we see this,¡¯ Arzak replied, her eyes scanning the surroundings for trouble while Lambkin and I spoke. ¡®You know what¡¯s happened?¡¯ The ex-captain shook his head. ¡®Only that the corruption is spreading fast. We ran into one of those monsters back there. Even the soldiers here took some convincing to fight it rather than running, though I can hardly blame them.¡¯ ¡®You took it down?¡¯ ¡®With some trouble, but yes.¡¯ ¡®We had to put down a few soldiers touched by the corruption,¡¯ Tokas explained, as ever saying the hard part without hesitation. ¡®We could do with more of those soldiers,¡¯ I replied. Lambkin pressed his lips together. ¡®You¡¯ll be lucky; they¡¯re fewer and farther between with every second that passes.¡¯ ¡®Err¡­¡¯ Val said. ¡®Come on,¡¯ I told Tokas and Lambkin. ¡®We¡¯re heading to Alenna¡¯s surgery. If we can find the cause of all this, then maybe we can still turn the tide.¡¯ The pair of them nodded, and I turned to open a portal once more. Every second counted. With each¡ª ¡®Styk?¡¯ Val said, interrupting my line of thought. ¡®Yeah?¡¯ I asked as we stepped through the portal to get us closer to Alenna¡¯s place of work. ¡®You want an army? Well¡­¡¯ she gestured around us, and it took me a second to understand what she was pointing at. The sea of pale orange robes. The Cult of Ascendancy, still in Coldharbour in their thousands. And with their reason to be so recently taken away from them. ¡®The city needs a hero, Styk. And you¡¯re right¡ªit¡¯s you. It has to be you.¡¯ These words, coming out of that mouth, almost made me stagger backwards. Wasn¡¯t this at the heart of how Val worried I was changing? Wasn¡¯t it my desire to be a hero that had created that wedge between us? ¡®You get it now?¡¯ I asked. Val nodded. ¡®I get it.¡¯ I held her gaze just for a moment before remembering the urgency of the situation, and I got to work. I activated my portal relays, and sent all but one of them soaring off into the city, scattered through the streets as much as I could without losing track of them. More screaming erupted from down the street, and Tokas, Arzak, Corminar and Lambkin hurried off to deal with its cause¡ªinevitably another local touched by the corruption. I looked through the portal relay at the views from the nine other relays shimmering in and out of sight, and I¡­ hesitated. The pressure got to me, at least for a moment. I felt a hand on my arm. ¡®You got this,¡¯ Val said. I nodded. I did, indeed, have this. I looked into the relay, at the hundreds of cultists in orange, and I prepared myself. I wouldn¡¯t be able to get the word to all of them, not even with my relays, but I could spread the word to enough. If I was successful, word would travel, even amongst the chaos. I took a deep breath, and I prepared myself to speak. Don¡¯t say cultists, don¡¯t say cultists, I told myself. ¡®Attention cultists!¡¯ I bellowed through the relays. Oops. ¡®My name is Styk. Some of you may know me, while some of you might have only heard whispers. I am the man that Yusef¡ªthe deceiver¡ªwanted dead. A member of the team that exposed him for what he is. But, above all, I am a man with the Architects¡¯ blood in my veins. If you¡¯re heard such rumours, know this: they are true. ¡®But I¡¯ll make no promises about an Ascended World. You heard it straight from Yusef¡¯s mouth; the Ascended World is dead. There is no divine destination for you. There is only this world, just this world that you see around you. A flawed world, full of flawed people¡¯ ¡ª I glanced at Val ¡ª ¡®but one that¡¯s beautiful nonetheless. And this world needs saving. ¡®I call on you¡ªeach and every one of you¡ªnot to run, not to flee this threat that spreads through Coldharbour, but to stand and fight. Save not just this city, but this world. Be the heroes that you¡¯ve always wanted to find in the Players. Stand, and fight.¡¯ I took in one last deep breath as I bellowed my final instruction. ¡®Burn the corruption wherever it takes hold!¡¯ There was a moment of near-silence, at least as much as there could be in this falling city, but then¡­ someone roared. It wasn¡¯t the roar of anger, of frustration, but a battle cry. A battle cry that spreads through the ranks of the orange sea, that stopped them in their tracks, that had them pick up weapons and stand their ground. My words had had their desired effect. We had ourselves an army. Seizing upon the opportunity of the emboldened cult, I charged into the already-raging battle of Slayers versus corruption. And dozens of cultists charged with me. * * * Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. We amassed hundreds of cultists as we fought our way across the city of Coldharbour. With so many on our side, so many following my bellowed commands, we could defeat the corrupted quickly. It almost felt like we were turning the tide, eliminating the enemy fast enough that we might still triumph. But we could only speak for the streets we fought down¡ªelsewhere in the city, the corruption was likely still winning. We could hurry to Alenna¡¯s surgery all we wanted, but even if we found and eliminated the cause, if enough of the corruption was left to spread elsewhere, our fight would be lost. We needed to split our attention. ¡®Corminar!¡¯ I shouted, summoning the elf to my side. He appeared near instantly. ¡®Take some of the cultists west. Destroy any corruption that¡¯s festering there. Understand?¡¯ But Corminar had paled. ¡®It shouldn¡¯t be me,¡¯ he replied. ¡®What? Why? Now¡¯s not the time for you to suddenly get humble.¡¯ ¡®You want me to lead. I am no leader. Sunalor proved that.¡¯ I clipped him around the ear. ¡®What on Alterra are you¡ª¡¯ ¡®Sunalor wasn¡¯t your fault, alright? Nobody could¡¯ve saved that city; the locals were too outnumbered. Anyone could have led Sunalor to its defeat.¡¯ ¡®Anyone, perhaps. But it was me. I cannot¡ª¡¯ I ignored him, then repositioned two of my portal relays to echo my voice over part of the amassed cultist force. ¡®Forty of you, with him!¡¯ I shouted, pointing to Corminar¡¯s head. ¡®Styk, as I have said, I cannot¡ª¡¯ ¡®Learn from your mistakes.¡¯ With that, I turned, leaving him with a crowd of those in orange robes. He could either flounder, or he could do his job. I knew him well enough to be sure he¡¯d do the latter. I didn¡¯t look back. We charged across the city, our horde pouring through portals and into the next, even before the last had closed. We battled the corruptions as much as we could, doing our best to end them quickly¡ªbecause for every minute that passed, another seemed to crop up in its place. As we neared Alenna¡¯s surgery, I took a glance down a main road to my right, and saw that chaos had taken hold. ¡®Tokas!¡¯ I shouted. I would have asked for Arzak, but without Lore, I needed her brawn. I was going to have to trust the woman who¡¯d betrayed us. ¡®Take more of them,¡¯ I told her. The tiefling nodded. ¡®Head east. Do as I told Corminar; eliminate all¡ª¡¯ ¡®No,¡¯ Lambkin interrupted. ¡®I¡¯ll take them. Tokas, get the children safe.¡¯ I considered him for a moment. He¡¯d been a captain, once. He knew how to lead, at least a small unit. He was no worse a choice than Tokas. I nodded. ¡®Soldiers!¡¯ I shouted once more through the portal relays. ¡®Another forty of you¡ªwith this man here!¡¯ Lambkin raised his blade in the air in salute, to signal that he was the man I was referring to. Tokas, meanwhile, turned away, heading back towards where her children were hiding, hopefully still safe. It had to have been duty¡ªor, no, guilt¡ªthat had kept her with us for so long. She began to run, then dithered for a moment, turning back to Lambkin just as he looked back at her. She took another few seconds away from her kids to run back and kiss the man, planting as passionate a kiss on his lips as ever I¡¯d seen. I¡¯d never expected this to happen when I¡¯d agreed that Lambkin could watch over her. But there was no time for these kinds of thoughts. I turned and led our remaining contingent of fifty or so on, spreading the remaining eight relays between myself, Arzak, Val and the cultists. Even someone who didn¡¯t know our destination could have realised we were getting close. The devastation in this part of the city was greater than any we¡¯d seen; buildings crumbled by unseen forces, fires blazing in the ruins, but above all else, it was¡­ quiet. All those but the few trying to fight the corruptions had long since fled this part of Coldharbour. I tried to ignore the uncomfortable feeling in my gut, and I pressed on; if anyone would know the truth of what happened here¡ªand how to stop it¡ªit was Alenna. Her surgery remained standing, for the most part. If she had any control over the creatures, it wouldn¡¯t have been damaged at all, so the fact that it was still largely intact was surely down to luck. I wasted no time in kicking the door open and bellowing out her name. ¡®Alenna!¡¯ I roared. But I saw no Alenna. I saw only the broad frame of my friend, kneeled in the centre of the floor, crying and clutching¡­ Ah. There was Alenna. Guilt blossomed forth in my stomach; I¡¯d assured Lore that the visions of Alenna¡¯s death had been planted by Yusef, a means to control him. They might well have been a means to control him, but my mistake was thinking that meant they couldn¡¯t be real. Lore¡¯s betrayal of the Player¡ªas I¡¯d encouraged¡ªhad led to this moment. Lore looked up at me, meeting my eyes. But there was no accusation in those eyes, no blame, at least not directed at me. ¡®I should have known,¡¯ he croaked. ¡®I should have known.¡¯ Shouting erupted outside the premises, followed by the inevitable scuffle of a fight. ¡®Mourn later. Survive now,¡¯ Arzak said, before disappearing through the doorway once more to join the cultists in battle. Val approached Lore, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder. ¡®She¡¯s right. I¡¯m sorry, but she¡¯s right. We have a city to save.¡¯ ¡®A world,¡¯ I added. ¡®Who did this, Lore? What happened here?¡¯ But as it turned out, the barbarian didn¡¯t need to answer. A man stepped forth from the shadows, covered in dust, debris, blood, and¡­ the ooze of corruption. A man we should have killed when we had the chance. ¡®I did,¡¯ the Councilman said. ¡®I happened.¡¯ And then I understood. All that was happening outside? All the chaos, all the death? It was nothing more than bait. The Councilman didn¡¯t care what happened to this city, or to the people in it. He just wanted us here. Because in those otherwise cold, dead eyes, I still saw the hunger for vengeance.
"Styk" Level 20 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 54 Intelligence ¡ª 251 Dexterity ¡ª 144 Strength ¡ª 89 Wisdom ¡ª 76 Charisma ¡ª 50
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 67 Knifework ¡ª Level 49 Stealth ¡ª Level 26 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II - Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
216. Coldharbour Screams ¡®So this is it then?¡¯ I asked the Councilman. ¡®Your big moment? You make some big speech about how we embarrassed you, pushed you into becoming this monster? That now you¡¯re out to seek vengeance?¡¯ ¡®Well, I¡ª¡¯ the Player started, but I cut him off. ¡®I think it¡¯s clear to all of us what¡¯s happened here. Alenna made you like this, right?¡¯ I gestured to his body, oozing and grey. ¡®You heard that it could make you stronger? Strong enough maybe to even stop us making a fool out of you?¡¯ ¡®I¡ª¡¯ ¡®Cos let me tell you, mate; we¡¯re still gonna make a fool out of you. And this time, we¡¯re not gonna let you go.¡¯ I reactivated my Titan Husk ability, my skin beginning to ripple and warp, and I charged. In the moments before I hit him, the Councilman only laughed. What did he think was about to happen except that he¡¯d corrupt me, that he¡¯d add me to his horde? He thought his vengeance was going to be simple. I was about to prove that it was not. My blade pointing straight forward, I used the momentum of my tackle to add strength to the stab. The enemy didn¡¯t even bother blocking me. My knifepoint went straight into his flesh, almost like a knife through butter, but much more gross. And my momentum had me crashing into the man¡¯s abdomen. He¡¯d counted on this, I think. Why avoid a single attack when you were strong enough to withstand it, and it would spell an end to your attacker? Not just an end, even, but extra strength for your own personal army, as created by his spreaded corruption. But of course I did not get corrupted so easily, not anymore. I twisted the knife in the man¡¯s flesh, then put all my weight onto it to cut downwards. The man didn¡¯t so much as flinch, and the pallid grey flesh seemed to close up behind my cut, the ooze working its magicks. I recoiled from the monster, taking my knife with me, and the enemy¡¯s eyes widened. ¡®You¡¯re¡­ you¡¯re not¡­¡¯ I heard Lore stumbling to his feet behind me, Val still presumably at his side. The Councilman¡¯s eyes darted to each of them. It was all very well him getting close to me, but he couldn¡¯t touch them. If he did, they¡¯d be lost forever. So it was worth keeping his gaze on me. ¡®I told you,¡¯ I replied. ¡®I¡¯m here to make a fool out of you.¡¯ The enemy¡¯s eyes snapped back to me. This time, it was his turn to charge. I opened a portal behind me and stepped through it, leaving it open for the Councilman to follow. In the close proximity of Alenna¡¯s surgery, Lore and Val were in danger, but out here there was a little more room to play with. I appeared out of the portal just as Arzak and the cultists were finishing off the latest monster, but they still needed just a few more seconds. ¡®See?¡¯ I told the Councilman as he appeared charging through the portal, and I opened another pair to dart out of his way. ¡®Whatever you do to yourself, we¡¯ll be stronger. We¡¯ll still resist you. And you¡¯re not getting away this time.¡¯ The Councilman charged at me once more, roaring with fury, and I stepped through another portal. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Arzak¡¯s sword blazing with the power of absorbed fire magicks. Finally, she put in the final, killing blow on the other enemy. I¡¯d bought them enough time. I appeared out of another portal behind the charging enemy, this time slashing once more. I knew it could do no good without fire to back it up¡ªmy attempt at an attack earlier proved that once and for all¡ªbut it was enough to anger him. It kept his focus on me¡ªthe one man he could not corrupt. As the Councilman turned, I slipped through a portal and out of his reach, ready to¡ª An oozing chain snapped through the portal just as I let it close, wrapping itself around the wrist of my knife arm. A second later, it crushed it. I fell to the ground, seeing black and overwhelmed by pain. My knife had long since fallen. Where, I could not see. All I could think about was the pain shooting up my right arm and that my fingers would not move. ¡®Styk!¡¯ I heard someone shout, but in my daze I couldn¡¯t tell who. A figure loomed over me. I blinked up at it, trying to bring them into focus, but my eyes wouldn¡¯t behave¡ªwhether that was tears or the overwhelming pain, I didn¡¯t know. No. I knew who it was. I knew who it must have been. ¡®Cultists,¡¯ I mumbled, meaning to give an order, but found my voice escaping me. Flaming dots peppered the man looming over me, glowing orange orbs that try as I might, I still couldn¡¯t bring into focus. But I knew what they were. They were the same flaming arrows that I¡¯d seen the cultists fire at a half dozen corruptions by now. Sometimes, they¡¯d been enough to bring the enemy to their knees. For a creation like the Councilman, however¡ªa creation that Alenna had worked on directly¡ªI knew it wouldn¡¯t be enough to fell him. As it turned out, it wasn¡¯t even enough to distract him from me. The blurry figure moved, and a moment later I felt a fresh pain erupt in my jaw. My head hit the dusty ground hard. With the sky spinning above me, I put out a hand to try to steady myself, to try to push myself back to my feet. But the moment I did so, another force bludgeoned me, sending me back to the ground. I spat the blood from my mouth, pressed my hand against the dirt, and opened a portal. I didn¡¯t care where I opened the other side; as long as it was away from here, it didn¡¯t matter. But as I tumbled through, the oozing metal chain reached for me once more, this time snatching me by the neck. I dangled in the air as this metal snake wrapped itself tighter around my neck. It could have snapped it in an instant¡ªeven in my current state, I knew this¡ªbut I was saved by the Councilman wanting to saviour the kill. I forced my vision back into focus just in time to see the battlefield thirty yards below me. The Councilman held his snakelike weapon through the open portal, and two dozen cultists fired their flaming arrows on him once more. But then, there was Val. A huge web of roots burst from the dusty ground, spreading in the blink of an eye. A moment later, it was as though the root structure of an ancient tree had grown around the Councilman, trapping him, but also¡ª The cultists fired their flaming arrows once more, and Arzak brought her flaming sword down upon the roots. They caught fire instantly. Whatever plant Val had chosen to summon, it was dry and highly flammable¡ªjust what we needed in this situation. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. I heard the Councilman scream in the same moment that the snaking chain weapon released me, and I lashed out to grab at the edge of my open portal, steadying myself for a moment so that I could work out what to do next. My right hand didn¡¯t cooperate, having been crushed by the chain, and so I hung there for a moment by my left hand alone. The edge of the portal felt strange against my flesh, and almost tingling sensation to it, one that made my fingers grow numb. If I hung for much longer, then my fingers might grow so numb that I lost my grip entirely. Looking down, I saw the monster use his immense strength to rip himself free of the burning roots. His skin hissed as it touched flame, but other than that, this damage barely seemed enough to even slow him. This corruption was stronger than any we¡¯d seen before¡ªany Alenna had created before¡ªand so we¡¯d need a lot more fire than that. I scoured my brain for possibilities. Before, I¡¯d dumped the burning contents of my pocket world on these creatures. There were two problems there: my pocket world was currently completely devoid of any Needlework supplies, and I wasn¡¯t sure that would be enough to kill the Councilman anyway. Our other success had come from dropping burning buildings on these corruptions, but¡­ this was going to be easier said than done, with an enemy as powerful as the Player below me. Still, it was our best bet, and there wasn¡¯t enough time to give it any more thought, because the Councilman now turned on my friends. I released the edge of the portal, allowing it to close as I plummeted, then opened another beneath me that had me fall on top of the enemy. I grabbed him around the neck with my bad hand, then tried to bury my knife in him with my left. It was¡­ not my most successful attack ever. The point of my blade barely broke flesh, but then again, that wasn¡¯t my intention. I attacked him only to get his attention back on me. And on that point¡­ ¡­I was also unsuccessful. The Councilman span, his snakelike weapon flailing out at those that surrounded him. Arzak leaped to the ground just in time for the weapon to skim overhead, but others weren¡¯t so lucky. The weapon clipped three of those in orange robes, hitting them hard enough to knock them from their feet and have them sailing through the air. Two of them hit a stone wall, hard, while the other tumbled along the street, picking up scrapes and broken bones as she went. I reached for the metal chain, knowing already that I wasn¡¯t strong enough to disarm this enemy, but I could at least restrict his movements. As I grabbed the weapon near the man¡¯s hand, I hung upon it, weighing it down¡ªand even the Councilman could use it as a flail no longer. But he could still change its shape. The chain warped beneath me, shrinking in length and growing in width, and I released it just in time to avoid being sliced by the sharp edges of the newly formed axe. The Councilman swung it at me faster than I¡¯d anticipated, and though I staggered backwards, the axe caught me on the chest, striking a deep gash through the centre. If I kept taking hits like this, I¡¯d be useless. Unless Val could somehow find the time to heal me. I kept stepping backwards, my eyes darting around for something¡ªanything¡ªwe could use against him, and I tried my best to ignore the pain blossoming in my torso. There was no time for pain, now. If I embraced pain, it was over. If I let myself feel the pain, there would be so much more to come. The Councilman¡¯s attention was now well and truly split. Even my recent attacks hadn¡¯t been enough to keep him focused on me. I opened my mouth to let loose some more cutting remarks, but before anything could come out, the enemy snapped their attention to the nearest of the cultists. The woman in orange met the enemy¡¯s gaze, and then¡ªvery understandably¡ªturned to flee. But it was a losing battle. This creation was stronger, faster than any of us could ever hope to be. The Councilman closed the gap on the cultist fast, then leaped into the air and came down upon her. When he landed, he grabbed the woman by the head, and for a moment I thought he was about to twist. Instead, however, he let his oozing corruption bleed into her. This was how the corruption had spread through Coldharbour, how he¡¯d drawn us back here. But it was also yet another weapon in his already great arsenal. ¡®We keep on like this, and it¡¯s only a matter of time until we lose!¡¯ Val shouted from across the dusty street. ¡®I know!¡¯ I shouted back at her, frozen, unsure what to do next. ¡®Any ideas?¡¯ I scoured my mind once more, desperate, thinking through every possible permutation of not just my abilities, but Arzak¡¯s, but Val¡¯s. And I came up with¡­ nothing. But then I saw the large silhouette of Lore, standing in the doorway of Alenna¡¯s surgery, his eyes glowing more brightly than ever with the surging magicks of Divination. ¡®I have one,¡¯ he said.
"Styk" Level 20 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 54 Intelligence ¡ª 251 Dexterity ¡ª 144 Strength ¡ª 89 Wisdom ¡ª 76 Charisma ¡ª 50
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 67 Knifework ¡ª Level 49 Stealth ¡ª Level 26 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II - Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
217. Underpowered I didn¡¯t need Lore to say it twice. If he had a plan¡ªwhatever it might be¡ªthen that was better than anyone else could say. With the flick of my unshattered wrist, I sent one of my portal relays soaring towards him, giving him the ability to easily give commands. Whatever his plan, I assumed it had something to do with those glowing yellow eyes. His Divination powers were active, and he could foresee the battle to come, at least in some sense. Of course, these magicks were always inevitably flawed, but flawed or not, they were powerful. Maybe something good would come of Niamh¡¯s curse after all. ¡®Arzak, charge!¡¯ the barbarian shouted. The orc did so without hesitation. I didn¡¯t know whether this was because she shared my understanding of the situation, or if she simply trusted Lore with her life, but I supposed it didn¡¯t matter. He¡¯d told her to charge, and charge she did. ¡®Left!¡¯ Lore cried. Arzak shifted one foot to the left just as the Councilman turned, ghostly chain flailing towards her. The weapon missed by perhaps a foot, though would have struck true if Lore hadn¡¯t seen this coming. ¡®Duck!¡¯ Arzak ducked. The next flail of the enemy¡¯s chain whipped over her head. She drew closer to the enemy, and raised her still-flaming sword. It was at this moment that everyone else¡ªme, Val, and the dozen or so cultists¡ªrealised we should press the attack while the Councilman was distracted. Many of the cultists peppered the enemy with attacks, though I suspected only the one capable of summoning fireballs was able to deal any damage. Val and I, however, knew enough about the spread of corruption that we looked instead to the person that the Councilman had put his hands upon¡ªand turned into a monster. The ex-cultists skin was paling fast, their once bright pink irises turning black. How much time did we have until the corruption took over their mind? How long did we have while they were still themselves? And did it make sense to kill them before it took hold? ¡®Val,¡¯ I said, and the witch met my eyes. She nodded. I portaled us over to the corrupted woman¡¯s side in an instant, and we wasted no time in striking. Val sent waves of lightning magicks coursing through the woman¡¯s body, pausing only to let me in for a closed reach stab. Even in my left hand, my blade dealt significant damage to the robed woman. We were early enough; the corruption hadn¡¯t taken hold so much yet that only fire would kill her. But that meant we¡¯d killed woman, not monster. Town planner defeated! Knifework ¡ª +1,500xp Worldbending ¡ª +300xp I pushed the notifications aside immediately, not needing the reminder of the innocence of the woman we¡¯d just killed. From the glum expression on Val¡¯s face, she felt the same. We switched our attention back to the Councilman, on whom Arzak was landing attack after attack with her flaming blade. And with Lore to instruct her¡ªto foresee the enemy¡¯s attacks¡ªshe avoided getting corrupted in the process. ¡®Now, Styk!¡¯ Lore shouted through the relay. I was moving before I really knew of it, opening a portal at my side and blinking into the space next to the enemy. I had no fire magicks at my disposal, but that didn¡¯t mean I was useless; I could still draw the enemy¡¯s wrath. I sheathed my trusty blade, instead grabbing a discarded knife from the ground¡ªI say ¡°discarded¡± when I really mean ¡°fallen from a dead cultist¡¯s hand¡±¡ªand made first use of the ability I¡¯d gained while chasing Yusef across the desert. It was an ability I¡¯d made plenty of use of in my first life, despite being a simple one. Sometimes it was those simple abilities that were most versatile. I threw it. The blade was slightly rusty, and not as sharp as it could have been, but still it was enough. As I released, the knife tumbled through the air, soaring towards the enemy¡¯s shoulder. I was crouching, scrambling for the next projectile even before the thrown blade wedged itself deep in the Councilman¡¯s shoulder. As the enemy hissed, I threw once more, but this time I aimed to do more than just draw this monster¡¯s attention. I knew only fire could deal damage to someone touched by corruption, but that didn¡¯t mean my Knifework was useless. I could still use it to turn the tide. I threw this second blade towards not shoulder, but eye. Even thrown from my left hand, activating an ability made the knife hit true. I heard a squelch as the bladepoint pierced eyeball. The Councilman roared, clutching at his now-missing eye, then charged at me. ¡®Time to run, Styk!¡¯ Lore said, though I didn¡¯t need the gift of Divination for that one. I opened a portal behind me, falling through it clumsily. As I stepped out the other side and let the portals close, I stumbled into a fallen cultist and tumbled towards the ground. Out of instinct, I put out both hands to break my fall, and immense pain shot through my right arm when I landed on my crumpled hand. ¡®Styk!¡¯ Val shouted, but she wasn¡¯t fool enough to rush to my aid. As the half-blinded Councilman turned to my new position to charge at my once more, I splayed my left hand against the ground and used it to open a portal back into Alenna¡¯s surgery, and out of sight. I just needed a moment to gather myself. I looked around at the interior of the building, as though I might find the solution to our inevitable defeat, when the front brick wall crumbled. Debris and dust washed over me, knocking me from my feet once more, and though this time I didn¡¯t have time to put out my hands, I still landed on my injury. The roof creaked above me as part of its support had been taken away, but I had arguably bigger things to worry about¡ªlike the ghostly chain shooting towards me once more, through the hole in the wall. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. I tumbled through portal once more and back outside, and shouting, ¡®Could have warned me!¡¯ But across the dusty, body-littered street, I saw Lore blinking. I saw the yellow-white glow in his eyes flickering. He¡¯d made enough use of the power that it was waning on him, in need of time to recharge. If he had a plan to finish this, we¡¯d need it sooner rather than later. ¡®Lore?¡¯ I shouted, prodding him into action. ¡®I¡­¡¯ he started. ¡®I think I see¡­ Duck!¡¯ But it was a moment too late. The Councilman whipped his ghostly chain at me, knocking me from my feet yet again, and following the attack through enough to hit four of the remaining cultists. All five of us soared through the air, though I only saw¡ªfelt¡ªwhere I landed. I hit my head against something hard as I came to an abrupt stop, and in the initial seconds after the impact, that was what I focused on. But then I saw the splintered wood piercing through my left calf, and the pain followed soon after. The Councilman wasn¡¯t one to leave it there and call it a day. He moved with the momentum of his pointed ghostly chain, whipping it around him and back at me once more. I tried to scramble back to my feet, but my left leg wasn¡¯t strong enough to support my weight. I tried instead to open a portal, to fall backwards through it, but I was a fraction of a second too late. The chain soared towards me, its sharp point shooting towards my chest, and¡ª Roots burst up from the ground in front of me, knocking the enemy¡¯s weapon from its path of attack at the very last moment. Again, the Councilman roared in frustration¡ªthese Players couldn¡¯t deal with anything not going their way¡ªand this block was enough to turn the enemy¡¯s attention onto Val. And Val couldn¡¯t escape his attacks so easily. The weapon soared back around for a third attack, once again leading with its sharp point. Val saw it coming, diving out the way, but the Councilman had expected it. His weapon diverted at the last moment, its point burying itself in Val¡¯s side. She howled, and my stomach lurched. Suddenly, the pain in my leg didn¡¯t seem so bad any more. Nothing seemed as bad any more. I had only one thought in my head: this man needed to die. Now. I pushed myself back to my feet, my left leg shaking beneath me, ignored by my mind. The Councilman warped his chain back into axe once more, and moved as if to stand over Val. As if to finish her off. ¡®Pathetic,¡¯ I spat, half-conscious that my saliva was red, not white. The enemy¡¯s head snapped towards me. He shot daggers with his remaining eye, his injured one healing, but healing slowly¡ªand entirely black with the ooze of corruption. I tried not to look at Val, to keep my eyes squarely on the Councilman. But I saw it¡ªthe pool of blood appearing around her. She was alive, for now, but wouldn¡¯t be for much longer. And she was our only Healer. It was now or never. I opened a portal beneath me, dropping through it and out above the enemy, pointing my blade down and activating stab, just as I had done against the pyroknight all those moons ago. I knew it wouldn¡¯t kill him. I knew it was just a distraction. But I¡¯d seen Arzak charging in for the attack at the same time. Maybe my distraction would be enough. Maybe it would give Arzak the opening she needed. The ghostly axe warped into chain once more. It snatched me from the air, grabbing me by the ankle. The Councilman hung me upside down in front of his smiling face. ¡®Revenge,¡¯ he said.
"Styk" Level 20 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 54 Intelligence ¡ª 251 Dexterity ¡ª 144 Strength ¡ª 89 Wisdom ¡ª 76 Charisma ¡ª 50
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 67 Knifework ¡ª Level 49 Stealth ¡ª Level 26 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II - Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
218. Corruption Falls ¡®Revenge.¡¯ It was just one word, but it communicated so much. It was his goal, sure, it was why he¡¯d come here¡ªbut it was more than that. It spoke to the Players¡¯ disdain for the people of this world. It said that revenge was justification enough for all this, the destruction of half of Coldharbour, the hundreds or thousands dead, and the corruption that threatened to consume all of Alterra. And it pissed me off. I met the gaze of the half-blind corrupted Player for just a moment before I activated another rarely-used ability. Using my Shrill Perimeter, I created a circle around us, about 20 feet wide, that glowed gently with the purple magicks of Worldbending. And then, as soon as it was created, it activated¡ªthere was an enemy inside the perimeter to trip its banshee sound. The noise startled the enemy¡ªperhaps his senses, not just his strength, was bolstered by the corruption¡ªand his weapon loosened its grasp on me just enough for me to slip to the ground. But I never hit ground, of course, instead disappearing through another portal and out another that set me upright once more. My left leg half buckled as I landed on it, and I had to grab for a nearby wall to steady myself. It was the semi-destroyed building that had once been Alenna¡¯s surgery that I found myself next to, though I hadn¡¯t aimed there specifically. Flames, whether from Arzak¡¯s sword or one of the few flaming arrows, had blossomed into life on the wooden structural interiors of the building, though it was just another in a sea of falling structures. ¡®Lore?¡¯ I shouted, trying not to let my voice sound strained. ¡®Any luck with your¡­¡¯ I met his eyes. His regular, non-glowing eyes, only a wisp of the Divination magicks left to rage behind them. He¡¯d exhausted Niamh¡¯s curse for now, at least until he rested. And at this rate, we would be dead long before he could. I glanced around. There were just four of us left standing: me, Lore, Arzak and one lucky ex-cultist. Four of us against Alenna¡¯s creation, who seemed little closer to falling than at the start of the battle. ¡®...Lore?¡¯ I tried again. ¡®We¡¯re really gonna need some prophecy, buddy.¡¯ ¡®I¡­¡¯ he said. ¡®I¡­ I¡­ got it.¡¯ His eyes flashed yellow, and he opened his mouth to bellow orders through the portal relay. ¡®Arzak, get ready to¡ª¡¯ The Councilman¡¯s chain whipped back on itself, catching Lore off guard and swiping him from his feet. I flung one hand forward, meaning to open a portal beneath him and remove him from danger, but the enemy was faster. The point of the snakelike weapon swung around once more, and pierced Lore clean through his right thigh. The big man screamed. With Val bleeding out fast across the street, we had no healers, and we were long since out of Corminar¡¯s health potions. However we were going to finish this, it needed to be just me, Arzak, and¡ª The last cultist screamed as they fell. It needed to be just me and Arzak. I stepped through a portal to stand next to my orcish friend, then turned to nod at her. Arzak returned the nod in kind. We both knew our chances here were slim, but what else could we do but go down fighting? We had a job to do, and¡ªwhether Val believed it or not¡ªwe were heroes. We really had no choice in the matter. The Councilman turned slowly, his glowing metal chain scraping across the dusty street. His right eye was nearly completely reformed at this point, but instead of the brown irises and white sclera, there was only black. The gods alone knew whether he saw in the same way out of that eye, now. ¡®Ready, Arzak?¡¯ I asked. ¡®To die?¡¯ ¡®To fight,¡¯ I replied, though I couldn¡¯t really deny the other part either. Maybe this was how it was always going to end; the Slayers would stumble across an enemy too great to handle, and we¡¯d die in the inevitable fight. Maybe that was always going to be my fate, ever since I stumbled across Val in the prison below Umlok¡¯s castle. But that didn¡¯t mean I had to like it. ¡®Strike through portals, Arzak,¡¯ I said. Before waiting for her to reply, I opened a portal in front of Arzak that afforded her an attack on the enemy. She was swinging her flaming blade even before the portal had fully opened, and fire and metal struck corrupted grey flesh. As the Councilman turned to the portal, I snapped it shut, and opened another off to another side. Again, Arzak struck true and hard, and the flames hissed against corruption. We managed that only once more before the Councilman turned to the source of these attacks. This forced me instead to open a portal beneath us to avoid his chain¡¯s attack. We fell through it, landing clumsily on the ground. Arzak remained steady on her feet, while I collapsed to the debris-covered street. I didn¡¯t try to move, though, because my leg would only give way once more, and I could do all I needed to, even from this low vantage point. Without wasting another second, I opened a portal in front of where Arzak was already swinging her flaming sword, and flames struck the enemy¡¯s back. ¡®No,¡¯ the Councilman roared as flames hissed against corruption, and he turned to grab Arzak¡¯s sword by the blade using his free hand. The orc¡¯s eyes widened, instinctively pulling her weapon back through the portal, though still the Player didn¡¯t lose his grasp. I closed the portal, knowing that it would remain open until flesh left its boundary, but thinking this would still disorient the enemy enough to give Arzak an advantage. Instead, the portal closed. The portal closed through the Councilman¡¯s arm. All were still, all were silent for a second as we took in this latest development. The only sound was the faint thud of severed limb against hard cobble ground, Arzak¡¯s weapon still in its clasp. I hadn¡¯t evolved my portal abilities. There was no good reason that they would close around a living being. No good reason, except¡­ what if the System didn¡¯t recognise the Councilman as being alive any more? What if the corruption had spread too far throughout his system? And what if this was just the advantage we needed? With the flick of my wrist, I opened a portal and dropped the enemy¡¯s forearm and Arzak¡¯s blade to my side. I reached out, prying the corrupted flesh from the weapon, meaning to give it back to my orcish friend before the Councilman could react. But I was too slow. Roaring some animalistic, definitely-no-longer-human roar, the Councilman launched into an attack on the now-disarmed Arzak. The enemy¡¯s weapon, still in chain form, whipped towards the orc just as she dived out the way, tearing a great gash across her chest and shoulder. I hesitated just for a second before launching her weapon back to her, thinking that this might be enough to remove the orc from the fight. But Arzak was made of solid muscle; it would take more than one¡ªadmittedly deep¡ªtear to remove her from the fight. Opening a portal, I released the flaming sword back into the air at her side, and Arzak caught it with her still-good arm. As the Councilman¡¯s attention flicked back to the armed orc, I moved to open a portal within him, meaning to slice him in two. But still, I found I could not open a portal through the man, and instead I would need to lure him through one before I could close it on him. The opportunity came immediately, with the Councilman turning to meet Arzak¡¯s attack, swinging his chain around, and with it, his arm. I opened a portal just in front of him, but before I could close it around that wrist, the Player reacted. He yanked his arm out of the way of that closing portal, avoiding my attack. In that same moment, I caught sight of his other arm, severed at the elbow. Except¡­ it wasn¡¯t. Black ooze rippled around the wound, and slowly but surely, the corruption rebuilt the missing limb out of its own form. We simply couldn¡¯t get a break. ¡®Arzak!¡¯ I shouted as I prepared to open a portal once more, ¡®Strike now. Strike¡ª¡¯ The Councilman¡¯s chain whipped over the head of Arzak, the orc dodging it deftly. But it became apparent less than a second later that Arzak hadn¡¯t been his target. I had. The chain whipped around my legs as I dived out of the way. One ankle escaped, but the other was quickly entwined in the enemy¡¯s weapon. The Councilman yanked me off my feet, pulling me into the air once more, but this time using my body to block Arzak¡¯s flaming attack. I could withstand the flames due to my titan husk ability, but that didn¡¯t mean they didn¡¯t hurt. A howl of pain escaped my lips. The Councilman used me as a shield to push against Arzak, blocking her attempted attacks with my back, my shredded shirt falling from my torso, my ability to fight back eliminated by the pain. He pressed closer, still using me as a shield, pushing me into Arzak¡¯s sword. And in the same move, he pushed Arzak¡¯s flaming sword into Arzak. I felt Arzak collapse behind me before I realised that this was it, that my orcish friend was now out the fight. The Councilman must have realised it at the same moment, because his chain released my leg, dropping me to the ground. As far as he was concerned, the fight was over; I could never be strong enough alone to pose him a challenge. I caught sight of Arzak trying to stagger back to her feet, breathing deeply, her torso mangled by burn and tear alike. She grunted as she tried to rise from her knee, but¡­ ultimately, it was too much. I really would need to fight on alone. And yet, I could barely stand. Grunting just as Arzak had from the exertion, I forced myself back to my feet, one leg very shaky beneath me. Perhaps the Councilman was right. What chance could I have against him at even the best of times, much less when I was wounded? Maybe it was over. But that didn¡¯t mean I would go down without a fight. As the Councilman rounded on me, weapon still in chain form, there was time for only one last attack. I reached down, and I grabbed Arzak¡¯s flaming sword from the ground. It wasn¡¯t a knife, but it was a blade, and my throw ability really only specified blade after all. I stared where I was aiming¡ªright at the Councilman¡¯s head¡ªand I drew in a deep, deep breath. This was it. All or nothing. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. I threw the flaming blade. As soon as the weapon left my hand, I knew I had struck true. The sword tumble point over pommel as it soared through the air, across the short distance between me and the strongest enemy we¡¯d ever faced. I drew in another breath, this one sharp, to match the pain in my stomach, and I waited for point to meet skull. But that moment never came. The Councilman morphed his weapon back into axe form, and that axe came up to knock the blade away at the last possible moment. Arzak¡¯s blade rebounded into the ground at the man¡¯s feet, hard enough that it buried itself point-first. My leg gave way beneath me. ¡®It¡¯s over,¡¯ the Councilman said, echoing the thought I¡¯d had at that very same moment. ¡®It¡¯s over.¡¯ I said nothing, but dropped my head back onto the dusty, blood-stained street. ¡®You really shouldn¡¯t have humiliated me so,¡¯ the enemy continued. I thrust a hand in the air and shooed the Councilman away. ¡®I¡¯m really not in the mood.¡¯ ¡®To die?¡¯ ¡®For this classic villain monologue thing. We get it. You won. Now are you going to end it, or what? Cos I really don¡¯t need to hear the inevitable justifications for all your murder.¡¯ ¡®It is not murder,¡¯ the Councilman said. ¡®I see that now. I am a higher order of being. This is more like¡­ pest¡ª¡¯ ¡®Yeah, yeah. I¡¯ve heard it all before. Pest control, right? Love it. Good justification. Really nice.¡¯ If I was going to die, I might as well annoy my murderer. This was the way all men in my family died. ¡®I will allow you, at least, to die on your feet.¡¯ I groaned. ¡®Do I have to?¡¯ ¡®Do you¡­¡¯ the Councilman stumbled over his words. ¡®Yes. Stand up. Now.¡¯ ¡®Why?¡¯ ¡®I want to see the light go out behind your eyes.¡¯ I sighed again. ¡®You¡¯ve changed, man.¡¯ The Councilman kicked me. ¡®Alright,¡¯ I said, starting to pick myself off the ground, but taking my time about it. ¡®Alright.¡¯ A moment later, I stood face to face with the man that would kill me. But he didn¡¯t attack. Not yet, anyway. Instead, he asked me to¡­ ¡®Beg.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re not finding this very satisfying, are you?¡¯ ¡®Beg. Beg for your pitiful life.¡¯ ¡®No.¡¯ ¡®Beg!¡¯ the Councilman shouted one last time. ¡®Or what, you¡¯ll¡ª¡¯ An explosion of red magicks washed over us. I staggered backward, but not from force¡ªthere wasn¡¯t any¡ªbut from surprise. And as I staggered, I saw shapes form around me. My shape. Hundreds of me circled the battleground. And in the distance, standing down the desolate, devastated street, I saw a familiar shape. It was just as before. Just as with the pyroknight. It was Tokas, of all people, who returned to save the day. She was injured, her right sleeve torn from her dress and one hand clasping a bleeding wound. She¡¯d had to fight to get here, but fight she had. Though she was on the cusp of defeat, still she joined the battle. Still she gave everything she had. I didn¡¯t waste the opening Tokas had given me, and I made sure to move amongst the crowd of my fake selves. As I moved, so too did they, in this way and that, completely obscuring the location of the real me. This infuriated the Councilman, who roared with anger and began attacking the illusions with his ghostly axe. Tokas had bought me time for another attack, but I¡¯d need to make absolutely sure this one would work. I thought about all I¡¯d learned while I¡¯d watched my friends fall. We knew already that fire was the only way to put a stop to the corruption. Even slicing off flesh could only slow the monster down for so long¡ªhis once-missing arm was now almost reformed. But I also now knew that the system no longer recognised the Councilman as human. I could use that to slice him, but I could also¡­ That¡¯s it. The only thing that still might work. ¡®Tokas!¡¯ I roared, and my illusion selves echoed. ¡®Make them charge him!¡¯ My illusions turned on the spots, whipping their heads towards the enemy, and a moment later a hundred fake selves were running at him. The Councilman shifted axe to chain form and attacked wildly, chain flailing between the illusions. And while the enemy was distracted, I opened a portal. This portal, unlike the others, had no partner. With this attempt, I sought not to throw the Councilman elsewhere, but instead capitalise on the fact that the system no longer recognised him as human. This time, I stuffed him into a pocket world. Just before he fell, the Councilman whipped his chain out once more. The chain passed through the illusions of me, but¡ªperhaps accidentally¡ªcaught the already-injured Tokas. The attack threw her hard against the wall of a nearby building, resulting in a gut-wrenching crunch. She collapsed to the ground, and the illusions vanished instantly, but I had no time to check on her; for all I knew, the pocket world wouldn¡¯t hold the Councilman long. As soon as the enemy was inside, I closed the pocket world¡¯s entrance, and portaled myself over to Val¡¯s side. She was looking bad, really bad, but I couldn¡¯t help her. The priority had to be killing the Councilman. I grabbed Val by the shoulders, and wrenched her around. ¡®There!¡¯ I shouted, pointing to Alenna¡¯s burning surgery. ¡®Roots, there. As flammable as you can manage.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t make out the slurred response, but Val¡¯s hands glowed green with Witchcraft magicks, and roots did indeed encompass the surgery before Val passed out. When the fire of Alenna¡¯s surgery was a raging inferno, I opened the portal to my pocket world once more. The Councilman tumbled out, corruption hissing against the flames, and I let my leg collapse beneath me once more. I watched with bated breath as monster fought fire and roots, and sighed with relief only when I received a familiar notification. Level ? corrupted defeated! Worldbending ¡ª +31,050xp Worldbending increased to level 68! Worldbending increased to level 69! Worldbending increased to level 70! Worldbending increased to level 71! Worldbending increased to level 72! Base Points gained ¡ª +10 INT, +10 Free Points (INT/WIS/CHA) Ability selection unlocked Select an ability from the list below¡­ Knifework ¡ª +15,600xp Knifework increased to level 50! Knifework increased to level 51! Knifework increased to level 52! Base Points gained ¡ª +3 DEX, +3 STR, +6 Free Points (VIT/DEX/STR) Ability selection unlocked Select an ability from the list below¡­ Level up! You increased to level 22 Descendant of the Architects defeated! Sisyphus Artifact: Charge replenished! Sisyphus Artifact: Levelled up! Artifact upgrade unlocked Select [2] upgrades from the list below¡­ Increase Charges VI [9 > 10] Extend Active Period II [1,000 > 1,500] Increase Effect I [+1,400% > +1,900%] Add Experience Preservation Charge IV I turned back to the battleground, and my friends bleeding out around me. I could make my upgrade selections later; I knew what I would pick. For now, I needed to make sure everyone was OK. I ran first to Val¡¯s side, trying to gently shake her awake. ¡®You really saved me there, Tokas,¡¯ I shouted over to the tiefling. ¡®Arzak is right. I think you should really consider joining us again.¡¯ There came no reply from Tokas. Val finally stirred, but she wasn¡¯t with it enough to do any Healing. I¡¯d need to look elsewhere. ¡®Tokas, I need a hand over here,¡¯ I called out to her. ¡®If we get Val back on her feet, we can make sure we can save as many as possible.¡¯ Still, Tokas didn¡¯t reply. It was at this point that I looked over at her. She was still where she¡¯d fallen, unmoving. ¡®...Tokas?¡¯
"Styk" Level 22 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 60 Intelligence ¡ª 271 Dexterity ¡ª 147 Strength ¡ª 92 Wisdom ¡ª 76 Charisma ¡ª 50
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 72 Knifework ¡ª Level 52 Stealth ¡ª Level 26 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II - Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
219. Til Death It rained on the day we buried Tokas. Arzak thought it was the gods at work, so rarely did it rain in Coldharbour. But that was the way things went sometimes. Sometimes the weather really did reflect your mood. It was far from the only funeral held in Coldharbour that day. So many had lost loved ones to the misdeeds of the Councilman. So many mourned. There had been broader devastation, too; people had lost their businesses, their homes. Huge stretches of Coldharbour had been levelled. The road to rebuilding would be long and arduous. If we¡¯d realised the truth sooner, perhaps all of this could have been avoided. Perhaps lives could have been saved. Perhaps Tokas would still be with us. And yet, despite all this, the citizens of Coldharbour had still made great efforts to thank us. The people of Coldharbour had paid for Tokas¡¯s funeral, had given us rooms in the untouched palace, and put great wealth in the hands of Lambkin, to be given to Tokas¡¯s children when they came of age. The people we met, despite so many having lost their own friends, gave us their most sincere condolences. There were so many funerals held in Coldharbour that day, yet only the funerals of Tokas and the cultists we¡¯d fought alongside had attendance numbering in the thousands. Arzak gave the eulogy. I¡¯d heard it dozens of times before as I¡¯d helped the nervous orc practice it overnight, and so instead my attention drifted. Tokas, for all her crimes, hadn¡¯t deserved this. I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that I was responsible for her death. That we all were. If we hadn¡¯t been so involved in petty squabbles¡ªVal and I particularly guilty of this¡ªmaybe we would have been paying more attention to the world around us. Maybe we would have realised what the Councilman was capable of. Maybe we would have realised the truth of Alenna¡¯s experiments. As if Val was thinking the same thing, I felt her hand slip into mine and give it a gentle squeeze. I squeezed back. * * * The mood was low, understandably, in the aftermath of the funeral. Arzak had left with Lambkin and the children, leaving the rest of us in the temple, now the only ones there. Lore was the lowest of us. He sat on wooden bench with head in hands, unmoving. We¡¯d all been to two funerals in as many days, though the turnout for his old friend¡¯s had been¡­ not quite so extensive. I took a seat at his side. ¡®I don¡¯t think I said it before, but I¡¯m sorry about Alenna. I know she was about the closest thing you had to family.¡¯ Lore didn¡¯t move, but I knew he¡¯d heard me. It was just all too much. ¡®And about what she did¡­¡¯ At this, the big man moved to look at me. ¡®She did what she thought she had to,¡¯ he said. ¡®Alenna was always a fan of the old tiefling stories. Always believed there was a truth in turning your enemies¡¯ strengths against them. I guess she was just¡­ putting her money were her mouth was.¡¯ ¡®Yeah.¡¯ I said no more, letting Lore continue on his own. After all, this wasn¡¯t really a conversation. It was a chance for Lore to let out some of those feelings he¡¯d been bottling up. ¡®She¡¯d go to any lengths to save her people. I get that. I would too. But it¡­ it doesn¡¯t help the pain.¡¯ I put a hand on the man¡¯s shoulder. This time, when he put his head in his hands, he sobbed. * * * On the way back to the palace rooms that had been generously gifted to us for as long as we were in Coldharbour, Lore came to an abrupt halt. Even those in the streets around us stopped to stare. People here knew us. Not just me, the descendant of a Player, but the rest of the team, too. We were the heroes who had saved Coldharbour, if also the heroes who had watched Sunalor fall. The reverence that the people here had once had for the Players had seemed to drifted onto us instead. People wanted to help us. People smiled when we spoke to them. People hopped to serve, even if we would ask them not to. It only occurred to me now that this meant that Tokas had been successful. Her goal here had been to reveal the truth of the Player, to show the people that these outworlders weren¡¯t what everyone thought they were. That Coldharbour now recognised us as the real heroes instead of the Players meant that the tide was turning. In time, maybe we could count on others, too, to bring the fight to the Council. Hopefully Raelas was out there, right this minute, spreading the word. ¡®What is it, Lore?¡¯ Val asked, her voice soft. ¡®There¡¯s one more thing I have to do,¡¯ the barbarian said. ¡®Will you guys wait for me, in Coldharbour? Just for a few days?¡¯ ¡®Sure, but what is it? What are you doing?¡¯ ¡®There¡¯s still malae out in the desert. In the canyon. We need to destroy them.¡¯ I nodded. ¡®OK, sure. We¡¯ll come with you, and¡ª¡¯ ¡®No,¡¯ Lore said, and for a moment I thought I glimpsed the yellow magicks of Divination behind his eyes once more. ¡®No, you two¡­ stay here. Trust me.¡¯ I nodded, and watched Lore turn away. He spoke to the people of Coldharbour, many of them freshly out of pale orange robes, and asked for volunteers to go with him, on a mission to eradicate the mala menace. The locals, still in awe of us, stumbled over themselves to volunteer, and it wasn¡¯t long until Lore and Corminar had near enough an army, most armed with torches. Out of the corner of my eye, I glimpsed Val staring at me. ¡®What?¡¯ ¡®You sure you don¡¯t want to go? Don¡¯t you want to be the hero?¡¯ I watched Lore and Corminar lead the locals out of town. ¡®I want to be a hero, sure. But I¡¯ve never wanted to be that kind of hero. I just want to be good. To help people. That¡¯s all. Maybe get a little rich in the process for all my hard work, sure, but I don¡¯t need the fame. That¡¯s for other people. Besides¡­¡¯ I nodded to Lore. ¡®I think he needs to do this.¡¯ * * * My and Val¡¯s room in the palace had a balcony with a view over all of Coldharbour, in all its devastation and its beauty. I stood on the balcony, my eyes unfocusing, and breathed in the high, fresh air coming off Coldwater Bay. I was level 22 now, and far stronger than any other level 22 out there. I¡¯d benefited from the restart, from the experient boost afforded me by the Sisyphus Artifact. I was the one who¡¯d ended the Councilman¡ªthough not without the team¡¯s help. I was the strongest of us, now. The XP that had resulted from the fight only bolstered that. I¡¯d added an experience preservation charge to the artifact, meaning I could afford to die yet again without losing anything. And I¡¯d increased the effect of the experience point gain up to a massive +1,900%. I now grew at twenty times the rate of anyone else. More and more, I was becoming unstoppable. And that was to say nothing of my two latest abilities. Both had been upgrades, but important upgrades they were. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Stab IV (Knifework) ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. I now dealt double damage with my blade, and could pierce almost all armours. That was what had drawn me to this upgrade rather than any new ability; rendering my enemy¡¯s armour useless made me surely unstoppable. But there was the Worldbending ability upgrade, too. Portal Slice III (Worldbending) ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. The applications of this upgrade were near endless. I could now use my portals to slice through practically any non-living thing. I could slice through weapons, armour, brick walls¡­ you name it, I could slice through it. No other level 22 person in Alterra could hope to be this powerful. More and more, the rest of the Slayers were no match for me. I suspected that if it came to fighting any of them¡ªnot that I would¡ªI would win handily. Only the Players, the Council themselves, could hope to pose any resistance. I found something stirring within me, then, as I stood on that balcony. A¡­ temptation, perhaps, for lack of a better word. I¡¯d told Val I had no interest in being the sort of hero who needed fame. But¡­ why not? Who deserved it more than me? And who in this world had done more to deserve it? My gut twisted when I caught myself on this path of reasoning. This was exactly what Val had been afraid of, back when she¡¯d left. She¡¯d feared me going down this route, becoming the Player that my mother was. But the worst part was that she was right. I did have the potential for it within me. I would have to wrestle those demons. ¡®You alright out here?¡¯ Val asked. I turned back to see her standing in the balcony¡¯s doorway, wearing a necklace and a thin green silk dress that left little to the imagination. I realised my jaw was hanging loose after maybe only fifteen seconds. ¡®Where¡¯d you get that?¡¯ I asked. Val turned on the spot, giving me a good view. ¡®You like it? I asked one of the palace staff.¡¯ ¡®It suits you.¡¯ ¡®I know.¡¯ Something crossed Val¡¯s face then, a flash of darkness. Had she known what I¡¯d been thinking? What I¡¯d been wrestling with? ¡®Styk?¡¯ ¡®...Yeah?¡¯ I asked, trying to ignore the pit in my stomach. ¡®Forgive me.¡¯ I breathed a sigh of relief. She wasn¡¯t onto me. Not yet. ¡®You¡¯ve gotta stop asking that. I told you, I already have.¡¯ ¡®I know. It¡¯s just¡­ I still feel I have to make it up to you.¡¯ ¡®Hence the dress?¡¯ I asked. ¡®Among other things.¡¯ I traced her figure with my eyes once more, my vision this time settling on the necklace. It was small, silver, and had the shape of a knife in a cage. ¡®You have the palace staff bring that too?¡¯ Val fingered the pendant gently. ¡®No, I¡¯ve¡­ had this a while. Since Lore¡¯s farm. It¡¯s supposed to symbolise where we met. In a prison. With a butter knife.¡¯ ¡®That was before¡­¡¯ I wasn¡¯t sure I¡¯d ever seen Val blush before that moment, but blush she did. ¡®You¡¯ve known that long? The witch nodded, and I kissed her. In that moment, I felt all the pain we¡¯d caused each other, all the anguish, all the uncertainty slip away. We were back together, now, and I didn¡¯t want us to ever part again. ¡®You still want to make it up to me?¡¯ I asked. ¡®I want two things.¡¯ ¡®Tell me.¡¯ ¡®I want us to talk to someone around our relationship. To stop squabbling. To sort out any issues between us.¡¯ ¡®Done. And the other?¡¯ ¡®I want us to stop wasting time. I want you to marry me.¡¯ * * * Arzak was squealing with joy. I don¡¯t think I¡¯d ever heard her squeal before. Val had just told her the news, and the two of them were unabashedly stealing glances at me from the palace steps. I shook my head, trying to ignore them, focusing instead on the contingent marching back to the palace. Lore and Corminar stood at its head, but at this distance¡ªand in the dim light of the setting sun¡ªI couldn¡¯t see their faces. Surely they sensed from Arzak now jumping up and down with joy that something had happened. But if they¡¯d picked up on it, their body language didn¡¯t show it. Some way away, Lore turned to his contingent, said a few words, and his party of Coldharbour residents began to disperse. Their job was done. The two Slayers approached, and then I saw that I had been right; their face were glum. My stomach lurched. ¡®News?¡¯ Corminar asked, eyebrow raised, nodding to Val and Arzak. I nodded. ¡®I¡¯ll explain later. Something tells me you have more important news.¡¯ Lore looked at me, eyes glowing yellow more brightly than ever. ¡®The malae,¡¯ he said. ¡®They were gone.¡¯ ¡®We found only tracks,¡¯ Corminar said. ¡®Hundreds of carriages. Heading south. Heading for the Goldmarch.¡¯ ¡®The Council,¡¯ I said. Simultaneously, Corminar and Lore nodded.
"Styk" Level 22 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 60 Intelligence ¡ª 271 Dexterity ¡ª 147 Strength ¡ª 92 Wisdom ¡ª 76 Charisma ¡ª 50
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 72 Knifework ¡ª Level 52 Stealth ¡ª Level 26 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II - Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
220. Interlude — Cleo The Council called Cleo their greatest assassin, as though this was a generous compliment. In truth, however, Cleo wasn¡¯t just their greatest assassin, she was perhaps the greatest assassin in all of Alterra. Such a line of work was a dangerous game. Just one mistake, just one, likely spelled the end of the assassin. They would be captured. They would be put to death. But Cleo had never made a mistake, and she had worked jobs numbering in the hundreds. As head of the Council, Tana preferred to operate within the guidelines of the law whenever possible. The less attention they could draw to their world-ending misdeeds, the better. But it wasn¡¯t always possible to operate without drawing blood, especially now that Yusef¡¯s Cult of Ascendency had disbanded, Cleo suspected. Now that they had no church to manipulate¡ªand now that there were whispers in the streets about the Players not being quite what they appeared¡ªCleo¡¯s work would only get more important from hereon out. Alterra¡¯s greatest assassin had tracked her targets across half a world, always one step behind them. She had come close to catching them in the Tundras, but a stolen ship had caused her to lose her tail. And then, later, she¡¯d heard rumours of half of them being in one place, and half of them being in another. But this could not be true; a team of elite Player-slayers would surely know that they were stronger together. It was the death of a non-Council Player that had finally drawn Cleo¡¯s attention back to the team in question. She¡¯d rode from Westbara, her horses¡¯s hooves pounding against the dry sand as she¡¯d rode north. And when she¡¯d reached Coldharbour, she¡¯d discovered a city less hospitable to Players than ever before. Cleo kept her hood up, her identity secret. Surely few would recognise her even without her shielding her face, but the assassin was not one to take any chances. That was how she¡¯d survived for so long. Cleo asked around the city, a greased palm here, a knife-to-the-throat there, seeking out the location of the five adventurers she¡¯d been sent to kill. The answer was one that she¡¯d not expected: that these five were considered heroes, that the city had given them chambers in the palace itself for as long as they required. And ¡°as long as they needed¡± seemed to include a wedding between two members of the team. This was not good news; the palace would be heavily guarded, and her targets less accessible. Still, she had killed in palaces before. Guards hadn¡¯t stopped her. Cleo rode to the palace, her best dagger and strongest poisons at her side, her cloak of illusions wrapped around her shoulders, but with no magicks yet flowing through it. The wedding was not hard to find, being that so many of Coldharbour¡¯s business leaders and government had turned out for it. And with so many faces that were surely unfamiliar to the targets, Cleo could easily slip in. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. The assassin saw the bride first, a beautiful woman with long black hair, harbouring the secret of her Witchcraft abilities. Cleo would kill her last¡ªit was the strongest of them, the Bladespinner and the Warrior, with whom she was most concerned. But then the assassin caught sight of the groom. The Bladespinner. One of the men she was obliged to kill. Her son. Cleo¡¯s stomach lurched. He¡¯d grown up so much since she¡¯d last seen him. He¡¯d been a kid back then, back when she¡¯d last passed through that small farming village. His father was gone already, his grave unkempt, and her son was already on his path to becoming a fully fledged criminal. Like mother, like son, she supposed. Cleo had never intended to call in on him. She knew she had a son, of course, but she had practically forgotten during all those years on her mission in the Badlands. It was only as she¡¯d passed through that town once more that she remembered, and her curiosity got the better of her. The assassin had expected to feel nothing for the boy she¡¯d left on his father¡¯s doorstep, but upon seeing those eyes¡ªthe same eyes that she saw every time she looked in the mirror¡ªshe found something stir within her. Not love, not quite. But certainly something. A fondness, perhaps. Maybe even a connection. When Cleo had turned and left the village immediately, she¡¯d told herself that it was to avoid the boy recognising her. But in truth¡ªand she knew this deep down¡ªit was because she feared what would happen to her if she stayed too long. She¡¯d never expected to see him again, and yet here he was. The man she¡¯d been paid to kill. Not ¡°Styk¡±, really, but Riley. That was the name she¡¯d given him. That was the name she¡¯d written in the note for his father. Yet he¡¯d opted for a different one¡ªwhat did that say? It was cruel, to kill a man on his wedding day, but cruelty had never been an issue before. As little¡ªnot so little, anymore¡ªRiley took his bride to the floor, Cleo stepped through the crowd. And then Cleo felt something she¡¯d never felt before. Not on a job, at least. She prided herself on operating free of emotion, of killing without guilt. But here, presented with the truth of her targets¡¯ identities, that pattern was broken. Her hand trembled as she reached for the dagger that hung at her side. The knife felt heavier than ever before. After scouting her for the Council, Tana had asked Cleo only one question: just how far would she go to secure them their new world? It was time to find out. Cleo stepped forward through the joyous crowd just as her son turned away. She prepared to draw her blade, ready to strike at the others in the chaos that followed, ready to end the lives of her five¡ª ¡®Hello,¡¯ the bride said, her eyes upon Cleo. ¡®I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve met.¡¯ ¡®I¡­¡¯ Cleo started, and she felt her hand release her dagger. ¡®I¡­¡¯ Deep brown eyes stared curiously back at her. ¡®I just wanted to wish you happiness,¡¯ Cleo said. Before the bride could reply, she turned, and hurried from the palace grounds. What had she become? 221. Stronger Than Ever Part XXI: The Greatest Hunt I know, everything got a bit dark back there. The devastation of Coldharbour, the corruption spreading, Tokas... It wasn''t the best time in any of our lives. But when I started writing down the tale of the Slayers for you, reader, I promised myself that I wouldn''t lie. I wouldn''t lie to save face, and I wouldn''t lie to cover up the darkness; I respect you too much for that. But things were good a while from here. I''d found my stride, I''d found my strength. I understood my place in the world better than ever before, and the rest of the team now well and truly looked to me as their leader. So here it is; the instalment you¡¯ve been waiting for. The tale of the fall of the Council, of the battle of the Aurician meadows, and of the two women who saved my life. * * * ¡®Styk!¡¯ Lore shouted as he fell, three arrows poking out of his armour. ¡®I¡¯m on it!¡¯ I slammed one arm against the spinning Arzak to steady myself, then looked across the void. It had been a little while since we¡¯d faced down one of these sorts of Worldbenders. The Player we hunted still had a trio of loyal soldiers at their side, though from what we¡¯d heard, they¡¯d once had a dozen, before the truth had come out about the Council. While the Player was a ranger and enchanter, one of his enchanted traps had been a Worldbending one¡ªbut instead of portal magicks, it used the void. Or, at least, something close to the void; it always struck me as odd that we could still breathe, and the laws of physics still applied. I reached an arm toward the Player we were hunting, opening a portal just in front of him, and the other in front of me and Arzak. The pair of us soared through it, arriving deeper into the void and just in front of our target. Though the Player was occupied with shooting at Lore, one of his team members wasn¡¯t. Before Arzak and I could attack the Player, a fireball collided with my chest, knocking me backward, into Arzak, sending us careering away from our target. Even after the past few months, a fireball to the chest would have hurt. It would have hurt if I hadn¡¯t already activated Titan Husk, my Worldbending ability that helped me withstand all physical damage effects¡ªif not the damage itself. My health drained some from the attack, but it was bearable. After all, I was wearing the new light armour I¡¯d spent the past few weeks working on. ¡®Oi!¡¯ Val shouted. ¡®Don¡¯t you hurt my husband!¡¯ ¡®Val, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯m¡ª¡¯ I started, but the witch was already setting upon the enemy with everything she had. These days, that included a new Witchcraft ability that looked like a sort of green lightning, but essentially drained life from the target. The enemy cried out with pain, body seizing as Val¡¯s attack hit. Her magicks wouldn¡¯t be enough to eliminate the enemy, but it at least kept them occupied. As I steadied myself once more, again using Arzak to do so, I called out to the last member of our party. ¡®Cor! Keep the others off us!¡¯ I heard no response from the elf, but one of his arrows immediately landed in the shoulder of the fire sorcerer. The impact sent them tumbling across the void, with nothing they could use to right themselves. ¡®Alright, Arzak, you ready?¡¯ ¡®We get over with,¡¯ the orc said with a nod. I opened a portal in front of us once more, its partner in front of the Player. This time, however, I brought the Player to us, rather than the other way around. Arzak and the enemy ranged collided heavily, both of them grunting before manoeuvring their weapons for an attack. At this range, Arzak had the advantage; her swords could more readily do damage than the enemy¡¯s bow. The orc buried a sword clumsily in the enemy¡¯s shoulder, but they were strong enough that still the skirmish continued. I clambered around Arzak, finding handholds on her body, sometimes in places we definitely would not speak about after the battle. When I had the enemy in range of my right hand, I splayed my fingers and attacked. Tiny needles shot forth from a portal on the palm of my hand, tumbling forth from my inventory and peppering the Player¡¯s face. Needle Dart was a newer ability, and while it didn¡¯t deal much damage, it was very good at keeping enemies occupied. Speaking of keeping enemies occupied, it was at that moment that I heard Val scream. I snapped my head towards her to see that the last of the enemies had somehow come around on her with his axe. As the axe careered towards her for a second strike, I flicked my hands forward and opened a portal between them. The momentum of the axe carried the enemy into the portal and out the other side, flying into the distance of this artificial void. I portaled over to the falling Val¡¯s side, then glared over at Corminar. ¡®I thought I told you to keep them off us?¡¯ He shrugged. ¡®Perhaps be more explicit in your definition of ¡°us¡±, should this happen again.¡¯ I shook my head, turning to Val, who was already healing her open wound. ¡®You¡¯re supposed to say ¡°Don¡¯t hurt my wife!¡±¡¯ she protested. ¡®OK, next time I¡¯ll say that instead of helping you.¡¯ Before she could reply, I pecked her on the cheek before pushing away from her to slide back through a portal. While I¡¯d been gone, Arzak had lost a sword to the void, and the Player was turning the tide on her. Ranger though he may be, he was still a Player, and therefore still one of the strongest enemies we¡¯d gone up against. It wasn¡¯t right of me to leave Arzak alone to deal with him. I used a portal to return to their side, but this time, I didn¡¯t come alone. Lore was already roaring, swinging his sword, before he emerged from the portal. ¡®AAAA¡ª¡¯ ¡®Remember we need him alive!¡¯ I reminded my friend. ¡®¡ªaaaa¡­¡¯ Lore continued, still roaring, only slightly less enthusiastically. His sword collided with the enemy at their side, slicing deep into their flesh, but it wasn¡¯t enough to break the void spell. While the hunkiest members of our team continued their attacks on the Player, I manoeuvred around the mass of tangled, falling bodies once more. This time, I wasn¡¯t looking to land an attack. I was looking for something¡ªanything¡ªthat might hold the Worldbending magicks required to sustain this void for so long. Our intelligence on the target Player suggested that they had Archery and Enchantment progression only, outside of a little Two-Handed¡ªnot everyone could be expected to have been as efficient with their build as me, after all. So there was nothing to suggest that the Player was holding this magick himself. I rummaged through the man¡¯s pockets, half-expecting an ¡®Excuse you?!¡¯ in response, but he was too distracted by the barbarian and the warrior attacking him for any such sassy comments. Everything I found in these pockets¡ªgold, a small figurine, a spare button and a half-dozen small, rounded stones¡ªI threw away into the void, before finally setting my fingers on something new. I knew it was what I was after from the moment I clasped it, as it reacted to my touch, a gentle, familiar fizzing sensation on the ends of my fingertips. There was Worldbending magick inside. I tossed the glowing purple stone in my hands. To release the magick, I needed to smash it¡ªbut that was easier said than done in a void, where there were no solid surfaces. At least, no sorry surfaces except¡­ Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡®Sorry, Lore,¡¯ I said as I set the stone against his back. ¡®Sorry for what?¡¯ he asked, slightly worried. I arced my dagger down towards the enchanted rock, before¡­ halting. The moment I did this, the void would dissolve. We would plummet back down to the waterfall camp in which we¡¯d found them. And the Player might well get away. ¡®Sorry for what?¡¯ Lore repeated, this time sounding incredibly worried. ¡®You¡¯ll see,¡¯ I said. ¡®Lore, Arzak, let him go.¡¯ ¡®Let Player go?¡¯ Arzak asked. ¡®Trust me.¡¯ And trust me they did. A moment later, the pair of them released their grasp on the injured enemy. I sheathed my dagger once more, then grabbed Arzak in one hand and Lore in the other, before kicking against the Player. We soared away, across the void, separating ourselves from the enemy. ¡®Time tell us what doing?¡¯ the orc asked. ¡®You¡¯ll see,¡¯ I repeated. A moment later, we dropped through the portal I¡¯d placed beneath us, raising us back up higher in the void. Val and Corminar were at our side. ¡®Cor, I need¡ª¡¯ I started, but was interrupted by Lore roaring in pain, clasping at his head, his eyes glowing yellow with Divination magicks. ¡®He¡¯s bad,¡¯ Val said, pouring her own Healing magicks into him. ¡®It¡¯s a good job we¡¯re here, then,¡¯ I replied before turning my attention back to Corminar once more. ¡®Cor, I need your arrows.¡¯ ¡®How many?¡¯ ¡®All of them.¡¯ The elf didn¡¯t move. ¡®I need those.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯ll get them back. Do you want to defeat this Player or not?¡¯ Corminar rolled his eyes¡ªa trademark Corminar Cladenor action¡ªbut did not complain further, instead throwing me his quiver. Much to his displeasure, I immediately upended it. ¡®Did you have to¡ª¡¯ he started. ¡®Yes, I did.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯ll see,¡¯ Arzak replied, her tone seeming to indicate that she was in on the plan, when of course she wasn¡¯t. I passed the orc the stone. ¡®Smash this on Lore¡¯s back, will you?¡¯ ¡®Wait, wh¡ª¡¯ Lore started, but Arzak was quick to act, slamming the stone against the man¡¯s shoulder with all her might. The stone shattered. I could feel the air around me once more, see the sky and the high treetops and the ground coming up fast beneath our feet. In moments like these, I thanked my past self for selecting the ability to have two pairs of portals. I opened one pair to move the five of us over the small lake that the waterfall fed. Landing there would hurt, but it would hurt a whole lot less than landing on the dirt. And the other portal? I used that on the arrows. As the Player hit the ground hard, landing on his back, I used the portal to push the arrows into place. I acted fast, moving the portal in and out of existence, plucking most of the arrows out of the air and carefully moving them into position. One by one the arrows hit the ground around our enemy. I was nearly done by the time the water came up to meet me. First there was the pain of the impact, then the shock of water filling my eyes, nose and open mouth. Really that mouth should have been closed; rookie mistake. I looked for up, looking for the light of the midday sun, and swam towards it. I grabbed the struggling Val by the arm as I swam towards the surface. Even if we hadn¡¯t been underwater, I wouldn¡¯t have commented on Val¡¯s increasing difficulties with physically-exerting tasks, because we were trying to get better about that sort of thing. Not that we always managed it. As we broke free of the water, I heaved Val towards the shore of this surprisingly deep pool, and she gasped for air. ¡®You OK?¡¯ I asked. ¡®What, no joke?¡¯ she managed through gasps. ¡®Nothing right now. Check in with me later and I might have one for you.¡¯ Val smiled, and I turned my attention to the enemy. The Player was just where he¡¯d landed, unmoved, though not because we¡¯d eliminated him¡ªthe lack of notifications was evidence enough of that. No, instead he laid where he¡¯d landed both out of exhaustion, and out of¡­ arrow. Those arrows I¡¯d borrowed from Corminar pinned the enemy to the ground, forming a perfect outline of him while only catching his clothes. The man groaned with pain, and red liquid began to seep into the ground. OK, maybe not only catching his clothes, I corrected myself. Either way, he was pinned. We would deal with his team, and then turn back to him, to get what we¡¯d come all this way for. ¡®Stay right there,¡¯ I told the Player, like he had any choice in the matter. And the five of us turned to deal with the injured fire mage, axe warrior, and healer.
"Styk" Level 24 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 285 Dexterity ¡ª 188 Strength ¡ª 102 Wisdom ¡ª 92 Charisma ¡ª 76
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 77 Knifework ¡ª Level 59 Stealth ¡ª Level 33 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
222. The Blessing Of The Curse ¡®Alright,¡¯ I said, wiping the blood from my blade and returning to the fallen Player, who had Lore¡¯s foot on his torso. ¡®We talk.¡¯ ¡®Where¡¯s my team?¡¯ the injured Player asked, looking up at me¡­ and at the bloodied dagger. ¡®One of them dead. Two of them accepted the deal.¡¯ ¡®Deal?¡¯ ¡®A simple one: if I hear their names again, we track them down and kill them. It¡¯s not their fault they fell in with a Player; how are they to know you¡¯re not the gods you pretend to be?¡¯ Corminar coughed pointedly. ¡®Cor¡¯s right. That¡¯s becoming less and less of an excuse. After Coldharbour, people are figuring out what you are, you know. Especially you Council members. There shouldn¡¯t be any more repeats of that Dawnwood incident. Try raising an army now and you¡¯re more likely to get stabbed in the back than take a city for yourself.¡¯ ¡®You knew Niamh?¡¯ the Player asked, and then his eyes widened. ¡®Ah, you¡¯re¡ª¡¯ ¡®The people who killed her, yeah,¡¯ I replied. Val and I high-fived. This was something we were doing of late, and I wasn¡¯t quite sure about it just yet. The Player gulped. ¡®Perhaps we, too, can make a deal? I only have three worlds left to me, you see, and if I die in all of them¡­¡¯ ¡®You¡¯ll be forced back to the world you came from?¡¯ Val asked. ¡®The one you destroyed, like you want to destroy this one?¡¯ When the Player hesitated, my wife added, ¡®Yeah. We¡¯ve done our homework.¡¯ Arzak appeared at our side carrying a glass bottle. Cider. Her and Corminar had got really into cider recently, after learning it was a delicacy of the Sundorn. The climate in this part of the world was perfect for growing apples, and that wasn¡¯t just a marketing exercise; I¡¯d tried them for myself. Of the five of us, Lore was the only one who wasn¡¯t a fan, and the mere mention of cider was starting to stress him out. ¡®Maybe after?¡¯ Lore suggested. The Player¡¯s eyes bulged. ¡®You¡¯re going to drink while you kill me?¡¯ Val reached out a hand to take a cup of cider from Arzak. ¡®We¡¯ve tried Player-killing sober. It¡¯s not that fun.¡¯ ¡®So you do mean to kill me? That¡¯s why you¡¯ve tracked me down, these past two weeks?¡¯ the enemy ranger asked. ¡®Yep,¡¯ I replied. ¡®Or, as you say, we could strike a deal.¡¯ The Player hesitated for only a second. ¡®Tell me. What is it you want?¡¯ ¡®We hear you can remove curses.¡¯ The enemy¡¯s eyes narrowed, then passed over each of us in turn. ¡®One of Niamh¡¯s making, I assume? That always was her speciality. Which of you is it?¡¯ Nobody spoke, but enough of us must have looked at Lore to give the Player his answer. The enemy looked up at the man with a boot on his chest. ¡®She made me see the future,¡¯ the barbarian said. ¡®That¡­ isn¡¯t much of a curse. It¡¯s more blessing than curse.¡¯ ¡®It is when it gives you crippling headaches,¡¯ Val said, on Lore¡¯s behalf. ¡®When you can¡¯t always tell the present from the future. When it makes your ears bleed.¡¯ ¡®Bleeding ears? I suppose that isn¡¯t a good sign.¡¯ The Player looked up at Lore once more. ¡®So that is the deal? I remove the curse, and you let me go?¡¯ I nodded. ¡®That¡¯s the crux of it, yeah. Is that a deal or not?¡¯ ¡®I would shake on it, but¡­¡¯ the Player gestured to Lore¡¯s foot on his chest. ¡®Lore, let him up. And take those arrows out.¡¯ ¡®I suppose you will heal my wounds?¡¯ the enemy ranged asked. ¡®We will not.¡¯ ¡®Fair enough.¡¯ Arzak shook the cup of cider to get Val¡¯s attention. ¡®You want this?¡¯ ¡®After,¡¯ Lore said again, and his tone was so unlike his typical gentle demeanour that Arzak actually listened. She withdrew the cup. Once freed from his pinned position, the Player looked up at the barbarian towering over him. ¡®If you would¡­ crouch, for me?¡¯ When Lore took a knee, the enemy ranger placed his hands on the side of Lore¡¯s temple. ¡®No business that is funny,¡¯ Arzak growled at him. ¡®Funny business,¡¯ I corrected her. ¡®Is same thing.¡¯ We watched on, hands on weapons, as the Player got to work, blue magicks billowing out from his fingertips and soaring around Lore¡¯s head. My own hands itched to draw my blade, to slash the man¡¯s throat should he hurt Lore. But Lore gave no sign of pain or hurt. ¡®Everything going OK in there, Lore?¡¯ Val asked. The big man offered her a reassuring smile and a thumbs-up. Moments later, without drama or fanfare, the Player removed his hands from Lore¡¯s head. ¡®You¡¯ve done it?¡¯ I asked. ¡®Kind of.¡¯ ¡®What mean, kind of?¡¯ Arzak asked, hand noticeably reaching toward her sword. ¡®I mean¡­¡¯ The Player stood back, and my fingers twitched, but he made no effort to run. ¡®Niamh¡¯s ability with traps and curses far outweighs my own.¡¯ ¡®Outweighed,¡¯ Corminar corrected him. ¡®Outweighed, right. She was the strongest of us in this regard. I couldn¡¯t remove the curse¡­¡¯ The Player gulped when Arzak drew her blade further. ¡®But I could hide it from him.¡¯ Arzak sheathed her blade once more, and the Player cautiously turned back to Lore. ¡®You won¡¯t notice it¡¯s there. No headaches, no time confusion, no injury¡­ and no visions. As long as you don¡¯t go picking at the barrier I have placed inside, then you¡¯re as good as free. That¡¯s the best that I can do.¡¯ I kept my gaze on the Player, looking for any signs that he was lying. The Player was nervous, shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot, but perhaps that could be explained by the threat of what would happen if he failed. Val¡¯s attention was on the barbarian instead. ¡®How¡¯s it feel, Lore?¡¯ Lore tilted his head from side to side, eyes looking upward and deep in thought. We watched him for perhaps a minute or two before finally Val¡ªof course¡ªcould wait no longer. ¡®Lore?¡¯ she verbally prodded him again. ¡®I think it¡¯s gone. Or¡­ hidden, like he said. He¡¯s done it.¡¯ If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. The Player released a loud sigh of relief. ¡®There, see? I¡¯ve done it, so I¡¯ll just be on my way now, right?¡¯ In response I held up my index finger¡ªthe universal signal for ¡°Wait one minute there, because I have another surprise for you.¡± ¡®Val?¡¯ I asked the woman at my side.. ¡®Ready,¡¯ came the reply. I pulled the Sisyphus Artifact out from around my neck, and placed it against the enemy¡¯s heart. ¡®What¡¯s this? What are you doing?¡¯ the Player asked, eyes widening once more. ¡®We said we¡¯d let you go. We didn¡¯t say you¡¯d be¡­ entirely unharmed.¡¯ I looked to Val. ¡®Just like we practised.¡¯ ¡®We¡¯ve done this before, husband.¡¯ When she said the word like that¡ªin a pointed, irritable tone¡ªit wasn¡¯t quite as romantic. ¡®Yeah, and one of those times it killed the woman, didn¡¯t it?¡¯ Val shrugged. ¡®No great loss.¡¯ ¡®What do you mean it killed the woman?¡¯ the Player demanded. ¡®What are you doing to me? I held up my end of the deal!¡¯ ¡®Just something we¡¯ve figured out over the past couple of months. A way to get a little more use out of this artifact. It brings you back to life, you know. That¡¯s very handy¡ªtrust me, it¡¯s saved me three times now. But it turns out you don¡¯t just have to use it on yourself, you can use it on others, too. Now, normally when I bring myself back to life, I choose to keep all my progression. But in your case¡­¡¯ I trailed off; even an idiot could see where this was going. ¡®In my case what?¡¯ I sighed, considered answering but ultimately decided that it didn¡¯t matter. ¡®Ready when you are, Val.¡¯ At this signal, my wife blasted the enemy with her latest ability, green bolts of magicks extracting the life from him. And making him scream a fair bit. It was a slow, painful death, but it was the best way to not go overboard on the killing. That time we¡¯d killed the woman for good? We¡¯d killed her, brought her back to life, and then she¡¯d immediately died again because she had a dagger through her heart. Our mistake. When Val felt the last of the life leave the Player, she snapped a hand to my shoulder. Her Witchcraft magicks flowed through me and into the artifact in my grasp, activating it. It was by chance that we¡¯d managed to manually activate it before¡ªI¡¯d got in the way of one of Val¡¯s attacks¡ªbut it opened up a whole new world to us. We understood, now, the Sisyphus Artifact¡¯s source of power. It was an old and powerful form of Witchcraft. The man gasped as the artifact brought him back from the brink of death, eyes widening so much I thought they might fall out. I took a step back and pushed the artifact back down under my shirt. ¡®How¡¯s that feel, buddy?¡¯ I asked him. ¡®All good?¡¯ The man held his arms out in front of himself, looking at them. ¡®I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m level 1!¡¯ ¡®Correct.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m level 1! How do you expect me to survive in this world?¡¯ ¡®Try identifying things,¡¯ I told the Player. ¡®That¡¯s how I got back on track.¡¯ ¡®The Council will kill me! I¡¯m useless to them!¡¯ Val didn¡¯t even seem to try to suppress her smirk. ¡®Sounds like a you problem.¡¯ I¡¯d given thought to killing these Players anyway, even if they showed remorse. After all, we¡¯d let the Councilman go all those months ago and it had caused us no end of misery. And every upgrade I could get to my Sisyphus Artifact was more experience in my pocket¡ªeven if it only came into effect when I died. But indiscriminate killing when there was a valid alternative was the sort of thing the Council did, and I was determined to show Val that I wasn¡¯t like them. Even if their blood did run through my veins. ¡®Well?¡¯ Corminar said to the level 1 Player, eyebrows raised. ¡®What are you waiting for?¡¯ He urged the man away with his hands. ¡®You want me gone? Just like that?¡¯ ¡®What are you sticking around for?¡¯ Val asked. ¡®We¡¯re not throwing you a party. In fact, if you keep annoying us, we might be forced to¡ª¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m going! I¡¯m going!¡¯ None of us said a word as we watched the Player fleeing into the distance, jumping at the howl of a distant wolf. ¡®Might be good as dead anyway,¡¯ Arzak noted. I shrugged. ¡®That¡¯s up to him. Cider?¡¯ ¡®Absolutely.¡¯ The orc handed me a cup and then began pouring another, which she handed to the eager Val. But Lore stood up, strided over, and slapped the cup of cider out of Val¡¯s hand. ¡®Hey!¡¯ the witch protested. ¡®That perfectly good cider!¡¯ Arzak added. Lore gritted his teeth together and shook his head, his shoulders tensing for a moment before he finally sighed. ¡®I wanted you to find it out for yourself,¡¯ he said. ¡®Thought it was only right. But I can¡¯t take it anymore.¡¯ ¡®Lore, what in Alterra are you talking about?¡¯ Corminar asked. ¡®The visions. I saw it a long while back.¡¯ He looked to Val. ¡®You¡¯re pregnant,¡¯ he said. Everyone froze. Myself included. Val and I looked to one another, trying to feel out each other¡¯s emotions on the subject. But I knew from the work we¡¯d done over the past couple of months that guessing was a fool¡¯s errand; it was much better to communicate. ¡®Val,¡¯ I said. ¡®How are¡ª¡¯ Arzak stepped forward and knocked the cider from my hand too. ¡®If she not drink, you not drink. Only fair.¡¯ Maybe it was better we spoke in private.
"Styk" Level 24 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 285 Dexterity ¡ª 188 Strength ¡ª 102 Wisdom ¡ª 92 Charisma ¡ª 76
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 77 Knifework ¡ª Level 59 Stealth ¡ª Level 33 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
223. Born Into Peril As Val and I retreated from the rest of the group, Lore and Arzak set about building camp for the night¡ªby a pretty waterfall was about as good a spot as many¡ªwhile Corminar ¡°suggested¡± instructions for them. I remained quiet as we put distance between us and the others, stepping slowly around the edge of the lake until I could feel the mist from the waterfall landing on my face. I turned to Val, and saw that she was betraying absolutely nothing of what she was feeling on her face. Though, that plain, uncharacteristically blank expression was a decision it and of itself. ¡®I know we¡¯ve been working on our communication lately, but I don¡¯t really know how to start this conversation still.¡¯ ¡®You tell me how you feel,¡¯ Val said. ¡®Or you could go first.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m the one carrying your child.¡¯ ¡®Tell me now if you¡¯re gonna use that one a lot.¡¯ ¡®I am,¡¯ my wife replied, though she stuck her tongue out at me to show she was¡ªat least partially¡ªjoking. Old habits died hard. This playfulness was enough to break the ice, however, and I found it within myself to speak. To communicate. ¡®I know we¡¯ve had some trouble in the past, but I¡¯d like to think we¡¯re getting through it, right? We¡¯re¡­ what¡¯s the phrase you used?¡¯ ¡®Processing our trauma.¡¯ ¡®Yeah, that. We¡¯re sorting stuff out in our heads. And I think we¡¯re doing better, aren¡¯t we?¡¯ Val kept her face neutral once more, but I could see a smile in those dark eyes of hers. ¡®I think so, yeah. So about the baby¡­¡¯ ¡®What I¡¯m saying is¡­¡¯ I took in a deep breath. ¡®There¡¯s nobody I¡¯d rather be having a child with than you.¡¯ Finally Val¡¯s face broke into a smile once more. This time, she didn¡¯t return to that artificially blank expression. ¡®Good. I feel the same. But¡­ now? Is it the right time?¡¯ ¡®Do people have children at the ¡°right time¡±? Is that a thing? Does the right time even exist?¡¯ ¡®Maybe not, but the ¡°wrong time¡± isn¡¯t usually ¡°being hunted down by a powerful Council of Players¡± for other people. It¡¯s not having quite enough money, or wanting to work on their careers. Not¡­ mortal peril.¡¯ I shrugged. ¡®Fair point. But, Val, here¡¯s a counterpoint. I think I¡­ want this? I think I want to do this with you? And I don¡¯t think I care about anything else?¡¯ Val paused for a moment, meeting my eyes, before launching into an attack on my face with her mouth. She pecked me all over¡ªincluding once on the eyeball, for some reason¡ªbefore eventually flinging her arms around me and squeezing me tight. ¡®So I¡¯m guessing¡­ you agree?¡¯ ¡®Of course I agree, idiot,¡¯ Val said. ¡®I thought we agreed we weren¡¯t gonna call each other idiots anymore.¡¯ ¡®Of course I agree, stupid-head,¡¯ my wife corrected herself. ¡®That¡¯s not really¡ª¡¯ Val pulled away from the hug and looked me in the face once more. ¡®We¡¯re doing this, aren¡¯t we? We¡¯re actually doing this. But, Styk, we gotta do it better than our parents.¡¯ ¡®What, you don¡¯t wanna abandon your child on a doorstep or let your child watch as you get stabbed to death?¡¯ ¡®And that¡¯s before we even start on my parents,¡¯ Val added. I raised an eyebrow. ¡®I still think I have you beat, there.¡¯ Silence fell over us as we looked back over the lake. Even over the splashing of the waterfall, we could hear Arzak and Corminar shouting at one another. I knew them both well enough by now that I wasn¡¯t worried; the both of them got a little heated during a fight, and they¡¯d calm down properly soon. ¡®No wonder Lore¡¯s been funny about you joining the fights,¡¯ I finally said. ¡®I thought he was just rooting for us.¡¯ ¡®What, and only you needed worrying about?¡¯ I asked. ¡®You didn¡¯t think he should be worrying about me too, in that situation?¡¯ Val shrugged. ¡®You¡¯ve been giving it all that super-strong-big-balls stuff lately; maybe he thought you really were untouchable. I know better, obviously.¡¯ She mimed stabbing me through the chest. No, not the chest, through the artifact that hung from a chain around my neck. I looked down at the Sisyphus Artifact, cradling it gently in my fingertips. ¡®We should think about¡ª¡¯ I started, but Val shook her head. ¡®No. We can start thinking about stuff later. For now, let¡¯s just enjoy the moment.¡¯ * * * I enjoyed the moment for about five minutes before returning to camp. Arzak had quickly disappeared with Val to talk animatedly about the latest news. Lore tried the same thing with me, but quickly realised I wasn¡¯t interested in talking, and he and Corminar went off to find some potion ingredients instead. As I stared into the fire, I found that I couldn¡¯t enjoy the moment any longer. There was too much to think about. Too much pressure to make sure everything was sorted in time for the baby¡¯s arrival. Too much pressure to make sure they were safe. I reviewed my progression so far once more. My core skill was Worldbending, now up at level 77, though Knifework wasn¡¯t too far behind at 59¡ªwith a new ability on its way very soon. More and more, I¡¯d built my progression about my portal abilities, which gave me the option to shift around the battlefield in a flash¡ªand to move others, too. That, combined with some quick stabbing, the damage dealt increased by my Stealth abilities if I went unnoticed, was the bread and butter of my build. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. But I had other peripheral abilities, too. I had access to a Pocket World in which I kept my Needlework supplies, as well as anything else too heavy to actually lug about with me. I had my Shrill Perimeter which I put around camp every night to alert us to enemy presence. I had my Saved Portals, which allowed me to open a portal at a specific location, no matter how far I was from it¡ªthis was currently ¡°saved¡± in a particularly nice tavern in Asaum, in the southwest of the Goldmarch. I could Silence areas entirely, I could Portal Slice through non-reinforced objects, and I could even use Titan Husk to prevent me from fire, ice, corruption and more physical damage effects. On the Knifework front, I could use Closed Reach to thrust knives 8 inches deeper, using portal synergy. I could use Knifestorm for a flurry of dagger atacks. I could even, as of two weeks ago, use Etched Blades to imbue my knife with magicks. All this was to say, I was strong. I was stronger, now, than ever before¡ªbut I could be stronger still. Perhaps I would even need to be stronger still, now that the Council were constantly on our tail in this unceasing cat-and-mouse story. Or, cat-and-cat, really, considering we were doing just as much hunting as they were. Either way, we lived our lives under an ever-present threat of danger. I could deal with myself dying¡ªthat never tended to stick, anyway¡ªbut I couldn¡¯t handle the same happening to Val. And just how much worse would Val dying be now, now that it meant this new life would never come to be? ¡®I know that face,¡¯ Val said, staring across the fire. ¡®You want to get stronger.¡¯ ¡®I want to protect you. And¡­¡¯ I gestured towards her belly. I didn¡¯t realise until she relaxed that Val had been tensing her shoulders. ¡®Let¡¯s skim over the part where we bicker, where I tell you I don¡¯t need protecting, and that I can look after myself. I do need it. So do you, I¡¯ve gotta add, because sometimes you forget that. If you think you need to grow stronger to protect us, then do it. I¡¯ll help. I get stronger too. But there¡¯s another way we can keep ourselves safe¡ªwe can end it. We can end the Council once and for all.¡¯ I held her gaze for a moment, then stood up to take another seat at her side. ¡®Good communication,¡¯ I said. ¡®Yeah, I thought so.¡¯ I placed a hand on Val¡¯s stomach, even though it was far too early to feel anything. ¡®So, Lore probably knows what it¡¯s gonna be, doesn¡¯t he? Do you think we should ask, or keep it a surprise?¡¯ ¡®I already asked him while you were sat there pondering.¡¯ When I raised my eyebrows, she added, ¡®What? Like you¡¯re any better at surprises.¡¯ ¡®Well? Go on, then, what is it?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s a girl, Styk.¡¯ I didn¡¯t realise it until that moment, but my heart was going to burst with joy no matter what the answer. A smile compulsively crossed my face¡ªone that I couldn¡¯t stifle no matter how hard I tried. Not that I did. ¡®...Val?¡¯ ¡®Yeah?¡¯ There was a flash of worry in those eyes. Probably something to do with my tone. ¡®We gotta keep working on us, yeah? For her?¡¯ Val smiled, and rested her head on my shoulder. As we sat there, staring into the fire, I decided she was definitely right about one thing. It was time to end the Council once and for all.
"Styk" Level 24 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 285 Dexterity ¡ª 188 Strength ¡ª 102 Wisdom ¡ª 92 Charisma ¡ª 76
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 77 Knifework ¡ª Level 59 Stealth ¡ª Level 33 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
224. Memories Of Plainside For once, there was no arguing. The team understood the need to put an end to the Council once and for all, considering the news¡ªeven if we didn¡¯t feel entirely ready. We¡¯d had plenty of luck killing or wiping the progression of Players over the past couple of months, but picking off individual enemies was one thing. Going after the central Council as a whole was another. It was bad timing, really; if Lore could have held on with the visions for just a few more weeks, then that was another big advantage for us. Instead of using his gift of foresight to track down our next targets¡ªand to stay alive in the process¡ªwe¡¯d have to fall back to traditional methods. We didn¡¯t know much about the Council. We knew they had a plan to create a new world, and that this plan would destroy our world in the process. We knew that they were led by a woman named Tana. And we knew that they held court in Auricia, in the capital of the Goldmarch, with resources granted to them by the Empress Amira in exchange for helping her with her landgrab to the east¡ªthe Dawnwood, Corminar¡¯s homeland. And so we headed north once more, back towards the Goldmarch. The worst case scenario was that we would hear nothing of any Players until we reached Auricia itself, but I didn¡¯t think it would come to that. Player activity had ramped up in the last couple of months, since Yusef¡¯s death. That, coupled with a spreading disillusionment in the holiness of Players, meant that it was certain that we¡¯d hear about one sooner or later. As we travelled north, through the central Sundorn, we trained harder than ever, knowing that the fight of our lives would soon be upon us. In particular, I trained harder than ever. When the sun was long set, and whatever local wildlife we could find was slain, the rest of the team went back to the campsite. Whereas I stayed up for hours longer, making full use of the experience boost granted me by the Sisyphus Artifact. I could not fail in the fight to come; to fail meant Val¡¯s death, and it meant my child¡¯s death too. I could not fail, and moreover, I would not fail. I could feel my Knifework skill teetering on the edge of advancement as I stood over the body of the hag. In months past, we would have struggled to kill a hag as a team, but these days¡ªarmed with so many complementary abilities¡ªI could slay one even after hours of hunting, and with so little sleep. We¡¯d found more and more of these creatures in the forests over the past few months, as though they, too, knew that something big was coming. As blood dripped from the tip of my knife onto the hard, dry dirt, I stood still, closing my eyes, letting the scents of the forest fill my nostrils. I searched my body for aches and for pains, and though I found some, they were nothing I couldn¡¯t work through. I could work for hours, yet, if I needed to. But I would need sleep, too. If I wasn¡¯t fresh, I could mess up. And one error in the days to come could spell the end of our quest. I sighed, sheathed the dagger, and turned back towards camp. * * * It was only two days later that we heard whisper of a Player in the area. As we¡¯d headed north, the landscape had changed from dense forests to sprawling farmlands. This part of the world was known for its agriculture, its produce being a key export and the means by which its people survived, and sometimes even thrived. At first, it was just as expected¡ªlines of wheat crops as far as the eye could see, interrupted only by the hedgerows separating one farmer¡¯s land from the next. But then the sights changed. The further north we travelled, the more the farmland was scarred by fire. Those few clumps of old trees at the peripheries of each plot were often dead, blackened by charcoal. I thought it might have been an accident, until Lore¡ªthe only one of us with farming experience¡ªpointed out that there were breaks in the patches of blackened crops. This wasn¡¯t just one large fire; it was many. My gut wrenched at this revelation, and it took me a moment to look within myself and figure out why this affected me so much. It was because it brought about memories of the devastation of Plainside¡ªthe town burned to the ground by Jacob the Player pyroknight in his search for the artifact that now hung around my neck. But that man was long gone, dead at my hand. Whatever had happened here was unrelated. I met Val¡¯s gaze, recognising understanding in those brown eyes. She, too, had seen the aftermath of Jacob¡¯s destruction. ¡®How you feeling?¡¯ she asked. ¡®Ready for a fight,¡¯ I replied. Val nodded; she was the same. If someone was responsible for this, then it might well have to end with blood. They hadn¡¯t taken lives directly, but this was people¡¯s livelihoods, their whole existences. If they couldn¡¯t sell the crops they¡¯d grown this summer, then they might not live to see the next. We continued on, eyes peeled, until we stumbled across the small town of Lonely Hearth. There, among houses thankfully untouched by fire, we began to find answers. Since we exposed Yusef in Coldharbour, attitudes to the Players had been changing. Exposing Yusef as a fraud had made people question the power, and motives, of these invaders from the ascended world. Though most would still never go so far as to actively voice opposition to the Players¡ªthis belief that Players were wholly good was too embedded in our world¡ªthere were those out there who were starting to realise the truth. It was Arzak who had realised that we could capitalise on this changing view. As we travelled, she had sought out those most opposed to the Players, in taverns, in markets, on the road, and she had recruited many of them to her new cause. And this new cause? Information. Those she recruited to oppose the Players would live their lives as normal, but they would keep an ear out for any news of the enemy, and they would recruit still more to the cause. Arzak¡¯s network of informants had grown at breakneck pace¡ªso much so that when we walked into town, there was usually someone who recognised the symbol on her armour. This icon¡ªa circle cut in half¡ªwas nondescript enough to seem to be a simple piece of jewellery, but to those who also carried this symbol, it was the mark of an ally. So when we entered Lonely Hearth, few of the locals gave us more than a second look. There was one exception to this¡ªan elderly woman, sitting outside her house on the main street, whose eyes lingered on Arzak. Usually, those who met Arzak¡¯s gaze would quickly look aware, but this woman met the orc¡¯s stare unflinching. Though perhaps weak of body, she was stronger of spirit than most. No wonder she too possessed that split circle icon. No wonder she too had the strength to oppose the Players. As we approached her house, she rose from her seat, legs shaky beneath her, and stepped inside. She left the door open for us, and Corminar¡ªthe last to enter the humble cottage¡ªclosed it gently behind us. We stood alone in a living room furnished with fading pink armchairs and a rug that maybe once boasted a pattern. There was no old woman in sight. ¡®Hello? Woman?¡¯ Arzak called out. ¡®You have symbol?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll be with you in just a moment, dearie,¡¯ our host called out from another room. ¡®Why don¡¯t you take a seat? How many for tea?¡¯ ¡®We all take tea,¡¯ the orc replied. ¡®Thank you.¡¯ ¡®Actually, I¡ª¡¯ Lore started. Arzak cut him off with a glare. ¡®Don¡¯t refuse tea. Is rude.¡¯ Val and I glanced at one of the armchairs, and at once we hurried to take it. We both got halfway into the chair, finding it not quite large enough to share. ¡®I¡¯m pregnant,¡¯ Val argued, shoving me to one side. ¡®Not that pregnant,¡¯ I replied, playfully shoving her back. Our host appeared carrying a large metal tray, on which sat six empty cups, a steaming teapot, six small plates, and a pie that made Lore widen his eyes. The old woman looked at Arzak, then over at me and Val, still wrestling each other for control of the chair. ¡®Oh, I¡¯ve not seen that trick before,¡¯ she commented. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. This not-so-subtle jab made me embarrassed enough to give up my claim on the chair. It didn¡¯t have the same impact on Val, who was immune to such things as embarrassment. Arzak took tiny teacup in large, green fingers, holding it delicately and in the same manner as Corminar. That is, with pinky finger sticking out. She slurped the top of it. ¡®Mm,¡¯ she said. ¡®Is good. Very hot.¡¯ I¡¯d tried explaining to Arzak on previous occasions that the measure of good tea wasn¡¯t simply how hot it was, but now wasn¡¯t the time to remind her. ¡®Pie, for you and your friends? I baked it this morning for the grandchildren¡ªI¡¯m seeing them later¡ªbut there¡¯s plenty of time to bake another.¡¯ This time, Lore had no problem being a polite guest. ¡®Yes please!¡¯ he said, and I think his enthusiasm alone was enough to signal our host to cut him a large piece. Not that it matters, and some details are best left out of the history books for brevity¡¯s sake, but this pie was a berry pie, and berry pie is my favourite. That¡¯s all I have to say about the pie, so we¡¯ll skip all the rest of the pie talk¡ªthere was a good deal of it¡ªand get to the matter at hand. ¡®You have intelligence?¡¯ Arzak asked. ¡®Intel,¡¯ I reminded her. Her asking if people had intelligence had got us into trouble in the past. ¡®Both intel and intelligence, my dear,¡¯ the woman said, pouring herself a fourth cup of tea. I couldn¡¯t quite understand how one teapot had held so much tea. ¡®I suppose you saw the fire damage on the way into town? It doesn¡¯t matter which way you came from¡ªnorth, south, east, west¡­ it¡¯s all the same. Crops burned to the ground.¡¯ ¡®Perhaps we should reimburse you for the pie,¡¯ Corminar said¡ªa suggestion which was swiftly waved away by our host. ¡®You¡¯re saying a Player was responsible?¡¯ I asked. ¡®Not just any Player,¡¯ the old woman said. ¡®But Elinor herself. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard of her.¡¯ The five members of my team looked at one another with furrowed brows. ¡®No, I¡­ don¡¯t think we have?¡¯ Val finally answered on behalf of all of us. ¡®Oh! But you are Arzak Blorg, are you not?¡¯ the woman addressed my orcish friend. Arzak nodded. ¡®We hunt other Players. Not hear of Elinor yet.¡¯ ¡®I see,¡¯ the woman said, and looked down into the still surface of her tea before she continued. ¡®Then let me get you up to speed. This is a woman who needs to die.¡¯ I wouldn¡¯t have expected to hear those words come out of this mouth, based on the soft furnishings, tea and delicious berry pie, but they did. There was that inner strength shining through again. Our host continued before anyone could prompt her. ¡®She, and she alone, is responsible for the destruction you saw in these parts. She is a sorcerer, you see, and as far as I can tell, she is using the local fox and wolf population for training. At least, that is what I have heard on the grapevine. That¡¯s to say nothing of the missing people. One might wonder if they aren¡¯t missing because they have been burned to a crisp¡­¡¯ Corminar drew in a breath, nodded, and stood back up from his position leaning against the door. ¡®I have heard enough. I am convinced.¡¯ Looking at our host, he added, ¡®Where might be find this menace?¡¯ I was about to interrupt, to make a point to the contrary, when Arzak did so for me. The orc raised a finger to our elven friend before she too looked to the old woman. ¡®Agree that she need die,¡¯ Arzak said. ¡®But we on mission to kill Council. Not waste time killing any Player.¡¯ I nodded. ¡®Unless there is evidence that this Elinor is involved in greater schemes, I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll need to move on. But maybe we can donate some gold towards a mercenary team?¡¯ I looked to Val, who immediately began rummaging through her coin pouches. ¡®Greater schemes?¡¯ our host repeated. ¡®Oh, no, I don¡¯t know anything about that. But surely what I¡¯ve said is enough?¡¯ Arzak held the woman¡¯s gaze as she shook her head. ¡®No. I sorry. We must stop other plan. Other plan that destroy thousands. Maybe destroy world.¡¯ ¡®We would help if we could,¡¯ Val added. ¡®And I get that this isn¡¯t the answer you want to hear, but we¡¯ll have to move on. Here¡­¡¯ The witch tipped countless gold coins into the lap of our host¡ªvery clearly all that we had. ¡®Use this. Buy the best team you can.¡¯ In response, the old woman reached out to cradle Val¡¯s face. ¡®You¡¯re very kind. You will make a good mother.¡¯ My wife blushed more profusely than I¡¯d ever seen her blush before. ¡®How did you know?¡¯ ¡®Intuition,¡¯ the woman said, smiling. She looked up at me. ¡®You really should have just let her have the chair, you know.¡¯ I resisted the urge to visibly react. ¡®We best be off, I think.¡¯ Arzak nodded her agreement, and led the team to the door, me bringing up the rear. ¡®Best of luck!¡¯ Lore said. ¡®And thanks for the pie! It was the best pie ever, for sure!¡¯ The woman replied, cheerily, ¡®It¡¯s no problem at all, my dears! I will, of course, keep watching out for her, keep making notes. And if that horrid friend of her appears again, I¡¯ll jot that down too. Tana, or whatever her name was.¡¯ A chill ran down my spine. I stopped on the threshold of the house, and turned back to the kind old woman. ¡®...What did you just say?¡¯
"Styk" Level 24 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 285 Dexterity ¡ª 188 Strength ¡ª 102 Wisdom ¡ª 92 Charisma ¡ª 76
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 77 Knifework ¡ª Level 59 Stealth ¡ª Level 33 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
225. On Fire ¡®I said I would keep watching out for Elinor, and that I would make notes,¡¯ the old woman of Lonely Hearth replied. ¡®No, after that.¡¯ The rest of the team circled around to join me at my side. ¡®What did you say after that bit?¡¯ ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯ Lore asked. ¡®After that?¡¯ the woman repeated. ¡®Oh, I don¡¯t know. Memory is a fickle thing at my age.¡¯ ¡®You mentioned someone else? Another Player?¡¯ The woman¡¯s face lit up. ¡®Oh, yes! Tana.¡¯ Corminar perked up, straightening his back. ¡®Tana? You mean to say the head of the Council has been in these parts?¡¯ ¡®The head of the council? No, my dear, the head of the council is Marge. Lovely woman, but perhaps a little too keen on potted plants.¡¯ ¡®Not the¡­¡¯ I started, but trailed off, shaking my head. ¡®This other Player, Tana, how long ago was she here?¡¯ ¡®Oh, not three weeks past.¡¯ I turned to the rest of the team. ¡®What do you think?¡¯ ¡®I think it her. That Tana. I not hear of many Tanas, especially not Player-Tanas.¡¯ Arzak was also standing straight now, as though ready for battle once more. ¡®Sure, but, do we go after her?¡¯ I asked. ¡®Or do we go after this¡­ Elinor?¡¯ ¡®You have plan,¡¯ the orc commented. I nodded. Plans were my speciality. Following through on plans? Not so much. ¡®We know where Tana is gonna be. Chances are, she¡¯s in the palace in Auricia. Untouchable, I reckon. But maybe we can draw her out. If this Elinor is important enough to warrant a personal visit from the head of the Council, then¡­¡¯ ¡®Then we take her hostage,¡¯ Val finished for me. We were on the same page more often than not, these days. ¡®We lure Tana out. There¡¯s no guarantee she won¡¯t come with a team¡ªor an army¡ªat her side, but¡­¡¯ ¡®At least we¡¯d be able to bring the fight to neutral ground. Maybe even set a trap.¡¯ I could see Val smiling at this. Not that normal-person tender smile, that someone like Lore would have smiled, but instead one full of both excitement and malice. I turned back to Arzak¡¯s informant. ¡®Alright, we¡¯ll do it. We¡¯ll sort out this Player for you.¡¯ The woman¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡®Oh, you will? That¡¯s excellent news.¡¯ She turned away, apparently meaning to disappear back inside her house. ¡®I¡¯ll wrap up another slice of pie each for you, so you¡¯re working on full stomachs.¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s OK,¡¯ I replied, immediately feeling Lore casting daggers at the back of my head, ¡®if you could just tell us where to find Elinor, we¡¯ll get out of your hair.¡¯ ¡®After your pie, my dear!¡¯ She disappeared back into the rear of her home. Lore breathed an audible sigh of relief, and shifted from foot to foot with anticipation until the woman appeared with half a pie wrapped in paper. As she handed the pie over to the barbarian¡ªwho had stepped forward to take it off her hands¡ªshe continued, ¡®Elinor? Last I heard, she was at the old Gutrai farmhouse¡ªa couple of miles to the west.¡¯ I nodded, then found myself give the woman a strange sort of half-bow thing in gratitude. ¡®Thanks. Just one last thing: you got a river around here?¡¯ The woman looked thoughtful for a moment, before replying, ¡®We have a well?¡¯ ¡®That works.¡¯ * * * We¡¯d taken a few hours to gorge ourselves on the local food before battle. The woman had been right about one thing: it didn¡¯t help to fight on an empty stomach. We each ate far too much stew before then adding to it by eating the berry pie we¡¯d been given. Afterwards, we were actually too full to fight, and so we had to wait a while for our bloating to go down. All in all, it was a waste of about three hours. Just as the informant had promised, we found the Gutrai farmhouse two miles down the road to the west. What she¡¯d failed to mention was that the wooden walls were black with soot, the roof was caved in, and the barn¡ªat least that¡¯s what I assumed it had been¡ªwas a smouldering pile of debris. The maize crops were now little more than ash, and the smoke billowing out of one of the farmhouse¡¯s windows said that the fire wasn¡¯t quite out. It was clear that Elinor had been through here, being a fire sorcerer and all, but the sight in front of us suggested to me that she might have moved on to a more comfortable environment. ¡®It look cosy,¡¯ Arzak commented. ¡®Black was certainly a bold colour choice for a farmhouse,¡¯ Corminar added. Lore, too kind-hearted for jokes about the destruction of someone¡¯s home and livelihood, changed the subject. ¡®Do we think she¡¯s still here?¡¯ ¡®Only one way to find out,¡¯ Val replied, and she led the way down the dirt path towards what had once been the Gutrai farmhouse. I kept my ears open as we approached, listening for signs of life inside. I heard nothing, but that was no guarantee; the enemy could be intentionally quiet, knowing that we were coming. Or she could just be sitting down, or having a nap. I held my dagger drawn, either way. ¡®Stop,¡¯ Corminar said, his eyes on a tree at the edge of the nearest plot. We all came to an abrupt halt, then followed his line of sight. I trusted Corminar¡¯s vision¡ªelven eyes often saw more than others¡ªbut this time¡­ there was very clearly nothing there. ¡®What do you see?¡¯ I asked. ¡®Movement.¡¯ ¡®Where?¡¯ The elf remained quiet for a few moments more, then sighed. ¡®It has departed.¡¯ ¡®...Right. If we¡¯re done with that intermission, shall we get on?¡¯ If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. As we reached the edge of the farmhouse¡¯s front porch, I turned back to the rest of the team, and nodded when I saw they all had their weapons drawn. I took one step on the porch, and felt it creak beneath my foot, the fire having weakened it. ¡®Lore, Arzak, why don¡¯t you guard the perimeter?¡¯ I asked them. ¡®OK!¡¯ Lore said, jumping to it. Arzak, on the other hand, was not so eager. ¡®Is cos we heaviest, isn¡¯t it?¡¯ I didn¡¯t really want to reply to that¡ªnearly rhetorical¡ªquestion, so I didn¡¯t, instead turning and pressing on slowly towards the house. Corminar and Val followed at my side, creeping towards the door, looking around for signs of movement. Val¡¯s eyes lingered on the small plume of smoke coming from one of the windows, and then narrowed. ¡®You know the funny thing about Sorcery?¡¯ she asked. ¡®No, but I suspect you are going to tell us,¡¯ Corminar replied. ¡®We think of Sorcery as just being destruction magicks, but it ain¡¯t that, not really. It¡¯s elemental magicks. Water, dirt, air¡­ fire. You could do all kinds of stuff with those magicks. You could water crops during a drought. You could billow gusts of winds into sails. You could use clay to rebuild crumbling homes. And people do do that stuff, yeah, but it¡¯s not what Sorcery magicks are known for, is it?¡¯ The porch creaked beneath our combined weights, and we paused for a moment, ready for it to crumble. When it didn¡¯t, we continued on towards the front door, our paced slowed further still, our footsteps lighter than ever. Val continued, ¡®No, it¡¯s the destruction that sorcerers are so famous for. It¡¯s pelting enemies with rocks and burning enemies with fire.¡¯ ¡®When do we get to the funny part?¡¯ I asked. ¡®The funny part¡ªand I mean ¡°weird¡± funny rather than ¡°ha ha¡± funny¡ªis that when Sorcery is used for destruction over and over and over again, all in the same place, that destruction tends to take on a life of its own. The magicks manifest, and can take on a life of their own.¡¯ Val put her fingertips on the front door. ¡®I suppose that¡¯s funny, sure,¡¯ I said. ¡®But why are you telling us this?¡¯ In answer, my wife pushed against the front door. It swung open slowly, hinges creaking, and revealed the source of the light and the smoke. Around an old dining room table, untouched by fire, sat five shapes, each of them formed of flames themselves. They sat in chairs, also unburnt, each holding a few playing cards. As Corminar, Val and I stood in the doorway, they slowly turned their fiery heads towards us. ¡®Cos I think that¡¯s what¡¯s happened here,¡¯ the witch answered. ¡®Fire spirits.¡¯ ¡®We¡¯re gonna have to fight them, aren¡¯t we?¡¯ I said. At the very same moment, Corminar asked the beings formed of flames, ¡®What is the ante?¡¯ Neither of us got our answer, because instead, the fire spirits each tossed their inferno heads back, and they roared¡ªthe sound somewhere between a wolf¡¯s howl and the hiss of water upon fire. Jets of flames shot forth from their mouths, pelting against the ceiling, and this time, the fire did spread. ¡®Why is it always fire magics?¡¯ I said again, as I activated Titan Husk, and my skin began to ripple with warping resistance magick. One of the fire spirits tossed a playing card¡ªa two of cups, if I wasn¡¯t mistaken¡ªlike a throwing knife, and it bounced off my temporarily ashen-coloured arm. ¡®Ow?¡¯ I said. Then I charged.
"Styk" Level 24 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 285 Dexterity ¡ª 188 Strength ¡ª 102 Wisdom ¡ª 92 Charisma ¡ª 76
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 77 Knifework ¡ª Level 59 Stealth ¡ª Level 33 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
226. Spirited I dodged another flaming card as the nearest fire spirit launched everything it had at me, and charged the creature. It flailed out with one limb, and I leaped to one side just in time. The flames passed over me, tickling my skin but doing no damage, and I twisted around the creature just as it swiped at me once more. Now behind the creature, I launched into a Stab, and another, and another, striking as quickly as possible before the surprisingly slow spirit turned to attack once more. As it swung both fiery arms towards me¡ªapparently taking no chances that I would step aside to avoid one arm¡ªI opened a portal behind me and stepped backwards through it. As I disappeared through it, I reached my right arm to my belt and drew a throwing knife, before launching it at the enemy¡¯s head. I hit square and true, and the impact knocked the spirit¡¯s flaming bonce backward. I let the portal close before it could reach through it. Around me, the rest of the team had leaped into battle. Arzak and Lore had charged through the entrance, the porch apparently having still been stable enough to support their weight after all, and were already swinging their combined three blades. Of the other four fire spirits, two were currently occupied by the two newest visitors, while Corminar and Val dealt with another, darting around the enemy to avoid being burned. This left one still untouched at the far side of the room, and its red gaze seemed locked upon Val. I would need to deal with this spirit quickly if I was going to intervene. I was already itching to open that Saved Portal I¡¯d just set, but I could only use that trick once. A few fire spirits we could manage. But a Player? When you fought a Player, you¡¯d be a fool to think it was a guaranteed win. I put that idea to one side as the first fire spirit turned to face me, then roared. As before, its roar was a dragon-like rain of fire¡ªan attack that my active Titan Husk ability meant I could withstand. But Corminar and Val, right behind me? They could not. I opened both sets of portals in front of me and made my body as big as possible to block my friends from the attack. The fiery licks erupted from the other side of the portal, back at the enemy¡¯s rear. Unfortunately, they went unnoticed; the fire spirits were immune to the effects of fire, as you might imagine. But that was far from the only trick up my sleeve. I didn¡¯t stop for a beat, instead closing the portals once more and launching myself upon the enemy. I activated my Knifestorm ability, peppering the enemy with lashes of my knife, and doing enough damage that the spirit¡¯s form seemed to dim, its fire on its way to going out. I next activated my Portal Relay ability¡ªten small-scale portals which officially were used to communicate sound between team members. Once they were assigned to someone, the portal would float around their head until I turned the spell off. One thing I¡¯d noticed recently was that I could assign all ten to one target, and then they¡¯d have ten very annoying small portals spinning around them. That¡¯s exactly what I did here. The enemy spirit tried to bat the portals away, but of course, this was a futile effort. Though the fire spirit could shift each relay away momentarily, half a second later they were floating around its head once more. While it was distracted, I moved in, putting all my weight behind another Stab attack, and following it up by activating my Closed Reach ability, so that the blade sunk deeper into the enemy¡¯s torso of fire. It howled at the pain, while the wound itself seemed to hiss like the sound of water over a dwindling fire. I growled as I twisted my dagger further, and this was enough¡ªthe spirit faded away to nothing. Fire Spirit defeated! Knifework ¡ª +1,750xp Worldbending ¡ª +1050xp I turned immediately towards the last of the enemies¡ªthe one that was at this very second flinging a flaming limb at Val¡ªand I opened a portal in front of it. The spirit¡¯s momentum carried it through the portal, appearing at my side and away from my wife, who had her hands in front of her as though about to cast a spell. ¡®Styk!¡¯ the witch shouted. ¡®What are you doing? I had it!¡¯ ¡®So? I was helping you.¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t need your help! I can look after myself. Why do you always¡ª¡¯ ¡®Remember what the book said?¡¯ I shouted to her. ¡®Use your ¡°I feel¡­¡± statements!¡¯ ¡®I feel like you need to stop talking about that bloody book! Not all relationship advice can be contained in one book.¡¯ The fire spirit swept its blistering arm towards me once more, and I ducked under it, spinning around once before Stabbing my dagger deep into its torso. ¡®Take it seriously!¡¯ I shouted back to my wife. ¡®I feel like you think I¡¯m this fragile thing that needs protecting all the time. Like a flower, or a butterfly. Or a sandwich that Lore¡¯s spotted.¡¯ ¡®Hey!¡¯ Lore protested. ¡®I feel like you shouldn¡¯t be bringing me into this.¡¯ ¡®See,¡¯ I said, wrenching my dagger down to cut a gash in the fire spirit¡¯s molten side. ¡®Lore¡¯s got it and he didn¡¯t even read the book.¡¯ The spirit howled with pain before sweeping its fiery leg out towards me. I wasn¡¯t quick enough to react, and the limb knocked me to the ground¡ªthough the Titan Husk ability stopped it burning me. I opened a portal beneath me so that instead of hitting wooden floor, I stumbled back to my feet just behind the enemy Val was fighting. Unnoticed by this particular enemy, I used my Execution ability and Stealth Attack passive to deal huge damage in my attack to the back of the creature¡¯s head. It began to hiss just as the other one had, but before it could really even get started, the fire deformed. Fire Spirit defeated! Knifework ¡ª +1,400xp Knifework increased to level 60! Base Points Gained ¡ª +1 DEX, +1 STR, +2 Free Points (VIT/DEX/STR) Ability selection unlocked Select an ability from the list below¡­ ¡­ Stealth ¡ª +1,300xp Worldbending ¡ª +650xp ¡®Ugh!¡¯ Val cried out. ¡®Stop protecting me!¡¯ ¡®We¡¯re a team! That¡¯s what we do!¡¯ I turned back to the spirit I¡¯d just escaped. At the other side of the living room, Arzak finished off another enemy while Lore and Corminar contended with the last of them. ¡®Then protect the others too,¡¯ the witch exclaimed. ¡®They¡¯re doing just fine.¡¯ ¡®So was I! They¡¯re fire spirits, not Players. I can handle a little¡ª¡¯ Val was cut off by the other enemy charging at us. The spirit roared once more, a stream of flames spewing forth from its mouth. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Instinctively, I opened a portal beneath Val that threw her over to Arzak¡¯s side¡ªsomething that I¡¯d probably have to stop doing once she got a little further along in the pregnancy¡ªand then wrapped both arms in front of my face to shield it from the flames. These enemies were simple creatures, knowing only fire as a means to attack. That I was unburnable didn¡¯t seem to occur to them, as they kept attacking me in the very same way. That was the logic running through my head when I turned my back on the creature to continue bickering with Val. ¡®What sort of partner would I be if I didn¡¯t try to¡ª¡¯ The fire spirit wrapped its fiery arm around my neck, squeezing tight. I gagged. Gasped for air. Flailed around blindly with my knife. ¡®Oi!¡¯ Val shouted at the creature, an expression of pure anger warping her usually attractive features. ¡®Get off my husband!¡¯ She reached both hands forward, and an arc of green lightning shot forth from each of them, a greater version of the spell than I¡¯d ever seen before. The magicks crackled around me, shifting past me as it did me no harm. But the fire spirit wasn¡¯t so lucky. It cried out as the life was yanked from it by Val¡¯s spell, draining within seconds. I gasped as the arm around my neck lost its orange form, and only then did Val let the magicks go. She dropped to her knees, her face paling with exhaustion. ¡®You know I¡¯m not the one who¡¯s pregnant, right?¡¯ I said. She flared her nostrils as she looked up at me. ¡®I feel like you need to shut up,¡¯ she said, but seconds later a smile crossed her face, one that she couldn¡¯t suppress. At the same moment, Corminar and Lore landed a killing blow on the fifth and final spirit, the form hissing as it died. ¡®Any injuries?¡¯ I called out. ¡®Yes,¡¯ Lore said, pulling a box of Corminar¡¯s leftover pie out of his pocket. ¡®They burnt my food.¡¯ ¡®Any actual injuries?¡¯ When nobody replied, I nodded. ¡®Good. Nice work, all¡ªparticularly me.¡¯ ¡®Ugh.¡¯ No points for guessing who said that. ¡®I see no sign of the Player,¡¯ Corminar said. ¡®Perhaps she has moved on? Perhaps Arzak¡¯s informant gave us outdated directions?¡¯ ¡®Probably,¡¯ I replied. ¡®But we¡¯re here now; we might as well look around. Maybe she¡¯s hiding in a cupboard somewhere.¡¯ ¡®Look around. Check,¡¯ Val replied, and the five of us scattered, scouring the remains of the house from top to bottom. Val and I remained on the ground floor, actually checking the cupboards, just in case¡ªeven though it would be the first time a Player had stooped so low as to hide from us. Lore went upstairs to the more fire-damaged floor, while Corminar and Arzak disappeared down a trap door they¡¯d discovered. I suspected that if the Player was anywhere in this house, they would be in the hidden cellar. As I turned out, though, no such luck. ¡®Just dusty farm tool!¡¯ Arzak shouted up at us, before coughing. ¡®Very dusty. But keep looking.¡¯ I nodded, then turned back to Val. We were pretty much done down here; there were only so many places a woman could be hiding, particularly one as proud as a Player. She wasn¡¯t exactly going to be hiding under the sink. I took a quick moment to glance at my latest ability selection. There were only two options this time, it seemed, so it was something I could wrap up pretty quickly without the rest of the team realising I wasn¡¯t helping. Ability selection unlocked Select an ability from the list below: Option 1: Etched Blades II (Knifework) ¡ª Upgrade to Etched Blades. Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Etched spells can be activated up to ten times. Already I partially had my heart set on this option. My latest Knifework ability, the original Etched Blades, had been pretty good here and there, but the one limiting factor was that I could only activate the spell once. I¡¯d had Val inject my dagger with her new life-draining magicks, and that had worked great! But then it was gone, just like that. If I could now use those magicks multiple times¡­ well, that opened up a whole new world to me. But there was the second option to review too. Option 2: Summoned Blades (Knifework) ¡ª Use mana to summon a blade directly into your grasp. Uses significant mana per cast. This one was tempting too¡ªwhat knife user wouldn¡¯t want essentially infinite blades on hand?¡ªbut ultimately, I knew it would be the lesser choice. With my Pocket World ability, I could already carry as many throwing knives as I could possibly need. That storage already had the best part of a dozen cheap throwing knives, gifted to me by those who knew who I was, and the truth of the Players we¡¯d killed. So having the ability to summon knives wasn¡¯t quite as useful as it sounded. I opted for the first choice. Ability upgraded ¡ª Etched Blades II Etched Blades II (Knifework) ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Etched spells can be activated up to ten times. Just as I locked it in, a voice cried out from upstairs. ¡®You better come look at this!¡¯ Raising my eyebrows to Val, I then turned and did as the barbarian suggested, hurrying up the staircase to find him in a bedroom¡ªthe one least touched by the fire. Lore was standing over a bedroll, hands on hips, looking down at it. ¡®I take it there¡¯s no chance the fire spirits needed a place to kip?¡¯ I asked. Val shook her head, then nodded over to the chair in the corner of the room. A pile of dirty clothes was stacked on top of it, complete with a silver locket. ¡®They don¡¯t tend to wear clothes or jewellery, either,¡¯ she said. ¡®Though I suspect they¡¯re about as good at keeping on top of laundry.¡¯ ¡®What find?¡¯ Arzak asked, as she and Corminar hurried into the bedroom. ¡®She¡¯s sleeping here,¡¯ I told her. ¡®This Elinor.¡¯ ¡®Then we set trap,¡¯ the orc replied. I nodded, and we got to work.
"Styk" Level 24 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 285 Dexterity ¡ª 190 Strength ¡ª 104 Wisdom ¡ª 92 Charisma ¡ª 76
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 77 Knifework ¡ª Level 60 Stealth ¡ª Level 33 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades II ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Etched spells can be activated up to ten times. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
227. Well Well Well I crouched down under the fire-scarred window pane, staring into the portal in the centre of the room. Its partner was placed in the distant tree, disguised by the branches and the remaining leaves. Through this world-bend, I saw the Player approach. ¡®It¡¯s time,¡¯ I said. ¡®We ready?¡¯ ¡®We wouldn¡¯t be a very good Player-slaying team if we weren¡¯t, would we?¡¯ Val replied. ¡®I¡¯ll take that as a yes.¡¯ I closed the portals as the woman grew closer; there was no point keeping them there and maybe tipping her off as to our presence. We would handle Elinor as we did Jacob. Arzak and Lore were the members of our team who could handle the most damage¡ªparticularly with one of Corminar¡¯s ever-stronger fire resistance potions in their systems¡ªand so they¡¯d be up in the woman¡¯s face. Conveniently, this was also where they did the most damage. The elf would attack from afar, but rather than worrying too much about dealing damage, he would work in a support role, firing poison- and potion-tipped arrows into the fray depending on what was required. Val would deal damage with her new life-draining magicks and her old imbue lightning magicks, but her top priority was on healing Arzak and Lore if they received meaningful damage. And me? Nowadays, I was the one who could deal the most damage. I would portal in and out of battle, striking with my knife and needle darts. My damage would be boosted if I could just remain out of sight, using my Stealth and execution passives. It was Lore and Arzak¡¯s job to make sure that was possible. But of course, I still had a familiar trick up my sleeve¡ªone that I wouldn¡¯t waste. At my side on the upper floor of the farmhouse, Corminar slowly raised his head to spy out the window. ¡®How close?¡¯ I asked. ¡®Perhaps thirty seconds,¡¯ came the elf¡¯s reply. I nodded, then looked down at my drawn dagger. The markings upon it crackled with the green magicks of Witchcraft; I had let Val etch one of her spells into it. And maybe not the one you¡¯re thinking of. I looked over at Val, across the room at the other window. How I¡¯d come to share a window with Corminar rather than her was a mystery. Though out of my sight, I knew Lore and Arzak were downstairs, ready to storm through the door and rush the Player upon my signal. And it was time for that very signal. I opened a portal beneath me, falling through it into the air above the Player, and I fell, knife pointed downward. I activated Execution and relied on my Stealth Attack passive for even more damage, on the basis that I would go unnoticed. But as I fell, the enemy suddenly rolled to one side, and out of the way. Missing the Player, I landed clumsily on my feet, my dagger hitting only empty air. At the same moment, Lore and Arzak charged forth from the house, and I instinctively opened a portal in front of them to help them cross the distance sooner. Up in the top windows, Corminar and Val let loose arrow and spell¡­ only for these to be blocked by the Player¡¯s ward. How could this enemy have such quick reactions? How could they have been so ready for all these attacks. It made no difference; I still had a trick up my sleeve, after all. As Arzak and Lore sprang forth with their combined three swords, I opened a portal at Elinor¡¯s side, matching it to my newly placed saved portal. Water gushed forth from the portal, drenching the Player and with enough force behind it to stagger her, knocking her to one knee. I struck then with my dagger, activating the magicks that Val had etched into it. Lightning erupted from its tip the moment metal hit flesh, its damage boosted by the tonne of water I¡¯d just tipped over Elinor. ¡®We¡¯ve come across a fire sorcerer Player before, see,¡¯ I said. ¡®We¡¯ve got experience in handling your sort. So when I hear that we¡¯re facing down a specialist in fire magicks, my first thought is: is there a lake nearby? There wasn¡¯t, today. But there was a well. And I imagine the villagers won¡¯t mind it drying up for a few days if it means being rid of you.¡¯ The Player staggered back to her feet and pressed her hand forward. Flames shot out through the damp skin, but they were weak, ineffective. I struck her with the blade once more, and lightning magicks shot out to damage her and tense those muscles. ¡®Lore, Arzak¡ª¡¯ I said, before being interrupted by the enemy. ¡®She told me you would do this.¡¯ Elinor¡¯s eyes met my own; an act of defiance. ¡®What? Who did?¡¯ But I didn¡¯t get my answer. The woman slammed her eyes shut, pressing her eyelids together so hard that at first I thought she was concentrating. Moments later, however, I realised she was pushing through the pain. Flames erupted from all around her body, turning her into a raging inferno¡ªand evaporating the water I¡¯d poured over her. Seconds later, when she was dry once more, the flames stepped out of her body¡­ and another fire spirit was born. ¡®Guess that answers the question ¡°where do baby fire spirits come from?¡±¡¯ Val muttered. Our plan was shot. Our traditional strategy simply wasn¡¯t working, and I¡¯d now exhausted the trick up my sleeve. It was almost like Elinor had known what to expect from us¡ªthe Player had just said ¡°she told me you would do this¡±, after all. Had Tana, the Council¡¯s leader, briefed them all on how to survive us? And just how far did such a briefing go? If we improvised on the fly, could the enemy anticipate it? ¡®New plan!¡¯ I bellowed, then snapped down to the ground to activate Shrill Perimeter. The banshee¡¯s wail erupted immediately, due to Elinor being already inside the spell¡¯s perimeter, forcing the Player to snap her hands to her ears. The rest of the team, who were already familiar with¡ªand very tired of¡ªthis ploy, reacted only with grimaces. I looked at Lore and Arzak, pointing at Elinor, and shouted, ¡®Attack!¡¯ They wouldn¡¯t be able to hear me over the noise, but they got the message. While the pair of them occupied Elinor for a moment, I portalled back into the house. ¡®Corminar! Val!¡¯ I shouted over the still ear-splitting noise. ¡®Forget what I said! Go for damage!¡¯ The pair of them nodded, and Corminar began firing shot after shot after shot with little thought for what was on the arrowheads¡ªas long as it was poison, I was happy. Meanwhile, I opened another portal back outside, grabbed Val by the arm, and hurried us through it. Fire erupted from the Player¡¯s hands, washing over Lore and Arzak. From their singed clothes, I could tell that this wasn¡¯t the first time. There was only so long that Corminar¡¯s fire resistance potions would hold, and I suspected that time was coming up fast. We had to make this quick, and the way to do that was to go all out on the offensive, giving Elinor everything we had with little thought to protecting ourselves. Val blasted the enemy with the green lightning effect magicks that I was becoming so used to, beginning to drain the enemy of life. The fire spirit turned on Val at the sight of this spell. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. ¡®Nuh-uh,¡¯ I told it, even though I knew it wouldn¡¯t understand me. I stabbed it in the chest once, hard, and then retreated. The howling beast charged at me. The moment it had sufficient momentum, I opened a portal between us and sent it tumbling into the sky as far away as I could manage. It would survive this drop, but by the time it got back to us, its creator would¡ªhopefully¡ªbe dead. I hopped through a portal myself, appearing at Elinor¡¯s rear while she fought off Lore and Arzak¡¯s attacks with temporary shields of fire. I wasted no time in activating Knifestorm, coupling it with my stealth passive so that every strike would deal more damage. Elinor cried out with pain as the attacks hit. We were doing it. Soon, we would have another Player death under our belts. I considered offering Elinor the same deal we¡¯d offered those Players before her: death or reset progression. I knew we should offer her that chance, as it would render her harmless, at least for a year or two. But it was difficult when you could see, first-hand, what she¡¯d done to the local area. Still, I swallowed my pride and sought to make the offer. ¡®Elinor!¡¯ I shouted at her. ¡®Do you yield?¡¯ At this, the other Slayers ceased their attacks. But they didn¡¯t lower those weapons, not for a moment. ¡®I¡ª¡¯ Elinor started. At that moment, a figure shimmered into existence at Arzak¡¯s side. It wasn¡¯t a spirit, but a person. One that I had, perhaps, mistaken for a shadow, out of the corner of my eye. From the surprise on Lore¡¯s face, he also hadn¡¯t seen her. The woman held a knife to Lore¡¯s heart, but didn¡¯t press it in. Instead, she said only, ¡®Dead.¡¯ In a blink, she disappeared once more. ¡®What the¡­¡¯ Val mumbled, stumbling backwards. Moments later, the woman appeared behind Arzak. Had there been a shimmering there a second ago, or was that my imagination? This new enemy placed her dagger on Arzak¡¯s neck, drawing only the slightest drop of blood. ¡®Dead,¡¯ she said, then disappeared once more. ¡®Styk, what do we¡­¡¯ the witch muttered, at my side. I threw a knife at the spot where the stranger had been standing moments earlier, only for it to soaring through the empty space. Wherever she was now, it wasn¡¯t by Arzak¡¯s side. I grabbed Val by the wrist, pushing her behind me, keeping my eyes peeled for any signs of movement. Any signs at all. A crumpled leaf here or a splashed puddle there. But I saw nothing. A muffled cry rang out from the farmhouse, then Corminar tumbled from the window. Only an elf as spry as he could manage to land on his feet. He stood up slowly, and the woman appeared in front of him, knife on his chin. ¡®Let me guess,¡¯ Val said. ¡®Dead.¡¯ The woman looked over at me. In the half-second before she disappeared from sight once more, the spot where she¡¯d been shimmering from the effect, I could have sworn that she smiled at me. Did I know her from somewhere? ¡®You¡¯ve made your point!¡¯ I shouted at the invisible enemy. ¡®Now, why don¡¯t you¡ª¡¯ ¡®Elinor. Leave us now.¡¯ I spun around to where I thought the instruction had come from, but there was nothing. The fire sorcerer stood staring at the same spot as me, then nodded. She turned to leave, and every fibre of my being wanted to stop her. But I couldn¡¯t. For the first time in months, I felt powerless. This new enemy could kill us all before we even set our hands on Elinor once more. It was quiet as the five of us watched the Player flee. ¡®Show yourself!¡¯ I shouted. And at that instruction, they did. The woman shimmered back into sight only a dozen feet in front of me and Val. I raised my dagger to defend myself¡ªand to defend Val. ¡®You can lower than weapon,¡¯ the woman said. Her face felt familiar to me. ¡®I won¡¯t hurt you.¡¯ ¡®You were there, weren¡¯t you?¡¯ Val asked, head poking up from over my shoulder. ¡®At our wedding. You were there.¡¯ ¡®I wouldn¡¯t have missed it,¡¯ the enemy replied. It really was a familiar face. An awfully familiar face. One that made my stomach churn, though my brain hadn¡¯t quite yet caught up. Maybe I didn¡¯t want to know the answer. Maybe my subconscious was protecting me from it. But when the woman spoke, there was no room left for denial. ¡®Hello, son,¡¯ she said.
"Styk" Level 24 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 285 Dexterity ¡ª 190 Strength ¡ª 104 Wisdom ¡ª 92 Charisma ¡ª 76
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 77 Knifework ¡ª Level 60 Stealth ¡ª Level 33 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades II ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Etched spells can be activated up to ten times. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
228. Interlude — Elinor Elinor stared into the flames. Each lick of fire spewed forth from her fingertips without pain, without feeling, without sensation. The fire could not touch her. But it could touch the monsters that the Council drew up from the south. The greyback screamed through three mouths that opened up on its thorax simply for the occasion, its many legs trembling, straightening, then curling up as the flames dealt their damage. As the experience notifications came in, Elinor¡¯s eyes glazed over. She¡¯d never thought burning could feel this good. She had never intended to specialise in these magicks, and in fact her formative years in this world were spent levelling up only Baking and Enchantment skills. But with the latter came an affinity for spellwork, and soon Tana had come knocking upon her door. She had decidedly not been a woman who had invested exclusively in crafting skills. Though not the tallest nor the brawniest woman that Elinor had ever seen, Tana was certainly intimidating. It was an ineffable trait, and certainly not one rooted in physical characteristics. Perhaps it was the way she carried herself, the way she handled that ornate sword as though it was nothing more than a child¡¯s plaything. And it was the way she¡¯d held her head so high as she¡¯d explained what her Council intended to do to this world. It was a handful of locals¡ªcreatures formed of the magicks of Elinor¡¯s homeworld¡ªthat the fire sorcerer had to thank. Were it not for this team of so-called Slayers, Elinor would never have been recruited to the Council. They had killed her predecessor, a man vital to Tana¡¯s great plan, forcing the Council to find another. In the year since Tana had knocked on Elinor¡¯s door, the woman with burning hands had closed down her bakery, headed south, and learned to love the flame. Fire was insidious in its yearning for adoration. Elinor had thought nothing of it, in those early days; she had burned because she had needed to burn, to build up that experience for the day the towers would be activated. But more and more¡­ she had found herself burning for the simple joy of it. Elinor had told herself that she created fire because she had promised Tana that she would, but she knew¡ªnot very deep down at all, really¡ªthat she burned because she enjoyed the burn. She enjoyed the hiss of flame against flesh. She enjoyed the smell of ash and charcoal. She enjoyed the light, flickering before her. And through this newfound passion, she had found her strength. Elinor had a lot to be grateful for. It was a shame that the locals thought she was responsible for so many of their number growing missing. If they knew the truth, they would see that more would have disappeared without her interference¡ªthere would have been more of these monsters drawn towards the north, more of these monsters to snack along the way. It was of little consequence, though. In the end, when the ritual was complete and the magicks were drained from this world, there would be nobody left to detest her. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. That time would soon be upon her, and Elinor was not yet strong enough to do her part. Not yet. She would be, no matter the cost. She owed that to Tana, after what that woman had done for her. Elinor would just keep working¡ªday and night, should it come to that. The fire sorcerer reached down into her robe¡¯s capacious pocket, pulling from it a smooth grey stone. When the Council had first gifted it to Elinor, she had sensed it had properties of magick, but it was only now that she was strong that she could feel those magicks. The flow of energies drifted amongst her own, brushing her own coursing magicks gently aside, like a breeze through hair. Elinor almost didn¡¯t need to look at the locator stone to know where it would point her, though she did anyway; there was no reason to slow her progress through being too proud to look. Green energies drifted upon the polished surface of the stone, gesturing her to the east. If she headed that way, sooner or later, she would come across more enemies to burn. The sorcerer could almost see the flames. * * * The smoking ashes before Elinor had once been a horde of hags. The sorcerer had never seen¡ªor heard of¡ªso many hags as she¡¯d encountered over the past few months. These monsters, above all else, seemed drawn to the preparations in Auricia, the magicks there affecting the hags so much that the typically solitary creatures even travelled in packs. Had this been more than a small group, Elinor might have even had trouble, but as it was, little could withstand the flames. She told herself she would only stare into the ashes for a moment, enjoy this for only a second before she moved on to the next kill, to the next source of experience. But the sun seemed to rise oh-so quickly in that night sky, and the¡ª ¡®Elinor.¡¯ The sorcerer jumped at the sound of her name, her heart skipping a beat. She wondered at first how someone could have crept up on her so easily, before she realised exactly who it was. It was a Council member that she¡¯d met only once more, but once was enough. Tana¡¯s assassin sent a chill down her spine more than anyone else Elinor had met. ¡®Cleo,¡¯ the woman explained. ¡®We¡¯ve met before.¡¯ ¡®I remember.¡¯ Elinor had to force herself to hold the woman¡¯s gaze. ¡®Is it time?¡¯ The assassin stared back, her eyes unremarkable except for the fact that they made Elinor feel queasy. ¡®Not yet. Soon. I¡¯ve come here to warn you; the Slayers have set a trap for you in the farmhouse.¡¯ The sorcerer counted to three before replying, forcing herself into the calm state that her position deserved. The gods did not fear their creations. Tana had told her that. ¡®The ones who¡ª¡¯ ¡®Killed Jacob. Yes.¡¯ ¡®Then I won¡¯t return. I¡¯ll head northeast; Dunn has said the incursions around Tradum are becoming unsustainable anyway. I can lend a hand there.¡¯ ¡®No.¡¯ The woman said nothing more, her eyes daring Elinor to ask the obvious question. Elinor relented. ¡®No? You want me to spring the trap?¡¯ ¡®I have been following my¡ª¡¯ The sorcerer saw something flash behind the assassin¡¯s eyes there. Had Cleo been about to mispeak? To reveal something that only the more senior members of the Council should know? ¡®I¡¯ve been following the Slayers for a few months now. I have been keeping our number out of their paths. But with more and more eyes and ears converting to their cause, this is becoming an impossible task. Besides, there is work to be done beyond handling the Slayers.¡¯ Elinor held the woman¡¯s gaze, following her logic to its termination. ¡®I spring the trap, keep them distracted, and then you handle them. Is that it?¡¯ The assassin said nothing, eventually deigning a response in the form of a nod. ¡®You¡¯ll kill them?¡¯ Elinor asked, pressing the issue. ¡®Perhaps.¡¯ It was all the answer the sorcerer would get. 229. Hello, Mother The dagger slipped from my hand, its point burying itself in the soil. What had happened to my fingers? To my hand? Was this some spell, or some poison, delivered at the point of my mother¡¯s blade? I stumbled back, my left leg unsteady beneath me, weakened. I felt as though I was going to fall, to relent to the effects of whatever this woman had done to me. But a firm hand grabbed my arm. Val. Looking into my eyes, silently communicating that she was here with me, that this was terrible, yes, but we were about to face it together. As I steadied myself, Val squeezed my arm once more before releasing it¡ªa final reminder that she was with me. I forced myself to turn back to the assassin who had already demonstrated that she could kill us in an instant. And then, I realised. This was no poison. This was simply the trauma of talking to a parent. ¡®What are you doing here?¡¯ I asked. I¡¯d meant to spit the question at her, make it an accusation, but instead the words came out shaky and ineffective. ¡®I¡¯ve been here for a while now.¡¯ The woman looked at Corminar, who glared back at her. ¡®Only one of you had any idea.¡¯ ¡®Well, he¡¯s an elf and a tracker, isn¡¯t he, so he¡¯s gonna¡ª¡¯ A glance at Val cut her off; this was no time for bickering. I glanced at Elinor, already far into the distance, the last fire spirit floating along at her side. That battle was over, at least for now. All that remained was the battle with the woman in front of me. ¡®That¡¯s not an answer,¡¯ I told her. The woman stared back at me. Even at this distance, I could see that there was something dark, something deeply unsettling in those otherwise ordinary eyes. In those eyes that otherwise looked just like my own. ¡®What are you doing here?¡¯ I repeated. This time, my words came out strong¡ªthis was not a question, it was a demand. ¡®To make you an offer,¡¯ the woman replied. ¡®Come with us to¡ª¡¯ ¡®Oh, spare us!¡¯ someone shouted. It took me a second or two to realise that that someone was me. ¡®We¡¯ve heard this offer before. Stop killing you, join you, come to the Ascended World and live as gods¡ªthat¡¯s about the gist of it, right? Does Tana and the Council just make it a standing order for all of you to make this deal? Why do you think we¡¯d agree with time?¡¯ I caught myself. ¡®No, better question: why do you even care? You¡¯ve made it perfectly clear that you could pretty easily kill us all, so why don¡¯t you do that? Get this over with?¡¯ ¡®Mm, Styk?¡¯ Arzak tried to interrupted. I ignored her. I was on a roll. Something was pouring out of me, some weight that I hadn¡¯t realised I¡¯d been carrying for all these years. ¡®So why don¡¯t you do that, kill us, rather than wasting time trying to convince us to come with you?¡¯ The woman looked at Lore. ¡®For one, he needs to be there.¡¯ ¡®No,¡¯ I shouted. ¡®No lies. He¡¯s gotta be there, sure, I heard Niamh¡¯s prophecy. But that¡¯s not why you¡¯re here. So tell me. Why are you here? Why are you really making this offer?¡¯ Silence swept over the abandoned farmyard. Silence except for the distant crackling of flaming remnants. ¡®Tell me!¡¯ I bellowed. ¡®Because you are blood.¡¯ There it was, the answer I¡¯d been waiting for. An answer that inspired fury, and only fury, within me. ¡®Blood?¡¯ I repeated back to her. ¡®What, you think of me as family? That¡¯s why you dumped me on my idiot father¡¯s doorstep, I take it? That¡¯s why you abandoned me?¡¯ ¡®I had work in the Badlands. Work that I had to¡ª¡¯ ¡®No!¡¯ I shouted. The woman looked taken aback; it wasn¡¯t often that people dared interrupt her, then. ¡®No, not good enough. Not a good enough answer. You know what damage that did to me, growing up with my father? You know what he turned me in to? A thief. A criminal. Someone who could only be alone. And then I had to watch all his friends stab him. That messes with a kid¡¯s mind, you know. It messes with a kid¡¯s mind even more than having to grow up on the street. And you know what?¡¯ The woman looked as though she was going to actually answer that question, so I kept talking, snarling all the way. ¡®He was an idiot. He was a drunk. He was often a pretty nasty man. But at least he was there.¡¯ Across the farmyard, the woman held my gaze. There was still something unsettling in her eyes, but it had shifted. My words had knocked her off-kilter. ¡®Explain yourself!¡¯ Val shouted. This interruption I did appreciate. Still, the woman didn¡¯t respond. Not for a moment, at least. I thought I was going to need to prompt her once more, when her mouth finally opened. ¡®We created these worlds for entertainment, initially. I didn¡¯t know we could¡­¡¯ She paused, gathering herself. ¡®I didn¡¯t know that anything your father and I did would result in¡­ you.¡¯ ¡®So you abandoned me.¡¯ ¡®I was not a mother.¡¯ ¡®Yes you bloody well were!¡¯ Again, my mouth shouted these words before my brain could really catch up. My mother¡ªyes, my mother; that is what she was, that is the reality I had to face¡ªheld my gaze. She was good at this, as if her very existence was unflinching, as though she refused to be ashamed. But she should be. She reached into her pocket, and brought out a gem glowing with the red magicks of Illusion. ¡®What¡¯s this?¡¯ Val asked. ¡®What are you doing?¡¯ Elsewhere, both Lore and Arzak looked particularly nervous about this development. We¡¯d encountered too much Illusion on the road to this moment. Yusef had used it to control his cult. Tokas had used it to hide her crimes from me. We¡¯d grown cautious of it. ¡®It¡¯s a sales pitch,¡¯ my estranged mother replied. ¡®An illusion, yes, but an illusion of the world that Tana intends to build. It is an illusion built for one.¡¯ She stared pointedly at me. I stared back. ¡®So I see this world while my friends protect me from you, is that the idea?¡¯ ¡®Your friends couldn¡¯t protect you from me.¡¯ It was a very concise answer. And its brevity only pushed me away, rather than convincing me. ¡®No,¡¯ I said. ¡®No, I¡¯m not seeing this illusion of a new world. I¡¯m not interested. I wasn¡¯t interested in the offer when Niamh made it. I wasn¡¯t interested in the offer when Yusef made it. And I am definitely not interested when you make it.¡¯ That woman glared at me for a moment, seemingly considering my words. Then her skin rippled in a way not dissimilar to what happened to my skin when I activated Titan Husk, and she disappeared from sight. I caught flashes of movement, of shadows that shouldn¡¯t have been there, of the air rippling, all momentary glances of where my mother was moving, but not enough to truly locate her. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. And then she reappeared, not two feet in front of me. I didn¡¯t have time to react before she smashed that glowing red gem into my chest. * * * I saw Tana¡¯s new world. I saw mountain ranges, taller than any I¡¯d seen before. Much taller; those in Alterra didn¡¯t even come close. Their peaks towered above me, not just capped in snow but the bulk of their image dappled with white and grey. I saw a canyon stretching far over the horizon, deep enough to fit Coldharbour¡¯s Tower of Hope several times over. The setting sun cast shadows across the canyon onto the exposed layers bright orange stone, too low in the sky to reach the river at the bottom. I saw waves of green light shimmering in the sky. I saw a cliff edge coated in waterfalls, a plume of steam drifting off from the lake at their base. I saw vivid, lush reefs, and I saw bright green-blue oceans, and I saw a dormant volcano, its crater wide enough to fit my whole home town. I saw red sunsets and green farmlands and yellow flowers and black rock. And I realised that nothing that they could possibly show me would convince me to let my own world die. * * * The illusion faded, and I awoke¡ªwaking up was about as close a description as I have for returning from an illusion¡ªto chaos. Arrows were flying, swords were swinging, and Val¡¯s crackling magicks were soaring across the singed farmyard. None of these attacks hit anything but air. ¡®Where is she?¡¯ Corminar shouted. ¡®Where is she?¡¯ Nobody had a good answer, at least until my estranged mother appeared at Arzak¡¯s side. Before the orc could react, the Player sliced her blade along one of Arzak¡¯s wrists, and then the other. The woman had disappeared again before Arzak could react, but it wouldn¡¯t have made any difference; the attacks had caused the orc to drop both her weapons. Corminar, ever the first to react, sent an arrow soaring through the space where my mother had been, but again, it hit nothing. All the while, I stood still, taking stock and still pretending to be under the effects of the illusion. If my mother came close, I could use that to my advantage. I could use the element of surprise. I might be able to land an attack when none of my friends could. I kept my eyes as glossy as possible, standing still as a statue and giving every outward appearance of seeing visions. It was easier said than done when my friends were being hurt. My estranged mother next appeared at Corminar¡¯s side. Before he could react, she sliced the strap on his quiver, sending it¡ªand the countless arrows therein¡ªscattering across the ground. In a flash, she was gone once more. That could have been a slice to the neck, I thought. If my mother had had just an ounce more bloodlust, I could be down a friend. Every part of my inched to move, but then, what would I do? I would have just as much luck facing down this woman as the rest of the team. No, it was better that I tried for the surprise attack. The moment soon came. Val, who hadn¡¯t left my side throughout these illusions, tried a life drain spell on our enemy. Her magicks missed, but it seemed that they came close enough to draw the Player¡¯s attention. My mother appeared at Val¡¯s side, and then my gut twisted. Val was a witch; she had no weapon to disarm. If the enemy was going to stop her attacks, then she¡¯d need to¡ª I struck out as my mother lunged forward with her knife, stabbing my own blade through her weapon hand. Her eyes widened with surprise, but otherwise there was no outward reaction. If she was in pain, she kept it to herself. I pressed the attack, wrenching my knife and her hand back towards her chest. About five inches away from her chest, the woman¡¯s strength won out, and I could push it no further. ¡®Your offer,¡¯ I said. ¡®I¡¯m still not interested.¡¯ At this distance, all I had to do was activate Closed Reach, and my blade would enter her heart. It might not be enough to kill her, not by itself, not when the woman was this strong, but it would surely be enough to turn the tide. Sooner or later, we¡¯d win. My mother stared back at me, those eyes almost daring me to do it. I reached within myself, finding the appropriate magicks, meaning to activate them. Really, really meaning to. But they didn¡¯t come. I could see in those eyes that my mother knew what I¡¯d wrestled with. She pulled away, sliding her hand off my knife, and retreated. Before Val could attack her, she had disappeared once more. There came no more attacks on either me or my friends. My mother¡¯s job here was done; she¡¯d made her offer. It maybe hadn¡¯t gone that well, but she¡¯d tried. But we both knew that our paths would have to cross again, that our destinies were entwined, that the Council had to enact their plan and the Slayers had to stop it. When that day came, maybe more blood would be spilled. That was when I realised that, even after everything she¡¯d put me through and everything she sought still to do, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to kill her.
"Styk" Level 24 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 285 Dexterity ¡ª 190 Strength ¡ª 104 Wisdom ¡ª 92 Charisma ¡ª 76
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 77 Knifework ¡ª Level 60 Stealth ¡ª Level 33 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades II ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Etched spells can be activated up to ten times. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
230. Our Evening Of Rest And Relaxation Val healed Arzak¡¯s wrist wounds while looking cautiously over at me. I¡¯d almost expected an accusation from her¡ªsomething like ¡®why in the hells didn¡¯t you stab your mother in the heart?¡¯¡ªbut instead it felt more like I was getting some sympathy. ¡®You OK?¡¯ she mouthed at me. I nodded in answer. ¡®We head north,¡¯ Corminar was saying, and not for the first time. ¡®We travel directly to Auricia, and we remove the head from the Council. We strike quickly and fiercely. We put an end to this.¡¯ ¡®Agreed,¡¯ Val said, now concentrating back on her healing efforts. ¡®Styk and I spoke about just this, and¡ª¡¯ ¡®Now you two married, you leave us out of these talk?¡¯ Arzak asked, looking more than a little perturbed. I imagined it was less about me and more about her not being Val¡¯s number one confidant anymore. The witch glanced up at the orc she was healing. ¡®It was about the baby.¡¯ ¡®Mm, OK. You two can talk about baby.¡¯ ¡®Sooner or later,¡¯ Val continued, ¡®I¡¯m gonna be all big. Probably not that good in a fight. And after that, well, do we want to be fighting a Council of evil Players with a baby in tow?¡¯ Lore nodded. ¡®We gotta protect the baby.¡¯ Maybe he should be the guide-father, I thought at this point, in reaction to his fierce protective instinct. ¡®But keeping the baby safe means¡ª¡¯ ¡®I am glad we all agree,¡¯ Corminar said, interrupting Lore as perhaps he¡¯d sensed, like I had, that Lore was going to offer a compelling counterargument. ¡®We head to Auricia immediately, and we¡ª¡¯ ¡®No,¡¯ Arzak said. ¡®There is other problem. We head north to kill Players and I think we see someone again.¡¯ The team went quiet, then all looked at me, sat down on a log. I think it wasn¡¯t until that moment that Arzak and Corminar realised I¡¯d not been speaking. All four of them waited for me to comment on the situation. ¡®I¡­ couldn¡¯t activate Closed Reach,¡¯ I said, my eyes trained on the dirt. ¡®Were there magicks at play?¡¯ Corminar asked. ¡®No. I just¡­ Couldn¡¯t kill her.¡¯ Again, the farmyard was quiet. I continued, ¡®But Arzak¡¯s right. We¡¯re gonna run into her again. We¡¯ve got to stop Tana and her Council, and my mother, of course, is the person charged with stopping us.¡¯ ¡®She made no attempt to eliminate us,¡¯ Corminar said. ¡®And how long do you think that will last?¡¯ Val asked. ¡®She got what she wanted. She protected Elinor, who, I¡¯m guessing, is pretty important to whatever Tana¡¯s got planned. So why kill us?¡¯ The witch¡¯s eyes drifted over to me. ¡®Why kill her own son if she doesn¡¯t have to?¡¯ ¡®If she doesn¡¯t have to,¡¯ I repeated. ¡®If we keep on this path, then we¡¯ll soon be at a point where she does have to.¡¯ After another moment of quiet, this time due to everyone processing this information, Lore said, ¡®She¡¯s too strong.¡¯ I nodded. ¡®She is. I thought we¡¯d outgrown these Players, that these days we could handle them. But I¡¯m guessing that we¡¯ve not been targeting their strongest. You know, the ones that Tana needs for her plan. We need to find a weakness. We need to find my mother¡¯s weakness. And then¡­¡¯ I looked up at my friends, glancing at each of them in turn, before finally landing on Val. ¡®One of your four is going to need to exploit it.¡¯ My wife spoke first. ¡®You want us to kill your mother.¡¯ ¡®Yes.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t a question, but I answered it like one, for avoidance of doubt. Corminar glanced at Arzak, but the orc didn¡¯t notice; her eyes were trained on me. A lot of our communication was happening through looks, these days; I wasn¡¯t sure how I felt about that. ¡®Then we search for a weakness,¡¯ Corminar said. ¡®We ensure that we can deal with your mother¡ª¡¯ ¡®Cleo,¡¯ I said. ¡®I don¡¯t want to be reminded of her relation to me.¡¯ ¡®We ensure that we can deal with Cleo,¡¯ the elf corrected himself, ¡®and then we head north. We put an end to this scheme. Are we agreed?¡¯ Val nodded first. Lore waited until I¡¯d done the same before agreeing himself. ¡®Mm, agreed,¡¯ Arzak said. ¡®This is what we do. But have one request first.¡¯ I wasn¡¯t sure I liked where this was going. ¡®What¡¯s that?¡¯ ¡®We had big day. Need unwind time. We take evening off. Relax. Recuperate.¡¯ This time, everyone agreed instantly. * * * We returned to Lonely Hearth at dusk. This time, there was no informant awaiting us on her porch, and I wouldn¡¯t have been interested if there was. The only thing I was interested in right now was a pint of beer. Or several. As we stood outside the town¡¯s only tavern, Arzak nodded Val away. Across the street, one of the locals had opened up their home to the public. Wafts of pie and cake drifted over to us. It was over to this miniature festival that Arzak was encouraging Val. ¡®Val not drink,¡¯ Arzak said to me. ¡®But she eat cake. We go there, see if travellers welcome.¡¯ ¡®Oh, I¡ª¡¯ Lore started, and I knew exactly where he was going with this because there was both pie and cake involved. So too, did Arzak. ¡®We be around men too long,¡¯ she said. ¡®We have girl¡¯s night.¡¯ Lore trailed off dejectedly, turning to Corminar. ¡®You think this tavern has pie?¡¯ ¡®Undoubtedly,¡¯ the elf replied, and this cheered Lore up instantly. But Val clearly wasn¡¯t totally on board with Arzak¡¯s plan. She hadn¡¯t joined the orc at her side, instead lingering around me. ¡®Will you be OK?¡¯ she asked, loud enough that only I could hear. I nodded. ¡®I will. Go have your cake.¡¯ Val smiled back at me, then pecked me gently on the lips. ¡®Have fun with the boys.¡¯ I looked over at them. Lore was peeking in the tavern¡¯s window¡ªinevitably to see if they had any pie¡ªwhile Corminar used the window¡¯s reflection to adjust his hair. ¡®Oh, I¡­¡¯ I couldn¡¯t quite bring myself to say, ¡®Oh, I will,¡¯ because with these two, there was absolutely no guarantee. The tavern was the familiar sort. Fading armchairs were placed in groups around the room, atop equally¡ªif not more¡ªfaded rugs. A fire crackled in each chimney, at either side of the room, and was enough to defend from the bitter frost creeping in. A friendly barkeep stood pouring pints, his part-satyr ancestry apparently of particular interest to the local women. ¡®Three of your finest beers, good sir,¡¯ Corminar said as he approached the bar. The barkeep¡¯s eyes lingered, just for a moment, before he smiled and poured out three pints that I suspected were just as fine as every other beer he served. We took seats in the corner of the room, right by the fire, and I warmed my hands against it. Apparently, our skirmish with Elinor wasn¡¯t enough to put me off fire, not entirely. Not when the bitter winter winds had struck a coldness into my core. I took a sip of my beer, and realised that maybe I¡¯d been too cynical¡ªthis really was good beer. You might even call it fine beer. ¡®Not bad,¡¯ I said. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Corminar nodded. ¡®It is still no wine, but for beer¡­ yes, not so bad. What do you think, Lore?¡¯ But Lore was distracted. The big man was looking over Corminar¡¯s shoulder at a group of women. No, I realised, not at a group of women but at one in particular¡ªa small woman who wore a clearly handmade cardigan with the image of a sheep stitched onto its chest. When I tried¡ªand failed¡ªto suppress a smirk, the elf realised something was up. Corminar followed Lore¡¯s line of sight, and a sly smile crossed his lips. ¡®Am I safe in assuming you find her attractive, Lore?¡¯ ¡®I guess?¡¯ Lore said sheepishly. No pun intended. ¡®She seems cool. What¡¯s not to like?¡¯ ¡®You should consider talking to her. Perhaps she will return the very same sentiment.¡¯ Lore visibly gulped. ¡®Oh. I¡­ I don¡¯t know about that.¡¯ The man faced down hags and neereagles and the like no problem, but ask him to put himself out there, and¡­ The elf put a hand on the big guy¡¯s shoulder. ¡®If you are nervous, I could teach you some of my ways.¡¯ ¡®You sure?¡¯ I broke in. ¡®I dunno if now is really the time for¡ª¡¯ Corminar glared at me. ¡®We seek to do battle with a Council of Players. It is unlikely that we all survive this inevitable encounter. There may be no other time.¡¯ When I snapped my mouth shut, giving up my protest, the elf turned back to Lore. ¡®For now, let us keep this simple. Go up to her, introduce yourself, and tell her she is more beautiful than any star in the sky. After that, talk with her. Show interest in all that she says.¡¯ ¡®...And then what?¡¯ Lore asked, eyes darting between Corminar and the woman wearing the sheep cardigan. ¡®Then, if all goes well, you encourage her up to your room.¡¯ ¡®To do what?¡¯ ¡®To make love to her, Lore.¡¯ Again, the big man gulped. Corminar looked to me for support. ¡®You should do it, Lore,¡¯ I said. ¡®Life¡¯s short. Maybe shorter than we know. What are you gonna regret more, being rejected or never even trying?¡¯ Lore¡¯s eyes lit up a moment later, as though I¡¯d passed on some profound wisdom, then nodded. ¡®You¡¯re right.¡¯ He stood up immediately, as though afraid he might lose this newfound confidence, and then strutted over to the table where the two women sat. Corminar and I watched on. ¡®Hello,¡¯ Lore said, sticking out his hand for a handshake. ¡®My name is Lore, and I think you¡¯re pretty like a star. Do you want to talk for a while, and then if that goes well, we could make love?¡¯ There was a loud thump as Corminar¡¯s head hit the table. ¡®Please let me know when this is over,¡¯ said the despairing elf. ¡®Hey, it was your advice.¡¯ I watched on, bracing myself for a slap to the face of my friend. The woman stared back at Lore for a painful few seconds, dumbfounded, before¡­ laughing? I nudged Corminar. ¡®It simply cannot be over already,¡¯ the elf said. ¡®No,¡¯ I said, still nudging him, ¡®look. It¡¯s worked.¡¯ Corminar snapped his head up to look at Lore and the woman in the cardigan, and blinked. ¡®Perhaps some platitudes hold true. Perhaps there really is someone for everyone.¡¯ My elven friend caught the eye of the barkeep again. ¡®Speaking of¡­¡¯ ¡®You think that guy is the one?¡¯ I asked. ¡®There is but one way in which to find out.¡¯ The ranger shrugged, picked up his glass, and left me alone by the fire. Some ¡°boy¡¯s night¡± this was. I wasn¡¯t too upset though, not really. The past few weeks of travelling and intense Player-fighting had meant I¡¯d been living in very close proximity to the rest of the team. It was nice to get some space, even for an hour. I contended myself to stare into the fire, sip my beer, and think about anything but my encounter with my estranged mother. But try as I might, those eyes kept reappearing in my mind. Those eyes that looked so like the ones I saw in the mirror, and yet so different. There was something in them that made my stomach lurch, something that I couldn¡¯t quite label. Did I see in them a propensity for evil? One that made me wonder if she hadn¡¯t passed that on to me? No, that wasn¡¯t quite right. It was more than that. But, still, I couldn¡¯t quite place it. ¡®You alright?¡¯ I looked up from the fire to find that a woman was sitting in the armchair next to me. It was the friend of the woman in the sheep cardigan, apparently growing bored of Lore taking her company away from her. ¡®I¡¯m alright,¡¯ I replied. ¡®You?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m alright, yeah.¡¯ The woman held my gaze. She had pretty eyes; very different from my mother¡¯s. I wouldn¡¯t tell Val I thought that. ¡®Your mate is funny.¡¯ ¡®Lore?¡¯ I asked. Funny wasn¡¯t a way I usually described him. Kind, strong, good¡ªall of these descriptors, yes. But funny? ¡®The big guy.¡¯ She pointed over to Lore and her friend. ¡®He is big, isn¡¯t he?¡¯ ¡®Yep. And as easy on the eyes as his friends.¡¯ Ah. Right. Of course. In response, I simply smiled, gracefully accepting the compliment. ¡®And you are¡­?¡¯ my new acquaintance asked. ¡®Married,¡¯ I replied. The woman considered this for only a second before asking, ¡®...How married?¡¯ ¡®Very.¡¯ I smiled as kindly as I could manage. ¡®Sorry.¡¯ The stranger touched me reassuringly on the arm, just for a second, before rising from the armchair. ¡®They¡¯re a lucky person.¡¯ ¡®She wouldn¡¯t say so,¡¯ I joked, though I knew Val thought it really. Alone once more, I stared into the fire. Tomorrow, the work would begin again. Tomorrow, we would start figuring out how to kill my mother.
"Styk" Level 24 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 285 Dexterity ¡ª 190 Strength ¡ª 104 Wisdom ¡ª 92 Charisma ¡ª 76
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 77 Knifework ¡ª Level 60 Stealth ¡ª Level 33 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades II ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Etched spells can be activated up to ten times. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
231. The Coming Storm It took only two nights for Arzak¡¯s ever-growing network of informants to give us a lead. From the sounds of it, there were thousands of them out there, now. Thousands of people ready to put their lives at risk in the name of ridding the world of Players. Tokas¡ªmay she find rest¡ªhad been right; exposing the Players really was hundreds of times more powerful than killing them. Still, we had a long way to go. Until towns, cities and even nations began to turn against the Players, we were still fighting an uphill battle. The network¡¯s information sent us west, towards the coast on the Sea of Terrors. Out here, it was said, we could find a man who had survived an encounter with Cleo. And who better to tell us of my mother¡¯s weakness than a man who had lived to tell the tale? But finding him was easier said than done. We spent days on the coast, battling the bitter winds coming off the sea, and we spent nights camping by the road, fighting off more aggressive creatures than I would¡¯ve expected from this part of the world. In all, it was almost a fortnight after leaving Lonely Hearth that we found our man. We were cowering from the cold winds under the shelter of a lush evergreen tree. For the past two days, it hadn¡¯t just been the winds we¡¯d needed to contend with. Now, rain pelted our faces as we travelled¡ªrain so cold that it veered often into sleet¡ªand I wondered if maybe the Sea of Terrors itself would be warmer. The locals said that on a clear day, you could see the Isle of the Old Ways over the sea. I very much doubted that, but today was anything but a clear day. We¡¯d been assured that the man we were after lived here, exactly where we were crouching and eating damp, limp sandwiches. ¡®Any chance we made a wrong turn?¡¯ Lore asked, as thunder rumbled overhead. ¡®Maybe we call it,¡¯ I said, almost having to shout over the weather just to be heard. ¡®Head back to town. Get a roof over our heads and some warm food in our stomachs.¡¯ ¡®No,¡¯ Arzak replied. ¡®He here. I trust network. We just need look.¡¯ ¡®Well maybe we can look after the storm passes?¡¯ Val suggested. ¡®Cos I¡¯ve just got my hair looking nice, and¡ª¡¯ Lightning burst from the heavens above and shot through a tree not thirty feet from where we were standing. Bark and branches exploded from the trunk, peppering us with small cuts and bruises. A second later, we heard an almighty cracking sound as the tree began crackling in two. I saved Lore and Corminar from being hit only by opening a portal between them and the falling tree, slicing the wood in half using my Portal Slice ability. Rain or no rain, nice-looking hair or no nice-looking hair, this was enough to force Val out from under the cover of the woods. The rest of the team followed, fleeing the trees for the beach, out of the danger of trees crashing down on us but now amongst the bitter winds once more. ¡®Styk¡¯s right!¡¯ Val shouted. ¡®Let¡¯s head back! I need some food. And a bath, maybe.¡¯ ¡®No!¡¯ Arzak replied. ¡®Arzak, they are correct,¡¯ Corminar said. ¡®We could not locate a mountain in this weather, let alone a man. We¡ª¡¯ ¡®No!¡¯ the orc cried again, this time pointing down the beach, to the treeline. A man stood still, watching us. When Arzak took the first step towards him, even someone as strong as her struggling in these gales, the man turned around, and disappeared among the trees. ¡®Arzak¡­¡¯ I started, but didn¡¯t bother; she was already a good twenty feet away, and wouldn¡¯t hear me over the weather. Instead, I opened a portal in front of her, its partner over where the mysterious man had been moments earlier. As I stepped through it, back into the danger of the trees, the wind calmed some. My ears still stung from the cold, but I could hear a little, at least. The orc didn¡¯t say anything, but pointed east, deeper into the woods. I nodded, opening another portal for us to cross the distance faster. It wasn¡¯t just that I was worried about losing the stranger; I was worried about being in the midst of so many trees during a storm. We followed the man like this for maybe five minutes, before finally coming upon a small wooden shack in the centre of the woods. Though made only of wood, not stone, the building seemed stable; some artistry had gone into its construction. Out the front of the shack, two cows munched grass lazily under a small shelter, otherwise unbothered by the storm. A handful of chickens huddled mostly underneath the cattle, except for one that stood in the rain, fanning out its wings. There was a low wooden fence around the perimeter, but it would have done nothing to keep the hens here¡ªthey remained at the shack by choice. The man stood in the doorway, holding it open for us, beckoning us inside. ¡®Come,¡¯ he said. ¡®The storm will be overhead for a while yet. Why not wait it out by the fire?¡¯ When we appeared to hesitate, he added, ¡®My name is Elfric.¡¯ Val didn¡¯t need to be told twice, and she led us up the three stairs to the shack¡¯s door. We passed into a wave of heat, sustained by a fire in the corner of the room. Whatever kept the wooden chimney from burning had to have been magick in origin; this man had more power than he seemed. ¡®You know Cleo?¡¯ Arzak asked as she closed the door behind her. Elfric froze for just a moment, though it was enough for us to notice. ¡®I heard that someone was looking for me. I figured you would find me sooner or later, so we may as well get it over with. We can get straight to business.¡¯ ¡®You want us out of here that quickly?¡¯ Val asked. ¡®I prefer a solitary existence.¡¯ ¡®What about the storm?¡¯ Lore asked. ¡®You said that name in this house. You are no longer welcome.¡¯ Arzak nodded. ¡®This is right place then.¡¯ ¡®Nice place you have here,¡¯ I said, looking at the framed paintings on the walls, the decorated plates set out on the ornate dining table. If this man was an enemy to my mother, then maybe he was an ally in the battles to come. We¡¯d just need to get him on side. ¡®Straight to business,¡¯ Elfric said again. When he looked at me this time, his eyes lingered. I sighed. ¡®Fine. We want to know about Cleo. We want to know what she¡¯s done, what she¡¯s capable of, and¡­¡¯ I added this last bit for my own sake; I had to know why she abandoned me. ¡®And where she was for all those years.¡¯ Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. The man turned his back on us, removed a metal kettle from a cupboard and set it upon a rune that began to turn the metal from dull grey to bright red. It wasn¡¯t long before steam was billowing from the spout. ¡®I¡¯ll make you a deal,¡¯ Elfric said. ¡®I¡¯ll tell you all I know, and in return, you let me live.¡¯ It seemed about as fair a deal as I¡¯d ever heard. But maybe once I¡¯d heard what he¡¯d had to say, I would change my mind. Maybe I¡¯d feel like letting this man live was too high a price. As the hermit looked at me once more, I realised he wasn¡¯t looking at me, he was looking at my eyes. He recognised them. He was close enough to my mother, once upon a time, to still remember her eyes even to this day. And then I understood. ¡®Seems fair,¡¯ Val said. ¡®Why don¡¯t you start with¡ª¡¯ But I put out a hand to stop her. ¡®What?¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t you see?¡¯ I asked. ¡®He¡¯s one of them. He¡¯s a Player.¡¯ Corminar and Arzak drew their respective weapons before I¡¯d even finished the word. Elfric didn¡¯t visibly show any fear, but nor did he reach for a weapon. Was he strong enough not to need one? Or did he simply know it would make no difference? ¡®It¡¯s a fair deal,¡¯ the man said again. ¡®I just want to be left alone out here. I just want to live my life in peace.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s a fair deal unless you¡¯ve done something dreadful. And I think we all know now that you have.¡¯ The Player held my gaze, as though challenging me. I couldn¡¯t say for sure¡ªeven now, months later¡ªwhether this was a bluff. Was Elfric daring me to spring the attack? ¡®Do you know how close my old colleagues are to creating their new world? I never thought they¡¯d get this far. Deep down, I always thought it impossible. But now it¡¯s up to these famous Slayers to stop them.¡¯ ¡®You want us to win?¡¯ Lore asked. ¡®And I¡¯m guessing you want us to stop them out of the kindness of your own heart?¡¯ Val asked. ¡®You want us to believe there¡¯s some honour in you?¡¯ The Player raised his eyebrows. ¡®Honour? Heavens, no. I abandoned the Council. Do you really think there is a place for me in their new world? All I have is this one. That¡¯s a pretty good reason for wanting to save it, don¡¯t you think? They really are close. Letting me live my life¡ªone that no longer hurts anyone¡ªis a small price to pay for information that might help you.¡¯ I glanced to Val. After a moment of consideration, she nodded. ¡®We¡¯ve given others a second chance.¡¯ ¡®We knew what the others had done, though.¡¯ Still, I knew she was right. I turned back to Elfric and stuck out my hand. ¡®I guess¡­ you have a deal.¡¯ The Player took it, still staring into my eyes. ¡®You look a lot like your mother, you know.¡¯ ¡®I know.¡¯ I took a seat by the fire¡ªone of many small, rickety wooden chairs dotted around the small cabin. ¡®Tell me the rest. The bits I don¡¯t know.¡¯ Elfric nodded, then grabbed one of the chairs from around the dining table, placing it opposite me, at the other side of the fireplace. The danger now seeming to have passed, Corminar and Arzak lowered their weapons, but their tense body language told me they were remaining alert. Good. I wasn¡¯t entirely fooled by Elfric either. ¡®Very well,¡¯ he said. ¡®Let¡¯s begin.¡¯
"Styk" Level 24 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 289 Dexterity ¡ª 192 Strength ¡ª 104 Wisdom ¡ª 94 Charisma ¡ª 76
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 78 Knifework ¡ª Level 60 Stealth ¡ª Level 34 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades II ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Etched spells can be activated up to ten times. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
232. Those Years In The Badlands Elfric had a poet¡¯s soul. He spoke eloquently, not using sophisticated words but plain language, and yet every word seemed carefully chosen. His tale drew us into the past with him, painting a vivid picture of all that he and Cleo had seen in the Badlands. It was almost enough to distract me from what he¡¯d done. Almost. I won¡¯t reiterate it word for word¡ªI don¡¯t think I could really do it justice¡ªbut I will, at least, give you the gist of it. * * * My mother was a monster. That, above all else, was clear. In fact, it seemed to be why Tana picked her to go along with Elfric on this particular quest. But I¡¯m jumping ahead a little¡ªlet me go back to the start. The real start, that is. We¡¯re going back to the moment this world was created. Our world, and all those like it, was created out of magicks. It took all magicks to create a world. Illusionists drew up the foundations of a world. Sorcerers wielded and shaped the elements. Conjurors formed the creatures, sapient and otherwise, and healers gave them life. Worldbenders and enchanters and diviners turned magicks into the system we all interact with every day. And it took witches to bind it all together. There is a lot to unpack there, so let me reassure you: we¡¯d needed a few minutes to process, too. The original world¡ªthe Ascended World¡ªhad no system at all. I could not even begin to comprehend what that looked like. How did someone know how strong another was? How did they learn new abilities without simply picking them from a list? How did they get anything done at all? And that was to say nothing of Witchcraft¡¯s involvement in the creation of a world. At this point, I asked Elfric about it¡ªwhy have Players seeded hatred of Witchcraft in this world, if such magicks were used to create it?¡ªand he assured me he would get to that. Those that we call Players had never built worlds before. Not only did they build thousands of them¡ªof enough variety to suit all of their kind¡ªbut they built them quickly. It was inevitable, then, that they made some mistakes. The worlds¡­ weren¡¯t as cohesive as they wanted. And for many years, the Players didn¡¯t understand why this was. There was one part of their world-build that they¡¯d made absolutely sure held true. If a Player died in a world, that was the end for them there, and they could never return. Players knew the dangers of toying with the boundary between life and death, and they would not make the same mistake in these new worlds as they had in their old. What Elfric meant by this wasn¡¯t clear, and he never¡ªeven after we pressed the matter¡ªexplained it any further. When Tana eventually gathered her Council of Players, she told them the truth. The reason that these worlds were flawed was because they¡¯d had traitors in their midst. There had been Players who hadn¡¯t learned the lessons of the past, and they¡¯d shaved off some of the world-build magicks to create powers of their own¡ªpowers that would let them triumph over death. They manifested in many different ways across the worlds, but in this one, these traitorous powers manifested as artifacts. I¡¯d touched the Sisyphus Artifact through my shirt at this point, removing my hand as casually as possible so as to not draw Elfric¡¯s attention. Who knew what he¡¯d do if he learned I had one of these artifacts on my person? Tana had seen it as her duty to fix the mistakes of the past. At first, that had meant fixing the worlds they had created. Only later, once they realised that it was an impossible task, would the Council instead seek to create a new, perfect world of their own. But in that time, they were focused on fixing the world, and that was where my mother came in. The leader of the Council had located a tear in the world. Its location should have been obvious, really; where else in all of Alterra had so many problems as the Badlands? Creatures there were stronger than anywhere else in the world, and they evolved over time, far quicker than they should have been able. No civilisation had been able to flourish in those lands, and to this day, the Badlands were ruled by warring tribes. Tana sent Elfric and my mother there to close this tear. She¡¯d sent Elfric because he had¡ªtheoretical, if not practical¡ªknowledge of Witchcraft. And she¡¯d sent my mother because she¡¯d known Cleo would do whatever had to be done to get them there. Elfric had used the phrase ¡°without prejudice¡± to describe what my mother had done over the months he¡¯d travelled with her, and I think that paints a fairly clear picture. The man had seen her slaughter whole tribes¡ªthe young, the old, the feeble¡ªrather than let any get away. If any spoke of their presence to another tribe, she said, then even more enemies could rain down upon them. When I say before that my mother was a monster, that wasn¡¯t just me extrapolating from what Elfric had told us; he, too, had described her that way. But how could I marry this information up with the encounter we¡¯d had with her? We¡¯d given Cleo the opportunity to kill us all and be rid of us, and yet she¡¯d barely touched us¡ªonly demonstrating that she could have killed us if she¡¯d wanted to. And she¡¯d even offered us a place in the Council¡¯s new world. Were those the actions of a monster? I will spare you the gory details of everything else that my mother did. My promise to tell you everything only goes so far; including Cleo¡¯s full list of evil deeds wouldn¡¯t paint you any clearer a picture, but would probably make you queasy. Suffice to say, my mother really did whatever she¡¯d had to to get Elfric to the tear in the world¡ªjust as Tana had known she would. At this point in the story, the eloquent Elfric went quiet, and paled. His words became stilted and clumsy, and he soon explained that his memory of the tear is¡­ lacking, to say the least. It wasn¡¯t that he simply couldn¡¯t remember what he¡¯d seen when he¡¯d stared into the tear, but that his brain wouldn¡¯t let him remember. Even the Players could be touched by such horrors. He shifted to explaining the tear in clinical terms. The tear in the world was essentially a gap in its creation, a place where someone could stare into the space between the worlds. He described it as a fringe between one world and the next, where the horrors of the Witchcraft-created void bled in to reality. This was the reason that Witchcraft had to be hated; its usage had the potential to eat away at the boundary between the worlds, and if this corruption spread further, it could destroy Alterra itself. And yet, Tana sought to wield Witchcraft once more. She had to, if she was going to create this new world. She would need more Witchcraft than ever before to protect the new world from the mistakes of the past. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. When Elfric had returned from his work in the Badlands, he resigned his position on the Council. What he¡¯d seen in that tear in the world¡ªwhatever it was¡ªhad broken him. He could not go on as he had. He could be a part of this no longer. But Cleo had stared into that void too, and her mind hadn¡¯t broken. Whatever she¡¯d seen in that void, she might still remember. In fact, Elfric suggested, it was the force that drove her on. ¡®And her weakness?¡¯ I asked at the very end. Elfric gave it considerable thought, plunging the cabin into silence for a minute or more before speaking. ¡®Cleo isn¡¯t strong with physical weapons. She doesn¡¯t have considerable reserves of magicks. She is simply untouchable, hidden by her efficient shadow-blending magicks, her damage amplified tenfold by Stealth passives. And yet¡­ it¡¯s enough that in all the years we travelled together, I never saw her suffer more than a scratch. How can you attack that which you cannot see? It becomes a fight of attrition¡ªyou attacking at thin air, her bleeding your health with every well-placed stab of her blade. Sooner or later, she will win. ¡®Her weakness? I suppose it¡¯s the same weakness as everyone else.¡¯ ¡®What¡¯s that?¡¯ ¡®She can¡¯t be in two places at once.¡¯ * * * After we held up our end of the bargain, and left Elfric¡¯s cabin with its resident still alive, nobody spoke for three hours. The storm had quietened while Elfric had told us his tale, but it hadn¡¯t gone completely. We weren¡¯t in danger of being struck by lightning, but we were in danger of being drenched. And yet, it didn¡¯t seem to matter. What we¡¯d just been told¡ªand had no reason to doubt¡ªhad shaken our understandings of this world. It only made sense that we needed some time to process it. We stepped through the woods, the mud slippery beneath our feet, the fallen water carving small streams between the roots. Val, finally, spoke first. ¡®So¡­¡¯ There was no need to finish the question. ¡®We eat,¡¯ I said. ¡®We rest. We sleep on all we¡¯ve learned. And we make our next move in the morning.¡¯ Though I was still off-kilter from what Elfric had told us, I felt like this was the reasonable next step. Two years ago, I would have sprung immediately into action, and maybe as a result I wouldn¡¯t have made the best decision. I was growing. This was probably a good thing, considering I had a child in my not-too-distant future. I would be mature, or at least mature enough to do a better job at raising my child than my mother had¡ªnot that this was a particularly high bar. And so it went quiet once more. Quiet, at least, until we grew close to the nearest town. Corminar¡¯s ears pricked up first. ¡®There is trouble ahead,¡¯ he said, pulling his bow from his shoulder. The rest of the team took his lead, preparing ourselves for a fight. As we emerged from the underbrush onto a farm at the edge of town, the form of the trouble became clear. Dozens of hags¡ªmore than I¡¯d ever seen together¡ªswarmed the town, shrieking at its residents and attacking them as they fled. I sighed, drew my blade and opened a portal.
"Styk" Level 24 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 289 Dexterity ¡ª 192 Strength ¡ª 104 Wisdom ¡ª 94 Charisma ¡ª 76
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 78 Knifework ¡ª Level 60 Stealth ¡ª Level 34 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades II ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Etched spells can be activated up to ten times. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
233. Making Noise The hag shrieked its deathcry, and I withdrew my dagger. I spun on the spot, opening a portal ahead of the one that was fleeing, the portal¡¯s partner blooming into life at Corminar¡¯s side. I shifted my attention away as the elf loosed arrow after arrow through the portal into the enemy, trusting him to finish the job. One of the six remaining hags charged at a man standing in front of his two young children. He knew they could not outrun the monsters, and so he put himself between them and danger, buying them a few more seconds. ¡®Val!¡¯ I shouted, pointing to the endangered residents. She didn¡¯t even look where I was pointing, and just started running. I opened a portal in front of her, dropping her onto the roof above the man and children, and she released her life-drain magicks onto the enemies. Over the past few minutes, I¡¯d noticed this new spell was very effective against the hags¡ªsomething to do with them being monsters of Witchcraft, I suspected. I left Val to it, closing both pairs of portals before falling backwards through a new one. This one opened me in the air above where Lore and Arzak faced down three more of the enemies. I tumbled backwards, feet over head, before landing at the rear of one of the hags. I stabbed as I fell, burying my dagger deeply, before activating Val¡¯s life-drain spell that was etched into the side of my blade. Green magicks shot forth, enveloping the creature, and it, too, shrieked as it died. ¡®Mm. Nice,¡¯ Arzak said as she swiped her swords at the nearest hag, only for it to blip out of existence the moment before the blades touched it. But Arzak moved with the momentum of her attack, spinning around on the spot to slice at the air behind her¡ªjust where the hag rematerialised. ¡®Also nice,¡¯ Lore commented. He tried the same, but was out of luck; the creature instead reformed at my side. I knew that any attempt to stab the hag¡ªat least, one that it saw coming¡ªwould cause it to phase out of reality again. But I had my blade held out already, so it was a simple case of activating Closed Reach, warping reality to bring the hag onto my blade, rather than the other way around. I activated my Etched Blades ability once more, draining the monster of its lifeforce. The glow on my blade grew fainter; I would need Val to recharge it once the fight was done. Not that it took much longer. Now that the hags were outnumbered, we could easily dispatch them. And the last two that tried to flee? I opened portals for Corminar and Val to finish those hags off. 4x Enticed Hags defeated! Worldbending ¡ª +7,300xp Worldbending increased to level 79! Base Points gained ¡ª +2 INT, +2 Free Points (INT/WIS/CHA) Knifework ¡ª +5,200xp Knifework increased to level 61! Base Points Gained ¡ª +1 DEX, +1 STR, +2 Free Points (VIT/DEX/STR) Level up! You increased to level 25! ¡®We good?¡¯ I called out after registering my notifications, not just to my team but to the residents of the small town too. Some way away, someone called out in pain. I opened a portal next to Val, rushing her to the injured woman¡¯s side. ¡®Anyone else?¡¯ * * * Arzak had an informant in town. Well, she had two informants in town, technically, but only one of them is relevant to the story. While the orc and Lore spoke to the stablemaster who wore the symbol of a circle sliced in half upon their chest, the rest of us reconvened. ¡®We¡¯ve seen it before,¡¯ Val said. ¡®Seen what before?¡¯ Val gestured to the town, and to the two bodies being shifted onto a cart. ¡®Monsters. Pushed out of their normal habitats. A dozen hags¡­ that¡¯s beyond strange. That¡¯s unnatural.¡¯ ¡®The witchfinder village,¡¯ I said. ¡®That too, but not the one I was thinking of,¡¯ Val replied. ¡®The Iron Sea. Back before we sailed to face down Niamh.¡¯ Corminar shifted from foot to foot as that particular Player was mentioned; she was a reminder that his home was still occupied by the forces of the Goldmarch. ¡®We saw cephalopor pushed from the sea. Merfolk too. And it was power pushing them out, wasn¡¯t it?¡¯ ¡®What are you saying, Val?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m saying there is immense power at play once again. And I think we all know who¡¯s going to be behind it.¡¯ The Council. I didn¡¯t need to say this bit aloud. ¡®Maybe there isn¡¯t time for rest, after all.¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying.¡¯ I nodded, then left Val and Corminar to appear at Lore and Arzak¡¯s side. ¡®What¡¯s the latest?¡¯ I asked. ¡®Trouble in Tradum, a couple of days to the east,¡¯ Lore said. ¡®A Player there, it sounds like. But¡­¡¯ ¡®But if we go after them, we might have to contend with my mother again.¡¯ Lore nodded, and both Arzak and the informant looked warily my way. ¡®Well, I think I¡¯ve got a plan for that,¡¯ I said. ¡®We¡¯ll make use of her own weakness.¡¯ Arzak grunted her understanding, but it took Lore a little while to catch up. ¡®There¡¯s just one more thing,¡¯ I said, this time to the stablemaster. ¡®We¡¯re going to need a pretty big favour.¡¯ * * * I held on for dear life. The sound of beating hooves echoed around my skull. The constant impact of hoof against road had me gritting my teeth to stop me from biting from tongue. It was fair to say that I wasn¡¯t a natural horseman. Val, on the other hand, was a different story. She said she¡¯d only ridden twice before, but I couldn¡¯t help but think she was lying. The horse seemed to respond to even her lightest touch, and she navigated us around obstacles with ease. An overhanging branch threatened to knock us from the horse¡¯s back, and I ducked just in time, hanging on to Val¡¯s waist ever tighter. Val could very easily have ridden us around this particular obstacle, but then she wouldn¡¯t have been able to screw with me. ¡®Having fun back there?¡¯ Val shouted, and I could hear the glee in her tone of voice. ¡®No!¡¯ ¡®Oh well!¡¯ she retorted, and then a moment later she had our horse galloping even harder. I grit my teeth even tighter, then barked through them, ¡®Do we have to go this fast?¡¯ ¡®Do you want to catch up with Elinor or not?¡¯ The question was a good one. Initially, my answer would have been a quick ¡°yes¡±. Now that I was living in the reality of riding a borrowed horse, I wasn¡¯t so sure. This wasn¡¯t for me. This really wasn¡¯t for me. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. The plan was a simple one. Elfric had told us my mother¡¯s weakness¡ªeven she couldn¡¯t be in two places at once. So if we, as a team, wanted to hunt down a Player, then we¡¯d need to ensure that my mother was elsewhere. While Arzak, Lore and Corminar rode east to Tradum¡ªCorminar had to share a horse with Lore, and he had not been happy about the whole affair¡ªVal and I were making noise. We stopped in every town we came across, asking as loudly as possible if anyone had seen someone matching Elinor¡¯s description. The reason for this was twofold. First of all, we really did want to know where she was. Secondly, though Arzak¡¯s network of informants was great, we knew the Council¡¯s network was greater. If anyone heard us asking after the location of a Player, it would get back to them sooner or later. And who would they send to deal with us? My mother, of course. But that was only the first stage of the plan. ¡®Branch!¡¯ Val shouted, and I ducked immediately, not realising that there was no branch. The witch cackled, which did nothing for her class¡¯s stereotype. ¡®Very good.¡¯ ¡®I thought so.¡¯ I caught sight of the sun, hanging overhead to the left of us. It seemed to have moved fast; no wonder Val was pushing the horse so hard. If we were going to have any chance of catching up with Elinor, we needed to be much further north before the sun set. ¡®Reckon you can get the horse through a portal?¡¯ I asked. ¡®Err¡­¡¯ ¡®They¡¯re pretty big?¡¯ ¡®For a person, sure. But¡ª¡¯ ¡®Arzak and Lore fit through just fine!¡¯ Val grumbled something that I didn¡¯t quite hear. ¡®What was that?¡¯ ¡®I said¡­ we can give it a go.¡¯ Something told me that this wasn¡¯t what she¡¯d grumbled, but I opened a portal way ahead of us anyway. This one wouldn¡¯t take us too much further along the road, but I wanted Val to have plenty of warning for our first attempt. I expected the horse to resist the instruction to leap through the portal. Going through one for the first time was a¡­ strange experience. It felt unnatural, or dangerous somehow. And yet, the horse happily tucked in its front legs, pushing off the ground with its rear legs, and soared through the portal. Val and I had to duck to avoid us hitting the top of the portal¡ªand being knocked from the saddle¡ªbut it worked. We made it. We travelled this way for another hour or two more, the portals combined with the horse¡¯s speed allowing us to cover ground at a rate surely unheard of anywhere on Alterra. It pleased me to think that we were maybe the fastest travellers alive outside of direct teleportation spells¡ªand those were only used by the super rich. The sun was not quite setting, but was certainly low in the sky, when my mother shimmered into sight on the road ahead. Val wrenched on our borrowed horse¡¯s reins, bringing it¡ªand us¡ªto an abrupt stop. I had to hold on tight to Val¡¯s waist as the animal reared. The Council had heard our noise. They knew we rode north to take down Elinor. And my mother had once more been sent to stop us. This time, the woman made no effort to speak, only staring at me with those horrifying eyes that so closely mirrored my own. She drew her blade. Would she make no offer this time? Would she attack us for real, rather than simply miming her strikes? I could not honestly say I knew, and I wasn¡¯t about to find out the answer. ¡®I want to accept your offer,¡¯ I said. My mother paused, mid-way through the slow drawing of her dagger. She didn¡¯t open her mouth, yet the question was plain. Why? Why would I change my mind so soon? What could possibly be a convincing answer to that question. Of course, Val and I had practised it. ¡®On one condition.¡¯ A pause. The woman who was my mother in blood only kept her eyes on us. The evening light filtering through the leaves on the branches that hung over the traveller¡¯s road, bespeckling the ground. One of the last fallen leaves of winter crunched as the horse shifted on the spot, apparently as uncomfortable with this situation as I was. ¡®Tell me,¡¯ Cleo finally said. ¡®Val¡¯s coming with me,¡¯ I replied. ¡®Both of us.¡¯ ¡®And your other friends?¡¯ I shook my head. ¡®I thought that would be pushing my luck. There¡¯s a reason we didn¡¯t bring them.¡¯ My mother stared back at me for a moment, considering her reply. This was a woman who did not speak without giving it due thought. I must have got the opposite trait from my father. ¡®I think that can be arranged. In return, you will stop hunting members of the Council.¡¯ I nodded. ¡®Agreed.¡¯ Cleo stared at me longer still. Could she really see inside my soul? Did she really have that ability? It certainly felt like it. If she could, she would know that this was a ruse¡ªa ruse intended only to buy us some time, not one that would fool the Council forever. As she continued to stare, I held that dark gaze. Finally, my mother put a hand in a pocket, then threw me a gem. I opened a portal to snatch it from the air and take it in my own hand. ¡®Bleed on it,¡¯ the woman said. ¡®Sorry?¡¯ Val repeated. But if I wanted to be believed, I was going to have to be seen to follow instructions. I took my dagger and sliced the back of my left arm, the resulting red trickle flowing down the dirty skin and light hair, and landing on the gem I¡¯d just been given. It glowed blue as the blood touched it. ¡®When the ritual begins, this gem will summon you,¡¯ my mother said. ¡®Be sure you answer its call.¡¯ I nodded, and watched as my mother turned away before disappearing from sight. ¡®Come on,¡¯ I told Val. ¡®Let¡¯s go.¡¯ Without sharing a word¡ªneither of us convinced my mother had gone just yet¡ªVal turned the horse around, and we galloped away from our meeting point for at least half an hour, using portals to increase our pace all the while. Only then, when we were as sure as we could be that my often-invisible mother wasn¡¯t listening in, did I tell Val to stop at the side of the road. I drew the gem from my pocket. ¡®You think she believed you?¡¯ Val asked. In answer, I threw the glowing gem into the trickling water of a nearby stream. From the banks, I could see that this was a fully fledged river in the summer months, when the hot sun melted the snow in the mountains so far from here. If nobody found the gem before then, it would sink to the bottom of the Sea of Terrors, never to be seen again. ¡®Only the gods know what that gem is really for,¡¯ I explained to Val, who nodding knowingly. ¡®Come on. Let¡¯s head to Tradum. See what the others have learned.¡¯
"Styk" Level 25 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 292 Dexterity ¡ª 195 Strength ¡ª 105 Wisdom ¡ª 94 Charisma ¡ª 77
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 79 Knifework ¡ª Level 61 Stealth ¡ª Level 34 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades II ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Etched spells can be activated up to ten times. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
234. Bear With Me Val and I stopped for the night not long after the sun had set over the horizon. We could have kept going for a couple of hours yet, but we¡¯d stumbled across a town in the middle of nowhere that had a surprisingly nice-looking inn. Well-kept hanging baskets adorned the outside of the inn, and on one wall was a recently painted mural of a battle of old. Through the frosty window panes, we could see ample flickering candles, and when the door opened to let a patron out, we caught the scent of spiced pastries. When Val insisted we stopped there rather than risking the next inn being less comfortable, I was in no mood to argue. We wouldn¡¯t reach the others for a couple of days yet anyway, even with horse and portals to help us on our way. We hitched the horse, and Val¡¯s ability to tie a knot made me suspicious again that she did have more experience with riding than she¡¯s said. Stepping inside the inn, I let the door swing closed behind me, and I closed my eyes, letting the warmth and the smells flow over me. The heat of the fire was pleasant, and as too was that mixture of aromas, pastry and beer. The singing of the bard in the corner, however, was not so¡ª ¡®Oh, hells,¡¯ my wife said. The singing stopped. ¡®Val?¡¯ a booming voice shouted across the room. Usually, when someone recognised Val, then there was a fight in our immediate future. But from the tone, this bard was actually excited to see her. ¡®An old boyfriend?¡¯ I asked, then immediately regretted it when I actually saw the bard. This wasn¡¯t a bard. Or, at least, it shouldn¡¯t have been. That booming, toneless singing had come from¡­ a bear. A bear that wore human clothes, complete with hat and lute strung over its back, and walked on its hind legs. I blinked, then looked around at the others in this fairly crowded inn. Few of them gave the bard a second look. Was I completely losing my mind? There was a wild animal in here¡ªa dangerous one!¡ªand nobody seemed to care! ¡®Boyfriend?¡¯ Val repeated. ¡®What do you think I am, a druid?¡¯ Even if I¡¯d had a witty retort to that, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to say it, because I was pushed aside by the bear¡ªthe bear!¡ªwho wrapped its black, furry arms around Val, lifted her up, and squeezed. I was about to attack when I realised this wasn¡¯t the bear-bard trying to do Val any harm. It was giving her a¡­ bear hug. I just want you to know that I tried my best to describe the hug in other terms, but ¡°bear hug¡± really is the only apt descriptor for it. So you¡¯re going to have to just let that particular pun go, whether I intended it or not. ¡®I am so, so sorry,¡¯ the bear said to Val as it released her and set her down on the ground once more. Safe. Without mauling or clawing her. ¡®I know that nothing I can do can make it up to you, but maybe I can start by buying you a drink? You always liked a drink, didn¡¯t you?¡¯ ¡®Hi,¡¯ I said, stepping forward and putting out a hand for the bear to shake. What can I say? It was a moment of courage. ¡®I¡¯m Styk. I¡¯m her husband.¡¯ This, as it turned out, was a mistake. The bear¡¯s eyes widened with delight, then it wrapped its hands around me and squeezed me tight in the same way as it had Val a moment earlier. I breathed a sigh of relief when my feet touched the ground once more. ¡®And you¡¯re married!¡¯ the bear said to Val with delight, a bright smile crossing its otherwise monstrous face. ¡®You¡¯d like Lore, I think,¡¯ I mumbled. ¡®Styk,¡¯ Val said, gesturing to the bear. ¡®This is Reginald. Reginald, this is Styk. As he says, he¡¯s my husband.¡¯ ¡®Oh, I¡¯m so delighted! Let me buy you a drink, what will you have?¡¯ ¡®He¡¯ll have a beer,¡¯ Styk said, then gestured to her belly. ¡®But I won¡¯t be drinking anything at all¡­¡¯ It took the bear¡ªReginald¡ªa moment to understand. He really would get on with Lore. ¡®You¡¯re having a baby!¡¯ the bear squealed with delight, hopping from foot to foot with sheer glee and making the beers on nearby tables wobble. ¡®I will see what they can do you.¡¯ With that, Reginald disappeared towards the bar. ¡®So, err¡­¡¯ I started. ¡®I don¡¯t really even know where to start with the questions here. That¡¯s a bear, right?¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t tell him that,¡¯ Val replied. ¡®He thinks he¡¯s a human.¡¯ ¡®OK,¡¯ I said. ¡®And¡­ why does he think that?¡¯ ¡®Because I cursed him to.¡¯ I put a hand to my forehead, then drew a deep breath. ¡®Why did you do that, Val?¡¯ She shrugged. ¡®Thought it¡¯d be funny. And it is.¡¯ I narrowed my eyes at her. Not because I disagreed that it was funny¡ªI was still undecided on that point, the shock of seeing a bear still rattling through me¡ªbut because I knew Val well enough by now to know when she was lying. Right now, I was pretty sure she was lying. This flew in the face of all the open communication we¡¯d been doing over the past few months. ¡®Next question,¡¯ I started. ¡®Last one?¡¯ ¡®Not even close. Next question: what is he apologising for?¡¯ I suspected that the answer to this particular question would shed some light on what Val was hiding. I didn¡¯t get an answer to this one, because Reginald returned, drinks in hand, and nodded us over to a small table in the corner of the room. He¡¯d been served quickly, but then again, I wouldn¡¯t want to keep a bear waiting either. Reginald placed a beer down in front of me, then a juice down in front of Val, but remained standing himself. ¡®I have been apologising for my misdeeds in the form of poetry,¡¯ the bear said. ¡®Oh?¡¯ my wife replied, and to say that her reply was half-hearted was understating it; she really was just asking to be polite. Nothing about her demeanour shouted ¡°I want to be here¡±. ¡®Yes! Just yesterday, I ran into old Runasc, and had to come up with one on the spot. It went like this.¡¯ He strummed his lute and sang¡­ There once was an orc from Sif Quarry Who¡¯d earned himself fortune and glory. Along came a bard Who squished his head hard And now is so terribly sorry. Reginald paused for a moment, letting the last note ring out, and took a seat on a stool that I didn¡¯t think would hold his weight. ¡®Well? What do you think?¡¯ ¡®Glory doesn¡¯t rhyme with quarry,¡¯ I replied. ¡®Yes it does. Glorry, quarry. See?¡¯ The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. I furrowed my brow. ¡®Well it does when you mispronounce it, yeah.¡¯ Reginald shook his head, apparently bored with my feedback, and turned to my wife. ¡®I wrote one for you, too, Val, for if I ever saw you again.¡¯ Val¡¯s eyes snapped open. ¡®Oh, that¡¯s not¡ª¡¯ But already the bear was standing once more, strumming his instrument and opening his mouth to bellow out the words. There once was a talented sorcerer Who had both power and force on her. She knew a cute guy But had to say bye Because I killed him in Seckle Thur. I coughed midway through a sip of my beer. So many more questions immediately sprang to mind. What guy? Had Val forgiven Reginald for this? Did the bear always use the same rhyming pattern? And could he maybe hire an editor? ¡®Val, what¡¯s he talking about?¡¯ I asked. If it was possible for a bear to pale, Reginald paled. His furry shoulders immediately sunk, and his eyes widened just as Val¡¯s had a moment earlier. ¡®Oh, I thought¡­ I¡¯m so sorry. I¡¯ll have to write you another¡ª¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s quite alright!¡¯ my wife cut in, voice just a little shaky. She looked from the bard to me. ¡®He should know.¡¯ Reginald nodded thoughtfully. ¡®I was a younger man back then. A man with a terrible temper. I allowed certain beast-like instincts to overpower me, and I lashed out at a young man. A young man who Val was fond of.¡¯ He turned to Val. ¡®I really am sorry, Equivalence.¡¯ I forgot that was Val¡¯s full name sometimes. ¡®It¡¯s alright, Reginald,¡¯ Val said. ¡®It was a long time ago. And things were¡­ different back then.¡¯ Certain parts of this story were clicking into place with every second that passed. This was a very good reason for Val to put a curse on someone. Which would mean¡­ ¡®So Reginald didn¡¯t think he was a human back then?¡¯ I asked Val. ¡®He was just a bear?¡¯ Reginald roared with anger, knocking the table over and making Val and I freeze. At last, the locals reacted, though not with the level of panic that I thought the situation deserved. If I wondered why this was, it was answered by the bear closing his eyes, breathing deeply, and slowly counting to ten. ¡®I¡¯m sorry if I¡­¡¯ I started. ¡®It¡¯s OK,¡¯ Reginald said. ¡®I would just rather nobody called me a bear. It makes me angry. Just because a man is a little tall and a little hairy, people think they can call him names.¡¯ ¡®Oh, that¡¯s not¡ª¡¯ I started, but a glance from Val made me think better of finishing that sentence. Reginald was really convinced he was human. ¡®That¡¯s OK. Sorry.¡¯ Reginald nodded, then sat down once more. ¡®It¡¯s water under the bridge. I can¡¯t expect others to forgive me if I don¡¯t forgive them too.¡¯ At that moment, he poked his head up, looking over my head, as someone else caught his sight behind him. ¡®If you¡¯ll excuse me, I have another apology poem to sing.¡¯ Val waved him away. ¡®How many people did he hurt?¡¯ ¡®I mean, he was a bear, wasn¡¯t he?¡¯ the witch replied, keeping quiet enough that Reginald wouldn¡¯t hear her. ¡®That¡¯s what they do.¡¯ ¡®I still think cursing him was a bit much. As you say, he was a wild animal, after all.¡¯ Val shrugged. ¡®What, would you rather I¡¯d killed him?¡¯ ¡®It might have been better than¡­¡¯ I gestured to the bear. ¡®Than this living torture.¡¯ ¡®What torture?¡¯ Val asked. ¡®Being human. If that¡¯s torture, then we¡¯re all suffering.¡¯ I had no convincing response to that particular point, so I let the matter drop. ¡®I¡¯m sorry about your boyfriend.¡¯ Val squeezed my hand. ¡®It¡¯s OK. I was a long time ago. We were young; it wouldn¡¯t have lasted.¡¯ ¡®You really haven¡¯t had much luck with romance, have you?¡¯ ¡®Not until¡ª¡¯ Val immediately caught herself. I couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡®Go on. You can say it. I believe in you.¡¯ The witch smiled back. ¡®Not until I met an idiot Bladespinner,¡¯ she said. I pecked her on the lips. ¡®Proud of you.¡¯ Val sighed, sipped her juice and then sunk her face against me shoulder. ¡®Feeling cosy?¡¯ ¡®Trying to get a whiff of your beer,¡¯ she replied. ¡®I miss it.¡¯ We sat like that for a while, drinking by the fire, listening to the bear sing his weird poems, and I took great pleasure in it. It was nice to have a moment to ourselves, just this once. I savoured it, because who knew was tomorrow would bring? These days, it certainly wouldn¡¯t bring anything good.
"Styk" Level 25 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 292 Dexterity ¡ª 195 Strength ¡ª 105 Wisdom ¡ª 94 Charisma ¡ª 77
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 79 Knifework ¡ª Level 61 Stealth ¡ª Level 34 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades II ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Etched spells can be activated up to ten times. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
235. The Beginning Of The End It was night once more by the time we reached the outskirts of Tradum. Val and I¡ªand maybe even the horse¡ªhad all sensed that something was wrong. There was something intangible in the air, an atmosphere and ineffable quality that I can¡¯t describe even now, all this time later. Was it the glum faces on those we passed by? Was it that we saw so many travelling the road away from Tradum, and so few heading there? Suffice to say only that when we arrived in the small city and saw it under military rule, we were not surprised. There were no high stone walls or guardhouses around the perimeter of this city. Tradum was too small to warrant such defences, and held little strategic value to the Goldmarch¡ªthere was no big agricultural industry around these parts as the soil wasn¡¯t kind to crops, and it was still too far from the coast to support the empire¡¯s new navy. Instead, the city of Tradum was guarded by an army of soldiers in their golden uniforms, so many here that they didn¡¯t even need a wall to keep people out. Well, keep others out, at least; those of us with portal magicks could always find a way inside. Val and I doubled back, hitched our horse a half mile away, in the woods off the road, and crept back towards town by foot. We crouched down behind a large shrub, peeking over. Soldiers stood alert every dozen yards around the edges of the city, a pair of them each time¡ªone facing out, one facing in. They weren¡¯t talking to their colleagues, or distracted in any way; they were determined to do their jobs well. Just what had put the fear of the gods into them? ¡®What do you think?¡¯ I asked. ¡®No good reason for them to be here, is there?¡¯ ¡®Nope.¡¯ ¡®So they¡¯re hiding something. They¡¯re doing something in Tradum that they don¡¯t want others to know about.¡¯ I nodded. ¡®Otherwise they¡¯d do it somewhere on the main traveller¡¯s road. One thing I¡¯m not sure about though: are these soldiers here on behalf of Amira, or the Council?¡¯ Val retreated from the top of the shrub; she¡¯d seen all she needed. ¡®You think Amira¡¯s planning another invasion?¡¯ ¡®The Sundorn?¡¯ I asked. ¡®Maybe. If she¡¯s hungry enough for an empire, I wouldn¡¯t rule it out. But Arzak¡¯s informants seemed to think there was a Player here. That, to me, says this is a Council ploy.¡¯ My wife nodded. ¡®Finding the others isn¡¯t going to be easy.¡¯ ¡®No. We¡¯ve gotta put a locator stone on them or something. On Lore, at least, as he¡¯s always wandering off anyway.¡¯ I looked back over the shrub, getting a view of a portal-accessible rooftop. ¡®They¡¯ll be staying at one of the inns. How many can there be?¡¯ ¡®A lot,¡¯ came the reply. ¡®Oh. Well, then, we best get started.¡¯ I opened a portal at our feet, sending the pair of us soaring down onto the rooftop I¡¯d spotted earlier. Val scoffed as she landed. ¡®I thought you said you were gonna warn me when¡ª¡¯ An almighty wail cut her off. A sound I¡¯d heard before, but one that it took me a moment to place. Usually when I heard the screech of a banshee, it was my own doing, my own Shrill Perimeter ability going off, either intentionally or because danger was close. This time, I¡¯d set no such spell. Waves of rippling purples magicks, flickering like a fire, rose from the perimeter of the city nearest to us. This was a version of my ability far more powerful, covering far greater an area¡­ maybe even the entirety of the city itself. This meant that there was a Worldbender here with great power, and keeping in mind what Arzak¡¯s informant had told us¡­ ¡®Player!¡¯ Val shouted, taking the word right out of my mouth. I heard the charging guards before I saw them¡ªthose light armoured boots were helpful for withstanding damage, but they were clunky, too. Without waiting around for them to come upon us, I opened a portal at our side, practically throwing my pregnant wife through it. These portals brought us out on a not-too-distant rooftop; being able to open portals anywhere in sight was all well and good, but my aim was pretty shoddy after a certain distance, and I didn¡¯t want us to accidentally fall to our deaths. Pretty sensible, if you ask me. Guards appeared on the original rooftop, pointing at us and shouting for their colleagues to close the gap. I wasn¡¯t worried, because I had a portal, and¡ª A portal opened on the rooftop next to us. ¡®Ah, that¡¯s right,¡¯ I mumbled. ¡®Player worldbender.¡¯ Before anyone¡ªor anything? No, just anyone¡ªcould emerge from the enemy portal, I opened a portal of my own in front of it. Anyone passing through the first portal would also pass through mine, but to them, there would be no difference. A dozen soldiers poured out of a portal high in the sky above Tradum instead of onto a rooftop, and that bought us a precious few seconds. The other pair of portals I used to step us down to street level, hoping that we would be able to blend in to the crowds. My hopes were dashed immediately; though the sun had only just set, the streets were deserted. The fist of the Golden Empire had squeezed all the life out of this city. People preferred¡ªor were forced¡ªto spend time after dark inside rather than out. I released Val¡¯s hand, gesturing her away. ¡®Go,¡¯ I said. ¡®Change your face. I¡¯ll lead the soldiers away.¡¯ But my wife didn¡¯t move a muscle. ¡®I can¡¯t,¡¯ she said. ¡®I can¡¯t change form. It¡¯d hurt the baby.¡¯ ¡®You know, I¡¯d really thought your changeling abilities would come in handy more often than they have.¡¯ ¡®Well sorry if¡ª¡¯ I cut Val off by beginning to run and dragging her along with me. ¡®Not the time!¡¯ I told her. It was nice to get the last word for once, even if it did come at a time when we were in very severe danger. We bolted down streets, taking abrupt corners and backing up whenever we ran into the soldiers of the Golden Empire. I felt increasingly cornered, that there was no way out for us, and I considered simply portalling us back to the rooftops and away from Tradum entirely¡ªeven though it meant abandoning the rest of the team. But I was distracted from such shameful thoughts when a man stepped out into the street ahead of us. One with aura powerful enough that I knew instinctively that this was the Player we suspected was in town. I stopped running, Val slamming into the back of me, and then cast a quick glance over my shoulder. There were soldiers there too, also slowing, allowing their boss to do as he pleased. I resisted the urge to glance towards the rooftops; they were our only way out, now. I knew that, and I suspected that the Player did too. ¡®You with the Council?¡¯ I shouted down the street, flanked by tall buildings and host to only me, Val, two dozen Goldmarch soldiers, and the worldbender. ¡®Do you need to ask?¡¯ the man replied. ¡®I thought perhaps Cleo had dealt with you already. Alas, no.¡¯ With the flick of his wrist, the Player opened four more portals against the buildings that loomed over us. More soldiers still poured forth. ¡®And our friends?¡¯ The Player hesitated, but only for a moment. It was enough for me to see through him; he¡¯d heard of us, he knew exactly who we were, but he didn¡¯t know where Lore, Arzak and Corminar were. That was a relief. They¡¯d escaped. Maybe they were far from Tradum, quicker than we were to realise that helping here was biting off more than we could chew. And then I reconsidered. Who among Lore, Arzak and Corminar would realise that? Lore would be oblivious. Corminar had never once expressed doubt in his ability to do anything. And Arzak? She wouldn¡¯t be able to turn her back on people in need. No, they were here. Somewhere. ¡®Do you expect me to be honest with the Slayers?¡¯ the Player asked. ¡®The greatest thorn in the Council¡¯s side?¡¯ Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. ¡®No, I suppose not,¡¯ I said, my vision flicking to the slowly encroaching soldiers. They crept forward gradually, as though Val and I might not notice. ¡®You gonna introduce yourself?¡¯ The man raised an eyebrow. ¡®I am Arit of the Council. Don¡¯t tell me you haven¡¯t heard of me?¡¯ ¡®Afraid not,¡¯ I replied. ¡®Yeah, me neither,¡¯ Val added. She was on the same page as me, then; whatever we could do to distract the Player could be the difference between life and death, between the Player using his Worldbending abilities to trap us and accidentally letting us slip away. As with all Players, their pride was their greatest strength¡­ and their greatest weakness. ¡®Eli, you said?¡¯ I asked. ¡®No, I don¡¯t think I know that name.¡¯ ¡®Arit,¡¯ the worldbender Player spat back at me. ¡®Arit, right. No, still don¡¯t think¡­ don¡¯t think you¡¯ve come up at all.¡¯ I glanced over at the nearest batch of soldiers. They were close now. Too close. It was now or never. Though Val had kept herself composed, giving off no air of anxiety, I knew that she, too, was searching desperately for a way out. The moment came when the soldiers finally pounced. Within half a second, Val struck left with her lifedrain magicks, the green lightning effect crackling through them, while I swung one arm around, peppering the enemies on the right with needle darts. Neither attack was enough to kill, but both were enough to stun¡ªand I¡¯d also opened a portal beneath our feet. Val and I fell through it, into the sky high above Tradum. I was about to open another portal to get us away from the enemies, when suddenly a purple ring appeared around us. We fell through it, landing hard on the cobbled streets at Arit¡¯s feet. I flung my hands forward and opened two portals behind Arit, in the foundation of the building that loomed over him. The foundations of the house began to disintegrate immediately, and I didn¡¯t waste time hanging around to see what would happen. At the slate roof tiles began to fall on the Player, I grabbed Val by the arm and opened another portal beneath us. In the sky once more, I quickly located a safe spot below¡ªanywhere would do, as long as there were no soldiers nearby¡ªand opened another portal to spill us out there. I tumbled across the cobbled street, clutching Val and protecting her from the pain of the impact. The moment we came to a stop, I wrenched her back to her feet, but she was well on her way to being upright anyway. I took her by the hand, and bolted. We ran down the winding, narrow streets of Tradum, blinking in and out of sight of the enemy as we charged through portals. The soldiers had eyes on us, at least most of the time, but it seemed that the Player was happy to let Amira¡¯s golden army do the hard work, as they were nowhere in sight. We continued on down desolate streets, passed huge warehouse buildings and houses with no signs of life. I kept myself oriented by glancing at the stars above, making sure we weren¡¯t going around in circles. If we head in a straight line, then sooner or later we would break out of the city, and¡ªhopefully¡ªescape the grasp of this Player worldbender. It was a simple plan, and one that surely was going to work. Except, of course, we got sidetracked. As we turned a corner, a sewer plate slide from the street, and a hand reached out to grab my ankle as I sprinted past. I slammed to the stones before I knew what had hit me, and had just enough presence of mind to start kicking wildly as I got dragged into the sewers. An enormous hand slammed over my mouth, and Lore¡¯s face smiled back at me. ¡®It¡¯s us!¡¯ he announced. Val slipped inside, the dark, dingy and incredibly smelly sewer as Arzak and Corminar slid the cover back in place. We stood still for a moment in the near pitch black, lit only by the small glowing orb hovering over a stranger¡¯s finger, and waited for signs that the soldiers had seen us slip inside. Footsteps grew louder, and then softer. Our pursuers passed the sewer plate. ¡®You¡¯re alive,¡¯ Val said. ¡®Surprised?¡¯ Corminar replied. ¡®Because that would be rather rude.¡¯ I opened my mouth to say something, and then was so overwhelmed by the stench of¡­ you know, sewer stuff¡­ to actually speak. But even foul smells couldn¡¯t shut Val¡¯s trap. ¡®What happened? Where¡¯ve you been?¡¯ Val looked at the stranger with the orb¡ªone of two. ¡®And who¡¯s this?¡¯ ¡®There lot to expl¡ª¡¯ Arzak started. Lore blurted out, ¡®We found em.¡¯ ¡®Found who? The Council? We know where they are.¡¯ Val glanced at me, and with glance alone managed to communicate the question ¡°are the fumes going to his head?¡± But Lore looked glum. ¡®No. The missing malae. They¡¯re here. They¡¯re Tana¡¯s witchcraft¡ªwhat she wants to use to create the new world.¡¯ I nodded, making eye contact with Val again, across the cool, dark sewer, trying to ignore the trickle flowing over my boots. ¡®OK. OK, that¡¯s OK. We knew they¡¯d be used for something, and we can¡ª¡¯ ¡®That is not all,¡¯ my elven friend interrupted. He looked to Lore. ¡®We have to tell them about Alenna.¡¯ ¡®She¡ª¡¯ the big man started. ¡®Alenna sought to save us all with her experiments, yes,¡¯ Corminar said. ¡®But she may, in the end, have doomed us all.¡¯ The elf looked to Val and I in turn. ¡®The Council have replicated her creation. They know how to use the malae to create soldiers.¡¯ ¡®They¡¯re creating an army?¡¯ I asked. ¡®They¡¯re corrupting people? How many?¡¯ Nobody spoke, nobody able to put the answer into words. ¡®How many, guys?¡¯ Val asked, voice strained. Arzak met her gaze. ¡®Half of Tradum,¡¯ she said.
"Styk" Level 25 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 292 Dexterity ¡ª 195 Strength ¡ª 105 Wisdom ¡ª 94 Charisma ¡ª 77
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 79 Knifework ¡ª Level 61 Stealth ¡ª Level 34 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades II ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Etched spells can be activated up to ten times. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
236. Interlude — Reginald ¡®I¡¯m walking, walking, walking, I¡¯m walking down the road,¡¯ Reginald sung to himself as he trudged along the merchant¡¯s road, headed west. What a lovely day it was; most of the people around here found this time of year to be bitterly cold, but Reginald didn¡¯t find it too bad. He had thick skin. ¡®I¡¯m stepping, stepping, stepping, and the melody doth flow. I¡¯m strolling, strolling, strolling, and I don¡¯t hardly know, all the joy I¡¯ve been bestowed.¡¯ Yes, there were some chilly winds here and there, but the sun was shining, and a shining sun was good enough reason for Reginald to be happy. Not to mention all the progress he¡¯d made of late; over the past week or so he¡¯d scratched over twenty names from his list. Soon enough there would be nobody left on the list, nobody left with whom to make amends. And to think¡ªone of those names he¡¯d so recently scratched off was none other than Equivalence Vignor. Not only had this woman suffered the last of Reginald¡¯s crimes, but her influence had somehow sent him on a path of redemption. Reginald had wrestled with his wrongdoings for the first time when he¡¯d crossed paths with her, and he owed her so much. He still, to this day, did not know the form of her influence, only that it seemed to quell those dark, almost animalistic urges he¡¯d had for as long as he remembered. All that death. All that blood. Reginald burst into another verse. ¡®I¡¯m searching, searching, searching, I¡¯m searching for my truth. I¡¯m looking, looking, looking, I am a fledgling sleuth¡­¡¯ He trailed off to wave at two merchants approaching him on the road. ¡®Hello there, sirs! Fine day, is it not?¡¯ The two men came to an abrupt halt, and one of them shrieked. One, then the other, abandoned their hand cart to flee into the forest. Reginald was sure he heard the sound of someone screaming, ¡®Bear! Bear!¡¯ It was unfortunate that such an insult was so popular these days. Reginald¡¯s hide was thick, yes, and lush with hair, but that was no reason to be so rude. And for them to run screaming into the forest was a cruel jest, pretending that they had come across a wild animal rather than a human man. A human man armed only with a smile and a lute, no less! Reginald had to hand it to these two, however; leaving their loaded cart behind to flee into the trees was commitment to the joke indeed. The human man shook his head to himself and forced his anger away. There was no use getting so worked up over the words of strangers. There was no use in letting his wrath control him once more¡ªit would only end up with more names added to the list. On he went down the traveller¡¯s road, singing as he went, doing his best to ignore all those screaming as they came across him. And there really were a lot. Just where were they all going? * * * ¡®Good morning to you, Perup!¡¯ Reginald said as he burst into a familiar inn. Perup, the half-tiefling barkeep, barely looked up as the human man with a lute entered. ¡®You alright, Reggie?¡¯ ¡®Reginald, if you don¡¯t mind, Perup,¡¯ the bard said. He reminded Perup of this every time, and yet the man never seemed to remember. ¡®Reginald, right. You alright?¡¯ ¡®I am, as a matter of fact! My quest for redemption has gathered speed. The hero of this tale¡ªme, you understand¡ªfinds joy in coming across so many to whom he owes apologies. But let us not forget that the rising action of the second act so often ends in the protagonist losing nearly everything. And that, my friend, is a fate that I am keen to avoid.¡¯ Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Perup threw a tea towel over his shoulder. ¡®You want the usual then, eh?¡¯ Reginald took his usual seat at the bar, and nodded. ¡®Four fish stews please.¡¯ ¡®Right you are.¡¯ The barkeep turned away, giving Reginald a moment to look around the tavern. Only one of the fireplaces was lit, Reginald noticed, the other devoid of either firewood or charcoal, having not been used for some time. And it was cold in here, Reginald noticed. Not for him, of course, but colder than other human people were usually comfortable with. The bard wrenched his head around to look at the other patrons and confirm, but he soon realised that there really weren¡¯t many other people here¡ªjust one old man in the corner who had drunk himself either to sleep or to death, his upper body slouched over the table. ¡®Slow day today, is it, Perup?¡¯ Perup reappeared from the kitchen just as the bard finished his question. ¡®This is about as good as it gets these days, pal.¡¯ The aroma of simmering stew filled Reginald¡¯s nostrils, and he took in a deep breath. The fish wasn¡¯t as fresh as normal¡ªnot that it was ever entirely fresh¡ªand it gave the human bard the impression that Perup had been selling the same batch all day. Times really were slow. ¡®Where is everyone then, my dear friend?¡¯ ¡®Gone,¡¯ Perup replied, and he said it with such dramatic flourish that for a moment, Reginald thought he was talking to a fellow bard. ¡®Gone? Gone where? Surely your usual customers¡ª¡¯ ¡®No, Reg¡¯¡ªReginald resisted the urge to growl; this nickname was even worse than Reggie¡ª¡®they¡¯ve gone too. All of them have. Fleeing that business in Tradum. I¡¯d go too, but all my money is in this place. If I left, I¡¯d be leaving my life¡¯s work behind. Still, maybe that¡¯s better than¡­¡¯ Reginald didn¡¯t hear the end of that sentence, because Perup went back into the kitchen to retrieve the first two bowls of four of the fish stews. ¡®May I ask, Perup, what¡¯s in Tradum? What is there that people flee in such numbers?¡¯ Perup held Reginald¡¯s gaze, and the human man saw fear in the barkeep¡¯s eyes. Was it fear? Or was it shock? Reginald was never good with reading other human¡¯s emotions. ¡®You don¡¯t know? You¡¯ve been away too long.¡¯ ¡®My excursion to the west has been not two months long. What could¡ª¡¯ ¡®Oh, that¡¯s all it takes, my friend. Happened overnight, it did. Jak¡ªone of the regulars here, he is. Or, was¡ªhe saw them come in. Hundreds of wagons. Or dozens. A lot, either way, all of them protected by a golden legion, and all of them bearing Queen Amira¡¯s mark.¡¯ ¡®She¡¯s an Empress now, I hear.¡¯ ¡®Right you are, Empress Amira¡¯s mark, it was. And Jak, he says there was something in those wagons. Something dark. Something powerful. I don¡¯t know what, not with any certainty, so don¡¯t bother asking. All I know is, these wagons pull in to Tradum, and the next day, all word in and out of the city stops. Complete silence, just like that.¡¯ The innkeep snapped his fingers. ¡®What happened?¡¯ ¡®I dunno, Reginald.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s¡ª¡¯ the bard interrupted to correct the innkeep, then realised Perup had actually got his name right. ¡®Carry on.¡¯ ¡®All I know is, half of the residents are gone. Nobody knows where, at least nobody that came through here. And the other half, they¡¯ve either fled for their lives, or they¡¯re holding up in their homes, eating rotten food, never lighting a candle, not letting the soldiers know anyone is there. Because if they make a nuisance of themselves, they might get taken too. ¡®I got a few theories on what¡¯s happened, based on what¡­¡¯ But Reginald did not hear the rest of Perup¡¯s information. His eyes had glazed over, and his mind was elsewhere¡­ dreaming of future glory. Reginald could continue as he had already, apologising to those he¡¯d wronged on a case by case basis, penning beautiful poetry all the while. Or, he could accept this call to adventure, and he could become the hero he¡¯d always knew he was, deep down. Really deep down. Reginald would go to Tradum, and he would free its people. All of Alterra would know his name. 237. Fire & Ice We shepherded a dozen locals of Tradum out through the sewer network¡ªsomething that wouldn¡¯t have been possible without my portal magicks, as even the sewers were well guarded. Of the lot of us, Lore was the most desperate to head straight back in and save more lives, but we had to be pragmatic about what to do next. The Council seemed closer than ever to enacting their grand plan, and eliminating their number and stopping the ritual had to be a top priority. But there was another urgent matter, too: we now knew where the malae were. They were right here, in Tradum, and being used to breed an army of corrupted soldiers with the strength to withstand a number ten times their size. Above all else¡ªeven above heading to Auricia and killing Tana herself¡ªwe had to destroy the malae. If we destroyed them, and destroyed them totally this time around, we would stop the corrupted army growing any larger. But we¡¯d also, maybe, remove a crucial source of power from the Council¡¯s plans. And so we had to leave those thousands of locals behind, cowering in their homes or being ushered towards dark and looming warehouses to be converted. We had to let them be drained of their personhood, we had to let them become these things, these tools to be used to the Council¡¯s ends. We had to. We had to. Other than Lore, the other four members of the Slayers were in solemn agreement: killing the malae had to take priority over sneaking out any more citizens of Tradum. And if we were going to do that¡ªif we were going to kill this many¡ªwe were going to need a fire sorcerer. Arzak¡¯s network of informants knew just where to find one. * * * The first snow of winter came that night. We were riding south, fast. Our borrowed horses were growing weary beneath us, but we couldn¡¯t think of their wellbeing; far more than three creatures would suffer if we didn¡¯t return in time. We pushed them as far as we dared, stopping only when the road grew too cold for us to stand and the visibility became too low for us to steer. We hadn¡¯t seen an inn for over an hour by this point, and there was no guarantee that there would be one any time soon. Instead, we ambled off the road and found shelter as best we could among the evergreen trees, where even there the ground was dusted with white. Arzak and Lore cut down a few branches to form the shelter, while Corminar used one of his specialised arrows to start a campfire. Val rested in the relative warmth of the undergrowth¡ªshe¡¯d been growing increasingly tired these last few days¡ªand for my part, I opened two pairs of portals above us. The falling snow drifted through these portals and reappeared in the distance, stopping our camp from getting any more cold than it already was. When all was said and done, I cosied up to Val, shivering, and wondered just how I was going to get some sleep. But I soon discovered that my eyelids were heavy, my body spent from the days of fast-paced travel and avoiding trouble in Tradum, and I drifted off. At day break, his breath forming clouds in the air, Lore woke me by gently shaking my shoulder. We¡¯d not had a full night¡¯s sleep, but we couldn¡¯t afford it; there was work to be done. Val was the last to wake up, and her transition back into the conscious world was slow, slower even than Lore. ¡®You feeling OK?¡¯ I asked. ¡®Just a little tired,¡¯ she replied as I helped her back to her feet. ¡®You know, if you need to rest¡­ If you need us to handle¡ª¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m not showing, am I?¡¯ Val asked. I looked down. ¡®Well, no, but¡ª¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m here. I¡¯m good to go. I¡¯m just a little tired, that¡¯s all. You don¡¯t need to worry.¡¯ I said nothing, though I disagreed with her there. I did need to worry, and I was going to continue to do so; there were dangerous times ahead of us. We mounted our horses once more and continued on the road south. In fact, it turned out that the next inn hadn¡¯t been that far ahead. Within the hour we came across the small village of Pleasantview, a settlement on the edge of the Sundorn border. Yet, nobody regretted spending a night under branches and atop pine needles, because the village was empty. There were obvious signs of trouble here and there¡ªa forgotten shoe, a fallen blade, a house¡¯s door left open and swinging and slamming in the bitter winds. But there were no dead left behind, not a single one. Whatever had happened here¡ªwhatever foul beast had been drawn out from the wilderness, like was happening so often of late¡ªit was made all the more terrifying by the lack of bodies. ¡®Come on,¡¯ I said, nudging Val, who spurred the horse back into action. ¡®There¡¯s no need to stop. The trouble might still be here.¡¯ We rode out of town without another word spoken. * * * When we arrived in town, we were told that the woman we were seeking was staying in the cottage on the outskirts of town. Though this was the first town in which we¡¯d found a bustling tavern, we didn¡¯t stop for a drink, very conscious that every moment we delayed could result in another of Tradum¡¯s residents being corrupted by the malae. So instead we found ourselves outside a small, dingy cottage away from the rest of the town¡ªa cottage with no sign of life inside. ¡®Hello?¡¯ Arzak called out, rapping her knuckles against the door once more. ¡®We look for Zoi. Have business.¡¯ We waited again for an answer, but still none came. ¡®Perhaps your network of informants provided incorrect information,¡¯ Corminar suggested. ¡®We would be fools to believe them infallible. In fact¡ª¡¯ I opened a portal next to us, its partner inside the small cottage. If nobody was home, nobody would know. And if they were¡­ A tiefling woman blinked back at us through the portal, the inside of the cottage illuminated by the low winter sun. ¡®...Ah,¡¯ she said. Arzak nodded, then stepped through the portal. ¡®No need to get door,¡¯ she said, a little irritably. The rest of the team followed her inside. ¡®Zoi, yes?¡¯ The tiefling woman smoothed down the front of her robes, gathering herself, then took a seat on the opposite side of the rickety dining table from where we were standing. She clasped her hands together and almost seemed to look down her nose at us, as though we hadn¡¯t just caught her in the lie of pretending she wasn¡¯t there. ¡®You¡¯ve come to hire me?¡¯ she asked, and I could hear a hint of doubt in her tone. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡®We¡ª¡¯ Arzak started. I cut in. ¡®Who did you think we were?¡¯ I wasn¡¯t going to let this matter drop, not if it might give us an advantage in negotiations. ¡®I¡­¡¯ Zoi trailed off, mouth still opening and closing, the tiefling apparently completely unable to find the words. ¡®I ask, cos we are looking to hire you, yeah. And we were gonna offer you money, but if it¡¯s protection you need¡­ well, we¡¯ve killed a dozen Players between us. So whoever¡¯s after you, I¡¯m pretty sure we can handle them.¡¯ The tiefling met my gaze, considering me while I pulled out another dining chair for Val to sit on. The witch squeezed my arm in gratitude as she took it. ¡®Who is it?¡¯ I pressed the point. ¡®Managlass.¡¯ Val¡¯s ears pricked up at the name of her old school of magicks. ¡®The academy? What did you do? Witchcraft?¡¯ Zoi shook her head. ¡®Nothing so crude. I just¡­ made a bit of money on the side. Academia does not pay well, you know? I assume it is this ¡°money on the side¡± that brings you to me? Which of you wants me to burn down your house?¡¯ The other Slayers and I didn¡¯t reply immediately. ¡®Burn¡­¡¯ Val mumbled, ¡®down our house?¡¯ ¡®Yes. That is why you are here, is it not? To hire me to burn down your house?¡¯ ¡®Repeating the question doesn¡¯t make it any more reasonable,¡¯ Val said. I shook my head in confusion. ¡®Why would we want¡ª¡¯ ¡®For the insurance payment,¡¯ Zoi replied, furrowing her brow. ¡®Because¡­ I¡¯m good at making it look like an accident?¡¯ Again, silence passed across the room. Finally, Arzak said simply, ¡®Hm. OK.¡¯ ¡®I am almost certain that you did not get into the fire sorcery game so that you could be an accessory to insurance fraud,¡¯ Corminar said. Zoi put her feet up on the dining table, pressing against it to tilt her chair backwards, balancing on its rear two legs. Now happy that we weren¡¯t from Managlass Academy, we¡¯d seen a change come over her; she was much more comfortable with potential clients than she was with her old professors. ¡®Of course not,¡¯ she replied to the elf. ¡®I hate fire, in fact. I don¡¯t even like the heat; that¡¯s why I left the Armada. No, I got into it for the chicks.¡¯ ¡®For baby bird?¡¯ Arzak asked. Corminar whispered the real meaning into the orc¡¯s ear, causing her to blush; turns of phrase from south of the Northern Reaches were not her specialty. ¡®Oh.¡¯ Zoi looked us over once more, as though considering us anew. ¡®But if you aren¡¯t here for insurance money, then why are you here? Surely my name didn¡¯t come up in the context of doing anything dangerous?¡¯ ¡®Uh¡­¡¯ Lore started, revealing our hand. ¡®We need someone who can handle fire,¡¯ I said. The tiefling woman raised her eyebrows, drawing in a deep breath. ¡®I assumed. Why? What do you need to burn?¡¯ ¡®A thousand or more malae,¡¯ Corminar answered her. ¡®In the midst of a city. Without¡­ burning said city to the ground.¡¯ Zoi¡¯s eyes widened. ¡®Malae? Oh, no, I¡¯m not getting involved in that. I¡ª¡¯ But whatever her reason, we didn¡¯t get to hear it, because Corminar spun his head around. ¡®What is it?¡¯ ¡®Trouble,¡¯ he said. ¡®Approaching fast.¡¯ ¡®...Managlass,¡¯ Zoi and Val said as one.
"Styk" Level 25 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 292 Dexterity ¡ª 195 Strength ¡ª 105 Wisdom ¡ª 94 Charisma ¡ª 77
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 79 Knifework ¡ª Level 61 Stealth ¡ª Level 34 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades II ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Etched spells can be activated up to ten times. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
238. An Academy Of Dunces ¡®We deal with this and you come with us,¡¯ Arzak told the fire sorcerer as the agents of the Managlass Academy grew closer. It wasn¡¯t just Corminar who could hear them now, we all could. ¡®You deal with them and you pay me,¡¯ came the reply. ¡®They already find you. You not get out without¡ª¡¯ But Val cut the orc off. ¡®How much do you want?¡¯ ¡®Fifty gold coins,¡¯ Zoi responded. ¡®Done.¡¯ My wife stood up, pushing her hand across the table to shake the tiefling¡¯s. Usually she was a good haggler. I suspected that this time, she was keen to deal a little pain to the staff of her old school. Besides, we probably wouldn¡¯t live to survive all this anyway, so what did fifty gold matter? ¡®Hm.¡¯ Arzak frowned disapprovingly at Val, who shrugged. That shrug seemed to communicate much the same thing as I¡¯d just thought: what did it even matter? I strode towards the door to put the argument to bed before it really began. I swung the front door open, casting the cottage¡¯s interior with the yellow light of dusk. In the short time that we¡¯d been inside, the snow had begun to fall once more. And standing outside, in a semi-circle around the door, were a half-dozen sorcerers clutching ornate wooden staffs, a small coat of white forming on their colourful robes. ¡®Hi,¡¯ I said, waving once before stepping outside and gesturing for the rest of the team to do the same. We fanned out in front of the door, and only Lore followed my suit in waving to the potential enemies. I looked at each of the sorcerers in term, meeting their gaze, acting as though I was treating them all equally, when in fact it was clear who their leader was. ¡®Do you know who we are?¡¯ I asked them. One of the academics¡ªthe one I¡¯d figured was in charge¡ªlooked at me over half-moon spectacles. He¡¯d grown out a long, straggly grey beard as though it made him look wiser, but I could see straight through that one; the wisest thing to do would be to trim that bread. ¡®I am afraid not. Should we?¡¯ ¡®Hm,¡¯ Arzak said, still apparently a little miffed over Val agreeing to Zoi¡¯s terms so easily. ¡®Not pay attention to geopolitical affairs. Too busy spend time studying magicks? Is typical.¡¯ The sorcerer with the half-moon spectacles blinked, looking taken aback. ¡®Well, yes, that is what we do at the Academy. It is our life¡¯s pursuit, in fact, to push the boundaries of current magickal interpretation, to further our knowledge in¡ª¡¯ ¡®We¡¯re the Slayers,¡¯ I cut in. These academic types couldn¡¯t half ramble on when they wanted to. ¡®And Zoi under our protection,¡¯ Arzak added. ¡®I am afraid that¡ª¡¯ the sorcerer started. Val threw her head back and sighed. ¡®Ugh. They don¡¯t know us. Can we just jump to the fighting already? I¡¯d really love to fight these guys.¡¯ ¡®The exasperated witch is correct.¡¯ The elderly sorcerer glared meaningfully at Val. ¡®We know of you, Equivalence Vignor. In fact, our very last report from Arnold Orellan seemed to mention your name. It was he who revealed your true nature to the faculty, I seem to remember?¡¯ Val opened her mouth to retort to the sorcerer, then looked over at me instead. ¡®As I say: really wanna fight these guys.¡¯ ¡®You will stand aside, Vignor. You and your friends. We will deal justice to the fire sorcerer as we see fit; stand aside, or we will reopen the investigation into your own crimes.¡¯ ¡®Fight, fight, fight¡­¡¯ Val started chanting, pumping her hands in the air half-heartedly. The elderly sorcerer raised his staff, the gem at its head beginning to glow. ¡®If we must.¡¯ * * * ¡®The Slayers,¡¯ I repeated, as I held the old sorcerer by the nostrils, my blade on his neck. ¡®Do you remember who we are yet?¡¯ The sorcerer replied in a muffled tone, probably because he had one of my fingers up each of his nostrils. In hindsight, this was pretty gross, but they¡¯d found their way there in the scuffle, and I wasn¡¯t about to give up a perfectly good advantage. ¡®My memory has not been¡ª¡¯ I sighed, then whacked the man over the back of the head with the pommel of my dagger. It didn¡¯t knock him out in one hit, but I didn¡¯t care that much. The sorcerer was lucky that we were just rendering him and his fellow academic unconscious; a few bruises on the back of his head was far less than he deserved. Head of Elemental Studies defeated! Knifework ¡ª +1,950xp Knifework increased to level 62! Base Points Gained ¡ª +1 DEX, +1 STR, +2 Free Points (VIT/DEX/STR) Worldbending ¡ª +1,650xp I turned away from the now unconscious leader of the enemy team to cast my eyes over the rest of the battlefield. Three of the academics were still conscious. Val and Arzak were busy dealing with one, Corminar with another, and Lore was split halfway between fighting the last and stopping Zoi from burning them. The barbarian held one hand over the allied sorcerer¡¯s eyes to blind her, while blocking spells from the enemy with the flat of his sword. ¡®Zoi!¡¯ I shouted. ¡®No killing! They¡¯re not the real enemy, they¡¯re just misguided!¡¯ ¡®Very misguided!¡¯ Val shouted across the battlefield. ¡®I am not killing!¡¯ the tiefling protested, pulling in vain against Lore¡¯s huge hand. ¡®They will just need a lot of healing afterwards.¡¯ I opened a portal and appeared at Lore and Zoi¡¯s side, sliding my own hand over the tiefling¡¯s eyes just as Lore let go. ¡®Thank you,¡¯ he said kindly, then turned around and roared as he hit the enemy sorcerer with all he had. ¡®Let me go!¡¯ the tiefling cried out, placing her hands on my arm. She burned to the touch, and I recoiled from her instantly. ¡®Aha!¡¯ she announced, then launched a fireball at the academic that Lore was fighting. I snapped open a portal to catch the fireball, redirecting in harmlessly into the snow-covered ground. ¡®Oh, really?¡¯ the tiefling said to me, hands on hips. ¡®If you¡¯d know what they did to me, you would permit me a little revenge.¡¯ Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡®No. Killing,¡¯ I said again. ¡®Add it to the terms of our business arrangement.¡¯ I could practically see the tiefling resist the urge to roll her eyes, but ultimately she nodded. She took a seat on the ground, folding her legs nimbly beneath her. ¡®Well, if I am not permitted any revenge, then I shall simply sit here and observe.¡¯ ¡®Fine by me,¡¯ I grumbled. I was about to charge away to help Corminar, who was struggling the most with his enemy, when one of the tiefling¡¯s hands snapped out to grab my ankle. ¡®Make it painful, though, will you?¡¯ she asked. I shrugged. ¡®Yeah, sure. No skin off my back.¡¯ I stepped through another portal to appear behind one of the academics, narrowly avoiding a wayward arrow from Corminar in the process. He grimaced. ¡®My apologies.¡¯ Then he immediately dove to the ground to avoid a slashing line of ice that the enemy sent his way. ¡®That¡¯s quite alright,¡¯ I replied. My speech alerted the enemy to my presence just before the butt of my knife collided with her temple, which meant that my Stealth Attack damage bonus was eliminated. And that meant that I had to quickly activate Knifestorm to lash out multiple times with the pommel of my blade in order to actually render the enemy unconscious. It looked like it hurt. Zoi clapped politely from the metaphorical stands. ¡®Beautiful work, whatever your name is.¡¯ Student of the Divine Ice defeated! Knifework ¡ª +1,650xp Worldbending ¡ª +1,300xp Worldbending increased to level 80! Base Points gained ¡ª +2 INT, +2 Free Points (INT/WIS/CHA) Ability selection unlocked Select an ability from the list below¡­ ¡­ ¡®It¡¯s Styk!¡¯ I cried back to Zoi, then pointed to my elven friend. ¡®That¡¯s Corminar; he¡¯ll hit on you when we¡¯re done.¡¯ ¡®I look forward to it.¡¯ Corminar and I looked over at Val and Arzak, then over to Lore, who was struggling against the magick user. We nodded to one another, and then I ran towards Lore while Corminar helped the others. ¡®The big guy is Lore,¡¯ I said before leaping into the air and through a portal I summoned before me. I appeared high above the sorcerer and began to fall. ¡®Hello!¡¯ Lore said cheerily, taking a moment to wave at Zoi. This moment of distraction allowed the sorcerer to land a hit on him¡ªa huge crystal shooting forth from the ground and piercing the man¡¯s foot. ¡®Concentrate on the fight, perhaps?¡¯ Zoi suggested. ¡®Yes, good idea,¡¯ Lore said. I landed on the sorcerer at that moment, hitting them again with the wrong end of my dagger¡ªI really needed a better way of knocking people out; maybe this ability selection would give me one. At the same moment, Lore knocked another crystal attack away and then he too hit the woman with the end of his weapon. This hit alone was enough to knock her out. ¡®And then there¡¯s the other two,¡¯ I called over to Zoi. I would have jumped in to help the other three, but now the last enemy was severely outnumbered; my friends really didn¡¯t need any assistance. ¡®Val is the¡­¡¯ I almost said witch, but managed to pivot at the last moment. ¡®She¡¯s the sorcerer. She also got kicked out of Managlass.¡¯ Zoi recoiled at this. ¡®Excuse me. I did not get expelled. I left of my own accord after a rather severe disagreement.¡¯ ¡®Same thing.¡¯ ¡®I assume she was expelled because she is clearly a witch?¡¯ Zoi asked. ¡®Huh,¡¯ Val said, taking a moment to pause mid-fight. ¡®You worked that out far quicker than he did.¡¯ ¡®I worked it out quickly, I just didn¡¯t make a whole deal out of it. Besides, you had an obscurem back then; the green glow is a bit of a giveaway.¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t believe you!¡¯ Val replied in a sing-song voice, then more crackling green life-drain magicks shot forth from her hands and into the enemy¡ªnot enough to kill them, but it went a long way towards weakening them. ¡®And then there¡¯s Arzak,¡¯ I finished. ¡®She¡¯s the most mature out of us.¡¯ Corminar raised an eyebrow at this, apparently thinking he was the most mature. That absolutely wasn¡¯t true, though. ¡®Is most interesting thing about me?¡¯ Arzak asked, almost seeming dejected at my description of her. Before I could reply, she landed the final hit, and the fight was over. ¡®Well,¡¯ Zoi said, brushing the dirt from her backside as she stood once more. ¡®It is a pleasure to meet anyone who would deal with my pursuers. Shall we go burn some malae now?¡¯
"Styk" Level 25 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 296 Dexterity ¡ª 198 Strength ¡ª 106 Wisdom ¡ª 94 Charisma ¡ª 77
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 80 Knifework ¡ª Level 62 Stealth ¡ª Level 34 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades II ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Etched spells can be activated up to ten times. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
239. I Thought Wed Sworn Off Mercenaries Zoi was slow to rise and pack up her part of the camp each morning. In normal circumstances, I was the same¡ªas were Val and Lore¡ªbut right now, time was of the essence; every moment that we wasted potentially meant more citizens of Tradum corrupted by the malae. We did our best to hurry her, but still this didn¡¯t do much to deter the anxiety churning in my stomach. I could, however, focus on my ability selection, and a distraction was better than nothing. There were as many as four¡ªyes, four!¡ªoptions this time around. Ability selection unlocked Select an ability from the list below: Option 1: Saved Portal III (Worldbending) ¡ª Upgrade to Saved Portal II. Select up to 2 locations to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Even as I read this option, I knew this ability selection screen was going to be one of the best I¡¯d ever seen. With the Sisyphus Artifact having boosted my experience gain so much¡ªnot to mention how many fights I¡¯d been in since meeting Val; some might describe the amount as ¡°too many¡±¡ªmy skill levels were higher than ever before. Before I¡¯d died that first time¡ªand that felt like so long ago, by this point¡ªI¡¯d been a successful thief that relied upon my abilities to do my work. But back then, my highest skill tree level had been a measly 56, so far short of the level 80 I now had in Worldbending. So it was no wonder that my ability selection choices were more compelling than ever before. In the case of Saved Portal III, the benefit of the upgrade was obvious. Now, I could call upon two locations to open my portals, from anywhere in the world. I could maybe saved a location underwater to tip a sea onto an enemy. I could maybe find an active volcano somewhere in the world and do the same with flaming lava. I could maybe even open one in the poisonous waste that people rumoured were in the Badlands. Of course, I¡¯d need to actually go to those places first, in order to save those locations. And then I¡¯d need to go back there whenever I overwrote my existing saved locations. When this occurred to me, I became slightly less enthused, but still happy enough with this option. I moved on to the next. Option 2: Kinetic Rebound (Worldbending) ¡ª Absorb 50% of the impact of an attack with a portal. The next portal you open will release the same energy. I liked this one. I liked this one a lot. The idea of sending the impact of someone¡¯s attack back at them really appealed to the child within me. It was like something out of a theatrical production for kids, karma in the form of slapstick comedy. But there was a problem with it, wasn¡¯t there? The ability absorbed only half of the impact. Which meant that the other half would hit me as normal. I wasn¡¯t built like Lore or Arzak; I couldn¡¯t withstand huge amounts of damage. And this ability meant I had to take at least some damage just to be able to use it. It was a great ability choice, and a fun one for someone who¡¯d taken a different progression path, but not one for me. Oh well, I thought, at least I have three other options this time around. My fate changed with the third option. Hidden condition met! Alternative ability choice unlocked. Option 3: Peerless Portals (Worldbending) [Requires: ¡®Enhanced Portals¡¯ ability] ¡ª Replaces ¡®Enhanced Portals¡¯. Create a portal to another location. Support up to ten pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. This was another upgrade to my most fundamental ability, evolving Enhanced Portals¡ªwhich had once been only Local Portals¡ªeven further. This evolution of the ability went further than a standard upgrade, with the two changes having profound implications. Firstly, this evolution of the ability completely removed the distance requirement. Whereas before, I could only open portals either in current range of sight or, more accurately, within a thirty-yard radius, now I could open portals¡­ anywhere. My immediate feeling was that this made me all-powerful, able to take down monsters and gods with the flick of a wrist. But, of course, the system didn¡¯t work that way. I knew already, from experience, that my aim at a distance was¡­ iffy, at best. Some¡ªVal and Corminar included¡ªwould go so far as to describe it as ¡°bad¡±. I could open a portal in the distance on a flat plain, aiming to drop up out straight onto the land, and accidentally open it twenty feet in the air. If I opened a portal anywhere beyond line of sight, my portal-aiming ability would be so bad as to invite even more chaos into our lives. We could try and portal into a tavern and end up in a dungeon. I could aim to portal us into the enemy¡¯s lair and throw us into a lake of laval. I could aim to take us to the enemy for a final showdown and accidentally interrupt a book club instead. So, yes, this part of the ability¡¯s evolution had its application, but I couldn¡¯t rely on it. The second part of the evolution, however, was all positive. I would now be able to open as many as ten pairs of portals, which was a huge upgrade from my current limit of two. I could move people all around the battlefield with the flick of my wrist, the only limiting factor being that my attention would be split ten ways instead of two. But I¡¯d come to get my head around controlling two pairs of portals at once, so maybe I¡¯d be able to handle ten in time as well. I kept this ability evolution in mind as the frontrunner as I opened up the fourth and final ability selection choice. Hidden condition met! Alternative ability choice unlocked. Option 4: Otherworldly Prison (Worldbending) [Requires: any ¡®Pocket World¡¯ ability] ¡ª Replaces ¡®Pocket Worlds¡¯. Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Store sentient beings in pocket worlds for up to 15 seconds. My immediate reaction, which was to exclaim, ¡®What the hells?¡¯ was enough to make Val and Zoi turn to me with raised eyebrows, distracting them from whatever hushed discussion they¡¯d been having. But it was also probably an apt descriptor; how else could I describe these pocket dimensions other than as hells? The pocket worlds were a void, a space beyond our reality, and I had a sneaking suspicion that being in a world beyond your comprehension wouldn¡¯t be great for the old mental health. The idea of removing someone from a battle was appealing, particularly in situations where we were fighting multiple enemies at once¡ªthat seemed to happen a lot lately. But how much of an advantage did fifteen seconds really afford us? It wouldn¡¯t be enough time for Val to heal anyone. It wouldn¡¯t be enough time to really turn the tide of a battle in our favour. No, I decided, in its current state, this peculiar and strangely cruel ability was not the one for me. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. I knew exactly which one to pick, in fact. Ability unlocked ¡ª Peerless Portals Peerless Portals (Worldbending) ¡ª Create a portal to another location. Support up to ten pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. My instinct was to test this huge ability evolution out straight away, but I resisted. Zoi had finally finished packing up, and it was time to go. Inevitably, I¡¯d get to try Peerless Portals out in the heat of battle anyway, and these days, battle was never all that far away. Arzak helped Zoi up onto their shared horse, much to the¡ªadmittedly giant, a behemoth of a beast¡ªhorse¡¯s chagrin, and the tiefling smiled at the warrior. Arzak didn¡¯t return the smile, and had in fact been acting pretty off with Zoi since not longer after she¡¯d joined the party. I had my sneaking suspicions that the orc was reminded of Tokas, and that was not a subject she broached lightly. I kept quiet on the subject. ¡®Good to go?¡¯ Val asked. Before I could even reply, she spurred the horse into motion, and we rode on for Tradum. * * * When we made camp that night, Val and Zoi continued their increasingly impassioned conversation. I couldn¡¯t help but smile; it was nice to see my wife making a new friend. Would I have preferred her to make friends with someone who wasn¡¯t a fire sorcerer being hunted by the most prestigious institution of magickal studies in the world? Absolutely. But that wasn¡¯t Val¡¯s style, and that was what I loved about her. ¡®What¡¯re you two talking about over there?¡¯ I called out across the camp. ¡®Oh, you know, magick studies,¡¯ Val replied. ¡®I study magicks.¡¯ ¡®No, you train magicks; we studied them.¡¯ I shrugged. ¡®Fair enough.¡¯ Under her breath, Val added to Zoi, ¡®I should¡¯ve just told him we were talking about girl stuff,¡¯ which got a smirk from the tiefling. I left them to it, turning to Arzak, who was sitting around the fire at my side. Only the gods knew where Corminar and Lore had got to; something about all this had them training harder than ever, which often resulted in the barbarian coming back to camp with arrows sticking out of him. He would explain that those were the ones he failed to block, and then Val would have to heal him as I pulled the arrows out. So I had that to look forward to later. ¡®I thought we swear off mercenaries,¡¯ Arzak grumbled, quiet enough that Val and, more importantly, Zoi could not hear. ¡®After whole Trio incident.¡¯ The orc wasn¡¯t wrong. Our last encounter with soldiers for hire had ended¡­ poorly. I¡¯d been too distracted by Raelas¡¯s rather flattering attention to see them for what they really were: people who would look for gold no matter the cost. It had got Ama and Carle killed, and Raelas left alone in the world. ¡®She¡¯s not a mercenary though really, is she?¡¯ I replied, nodding to Zoi. ¡®No, she fraud.¡¯ ¡®What, you¡¯re worried about the insurance companies¡¯ profit lines?¡¯ ¡®I worry if she lie to them, she lie to us.¡¯ I followed Arzak¡¯s line of sight, seeing that her stare was bearing into Zoi, with only the occasional glance spared for Val. Even I could quickly see what was going on there. ¡®You¡¯re worried Val¡¯s making friends with her.¡¯ ¡®Val my best friend, not hers.¡¯ These words sounded a little strange coming out of the orc¡¯s mouth, considering she was far, far too old to be sounding like a child. But stressful times do strange things to us, so I gave her sympathy over judgement. ¡®They¡¯ve just got something in common, that¡¯s all. Doesn¡¯t mean she¡¯s gonna replace you.¡¯ Try as I did after that, I wasn¡¯t sure my reasoning really convinced Arzak, and still the orc¡¯s glaring at Zoi didn¡¯t stop. So I left them to it. It was none of my business really anyway. Little enough happened on that last night before we arrived back at Tradum¡ªLore didn¡¯t even end up looking like a pincushion¡ªbut none of us felt rested for it. We travelled more quietly than ever, barely a word spoken between any combination of us that wasn¡¯t Val and Zoi. But even they were speechless when we finally arrived in sight of the city, and for one very good reason. The road was littered with bodies.
"Styk" Level 25 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 296 Dexterity ¡ª 198 Strength ¡ª 106 Wisdom ¡ª 94 Charisma ¡ª 77
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 80 Knifework ¡ª Level 62 Stealth ¡ª Level 34 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Peerless Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location. Support up to ten pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades II ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Etched spells can be activated up to ten times. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
240. Corruption Thwarted I dismounted. Val followed suit soon after, then Zoi and Lore too, for good measure. With a heavy weight in my chest, I approached the closest of the bodies littering the road out of town. I wanted there to be a good explanation for a slaughter of this scale. I wanted these two hundreds or so citizens of Tradum to have died for good reason, not simply to fulfil the whims of the Players and their Council. I found myself wanting to find evidence that these people have been corrupted by the malae, their souls lost to the void, leaving only empty husks capable of spreading the malae¡¯s touch across the world. But there was no corruption. Only wounds and arrows with their heads buried into flesh. These people had posed no danger. Their only crime had been that they¡¯d fled. They had organised themselves enough to flee Tradum as a group, hoping that their numbers would be enough that some, at least, would escape. I really hoped some had escaped. ¡®Monsters,¡¯ Val said. I was about to argue with her, to say that these people weren¡¯t corrupted, but then I looked at her. My wife wasn¡¯t calling the dead monsters; she was condemning those that had done this. This sight echoed how this journey had begun. Val and I had stood in the ruins of Plainside, with so many dead at the pyroknight¡¯s hand. My wife¡ªthen a near-stranger¡ªhad opened my eyes to the true crimes of the Players, to what their kind were truly capable of. More and more, the world¡¯s eyes were opening too. Already hundreds had joined Arzak¡¯s network. If news got out about this, then surely the tides would turn. I strode back over to the horse and remounted. ¡®Zoi. Get those fire magicks ready.¡¯ The tiefling nodded. We rode towards town. * * * We went where the soldiers were most concentrated. I portalled us from rooftop to rooftop, able to make use of my new ability upgrade to keep more pairs of portals open as the six of us traversed the city. Nobody commented on it, and I suspected nobody even noticed. I¡¯d have to point it out to Val at some point later, but right then maybe wasn¡¯t the time. Corminar and I scouted from the rooftops as we travelled, communicating only with nods and gestures, keeping our presence here as minimal as possible. If one of the empire¡¯s soldiers saw us, then we would have to flee and start all over again. The people of Tradum maybe didn¡¯t have that long. The elf nodded me over to the edge of the rooftop, then pointedly stared down at a large warehouse building. There were no windows, and the one entrance I could see was guarded by a team of soldiers in golden surcoats. They stood squarely at attention, the importance of their job apparently made clear, and their eyes swept the streets under the light of the full moon. This was surely it: their centre of corruption operations in the city. Using my portal magicks, I could get us inside without alerting those guarding the warehouse, but if there were more soldiers inside, we¡¯d be quickly outnumbered. There was little we could do about that, however; we¡¯d just have to hope. I turned and waved Zoi over, and whispered to her, ¡®Get ready. You¡¯re on. If you see malae inside, you burn them, and you burn them hard. But you have to keep the fire under control; I don¡¯t want Tradum burning to the ground on our watch.¡¯ Zoi nodded. ¡®It makes a change from my usual work, at least. And if those inside focus their attack on me, as a result?¡¯ ¡®Good point. We¡¯ll have someone protect you.¡¯ I turned to my wife, feeling that she¡¯d be best placed to watch over the tiefling, considering they¡¯d become so close so quickly. ¡®Val, will you¡ª¡¯ ¡®No,¡¯ Zoi cut in, looking over at Arzak. ¡®I want the orc.¡¯ I raised my eyebrows in surprise, then looked over at my green friend. Arzak¡ªalso with her eyebrows raised¡ªnodded, then stood over at Zoi¡¯s side. ¡®OK,¡¯ I whispered, raising my hand and preparing to open a portal to inside the warehouse. ¡®Get ready. We¡ª¡¯ Corminar¡¯s head spun to face me, then he shook his head pointedly, gesturing for me to look over the edge of the rooftop once more. I looked down at the soldiers just outside the warehouse, and realised that the door had opened. Out poured another half dozen soldiers, most of them much the same as those stationed outside the building, but one of them in particular stood out. ¡®A knight of the realm,¡¯ I whispered, staring at the huge, towering man with a magickally flaming sword sheathed at his side and a flaming shield hooked on his back. These were senior soldiers in Empress Amira¡¯s army, those whose strength gave them power, and command. Perhaps these knights of the realm weren¡¯t as strong as Players, but when there were twenty soldiers to back them up, we were better off not crossing their path. And where there was one knight, there could well be more. We held back, only Corminar and I daring to poke our heads up over the edge, to minimise the risk of being spotted. The team shifted from foot to foot as we waited for the knight and additional soldiers to stop their conversations and move on, and for the door to close. None of us wanted to be here, in this eerie ghost town, with every moment that passed increasing the likelihood of being spotted. But all we could do was wait it out. Finally the moment came that the knight finished his conversation with the soldiers posted outside the warehouse, and Corminar and I kept both still and quiet as we watched him and his unit depart down the empty cobbled street. I turned back to the team, and gave them the nod. With the flick of my wrist, I opened a portal, one side on the rooftop, the other placed blindly within the warehouse. I stepped through first, plunging myself into darkness, as in this warehouse there was not even the light of the full moon to shine down on us. I found myself standing in an aisle between rows of stacked crates, each maybe two foot in every dimension and piled six crates high. As Lore stepped through the portal behind me, it took me a moment to place the symbol on the crates. It was the same icon the malae traffickers had used in Coldharbour; this was where their goods had gone to. We were in the right place. I crept along the aisle, my hands tracing the edge of the stacked crates gently, barely touching them at all. The pressure from my fingertips was enough only to make sure I didn¡¯t stumble into them; the last thing I wanted to happen was to free another of those monsters. As more of the team stepped lightly through the portal behind me, I poked my head around the corner at the end of the aisle. There were more rows still of stacked malae crates, but then, at the other side of the warehouse, I saw a plinth not unlike the one Alenna had used in her surgery. A man was strapped to it, unconscious. And a member of Amira¡¯s golden army stood over him, malae clutched in armoured glove. I realised then that I hadn¡¯t truly believed it. I hadn¡¯t truly believed that Amira¡¯s army had figured out how to replicate Alenna¡¯s super soldier experiments. But¡­ no, that wasn¡¯t it. I believed that. I just didn¡¯t believe that they would replicate it. And yet, here was the evidence. Did they know what they were dealing with? Did they know what could happen if anything went wrong? And did they care what happened to civilians? The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. I did not have my mother¡¯s near-invisibility abilities, but in this low, low light, I didn¡¯t need it. I opened another portal at my side to bridge the distance between myself and the man operating on the unconscious local. Without a moment of hesitation, I activated my Stealth passives and stabbed the man in the side of the neck. This man deserved no mercy. Nobody involved in any of this deserved anything but hell. I ignored the resulting notifications, my attention drawn instead to the malae fallen on the floor at my side, the monster seeming to stare up at me though it had no visible eyes to speak of. ¡®Zoi,¡¯ I said, then opened a portal beneath the malae. Having never encountered portal magicks before, it had not yet adapted to them, and it fell to the floor in front of the tiefling¡¯s feet. She blasted it with raging, focused inferno, the heat so great that I instantly felt it tickling at my skin, even twenty feet away. She blasted it until nothing could possibly have survived such flames, and then she blasted it some more. The squealing of dying malae had ceased after maybe two seconds, but that didn¡¯t stop Zoi. Like the rest of us, she knew better than to take any chances with the malae. ¡®Corminar, Arzak,¡¯ I said, gesturing to the man on the table. ¡®Get him out of here.¡¯ Arzak nodded, but otherwise, they followed this instruction without saying a word. They hesitated at the man¡¯s side, looking for signs of corruption, and only once they were satisfied that he was still healthy did they unbuckle the clamps around his extremities. When they¡¯d disappeared through the portal amidst the stacked crates of malae, I closed the portal behind them, and ushered the rest of the team away from the packaged, smuggled creatures. ¡®Zoi,¡¯ I said, ¡®I think you know what to do.¡¯ The tiefling nodded, then stepped forward a single pace in front of me, Val and Lore. As she raised her hands to cast the fire-summoning spell, I cast a spell of my own. A bubble of Silence appeared around the crates of malae, making sure that no sound that occurred inside could be heard outside of it. I did this not just to make sure our presence here remained unnoticed, but to spare us all the terrible noise of dying, burning monstrosities. The flames engulfed them, the boxes beginning to shake almost imperceptibly from the malae struggling against their charcoal destiny. As the malae squealed mutely, Zoi stood silent, taking in the sight of fire licking at the crates and the creatures. She kept her hands raised, arms stretched out wide at either side. When I stepped to her side, I saw the reflection of the flames flickering in her eyes, and though her mouth didn¡¯t warp into a smile, I could see joy behind those irises. Was this what the team wondered about me? Did they think I took joy in my killing of the Players? Was that why I occasionally saw worried glances sent my way, did they think me growing slowly corrupted by my power? Val had grown beyond those suspicions these days, but the rest of the team¡­ I saw how they looked at me. I saw how they wondered. ¡®Enjoying yourself?¡¯ I asked Zoi. She looked at me with wide eyes, as though caught in the act. ¡®Should I regret that I¡¯ve made these things hurt?¡¯ I shook my head. ¡®Extinguish the flames when you¡¯re done.¡¯ I turned to the rest of the team as I opened a portal back onto the rooftop. ¡®We should get out of here before we¡¯re noticed. We¡ª¡¯ ¡®Wait,¡¯ Lore said, his eyes drifting over the charred remains of the crates that had once held the seeds of corruption. ¡®What is it?¡¯ ¡®This ain¡¯t enough of em,¡¯ Lore said. ¡®We saw hundreds before, maybe even a thousand. They¡¯ve already moved them on. Maybe there are an odd few still in the city somewhere, but¡­¡¯ Val gulped. ¡®The malae slip through our fingers again.¡¯ The building was cast in silence once more, this time not through means of my Worldbending magicks; we simply stood quiet in the revelation that we were too late once again. But¡­ were we? ¡®No,¡¯ I said, activating my portal relays, ten tiny portals floating around me. With the flick of my wrist, I sent them soaring back onto the rooftop, and then in different directions above the city. ¡®No, not this time.¡¯ ¡®You have a plan?¡¯ Val asked, but it wasn¡¯t a question; I could see the glee in her eyes. She knew I did. She knew me well enough for that. ¡®Yes. We get everyone out of Tradum. And then we go after them.¡¯
"Styk" Level 25 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 296 Dexterity ¡ª 198 Strength ¡ª 106 Wisdom ¡ª 94 Charisma ¡ª 77
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 80 Knifework ¡ª Level 62 Stealth ¡ª Level 34 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Peerless Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location. Support up to ten pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades II ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Etched spells can be activated up to ten times. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
241. The Survivors ¡®It is time,¡¯ I bellowed through the portal relays, my voice echoing around the city. ¡®Those of you still here, those of you still cowering in fear, awaiting the day that you are dragged out of your homes, turned into one of those monsters¡­ it is time. We rise as one, all of us, together, and we fight our way out. I can¡¯t pretend it won¡¯t be dangerous¡ªit is¡ªbut the alternative is to stay. And if you stay, you die¡ªthat is a certainty. ¡®We have seen what the Players are capable of. We have seen one burn Plainside to the ground. We saw one strip the Tundras of resources to bolster their war machine. We¡¯ve seen one unleashed the very same corruption across the Armada as you¡¯ve suffered here. It is time to shed our illusions that Players are heroes, that they are noble and honourable, and it is time to embrace those qualities ourselves. Be the heroes you want others to be. Rise up now, and survive this night.¡¯ I could hear soldiers running outside, charging for what they thought was the source of my bellows, but of course they were wrong. Each of them thought my voice came from one of those portal relays dotted around the city, and none of them realised that I was standing in the very building they were here to guard. A hand clasped me gently on the shoulder. ¡®She¡¯s done,¡¯ Val said, nodding over to the smoldering crates. At that very same moment, Zoi was gesturing the fire down with her hands, as though extracting its innate mana from the room. She extinguished the last of the flames seconds later. ¡®Time to go,¡¯ I said, and with the flick of my wrist I opened a portal back atop the very same rooftop. The snow had picked up once more, but the white dusting wasn¡¯t enough to awake the unconscious citizen of Tradum. Arzak crouched over the man, who was propped up against the chimney, slapping him gently around the face. ¡®Poison, we think,¡¯ Corminar said, as we arrived at their side. ¡®Val, perhaps you can¡­¡¯ My wife stepped forward, placing her hands on the man¡¯s pale face for a minute, before shaking her head. ¡®It¡¯s beyond me, but he¡¯ll wake up in time.¡¯ ¡®Mm,¡¯ Arzak said, nodding, before grabbing the unconscious man and slinging him over her shoulder. ¡®Then I carry.¡¯ ¡®You said there was a plan?¡¯ Zoi asked me. ¡®For getting us out of here?¡¯ ¡®For getting the survivors out of here,¡¯ I corrected her. I strode over to the side of the rooftop, looking down to the snow-dusted street below. Already the remaining citizens of Tradum were poking their heads out of the buildings, weighing up their attempt at escape. ¡®We can get out no problem. But for everyone else, it¡¯s a numbers game. The soldiers can¡¯t catch all of them, but we know they¡¯re going to catch some.¡¯ Down below, a soldier shouted and pointed as they spotted a young teenage pair slip out from a building. Several of her fellow soldiers in gold began to rain down on the innocents¡¯ positions. ¡®Our job,¡¯ I continued, ¡®is to make sure they catch as few as possible.¡¯ I opened portals beneath the enemy, a portal to a soldier. Half of them fell through, finding themselves suddenly in the sky high, high above the frosty city. The other half instinctively grabbed at the rims of the portals, or darted to avoid them entirely. ¡®Oh, I don¡¯t like this at all,¡¯ the tiefling replied. I opened a portal each for Lore and Arzak to step through, down to the street level. As Val, Corminar, Zoi and I followed, Lore dispatched one of the remaining soldiers instantly. Arzak took a second to place the unconscious local down on the thin layer of snow before attacking another soldier with her dual blades, her swipes near as fast as I¡¯d ever seen before; we¡¯d all come to truly despise those involved with the malae. Corminar clipped the last of the soldiers with an arrow, but it glanced off the enemy¡¯s shoulder plate. A second later, the soldier raised a throwing knife, aiming at the elven ranger. A panicked Zoi raised her hands to blast the soldier with her flames, but¡­ only a whisper of fire spouted forth from her hands. ¡®I¡­¡¯ As the throwing knife spun through the air, I flicked a portal open just in front of Corminar, in the nick of time. My aim was off slightly; the knife didn¡¯t make it through the portal but instead clipped the edge, sending it spinning ineffectively into the snow. I opened a portal and dropped Lore on the last of the soldiers, and moments later I felt more experience point notifications pop up. I ignored them for now. We had a job to do. ¡®You two,¡¯ I said, spinning to where the teenagers had been a moment earlier. ¡®Get¡ª¡¯ But they were gone already, having fled in the chaos of the brief fight. Good for them. Arzak picked up the unconscious man from the ground once more, and we headed north, creeping at first before I remembered myself. The more attention we drew, the more others would escape. That was why we were here. That was what true heroes did. The tiefling shifted forwards, to join me and Arzak at the front of the pack. She visibly swallowed before speaking. ¡®I¡¯ve never used my fire magicks on a living being before,¡¯ Zoi explained, referring to her ineffective spell from a few minutes earlier. ¡®The malae¡­ they were the first.¡¯ She didn¡¯t say the next bit, but I knew it was there. She didn¡¯t like how it felt to burn things. No, that wasn¡¯t it at all; she didn¡¯t like how much she liked to burn things. That was always the allure of fire magicks, and always its curse. ¡®They would deserve it,¡¯ Arzak grumbled back at her as she wrenched her blade free of the enemy¡¯s chest. ¡®But understand what you mean.¡¯ Zoi nodded back at the orc, and smiled, though Arzak was too busy concentrating on the task at hand to notice. ¡®Thank you,¡¯ the tiefling said, and squeezed Arzak¡¯s shoulder gently. This, the orc noticed¡ªas evidence by the flushed cheeks¡ªbut still she kept her eyes scanning our surroundings. We dispatched another handful of soldiers as we made our way north. These soldiers weren¡¯t in their usual squads, and were more fragmented than they should have been¡ªseparated amongst the chaos of more and more locals beginning to flee their homes. A mother clutching a young child yelped as she turned a corner to see us, but a kind smile from Val¡ªdirected at the child, I noticed, not the mother¡ªcalmed her. The mother joins our party as we wound through the streets, and I couldn¡¯t decide whether she was safer with us¡ªand the attention we were drawing¡ªor without out¡ªand outside of our protection. As we continued through the streets, our combined footsteps softened by the settling snow, more joined us. A lone older woman emerged from a house as we past it. A family burst forth from the cellar access door of an ancient-looking tavern. A gaggle of children¡ªno parent in sight¡ªemerged from a dark alley, having apparently already made the decision to flee, but much happier doing so at the sight of protectors. It came to the point where we had enough people following us that I decided we were better off going unseen by enemies, rather than drawing them to us. We had people under our protection now, and our duty to them was to see them out of the city alive. And so I led our contingent off the main streets and down back road, and alleyways. Corminar and Val scouted ahead using my portals, keeping us clear of trouble, but that didn¡¯t mean we were perfect. A soldier stumbled upon us, as surprised by the sight of us as we were of him, and he was able to fire an arrow before we could take him down. It was one of the locals, the older woman, who took the arrow to the gut, but Val¡¯s Healing magicks and Corminar¡¯s potions were enough to save her before the blood loss became too great. Lore took to carrying the weakened woman, and it wasn¡¯t long before she was completely distracted from her semi-healed wound by Lore¡¯s solid, carved chest. As we turned down another alleyway, we stumbled across across another. A huge figure, barely visible in the dim light of the snowstorm, but distinctive enough in appearance that Val and I recognised him. Reginald. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. I saw Zoi open her mouth to shriek at the sight before us, but Val saw it too. My wife clasped her hand over the tiefling¡¯s mouth before she could give away our position to the hordes of soldiers. ¡®I know him,¡¯ Val said, as reassuringly as possible. ¡®I know him.¡¯ ¡®You know this¡ª¡¯ Arzak started, and before the orc could call Reginald a bear, I interrupted. ¡®This human man is called Reginald,¡¯ I said. Lore and Corminar looked at me like I¡¯d finally lost it, but I ignored them for now. ¡®Reginald, meet Arzak, Zoi, Lore and Corminar.¡¯ I pointed at each of them in turn. ¡®What are you doing here?¡¯ Val asked. ¡®This is no place for a¡­¡¯ She trailed off as she searched for the right ending to that particular sentence. ¡®This is no place for a bard.¡¯ In answer, the bear stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Val, squeezing her tight in another of his overly eager hugs. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Corminar twitch, ready to strike if this was an attack on his friend. ¡®It is so, so good to see you, my friend,¡¯ Reginald said. ¡®Twice in one fortnight, what a treat! If only it were not under such dire circumstances.¡¯ Lore shifted his hold on the woman he was still carrying to free up one arm, which he thrust forward to shake the bear¡¯s hand. ¡®Any friend of Val¡¯s¡­¡¯ he started. ¡®...is a friend of mine!¡¯ Reginald finished. Lore smiled; he¡¯d met someone on his wavelength. It was a shame, in retrospect, that this person was actually an animal. ¡®Lore,¡¯ he said. ¡®Reginald.¡¯ ¡®What are you doing here, Reginald?¡¯ Val repeated, brushing herself down because her coat was now covered in fur. I grew conscious of the crowd behind us, keeping their distance from the bear, stepping closer only as it became clear that it wasn¡¯t about to attack us. Still, we couldn¡¯t wait around here for long. ¡®Val, I think¡­¡¯ ¡®I heard the rumours, and I came to rescue people, as heroes of legend do. Of course, I didn¡¯t know heroes of legend would already be here.¡¯ Lore pointed to himself in surprise, then bashfully batted the compliment away. There was an opportunity here, I realised. ¡®Reginald, how is your stealth?¡¯ ¡®I am as stealthy as I am brawny,¡¯ the bard replied. ¡®Especially if I use my¡ª¡¯ ¡®Good,¡¯ I said, cutting to the chase. ¡®Get everyone out of here. Keep to the backroads. Stay out of sight.¡¯ The bear¡¯s face dropped. I didn¡¯t realise a bear¡¯s face could drop, but it did. ¡®But Styk, my friend, there are perhaps three hundreds soldiers still in Tradum. We¡ª¡¯ ¡®We will draw them to the south. We¡¯ll clear a path.¡¯ I turned to the citizens under our protection. ¡®Go. Go with him. He¡¯ll keep you safe.¡¯ Before anyone could argue this point, I opened a portal at my side, and turned back to Reginald. ¡®Good luck,¡¯ I told him, ignoring the part of my brain shouting that I was trusting a hundred lives to a bear, and then I stepped through the portal. Back on the rooftops, I waited for the team to join me before letting the portal close once more. Arzak and Lore had shed their loads, and through the portal I could see that the unconscious man was now draped over Reginald¡¯s shoulder. When the portal was gone, my gaze lingered on Zoi. ¡®I¡¯m surprised you didn¡¯t go with him.¡¯ ¡®I figured my chances were better with you.¡¯ ¡®Let¡¯s hope not, for their sakes.¡¯ I opened another portal to put us on a rooftop to the south, putting space between us and Reginald¡¯s group, before activating my Portal Relay ability once more. This time, I made no effort to hide my location. ¡®Alright, Arit,¡¯ I shouted, my voice echoing around the city. ¡®You want a fight? Let¡¯s have one. City centre, in about, oh, let¡¯s say¡­ now.¡¯ We were in the central square moments later, assisted by portals, and we beat Arit there. If he was even coming. In fact, the only sign of trouble that I could see were two looming silhouettes plodding slowly down one of the adjoining streets. I recognised one of them by their flaming sword and shield, neither of which were sheathed any more. Only when they were well in sight, even through the snowstorm, did they come to a halt. ¡®Slayers?¡¯ the one with the flaming sword growled. ¡®That¡¯s right,¡¯ Val replied. The enemy nodded. ¡®Very well. Let us have our battle.¡¯ ¡®I think we can handle a couple of knights of the realm,¡¯ Corminar scoffed. A portal opened up behind them. Not one of mine. And through it stepped Arit, the Player worldbender, as well as maybe two dozen more of Amira¡¯s soldiers. ¡®And what about now, Lieutenant Cladenor?¡¯ Arit replied. Though this was what we¡¯d wanted, Corminar¡¯s smirk faded.
"Styk" Level 25 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 296 Dexterity ¡ª 198 Strength ¡ª 106 Wisdom ¡ª 94 Charisma ¡ª 77
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 81 Knifework ¡ª Level 63 Stealth ¡ª Level 34 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Peerless Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location. Support up to ten pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades II ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Etched spells can be activated up to ten times. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
242. Bonfire Knight We didn¡¯t need to win the fight. We just needed to survive it, and to keep the enemies occupied for long enough for the innocent citizens of Tradum to escape the city walls. With Arit and his soldiers training their attention on us, I felt a lot better about Reginald and followers getting out unscathed. Every second that we could maintain this distraction, the better for them. The rest of the Slayers¡ªand Zoi¡ªat my side, I stared down the approaching enemies. The two knights of the realm were closest, but they¡¯d come to an abrupt halt as the Player had stepped out of a portal. One of them held flaming sword and shield, his equipment imbued with Sorcery magicks. The other carried a simple great axe, but a leather sash across her chest had pockets for vials, each of them filled with potions or poisons. Behind them stood Arit, the worldbender and member of Tana¡¯s council. He carried no weapons to speak of, his magicks apparently being all the firepower he needed. Either that or he trusted the now thirty or so soldiers stepping out the portal behind him to do the hard work. There were too many of them for us to fight for long, weren¡¯t there? A thought occurred to me just then, and I kept chewing on it while Val engaged the enemy in spiteful conversation. ¡®Is this what you were like in your old world?¡¯ my wife asked, eyes trained on Arit. ¡®Did you step on people, kill them, corrupt them, just to get your way? Cos I got news for you: if you did, then you¡¯re a right¡ª¡¯ I¡¯m not going to repeat the string of words that followed, but I¡¯m sure you can fill in the rest as appropriate. It was pretty nasty, nastier than much that I¡¯d heard Val say before, but as Arit was apparently in charge of corruption operations, he deserved every syllable of it. That¡¯s all I¡¯ll say. ¡®In my own world,¡¯ Arit replied. ¡®I was just a man. In the worlds that my kind created¡­¡¯ He trailed off. ¡®Yeah, I¡¯m gonna need you to finish that sentence,¡¯ Val said. ¡®In these worlds, we¡¯re gods. Gods can do what they like.¡¯ Arzak groaned. ¡®You lot all same! Do they teach you this in Council school? Other Player we meet, Elfric, he not think this. Just Tana and friends.¡¯ Arit raised his eyebrows. ¡®You met Elfric? I¡¯m surprised he¡¯s still out there. I thought he perished long ago, that he was sentenced to live our his days in the ascended world. I suppose I will have to report this back to Tana¡­¡¯ Arzak shrugged; though the hermit Player had only helped us, he was still a Player, and that was apparently enough for the orc to not care too much about his wellbeing. I caught Lore¡¯s eye, trying to communicate my plan without words. He held my gaze, but I had no idea what he¡¯d understood from it. But he was the least of my concern; Corminar, Val and Zoi were the ones I needed most. At that moment, Lore slyly elbowed Val, then nodded over my way. My wife tensed for a moment, but didn¡¯t look at me, knowing that this would draw the enemy¡¯s attention. Still, I saw her flex the fingers of her right hand, and knew that she was ready to cast. Corminar was still oblivious, but he reacted quickly; I could trust him to act the moment he saw the portals open. It was just Zoi that I needed to speak to, but she was on the other side of our group; I couldn¡¯t go whisper in her ear without drawing attention to myself. I caught Lore¡¯s eyes again, alerting him to the fact that I was about to need him. The moment I felt like he understood, I strode fast towards Arit and the two knights of the realm. ¡®You¡¯re a monster!¡¯ I shouted, spitting with rage, putting on enough of a performance that Lore would recognise it as an act, but hopefully the strangers wouldn¡¯t. ¡®You deserve to be trapped here. You deserve¡ª¡¯ Lore¡ªthank the heavens¡ªgrabbed me hard by the upper arm, wrenching me backward. I pushed forward against Lore¡¯s grip, but pretended to be overpowered. The barbarian yanked me back towards the team, and I gently nudged us towards Zoi. ¡®See, worldbender,¡¯ Arit gloated, ¡®even your team recognise that you can¡¯t win this one. Why don¡¯t you save us all the trouble and¡ª¡¯ As I arrived at Zoi¡¯s side, I whispered seven simple words in her ear. ¡®Burn them like you did the malae.¡¯ I opened the portals¡ªthree fanned in front of each of Val and Corminar, four fanned in front of me and Zoi. The tiefling was quick to act, her flames erupting through the portals in the same moment that Val¡¯s lifedrain magicks crackled forth across the unit of soldiers, with Corminar¡¯s rapid-firing of arrows following a fraction of a second after. Some soldiers of the empire fell, but some survived. And those survivors were so in the midst of the chaos that they didn¡¯t notice when I closed four of the portals and reopened them under the soldiers¡¯ feet. As more enemies fell from the sky, Arit tried to catch them with portals of his own, but I had one advantage over an otherwise inevitably more powerful man: I could open more portals than him. Perhaps twenty-five seconds after I whispered my instruction to Zoi, Arit¡¯s golden army was severely weakened. Maybe a dozen soldiers remained standing, if barely alive, though the Player and the two knights of the realm remained untouched. ¡®Arzak! Lore!¡¯ I shouted, pointing to the knights as they charged me. ¡®One on each. Protect us from¡ª¡¯ Fire engulfed one of the knights, these flaming magicks streaming forth from the hands of a screaming Zoi. I wasted not a second for that light shining in the tiefling¡¯s eye, instead portalling over to the aflame knight¡¯s rear. I activated Titan Husk to protect my hands from the flames as I drove my dagger into the woman¡¯s back. Another notification piled up, a Worldbending level-up message among them, but I pushed them aside for now. But this left another knight¡ªthe one with the flaming sword and shield. I turned, searching the chaos for sight of him, and caught Arit¡¯s wide eyes through the flames. A half second later, a portal appeared at the Player¡¯s side, and the man disappeared through it, out of sight. It seemed he¡¯d never thought so small a team could turn the tide so quickly. It scared him. We scared him. The thought was immensely satisfying. A flaming sword arced through the air, and instinctively I opened a portal between myself and the weapon. With my Titan Husk ability activated, I could withstand the flames, but I was still not strong enough to be sliced by a broadsword and escape unscathed. Lore barrelled into the knight¡¯s side, shoulder-tackling the enemy to the ground. As they struggled, the barbarian grabbed the knight¡¯s wrist, pushing his flaming blade out of harm¡¯s way, his own arms trembling from exertion. I moved to help, raising my dagger high and about to plunge it down into a stab, when the sword¡¯s flames came to life, licking at Lore¡¯s face. The barbarian cried out in pain, stumbling backwards from the scuffle and leaving the knight free to move once more. My blade met nothing but empty air as the enemy rolled out of the way. Arrow and lifedrain spell hit the knight, but the enemy struggled against the pain, gritting his teeth and warping his lips into a vicious growl. Despite the attacks, he strode towards Lore, who was still clutching his face. Flames erupted from the knight¡¯s blade once again, a torrent of fire far stronger than the previous attack. Lore¡¯s eyes widened in the split-second before the fire shot towards him, and could only wince in anticipation of the burn. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. But it never came. Zoi had stepped forward, arms raised, her mouth twisted into a growl of her own. Her hands were taut claws, her fingers seeming to be stuck in unnatural positions, as she worked her magicks to turn the knight¡¯s flames back upon him. There was a moment of invisible battle, a clash of will as the two fire-users fought against one another. But it was the tiefling who won this skirmish, and the knight burned. When the dust settled, the tiefling continued to stare at the fallen knight. Her eyes didn¡¯t blink, didn¡¯t snap away from the body even for a second while the rest of us gathered ourselves, and while Val worked her Healing magicks on Lore. Only Arzak¡¯s hand on Zoi¡¯s shoulder finally snapped the sorcerer from this daze. ¡®It not define you,¡¯ the orc said. Zoi¡¯s wild eyes looked up at the warrior, meeting the taller woman¡¯s gaze, and she nodded. ¡®Arit?¡¯ I asked. ¡®Escaped,¡¯ came Corminar¡¯s reply. ¡®Through a portal. Though I did look, I could not determine where the other side was located.¡¯ I shook my head. We knew where Arit had gone. He¡¯d fled. His job in Tradum was done, or done enough. He had his army, and he had the rest of the malae¡ªthat which Zoi hadn¡¯t burned. If I was him, if I thought like him¡ªand I admit, the ability to do so came easier than I liked¡ªthen I would take my winnings and ride north. I would head to Auricia, where the Council had made their headquarters. I would give Tana the malae she needed for this ritual, and I would use my corrupted army to make sure that the Slayers never so much as troubled them. ¡®We¡¯re leaving,¡¯ I told the others. ¡®We could do with some rest,¡¯ Lore said. ¡®There¡¯s¡ª¡¯ I started, but Val had reached the same conclusion. We were thinking more alike day by day. ¡®We don¡¯t have time,¡¯ my wife said. ¡®Arit will be fleeing. We have to go now, before it¡¯s too late.¡¯ * * * The low winter sun was setting by the time we found the camp. They were based in foothills to the north. It was a clever, tactical location; their presence was hidden by the crests of the hilltops, and few roads came through this mountainous terrain, so there would be few travellers to spot them. We¡¯d found them only by recreating the same logic; if we were Arit, where would we hide? Again, it was me who had been able to habit the Council¡¯s mindset, and me who figured out the answer. Corminar and I crawled slowly up the side of a grassy hill, the blades frozen, patches of ice and snow littering the hillside. We kept low, and halted for minutes at a time, to be absolutely sure we were not spotted by the main camp that we knew dwelled just over the other side. We crawled over bramble, uncomplaining, we felt our fingers grow numb, without comment, and we kept our minds focused on the task at hand. More so than ever before, it wasn¡¯t just us who would suffer if we were unsuccessful; beating Arit and destroying the malae could just save the world itself. If we had to suffer a little pain, a little numbness, to save our world? We would do so without complaint. The night was pitch black by the time we reached the crest of the hill, and in the minutes leading up to this, I¡¯d wondered if that would mean we wouldn¡¯t see the full scale of the camp. But as it turned out, I hadn¡¯t needed to worry. The thousands of torches in the valley below us provided plenty of light with which to see the several hundred-strong army of the Golden Empire, packing up their camp and preparing to leave. Most of the tents were disassembled, or in the process of being disassembled, but the crates filled with the monsters of corruption were already loaded onto wagons. Yet, only half of the soldiers below wore that golden uniform. The other half wore rags, wore basic tunics, wore pretty much anything you¡¯d expect of a civilian, not a soldier. But these two hundred or so soldiers out of uniform did not mind being unarmoured, did not mind being cold. They did not mind much of anything, for that matter, because they were the citizens of Tradum that Arit had already corrupted. Arzak had been right; they hadn¡¯t just corrupted a handful of people. There were hundreds of these corrupted pseudo-soldiers before us, hundreds of these super strong beings that we¡¯d struggled to kill just one or two of in Coldharbour. With this many, Arit was surely unstoppable. With this many soldiers of corruption between us and the wagons, what hope did we have of destroying the malae?
"Styk" Level 25 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 299 Dexterity ¡ª 198 Strength ¡ª 106 Wisdom ¡ª 94 Charisma ¡ª 78
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 82 Knifework ¡ª Level 63 Stealth ¡ª Level 34 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Peerless Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location. Support up to ten pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades II ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Etched spells can be activated up to ten times. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
243. A Lingering Threat The camp was silent. After the heavy snow had hit over night, covering the ground in a thick layer of white, the silent was, somehow, quieter than ever. The snow blanket dampened noise, and the cold forced nearby critters to remain in their holes. The only sound I could hear, in fact, was the occasional thump of snow falling from the bare branches. ¡®I¡¯ll ask again,¡¯ I said. ¡®Any ideas?¡¯ ¡®We heard you,¡¯ Val replied. ¡®It¡¯s just¡­¡¯ She trailed off, but she definitely hadn¡¯t needed to finish that sentence. All five of us knew that Arit¡¯s army would be on the move by now, the malae-laden wagons protected by his hordes of corrupted soldiers. How he had them following his command, I did not know. But where the Council faced a problem, they usually also found a solution. We could handle two or three corrupted soldiers, maybe even as many as ten, if we had a plan. But two hundred? We had no chance. We¡¯d die before we so much as reached the malae, much less had time for Zoi to burn them all. I looked over at Zoi, who was crouched over the fire, staring into the flames. I knew what she was wrestling with; fire magicks had a dark allure, one that Zoi was only just beginning to experience for the first time. She¡¯d burned malae, her first time using her fires on anything living¡ªif you could call them that¡ªand then only hours later, she¡¯d been forced to burn a man. Even without fire getting under your skin in the way it did, hurting people in this way could do things to you. To your head. To your soul. ¡®If I portal you in,¡¯ I said to Zoi, ¡®how quickly could you burn them?¡¯ She didn¡¯t reply. ¡®Zoi,¡¯ I said. When the tiefling still didn¡¯t look up from the flames, Arzak shook her gently by the shoulder. Zoi snapped out of her trance. ¡®Apologies. Were you talking to me?¡¯ ¡®I portal you in. You burn the wagons. I portal you out.¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s the plan?¡¯ From her pale face¡ªnot just from the cold¡ªand her uneasy tone, I could tell she wasn¡¯t convinced. ¡®As it stands. How long would it take to burn them?¡¯ ¡®How many wagons?¡¯ ¡®Eight.¡¯ Zoi shook her head, and her eyes drifted over to the fire once more. ¡®Too long,¡¯ she said. ¡®Then we¡¯ll think of something else.¡¯ The camp went quiet once more, though whether this was the silence of deep contemplation or inner despair, I did not know. I heard a crunch of snow underfoot. From Corminar also turning to look over his shoulder, I could tell that it wasn¡¯t just my imagination. I kept my eyes peeled for signs of life, and a few moments later, I saw the orange blur of a fox darting along in the distance. I looked back at Corminar, and shook my head; we were growing paranoid in these dire times. At my side, Val shivered. The fire was growing low; someone would have to do something about that. Though Zoi could summon fire, there was no use her wasting her mana reserves when there was plenty of wood around still untouched by the snow. Maybe we¡¯d need the tiefling¡¯s summoned fire later; I had a feeling there were ambushes and other attacks in our near future. I slapped the tops of my thighs to announce that I was standing, then headed off into the woods in search of dry wood. A set of light footsteps followed as I passed away from the light of camp. Glancing around my shoulder, I saw that the tiefling had followed me. Perhaps it was the inner yearning to feed the fire herself¡ªin some way¡ªor perhaps it was something else that pulled her along with me. ¡®You¡¯re still here. You¡¯re still with us,¡¯ I said. I phrased it as a sentence, but we both knew it was a question, really. ¡®You hired me to burn the malae,¡¯ Zoi replied. ¡®There are still malae to burn.¡¯ I held her gaze. ¡®Very good answer. Now, what¡¯s the real answer?¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t want the world to end.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡®That¡¯s an even better one.¡¯ I held her gaze for a moment longer, looking for signs of deception in those eyes. But I saw only fear¡ªthe fear of a woman who¡¯d become wrapped up in something terrible, something that she would now need to see to the end. ¡®Come on. Let¡¯s find some fuel for the flames.¡¯ Zoi nodded. * * * Val and I kept first watch that night, though I¡¯ll admit that I was doing most of the watching, unless my wife had invented a way to keep watch through her eyelids. She¡¯d struggled more with her tiredness these last few days, though she assured me this was normal; I¡¯d just have to look after her a bit more than usual. Not that Val thought I typically spent time looking after her, rather than the other way around. At least the snow had stopped for now. Only Arzak didn¡¯t seem bothered by the cold, though the orcish homelands were so far north that they had weather like this in their summers, on occasion. Lore and Corminar stirred under piles of their clothes by an old oak tree, every now and then yanking a thick blanket back from the other. Zoi, who¡¯d clearly realised that Arzak didn¡¯t struggle with the cold, had curled up next to the orc¡¯s back. I didn¡¯t quite know how Arzak would react to this turn of events when they woke up for their turn of watch, but that was none of my business. In an effort to keep warm, I stood up, sliding my arm out away from the dozing Val, and began to pace around the camp. The snow crunched over foot, but not enough to rip anyone away from their dreams. In fact, the white blanket dampened the noise of my footsteps. I kept my eyes on the trees, scanning them every few seconds, though surely any would-be attackers, sapient or otherwise, was cowering from the cold. Out there, somewhere to the north, was Arit. He and his soldiers would be camped out for the night, too. Though would all his soldiers get their rest? I definitely wouldn¡¯t sleep knowing that there were soldiers of corruption standing guard outside the tents, able to spread corruption onto others with the lightest touch. I felt it, then: a pang of doubt erupting in my gut. Were we already too late? Had our only chance to stop the Council¡¯s plan been back in that desert, when we¡¯d been too busy chasing down Yusef to put an end to the malae once and for all? How could we defeat so many soldiers of corruption? How could we get past them to reach the Council, to stop them creating their new world at the expense of our own? Did all this¡ªall this fighting, all this freezing our butts off¡ªdid all this have only one destination, our deaths? I shook my head; I couldn¡¯t think like this. Going down this route was a path to certain destruction, to manifesting the very death that I feared. No, I would have to do better than that. I would have to believe us inevitably victorious if we were going to stand a chance of saving the world, and¡ªmuch, much, much more importantly¡ªstaying alive in the process. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡®Styk.¡¯ I felt my gut wrench again, but this time not with doubt but with fear. Val had only said my name¡ªand softly, at that¡ªbut I knew that tone. Something was wrong. Very wrong. When I looked over at my wife, I saw that she had a blade to her neck. ¡®You lied,¡¯ said the person standing over her. My mother. We knew we hadn¡¯t seen the last of her, but for her to return to us so soon? Either we were a priority target of the Council, or she had rushed back to us¡­ because she felt betrayed? I raised my hand slowly, fingers splayed, gesturing for Cleo to stand down. ¡®Alright,¡¯ I said, ¡®let¡¯s not do anything rash.¡¯ ¡®Keep your voice quiet,¡¯ the Player said, dark eyes bearing into mine. ¡®If you wake the others, then¡­¡¯ ¡®Then you kill me,¡¯ Val cut in. ¡®He gets it. I¡¯m really done with you.¡¯ She took the words right out of my mouth. ¡®We had a deal, you and I,¡¯ my mother said. ¡®You would stop hunting us, let us do what we needed to, and then we would welcome you into the new world with open arms. I brought that deal to Cleo. It has her approval. And now you make a fool of me?¡¯ ¡®Oh, I¡¯m sorry if we double-crossed someone who wants to end the world,¡¯ Val mumbled, and this really wasn¡¯t helping her chances of staying alive. Of my child staying alive. ¡®Val,¡¯ I said, resisting the urge to gulp. As I had sensed meaning from Val¡¯s tone earlier, she did the same from mine. Her mouth snapped shut; there was no sassing her way out of this one. ¡®So you¡¯re here to kill us, this time?¡¯ I asked. Cleo stared back at me a moment longer before replying, as though she was still working out the answer to this question herself. ¡®I am here to send a message. I will not kill you, but I will kill your wife.¡¯ She pressed the side of the blade into Val¡¯s neck, drawing blood but not doing more than minimal damage. ¡®Why? Why won¡¯t you kill me?¡¯ I asked, my volume getting away from me some. I paused, glancing to the others, but though they stirred, none awoke. In more hushed tones, I continued, ¡®Is it because I am blood? Is it because there is part of you in me?¡¯ To voice this made me feel sick, but it was the only bargaining chip I had right about then. ¡®Everyone has a line that they won¡¯t cross,¡¯ my mother replied. I almost breathed a sigh of a relief right then and there. It wasn¡¯t just that I wanted to know that I was safe; now, Val was too, at least for a time. ¡®Then you won¡¯t hurt Val either,¡¯ I said, still holding Cleo¡¯s gaze. ¡®You¡¯re going to be a grandmother.¡¯ My mother¡¯s gaze flickered to the woman in front of her, to the woman into whose throat she pressed her blade. It was as though she saw Val for the first time, then. The knife drifted away from the flesh, only by a fraction of an inch, like it was an unconscious act. ¡®You are going to be a grandmother,¡¯ I said again. This wasn¡¯t quite how I¡¯d ever expected to give this news¡ªI¡¯d never really expected to give it at all¡ªbut here we were. Cleo released Val, stepping backward, and out of reach of any reprisal. Not that we would attack her; it was clear by now that she was just as likely to kill the lot of us as we were to kill her. Stood there, between the bare trees, Cleo considered me one more time. ¡®Stay away from Arit, Styk. There will be a place for our family in the new world, but only if you stay away.¡¯ Cleo really thought that I would relent, this time. No, she wanted to believe I would relent. She wanted to believe it so badly that she had fooled even herself. Elfric had given us a glimpse of my mother¡¯s actions in the Badlands, but now I glimpsed the impact they¡¯d had on her mind. This was a woman who solved problems only with violence. Now that she¡¯d come across a problem that she wouldn¡¯t¡ªor couldn¡¯t?¡ªkill, her mind desperately grabbed at other options. I said nothing that would dissuade my mother from the idea that I would let this world die. In fact, I remained quiet as I watched her go, until her form faded into nothing as her camouflaging magicks reactivated once more. It would come to a battle in the end¡ªthat much I was sure¡ªbut this bought us more time. And maybe that was enough. I did have one nice thing to say about my mother¡¯s hope that I would surrender, though. Val would be safe. Our child would be safe. And I would never have to worry about either of them ever again. After all, in the new world, we would be gods.
"Styk" Level 25 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 299 Dexterity ¡ª 198 Strength ¡ª 106 Wisdom ¡ª 94 Charisma ¡ª 78
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 82 Knifework ¡ª Level 63 Stealth ¡ª Level 34 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Peerless Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location. Support up to ten pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades II ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Etched spells can be activated up to ten times. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
244. Interlude — Arit ¡®Sir, you¡¯re needed.¡¯ Arit sighed as he rose from his bunk, then turned to face the guardsman who¡¯d poked his head in the tent. This wouldn¡¯t be forever, he told himself; in a matter of weeks¡ªif that¡ªthe ritual would be complete. He would exist in a new world, and he would exist as a god. The locals would wait on him hand and foot. He wouldn¡¯t have to face battle, he wouldn¡¯t have to lead armies, and he certainly would not be woken in the middle of the night. But that was soon, and this was now; there was a job to be done. ¡®Yes?¡¯ Arit asked. ¡®What news?¡¯ ¡®I¡­ I dunno, sir. There¡¯s a scout waiting for you¡ª¡¯ Arit pushed passed the guardsman the moment he realised that the soldier was of no more use. The young lad followed him back outside the tent, past the two armed soldiers of corruption positioned at the tent flap, flinching as he passed them. Arit was hardly thrilled to be in their presence, but they were a tool, and if one is to get the most value out of a tool, they must not fear it. Did Athena fear the bow? Did Elecon fear the insidious weapon that pushed the Ascended World to its end? These monstrosities would be destroyed with this world, and Arit would have to contend with them no longer once the ritual was complete. A matter of weeks, he told himself again. ¡®The scout,¡¯ Arit said to the guardsman. ¡®Where?¡¯ The lad pointed across the camp to the west, to a woman on horseback, a deep wound in the brown beast¡¯s side. The horse would need Healing, and soon, if it was going to survive. ¡®A healer,¡¯ Arit told the lad, and off the guardsman ran to carry out his order. The worldbender spared little thought for the wellbeing of beasts, particularly those who would die with the world anyway, but that was no reason to waste a perfectly good tool. Arit closed the distance between himself and the scout using a portal, arriving at the mounted woman¡¯s side in a flash. ¡®The news?¡¯ he demanded. ¡®Trouble to the west,¡¯ the scout replied. ¡®More elderbeests.¡¯ Arit nodded; this wasn¡¯t the first time they¡¯d encountered these creatures since he had taken over control of the malae. There was something about those monsters of corruption that drew enemies in. Beings of nature, particularly those touched by Witchcraft emerged from the dark depths of their homes, lured by the presence of the malae¡ªparticularly when there were so many malae in one place. They¡¯d had trouble in Tradum, but that had been an easily defensible city. Now that they were making a new camp each night, with no real knowledge of the surroundings, they were vulnerable. Arit hadn¡¯t expected so many obstacles. ¡®Heading this way?¡¯ he asked, though he knew the answer; the scout wouldn¡¯t trouble him if they weren¡¯t. Still, the mounted woman nodded. ¡®Six of them.¡¯ Six. Usually six enemies would not be worth the effort of even noting them; the soldiers of corruption would throw six humans aside no problem. But six elderbeests were a different matter. These creatures were never truly formed in the creation of this world, their power diverted into Hephaestus¡¯s artifacts when he betrayed the rest of the Architects. It was salt in the wound; Tana¡¯s intelligence said that the team who hunted him possessed one of these very artifacts. That Hephaestus would, however unintentionally, have caused his problems on two fronts¡­ If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Arit shook his head; there was no reason to think about it, not when there were other priorities. ¡®Order the camp to depart within the hour,¡¯ Arit told the scout. ¡®Send a third of the soldiers of corruption west to meet the enemy. The others should join the untouched in defending the caravan. The malae are all that matter, you understand?¡¯ The scout saluted Arit. ¡®In Yusef¡¯s name.¡¯ Arit nodded back, swallowing his pride for a second. He hated that he¡¯d needed to weaponise Yusef¡¯s legacy; the loss of that arrogant ex-Council member was no tragedy, in his eyes. They were better off without him. But his name did prove useful¡ªnothing drove the locals of this world to such loyalty than the work Yusef had done. Though, it was unravelling fast. That fool had exposed the truth of himself¡ªexposed them all¡ªin his dying breaths. It was only a matter of time before his legacy was eradicated by truth. But all Arit needed was a couple of weeks. The worldbender turned back towards his tent, but felt the scout¡¯s eyes bearing into him. He returned the stare. ¡®Sir?¡¯ she asked. ¡®Are you not riding with them? They could do with your support.¡¯ Arit bit his tongue. He let everything that he wanted to say pass through his mind unsaid. He didn¡¯t say that he wouldn¡¯t waste his time on fighting animals. He didn¡¯t say that he wouldn¡¯t risk his life unnecessarily, not when the Council were so close. Arit couldn¡¯t risk his grip on Amira¡¯s soldiers growing any looser than it already was. So instead, he nodded, and he turned west. * * * When the soldiers of corruption spoke, Arit heard screams. They were not screaming, of course. These monstrosities were not capable of the emotions that would urge them to scream; Tana had seen to that when she¡¯d instructed the learned librarians of the Estat Order to build on the tiefling¡¯s research. But still, Arit heard the screams. Was it in his mind, simply the echoes of the screams he¡¯d heard during the corruption process? Or was it there, beneath the surface, almost imperceptible to the human ear¡ªthe screams of the soul still trapped inside these emotionless husks? ¡®What are our orders?¡¯ the corrupted soldier asked. No judgement, no secondary meaning to the question, just simply that¡ªa question. Yet those hints of screams gave Arit pause. ¡®Send two out. Lure the beests to us. We hold our ground here.¡¯ The Player finished his instructions, and the monstrosity nodded, passing the orders down the line. Arit watched as two of the soldiers ran out into the treeline, passing out of the moonlight and into the shadows. They ran faster than even the strongest of men. If these creatures weren¡¯t fully under the Council¡¯s control, they might well have posed problems even to Players, especially with their far greater numbers. But Arit had sensed no sign of dissent among them. The growing disillusionment was left strictly to Amira¡¯s soldiers¡ªthose who were still untouched. Perhaps Arit would have to corrupt yet more men, both to keep them unquestioning and to hold as a threat over those who would abandon the cause. He still had the tools to do so. They were loaded on the carts. They were the very thing that had this army heading north, to make delivery to Auricia. The monstrosities held the line unflinching, unwavering, unbreathing, as they awaited the return of their colleagues¡ªand the elderbeests that would be chasing them. Arit had no doubt that they would be successful in luring the creatures in. If the darkest creatures of this land were drawn to the malae, drawn to corruption, then that would surely apply to these disgusting soldiers, too. It was only a matter of time. The snow began to fall once more, again dusting the ground with little more than half an inch. Arit held his coat tight, his eyes drifting to the soldiers with their grey skin exposed to the elements, paying no attention to the flakes landing upon them. He envied them, but something as insignificant as resistance to the cold was not going to convince him to get corrupted any time soon. He felt the elderbeests before he saw them. Before he even heard them. The great, lumbering beasts from another time were large enough to shake the very ground beneath Arit¡¯s feet, especially when charging in such a number. ¡®Soldiers¡­¡¯ the worldbender shouted, holding his order for a beat, until the first pair of antlers burst forth from the trees, ¡®...attack!¡¯ 245. Winters Grasp ¡®My mother visited us in the night.¡¯ Lore, Corminar and Arzak didn¡¯t react, but Zoi raised her eyebrows. ¡®Oh?¡¯ the tiefling said. ¡®Is she still with us? Should I make her a nice cup of tea?¡¯ Corminar smiled to himself, biting his lip, while Lore looked at Zoi in horror. The tiefling looked around at the wide variety of reactions. ¡®What? Did I say something¡­¡¯ ¡®She try kill us,¡¯ Arzak said, filling Zoi in on the finer details of my family¡¯s dynamics. ¡®She one of Players. Of Council. She not want us here.¡¯ The orc turned next to me. ¡®You fight her off? Without waking us?¡¯ ¡®Did you use your Silence ability?¡¯ Lore guessed. A sensible guess, particularly for him, but obviously not the right one. ¡®We didn¡¯t fight,¡¯ I said. Corminar pointed at Val. ¡®Your spouse has a fresh, if light, wound upon her throat.¡¯ ¡®We didn¡¯t fight much,¡¯ I corrected myself. ¡®Then what¡ª¡¯ Lore started. It was Val who answered, and pretty concisely, at that. ¡®She¡¯s pretty annoyed we lied to her. Came back to kill me.¡¯ ¡®Yet you live,¡¯ Corminar observed. My wife nodded. ¡®Styk told her about the baby. I guess she didn¡¯t want to kill the mother of her grandchild.¡¯ Arzak joined Zoi in raising her eyebrows. ¡®So we lucky. Again. How long we be lucky for? I sure not much longer. How long until she decide kill one of us after all?¡¯ The tiefling raised her hand timidly. ¡®Can I ask¡­ Why are we worried? You told me you have killed Players before. Why not simply kill her before she kills you? That is the usual arrangement, is it not?¡¯ I shook my head. ¡®It¡¯s not that simple.¡¯ ¡®Because she¡¯s your mother?¡¯ ¡®What? No. If one of you kills her, I¡¯m perfectly fine with that. I¡¯d just rather not do it with my own hands if I don¡¯t have to. No, the problem is that she can turn invisible.¡¯ ¡®Ah.¡¯ ¡®Yeah, you can see how that poses a few issues.¡¯ Zoi nodded thoughtfully. ¡®Alright, so we look for a spell that can aid us in seeing invisible people. We¡ª¡¯ ¡®And how much time do you want to spend doing that?¡¯ I asked. ¡®Because every moment we spend doing something other than hunting down the malae is another moment they grow closer to Auricia. For all that there are two hundred corrupted soldiers protecting the caravan now, it¡¯s not like it¡¯s gonna be easier to get to the malae later, once they¡¯re in the palace city. No, we¡¯ve gotta focus on the malae.¡¯ ¡®I suppose you have an idea of how we do that?¡¯ Corminar asked. I rolled my eyes. ¡®Why¡¯s it always me who has to¡ª¡¯ ¡®Do you have an idea, Styk?¡¯ Corminar pushed the question. ¡®I have the start of an idea, yes. We don¡¯t go straight for the malae. They¡¯ll be expecting that, they¡¯ll have planned for it. Instead, we go for Arit. We take the general from the army. We leave them in disarray. And when chaos spreads through their ranks, we take the first opportunity we get.¡¯ Five pairs of eyes looked at me. Val sighed. ¡®I suppose that¡¯s the best idea we¡¯ve got.¡¯ * * * We rode north. Our horses¡¯ healths were fading fast, not because they weren¡¯t trained for long distances, but because of the cold, and because we¡¯d found so little food for them. But they¡¯d only need to hang on a while longer, then they could rest. And when I say that, I mean rest¡ªI¡¯m not using cryptic language to mean ¡°then they can die¡±. They deserved more than that for how much they¡¯d helped us. There was no ¡®Welcome to the Goldmarch: where all your dreams come true¡¯ sign¡ªslogan provided as an example only¡ªas we crossed over from the Sundorn into the new continent. In times past, the border would have been marked by a dramatic increase in wealth and quality of life. Houses would be larger, and freshly painted. Roads would be well-maintained, with signposts clearly marked at every junction. The people would even be happier. But while we¡¯d been south, in the Sundorn, things had changed. Fast. We barely saw anyone in the towns we passed through, and those we did see ran at the sight of us. Buildings were razed, or demolished, or had worryingly large claw marks in their doors. There was no patterns to the incidents that had befallen these towns; in some, it seemed that hags had attacked, in others, giant neereagles. In one town it almost looked like an elderbeest had passed through. It was Lore, in the end, who pointed out that this was a pattern. We hadn¡¯t seen devastation caused by a single type of creature because it was all creature types. All manner of monsters had emerged from the darkness, and we knew from previous experience that this only happened when they were drawn to great power. It was Arit¡¯s army moving north that had caused this, or rather the malae they transported north. Until Zoi could burn the malae¡ªuntil we could get the malae in reach of her flames¡ªthis would keep on happening. When we finally reached a tavern that was still in business¡ªif only just¡ªI elected to position a Saved Portal there. If we had to use it to flee, then we¡¯d be giving Arit¡¯s army a significant time advantage. But if we had to use it, we almost certainly had bigger problems on our plate. If it came to us being in that much trouble, a hearty stew and some decent ale would do us some good. It was another two days before we caught up with Arit and his army. The snow had really taken hold by then, piling half a foot deep. Though it slowed down our progress significantly, we at least had my portals to support us along the road. Arit, on the other hand, wouldn¡¯t have enough portals to transport an army that size; they¡¯d be slowed down more than we would. We knew we¡¯d grown close when we saw the wheel marks cutting through the snow, and from there we kept quiet, not a word shared, not wanting to risk alerting Arit¡¯s army to our presence. We kept our horses to the paths trodden by the soldiers, and our eyes fixed straight ahead. In the depths of winter, we couldn¡¯t see far, and it was Corminar who heard the army before any of us saw it. We did as before. Corminar and I left the team with the horses, and we pressed on, through the torrential snowstorm. We approached slowly, in a crouch, then in a crawl, using the thick white layer to our advantage, to keep us out of sight of the dozens of corrupted soldiers that served as guards. Finally, satisfied with our vantage point on a low hillside, we set about our work. Whereas before we were looking in a gap in the malae¡¯s defences, now we had another target: Arit. We sought to cut the head off the hydra that was this army, though hopefully no more heads would regrow in Arit¡¯s place. At least, not until after could get Zoi to the malae, to work her flaming magicks. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. The enemy worldbender pushed back the flap of the camp¡¯s central tent as we approached, escaping the cold. If we¡¯d approached a moment later, we wouldn¡¯t have seen him, yet we would still know exactly where he was. Only one tent in the whole camp was made of such sturdy material, and only one was guarded by a half dozen corrupted soldiers. From the look of it, there were more still inside the tent. Arit was watched over at every moment, it seemed; he knew we were after him, and he was taking no chances. I considered opening a portal then and there, to inside the Player¡¯s tent. If he were anyone else¡ªor if he were less well-guarded¡ªI could snatch him out from under his army¡¯s nose, and we could deal with him as a team. As it was, though, Arit was an experienced enough worldbender that there was no guarantee that I¡¯d be successful in snatching him. And his soldiers of corruption reacted quickly enough that they might not let me get away, even if I had Titan Husk active. After all, their ability to spread corruption was just one of a great many advantages that these former humans had over regular soldiers¡ªthey were also faster and stronger than most. Perhaps even faster and stronger than some Players. As it stood, it was useless. We¡¯d need to separate Arit from his guards before we could strike. I took one last glance over at the carts, over on the far side of camp, and confirmed that they, too, were under heavy guard. I looked at Corminar, discovering that he was already looking at me. The elf nodded glumly; we were on the same page. I began crawling backwards, through the paths in the snow we¡¯d left before, keeping my head down. As we retreated to the team¡¯s camp, intrusive thoughts whirled around my mind¡ªwas this a hopeless task? would we chase Arit all the way to Auricia, and the protection of the Council, without ever having a chance to strike? Corminar¡¯s hand whipped out to grab my leg, and I froze. It took me a few more seconds to hear it¡ªfor my human hearing to catch up with Corminar¡¯s enhanced elven senses¡ªand I forced myself to remain as still as possible as the trouble approached. I bit my tongue as the singular enemy scout grew close, and then I bit it harder still when I realised that it was a corrupted soldier. I could portal Corminar and I out then and there, but then the enemy would know that we¡¯d closed on them, and that was why we¡¯d approached on foot to begin with. The crunching of snow under enemy foot grew louder as they approached, and with every step, I heard the pounding of my own heart grow louder too. I only released my breath when the footsteps began to quieten again, their owner drifting past us. Only when Corminar tapped on my leg again did I begin to move once more, trusting the ranger to be a better judge of this kind of thing. We skipped the crouching stage on the way back to our woodland camp, and instead I opened a portal immediately in front of Corminar, slipping through it behind him only half a second later. This portal dropped us atop a nearby hill, and from there, we returned to camp at a sprint. Lore stood when he heard us approach, drawing his blade. At the sight of us, Val raised her eyebrows. ¡®Everything OK?¡¯ ¡®Scouts,¡¯ I said through loud breaths. ¡®Not sure how far away from the camp they¡¯re coming, but we should pack up. Play it safe.¡¯ Zoi looked up from the fire, then pointed to it. ¡®I just started this the non-magick way.¡¯ It was the kind of slightly irritable point that Val would make; did we rub off on people that easily? ¡®Then you¡¯ll have to do it again. Better safe than¡ª¡¯ Corminar¡¯s hand whipped out once more. This time, my heart truly sank. Corminar and I being in danger was one thing, but if the enemies had found us here, with Val around¡­ I forced the thought out of my mind, instead focusing on action. The elf nodded to our left, to where he¡¯d apparently heard the noise. ¡®Fire. Out. Now,¡¯ I breathed to Zoi. The tiefling tore the flames away with her magicks, but it was too late. A woman with pallid grey skin and eyes that were totally black emerged from the trees. I turned on the spot, whipping my hands towards Val, opening a portal beneath her that sent her falling away, out of trouble. Lore, who was half over the opening of the portal, tumbled through it sideways. Without turning back, I activated Titan Husk, then shunted backwards into the path of the charging soldier to give my friends a chance to escape. Corminar was already pulling Zoi by the arm, but Arzak reacted with intent to fight, not flee, raising her blades. The corrupted soldier and I collided, sending me flying across the small clearing and clipping the side of a tree. I pushed myself back up in a daze, head spinning, the taste of blood in my mouth. Staggering, I raised my hand to open a portal between Arzak and the corrupted soldiers, to protect my orcish friend. But I missed. The corrupted soldier slipped nimbly around the portal, bring her axe down to meet Arzak¡¯s raised dual swords. It was a clash to behold, a duel of immense strengths, the soldier pushing down with her axe against the swords held in an X-formation, Arzak holding her own even against someone with supernatural strength on their side. But I didn¡¯t get to see how this would end, because instead of pressing the attack, the enemy grabbed Arzak¡¯s wrist. And corrupted began to spread.
"Styk" Level 25 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 299 Dexterity ¡ª 198 Strength ¡ª 106 Wisdom ¡ª 94 Charisma ¡ª 78
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 82 Knifework ¡ª Level 63 Stealth ¡ª Level 34 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Peerless Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location. Support up to ten pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades II ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Etched spells can be activated up to ten times. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
246. The Cost I¡¯d seen this before. I knew what to do. I could save her. That was what I told myself in the half-second it took me to process what had happened. I leaped into the air, bringing my knife down towards the corrupted enemy while activating Val¡¯s magicks that were Etched into the blade. My wife¡¯s life-drain magicks would be far from enough to take down the enemy, but all I needed was a second of opportunity¡ªmy priority was to save a life, not to take one. As I passed over the enemy, I flung one hand downwards to open a portal beneath Arzak, and sent the other pointing towards the sky. Arzak tumbled through the portal and I fell after her, letting the portal close behind me so tightly that I felt it pass over my skin. We tumbled through bitter winds and frigid air. I snatched at Arzak¡¯s flailing leg as we soared. My fingers slipped free on the first attempt, but on the second, I got purchase. I used my grip to pull myself up to Arzak¡¯s arm¡ªto where the corruption had touched her. The cold air would slow the spread of corruption, I knew, but there was still no time to waste. Every second that passed could be the difference between life and death¡ªthough Arzak¡¯s arm was already a goner. I sliced through the straps that held the armour in place on the orc¡¯s arm, tossing the metal plate aside, then raised my blade. I wouldn¡¯t be able to cut through in one go. And I could do nothing to reduce the pain. If my friend wanted to live, she was going to have to go through extreme agony to do so. Arzak¡¯s eyes widened when she realised what I meant to do. ¡®No!¡¯ she roared over the tumultuous winds. ¡®I dual-wielder!¡¯ I brought my knife down anyway. Another arm snapped to meet mine, appearing through the blizzard. ¡®No,¡¯ the orc insisted, holding my blade back with ease. ¡®No.¡¯ I glanced at the ground, making sure I still had time. I released my grip some, then slid downwards¡ªupwards, really, considering we were falling head-first¡ªto the orc¡¯s forearm. The patch of grey skin had grown, and grown fast, even despite the cold air. So I cut it. Arzak roared with pain, but made no effort to stop me as I stripped her arm of corrupted flesh, one strip at a time. I cut as delicately as I could, but falling through a blizzard was not exactly the ideal scenario for surgery, and so on occasion I cut living flesh along with corrupted. I cursed myself every time I saw an error, but let it go. There would be time for regret later; Arzak needed me to concentrate if she was going to have any chance of keeping her arm. The ground crept up on me. I glimpsed the solid white mass approaching a second too late. When I opened a portal beneath us to catch us, I was successful in putting it in our path. I was not successful in the careful placement of its other side. Arzak and I erupted through this second portal, a dozen feet in the air, and then tumbled across the snowy landscape. The thick snow helped to cushion our fall, but I still felt something snap in my right leg. I ignored the fierce, eye-watering pain and staggered over to where Arzak had landed, to continue my work. My hands shook, both from pain and cold, but still I worked, slicing ever more flesh away, carefully balancing ¡®too much¡¯ and ¡®too little¡¯. Cutting too deeply would damage Arzak¡¯s ability to use her right arm. Cutting too shallowly would mean that the corruption would spread further¡ªand losing an arm would be the least of her worries. I thought I heard a shout, but amidst the growing blizzard, it was impossible to tell. I continued at my work, assuming¡ªno, hoping¡ªthat the shout had been a creation of my imagination. If it wasn¡¯t, and if we were in trouble, I didn¡¯t know how Arzak would survive. I heard it again. Lore¡¯s voice. ¡®Here!¡¯ I cried back, forgetting for a moment the enemy that had done this. The very same enemy that I saw approaching, charging through the blizzard. I spared one moment to whip one hand back, opening a portal in the trunk of the nearest, largest tree. With my portal slice ability activated, the top of the tree was cut free of its roots, and its massive trunk tumbled towards ground, just in front of the charging enemy. I¡¯d bought us only seconds. ¡®Lore!¡¯ I shouted, as loud as I could, supporting by my portal relays. ¡®Lore, help! Here!¡¯ I sliced another strip of flesh away from the screaming Arzak, and out of the corner of my eye, I spotted the soldier of corruption leap over the fallen tree trunk in one stride. ¡®Lore!¡¯ I bellowed, though even with my relays, I couldn¡¯t hope to match the volume of Arzak¡¯s cries of pain anyway. It occurred to me only then that we weren¡¯t all that far away from Arit¡¯s camp; I could only hope they couldn¡¯t hear our cries over the blizzard. The barbarian appeared amongst the falling snow, emerging in a flash to stand between us and the corrupted soldier. He met the enemy¡¯s charge with the flat of his Bane Sword, crying out with effort as he fought against unnatural strength. I knew he could only last so long. I would have to finish now. I made one last cut, deeper than I would have liked, and tore free the last of Arzak¡¯s corrupted flesh, leaving her arm looking¡­ I tried not to see how bad it was. ¡®Zoi!¡¯ I cried out, but when I heard no response, I pulled one of Corminar¡¯s fire potions from my satchel. I wrenched the cork out with my teeth, then poured it over Arzak¡¯s arm. Even in such cold conditions, the potion blossomed into fiery life, the flames cauterising Arzak¡¯s wound, just as Val had taught me. I used my Titan Husk-adapted hands to pat the fire out a second later. ¡®Styk, I don¡¯t think¡­¡¯ Lore cried out, his voice straining, just as Corminar, Val and Zoi appeared in sight. ¡®I know,¡¯ I said. With that, I opened a portal beneath me and Arzak. We fell through it, and I left it open for my friends to leap through. I¡¯d done what I¡¯d sworn I wouldn¡¯t¡ªthis was no regular portal, but a Saved Portal. This brought us out in a tavern a day¡¯s ride to the south¡­ and without our horses. I¡¯d given Arit a huge lead over us, but if I hadn¡¯t, the corrupted soldiers would have found us. Arzak almost certainly would not have survived. Val leaped through the portal next, followed by Corminar and Zoi, before finally Lore jumped through, yelping as he did so. I closed the portal the moment that he was passing through, but the soldier of corruption reached a gray hand through after him. I rose, shakily, to attack, to force them out of the portal, but instead¡­ It closed through the hand. Whatever the Council had done to these corrupted soldiers to make them more obedient, it had also made them less¡­ sentient. The system no longer considered them alive. And, as a result, my portals could cut through them. ¡®Huh,¡¯ I said. ¡®That¡¯s new.¡¯ A lifeless, corrupted forearm dropped to the floor of the tavern, in front of me, Lore, and a particularly alarmed innkeeper. The stranger watched, mouth hanging open, as I opened another portal to drop the dismembered arm into the raging fireplace. ¡®We¡­ can explain,¡¯ Lore told the innkeeper. * * * Arzak was resting upstairs, in one of the bedrooms, while she recovered. The rest of us waited downstairs, barely touching our ales, as Val reappeared. I wanted to ask how it had gone, but the pale look on my wife¡¯s face said it all. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Still, it didn¡¯t stop Zoi from asking. ¡®How is she?¡¯ ¡®I¡­¡¯ Val trailed off, then approached the table and took a big swig of my beer. I pointed to the untouched drink next to me. ¡®I did buy you one.¡¯ Val took another swig of my ale before continuing, ¡®I did what I could, but¡­ What I could do wasn¡¯t enough.¡¯ ¡®You couldn¡¯t heal her?¡¯ Zoi asked. ¡®I know someone, not far from here, who might be able to¡ª¡¯ Val shook her head abruptly. ¡®No.¡¯ Another swig. ¡®I¡¯m not the best healer, I know that, but that¡¯s not why I couldn¡¯t do enough. The corruption, it did more damage than anyone would be able to heal. The malae, they leave lasting marks.¡¯ Lore raised his eyebrows, as if to say ¡°I could¡¯ve told you that¡±. My wife took a seat at my side, her hand drifting to my right thigh. I¡¯d thought it a loving caress before she began to squeeze, and then I realised that she was checking that Corminar¡¯s healing potions had been enough to fix my broken leg. That was loving too, in a different way. ¡®How bad is it?¡¯ Corminar asked, eyes locked on Val. ¡®I¡­¡¯ ¡®How bad, Equivalence?¡¯ the elf asked again, this time using her full name. ¡®If she can use her arm at all, I¡¯ll be happy,¡¯ Val said. Silence passed over the group. Lore and I took hefty swigs of our beers, and Corminar must have decided this was a good idea, because he quickly followed suit. ¡®Was she awake, up there?¡¯ Zoi asked. Val nodded. ¡®Awake, just resting. I want her off her feet.¡¯ My wife downed the rest of the pint she¡¯d stolen from me, then began to rise from the table. ¡®I was just coming down to give you all an update, really; I should¡ª¡¯ But Zoi stood. ¡®I can go up for a bit. Keep her company. I think you¡­ I think all of you could do with some downtime too.¡¯ I nodded, and gestured for Val to sit back down again. It was good to have someone travelling with us who reminded us of the need to look after ourselves every now and then. We¡¯d become so focused on taking down the Council over the past few months that maybe we¡¯d forgot to leave room for ourselves. The one bright side had been that it¡¯d kept our squabbling to a minimum; we were all hyper-focused on the same objective. We drank in silence for a time. Well, nearly in silence¡ªLore very quickly drifted off to sleep sitting upright, and his snores were like a swarm of hornets. I tried to occupy Corminar and Val with a game of cards, trying to get their minds off Arzak¡¯s injury. The elf was quickly invested when it became apparent that he was on a winning streak, but Val¡¯s eyes kept drifting to the stairs. ¡®Maybe you should go check in,¡¯ I told her. ¡®Zoi¡¯s been up there a while, and if it¡¯d make you feel any better¡­¡¯ Val opened her mouth as if to say something, but then sighed instead. She nodded, threw her cards down on the table¡ªa winning hand, if she¡¯d been paying attention¡ªand disappeared up the staircase. ¡®This game requires a third,¡¯ Corminar said, apparently eager to continue. He nudged Lore with his elbow, gently. When that did nothing to awake the big man, he elbowed him much harder. ¡®Is the food here?¡¯ Lore spluttered as he woke up. Corminar answered by dealing him a hand. ¡®Oh,¡¯ the barbarian replied, but otherwise didn¡¯t put up any fuss about being woken for a game of cards. We made it through half a hand before Val appeared back downstairs again, her face bright red. ¡®Val?¡¯ I asked. The woman shook her head, but her face was bright enough that it distracted even Corminar from the game. The elf placed his hand on the table. ¡®What is it? Am I to assume that something terrible has happened up there?¡¯ Val licked her lips, her mouth opening slightly then closing again, as she searched for the words. ¡®Arzak and Zoi, they¡¯re¡­ getting on a bit better than I thought.¡¯ ¡®Oh?¡¯ Corminar said, a smiling creeping across his face. ¡®Oh,¡¯ I added, catching up a moment later. ¡®They¡¯re getting on.¡¯ The three of us looked to Lore, who was busy rearranging his hand. When he felt our gazes upon him, he looked up at us. ¡®What?¡¯ he asked. ¡®Val said that Arzak and Zoi are getting on better than we thought.¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s nice!¡¯ Lore said, then began rearranging his hand of cards some more. Corminar placed his hand gently atop Lore¡¯s card, forcing him to lower them. The elf looked into the barbarian¡¯s eyes, willing him to catch up. ¡®They are getting on better than we thought,¡¯ he said again. A few seconds later, Lore¡¯s eyes widened. ¡®Oh!¡¯ He broke immediately into a wide, toothy grin. ¡®Oh, that¡¯s really nice. I guess we all need a little comfort at the mo.¡¯ The barbarian placed his cards down on the table, and Corminar groaned when he realised his winning streak was over. ¡®Bet they¡¯ll wish you hadn¡¯t see that, though,¡¯ Lore said, nodding to Val. Val remained flushed. Corminar suddenly sat up straight, no longer interested in the game of cards in the least. ¡®What did you just say?¡¯ ¡®Bet they¡¯ll¡ª¡¯ Lore started, before I waved him down; Corminar¡¯s question had been rhetorical. ¡®Cor, what¡¯s up?¡¯ Val asked the elf. For the second time in as many minutes, Corminar smiled. ¡®I think I have an idea.¡¯
"Styk" Level 25 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 299 Dexterity ¡ª 198 Strength ¡ª 106 Wisdom ¡ª 94 Charisma ¡ª 78
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 82 Knifework ¡ª Level 63 Stealth ¡ª Level 34 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Peerless Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location. Support up to ten pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades II ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Etched spells can be activated up to ten times. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
247. Rebuilding ¡®Arzak¡­¡¯ Corminar said hesitantly as we entered the bedroom. The orc rested in bed, while Zoi sat in an armchair at the other side of the room, focusing on reading a book. Or pretending to. For the sake of Arzak¡¯s weakened state, we opted not to make jokes about what Val had walked in to. At least, we opted not to make jokes right now; there was time yet. ¡®Yes. Arm hurt,¡¯ Arzak replied. Corminar nodded. ¡®I am sorry to hear that, but it was not the subject of my question.¡¯ The orc nodded approvingly. Only she could be frustrated by people fussing over her. Only she could think Corminar¡¯s apparent apathy about her injury was something to be lauded. ¡®Good. What, then?¡¯ ¡®I have had an idea. One that may help us deal with our Arit problem.¡¯ Corminar glanced at me. ¡®And perhaps our Cleo problem, as well.¡¯ This was the first I¡¯d heard about that part, but I made an effort not to react. ¡®I require your network of informants. I require them to send a message, if that is not too much to ask?¡¯ Arzak pulled herself up to a seated position and grabbed for the quill and paper on her bedside table. She winced as she put pressure on her injured right arm, and my heart dropped. If the orc could not so much as support her weight on this arm, how could she hope to fight in her typical two-handed manner? How could she hope to be a part of the battles we would need to fight in the coming days? I was happy that she had survived¡ªecstatic, even¡ªbut were we not essentially down a soldier nonetheless? Again, I made an effort not to react. At the sight of the orc hurting herself, Zoi tossed the book aside and rose to help her. I didn¡¯t quite know when these two had become so close, but I suppose I¡¯d been focusing on other matters. Trying to stop the world ending and having to deal with a mother who was one bad day away from murdering you were both stressors that had to be the priority over my friend¡¯s love life. The tiefling took the paper and quill from Arzak¡¯s trembling hands, then looked to Corminar. ¡®Tell your network,¡¯ the elf said, ¡®that Corminar Cladenor seeks Ted the enchanter. He is calling in his blood debt.¡¯ ¡®Oh, he won¡¯t like this,¡¯ Val said, a smile on her face that matched my own. Zoi raised an eyebrow, but asked nothing of our apparent past with this enchanter. ¡®Inform him of our location,¡¯ Corminar continued, ¡®and that we will be travelling north. I expect to meet him on the road.¡¯ Arzak swallowed. ¡®What if informant captured? What if Council intercept?¡¯ ¡®The scout that¡­¡¯ Corminar trailed off, but gestured to Arzak¡¯s injured arm. ¡®The scout was able to retreat. Arit will be informed that we are pursuing him, if he was not already aware.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m guessing Cleo told him,¡¯ Val added. ¡®He won¡¯t learn anything that he didn¡¯t know already.¡¯ I nodded my agreement. ¡®Speaking of, we should set off, when we can. Coming back here and Arzak recovering has given Arit a couple of days¡¯ head start. We have some ground to cover, and we¡¯ll need to find new¡ª¡¯ ¡®I sorry if injury slow us down,¡¯ the orc said, having so recently mastered the art of sarcasm. Holding up my hand to beg her forgiveness, I replied, ¡®I didn¡¯t mean it like that. You getting better is important. But so too is stopping Arit and the malae. We¡¯ve got to get moving.¡¯ Arzak raised her injured arm for all to see. ¡®And I fight like this?¡¯ To this, I had no response. Nobody did. The room went silent. Val moved almost imperceptibly towards me. It was up to me, then, to be the villain. To be the one to say it. ¡®You don¡¯t have to fight. You¡¯ve given enough. We can¡­ go on without you.¡¯ If the silence of moments earlier was chilling, I don¡¯t know how to describe the one that followed. Arzak held my gaze with eyes so intense, yet so unreadable. ¡®You retire me?¡¯ she asked. ¡®If it¡¯s what you want.¡¯ ¡®And if not what I want?¡¯ ¡®Then you¡¯ll come with us,¡¯ I answered. ¡®We¡¯d want you there, and you¡¯ll still be valuable to us. But¡­ it¡¯ll be dangerous.¡¯ ¡®I know it dangerous,¡¯ the orc replied. ¡®I¡­¡¯ She shook her head. Just what had I seen in her eyes? I¡¯d thought at first it was anger, directed at me. But now I wasn¡¯t so sure. ¡®There is another option,¡¯ Zoi piped up. ¡®If we can spare a day.¡¯ ¡®We can¡¯t,¡¯ I said. ¡®Styk!¡¯ Val cried out, and when I looked into her eyes, I was sure I saw anger. I held her glare. ¡®I¡¯m sorry to have to be the one to say this, I really am, but we¡¯ve got to strike Arit now. We¡¯ve got to strike him before the malae get to Auricia. Once those creatures are behind Amira¡¯s walls, we¡¯ll have no hope of getting to them. The Council¡¯s plan will be as good as complete.¡¯ ¡®We don¡¯t know that, Styk,¡¯ Lore said, adding to the choir of voices rising against me. ¡®We might find another way. We usually do! And if we can help Arzak in the meantime¡­¡¯ The elf stood tall. ¡®Styk is right,¡¯ he said. ¡®Thank you.¡¯ ¡®We must bring the battle to Arit as soon as possible.¡¯ I nodded. Corminar licked his lips. ¡®...However.¡¯ Ah. ¡®Our latest and best plan¡ª¡¯ ¡®¡°Best¡± is a stretch,¡¯ I cut in. The elf drew a long sigh, but nodded his agreement. ¡®Our latest and least terrible plan relies upon the presence of Ted, the enchanter. As we do not know where in the world that dreadful yet admittedly slightly handsome man is, we may have to wait. If, in the meantime, we can aid our friend, then I think we must.¡¯ ¡®And give up valuable reconnaissance time while we do that?¡¯ I asked. ¡®What if future scouting trips show a weakness we didn¡¯t spot before. What if¡ª¡¯ ¡®You want go back into that?¡¯ Arzak asked. ¡®You want face corruption again? Who lose strength next? Corminar? Lore? Pregnant wife? Or maybe they not just lose strength. Maybe they lose life.¡¯ I struggled to meet the orc¡¯s gaze. ¡®We¡¯ll have to face them eventually.¡¯ ¡®Then we face them after this handsome enchanter arrives,¡¯ Zoi said. It was a clean sweep; everyone in this room, even the temporary member of the team, had spoken against me. I drew in a long, deep breath, then finally raised my hands in the air to admit defeat. ¡®Fine. Tell me, Zoi. How do we help Arzak?¡¯ * * * Lore tried to make me feel better about the situation as we travelled northwest, following Zoi¡¯s lead. He was right, of course, that looking after our friends was important, but he didn¡¯t need to use the phrase ¡°the power of friendship¡± quite so much. I let him think he¡¯d won me around by making the case that if we didn¡¯t look after each other, then we were no better than the Players, but I didn¡¯t really believe that. Not at times like these. Stolen story; please report. No, the only thing that made me feel better about the situation was our direction of travel. Though we weren¡¯t directly following Arit¡¯s army, we were still riding in roughly the right direction, if a bit inefficiently. Val had started teaching me the basics of riding over the past day or so, and I have to admit that it wasn¡¯t something that came naturally to me. Nobody could be amazing at everything. So I let her keep the reins, and in the meantime, I focused my mind on plotting. I wish I could say I came up with something new and revolutionary as we travelled, but honestly I thought of nothing better than we already had. The worst thing possible had happened: we were relying on that annoying Ted guy to stop the world from ending. I could think of nobody worse suited to the task. But when he came¡ªas Corminar was sure he would¡ªand we could get old familiar enchantments from him¡­ then maybe we stood a chance at taking out Arit. Everything else would follow. When we arrived at Zoi¡¯s intended destination, I was surprised to find that it wasn¡¯t the house of a great healer, or some academy of magicks. No, instead, we stood before a humble blacksmith¡¯s hut. Even Arzak was unsure. ¡®This right place?¡¯ Zoi squeezed the orc on her good arm. ¡®It¡¯s the right place. Trust me.¡¯ The tiefling said, before glancing over the burning forge then pushing open the flimsy wooden door of the blacksmith¡¯s hut. ¡®Kudd?¡¯ the tiefling called out. ¡®Are you there?¡¯ A filthy head poked out from around the corner of the dusty interior, and the man¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡®Zoi, darling! It¡¯s been too long!¡¯ The man hurried to hug the tiefling, an apron with soot stains disguising its floral print draping across the floor. Surprisingly, Zoi didn¡¯t seem worried about the dirt¡ªI would have thought she was the type to appreciate cleanliness¡ªor at least hugging an old friend was enough to put such concerns aside. To make matters worse, the blacksmith gripped Zoi by the shoulders and placed a kiss on each cheek, leaving black marks on either side. Only then did Kudd notice the rest of us. ¡®And you brought friends!¡¯ Zoi nodded, stepping aside, and gestured to us. ¡®Kudd, meet Arzak, Val, Corminar, Styk and Lore.¡¯ The blacksmith nodded, then pointed to Corminar. ¡®I am going to guess you¡¯re Lore.¡¯ He pointed to Val. ¡®You¡¯re Arzak.¡¯ To me and Arzak. ¡®You¡¯re Corminar and Val.¡¯ Finally, he gestured to Lore. ¡®And you¡¯re Styk.¡¯ ¡®Not even close,¡¯ Val said. ¡®Arzak is an orcish name.¡¯ Kudd stepped forward, taking Arzak¡¯s left hand for a shake, having apparently noticed the injury to her right arm without us realising. ¡®A beautiful name for a beautiful woman,¡¯ he said, kissing the orc¡¯s hand. ¡®I should¡¯ve known.¡¯ ¡®Is it only Arzak who shall be receiving a kiss in the near future?¡¯ Corminar asked, immediately jealous¡ªas always¡ªof someone else getting attention. Kudd¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡®Of course not. Where¡¯d you want it?¡¯ ¡®I¡ª¡¯ ¡®We¡¯re actually here for a favour,¡¯ Zoi interrupted Corminar before he could give the inevitable answer. A wise decision, because it seemed that even my elven friend had met his match in the blacksmith with the flowery apron. Kudd feigned offence, placing a hand on his chest. ¡®This isn¡¯t a social call, my love?¡¯ Zoi drifted to Arzak¡¯s side, putting a hand tight on the orc¡¯s good arm. I watched Kudd¡¯s eyes drift from the hand, to Zoi, and then to Arzak. A small smile crossed his face. I could see that he knew of Arzak and Zoi¡¯s blossoming relationship immediately; nothing got past this man. ¡®Arzak here,¡¯ Zoi said, ¡®she recently suffered an injury to her arm. It was an injury of a sort that no healer could ever truly mend, and as she specialises in Two-Handed¡­¡¯ Kudd nodded. ¡®She will need strength in both arms. I understand, my dear. Perhaps there is something we can do about it, but I will need to consider it, and it will come at a price.¡¯ ¡®A price?¡¯ Val asked. ¡®We have coin, we can¡ª¡¯ But the blacksmith shook his head. ¡®No, no, nothing like that. My price is simple. In the kitchen, you will find ingredients for a carrot and parsnip soup.¡¯ He turned to Corminar, Lore and me. ¡®Perhaps these strapping young gentlemen could prepare us dinner?¡¯ * * * I was on cutting duty. I suppose that made sense; of the three of us, I was definitely the one most adept with a knife. Corminar stood over a giant metal pot, stoking the flames beneath with drops of fire potions, while Lore, of course, was in charge of flavour. As we worked in the kitchen, we heard all kinds of noises coming from the other room. At first there was the fast, scratchy sound of frantic charcoal sketching. Then we heard thuds and wallops as the blacksmith looked for the required materials. And finally, we heard ¡°oohs¡± and ¡°aahs¡± as Kudd revealed his intention. Corminar, Lore and I looked up from our work at these noises, frowns on our face, but nobody with any extra information that we could provide. Only when all the ingredients were chopped¡ªa job fairly quickly achieved due to my high Knifework ability¡ªwas I able to leave the other two guys in the kitchen and take a look for myself. What I found was the four of them standing over a large desk, staring down at a sketch of the blacksmith¡¯s creation. I arrive at their side, tried to peer over Arzak¡¯s shoulder, failed, and then peered over Zoi¡¯s instead. What I saw was a beautiful sketch of Arzak¡¯s frail, injured arm, but that wasn¡¯t what the rest of the team had gasped at. What they¡¯d be in awe of was the intricate mechanical contraption that Kudd had sketched around the drawing of Arzak¡¯s arm. It was an elaborate frame structure that encompassed the arm, complete with springs and lines of what I could only assume were a form of mana running down it. ¡®Huh,¡¯ I said. ¡®Huh?¡¯ Kudd repeated. ¡®Is that all you have to say, my dear?¡¯ ¡®I mean¡ª¡¯ ¡®This will fix arm? Make strong again?¡¯ Arzak asked, saving me from having to defend myself. Kudd took the orc by the shoulders, and looked deeply into her eyes. ¡®It won¡¯t just make your arm strong. It will make it an arm fit for the queen that you are.¡¯ Zoi smiled. ¡®What do you need us to do?¡¯
"Styk" Level 25 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 299 Dexterity ¡ª 198 Strength ¡ª 106 Wisdom ¡ª 94 Charisma ¡ª 78
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 82 Knifework ¡ª Level 63 Stealth ¡ª Level 34 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Peerless Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location. Support up to ten pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades II ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Etched spells can be activated up to ten times. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
248. A Debt Repaid ¡®Alright, ready?¡¯ Val asked Arzak. We were standing in a clearing not far off the traveller¡¯s road, our new horses tied up to a tree at its far side. This morning, we¡¯d left Kudd¡¯s blacksmith hut after very little sleep, kept awake by the clamour of the blacksmith working on the arm contraption all night. But when he¡¯d finished and presented it to Arzak, and when she¡¯s strapped it on, it seemed like it had all been worth it. My orcish friend had tested it timidly at first, just stretching her fingers, moving her hand this way and that. But Kudd had encouraged her to show what the contraption could do. He picked up a bar of iron, and he threw it at her. When I say he threw it at her, I don¡¯t mean gently and under-arm, but instead that he threw it as hard as he could at the orc¡¯s face. Arzak¡¯s hand had snapped up to grab it, and the weight of the iron bar looked like it hadn¡¯t weighed on her at all. I watched as a tear rolled down the orc¡¯s cheek, followed by a tender moment between her and Zoi, which had Lore and Kudd crying too. But catching an iron bar was one thing. Using her heavy swords effectively in battle was another thing entirely. And so we stood, Lore, Zoi, Corminar and I at the edge of the clearing by our horses, Val and Arzak in the centre. I checked my mana reserves once more, finding them still drained by having to feed mana into Arzak¡¯s contraption, but they would recover. And, again, it was worth it, even if we¡¯d have to top that mana up occasionally. The orc flexed her arm once more. ¡®I ready,¡¯ Arzak answered Val¡¯s question. My wife nodded, then crouched lightly to place her fingertips on the ground. Her eyes and hands glowed green as she invoked her Witchcraft magicks, and we all listened out for sounds of the approaching enemies. The summoned wolves came promptly. All kinds of creatures had been drawn out of the darkness in the wake of Arit¡¯s army, and wolves were no exception. Plenty were about. And as a result, Val might just have summoned too many. A dozen lupine faces emerged from the darkness of the trees. I reached for my knife, but Zoi shook her head. ¡®She can take them,¡¯ she said. ¡®Watch.¡¯ Though I hesitated, I did lower my hand. Still, I wasn¡¯t sure if it was true. Wolves were generally low-level enemies, yes, but there were many of them, and we still didn¡¯t know how strong Arzak now was¡ªthis being the test of that. I identified a couple of the larger beasts, noting that they were shadow variants; they would have some control over light. I kept my hand off my blade, but I was still prepared to intervene if I had to. The twelve beastly faces trained themselves on Arzak, who stood in the light of the centre of the clearing. The orc stared back, and raised her swords. She gripped the blade that could absorb magicks in the hand supported by Kudd¡¯s contraption. Lore leaned over to me. ¡®You know what I¡¯m thinking?¡¯ ¡®What?¡¯ ¡®We should¡¯ve thrown you a bachelor party.¡¯ I furrowed my brow, turned to him, and blinked. ¡®Is now really the time?¡¯ Lore shrugged, and I¡¯m pretty sure I heard him mumble under his breath, ¡®I would¡¯ve been your best man if you asked.¡¯ I shook my head to free myself of this strange tangent, and I turned back to Arzak just as the first wolf pounced. The orc shifted to one side, raising her supported arm to bring the sword up, slicing the beast along its underbelly as it drifted past her. Another wolf sprung forth in the meantime, and Arzak wasn¡¯t able to shift aside before it hit her. But the orc had never been fast, or agile; that simply wasn¡¯t her nature. Her strength didn¡¯t lie in that, but in, well, strength. Arzak tensed as the second wolf hit her, then shoved it backward. As the creature rebounded, she caught it across the back with the sword on her off-hand¡ªthe arm that hadn¡¯t been injured by the corruption. ¡®What did I tell you?¡¯ Zoi said happily. ¡®She can take them.¡¯ I wanted to correct the tiefling, to tell her that Arzak had only successfully taken down two of the enemies, and that there were ten remaining. But I held my tongue, and I too hoped for the best. Three wolves leapt at once. Arzak easily batted two of them away¡ªher strength had not faded with her injury¡ªand struck with her supported arm to attack the third. But this wolf was nimble, and the contraption on Arzak¡¯s arm wasn¡¯t perfect; it didn¡¯t always move in the way that the orc would have wanted, its movement limited. So the orc missed with this attack, and the wolf managed to get its jaw around Arzak¡¯s vulnerable inner leg. Out of instinct, I moved for my dagger, but Zoi moved to stop me. ¡®She has this under control,¡¯ she reiterated, but I could hear in her tone that she was no longer so sure. Arzak shifted strategy, instead kicking the creature with her other leg. She fell backward to the ground with this manoeuvre, but was successful in pushing the enemy back. As it pounced once more, Arzak raised her blade to meet it. Though sword met flesh, at the same time, more wolves decided their prey was now vulnerable enough to attack. ¡®Ar¡ª¡¯ Val started. ¡®I got!¡¯ the orc declared, as she hopped back to her feet. And maybe she did. But I could see already that my orcish friend was going to have to change her fighting style. Even with Kudd¡¯s genius contraption, Arzak would no longer be as agile with her dual blades as before. It was better she acknowledged that and adapted, rather than stubbornly trying to fight on as before, and potentially losing her life as a result. She still had her strength on her side, and she would need to lean in to that. I resisted the urge to shout out, to suggest this to my friend. Arzak was wiser than the others; she would work it out before long. And maybe it was better she discovered it from herself rather than having someone drop the truth on her. I looked to Zoi¡ªwas she ahead of me on this? Had she already realised what had needed to happen? Four wolves remained, though this included the two largest of the pack, the two shadow variants. Light bent around them some, obscuring their movements, giving Arzak less time to attack or defend. Even without her recent limitations, it would have been difficult to react in time to hit these enemies. Instead, the orc lowered her blades, and she let them come to her. As they pounced, I realised Arzak knew that she couldn¡¯t hope to meet them with her blades; she wasn¡¯t fast enough. But she was strong enough to let them bite, and then they would be well within reach. Jaws snapped at flesh, some hitting armour, some piercing cloth, and Arzak raised her blades to meet them all. * * * It was nice to ride into a town that wasn¡¯t entirely deserted. A few homes were empty, sure, but there were still enough people around that someone noticed when we arrived. One of them, a young boy perhaps six or seven years old, looked at Arzak with bulged eyes. I thought at first that he was looking at the contraption on her arm, but then I realised it might be something else. My suspicions were confirmed when the boy ran the length of the town, before returning dragging his mother by the arm. And his mother wore the badge of Arzak¡¯s network. ¡®Good meet you,¡¯ Arzak said when the woman looked up at her. Maybe so as to seem less intimidating, my orcish friend dismounted the horse, but it didn¡¯t much help because even then, she was still towering over the informant. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡®You¡­ you as well,¡¯ the local woman stuttered. Her son looked up at her, and squeezed her hand reassuringly, as though it was something he¡¯d done several times before. ¡®You got news?¡¯ The woman nodded, but didn¡¯t immediately speak. Her lips twitched as she tried to form the words, but couldn¡¯t speak them. ¡®Is OK,¡¯ Arzak reassured her. After nodding, the informant was finally able to deliver her news. ¡®There has been¡­ been a small uprising. Near Westbara. Armadans fi¡­fighting against Goldmarch. Not many, only¡­ only maybe a dozen people involved, but they set fire to the fort¡¯s¡­ grain supply.¡¯ Arzak looked over her shoulder, back at us. Though she said nothing, I could tell what she was thinking; the tides were turning. People really were starting to fight against the Players and their Goldmarch host. ¡®Good,¡¯ the orc said to the local woman. ¡®Thank you. Any more?¡¯ ¡®No. I mean¡­ yes! The woman who led them, they say her name was Raelas, if that means any¡­anything to you?¡¯ I heard Val chuckle to herself, and under her breath she added, ¡®Good for her.¡¯ From her tone of voice, it sounded like she actually meant it. ¡®It means,¡¯ Arzak said, nodding. ¡®Thank you. You been helpful. What about you? You need thing?¡¯ The informant looked taken aback, even going so far as to take a short step away from Arzak. ¡®No, I¡­ helping the cause is enough. Thank¡­you for the honour.¡¯ The orc smiled, then smiled down to the boy as well. She pulled a fresh badge from her pocket¡ªthe symbol of the informants¡ªand handed it to the lad. He, too, broke out in a great big smile, and clutched the badge to his chest. ¡®Thank¡ª¡¯ ¡®Alright!¡¯ someone shouted from down the road. ¡®I¡¯m here! I¡¯m bloody here. What do you want, Corminar? What gets me out of my debt?¡¯ I tried to resist the urge to grin, but I failed. Admittedly, I didn¡¯t try that hard, and when I immediately relented to the urge, I allowed myself to grin as smugly as humanly possible. When the enchanter saw me¡ªand the expression on my face¡ªhe turned his nose up. ¡®Hello, Ted,¡¯ Corminar said. The enchanter was looking better than the last time we¡¯d seen him. He¡¯d shaved recently, and wasn¡¯t wearing the attire of the Cult of Ascendancy, so that was good, if not a particularly high bar. Still, his clothes and his slightly less manic expression suggested that maybe he¡¯d had a bit more luck in the past few months. Maybe he¡¯d even paid off that other debt we¡¯d incurred for him by destroying his shop in Auricia. I could have asked, but ultimately decided that I didn¡¯t care enough. ¡®Yes, hello, elf. Let¡¯s get straight down to business, though, yeah? Tell me what you want, and I¡¯ll do it, and then I can be free of all of you forever.¡¯ Ted¡¯s gaze passed over the group, lingering only on me, who he snarled at. I waved faux-enthusiastically in response. ¡®You think a blood debt is paid so easily?¡¯ Corminar asked, his head held high, his tone deep and foreboding¡ªlest Ted realise that a blood debt wasn¡¯t a real thing. ¡®No. You will provide us with enchantments, and not leave our sides until after our battle with the Council is complete.¡¯ Corminar glanced at me, and caught me shaking my head. ¡®You will meet us again for our battle with the Council,¡¯ Corminar corrected himself. ¡®Rather than accompanying us on our journey.¡¯ ¡®What¡¯s the Council?¡¯ Ted asked. ¡®A large team of Players who seek to end our world,¡¯ Zoi filled him in. She held her hand out towards the enchanter. ¡®Hi, by the way, I¡¯m¡ª¡¯ ¡®You want me to fight Players?¡¯ ¡®I want you to pay your debt,¡¯ Corminar replied. ¡®But that will all be in good time. Arzak¡¯s network will reach out when the time is right. For now, however, all we require are your enchantments.¡¯ Ted held the elf¡¯s gaze for a moment, then slumped his shoulders. He pulled a small sachet from his belt. ¡®Fine. You want enchantments? Have at it.¡¯ Ted tossed the bag to Val. ¡®Do all your enchantments have to be in sweet form?¡¯ Val asked. The irritable enchanter shrugged. ¡®It¡¯s my signature.¡¯ ¡®We have specific requests,¡¯ Corminar said. ¡®Not just any will do. In fact, we request the very same enchantments you once gave us in Auricia.¡¯ Ted raised his eyebrows. ¡®You got another records office to break into?¡¯ I smiled. ¡®Something like that.¡¯
"Styk" Level 25 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 299 Dexterity ¡ª 198 Strength ¡ª 106 Wisdom ¡ª 94 Charisma ¡ª 78
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 82 Knifework ¡ª Level 63 Stealth ¡ª Level 34 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Peerless Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location. Support up to ten pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades II ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Etched spells can be activated up to ten times. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
249. Interference I sucked on the sweet, enjoying the red-root flavour almost as much as I enjoyed its warming enchantment. The foot-deep layer of snow covering the ground now worked only to our advantage; with Ted¡¯s sweets, we could avoid the cold, and the snow was good for keeping our approach quiet. Though I left footsteps in my wake, there would be gaps as I crossed distances with my portals, making me nearly impossible to track. Besides, the enemy would only know to look for my tracks once the job was done, and by then, it would¡ªhopefully¡ªbe too late. I was alone, having left the team behind in a strategically advantageous position. If everything went according to plan, then I would get into the enemy camp, assassinate Arit, and get out of there before anyone ever knew anything had happened. But we had a track record of things not going according to plan, and so it made sense to have a backup. If needed, I would portal Arit out of his camp and drop him into the middle of a small valley, where the rest of the team would be waiting to strike. I hoped it wouldn¡¯t come to that. I hoped that, just once, things would go our way. Over the past few days of riding, the foothills had given out to the great flat plains of the southern Goldmarch, and so there were fewer places to hide. I approached Arit¡¯s army from the west, from among a dense forest, but this would only get me so far. I¡¯d still need to cross a great distance to get into the enemy camp, but this, again, was where the snow came in handy. My latest core Portals ability upgrade had removed the distance requirement, but still relied on my aim. Even from as far away as I was, I could in theory portal myself into Arit¡¯s tent. In practice, however, I¡¯d probably miss on the aiming front. At least the thick snow would dampen my fall, even if I were to fall from a height. Before I stepped forth from the trees, I pulled a poison from my pocket¡ªone of Corminar¡¯s most damaging creations. I dipped my knife into the oozing green mix, watching the poison interact with the green spells etched into my blade by Val. Both of these impacts, combined with my Stealth passives, would have to be enough to kill even Arit¡ªthe amount of damage dealt would be incredible. But I left nothing to chance, and had one more trick up my sleeve. I opened a small satchel, and pushed aside the sweet in question, instead looking for two others. I removed the next two sweets and popped them in my mouth alongside the remnants of the warming red-root nugget. These were two sweets I¡¯d had before, back in Auricia all that time ago, and they would temporarily give me a couple of active effects. Eyeslide meant that even if people did see me, their vision had a good chance of drifting over me without properly noticing me. And the second sweet, which granted me temporary Invisibility, probably needs no explanation. The moment that I saw my hands disappear before me, I stepped out from the cover of the trees. I began to run, portal, and run again, towards the camp, the only sign that I was there being the tracks I left in the snow. But at this distance, even the improved eyesights of the corrupted soldier guards were unlikely to spot such minimal impact. I kept moving as I was, scanning the camp for signs of that larger tent that I knew hosted Arit¡ªwho would suffer nothing else. I spotted it in the camp¡¯s very centre, surrounded by more soldiers of corruption than I stood any chance of surviving. There would be one or two more inside the tent, I knew, but hopefully with my new enchantments, I could slip through their fingers. I waited as long as possible to open the final portal, the one that would spill me out into Arit¡¯s tent. The closer I was, the more chance I had of getting the aim right first time, and the more chance I had of killing Arit before anyone knew anything had happened. I drew my poison-covered, lifedrain-etched blade, and I pulled the last two sweets from the satchel. I popped them into my mouth, and then bit hard into the solid sugar candy, activating the last two effects. Lightfoot nearly eliminated the sound of my footsteps, while the other, Mighty, increased the damage I would deal in the next few minutes. And then I opened the last pair of portals. I leapt through it and landed mutely on the ground of Arit¡¯s tent. My aim had been true. Success. I looked around slowly, desperate to avoid any movement¡ªor knocking anything¡ªthat might give away my position. I saw Arit lying asleep on the bed¡ªapparently even Players slept¡ªwith two soldiers of corruption standing at the tent flap. It was just as I¡¯d expected. It was almost too good to be true. Don¡¯t think things like that, idiot, Val¡¯s voice ran through my head¡ªan imagined jab but one that wasn¡¯t wrong. The opening of the tent flapped in the bitter wind as I creeped over to Arit¡¯s side. I raised my knife in the air, pointing downwards into the Player¡¯s chest, I drew in a deep breath, and I activated Execution. My blade plunged towards Arit¡¯s heart. But something grabbed my wrist, mid-attack. I pushed against the force, blinking, then tried to shake my wrist free. Was this some kind of Worldbending spell I was yet to unlock? Some trap that Arit had set for me, or for any would-be assassin? My question was answered with the invisible force turned visible, and I saw that it was little more than a woman¡¯s hand grabbing my wrist. ¡®Hello, son,¡¯ my mother said. Arit¡¯s eyes snapped open. My mother yanked on my arm, her immense strength sending me flying through the air. I ploughed through the side of the tent, taking a good half of the fabric with me, then landed, tumbling across the camp. A hundred pairs of eyes looked at the tent cloth draped over me, but all failed to react. It took me a second to realise that they¡¯d only seen the fabric move, and not the invisible Player slayer underneath. Yet¡­ my mother had seen through that active effect. Whatever the true extent of her build was, it meant that she didn¡¯t just turn invisible, she could see through others¡¯ invisibility too. I stumbled back to my feet, tearing myself free of the cloth that had wrapped around my legs. I saw Arit also leaping to his feet, apparently much less groggy when he¡¯d just been woken up than I would have been. And I saw, a moment too late, my mother pick up the vial of ink from Arit¡¯s desk, then throw it at me. The glass shattered on impact, the ink inside making my otherwise invisible body visible for all to see. Only then did the army truly react. In a blink, the soldiers had formed a circle around my inky shape, spears held out, the soldiers of corruption standing closest to me. I turned back to my mother, and I sighed. ¡®Is this how it goes?¡¯ I asked. ¡®You won¡¯t kill me, but you¡¯ll keep interfering? Is this just gonna continue? Are we doomed to some eternal battle?¡¯ ¡®Not eternal, no,¡¯ my mother replied. ¡®It won¡¯t be much longer, now.¡¯ I hated to think what she meant by that. Were Tana and her Council almost done with their preparations for the ritual? Were these malae the last piece of the puzzle? ¡®Oh, I beg to differ,¡¯ I said. I snapped open a portal beneath me, then fell through it to land at Arit¡¯s rear. I activated Titan Husk just in time, just before a corrupted soldier could reach out to grab me, to dig its fingertips hard into my shoulder. Opening a portal with one hand, I severed the monster¡¯s arm, though its fingers were deep enough into the muscle tissue of my shoulder that the hand remained in place. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. At the same time, I reached my blade forward to stab into Arit. I didn¡¯t have my Stealth Attack or Execution damage boosts, but I still had the effects of the Ted¡¯s enchantment, Corminar¡¯s poison, and Val¡¯s lifedrain magicks working for me. It was nice to have such a strong team on your side. I knew it wouldn¡¯t be enough to kill Arit¡ªthose missing damage buffs were more than enough to make a difference¡ªbut at this point, I would take weakening him. I opened another portal beneath us, this one my saved portal back to the valley where the Slayers waited. Arit and I fell, the Player falling through it, while my fall was interrupted by a spear passing through the shoulder. I cried out in pain, my vision blurring, darkening, bile erupted from my throat. Having just enough of my wits still with me, I turned and portal sliced through the spear¡¯s shaft. Half of the weapon stayed within me as I began to fall down into the portal once more. Of the many soldiers of corruption charging at me, two thought not to attack me, but to leap for the portal that I was falling through. When I tumbled out onto the grass of the valley sides, I knocked spearpoint against ground, making the extreme pain flare up once more. This slowed me down just enough that when I closed the portal, two of the soldiers of corruption were already fully through, though parts of a handful more were sliced off when my magicks ceased. In such a state as I was, I didn¡¯t have time to read the resulting experience notifications. I realised then that it wasn¡¯t just the soldiers of corruption who had passed through. My mother stood, having emerged through the portal quicker than even the monsters, her expression calm as she settled her eyes on me. To look at her calm posture, she wasn¡¯t angry, or frustrated, but simply¡­ considering the situation in front of her. ¡®Styk!¡¯ Val cried out. I pushed myself to my feet, staggering, blinking the world back into focus. The team had launched into an attack on the Player, just as planned, but that had been a gamble even before considering the presence of two corrupted soldiers. While one of them charged Zoi, Arzak and Corminar, the other went at Val and Lore. It was the second one I focused on, retrospectively justifying that as being because Zoi had fire magicks at her disposal, when really it was pure favouritism for my wife. I pressed my left hand forward¡ªthe other injured by the spear still protruding through my right shoulder¡ªand opened a portal just in front of the monster. The corrupted soldier tried to avoid the magicks at the last possible second, but it was charging too fast. Its own momentum carried it into the edge of the portal, slicing it in two. I had to quickly open another portal to catch the grey flesh that spilled forth, stopping it from corrupting my friends. ¡®Thank you!¡¯ Lore called out. At the same moment, a huge blast of fire erupted from the other side of the small valley, where Zoi was incinerating the other corrupted soldier. For good measure, Corminar lobbed a flammable potion at the creature. When the glass hit, and the contents spilled over the monster, the fire grew greater, and the inhuman shrieking grew louder. But these two victories had just distracted us from the real danger: the worldbender. The Player, in the past few seconds, had gathered himself, and opened a portal high in the sky above us. From that portal began to pour a steady gush of lava. So Arit had access to saved portals too. ¡®Watch out!¡¯ I shouted, and the ever-alert Corminar immediately looked up at the lava falling down to meet them, his eyes widening. I used my magicks to pull my friends out of trouble at the last moment, dropping them to my side. Meanwhile, Lore had charged the enemy, as he was prone to do, and at that very second his sword met the Player¡¯s own. Metal clashed against metal, then the two men pressed their weapons against each other in a struggle of strength. But Arit wasn¡¯t built for strength, he was built for magicks, and so the clashed blades slowly, trembling, headed his way. Val was already crouching with her hands on the ground by this point, her eyes glowing bright lime green, her Witchcraft magicks seeping into the ground. Roots shot forth from the mud, wrapping themselves around Arit in the blink of an eye, holding him in place. ¡®Don¡¯t release the magicks!¡¯ I shouted at her. ¡®If you release it, he¡¯ll be able to cut through the roots with his portals!¡¯ Val nodded her understanding, but said nothing more. As the other four of us turned, injured and slightly singed, to face down the Player, I¡­ believed. I believed, just for a moment, that we would win this one, that we were turning the tide of battle. I shouldn¡¯t have thought it. I shouldn¡¯t have dared to hope. Because at that moment, my mother joined the fray.
"Styk" Level 25 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 307 Dexterity ¡ª 198 Strength ¡ª 106 Wisdom ¡ª 94 Charisma ¡ª 78
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 83 Knifework ¡ª Level 63 Stealth ¡ª Level 34 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Peerless Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location. Support up to ten pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades II ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Etched spells can be activated up to ten times. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
250. Redundancy ¡®I don¡¯t think anyone has ever hated their mother-in-law as much as I hate mine,¡¯ Val said as she crouched over Zoi, working her magicks. Our new tiefling friend was down. In the moments after my mother had decided to join the fight, she¡¯d disappeared from sight. My gut had dropped immediately, thinking that she sought to attack my friends¡ªif not me and Val¡ªand so I¡¯d done my best to put myself between her and the team, to block her attacks with my body. This was something easier said than done, particularly when the attacker was invisible to the naked eye. But, as it turned out, her priority had been freeing Arit. It had taken me a moment to notice the slices appearing through the summoned roots, and I had just enough time to say, ¡®Lore! Watch out!¡¯ before Arit was free once more. The worldbender crossed the battlefield in a flash by stepping through one of his portals, but it wasn¡¯t him I was worried about. Lore avoided my mother¡¯s attack only by chance, having spun on the spot to track down Arit. As he¡¯d turned, he¡¯d whipped his huge sword around, and its side had caught my mother¡¯s shoulder. I could see her location now based on the blood flowing from her wound, but it was still hard to spot. I thrust my hands forward to open a portal beneath Lore, who was perfectly happy to fall through it and out of immediate trouble. But my mother had been smart enough to avoid pressing the attack on him, instead using her near-invisibility to lend to the chaos. Instead, she¡¯d turned to the rest of the team and charged. Zoi had thought quickly, and she pressed both hand in front of her to conjure forth a wide wave of fire that swept over the landscape. A gap in its coverage announced the location of my mother, who was strong enough to resist the flames somewhat, but almost certainly was suffering damage from them. It was this quick thinking from the tiefling that drew my mother¡¯s ire. I ran to place myself in front of Zoi, to protect her with my own body, as I knew my mother would not spill my blood. Yet I arrived there a second too late, and when I lashed out wildly with my blade in a knifestorm attack, my mother had already inflicted a glancing slash on the tiefling¡¯s chest. When you were as strong as a Player, a glancing attack was all you needed. Zoi collapsed to the floor, clutching her wound, and Val ran to our side, having realised that her roots advantage was over anyway¡ªit was an easy attack to avoid when you knew it was coming. As she set about desperately healing Zoi¡¯s wound, she didn¡¯t look over at me to say, ¡®I don¡¯t think anyone has ever¡­¡¯ and so on. There, you¡¯re all caught up. I turned, looking for that trickle of blood that would mark my mother¡¯s position. Across the valley, Lore, Arzak and Corminar clashed with Arit, blades arching through the air but never hitting, the worldbender being too quick with portals to be caught undefended. That didn¡¯t stop him landing attacks on my friends, however, though at least none had dealt significant damage. Yet. This left the injured Zoi, Val, and me to deal with my mother. This maybe wasn¡¯t the best setup. The tiefling wasn¡¯t going to attack anyone anytime soon, with Val¡¯s healing being so slow. And I knew my mother wasn¡¯t going to hurt Val or me, because she wouldn¡¯t spill her own blood. Which meant¡­ I caught sight of the wound out of the corner of my eye, droplets of blood becoming visible as they dripped from my mother¡¯s flesh. She wasn¡¯t attacking us. She was attacking¡ª ¡®Lore!¡¯ I shouted. Instinctively, he ducked. Unfortunately, this did nothing to save himself from my mother¡¯s attack. Her invisible blade carved a wound deep in my friend¡¯s arm, an attack that dealt enough damage¡ªenough pain¡ªto cause him to drop his weapon. The Bane Sword clattered on the ground. Arzak and Corminar moved swiftly. The elf released a torrent of arrows towards Arit¡¯s head, snapping to re-aim whenever the enemy stepped through a portal. Corminar would have known just as well as I did that he would not hit Arit, and so his intention was clearly to occupy the enemy while Arzak shifted her focus. The orc, for her part, flailed her contraption-supported arm towards where my mother had attacked Lore. From the thud that followed, her swipe met the mark. ¡®Elf! Mark her!¡¯ Arzak shouted, pointing to the space where she¡¯d just hit. Corminar swivelled on the spot and released an arrow just where the orc had been pointing. The arrow seemed to stop in mid-air, its front half going invisible as it became buried in my mother¡¯s body. ¡®Elf?¡¯ he repeated, eyebrow raised. But Arzak didn¡¯t reply. She had that look in her eyes. That look that said she had a plan. I couldn¡¯t ask what it was¡ªnot with two Players around to hear¡ªbut I could keep my mother distracted while Arzak enacted this scheme. I hopped through a portal, leaving Val torn between rejoining the fight and healing Zoi some more, and I activated knifestorm once more. Even with the arrow marking her position, only one of the many frantic slices of my blades actually met my target, and even that dealt only a light wound. But it gave Arzak her opening. She brought her enhanced blade around and lunged at my mother. One attack wouldn¡¯t be the difference between victory and defeat, but¡­ that wasn¡¯t what Arzak was trying to achieve. When her sword met my mother¡¯s flesh, she activated its enchantment, drawing the magicks out of whatever it touched. In the case of my mother, it drew from her the invisibility. My mother blinked as her arms came back into view, and then again as Arzak¡¯s blade disappeared from sight. While Corminar and the injured Lore continued to keep Arit occupied, I pressed the attack on my mother. I knew, deep down, that¡ªlike her¡ªI would struggle to kill someone of my own blood. Arzak could kill my mother, but she would need me to split her attention, and wouldn¡¯t that make me just as complicit in her death? ¡®Whatever it is that you intend,¡¯ Corminar cried out, voice shaking, ¡®please do it soon.¡¯ He was right. We didn¡¯t have time for this. We were facing not one but two Players, and our lives depended on us killing one sooner rather than later. I would have to do it. I would have to draw my mother¡¯s attention, for the sakes of my friends. I roared, half-performatively, as I rushed in with my dagger, bringing it around over-arm to stab. My mother turned more than quickly enough, bringing her own dagger up to meet mine with such precision that they locked against each other despite their small blades. She didn¡¯t look at the locked daggers, however; her eyes were trained on mine. ¡®Your¡­ blood¡­ is meant for more,¡¯ she spat. She pushed blade against blade, sending me stumbling backward, and turned just in time to avoid Arzak¡¯s attack. Then her eyes flicked to Lore. The injured Lore. She knew exactly what she was doing. I opened a portal beneath my feet to drop in front of Lore, abandoning Arzak for a moment. I saw my mother slow in her approach, eyes narrowing, when she saw what I was up to. I knew she wouldn¡¯t hurt me, and she knew that I knew that. And I knew that she knew that¡­ You know what? You get the idea. The only question that remained was: how did that change the dynamic of the fight? My mother sped forward, towards us, and I shifted to block her. She spun to the right, knife raised, urging it past me, but I blocked her with an opening portal. She placed a hand on my shoulder, then pushed off the ground to somersault over me, but I opened a portal beneath me to fall through, so she couldn¡¯t use my shoulder as leverage. A second later, I was back at Lore¡¯s side. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡®We need to focus on one!¡¯ the big guy cried out, midway through an attack on Arit. With the injury, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to land it without Corminar occupying some of the worldbender¡¯s attention. ¡®I know.¡¯ ¡®Which one?¡¯ I met my mother¡¯s eyes as she charged us once more. ¡®I can keep her away. You lot¡ª¡¯ I didn¡¯t get a chance to finish this suggestion, as an enemy portal opened beneath one of Lore¡¯s feet. The portal caused Lore to fall sideway, and in the same moment, the enemy brought their sword up. I could see it about to happen, the blade about to come up to meet Lore¡¯s exposed abdomen. In that split-second, I could think of no ability that would save him, so I reacted just as I¡¯d been doing during the fight so far¡ªI put myself between my friend and my enemy. But, unlike my mother, Arit had no qualms about hurting me. The sword continued on its trajectory, coming up, up, up, and¡­ the metal sliced into my side. I¡¯d already been fighting through the pain of having half a spear poking out my shoulder, but now, the pain was unbearable. I screamed. Arit yanked his sword¡¯s pommel back, pulling me with it. He snarled as he looked into my eyes, apparently savouring the kill. I trembled at the pain, but tried to raise my dagger nonetheless. When the enemy saw that I was still trying to attack, he threw his head back and laughed, before knocking my blade aside with his free hand. I caught sight of one of my friends behind him, or at least, I saw a familiar silhouette¡ªI could not focus beyond that. ¡®C¡­ Cor¡­¡¯ I breathed. My elven friend released an arrow that sped towards the enemy¡¯s head, but despite Arit¡¯s lust for the kill, he was ready for this. The Player worldbender opened a portal behind him that caught the arrow, and¡ªjudging by the resulting scream¡ªinstead found its way to hitting Val. ¡®No,¡¯ I tried to say, but no sound came out. Was this it? Was it over just like this? Had we come so far, only to fail? I had a handful of charges left in my Sisyphus Artifact, but it would take time for me to come back to life, and if the situation didn¡¯t change then I¡¯d just be killed all over again. I needed the rest of the team to alter the flow of battle. I needed¡­ In the immense pain, I lost my path of thought. Lore hadn¡¯t attacked Arit, and Arzak was nowhere that I could see, which meant that my mother¡ªeven visible¡ªwas more than enough to occupy them both. If I was going to survive this, I was going to have to save myself. But with no blade, and without the presence of mind to perform complex magicks, I was out of options. Wasn¡¯t I? I mustered up the last of my strength, and I grabbed the spear point that was protruding from my shoulder. ¡®What are you¡­?¡¯ When I pulled, my vision went black, but I had just enough energy left within me to finish my plan. I activated my low-level Closed Reach ability, and I stabbed forward with my makeshift weapon. As I struggled to maintain consciousness, Arit gasped. And that was it. He didn¡¯t drop the sword that had sliced partway through my side. He didn¡¯t recoil. He didn¡¯t so much as cry out in pain. What I¡¯d done wasn¡¯t enough. I was about to give in, to let the dark take me. I readied myself to jump back into battle through the power of the Sisyphus Artifact, though I knew it would be in vain. But then I saw another shape behind Arit. A woman whose name had slipped my muddied mind approached the Player from behind. The woman¡­ my mother¡­ Arit wasn¡¯t concerned about her nearby presence. She wasn¡¯t the enemy to him. My mother trained her eyes on me, and in a fleeting moment of focus, I saw pain in those eyes. I saw that she truly was capable of such a thing. My vision faded nearly to black, then, but I could still hear. I was still present, if just about. ¡®It¡¯s time for an act of good faith,¡¯ my mother said. ¡®Oh?¡¯ Arit asked. As it turned out, these would be his final words. I heard the gasp of pain that I wanted before. I felt the pressure of the protruding sword relent. I felt myself collapse to the ground, unsupported. I even sensed the notifications coming in, the signs that the enemy was gone. ¡®Can you hear me, son?¡¯ the woman asked. I tried to move my head, to nod, but I can¡¯t say for sure that I was successful. ¡®We have another worldbender for the ritual; Arit was always redundant. But maybe this proves that we can find common ground, you and me. Maybe this proves that you can accept my¡ª¡¯ I passed out.
"Styk" Level 25 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 319 Dexterity ¡ª 204 Strength ¡ª 108 Wisdom ¡ª 94 Charisma ¡ª 78
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 86 Knifework ¡ª Level 64 Stealth ¡ª Level 34 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Peerless Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location. Support up to ten pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades II ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Etched spells can be activated up to ten times. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
251. The Only Way We Win I gasped as I awoke. It took minutes for my sight to return to me, and even after a quarter of an hour or so, my vision was still blurry. I could tell that I was in a room, lying in a bed, and that the bright light of the midday winter sun was pouring in through the large windows. There was a small fire crackling in the corner of the room, dwindling but enough to keep me warm, at least. And there was a chair at my bedside that had a large, dark green scarf draped over its back. I reached my hand out slowly, expecting more pain than I ended up suffering, and let my fingertips drift over the fabric. It was Val¡¯s. She¡¯d been sitting at my bedside. The thought brought me comfort. When I touched the wound in my side, it was still incredibly sensitive, but it was at least closed. That meant that some time had passed since our fight, but perhaps not too much¡ªa day or two. I had the sense that I¡¯d never died, that I¡¯d remained on the cusp between life and death. At least, I couldn¡¯t remember the artifact¡¯s messages. I couldn¡¯t remember selecting anything. There would have been no benefit to dying; I had no upgrades to the artifact¡¯s abilities that I could accept. I¡¯d only have been down a charge. Maybe that was why Val had kept me alive. My gut wrenched when I realised that Val being here meant that she wasn¡¯t out there, pursuing Arit¡¯s caravan of malae. If it was just the other four who went after the malae, then that meant they had less chance of success. They needed to have thrown everything at destroying those malae. I pulled myself upright, sliding my back up against the wall until I was sitting. On my bedside table was a small wooden cup filled with water. I reached out to grab it¡ªI was parched¡ªbut the pain of movement caused me to spill it. The liquid covered my pillow and the cup clattered on the floorboards. Murmuring that I hadn¡¯t quite been conscious off came to an abrupt halt downstairs, and soon I heard footsteps approaching. It could only have been Val. I felt weak. I didn¡¯t like feeling weak in front of my wife, particularly while she was pregnant. I felt an innate responsibility to be the strong one, though even then I recognised that this mentality was probably flawed. Either way, that didn¡¯t stop me from forcing my face to a less pained expression, and from touching at the artifact that dangled from my neck. My heart dropped when my hand touched only my own flesh. Val¡¯s face appeared in the doorway. ¡®The artifact,¡¯ I said, not even sparing a moment to greet her. ¡®Where is it? Where have you put it?¡¯ Val gulped. ¡®Styk, calm down,¡¯ she said, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder. ¡®You should¡¯ve let me use it. I could have healed faster. We could both be with the others, chasing down the malae.¡¯ My wife¡¯s eye twitched. She grabbed me more firmly this time, by both shoulders. I resisted the urge to cringe from the pain. ¡®Styk. Calm down. This isn¡¯t doing you any good.¡¯ ¡®Does telling someone to calm down ever actually work? Where¡¯s the artifact, Val? I need it. I can¡¯t be without it. What if something¡ª¡¯ ¡®She took it.¡¯ ¡®What?¡¯ I replied. ¡®Arzak? Why¡ª¡¯ ¡®Why would Arzak take it? No. Your mother. Your mother took the artifact from you.¡¯ Suddenly the pain seemed overwhelming. ¡®No¡­ No, she wouldn¡¯t. She wants me alive. She wants¡ª¡¯ ¡®Maybe she does,¡¯ Val said, ¡®or maybe she just can¡¯t bring herself to kill you. Maybe this is her making it easier for someone else to do her dirty work. Styk, love, I don¡¯t know why she took it. I only know that she did. But in return, she left the rest of us alive.¡¯ She held my gaze with those damn beautiful brown eyes, then set about healing my wound some more. ¡®We¡¯ll get it back,¡¯ I said, intending confidence but finding it lacking. ¡®Won¡¯t we?¡¯ In answer, Val smiled at me. ¡®There¡¯s¡­ one other thing you won¡¯t like.¡¯ My heart dropped once more. This was maybe the third time that¡¯d happened since I¡¯d regained consciousness, and I¡¯d hardly been awake for that long. I gulped. ¡®Tell me.¡¯ ¡®The others are downstairs.¡¯ ¡®Val¡­¡¯ ¡®I know what¡ª¡¯ ¡®We¡¯d killed Arit!¡¯ I shouted. ¡®The army was without leadership. That was the time to strike, then! We could have put all this to rest, ended their ritual before it ever began. And yet you¡ª¡¯ ¡®We wouldn¡¯t have survived!¡¯ Val shouted over me, managing a much louder volume. ¡®We needed your portals, Styk. You saw what just one of those corruptions did to Arzak; she¡¯s lucky to still be alive. She barely is; you¡¯ve surely noticed that light go out behind our eyes.¡¯ ¡®There¡¯ll be more we have to pay if we¡¯re going to stop the¡ª¡¯ ¡®Is that what you¡¯ve become? Someone who would sacrifice a friend if it meant saving the world?¡¯ ¡®Guess what happens if the world ends, Val? They die too. We all do!¡¯ My wife grimaced. ¡®Would you sacrifice me, too? Would you sacrifice our child?¡¯ ¡®I¡­¡¯ I croaked. ¡®No. Of course not.¡¯ ¡®So why are they any different? Cos they¡¯re family too. Maybe not by blood. But they¡¯re family. You know what the others have been saying behind your back? They¡¯re worried they see too much of your mother in you. Too much Player in you. It¡¯s out of concern, not malice, don¡¯t get me wrong, but they¡¯re saying it. And right now, you¡¯re proving them right.¡¯ I could say nothing to disprove this; I¡¯d have to speak with my actions. ¡®What did she say, my mother? Before she left?¡¯ ¡®She wanted you to join her in the new world. You and me, actually.¡¯ ¡®You know I¡¯d never do that.¡¯ Val looked up at me, hesitating for just a moment. So there were still remnants of that old doubt in her mind. There were still some worries about my Player heritage. But then she smiled, and squeezed my arm once again. ¡®I do know that. I have to remind myself sometimes, but I do.¡¯ She pulled away from my wound. ¡®How¡¯s it looking down there?¡¯ ¡®How¡¯s it feel?¡¯ ¡®Bad.¡¯ Val raised her eyebrows. ¡®Yeah, I figured; it¡¯s deep. It¡¯ll get there. I still need a few more days to work on it, but you¡¯ll be fighting fit in no time. Or, as close to ¡°fighting fit¡± as you ever are.¡¯ She rose from the side of the bed. ¡®I¡¯m going to tell the others you¡¯re awake. We should get moving soon.¡¯ Before she left, she planted a juicy kiss on me. ¡®I¡¯m glad you¡¯re back.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here,¡¯ I called after her. Moments later, I was alone once more. I looked at the windows, and found them fogged up, obscuring my view of the snow-laden lands. Downstairs, my friends began to talk once more, and I could swear the tone of the muffled voices got joyful. Lore¡¯s booming voice got more excited, at least, though I couldn¡¯t work out what he was saying. I touched my chest, forgetting again that the Sisyphus Artifact was gone. For now, at least. What could my mother have wanted with it? Was it just as Val had suggested? Was it just to make me vulnerable? Or was there something deeper to it? Had she been ordered to take it? It was small comfort that I did, at least, have a new Worldbending ability to select, from my contribution to the deaths of Arit and the soldiers. Though, unless these options were game-changingly strong, they wouldn¡¯t make up for the loss of the artifact. Ability selection unlocked Select an ability from the list below: ¡­ ¡®Huh,¡¯ I said, skimming the list. Maybe these weren¡¯t totally game-changing, but these were all strong enough to make a difference. At level 85¡ªhigher than I¡¯d ever got a skill before, in this life or in previous ones¡ªthe options were consistently powerful. I settled in to bed to read these properly. Option 1: Portal Manipulation (Worldbending) ¡ª Passive. You may now slowly move and rotate portals without closing them. Costs mana. I could think of many applications of this ability, even off the top of my head. I could shift portals into the path of enemies who might otherwise avoid them. I could nudge enemies through. I could aim portals at a moving target, for Corminar or Zoi to launch projectiles through. And I was sure that with more time¡ªand maybe some input from my friends¡ªI could think of more applications still. At any other time, during any other ability selection, this would have been a must-have. But not today. Today, it would be a tough decision. Option 2: Distant Portals (Worldbending) [Requires: ¡®Peerless Portals¡¯ ability] ¡ª Create a portal to any location in which you have stood previously, with perfect aim. Uses significant mana to open portals. As with the first option, there was a huge amount of potential in this ability. Having perfect aim fixed one of the problems of creating portals at a distance with my Peerless Portals ability. And I could jump around Alterra at will. I go travel to my home, the Gentle Tundras, in the blink of an eye. I could face down the golden army that had invaded the Dawnwood. I could talk to the orc of the Northern Reaches or visit the desert city of Coldharbour. And I could do all of this in a matter of minutes, if my mana reserves were up to it¡ªthat was the only real restriction here, besides having to have been to that place before. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. But what were the applications in combat? That, I struggled with. And my near-future¡ªperhaps all of my future, depending on how all this ended¡ªwas combat. I moved on to the third and final option. Hidden condition met! Alternative ability choice unlocked. Option 3: Portal Traps (Worldbending) [Requires: Stealth level 30; ¡®Peerless Portals¡¯ ability] ¡ª Create a potential portal at any location within visual range. When a creature enters this location, the portal activates. Inherits ¡®Peerless Portal¡¯ restrictions. Costs mana on activation. Now there was an ability option suitable for combat situations, and it fit nicely into my build, too. I could more effectively set an ambush; we wouldn¡¯t just be catching enemies unaware¡ªwith damage boons to help us take them down quickly¡ªbut would also be able to drop some through portals. Surprise. I could either drop enemies high into the air, or I could portal them into the paths of my friends¡¯ attacks. Unfortunately it sounded like I couldn¡¯t use Saved Portals in conjunction with this ability, but that was hardly an issue. ¡®Can you stand?¡¯ I hadn¡¯t heard Val enter the room, and I blinked as I minimised the ability selection notifications for the time being; I¡¯d need to stew on them anyway. ¡®I got hit in my shoulder, not my legs.¡¯ Val rolled her eyes. ¡®I was just being polite. Get up, then. We¡¯ve gotta go; Arzak¡¯s spies bring some worrying news.¡¯ I hopped to my feet. ¡®We¡¯ve got to get the artifact back first. We¡ª¡¯ ¡®There¡¯s no time. They¡¯re nearly there. They¡¯re nearly ready to begin.¡¯ I didn¡¯t need to ask who ¡°they¡± was. * * * We rode for two days, barely stopping. Arzak had sent word ahead through her network, and through their messenger pigeons: we needed fresh horses on our route, as we were riding them into the ground. Some of our steeds were happier jumping through portals than others, but all of them did so with the right motivation. We stopped only to eat, for hour-long naps here and there, and for Arzak to get the latest on the malae convoy¡¯s position. We were closing on them fast, but deep down I knew that it wasn¡¯t fast enough. By the time we reached them, we would be well within Aurician territory; the enemies would be surrounded. I considered taking the ¡®Distant Portals¡¯ ability, but we¡¯d never ridden this road before, having instead sailed south from the Beached Armada, to the west. I could get us into the city, but what then? From what Arzak¡¯s informants were saying, we¡¯d struggle to get out, even with my portal abilities up our sleeves. No, our best bet was to keep riding. Arzak slowed our party down as we rode through a small village not a stone¡¯s throw from the Goldmarch capital. ¡®No,¡¯ I told her, ¡®we¡¯re not stopping.¡¯ ¡®But¡ª¡¯ Lore started. I didn¡¯t let him finish. He¡¯d want food, or sleep. The gods knew I wanted both desperately, but we simply didn¡¯t have that luxury. ¡®There¡¯s no time.¡¯ My orcish friend nodded to the symbol-marked informant who rushed out to update her. ¡®Get horse. Ride with.¡¯ The local woman rushed to comply, taking a horse from the nearest hitching post¡ªone that I suspected didn¡¯t belong to her. We galloped north once more, Val and I leading our party, Corminar and Lore behind, and Arzak and Zoi at the rear, being updated by the informant. At this speed, and in the chaos of the portals, I couldn¡¯t hear what they were saying, but I didn¡¯t care. I had only one priority¡ªcatching the malae before they fell under Tana¡¯s protection. I ignored the pain in my shoulder, my heavy eyelids, my grumbling stomach. None of that mattered. Nothing else mattered. I touched the spot on my chest where the artifact should have been hanging. As we rode over the crest of a gentle hillside, Val suddenly wrenched on the reins, bringing us to an abrupt halt. ¡®What is¡ª¡¯ I started, but I was answered by the sight before us. We¡¯d arrived. I could see the towering palace where the Council dwelt, and the sprawling city of Auricia. I could see an army, the size of which I¡¯d never before seen, camped outside the capital¡¯s high walls, all under the Goldmarch banner¡ªa golden sun on a red background. And I could see the convoy travelling through the military camp, already under the protection of thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, of soldiers. Yet, unbelievably, that wasn¡¯t the worst of it. The worst of it, the one thing worse than the Council locking down control of dozens of malae, stood looming over even the palace. Placed evenly around the city were three towers, taller than anything built in this world, and their designs were familiar to us. We¡¯d seen them a year ago, back in that witchfinder village. These were the devices that pierced through the void between worlds, yet these were a hundred times the size¡ªa hundred times as powerful. We¡¯d known, even back then, that there had been Player involvement in these experiments, but how could we have known it would lead to this? This was the basis of their ritual. This was how they created the new world. We knew from Elfric that they needed all types of magicks to complete their plan, but there had still been a missing piece, otherwise any group of magic-users could attempt the same ritual. They couldn¡¯t just create a world¡ªthings weren¡¯t that simple. First, they needed to make space for this world. They needed to make space in the void. They neede to pierce through the fabric of reality itself. And they had all the tools they needed. The only saving grace was that there was still scaffolding around two of the towers. They weren¡¯t quite finished. They couldn¡¯t quite begin, but they were very close. And what could we do in the meantime? There were six of us against maybe ten thousand soldiers. Perhaps there were more soldiers still in the city itself. It didn¡¯t matter. Either way, we were outnumbered. Either way, the ritual would go ahead. I sunk in the saddle. Right then, for the very first time, I truly wanted to give up. I wanted to relent. We¡¯d done all we could¡ªwe¡¯d done more than anyone could reasonably expect of us¡ªand yet the malae had slipped through our fingers, now under the protection of an army larger than Alterra had ever seen. We¡¯d failed. It was¡­ ¡®It¡¯s over,¡¯ Lore breathed. ¡®No,¡¯ Arzak said. ¡®Yes,¡¯ Corminar disagreed, his voice weak. ¡®No,¡¯ the orc said again. ¡®We Slayers. We not give up. We¡ª¡¯ I remained quiet, my eyes on the towers, but Val turned around at my side, to face Arzak. ¡®Look at it. It¡¯s over. We¡¯ve¡ª¡¯ ¡®No!¡¯ Arzak said for a third and final time. She gestured the informant up. ¡®Tell them what tell me,¡¯ she instructed her. I turned, and met the stranger¡¯s eyes. She held my gaze. ¡®It¡¯s about Governor Yua.¡¯ ¡®Duchess Yua, I believe,¡¯ the elf corrected her. But the woman shook her head. ¡®No, governor. They ran elections a few months ago; Yua won in a landslide victory.¡¯ ¡®Good for her,¡¯ Val said, seemingly meaning it sincerely, but her heart wasn¡¯t in it. ¡®I don¡¯t see how the wonders of democracy help us right now.¡¯ ¡®It not¡­¡¯ Arzak started, but then she turned back to the informant. ¡®Tell them.¡¯ ¡®Governor Yua has publicly denounced the Players,¡¯ the woman said. We went silent. ¡®OK?¡¯ Val replied. ¡®That¡¯s nice, but it¡¯s a bit late, considering¡­¡¯ She gestured to the towers. But I met Arzak¡¯s eyes, and I smiled. I understood. There was still hope, and this hope came in the form that Tokas had realised all along. It wasn¡¯t enough for our team to take down Slayers; the world at large had to see them for what they were. The most important thing had not been to kill the enemy, but to expose them. Those seeds of doubt had taken hold all around Alterra. More and more, people knew the truth. And that might just be our salvation. It was then that I realised there was only one ability choice I could make. I brought up the notifications once more, and I locked in my choice. Ability unlocked ¡ª Distant Portals Distant Portals (Worldbending) ¡ª Create a portal to any location in which you have stood previously, with perfect aim. Uses significant mana to open portals. I raised a hand to my right, and I opened a portal, immediately making full use of this new ability. ¡®Styk?¡¯ Lore asked, eyes on the new portal. ¡®What¡¯s the plan? What are we doing?¡¯ I turned to him, and I smiled. ¡®What do you think? We¡¯re calling the world to war.¡¯
"Styk" Level 25 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 319 Dexterity ¡ª 204 Strength ¡ª 108 Wisdom ¡ª 94 Charisma ¡ª 78
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 86 Knifework ¡ª Level 64 Stealth ¡ª Level 34 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Peerless Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location. Support up to ten pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Distant Portals ¡ª Create a portal to any location in which you have stood previously, with perfect aim. Uses significant mana to open portals. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades II ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Etched spells can be activated up to ten times. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
252. Interlude — Ewar, Librarian of the Estat Order Please, please, please, Ewar begged. He didn¡¯t dare voice the request aloud; who knew how she might react? When the librarian of the Estat Order had taken this research assignment, it had seemed like an honour. It was a chance to work on something entirely new, to put into practice all the knowledge acquired from the order¡¯s dusty library. He would be paid grandly, and was provided room and board even for his family. How things had changed. When Ewar had discovered the truth of the project, he¡¯d tried to refuse. He¡¯d tried to sabotage it. He¡¯d tried everything to stop the ritual in its tracks. But then he¡¯d realised why Amira had encouraged him to bring his family. It wasn¡¯t a pleasure to host them here; they were a bargaining chip. At the first sign of dissent, his wife and son had been disappeared. The head of this mysterious Council of Players, Tana, assured Ewar that they were safe, but she¡¯d never made any attempt to prove it. The librarian just had to hope that she was a woman of her word¡ªthat she would release his family when she knew the towers were complete. And that there really would be a place for them in the new world. The scaffolding swayed in the wind, and Ewar snapped his hands to the nearest pole, clinging on for dear life. In the first few weeks of building the towers, his fear of heights had nearly overwhelmed him. But, just as it said in the books, the fear grew lesser in the face of exposure to it. He was no longer at risk of wetting his underwear at any particular moment, and there were even minutes at a time where he was so focused on the job at hand that he didn¡¯t hold on to the railings. But when you were this high up¡ªhundreds of yards into the sky¡ªit was helpful to have a healthy respect for the possibility of falling. The wind was bitterly cold, this high up, even with the warming charm hanging from his neck. Ewar pulled his hood further around his face, shielding himself from the snow that seemed to fall so fast that it could slice flesh. He steeled himself; Tana would arrive soon, and it would be time. It would be time to ask to see his family again. Minutes later, Ewar heard footsteps on the ladder from the previous level, and soon Tana¡¯s head appeared through the hole in the scaffolding. She was completely unaccompanied. Ewar had seen her travel with a full security team to other meetings¡ªthat she came to him alone either meant that she trusted him, or that she knew that holding his family was motivation enough to behave. If she thought the latter, then she was correct. ¡®You sent for me?¡¯ the Player asked. There was a slight bite to her tone when she said the word ¡°sent¡±. Ewar bowed graciously, a skill he had picked up fast over the past few weeks. ¡®The work is complete,¡¯ he said. At this, Tana raised her eyebrows, and Ewar thought he saw a small smile cross her face. However, it could have been a trick of the light; this was not a woman known for such frivolities as smiling. ¡®Very good, Ewar. I always knew that you could do it, with the right motivation.¡¯ The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. She hadn¡¯t needed to bring it up, but she had. Tana had apparently felt a need to remind Ewar of his family¡¯s disappearance, as though this wasn¡¯t on his mind every waking second. The librarian swallowed the bile that was rising in his throat, and said simply, ¡®Thank you.¡¯ Tana approached the ornate markings on the side of the tower, her fingertips drifting over them. These were not merely ornamental; these markings would allow the towers access to the magicks that formed this world. These were vital to ensuring that the ritual worked. The Player nodded approvingly. ¡®And how long will they take to draw sufficient power?¡¯ ¡®Once they are tested? Perhaps¡­ eight days?¡¯ ¡®Days, Ewar?¡¯ Tana repeated. ¡®I thought it would be a matter of hours.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s¡­ Your ritual requires a great deal of power; it is not as simple as activating the towers and beginning. There will be¡ª¡¯ ¡®Eight days,¡¯ Tana repeated, eyes glazing over in that usual way that accompanied deep consideration. ¡®It is no matter, it will have to be sufficient. We could protect these walls for a century, if we must.¡¯ ¡®You say that as though these Slayers stand a chance,¡¯ a new voice said. Ewar¡¯s head snapped to face the top of the ladder, though Tana didn¡¯t react. The Council¡¯s leader had heard the other Player coming. Neia, the diviner, had now joined them. Of all those who would be involved in the ritual, Neia was the most invested in the construction of the towers. Tana seemed to have interpreted it simply as interest, but Ewar was sure he heard paranoia behind all her questions. ¡®Do you think those five could defeat an army, Tana? Their leader has grown strong these past few months, but surely you don¡¯t¡ª¡¯ ¡®Of course not,¡¯ the leader of the Council snapped. ¡®Then you can wait eight days,¡¯ Neia replied. ¡®We¡¯ve already waited years, and this must be done properly.¡¯ She approached the solid black metal at the centre of the tower and slammed the heel of her hand against it, testing its solidity. Tana watched the diviner, her lips pressed firmly together, her arms folded. ¡®Well?¡¯ ¡®They seem to be built to the specifications,¡¯ Neia said, without looking away from the tower. ¡®At least thus far. I believe I can foresee them working.¡¯ ¡®You cannot be sure?¡¯ Tana asked. At this, Neia looked around. ¡®You know Divination does not work that way. Or did Yusef¡¯s lies convince you, too?¡¯ The Council¡¯s leader ignored the taunt. She seemed, then, to remember Ewar¡¯s presence. ¡®Very well. Inform the team that final tests will now begin. When they are done¡ªwhen all tests are complete, and tested thrice¡ªwe will begin to draw power. Inform the relevant parties.¡¯ Ewar bowed again; the Council enjoyed it when people bowed to them. ¡®I will, Tana. Of course.¡¯ He hesitated for a moment. He had to ask the inevitable question. There was no better time than this. ¡®And about¡­¡¯ ¡®Your family?¡¯ The librarian nodded, his heart racing, his gut clenched. ¡®I¡¯ve already had them released back to your quarters.¡¯ Ewar blinked back at the Player, not quite believing the words that had come out of her mouth. Tana scoffed. ¡®What? Did you expect otherwise? I¡¯m not a monster, only a woman with the will to do what has to be done.¡¯ Ewar bowed once more, and he retreated down the ladder. 253. The Weight Of A Crown By the time night fell, we¡¯d gathered three dozen would-be soldiers. I used my new distant portals ability to retread recent ground, spilling the team out around the southern Goldmarch. We picked up people here and there, promising revenge on the Council that had led the malae through their lands, caring not for the destruction left in their wake. We recruited some from near Tradum, who had almost been corrupted into monsters for the Council¡¯s army. Some of them recognised us as the team that had got them out of that city, and were not just ready to join us in battle, but ready to pledge their lives to our cause. I felt uncomfortable asking for that at first, but Corminar reminded me that we couldn¡¯t afford such luxuries; we needed all the help we could get. My latest ability had quickly proven to be the correct choice, allowing us to jump around the continent in the blink of an eye. But it came at a huge cost¡ªthe mana required for each activation was huge, and I could only keep going for as long as Corminar could provide me with mana potions. Without said potions, I wouldn¡¯t be able to use the ability more than once or twice a day. And though I had the mana potions to keep me going, the spell was draining. I could feel the bags under my eyes, my eyelids ready to close at any moment, my thighs aching with exhaustion. This was another thing we couldn¡¯t afford to care about; I would have time to be tired later. Corminar and I spilled out of the latest portal with four new soldiers at our side¡ªthe best single haul we¡¯d had so far. We arrived back in camp, a few miles to the south of Auricia and hidden in a dense woodland. We couldn¡¯t afford to be spotted, at least until we had more in our number. If the Council knew we were here, we¡¯d be easy pickings. The camp had taken shape more in the hour that Corminar and I had been gone. Arzak, with the help of Zoi, had ordered our new charges into responsibilities based on their skillsets. Some gathered wood for the fires, others made arrows, others hunted food¡ªand the list went on. We¡¯d been lucky to find an expert Needlework crafter in one of the first forays into the south. Though creating tents was below their level of expertise, it meant they were able to craft them quickly, and were even happy to do so. I saw Val getting some rest in one of these tents in the centre of the camp. Good, she needed it. I had a job for her and Lore, and she¡¯d need to be fresh for it. For now, I let her sleep. I considered joining her¡ªthere was space on the thin blanket for me to lay beside her, and I knew she¡¯d appreciate the warmth, but¡­ still, there was work to be done. My elven friend handed me another potion, and I drank it immediately. Though it didn¡¯t do much to lessen my fatigue, at least I wouldn¡¯t have the uncomfortable sensation of low mana reserves. ¡®How many more until you need to make more?¡¯ I asked. ¡®That is the last. Perhaps we do one last foray¡ªI hear there is a town north of Tradum ripe for the picking¡ªand then you get some rest. You look as though you need it.¡¯ ¡®What about you?¡¯ I asked. ¡®I am not the one casting powerful spells.¡¯ Before I could argue, he added, ¡®I will rest when the work is done. I¡ª¡¯ His ears pricked up, and I knew exactly what that signalled. I turned to the treeline, looking for signs of movement, looking for signs that the Council had found us, that we were now about to be ambushed by a corrupted army. ¡®Trouble!¡¯ someone roared. The shout came from the north side of camp¡ªnot good. Corminar and I began running to the source of the shout, and I closed the distance with a portal. As we stumbled out at the very edge of the camp, I followed the lookout¡¯s pointed finger. There were silhouettes darting between the dark trees. ¡®To stations!¡¯ I shouted, and dozens of voices echoed the order, causing it to ring around the camp. Every soul here came to defend us, including a groggy Val, who was wiping the sleep from her eyes even as she prepared a lifedrain spell. We formed three long lines along the northern side of the camp, the strongest in the first line, those with ranged attacks in the second, and those with support skills at the back. A lone man stepped forth from the trees, into the light of our torches. He wore the golden armour of the Goldmarch, but one with an ornate metal design, and freshly polished. I saw that he was carrying a large glass flask in both hands¡ªone that was filled with a red liquid that swirled and glowed in patches, as though full of energy. As the stranger in gold placed the container on the ground, Corminar shouted, ¡®Everyone, get back!¡¯ Everyone but me took a dozen paces backwards. I, on the other hand, portalled to the enemy¡¯s side, placing the point of my blade on his neck. ¡®What is it?¡¯ I spat. ¡®Insurance,¡¯ the stranger replied. ¡®An explosive potion,¡¯ Corminar called out from the second row of our defensive line. ¡®One that is powerful enough to eliminate most of us in one fell swoop.¡¯ ¡®Why?¡¯ I asked, digging the point of my blade into the enemy¡¯s neck. A small trickle of blood ran down the side of my dagger. ¡®Why have you brought this here?¡¯ The soldier smiled. ¡®Because my liege wishes to speak with you, and she thinks you¡¯re gonna need the right motivation to listen.¡¯ He turned to the rest of the camp. ¡®If any of you run, I activate it.¡¯ I was pleased to see the line hold steady¡ªthere were no cowards here. ¡®Where are they? Your liege?¡¯ I demanded. ¡®They are ready for you,¡¯ the soldier shouted, ¡®your majesty.¡¯ My heart dropped. The ornate, polished armour now made sense. This wasn¡¯t just any old soldier in the Golden Army; this was a member of the royal guard. Which meant¡­ The empress and a small retinue emerged from the darkness. Amira¡¯s long hair draped over fox skins and an ornate velvet traveller¡¯s robe¡ªthough dressed for the cold, she hadn¡¯t sacrificed that regal style. The soldiers were dressed in the same ornate metal armour as the first, about half their number armed with explosive potions of their own. From the look on Corminar¡¯s face, that wasn¡¯t just enough firepower to kill all of us, it might well wipe a good chunk of the forest off the map too. ¡®You will kneel in her majesty¡¯s presence,¡¯ the first soldier spat. Nobody moved a muscle. ¡®Kneel?¡¯ my elven friend repeated. ¡®You are fortunate that we do not kill her, after all she has done.¡¯ I knew exactly what he was referring to; it was part of Empress Amira¡¯s army that had taken the Dawnwood, despite our efforts to stop it. ¡®I am sure my footman explained the nature of his potion to you,¡¯ the empress said, beady eyes trained on Corminar. Though the golden crown she wore looked heavy, she still managed to raise her head enough to look down her nose at him. ¡®At any sign of attack, we will¡ª¡¯ ¡®And kill yourself in the process,¡¯ Val finished. ¡®I don¡¯t think so.¡¯ Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. At this, the empress smiled. ¡®If you knew that which I had been through, you would not doubt my intent.¡¯ I flicked my eyes around the camp, looking for other signs of trouble. My first thought was that this wasn¡¯t an ambush, but that didn¡¯t make any sense. Why risk the empress to lure out a small camp? Why not send someone else? ¡®Why are you here?¡¯ I demanded, lowing my dagger from the soldier¡¯s throat. He didn¡¯t seem to care about his own life all that much anyway. ¡®I have come to propose a deal,¡¯ she answered. ¡®To us? What could we have that you could possibly want?¡¯ ¡®If only you knew the fortune we expended to find you. You command loyalty in the south¡ªparticularly the orc. Few wished to reveal your location, yet every man has his price. Do not doubt my intent, Tundran. I would not be here if I did not think this meeting could be mutually beneficial.¡¯ ¡®I have had quite enough¡ª¡¯ Corminar started, reaching for a bow. I raised a hand to signal him to stop, not quite sure if this fury was a ploy or simply his sincere reaction. ¡®You could¡¯ve sent a scout,¡¯ I said to the empress. ¡®But you¡¯re here yourself. And something tells me those potions weren¡¯t meant for me.¡¯ The empress¡¯s right eye twitched ever so slightly, and I wouldn¡¯t have seen it if I hadn¡¯t been looking for it. I was on the right lines. ¡®You¡¯ve been exiled, haven¡¯t you? Your precious Council have thrown you out, haven¡¯t they?¡¯ Empress Amira didn¡¯t say a word, but Corminar threw his head back and laughed like I had never seen him laugh before. I couldn¡¯t blame him. Val, also struggling to suppress a snicker, added, ¡®You gave them everything for an empire, and then they took your empire anyway! What a deal! Nice one, your majesty.¡¯ ¡®If you do not cease insulting her majesty, I will¡ª¡¯ one of the soldiers started, but just as I had signalled Corminar to stand down, Amira did the same. ¡®I¡¯m guessing those potions are the only reason you even got away, are they?¡¯ I asked. It was a guess, but a pretty safe one. ¡®The Council don¡¯t strike me as people who shy away from a little assassination if it suits their needs. And, wait, if you¡¯ve been exiled, what could you possibly offer us?¡¯ Amira¡¯s face remained stony, not betraying her true feelings, though I suspected I knew what they were. ¡®If you eliminate the Council, and put me back upon my rightful throne, I will not just make you lords. I will cede land, and give you kingdoms of your own.¡¯ ¡®I¡ª¡¯ I started, but Amira raised her hand to cut me off, and for all her faults, she had enough gravitas that I paused. ¡®You know the true nature of their schemes? They would end this world, in a matter of weeks. You may feel as though I am giving you a choice, but there truly is none. Rise against the Council, or perish¡ªit seems no choice at all, to me.¡¯ I looked to Val, then to Lore, then to Arzak. I didn¡¯t need to look to Corminar because I knew he¡¯d still be snarling at the exiled empress. We were not a team who did what we did for land, or coin, or fame. We did what we did because it was right. We were going to attack the Council, and probably even die in the process, but the only reward we sought was for our world to survive. And I had an idea, just then, about how we might do that. ¡®Keep your lands,¡¯ I told Amira. ¡®We¡¯re not interested.¡¯ ¡®Err¡­¡¯ Val started, apparently not quite so sure. ¡®But if you want us to kill the Council¡­ if you want us to save this world, you¡¯re going to have to pay up.¡¯ I gestured to the glass container in the nearest soldier¡¯s grasp. ¡®Those potions. I want them.¡¯ ¡®Without them, we are defenseless!¡¯ a soldier cried out. ¡®You¡¯ve still got your weapons. With your training, you would take down a good number of us before we killed you, and you know as well as I do that we can¡¯t spare anyone. So you will have to trust us.¡¯ As the empress considered the terms of this new deal, Val approached me, grabbing me gently by the arm. ¡®Styk? What are you planning?¡¯ I looked up at her, and simply from seeing her face, I smiled. ¡®I¡¯m gonna buy us some time,¡¯ I said.
"Styk" Level 25 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 319 Dexterity ¡ª 204 Strength ¡ª 108 Wisdom ¡ª 94 Charisma ¡ª 78
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 86 Knifework ¡ª Level 64 Stealth ¡ª Level 34 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Peerless Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location. Support up to ten pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Distant Portals ¡ª Create a portal to any location in which you have stood previously, with perfect aim. Uses significant mana to open portals. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades II ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Etched spells can be activated up to ten times. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
254. Sabotage I sent Val and Lore away. It was in part a selfish measure¡ªwith what we had to do next, I wanted Val to be safe, and I trusted nobody more than Lore to look after her. But there was a practicality to it, too; if Val came with us on this mission, then I would be distracted by her wellbeing. I couldn¡¯t afford that. I opened a distant portal to Lenktra, where we had been all those months ago, and gave Val and Lore their instructions: find Governor Yua, and convince her to ride to war. We would meet them there when the job was done. Arzak recruited no more than five of our allies to join us, as per my advice. We needed the stealthiest among them¡ªeven Arzak coming was playing with fire¡ªbut also those who could escape if this all went wrong. I was under no illusions that we would all come back alive. ¡®Do you understand the mission?¡¯ I asked them. The eight of us¡ªmyself, Arzak, Corminar and the five new recruits¡ªwere standing in the largest of our camp¡¯s tents, the one we¡¯d now earmarked for strategy meetings. ¡®Yes, sir,¡¯ our crew said, not quite in time with one another. ¡®I¡¯m not a ¡°sir¡±,¡¯ I replied. ¡®You can drop that bit.¡¯ ¡®What do we call you, then?¡¯ one of the soldiers asked, a woman named Jera that we¡¯d picked up near Tradum. She¡¯d been with Reginald when he¡¯d led them out of the city. ¡®Call me ¡°oi, you¡±. Or Styk. Whatever you like; it doesn¡¯t matter.¡¯ I turned to Arzak and Corminar, who were already well up to speed with the plan. They¡¯d helped me perfect it. ¡®Anything I haven¡¯t mentioned?¡¯ ¡®Try not die,¡¯ the orc added. I nodded. ¡®Good advice. Don¡¯t die¡ªthat¡¯s an order.¡¯ ¡®Yes, sir,¡¯ two of the soldiers said. I groaned. Corminar picked up the first of the five explosive potions that we¡¯d taken from Empress Amira, and handed it to the nearest soldier. When all five had their weapons in-hand, Corminar handed me another two mana potions. I only needed to create a distant portal one way, as I had set the camp as my saved portal location, but I wasn¡¯t going to turn down more mana. I could well need it. I drew in a deep breath. ¡®Then we begin.¡¯ With the flick of my wrist, I opened a portal within the tent¡ªone that led to a place in Auricia in which we¡¯d stood before. I knew that at this time of night¡ªin the early, early hours before dawn¡ªthe records office would be closed. It might even be locked up, but that would be no obstacle for us. Corminar stepped through the portal first, bow raised and ready to fire. After the rest of us poured through, I closed the portal behind me. But then an almighty wail rang out, causing many of our number to cry out in turn. At least none of them dropped their potions in the process, as that would¡¯ve been pretty catastrophic at this stage. Without the artifact hanging around my neck, I felt vulnerable. Weak. I needed it back, as soon as I could. ¡®What is it?¡¯ I shouted at the top of my lungs, over the racket. I had a feeling I knew already, and I didn¡¯t much like my suspicions. It meant that enemies would be here shortly. Before I got an answer, I opened a portal to the street outside, and Corminar led the team through it, bow raised once again. Jera¡¯s body language was panicked as she hopped into the portal, almost dropping the glass vial once more. ¡®The records office. It must have been enchanted to alert for Worldbending magicks.¡¯ ¡®Hm. Bad luck,¡¯ Arzak replied, standing aside to let me through before her. But Corminar had been the first out there, and he stood now, his head leaning back, his eyes on a shimmering purple blanket covering the city. ¡®No,¡¯ he said. ¡®Not the records office.¡¯ Corminar looked to me. ¡®They knew we would come.¡¯ Seven faces looked to me, all paling, all looking for my instruction. ¡®This changes nothing,¡¯ I said. ¡®We do what we do because we have to. There¡¯s no other choice. Move.¡¯ I led the way, sprinting down the street to the east, towards the nearest of the three giant structures that loomed over the Goldmarch capital. Shouts rang out to the left and right, soldiers who¡¯d been alerted to our presence by the enchantment, who now would hunt us down at any cost. We just had to make sure we did what we needed to, then I could get us out of here. As long as I was alive, and as long as we didn¡¯t get separated, everyone had an escape route. I felt for the artifact once more. It was a reflex, something that I did when I felt in danger. Usually it reassured me, but now that I was without it, it only served to remind me how fragile I really was. I opened a portal in front of us, allowing those bogged down by heavy glass vials to move quickly across the city. At our rear, I glimpsed soldiers approaching. Some of them were slow, others fast. Those that approached quickly had the familiar pale grey skin of corruption. Maybe we could handle normal Goldmarch soldiers, but I didn¡¯t want to less those monsters anywhere near us. If they got close, we were dead. Or worse, we were corrupted. I worked hard to get us across the city as quickly as possible, leaving one pair of portals open while I opened the next. This meant we could move as quickly as possible, even nearly matching the pace of the corrupted soldiers, but I had to be careful. If I left any portals open too long then our pursuers could use them to their advantage¡ªand the plan would be over. But I¡¯d selected the records office as it wasn¡¯t far from the nearest ritual spire. We didn¡¯t have to sustain this for long. As we neared, I switched up the next set of portals to send us stumbling out onto the highest rooftop near the spire. This gave us a vantage point from which to work, as well as buying us a precious couple of minutes as our pursuers tracked us down. I did not intent to waste this advantage. ¡®The spire,¡¯ Jera said, nodding towards its base. ¡®Let¡¯s go.¡¯ But when I looked at it, my gut twisted. There were people surveying the spire from the scaffolding¡ªpeople who did not wear the golden uniform of the military. These were civilians. And our plan would kill them. Was this too much of a price to pay? Did they even know what they were helping the Council do? ¡®Come on!¡¯ Jera cried out again, her eyes darting back the way we¡¯d come. ¡®There are civilians doing checks up there. I won¡¯t let us hurt them. Not unless we must.¡¯ Arzak narrowed her eyes. ¡®And who you to say when we must?¡¯ She glanced to Corminar, as though looking for backup. ¡®Styk, do not turn into Player. You better than them.¡¯ I held her gaze as I replied. ¡®I won¡¯t. But if we do nothing, everyone dies anyway. We have to remember that.¡¯ Without giving my orcish friend a moment to reply, I raised my hands and aimed a portal up into the top of the scaffolding that encompassed the spire. On the first attempt, my aim was off¡ªthe portal would have sent us tumbling a long way towards the ground. But the second attempt hovered nicely a couple of feet above the scaffolding¡¯s top floor. ¡®Through! Now!¡¯ I cried, gesturing my hands wildly towards the portal. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Jera was first through, followed by Corminar and the other near-strangers, with Arzak and me at the rear. ¡®There!¡¯ I heard a soldier shout from down below. We didn¡¯t have long. The members of the team with potions placed them down gently at the edge of the scaffolding, taking great care not to let them hit the wood too hard¡ªthough Corminar had assured me that they weren¡¯t that sensitive. The wind picked up as one of our team¡ªa young man still in the midst of puberty¡ªwas placing the last potion down, and the scaffolding swayed. He would have fallen if Arzak hadn¡¯t grabbed him with her faster, support-free arm, and that potion would have destroyed the scaffolding below us. It was a good job my friend was quick when she needed to be. Down below, soldiers began climbing the scaffolding. One of them¡ªa corrupted man with no weapon in his hands¡ªdidn¡¯t bother with the ladders, instead climbing the outside of the balcony by leaping from ledge to ledge. ¡®Go go go!¡¯ I shouted as I opened a portal next to us, just off the edge of this level of scaffolding. A combination of trust in me and fear of the approaching monster meant that the team happily jumped into the portal, despite it being hundreds of yards above the ground. They spilled out onto the street below, leaving Corminar and I as the last on the scaffolding. ¡®You got everything you need?¡¯ I shouted over the bitterly cold winter winds. ¡®Return us to the rooftop!¡¯ Corminar cried back. ¡®It is my best vantage point.¡¯ I nodded, closing the first pair of portals and instead opening another, putting us down onto the rooftop once more. I was about to turn back to the scaffolding when I heard a familiar grunt on the street below¡ªArzak was under attack. I rushed to the edge of the rooftop, my elven friend following at my heels instead of focusing on the objective of our quest, but I didn¡¯t have time to tell him otherwise. As I reached the edge, I saw the street below, and the team of six fighting off soldiers dressed in gold. None of the much stronger, corrupted kind of soldier had reached them yet, but they were only seconds away. I thrust a hand forward and opened a saved portal back to the camp next to them. ¡®Go!¡¯ I shouted to those on the street below, gesturing to the portal. ¡®Get out!¡¯ Only Jera hesitated, the others quick to follow my instruction. And that hesitation got her killed. Before she could leap through the portal, the brawny arm of a corrupted soldier reached out to grab her. She wailed only for a second, obscured in the huddle of enemy soldiers, and her scream¡¯s abrupt end told me all I needed to know. Corminar moved to help her. I grabbed him by the arm. ¡®She¡¯s gone,¡¯ I said. The elf looked to her once more, eyes glum, before nodding. I looked up to the scaffolding on the spire, to where we¡¯d stashed the potions. Even from this rooftop, those potions were far away. It would take the greatest ranger in the Tundras to make this shot. Fortunately, we had him. ¡®Do it.¡¯ Corminar raised his bow, drew an arrow, and fired. I stood with bated breath as I watched it soar through the air, swaying slightly to the left in the breeze. But Corminar was a clever ranger; he would have accounted for it. I saw the explosion before I felt it, before I heard it. For a fraction of a second, all of Auricia was lit up by the inferno. Then all of Auricia felt a wave of power sweep over them¡ªone strong enough that it almost made me take a step back. I blinked the spots of light out of my eyes, hoping¡ªpraying¡ªthat the potions had been enough to break the spire. When the dust settled, I saw a huge crack in the spire¡¯s side, its line of vibrant symbols obliterated. We¡¯d done damage. We¡¯d done significant damage. Pieces of exploded scaffolding emerged from the sky, falling down on the civilian workers below. I flung out one hand, then the other, making use of my high portal limit to catch pieces of falling debris and save those underneath from all but the smallest pieces. But even these tiny fragments were enough to do damage, and those below cried out in pain as they were cut or pierced by these falling pieces of wood. The city would have to heal them; I¡¯d done what I could. Turning away, I saw a corrupted soldier on the next rooftop, bellowing our position to the rest of the standing army. Without waiting for another second, I opened our saved portal back to camp. ¡®How much time do you think we¡¯ve bought?¡¯ I asked, as I stepped through. ¡®Enough, I can only hope,¡¯ Corminar replied. I closed the portal behind us.
"Styk" Level 25 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 319 Dexterity ¡ª 204 Strength ¡ª 108 Wisdom ¡ª 94 Charisma ¡ª 78
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 86 Knifework ¡ª Level 64 Stealth ¡ª Level 34 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Peerless Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location. Support up to ten pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Distant Portals ¡ª Create a portal to any location in which you have stood previously, with perfect aim. Uses significant mana to open portals. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades II ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Etched spells can be activated up to ten times. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
255. On The Tundran Border Arzak put Zoi in charge of the camp while we were gone, in an undeniably nepotistic act. I didn¡¯t quite know when Arzak had assumed responsibility for managing our ever-growing number of recruits¡ªit just seemed to be something that came naturally to her. It suited me just fine anyway, as it left me time to recruit others and to plot our next moves. And occasionally grab a quarter hour of sleep, here and there. I stepped my heavy legs through the latest of the distant portals, powered by the mana potions that Corminar had created. He had two or three of our scouts constantly looking for the ingredients required for these potions, and even then, he was getting through them quickly. I¡¯d told Arzak to assign more scouts to the task, but she¡¯d not replied for a moment, instead inspecting me with sad eyes. She knew that I was tired¡ªexhausted, even¡ªbut she didn¡¯t voice it. We couldn¡¯t afford to care about exhaustion, not now, not when the ritual was so close. In the end, she¡¯d relented to the request with a nod. The portal opened to where I¡¯d left Val and Lore the night before: on the streets of Lenktra. This was the southernmost city of the Gentle Tundras, and was a stone¡¯s throw from the Goldmarch border. It was also where Yua governed¡ªthe leader we¡¯d helped in ridding the Tundras of Niamh, and who now openly denounced Player kind. If anyone was going to aid us in our cause, it was her. Though Corminar had plenty to say on Lenktra as we made our way toward its small house of government, Arzak was quiet. Her eyes scanned the citizens of this small city, nodding back to those who greeted her, but she didn¡¯t say a word. I knew my orcish friend well enough to know that she was deep in thought, and I could only hope that she was considering strategy. Though, judging by that glum expression, I worried it was another matter. Maybe she¡¯d stopped to consider just how slim our chances of success were¡ªa thought that wasn¡¯t helpful right now. ¡®We should create more of those explosive potions,¡¯ I told Corminar. ¡®They might mean we can actually win this fight. Tell the scouts when we¡¯re back: don¡¯t look for mana ingredients, look for¡ª¡¯ ¡®Styk.¡¯ The elf had come to a stop, and turned to look me in the eye. ¡®I appreciate that you have great faith in my alchemical abilities, but such creations are far out of reach. Such potions, they are of great power; it would have taken a dozen alchemists of my level an entire year to create a single one of those potions. It is the power and riches of queens that make such creations feasible. With what time we have, and what limited resources¡­¡¯ He trailed off. Arzak looked somehow even glummer after hearing this news, the shoulder on her good arm beginning to slouch, while the contraption on the other meant that wasn¡¯t possible on that side. I nodded. ¡®Got it. Was just a thought.¡¯ We continued on through the city¡¯s winding streets. It was a nice change to be in a town where there was still life; back in the southern Goldmarch, all we¡¯d seen were towns devastated by the monsters that the malae had drawn from the wilds. Here, they¡¯d had no such trouble. The people of Lenktra were in a golden age. They had made the switch to totally elected government, though admittedly their chosen leader was the same, if with a different title. That was more a testament to Yua¡¯s kindness than anything else. The people here were no longer under the thumb of the Goldmarch Empire, as the Tundra was of no interest to Amira beyond plundering it for natural resources. Even the reforestation efforts were coming along¡ªI¡¯d seen saplings planted outside the city, and we passed two carts filled with bags of seeds to support the efforts further. It was a shame it would likely all be in vain. I pushed the thought aside as we arrived at Lenktra¡¯s house of government, at a pair of great wooden doors adorned with metal details. A handful of guards stood to attention outside. ¡®We¡¯re here with Val and¡ª¡¯ The guards stood aside, one of them adding, ¡®We were told to expect your presence. If you will please accompany me to the audience chamber; the sorcerer is speaking.¡¯ It took me a moment to understand who the so-called ¡°sorcerer¡± would be. As we were led through the building¡¯s main chamber, to another pair of double doors on the other side, I began to hear a familiar voice. ¡®...beseech you to act,¡¯ Val said, her words made louder by means of magicks. The guard opened the doors as quietly as possible, and allowed us access to the chamber. We squeezed through the crowd of citizens that were attending this meeting, this chamber apparently open to the public to keep the workings of government transparent. I made quiet, whispered apologies as we made our way to the front. ¡®You will lose people,¡¯ my wife continued. She stood on a raised wooden podium in the centre of the chamber, the platform a dozen feet from the floor. On either side of the room were rows of wooden seats, each occupied by the leaders of this city. Those leaders all wore similar expressions, their brows furrowed, their eyes demonstrating concentration. They were receptive to Val¡¯s arguments, maybe¡ªbut were they receptive enough? ¡®Of that, I¡¯m sure. And I understand that that¡¯s a difficult thing to vote for, losing your people. But I assure you, if the Council¡¯s plan goes unchecked, you will lose everyone. This is not a choice. There simply can¡¯t be a choice.¡¯ I could hear Val forcing herself to sound professional, to speak clearly and concisely, and not in her usual manner. As she spoke, she touched her lower belly¡ªwas this an unconscious act, or a reminder to the city¡¯s leaders that we would all pay the price of their inaction? ¡®Please,¡¯ Val said. ¡®I ask once more. Prepare your soldiers. Ride to war.¡¯ At the centre of the left side of the chamber, another familiar face rose from her seat. ¡®Thank you, Equivalence Vignor,¡¯ Yua said. ¡®We will adjourn for now. Upon the strike of midday, we return to discuss this request.¡¯ A murmuring swept over the room as all those¡ªmembers of government and citizens alike¡ªbegan discussing what Val had said. This was surely the first they¡¯d heard of trouble, and trouble of this magnitude was something that demanded conversation. The rest of the crowd of citizens began filtering out, leaving me at the wooden barrier, my eyes on Val. She smiled when she saw me, then waved back at me. * * * The five of us regrouped in the centre of the atrium, standing on top of a complex mosaic of a compass, that¡ªas far as I could tell¡ªdid actually point in the correct directions. ¡®You heard me speak?¡¯ Val asked. I nodded. ¡®Caught the end of it. You sounded good up there. But I wondered¡­¡¯ I touched my lower abdomen, just as she had. Again, Val smiled¡ªa sight that I would never grow tired of. ¡®It¡¯s funny. I wondered, up there on that podium, if I was getting a bit of a belly. It¡¯s happening, Styk¡ªwe¡¯re having a baby.¡¯ I grinned back at her. ¡®Yeah? I know?¡¯ Val hugged me. It took barely two seconds before Lore ¡®aww¡¯-ed and then joined the hug too. Corminar and Arzak did not join in. ¡®Do we think they join?¡¯ Arzak asked. It was unlike her to get straight to business, but then, time was of the essence. ¡®I¡¯d give us even odds,¡¯ Lore replied. ¡®I was doing some digging with the governors beforehand, while Val was getting ready to speak. They get the danger, and they agree with Yua that Players aren¡¯t all that great, but¡­¡¯ ¡®Riding to war is a whole other matter?¡¯ I asked. Lore nodded. ¡®Yeah, that.¡¯ Arzak shook her head. ¡®Not good enough.¡¯ It came across harshly, like this was directed at Val¡¯s efforts, but I at least knew her well enough to realise that wouldn¡¯t be her intent. ¡®We need soldiers. We need yes from them.¡¯ Val gulped. ¡®Well I tried my¡ª¡¯ The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡®We going to lose,¡¯ the orc continued. ¡®We know this, don¡¯t we? We going to lose, and¡­¡¯ She caught sight of the metal contraption on her arm, and in a frantic effort she began to unbuckle its supporting straps. ¡®Arzak,¡¯ Corminar said, putting a hand on her shoulder. ¡®What are you¡ª¡¯ Only then did I realise Arzak was crying. ¡®I done with this. I done fighting. I not face malae again. Can¡¯t. Not, not¡­¡¯ She began breathing in and out erratically. A panic attack. ¡®Lore, get her some water,¡¯ Val said. The barbarian jumped to obey. Corminar and my wife took Arzak by an arm each, leading her over to a bench at the side of the atrium. It creaked when the orc sat upon it. ¡®Just breathe,¡¯ Val continued. ¡®Just breathe. It¡¯ll pass.¡¯ ¡®No, I¡­¡¯ ¡®Breathe,¡¯ Val said again. I¡¯d been foolish to think that Arzak¡¯s brush with the malae had only left physical injury. I¡¯d allowed myself to believe that the blacksmith¡¯s contraption made it all better. But things had changed irreversibly for my older orcish friend. She¡¯d come close to paying the ultimate price, and that left wounds not just on the body, but on the heart. When the orc finally calmed herself, she put her head in her hands. ¡®Sorry. I weak. I¡ª¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re not weak, Arzak,¡¯ Val reassured her. The orc pulled her head from her hands to look at us, tears still flowing¡ªif slower than before. ¡®I not sure I can do this. I think I¡­ I think I not fight any more. I think I done.¡¯ Val and Corminar caught each other¡¯s eyes. ¡®If that is your decision¡­¡¯ Corminar squeezed Arzak¡¯s muscular arm, his fingers barely stretching halfway around it, ¡®then we respect it.¡¯ Arzak drew in a deep breath, the air going all the way to her core. She held it there for a moment, calming herself, before letting it out slowly. ¡®No. Moment of weakness. I see this through. Need all help we can get.¡¯ There was a moment of tense silence. ¡®You sure?¡¯ Val asked. Arzak nodded. ¡®I sure. I see through. Not long now.¡¯ I wasn¡¯t sure I believed her. * * * We¡¯d eaten some lunch from a local sandwich shop by the time we were called back into the government chamber. It was nice to have some food that hadn¡¯t been cooked over a campfire¡ªor not cooked at all. I couldn¡¯t quite tell if it was just hunger that made me order two, or if they were really that delicious. Or maybe Lore was just rubbing off on me; I¡¯d never in my life seen him order fewer than two meals at a time. Governor Yua gestured for Val to take her place back upon the podium in the centre of the chamber, while the rest of us filtered in to the viewing area. There were far more people in the crowd this time around; word of Val¡¯s warning had spread amongst the citizens of Lenktra. They¡¯d come to hear for themselves. When Val was settled on the podium, Yua raised a hand to beg for silence. It happened immediately. ¡®We have reached a decision,¡¯ Yua declared. ¡®Lenktra reiterates its position that Players are not the heroes we once thought them. Lenktra will always fight to protect its people.¡¯ I could hear the ¡®but¡¯ coming. ¡®However¡­¡¯ Close enough. Val pressed her lips together, holding Yua¡¯s gaze not with kindness any longer, but anger. ¡®We are but a humble people; there are few soldiers among us. Let the other great nations send their armies. Let them fight in the wars of which they are so fond. The Armadans and the Sundorn, they are a war-hungry people¡ªlet them fight.¡¯ The words emerging from Yua¡¯s mouth felt like a betrayal, after all we¡¯d done for her. I forced myself to remember that they were not her words; they were the government¡¯s words. Who knew her own feelings on the subject? ¡®You talk about protecting Lenktra?¡¯ I shouted from the stands. ¡®Do you think your city won¡¯t die with the rest of the world?¡¯ Guards shifted immediately towards me, but my arrest was halted by the raising of Yua¡¯s hand. She held my gaze. ¡®This is Lenktra¡¯s position,¡¯ she said, as if to say that it was the city¡¯s view, not her own. If it was an apology, it felt hollow. ¡®But we cannot make decisions on behalf of the individual. If citizens do wish to fight with you, then they may. But Lenktra will not raise its banners.¡¯ ¡®Very well,¡¯ Val said, though I could see her swallowing her tongue. She turned, not speaking to the governors any more but rather to the audience area. ¡®Let it be known, then! Anyone who likes this world¡ªanyone who wants to continue living in it¡ªshould set their affairs in order and travel through that portal.¡¯ ¡®What portal?¡¯ a woman in the audience called out. I flicked my wrist, and did the honours, opening a portal in the very centre of the government¡¯s audience chamber¡ªone that led back to our camp. I didn¡¯t need to use mana to sustain it, not these days, and so there was no harm it remaining there. Val nodded at me; I¡¯d understood her intent. If the portal remained there, then it would be a constant reminder to the government of Lenktra that they had not come to arms when the world was in danger. Maybe, just maybe, they would change their minds.
"Styk" Level 25 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 319 Dexterity ¡ª 204 Strength ¡ª 108 Wisdom ¡ª 94 Charisma ¡ª 78
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 86 Knifework ¡ª Level 64 Stealth ¡ª Level 34 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Peerless Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location. Support up to ten pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Distant Portals ¡ª Create a portal to any location in which you have stood previously, with perfect aim. Uses significant mana to open portals. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades II ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Etched spells can be activated up to ten times. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
194. Hurt ¡®Oh good,¡¯ I said, ¡®another fight.¡¯ The man with the quarterstaff charged, swiping his broken weapon wildly. I ducked to one side, avoiding the arcing weapon, then charged in to Stab with my blade. My dagger hit flesh, and I pushed the attack by activating my Closed Reach ability. Recruit of the Ascendancy Cult defeated! Worldbending ¡ª +1,050xp Knifework ¡ª +1,300xp Someone shouted something off to my right, but I couldn¡¯t quite make it out over the sounds of battle. And then someone else clubbed me over the head. Raelas appeared at my side, stepping out of a portal at my side. She turned her right arm to ice and used it to block the attack of the enemy I hadn¡¯t seen. ¡®Duck, I said,¡¯ she repeated. ¡®Could¡¯ve said it a bit lou¡­¡¯ I started, but then my latest ability selection returned to me. With the flick of my wrist, I activated my Portal Relay ability, creating with it seven small portals, no larger than an apple, one for each of us. I had the ability to create up to ten of these, but I just couldn¡¯t see any point of creating more than we could use. I burst my hands forward, fingers splayed, and six of the seven small portals soared off towards my travelling companions. They slowed as they approached, then began gently circling their heads. ¡®What in hell,¡¯ Arzak mumbled as she met enemy blade with blades of her own. ¡®New ability,¡¯ I shouted through my own portal, though I didn¡¯t really need to shout. ¡®Use it to communicate.¡¯ ¡®Styk, turn around,¡¯ Corminar said. ¡®Yeah, communicate just like that!¡¯ ¡®No,¡¯ the elf repeated. ¡®Turn around. Raelas is about to die.¡¯ ¡®Oh, right.¡¯ I whipped myself back to the tiefling who¡¯d saved me just in time to see the enemy pushing down against her icy arms. I leaped into action, activating my Knifestorm ability while just out of range of my ally¡ªbut not the cultist. Knife wounds peppered the man¡¯s side, not quite enough to eliminate him but enough that Raelas could push back. The tiefling rose steadily to her feet, then headbutted the enemy. As the cultist staggered backwards in surprise, I charged in for the finishing blow. Ascendancy Warrior defeated! Worldbending ¡ª +950xp Knifework ¡ª +1,650xp Knifework increased to level 43! Base Points Gained ¡ª +1 DEX, +1 STR, +2 Free Points (VIT/DEX/STR) I whipped around just as I heard a cry from Arzak. One of the ambushers had struck her from behind while she¡¯d been facing another. As a result, her right arm now sported a huge gash. My orc friend dropped her right-hand sword, leaving her only with the one I¡¯d given her all those weeks ago¡ªthe one I¡¯d ¡°borrowed¡± from a knight of the realm. I opened a portal to blink to her side. I fell out of the portal above one of the enemies, knocking them from their feet. At the same moment, Arzak turned to meet the glowing blade of the other attacker. It was nice to know that even after all this time apart, we were still in sync when it mattered. Arzak¡¯s blade clattered against the enemy¡¯s, and a second later the glowing blue aura of the other sword began shifting into Arzak¡¯s. ¡®No, no, no¡­¡¯ the enemy began to mutter as the glowing grew brighter and brighter before¡­ It exploded. The magicks sent a shockwave out that knocked the enemy from her feet, but passed over me and Arzak like a gentle breeze. ¡®I¡¯d almost forgotten it did that,¡¯ I said, then pressed the attack on the man now stumbling back to his feet. I stabbed forward with my blade, but the man was quick enough to block it with his leather bracer. I tried again, to much the same result. ¡®Oh, to hells with this.¡¯ I lowered my free hand to the ground, fingers splayed, and opened a portal beneath the man¡¯s feet, its partner high in the sky above. He fell through and began tumbling to the ground, and I turned my back, thinking the fall damage would do the trick. But when his feet hit the sand once more, it was like he¡¯d barely fallen at all. He landed in a crouch, almost on one knee, and then rose slowly back to his feet, rage in his eyes. ¡®Huh. Quite a cool landing.¡¯ The man charged, blade arching through the air, and I stepped back through a new portal to avoid it. ¡®Let¡¯s try something else,¡¯ I said, allowing myself a quick smirk. I raised my hands to¡ª Something hit me in the shoulder. Hard. ¡®Ouch?¡¯ I turned around just in time to see an enemy ranger about to fire a second arrow at me¡ªbecause that¡¯s what I¡¯d been hit by¡ªand I slipped back through the same pair of portals to avoid it. ¡®On it,¡¯ Tokas said over the portal relays. A moment later, Val added between strained breaths. ¡®Maybe spend more time fighting and less time being smug? OK. No more smirks. As the same enemy charged me once more, I opened a portal in front of him and once again dumped him in the air high above. But this time, before he could reach the ground once more¡ªand look really cool in his landing¡ªI opened another portal that tossed him into the air above me. At the same time, I arched my dagger overhead, slicing through the man¡¯s back, rendering his light armour too damaged to be functional. Another arrow careered overhead, missing me by a foot or more as Tokas worked her illusion magicks on the enemy, making them see things that weren¡¯t there. As someone who¡¯d been on the receiving end of that before, it filled me with more dread than I might have expected. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡®Behind,¡¯ Val said through the relays. I didn¡¯t react, because I had no idea who she was talking to, and then someone stumbled into me. ¡®I said ¡°behind¡±!¡¯ Val shouted, this time not requiring the relay. ¡®Maybe tell us who you¡¯re talking to next time?¡¯ I retorted, wondering whether this was the normal good-natured bickering or actual arguments rooted in the complex feelings we had about one another. There wasn¡¯t time to find out, because another enemy launched a fireball at us. I spun around, stepping in front of Val, and activated my Ash Husk ability. As Val was now forced to deal with the now armourless swordsman, I prepared myself to face down a sorcerer. There were so many fire magick specialists out there, and I¡¯d recently had an idea how to deal with them. I grabbed the fireball from mid-air, just before it hit me. Even with my ashen hands, this hurt. A lot. I screamed as I tried to work through the pain, then opened a portal at my feet. I fell through it, appearing in the air above the sorcerer, and I tumbled fireball-first. The fire engulfed the sorcerer, and so used were they to dealing the fire damage that they clearly hadn¡¯t prepared for receiving it. Apprentice of the Boundless Flame defeated! Worldbending ¡ª +2,250xp Worldbending increased to level 61! Base Points gained ¡ª +2 INT, +2 Free Points (INT/WIS/CHA) Though we were turning the tide on our ambushers¡ªthey now numbering fewer than us¡ªthere was no time to waste. I turned back to Val and the swordsman, and saw that the enemy was overpowering her. Even her green-glowing magicks that summoned scorpions from the desert was not enough to slow him down. The scorpion¡¯s poisons were fast-acting in these parts, but not so fast that they¡¯d kill the man before he killed Val. I stepped through a portal, back to the man¡¯s side, and activated Knifestorm once more. But the man was quick enough to block it, and even though his armour was rendered useless, he still had his blade. When my ability had run its course, he swiped with that sword and I was lucky to avoid it, staggering backwards across the loose sands of a dune. I had half a second to think before he pressed the attack, and think quickly I did. I knew he could survive a fall, and he knew that too. So far, that had meant he saw no problem with tumbling from the sky, and therefore he¡¯d made little attempt to avoid my portals. But I still had a trick up my sleeve. I opened another portal in front of him as he charged, just in time to avoid the tip of his blade meeting my heart. The man fell through it, and¡­ disappeared. Vice-Champion of Fallenstone escaped! Worldbending ¡ª +2,400xp I breathed a sigh of relief. ¡®...Where¡¯d he go?¡¯ Val asked. The enemy was probably standing in Coldharbour¡¯s central plaza in that very moment, wondering the same question. Maybe my Saved Portal ability was more useful than I¡¯d given it credit for. ¡®Coldharbour.¡¯ A wry smile crossed her face. ¡®Nice.¡¯ ¡®Thanks.¡¯ She turned away after that, remembering herself, and all that had passed between us. The rest of our ambushers fell soon after that, Corminar and Lambkin picking off the last of them as they fled. ¡®It was my arrow that felled them,¡¯ the elf told us¡ªa point that needed clarification because both had hit the enemy at the same time. ¡®OK?¡¯ Val said, with a shrug. I wrenched the arrow from my shoulder and winced with the pain. The witch, sighing as though it was some great chore, placed her hands over the wounds and started her Healing. I nodded to the yellow-white glow. ¡®You¡¯ve got better,¡¯ I said. Val nodded. ¡®Thanks.¡¯ As she was about to turn away, I raised my hand, revealing my heavily-burned palms. The witch sighed once more. A little way away, I saw Tokas notice Arzak¡¯s gaping wound, and the tiefling hurried to be helpful. She placed her hands over the orc¡¯s arm and began healing, generating that same yellow-white glow as Val. ¡®Thank¡ª¡¯ Arzak started, then her eyes bulged when she saw that it was Tokas, not Val, who was healing her. She recoiled fast, stepping backwards up the side of a dune, a gaping wound apparently far more preferable than having the tiefling so close. Than having the tiefling who was prophesied to kill her so close. ¡®I won¡¯t¡ª¡¯ Tokas began, but the orc cut her off. ¡®Stay away from me. Away from me,¡¯ Arzak said. The tiefling nodded, choking back her distress. Lambkin stepped forward and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder once more. I met the eyes of the ex-captain, and understood what he was silently telling me. We needed to fix this before something bad happened. I just didn¡¯t know how.
"Styk" Level 20 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 52 Intelligence ¡ª 227 Dexterity ¡ª 131 Strength ¡ª 80 Wisdom ¡ª 76 Charisma ¡ª 50
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 61 Knifework ¡ª Level 43 Stealth ¡ª Level 26 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II - Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
195. The Potential For Evil We set off from camp the next morning just as the sky turned from midnight black to simply very very dark blue. The ambient light of the sun was just enough for us to navigate with, and the sooner we got going, the more we could justify resting while the midday sun passed over. I found myself trudging down the road next to Arzak, who was never the loudest among us, but had been particularly quiet since her brief argument with Tokas. I couldn¡¯t honestly say I knew what she was going through, and part of me regretted bringing Tokas along with us. But then I remembered Lore, somewhere out there, across the lands, being manipulated by our terrible enemy. We really did need all the help we could get. Still, I could try to comfort Arzak some. ¡®How¡¯s it going?¡¯ I asked. ¡®I head to fight Player who can see future, and I do so with woman who betrayed me and prophesied to kill me,¡¯ came the simple answer. ¡®Fair enough.¡¯ I gulped. ¡®Anything I can do to help?¡¯ ¡®No,¡¯ Arzak snapped, then after a moment she sighed. ¡®Sorry. I have lot of stress on top of me.¡¯ ¡®You mean you¡¯re under¡ª¡¯ I started, then shook my head. Now wasn¡¯t the time. ¡®It¡¯s OK. I get it. But you understand why I had to bring them along?¡¯ I nodded my head towards Lambkin and Tokas, who were at the rear of our pack by quite some way. ¡®I understand. Is Lore.¡¯ I noted that she was echoing my earlier wording. ¡®Is Lore, yeah.¡¯ ¡®Got protect him.¡¯ I nodded, and we proceeded on in silence for a few minutes. Arzak spoke next. ¡®You leader now, huh?¡¯ The question took me aback. ¡®What? No. I¡ª¡¯ ¡®You say ¡°Why I had to bring them¡±. Not why ¡°we¡± had to bring them. I.¡¯ Before I could protest any more, Arzak shook her head and smiled. ¡®Is OK. I think we all know by now that you leader. Or would be. You progress fast, thank to artifact. You be stronger than all of us soon, if not already. And got brain that even Val jealous of.¡¯ I didn¡¯t answer. What could I say to this? I knew I was progressing quickly, and I was lying if I said I hadn¡¯t noticed that I was the one giving the orders these days. I looked forward, towards Val, my eyes skimming over Raelas, who was looking my way. I still couldn¡¯t figure out how I felt about her. Part of me wanted to run to her, to embrace her, to be with her every second. But another part roared with a furious anger about what she¡¯d done. About how she¡¯d left. About how she blamed me for something I could do nothing about. And yet, she¡¯d run to me, hadn¡¯t she? In the moments that the corruption took hold, she¡¯d run to me. That had been her instinct. Not to run, not to flee, but to risk herself. Arzak watched me stare. ¡®She need time,¡¯ she said, and then, ¡®Maybe you do too.¡¯ ¡®She knows I can¡¯t help who my parents are, right?¡¯ ¡®In head? Yes. In heart¡­ more complicated.¡¯ Arzak kicked aside an old, leather satchel that someone had discarded on the road. ¡®We all suffer from Players. They do terrible things to us. Those wounds not close. Not completely. Is hard. But she come around, in time.¡¯ ¡®Will she?¡¯ I found myself asking. ¡®I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d do if she didn¡¯t.¡¯ Arzak¡¯s eyes widened, and she came to a halt for a moment. ¡®Maybe you tell her this. Maybe she not know. Maybe she think she love man who not truly love back.¡¯ ¡®Does she?¡¯ The orc shrugged. ¡®Not my business.¡¯ ¡®But you just said¡ª¡¯ ¡®Not my business,¡¯ Arzak repeated. I shook my head. Arzak had removed her metaphorical ¡°gossip¡± hat and put on her ¡°good friend¡± hat once more. There was nothing that could be done about that. So I instead jumped at the opportunity to ask something that I¡¯d been wondering about for some while. ¡®You said everyone here suffered at the hands of Players. I know what happened to Val, to Corminar, to Lore¡­ but what about you? You¡¯ve never spoken about it.¡¯ Arzak remained quiet while we passed two merchants on the road, travelling the other way. We offered them polite smiles and nods, and they returned the sentiments. I could tell we were drawing close to another settlement, because we passed an ever-growing number of travellers, setting off with the dawn. ¡®Is not story I like tell.¡¯ ¡®I figured,¡¯ I replied. ¡®You don¡¯t have to if you don¡¯t want to.¡¯ The orc shook her head. ¡®No. Is OK. I tell. Story start in Northern Reaches. Far north. Off human maps. Very cold up there. Miss it now, in this place.¡¯ ¡®Yeah, I bet.¡¯ ¡®If I tell story, no interruption.¡¯ ¡®Got it. Sorry.¡¯ I snapped my trap shut. ¡®In far north, is frozen tundra. Hard to live in tundra. Cold, yes, but also there are beasts up there. Emerge from snowstorms. Eat crops. Eat orcs. Eat buildings, sometimes. We not always cope. Our clan, we reached south, to call in outside help. A Player answered the call, a fearsome warrior.¡¯ ¡®Ah, and they¡ª¡¯ I began. ¡®What I say about interruptions?¡¯ ¡®Sorry,¡¯ I said again. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡®You and Val perfect for each other. Two big mouths, not know when to close.¡¯ Arzak shook her head. ¡®This Player not like the others. This one, kind. This one show me ways of swords. Bought me gifts. Gave me a¡­ how you say, a role model? Saved my home four times over. Took payment, yes, but was never much, and she never ask for more. I join her on journeys, on quests, left clan behind¡ªelder gave permission. I loved her.¡¯ I resisted the urge to speak, but only just about; my mouth moved a little. ¡®Two years later, I watch her die. She die at hands of another Player. The second Player I ever meet. I learn that I lucky to have met her and none others. I learn that those from Ascended World not care about us. Most of them not care about us. Most of them not love us. Most of them not like El.¡¯ Silence passed over us for a moment as Arzak retreated into herself, and her memories. ¡®Not all Players are evil,¡¯ I said, ostensibly summarising the story, but of course thinking about a specific Player. ¡®Not all,¡¯ Arzak agreed, though she saw right through me. ¡®But your mother, she in Council. I¡­¡¯ The orc didn¡¯t need to finish that sentence; we all knew that the Council were involved in deadly schemes, and if my mother was a part of it, then¡­ Well, I couldn¡¯t quite bring myself to think about it. The orc glanced back at Tokas¡ªthe first time she¡¯d put eyes on her, as far as I could remember. ¡®And then I meet Tokas. She save me. Not from physical danger, but from emotional. I was not in good place, and she¡­ she pull me out. I love her, too, but in different way. As sister. And then¡­¡¯ Arzak gestured generally, but it was enough for me to know exactly what she was talking about. The betrayal. Accompanying Jacob during the devastation of Plainside, if to save her children. But the tiefling was here, now, trying to make up for it, even leaving her children in care back in Coldharbour to do so. I could see that Tokas was trying to make amends, but¡­ did Arzak? Could Arzak? ¡®Do you think you can forgive her?¡¯ I asked. ¡®Forgive? How I forgive someone who betray like that? How I forgive someone who going to kill me?¡¯ ¡®We don¡¯t know that. The future is unwritten. I¡¯ve watched Lore change it time and time again over the past few weeks, though I didn¡¯t realise at the time that that was what he was doing. You don¡¯t know what will happen.¡¯ ¡®I know it can happen,¡¯ Arzak said. It was hard to argue with that, but I was about to give it a go anyway, when suddenly I heard loud voices up ahead. Turning to face the front of our pack, I saw Val standing over Raelas. ¡®Why are you still here, anyway?¡¯ the witch demanded of the tiefling. ¡®I¡­¡¯ Raelas started, but Val didn¡¯t give her a chance to speak. ¡®Cos if you¡¯re anything like your friends, then you¡¯re gonna betray us as soon as you see some opportunity to get money. We don¡¯t need that on¡ª¡¯ ¡®Val,¡¯ Corminar said, his voice calm. ¡®Enough.¡¯ ¡®What? We¡¯re not all thinking it? We should have handed her into the guards, rather than having another liability with us.¡¯ I made a very conscious effort not to look over at Tokas. ¡®I have nowhere else to go!¡¯ The words seemed to burst forth from Raelas¡¯s mouth, as though she¡¯d been fighting to keep them back. ¡®I have no one. No one. Can¡¯t you understand that? Can¡¯t you have a little bit of sympathy?¡¯ ¡®After what you¡ª¡¯ Val started, but a firm look from Corminar cut her off again. Val wasn¡¯t wrong, though. Raelas had been collecting malae, arguably the most dangerous species alive. And she¡¯d done it thinking only about coin. But then, if Tokas deserved a second chance, didn¡¯t Raelas too? ¡®I want to be good,¡¯ Raelas said. ¡®I want to be a hero. Like you.¡¯ Val¡¯s eyes flicked to me. ¡®We have to give her a chance to redeem herself, Val,¡¯ I said. ¡®Do we?¡¯ the witch replied, and then turned away. I couldn¡¯t help but feel like I¡¯d made another poor decision. I could only hope that Yusef and Lore weren¡¯t much further, because our group was falling apart at the seams. I nodded to another merchant who was passing us on the road. I was again smiling, but this time trying to communicate that I was sorry for this scene he¡¯d paid witness to. Then I saw his face. One I recognised. One that recognised me. Ted began to run.
"Styk" Level 20 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 52 Intelligence ¡ª 227 Dexterity ¡ª 131 Strength ¡ª 80 Wisdom ¡ª 76 Charisma ¡ª 50
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 61 Knifework ¡ª Level 43 Stealth ¡ª Level 26 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II - Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
196. The Destitute ¡®No!¡¯ Ted roared, clutching his head and bolting away from us, down the road. ¡®No! No! No! Not you! Not you! Leave me alone! Leave me alone!¡¯ From the muffled sound of his words, he was shouting through tears. ¡®You?¡¯ Val called out from up ahead. ¡®What are you doing here?¡¯ ¡®Should not be in Auricia?¡¯ Arzak asked. The last time we¡¯d seen him, he¡¯d found new riches, and had opened a popular new sweet shop in the capital. One which traded in enchantments under the table. Ted didn¡¯t reply, instead continuing to flee, so I opened a portal beneath his feet and dropped him back in front of us. He hit the ground harder than I¡¯d intended, but at least the sand was soft around here. The man scurried backwards on hands and feet, looking up at me as I loomed over him. ¡®What you doing here, Ted?¡¯ I repeated Val¡¯s question. ¡®Leave me alone!¡¯ the man cried again, stumbling to his feet, his bag falling from his shouder. He turned to run, and collided heavily with Arzak¡¯s broad chest. He bounced off it, landing back on his arse once more. ¡®You spy on us?¡¯ the orc asked. It was a fair enough question, considering we knew Yusef had people monitoring us. And what with how much this man hated us, it was a reasonable leap to assume he was one of them. ¡®Spy?¡¯ Ted spluttered. ¡®What do you mean spy? And on you? I want to be as far away as possible at all times from you people!¡¯ ¡®Then why not in fancy shop?¡¯ ¡®Oh, I dunno, maybe because last time you were they you bloody flooded it?¡¯ ¡®Huh,¡¯ I said. ¡®I forgot about that. My bad.¡¯ ¡®Your bad?¡¯ Ted repeated. ¡®Your bad? Do you know how much I had to pay the landlord for all the repairs? And that¡¯s not to mention all the stock I lost, and the customers never really came back in the same way after someone mildly electrocuted half of them.¡¯ The man stared daggers at Val¡ªthe woman who I suspected he¡¯d once had a bit of a crush on. That had changed, then. ¡®My bad,¡¯ Val said, echoing me. ¡®Stop saying that!¡¯ Ted turned and tried to run once more, but I opened a portal in front of him. He didn¡¯t fall through it, but it was enough to stop him in his tracks. He turned back, his eyes on the satchel bag that he¡¯d dropped in the confusion. ¡®You ruined me. My benefactors demanded their money back¡ªmoney I no longer had. I had to flee. Had to leave the human realms behind, had to come out here and start from scratch. Had to start looking for salvation.¡¯ ¡®Salvation?¡¯ Corminar asked. He¡¯d had the same thought as me. ¡®Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re running off to join the cult.¡¯ ¡®Cult? No,¡¯ Ted replied. ¡®I¡¯m looking to join the Church of Ascendancy. I¡¯m¡ª¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s the cult!¡¯ ¡®¡ªafter a new start, in a new world. There¡¯s a man who¡¯ll grant us that if we serve him. A Player. I¡¯m going to¡ª¡¯ ¡®He¡¯s not granted anyone anything!¡¯ I cried. ¡®He¡¯s lying to you! Seriously, why do none of you see that? Honestly, is all it takes some charismatic, strong¡ª¡¯ ¡®Handsome,¡¯ Val added. I turned to her. ¡®Seriously?¡¯ ¡®Mm,¡¯ Arzak added. ¡®Nice legs.¡¯ I rolled my eyes. ¡®Some charismatic, strong, handsome guy and you¡¯re all falling over yourselves to believe every word he says. That¡¯s how despots get their power, you know.¡¯ Ted glared back at me. ¡®I read history books,¡¯ I explained. ¡®I doubt that,¡¯ the once sweet shop owner retorted. ¡®That I like history books?¡¯ ¡®That you can read.¡¯ I replied by tossing him through a portal, just for the hells of it. ¡®Don¡¯t join the cult, Ted,¡¯ Val said. ¡®You¡¯re better than that. Well, you¡¯re not, but don¡¯t join it anyway.¡¯ Lambkin picked the man¡¯s satchel bag up off the ground, shaking the sand from it. This was a man who was honourable even in the face of an enemy; it was sometimes infuriating. ¡®We¡¯re going to kill him,¡¯ I told Ted. ¡®Your Player hero. So no point you going. Why don¡¯t you trot back on to the Tundras and¡ª¡¯ The ex-captain handed the man his bag, and Ted¡¯s hand shot straight into it. I realised the mistake a moment too late. ¡®Lambkin, no!¡¯ But it was too late. Ted¡¯s eyes lit up as he withdrew a round purple sweet from the bag. He popped it in his mouth, and¡ª The man disappeared. ¡®Ah,¡¯ Lambkin said. ¡®My apologies. Portal magicks, was that?¡¯ Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. It was a good point. For all we¡¯d seen of Ted¡¯s enchantments before, none of them seemed close to my particular brand of Worldbending magicks. I looked down, seeing footsteps in the sand, and realised the truth. ¡®Not portals,¡¯ I said. ¡®Invisibility.¡¯ We chased the footprints across the dunes, but soon they faded; Ted had an enchantment even for that. ¡®Hm,¡¯ Arzak grumbled, eyes on Lambkin. Her ire for Tokas had now started bleeding onto the ex-captain too. ¡®Wouldn¡¯t worry,¡¯ I said, clapping Arzak on the shoulder. ¡®We¡¯ll run into him again.¡¯ I sighed. ¡®We always do.¡¯ Even I was prophesying now. * * * Our journey northwest continued. Nobody had got into an argument for a while, which I was considering a success. If we could just keep that up until we faced down Yusef, then that was fine. We could all fall apart once the job was done, and once Lore was saved. We passed through small hamlets on the road, all of them near-desolate. Corminar had thought to ask about it at one point, and the answer given was that all the young, working people had left with the cult, leaving just the old behind. They were looking for a greater life than these small desert towns could provide, and the allure of ascendancy was strong. It was no wonder that Yusef had so much success recruiting in these parts; these were places forgotten by the region¡¯s leaders, left without support, left to face the harsh realities of life. So when we arrived at a town that was lively and bustling¡ªat least compared to those that came before¡ªwe were a little surprised. Tokas again hesitated at the perimeter of the town¡ªshe¡¯d done this once before¡ªand all of us slowed to a halt at her side. ¡®Perhaps Yusef did not travel this way,¡¯ Corminar suggested, seeing what I¡¯d seen about the town ahead of us. ¡®What, he veered off the merchant road?¡¯ I asked. ¡®Like Tokas said, there¡¯s nothing in these parts until Zelas City, and that¡¯s down this way.¡¯ ¡®Maybe there was something going off the road for?¡¯ Val said. Arzak shook her head, and the reasoning that followed reflected my own. ¡®Only thing he interested in is strength. Strength in recruits. Recruits in city. Ergo, he pass through here.¡¯ ¡®Ergo?¡¯ Val repeated, eyebrow raised. ¡®Did I not use right?¡¯ ¡®If he came through this way, then his recruitment efforts didn¡¯t go so well,¡¯ Lambkin said. ¡®Why might that be?¡¯ I shrugged, then took a step forward. ¡®Let¡¯s go find out.¡¯ ¡®No,¡¯ Tokas said. All this time, her eyes had been on the village, scowling as if trying to penetrate the minds of those who lived there. As if trying to hear their intentions. ¡®Something wrong?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s as before,¡¯ Tokas said. ¡®Like when we were ambushed. I felt something. Magicks. Could be another trap.¡¯ We turned to look at the village ahead of us. The people were smiling, which I suppose was odd in itself, but it didn¡¯t exactly scream ¡°trap¡±. We could have simply skirted around the village to be safe, but if these people had somehow resisted Yusef¡¯s charms, then maybe it would be useful to know how. ¡®Alright,¡¯ I said, ¡®We¡¯ll scout it out first.¡¯ ¡®Who put you in charge?¡¯ Val asked. ¡®Arzak.¡¯ Val looked to the orc. Arzak shrugged. ¡®Little bit, yes.¡¯ ¡®Why would you do that? His head is big enough as it¡ª¡¯ ¡®Look, I¡¯m going in because I can portal straight back out again if anything goes wrong. That¡¯s all.¡¯ ¡®And I¡¯m coming,¡¯ Tokas said. ¡®If this is what I think it is, then you¡¯ll need me to sense the magicks.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m a magick user too, you know,¡¯ I replied. ¡®Not like this you¡¯re not.¡¯ I furrowed my brow, but didn¡¯t press the matter further; I didn¡¯t think Tokas would volunteer to walk into a potential trap unless she really thought she could help. ¡®Fine,¡¯ I said, and stepped towards the town. ¡®But don¡¯t cause trouble.¡¯ Tokas didn¡¯t reply.
"Styk" Level 20 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 52 Intelligence ¡ª 227 Dexterity ¡ª 131 Strength ¡ª 80 Wisdom ¡ª 76 Charisma ¡ª 50
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 61 Knifework ¡ª Level 43 Stealth ¡ª Level 26 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II - Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
197. Uneasy Tokas and I walked, not portalled, into town. I didn¡¯t want to draw any attention to us in case the tiefling was right, that there was danger here. So we waited for a pair of merchants to pass us on the road, then fell in step behind them, acting as though we were with them. ¡®Why did you ask me to come?¡¯ Tokas whispered, glancing back at the others¡ªand at Arzak specifically, I suspected. ¡®Extra hands,¡¯ I replied, hoping that this would be a good enough answer. It wasn¡¯t. ¡®You don¡¯t want me here, not really. If you have to ask me not to cause trouble, then you don¡¯t trust me.¡¯ Tokas quickly scrambled to add, ¡®Not that I blame you.¡¯ ¡®Let¡¯s just concentrate on the task at hand, yeah?¡¯ But Tokas wasn¡¯t put off. ¡®Arzak doesn¡¯t like it. Me being here. I should go.¡¯ ¡®Once we get Lore, you can do whatever the hells you want. Until then, we need you here. We owe him that. You, in particular, owe him that.¡¯ The tiefling went quiet. I should have known; any talk about what she¡¯d done to betray us was usually quick to shut her up. She just couldn¡¯t face it. I admittedly wasn¡¯t sure I could either. At least we were both talented in emotional compartmentalisation, unlike our orcish friend. We drew closer to the town, the sights and smells¡ªwhat little there were of each¡ªtickling our senses. Sand-lashed walls in the eyes, grilled vegetables in the nose. ¡®You feel anything?¡¯ I asked. ¡®Remorse.¡¯ ¡®Magicks, I mean. Do you feel a trap?¡¯ ¡®No more than before. Which is to say¡­ I still think we are in danger.¡¯ I kept my eyes peeled as we entered the town proper. None of the locals seemed to be paying us any mind, not looking at us with anything more than a fleeting glance. Or were they taking care not to look at us? I shook my head. Tokas was making me paranoid. To prove my paranoia unfounded, I pulled out a handful of loose change, and approached one of the two market stalls, geared towards those on the long road from Zelas to Coldharbour. ¡®What¡¯ll it be, young sir?¡¯ a man probably double my age asked, looking down at me with what I can only describe as kind, purple eyes. ¡®Water¡¯s cool, fresh from the well,¡¯ he said, gesturing to the selection of waterskins on the stall in front of him. ¡®Or I have some rations for the road, cooked this morning.¡¯ ¡®You got something to cover my head?¡¯ I asked. ¡®A cloth, or¡­¡¯ Something cheap enough that it wasn¡¯t the end of the world in terms of my wealth. ¡®Ah, yes, got a little red to your head, ain¡¯t ya? A little red for a human, at least!¡¯ He tossed his head back and laughed as though the joke was hilarious. I smiled politely. ¡®I got just the thing,¡¯ the merchant continued, then pulled some cloth from beneath the table. It was sea green, the exact same shade as Val¡¯s magicks. ¡®I¡¯ll take it,¡¯ I said, then, handing over the coins, added, ¡®Thanks kindly.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re welcome, young sir.¡¯ I retreated from the stall to where Tokas was waiting for me in the shade of a building, tying the new scrap of fabric around my head. Tokas looked at it, but didn¡¯t say anything. With her, that meant she had nothing nice to say about it. ¡®You learn anything?¡¯ the tiefling asked. ¡®Only that I¡¯m a ¡°young sir¡± around here.¡¯ Tokas said nothing. ¡®And you?¡¯ ¡®The same uneasy sensation of magicks at play. But I cannot sense the source, as though it is far away, or as though the magicks have been tied off, allowed to fester.¡¯ ¡®Could be something as simple as a bound water spring?¡¯ I suggested. ¡®I heard about them in Coldharbour.¡¯ Again, the tiefling said nothing, shaking her head. ¡®Come on,¡¯ I said, holding out my arm for her to hold. ¡®Act natural. We¡¯ll look around more.¡¯ ¡®As a couple?¡¯ ¡®As a fake couple, yes. Lone travellers arouse more suspicion than couples.¡¯ Tokas hesitated. ¡®Aren¡¯t you worried that I¡¯ve just lured you out here to hurt you?¡¯ I lowered my arm. ¡®Well I am now you¡¯ve said that.¡¯ I shook my head. ¡®No, I know you won¡¯t do that. Not any more.¡¯ Tokas almost seemed pleased to hear this, but I kept my arm lowered nonetheless. ¡®Maybe we¡¯re a couple who¡¯ve just had an argument, instead,¡¯ I suggested. Tokas nodded. Together, we roamed around the town, nodding and smiling politely to the locals, and I was called ¡°young sir¡± a handful more times. The inhabitants of one of the houses we passed had opened up two of their rooms for travellers, and were even opening up their front room to sell food and drinks. Though they didn¡¯t seem to have quite got this concept down, I insisted Tokas and I stopped in for one. Where better to hear gossip than an inn? Or, at least, the closest thing this small town had for one? Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. The proprietor hesitated when we sat down at a table outside and ordered drinks, but that didn¡¯t stop him calling me ¡°young sir¡± either. ¡®They are very polite in this town,¡¯ Tokas noted, and I couldn¡¯t help but hear the judgemental tone that laid under those words. When the beer came, I took a greedy sip, only to find the liquid warm¡ªnot hot¡ªand tasteless. I placed the beer back down on the table. ¡®Not¡­ amazing,¡¯ I said. Tokas hadn¡¯t touched hers, and so couldn¡¯t agree. Instead, she peered around the town, eyes narrowing. ¡®Everything alright, young sir?¡¯ the proprietor asked, and I worried for a second that I¡¯d spoken too loudly. Then they continued, ¡®Got a little red to your head, ain¡¯t ya? A little red for humans, at least!¡¯ It hadn¡¯t been funny the first time around, but I smiled at the tiefling local and assured him all was fine. Tokas looked at me with a furrowed brow. ¡®What is it?¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s what the other guy said to me.¡¯ Her brow furrowed further. ¡®Exactly?¡¯ ¡®Yeah, same thing.¡¯ ¡®No, I mean: exactly? Word for word the same?¡¯ I shrugged. ¡®Yeah. I think so.¡¯ ¡®You think so, or you know so?¡¯ ¡®I know so. Why¡¯s it important.¡¯ Tokas glanced once more at the proprietor, then at the town at large. She looked back to me. ¡®I need your blade.¡¯ I whipped my hand to the dagger in its sheath at my side, holding it in place. ¡®I need you to trust me,¡¯ Tokas continued. ¡®I don¡¯t. You know that.¡¯ Tokas swallowed. ¡®This isn¡¯t Plainside. This isn¡¯t¡­ that. Please, Styk. I¡¯m trying to do better.¡¯ The words sounded awkward coming from her mouth, but that was Tokas. Staring back into those eyes, against my better judgement, I believed her. With a reluctant sigh¡ªand one hand pointing towards the ground at my feet, ready to open a portal¡ªI handed over the knife, pommel first. ¡®Thank you,¡¯ the tiefling said, with glistening eyes that suggested she really meant it. Then she stood from her seat and stabbed the local in the chest. ¡®Tokas, no!¡¯ I shouted, my stomach dropping, a wave of guilt washing over me. I¡¯d done this. I¡¯d given her the weapon. I¡¯d¡ª But there¡¯d been no blood. In fact, the proprietor of this establishment didn¡¯t seem to have noticed the attack at all. He only looked back at me, and asked, ¡®Everything alright, young sir?¡¯ Then, the illusion broke. Ripples of red magicks appeared around us as a huge illusion shattered. The walls faded away. The people too. The edge of the illusion spread further and further from the proprietor¡¯s chest¡ªor, at least, where the man¡¯s chest had been, because there was no man any longer. The seat underneath me disappeared, and I fell, spreadeagled. I landed not on the ornate tiles I¡¯d seen before, but on soft, dry sand. Even the beer was gone, but that wasn¡¯t, I supposed, any great loss. Further the red glowing ripples travelled, until they encompassed the whole town. It wasn¡¯t just the one man. It wasn¡¯t just the one building. The whole town wasn¡¯t real. The whole town was an illusion. In the distance, more of the ¡°locals¡± faded away from existence. In the distance, I saw the dark speckles of our allies charging towards us. A paling Tokas staggered backwards as the illusion shimmered and faded around her. ¡®Who¡­¡¯ she started. ¡®Who could have such power?¡¯ I felt a chill run down my spine¡ªa strange sensation in such a warm climate. Then I noticed something worse still. Some of the figures around us didn¡¯t fade. Some of the people were real, hiding within the illusion. But their faces changed. And their clothes took on pale orange hues. One of them¡ªone with a familiar face¡ªstepped forward, hammer raised. ¡®Am sorry, spawn,¡¯ Lillya said.
"Styk" Level 20 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 52 Intelligence ¡ª 227 Dexterity ¡ª 131 Strength ¡ª 80 Wisdom ¡ª 76 Charisma ¡ª 50
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 61 Knifework ¡ª Level 43 Stealth ¡ª Level 26 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II - Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
198. Fates Entwined Lillya brought the hammer down towards my head, and then¡­ stopped. Our eyes met. I saw in hers not the wrath of battle, but regret. Guilt, even, perhaps. ¡®No,¡¯ she breathed, loud enough only that I¡ªand perhaps Tokas, who wasn¡¯t so far away¡ªcould hear. ¡®Boss?¡¯ one of the other cultists asked, eyes darting, unsure. The man looked from Lillya to me, to our friends charging forth from the distance, and then even to a riding merchant approaching fast behind them. ¡®This not right,¡¯ Lillya said. ¡®But Yusef ordered us to¡ª¡¯ ¡®I know,¡¯ the orc growled. She caught herself, and her voice soften. ¡®I know. Stand down.¡¯ Some of those in pale orange robes lowered their weapons, while others paid no attention to the orc¡¯s orders. Among the latter group was another familiar face. ¡®These are the people we¡¯re supposed to kill?¡¯ Ted said, now dressed in the uniform of the cult. He¡¯d moved fast to join them, presumably having come across this group on the roads. ¡®Kill them and you¡¯ll be Yusef¡¯s favour,¡¯ the other man said, as though reiterating an earlier deal. This man, too, hadn¡¯t lowered his weapons¡ªa spiked mace. ¡®Ted¡­¡¯ I growled, my nostrils flaring. ¡®S¡¯pose it¡¯d put an end to them ruining my life.¡¯ ¡®You know spawn?¡¯ Lillya asked Ted, eyebrows raising. I groaned; the last thing I needed was for other people to be impressed by Ted. I was about to say something on the matter when Ted popped a sweet into his mouth and disappeared from sight once more. Others in the group did the same; he¡¯d been sharing his enchantments. ¡®I say stand down!¡¯ Lillya shouted, repeating her earlier order. ¡®This man spawn of Architects!¡¯ Nobody else spoke. Nobody else moved a muscle. If the cultists believed Lillya about my bloodline, it didn¡¯t matter to them. They were loyal to Yusef, and he¡¯d given them a job to do. All I could hope to do was convince enough of them not to attack, or at least to buy time until the others arrived. Even with Raelas¡¯s¡ªfairly limited¡ªportal magicks, there was only so fast they could move. I could hear Corminar shouting something from the distance, and for a moment I considered opening some portals of my own, but this might have been all it took to trigger the attack once more. ¡®She¡¯s telling the truth,¡¯ I said, and caught sight of Tokas¡¯s eyes bulging; she¡¯d never been privy to this information. ¡®My mum, she was¡ª¡¯ ¡®Yusef¡¯s orders are sacred,¡¯ the loudmouth man cut in. ¡®We obey them at all costs.¡¯ ¡®Even if target is Player?¡¯ Lillya retorted. ¡®If it¡¯s true, then you knew this when you received the orders. Nothing¡¯s changed.¡¯ The orc looked to me with sad eyes, as though to say that something had. Perhaps that something was that she¡¯d realised she couldn¡¯t go through with it. I heard Corminar¡¯s shouting grow louder as they approached, now echoed by Val and Arzak. As I glanced at them, many of them glanced back at the horseman merchant that was fast approaching. I counted the number of cultists¡ªcould we hope to triumph, if it did come to a fight? When I reached two dozen, I stopped counting; by then, the answer was clear. Even with the others charging in to help, we wouldn¡¯t win this one. Or, at least, we wouldn¡¯t all survive the encounter. Still, that didn¡¯t stop me from putting my hand on the pommel of my dagger. Tokas¡¯s fingers moved, preparing to cast a spell. Neither of these went unnoticed, and the enemies adjusted their grips on their weapons. ¡®I said stand down!¡¯ Lillya insisted, sweat forming on her brow, and not just from the high desert sun. If this orc had changed her mind about her orders, it was because of my ancestry and nothing else. If it could convince her, maybe it could convince others. I reached my hand down the neck of my tunic and began to pull forth the object that was dangling over my chest. The Sisyphus Artifact. If Lillya could explain what it was, and who could use it, then maybe we had a chance to turn the tides in our favour. ¡®There is one thing that might¡ª¡¯ I started, but then I caught sight of many of the cultists looking over my shoulder. Looking down the road at my charging allies. They must surely have known that these people were coming to my rescue, yet the expressions on their faces weren¡¯t ones of fear or preparedness. They were of¡­ confusion. And then the gentle breeze carried Corminar¡¯s cries over to me. ¡®Player!¡¯ he shouted. ¡®Player!¡¯ Tokas whipped her head to Lillya, her face paling. ¡®He¡¯s here? You brought him with you?¡¯ But Lillya shared that same expression of confusion as the others in her contingent. This was news to her as well. I turned around, placing my back against Tokas¡¯s, recognising that protecting each others¡¯ backs was the best chance we had of survival if Yusef really was here. I really would¡¯ve have preferred it was anyone else in our party protecting me, though. As I turned, I caught sight of the riding merchant once more. I caught sight of glistening, ornate armour. I realised that no sensible man would wear armour in such heat¡ªnot unless it was enchanted. And if there was a frost enchantment built in to the armour, then this metal was far beyond what any merchant could afford. That was the Player. ¡®The rider!¡¯ I shouted to Tokas, and the tiefling turned around. Suddenly the two dozen or more cultists weren¡¯t the priority; the charging Yusef was far more dangerous. And atop his horse, he was catching up on the rest of the team fast. ¡®To hells with it,¡¯ I muttered, then reached out an arm to open a portal in front of my friends, bringing them to my side. Many of the cultists moved as if to attack, but hesitated just enough that Tokas and Lillya¡¯s outstretched hands gave them pause. This was a fragile truce if I ever saw one. ¡®Could¡¯ve done that sooner,¡¯ Val said as she stumbled out into me, and this made my heart skip a beat. Was she back to smarmy insults? Was she back to the Val I knew? I opened my mouth to retort, but found that nothing came forth; there was still part of me that didn¡¯t want all to return to normal. Not that this was the time for it. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. I closed the portal as the team fanned out in the usual formation ahead of the charging Player. Those who could take a few hits stood at the front¡ªwhich, without Lore and Carle around, was just Arzak. Then came me, Raelas, Tokas and Val, or those who could inflict damage quickly at medium range. And at the back stood the greatest and second-greatest archers in the Tundras, though I was no longer interested in which of Corminar and Lambkin was which. ¡®Ready yourself for illusions,¡¯ I shouted to the team. ¡®Illusions?¡¯ Corminar replied. ¡®Yeah, this whole town was a¡ª¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s not Yusef,¡¯ Raelas said, her voice still quiet. ¡®Well who is it then?¡¯ I asked, my strained voice betraying the panic I felt. ¡®That¡¯s the Councilman.¡¯ I hesitated, lowering my dagger. ¡®Wait, what? Really? And we¡¯re worried about that?¡¯ The loudmouth cultist coughed pointedly behind us. ¡®You remember we¡¯re still here, right? Lillya, are we attacking or not?¡¯ He caught himself. ¡®No, don¡¯t answer that; we¡¯re attacking.¡¯ ¡®Stand down!¡¯ the orc cultist repeated, and though this still held back the tide of attacks, I could see that we were going closer to a shattered peace with every time she had to give this instruction. There was no time for any more words between Lillya and the rest of her team, because the Player was upon us. The man wrestled his horse clumsily to a stop, almost ploughing straight through us in the process, and then looked around at everyone standing here. ¡®All of you?¡¯ he asked. ¡®All of us what?¡¯ I replied. ¡®Hello again,¡¯ Corminar said reluctantly. ¡®I wish I could say it was a pleasure.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re all together? I have to kill all of you?¡¯ ¡®Nobody has to kill anyone,¡¯ I retorted. ¡®Though honestly I can think of one person who¡ª¡¯ Lillya¡¯s right-hand man stepped forward. ¡®We aren¡¯t here with them. We¡¯re here to kill them on the orders of the Divine Player Yusef.¡¯ The Councilman raised his eyebrows. ¡®Oh really? And how is my old friend?¡¯ Lillya choked a bit on this. ¡®You friend with Yusef?¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re a Player?¡¯ the male cultist asked. ¡®They weren¡¯t lying?¡¯ ¡®I come from the upper world, or whatever Yusef calls it, yes.¡¯ ¡®The Ascended World,¡¯ Lillya and I said at once. ¡®Sure, that. I come from there.¡¯ The Player looked around at us again, his eyes glistening, and then started laughing. ¡®I don¡¯t get what¡¯s so funny,¡¯ I said after a moment. ¡®Villain not need reason for evil laugh,¡¯ Arzak said with a shrug. ¡®They just do.¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t you see?¡¯ the Councilman said after a moment more of particularly irritating chuckling. ¡®This is perfect. This is as intended. It is an opportunity for me to prove myself in front of those loyal to Yusef.¡¯ ¡®And I suppose you¡¯re going to do that by¡­¡¯ ¡®Killing you.¡¯ ¡®Killing us,¡¯ I repeated. ¡®Right. So the one thing that you struggle with?¡¯ The Player put his armoured hands on his armoured hips, threw his head back and laughed once more. More loudly. More annoyingly. Guffawed might have been the better word for it, really. ¡®I am that man no more. I have experienced the sweet taste of fresh blood. I have¡ª¡¯ ¡®You been drinking blood?¡¯ Arzak asked. ¡®You not supposed to do that. You vampire?¡¯ The Councilman slumped his shoulders. ¡®I was talking metaphorically.¡¯ ¡®Right, so¡­¡¯ I started. ¡®Let me get this straight. After we left you tied up in that basement, free to go on the condition that you don¡¯t hurt anyone, you went and immediately killed someone? And that gave you the taste for it? And then you sought vengeance on us for¡­ having mercy?¡¯ ¡®I am rather beginning to regret allowing this man to live,¡¯ Corminar grumbled. ¡®He is not even particularly pretty.¡¯ I nodded my agreement. Agreement with the first part of that sentence, at least, though it didn¡¯t stop Raelas and Val from looking at me funnily. ¡®Won¡¯t make that mistake twice, though, will we?¡¯ I adjusted my hand on my dagger, and the enemy¡¯s eyes bulged. He might have killed some people, but it seemed he still wasn¡¯t used to his opponents putting up a fight. ¡®Cultists?¡¯ the Councilman asked. ¡®You¡¯re probably gonna wanna call them something like ¡°fellow devouts¡± or something,¡¯ Val suggested. ¡®They don¡¯t like being reminded they¡¯re in a cult.¡¯ ¡®We¡¯re not,¡¯ that loudmouth man in orange insisted. Val smiled at him, making no effort to hide that she was being patronising. ¡®Well, then,¡¯ the male cultist said. ¡®By my count, that¡¯s two votes versus one.¡¯ ¡®Wait, what?¡¯ I asked. ¡®Votes?¡¯ ¡®To kill you.¡¯ Then he charged. With this move, the cultist shattered the fragile peace, and all hells broke loose.
"Styk" Level 20 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 52 Intelligence ¡ª 227 Dexterity ¡ª 131 Strength ¡ª 80 Wisdom ¡ª 76 Charisma ¡ª 50
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 61 Knifework ¡ª Level 43 Stealth ¡ª Level 26 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II - Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
199. Blood On The Road ¡®Tokas!¡¯ I shouted, alerting her to the swinging mace about to hit her in the back of the head. I dropped her through a portal to save her anyway, but it was worth her knowing what was coming. I¡¯d lost track of the others in the confusion. Fights these days were so often these huge affairs, with dozens of people involved and therefore with it being impossible to track what was going on. I missed the days where it was just the five of us against one enemy. Even when we were facing down the pyroknight¡ªand almost dying in the process¡ªI at least knew what was going on. Tokas scrambled back to her feet at my side, and turned to face the two cultists that were charging at us. While I used Closed Reach to close the distance on one of them, surprising the enemy with this ability, Tokas pressed her hands forward and the bright red glow of Illusion magicks shot forth. Bladesmith defeated! Knifework ¡ª +1,950xp Knifework increased to level 44! Base Points Gained ¡ª +1 DEX, +1 STR, +2 Free Points (VIT/DEX/STR) I spared half a second to look down at the cultist bleeding out on the sand. I almost felt sorry for him. What had his crime been? He¡¯d attacked us, sure, but he¡¯d done so because he¡¯d been a true believer. He thought Yusef a god, one who should be obeyed above all else. To him, not attacking us would have been wrong. The cultist¡¯s only crime was that he¡¯d fallen for Yusef¡¯s lies. And when there were so many others in orange robes also telling you that Yusef was to be worshipped, you might well come to believe it. I wouldn¡¯t have done, obviously. But that¡¯s another matter. ¡®Styk,¡¯ Tokas said, then kicked the other cultist in my direction, the enemy distracted by visions of her creation. I ducked under the man¡¯s flailing blade, then hit him with my own. My dagger met the flesh of his thigh, and I twisted. A stray arrow¡ªfrom Corminar, Lambkin, or enemy, I did not know¡ªhit the man in the shoulder. I barged the man to the ground, and the impact buried that arrow deeper into his shoulder. Coal merchant defeated! Knifework ¡ª +1,450xp I grimaced at this notification. These weren¡¯t fighters, not really. These were just people who¡¯d had little to lose and a lot to gain from joining Yusef¡¯s cause. No wonder the Player¡¯s lies were so appealing. Yusef had power over people even from afar. Turning on the spot, I sought out the Player who was here, and saw the Councilman pressing an attack on Corminar and Arzak, the orc doing her best to block the Player¡¯s summoned ghostly axe. Arzak raised her blades in a cross to defend against the enemy¡¯s axe, but in the next attack, it had changed form to a spear. The orc ducked to one side and knocked the spearhead out of harm¡¯s way, but it was a close one. Behind her, Corminar loosed arrows furiously, trying to bury one of them between the cracks in the man¡¯s armour. They were holding their own for now, but it was only a matter of time before the Councilman found a weapon shape that bested Arzak. ¡®Tokas, on me!¡¯ I shouted, opening a portal at my side. I didn¡¯t wait around to see if she was stepping through it; we didn¡¯t have the luxury of that much time. We were outnumbered enough that we had to focus our attacks if we were going to turn the tide, and who better to eliminate first than the Player¡ªthe man who had inspired the cultists to disobey Lillya¡¯s instructions? A blast of red magicks coming from over my shoulder confirmed that Tokas had indeed joined me. The red bolt arced through the air, soaring towards the Player, until another blast of magicks engulfed it¡ªthis one purple. The engulfing spell changed the direction of Tokas¡¯s spell and turned it back towards her. The tiefling dived to the soft sand just in time for her own magicks to pass overhead. As I charged at the Councilman, I cast a glance over to the right to see one of the cultists surrounded by three purple orbs, spinning around her. This was a type of Worldbending magicks very different to my own. I thought about shouting to one of the others to deal with this cultist, but Val, Lambkin, and Raelas were all preoccupied with not dying. Even Lillya, who was at this very moment trying to stop her own colleagues¡¯¡ªif that was the word¡ªattacks, couldn¡¯t do enough to give my friends any breathing room. ¡®I¡¯ll take the spellwarper!¡¯ Tokas shouted, then started off towards the cultist who¡¯d turned her own attack against her. I jumped into the air, opened a portal in front of me, and launched myself at the Councilman. At the same moment, Arzak parried one of the man¡¯s attacks and risked throwing herself at him, shoulder first. She¡¯d clearly seen me coming. As the Player was distracted by this sudden change in the rhythm of the fight, I brought my blade down towards his back¡ªand activated Closed Reach once more. Using the Worldbending ability, I could easily cut through any armour. Including this one. The Councilman¡¯s back arched and he roared, with both pain and surprise. His spellbound weapon changed form into a long, glowing chain, and whipped back towards me. I opened a portal beneath my feet and was halfway through it when the Player¡¯s attack soared over my head. As Arzak pressed the attack on the Councilman, making the best of the opening I¡¯d given her, another of the cultists charged, mace raised. It was the man who¡¯d given us so much grief before. If I had some sympathy for the cultists before, I forgot it when I saw this irritating man running in for an attack. I allowed the man to get close, swinging his long mace towards me, and then I opened a portal between us. The heavy weapon entered the portal and reappeared on the other side¡ªright behind my attacker. The man cried out as I hit him with his own attack¡ªa tactic inspired by the spellwarper. Wasting not a moment, I jumped at the man, activating my Knifestorm ability. The man¡¯s robe was no match for the many slashed of my blade, and I couldn¡¯t help but think Yusef maybe should have improved his cult¡¯s uniform a little. Chair of town council defeated! If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Worldbending ¡ª +1,100xp Knifework ¡ª +1,750xp I had little time to take a breath, because before I knew it, two more of them were on me. I skimmed the site of battle to pick out a little help. I saw Val, a little way away, facing down three of the cultists¡ªand struggling. I dropped her through a portal without warning her, but she was used to this by now that she landed on her feet. ¡®Thank¡ª¡¯ she started, then realised that I¡¯ve saved her from one fight and put her in the middle of another. Val flicked a hand forward and whipped up a dust storm, the sand darting at the faces of the two oncoming attackers. I knew this wouldn¡¯t stop them for long, so I rushed at the nearest one. I ducked under their wild swings of their blade and this time opted for activating Execution, because I knew they wouldn¡¯t be able to see me until they¡¯d blinked the sand from their eyes. The attack downed them in one. Schoolteacher defeated! Knifework ¡ª +1,350xp Knifework increased to level 45! Base Points Gained ¡ª +1 DEX, +1 STR, +2 Free Points (VIT/DEX/STR) Ability selection unlocked Select an ability from the list below¡­ ¡­ Stealth ¡ª +750xp I grimaced a bit at the sight of this class; I could live with killing a chair of a town council¡ªI¡¯d had encounters with them in the past¡ªbut killing a schoolteacher felt like a bit much. ¡®Styk!¡¯ I heard Arzak shout behind me. I whipped my head around at the shout, expecting her and Corminar to be in trouble. But instead, I saw the Councilman hurriedly backing up from the fight. ¡®Is he¡­?¡¯ ¡®Running!¡¯ Arzak shouted. I left Val to deal with the other cultist and portalled back over to the Councilman, meaning to land another Closed Reach attack. But then I saw the Councilman reaching towards his waist, pulling out an enchanted looking stone. My memory flashed back to Lev, the pyroknight¡¯s assistant, who¡¯d been equipped with portal stones in case of any emergency. I wonder where he got to, in the end? ¡®Arzak!¡¯ I cried. ¡®Portal stone!¡¯ Corminar raised his bow as if to shoot the object from the enemy¡¯s hand. But it was too late. Even as the elf raised his bow, the Player was bringing the stone down towards the ground. It crashed into the sand, activated, and¡­ There was no flash of light. Instead, the stone erupted in a cloud of black smoke, thick enough to make me cough. I stumbled forward, wary of attack, trying to wave the smoke out the way. I crashed into Arzak¡¯s side, then we turned and hurried straight in one direction. When we finally came out the other side of the smoke, we saw¡­ ¡®Seriously?¡¯ I asked. ¡®He not serious,¡¯ Arzak echoed. We saw the Councilman running away. He shouted for his horse, who was trotting off ahead of him. I was about to exclaim some more, but I heard shouting to my right. ¡®Help! Styk, h¡ª¡¯ Back in the centre of the battleground, I saw Raelas overwhelmed, desperately in need of a portal. I opened one beneath her, dropping her to my side. Then, seeing Lambkin was in much the same boat, I did the same for him, too. Val appeared at my side looking not so happy. ¡®Another damsel in distress saved.¡¯ Lambkin furrowed his brow for a moment, then flicked his eyes to Raelas and realised what Val meant. There wasn¡¯t time for any further bickering, because the remaining twenty or so cultists were running towards us. ¡®What do you reckon?¡¯ I asked the group at large. ¡®Run?¡¯ ¡®If it is good enough for Players¡­¡¯ Corminar said. ¡®Run,¡¯ Arzak agreed, eyeing up Tokas as she retreated to our side. I opened a portal next to us, and one in the distance near the Councilman. If we were going to flee, we might as well take down the Player while we were at it. I was about to hop through the portal, when I caught sight of a flash of purple magicks out of the corner of my eye. The spellwarper¡ªnot dealt with, as Tokas had promised¡ªshot one of her orbs towards my portal. It encompassed the portal, slamming it shut. Or¡­ nearly shut. I knew what would happen next, but I opened my other pair of portals anyway. Another of the spellwarper¡¯s three orbs shot towards it, closing that one nearly shut too. Raelas moved to try, but I shook my head. ¡®Don¡¯t bother,¡¯ I said, then turned my backs on the charging enemies. ¡®We¡¯re going to have to run the old fashioned way.¡¯ I began to sprint across the sands, my friends at my side, and the cultists followed.
"Styk" Level 20 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 52 Intelligence ¡ª 227 Dexterity ¡ª 137 Strength ¡ª 82 Wisdom ¡ª 76 Charisma ¡ª 50
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 61 Knifework ¡ª Level 45 Stealth ¡ª Level 26 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II - Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
200. Ichor ¡®They catching up!¡¯ Arzak shouted. A breeze had picked up while we were fleeing the cult, whipping up the loose top layer of sands and forcing us to shield our eyes. Only Raelas and Tokas didn¡¯t seem to bother, though whether this was due to a difference in tiefling biology, or because they thought they deserved to suffer a little to make up for past sins, I did not know. Behind us, the cultists really were gaining on us. We¡¯d been travelling for days by foot, under the heat of the desert sun, so we weren¡¯t exactly rested. The cultists, however, had access to horses and carriages; perhaps Yusef had chosen those most rested for the job of springing this trap on us. ¡®I know!¡¯ Val shouted back to Arzak, then added to me, ¡®Sure there¡¯s no way to get those portals working?¡¯ She summoned a gust of wind to cut a path in the light sandstorm. ¡®Not while the spellwarper is still alive!¡¯ I cried. Looking back once more at the group of pursuers, I searched for the woman in question. She was easily identifiable from the three purple glowing orbs hovering around her, and I soon spotted her towards the rear of the group. Protected by her fellow cultists. These cultists didn¡¯t seem to just be protecting the spellwarper from us, but from Lillya too; they¡¯d sensed that her loyalties were split somewhat, that she couldn¡¯t be trusted. I saw another familiar face near the spellwarper, shouting something into her ear. A face that I increasingly wanted to punch with every encounter we had. ¡®Of course Ted¡¯s still alive,¡¯ I grumbled. I¡¯d lost track of him in the confusion of the fight, but clearly he¡¯d been standing back and letting his new friends do the heavylifting. Classic Ted. It occurred to me then that this was how the spellwarper had been so on it with us; Ted had been warning her what abilities we had. In particular, he already knew about the portals, and so cutting off our means of escape was easy. I was conscious that I had a Knifework ability selection available to me, and though it seemed a long shot, there was a small chance that it could help. Keeping one eye on the shifting sands ahead of me, I opened up the notifications. Ability selection unlocked Select an ability from the list below: Option 1: Dual Wield (Knifework) ¡ª Passive. You can now use a dagger in each hand with equal ability. Ability level is copied from dominant hand to non-dominant hand. I¡¯d had this option available just five levels ago, on my previous ability selection screen, and so it was probably no surprise that it wasn¡¯t yet upgraded. At the time, I¡¯d chosen to upgrade my Execution ability, which made sense considering the Stealth element to my build, but even at the time I¡¯d been hard-pressed not to select this new passive. Option 2: Parlour Tricks II (Knifework) ¡ª Impress others with a wide variety of knife-related parlour tricks, including five-finger fillet and blind throws. Has a very high chance of success, scaling further with [CHA]. Loose sand gave way beneath me and I stumbled towards the ground. Val slowed just enough to help me back to my feet. ¡®Thanks.¡¯ ¡®No problem,¡¯ the witch said, sparing another glance for our pursuers. I could quickly rule out the Parlour Tricks ability, even at this higher rank. I needed something for combat right about now, and I think even just generally, the time for parlour tricks was behind me; I had much bigger fish to fry these days than impressing women in taverns. There was only only more option. Option 3: Throw III (Knifework) ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. I couldn¡¯t help but feel that my list of abilities was starting to get a little out of control. I¡¯d intended to keep my build tall, rather than wide, this time around, and yet here I was with three new options in front of me, and no option to upgrade an existing ability. Still, though, they were good options. Dual Wield was a solid option always, and I¡¯d been missing Throw from my previous life. Sure, I could still throw knives even without an appropriate ability, but they missed far more often than they hit. With this, I could have a realistic expectation of throwing knives to actually do damage¡­ and not just to disarm myself. Considering that right now we were fleeing for our lives, I had to choose the ability that stood most chance of getting us out of this mess. Dual Wield might have been good if I¡¯d had a second knife on hand, but as it was¡­ Ability unlocked ¡ª Throw III Throw III (Knifework) ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. I felt the innate knowledge and capability flow through me, and a big part of me wanted to try this out immediately. But, still, I only had the one blade at the moment, and I¡¯d have to portal it back to me. Not something that was easy to do while running away. ¡®What¡¯re you grinning about?¡¯ Val asked me. ¡®I don¡¯t see what¡¯s so¡ª¡¯ She stopped herself. ¡®Oh. New ability? Something to get us out of this?¡¯ This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. ¡®Throwing knives,¡¯ I said. ¡®So¡­ no, then.¡¯ I would have been annoyed, but she smiled, gently, as she said it. ¡®They catching up more!¡¯ Arzak reiterated, her voice straining. ¡®Now time for plan.¡¯ She glanced at me. ¡®Not sure I have one.¡¯ ¡®You not have one then we die.¡¯ I nodded. ¡®I¡¯ll think.¡¯ I really had become the ¡°man with a plan¡±. What could we do? We couldn¡¯t portal away, that much was clear. And if we kept running, it was only a matter of time before the charging cultists caught up. By then, we¡¯d also be weaker, and less able to withstand a fight. It felt like we were trapped, like we¡ª I roared with pain and sank to the ground. An arrow had pierced my shoulder, entering at the back and its head sticking halfway out at the front. Again, Val stopped to pull me up to my feet again, this time her eyes wide with concern¡­ and on the arrowhead. ¡®I¡ª¡¯ I started. ¡®Keep running!¡¯ she shouted, practically pulling me with her. I did my best, but as the blood poured from the fresh wound, I felt my legs growing weaker, my vision beginning to darken around the edges. ¡®Val, I¡­¡¯ The witch glanced at me, and from that look, she understood the rest of the sentence. ¡®Keep running!¡¯ she cried, though she kept her own eyes fixed on the arrow. ¡®I¡¯m going to have to pull it through. Ready?¡¯ Before I could answer, she yanked. The pain erupted something fierce, and I stumbled to the ground once more. Val quickly yanked me back up to my feet for a third time before beginning to work her healing magicks. ¡®Poisoned¡­¡¯ she mumbled. ¡®You can¡¯t fix it?¡¯ ¡®I can. It¡¯ll just take longer.¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t think we have longer.¡¯ I didn¡¯t need to risk a glance back over my shoulder to know that this was true. Another couple of arrows had soared passed us since the first, but they were getting closer with every moment. Val said nothing, continuing to heal my wound as best she could as we ran. Behind, I heard Lillya shouting to her fellow cultists, her voice strained and desperate. ¡®Stop!¡¯ she roared. ¡®Stop arrow! He spawn of Player!¡¯ I think we all knew by that point that this line of negotiation had lost its power. Her fellow cultists didn¡¯t believe her. Not one but two Players had ordered the deaths of me and the other Slayers, and why would they want one of their own dead? To those in the Cult of Ascendancy, who thought in such black and white terms, it didn¡¯t make sense. Nothing would convince them of it now. And at that moment, Arzak¡¯s much-requested plan came to me. I didn¡¯t know that it would work, but I had to try it. So these cultists didn¡¯t believe that I had the blood of the gods flowing through me? Fine. Why don¡¯t I prove it? I halted mid-stride, Val¡¯s eyes bulging, the rest of the Slayers continuing to run. I grabbed the octahedron that was hanging around my neck, thrust it into the air, and turned to face down our pursuers. ¡®Do you know what this is?¡¯ I roared. This was the riskiest part of the plan; if I didn¡¯t pique their curiosities then they¡¯d probably just kill me right then and there. As it was, though, the two dozen cultists stumbled to a halt¡­ but didn¡¯t lower their weapons. ¡®Styk, I¡­¡¯ Val started, but I hushed her with a glance. Up ahead, my friends had just started realising they¡¯d left Val and I behind. To their credit, they stopped pretty quickly. ¡®Artifact of ancients,¡¯ Lillya said, more to her fellow cultists than to me. ¡®Sisyphus Artifact.¡¯ She sought out a woman in the crowd. ¡®Hualya, you remember? Months ago, Yusef mention it? Say it belong with Council? Say it meant for Players?¡¯ One of the cultists¡ªthankfully one that we hadn¡¯t already killed¡ªstepped forth from the crowd. ¡®I¡­ remember. Yes. Sure.¡¯ Lillya turned back to me, pointing desperately towards the device I held in the air. I tried not to let the pain in my shoulder show, gritting my teeth through it. ¡®That is Sisyphus Artifact! He use it to come back to life.¡¯ ¡®Twice,¡¯ I mumbled. ¡®Two and a half,¡¯ Val corrected me, thinking of the corruption. ¡®You not see?¡¯ Lillya said. ¡®He is spawn of Player.¡¯ At that, some of the cultists lowered their weapons.
"Styk" Level 20 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 52 Intelligence ¡ª 227 Dexterity ¡ª 137 Strength ¡ª 82 Wisdom ¡ª 76 Charisma ¡ª 50
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 61 Knifework ¡ª Level 45 Stealth ¡ª Level 26 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II - Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
201. Heretical Testimony ¡®Put down your weapons,¡¯ I said, keeping the Sisyphus Artifact held above my head for all to see. Some of the cultists did, some of them didn¡¯t. ¡®Put down your weapons,¡¯ I said again, this time taking on the air of command. Only a handful, now, still held theirs, but I¡¯d done enough that the attack was over; even if those few remaining sceptics tried anything, there were more than enough cultists presumably now on my side. The loud-mouth cultist who¡¯d started the attack was one of those still holding his weapon, adjusting his grip on his mace as he stared me down. ¡®What about Yusef? He gave us a direct order. It¡¯s him we follow, not¡ª¡¯ ¡®You want Player blood on hands?¡¯ Lillya demanded of him. The man seemed lost for words. ¡®Hmm?¡¯ the orc pressed him. From the man¡¯s darting, wide eyes, I could see that this simple question had taken the wind from his sails. ¡®He has a point,¡¯ Hualya said. When the orc turned on her, she hastily put up her hands. ¡®I¡¯m not saying we attack again, I¡¯m not. But what do we do now? Do we return to Yusef and explain that we failed? Or, worse, that we disobeyed?¡¯ It was Lillya¡¯s turn, now, to not have an answer. I saw the woman lick her lips before finally replying, ¡®We will think about this.¡¯ From the expressions worn by her fellow cultists, this wasn¡¯t a good enough answer for some, but it was the only answer they had. I cast a look back over my shoulder at the rest of our party, who were stopped some way ahead of us, but making no effort to join Val and I¡¯s side. Sensible, really; they didn¡¯t know what was going on, and there could be another attack at any moment, for all they knew. I¡¯d have to let them know what I¡¯d done, but before that¡­ I turned to Val, expecting a grimace on her face, or some visceral reaction to the reminder that I was the son of a Player. But instead, when I turned, she simply returned to healing the wound on my shoulder once more. ¡®You OK?¡¯ I asked her. ¡®I¡¯m OK.¡¯ ¡®With what I¡­ with what I did, I mean.¡¯ Val nodded, sparing a second to look up at me. ¡®I know.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re OK?¡¯ I repeated. ¡®I¡¯m getting there.¡¯ Lillya approached before we could move this very stilted conversation along any further. ¡®They not happy,¡¯ she said. ¡®Yeah, I got that,¡¯ I replied. ¡®You think they¡¯re gonna attack again? I mean, we did kill half their friends.¡¯ I was probably good to get that point out there. The orc shrugged. ¡®Not really friends. Yusef not like us get close. If we close then maybe we not report heresy.¡¯ ¡®Seems like a lovely guy,¡¯ Val said. To this, Lillya had no response. ¡®We¡¯re going to need to ask you some questions,¡¯ I said. ¡®About Yusef.¡¯ I left out the part about ¡°so we can kill him¡±; I didn¡¯t think that would go down so well, even with someone who was clearly having doubts. Lillya nodded, then glanced back at the others in orange robes. ¡®OK. Not here.¡¯ I agreed, as we didn¡¯t want anyone else overhearing. Worst case scenario, they attacked us again for it, and even the best case was that they¡¯d report it back to Yusef. I opened a portal next to us, and we stepped through it, appearing next to the rest of the Slayers. ¡®Care to explain how you ended their attack?¡¯ Corminar asked. ¡®I assume it was not simply your supposed smooth talking?¡¯ Arzak glanced down to the artifact, still in my hand, and she understood immediately. ¡®He prove he son of Player.¡¯ Her eyes flicked to Val, who shrugged. ¡®He did,¡¯ the witch replied. I turned to Lillya, wanting to move the conversation on. Corminar and even Raelas knew enough of all this that Val¡¯s reaction would prompt further questions. Admittedly, Tokas and Lambkin were in the dark, the latter of which had eyes bulging at this new piece of information. ¡®Lillya, you know you¡¯re in a tricky position here, right?¡¯ The orc in orange nodded. ¡®We go back to Yusef, he kill us. We fail him. But will not kill you either.¡¯ ¡®So I have to ask,¡¯ I continued, ¡®what do you value more, your loyalty to him, or your life? Cos if it¡¯s the former, then by all means, go back to him, get killed. I won¡¯t stop you. But if you quite enjoy living, then maybe you can adjust your faith ever so slightly and worship Players in general, rather than him specifically?¡¯ Val opened her mouth, and I knew exactly what she was about to say¡ªthat Players shouldn¡¯t be worshipped, that they were evil, and so on. But I shook my head at her; she was right, but with people as far gone as Lillya, it was best to take this one step at a time. ¡®I need¡­¡¯ Lillya shook her head, then pulled up a shirt sleeve to reveal a gaping wound. There was an opportunity to win some goodwill here. ¡®Val, would you¡­¡¯ I said, gesturing to the orc¡¯s arm. The witch nodded and set about working. In the meantime, I saw Corminar approach a figure in orange who had wandered closer to the camp. Ted, watching on, apparently hesitant. As Corminar grew close to the enchanter, the elf stood up straight, making an effort to stand over the young man. I couldn¡¯t hear quite what was said next, but I could see Corminar growling it, and I could see Ted¡¯s head shrinking down between his shoulders. A moment later, the elf pointed back to the rest of the cultists, some way away, and wandered back over to us. I watched Ted slink away as my elven friend approached. ¡®You let him live?¡¯ I asked. Corminar nodded. ¡®I told him that I spared his life, but in doing so, I invoke the power of the Dawnwood. I place upon him a blood debt, his essence bound to mine until he saves my life as I did his.¡¯ I raised my eyebrows. It wasn¡¯t a voluntary reaction. ¡®And¡­ that¡¯s a thing? A blood debt?¡¯ Corminar smiled, and for a moment I glimpsed the old Corminar¡ªthe one from before he¡¯d watched his home fall to the enemy. The one¡­ not completely unbroken, but at least far less broken than he¡¯d been since then. ¡®It is not,¡¯ the elf replied. ¡®But he does not know this.¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t know,¡¯ I said. ¡®We might live to regret that.¡¯ Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡®He is my charge now,¡¯ the elf replied. ¡®If he causes issues, I will deal with him, but I believe there might be something within him worth saving.¡¯ ¡®I have absolutely no idea what you¡¯re talking about.¡¯ Corminar smiled. ¡®Perhaps one day, I will be able to demonstrate. Until then, though¡­¡¯ He gestured to Lillya, freshly healed, being helped back to her feet by Val. ¡®It¡¯s time to talk,¡¯ I told her. I made an effort to keep my voice calm, and gentle. We were all friends here. What came out of Lillya¡¯s mouth next, I did not expect. ¡®I have doubt about Yusef anyway.¡¯ I glanced to the others, who also remained quiet, this silence apparently intended to urge Lillya on. But the orc needed more prompting. ¡®You¡­ have doubts? You don¡¯t think he¡¯s a Player?¡¯ Lillya shook her head furiously. ¡®No, not this. I know he Player. My doubts about his prophecies.¡¯ My mind flashed to Lore. Clearly Yusef¡¯s prophecies were convincing enough to my friend, and he currently was the sort of guy who would know, considering he was dealing with some of his own. ¡®They¡¯re not coming true?¡¯ ¡®No, I¡­¡¯ Lillya gulped. ¡®You can tell us,¡¯ Arzak said, catching the other orc¡¯s eyes. ¡®We might help.¡¯ Still, the orc in orange looked hesitant, but she was smart enough to know that there was no other way. She couldn¡¯t return to Yusef, and Yusef wasn¡¯t the kind of guy to let betrayal go unpunished. Her only hope of survival was for us to kill the head of the cult before he killed her. ¡®I think his gift of prophecy flawed,¡¯ Lillya finally said. ¡®They¡¯re not coming true?¡¯ ¡®No, they come true, but¡­ how say this? I think reason he know all he know is because of spies. He have thousands of spies. All report information to him. Each of them not contribute so much that they suspect him, but contribute enough together that he knows all. Enough information make his Divination look powerful.¡¯ Ah. Arzak and Lambkin nodded, and Corminar and Val were considering this thoughtfully. But across the group, I met Tokas¡¯s eyes. From the look on the tiefling¡¯s face, I knew we¡¯d reached the same conclusion. We¡¯d been the only ones within the town, before the trap had been sprung. Only we had experienced the truth, rather than simply knowing the key pieces of information. ¡®OK,¡¯ Arzak said, ¡®so he supplement Divination with spies. Not all-powerful, then. We stand chance.¡¯ ¡®No,¡¯ Tokas and I said at once. The tiefling immediately hesitated, yielding the floor to me. But I shook my head. ¡®No, Tokas. You tell them. You understand this more than me.¡¯ The tiefling gulped, but then drew in a deep breath to speak. ¡®Don¡¯t you see? He¡¯s fooling everyone. He¡¯s fooling his followers, his enemies¡­ maybe even the Council themselves. He¡¯s a¡­¡¯ Tokas shook her head to herself. ¡®I need to go back a bit, to explain this properly. Do you remember, a few days ago, I asked to see a map?¡¯ Before anyone could answer, she continued, ¡®It¡¯s because I had this suspicion even then. It¡¯s because I felt Illusion magicks in the air. I almost wondered if that village wasn¡¯t real, or if it wasn¡¯t as big as it looked.¡¯ Val shrugged. ¡®OK? We know there¡¯s been some illusions at play, we just saw a whole town disappear in front of our eyes.¡¯ ¡®But that¡¯s my point,¡¯ Tokas continued, ¡®it might not just be one town. How many traps did he lay for us? Did he really think Lillya would be successful, or did he have a backup plan? And a backup plan for that backup plan?¡¯ ¡®We don¡¯t know that he operates like that.¡¯ Tokas held up a finger to beg to Val¡¯s patience. ¡®Oh but we do. That level of Illusion magick, that is extreme. To create illusions of entire towns? You would need dozens of skilled illusionists. Or¡­¡¯ ¡®One very powerful person who has been training in Illusion their entire life,¡¯ I finished. Tokas nodded. ¡®You¡¯re saying¡­¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m saying Lillya was right to have doubts about his prophesies,¡¯ I said. ¡®But not just because he¡¯s supplementing them. Because he¡¯s never foreseen anything in his life.¡¯ The orc in orange almost choked at this. ¡®All these prophecies? Everything he¡¯s seen coming¡ªour presence here, our attacks¡ªit¡¯s because his spies told him it was coming. He¡¯s had people watching us this entire time. Dozens of them. A whole church desperate to tell him even the slightest piece of information that might help him, that he might reward them for. He¡¯s not a prophet at all. He¡¯s a false prophet.¡¯ Tokas nodded. ¡®He¡¯s a con man.¡¯
"Styk" Level 20 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 52 Intelligence ¡ª 227 Dexterity ¡ª 137 Strength ¡ª 82 Wisdom ¡ª 76 Charisma ¡ª 50
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 61 Knifework ¡ª Level 45 Stealth ¡ª Level 26 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II - Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
202. Interlude — Alia, Great Elder Of Zelas He was late. Nobody made the Zelas Assembly of Elders wait, at least not in normal times. But these were far from normal times, and this was a man used to having others wait for him. As the leader of the Council of Elders, Alia could not allow the others to see her disdain, or her anger. She clasped her hands around her back to resist the urge to clench them, ignoring the pain that erupted in her swollen knuckles. She strolled over to the window, taking care to appear relaxed. Alia could feel the eyes of the other Elders upon her back, each of them still sat at the ornate carved granite table; Alia had been the only one standing. She trained her own eyes on the city of Zelas, beyond the window of the Elder Tower. They were based on the highest floor of one of the tallest towers in the city, afforded a view of almost every other rooftop or grand parade that spiralled out from the centre of town. Zelas was conical in shape, the tallest towers in the centre of the city, decreasing in size to mere humble shacks at the very perimeter. Without city walls, Zelas relied instead on the centricity of all their most valuable structure to hold out against any enemies. Not that there had been any since the tiefling sprawl so many decades ago. Alia heard him coming long before the door opened, the man making no effort to disguise the sounds of his shoes hitting the elaborate painted tiles. When the servants finally opened the door of the chamber, Alia saw no sweat on the man¡¯s brow, no sign that he had made any particular effort to be here on time. ¡®I¡¯m glad you waited,¡¯ Yusef said. Alia noted that this was not an apology. In fact, it only seemed to really imply that he was worth waiting for. Over the past few years, she¡¯d been starting to wonder if this wasn¡¯t typical of Players, no matter what the legends say. ¡®We waited,¡¯ Alia echoed. ¡®But our time is short. Perhaps we might jump straight to matters of importance?¡¯ Yusef bowed his head in agreement. ¡®That¡¯s my preference too. We all have places to be, and I don¡¯t think this needs to take any longer than it has to.¡¯ There that arrogance was again. Alia drew herself tall, taking in a deep breath. ¡®Since arriving in Zelas three days ago, you have caused quite a commotion. Key industries find themselves without employees. Mothers have lost sons and daughters to you. Our economy is on the brink of¡ª¡¯ ¡®Yes, yes,¡¯ Yusef said, waving Alia down. This time, Alia failed to stop the irritation from appearing on her face. Many of the other Elders noticed, but none seemed to mind; this was a slight too great even for a Player. ¡®Yes, yes?¡¯ the Great Elder repeated. ¡®Yusef, this is of rather too much importance to dismiss us with a mere ¡°yes, yes¡±.¡¯ Yusef blinked, raising his eyebrows in irritation, then approached the granite table, placing his hands upon it. ¡®I am being pursued. I do not have time for this. In fact, I took this meeting out of good manners, but¡­ no, let¡¯s get right to it.¡¯ This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. A vision erupted in Alia¡¯s mind. Despite the images before her, the Great Elder still had enough presence of mind to note the gasps of her colleagues; they, too, had been gifted prophecy. She saw herself and her colleagues dressed in the pale orange so fashionable of late, standing in the desert amidst a crowd of thousands. Perhaps tens of thousands, or more. She saw Yusef himself, floating above them, glowing with the magicks of Divination. She saw the Player raised his hands, and in a moment, they were transported. These thousands in orange were no longer in the harsh desert environment in which they¡¯d spent their lives. They found themselves instead in a paradise, lush with plants and flowing fresh water. No longer was the air dry, harsh on the throat. No longer was the heat something to combat each and every day. What¡¯s more, their bodies, too, had changed. Alia¡¯s skin, so leathery in the past two decades, was soft and smooth. She reached a hand out in front of her, eyes bulging, and she clenched her fist. Her knuckles no longer caused pain. Nothing did, in fact. This was¡­ ¡®Your reward!¡¯ Yusef shouted, his voice echoing around this new landscape. ¡®The realm of the Architects. Your new eternal paradise.¡¯ And then, in an instant, the vision was over. Alia, for one, needed no more convincing. ¡®So, will you serve?¡¯ Yusef asked. ¡®Is this meeting over?¡¯ The Great Elder couldn¡¯t quite believe herself when she was the first to move, running to the Prophet¡¯s side and throwing herself at his feet. It had been so long since she bowed to another, and yet, with what great gift this man would eventually bestow on her¡­ how could she not? ¡®Good,¡¯ Yusef said, smiling faintly, as though this was a sight he¡¯d seen so many times before. ¡®Whatever it takes, I will¡ª¡¯ Alia started. ¡®Find the spawn of the Architects,¡¯ Yusef cut in. ¡®Use all your resources in the city, and find he who goes by the name ¡°Styk¡±.¡¯ ¡®Kill him?¡¯ Alia asked. ¡®If you can, but that will follow anyway if you can steal the artifact he carries. The one he uses to seduce others away from our cause. Do that, and you will be rewarded as you see¡ª¡¯ The door to the chamber burst open once more. This time, the man standing in the doorway was coated in the layer of sweat that Alia¡ªthe poor, naive old Alia¡ªhad once expected of Yusef. To Alia¡¯s surprise, she saw Yusef groan, slumping his shoulders at the sight of their latest guest. ¡®You? Again?¡¯ Yusef asked, though from his tone it was rhetorical. ¡®The Councilman does not admit defeat so easily,¡¯ the other man replied. ¡®For the last time, Simm, you¡¯re not in the Council. We don¡¯t want you. You¡¯re lucky we even let you live, considering the mess you made in Tradum.¡¯ At this, the other man¡¯s eyes widened. ¡®Let me live?¡¯ he repeated. ¡®But I¡¯m one of you! I want all the same things you do! I¡¯ve even killed for the cause now.¡¯ He said this last bit with a slightly strained voice. ¡®I want in. Just tell me what to do, and I¡¯ll do it. Whatever it takes to prove myself to you, to the Council¡­ I¡¯ll do it. I can do it.¡¯ Yusef stared the man down for a minute, perhaps two, considering him. Finally, he sighed. ¡®There is¡­ one way that you might prove yourself.¡¯ Yusef turned to Alia, and the others gathered around the table. ¡®Elders, if you might give us the room?¡¯ Alia leaped to follow his command, standing at the door to usher her fellow elders away. As she bowed to the Players, and closed the door gently behind her¡ªsincerely attempting not to eavesdrop¡ªshe gleaned only one word. Coldharbour. 203. The Touch Of The Crowd Part XIX: Lies Of Ascension We arrived in Zelas after dusk the following day, just in time to watch the lanterns light up around the peculiarly shaped city. The lights seemed to bloom first around the towers in the centre of the city, before spreading slowly to its outskirts over an hour or so. Raelas, who knew these parts well, suggested that it was because those in the tower were rich enough to have servants to light these lanterns for them, whereas elsewhere in the city the residents lit them only when they had time. We, however, remained beyond the perimeter of the city, using the lingering warmth of the desert sun to remain at a distance, and plan our next move. Since the revelation on the road, two days ago, we knew now just how extensive Yusef¡¯s network of spies was. It was a fair assumption that someone would spot us as soon as we entered the city, especially considering how many orange robes we¡¯d seen on the merchants¡¯ road in the past few hours. Maybe they¡¯d spotted us already. Maybe he already knew we were here. Still, though, we needed a moment to figure out what was next. Prophet or con man, a central issue remained: Yusef was surrounded by hundreds¡ªif not thousands¡ªof loyal followers. We simply couldn¡¯t compete with that, even with Raelas, Tokas and Lambkin added to our number. ¡®We figure out where he is, and then we take it from there,¡¯ I said. ¡®No point in planning anything until we have all the information we need. Raelas and Corminar will go in as one team, Arzak and I as the other. If we run into trouble, we open a portal and we flee. There¡¯s¡ª¡¯ ¡®What, split up?¡¯ Val asked. ¡®Have you learned nothing over the past couple of years?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ve learned to sew,¡¯ I countered. I don¡¯t really know why I said that. ¡®Point is,¡¯ the witch continued, ¡®if we split up, we¡¯re weaker. We¡¯re easier for Yusef and his cronies to pick off. We¡¯re much better off staying together. We can still run, we can still open portals and get out of there, but we stay together and we watch each other¡¯s backs.¡¯ She looked at me as though expecting an argument. ¡®As the lady says,¡¯ I replied. ¡®I¡¯m not a lady.¡¯ ¡®Yeah, I know.¡¯ With that, I turned, and lead out crew of seven towards the towering desert city of Zelas. As we reached the outermost buildings¡ªwhere on other cities there might be a towering wall, manned with guards¡ªI felt the easy buzz of the people hit me like a wave. This was a place where activity did not die down with nightfall, and from the looks of it, it was all only really getting started. The people here must have hidden from the heat during the day, with most of their trade¡ªas evidenced by market stalls¡ªand socialisation¡ªas evidence by entertainers roaming the streets¡ªhappening at night. It was a place in which I felt immediately at home, like I could settle down here one day. But I was a long way away from settling down anywhere, what with the Council¡¯s plan still barreling towards success. It was better to focus on the task at hand, and that was finding Yusef. We¡¯d still had our robes in our satchels, so we¡¯d put them on before entering the city, hoping it would keep enemy eyes off us. What I¡¯d not expected was that it would help us blend in quite so much; Yusef could only have been here a week, tops, and yet a huge chunk of the city seemed to have been converted to his cause. More people than not wore pale orange, and they greeted their fellow cultists with nods and broad smiles. Our best chance of finding Yusef? Ask. I continued pushing through the ever-growing crowd. The only problem was figuring out who was new to the cult, and who wasn¡¯t. If we accidentally asked someone with experience, perhaps some of the contingent who Yusef hadn¡¯t left behind in Coldharbour, then they might recognise us as enemies. They might attack. And if they attacked, then there would be hundreds of cultists upon us within seconds. I knew by then that Yusef didn¡¯t have the gift of prophecy, but he¡¯d maybe been right about one thing: if we attacked him, then his horde of followers wouldn¡¯t let us live to see the sun rise. We¡¯d need to be careful. Just then, I felt someone brush past me, and something tingled in the back of my mind. There was something about that brush that hadn¡¯t felt natural, something almost imperceptibly different to the feel of all those others who¡¯d squeezed by. My heart jumped when I realised what it was. Something I¡¯d done plenty of in a past life. I whipped my hand to my chest, finding my tunic sliced, and far more importantly, a complete lack of artifact dangling from my neck. ¡®Stop!¡¯ I shouted, reaching forward where I thought the pickpocket had run, but the crowd was bustling, eddying this way and that. There was no way of knowing for sure who had stolen the Sisyphus Artifact. I came to an abrupt halt, the city beginning to spin around me. I¡¯d had that artifact with me for so long. I¡¯d come to depend upon it. I¡¯d taken it for granted. And now it was¡­ gone? Just like that? ¡®Styk?¡¯ Val, who had been closest to me, asked. ¡®What¡¯s wrong?¡¯ ¡®The artifact,¡¯ I replied, my voice shaking. ¡®Someone¡¯s taken it.¡¯ Val moved around me to look into my eyes, studying me. ¡®You know who?¡¯ I shook my head. ¡®They know we¡¯re here. We should get off the street.¡¯ Val nodded to Arzak to gather the others, then led me by the arm down the nearest alley. As she dragged me along, I felt the city still spinning around me. It almost came as a surprise to find that we¡¯d stopped. I looked around, seeing Arzak and the others some way down the alley from the rest of us; Val wanted to speak to me alone. ¡®Val, I need it back. I can¡¯t be without it.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s gone, Styk. In a city like this? It¡¯s gone. You won¡¯t see it again. We need you to get your head around that sooner rather than later, if we¡¯re gonna survive.¡¯ I shook my head. ¡®I could die.¡¯ ¡®You didn¡¯t have any charges on it; you could¡¯ve died anyway.¡¯ ¡®Then I¡¯ll get one. I¡¯ll get the artifact back, and then I¡¯ll get a charge. We¡¯ll kill Yusef. I¡¯ll get a charge, and then I¡¯ll be safe.¡¯ Val stared into my eyes, and I got lost in her own¡ªdeep, brown, gorgeous¡ªfor a moment. Part of me wanted to kiss her, then, but I knew the instinct was built on a lie; with part of me so recently snatched away from me, I wanted something else familiar to take its place. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. ¡®You know why I left?¡¯ Val finally asked. ¡®Because my mum¡¯s a Player,¡¯ I replied. There was no point talking around this. If we were going to have this conversation now, of all times, then we might as well have it properly. ¡®No. Because I thought you might be turning into one of them. Not just a Player, but a Player. The ones we hear about. I¡¯m under no illusion that there are more Players out there than we stumble across, but some of them are living nice, peaceful lives. Maybe they¡¯re even helping people. I¡¯m not worried about you becoming like them, I¡¯m worried about you becoming like Yusef. Like Jacob. Like Niamh. To tell you the truth, before I left, I thought I¡¯d have to kill you before you killed me.¡¯ I took a step back. ¡®That¡¯s¡­ quite the admission?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯d never do it, obviously,¡¯ Val replied. ¡®Obviously. It¡¯s you. But that was how my messed-up brain reacted to the news. I panicked. I¡¯m not saying I¡¯m perfect¡ªwe all know I¡¯m so far from it¡ªbut you¡¯re not exactly perfect either, Styk.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re still worried,¡¯ I said, picking up on her earlier wording. ¡®Yes.¡¯ ¡®After all I¡¯ve done? Why?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s precisely because of what you¡¯ve done,¡¯ Val hissed, sparing a glance back down the alleyway, not just at our friends, but at any other onlookers. ¡®All this talk of being heroes, of power, of fame.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s not about power and fame, it¡¯s about doing the right thing.¡¯ ¡®Yet you seem to want to do the right thing very loudly, not quietly. You want the fame. You want people to look up to you.¡¯ I furrowed my brow. ¡®Don¡¯t you? Isn¡¯t that part of being alive?¡¯ Val shook her head. ¡®Not like that. Look, Styk, I love you. You know that. I¡¯m pretty sure you love me too. But I can¡¯t be with someone going down this path. I won¡¯t.¡¯ I took the opportunity to kiss her, then¡ªeverything else be damned. Val returned it for a second, and then broke off, eyes widening. ¡®What?¡¯ I asked her. ¡®You¡¯re surprised I¡¯ve forgiven you for leaving? I suppose I was surprised too, when I realised a few days back. But I knew what I was getting into with you. I knew it was going to be a bumpy ride.¡¯ ¡®I didn¡¯t think you were the kind of man to let things like that go.¡¯ ¡®Why not?¡¯ Val shrugged. ¡®I don¡¯t know, it¡¯s the opposite of what we¡¯re told to do, isn¡¯t it? Someone does something to hurt you, and you¡¯re expecting to get them back. Hit them harder.¡¯ ¡®There¡¯s strength in forgiveness, too, Val,¡¯ I told her. ¡®Probably more strength in that than battling it out, even. So I choose to forgive. We don¡¯t have to be on these manic paths of vengeance all the time. I¡¯ve forgiven you for leaving; surely you can be big enough to forgive me something that I can¡¯t even help?¡¯ ¡®What did I just say, Styk?¡¯ Val hissed back at me. She glanced over at Arzak, who was now looking anywhere but at us, and blushing. ¡®It¡¯s not your ancestry; I¡¯d never hold that against you. It¡¯s what you¡¯re becoming.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll prove it,¡¯ I replied. ¡®But how? How do you want me to prove that I¡¯m not going to change? That I¡¯m not going to become like that?¡¯ The witch considered me for a moment, her eyes meeting mine, our faces still close together. ¡®Let it go, Styk. The artifact. Let it go.¡¯ ¡®No.¡¯ ¡®No? You¡¯d choose that over me?¡¯ I shook my head again. ¡®It¡¯s not like that. I wouldn¡¯t choose anything over you, if we had a choice. But what we¡¯re involved with¡ªthe Council, their schemes, their murders¡ªit¡¯s bigger than us. We need every weapon we can possibly get, and part of that is the Sisyphus Artifact. We¡¯d be crazy to let that go.¡¯ Val said nothing, but held my gaze. ¡®I know you know that¡¯s true,¡¯ I added. Finally, the witch sighed, and nodded. ¡®Fine,¡¯ she said, and turned away, returning to our friends down the alleyway. ¡®Where are you going?¡¯ I called after her. ¡®To go find your bloody artifact,¡¯ she said. Against my better judgement, I smiled. We weren¡¯t back where we were¡ªthere was a lot of work to do, on both our sides¡ªbut we¡¯d communicated. I¡¯d take that.
"Styk" Level 20 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 52 Intelligence ¡ª 227 Dexterity ¡ª 137 Strength ¡ª 82 Wisdom ¡ª 76 Charisma ¡ª 50
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 61 Knifework ¡ª Level 45 Stealth ¡ª Level 26 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II - Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
204. Whispers Val shook the borrowed face away, her skin rippling back into the visage that we all knew. ¡®Was nobody going to mention she had changeling powers?¡¯ Lambkin asked¡ªa question that we all ignored. We were still hidden down one of the winding alleys of Zelas, though a different one to where Val and I had had our talk. More and more we¡¯d noticed lingering eyes upon us, owned by members of the cult, and so we¡¯d decided to keep to the shadows. Only Val, who could change her face at will, was perhaps safe from spies, and so we¡¯d sent her out to scout. ¡®Well?¡¯ I asked. ¡®Any news?¡¯ ¡®They¡¯re looking for us,¡¯ Val said. ¡®All of them. A lot of the cultists don¡¯t have more than vague physical descriptions to go on, but they¡¯re still looking. It¡¯s a wonder we¡¯ve lasted this long, even.¡¯ ¡®Though, I imagine it is only a matter of time before the hordes descend upon us,¡¯ Corminar said, echoing what we were all thinking. ¡®Then we move fast, steal back the artifact, and¡ª¡¯ ¡®There¡¯s more,¡¯ Val said, and at this her face grew glum. More glum than was typical of late, at least. We were all silent, none of us asking the obvious question, none of us quite wanting to know what Val was hesitant to say. But, of course, she had to say it. ¡®There are prophecies spreading through the ranks.¡¯ ¡®Well, we know those are all lies, now, don¡¯t we?¡¯ I said. But Val¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. ¡®From what I¡¯ve heard, they¡¯re not just coming from Yusef. They¡¯re coming from Lore, too. The Player is squeezing him for his curse, using it to reinforce his own supposed Divination skills. And I¡¯m thinking, if Lore is involved¡­¡¯ ¡®Then maybe they¡¯re true,¡¯ I finished for her. Val nodded. Down the end of the alleyway, the hubbub of the crowd grew louder. We all looked around the street, lit with flickering lanterns, anticipating trouble. But none came; the cultists weren¡¯t upon us just yet. ¡®What were they? These prophecies?¡¯ Lambkin asked. Val shrugged. ¡®Most of them aren¡¯t relevant to us. Most of them just seemed to be positioned to prove that Yusef could tell the future¡ªtomorrow¡¯s weather, the Zelas lottery numbers, that kind of thing.¡¯ ¡®Then he¡¯s worried we¡¯ve figured it out. And he¡¯s worried we¡¯re telling his followers.¡¯ ¡®Perhaps this why he steal artifact too,¡¯ Arzak suggested. ¡®Want make sure they not listen to you.¡¯ ¡®Maybe,¡¯ I agreed, then turned back to Val. ¡®You said¡­ most of them? What about the ones that are relevant?¡¯ The witch¡¯s eyes darted to Arzak, then back to me. ¡®Just one, really. Sounds like it came from Lore himself. It says¡­¡¯ She gulped. ¡®It says someone is going to die. One of us. And from the sounds of it, it¡¯s going to be¡­¡¯ Val again looked to Arzak, this time holding her gaze on her. ¡®Hm,¡¯ the orc said. ¡®Yeah.¡¯ Arzak stood for a moment, digesting this information, and then looked to Tokas. ¡®This change nothing,¡¯ she said. ¡®But Tokas stay away from me.¡¯ ¡®That prophecy was a lie,¡¯ Val reminded our orcish friend. ¡®Yusef was just playing on your fears. We don¡¯t know that Tokas¡ª¡¯ ¡®And I not want find out,¡¯ Arzak interrupted. ¡®Maybe Yusef kill me, yes. Maybe cultist do. Or maybe it is woman who betray us before.¡¯ Tokas took a small step backwards, positioning herself behind Lambkin. This was all coming to a head, and I¡¯d promised myself I¡¯d do something about it before it snowballed out of control. But here we were again with more important things to worry about¡ªnamely, getting my artifact back. ¡®The artifact,¡¯ I reminded Val, cutting off the glaring competition between Lambkin and Arzak. ¡®Did you learn where it is?¡¯ The witch nodded. ¡®Yeah, I did. But you¡¯re not gonna like it.¡¯ * * * ¡®You¡¯re right, I don¡¯t like it,¡¯ I said. The lot of us stood in the centre of the city, on the rooftop of a tall, stone, residential complex, away from the eyes of Yusef¡¯s spies. And we looked up at where the Sisyphus Artifact was stored¡ªin a tower. A particularly tall tower. Probably the third tallest tower in the city, though it was hard to tell from this severe, neck-twinging, angle. It was built from brick that matched the colour of the surrounding deserts, stacked high and held together with the gentle blue glow of sorcery¡ªhow else could they build so high? Windows and the odd balcony marked every storey, but even with this aid, I couldn¡¯t get an accurate count of how many there were. Maybe thirty. On these balconies, and around the base of the tower, we saw guards standing at attention, allowing access to the tower only to those dressed in familiar pale orange robes. The cult had already taken the building. ¡®I don¡¯t suppose there is any chance they are storing the artifact on the ground floor?¡¯ Corminar asked. ¡®It¡¯s in the Chamber of Elders,¡¯ Val replied. ¡®And where is that?¡¯ ¡®Top floor.¡¯ Corminar nodded. ¡®Lovely.¡¯ Val gritted her teeth, though this wasn¡¯t a reaction to Corminar¡¯s sarcasm; I think we were all on the page on that front. ¡®The way I see it, there are two ways in to the Tower of Elders. We could fight our way past the guards and up every single floor¡ªthere¡¯s thirty-two, I counted¡ªand hope that we survive to take on the Elders who are protecting the artifact.¡¯ ¡®I vote other way,¡¯ Arzak said. ¡®The other option is we use Styk and Raelas¡¯s portals to climb the outside.¡¯ ¡®I vote first way,¡¯ Arzak corrected herself. ¡®How accurate can you be at this distance?¡¯ Corminar asked me. ¡®Could you open a portal that places us at the top balcony?¡¯ ¡®Not from this range. I¡¯d need to be closer. We¡¯ll have to do it bit by bit.¡¯ ¡®I was afraid that you would say that.¡¯ ¡®OK,¡¯ Val said. ¡®We¡¯ll wait until after dark, and¡ª¡¯ Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. I shook my head. ¡®No. It could be too late by then, they could have moved it. We go now.¡¯ ¡®But they¡¯ll see us.¡¯ ¡®And we¡¯ll be thirty-two storeys above the ground. By the time anyone reaches us, we¡¯ll have the artifact and be portalling out way back down again. We don¡¯t have to kill anyone in there, we just have to steal the artifact.¡¯ It was just like the good old days. I opened a portal in front of us, its partner on top of a building adjacent to the base of the tower, and I gestured towards it. ¡®After you,¡¯ I said to Arzak, who was closest. ¡®I not happy about this,¡¯ she said, but she stepped through nonetheless. After the rest of the team pressed through, I followed. And then the climbing began. * * * ¡®Is high!¡¯ Arzak said, having to raise her voice over the wind. It was funny; from down below, it had seemed like a perfectly still day, but now we were ten storeys up¡­ not so much. Most of our number were crowded on a balcony below, holding the door closed against an oblivious local who thought the lock was stuck. Arzak, Corminar and I, however, were clinging to the bottom of a window ledge and about to make our next move. ¡®By my calculations, we¡¯ll need to be at least three times this high,¡¯ the elf said. ¡®This not reassuring!¡¯ I raised my arm, pointing it up at the next target balcony¡ªabout seven more storeys up¡ªopening a muted portal in front of it. On my first attempt, I opened it too far away, but on my second, it was close enough that we would make the leap. With a little momentum, at least. But I¡¯d thought of that, and I¡¯d opened the other half of the pair of portals below us. ¡®...Why portal down there?¡¯ Arzak asked. ¡®You need to let go,¡¯ I told her. The orcs eyes widened. ¡®No force on Alterra make me let go.¡¯ Corminar sighed, then looked at me with an expressed silent question. You sure about this? I nodded, and the elf released his grip on the exterior of the tower, falling through the portal and appearing in the air above us. He grabbed the edge of the next balcony nimbly. ¡®See?¡¯ I told Arzak. ¡®Hm,¡¯ she replied, then after a large sigh, she finally released. Arzak tumbled towards the portal, caught the side of it against her broad shoulders, and then tumbled past it. ¡®Arzak!¡¯ I cried, but another portal appeared below her, dropping her back where she¡¯d been a moment before. This time, she hit the mark, and with the added momentum she came out flying into the stone side of the tower. I looked down to Raelas. ¡®Thank you,¡¯ I said. ¡®No problem,¡¯ the tiefling replied. It was nice to see her coming out of her shell a little bit more, after what she¡¯d been through. I still couldn¡¯t agree with what she¡¯d done¡ªmalae trading was a dangerous game¡ªbut with the benefit of distance, I was starting to see how she¡¯d been driven to it. Had I forgiven her? No, not yet, but maybe it would come. I was forgiving people all over the place these days. If that wasn¡¯t heroic, then I didn¡¯t know what was. I leaped through the portal next, appearing on the balcony above, then ushered Corminar and Arzak to the ledges of a nearby window to make space for the rest of them. ¡®Why you volunteer me for this bit?¡¯ the orc asked. ¡®You¡¯re strong, Corminar¡¯s nimble, and I have portals,¡¯ I replied. ¡®It had to be us three.¡¯ ¡®Corminar and Styk not afraid of heights,¡¯ Arzak mumbled. ¡®Arzak is!¡¯ ¡®Do you always talk in the third person when you¡¯re scared?¡¯ ¡®Sometimes.¡¯ Still, she got out the way just in time for Val to come barreling through. Lambkin came through after her, and the witch caught and stabilised him. If I thought she wouldn¡¯t do the same for Tokas and Raelas¡ªwhat with what had passed between them¡ªI was wrong. ¡®All good?¡¯ I asked her, clinging onto a protruding piece of stone for dear life. ¡®Yep,¡¯ Val replied. ¡®You?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m all good.¡¯ ¡®I preferred Raelas¡¯s flirting,¡¯ Corminar piped up. ¡®This is dreadful.¡¯ This comment didn¡¯t help at all. We proceeded in much the same way, up until the penultimate balcony where the wind had grown stronger and, more importantly, Arzak¡¯s complaining had become too great to bear. We traded her out for Raelas, who also had portals at her disposal. As the balcony wasn¡¯t quite big enough for Arzak, Val, Lambkin and Tokas to stand there at the same time, Arzak resorted to holding Lambkin in the air to my space. ¡®I have never felt so degraded,¡¯ the ex-captain said¡ªsomething that nobody paid any attention to. Finally, we were up on the top balcony, outside the Chamber of the Elders. At least, provided that Val¡¯s information was correct. I couldn¡¯t tell if anyone had spotted us, as the distance to the ground and the loud, billowing winds made it impossible to tell, but it was worth us moving quickly. The last thing we wanted was a hundred cultists coming to the Elders¡¯ aid. As the last of our number hopped up onto the balcony, I slowly pried the door open. Inside, the chamber consisted of a large stone table surrounded by wide, high-backed chairs, each of them facing the door. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d been expecting the Sisyphus Artifact to be hidden away, necessarily, but what I hadn¡¯t been expecting was for it to be displayed on a pedestal in the middle of the table. I stepped into the room, and then realised I¡¯d missed something. Sat on each of the large chairs was an old tiefling, their legs crossed, their slim bodies obscured by the backs of the seats. One of them poked their head around to look at me. I raised a hand in a pretty ambitious wave of greeting. ¡®...Hi?¡¯ I said.
"Styk" Level 20 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 52 Intelligence ¡ª 227 Dexterity ¡ª 137 Strength ¡ª 82 Wisdom ¡ª 76 Charisma ¡ª 50
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 61 Knifework ¡ª Level 45 Stealth ¡ª Level 26 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II - Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
205. In The Heavens ¡®Hello,¡¯ one of the elders replied¡ªa woman who couldn¡¯t have been younger than eighty. I hadn¡¯t realised until now that the title of ¡°Elder¡± was a literal one. Where were all the young elders at? ¡®Are we ¡°hello¡±-ing intrudes now, Alia?¡¯ another said. ¡®I was caught by surprise,¡¯ the woman said, considering Styk and the others who were just now stepping in through the doors. ¡®But now that I have a moment, do we think that this is¡­?¡¯ ¡®We do,¡¯ replied the other. ¡®The seducer.¡¯ Corminar, Raelas and Val all smirked at this. Well, actually, Corminar full-on burst out laughing. ¡®Seducer?¡¯ he repeated. ¡®I don¡¯t think they mean it like that,¡¯ I retorted over my shoulder, but this didn¡¯t seem to do much to stop members of the team grinning at the idea. The elder known as Alia rose slowly from her seat, her arms shaking a little with the effort. ¡®We will have to report your trespass, you know,¡¯ she said. ¡®Well, yeah? We figured,¡¯ I replied. ¡®Either way, though, we¡¯re gonna be taking back what you stole.¡¯ ¡®Is it thievery when you steal from a thief?¡¯ Alia retorted. I looked back at the rest of my team. ¡®I mean, yes? I¡¯m gonna go with ¡°yes¡±, it is.¡¯ Alia ignored me. ¡®This artifact, and those like it, was meant for the Architects. It is meant for those who bless us with their presence, having made the journey from the Ascended Realm. It¡¯s not for the likes of you.¡¯ Those like it? I didn¡¯t like the sound of that. ¡®You say that like they¡¯re here of their own free will,¡¯ Val said. ¡®Like they¡¯re so kind to be living around us. But they¡¯re¡ª¡¯ I shook my head at her; it wasn¡¯t that I disagreed with what she was saying, only that I knew it¡¯d be fruitless. These people were clearly already loyal followers. I would have known that even if they weren¡¯t wearing pale orange. ¡®I just wanna say¡ªin case you hadn¡¯t realised¡ªthat if it comes to a fight, we¡¯re probably going to win.¡¯ The Council of Elders said nothing. I took a step towards the table. ¡®So, we¡¯re gonna be taking this now. And I assume you¡¯re gonna let us?¡¯ ¡®No,¡¯ Alia said. ¡®OK, well it¡¯s just that you seemed to have trouble even standing up, let alone doing a whole fight.¡¯ ¡®No,¡¯ the elder repeated. I gestured a thumb back towards the balcony, and the outside. ¡®I could just drop you through a portal, fling you into the air out there. Just so you know.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re not having the artifact.¡¯ ¡®Did you hear what I just said about throwing you into the air?¡¯ ¡®Hm,¡¯ Arzak said pointedly behind me. I looked around to see her raising her hand. ¡®If this is opposition, why we all need to come?¡¯ ¡®Well, I didn¡¯t know¡ª¡¯ Alia took a step towards me. It would have been menacing if she didn¡¯t seem to be having trouble with every step. ¡®You will not have the artifact. It is our privilege to serve Yusef, and it is our duty to protect it with our lives.¡¯ ¡®If Yusef wanted you to protect it so bad, why didn¡¯t he leave you with guards?¡¯ Val asked. ¡®He did,¡¯ Alia replied. We all went tense, as though they were about to spring a trap on us. But no trap came. ¡®...Where are they?¡¯ Tokas asked. ¡®Downstairs.¡¯ ¡®We didn¡¯t think you would come in through the window,¡¯ another elder volunteered. ¡®You know, these Players used to feel a lot more menacing than they do these days,¡¯ Val said. ¡®The pyroknight almost killed all of us. Twice. Niamh is, well, Niamh. But this Yusef? I don¡¯t know, it feels like he¡¯s a lot more fragile than we thought, since we learned he was a fraud.¡¯ One of the elders roared with fury at this assertion, and charged at Val, dagger raised in the air. It was just a shame that this ¡°charge¡± took approximately twenty seconds. ¡®So, are we fighting them, or¡­?¡¯ Val asked as the elder charged at her. ¡®They¡¯re attacking us,¡¯ I replied. ¡®I suppose we¡¯d be in our right to defend us.¡¯ ¡®It doesn¡¯t feel very heroic,¡¯ Lambkin said, hitting the nail on the head in terms of my doubts. The elder swung his dagger at Val, and the witch stepped casually out of the way. ¡®Hey, he was the one suggesting throwing them out of windows. And he thinks he is a hero.¡¯ ¡®Whatever we do, may I suggest that we do it soon?¡¯ Corminar asked. ¡®We know there are guards below, but we do not know how soon they will arrive. Best we, as you humans say, skedaddle.¡¯ ¡®Nobody says that,¡¯ Val replied. The elder swung a dagger slowly towards her once more, and I stepped through a portal to push him out the way. He cried out with pain as he fell to the floor. Elder of Zelas defeated! Worldbending ¡ª +10xp Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. We all looked down at the fallen man as the rest of the elders rose from their seats. ¡®Did you just¡­?¡¯ Val started, pointing to the man who was motionless on the floor. ¡®...Yeah.¡¯ ¡®How you feeling about that?¡¯ ¡®Not great.¡¯ I turned back to the ¡°charging¡± elders. Admittedly, some of them were faster than others, though I still could have played a full game of stones before having to dodge any attacks. ¡®So, we¡¯re killing them?¡¯ Tokas asked. Arzak glared at her. ¡®I don¡¯t want to,¡¯ the tiefling clarified, ¡®I just thought¡­¡¯ ¡®OK,¡¯ I said, stepping aside as a weak fireball flew past me. How were even their spells this slow? ¡®New plan: no more killing.¡¯ ¡®But you just¡ª¡¯ Val started. ¡®I really didn¡¯t think that was gonna be contentious. No more killing. I¡¯ll grab the artifact, and we¡¯ll get out of here. Any questions?¡¯ Everyone raised their hands. Val blasted a fireball away with a casual summoned gust, and it caught a wall hanging. ¡®Oops,¡¯ she said. ¡®So no killing. Is arson fine?¡¯ I put my head in my hands. ¡®OK, Arzak, what¡¯s your question?¡¯ ¡®Do still have to leave on outside of building?¡¯ ¡®Yes. Corminar?¡¯ ¡®When they say seducer, do they mean¡ª¡¯ ¡®Val?¡¯ I asked, cutting him off. ¡®If the artifact is here, then Yusef¡¯s been here. He trusts these people.¡¯ I caught an elder¡¯s wrist in mid-swing, holding their sword in place, before turning back to Val. ¡®I don¡¯t hear a question.¡¯ ¡®Question is, maybe we should look around quickly?¡¯ I nodded. ¡®Raelas, you take Arzak, Lambkin and Tokas, start getting down. The rest of us will have a quick look around and catch up.¡¯ Raelas matched my nod, and the four of them began their escape while the rest of us fanned out in the room. I hopped up onto the table, narrowly avoiding the swing of Alia¡¯s knife. And when I say ¡°narrowly¡± I mean ¡°it wasn¡¯t at all close¡±. Alia scoffed at me. ¡®Problem?¡¯ I asked, as I crossed the table to pick up the Sisyphus Artifact. I considered placing it in my Pocket World storage for safekeeping, but there was something comforting about feeling it dangling against my torso. So I still opened the pocket world, but instead pulled out a piece of thread from my Needlework supplies. I pushed the thread through the loop on the top of the artifact and hung it back around my neck. When I felt its touch, I let out a breath I didn¡¯t know I¡¯d been holding in. ¡®The problem is that you should treat your elders with respect!¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s ambiguous.¡¯ ¡®What?¡¯ ¡®I mean,¡¯ I said, ¡®is it that we should treat all older people with respect, or just this council? Because I¡¯ve got an answer for each of them, neither one that you¡¯ll like.¡¯ Alia spluttered. ¡®Good answer,¡¯ I said, before turning to the rest of the gang. ¡®You got anything?¡¯ ¡®Over here,¡¯ Corminar said, gesturing to a stack of papers on the council¡¯s table. He leafed through it. ¡®Follower movement charts. There are still hundreds in Coldharbour, but Yusef seems to have realised that a mistake; every follower west of Coldharbour is heading here, or here already.¡¯ ¡®He means to use them against us?¡¯ Val asked. ¡®Either that or something else. Perhaps we should attack him now.¡¯ ¡®You think we¡¯d still have the element of surprise?¡¯ I asked. ¡®Cos I don¡¯t. I think there are more than enough cultists here already.¡¯ The elder nearest to Corminar pulled a document from the table, and from his manner, it seemed that it was a document he¡¯d chosen specifically. I approached, and plucked it from his hand. ¡®Got something?¡¯ Val asked. I nodded. ¡®He¡¯s staying in the Tower of Hope, wherever that is. And¡­ Lore¡¯s there with him.¡¯ At that moment, I heard a sound coming from behind the door. Footsteps, on the staircase, maybe. But was that the noise of charging guards or servants going about their business? It didn¡¯t matter, I supposed; it was time to get out of here. I hurried over to the window, my friends running at my side, the elders behind us, moaning something about this being completely disrespectful. And I opened the first portal.
"Styk" Level 20 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 52 Intelligence ¡ª 227 Dexterity ¡ª 137 Strength ¡ª 82 Wisdom ¡ª 76 Charisma ¡ª 50
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 61 Knifework ¡ª Level 45 Stealth ¡ª Level 26 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II - Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
206. Loyalty We took turns keeping watch. The seven of us were camped well out of town, close to a nearby watering hole but not so close that anyone would have good reason to come near. Val and Lambkin took the first watch, as the last of the sun¡¯s light left the sky, and I dreamed. I dreamed of a family. Not just Val and I¡ªeven after finding the strength to forgive her leaving, I still wasn¡¯t there yet, I wasn¡¯t dwelling of that. I dreamed of a family that included Arzak, and Corminar, and Lore. I¡¯d never had a family before, beyond my father, and even that had been a¡­ strained relationship. And my mother, the Player, I¡¯d never met. So it was a family of choice, not of blood, of which I dreamed. Of course, one of this family of five were missing. When Val shook me awake for the second watch, I found myself coated in sweat. ¡®Lore?¡¯ she asked. ¡®What?¡¯ ¡®You were talking about Lore,¡¯ she said. ¡®In your sleep.¡¯ I shook my head. ¡®It¡¯s nothing,¡¯ I replied, but it was anything but. I was only just becoming conscious of it, but while I¡¯d slept, I¡¯d realised what I had to do next. Over the past year and a bit, Lore and I had become close. Close enough, I thought, that I might still be able to reach him. And now I knew where he was staying. ¡®Alright,¡¯ Val replied, then looked over at Lambkin, who was waking Tokas at the other side of the camp. ¡®You¡¯re on. Your turn.¡¯ I nodded, and the witch began to leave, returning to the shoddy tent she was sharing with Arzak, but her eyes lingered on my own. I gestured to it. ¡®You want to sleep here?¡¯ ¡®Are we there, yet?¡¯ Val asked. I shook my head. ¡®I don¡¯t know.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m sorry, Styk,¡¯ she said. ¡®I don¡¯t think I said that before, did I? I¡¯m sorry.¡¯ I nodded, which was perhaps not the reaction she was looking for. ¡®At least stay here until my watch is over,¡¯ I said, tapping the mass of fabric I¡¯d pulled from my pocket world. ¡®The bed¡¯s warm. And Arzak snores.¡¯ Val raised her eyebrows in agreement. ¡®Yeah, OK,¡¯ she said. ¡®We¡¯ll talk some more in the morning?¡¯ ¡®Oh, you bet we will,¡¯ I replied. There was still a lot more to say, between us, before we could continue rebuilding this relationship. But I had a feeling that wouldn¡¯t be what everyone wanted to talk about when I returned. Only when I saw sure Lambkin and Val had drifted off¡ªit took neither of them particularly long¡ªI approached Tokas. ¡®You reckon you can keep watch by yourself?¡¯ ¡®Would Arzak like that?¡¯ the tiefling replied. ¡®What she doesn¡¯t know won¡¯t hurt her.¡¯ Tokas nodded. ¡®Sure. I can do it alone. But¡­ where are you going?¡¯ ¡®To see a man about his destiny,¡¯ I replied. ¡®I don¡¯t know what that means.¡¯ Of course she didn¡¯t; Tokas was nothing if not literal. ¡®I¡¯m going to try to talk some sense into Lore.¡¯ ¡®Alone? Is that a good idea? I could come with, if you¡ª¡¯ I shook my head. ¡®No, it¡¯s best I do this alone. Less chance of raising the alarms. Will you tell the others?¡¯ ¡®No,¡¯ Tokas replied. ¡®I can be trusted.¡¯ That, of course, remained to be seen. * * * I climbed the Tower of Hope in much the same way as we¡¯d climbed the Tower of Elders only a few hours ago. Only now, I was obscured by the thick darkness of the Armadan night, and my Tamed Portal passive ability meant there was little chance of others spotting my portals. Without the others¡ªparticularly Arzak¡ªthis process was easy, calming even. As I hung from the edge of the balcony¡ªI¡¯d soon become comfortable with heights after mastering my portal abilities¡ªI looked down upon the sprawling conical city of Zelas. Few lanterns remained lit at this late hour, and those few remaining were on the main thoroughfares. I watched small dots stagger home after quests that had stretched on longer than expected, or more likely, after drinking sessions that had stretched on longer than expected. I paused to close my eyes, just for a second, and breathe in the air. I was calm. I was ready to work. Keeping the calm in my heart, I continued the climb, counting the storeys until I finally arrived where Lore should have been staying, only a few storeys down from the top of the tower. I was painfully aware that Yusef would be sleeping nearby, and if I hadn¡¯t thought he¡¯d be far more guarded, I might have tried a cheeky assassination attempt. As cheeky as an assassination attempt could be, at least. I poked my head in through the nearby window to make sure that I was in the right place, and was answered not by the sight of Lore, but by his familiar snores. ¡®Oi,¡¯ I said, in as loud a voice as I dared, ¡®sleepyhead. Wake up.¡¯ I waited for signs of Lore doing so, and was sorely disappointed. Fortunately, I¡¯d prepared for this. I opened a portal to my pocket world at my side, reached in for my water flagon, and then upended it over Lore¡¯s head. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. He snapped bolt upright. ¡®Woah, woah,¡¯ I said, ¡®It¡¯s me, big guy.¡¯ Lore¡¯s eyes widened. ¡®Styk?¡¯ he whispered. ¡®You shouldn¡¯t be here. There are guards all around this place. Especially after what you did to the Elders.¡¯ ¡®Oh, you heard about that already?¡¯ ¡®Yusef¡¯s furious, he¡ª¡¯ Lore caught himself. ¡®You scaled the tower again? Then he¡¯s seen you. You better go, before¡ª¡¯ OK, so that centre of calm was gone already. If I needed to act fast, then I wasn¡¯t going to waste a moment. ¡®Come with me, Lore,¡¯ I said. ¡®You shouldn¡¯t have left us. Come with me now, and I¡¯ll get you out of here. We¡¯re camped just outside town. We¡ª¡¯ ¡®No.¡¯ ¡®No?¡¯ Lore shook his head. Even in the low light, I could see the sadness in those eyes. ¡®If I leave, Alenna dies. It¡¯s foretold.¡¯ ¡®Yusef¡¯s a fraud, Lore,¡¯ I said, getting straight to the point. ¡®He doesn¡¯t have the Divination skill at all, as far as we can tell. He does illusions. Illusions!¡¯ ¡®I know,¡¯ came the barbarian¡¯s sad reply. ¡®Cool, so let¡¯s¡ª¡¯ I caught myself; he hadn¡¯t replied what I¡¯d expected him to. There was no ¡°Oh, really, Styk? Well in that case let¡¯s get the hells out of here¡±. ¡®You know?¡¯ I repeated. ¡®I figured it out a few days ago,¡¯ Lore said. ¡®He only knows what his spies tell him. And what I tell him. I haven¡¯t challenged him on it or anything, but¡ª¡¯ ¡®Then why in all of Tartarus are you staying here?¡¯ I demanded. ¡®I can get you out. I have a Saved Portal back to Coldharbour, if you want distance. I can get you away from him in an instant. So why stay?¡¯ ¡®Because I¡¯ve seen it,¡¯ came the reply. That was a lot harder to argue with. All the Slayers had been acting weird lately, but Lore was the one of us with a good excuse; he was doing what he had to to keep us all alive. He was the one battling with the strings of fate. ¡®If I leave Yusef, Alenna dies. I¡¯ve tried everything I can to get out of it, but¡­ there¡¯s nothing.¡¯ Both our heads snapped to the door when we heard movement outside. But it was the casual cough of an uninformed guard, not one charging to kill me. They weren¡¯t here yet. ¡®We¡¯re going to kill him, Lore,¡¯ I said. ¡®We have to.¡¯ ¡®Good. I want him dead. I don¡¯t wanna be here, Styk. I just¡­ have to be.¡¯ ¡®Then help.¡¯ The barbarian shook his head. ¡®I can¡¯t go with you. I really can¡¯t.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t believe I was about to say this. ¡®I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m saying this, but don¡¯t come with me, then. You can tell help from here.¡¯ ¡®How? He¡¯s desperate. I think he knows you lot have seen through him. This man isn¡¯t like Jacob or Niamh, he¡¯s not actually strong. His power is in lying and making connections. And he¡¯s realised that you lot aren¡¯t falling for any of his traps. Now he knows that even the Towers of Zelas aren¡¯t safe. He¡¯ll lash out, Styk. You¡¯re not safe. You¡¯re not¡ª¡¯ I grabbed Lore by his shoulders. The man was rambling, and needed snapping back to reality. Just what had he seen in those visions? Just how many of our deaths had he been forced to sit through? I could think of nothing else that would make him like this. ¡®Use that,¡¯ I told him. ¡®Use his desperation against him. We need him away from Zelas, from his followers. They are his strength, as you say. If you can convince him that he¡¯s in real trouble, if you can convince him to flee, then we might stand a chance. Get him away from his followers, and we¡¯ll deal with him. Can you do that?¡¯ Lore nodded; this, he could do.
"Styk" Level 20 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 52 Intelligence ¡ª 227 Dexterity ¡ª 137 Strength ¡ª 82 Wisdom ¡ª 76 Charisma ¡ª 50
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 61 Knifework ¡ª Level 45 Stealth ¡ª Level 26 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II - Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
207. To Elassos As the first light of dawn crawled its way across the deserts outside Zelas, we watched two horses kicking up dust into the air. These were two of the fastest steeds that money¡ªor, in this case, power¡ªcould buy. After the discussion I¡¯d had with Lore last night, I had no doubt that he was one of them, and Yusef the other. He¡¯d succeeded. He¡¯d separated Yusef from the cult. But we now had rides of our own. * * * ¡®And where in hells have been?¡¯ Arzak demanded when I¡¯d returned to camp in the dead of night. Tokas and I¡¯s watch had ended while I¡¯d been gone, and the tiefling had clearly had no choice but to wake the next watchers, Arzak and Corminar. ¡®I went to see Lore,¡¯ I replied. ¡®Alone?¡¯ demanded Val, sitting up from the mess of blankets in my tent. ¡®Oh, you¡¯re awake too.¡¯ ¡®You could have been hurt,¡¯ Arzak said. The foot tapping hadn¡¯t stopped, or even slowed, as far as I could see. ¡®We say we not split up. Why you go?¡¯ ¡®Cos he¡¯s our friend. And we owed him a way out, if he wanted one, especially after¡­¡¯ I trailed off, but my meaning¡ªI hoped¡ªwas obvious; after Corminar and I had overlooked how much he¡¯d been struggling with the burden of prophecy. ¡®He not here.¡¯ ¡®No. He¡¯s staying. He says if he leaves, Alenna dies. I don¡¯t blame him for choosing his friend¡¯s life over killing Yusef.¡¯ Val opened her mouth as if about to say ¡°I do¡±, but nothing came out. ¡®So pointless then,¡¯ Arzak said. ¡®You risk life for nothing.¡¯ I shook my head. ¡®Oh, I didn¡¯t say that.¡¯ I turned to Val. ¡®It¡¯s good you¡¯re up; I need you. We¡¯re going to need to steal some horses.¡¯ * * * As Lore and Yusef fled across the desert sands, we hopped up onto steeds of our own. We¡¯d stolen eight¡ªone apiece, plus one for carried items that I couldn¡¯t fit in my pocket world. This would keep us quick, if not quick enough to catch up Yusef on a horse like that. But sooner or later, he would grow tired of running, and then the battle would begin. There would be no fragile truce this time. Yusef could no longer threaten us with visions of the future that we now knew were false. This time, when we caught him, it would end one of only two ways¡ªwe¡¯d kill him, or he¡¯d kill us. Just how much of a chance did he stand without his cult behind him, and with only Illusion magicks at his disposal? Lore being forced to his side had really been a blessing in disguise. Yusef, perhaps considering himself some master manipulator, had thought he was strengthening himself and weakening us by bringing Lore to his side. But Lore, accidentally charismatic as he was, had got under the man¡¯s skin. He¡¯d been able to do as I¡¯d suggested. He¡¯d played on the man¡¯s paranoia, on his fear, enough that Yusef would seek to flee fast enough that the cult couldn¡¯t follow. Not that they weren¡¯t trying; even as Zelas disappeared behind us, we saw the familiar shade of pale orange as his worshippers took chase. We would have to finish this fight before the cultists could catch up, but what with their relatively slow pace, the longer that Yusef fled, the longer we¡¯d have to do so. We settled in for the long haul. Nobody spoke until the hot rays of the midday sun were upon us. We¡¯d slowed our horses¡¯ paces so as not to wear them out, and stopped momentarily at a water hole to refill our tankards. From the tracks in the sand, Yusef and Lore had stopped here too, and not so long ago that the desert winds had hidden those imprints. I hurried us all back onto our horses the moment we¡¯d stocked up on water, as we couldn¡¯t linger. Not if we wanted to catch him. We rode once more, the road fading fast beneath our horses¡¯ hooves. This was a part of the world not well served by merchants or travellers; there was little need for established paths. If the road grew soft, it would slow us, but it would slow Yusef, too. ¡®You all know where he¡¯s going, right?¡¯ Tokas shouted. In the din of the galloping horses, it was no easy thing for us all to respond, so she added, ¡®He¡¯s heading to Elassos.¡¯ I brought my horse over to her side, finding it difficult; my experience with horseriding was very limited, considering that I wasn¡¯t filthy rich. But eventually I got there, almost as if my horse knew what I was getting at and was being considerate, even though I was pushing him hard. ¡®Tell me,¡¯ I shouted over the noise, ¡®Why Elassos? What¡¯s there? I thought it was abandoned?¡¯ ¡®It is,¡¯ Tokas cried back. ¡®Except for bandits, perhaps. He won¡¯t find help there.¡¯ ¡®Then what will he find? Why go there at all?¡¯ ¡®It was built back during the invasion,¡¯ Tokas said. ¡®And being a sea people, the tieflings had never really encountered fortresses like we¡¯d seen here. But the tiefling way is to turn an enemy¡¯s strength against them, and so they established their foothold in this region by building a fortress to put all to shame, except perhaps Great Hearth. It¡¯ll have defences, it¡¯ll have enchantments.¡¯ I nodded. ¡®So he¡¯s setting traps for us again? He has no other tricks up his sleeve?¡¯ ¡®I believe we were weak enough only a year ago that these traps would have finished us,¡¯ Corminar pitched in. ¡®That we¡¯ve survived so many speaks to how far we¡¯ve come. Perhaps Yusef has not ever before needed another ¡°trick up his sleeve¡±.¡¯ There was that. If Jacob the pyroknight had been smart enough¡ªor less blinded by rage¡ªthen any traps he¡¯d left for us could well have been the end for us. We were stronger, now. I was stronger now. I touched the artifact dangling from my neck. Maybe we shouldn¡¯t feel fear when we rode to meet our enemy. Maybe this was what the future of the Slayers looked like¡ªstill working toward the same purpose, but no longer terrified for our lives when we did it. I, for one, could go for that. The sun was lower in the sky, casting great shadows from the mountain range, when Elassos finally appeared over the horizon. As Tokas had promised, it really was a sight to behold. It stood atop one of the lower hills in the outer mountain range, yet with its great height, it still seemed to tower above us. The structure itself had small balconies that ran around its square floor plan on every level, punctuated occasionally by great platforms that protruded from one side or another. These platforms, supported by metal beams but surely magicks too, paid host to building, and I got the impression that these had once been training grounds for the tiefling troops stationed there. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. As we grew closer still, I saw more signs of life. There were footprints on the road¡ªnot Yusef¡¯s or Lore¡¯s, who were surely still on horseback¡ªand there were signs of campsites. Slowly, strange shapes at the bottom of the fortress came into focus, and I saw that they were tents. Tokas hadn¡¯t been wrong; bandits really did use this fortress as a refuge. We¡¯d just have to hope they didn¡¯t get in our way. Faces appeared from these tents as the fortress loomed in our vision, faces attached to bodies holding curved swords and spears and preparing magicks in case of attack. But we made no effort to move for our weapons¡ªwe had bigger fish to fry¡ªand slowly these bandits became more relaxed. Arzak asked one of them the obvious question with her eyes, and the bandit replied in kind¡ªlooking upwards to the heights of the fortress. They¡¯d gone up there. And where they went, we followed. We rode up the ramps leading to Elassos¡¯s main entryway¡ªan archway larger than most taverns, with its two huge wooden doors rotting away and fire-scarred. Inside, Elassos was large enough that we didn¡¯t need to dismount. We could ride the horses up the gentle ramps that took us upwards into this eerily empty, ornate fortress. Their speed was slowed, of course, but this only gave us time to inspect the glowing lines that seemed to stretch from ground floor to spire. Whatever these magicks were, I did not know, and their ever-changing colour gave no indication even which specialty they related to. All we knew was that the tieflings had once thought them important in protecting this fortress, and I prayed that Yusef didn¡¯t know more than this either. The horses were moving very slowly when we reached the higher floors, and Arzak¡ªwhose horse was, predictably, the most tired of all¡ªmade the decision to dismount. We all did the same, Raelas and Lambkin tying the reins to an arched pole on the wall that I could only assume had been made for this very purpose. And then, still not a word shared, we proceeded to the topmost storey. Two men stood on the platform protruding eastwards from Elassos, the sun now low enough in the sky that the spire cast them in shadow. The edges of this wooden platform were raised, but only perhaps a foot from the floor¡ªthe tiefling weren¡¯t massively concerned with safety, it seemed. Beyond that, the only object of note on this platform was, for lack of a better word, an altar¡ªand where all of the glowing lines came together. It worried me that Yusef had chosen there, of all places, to let us catch up. ¡®Do you never stop?¡¯ the Player asked, saliva splattering the floor in front of him as he spoke with such disdain. I held his eyes as I spoke to him. ¡®We won¡¯t stop chasing you. We need you to realise that. So why don¡¯t we end this now, one way or another?¡¯ Yusef¡¯s eyes darted to Lore. He was no fool. He knew that his grasp he had on Lore was dependent on keeping his friends alive. He¡¯d set traps on the road, but none of them had been successful. If they had been, he¡¯d have needed to kill Lore, and lose the gentle giant¡¯s grasp of Divination. That would have been no problem with the hordes of his cult around him, but now, if he lost Lore, he was alone. But he would have known that. He was smart enough to anticipate that, even if he was as paranoid as Lore had said. And yet he¡¯d come here anyway. My eyes darted to the glowing altar once more. ¡®One way, perhaps,¡¯ Yusef replied, holding our gaze. We stared back. ¡®The¡­ way where you die?¡¯ Val suggested. Yusef shook his head to himself, but said nothing, instead turning to the altar. ¡®What?¡¯ I goaded him. ¡®That¡¯s it? No great speech? No threats? Just¡­ that?¡¯ ¡®Yes,¡¯ Yusef replied, and he placed his hands on the altar. ¡®Just that.¡¯ The glowing lines that stemmed out from the altar turned red in a blink, Yusef¡¯s Illusion magicks flowing from the altar so fast you might missed it. And then the tower, my friends, even Yusef himself disappeared from my sight. This was an illusion to surpass even those he¡¯d left for us on the road, in some way using the innate powers of this fortress. There was the answer to the question. Why had he come here, even without his cult to defend him? The answer was simple: because here was a trap that we couldn¡¯t hope to survive.
"Styk" Level 20 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 52 Intelligence ¡ª 227 Dexterity ¡ª 137 Strength ¡ª 82 Wisdom ¡ª 76 Charisma ¡ª 50
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 61 Knifework ¡ª Level 45 Stealth ¡ª Level 26 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II - Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
208. The Eyes Of Our Ancestors I stumbled forward in the artificial darkness, my dagger raised. Yusef was in front of me. Or, at least, he should have been in front of me. But as I arrived where he should have been, I found nothing but the glowing red altar. He¡¯d fled within the darkness, and I was going to have to move quickly to find him again. I heard a muffled scream off to my right¡ªsomewhere deep in the fog-not-fog. Raelas. I charged towards her, moving as fast as I could without risking running into the point of Yusef¡¯s own knife. I crossed the glowing red lines that stemmed from the altar, and then my vision misted for a moment. I ignored it, pushing forward, until¡ª The platform disappeared beneath my foot. I fell forwards, opening a portal in front of me to stop me plummeting to my doom, and opened its partner somewhere back above where the platform was. I hit the wooden platform again hard, and I hoped that Raelas¡¯s scream from a moment ago hadn¡¯t been her doing the same¡ªthe platform, and its edge, was still here, whether we could see it or not. ¡®Are you alright, my child?¡¯ a voice came through the darkness. A familiar voice, one that pulled forth emotions of joy¡­ and despair. I whipped my head around once more and approached the voice, this time taking care with every step. A figure loomed in the darkness. ¡®...Val?¡¯ I asked, though I knew deep down it wasn¡¯t. In hindsight, I realised I already knew who it was at this point, but I was deep in denial at the time. ¡®Come to me,¡¯ the same voice replied. Definitely not Val. I took another step forward, expecting the altar to appear in front of me once more, but it didn¡¯t. I¡¯d lost my sense of direction in the thick fog. Instead, a familiar face appeared¡ªone that made my heart skip a beat, but not lower my weapon. ¡®Mum?¡¯ I asked. ¡®My child.¡¯ Her familiar face beamed back at me, having not aged a day since the portrait my father had treasured, or since I¡¯d seen her image in Empress Amira¡¯s files. She held her arms out at her sides, as though encouraging me to embrace her. ¡®No, you¡­ you¡¯re not here,¡¯ I said. ¡®You left. And you¡¯re not coming back.¡¯ ¡®Yes,¡¯ the image of my mother agreed, gazing upon me with eyes I recognised. Eyes I¡¯d seen so many times in the mirror. ¡®I left. I was the first of many to leave you, wasn¡¯t I? Then your father, snatched by his enemies. Then Gwin, infected by the corruption. Then Val, who left on her own accord. Yet you are so quick to forgive them.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re saying I should forgive you, too,¡¯ I replied, then caught myself. I was arguing with an illusion. I had to remember that, or Yusef would¡­ what? End me here? Trap me here forever? I didn¡¯t quite know his plan just yet. ¡®I¡¯m asking a question, is all. I¡¯m asking whether you forgave them so that you might find the courage to forgive me.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m not scared, I¡ª¡¯ ¡®Not scared of me, no,¡¯ the woman said. ¡®Scared of absence. If you forgive me, then you let me go. And if you let me go, then I may never return. That¡¯s it, isn¡¯t it?¡¯ I realised then that I¡¯d taken a few unconscious steps closer to the woman with outstretched arms. How had she done that? Or had she even done anything at all? I forced myself to a stop. ¡®Cleo, no,¡¯ I said. ¡®Cleo, now, is it?¡¯ the woman replied. ¡®What happened to Mum?¡¯ Still, she kept her arms wide open. I forced myself to step backwards, away from her. ¡®You¡¯re not real.¡¯ ¡®No? Then how do I know so much about you?¡¯ I held my blade higher, ready to defend myself. ¡®Because that¡¯s how he works. Yusef. His illusions are personal. Your greatest fears made to seem real. He did it to Arzak, with Tokas prophesied to kill her, and he did it with Lore by threatening the lives of his friends. That¡¯s what this is. That¡¯s what you are. A trick.¡¯ The woman¡¯s smile faded. ¡®Very well.¡¯ With that, she charged, her dagger arching through the air. Instinctively I defended myself with my own blade, but then realised¡­ this was an illusion. My mother, here, couldn¡¯t possibly hurt me, because she was just in my¡ª My dagger smashed against hers, and we rebounded. In that moment, I saw that Cleo didn¡¯t have the same eyes as me. She had Yusef¡¯s eyes, now. I charged, pressing the attack, activating Knifestorm to increase the damage dealt. But my mother¡ªor the image of my mother¡ªdisappeared into the darkness, and my attack hit only air. I heard another muffled cry from somewhere else nearby. Nearby on the platform; I must remember we¡¯re on a platform. This one I recognised¡ªVal¡¯s. I hurried to her side as carefully as I could, wishing I didn¡¯t have the Tamed Portals passive as their glow might have helped cut through this darkness. And I stumbled over a child. Well, I would have stumbled over a child if I hadn¡¯t instead walked straight through them like they weren¡¯t even there. This was an illusion, and it was one that Yusef wasn¡¯t inhabiting. I wouldn¡¯t have given them a second look, but then the child whimpered. I stopped, then, and I looked down at her. It was only then that I realised this was a vision of Val. The child held up a small mouse, which lay limp in her cupped, upturned hands. ¡®I didn¡¯t mean to,¡¯ she said. ¡®I didn¡¯t mean to hurt it.¡¯ The sincere distress in her voice almost broke my heart. ¡®It¡¯s OK,¡¯ I started to say, recognising in that moment that I was talking to an illusion, ¡®you didn¡¯t mean to¡ª¡¯ ¡®Oh, Equivalence,¡¯ a voice said, emerging from the darkness. A short woman arrived at the young girl¡¯s side and cradled her. ¡®It¡¯s OK. It¡¯s OK.¡¯ The woman looked around, and in that moment I caught a glimpse of her face. Niamh¡¯s face. The Player we¡¯d killed in the Bay of Roots. So she had not always been an enemy to Val. From the looks of it, she¡¯d once been a friend. I stepped backwards carefully, away from the vision. I didn¡¯t know what game Yusef was playing with this, but I didn¡¯t want to stick around to find out. I kept the vision of the child and the Player in my sight as I edged away, expecting a trap, expecting¡ª This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. I stumbled into something solid, and I whipped around, blade out, nearly catching Val in the stomach. ¡®Val?¡¯ Her eyes were fixed on the vision of her younger self. ¡®Is this¡­ real?¡¯ I asked. The witch hesitated before nodding. ¡®You never told me¡­¡¯ I trailed off, not quite sure how to phrase this question. ¡®You didn¡¯t tell me you knew her like this.¡¯ Before Val¡ªthe adult Val¡ªcould give any reply, the vision changed. The child version of herself was older now, perhaps ten or eleven. She poked her head through a door, into some kind of village hall. There, Niamh sat again, at the head of an ornate dining table laden with food. But the real Val¡¯s eyes weren¡¯t on her¡ªthey were on a timid-looking couple sat at Niamh¡¯s right. ¡®Mum,¡¯ she said, ¡®Dad.¡¯ More parents. Yusef really needed more imagination. Though, I wasn¡¯t sure we could withstand any more imaginative traumas. ¡®They knew her? They knew Niamh?¡¯ ¡®They became friends. Niamh wasn¡¯t always¡­ what you saw. For a while¡ªfor many years¡ªshe was a friend to our town. She fought back the terrok infestation, dealt with the rockrats, even took down a neereagle. She encouraged my changeling abilities, supported me with them. She popped in on birthdays, brought me gifts.¡¯ A growl echoed around the fog, followed by the sound of a falling tree. ¡®But then we both came to understand what was happening to me. We both realised what my powers were. And she turned. She poisoned the minds of my parents, making them hate me. She destroyed my friendships. Made me an outcast. And never told me why. Why did she hate witches so much? What possible threat could I have been to her?¡¯ Something clicked in my mind, then. I¡¯d already come to forgive her¡ªYusef¡¯s vision of my mother was right about that, and probably about the reasons why, too¡ªbut now I understood her. I understood why she was so scared of me changing. She was scared of me turning on her like that. Taking everything from her that she held dear¡ªincluding the Player that she¡¯d come to love. ¡®Val,¡¯ I said. ¡®Yeah?¡¯ I nodded to the vision of Niamh. ¡®I think it¡¯s time you got some revenge.¡¯ ¡®She¡¯s not real.¡¯ ¡®So what?¡¯ Val blinked up at me for a moment, then nodded. Her attacks wouldn¡¯t hit anything, but there was maybe still a catharsis in taking down even an echo of the woman who betrayed her. The witch raised her hands, summoning her lightning magicks, and launched the attack down the table. The crackling power passed over everyone at that imaginary table without hurting them. Everyone, but one. A diminutive man at the closest end of the table shrieked with pain, then snapped his head towards us. ¡®What the¡­¡¯ Val mumbled, at the same moment that I said, ¡®Yusef!¡¯ As the man charged, I was tempted to open a portal underneath myself and Val to remove us from trouble. But what with this platform having an edge somewhere, I couldn¡¯t risk it; if Val fell and I couldn¡¯t see her, then she was as good as dead. Instead, I¡¯d have to rely on my other skills for once. I activated Knifestorm once more, as this ability was a more effective defence than simply trying to meet blade with blade. My dagger slashed against Yusef¡¯s curved sword, knocking him backwards. But a Player¡ªsomeone of Yusef¡¯s level¡ªshouldn¡¯t have been staggered so easily. Just what was going on here? Val pressed her own attack, relying on her lightning magicks as we were so far from nature up here. The attack made Yusef¡¯s body convulse, and I wasted no time in jumping in to stab, stab and stab again. The man croaked as his last breath escaped his body, and then fell to the floor. The witch arrived at my side. ¡®That¡­ was Yusef?¡¯ I shook my head. ¡®Can¡¯t be. He would have¡ª¡¯ Swordsman of the Desert Sons defeated! Knifework ¡ª +1,900xp The vision faded from the dead man, revealing him for what he truly was; one of the bandits who had been camped outside the fortress. We¡¯d thought they¡¯d simply wanted no trouble when they¡¯d let us by, but the truth was darker. Yusef had already enchanted them. They were part of his trap. Whispers erupted around us, amongst the fog. Then screams, and shouts. But were these real, or part of Yusef¡¯s trap? And just how many of our friends were still alive, within the mist? Val and I looked at one another, and nodded. We had friends to save, visions to shatter, and a Player to kill. We stepped forward, and got to work.
"Styk" Level 20 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 52 Intelligence ¡ª 227 Dexterity ¡ª 137 Strength ¡ª 82 Wisdom ¡ª 76 Charisma ¡ª 50
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 61 Knifework ¡ª Level 45 Stealth ¡ª Level 26 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II - Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
209. To Fight Our Fates Val and I kept close to one another as we stepped through the fog, keenly aware how easy it would be to lose one another amongst this great illusion. A battlefield blossomed into view. It took me a moment to place it, considering it felt like so long had passed since we were there. But the clear blue waters of the bay, the towering trees, the magick traps exploding against the hulls of the invading ships¡­ this was just as the siege of Sunalor had been. These distressing memories could only belong to one person; the elf who had watched his homeland fall. ¡®Cor!¡¯ I shouted over the din of a siege in progress. ¡®Cor, where are you?¡¯ Val and I kept our eyes on those charging around us, both elven and Goldmarch soldiers alike, as either could turn out to be a bandit in waiting. A group of elven soldiers ran to reinforce the part of the wall we were standing on, each of them passing through us as though we weren¡¯t even there. Though, I supposed that we weren¡¯t. And there, along the wall, I saw him. ¡®Cor!¡¯ I shouted, waving at him. But this Corminar was busy leading troops, giving orders to a man who looked up at the trees towering overhead. ¡®Styk, look,¡¯ Val said, tugging on my sleeve. She pointed down from the wall to the ground outside the inner city, where Corminar¡ªour Corminar¡ªbattled his failure. He released arrow after arrow in frantic haste, each of them passing through the soldiers of the Golden Empire unnoticed. Did he know already that there were real, tangible threats amongst these illusions, or was he simply reliving an old trauma and fighting for a different outcome? I stepped through the vision of Sunalor¡¯s inner wall, expecting to have to jump down to the other side, but the ground came up fast. There was no height difference at all in reality, and the illusion had needed to bend to reflect that. ¡®Cor!¡¯ I shouted, charging through the enemy soldiers, having to fight my body¡¯s instinct to move around them with ever step, ¡®Cor, there are bandits in¡ª¡¯ I collided heavily with one of the soldiers, and it caught me by surprise enough that I bounced off them, falling backwards to the ground. Before I could react, they had their curved blade swinging down towards me. The blade had just hit the flesh of my right shoulder when crackling lightning magicks soared forth from behind me. The enemy crumpled from the pain of the attack, and my elven friend, having witnessed this, pivoted to fire arrow after arrow into this soldier¡¯s back¡ªeach of them, this time, hitting. Val¡¯s face appeared over me, and she held out an arm to pull me up. I used my left arm, not right, to grab her hand, and only when I was back on my feet did I look at my wound. It was bleeding, sure, but it could have been much worse if Val had been only half a second slower to react. ¡®I¡¯ll heal,¡¯ the witch said. ¡®No use you being¡ª¡¯ But at that moment, I spotted the eyes of one of the charging soldiers behind her. This man wasn¡¯t looking up at the wall, like the rest of those in Goldmarch uniform; he was looking at Val. He¡¯d seen her. As the soldier swung his blade, I yanked Val out the way of the attack, and brought my knife up with my injured arm. The attack was weakened by my injury, but it helped that I¡¯d managed to bury the dagger into the man¡¯s stomach. As the man¡¯s eyes bulged, I activated Closed Reach to bend reality and bury the knife even further, and I twisted, just for good measure. That, alongside a couple of well-placed arrows from Corminar, was enough to down the enemy. Swordsman of the Desert Sons defeated! Knifework ¡ª +2,100xp Knifework increased to level 46! Base Points Gained ¡ª +1 DEX, +1 STR, +2 Free Points (VIT/DEX/STR) But there wasn¡¯t time to celebrate this minor victory, because at that moment, Corminar roared with pain. Another bandit had made themselves known in the grand illusion, this time striking at the party member who relied on distance between him and his enemy¡ªand therefore had little in the way of health or damage resistance. I portaled to Corminar¡¯s side, leaving it open for Val to join us, and hit the enemy with both a Knifestorm and a Closed Reach at the same time, figuring that there was nothing in the wording to say I couldn¡¯t use both at the same time. The power afforded me by the flurry of attacks plus the bended reality, allowed me to hit the enemy multiple times, and deeply, too. Normally, I would have expected any of my knife attacks not to do enough damage to down an enemy, but this time¡­ it worked. My strength really had grown fast over this past year and a half. Swordswoman of the Desert Sons defeated! Knifework ¡ª +2,350xp Across the fake battlefield, lightning magicks roared out once more, and Corminar pivoted to fire an arrow at another bandit¡ªone that Val was grappling with. As the third arrow put this enemy down, I heard a distant scream. A familiar voice. Raelas. I met Val¡¯s gaze, and the witch nodded. Her, Corminar and I charged across the battleground for a moment, before I remembered where we really were¡ªon a platform suspended high in the air above the ground. I slowed the others down with a splayed hand gesture, and we proceeded hesitantly. Who knew if that scream was even real? Could that not have been part of Yusef¡¯s illusion? Even when I saw Raelas ahead of me, my questions weren¡¯t answered for certain. Strange, warped images of Carle and Ama stood over her, terrorising her, each of them ten, maybe twelve feet tall. ¡®You let us die,¡¯ Ama hissed at Raelas. ¡®That was your only job, and you failed. You¡¯re alone, now. Alone for all eternity. You think your new travelling companions are your friends? No. They hate you for what you did. They¡¯ll never care for you. Not like we did. And maybe that will save their lives.¡¯ ¡®They¡¯re not real!¡¯ I shouted, waving desperately at Raelas. I knew from experience just how convincing these illusions could be; they didn¡¯t just fool the eyes, they fooled the heart as well. ¡®They¡¯re not¡ª¡¯ And then Carle pushed his sword downwards, stabbing Raelas in the chest, clean through. He snapped his head towards us, snarled, and I saw his eyes. Yusef¡¯s eyes. The two giants began charging at us. I opened a portal for Val to step through to Raelas¡¯s side¡ªeven with such a deep wound, Val¡¯s Healing abilities seemed to have progressed enough that she might still save the tiefling. This left Corminar and I to deal with the giant Ama and Carle. ¡®Cor! Ama!¡¯ I shouted, pointing at the image of the woman who¡¯d been corrupted. The elf understood my meaning; we knew Carle¡¯s image was inhabited by someone who could do damage, but we didn¡¯t yet know if Ama was the same. I allowed myself a sigh of relief when the elf¡¯s arrow passed straight through Ama; it meant we could focus on fighting the Player. Yusef was probably the weakest of the Players we¡¯d battled, at least in terms of combat ability. His power lay instead in his grip he had on others, afforded him by his Illusion magicks. But even the weakest of Players would be a challenge for a mere ranger and worldbender. I scoured my brain for a plan, and with so little time to think, I circled back to the familiar: portals, portals, portals. A second later, Yusef was upon me, his sword shimmering, revealing itself as one of the curved swords of the bandits rather than the one that Carle had used. As Carle¡¯s image blinked, I opened a portal beneath myself, putting myself out of range of the Player¡¯s attacks, and when I looked back¡­ Carle¡¯s eyes had changed. I knew Yusef wouldn¡¯t have great ability with the sword, but I knew that Yusef knew that I knew, too. But the one strength he did have was his illusions. Even a fool with a sword could do real damage if his target didn¡¯t know an attack was coming. Fortunately, there was only one other figure around that Yusef could reasonably inhabit¡ªAma. ¡®Cor! Watch out!¡¯ I shouted, pointing to the giant metal mage. But I was a moment too late; Corminar dived out of the way of the tackling woman, but not before she got a hand around his ankle. I suffered a flash of realisation, then: if I¡¯d activated my Portal Relay earlier, we¡¯d have been able to keep in touch more easily, using my portals to transmit sound. I activated the ability now as I charged at Ama-Yusef, flinging two of the tiny portals that came with the ability over to Val and Ama. The others, I kept orbiting me for now, at least until we could find the others. I launched myself into the air with the aid of a pair of portals, and I gripped my dagger in two hands. As I soared down towards Yusef¡¯¡¯s back, I brought the knife arcing down in a stab. It surely wouldn¡¯t be enough to severely hurt the man¡ªhe was a Player, after all¡ªbut it might have been enough to get Corminar free. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. As it happened, my knife tip met ground. Yusef had left Ama¡¯s form amongst the billowing mist, and Corminar immediately wrenched his ankle free. That was the good news. The bad news was that we had absolutely no idea where Yusef was. ¡®No,¡¯ I heard Val say through her mini portal relay, ¡®you don¡¯t get off that easily. You have to live with what you¡¯ve done.¡¯ The healing going well, then. I released another of the miniature relays to orbit around Corminar, and as the elf staggered back to his feet, gathering himself, I heard the sound of¡­ ¡­an army? The noise of charging army grew louder and louder, and suddenly the first wave of Niamh¡¯s invasion force was upon us. Corminar and I spun around, desperately searching for who among the illusions could deal us actual damage. ¡®I¡­¡¯ the elf said. ¡®I don¡¯t¡­¡¯ We kept turning and turning, pushing our backs up against one another. As we turned, I lost track of Raelas and Val¡¯s positions in the fog; rejoining them was going to need a little bit of luck. ¡®Keep looking,¡¯ I said. ¡®He could be any one of¡ª¡¯ I cried out with pain as a knife caught my side, slicing a deep gash in the flesh. I grabbed it, pressing the flesh together, trying to stop the bleeding as much as possible. I looked for the person who¡¯d dealt the damage, but they were already lost to the crowd. ¡®Are you dead?¡¯ Corminar asked. ¡®No.¡¯ ¡®Good.¡¯ A hand came out at my side¡ªone grasping a glowing vial. I took it from him without worrying about snatching. ¡®It is a health potion. Dri¡ª¡¯ This time, it was Corminar¡¯s turn to cry out. But now I was ready. I turned the moment that the elf stopped talking, flinging my knife forward in a wild knifestorm. Most of my flails of my weapon met only air, but one¡ªjust one¡ªhit. But that one cut was enough to tell reality from fantasy. I gritted my teeth through the pain of the wound in my side and pressed the attack, looking at the enemy¡¯s eyes. Yusef¡¯s eyes. ¡®It¡¯s him!¡¯ I shouted, and then activated Closed Reach as I swung my knife forward once more. The tip of the blade met the man¡¯s flesh and he stumbled backwards. Though he didn¡¯t cry out in pain, I could see a thin stream of blood running down his chest. I¡¯d hoped Corminar would join me in the attack, but I could see him on the ground, the damage he¡¯d suffered being enough to down him. I threw the potion back to him, and in that split-second while I was distracted, Yusef disappeared amongst the charging soldiers once more. ¡®Gods, damn it.¡¯ If we could only land one hit at a time, then for all we knew, Yusef was simply healing himself. And if we kept accruing damage at this slow but steady rate, we could well all fall before the fight was done. We needed to think of something, and fast. I looked back at Corminar, or where he¡¯d been, and now I saw only figments and fog. Yusef had shifted the illusion between us, keeping us separately. Keeping us weak. I touched my side, and hissed at the pain. The damage was deeper than I¡¯d thought; I¡¯d been powering through before. My movements would be limited, and without the ability to use my portals in this dense fog, I was going to be slow. I just had to hope Yusef didn¡¯t take advantage of it. I took a deep breath and pressed after him, part of me hoping that I¡¯d stumble back across Val and Raelas, and the witch could heal me. I lashed out wildly at the soldiers, finding them all to be illusion, and conscious all the while that by pressing on at Yusef, I was leaving Corminar unprotected. I could only hope that he¡¯d drunk that potion and was moving nimbly through the illusion, keeping himself out of harm¡¯s way. ¡®She¡¯ll leave again,¡¯ that voice said. My mother¡¯s voice. I looked around for her visage, but found nothing. Still, I backed away from the direction in which I¡¯d heard it. ¡®You know she will.¡¯ ¡®I know no such thing,¡¯ I replied. ¡®She¡¯s sorry. I know she is.¡¯ ¡®And that¡¯s good enough for you?¡¯ The answer was ¡°yes¡±, but I wasn¡¯t going to dignify this illusion of my absent mother with a reply; there were more important things going on. I heard blade battling blade amongst the oppressive, dense fog, and I pushed towards it. A beautiful human woman stood at Arzak¡¯s rear, standing back to back with her just as Corminar and I had done moments earlier. They fought off giant rockrats, the size of which I¡¯d never seen before, though I could see that Arzak¡¯s swords passed through the monsters without harming them. Only the woman at her side could kill the creatures. ¡®Arzak!¡¯ I shouted, and the orc snapped her body around to face me. ¡®Away from her! She¡¯s part of the illusion. She could be Yus¡ª¡¯ A sword point burst from her chest, and this sword very much wasn¡¯t an illusion. The rockrats disappeared in a flash, and only the woman remained. A woman, I noticed, who sported a curved blade. ¡®Arzak, no!¡¯ I cried out. At the same moment, the orc blinked down at the sword protruding out of her chest. ¡®...El?¡¯ she asked. Then she dropped to the floor. I charged. I couldn¡¯t do anything to heal Arzak¡¯s severe wound, but I could at least stop this enemy from inflicting another. I burst into a knifestorm, this flurry of attacks being the most useful ability I had when I struggled to tell real from illusion, and my attacks struck flesh. The woman¡¯s visage faded, revealing herself to be¡ªof course¡ªone of Yusef¡¯s bandit thralls. Powered by fury, I stabbed and I stabbed and I stabbed, even when the woman was falling to the floor. Even when she was on the floor, I stabbed, before remembering myself. I rushed to Arzak¡¯s side, putting my hand over her chest, doing my best to stem the bleeding. But the wound was too deep. She needed healing, and she needed it now. ¡®Val!¡¯ I shouted. ¡®Val! Here! Now! It¡¯s Arzak! Val!¡¯ I shouted myself hoarse, but pushed through the pain in my throat¡ªit was hardly the worst thing going on right now. The fog took shape around us, forming huts and forest, and it took me a moment to recognise it. Arzak¡¯s eyes bulged as she blinked around at the image of the witchfinder village, back where we¡¯d seen the ¡°ghosts¡± trapped between worlds. And those ghosts had their eyes upon us. ¡®Val!¡¯ I cried out some more. ¡®Val, please! We need you.¡¯ The ghosts stepped forward again. My eyes drifted to the curved blades in their faint hands. ¡®Val!¡¯ I couldn¡¯t remove my hands from Arzak¡¯s chest, or she¡¯d die. I couldn¡¯t defend myself. I could only watch as the ghosts approached, forcing me towards a dreadful decision: let Arzak die, or save myself. The closest enemy hovered over me, savouring the moment before finally raising their curved blade. ¡®Val!¡¯ I shouted one last time, in vain. Part of me wanted to remove my hands from Arzak, to save one life¡ªmy own¡ªinstead of the both of us dying. But another part of me¡ªanother more sentimental part¡ªwas stronger. If this was it, then I would stare my attacker down all the while. ¡®Go on, then,¡¯ I whispered. The enemy swung their blade. And, with the sound of a clap, a bright red light blossomed behind them. The illusion of the ghosts shattered, revealing the bandits for what they were. All of them turned to face the woman who¡¯d entered the fray. Tokas. ¡®I¡¯m not Val, but I can save her.¡¯ I nodded, removed my hands from the dying Arzak, and drew my blade.
"Styk" Level 20 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 52 Intelligence ¡ª 227 Dexterity ¡ª 139 Strength ¡ª 84 Wisdom ¡ª 76 Charisma ¡ª 50
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 61 Knifework ¡ª Level 46 Stealth ¡ª Level 26 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II - Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
210. The False Prophet I roared as I arced my dagger at the closest bandit, my fury seeming to fuel the attack. A beam of glowing yellow-white light passed around me, soaring towards Arzak as Tokas yanked her back from the brink of death. The bandit brought up their sword to block my attack, clashing against my dagger rather than flesh. I pushed into our tangled blades, holding my knife where it was, not so far from their neck. Close enough to their neck, in fact, that I activated Closed Reach once more. My Worldbending magicks bent reality further, pushing the knife another 8 inches towards my enemy. Knife point met flesh, and the bandit recoiled from our clashed blades. I seized the advantage, opening a portal beneath them, sending them tumbling through the air at my side. I yanked my blade around, using the enemy¡¯s momentum to bury its sharp point deep in their chest. Swordsman of the¡ª No. There will be time for notifications later. I pushed them out of mind, and turned to the rest of the attackers, feeling my rage and my strength burning through me. I kept one eye on each of the bandits with curved blades, using them as a guide for where there would be platform underfoot, and I embraced my portals. Taking inspiration from Yusef¡¯s own strategies, I blinked around the platform, stepping in and out of portals, releasing attacks before my enemies knew what hit them and then disappearing amongst the fog once more. With so many of these attacks having damage boosted by my Stealth Attack passive and my Execution ability, I found these enemies dropping like flies. I really had grown. I really had become strong. But it had required embracing my strength and putting all qualms of violence aside to see how strong I¡¯d really become. As the last of the bandit-ghosts faded away, I breathed deeply, pushing the oxygen through me, barely feeling the wound in my side¡ªthough it had been healed slightly by my charge through Tokas¡¯s magicks. ¡®Styk?¡¯ Tokas asked, now crouched over the still-living Arzak. I turned to her, becoming aware that I was grimacing, my eyes wide, but not quite caring. I¡¯d almost watched a friend die. I was done with Yusef, now. It was time to end him. I didn¡¯t know how we could, but I knew someone who might. ¡®Lore!¡¯ I roared through the mist, tone hard, demanding. ¡®Lore, where are you? As I put Tokas and Arzak behind me, the mist encompassed me once more, the sound of the tiefling¡¯s magicks fading to a hush in a second. I heard nothing as I kept putting one foot in front of the other. ¡®Lore, he¡¯s killing us. You say you don¡¯t want to watch any more friends die? Well, it¡¯s happening either way!¡¯ I staggered on through the fog. ¡®You say Alenna is dead if you betray Yusef?¡¯ I continued, shouting, remembering what he¡¯d told me back in the tower. ¡®We¡¯re all dead if you don¡¯t. Deal with that now, and Alenna later.¡¯ I clutched my wound and finding my hand growing wet with thick red liquid. I pushed on, conscious that I was leaving a trail of blood behind me. Tokas¡¯s healing had been focused on Arzak; if she¡¯d closed my wound, then my attacks on the bandits had opened it again. ¡®Lore!¡¯ I shouted. ¡®Lore!¡¯ ¡®He¡¯s not here,¡¯ I heard Val shout through the portal relays. ¡®He¡¯s not¡ª¡¯ She cried out as an attack landed on her. But I couldn¡¯t help her when I didn¡¯t know where she was. ¡®Val?¡¯ I asked, drawing a breath. ¡®I¡¯m OK. For now. Find Lore.¡¯ Her reply was staggered, as though speaking for too long at one time was causing her pain. ¡®Lore!¡¯ I shouted again, then thought of the relays. I sent one of my remaining, orbiting relays out into the fog, and I shouted some more. ¡®Lore, do you hear me? Do you bloody well hear me? We¡¯re dying. It¡¯s slow, but we¡¯re dying. We need you. We need you now.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m here.¡¯ The voice was quiet, but steady. He wasn¡¯t hurt, just overwhelmed. ¡®Follow the relay,¡¯ I said, then urged it back towards me. I heard his heavy feet hitting the platform. ¡®We need to end him. Now. And we need your help doing it. What do you see, Lore? What future do you see where we escape this alive?¡¯ ¡®Alenna dies,¡¯ came the response. I heard him both through the portal and through the fog. He was growing closer. ¡®If I help you, she dies.¡¯ ¡®We¡¯ll save her.¡¯ ¡®Will we?¡¯ I saw the big man emerge through the fog. ¡®Look at me,¡¯ I told him. Lore met my eyes. He met my eyes with his own¡ªsoft, brown, gentle eyes. It was really him. ¡®We¡¯ll save her, Lore,¡¯ I promised. ¡®But right now, we need you to save us.¡¯ He held my gaze, and I saw terror in those round eyes. The gift of prophecy was no gift at all; it was a curse. So many times had he foreseen deaths¡ªsome illusions crafted by Yusef, others true visions, and the line between the two having grown so blurred. There was something blood-curdlingly awful in that. ¡®We¡¯ll save her,¡¯ I said, softly, one last time. Lore nodded, then turned, his eyes glowing yellow. ¡®Lore?¡¯ ¡®This way.¡¯ He moved with a confidence that the dense fog shouldn¡¯t have allowed, with the edge of the wide platform potentially springing itself on us with every step. But then, there were those glowing eyes he had, yellow with the hue of Divination. Since we¡¯d last spent time with him, Lore had learned to better control Niamh¡¯s curse¡ªthat he could use it for this purpose showed that it wasn¡¯t all bad. I pressed after him, taking care to keep close, unwilling to put one foot wrong, even though I always had portals to get myself back on the platform, should the worse happen. But the worse did not happen, and soon we saw a familiar sight before us. The strange altar stood before us, those glowing red lines illuminating the fog, and casting a crimson colour over Lore¡¯s face. Through Val¡¯s relay, I heard a cry. ¡®Whatever you¡¯re doing, better do it quickly!¡¯ she said. I met Lore¡¯s eyes. We didn¡¯t need to communicate any further; we both knew what had to happen next. Lore charged towards the altar, throwing himself into the air with his bane sword swinging in an arc above him. I opened a portal in front of him, in mid-step, launching him further into the air above the altar. As he fell, he brought his sword arcing down towards the amplifier of Yusef¡¯s power. Alone, it might not be enough. But I had one last trick up my sleeve. As Lore fell through one pair of portals, I stepped through another, bringing myself into the air at Lore¡¯s side. I reached out in the air, twisting my body around as we fell, and I put my hands around the pommel of Lore¡¯s great sword¡ªwith its enormous size, there was room enough to spare. It had taken me far too long to realise the great thing about my Closed Reach ability. It read, only: Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. At no point did it specify that it had to be my blade. Bane Sword clashed against stone, and the moment I felt the two connect, I activated my Closed Reach ability. The great sword split the stone, creating a gash eight inches deep, causing the red glowing lines to brighten and fade and brighten and fade, more erratically with every second that passed. Then, the altar exploded. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. All around us, the fog faded in a blink, revealing my allies and the great injuries they¡¯d suffered battling both past and present. A great, final, wave of red magicks erupted from the etched stone, throwing me and Lore backwards and through the air. Lore fell in a heap on the platform, while I arced through the air, relying on my portals to keep me from falling to my doom. As I blinked through the portal, I landed at Val¡¯s side. The witch was clasping her stomach, hurriedly healing a wound that had bled profusely over her exposed skin and torn clothes. I stepped over to support her, and looked around. Only one of the bandits was still standing, but that was a matter quickly seen to by Corminar, who was probably the least wounded of us, excluding Lore. Presumably he¡¯d gone through his deep supply of potions to still be looking so well. Raelas was on the ground, bleeding but breathing and being seen to by Lambkin¡ªnotably not a healer¡ªwhile Tokas still worked on Arzak¡¯s once-horrific wound. And that left only one more: Yusef. The Player stood at the stairwell, snarling as he stared the lot of us down. He¡¯d lost his advantage; the illusion was shattered. But the team were in no place to battle a Player, even one as weak as him. With only Lore uninjured, it would be a hopeless task. Unless we could flip the situation on its head. I cast my eyes around, looking for the answer. ¡®You lot just won¡¯t stop, will you?¡¯ Yusef spat. The man had once carried himself with a grand presence¡ªone appropriate to his image as, for lack of a better word, a god. But now, the person before us, snarling and tired and spitting as he was, he revealed himself as just another man. A mortal, at least in this world. Corminar raised his bow. ¡®Do you know what you endanger?¡¯ the Player shouted at the elf. ¡®Do you know?¡¯ ¡®We will end the Council¡¯s scheme before¡ª¡¯ Corminar started. ¡®Yes, yes, the scheme. But do you even know what that scheme is? Do you understand why it¡¯s important?¡¯ Lore took a step closer to Yusef, his sword still in his hand. This was enough to get the Player¡¯s attention. ¡®And you!¡¯ he shouted at his temporary travelling companion. ¡®Do you know what you¡¯ve done? Alenna will surely die, now. That¡¯s more blood on your hands.¡¯ I could open a saved portal, get Lore back to Coldharbour in a moment, but the barbarian¡¯s eyes were on Yusef. ¡®Maybe we can still save her,¡¯ the Player said. ¡®Come. Join me. Defend me against these others, and I will help you with her.¡¯ I heard this as a desperate bargain, but from the wide-eyed expression on Lore¡¯s face, he heard it as anything but. The barbarian, slowly, reluctantly, sheathed his sword, and ambled over to Yusef¡¯s side. ¡®Lore, no,¡¯ I breathed. ¡®Really? He¡ª¡¯ ¡®I told you, Styk. I ain¡¯t gonna watch another one of you die.¡¯ Yusef smiled at this. With Lore still untouched, he was the strongest of us. With the barbarian at his side, we definitely wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat him. But then Lore made eye contact with me, and for a moment, I thought I saw something twinkling within them. He half-turned to Yusef. ¡®What was that, you were about to say?¡¯ the barbarian prodded him. Suppressing a grin, I understood. With the flick of a hand behind my back, I cast my magicks. ¡®About the scheme?¡¯ Lore pressed the Player, stepping in front of him to keep the enemy¡¯s attention on himself. ¡®Maybe they should know. Maybe they¡¯d stop chasing us then.¡¯ Yusef, straightening his back and regaining a posture more typical of the man¡ªand more in keeping with his image¡ªsmiled. ¡®The scheme? Sure, I¡¯ll tell you. It¡¯s simple. Our Ascended World is dead. Let¡¯s not mince words, especially as everyone here knows that. When it died, we were all forced into the games¡ªor, worlds we created as a game, at least. Worlds formed of powerful magicks that only accelerated the destruction of our home.¡¯ ¡®A game?¡¯ I repeated. ¡®Our existence, our world is a game to you? We¡¯re alive! Living, breathing creatures in a living, breathing world! If you cut me, don¡¯t I bleed?¡¯ Yusef shrugged. ¡®Well, yes, but it¡¯s not real blood. Not in the way that mine is. Your blood was created by magicks; ours, with the birth of the universe, evolving over millennia. You are¡­ a lower lifeform.¡¯ Well, that¡¯s a pretty cut and dry way of looking at it. ¡®And these worlds¡­¡¯ the Player continued, ¡®they turned out to be only a temporary measure. There are only so many, and over the decades¡­ we have died in so many. For some members on the Council, this is the only world left to them. For others, myself included, we are alive in only a handful. These worlds aren¡¯t enough. They could never be enough.¡¯ ¡®So, what¡¯s the solution?¡¯ Lore asked, pushing the Player for information. We were nearly there. So close now. We just needed a little more detail to seal the deal. The Player smiled; he took great delight in this scheme, it seemed. ¡®Create a new world. Use the magicks of all those other worlds we created to make a new world, one in which we are immortal, and can live out eternity in peace. Not all can come with us, only those surviving members of my kind and a select few locals. That¡¯s what you miss out on, you see. If you stopped hunting my Council, maybe we could reach a deal. Maybe you could join us in heaven, rather than being left here, in a dying world.¡¯ Nobody said anything, letting these words linger in the air for just a moment. This was it. We just needed one final push. ¡®So we could buy our way into this new world?¡¯ Lore asked. ¡®But you¡¯ll take all your followers with you, right?¡¯ Yusef cast his head back and laughed. ¡®Take them with me? No. They¡¯ll stay in the crumbling, magick-stripped hellhole we leave behind.¡¯ It was Lore¡¯s turn to laugh. He stepped away from the Player¡¯s side, ambling back towards me and Val, and he smiled at Yusef. Though I was exhausted, I couldn¡¯t help but join in; there was something infectious about it. And then Corminar, and Val, and even Lambkin began to laugh, all because they knew one thing. They knew the job was done. Because, of course, it wasn¡¯t just my relay portals that transmitted sound. All my portals did, now. Everyone in hearing range had heard Yusef¡¯s admission, his truth about the ascended world and the fate of his people¡ªbut so too had all those the other side of the saved portal I¡¯d opened two minutes earlier, behind Yusef. So, too, had all those devout cultists the Player had left behind on Coldharbour¡¯s main plaza. Thousands of them. All staring at the portal that had appeared before them. All silent, because they dare not interrupt the man they worshipped. All hearing Yusef¡¯s plain and simple truth: that he¡¯d lied to them. That he¡¯d told them a great and terrible lie. A moment too late, Yusef turned. He saw the portal. He saw through the portal, and he realised what he¡¯d done. I took great delight in his smirk fading, in his eyes widening. From Coldharbour¡¯s dusty streets, the cultist horde charged.
"Styk" Level 20 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 52 Intelligence ¡ª 227 Dexterity ¡ª 139 Strength ¡ª 84 Wisdom ¡ª 76 Charisma ¡ª 50
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 61 Knifework ¡ª Level 46 Stealth ¡ª Level 26 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II - Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
211. Illusions End The cultists charged. I staggered backwards as the masses swarmed Yusef, emboldened by their rage just as I had been. So many years they¡¯d followed him, worshipped him, all with the promise of a divine reward. But now they knew it had been time wasted, that there was no world to ascend to. And, as was often the case with mobs, they¡¯d fed on each other¡¯s anger. I wouldn¡¯t get my artifact charge. Not for this Player. But there were many others out there to take down¡ªa whole Council to kill¡ªand I¡¯d realised my true strength. We would take the fight to them, and we would concede no quarter. We would hunt them down, and we would kill them all. Yeah, there would be plenty time for artifact charges later. I never saw Yusef die, and I barely even heard him scream, as the crowd attacking him had grown so large. Val and I had needed to take a few steps back to make space for the rabid hundreds, each of them wanting a piece of the man who¡¯d deceived them. I caught sight of Val eyeing me, her brow furrowed, curious that I was allowing Yusef to be defeated by others. Through all this, the only reason I knew that the Player was defeated was the notifications that began piling up. 5x Swordsman of the Desert Sons defeated! Level 44 Veilcaster defeated! Worldbending ¡ª +16,150xp Worldbending increased to level 62! Worldbending increased to level 63! Worldbending increased to level 64! Worldbending increased to level 65! Base Points gained ¡ª +8 INT, +8 Free Points (INT/WIS/CHA) Ability selection unlocked Select an ability from the list below¡­ Knifework ¡ª +7,250xp Knifework increased to level 47! Knifework increased to level 48! Base Points gained ¡ª +2 DEX, +2 STR, +4 Free Points (VIT/DEX/STR) Level up! You increased to level 21 It was an almost disappointingly low amount of experience considering all we¡¯d been through, but then again¡­ my involvement had been far from the finishing blow, as far as the system was concerned. Maybe I was lucky even to get this much. And there was a new ability selection to pick from! Yet¡­ still, all this felt somehow incomplete. ¡®You OK?¡¯ Val asked, and it took me a moment to realise she wasn¡¯t talking to me. Lore nodded, but shifted from foot to foot, looking at the crowd still charging through the portal, not yet fully aware that their vengeance was already complete. ¡®Yeah, I¡­¡¯ ¡®Alenna,¡¯ I said. The big man nodded, meeting my eyes. I returned the nod in kind, and allowed my saved portal to close, stemming the flow of once-cultists from Coldharbour. ¡®Be ready,¡¯ I said, and then opened the saved portal once more, in front of him. Lore was through in a blink, rushing off to see Alenna, to make absolutely sure that Yusef¡¯s illusion of her death had been just that¡ªan illusion. ¡®Don¡¯t suppose you could¡­¡¯ I started, pointing down to the deep wound on my side. While Val got to work Healing me, I looked over at Tokas and Arzak, the former helping the latter back to her feet. ¡®How¡¯s it feel?¡¯ the tiefling asked. ¡®Are you better? Are you going to be OK?¡¯ Arzak looked back at Tokas, then reached a hand forward and squeezing the tiefling gently at the shoulder. ¡®Thank you, Tokas,¡¯ the orc said, and I was surprised to see that her glistening eyes seemed to display sincerity. Not that Arzak was ever much of one to disguise her true feelings. ¡®You not ever going to kill me, were you? Just silly illusion. Silly illusion, is all. Sorry for doubting.¡¯ ¡®Alright, enough!¡¯ Lambkin shouted at the crowd, waving his hands to encourage the cultists back through the portal. ¡®It¡¯s done! Better get home before you all get stranded here.¡¯ This last thought alone was enough to begin to reverse the flow back into Coldharbour. But I was more interested in what Arzak and Tokas had to say than the sea of orange heading back home. From Lambkin¡¯s glances in the same direction, I suspected he was too¡ªbut was trying to hide it. ¡®It¡¯s OK,¡¯ Tokas said. ¡®I still¡­ I did what I did. I have to deal with the consequences. Tim¡¯s helped me realise that.¡¯ Arzak and I reacted to this in the same way¡ªwith a quizzical expression. ¡®Tim?¡¯ the orc asked. Tokas nodded towards Lambkin. ¡®Hm. He should stick with Lambkin.¡¯ I opened my mouth to agree, but was distracted by Val patting my wound. ¡®All done.¡¯ She cast a glance over to Raelas, who was on the ground, struggling back to her feet, clearly sporting a broken leg. ¡®I suppose I better¡­¡¯ Val shook her head in exasperation, then hurried over to the tiefling¡¯s side. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. As I turned back towards Arzak and Tokas, not at all trying to hide that I was watching them, the orc looked over at me. Arzak shot me a quick, almost apologetic glance, then turned back to Tokas and let out a deep, long breath. ¡®You should join us. Come back to team. Not all forgiven, but¡­¡¯ Yet already Tokas was shaking her head; if she¡¯d wanted that once, then no longer. ¡®I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m grateful. But I think that¡¯s behind me now. I have children to raise. And I don¡¯t think¡­ I don¡¯t think I¡¯m cut out for this life anymore. Tim and I, we¡¯ll stamp out the last of the malae trade, then we¡¯ll go home.¡¯ The man in question¡ªTim¡ªappeared at my side, him too looking over at the tiefling and the orc. Well, the tiefling, really; his eyes were fixed on her. ¡®You¡¯re going with her?¡¯ I asked him. Lambkin nodded. ¡®Yeah, I¡­¡¯ He allowed himself a laugh, and I couldn¡¯t blame him; the battle was won, and we deserved a little joy. ¡®I guess maybe Sae wasn¡¯t my soulmate after all. We find love in the strangest of places, don¡¯t we?¡¯ ¡®Yeah, you can say that again.¡¯ Almost against my better judgement, my eyes slid over to Val. The witch stood over Raelas, working her Healing magicks on the tiefling, and from the looks of it, actually treating the woman with kindness. I felt a smile cross my face, and then Val¡ªperhaps sensing my eyes upon her¡ªlooked back at me. She returned the smile in kind. ¡®You think you two will work it out?¡¯ Lambkin asked. ¡®Yeah,¡¯ I replied. ¡®Yeah, I think I do.¡¯ Lambkin stuck out a hand and clasped me around the shoulder¡ªan act of friendship. How far we¡¯d come since our first encounter, with him trying his best to kill me. As Lambkin moved away once more to encourage the cultists back through the portal, I drew in a deep breath. The battle was done. We¡¯d survived it. That was another Player death under my belt, and a cause for celebration¡ªeven if there were so many other members of the Council still to contend with. For all we knew, their scheme could still go ahead even without Yusef. In fact, it almost certainly would still go ahead; this didn¡¯t seem the type of plan that they would just give up on. And while our world was still threatened, we had work to do. Still, we could take this moment for ourselves, just this once. While Val finished up with Raelas, I took a look through the ability selection I¡¯d just unlocked. There were just two choices on this particular level. Ability selection unlocked Select an ability from the list below: Option 1: Enhanced Portals II (Worldbending) ¡ª Upgrade to Enhanced Portals. Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to three pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Three pairs of portals sounded handy in principle, but the limitation then was on my ability to coordinate six portals at once, rather than any ability limitations. I struggled enough with two pairs of portals, so I was hardly jumping at the bit to accept this ability choice. And that was before I even saw the other option. Conflict encountered. System adaptation complete. Unique ability choice unlocked. Unique ability choice strongly recommended. Option 2: Titan Husk (Worldbending) ¡ª Replaces Ash Husk. Warp your flesh to totally withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. So my encounter with the malae had done some good. The artifact, in resolving my conflict with the so-called ¡°reality fabrics¡± had triggered something spoken about as though it were only a myth¡ªa unique ability choice. These unique abilities were created through unique circumstances¡ªcircumstances that the Architects of the system had never truly accounted for. And in this case, my encounter with the malae had forced the system to provide me an ability that withstood corruption. Even without the corruption resistance, this would have been a fantastic ability. We might well be done dealing with Yusef¡¯s malae, but even without this corruption resistance coming in handy, this was still an ability worth having. I was just about to lock in my choice when something magical happened, something so perfect for the situation that it seemed created by divine intervention. Corminar found a bottle of wine.
"Styk" Level 20 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 52 Intelligence ¡ª 243 Dexterity ¡ª 143 Strength ¡ª 88 Wisdom ¡ª 76 Charisma ¡ª 50
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 65 Knifework ¡ª Level 48 Stealth ¡ª Level 26 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Ash Husk ¡ª Convert your flesh to ash, strengthening it against flame for ten minutes. Gain 50% resistance to fire attacks. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II - Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
212. Reasons To Be I say Corminar found a bottle of wine. What I really mean is that certain parts of the recently fractured Cult of Ascendancy gave wine an almost religious significance. Wine was the drink of the gods, that which should be gifted to them, that which should be kept on hand in case the prophet should return to them. The recently healed Corminar had spotted it in the hands of a cultist¡ªheld as if about to be used as a weapon against their now dead leader¡ªand chosen to relieve them of it. The ranger stuck an arrowhead in the cork and then wrenched it out. I could only assume he¡¯d made sure not to use a poison-coated arrow. With the flick of his hand, Corminar gestured the seven of us over to the edge of the platform, where he sat with his legs hanging over the edge, hundreds of feet above the ground. ¡®Is safe?¡¯ Arzak asked. Corminar took a big swig of wine, then gestured to me and Raelas. ¡®There is no longer the mist of illusion, and we have two worldbenders among our number. I am sure they will catch us should we fall.¡¯ Val shrugged, then joined the elf at his side, hanging her legs over the edge too. Corminar handed her the bottle, and she swigged from it just as greedily as the elf had. They shared their love for alcohol. Wait, so do I. I hurried over to join them, and Val handed me the bottle. It was good wine. Dry, just as I liked it, but smooth. I didn¡¯t have the vocabulary to describe it more than that¡ªdid it have notes of berries, perhaps?¡ªso I instead handed it off to Raelas as she joined us. Soon, it was only Arzak who remained standing away from the edge, her fear of heights still controlling her, but we could forgive her a little fear just this once. Lambkin, at the end of our line, offered the bottle to Arzak, who creeped over to the edge timidly, stretching her arm out as far as possible so she wouldn¡¯t need to get near us. As I stared forward at the long shadows stretching east, I closed my eyes. Nobody said a word for a few minutes, each of us enjoying the respite, the view, maybe even one another¡¯s company, though I suspect they were enjoying the wine first and foremost. ¡®You didn¡¯t kill him,¡¯ Val said at last. ¡®Yusef, you let the cultists take him down.¡¯ I shrugged. ¡®Don¡¯t see there was any other way. We were all weak from his illusions. We needed them.¡¯ Maybe it was the wine talking, or the world-shatteringly impressive view in front of us, but what Val said next surprised me. It wasn¡¯t just the words, but the way she said them, too. ¡®I¡¯m sorry, Styk. I¡¯m really, really, well and truly sorry. You shouldn¡¯t forgive me, that¡¯s¡ª¡¯ ¡®But I have.¡¯ ¡®Yeah, you have, haven¡¯t you? Cos you¡¯re better than me.¡¯ ¡®Val, don¡¯t. Don¡¯t think I¡¯m better than you¡ªI¡¯ve messed up so many times in the past. Got people killed. Hurt people I care about, sometimes even intentionally. You messed up, sure. I¡¯m not pretending you didn¡¯t. But we¡¯ve all been through some stuff, and we all carry it with us. And what I saw back there¡­¡¯ I gestured back onto the platform, where I saw her younger self¡¯s encounters with Niamh. ¡®Still,¡¯ Val said, reaching over to hold my hand. ¡®You forgave me, and I¡¯m gonna do everything I can to make sure you don¡¯t regret it.¡¯ She, very hesitantly, put her head down to rest on my shoulder, only letting it settle when I didn¡¯t recoil. And then, when I didn¡¯t, she squeezed my hand, too. We sat like that for a while, even Arzak eventually beating out her fear of heights to join us. The landscape before us turned from yellow, to blue, to black, as the sun set behind the mountains. And up here, at the top of this tower, the wind grew bitter. Lambkin was the first to pull himself back from the edge and stand. ¡®I suppose we better be going. Check in on the kids¡ªthe minder will be relieved to see us, I reckon.¡¯ Tokas, using Lambkin¡¯s hand to pull herself back to her feet, shot the man a dirty look. But then she smiled; she knew he didn¡¯t mean it. We watched them leave through the portal I¡¯d left open. Next, it was Raelas¡¯s turn to stand, perhaps sensing that she was now the odd one out. ¡®So,¡¯ Val said, turning to look up at the woman, ¡®you coming with us?¡¯ The tiefling immediately became very rigid, apparently stunned by this extended olive branch. ¡®We could use all the help we could get,¡¯ Val pressed. But, just like Tokas, Raelas shook her head. ¡®I appreciate the offer and all, but you already have a worldbender. And one far stronger than me, at that. I¡¯ll help you, sure, but I¡¯m not gonna join you. I think, after all of this¡­ I think I¡¯ve got to find my own place in the world. Not as a team, but as me. As Raelas. Besides, you¡¯ve exposed the Players with what you did here, haven¡¯t you? You¡¯re gonna need someone to go around spreading the word.¡¯ Raelas stepped towards the saved portal back to Coldharbour, then paused at the threshold. She looked over her shoulder and blew me a kiss, this act making it Val¡¯s turn to go rigid. ¡®Be good, handsome.¡¯ And with that, she was gone. I felt Val¡¯s wrath before I saw it. ¡®I hate that woman,¡¯ the witch said. ¡®But you just offered for her to¡ª¡¯ I started, then shook my head. This wasn¡¯t a conversation I needed to have; now was a time for celebration, not¡­ whatever this was. And this left just the Slayers. The Slayers without Lore, at least. ¡®We reckon Lore¡¯s OK?¡¯ Val asked, as though she¡¯d read my mind. I saw a cloud of dust lift from the dark sands below, a group of riders charging for Elassos. Cultists from Zelas perhaps, not yet aware that it was too late to save their prophet. ¡®He¡¯s been through a lot,¡¯ I answered. ¡®Not much helped by any of us, I gotta say. We really need to learn to communicate better.¡¯ ¡®Hm,¡¯ Arzak agreed. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡®He¡¯ll be OK, though, given time. Maybe we can figure out a way of getting Niamh¡¯s curse removed? I think he¡¯d like that.¡¯ ¡®Would we not rather he learn to control it?¡¯ Corminar asked. ¡®I think that¡¯s up to him.¡¯ Corminar nodded his agreement, but kept his eyes lingering on Val and me, the witch¡¯s head still rested against my shoulder. ¡®I must ask, have you two worked out this ridiculous argument now? We are stronger as a full team, and so I hope that you have.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s not¡ª¡¯ Val started to say, but then she caught herself. Maybe she¡¯d been about to claim that the argument wasn¡¯t ridiculous, but then realised that she didn¡¯t believe that. ¡®We¡¯re working on it,¡¯ she eventually said, and then glanced up at me. I nodded back my reply, and in silence we stared across the desert once more. With a sigh, I brought myself back to my feet, taking care not to topple over the edge¡ªsomething that was slightly more likely to happen with the equivalent of a glass of wine in me. ¡®Come on, let¡¯s get off this platform,¡¯ I said, waving the team towards the portal back to Coldharbour. ¡®More wine when we get there?¡¯ Val asked. ¡®Of course,¡¯ replied the elf. ¡®Provided that I am able to select the¡ª¡¯ But he didn¡¯t get to finish that sentence, because at that moment, the cultists we¡¯d seen riding over from Zelas appeared on the platform. My initial instinct was to fight, and then to simply step through the portal and leave them behind. But then I noticed that it was Lillya¡ªperhaps the friendliest of all the cultists¡ªstanding at the head of the pack. The orc stared down at the dead Yusef in the centre of the platform. ¡®Oh,¡¯ she said. ¡®Yeah, sorry,¡¯ I replied. ¡®If you were here to help him, then I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re like two hours too¡ª¡¯ ¡®No,¡¯ Lillya said, cutting me off. Only then did I recognise the glimmer of urgency still in her eyes. Urgency that existed even after Yusef¡¯s demise. ¡®Something I need tell you.¡¯ ¡®Perhaps it can wait?¡¯ Corminar asked, eyeing the portal. ¡®I have a thirst for northern Armadan wine, and it is a thirst not easily quenched.¡¯ ¡®No, we¡ª¡¯ ¡®We¡¯ve earned a rest,¡¯ Val added, gesturing to the dead Yusef. ¡®Let us celebrate for a bit first, before we get caught up in¡ª¡¯ ¡®No,¡¯ Lillya said, forcefully now, cutting off even Val. ¡®You not understand. It not over.¡¯ Val looked at the dead illusionist. ¡®It looks pretty over.¡¯ Lillya ignored her, and raised a flimsy piece of parchment into the air, waving it at us. A letter. ¡®Found in Tower of Hope. In Yusef¡¯s room. Your fight isn¡¯t over, there is¡ª¡¯ ¡®The Council?¡¯ I asked. ¡®If it¡¯s the Council, then we know. We¡¯re on it. But like Val said, we¡ª¡¯ ¡®Yusef in contact with person in Coldharbour,¡¯ Lillya said, now speaking over me. Whatever this was, apparently it really couldn¡¯t wait. ¡®Someone he bought malae breeding programme from. Someone he gave lot of coin to, to fund research. It is someone who want to revive old tiefling tradition. You know one? Turn enemy strength against enemy. We need destroy malae before Coldharbour is lost.¡¯ I took an unconscious step backwards. I¡¯d missed something. I¡¯d known there were loose ends, questions we¡¯d unearthed without any answers, but we¡¯d been so focused on killing Yusef that I¡¯d put them to one side. But we knew the malae breeders had been here before Yusef ever arrived. We knew there had been others involved in this dangerous industry. We¡¯d just not realised they were right under our noses. I asked the question that I already knew the answer to. ¡®This person in Coldharbour, that Yusef was dealing with, do you know their name?¡¯ ¡®Alenna,¡¯ Lillya replied. Lore¡¯s visions of Alenna¡¯s death hadn¡¯t been an illusion. He really had foreseen it. We¡¯d stumbled into the chain of events that may well have caused her to die, but in a much more real sense, it had been her own actions that would lead to her death. Her dances with demons, her drive to dissect the malae, to understand them, maybe even to use their power. Without Lore at her side, there would be nobody to protect her against her own mistakes. Nobody to protect her against the corruption. ¡®I understand now,¡¯ I said. Ability unlocked ¡ª Titan Husk Titan Husk (Worldbending) ¡ª Warp your flesh to totally withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. As I ran for the portal, I locked in my ability choice. I was going to need it.
"Styk" Level 20 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 52 Intelligence ¡ª 243 Dexterity ¡ª 143 Strength ¡ª 88 Wisdom ¡ª 76 Charisma ¡ª 50
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 65 Knifework ¡ª Level 48 Stealth ¡ª Level 26 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II - Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
213. Interlude — Alenna Alenna knew the moment was upon her the second she heard the door slam open. The man that stood in her doorway was no hulking warrior, possessed no long limbs or bulging muscles, but then again, Alenna didn¡¯t need him to. All she needed was a willing host. Someone who wanted to grow stronger. ¡®Did he send you?¡¯ Alenna asked. The man nodded, so she gestured him over to her operating table. This wasn¡¯t the first man that her benefactor had sent her way¡ªfar from it¡ªbut it was the first since she¡¯d found the answer. There, in that book that Lore¡¯s friends had retrieved for her, had been the spell that she could use to stop the corruption spreading¡ªa ward sustained by the lifeforce of its host, a ward that prevented the corruption from reaching the brain steam. It had taken a few attempts to perfect the spell, of course. Alenna regretted that nasty business with the metal mage, and even more so all the damage that had followed. Ama would have been lost without Alenna¡¯s intervention, but that large gentleman warrior should never have been hurt. That life weighed on Alenna, but she kept herself going with the knowledge that if she was successful, no lives would be lost to the malae ever again. As the man settled on the stone platform, Alenna tapped the enchanted gems, and they blossomed into life, casting a vivid light all across the patient. ¡®What do I call you?¡¯ she asked. ¡®Simm,¡¯ came the reply, ¡®though people call me the Councilman.¡¯ This last bit seemed like it was added as a second thought. ¡®Simm it is,¡¯ Alenna replied, which seemed to cause the man to grumble. ¡®Do you know why you are here?¡¯ ¡®Yusef said you could make me stronger. Unstoppable, in fact. He used the words ¡°perfect soldier¡±.¡¯ ¡®And just what would you give up to become this perfect soldier, Simm?¡¯ ¡®Everything.¡¯ Alenna nodded. ¡®Correct answer. Let¡¯s begin.¡¯ She turned away for the metal cabinets at the rear of her room, and began undoing the first lock. With this first lock, protections fell away¡ªwards against sound, against light, against anything she could think of. There was no overdoing it when it came to caging the malae. Inside, crammed into a box too small for it, was one of these creatures. Alenna was comfortable enough with these boxes for now to know that she could hold it without danger to herself, though she still kept both eyes on it for any sign of escape. ¡®The malae have always been a problem in the Beached Armada,¡¯ Alenna said as she placed the mala box down and set out her tools. ¡®The first one ever reported was found here, you know that? It was a few years after the invasion¡ªthat long ago. The invasion force, they¡¯d had no real trouble with the people living here, but battling the malae? That nearly destroyed them.¡¯ She took a step back, making sure she had everything in place¡ªthe patient, the mala, her tools, and the borrowed spellbook. ¡®And as a result, we lost our ways. We forgot our central tenet¡ªfight fire with fire, use our enemy¡¯s strengths against them. That applies for monsters just as much as it does for people, I reckon. And the greater the strength, the greater the power we can extract. That¡¯s how I¡¯ll make you the perfect soldier, Simm. I¡¯ll imbue you with the power of corruption. Are you ready?¡¯ Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. ¡®Oh, yes,¡¯ her patient replied. ¡®Good.¡¯ Alenna got to work. It was the ward that she¡¯d focus on first; this was the most important step, and there could be no flaw in her work. If the ward had even the slightest gap, the corruption would find it in time. Her patient would end up one of those walking monsters, barely conscious yet just conscious enough to know that the corruption now controlled them. And Lore¡¯s friends weren¡¯t around right now to handle one, so she would need to be extra careful. The ward glowed as she established it, before fading away as she tied off the magicks and allowed the man¡¯s soul to feed it. She kept her hands on the man¡¯s neck, just where she¡¯d placed the ward, testing it, pushing at it, seeking any sign of weakness. But Alenna was right; she¡¯d perfected it. ¡®OK, Simm,¡¯ she said. ¡®You¡¯re about to feel a slight pinch.¡¯ Before her patient could react, Alenna lifted the box, pressed it against the man¡¯s chest, and slid open one side, exposing flesh to corruption. She slid the side of the box back into place a moment later. There was no point overdoing it; even the slightest touch would fester, though it would take longer to do so. This gave Alenna time to escape if anything did go wrong. The man cried out with pain as the mala touched his flesh, and the ward briefly glowed into life once more, reacting to this corruption. This ward would stop the corruption spreading to the man¡¯s brain, but in theory it would also prevent the patient from spreading corruption with his touch. If such a powerful being could spread corruption as easily as that, then Coldharbour was doomed, so this really was the most important aspect of the procedure. Alenna opened her mouth, beginning to talk to distract the man from the pain. He was turning into a living weapon, but he was a person, too. She would spare him the torture as much as she could. ¡®I know it hurts, but it¡¯s for a good cause. Think of all you¡¯ll do when you¡¯re the strongest being to walk Alterra. You¡¯ll be able to destroy all the malae without risk to yourself, their corruption unable to hurt you. You¡¯ll save us all. You¡¯ll be worshipped. Doesn¡¯t that sound good?¡¯ The doctor lit her torch and pressed the flames against the wound on the man¡¯s chest, causing him to cry out louder. ¡®It hurts to become a god,¡¯ she said. ¡®But it¡¯s worth it.¡¯ It had to be. After Alenna finished up the procedure, she stepped back from the patient as far as she could manage, her back up against the wall. She would give this Simm as much space as she could, but she needed to know whether or not this procedure had been successful. If it had, she would give him his orders. If it hadn¡¯t¡­ well, that didn¡¯t bear thinking about right now. The man stopped screaming. His breathing grew quieter, then silent, and then Alenna could no longer see his chest rising and falling. ¡®...Simm?¡¯ she asked. The man didn¡¯t reply, though his eyes were open. ¡®Simm, are you¡ª¡¯ At that moment, the corrupted man swung his legs down from the platform, and he stared at her in silence with cold, black eyes. ¡®Oh, good,¡¯ Alenna said, relieved. ¡®You¡¯re alive. That¡¯s good. Could you just reassure me that it¡¯s still you in there?¡¯ ¡®It is still me,¡¯ the man replied. His cold eyes didn¡¯t change. Alenna resisted the urge to swallow. ¡®OK, great. The hard part is done. The next part? You find the malae. You kill them. You save us all, and¡ª¡¯ Simm charged forward from the stone table in a flash, his limbs empowered by the corruption surging through them. Alenna barely had time to blink before the man¡¯s hand was around her neck. She tried to cry out, but the man squeezed tight. All she could do was gasp for air. ¡®That sounded like an order,¡¯ the patient said. ¡®I¡¯m done taking orders from the likes of you. You think I care about being worshipped? You think I care about this world anymore, now that I know what the Council intends? No. I care about only one thing now: revenge.¡¯ Alenna gasped for air, struggling against the firm hand wrapped around her neck. ¡®Please,¡¯ she wheezed. ¡®Let me¡ª¡¯ The perfect soldier squeezed. 214. Corruption Returns As I stepped back through the portal, I expected to emerge into chaos. But there was only the usual hustle and bustle of a city, particular in the main plaza, and with the cult only just starting to scatter. If there had been any of the screaming and panicking that I¡¯d been expecting, then I of course would have heard it from the platform¡ªwhat with my portals communicating sound these days. This was good. This meant that whatever Alenna was really up to, she hadn¡¯t finished it yet. Part of my mind couldn¡¯t help but worry that Lore had hurried straight for her¡ªwhat if he stumbled across something he shouldn¡¯t? Just what would she do to protect her secret, and would she do it to a man she thought of as a brother? The last of our team, Corminar, stepped through the portal, and I looked back through it at the orc. ¡®You coming?¡¯ I asked. ¡®Last chance.¡¯ ¡®Can get me back to Rose Home?¡¯ she asked. ¡®This is as close as you¡¯re gonna get.¡¯ The orc in orange robe shrugged, then stepped through with a handful of other cultists from Zelas. I allowed the portal to shut behind her; whatever was coming next, I suspected I¡¯d need two pairs of portals to¡ª Someone screamed. It was distant, barely noticeable above the din of the cultists crowding the square, but it was the sort of noise I¡¯d been listening for. Sounds of panic. Alarm bells¡ªthis noise metaphorical, existing only in my head¡ªstarted ringing. ¡®Where?¡¯ I asked Corminar, the only other person in our group to have noticed the scream, and the only one of us with superior elven hearing. ¡®Southwest,¡¯ he replied. ¡®Perhaps two hundred yards.¡¯ I nodded, oriented myself based on where I¡¯d once seen the sun set over Coldharbour¡¯s western sprawl, and began to push through the crowd in the direction the elf had said. I heard scoffs and tuts erupted behind me as I pushed through without regards for people being in the way, and without worrying about stepping on people¡¯s feet. The scream could have been nothing. I hoped it would turn out to be nothing, that I would irk all those people without solid cause. But, as these stories so often go, the person who¡¯d screamed had done so with good reason. A woman stood, unmoving, in the centre of a main road that led directly out of town from Coldharbour¡¯s main plaza. Others on this busy street gave her a wide berth, staring and cowering and fleeing. In a time long since passed, I might have done the same, considering this woman¡¯s skin had turned grey, and a black ooze was just now beginning to seep from her pores. The people of Coldharbour were well versed in corruption by now; they knew it when they saw it. ¡®Corminar!¡¯ I shouted, but the elf was already moving. He grabbed a glowing glass vial from his alchemist¡¯s satchel, and he tossed it to me. I snatched it from the air in the same moment that I portal sliced into a nearby carriage, sending its bags of produce tumbling onto the ground. I snatched a plank of wood from the debris, then poured the contents of Corminar¡¯s potion over it. The wood burst in flames. ¡®I should¡ª¡¯ Arzak started, reaching out to take the flames from me. ¡®No,¡¯ I said. There wasn¡¯t time to explain my latest ability selection, but now that I could use Titan Husk, I was the person safest to approach the corrupted woman. Still, the team could do with fire of their own to defend themselves. I touched the end of my makeshift torch to the scattered wooden debris of the shouting merchant¡¯s cart, setting it alight, and turned back to the enemy. When I met her eyes, I saw no life behind them. I drew in a deep breath. We could do this. We¡¯d done this before. I just didn¡¯t think we¡¯d ever have to do it again. I raised torch in one hand, and my dagger in the other, and I activated my new ability for the first time. As with Ash Husk, my skin rippled and changed¡ªbut it settled on no solid form, instead continuing to warp and shimmer. As I crossed the dusty road towards the enemy, it looked for a moment like she wouldn¡¯t react, that the corruption had not yet taken hold enough for her to do more than stagger around town. But then, at the last moment, an oozing arm whipped up to block my attacks. I bounced off the arm, hitting the dirt hard. ¡®Styk!¡¯ Val cried, fear sharp in her voice. I¡¯d not explained, of course. She didn¡¯t know that I could resist the corruption now, with this new ability. Maybe that was an oversight, that it was an unkindness to let her think I was about to die. Oops. I thrust a hand up in the air, flashing the witch a shimmering thumbs-up sign, before opening a portal on the ground and falling back through it. I landed in front of the enemy once more. ¡®I forgot how strong this made you,¡¯ I said. The corrupted woman didn¡¯t reply. As I charged in again to attack, I became peripherally aware of more shouts and screams erupting around me, but I was too focused on this fight to give them a second thought. I dummied with my dagger, causing the enemy to swing their arm up to block once more, and then I stepped through a portal. Appearing behind them, I bought my flames down upon their back. The monster¡¯s flesh sizzled. It wasn¡¯t enough to kill the beast. Far from it. Fire was the corruptions¡¯ weakness, but it still took a good deal of it to get anywhere. Last time we¡¯d fought one of these, I¡¯d dumped masses of flaming Needlework supplies on it. Since then, however, I¡¯d not had a chance to stock back up. I did have one advantage over last time, though; I could touch it. I leaped onto the monster, feeling the oozing corruption against my rippling flesh. As before, it was cold to the touch, almost so cold that it felt like a burn. I ignored the sensation and wrapped my limbs around the creature, holding on tight while pressing the flames against it. To distract the monster, I also opened a portal beneath it, sending the pair of us high into the sky above Coldharbour. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. We tumbled down towards the ground, spinning. The monster hissed with the pain of the torch now pressed against its chest. Despite being weakened by the flames, it was still strong enough to wrench me away, and a moment later, we tumbled separately. I caught sight of crowds fleeing down streets below, of not one but two pillars of smoke. Then it hit me¡ªwhere there was smoke, there was fire. And I could control where we landed. One of the pillars of smoke was just one road away, on a narrow street that ran mostly parallel to the main road we¡¯d been on. I put my arms out at my side, trying to stop myself spinning, and then focused on opening a portal both above the fire and below the falling monster. My aim was true, the corrupted woman falling through the portal and landing on the source of the smoke, but now I had two new problems: I didn¡¯t know that the monster was dead, and I was now fifty yards away from a very sudden stop. I dealt with the ¡°me being about to die¡± problem first, opening a portal beneath me an another near to the pillar of smoke¡ªbut this one facing upwards. As I¡¯d practised a couple of times before, I waited until I was at the peak of my soaring back into the air, then opened a portal directly beneath me. I fell through it, landing back on the streets of Coldharbour. The source of the pillar of smoke was a burning building¡ªa bakery, in fact. Both customer and patron had long since fled the establishment, which lent itself to me returning to a tried-and-tested technique: dropping a building on the monster. I whipped my hands forward, using them to aim properly, and I portal sliced and portal sliced at the burning beams of the ceiling, until the two-storey building collapsed in on itself¡ªand the monster burning within. Level ? corruption defeated! Worldbending ¡ª +6,700xp Worldbending increased to level 66! Base Points gained ¡ª +2 INT, +2 Free Points (INT/WIS/CHA) Knifework ¡ª +1,300xp I staggered backwards from the falling, burning building, coughing the billowing dust back out of my lungs. To my left, I saw Val, Arzak and Corminar running down the alleyway from the adjoining street. ¡®How did you¡­¡¯ Val asked, staring at my rippling skin. ¡®New ability. I¡¯m corruption-proof. Will explain later.¡¯ In situations like these, there wasn¡¯t time for full sentences. Panicked ex-cultists, still in pale orange robes, ran down the street with wide, frantic eyes. And the shouting grew louder behind me. I turned around slowly, already knowing what I was about to find. That¡¯s when I realised why everyone had fled the bakery. It wasn¡¯t just the flames, it was what caused the flames: another of the corrupted locals. ¡®Just how many of these things are there?¡¯ If there was more than one, then chances are that there were more than two. Chaos was taking hold in Coldharbour, and quickly the city was spiralling out of control¡ªthese monsters being at the heart of it. We needed to take these down while they were few in number, else this would get out of control. This rapidly spreading corruption had the potential to destroy not just the city, but Alterra itself. ¡®How could Yusef want this?¡¯ I asked, more out of exasperation and panic than because I was actually looking for an answer. But Val gave me one anyway. ¡®He couldn¡¯t. Something¡¯s gone wrong.¡¯ I nodded, then charged into battle once more. As I struck monster with fire, I felt something weighing heavily on my gut¡ªa sense that we couldn¡¯t kill the corruption quickly enough. A sense that we were doomed.
"Styk" Level 20 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 52 Intelligence ¡ª 247 Dexterity ¡ª 143 Strength ¡ª 88 Wisdom ¡ª 76 Charisma ¡ª 50
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 66 Knifework ¡ª Level 48 Stealth ¡ª Level 26 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II - Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
215. Birthright Level ? corruption defeated! This was the fourth monster of its kind that we¡¯d killed, and even the resulting Worldbending and Knifework skill level increases weren¡¯t enough to offset my growing nausea. Corminar had very narrowly escaped being corrupted himself at one point, and if we kept going like this, this possibility would end up an inevitability. With Coldharbour falling around us, we needed to switch up our strategy, or else we were only giving this city a few more hours of life. ¡®Styk¡­¡¯ Arzak grumbled, presumably getting at just the same thing. ¡®We gotta find the cause,¡¯ I replied while scanning the streets for more signs of trouble. In the midst of the spreading chaos, it was hard to tell what was threat and what was simply people fleeing in terror. ¡®Any thoughts on¡­¡¯ Val started, then she found the answer herself. ¡®Alenna.¡¯ I nodded, opening a portal in front of us that stretched as far in the distance as I could reasonably aim. ¡®Come on. Let¡¯s go pay a visit to the good doctor.¡¯ We stepped through the portal into a crowd of people running north, though whether they were fleeing a corruption or simply carried along by the waves of panic was yet to be determined. I had to push through these throngs of people just to make enough space for Val, Corminar and Arzak to come through the portal behind me, then stood on tiptoes to aim another portal down the street. ¡®Styk! Val!¡¯ I heard someone shouting through the crowd. Lambkin. ¡®Thank the gods we found you. We were just coming back to the portal¡ªthe city¡¯s gone mad.¡¯ ¡®Yes, we see this,¡¯ Arzak replied, her eyes scanning the surroundings for trouble while Lambkin and I spoke. ¡®You know what¡¯s happened?¡¯ The ex-captain shook his head. ¡®Only that the corruption is spreading fast. We ran into one of those monsters back there. Even the soldiers here took some convincing to fight it rather than running, though I can hardly blame them.¡¯ ¡®You took it down?¡¯ ¡®With some trouble, but yes.¡¯ ¡®We had to put down a few soldiers touched by the corruption,¡¯ Tokas explained, as ever saying the hard part without hesitation. ¡®We could do with more of those soldiers,¡¯ I replied. Lambkin pressed his lips together. ¡®You¡¯ll be lucky; they¡¯re fewer and farther between with every second that passes.¡¯ ¡®Err¡­¡¯ Val said. ¡®Come on,¡¯ I told Tokas and Lambkin. ¡®We¡¯re heading to Alenna¡¯s surgery. If we can find the cause of all this, then maybe we can still turn the tide.¡¯ The pair of them nodded, and I turned to open a portal once more. Every second counted. With each¡ª ¡®Styk?¡¯ Val said, interrupting my line of thought. ¡®Yeah?¡¯ I asked as we stepped through the portal to get us closer to Alenna¡¯s place of work. ¡®You want an army? Well¡­¡¯ she gestured around us, and it took me a second to understand what she was pointing at. The sea of pale orange robes. The Cult of Ascendancy, still in Coldharbour in their thousands. And with their reason to be so recently taken away from them. ¡®The city needs a hero, Styk. And you¡¯re right¡ªit¡¯s you. It has to be you.¡¯ These words, coming out of that mouth, almost made me stagger backwards. Wasn¡¯t this at the heart of how Val worried I was changing? Wasn¡¯t it my desire to be a hero that had created that wedge between us? ¡®You get it now?¡¯ I asked. Val nodded. ¡®I get it.¡¯ I held her gaze just for a moment before remembering the urgency of the situation, and I got to work. I activated my portal relays, and sent all but one of them soaring off into the city, scattered through the streets as much as I could without losing track of them. More screaming erupted from down the street, and Tokas, Arzak, Corminar and Lambkin hurried off to deal with its cause¡ªinevitably another local touched by the corruption. I looked through the portal relay at the views from the nine other relays shimmering in and out of sight, and I¡­ hesitated. The pressure got to me, at least for a moment. I felt a hand on my arm. ¡®You got this,¡¯ Val said. I nodded. I did, indeed, have this. I looked into the relay, at the hundreds of cultists in orange, and I prepared myself. I wouldn¡¯t be able to get the word to all of them, not even with my relays, but I could spread the word to enough. If I was successful, word would travel, even amongst the chaos. I took a deep breath, and I prepared myself to speak. Don¡¯t say cultists, don¡¯t say cultists, I told myself. ¡®Attention cultists!¡¯ I bellowed through the relays. Oops. ¡®My name is Styk. Some of you may know me, while some of you might have only heard whispers. I am the man that Yusef¡ªthe deceiver¡ªwanted dead. A member of the team that exposed him for what he is. But, above all, I am a man with the Architects¡¯ blood in my veins. If you¡¯re heard such rumours, know this: they are true. ¡®But I¡¯ll make no promises about an Ascended World. You heard it straight from Yusef¡¯s mouth; the Ascended World is dead. There is no divine destination for you. There is only this world, just this world that you see around you. A flawed world, full of flawed people¡¯ ¡ª I glanced at Val ¡ª ¡®but one that¡¯s beautiful nonetheless. And this world needs saving. ¡®I call on you¡ªeach and every one of you¡ªnot to run, not to flee this threat that spreads through Coldharbour, but to stand and fight. Save not just this city, but this world. Be the heroes that you¡¯ve always wanted to find in the Players. Stand, and fight.¡¯ I took in one last deep breath as I bellowed my final instruction. ¡®Burn the corruption wherever it takes hold!¡¯ There was a moment of near-silence, at least as much as there could be in this falling city, but then¡­ someone roared. It wasn¡¯t the roar of anger, of frustration, but a battle cry. A battle cry that spreads through the ranks of the orange sea, that stopped them in their tracks, that had them pick up weapons and stand their ground. My words had had their desired effect. We had ourselves an army. Seizing upon the opportunity of the emboldened cult, I charged into the already-raging battle of Slayers versus corruption. And dozens of cultists charged with me. * * * Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. We amassed hundreds of cultists as we fought our way across the city of Coldharbour. With so many on our side, so many following my bellowed commands, we could defeat the corrupted quickly. It almost felt like we were turning the tide, eliminating the enemy fast enough that we might still triumph. But we could only speak for the streets we fought down¡ªelsewhere in the city, the corruption was likely still winning. We could hurry to Alenna¡¯s surgery all we wanted, but even if we found and eliminated the cause, if enough of the corruption was left to spread elsewhere, our fight would be lost. We needed to split our attention. ¡®Corminar!¡¯ I shouted, summoning the elf to my side. He appeared near instantly. ¡®Take some of the cultists west. Destroy any corruption that¡¯s festering there. Understand?¡¯ But Corminar had paled. ¡®It shouldn¡¯t be me,¡¯ he replied. ¡®What? Why? Now¡¯s not the time for you to suddenly get humble.¡¯ ¡®You want me to lead. I am no leader. Sunalor proved that.¡¯ I clipped him around the ear. ¡®What on Alterra are you¡ª¡¯ ¡®Sunalor wasn¡¯t your fault, alright? Nobody could¡¯ve saved that city; the locals were too outnumbered. Anyone could have led Sunalor to its defeat.¡¯ ¡®Anyone, perhaps. But it was me. I cannot¡ª¡¯ I ignored him, then repositioned two of my portal relays to echo my voice over part of the amassed cultist force. ¡®Forty of you, with him!¡¯ I shouted, pointing to Corminar¡¯s head. ¡®Styk, as I have said, I cannot¡ª¡¯ ¡®Learn from your mistakes.¡¯ With that, I turned, leaving him with a crowd of those in orange robes. He could either flounder, or he could do his job. I knew him well enough to be sure he¡¯d do the latter. I didn¡¯t look back. We charged across the city, our horde pouring through portals and into the next, even before the last had closed. We battled the corruptions as much as we could, doing our best to end them quickly¡ªbecause for every minute that passed, another seemed to crop up in its place. As we neared Alenna¡¯s surgery, I took a glance down a main road to my right, and saw that chaos had taken hold. ¡®Tokas!¡¯ I shouted. I would have asked for Arzak, but without Lore, I needed her brawn. I was going to have to trust the woman who¡¯d betrayed us. ¡®Take more of them,¡¯ I told her. The tiefling nodded. ¡®Head east. Do as I told Corminar; eliminate all¡ª¡¯ ¡®No,¡¯ Lambkin interrupted. ¡®I¡¯ll take them. Tokas, get the children safe.¡¯ I considered him for a moment. He¡¯d been a captain, once. He knew how to lead, at least a small unit. He was no worse a choice than Tokas. I nodded. ¡®Soldiers!¡¯ I shouted once more through the portal relays. ¡®Another forty of you¡ªwith this man here!¡¯ Lambkin raised his blade in the air in salute, to signal that he was the man I was referring to. Tokas, meanwhile, turned away, heading back towards where her children were hiding, hopefully still safe. It had to have been duty¡ªor, no, guilt¡ªthat had kept her with us for so long. She began to run, then dithered for a moment, turning back to Lambkin just as he looked back at her. She took another few seconds away from her kids to run back and kiss the man, planting as passionate a kiss on his lips as ever I¡¯d seen. I¡¯d never expected this to happen when I¡¯d agreed that Lambkin could watch over her. But there was no time for these kinds of thoughts. I turned and led our remaining contingent of fifty or so on, spreading the remaining eight relays between myself, Arzak, Val and the cultists. Even someone who didn¡¯t know our destination could have realised we were getting close. The devastation in this part of the city was greater than any we¡¯d seen; buildings crumbled by unseen forces, fires blazing in the ruins, but above all else, it was¡­ quiet. All those but the few trying to fight the corruptions had long since fled this part of Coldharbour. I tried to ignore the uncomfortable feeling in my gut, and I pressed on; if anyone would know the truth of what happened here¡ªand how to stop it¡ªit was Alenna. Her surgery remained standing, for the most part. If she had any control over the creatures, it wouldn¡¯t have been damaged at all, so the fact that it was still largely intact was surely down to luck. I wasted no time in kicking the door open and bellowing out her name. ¡®Alenna!¡¯ I roared. But I saw no Alenna. I saw only the broad frame of my friend, kneeled in the centre of the floor, crying and clutching¡­ Ah. There was Alenna. Guilt blossomed forth in my stomach; I¡¯d assured Lore that the visions of Alenna¡¯s death had been planted by Yusef, a means to control him. They might well have been a means to control him, but my mistake was thinking that meant they couldn¡¯t be real. Lore¡¯s betrayal of the Player¡ªas I¡¯d encouraged¡ªhad led to this moment. Lore looked up at me, meeting my eyes. But there was no accusation in those eyes, no blame, at least not directed at me. ¡®I should have known,¡¯ he croaked. ¡®I should have known.¡¯ Shouting erupted outside the premises, followed by the inevitable scuffle of a fight. ¡®Mourn later. Survive now,¡¯ Arzak said, before disappearing through the doorway once more to join the cultists in battle. Val approached Lore, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder. ¡®She¡¯s right. I¡¯m sorry, but she¡¯s right. We have a city to save.¡¯ ¡®A world,¡¯ I added. ¡®Who did this, Lore? What happened here?¡¯ But as it turned out, the barbarian didn¡¯t need to answer. A man stepped forth from the shadows, covered in dust, debris, blood, and¡­ the ooze of corruption. A man we should have killed when we had the chance. ¡®I did,¡¯ the Councilman said. ¡®I happened.¡¯ And then I understood. All that was happening outside? All the chaos, all the death? It was nothing more than bait. The Councilman didn¡¯t care what happened to this city, or to the people in it. He just wanted us here. Because in those otherwise cold, dead eyes, I still saw the hunger for vengeance.
"Styk" Level 20 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 54 Intelligence ¡ª 251 Dexterity ¡ª 144 Strength ¡ª 89 Wisdom ¡ª 76 Charisma ¡ª 50
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 67 Knifework ¡ª Level 49 Stealth ¡ª Level 26 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II - Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
216. Coldharbour Screams ¡®So this is it then?¡¯ I asked the Councilman. ¡®Your big moment? You make some big speech about how we embarrassed you, pushed you into becoming this monster? That now you¡¯re out to seek vengeance?¡¯ ¡®Well, I¡ª¡¯ the Player started, but I cut him off. ¡®I think it¡¯s clear to all of us what¡¯s happened here. Alenna made you like this, right?¡¯ I gestured to his body, oozing and grey. ¡®You heard that it could make you stronger? Strong enough maybe to even stop us making a fool out of you?¡¯ ¡®I¡ª¡¯ ¡®Cos let me tell you, mate; we¡¯re still gonna make a fool out of you. And this time, we¡¯re not gonna let you go.¡¯ I reactivated my Titan Husk ability, my skin beginning to ripple and warp, and I charged. In the moments before I hit him, the Councilman only laughed. What did he think was about to happen except that he¡¯d corrupt me, that he¡¯d add me to his horde? He thought his vengeance was going to be simple. I was about to prove that it was not. My blade pointing straight forward, I used the momentum of my tackle to add strength to the stab. The enemy didn¡¯t even bother blocking me. My knifepoint went straight into his flesh, almost like a knife through butter, but much more gross. And my momentum had me crashing into the man¡¯s abdomen. He¡¯d counted on this, I think. Why avoid a single attack when you were strong enough to withstand it, and it would spell an end to your attacker? Not just an end, even, but extra strength for your own personal army, as created by his spreaded corruption. But of course I did not get corrupted so easily, not anymore. I twisted the knife in the man¡¯s flesh, then put all my weight onto it to cut downwards. The man didn¡¯t so much as flinch, and the pallid grey flesh seemed to close up behind my cut, the ooze working its magicks. I recoiled from the monster, taking my knife with me, and the enemy¡¯s eyes widened. ¡®You¡¯re¡­ you¡¯re not¡­¡¯ I heard Lore stumbling to his feet behind me, Val still presumably at his side. The Councilman¡¯s eyes darted to each of them. It was all very well him getting close to me, but he couldn¡¯t touch them. If he did, they¡¯d be lost forever. So it was worth keeping his gaze on me. ¡®I told you,¡¯ I replied. ¡®I¡¯m here to make a fool out of you.¡¯ The enemy¡¯s eyes snapped back to me. This time, it was his turn to charge. I opened a portal behind me and stepped through it, leaving it open for the Councilman to follow. In the close proximity of Alenna¡¯s surgery, Lore and Val were in danger, but out here there was a little more room to play with. I appeared out of the portal just as Arzak and the cultists were finishing off the latest monster, but they still needed just a few more seconds. ¡®See?¡¯ I told the Councilman as he appeared charging through the portal, and I opened another pair to dart out of his way. ¡®Whatever you do to yourself, we¡¯ll be stronger. We¡¯ll still resist you. And you¡¯re not getting away this time.¡¯ The Councilman charged at me once more, roaring with fury, and I stepped through another portal. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Arzak¡¯s sword blazing with the power of absorbed fire magicks. Finally, she put in the final, killing blow on the other enemy. I¡¯d bought them enough time. I appeared out of another portal behind the charging enemy, this time slashing once more. I knew it could do no good without fire to back it up¡ªmy attempt at an attack earlier proved that once and for all¡ªbut it was enough to anger him. It kept his focus on me¡ªthe one man he could not corrupt. As the Councilman turned, I slipped through a portal and out of his reach, ready to¡ª An oozing chain snapped through the portal just as I let it close, wrapping itself around the wrist of my knife arm. A second later, it crushed it. I fell to the ground, seeing black and overwhelmed by pain. My knife had long since fallen. Where, I could not see. All I could think about was the pain shooting up my right arm and that my fingers would not move. ¡®Styk!¡¯ I heard someone shout, but in my daze I couldn¡¯t tell who. A figure loomed over me. I blinked up at it, trying to bring them into focus, but my eyes wouldn¡¯t behave¡ªwhether that was tears or the overwhelming pain, I didn¡¯t know. No. I knew who it was. I knew who it must have been. ¡®Cultists,¡¯ I mumbled, meaning to give an order, but found my voice escaping me. Flaming dots peppered the man looming over me, glowing orange orbs that try as I might, I still couldn¡¯t bring into focus. But I knew what they were. They were the same flaming arrows that I¡¯d seen the cultists fire at a half dozen corruptions by now. Sometimes, they¡¯d been enough to bring the enemy to their knees. For a creation like the Councilman, however¡ªa creation that Alenna had worked on directly¡ªI knew it wouldn¡¯t be enough to fell him. As it turned out, it wasn¡¯t even enough to distract him from me. The blurry figure moved, and a moment later I felt a fresh pain erupt in my jaw. My head hit the dusty ground hard. With the sky spinning above me, I put out a hand to try to steady myself, to try to push myself back to my feet. But the moment I did so, another force bludgeoned me, sending me back to the ground. I spat the blood from my mouth, pressed my hand against the dirt, and opened a portal. I didn¡¯t care where I opened the other side; as long as it was away from here, it didn¡¯t matter. But as I tumbled through, the oozing metal chain reached for me once more, this time snatching me by the neck. I dangled in the air as this metal snake wrapped itself tighter around my neck. It could have snapped it in an instant¡ªeven in my current state, I knew this¡ªbut I was saved by the Councilman wanting to saviour the kill. I forced my vision back into focus just in time to see the battlefield thirty yards below me. The Councilman held his snakelike weapon through the open portal, and two dozen cultists fired their flaming arrows on him once more. But then, there was Val. A huge web of roots burst from the dusty ground, spreading in the blink of an eye. A moment later, it was as though the root structure of an ancient tree had grown around the Councilman, trapping him, but also¡ª The cultists fired their flaming arrows once more, and Arzak brought her flaming sword down upon the roots. They caught fire instantly. Whatever plant Val had chosen to summon, it was dry and highly flammable¡ªjust what we needed in this situation. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. I heard the Councilman scream in the same moment that the snaking chain weapon released me, and I lashed out to grab at the edge of my open portal, steadying myself for a moment so that I could work out what to do next. My right hand didn¡¯t cooperate, having been crushed by the chain, and so I hung there for a moment by my left hand alone. The edge of the portal felt strange against my flesh, and almost tingling sensation to it, one that made my fingers grow numb. If I hung for much longer, then my fingers might grow so numb that I lost my grip entirely. Looking down, I saw the monster use his immense strength to rip himself free of the burning roots. His skin hissed as it touched flame, but other than that, this damage barely seemed enough to even slow him. This corruption was stronger than any we¡¯d seen before¡ªany Alenna had created before¡ªand so we¡¯d need a lot more fire than that. I scoured my brain for possibilities. Before, I¡¯d dumped the burning contents of my pocket world on these creatures. There were two problems there: my pocket world was currently completely devoid of any Needlework supplies, and I wasn¡¯t sure that would be enough to kill the Councilman anyway. Our other success had come from dropping burning buildings on these corruptions, but¡­ this was going to be easier said than done, with an enemy as powerful as the Player below me. Still, it was our best bet, and there wasn¡¯t enough time to give it any more thought, because the Councilman now turned on my friends. I released the edge of the portal, allowing it to close as I plummeted, then opened another beneath me that had me fall on top of the enemy. I grabbed him around the neck with my bad hand, then tried to bury my knife in him with my left. It was¡­ not my most successful attack ever. The point of my blade barely broke flesh, but then again, that wasn¡¯t my intention. I attacked him only to get his attention back on me. And on that point¡­ ¡­I was also unsuccessful. The Councilman span, his snakelike weapon flailing out at those that surrounded him. Arzak leaped to the ground just in time for the weapon to skim overhead, but others weren¡¯t so lucky. The weapon clipped three of those in orange robes, hitting them hard enough to knock them from their feet and have them sailing through the air. Two of them hit a stone wall, hard, while the other tumbled along the street, picking up scrapes and broken bones as she went. I reached for the metal chain, knowing already that I wasn¡¯t strong enough to disarm this enemy, but I could at least restrict his movements. As I grabbed the weapon near the man¡¯s hand, I hung upon it, weighing it down¡ªand even the Councilman could use it as a flail no longer. But he could still change its shape. The chain warped beneath me, shrinking in length and growing in width, and I released it just in time to avoid being sliced by the sharp edges of the newly formed axe. The Councilman swung it at me faster than I¡¯d anticipated, and though I staggered backwards, the axe caught me on the chest, striking a deep gash through the centre. If I kept taking hits like this, I¡¯d be useless. Unless Val could somehow find the time to heal me. I kept stepping backwards, my eyes darting around for something¡ªanything¡ªwe could use against him, and I tried my best to ignore the pain blossoming in my torso. There was no time for pain, now. If I embraced pain, it was over. If I let myself feel the pain, there would be so much more to come. The Councilman¡¯s attention was now well and truly split. Even my recent attacks hadn¡¯t been enough to keep him focused on me. I opened my mouth to let loose some more cutting remarks, but before anything could come out, the enemy snapped their attention to the nearest of the cultists. The woman in orange met the enemy¡¯s gaze, and then¡ªvery understandably¡ªturned to flee. But it was a losing battle. This creation was stronger, faster than any of us could ever hope to be. The Councilman closed the gap on the cultist fast, then leaped into the air and came down upon her. When he landed, he grabbed the woman by the head, and for a moment I thought he was about to twist. Instead, however, he let his oozing corruption bleed into her. This was how the corruption had spread through Coldharbour, how he¡¯d drawn us back here. But it was also yet another weapon in his already great arsenal. ¡®We keep on like this, and it¡¯s only a matter of time until we lose!¡¯ Val shouted from across the dusty street. ¡®I know!¡¯ I shouted back at her, frozen, unsure what to do next. ¡®Any ideas?¡¯ I scoured my mind once more, desperate, thinking through every possible permutation of not just my abilities, but Arzak¡¯s, but Val¡¯s. And I came up with¡­ nothing. But then I saw the large silhouette of Lore, standing in the doorway of Alenna¡¯s surgery, his eyes glowing more brightly than ever with the surging magicks of Divination. ¡®I have one,¡¯ he said.
"Styk" Level 20 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 54 Intelligence ¡ª 251 Dexterity ¡ª 144 Strength ¡ª 89 Wisdom ¡ª 76 Charisma ¡ª 50
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 67 Knifework ¡ª Level 49 Stealth ¡ª Level 26 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II - Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
217. Underpowered I didn¡¯t need Lore to say it twice. If he had a plan¡ªwhatever it might be¡ªthen that was better than anyone else could say. With the flick of my unshattered wrist, I sent one of my portal relays soaring towards him, giving him the ability to easily give commands. Whatever his plan, I assumed it had something to do with those glowing yellow eyes. His Divination powers were active, and he could foresee the battle to come, at least in some sense. Of course, these magicks were always inevitably flawed, but flawed or not, they were powerful. Maybe something good would come of Niamh¡¯s curse after all. ¡®Arzak, charge!¡¯ the barbarian shouted. The orc did so without hesitation. I didn¡¯t know whether this was because she shared my understanding of the situation, or if she simply trusted Lore with her life, but I supposed it didn¡¯t matter. He¡¯d told her to charge, and charge she did. ¡®Left!¡¯ Lore cried. Arzak shifted one foot to the left just as the Councilman turned, ghostly chain flailing towards her. The weapon missed by perhaps a foot, though would have struck true if Lore hadn¡¯t seen this coming. ¡®Duck!¡¯ Arzak ducked. The next flail of the enemy¡¯s chain whipped over her head. She drew closer to the enemy, and raised her still-flaming sword. It was at this moment that everyone else¡ªme, Val, and the dozen or so cultists¡ªrealised we should press the attack while the Councilman was distracted. Many of the cultists peppered the enemy with attacks, though I suspected only the one capable of summoning fireballs was able to deal any damage. Val and I, however, knew enough about the spread of corruption that we looked instead to the person that the Councilman had put his hands upon¡ªand turned into a monster. The ex-cultists skin was paling fast, their once bright pink irises turning black. How much time did we have until the corruption took over their mind? How long did we have while they were still themselves? And did it make sense to kill them before it took hold? ¡®Val,¡¯ I said, and the witch met my eyes. She nodded. I portaled us over to the corrupted woman¡¯s side in an instant, and we wasted no time in striking. Val sent waves of lightning magicks coursing through the woman¡¯s body, pausing only to let me in for a closed reach stab. Even in my left hand, my blade dealt significant damage to the robed woman. We were early enough; the corruption hadn¡¯t taken hold so much yet that only fire would kill her. But that meant we¡¯d killed woman, not monster. Town planner defeated! Knifework ¡ª +1,500xp Worldbending ¡ª +300xp I pushed the notifications aside immediately, not needing the reminder of the innocence of the woman we¡¯d just killed. From the glum expression on Val¡¯s face, she felt the same. We switched our attention back to the Councilman, on whom Arzak was landing attack after attack with her flaming blade. And with Lore to instruct her¡ªto foresee the enemy¡¯s attacks¡ªshe avoided getting corrupted in the process. ¡®Now, Styk!¡¯ Lore shouted through the relay. I was moving before I really knew of it, opening a portal at my side and blinking into the space next to the enemy. I had no fire magicks at my disposal, but that didn¡¯t mean I was useless; I could still draw the enemy¡¯s wrath. I sheathed my trusty blade, instead grabbing a discarded knife from the ground¡ªI say ¡°discarded¡± when I really mean ¡°fallen from a dead cultist¡¯s hand¡±¡ªand made first use of the ability I¡¯d gained while chasing Yusef across the desert. It was an ability I¡¯d made plenty of use of in my first life, despite being a simple one. Sometimes it was those simple abilities that were most versatile. I threw it. The blade was slightly rusty, and not as sharp as it could have been, but still it was enough. As I released, the knife tumbled through the air, soaring towards the enemy¡¯s shoulder. I was crouching, scrambling for the next projectile even before the thrown blade wedged itself deep in the Councilman¡¯s shoulder. As the enemy hissed, I threw once more, but this time I aimed to do more than just draw this monster¡¯s attention. I knew only fire could deal damage to someone touched by corruption, but that didn¡¯t mean my Knifework was useless. I could still use it to turn the tide. I threw this second blade towards not shoulder, but eye. Even thrown from my left hand, activating an ability made the knife hit true. I heard a squelch as the bladepoint pierced eyeball. The Councilman roared, clutching at his now-missing eye, then charged at me. ¡®Time to run, Styk!¡¯ Lore said, though I didn¡¯t need the gift of Divination for that one. I opened a portal behind me, falling through it clumsily. As I stepped out the other side and let the portals close, I stumbled into a fallen cultist and tumbled towards the ground. Out of instinct, I put out both hands to break my fall, and immense pain shot through my right arm when I landed on my crumpled hand. ¡®Styk!¡¯ Val shouted, but she wasn¡¯t fool enough to rush to my aid. As the half-blinded Councilman turned to my new position to charge at my once more, I splayed my left hand against the ground and used it to open a portal back into Alenna¡¯s surgery, and out of sight. I just needed a moment to gather myself. I looked around at the interior of the building, as though I might find the solution to our inevitable defeat, when the front brick wall crumbled. Debris and dust washed over me, knocking me from my feet once more, and though this time I didn¡¯t have time to put out my hands, I still landed on my injury. The roof creaked above me as part of its support had been taken away, but I had arguably bigger things to worry about¡ªlike the ghostly chain shooting towards me once more, through the hole in the wall. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. I tumbled through portal once more and back outside, and shouting, ¡®Could have warned me!¡¯ But across the dusty, body-littered street, I saw Lore blinking. I saw the yellow-white glow in his eyes flickering. He¡¯d made enough use of the power that it was waning on him, in need of time to recharge. If he had a plan to finish this, we¡¯d need it sooner rather than later. ¡®Lore?¡¯ I shouted, prodding him into action. ¡®I¡­¡¯ he started. ¡®I think I see¡­ Duck!¡¯ But it was a moment too late. The Councilman whipped his ghostly chain at me, knocking me from my feet yet again, and following the attack through enough to hit four of the remaining cultists. All five of us soared through the air, though I only saw¡ªfelt¡ªwhere I landed. I hit my head against something hard as I came to an abrupt stop, and in the initial seconds after the impact, that was what I focused on. But then I saw the splintered wood piercing through my left calf, and the pain followed soon after. The Councilman wasn¡¯t one to leave it there and call it a day. He moved with the momentum of his pointed ghostly chain, whipping it around him and back at me once more. I tried to scramble back to my feet, but my left leg wasn¡¯t strong enough to support my weight. I tried instead to open a portal, to fall backwards through it, but I was a fraction of a second too late. The chain soared towards me, its sharp point shooting towards my chest, and¡ª Roots burst up from the ground in front of me, knocking the enemy¡¯s weapon from its path of attack at the very last moment. Again, the Councilman roared in frustration¡ªthese Players couldn¡¯t deal with anything not going their way¡ªand this block was enough to turn the enemy¡¯s attention onto Val. And Val couldn¡¯t escape his attacks so easily. The weapon soared back around for a third attack, once again leading with its sharp point. Val saw it coming, diving out the way, but the Councilman had expected it. His weapon diverted at the last moment, its point burying itself in Val¡¯s side. She howled, and my stomach lurched. Suddenly, the pain in my leg didn¡¯t seem so bad any more. Nothing seemed as bad any more. I had only one thought in my head: this man needed to die. Now. I pushed myself back to my feet, my left leg shaking beneath me, ignored by my mind. The Councilman warped his chain back into axe once more, and moved as if to stand over Val. As if to finish her off. ¡®Pathetic,¡¯ I spat, half-conscious that my saliva was red, not white. The enemy¡¯s head snapped towards me. He shot daggers with his remaining eye, his injured one healing, but healing slowly¡ªand entirely black with the ooze of corruption. I tried not to look at Val, to keep my eyes squarely on the Councilman. But I saw it¡ªthe pool of blood appearing around her. She was alive, for now, but wouldn¡¯t be for much longer. And she was our only Healer. It was now or never. I opened a portal beneath me, dropping through it and out above the enemy, pointing my blade down and activating stab, just as I had done against the pyroknight all those moons ago. I knew it wouldn¡¯t kill him. I knew it was just a distraction. But I¡¯d seen Arzak charging in for the attack at the same time. Maybe my distraction would be enough. Maybe it would give Arzak the opening she needed. The ghostly axe warped into chain once more. It snatched me from the air, grabbing me by the ankle. The Councilman hung me upside down in front of his smiling face. ¡®Revenge,¡¯ he said.
"Styk" Level 20 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 54 Intelligence ¡ª 251 Dexterity ¡ª 144 Strength ¡ª 89 Wisdom ¡ª 76 Charisma ¡ª 50
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 67 Knifework ¡ª Level 49 Stealth ¡ª Level 26 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II - Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
218. Corruption Falls ¡®Revenge.¡¯ It was just one word, but it communicated so much. It was his goal, sure, it was why he¡¯d come here¡ªbut it was more than that. It spoke to the Players¡¯ disdain for the people of this world. It said that revenge was justification enough for all this, the destruction of half of Coldharbour, the hundreds or thousands dead, and the corruption that threatened to consume all of Alterra. And it pissed me off. I met the gaze of the half-blind corrupted Player for just a moment before I activated another rarely-used ability. Using my Shrill Perimeter, I created a circle around us, about 20 feet wide, that glowed gently with the purple magicks of Worldbending. And then, as soon as it was created, it activated¡ªthere was an enemy inside the perimeter to trip its banshee sound. The noise startled the enemy¡ªperhaps his senses, not just his strength, was bolstered by the corruption¡ªand his weapon loosened its grasp on me just enough for me to slip to the ground. But I never hit ground, of course, instead disappearing through another portal and out another that set me upright once more. My left leg half buckled as I landed on it, and I had to grab for a nearby wall to steady myself. It was the semi-destroyed building that had once been Alenna¡¯s surgery that I found myself next to, though I hadn¡¯t aimed there specifically. Flames, whether from Arzak¡¯s sword or one of the few flaming arrows, had blossomed into life on the wooden structural interiors of the building, though it was just another in a sea of falling structures. ¡®Lore?¡¯ I shouted, trying not to let my voice sound strained. ¡®Any luck with your¡­¡¯ I met his eyes. His regular, non-glowing eyes, only a wisp of the Divination magicks left to rage behind them. He¡¯d exhausted Niamh¡¯s curse for now, at least until he rested. And at this rate, we would be dead long before he could. I glanced around. There were just four of us left standing: me, Lore, Arzak and one lucky ex-cultist. Four of us against Alenna¡¯s creation, who seemed little closer to falling than at the start of the battle. ¡®...Lore?¡¯ I tried again. ¡®We¡¯re really gonna need some prophecy, buddy.¡¯ ¡®I¡­¡¯ he said. ¡®I¡­ I¡­ got it.¡¯ His eyes flashed yellow, and he opened his mouth to bellow orders through the portal relay. ¡®Arzak, get ready to¡ª¡¯ The Councilman¡¯s chain whipped back on itself, catching Lore off guard and swiping him from his feet. I flung one hand forward, meaning to open a portal beneath him and remove him from danger, but the enemy was faster. The point of the snakelike weapon swung around once more, and pierced Lore clean through his right thigh. The big man screamed. With Val bleeding out fast across the street, we had no healers, and we were long since out of Corminar¡¯s health potions. However we were going to finish this, it needed to be just me, Arzak, and¡ª The last cultist screamed as they fell. It needed to be just me and Arzak. I stepped through a portal to stand next to my orcish friend, then turned to nod at her. Arzak returned the nod in kind. We both knew our chances here were slim, but what else could we do but go down fighting? We had a job to do, and¡ªwhether Val believed it or not¡ªwe were heroes. We really had no choice in the matter. The Councilman turned slowly, his glowing metal chain scraping across the dusty street. His right eye was nearly completely reformed at this point, but instead of the brown irises and white sclera, there was only black. The gods alone knew whether he saw in the same way out of that eye, now. ¡®Ready, Arzak?¡¯ I asked. ¡®To die?¡¯ ¡®To fight,¡¯ I replied, though I couldn¡¯t really deny the other part either. Maybe this was how it was always going to end; the Slayers would stumble across an enemy too great to handle, and we¡¯d die in the inevitable fight. Maybe that was always going to be my fate, ever since I stumbled across Val in the prison below Umlok¡¯s castle. But that didn¡¯t mean I had to like it. ¡®Strike through portals, Arzak,¡¯ I said. Before waiting for her to reply, I opened a portal in front of Arzak that afforded her an attack on the enemy. She was swinging her flaming blade even before the portal had fully opened, and fire and metal struck corrupted grey flesh. As the Councilman turned to the portal, I snapped it shut, and opened another off to another side. Again, Arzak struck true and hard, and the flames hissed against corruption. We managed that only once more before the Councilman turned to the source of these attacks. This forced me instead to open a portal beneath us to avoid his chain¡¯s attack. We fell through it, landing clumsily on the ground. Arzak remained steady on her feet, while I collapsed to the debris-covered street. I didn¡¯t try to move, though, because my leg would only give way once more, and I could do all I needed to, even from this low vantage point. Without wasting another second, I opened a portal in front of where Arzak was already swinging her flaming sword, and flames struck the enemy¡¯s back. ¡®No,¡¯ the Councilman roared as flames hissed against corruption, and he turned to grab Arzak¡¯s sword by the blade using his free hand. The orc¡¯s eyes widened, instinctively pulling her weapon back through the portal, though still the Player didn¡¯t lose his grasp. I closed the portal, knowing that it would remain open until flesh left its boundary, but thinking this would still disorient the enemy enough to give Arzak an advantage. Instead, the portal closed. The portal closed through the Councilman¡¯s arm. All were still, all were silent for a second as we took in this latest development. The only sound was the faint thud of severed limb against hard cobble ground, Arzak¡¯s weapon still in its clasp. I hadn¡¯t evolved my portal abilities. There was no good reason that they would close around a living being. No good reason, except¡­ what if the System didn¡¯t recognise the Councilman as being alive any more? What if the corruption had spread too far throughout his system? And what if this was just the advantage we needed? With the flick of my wrist, I opened a portal and dropped the enemy¡¯s forearm and Arzak¡¯s blade to my side. I reached out, prying the corrupted flesh from the weapon, meaning to give it back to my orcish friend before the Councilman could react. But I was too slow. Roaring some animalistic, definitely-no-longer-human roar, the Councilman launched into an attack on the now-disarmed Arzak. The enemy¡¯s weapon, still in chain form, whipped towards the orc just as she dived out the way, tearing a great gash across her chest and shoulder. I hesitated just for a second before launching her weapon back to her, thinking that this might be enough to remove the orc from the fight. But Arzak was made of solid muscle; it would take more than one¡ªadmittedly deep¡ªtear to remove her from the fight. Opening a portal, I released the flaming sword back into the air at her side, and Arzak caught it with her still-good arm. As the Councilman¡¯s attention flicked back to the armed orc, I moved to open a portal within him, meaning to slice him in two. But still, I found I could not open a portal through the man, and instead I would need to lure him through one before I could close it on him. The opportunity came immediately, with the Councilman turning to meet Arzak¡¯s attack, swinging his chain around, and with it, his arm. I opened a portal just in front of him, but before I could close it around that wrist, the Player reacted. He yanked his arm out of the way of that closing portal, avoiding my attack. In that same moment, I caught sight of his other arm, severed at the elbow. Except¡­ it wasn¡¯t. Black ooze rippled around the wound, and slowly but surely, the corruption rebuilt the missing limb out of its own form. We simply couldn¡¯t get a break. ¡®Arzak!¡¯ I shouted as I prepared to open a portal once more, ¡®Strike now. Strike¡ª¡¯ The Councilman¡¯s chain whipped over the head of Arzak, the orc dodging it deftly. But it became apparent less than a second later that Arzak hadn¡¯t been his target. I had. The chain whipped around my legs as I dived out of the way. One ankle escaped, but the other was quickly entwined in the enemy¡¯s weapon. The Councilman yanked me off my feet, pulling me into the air once more, but this time using my body to block Arzak¡¯s flaming attack. I could withstand the flames due to my titan husk ability, but that didn¡¯t mean they didn¡¯t hurt. A howl of pain escaped my lips. The Councilman used me as a shield to push against Arzak, blocking her attempted attacks with my back, my shredded shirt falling from my torso, my ability to fight back eliminated by the pain. He pressed closer, still using me as a shield, pushing me into Arzak¡¯s sword. And in the same move, he pushed Arzak¡¯s flaming sword into Arzak. I felt Arzak collapse behind me before I realised that this was it, that my orcish friend was now out the fight. The Councilman must have realised it at the same moment, because his chain released my leg, dropping me to the ground. As far as he was concerned, the fight was over; I could never be strong enough alone to pose him a challenge. I caught sight of Arzak trying to stagger back to her feet, breathing deeply, her torso mangled by burn and tear alike. She grunted as she tried to rise from her knee, but¡­ ultimately, it was too much. I really would need to fight on alone. And yet, I could barely stand. Grunting just as Arzak had from the exertion, I forced myself back to my feet, one leg very shaky beneath me. Perhaps the Councilman was right. What chance could I have against him at even the best of times, much less when I was wounded? Maybe it was over. But that didn¡¯t mean I would go down without a fight. As the Councilman rounded on me, weapon still in chain form, there was time for only one last attack. I reached down, and I grabbed Arzak¡¯s flaming sword from the ground. It wasn¡¯t a knife, but it was a blade, and my throw ability really only specified blade after all. I stared where I was aiming¡ªright at the Councilman¡¯s head¡ªand I drew in a deep, deep breath. This was it. All or nothing. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. I threw the flaming blade. As soon as the weapon left my hand, I knew I had struck true. The sword tumble point over pommel as it soared through the air, across the short distance between me and the strongest enemy we¡¯d ever faced. I drew in another breath, this one sharp, to match the pain in my stomach, and I waited for point to meet skull. But that moment never came. The Councilman morphed his weapon back into axe form, and that axe came up to knock the blade away at the last possible moment. Arzak¡¯s blade rebounded into the ground at the man¡¯s feet, hard enough that it buried itself point-first. My leg gave way beneath me. ¡®It¡¯s over,¡¯ the Councilman said, echoing the thought I¡¯d had at that very same moment. ¡®It¡¯s over.¡¯ I said nothing, but dropped my head back onto the dusty, blood-stained street. ¡®You really shouldn¡¯t have humiliated me so,¡¯ the enemy continued. I thrust a hand in the air and shooed the Councilman away. ¡®I¡¯m really not in the mood.¡¯ ¡®To die?¡¯ ¡®For this classic villain monologue thing. We get it. You won. Now are you going to end it, or what? Cos I really don¡¯t need to hear the inevitable justifications for all your murder.¡¯ ¡®It is not murder,¡¯ the Councilman said. ¡®I see that now. I am a higher order of being. This is more like¡­ pest¡ª¡¯ ¡®Yeah, yeah. I¡¯ve heard it all before. Pest control, right? Love it. Good justification. Really nice.¡¯ If I was going to die, I might as well annoy my murderer. This was the way all men in my family died. ¡®I will allow you, at least, to die on your feet.¡¯ I groaned. ¡®Do I have to?¡¯ ¡®Do you¡­¡¯ the Councilman stumbled over his words. ¡®Yes. Stand up. Now.¡¯ ¡®Why?¡¯ ¡®I want to see the light go out behind your eyes.¡¯ I sighed again. ¡®You¡¯ve changed, man.¡¯ The Councilman kicked me. ¡®Alright,¡¯ I said, starting to pick myself off the ground, but taking my time about it. ¡®Alright.¡¯ A moment later, I stood face to face with the man that would kill me. But he didn¡¯t attack. Not yet, anyway. Instead, he asked me to¡­ ¡®Beg.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re not finding this very satisfying, are you?¡¯ ¡®Beg. Beg for your pitiful life.¡¯ ¡®No.¡¯ ¡®Beg!¡¯ the Councilman shouted one last time. ¡®Or what, you¡¯ll¡ª¡¯ An explosion of red magicks washed over us. I staggered backward, but not from force¡ªthere wasn¡¯t any¡ªbut from surprise. And as I staggered, I saw shapes form around me. My shape. Hundreds of me circled the battleground. And in the distance, standing down the desolate, devastated street, I saw a familiar shape. It was just as before. Just as with the pyroknight. It was Tokas, of all people, who returned to save the day. She was injured, her right sleeve torn from her dress and one hand clasping a bleeding wound. She¡¯d had to fight to get here, but fight she had. Though she was on the cusp of defeat, still she joined the battle. Still she gave everything she had. I didn¡¯t waste the opening Tokas had given me, and I made sure to move amongst the crowd of my fake selves. As I moved, so too did they, in this way and that, completely obscuring the location of the real me. This infuriated the Councilman, who roared with anger and began attacking the illusions with his ghostly axe. Tokas had bought me time for another attack, but I¡¯d need to make absolutely sure this one would work. I thought about all I¡¯d learned while I¡¯d watched my friends fall. We knew already that fire was the only way to put a stop to the corruption. Even slicing off flesh could only slow the monster down for so long¡ªhis once-missing arm was now almost reformed. But I also now knew that the system no longer recognised the Councilman as human. I could use that to slice him, but I could also¡­ That¡¯s it. The only thing that still might work. ¡®Tokas!¡¯ I roared, and my illusion selves echoed. ¡®Make them charge him!¡¯ My illusions turned on the spots, whipping their heads towards the enemy, and a moment later a hundred fake selves were running at him. The Councilman shifted axe to chain form and attacked wildly, chain flailing between the illusions. And while the enemy was distracted, I opened a portal. This portal, unlike the others, had no partner. With this attempt, I sought not to throw the Councilman elsewhere, but instead capitalise on the fact that the system no longer recognised him as human. This time, I stuffed him into a pocket world. Just before he fell, the Councilman whipped his chain out once more. The chain passed through the illusions of me, but¡ªperhaps accidentally¡ªcaught the already-injured Tokas. The attack threw her hard against the wall of a nearby building, resulting in a gut-wrenching crunch. She collapsed to the ground, and the illusions vanished instantly, but I had no time to check on her; for all I knew, the pocket world wouldn¡¯t hold the Councilman long. As soon as the enemy was inside, I closed the pocket world¡¯s entrance, and portaled myself over to Val¡¯s side. She was looking bad, really bad, but I couldn¡¯t help her. The priority had to be killing the Councilman. I grabbed Val by the shoulders, and wrenched her around. ¡®There!¡¯ I shouted, pointing to Alenna¡¯s burning surgery. ¡®Roots, there. As flammable as you can manage.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t make out the slurred response, but Val¡¯s hands glowed green with Witchcraft magicks, and roots did indeed encompass the surgery before Val passed out. When the fire of Alenna¡¯s surgery was a raging inferno, I opened the portal to my pocket world once more. The Councilman tumbled out, corruption hissing against the flames, and I let my leg collapse beneath me once more. I watched with bated breath as monster fought fire and roots, and sighed with relief only when I received a familiar notification. Level ? corrupted defeated! Worldbending ¡ª +31,050xp Worldbending increased to level 68! Worldbending increased to level 69! Worldbending increased to level 70! Worldbending increased to level 71! Worldbending increased to level 72! Base Points gained ¡ª +10 INT, +10 Free Points (INT/WIS/CHA) Ability selection unlocked Select an ability from the list below¡­ Knifework ¡ª +15,600xp Knifework increased to level 50! Knifework increased to level 51! Knifework increased to level 52! Base Points gained ¡ª +3 DEX, +3 STR, +6 Free Points (VIT/DEX/STR) Ability selection unlocked Select an ability from the list below¡­ Level up! You increased to level 22 Descendant of the Architects defeated! Sisyphus Artifact: Charge replenished! Sisyphus Artifact: Levelled up! Artifact upgrade unlocked Select [2] upgrades from the list below¡­ Increase Charges VI [9 > 10] Extend Active Period II [1,000 > 1,500] Increase Effect I [+1,400% > +1,900%] Add Experience Preservation Charge IV I turned back to the battleground, and my friends bleeding out around me. I could make my upgrade selections later; I knew what I would pick. For now, I needed to make sure everyone was OK. I ran first to Val¡¯s side, trying to gently shake her awake. ¡®You really saved me there, Tokas,¡¯ I shouted over to the tiefling. ¡®Arzak is right. I think you should really consider joining us again.¡¯ There came no reply from Tokas. Val finally stirred, but she wasn¡¯t with it enough to do any Healing. I¡¯d need to look elsewhere. ¡®Tokas, I need a hand over here,¡¯ I called out to her. ¡®If we get Val back on her feet, we can make sure we can save as many as possible.¡¯ Still, Tokas didn¡¯t reply. It was at this point that I looked over at her. She was still where she¡¯d fallen, unmoving. ¡®...Tokas?¡¯
"Styk" Level 22 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 60 Intelligence ¡ª 271 Dexterity ¡ª 147 Strength ¡ª 92 Wisdom ¡ª 76 Charisma ¡ª 50
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 72 Knifework ¡ª Level 52 Stealth ¡ª Level 26 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab III ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through tougher hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR], increased by an additional 50%. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects that are not reinforced by magic. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II - Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,400%
219. Til Death It rained on the day we buried Tokas. Arzak thought it was the gods at work, so rarely did it rain in Coldharbour. But that was the way things went sometimes. Sometimes the weather really did reflect your mood. It was far from the only funeral held in Coldharbour that day. So many had lost loved ones to the misdeeds of the Councilman. So many mourned. There had been broader devastation, too; people had lost their businesses, their homes. Huge stretches of Coldharbour had been levelled. The road to rebuilding would be long and arduous. If we¡¯d realised the truth sooner, perhaps all of this could have been avoided. Perhaps lives could have been saved. Perhaps Tokas would still be with us. And yet, despite all this, the citizens of Coldharbour had still made great efforts to thank us. The people of Coldharbour had paid for Tokas¡¯s funeral, had given us rooms in the untouched palace, and put great wealth in the hands of Lambkin, to be given to Tokas¡¯s children when they came of age. The people we met, despite so many having lost their own friends, gave us their most sincere condolences. There were so many funerals held in Coldharbour that day, yet only the funerals of Tokas and the cultists we¡¯d fought alongside had attendance numbering in the thousands. Arzak gave the eulogy. I¡¯d heard it dozens of times before as I¡¯d helped the nervous orc practice it overnight, and so instead my attention drifted. Tokas, for all her crimes, hadn¡¯t deserved this. I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that I was responsible for her death. That we all were. If we hadn¡¯t been so involved in petty squabbles¡ªVal and I particularly guilty of this¡ªmaybe we would have been paying more attention to the world around us. Maybe we would have realised what the Councilman was capable of. Maybe we would have realised the truth of Alenna¡¯s experiments. As if Val was thinking the same thing, I felt her hand slip into mine and give it a gentle squeeze. I squeezed back. * * * The mood was low, understandably, in the aftermath of the funeral. Arzak had left with Lambkin and the children, leaving the rest of us in the temple, now the only ones there. Lore was the lowest of us. He sat on wooden bench with head in hands, unmoving. We¡¯d all been to two funerals in as many days, though the turnout for his old friend¡¯s had been¡­ not quite so extensive. I took a seat at his side. ¡®I don¡¯t think I said it before, but I¡¯m sorry about Alenna. I know she was about the closest thing you had to family.¡¯ Lore didn¡¯t move, but I knew he¡¯d heard me. It was just all too much. ¡®And about what she did¡­¡¯ At this, the big man moved to look at me. ¡®She did what she thought she had to,¡¯ he said. ¡®Alenna was always a fan of the old tiefling stories. Always believed there was a truth in turning your enemies¡¯ strengths against them. I guess she was just¡­ putting her money were her mouth was.¡¯ ¡®Yeah.¡¯ I said no more, letting Lore continue on his own. After all, this wasn¡¯t really a conversation. It was a chance for Lore to let out some of those feelings he¡¯d been bottling up. ¡®She¡¯d go to any lengths to save her people. I get that. I would too. But it¡­ it doesn¡¯t help the pain.¡¯ I put a hand on the man¡¯s shoulder. This time, when he put his head in his hands, he sobbed. * * * On the way back to the palace rooms that had been generously gifted to us for as long as we were in Coldharbour, Lore came to an abrupt halt. Even those in the streets around us stopped to stare. People here knew us. Not just me, the descendant of a Player, but the rest of the team, too. We were the heroes who had saved Coldharbour, if also the heroes who had watched Sunalor fall. The reverence that the people here had once had for the Players had seemed to drifted onto us instead. People wanted to help us. People smiled when we spoke to them. People hopped to serve, even if we would ask them not to. It only occurred to me now that this meant that Tokas had been successful. Her goal here had been to reveal the truth of the Player, to show the people that these outworlders weren¡¯t what everyone thought they were. That Coldharbour now recognised us as the real heroes instead of the Players meant that the tide was turning. In time, maybe we could count on others, too, to bring the fight to the Council. Hopefully Raelas was out there, right this minute, spreading the word. ¡®What is it, Lore?¡¯ Val asked, her voice soft. ¡®There¡¯s one more thing I have to do,¡¯ the barbarian said. ¡®Will you guys wait for me, in Coldharbour? Just for a few days?¡¯ ¡®Sure, but what is it? What are you doing?¡¯ ¡®There¡¯s still malae out in the desert. In the canyon. We need to destroy them.¡¯ I nodded. ¡®OK, sure. We¡¯ll come with you, and¡ª¡¯ ¡®No,¡¯ Lore said, and for a moment I thought I glimpsed the yellow magicks of Divination behind his eyes once more. ¡®No, you two¡­ stay here. Trust me.¡¯ I nodded, and watched Lore turn away. He spoke to the people of Coldharbour, many of them freshly out of pale orange robes, and asked for volunteers to go with him, on a mission to eradicate the mala menace. The locals, still in awe of us, stumbled over themselves to volunteer, and it wasn¡¯t long until Lore and Corminar had near enough an army, most armed with torches. Out of the corner of my eye, I glimpsed Val staring at me. ¡®What?¡¯ ¡®You sure you don¡¯t want to go? Don¡¯t you want to be the hero?¡¯ I watched Lore and Corminar lead the locals out of town. ¡®I want to be a hero, sure. But I¡¯ve never wanted to be that kind of hero. I just want to be good. To help people. That¡¯s all. Maybe get a little rich in the process for all my hard work, sure, but I don¡¯t need the fame. That¡¯s for other people. Besides¡­¡¯ I nodded to Lore. ¡®I think he needs to do this.¡¯ * * * My and Val¡¯s room in the palace had a balcony with a view over all of Coldharbour, in all its devastation and its beauty. I stood on the balcony, my eyes unfocusing, and breathed in the high, fresh air coming off Coldwater Bay. I was level 22 now, and far stronger than any other level 22 out there. I¡¯d benefited from the restart, from the experient boost afforded me by the Sisyphus Artifact. I was the one who¡¯d ended the Councilman¡ªthough not without the team¡¯s help. I was the strongest of us, now. The XP that had resulted from the fight only bolstered that. I¡¯d added an experience preservation charge to the artifact, meaning I could afford to die yet again without losing anything. And I¡¯d increased the effect of the experience point gain up to a massive +1,900%. I now grew at twenty times the rate of anyone else. More and more, I was becoming unstoppable. And that was to say nothing of my two latest abilities. Both had been upgrades, but important upgrades they were. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Stab IV (Knifework) ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. I now dealt double damage with my blade, and could pierce almost all armours. That was what had drawn me to this upgrade rather than any new ability; rendering my enemy¡¯s armour useless made me surely unstoppable. But there was the Worldbending ability upgrade, too. Portal Slice III (Worldbending) ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. The applications of this upgrade were near endless. I could now use my portals to slice through practically any non-living thing. I could slice through weapons, armour, brick walls¡­ you name it, I could slice through it. No other level 22 person in Alterra could hope to be this powerful. More and more, the rest of the Slayers were no match for me. I suspected that if it came to fighting any of them¡ªnot that I would¡ªI would win handily. Only the Players, the Council themselves, could hope to pose any resistance. I found something stirring within me, then, as I stood on that balcony. A¡­ temptation, perhaps, for lack of a better word. I¡¯d told Val I had no interest in being the sort of hero who needed fame. But¡­ why not? Who deserved it more than me? And who in this world had done more to deserve it? My gut twisted when I caught myself on this path of reasoning. This was exactly what Val had been afraid of, back when she¡¯d left. She¡¯d feared me going down this route, becoming the Player that my mother was. But the worst part was that she was right. I did have the potential for it within me. I would have to wrestle those demons. ¡®You alright out here?¡¯ Val asked. I turned back to see her standing in the balcony¡¯s doorway, wearing a necklace and a thin green silk dress that left little to the imagination. I realised my jaw was hanging loose after maybe only fifteen seconds. ¡®Where¡¯d you get that?¡¯ I asked. Val turned on the spot, giving me a good view. ¡®You like it? I asked one of the palace staff.¡¯ ¡®It suits you.¡¯ ¡®I know.¡¯ Something crossed Val¡¯s face then, a flash of darkness. Had she known what I¡¯d been thinking? What I¡¯d been wrestling with? ¡®Styk?¡¯ ¡®...Yeah?¡¯ I asked, trying to ignore the pit in my stomach. ¡®Forgive me.¡¯ I breathed a sigh of relief. She wasn¡¯t onto me. Not yet. ¡®You¡¯ve gotta stop asking that. I told you, I already have.¡¯ ¡®I know. It¡¯s just¡­ I still feel I have to make it up to you.¡¯ ¡®Hence the dress?¡¯ I asked. ¡®Among other things.¡¯ I traced her figure with my eyes once more, my vision this time settling on the necklace. It was small, silver, and had the shape of a knife in a cage. ¡®You have the palace staff bring that too?¡¯ Val fingered the pendant gently. ¡®No, I¡¯ve¡­ had this a while. Since Lore¡¯s farm. It¡¯s supposed to symbolise where we met. In a prison. With a butter knife.¡¯ ¡®That was before¡­¡¯ I wasn¡¯t sure I¡¯d ever seen Val blush before that moment, but blush she did. ¡®You¡¯ve known that long? The witch nodded, and I kissed her. In that moment, I felt all the pain we¡¯d caused each other, all the anguish, all the uncertainty slip away. We were back together, now, and I didn¡¯t want us to ever part again. ¡®You still want to make it up to me?¡¯ I asked. ¡®I want two things.¡¯ ¡®Tell me.¡¯ ¡®I want us to talk to someone around our relationship. To stop squabbling. To sort out any issues between us.¡¯ ¡®Done. And the other?¡¯ ¡®I want us to stop wasting time. I want you to marry me.¡¯ * * * Arzak was squealing with joy. I don¡¯t think I¡¯d ever heard her squeal before. Val had just told her the news, and the two of them were unabashedly stealing glances at me from the palace steps. I shook my head, trying to ignore them, focusing instead on the contingent marching back to the palace. Lore and Corminar stood at its head, but at this distance¡ªand in the dim light of the setting sun¡ªI couldn¡¯t see their faces. Surely they sensed from Arzak now jumping up and down with joy that something had happened. But if they¡¯d picked up on it, their body language didn¡¯t show it. Some way away, Lore turned to his contingent, said a few words, and his party of Coldharbour residents began to disperse. Their job was done. The two Slayers approached, and then I saw that I had been right; their face were glum. My stomach lurched. ¡®News?¡¯ Corminar asked, eyebrow raised, nodding to Val and Arzak. I nodded. ¡®I¡¯ll explain later. Something tells me you have more important news.¡¯ Lore looked at me, eyes glowing yellow more brightly than ever. ¡®The malae,¡¯ he said. ¡®They were gone.¡¯ ¡®We found only tracks,¡¯ Corminar said. ¡®Hundreds of carriages. Heading south. Heading for the Goldmarch.¡¯ ¡®The Council,¡¯ I said. Simultaneously, Corminar and Lore nodded.
"Styk" Level 22 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 60 Intelligence ¡ª 271 Dexterity ¡ª 147 Strength ¡ª 92 Wisdom ¡ª 76 Charisma ¡ª 50
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 72 Knifework ¡ª Level 52 Stealth ¡ª Level 26 Identification ¡ª Level 18 Needlework ¡ª Level 18
Abilities: Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II - Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Stealth Attack III ¡ª Passive. 200% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Improved Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of significantly higher quality, dependent on materials, time and skill level.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
220. Interlude — Cleo The Council called Cleo their greatest assassin, as though this was a generous compliment. In truth, however, Cleo wasn¡¯t just their greatest assassin, she was perhaps the greatest assassin in all of Alterra. Such a line of work was a dangerous game. Just one mistake, just one, likely spelled the end of the assassin. They would be captured. They would be put to death. But Cleo had never made a mistake, and she had worked jobs numbering in the hundreds. As head of the Council, Tana preferred to operate within the guidelines of the law whenever possible. The less attention they could draw to their world-ending misdeeds, the better. But it wasn¡¯t always possible to operate without drawing blood, especially now that Yusef¡¯s Cult of Ascendency had disbanded, Cleo suspected. Now that they had no church to manipulate¡ªand now that there were whispers in the streets about the Players not being quite what they appeared¡ªCleo¡¯s work would only get more important from hereon out. Alterra¡¯s greatest assassin had tracked her targets across half a world, always one step behind them. She had come close to catching them in the Tundras, but a stolen ship had caused her to lose her tail. And then, later, she¡¯d heard rumours of half of them being in one place, and half of them being in another. But this could not be true; a team of elite Player-slayers would surely know that they were stronger together. It was the death of a non-Council Player that had finally drawn Cleo¡¯s attention back to the team in question. She¡¯d rode from Westbara, her horses¡¯s hooves pounding against the dry sand as she¡¯d rode north. And when she¡¯d reached Coldharbour, she¡¯d discovered a city less hospitable to Players than ever before. Cleo kept her hood up, her identity secret. Surely few would recognise her even without her shielding her face, but the assassin was not one to take any chances. That was how she¡¯d survived for so long. Cleo asked around the city, a greased palm here, a knife-to-the-throat there, seeking out the location of the five adventurers she¡¯d been sent to kill. The answer was one that she¡¯d not expected: that these five were considered heroes, that the city had given them chambers in the palace itself for as long as they required. And ¡°as long as they needed¡± seemed to include a wedding between two members of the team. This was not good news; the palace would be heavily guarded, and her targets less accessible. Still, she had killed in palaces before. Guards hadn¡¯t stopped her. Cleo rode to the palace, her best dagger and strongest poisons at her side, her cloak of illusions wrapped around her shoulders, but with no magicks yet flowing through it. The wedding was not hard to find, being that so many of Coldharbour¡¯s business leaders and government had turned out for it. And with so many faces that were surely unfamiliar to the targets, Cleo could easily slip in.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. The assassin saw the bride first, a beautiful woman with long black hair, harbouring the secret of her Witchcraft abilities. Cleo would kill her last¡ªit was the strongest of them, the Bladespinner and the Warrior, with whom she was most concerned. But then the assassin caught sight of the groom. The Bladespinner. One of the men she was obliged to kill. Her son. Cleo¡¯s stomach lurched. He¡¯d grown up so much since she¡¯d last seen him. He¡¯d been a kid back then, back when she¡¯d last passed through that small farming village. His father was gone already, his grave unkempt, and her son was already on his path to becoming a fully fledged criminal. Like mother, like son, she supposed. Cleo had never intended to call in on him. She knew she had a son, of course, but she had practically forgotten during all those years on her mission in the Badlands. It was only as she¡¯d passed through that town once more that she remembered, and her curiosity got the better of her. The assassin had expected to feel nothing for the boy she¡¯d left on his father¡¯s doorstep, but upon seeing those eyes¡ªthe same eyes that she saw every time she looked in the mirror¡ªshe found something stir within her. Not love, not quite. But certainly something. A fondness, perhaps. Maybe even a connection. When Cleo had turned and left the village immediately, she¡¯d told herself that it was to avoid the boy recognising her. But in truth¡ªand she knew this deep down¡ªit was because she feared what would happen to her if she stayed too long. She¡¯d never expected to see him again, and yet here he was. The man she¡¯d been paid to kill. Not ¡°Styk¡±, really, but Riley. That was the name she¡¯d given him. That was the name she¡¯d written in the note for his father. Yet he¡¯d opted for a different one¡ªwhat did that say? It was cruel, to kill a man on his wedding day, but cruelty had never been an issue before. As little¡ªnot so little, anymore¡ªRiley took his bride to the floor, Cleo stepped through the crowd. And then Cleo felt something she¡¯d never felt before. Not on a job, at least. She prided herself on operating free of emotion, of killing without guilt. But here, presented with the truth of her targets¡¯ identities, that pattern was broken. Her hand trembled as she reached for the dagger that hung at her side. The knife felt heavier than ever before. After scouting her for the Council, Tana had asked Cleo only one question: just how far would she go to secure them their new world? It was time to find out. Cleo stepped forward through the joyous crowd just as her son turned away. She prepared to draw her blade, ready to strike at the others in the chaos that followed, ready to end the lives of her five¡ª ¡®Hello,¡¯ the bride said, her eyes upon Cleo. ¡®I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve met.¡¯ ¡®I¡­¡¯ Cleo started, and she felt her hand release her dagger. ¡®I¡­¡¯ Deep brown eyes stared curiously back at her. ¡®I just wanted to wish you happiness,¡¯ Cleo said. Before the bride could reply, she turned, and hurried from the palace grounds. What had she become? 221. Stronger Than Ever Part XXI: The Greatest Hunt I know, everything got a bit dark back there. The devastation of Coldharbour, the corruption spreading, Tokas... It wasn''t the best time in any of our lives. But when I started writing down the tale of the Slayers for you, reader, I promised myself that I wouldn''t lie. I wouldn''t lie to save face, and I wouldn''t lie to cover up the darkness; I respect you too much for that. But things were good a while from here. I''d found my stride, I''d found my strength. I understood my place in the world better than ever before, and the rest of the team now well and truly looked to me as their leader. So here it is; the instalment you¡¯ve been waiting for. The tale of the fall of the Council, of the battle of the Aurician meadows, and of the two women who saved my life. * * * ¡®Styk!¡¯ Lore shouted as he fell, three arrows poking out of his armour. ¡®I¡¯m on it!¡¯ I slammed one arm against the spinning Arzak to steady myself, then looked across the void. It had been a little while since we¡¯d faced down one of these sorts of Worldbenders. The Player we hunted still had a trio of loyal soldiers at their side, though from what we¡¯d heard, they¡¯d once had a dozen, before the truth had come out about the Council. While the Player was a ranger and enchanter, one of his enchanted traps had been a Worldbending one¡ªbut instead of portal magicks, it used the void. Or, at least, something close to the void; it always struck me as odd that we could still breathe, and the laws of physics still applied. I reached an arm toward the Player we were hunting, opening a portal just in front of him, and the other in front of me and Arzak. The pair of us soared through it, arriving deeper into the void and just in front of our target. Though the Player was occupied with shooting at Lore, one of his team members wasn¡¯t. Before Arzak and I could attack the Player, a fireball collided with my chest, knocking me backward, into Arzak, sending us careering away from our target. Even after the past few months, a fireball to the chest would have hurt. It would have hurt if I hadn¡¯t already activated Titan Husk, my Worldbending ability that helped me withstand all physical damage effects¡ªif not the damage itself. My health drained some from the attack, but it was bearable. After all, I was wearing the new light armour I¡¯d spent the past few weeks working on. ¡®Oi!¡¯ Val shouted. ¡®Don¡¯t you hurt my husband!¡¯ ¡®Val, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯m¡ª¡¯ I started, but the witch was already setting upon the enemy with everything she had. These days, that included a new Witchcraft ability that looked like a sort of green lightning, but essentially drained life from the target. The enemy cried out with pain, body seizing as Val¡¯s attack hit. Her magicks wouldn¡¯t be enough to eliminate the enemy, but it at least kept them occupied. As I steadied myself once more, again using Arzak to do so, I called out to the last member of our party. ¡®Cor! Keep the others off us!¡¯ I heard no response from the elf, but one of his arrows immediately landed in the shoulder of the fire sorcerer. The impact sent them tumbling across the void, with nothing they could use to right themselves. ¡®Alright, Arzak, you ready?¡¯ ¡®We get over with,¡¯ the orc said with a nod. I opened a portal in front of us once more, its partner in front of the Player. This time, however, I brought the Player to us, rather than the other way around. Arzak and the enemy ranged collided heavily, both of them grunting before manoeuvring their weapons for an attack. At this range, Arzak had the advantage; her swords could more readily do damage than the enemy¡¯s bow. The orc buried a sword clumsily in the enemy¡¯s shoulder, but they were strong enough that still the skirmish continued. I clambered around Arzak, finding handholds on her body, sometimes in places we definitely would not speak about after the battle. When I had the enemy in range of my right hand, I splayed my fingers and attacked. Tiny needles shot forth from a portal on the palm of my hand, tumbling forth from my inventory and peppering the Player¡¯s face. Needle Dart was a newer ability, and while it didn¡¯t deal much damage, it was very good at keeping enemies occupied. Speaking of keeping enemies occupied, it was at that moment that I heard Val scream. I snapped my head towards her to see that the last of the enemies had somehow come around on her with his axe. As the axe careered towards her for a second strike, I flicked my hands forward and opened a portal between them. The momentum of the axe carried the enemy into the portal and out the other side, flying into the distance of this artificial void. I portaled over to the falling Val¡¯s side, then glared over at Corminar. ¡®I thought I told you to keep them off us?¡¯ He shrugged. ¡®Perhaps be more explicit in your definition of ¡°us¡±, should this happen again.¡¯ I shook my head, turning to Val, who was already healing her open wound. ¡®You¡¯re supposed to say ¡°Don¡¯t hurt my wife!¡±¡¯ she protested. ¡®OK, next time I¡¯ll say that instead of helping you.¡¯ Before she could reply, I pecked her on the cheek before pushing away from her to slide back through a portal. While I¡¯d been gone, Arzak had lost a sword to the void, and the Player was turning the tide on her. Ranger though he may be, he was still a Player, and therefore still one of the strongest enemies we¡¯d gone up against. It wasn¡¯t right of me to leave Arzak alone to deal with him. I used a portal to return to their side, but this time, I didn¡¯t come alone. Lore was already roaring, swinging his sword, before he emerged from the portal. ¡®AAAA¡ª¡¯ ¡®Remember we need him alive!¡¯ I reminded my friend. ¡®¡ªaaaa¡­¡¯ Lore continued, still roaring, only slightly less enthusiastically. His sword collided with the enemy at their side, slicing deep into their flesh, but it wasn¡¯t enough to break the void spell. While the hunkiest members of our team continued their attacks on the Player, I manoeuvred around the mass of tangled, falling bodies once more. This time, I wasn¡¯t looking to land an attack. I was looking for something¡ªanything¡ªthat might hold the Worldbending magicks required to sustain this void for so long. Our intelligence on the target Player suggested that they had Archery and Enchantment progression only, outside of a little Two-Handed¡ªnot everyone could be expected to have been as efficient with their build as me, after all. So there was nothing to suggest that the Player was holding this magick himself. I rummaged through the man¡¯s pockets, half-expecting an ¡®Excuse you?!¡¯ in response, but he was too distracted by the barbarian and the warrior attacking him for any such sassy comments. Everything I found in these pockets¡ªgold, a small figurine, a spare button and a half-dozen small, rounded stones¡ªI threw away into the void, before finally setting my fingers on something new. I knew it was what I was after from the moment I clasped it, as it reacted to my touch, a gentle, familiar fizzing sensation on the ends of my fingertips. There was Worldbending magick inside. I tossed the glowing purple stone in my hands. To release the magick, I needed to smash it¡ªbut that was easier said than done in a void, where there were no solid surfaces. At least, no sorry surfaces except¡­Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡®Sorry, Lore,¡¯ I said as I set the stone against his back. ¡®Sorry for what?¡¯ he asked, slightly worried. I arced my dagger down towards the enchanted rock, before¡­ halting. The moment I did this, the void would dissolve. We would plummet back down to the waterfall camp in which we¡¯d found them. And the Player might well get away. ¡®Sorry for what?¡¯ Lore repeated, this time sounding incredibly worried. ¡®You¡¯ll see,¡¯ I said. ¡®Lore, Arzak, let him go.¡¯ ¡®Let Player go?¡¯ Arzak asked. ¡®Trust me.¡¯ And trust me they did. A moment later, the pair of them released their grasp on the injured enemy. I sheathed my dagger once more, then grabbed Arzak in one hand and Lore in the other, before kicking against the Player. We soared away, across the void, separating ourselves from the enemy. ¡®Time tell us what doing?¡¯ the orc asked. ¡®You¡¯ll see,¡¯ I repeated. A moment later, we dropped through the portal I¡¯d placed beneath us, raising us back up higher in the void. Val and Corminar were at our side. ¡®Cor, I need¡ª¡¯ I started, but was interrupted by Lore roaring in pain, clasping at his head, his eyes glowing yellow with Divination magicks. ¡®He¡¯s bad,¡¯ Val said, pouring her own Healing magicks into him. ¡®It¡¯s a good job we¡¯re here, then,¡¯ I replied before turning my attention back to Corminar once more. ¡®Cor, I need your arrows.¡¯ ¡®How many?¡¯ ¡®All of them.¡¯ The elf didn¡¯t move. ¡®I need those.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯ll get them back. Do you want to defeat this Player or not?¡¯ Corminar rolled his eyes¡ªa trademark Corminar Cladenor action¡ªbut did not complain further, instead throwing me his quiver. Much to his displeasure, I immediately upended it. ¡®Did you have to¡ª¡¯ he started. ¡®Yes, I did.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯ll see,¡¯ Arzak replied, her tone seeming to indicate that she was in on the plan, when of course she wasn¡¯t. I passed the orc the stone. ¡®Smash this on Lore¡¯s back, will you?¡¯ ¡®Wait, wh¡ª¡¯ Lore started, but Arzak was quick to act, slamming the stone against the man¡¯s shoulder with all her might. The stone shattered. I could feel the air around me once more, see the sky and the high treetops and the ground coming up fast beneath our feet. In moments like these, I thanked my past self for selecting the ability to have two pairs of portals. I opened one pair to move the five of us over the small lake that the waterfall fed. Landing there would hurt, but it would hurt a whole lot less than landing on the dirt. And the other portal? I used that on the arrows. As the Player hit the ground hard, landing on his back, I used the portal to push the arrows into place. I acted fast, moving the portal in and out of existence, plucking most of the arrows out of the air and carefully moving them into position. One by one the arrows hit the ground around our enemy. I was nearly done by the time the water came up to meet me. First there was the pain of the impact, then the shock of water filling my eyes, nose and open mouth. Really that mouth should have been closed; rookie mistake. I looked for up, looking for the light of the midday sun, and swam towards it. I grabbed the struggling Val by the arm as I swam towards the surface. Even if we hadn¡¯t been underwater, I wouldn¡¯t have commented on Val¡¯s increasing difficulties with physically-exerting tasks, because we were trying to get better about that sort of thing. Not that we always managed it. As we broke free of the water, I heaved Val towards the shore of this surprisingly deep pool, and she gasped for air. ¡®You OK?¡¯ I asked. ¡®What, no joke?¡¯ she managed through gasps. ¡®Nothing right now. Check in with me later and I might have one for you.¡¯ Val smiled, and I turned my attention to the enemy. The Player was just where he¡¯d landed, unmoved, though not because we¡¯d eliminated him¡ªthe lack of notifications was evidence enough of that. No, instead he laid where he¡¯d landed both out of exhaustion, and out of¡­ arrow. Those arrows I¡¯d borrowed from Corminar pinned the enemy to the ground, forming a perfect outline of him while only catching his clothes. The man groaned with pain, and red liquid began to seep into the ground. OK, maybe not only catching his clothes, I corrected myself. Either way, he was pinned. We would deal with his team, and then turn back to him, to get what we¡¯d come all this way for. ¡®Stay right there,¡¯ I told the Player, like he had any choice in the matter. And the five of us turned to deal with the injured fire mage, axe warrior, and healer.
"Styk" Level 24 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 285 Dexterity ¡ª 188 Strength ¡ª 102 Wisdom ¡ª 92 Charisma ¡ª 76
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 77 Knifework ¡ª Level 59 Stealth ¡ª Level 33 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
222. The Blessing Of The Curse ¡®Alright,¡¯ I said, wiping the blood from my blade and returning to the fallen Player, who had Lore¡¯s foot on his torso. ¡®We talk.¡¯ ¡®Where¡¯s my team?¡¯ the injured Player asked, looking up at me¡­ and at the bloodied dagger. ¡®One of them dead. Two of them accepted the deal.¡¯ ¡®Deal?¡¯ ¡®A simple one: if I hear their names again, we track them down and kill them. It¡¯s not their fault they fell in with a Player; how are they to know you¡¯re not the gods you pretend to be?¡¯ Corminar coughed pointedly. ¡®Cor¡¯s right. That¡¯s becoming less and less of an excuse. After Coldharbour, people are figuring out what you are, you know. Especially you Council members. There shouldn¡¯t be any more repeats of that Dawnwood incident. Try raising an army now and you¡¯re more likely to get stabbed in the back than take a city for yourself.¡¯ ¡®You knew Niamh?¡¯ the Player asked, and then his eyes widened. ¡®Ah, you¡¯re¡ª¡¯ ¡®The people who killed her, yeah,¡¯ I replied. Val and I high-fived. This was something we were doing of late, and I wasn¡¯t quite sure about it just yet. The Player gulped. ¡®Perhaps we, too, can make a deal? I only have three worlds left to me, you see, and if I die in all of them¡­¡¯ ¡®You¡¯ll be forced back to the world you came from?¡¯ Val asked. ¡®The one you destroyed, like you want to destroy this one?¡¯ When the Player hesitated, my wife added, ¡®Yeah. We¡¯ve done our homework.¡¯ Arzak appeared at our side carrying a glass bottle. Cider. Her and Corminar had got really into cider recently, after learning it was a delicacy of the Sundorn. The climate in this part of the world was perfect for growing apples, and that wasn¡¯t just a marketing exercise; I¡¯d tried them for myself. Of the five of us, Lore was the only one who wasn¡¯t a fan, and the mere mention of cider was starting to stress him out. ¡®Maybe after?¡¯ Lore suggested. The Player¡¯s eyes bulged. ¡®You¡¯re going to drink while you kill me?¡¯ Val reached out a hand to take a cup of cider from Arzak. ¡®We¡¯ve tried Player-killing sober. It¡¯s not that fun.¡¯ ¡®So you do mean to kill me? That¡¯s why you¡¯ve tracked me down, these past two weeks?¡¯ the enemy ranger asked. ¡®Yep,¡¯ I replied. ¡®Or, as you say, we could strike a deal.¡¯ The Player hesitated for only a second. ¡®Tell me. What is it you want?¡¯ ¡®We hear you can remove curses.¡¯ The enemy¡¯s eyes narrowed, then passed over each of us in turn. ¡®One of Niamh¡¯s making, I assume? That always was her speciality. Which of you is it?¡¯ Nobody spoke, but enough of us must have looked at Lore to give the Player his answer. The enemy looked up at the man with a boot on his chest. ¡®She made me see the future,¡¯ the barbarian said. ¡®That¡­ isn¡¯t much of a curse. It¡¯s more blessing than curse.¡¯ ¡®It is when it gives you crippling headaches,¡¯ Val said, on Lore¡¯s behalf. ¡®When you can¡¯t always tell the present from the future. When it makes your ears bleed.¡¯ ¡®Bleeding ears? I suppose that isn¡¯t a good sign.¡¯ The Player looked up at Lore once more. ¡®So that is the deal? I remove the curse, and you let me go?¡¯ I nodded. ¡®That¡¯s the crux of it, yeah. Is that a deal or not?¡¯ ¡®I would shake on it, but¡­¡¯ the Player gestured to Lore¡¯s foot on his chest. ¡®Lore, let him up. And take those arrows out.¡¯ ¡®I suppose you will heal my wounds?¡¯ the enemy ranged asked. ¡®We will not.¡¯ ¡®Fair enough.¡¯ Arzak shook the cup of cider to get Val¡¯s attention. ¡®You want this?¡¯ ¡®After,¡¯ Lore said again, and his tone was so unlike his typical gentle demeanour that Arzak actually listened. She withdrew the cup. Once freed from his pinned position, the Player looked up at the barbarian towering over him. ¡®If you would¡­ crouch, for me?¡¯ When Lore took a knee, the enemy ranger placed his hands on the side of Lore¡¯s temple. ¡®No business that is funny,¡¯ Arzak growled at him. ¡®Funny business,¡¯ I corrected her. ¡®Is same thing.¡¯ We watched on, hands on weapons, as the Player got to work, blue magicks billowing out from his fingertips and soaring around Lore¡¯s head. My own hands itched to draw my blade, to slash the man¡¯s throat should he hurt Lore. But Lore gave no sign of pain or hurt. ¡®Everything going OK in there, Lore?¡¯ Val asked. The big man offered her a reassuring smile and a thumbs-up. Moments later, without drama or fanfare, the Player removed his hands from Lore¡¯s head. ¡®You¡¯ve done it?¡¯ I asked. ¡®Kind of.¡¯ ¡®What mean, kind of?¡¯ Arzak asked, hand noticeably reaching toward her sword. ¡®I mean¡­¡¯ The Player stood back, and my fingers twitched, but he made no effort to run. ¡®Niamh¡¯s ability with traps and curses far outweighs my own.¡¯ ¡®Outweighed,¡¯ Corminar corrected him. ¡®Outweighed, right. She was the strongest of us in this regard. I couldn¡¯t remove the curse¡­¡¯ The Player gulped when Arzak drew her blade further. ¡®But I could hide it from him.¡¯ Arzak sheathed her blade once more, and the Player cautiously turned back to Lore. ¡®You won¡¯t notice it¡¯s there. No headaches, no time confusion, no injury¡­ and no visions. As long as you don¡¯t go picking at the barrier I have placed inside, then you¡¯re as good as free. That¡¯s the best that I can do.¡¯ I kept my gaze on the Player, looking for any signs that he was lying. The Player was nervous, shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot, but perhaps that could be explained by the threat of what would happen if he failed. Val¡¯s attention was on the barbarian instead. ¡®How¡¯s it feel, Lore?¡¯ Lore tilted his head from side to side, eyes looking upward and deep in thought. We watched him for perhaps a minute or two before finally Val¡ªof course¡ªcould wait no longer. ¡®Lore?¡¯ she verbally prodded him again. ¡®I think it¡¯s gone. Or¡­ hidden, like he said. He¡¯s done it.¡¯If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The Player released a loud sigh of relief. ¡®There, see? I¡¯ve done it, so I¡¯ll just be on my way now, right?¡¯ In response I held up my index finger¡ªthe universal signal for ¡°Wait one minute there, because I have another surprise for you.¡± ¡®Val?¡¯ I asked the woman at my side.. ¡®Ready,¡¯ came the reply. I pulled the Sisyphus Artifact out from around my neck, and placed it against the enemy¡¯s heart. ¡®What¡¯s this? What are you doing?¡¯ the Player asked, eyes widening once more. ¡®We said we¡¯d let you go. We didn¡¯t say you¡¯d be¡­ entirely unharmed.¡¯ I looked to Val. ¡®Just like we practised.¡¯ ¡®We¡¯ve done this before, husband.¡¯ When she said the word like that¡ªin a pointed, irritable tone¡ªit wasn¡¯t quite as romantic. ¡®Yeah, and one of those times it killed the woman, didn¡¯t it?¡¯ Val shrugged. ¡®No great loss.¡¯ ¡®What do you mean it killed the woman?¡¯ the Player demanded. ¡®What are you doing to me? I held up my end of the deal!¡¯ ¡®Just something we¡¯ve figured out over the past couple of months. A way to get a little more use out of this artifact. It brings you back to life, you know. That¡¯s very handy¡ªtrust me, it¡¯s saved me three times now. But it turns out you don¡¯t just have to use it on yourself, you can use it on others, too. Now, normally when I bring myself back to life, I choose to keep all my progression. But in your case¡­¡¯ I trailed off; even an idiot could see where this was going. ¡®In my case what?¡¯ I sighed, considered answering but ultimately decided that it didn¡¯t matter. ¡®Ready when you are, Val.¡¯ At this signal, my wife blasted the enemy with her latest ability, green bolts of magicks extracting the life from him. And making him scream a fair bit. It was a slow, painful death, but it was the best way to not go overboard on the killing. That time we¡¯d killed the woman for good? We¡¯d killed her, brought her back to life, and then she¡¯d immediately died again because she had a dagger through her heart. Our mistake. When Val felt the last of the life leave the Player, she snapped a hand to my shoulder. Her Witchcraft magicks flowed through me and into the artifact in my grasp, activating it. It was by chance that we¡¯d managed to manually activate it before¡ªI¡¯d got in the way of one of Val¡¯s attacks¡ªbut it opened up a whole new world to us. We understood, now, the Sisyphus Artifact¡¯s source of power. It was an old and powerful form of Witchcraft. The man gasped as the artifact brought him back from the brink of death, eyes widening so much I thought they might fall out. I took a step back and pushed the artifact back down under my shirt. ¡®How¡¯s that feel, buddy?¡¯ I asked him. ¡®All good?¡¯ The man held his arms out in front of himself, looking at them. ¡®I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m level 1!¡¯ ¡®Correct.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m level 1! How do you expect me to survive in this world?¡¯ ¡®Try identifying things,¡¯ I told the Player. ¡®That¡¯s how I got back on track.¡¯ ¡®The Council will kill me! I¡¯m useless to them!¡¯ Val didn¡¯t even seem to try to suppress her smirk. ¡®Sounds like a you problem.¡¯ I¡¯d given thought to killing these Players anyway, even if they showed remorse. After all, we¡¯d let the Councilman go all those months ago and it had caused us no end of misery. And every upgrade I could get to my Sisyphus Artifact was more experience in my pocket¡ªeven if it only came into effect when I died. But indiscriminate killing when there was a valid alternative was the sort of thing the Council did, and I was determined to show Val that I wasn¡¯t like them. Even if their blood did run through my veins. ¡®Well?¡¯ Corminar said to the level 1 Player, eyebrows raised. ¡®What are you waiting for?¡¯ He urged the man away with his hands. ¡®You want me gone? Just like that?¡¯ ¡®What are you sticking around for?¡¯ Val asked. ¡®We¡¯re not throwing you a party. In fact, if you keep annoying us, we might be forced to¡ª¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m going! I¡¯m going!¡¯ None of us said a word as we watched the Player fleeing into the distance, jumping at the howl of a distant wolf. ¡®Might be good as dead anyway,¡¯ Arzak noted. I shrugged. ¡®That¡¯s up to him. Cider?¡¯ ¡®Absolutely.¡¯ The orc handed me a cup and then began pouring another, which she handed to the eager Val. But Lore stood up, strided over, and slapped the cup of cider out of Val¡¯s hand. ¡®Hey!¡¯ the witch protested. ¡®That perfectly good cider!¡¯ Arzak added. Lore gritted his teeth together and shook his head, his shoulders tensing for a moment before he finally sighed. ¡®I wanted you to find it out for yourself,¡¯ he said. ¡®Thought it was only right. But I can¡¯t take it anymore.¡¯ ¡®Lore, what in Alterra are you talking about?¡¯ Corminar asked. ¡®The visions. I saw it a long while back.¡¯ He looked to Val. ¡®You¡¯re pregnant,¡¯ he said. Everyone froze. Myself included. Val and I looked to one another, trying to feel out each other¡¯s emotions on the subject. But I knew from the work we¡¯d done over the past couple of months that guessing was a fool¡¯s errand; it was much better to communicate. ¡®Val,¡¯ I said. ¡®How are¡ª¡¯ Arzak stepped forward and knocked the cider from my hand too. ¡®If she not drink, you not drink. Only fair.¡¯ Maybe it was better we spoke in private.
"Styk" Level 24 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 285 Dexterity ¡ª 188 Strength ¡ª 102 Wisdom ¡ª 92 Charisma ¡ª 76
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 77 Knifework ¡ª Level 59 Stealth ¡ª Level 33 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
223. Born Into Peril As Val and I retreated from the rest of the group, Lore and Arzak set about building camp for the night¡ªby a pretty waterfall was about as good a spot as many¡ªwhile Corminar ¡°suggested¡± instructions for them. I remained quiet as we put distance between us and the others, stepping slowly around the edge of the lake until I could feel the mist from the waterfall landing on my face. I turned to Val, and saw that she was betraying absolutely nothing of what she was feeling on her face. Though, that plain, uncharacteristically blank expression was a decision it and of itself. ¡®I know we¡¯ve been working on our communication lately, but I don¡¯t really know how to start this conversation still.¡¯ ¡®You tell me how you feel,¡¯ Val said. ¡®Or you could go first.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m the one carrying your child.¡¯ ¡®Tell me now if you¡¯re gonna use that one a lot.¡¯ ¡®I am,¡¯ my wife replied, though she stuck her tongue out at me to show she was¡ªat least partially¡ªjoking. Old habits died hard. This playfulness was enough to break the ice, however, and I found it within myself to speak. To communicate. ¡®I know we¡¯ve had some trouble in the past, but I¡¯d like to think we¡¯re getting through it, right? We¡¯re¡­ what¡¯s the phrase you used?¡¯ ¡®Processing our trauma.¡¯ ¡®Yeah, that. We¡¯re sorting stuff out in our heads. And I think we¡¯re doing better, aren¡¯t we?¡¯ Val kept her face neutral once more, but I could see a smile in those dark eyes of hers. ¡®I think so, yeah. So about the baby¡­¡¯ ¡®What I¡¯m saying is¡­¡¯ I took in a deep breath. ¡®There¡¯s nobody I¡¯d rather be having a child with than you.¡¯ Finally Val¡¯s face broke into a smile once more. This time, she didn¡¯t return to that artificially blank expression. ¡®Good. I feel the same. But¡­ now? Is it the right time?¡¯ ¡®Do people have children at the ¡°right time¡±? Is that a thing? Does the right time even exist?¡¯ ¡®Maybe not, but the ¡°wrong time¡± isn¡¯t usually ¡°being hunted down by a powerful Council of Players¡± for other people. It¡¯s not having quite enough money, or wanting to work on their careers. Not¡­ mortal peril.¡¯ I shrugged. ¡®Fair point. But, Val, here¡¯s a counterpoint. I think I¡­ want this? I think I want to do this with you? And I don¡¯t think I care about anything else?¡¯ Val paused for a moment, meeting my eyes, before launching into an attack on my face with her mouth. She pecked me all over¡ªincluding once on the eyeball, for some reason¡ªbefore eventually flinging her arms around me and squeezing me tight. ¡®So I¡¯m guessing¡­ you agree?¡¯ ¡®Of course I agree, idiot,¡¯ Val said. ¡®I thought we agreed we weren¡¯t gonna call each other idiots anymore.¡¯ ¡®Of course I agree, stupid-head,¡¯ my wife corrected herself. ¡®That¡¯s not really¡ª¡¯ Val pulled away from the hug and looked me in the face once more. ¡®We¡¯re doing this, aren¡¯t we? We¡¯re actually doing this. But, Styk, we gotta do it better than our parents.¡¯ ¡®What, you don¡¯t wanna abandon your child on a doorstep or let your child watch as you get stabbed to death?¡¯ ¡®And that¡¯s before we even start on my parents,¡¯ Val added. I raised an eyebrow. ¡®I still think I have you beat, there.¡¯ Silence fell over us as we looked back over the lake. Even over the splashing of the waterfall, we could hear Arzak and Corminar shouting at one another. I knew them both well enough by now that I wasn¡¯t worried; the both of them got a little heated during a fight, and they¡¯d calm down properly soon. ¡®No wonder Lore¡¯s been funny about you joining the fights,¡¯ I finally said. ¡®I thought he was just rooting for us.¡¯ ¡®What, and only you needed worrying about?¡¯ I asked. ¡®You didn¡¯t think he should be worrying about me too, in that situation?¡¯ Val shrugged. ¡®You¡¯ve been giving it all that super-strong-big-balls stuff lately; maybe he thought you really were untouchable. I know better, obviously.¡¯ She mimed stabbing me through the chest. No, not the chest, through the artifact that hung from a chain around my neck. I looked down at the Sisyphus Artifact, cradling it gently in my fingertips. ¡®We should think about¡ª¡¯ I started, but Val shook her head. ¡®No. We can start thinking about stuff later. For now, let¡¯s just enjoy the moment.¡¯ * * * I enjoyed the moment for about five minutes before returning to camp. Arzak had quickly disappeared with Val to talk animatedly about the latest news. Lore tried the same thing with me, but quickly realised I wasn¡¯t interested in talking, and he and Corminar went off to find some potion ingredients instead. As I stared into the fire, I found that I couldn¡¯t enjoy the moment any longer. There was too much to think about. Too much pressure to make sure everything was sorted in time for the baby¡¯s arrival. Too much pressure to make sure they were safe. I reviewed my progression so far once more. My core skill was Worldbending, now up at level 77, though Knifework wasn¡¯t too far behind at 59¡ªwith a new ability on its way very soon. More and more, I¡¯d built my progression about my portal abilities, which gave me the option to shift around the battlefield in a flash¡ªand to move others, too. That, combined with some quick stabbing, the damage dealt increased by my Stealth abilities if I went unnoticed, was the bread and butter of my build.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. But I had other peripheral abilities, too. I had access to a Pocket World in which I kept my Needlework supplies, as well as anything else too heavy to actually lug about with me. I had my Shrill Perimeter which I put around camp every night to alert us to enemy presence. I had my Saved Portals, which allowed me to open a portal at a specific location, no matter how far I was from it¡ªthis was currently ¡°saved¡± in a particularly nice tavern in Asaum, in the southwest of the Goldmarch. I could Silence areas entirely, I could Portal Slice through non-reinforced objects, and I could even use Titan Husk to prevent me from fire, ice, corruption and more physical damage effects. On the Knifework front, I could use Closed Reach to thrust knives 8 inches deeper, using portal synergy. I could use Knifestorm for a flurry of dagger atacks. I could even, as of two weeks ago, use Etched Blades to imbue my knife with magicks. All this was to say, I was strong. I was stronger, now, than ever before¡ªbut I could be stronger still. Perhaps I would even need to be stronger still, now that the Council were constantly on our tail in this unceasing cat-and-mouse story. Or, cat-and-cat, really, considering we were doing just as much hunting as they were. Either way, we lived our lives under an ever-present threat of danger. I could deal with myself dying¡ªthat never tended to stick, anyway¡ªbut I couldn¡¯t handle the same happening to Val. And just how much worse would Val dying be now, now that it meant this new life would never come to be? ¡®I know that face,¡¯ Val said, staring across the fire. ¡®You want to get stronger.¡¯ ¡®I want to protect you. And¡­¡¯ I gestured towards her belly. I didn¡¯t realise until she relaxed that Val had been tensing her shoulders. ¡®Let¡¯s skim over the part where we bicker, where I tell you I don¡¯t need protecting, and that I can look after myself. I do need it. So do you, I¡¯ve gotta add, because sometimes you forget that. If you think you need to grow stronger to protect us, then do it. I¡¯ll help. I get stronger too. But there¡¯s another way we can keep ourselves safe¡ªwe can end it. We can end the Council once and for all.¡¯ I held her gaze for a moment, then stood up to take another seat at her side. ¡®Good communication,¡¯ I said. ¡®Yeah, I thought so.¡¯ I placed a hand on Val¡¯s stomach, even though it was far too early to feel anything. ¡®So, Lore probably knows what it¡¯s gonna be, doesn¡¯t he? Do you think we should ask, or keep it a surprise?¡¯ ¡®I already asked him while you were sat there pondering.¡¯ When I raised my eyebrows, she added, ¡®What? Like you¡¯re any better at surprises.¡¯ ¡®Well? Go on, then, what is it?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s a girl, Styk.¡¯ I didn¡¯t realise it until that moment, but my heart was going to burst with joy no matter what the answer. A smile compulsively crossed my face¡ªone that I couldn¡¯t stifle no matter how hard I tried. Not that I did. ¡®...Val?¡¯ ¡®Yeah?¡¯ There was a flash of worry in those eyes. Probably something to do with my tone. ¡®We gotta keep working on us, yeah? For her?¡¯ Val smiled, and rested her head on my shoulder. As we sat there, staring into the fire, I decided she was definitely right about one thing. It was time to end the Council once and for all.
"Styk" Level 24 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 285 Dexterity ¡ª 188 Strength ¡ª 102 Wisdom ¡ª 92 Charisma ¡ª 76
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 77 Knifework ¡ª Level 59 Stealth ¡ª Level 33 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
224. Memories Of Plainside For once, there was no arguing. The team understood the need to put an end to the Council once and for all, considering the news¡ªeven if we didn¡¯t feel entirely ready. We¡¯d had plenty of luck killing or wiping the progression of Players over the past couple of months, but picking off individual enemies was one thing. Going after the central Council as a whole was another. It was bad timing, really; if Lore could have held on with the visions for just a few more weeks, then that was another big advantage for us. Instead of using his gift of foresight to track down our next targets¡ªand to stay alive in the process¡ªwe¡¯d have to fall back to traditional methods. We didn¡¯t know much about the Council. We knew they had a plan to create a new world, and that this plan would destroy our world in the process. We knew that they were led by a woman named Tana. And we knew that they held court in Auricia, in the capital of the Goldmarch, with resources granted to them by the Empress Amira in exchange for helping her with her landgrab to the east¡ªthe Dawnwood, Corminar¡¯s homeland. And so we headed north once more, back towards the Goldmarch. The worst case scenario was that we would hear nothing of any Players until we reached Auricia itself, but I didn¡¯t think it would come to that. Player activity had ramped up in the last couple of months, since Yusef¡¯s death. That, coupled with a spreading disillusionment in the holiness of Players, meant that it was certain that we¡¯d hear about one sooner or later. As we travelled north, through the central Sundorn, we trained harder than ever, knowing that the fight of our lives would soon be upon us. In particular, I trained harder than ever. When the sun was long set, and whatever local wildlife we could find was slain, the rest of the team went back to the campsite. Whereas I stayed up for hours longer, making full use of the experience boost granted me by the Sisyphus Artifact. I could not fail in the fight to come; to fail meant Val¡¯s death, and it meant my child¡¯s death too. I could not fail, and moreover, I would not fail. I could feel my Knifework skill teetering on the edge of advancement as I stood over the body of the hag. In months past, we would have struggled to kill a hag as a team, but these days¡ªarmed with so many complementary abilities¡ªI could slay one even after hours of hunting, and with so little sleep. We¡¯d found more and more of these creatures in the forests over the past few months, as though they, too, knew that something big was coming. As blood dripped from the tip of my knife onto the hard, dry dirt, I stood still, closing my eyes, letting the scents of the forest fill my nostrils. I searched my body for aches and for pains, and though I found some, they were nothing I couldn¡¯t work through. I could work for hours, yet, if I needed to. But I would need sleep, too. If I wasn¡¯t fresh, I could mess up. And one error in the days to come could spell the end of our quest. I sighed, sheathed the dagger, and turned back towards camp. * * * It was only two days later that we heard whisper of a Player in the area. As we¡¯d headed north, the landscape had changed from dense forests to sprawling farmlands. This part of the world was known for its agriculture, its produce being a key export and the means by which its people survived, and sometimes even thrived. At first, it was just as expected¡ªlines of wheat crops as far as the eye could see, interrupted only by the hedgerows separating one farmer¡¯s land from the next. But then the sights changed. The further north we travelled, the more the farmland was scarred by fire. Those few clumps of old trees at the peripheries of each plot were often dead, blackened by charcoal. I thought it might have been an accident, until Lore¡ªthe only one of us with farming experience¡ªpointed out that there were breaks in the patches of blackened crops. This wasn¡¯t just one large fire; it was many. My gut wrenched at this revelation, and it took me a moment to look within myself and figure out why this affected me so much. It was because it brought about memories of the devastation of Plainside¡ªthe town burned to the ground by Jacob the Player pyroknight in his search for the artifact that now hung around my neck. But that man was long gone, dead at my hand. Whatever had happened here was unrelated. I met Val¡¯s gaze, recognising understanding in those brown eyes. She, too, had seen the aftermath of Jacob¡¯s destruction. ¡®How you feeling?¡¯ she asked. ¡®Ready for a fight,¡¯ I replied. Val nodded; she was the same. If someone was responsible for this, then it might well have to end with blood. They hadn¡¯t taken lives directly, but this was people¡¯s livelihoods, their whole existences. If they couldn¡¯t sell the crops they¡¯d grown this summer, then they might not live to see the next. We continued on, eyes peeled, until we stumbled across the small town of Lonely Hearth. There, among houses thankfully untouched by fire, we began to find answers. Since we exposed Yusef in Coldharbour, attitudes to the Players had been changing. Exposing Yusef as a fraud had made people question the power, and motives, of these invaders from the ascended world. Though most would still never go so far as to actively voice opposition to the Players¡ªthis belief that Players were wholly good was too embedded in our world¡ªthere were those out there who were starting to realise the truth. It was Arzak who had realised that we could capitalise on this changing view. As we travelled, she had sought out those most opposed to the Players, in taverns, in markets, on the road, and she had recruited many of them to her new cause. And this new cause? Information. Those she recruited to oppose the Players would live their lives as normal, but they would keep an ear out for any news of the enemy, and they would recruit still more to the cause. Arzak¡¯s network of informants had grown at breakneck pace¡ªso much so that when we walked into town, there was usually someone who recognised the symbol on her armour. This icon¡ªa circle cut in half¡ªwas nondescript enough to seem to be a simple piece of jewellery, but to those who also carried this symbol, it was the mark of an ally. So when we entered Lonely Hearth, few of the locals gave us more than a second look. There was one exception to this¡ªan elderly woman, sitting outside her house on the main street, whose eyes lingered on Arzak. Usually, those who met Arzak¡¯s gaze would quickly look aware, but this woman met the orc¡¯s stare unflinching. Though perhaps weak of body, she was stronger of spirit than most. No wonder she too possessed that split circle icon. No wonder she too had the strength to oppose the Players. As we approached her house, she rose from her seat, legs shaky beneath her, and stepped inside. She left the door open for us, and Corminar¡ªthe last to enter the humble cottage¡ªclosed it gently behind us. We stood alone in a living room furnished with fading pink armchairs and a rug that maybe once boasted a pattern. There was no old woman in sight. ¡®Hello? Woman?¡¯ Arzak called out. ¡®You have symbol?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll be with you in just a moment, dearie,¡¯ our host called out from another room. ¡®Why don¡¯t you take a seat? How many for tea?¡¯ ¡®We all take tea,¡¯ the orc replied. ¡®Thank you.¡¯ ¡®Actually, I¡ª¡¯ Lore started. Arzak cut him off with a glare. ¡®Don¡¯t refuse tea. Is rude.¡¯ Val and I glanced at one of the armchairs, and at once we hurried to take it. We both got halfway into the chair, finding it not quite large enough to share. ¡®I¡¯m pregnant,¡¯ Val argued, shoving me to one side. ¡®Not that pregnant,¡¯ I replied, playfully shoving her back. Our host appeared carrying a large metal tray, on which sat six empty cups, a steaming teapot, six small plates, and a pie that made Lore widen his eyes. The old woman looked at Arzak, then over at me and Val, still wrestling each other for control of the chair. ¡®Oh, I¡¯ve not seen that trick before,¡¯ she commented.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. This not-so-subtle jab made me embarrassed enough to give up my claim on the chair. It didn¡¯t have the same impact on Val, who was immune to such things as embarrassment. Arzak took tiny teacup in large, green fingers, holding it delicately and in the same manner as Corminar. That is, with pinky finger sticking out. She slurped the top of it. ¡®Mm,¡¯ she said. ¡®Is good. Very hot.¡¯ I¡¯d tried explaining to Arzak on previous occasions that the measure of good tea wasn¡¯t simply how hot it was, but now wasn¡¯t the time to remind her. ¡®Pie, for you and your friends? I baked it this morning for the grandchildren¡ªI¡¯m seeing them later¡ªbut there¡¯s plenty of time to bake another.¡¯ This time, Lore had no problem being a polite guest. ¡®Yes please!¡¯ he said, and I think his enthusiasm alone was enough to signal our host to cut him a large piece. Not that it matters, and some details are best left out of the history books for brevity¡¯s sake, but this pie was a berry pie, and berry pie is my favourite. That¡¯s all I have to say about the pie, so we¡¯ll skip all the rest of the pie talk¡ªthere was a good deal of it¡ªand get to the matter at hand. ¡®You have intelligence?¡¯ Arzak asked. ¡®Intel,¡¯ I reminded her. Her asking if people had intelligence had got us into trouble in the past. ¡®Both intel and intelligence, my dear,¡¯ the woman said, pouring herself a fourth cup of tea. I couldn¡¯t quite understand how one teapot had held so much tea. ¡®I suppose you saw the fire damage on the way into town? It doesn¡¯t matter which way you came from¡ªnorth, south, east, west¡­ it¡¯s all the same. Crops burned to the ground.¡¯ ¡®Perhaps we should reimburse you for the pie,¡¯ Corminar said¡ªa suggestion which was swiftly waved away by our host. ¡®You¡¯re saying a Player was responsible?¡¯ I asked. ¡®Not just any Player,¡¯ the old woman said. ¡®But Elinor herself. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard of her.¡¯ The five members of my team looked at one another with furrowed brows. ¡®No, I¡­ don¡¯t think we have?¡¯ Val finally answered on behalf of all of us. ¡®Oh! But you are Arzak Blorg, are you not?¡¯ the woman addressed my orcish friend. Arzak nodded. ¡®We hunt other Players. Not hear of Elinor yet.¡¯ ¡®I see,¡¯ the woman said, and looked down into the still surface of her tea before she continued. ¡®Then let me get you up to speed. This is a woman who needs to die.¡¯ I wouldn¡¯t have expected to hear those words come out of this mouth, based on the soft furnishings, tea and delicious berry pie, but they did. There was that inner strength shining through again. Our host continued before anyone could prompt her. ¡®She, and she alone, is responsible for the destruction you saw in these parts. She is a sorcerer, you see, and as far as I can tell, she is using the local fox and wolf population for training. At least, that is what I have heard on the grapevine. That¡¯s to say nothing of the missing people. One might wonder if they aren¡¯t missing because they have been burned to a crisp¡­¡¯ Corminar drew in a breath, nodded, and stood back up from his position leaning against the door. ¡®I have heard enough. I am convinced.¡¯ Looking at our host, he added, ¡®Where might be find this menace?¡¯ I was about to interrupt, to make a point to the contrary, when Arzak did so for me. The orc raised a finger to our elven friend before she too looked to the old woman. ¡®Agree that she need die,¡¯ Arzak said. ¡®But we on mission to kill Council. Not waste time killing any Player.¡¯ I nodded. ¡®Unless there is evidence that this Elinor is involved in greater schemes, I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll need to move on. But maybe we can donate some gold towards a mercenary team?¡¯ I looked to Val, who immediately began rummaging through her coin pouches. ¡®Greater schemes?¡¯ our host repeated. ¡®Oh, no, I don¡¯t know anything about that. But surely what I¡¯ve said is enough?¡¯ Arzak held the woman¡¯s gaze as she shook her head. ¡®No. I sorry. We must stop other plan. Other plan that destroy thousands. Maybe destroy world.¡¯ ¡®We would help if we could,¡¯ Val added. ¡®And I get that this isn¡¯t the answer you want to hear, but we¡¯ll have to move on. Here¡­¡¯ The witch tipped countless gold coins into the lap of our host¡ªvery clearly all that we had. ¡®Use this. Buy the best team you can.¡¯ In response, the old woman reached out to cradle Val¡¯s face. ¡®You¡¯re very kind. You will make a good mother.¡¯ My wife blushed more profusely than I¡¯d ever seen her blush before. ¡®How did you know?¡¯ ¡®Intuition,¡¯ the woman said, smiling. She looked up at me. ¡®You really should have just let her have the chair, you know.¡¯ I resisted the urge to visibly react. ¡®We best be off, I think.¡¯ Arzak nodded her agreement, and led the team to the door, me bringing up the rear. ¡®Best of luck!¡¯ Lore said. ¡®And thanks for the pie! It was the best pie ever, for sure!¡¯ The woman replied, cheerily, ¡®It¡¯s no problem at all, my dears! I will, of course, keep watching out for her, keep making notes. And if that horrid friend of her appears again, I¡¯ll jot that down too. Tana, or whatever her name was.¡¯ A chill ran down my spine. I stopped on the threshold of the house, and turned back to the kind old woman. ¡®...What did you just say?¡¯
"Styk" Level 24 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 285 Dexterity ¡ª 188 Strength ¡ª 102 Wisdom ¡ª 92 Charisma ¡ª 76
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 77 Knifework ¡ª Level 59 Stealth ¡ª Level 33 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
225. On Fire ¡®I said I would keep watching out for Elinor, and that I would make notes,¡¯ the old woman of Lonely Hearth replied. ¡®No, after that.¡¯ The rest of the team circled around to join me at my side. ¡®What did you say after that bit?¡¯ ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯ Lore asked. ¡®After that?¡¯ the woman repeated. ¡®Oh, I don¡¯t know. Memory is a fickle thing at my age.¡¯ ¡®You mentioned someone else? Another Player?¡¯ The woman¡¯s face lit up. ¡®Oh, yes! Tana.¡¯ Corminar perked up, straightening his back. ¡®Tana? You mean to say the head of the Council has been in these parts?¡¯ ¡®The head of the council? No, my dear, the head of the council is Marge. Lovely woman, but perhaps a little too keen on potted plants.¡¯ ¡®Not the¡­¡¯ I started, but trailed off, shaking my head. ¡®This other Player, Tana, how long ago was she here?¡¯ ¡®Oh, not three weeks past.¡¯ I turned to the rest of the team. ¡®What do you think?¡¯ ¡®I think it her. That Tana. I not hear of many Tanas, especially not Player-Tanas.¡¯ Arzak was also standing straight now, as though ready for battle once more. ¡®Sure, but, do we go after her?¡¯ I asked. ¡®Or do we go after this¡­ Elinor?¡¯ ¡®You have plan,¡¯ the orc commented. I nodded. Plans were my speciality. Following through on plans? Not so much. ¡®We know where Tana is gonna be. Chances are, she¡¯s in the palace in Auricia. Untouchable, I reckon. But maybe we can draw her out. If this Elinor is important enough to warrant a personal visit from the head of the Council, then¡­¡¯ ¡®Then we take her hostage,¡¯ Val finished for me. We were on the same page more often than not, these days. ¡®We lure Tana out. There¡¯s no guarantee she won¡¯t come with a team¡ªor an army¡ªat her side, but¡­¡¯ ¡®At least we¡¯d be able to bring the fight to neutral ground. Maybe even set a trap.¡¯ I could see Val smiling at this. Not that normal-person tender smile, that someone like Lore would have smiled, but instead one full of both excitement and malice. I turned back to Arzak¡¯s informant. ¡®Alright, we¡¯ll do it. We¡¯ll sort out this Player for you.¡¯ The woman¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡®Oh, you will? That¡¯s excellent news.¡¯ She turned away, apparently meaning to disappear back inside her house. ¡®I¡¯ll wrap up another slice of pie each for you, so you¡¯re working on full stomachs.¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s OK,¡¯ I replied, immediately feeling Lore casting daggers at the back of my head, ¡®if you could just tell us where to find Elinor, we¡¯ll get out of your hair.¡¯ ¡®After your pie, my dear!¡¯ She disappeared back into the rear of her home. Lore breathed an audible sigh of relief, and shifted from foot to foot with anticipation until the woman appeared with half a pie wrapped in paper. As she handed the pie over to the barbarian¡ªwho had stepped forward to take it off her hands¡ªshe continued, ¡®Elinor? Last I heard, she was at the old Gutrai farmhouse¡ªa couple of miles to the west.¡¯ I nodded, then found myself give the woman a strange sort of half-bow thing in gratitude. ¡®Thanks. Just one last thing: you got a river around here?¡¯ The woman looked thoughtful for a moment, before replying, ¡®We have a well?¡¯ ¡®That works.¡¯ * * * We¡¯d taken a few hours to gorge ourselves on the local food before battle. The woman had been right about one thing: it didn¡¯t help to fight on an empty stomach. We each ate far too much stew before then adding to it by eating the berry pie we¡¯d been given. Afterwards, we were actually too full to fight, and so we had to wait a while for our bloating to go down. All in all, it was a waste of about three hours. Just as the informant had promised, we found the Gutrai farmhouse two miles down the road to the west. What she¡¯d failed to mention was that the wooden walls were black with soot, the roof was caved in, and the barn¡ªat least that¡¯s what I assumed it had been¡ªwas a smouldering pile of debris. The maize crops were now little more than ash, and the smoke billowing out of one of the farmhouse¡¯s windows said that the fire wasn¡¯t quite out. It was clear that Elinor had been through here, being a fire sorcerer and all, but the sight in front of us suggested to me that she might have moved on to a more comfortable environment. ¡®It look cosy,¡¯ Arzak commented. ¡®Black was certainly a bold colour choice for a farmhouse,¡¯ Corminar added. Lore, too kind-hearted for jokes about the destruction of someone¡¯s home and livelihood, changed the subject. ¡®Do we think she¡¯s still here?¡¯ ¡®Only one way to find out,¡¯ Val replied, and she led the way down the dirt path towards what had once been the Gutrai farmhouse. I kept my ears open as we approached, listening for signs of life inside. I heard nothing, but that was no guarantee; the enemy could be intentionally quiet, knowing that we were coming. Or she could just be sitting down, or having a nap. I held my dagger drawn, either way. ¡®Stop,¡¯ Corminar said, his eyes on a tree at the edge of the nearest plot. We all came to an abrupt halt, then followed his line of sight. I trusted Corminar¡¯s vision¡ªelven eyes often saw more than others¡ªbut this time¡­ there was very clearly nothing there. ¡®What do you see?¡¯ I asked. ¡®Movement.¡¯ ¡®Where?¡¯ The elf remained quiet for a few moments more, then sighed. ¡®It has departed.¡¯ ¡®...Right. If we¡¯re done with that intermission, shall we get on?¡¯This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. As we reached the edge of the farmhouse¡¯s front porch, I turned back to the rest of the team, and nodded when I saw they all had their weapons drawn. I took one step on the porch, and felt it creak beneath my foot, the fire having weakened it. ¡®Lore, Arzak, why don¡¯t you guard the perimeter?¡¯ I asked them. ¡®OK!¡¯ Lore said, jumping to it. Arzak, on the other hand, was not so eager. ¡®Is cos we heaviest, isn¡¯t it?¡¯ I didn¡¯t really want to reply to that¡ªnearly rhetorical¡ªquestion, so I didn¡¯t, instead turning and pressing on slowly towards the house. Corminar and Val followed at my side, creeping towards the door, looking around for signs of movement. Val¡¯s eyes lingered on the small plume of smoke coming from one of the windows, and then narrowed. ¡®You know the funny thing about Sorcery?¡¯ she asked. ¡®No, but I suspect you are going to tell us,¡¯ Corminar replied. ¡®We think of Sorcery as just being destruction magicks, but it ain¡¯t that, not really. It¡¯s elemental magicks. Water, dirt, air¡­ fire. You could do all kinds of stuff with those magicks. You could water crops during a drought. You could billow gusts of winds into sails. You could use clay to rebuild crumbling homes. And people do do that stuff, yeah, but it¡¯s not what Sorcery magicks are known for, is it?¡¯ The porch creaked beneath our combined weights, and we paused for a moment, ready for it to crumble. When it didn¡¯t, we continued on towards the front door, our paced slowed further still, our footsteps lighter than ever. Val continued, ¡®No, it¡¯s the destruction that sorcerers are so famous for. It¡¯s pelting enemies with rocks and burning enemies with fire.¡¯ ¡®When do we get to the funny part?¡¯ I asked. ¡®The funny part¡ªand I mean ¡°weird¡± funny rather than ¡°ha ha¡± funny¡ªis that when Sorcery is used for destruction over and over and over again, all in the same place, that destruction tends to take on a life of its own. The magicks manifest, and can take on a life of their own.¡¯ Val put her fingertips on the front door. ¡®I suppose that¡¯s funny, sure,¡¯ I said. ¡®But why are you telling us this?¡¯ In answer, my wife pushed against the front door. It swung open slowly, hinges creaking, and revealed the source of the light and the smoke. Around an old dining room table, untouched by fire, sat five shapes, each of them formed of flames themselves. They sat in chairs, also unburnt, each holding a few playing cards. As Corminar, Val and I stood in the doorway, they slowly turned their fiery heads towards us. ¡®Cos I think that¡¯s what¡¯s happened here,¡¯ the witch answered. ¡®Fire spirits.¡¯ ¡®We¡¯re gonna have to fight them, aren¡¯t we?¡¯ I said. At the very same moment, Corminar asked the beings formed of flames, ¡®What is the ante?¡¯ Neither of us got our answer, because instead, the fire spirits each tossed their inferno heads back, and they roared¡ªthe sound somewhere between a wolf¡¯s howl and the hiss of water upon fire. Jets of flames shot forth from their mouths, pelting against the ceiling, and this time, the fire did spread. ¡®Why is it always fire magics?¡¯ I said again, as I activated Titan Husk, and my skin began to ripple with warping resistance magick. One of the fire spirits tossed a playing card¡ªa two of cups, if I wasn¡¯t mistaken¡ªlike a throwing knife, and it bounced off my temporarily ashen-coloured arm. ¡®Ow?¡¯ I said. Then I charged.
"Styk" Level 24 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 285 Dexterity ¡ª 188 Strength ¡ª 102 Wisdom ¡ª 92 Charisma ¡ª 76
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 77 Knifework ¡ª Level 59 Stealth ¡ª Level 33 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
226. Spirited I dodged another flaming card as the nearest fire spirit launched everything it had at me, and charged the creature. It flailed out with one limb, and I leaped to one side just in time. The flames passed over me, tickling my skin but doing no damage, and I twisted around the creature just as it swiped at me once more. Now behind the creature, I launched into a Stab, and another, and another, striking as quickly as possible before the surprisingly slow spirit turned to attack once more. As it swung both fiery arms towards me¡ªapparently taking no chances that I would step aside to avoid one arm¡ªI opened a portal behind me and stepped backwards through it. As I disappeared through it, I reached my right arm to my belt and drew a throwing knife, before launching it at the enemy¡¯s head. I hit square and true, and the impact knocked the spirit¡¯s flaming bonce backward. I let the portal close before it could reach through it. Around me, the rest of the team had leaped into battle. Arzak and Lore had charged through the entrance, the porch apparently having still been stable enough to support their weight after all, and were already swinging their combined three blades. Of the other four fire spirits, two were currently occupied by the two newest visitors, while Corminar and Val dealt with another, darting around the enemy to avoid being burned. This left one still untouched at the far side of the room, and its red gaze seemed locked upon Val. I would need to deal with this spirit quickly if I was going to intervene. I was already itching to open that Saved Portal I¡¯d just set, but I could only use that trick once. A few fire spirits we could manage. But a Player? When you fought a Player, you¡¯d be a fool to think it was a guaranteed win. I put that idea to one side as the first fire spirit turned to face me, then roared. As before, its roar was a dragon-like rain of fire¡ªan attack that my active Titan Husk ability meant I could withstand. But Corminar and Val, right behind me? They could not. I opened both sets of portals in front of me and made my body as big as possible to block my friends from the attack. The fiery licks erupted from the other side of the portal, back at the enemy¡¯s rear. Unfortunately, they went unnoticed; the fire spirits were immune to the effects of fire, as you might imagine. But that was far from the only trick up my sleeve. I didn¡¯t stop for a beat, instead closing the portals once more and launching myself upon the enemy. I activated my Knifestorm ability, peppering the enemy with lashes of my knife, and doing enough damage that the spirit¡¯s form seemed to dim, its fire on its way to going out. I next activated my Portal Relay ability¡ªten small-scale portals which officially were used to communicate sound between team members. Once they were assigned to someone, the portal would float around their head until I turned the spell off. One thing I¡¯d noticed recently was that I could assign all ten to one target, and then they¡¯d have ten very annoying small portals spinning around them. That¡¯s exactly what I did here. The enemy spirit tried to bat the portals away, but of course, this was a futile effort. Though the fire spirit could shift each relay away momentarily, half a second later they were floating around its head once more. While it was distracted, I moved in, putting all my weight behind another Stab attack, and following it up by activating my Closed Reach ability, so that the blade sunk deeper into the enemy¡¯s torso of fire. It howled at the pain, while the wound itself seemed to hiss like the sound of water over a dwindling fire. I growled as I twisted my dagger further, and this was enough¡ªthe spirit faded away to nothing. Fire Spirit defeated! Knifework ¡ª +1,750xp Worldbending ¡ª +1050xp I turned immediately towards the last of the enemies¡ªthe one that was at this very second flinging a flaming limb at Val¡ªand I opened a portal in front of it. The spirit¡¯s momentum carried it through the portal, appearing at my side and away from my wife, who had her hands in front of her as though about to cast a spell. ¡®Styk!¡¯ the witch shouted. ¡®What are you doing? I had it!¡¯ ¡®So? I was helping you.¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t need your help! I can look after myself. Why do you always¡ª¡¯ ¡®Remember what the book said?¡¯ I shouted to her. ¡®Use your ¡°I feel¡­¡± statements!¡¯ ¡®I feel like you need to stop talking about that bloody book! Not all relationship advice can be contained in one book.¡¯ The fire spirit swept its blistering arm towards me once more, and I ducked under it, spinning around once before Stabbing my dagger deep into its torso. ¡®Take it seriously!¡¯ I shouted back to my wife. ¡®I feel like you think I¡¯m this fragile thing that needs protecting all the time. Like a flower, or a butterfly. Or a sandwich that Lore¡¯s spotted.¡¯ ¡®Hey!¡¯ Lore protested. ¡®I feel like you shouldn¡¯t be bringing me into this.¡¯ ¡®See,¡¯ I said, wrenching my dagger down to cut a gash in the fire spirit¡¯s molten side. ¡®Lore¡¯s got it and he didn¡¯t even read the book.¡¯ The spirit howled with pain before sweeping its fiery leg out towards me. I wasn¡¯t quick enough to react, and the limb knocked me to the ground¡ªthough the Titan Husk ability stopped it burning me. I opened a portal beneath me so that instead of hitting wooden floor, I stumbled back to my feet just behind the enemy Val was fighting. Unnoticed by this particular enemy, I used my Execution ability and Stealth Attack passive to deal huge damage in my attack to the back of the creature¡¯s head. It began to hiss just as the other one had, but before it could really even get started, the fire deformed. Fire Spirit defeated! Knifework ¡ª +1,400xp Knifework increased to level 60! Base Points Gained ¡ª +1 DEX, +1 STR, +2 Free Points (VIT/DEX/STR) Ability selection unlocked Select an ability from the list below¡­ ¡­ Stealth ¡ª +1,300xp Worldbending ¡ª +650xp ¡®Ugh!¡¯ Val cried out. ¡®Stop protecting me!¡¯ ¡®We¡¯re a team! That¡¯s what we do!¡¯ I turned back to the spirit I¡¯d just escaped. At the other side of the living room, Arzak finished off another enemy while Lore and Corminar contended with the last of them. ¡®Then protect the others too,¡¯ the witch exclaimed. ¡®They¡¯re doing just fine.¡¯ ¡®So was I! They¡¯re fire spirits, not Players. I can handle a little¡ª¡¯ Val was cut off by the other enemy charging at us. The spirit roared once more, a stream of flames spewing forth from its mouth.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Instinctively, I opened a portal beneath Val that threw her over to Arzak¡¯s side¡ªsomething that I¡¯d probably have to stop doing once she got a little further along in the pregnancy¡ªand then wrapped both arms in front of my face to shield it from the flames. These enemies were simple creatures, knowing only fire as a means to attack. That I was unburnable didn¡¯t seem to occur to them, as they kept attacking me in the very same way. That was the logic running through my head when I turned my back on the creature to continue bickering with Val. ¡®What sort of partner would I be if I didn¡¯t try to¡ª¡¯ The fire spirit wrapped its fiery arm around my neck, squeezing tight. I gagged. Gasped for air. Flailed around blindly with my knife. ¡®Oi!¡¯ Val shouted at the creature, an expression of pure anger warping her usually attractive features. ¡®Get off my husband!¡¯ She reached both hands forward, and an arc of green lightning shot forth from each of them, a greater version of the spell than I¡¯d ever seen before. The magicks crackled around me, shifting past me as it did me no harm. But the fire spirit wasn¡¯t so lucky. It cried out as the life was yanked from it by Val¡¯s spell, draining within seconds. I gasped as the arm around my neck lost its orange form, and only then did Val let the magicks go. She dropped to her knees, her face paling with exhaustion. ¡®You know I¡¯m not the one who¡¯s pregnant, right?¡¯ I said. She flared her nostrils as she looked up at me. ¡®I feel like you need to shut up,¡¯ she said, but seconds later a smile crossed her face, one that she couldn¡¯t suppress. At the same moment, Corminar and Lore landed a killing blow on the fifth and final spirit, the form hissing as it died. ¡®Any injuries?¡¯ I called out. ¡®Yes,¡¯ Lore said, pulling a box of Corminar¡¯s leftover pie out of his pocket. ¡®They burnt my food.¡¯ ¡®Any actual injuries?¡¯ When nobody replied, I nodded. ¡®Good. Nice work, all¡ªparticularly me.¡¯ ¡®Ugh.¡¯ No points for guessing who said that. ¡®I see no sign of the Player,¡¯ Corminar said. ¡®Perhaps she has moved on? Perhaps Arzak¡¯s informant gave us outdated directions?¡¯ ¡®Probably,¡¯ I replied. ¡®But we¡¯re here now; we might as well look around. Maybe she¡¯s hiding in a cupboard somewhere.¡¯ ¡®Look around. Check,¡¯ Val replied, and the five of us scattered, scouring the remains of the house from top to bottom. Val and I remained on the ground floor, actually checking the cupboards, just in case¡ªeven though it would be the first time a Player had stooped so low as to hide from us. Lore went upstairs to the more fire-damaged floor, while Corminar and Arzak disappeared down a trap door they¡¯d discovered. I suspected that if the Player was anywhere in this house, they would be in the hidden cellar. As I turned out, though, no such luck. ¡®Just dusty farm tool!¡¯ Arzak shouted up at us, before coughing. ¡®Very dusty. But keep looking.¡¯ I nodded, then turned back to Val. We were pretty much done down here; there were only so many places a woman could be hiding, particularly one as proud as a Player. She wasn¡¯t exactly going to be hiding under the sink. I took a quick moment to glance at my latest ability selection. There were only two options this time, it seemed, so it was something I could wrap up pretty quickly without the rest of the team realising I wasn¡¯t helping. Ability selection unlocked Select an ability from the list below: Option 1: Etched Blades II (Knifework) ¡ª Upgrade to Etched Blades. Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Etched spells can be activated up to ten times. Already I partially had my heart set on this option. My latest Knifework ability, the original Etched Blades, had been pretty good here and there, but the one limiting factor was that I could only activate the spell once. I¡¯d had Val inject my dagger with her new life-draining magicks, and that had worked great! But then it was gone, just like that. If I could now use those magicks multiple times¡­ well, that opened up a whole new world to me. But there was the second option to review too. Option 2: Summoned Blades (Knifework) ¡ª Use mana to summon a blade directly into your grasp. Uses significant mana per cast. This one was tempting too¡ªwhat knife user wouldn¡¯t want essentially infinite blades on hand?¡ªbut ultimately, I knew it would be the lesser choice. With my Pocket World ability, I could already carry as many throwing knives as I could possibly need. That storage already had the best part of a dozen cheap throwing knives, gifted to me by those who knew who I was, and the truth of the Players we¡¯d killed. So having the ability to summon knives wasn¡¯t quite as useful as it sounded. I opted for the first choice. Ability upgraded ¡ª Etched Blades II Etched Blades II (Knifework) ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Etched spells can be activated up to ten times. Just as I locked it in, a voice cried out from upstairs. ¡®You better come look at this!¡¯ Raising my eyebrows to Val, I then turned and did as the barbarian suggested, hurrying up the staircase to find him in a bedroom¡ªthe one least touched by the fire. Lore was standing over a bedroll, hands on hips, looking down at it. ¡®I take it there¡¯s no chance the fire spirits needed a place to kip?¡¯ I asked. Val shook her head, then nodded over to the chair in the corner of the room. A pile of dirty clothes was stacked on top of it, complete with a silver locket. ¡®They don¡¯t tend to wear clothes or jewellery, either,¡¯ she said. ¡®Though I suspect they¡¯re about as good at keeping on top of laundry.¡¯ ¡®What find?¡¯ Arzak asked, as she and Corminar hurried into the bedroom. ¡®She¡¯s sleeping here,¡¯ I told her. ¡®This Elinor.¡¯ ¡®Then we set trap,¡¯ the orc replied. I nodded, and we got to work.
"Styk" Level 24 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 285 Dexterity ¡ª 190 Strength ¡ª 104 Wisdom ¡ª 92 Charisma ¡ª 76
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 77 Knifework ¡ª Level 60 Stealth ¡ª Level 33 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades II ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Etched spells can be activated up to ten times. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
227. Well Well Well I crouched down under the fire-scarred window pane, staring into the portal in the centre of the room. Its partner was placed in the distant tree, disguised by the branches and the remaining leaves. Through this world-bend, I saw the Player approach. ¡®It¡¯s time,¡¯ I said. ¡®We ready?¡¯ ¡®We wouldn¡¯t be a very good Player-slaying team if we weren¡¯t, would we?¡¯ Val replied. ¡®I¡¯ll take that as a yes.¡¯ I closed the portals as the woman grew closer; there was no point keeping them there and maybe tipping her off as to our presence. We would handle Elinor as we did Jacob. Arzak and Lore were the members of our team who could handle the most damage¡ªparticularly with one of Corminar¡¯s ever-stronger fire resistance potions in their systems¡ªand so they¡¯d be up in the woman¡¯s face. Conveniently, this was also where they did the most damage. The elf would attack from afar, but rather than worrying too much about dealing damage, he would work in a support role, firing poison- and potion-tipped arrows into the fray depending on what was required. Val would deal damage with her new life-draining magicks and her old imbue lightning magicks, but her top priority was on healing Arzak and Lore if they received meaningful damage. And me? Nowadays, I was the one who could deal the most damage. I would portal in and out of battle, striking with my knife and needle darts. My damage would be boosted if I could just remain out of sight, using my Stealth and execution passives. It was Lore and Arzak¡¯s job to make sure that was possible. But of course, I still had a familiar trick up my sleeve¡ªone that I wouldn¡¯t waste. At my side on the upper floor of the farmhouse, Corminar slowly raised his head to spy out the window. ¡®How close?¡¯ I asked. ¡®Perhaps thirty seconds,¡¯ came the elf¡¯s reply. I nodded, then looked down at my drawn dagger. The markings upon it crackled with the green magicks of Witchcraft; I had let Val etch one of her spells into it. And maybe not the one you¡¯re thinking of. I looked over at Val, across the room at the other window. How I¡¯d come to share a window with Corminar rather than her was a mystery. Though out of my sight, I knew Lore and Arzak were downstairs, ready to storm through the door and rush the Player upon my signal. And it was time for that very signal. I opened a portal beneath me, falling through it into the air above the Player, and I fell, knife pointed downward. I activated Execution and relied on my Stealth Attack passive for even more damage, on the basis that I would go unnoticed. But as I fell, the enemy suddenly rolled to one side, and out of the way. Missing the Player, I landed clumsily on my feet, my dagger hitting only empty air. At the same moment, Lore and Arzak charged forth from the house, and I instinctively opened a portal in front of them to help them cross the distance sooner. Up in the top windows, Corminar and Val let loose arrow and spell¡­ only for these to be blocked by the Player¡¯s ward. How could this enemy have such quick reactions? How could they have been so ready for all these attacks. It made no difference; I still had a trick up my sleeve, after all. As Arzak and Lore sprang forth with their combined three swords, I opened a portal at Elinor¡¯s side, matching it to my newly placed saved portal. Water gushed forth from the portal, drenching the Player and with enough force behind it to stagger her, knocking her to one knee. I struck then with my dagger, activating the magicks that Val had etched into it. Lightning erupted from its tip the moment metal hit flesh, its damage boosted by the tonne of water I¡¯d just tipped over Elinor. ¡®We¡¯ve come across a fire sorcerer Player before, see,¡¯ I said. ¡®We¡¯ve got experience in handling your sort. So when I hear that we¡¯re facing down a specialist in fire magicks, my first thought is: is there a lake nearby? There wasn¡¯t, today. But there was a well. And I imagine the villagers won¡¯t mind it drying up for a few days if it means being rid of you.¡¯ The Player staggered back to her feet and pressed her hand forward. Flames shot out through the damp skin, but they were weak, ineffective. I struck her with the blade once more, and lightning magicks shot out to damage her and tense those muscles. ¡®Lore, Arzak¡ª¡¯ I said, before being interrupted by the enemy. ¡®She told me you would do this.¡¯ Elinor¡¯s eyes met my own; an act of defiance. ¡®What? Who did?¡¯ But I didn¡¯t get my answer. The woman slammed her eyes shut, pressing her eyelids together so hard that at first I thought she was concentrating. Moments later, however, I realised she was pushing through the pain. Flames erupted from all around her body, turning her into a raging inferno¡ªand evaporating the water I¡¯d poured over her. Seconds later, when she was dry once more, the flames stepped out of her body¡­ and another fire spirit was born. ¡®Guess that answers the question ¡°where do baby fire spirits come from?¡±¡¯ Val muttered. Our plan was shot. Our traditional strategy simply wasn¡¯t working, and I¡¯d now exhausted the trick up my sleeve. It was almost like Elinor had known what to expect from us¡ªthe Player had just said ¡°she told me you would do this¡±, after all. Had Tana, the Council¡¯s leader, briefed them all on how to survive us? And just how far did such a briefing go? If we improvised on the fly, could the enemy anticipate it? ¡®New plan!¡¯ I bellowed, then snapped down to the ground to activate Shrill Perimeter. The banshee¡¯s wail erupted immediately, due to Elinor being already inside the spell¡¯s perimeter, forcing the Player to snap her hands to her ears. The rest of the team, who were already familiar with¡ªand very tired of¡ªthis ploy, reacted only with grimaces. I looked at Lore and Arzak, pointing at Elinor, and shouted, ¡®Attack!¡¯ They wouldn¡¯t be able to hear me over the noise, but they got the message. While the pair of them occupied Elinor for a moment, I portalled back into the house. ¡®Corminar! Val!¡¯ I shouted over the still ear-splitting noise. ¡®Forget what I said! Go for damage!¡¯ The pair of them nodded, and Corminar began firing shot after shot after shot with little thought for what was on the arrowheads¡ªas long as it was poison, I was happy. Meanwhile, I opened another portal back outside, grabbed Val by the arm, and hurried us through it. Fire erupted from the Player¡¯s hands, washing over Lore and Arzak. From their singed clothes, I could tell that this wasn¡¯t the first time. There was only so long that Corminar¡¯s fire resistance potions would hold, and I suspected that time was coming up fast. We had to make this quick, and the way to do that was to go all out on the offensive, giving Elinor everything we had with little thought to protecting ourselves. Val blasted the enemy with the green lightning effect magicks that I was becoming so used to, beginning to drain the enemy of life. The fire spirit turned on Val at the sight of this spell.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. ¡®Nuh-uh,¡¯ I told it, even though I knew it wouldn¡¯t understand me. I stabbed it in the chest once, hard, and then retreated. The howling beast charged at me. The moment it had sufficient momentum, I opened a portal between us and sent it tumbling into the sky as far away as I could manage. It would survive this drop, but by the time it got back to us, its creator would¡ªhopefully¡ªbe dead. I hopped through a portal myself, appearing at Elinor¡¯s rear while she fought off Lore and Arzak¡¯s attacks with temporary shields of fire. I wasted no time in activating Knifestorm, coupling it with my stealth passive so that every strike would deal more damage. Elinor cried out with pain as the attacks hit. We were doing it. Soon, we would have another Player death under our belts. I considered offering Elinor the same deal we¡¯d offered those Players before her: death or reset progression. I knew we should offer her that chance, as it would render her harmless, at least for a year or two. But it was difficult when you could see, first-hand, what she¡¯d done to the local area. Still, I swallowed my pride and sought to make the offer. ¡®Elinor!¡¯ I shouted at her. ¡®Do you yield?¡¯ At this, the other Slayers ceased their attacks. But they didn¡¯t lower those weapons, not for a moment. ¡®I¡ª¡¯ Elinor started. At that moment, a figure shimmered into existence at Arzak¡¯s side. It wasn¡¯t a spirit, but a person. One that I had, perhaps, mistaken for a shadow, out of the corner of my eye. From the surprise on Lore¡¯s face, he also hadn¡¯t seen her. The woman held a knife to Lore¡¯s heart, but didn¡¯t press it in. Instead, she said only, ¡®Dead.¡¯ In a blink, she disappeared once more. ¡®What the¡­¡¯ Val mumbled, stumbling backwards. Moments later, the woman appeared behind Arzak. Had there been a shimmering there a second ago, or was that my imagination? This new enemy placed her dagger on Arzak¡¯s neck, drawing only the slightest drop of blood. ¡®Dead,¡¯ she said, then disappeared once more. ¡®Styk, what do we¡­¡¯ the witch muttered, at my side. I threw a knife at the spot where the stranger had been standing moments earlier, only for it to soaring through the empty space. Wherever she was now, it wasn¡¯t by Arzak¡¯s side. I grabbed Val by the wrist, pushing her behind me, keeping my eyes peeled for any signs of movement. Any signs at all. A crumpled leaf here or a splashed puddle there. But I saw nothing. A muffled cry rang out from the farmhouse, then Corminar tumbled from the window. Only an elf as spry as he could manage to land on his feet. He stood up slowly, and the woman appeared in front of him, knife on his chin. ¡®Let me guess,¡¯ Val said. ¡®Dead.¡¯ The woman looked over at me. In the half-second before she disappeared from sight once more, the spot where she¡¯d been shimmering from the effect, I could have sworn that she smiled at me. Did I know her from somewhere? ¡®You¡¯ve made your point!¡¯ I shouted at the invisible enemy. ¡®Now, why don¡¯t you¡ª¡¯ ¡®Elinor. Leave us now.¡¯ I spun around to where I thought the instruction had come from, but there was nothing. The fire sorcerer stood staring at the same spot as me, then nodded. She turned to leave, and every fibre of my being wanted to stop her. But I couldn¡¯t. For the first time in months, I felt powerless. This new enemy could kill us all before we even set our hands on Elinor once more. It was quiet as the five of us watched the Player flee. ¡®Show yourself!¡¯ I shouted. And at that instruction, they did. The woman shimmered back into sight only a dozen feet in front of me and Val. I raised my dagger to defend myself¡ªand to defend Val. ¡®You can lower than weapon,¡¯ the woman said. Her face felt familiar to me. ¡®I won¡¯t hurt you.¡¯ ¡®You were there, weren¡¯t you?¡¯ Val asked, head poking up from over my shoulder. ¡®At our wedding. You were there.¡¯ ¡®I wouldn¡¯t have missed it,¡¯ the enemy replied. It really was a familiar face. An awfully familiar face. One that made my stomach churn, though my brain hadn¡¯t quite yet caught up. Maybe I didn¡¯t want to know the answer. Maybe my subconscious was protecting me from it. But when the woman spoke, there was no room left for denial. ¡®Hello, son,¡¯ she said.
"Styk" Level 24 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 285 Dexterity ¡ª 190 Strength ¡ª 104 Wisdom ¡ª 92 Charisma ¡ª 76
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 77 Knifework ¡ª Level 60 Stealth ¡ª Level 33 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades II ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Etched spells can be activated up to ten times. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
228. Interlude — Elinor Elinor stared into the flames. Each lick of fire spewed forth from her fingertips without pain, without feeling, without sensation. The fire could not touch her. But it could touch the monsters that the Council drew up from the south. The greyback screamed through three mouths that opened up on its thorax simply for the occasion, its many legs trembling, straightening, then curling up as the flames dealt their damage. As the experience notifications came in, Elinor¡¯s eyes glazed over. She¡¯d never thought burning could feel this good. She had never intended to specialise in these magicks, and in fact her formative years in this world were spent levelling up only Baking and Enchantment skills. But with the latter came an affinity for spellwork, and soon Tana had come knocking upon her door. She had decidedly not been a woman who had invested exclusively in crafting skills. Though not the tallest nor the brawniest woman that Elinor had ever seen, Tana was certainly intimidating. It was an ineffable trait, and certainly not one rooted in physical characteristics. Perhaps it was the way she carried herself, the way she handled that ornate sword as though it was nothing more than a child¡¯s plaything. And it was the way she¡¯d held her head so high as she¡¯d explained what her Council intended to do to this world. It was a handful of locals¡ªcreatures formed of the magicks of Elinor¡¯s homeworld¡ªthat the fire sorcerer had to thank. Were it not for this team of so-called Slayers, Elinor would never have been recruited to the Council. They had killed her predecessor, a man vital to Tana¡¯s great plan, forcing the Council to find another. In the year since Tana had knocked on Elinor¡¯s door, the woman with burning hands had closed down her bakery, headed south, and learned to love the flame. Fire was insidious in its yearning for adoration. Elinor had thought nothing of it, in those early days; she had burned because she had needed to burn, to build up that experience for the day the towers would be activated. But more and more¡­ she had found herself burning for the simple joy of it. Elinor had told herself that she created fire because she had promised Tana that she would, but she knew¡ªnot very deep down at all, really¡ªthat she burned because she enjoyed the burn. She enjoyed the hiss of flame against flesh. She enjoyed the smell of ash and charcoal. She enjoyed the light, flickering before her. And through this newfound passion, she had found her strength. Elinor had a lot to be grateful for. It was a shame that the locals thought she was responsible for so many of their number growing missing. If they knew the truth, they would see that more would have disappeared without her interference¡ªthere would have been more of these monsters drawn towards the north, more of these monsters to snack along the way. It was of little consequence, though. In the end, when the ritual was complete and the magicks were drained from this world, there would be nobody left to detest her.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. That time would soon be upon her, and Elinor was not yet strong enough to do her part. Not yet. She would be, no matter the cost. She owed that to Tana, after what that woman had done for her. Elinor would just keep working¡ªday and night, should it come to that. The fire sorcerer reached down into her robe¡¯s capacious pocket, pulling from it a smooth grey stone. When the Council had first gifted it to Elinor, she had sensed it had properties of magick, but it was only now that she was strong that she could feel those magicks. The flow of energies drifted amongst her own, brushing her own coursing magicks gently aside, like a breeze through hair. Elinor almost didn¡¯t need to look at the locator stone to know where it would point her, though she did anyway; there was no reason to slow her progress through being too proud to look. Green energies drifted upon the polished surface of the stone, gesturing her to the east. If she headed that way, sooner or later, she would come across more enemies to burn. The sorcerer could almost see the flames. * * * The smoking ashes before Elinor had once been a horde of hags. The sorcerer had never seen¡ªor heard of¡ªso many hags as she¡¯d encountered over the past few months. These monsters, above all else, seemed drawn to the preparations in Auricia, the magicks there affecting the hags so much that the typically solitary creatures even travelled in packs. Had this been more than a small group, Elinor might have even had trouble, but as it was, little could withstand the flames. She told herself she would only stare into the ashes for a moment, enjoy this for only a second before she moved on to the next kill, to the next source of experience. But the sun seemed to rise oh-so quickly in that night sky, and the¡ª ¡®Elinor.¡¯ The sorcerer jumped at the sound of her name, her heart skipping a beat. She wondered at first how someone could have crept up on her so easily, before she realised exactly who it was. It was a Council member that she¡¯d met only once more, but once was enough. Tana¡¯s assassin sent a chill down her spine more than anyone else Elinor had met. ¡®Cleo,¡¯ the woman explained. ¡®We¡¯ve met before.¡¯ ¡®I remember.¡¯ Elinor had to force herself to hold the woman¡¯s gaze. ¡®Is it time?¡¯ The assassin stared back, her eyes unremarkable except for the fact that they made Elinor feel queasy. ¡®Not yet. Soon. I¡¯ve come here to warn you; the Slayers have set a trap for you in the farmhouse.¡¯ The sorcerer counted to three before replying, forcing herself into the calm state that her position deserved. The gods did not fear their creations. Tana had told her that. ¡®The ones who¡ª¡¯ ¡®Killed Jacob. Yes.¡¯ ¡®Then I won¡¯t return. I¡¯ll head northeast; Dunn has said the incursions around Tradum are becoming unsustainable anyway. I can lend a hand there.¡¯ ¡®No.¡¯ The woman said nothing more, her eyes daring Elinor to ask the obvious question. Elinor relented. ¡®No? You want me to spring the trap?¡¯ ¡®I have been following my¡ª¡¯ The sorcerer saw something flash behind the assassin¡¯s eyes there. Had Cleo been about to mispeak? To reveal something that only the more senior members of the Council should know? ¡®I¡¯ve been following the Slayers for a few months now. I have been keeping our number out of their paths. But with more and more eyes and ears converting to their cause, this is becoming an impossible task. Besides, there is work to be done beyond handling the Slayers.¡¯ Elinor held the woman¡¯s gaze, following her logic to its termination. ¡®I spring the trap, keep them distracted, and then you handle them. Is that it?¡¯ The assassin said nothing, eventually deigning a response in the form of a nod. ¡®You¡¯ll kill them?¡¯ Elinor asked, pressing the issue. ¡®Perhaps.¡¯ It was all the answer the sorcerer would get. 229. Hello, Mother The dagger slipped from my hand, its point burying itself in the soil. What had happened to my fingers? To my hand? Was this some spell, or some poison, delivered at the point of my mother¡¯s blade? I stumbled back, my left leg unsteady beneath me, weakened. I felt as though I was going to fall, to relent to the effects of whatever this woman had done to me. But a firm hand grabbed my arm. Val. Looking into my eyes, silently communicating that she was here with me, that this was terrible, yes, but we were about to face it together. As I steadied myself, Val squeezed my arm once more before releasing it¡ªa final reminder that she was with me. I forced myself to turn back to the assassin who had already demonstrated that she could kill us in an instant. And then, I realised. This was no poison. This was simply the trauma of talking to a parent. ¡®What are you doing here?¡¯ I asked. I¡¯d meant to spit the question at her, make it an accusation, but instead the words came out shaky and ineffective. ¡®I¡¯ve been here for a while now.¡¯ The woman looked at Corminar, who glared back at her. ¡®Only one of you had any idea.¡¯ ¡®Well, he¡¯s an elf and a tracker, isn¡¯t he, so he¡¯s gonna¡ª¡¯ A glance at Val cut her off; this was no time for bickering. I glanced at Elinor, already far into the distance, the last fire spirit floating along at her side. That battle was over, at least for now. All that remained was the battle with the woman in front of me. ¡®That¡¯s not an answer,¡¯ I told her. The woman stared back at me. Even at this distance, I could see that there was something dark, something deeply unsettling in those otherwise ordinary eyes. In those eyes that otherwise looked just like my own. ¡®What are you doing here?¡¯ I repeated. This time, my words came out strong¡ªthis was not a question, it was a demand. ¡®To make you an offer,¡¯ the woman replied. ¡®Come with us to¡ª¡¯ ¡®Oh, spare us!¡¯ someone shouted. It took me a second or two to realise that that someone was me. ¡®We¡¯ve heard this offer before. Stop killing you, join you, come to the Ascended World and live as gods¡ªthat¡¯s about the gist of it, right? Does Tana and the Council just make it a standing order for all of you to make this deal? Why do you think we¡¯d agree with time?¡¯ I caught myself. ¡®No, better question: why do you even care? You¡¯ve made it perfectly clear that you could pretty easily kill us all, so why don¡¯t you do that? Get this over with?¡¯ ¡®Mm, Styk?¡¯ Arzak tried to interrupted. I ignored her. I was on a roll. Something was pouring out of me, some weight that I hadn¡¯t realised I¡¯d been carrying for all these years. ¡®So why don¡¯t you do that, kill us, rather than wasting time trying to convince us to come with you?¡¯ The woman looked at Lore. ¡®For one, he needs to be there.¡¯ ¡®No,¡¯ I shouted. ¡®No lies. He¡¯s gotta be there, sure, I heard Niamh¡¯s prophecy. But that¡¯s not why you¡¯re here. So tell me. Why are you here? Why are you really making this offer?¡¯ Silence swept over the abandoned farmyard. Silence except for the distant crackling of flaming remnants. ¡®Tell me!¡¯ I bellowed. ¡®Because you are blood.¡¯ There it was, the answer I¡¯d been waiting for. An answer that inspired fury, and only fury, within me. ¡®Blood?¡¯ I repeated back to her. ¡®What, you think of me as family? That¡¯s why you dumped me on my idiot father¡¯s doorstep, I take it? That¡¯s why you abandoned me?¡¯ ¡®I had work in the Badlands. Work that I had to¡ª¡¯ ¡®No!¡¯ I shouted. The woman looked taken aback; it wasn¡¯t often that people dared interrupt her, then. ¡®No, not good enough. Not a good enough answer. You know what damage that did to me, growing up with my father? You know what he turned me in to? A thief. A criminal. Someone who could only be alone. And then I had to watch all his friends stab him. That messes with a kid¡¯s mind, you know. It messes with a kid¡¯s mind even more than having to grow up on the street. And you know what?¡¯ The woman looked as though she was going to actually answer that question, so I kept talking, snarling all the way. ¡®He was an idiot. He was a drunk. He was often a pretty nasty man. But at least he was there.¡¯ Across the farmyard, the woman held my gaze. There was still something unsettling in her eyes, but it had shifted. My words had knocked her off-kilter. ¡®Explain yourself!¡¯ Val shouted. This interruption I did appreciate. Still, the woman didn¡¯t respond. Not for a moment, at least. I thought I was going to need to prompt her once more, when her mouth finally opened. ¡®We created these worlds for entertainment, initially. I didn¡¯t know we could¡­¡¯ She paused, gathering herself. ¡®I didn¡¯t know that anything your father and I did would result in¡­ you.¡¯ ¡®So you abandoned me.¡¯ ¡®I was not a mother.¡¯ ¡®Yes you bloody well were!¡¯ Again, my mouth shouted these words before my brain could really catch up. My mother¡ªyes, my mother; that is what she was, that is the reality I had to face¡ªheld my gaze. She was good at this, as if her very existence was unflinching, as though she refused to be ashamed. But she should be. She reached into her pocket, and brought out a gem glowing with the red magicks of Illusion. ¡®What¡¯s this?¡¯ Val asked. ¡®What are you doing?¡¯ Elsewhere, both Lore and Arzak looked particularly nervous about this development. We¡¯d encountered too much Illusion on the road to this moment. Yusef had used it to control his cult. Tokas had used it to hide her crimes from me. We¡¯d grown cautious of it. ¡®It¡¯s a sales pitch,¡¯ my estranged mother replied. ¡®An illusion, yes, but an illusion of the world that Tana intends to build. It is an illusion built for one.¡¯ She stared pointedly at me. I stared back. ¡®So I see this world while my friends protect me from you, is that the idea?¡¯ ¡®Your friends couldn¡¯t protect you from me.¡¯ It was a very concise answer. And its brevity only pushed me away, rather than convincing me. ¡®No,¡¯ I said. ¡®No, I¡¯m not seeing this illusion of a new world. I¡¯m not interested. I wasn¡¯t interested in the offer when Niamh made it. I wasn¡¯t interested in the offer when Yusef made it. And I am definitely not interested when you make it.¡¯ That woman glared at me for a moment, seemingly considering my words. Then her skin rippled in a way not dissimilar to what happened to my skin when I activated Titan Husk, and she disappeared from sight. I caught flashes of movement, of shadows that shouldn¡¯t have been there, of the air rippling, all momentary glances of where my mother was moving, but not enough to truly locate her.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. And then she reappeared, not two feet in front of me. I didn¡¯t have time to react before she smashed that glowing red gem into my chest. * * * I saw Tana¡¯s new world. I saw mountain ranges, taller than any I¡¯d seen before. Much taller; those in Alterra didn¡¯t even come close. Their peaks towered above me, not just capped in snow but the bulk of their image dappled with white and grey. I saw a canyon stretching far over the horizon, deep enough to fit Coldharbour¡¯s Tower of Hope several times over. The setting sun cast shadows across the canyon onto the exposed layers bright orange stone, too low in the sky to reach the river at the bottom. I saw waves of green light shimmering in the sky. I saw a cliff edge coated in waterfalls, a plume of steam drifting off from the lake at their base. I saw vivid, lush reefs, and I saw bright green-blue oceans, and I saw a dormant volcano, its crater wide enough to fit my whole home town. I saw red sunsets and green farmlands and yellow flowers and black rock. And I realised that nothing that they could possibly show me would convince me to let my own world die. * * * The illusion faded, and I awoke¡ªwaking up was about as close a description as I have for returning from an illusion¡ªto chaos. Arrows were flying, swords were swinging, and Val¡¯s crackling magicks were soaring across the singed farmyard. None of these attacks hit anything but air. ¡®Where is she?¡¯ Corminar shouted. ¡®Where is she?¡¯ Nobody had a good answer, at least until my estranged mother appeared at Arzak¡¯s side. Before the orc could react, the Player sliced her blade along one of Arzak¡¯s wrists, and then the other. The woman had disappeared again before Arzak could react, but it wouldn¡¯t have made any difference; the attacks had caused the orc to drop both her weapons. Corminar, ever the first to react, sent an arrow soaring through the space where my mother had been, but again, it hit nothing. All the while, I stood still, taking stock and still pretending to be under the effects of the illusion. If my mother came close, I could use that to my advantage. I could use the element of surprise. I might be able to land an attack when none of my friends could. I kept my eyes as glossy as possible, standing still as a statue and giving every outward appearance of seeing visions. It was easier said than done when my friends were being hurt. My estranged mother next appeared at Corminar¡¯s side. Before he could react, she sliced the strap on his quiver, sending it¡ªand the countless arrows therein¡ªscattering across the ground. In a flash, she was gone once more. That could have been a slice to the neck, I thought. If my mother had had just an ounce more bloodlust, I could be down a friend. Every part of my inched to move, but then, what would I do? I would have just as much luck facing down this woman as the rest of the team. No, it was better that I tried for the surprise attack. The moment soon came. Val, who hadn¡¯t left my side throughout these illusions, tried a life drain spell on our enemy. Her magicks missed, but it seemed that they came close enough to draw the Player¡¯s attention. My mother appeared at Val¡¯s side, and then my gut twisted. Val was a witch; she had no weapon to disarm. If the enemy was going to stop her attacks, then she¡¯d need to¡ª I struck out as my mother lunged forward with her knife, stabbing my own blade through her weapon hand. Her eyes widened with surprise, but otherwise there was no outward reaction. If she was in pain, she kept it to herself. I pressed the attack, wrenching my knife and her hand back towards her chest. About five inches away from her chest, the woman¡¯s strength won out, and I could push it no further. ¡®Your offer,¡¯ I said. ¡®I¡¯m still not interested.¡¯ At this distance, all I had to do was activate Closed Reach, and my blade would enter her heart. It might not be enough to kill her, not by itself, not when the woman was this strong, but it would surely be enough to turn the tide. Sooner or later, we¡¯d win. My mother stared back at me, those eyes almost daring me to do it. I reached within myself, finding the appropriate magicks, meaning to activate them. Really, really meaning to. But they didn¡¯t come. I could see in those eyes that my mother knew what I¡¯d wrestled with. She pulled away, sliding her hand off my knife, and retreated. Before Val could attack her, she had disappeared once more. There came no more attacks on either me or my friends. My mother¡¯s job here was done; she¡¯d made her offer. It maybe hadn¡¯t gone that well, but she¡¯d tried. But we both knew that our paths would have to cross again, that our destinies were entwined, that the Council had to enact their plan and the Slayers had to stop it. When that day came, maybe more blood would be spilled. That was when I realised that, even after everything she¡¯d put me through and everything she sought still to do, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to kill her.
"Styk" Level 24 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 285 Dexterity ¡ª 190 Strength ¡ª 104 Wisdom ¡ª 92 Charisma ¡ª 76
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 77 Knifework ¡ª Level 60 Stealth ¡ª Level 33 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades II ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Etched spells can be activated up to ten times. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
230. Our Evening Of Rest And Relaxation Val healed Arzak¡¯s wrist wounds while looking cautiously over at me. I¡¯d almost expected an accusation from her¡ªsomething like ¡®why in the hells didn¡¯t you stab your mother in the heart?¡¯¡ªbut instead it felt more like I was getting some sympathy. ¡®You OK?¡¯ she mouthed at me. I nodded in answer. ¡®We head north,¡¯ Corminar was saying, and not for the first time. ¡®We travel directly to Auricia, and we remove the head from the Council. We strike quickly and fiercely. We put an end to this.¡¯ ¡®Agreed,¡¯ Val said, now concentrating back on her healing efforts. ¡®Styk and I spoke about just this, and¡ª¡¯ ¡®Now you two married, you leave us out of these talk?¡¯ Arzak asked, looking more than a little perturbed. I imagined it was less about me and more about her not being Val¡¯s number one confidant anymore. The witch glanced up at the orc she was healing. ¡®It was about the baby.¡¯ ¡®Mm, OK. You two can talk about baby.¡¯ ¡®Sooner or later,¡¯ Val continued, ¡®I¡¯m gonna be all big. Probably not that good in a fight. And after that, well, do we want to be fighting a Council of evil Players with a baby in tow?¡¯ Lore nodded. ¡®We gotta protect the baby.¡¯ Maybe he should be the guide-father, I thought at this point, in reaction to his fierce protective instinct. ¡®But keeping the baby safe means¡ª¡¯ ¡®I am glad we all agree,¡¯ Corminar said, interrupting Lore as perhaps he¡¯d sensed, like I had, that Lore was going to offer a compelling counterargument. ¡®We head to Auricia immediately, and we¡ª¡¯ ¡®No,¡¯ Arzak said. ¡®There is other problem. We head north to kill Players and I think we see someone again.¡¯ The team went quiet, then all looked at me, sat down on a log. I think it wasn¡¯t until that moment that Arzak and Corminar realised I¡¯d not been speaking. All four of them waited for me to comment on the situation. ¡®I¡­ couldn¡¯t activate Closed Reach,¡¯ I said, my eyes trained on the dirt. ¡®Were there magicks at play?¡¯ Corminar asked. ¡®No. I just¡­ Couldn¡¯t kill her.¡¯ Again, the farmyard was quiet. I continued, ¡®But Arzak¡¯s right. We¡¯re gonna run into her again. We¡¯ve got to stop Tana and her Council, and my mother, of course, is the person charged with stopping us.¡¯ ¡®She made no attempt to eliminate us,¡¯ Corminar said. ¡®And how long do you think that will last?¡¯ Val asked. ¡®She got what she wanted. She protected Elinor, who, I¡¯m guessing, is pretty important to whatever Tana¡¯s got planned. So why kill us?¡¯ The witch¡¯s eyes drifted over to me. ¡®Why kill her own son if she doesn¡¯t have to?¡¯ ¡®If she doesn¡¯t have to,¡¯ I repeated. ¡®If we keep on this path, then we¡¯ll soon be at a point where she does have to.¡¯ After another moment of quiet, this time due to everyone processing this information, Lore said, ¡®She¡¯s too strong.¡¯ I nodded. ¡®She is. I thought we¡¯d outgrown these Players, that these days we could handle them. But I¡¯m guessing that we¡¯ve not been targeting their strongest. You know, the ones that Tana needs for her plan. We need to find a weakness. We need to find my mother¡¯s weakness. And then¡­¡¯ I looked up at my friends, glancing at each of them in turn, before finally landing on Val. ¡®One of your four is going to need to exploit it.¡¯ My wife spoke first. ¡®You want us to kill your mother.¡¯ ¡®Yes.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t a question, but I answered it like one, for avoidance of doubt. Corminar glanced at Arzak, but the orc didn¡¯t notice; her eyes were trained on me. A lot of our communication was happening through looks, these days; I wasn¡¯t sure how I felt about that. ¡®Then we search for a weakness,¡¯ Corminar said. ¡®We ensure that we can deal with your mother¡ª¡¯ ¡®Cleo,¡¯ I said. ¡®I don¡¯t want to be reminded of her relation to me.¡¯ ¡®We ensure that we can deal with Cleo,¡¯ the elf corrected himself, ¡®and then we head north. We put an end to this scheme. Are we agreed?¡¯ Val nodded first. Lore waited until I¡¯d done the same before agreeing himself. ¡®Mm, agreed,¡¯ Arzak said. ¡®This is what we do. But have one request first.¡¯ I wasn¡¯t sure I liked where this was going. ¡®What¡¯s that?¡¯ ¡®We had big day. Need unwind time. We take evening off. Relax. Recuperate.¡¯ This time, everyone agreed instantly. * * * We returned to Lonely Hearth at dusk. This time, there was no informant awaiting us on her porch, and I wouldn¡¯t have been interested if there was. The only thing I was interested in right now was a pint of beer. Or several. As we stood outside the town¡¯s only tavern, Arzak nodded Val away. Across the street, one of the locals had opened up their home to the public. Wafts of pie and cake drifted over to us. It was over to this miniature festival that Arzak was encouraging Val. ¡®Val not drink,¡¯ Arzak said to me. ¡®But she eat cake. We go there, see if travellers welcome.¡¯ ¡®Oh, I¡ª¡¯ Lore started, and I knew exactly where he was going with this because there was both pie and cake involved. So too, did Arzak. ¡®We be around men too long,¡¯ she said. ¡®We have girl¡¯s night.¡¯ Lore trailed off dejectedly, turning to Corminar. ¡®You think this tavern has pie?¡¯ ¡®Undoubtedly,¡¯ the elf replied, and this cheered Lore up instantly. But Val clearly wasn¡¯t totally on board with Arzak¡¯s plan. She hadn¡¯t joined the orc at her side, instead lingering around me. ¡®Will you be OK?¡¯ she asked, loud enough that only I could hear. I nodded. ¡®I will. Go have your cake.¡¯ Val smiled back at me, then pecked me gently on the lips. ¡®Have fun with the boys.¡¯ I looked over at them. Lore was peeking in the tavern¡¯s window¡ªinevitably to see if they had any pie¡ªwhile Corminar used the window¡¯s reflection to adjust his hair. ¡®Oh, I¡­¡¯ I couldn¡¯t quite bring myself to say, ¡®Oh, I will,¡¯ because with these two, there was absolutely no guarantee. The tavern was the familiar sort. Fading armchairs were placed in groups around the room, atop equally¡ªif not more¡ªfaded rugs. A fire crackled in each chimney, at either side of the room, and was enough to defend from the bitter frost creeping in. A friendly barkeep stood pouring pints, his part-satyr ancestry apparently of particular interest to the local women. ¡®Three of your finest beers, good sir,¡¯ Corminar said as he approached the bar. The barkeep¡¯s eyes lingered, just for a moment, before he smiled and poured out three pints that I suspected were just as fine as every other beer he served. We took seats in the corner of the room, right by the fire, and I warmed my hands against it. Apparently, our skirmish with Elinor wasn¡¯t enough to put me off fire, not entirely. Not when the bitter winter winds had struck a coldness into my core. I took a sip of my beer, and realised that maybe I¡¯d been too cynical¡ªthis really was good beer. You might even call it fine beer. ¡®Not bad,¡¯ I said.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Corminar nodded. ¡®It is still no wine, but for beer¡­ yes, not so bad. What do you think, Lore?¡¯ But Lore was distracted. The big man was looking over Corminar¡¯s shoulder at a group of women. No, I realised, not at a group of women but at one in particular¡ªa small woman who wore a clearly handmade cardigan with the image of a sheep stitched onto its chest. When I tried¡ªand failed¡ªto suppress a smirk, the elf realised something was up. Corminar followed Lore¡¯s line of sight, and a sly smile crossed his lips. ¡®Am I safe in assuming you find her attractive, Lore?¡¯ ¡®I guess?¡¯ Lore said sheepishly. No pun intended. ¡®She seems cool. What¡¯s not to like?¡¯ ¡®You should consider talking to her. Perhaps she will return the very same sentiment.¡¯ Lore visibly gulped. ¡®Oh. I¡­ I don¡¯t know about that.¡¯ The man faced down hags and neereagles and the like no problem, but ask him to put himself out there, and¡­ The elf put a hand on the big guy¡¯s shoulder. ¡®If you are nervous, I could teach you some of my ways.¡¯ ¡®You sure?¡¯ I broke in. ¡®I dunno if now is really the time for¡ª¡¯ Corminar glared at me. ¡®We seek to do battle with a Council of Players. It is unlikely that we all survive this inevitable encounter. There may be no other time.¡¯ When I snapped my mouth shut, giving up my protest, the elf turned back to Lore. ¡®For now, let us keep this simple. Go up to her, introduce yourself, and tell her she is more beautiful than any star in the sky. After that, talk with her. Show interest in all that she says.¡¯ ¡®...And then what?¡¯ Lore asked, eyes darting between Corminar and the woman wearing the sheep cardigan. ¡®Then, if all goes well, you encourage her up to your room.¡¯ ¡®To do what?¡¯ ¡®To make love to her, Lore.¡¯ Again, the big man gulped. Corminar looked to me for support. ¡®You should do it, Lore,¡¯ I said. ¡®Life¡¯s short. Maybe shorter than we know. What are you gonna regret more, being rejected or never even trying?¡¯ Lore¡¯s eyes lit up a moment later, as though I¡¯d passed on some profound wisdom, then nodded. ¡®You¡¯re right.¡¯ He stood up immediately, as though afraid he might lose this newfound confidence, and then strutted over to the table where the two women sat. Corminar and I watched on. ¡®Hello,¡¯ Lore said, sticking out his hand for a handshake. ¡®My name is Lore, and I think you¡¯re pretty like a star. Do you want to talk for a while, and then if that goes well, we could make love?¡¯ There was a loud thump as Corminar¡¯s head hit the table. ¡®Please let me know when this is over,¡¯ said the despairing elf. ¡®Hey, it was your advice.¡¯ I watched on, bracing myself for a slap to the face of my friend. The woman stared back at Lore for a painful few seconds, dumbfounded, before¡­ laughing? I nudged Corminar. ¡®It simply cannot be over already,¡¯ the elf said. ¡®No,¡¯ I said, still nudging him, ¡®look. It¡¯s worked.¡¯ Corminar snapped his head up to look at Lore and the woman in the cardigan, and blinked. ¡®Perhaps some platitudes hold true. Perhaps there really is someone for everyone.¡¯ My elven friend caught the eye of the barkeep again. ¡®Speaking of¡­¡¯ ¡®You think that guy is the one?¡¯ I asked. ¡®There is but one way in which to find out.¡¯ The ranger shrugged, picked up his glass, and left me alone by the fire. Some ¡°boy¡¯s night¡± this was. I wasn¡¯t too upset though, not really. The past few weeks of travelling and intense Player-fighting had meant I¡¯d been living in very close proximity to the rest of the team. It was nice to get some space, even for an hour. I contended myself to stare into the fire, sip my beer, and think about anything but my encounter with my estranged mother. But try as I might, those eyes kept reappearing in my mind. Those eyes that looked so like the ones I saw in the mirror, and yet so different. There was something in them that made my stomach lurch, something that I couldn¡¯t quite label. Did I see in them a propensity for evil? One that made me wonder if she hadn¡¯t passed that on to me? No, that wasn¡¯t quite right. It was more than that. But, still, I couldn¡¯t quite place it. ¡®You alright?¡¯ I looked up from the fire to find that a woman was sitting in the armchair next to me. It was the friend of the woman in the sheep cardigan, apparently growing bored of Lore taking her company away from her. ¡®I¡¯m alright,¡¯ I replied. ¡®You?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m alright, yeah.¡¯ The woman held my gaze. She had pretty eyes; very different from my mother¡¯s. I wouldn¡¯t tell Val I thought that. ¡®Your mate is funny.¡¯ ¡®Lore?¡¯ I asked. Funny wasn¡¯t a way I usually described him. Kind, strong, good¡ªall of these descriptors, yes. But funny? ¡®The big guy.¡¯ She pointed over to Lore and her friend. ¡®He is big, isn¡¯t he?¡¯ ¡®Yep. And as easy on the eyes as his friends.¡¯ Ah. Right. Of course. In response, I simply smiled, gracefully accepting the compliment. ¡®And you are¡­?¡¯ my new acquaintance asked. ¡®Married,¡¯ I replied. The woman considered this for only a second before asking, ¡®...How married?¡¯ ¡®Very.¡¯ I smiled as kindly as I could manage. ¡®Sorry.¡¯ The stranger touched me reassuringly on the arm, just for a second, before rising from the armchair. ¡®They¡¯re a lucky person.¡¯ ¡®She wouldn¡¯t say so,¡¯ I joked, though I knew Val thought it really. Alone once more, I stared into the fire. Tomorrow, the work would begin again. Tomorrow, we would start figuring out how to kill my mother.
"Styk" Level 24 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 285 Dexterity ¡ª 190 Strength ¡ª 104 Wisdom ¡ª 92 Charisma ¡ª 76
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 77 Knifework ¡ª Level 60 Stealth ¡ª Level 33 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades II ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Etched spells can be activated up to ten times. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
231. The Coming Storm It took only two nights for Arzak¡¯s ever-growing network of informants to give us a lead. From the sounds of it, there were thousands of them out there, now. Thousands of people ready to put their lives at risk in the name of ridding the world of Players. Tokas¡ªmay she find rest¡ªhad been right; exposing the Players really was hundreds of times more powerful than killing them. Still, we had a long way to go. Until towns, cities and even nations began to turn against the Players, we were still fighting an uphill battle. The network¡¯s information sent us west, towards the coast on the Sea of Terrors. Out here, it was said, we could find a man who had survived an encounter with Cleo. And who better to tell us of my mother¡¯s weakness than a man who had lived to tell the tale? But finding him was easier said than done. We spent days on the coast, battling the bitter winds coming off the sea, and we spent nights camping by the road, fighting off more aggressive creatures than I would¡¯ve expected from this part of the world. In all, it was almost a fortnight after leaving Lonely Hearth that we found our man. We were cowering from the cold winds under the shelter of a lush evergreen tree. For the past two days, it hadn¡¯t just been the winds we¡¯d needed to contend with. Now, rain pelted our faces as we travelled¡ªrain so cold that it veered often into sleet¡ªand I wondered if maybe the Sea of Terrors itself would be warmer. The locals said that on a clear day, you could see the Isle of the Old Ways over the sea. I very much doubted that, but today was anything but a clear day. We¡¯d been assured that the man we were after lived here, exactly where we were crouching and eating damp, limp sandwiches. ¡®Any chance we made a wrong turn?¡¯ Lore asked, as thunder rumbled overhead. ¡®Maybe we call it,¡¯ I said, almost having to shout over the weather just to be heard. ¡®Head back to town. Get a roof over our heads and some warm food in our stomachs.¡¯ ¡®No,¡¯ Arzak replied. ¡®He here. I trust network. We just need look.¡¯ ¡®Well maybe we can look after the storm passes?¡¯ Val suggested. ¡®Cos I¡¯ve just got my hair looking nice, and¡ª¡¯ Lightning burst from the heavens above and shot through a tree not thirty feet from where we were standing. Bark and branches exploded from the trunk, peppering us with small cuts and bruises. A second later, we heard an almighty cracking sound as the tree began crackling in two. I saved Lore and Corminar from being hit only by opening a portal between them and the falling tree, slicing the wood in half using my Portal Slice ability. Rain or no rain, nice-looking hair or no nice-looking hair, this was enough to force Val out from under the cover of the woods. The rest of the team followed, fleeing the trees for the beach, out of the danger of trees crashing down on us but now amongst the bitter winds once more. ¡®Styk¡¯s right!¡¯ Val shouted. ¡®Let¡¯s head back! I need some food. And a bath, maybe.¡¯ ¡®No!¡¯ Arzak replied. ¡®Arzak, they are correct,¡¯ Corminar said. ¡®We could not locate a mountain in this weather, let alone a man. We¡ª¡¯ ¡®No!¡¯ the orc cried again, this time pointing down the beach, to the treeline. A man stood still, watching us. When Arzak took the first step towards him, even someone as strong as her struggling in these gales, the man turned around, and disappeared among the trees. ¡®Arzak¡­¡¯ I started, but didn¡¯t bother; she was already a good twenty feet away, and wouldn¡¯t hear me over the weather. Instead, I opened a portal in front of her, its partner over where the mysterious man had been moments earlier. As I stepped through it, back into the danger of the trees, the wind calmed some. My ears still stung from the cold, but I could hear a little, at least. The orc didn¡¯t say anything, but pointed east, deeper into the woods. I nodded, opening another portal for us to cross the distance faster. It wasn¡¯t just that I was worried about losing the stranger; I was worried about being in the midst of so many trees during a storm. We followed the man like this for maybe five minutes, before finally coming upon a small wooden shack in the centre of the woods. Though made only of wood, not stone, the building seemed stable; some artistry had gone into its construction. Out the front of the shack, two cows munched grass lazily under a small shelter, otherwise unbothered by the storm. A handful of chickens huddled mostly underneath the cattle, except for one that stood in the rain, fanning out its wings. There was a low wooden fence around the perimeter, but it would have done nothing to keep the hens here¡ªthey remained at the shack by choice. The man stood in the doorway, holding it open for us, beckoning us inside. ¡®Come,¡¯ he said. ¡®The storm will be overhead for a while yet. Why not wait it out by the fire?¡¯ When we appeared to hesitate, he added, ¡®My name is Elfric.¡¯ Val didn¡¯t need to be told twice, and she led us up the three stairs to the shack¡¯s door. We passed into a wave of heat, sustained by a fire in the corner of the room. Whatever kept the wooden chimney from burning had to have been magick in origin; this man had more power than he seemed. ¡®You know Cleo?¡¯ Arzak asked as she closed the door behind her. Elfric froze for just a moment, though it was enough for us to notice. ¡®I heard that someone was looking for me. I figured you would find me sooner or later, so we may as well get it over with. We can get straight to business.¡¯ ¡®You want us out of here that quickly?¡¯ Val asked. ¡®I prefer a solitary existence.¡¯ ¡®What about the storm?¡¯ Lore asked. ¡®You said that name in this house. You are no longer welcome.¡¯ Arzak nodded. ¡®This is right place then.¡¯ ¡®Nice place you have here,¡¯ I said, looking at the framed paintings on the walls, the decorated plates set out on the ornate dining table. If this man was an enemy to my mother, then maybe he was an ally in the battles to come. We¡¯d just need to get him on side. ¡®Straight to business,¡¯ Elfric said again. When he looked at me this time, his eyes lingered. I sighed. ¡®Fine. We want to know about Cleo. We want to know what she¡¯s done, what she¡¯s capable of, and¡­¡¯ I added this last bit for my own sake; I had to know why she abandoned me. ¡®And where she was for all those years.¡¯If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. The man turned his back on us, removed a metal kettle from a cupboard and set it upon a rune that began to turn the metal from dull grey to bright red. It wasn¡¯t long before steam was billowing from the spout. ¡®I¡¯ll make you a deal,¡¯ Elfric said. ¡®I¡¯ll tell you all I know, and in return, you let me live.¡¯ It seemed about as fair a deal as I¡¯d ever heard. But maybe once I¡¯d heard what he¡¯d had to say, I would change my mind. Maybe I¡¯d feel like letting this man live was too high a price. As the hermit looked at me once more, I realised he wasn¡¯t looking at me, he was looking at my eyes. He recognised them. He was close enough to my mother, once upon a time, to still remember her eyes even to this day. And then I understood. ¡®Seems fair,¡¯ Val said. ¡®Why don¡¯t you start with¡ª¡¯ But I put out a hand to stop her. ¡®What?¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t you see?¡¯ I asked. ¡®He¡¯s one of them. He¡¯s a Player.¡¯ Corminar and Arzak drew their respective weapons before I¡¯d even finished the word. Elfric didn¡¯t visibly show any fear, but nor did he reach for a weapon. Was he strong enough not to need one? Or did he simply know it would make no difference? ¡®It¡¯s a fair deal,¡¯ the man said again. ¡®I just want to be left alone out here. I just want to live my life in peace.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s a fair deal unless you¡¯ve done something dreadful. And I think we all know now that you have.¡¯ The Player held my gaze, as though challenging me. I couldn¡¯t say for sure¡ªeven now, months later¡ªwhether this was a bluff. Was Elfric daring me to spring the attack? ¡®Do you know how close my old colleagues are to creating their new world? I never thought they¡¯d get this far. Deep down, I always thought it impossible. But now it¡¯s up to these famous Slayers to stop them.¡¯ ¡®You want us to win?¡¯ Lore asked. ¡®And I¡¯m guessing you want us to stop them out of the kindness of your own heart?¡¯ Val asked. ¡®You want us to believe there¡¯s some honour in you?¡¯ The Player raised his eyebrows. ¡®Honour? Heavens, no. I abandoned the Council. Do you really think there is a place for me in their new world? All I have is this one. That¡¯s a pretty good reason for wanting to save it, don¡¯t you think? They really are close. Letting me live my life¡ªone that no longer hurts anyone¡ªis a small price to pay for information that might help you.¡¯ I glanced to Val. After a moment of consideration, she nodded. ¡®We¡¯ve given others a second chance.¡¯ ¡®We knew what the others had done, though.¡¯ Still, I knew she was right. I turned back to Elfric and stuck out my hand. ¡®I guess¡­ you have a deal.¡¯ The Player took it, still staring into my eyes. ¡®You look a lot like your mother, you know.¡¯ ¡®I know.¡¯ I took a seat by the fire¡ªone of many small, rickety wooden chairs dotted around the small cabin. ¡®Tell me the rest. The bits I don¡¯t know.¡¯ Elfric nodded, then grabbed one of the chairs from around the dining table, placing it opposite me, at the other side of the fireplace. The danger now seeming to have passed, Corminar and Arzak lowered their weapons, but their tense body language told me they were remaining alert. Good. I wasn¡¯t entirely fooled by Elfric either. ¡®Very well,¡¯ he said. ¡®Let¡¯s begin.¡¯
"Styk" Level 24 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 289 Dexterity ¡ª 192 Strength ¡ª 104 Wisdom ¡ª 94 Charisma ¡ª 76
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 78 Knifework ¡ª Level 60 Stealth ¡ª Level 34 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades II ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Etched spells can be activated up to ten times. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
232. Those Years In The Badlands Elfric had a poet¡¯s soul. He spoke eloquently, not using sophisticated words but plain language, and yet every word seemed carefully chosen. His tale drew us into the past with him, painting a vivid picture of all that he and Cleo had seen in the Badlands. It was almost enough to distract me from what he¡¯d done. Almost. I won¡¯t reiterate it word for word¡ªI don¡¯t think I could really do it justice¡ªbut I will, at least, give you the gist of it. * * * My mother was a monster. That, above all else, was clear. In fact, it seemed to be why Tana picked her to go along with Elfric on this particular quest. But I¡¯m jumping ahead a little¡ªlet me go back to the start. The real start, that is. We¡¯re going back to the moment this world was created. Our world, and all those like it, was created out of magicks. It took all magicks to create a world. Illusionists drew up the foundations of a world. Sorcerers wielded and shaped the elements. Conjurors formed the creatures, sapient and otherwise, and healers gave them life. Worldbenders and enchanters and diviners turned magicks into the system we all interact with every day. And it took witches to bind it all together. There is a lot to unpack there, so let me reassure you: we¡¯d needed a few minutes to process, too. The original world¡ªthe Ascended World¡ªhad no system at all. I could not even begin to comprehend what that looked like. How did someone know how strong another was? How did they learn new abilities without simply picking them from a list? How did they get anything done at all? And that was to say nothing of Witchcraft¡¯s involvement in the creation of a world. At this point, I asked Elfric about it¡ªwhy have Players seeded hatred of Witchcraft in this world, if such magicks were used to create it?¡ªand he assured me he would get to that. Those that we call Players had never built worlds before. Not only did they build thousands of them¡ªof enough variety to suit all of their kind¡ªbut they built them quickly. It was inevitable, then, that they made some mistakes. The worlds¡­ weren¡¯t as cohesive as they wanted. And for many years, the Players didn¡¯t understand why this was. There was one part of their world-build that they¡¯d made absolutely sure held true. If a Player died in a world, that was the end for them there, and they could never return. Players knew the dangers of toying with the boundary between life and death, and they would not make the same mistake in these new worlds as they had in their old. What Elfric meant by this wasn¡¯t clear, and he never¡ªeven after we pressed the matter¡ªexplained it any further. When Tana eventually gathered her Council of Players, she told them the truth. The reason that these worlds were flawed was because they¡¯d had traitors in their midst. There had been Players who hadn¡¯t learned the lessons of the past, and they¡¯d shaved off some of the world-build magicks to create powers of their own¡ªpowers that would let them triumph over death. They manifested in many different ways across the worlds, but in this one, these traitorous powers manifested as artifacts. I¡¯d touched the Sisyphus Artifact through my shirt at this point, removing my hand as casually as possible so as to not draw Elfric¡¯s attention. Who knew what he¡¯d do if he learned I had one of these artifacts on my person? Tana had seen it as her duty to fix the mistakes of the past. At first, that had meant fixing the worlds they had created. Only later, once they realised that it was an impossible task, would the Council instead seek to create a new, perfect world of their own. But in that time, they were focused on fixing the world, and that was where my mother came in. The leader of the Council had located a tear in the world. Its location should have been obvious, really; where else in all of Alterra had so many problems as the Badlands? Creatures there were stronger than anywhere else in the world, and they evolved over time, far quicker than they should have been able. No civilisation had been able to flourish in those lands, and to this day, the Badlands were ruled by warring tribes. Tana sent Elfric and my mother there to close this tear. She¡¯d sent Elfric because he had¡ªtheoretical, if not practical¡ªknowledge of Witchcraft. And she¡¯d sent my mother because she¡¯d known Cleo would do whatever had to be done to get them there. Elfric had used the phrase ¡°without prejudice¡± to describe what my mother had done over the months he¡¯d travelled with her, and I think that paints a fairly clear picture. The man had seen her slaughter whole tribes¡ªthe young, the old, the feeble¡ªrather than let any get away. If any spoke of their presence to another tribe, she said, then even more enemies could rain down upon them. When I say before that my mother was a monster, that wasn¡¯t just me extrapolating from what Elfric had told us; he, too, had described her that way. But how could I marry this information up with the encounter we¡¯d had with her? We¡¯d given Cleo the opportunity to kill us all and be rid of us, and yet she¡¯d barely touched us¡ªonly demonstrating that she could have killed us if she¡¯d wanted to. And she¡¯d even offered us a place in the Council¡¯s new world. Were those the actions of a monster? I will spare you the gory details of everything else that my mother did. My promise to tell you everything only goes so far; including Cleo¡¯s full list of evil deeds wouldn¡¯t paint you any clearer a picture, but would probably make you queasy. Suffice to say, my mother really did whatever she¡¯d had to to get Elfric to the tear in the world¡ªjust as Tana had known she would. At this point in the story, the eloquent Elfric went quiet, and paled. His words became stilted and clumsy, and he soon explained that his memory of the tear is¡­ lacking, to say the least. It wasn¡¯t that he simply couldn¡¯t remember what he¡¯d seen when he¡¯d stared into the tear, but that his brain wouldn¡¯t let him remember. Even the Players could be touched by such horrors. He shifted to explaining the tear in clinical terms. The tear in the world was essentially a gap in its creation, a place where someone could stare into the space between the worlds. He described it as a fringe between one world and the next, where the horrors of the Witchcraft-created void bled in to reality. This was the reason that Witchcraft had to be hated; its usage had the potential to eat away at the boundary between the worlds, and if this corruption spread further, it could destroy Alterra itself. And yet, Tana sought to wield Witchcraft once more. She had to, if she was going to create this new world. She would need more Witchcraft than ever before to protect the new world from the mistakes of the past.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. When Elfric had returned from his work in the Badlands, he resigned his position on the Council. What he¡¯d seen in that tear in the world¡ªwhatever it was¡ªhad broken him. He could not go on as he had. He could be a part of this no longer. But Cleo had stared into that void too, and her mind hadn¡¯t broken. Whatever she¡¯d seen in that void, she might still remember. In fact, Elfric suggested, it was the force that drove her on. ¡®And her weakness?¡¯ I asked at the very end. Elfric gave it considerable thought, plunging the cabin into silence for a minute or more before speaking. ¡®Cleo isn¡¯t strong with physical weapons. She doesn¡¯t have considerable reserves of magicks. She is simply untouchable, hidden by her efficient shadow-blending magicks, her damage amplified tenfold by Stealth passives. And yet¡­ it¡¯s enough that in all the years we travelled together, I never saw her suffer more than a scratch. How can you attack that which you cannot see? It becomes a fight of attrition¡ªyou attacking at thin air, her bleeding your health with every well-placed stab of her blade. Sooner or later, she will win. ¡®Her weakness? I suppose it¡¯s the same weakness as everyone else.¡¯ ¡®What¡¯s that?¡¯ ¡®She can¡¯t be in two places at once.¡¯ * * * After we held up our end of the bargain, and left Elfric¡¯s cabin with its resident still alive, nobody spoke for three hours. The storm had quietened while Elfric had told us his tale, but it hadn¡¯t gone completely. We weren¡¯t in danger of being struck by lightning, but we were in danger of being drenched. And yet, it didn¡¯t seem to matter. What we¡¯d just been told¡ªand had no reason to doubt¡ªhad shaken our understandings of this world. It only made sense that we needed some time to process it. We stepped through the woods, the mud slippery beneath our feet, the fallen water carving small streams between the roots. Val, finally, spoke first. ¡®So¡­¡¯ There was no need to finish the question. ¡®We eat,¡¯ I said. ¡®We rest. We sleep on all we¡¯ve learned. And we make our next move in the morning.¡¯ Though I was still off-kilter from what Elfric had told us, I felt like this was the reasonable next step. Two years ago, I would have sprung immediately into action, and maybe as a result I wouldn¡¯t have made the best decision. I was growing. This was probably a good thing, considering I had a child in my not-too-distant future. I would be mature, or at least mature enough to do a better job at raising my child than my mother had¡ªnot that this was a particularly high bar. And so it went quiet once more. Quiet, at least, until we grew close to the nearest town. Corminar¡¯s ears pricked up first. ¡®There is trouble ahead,¡¯ he said, pulling his bow from his shoulder. The rest of the team took his lead, preparing ourselves for a fight. As we emerged from the underbrush onto a farm at the edge of town, the form of the trouble became clear. Dozens of hags¡ªmore than I¡¯d ever seen together¡ªswarmed the town, shrieking at its residents and attacking them as they fled. I sighed, drew my blade and opened a portal.
"Styk" Level 24 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 289 Dexterity ¡ª 192 Strength ¡ª 104 Wisdom ¡ª 94 Charisma ¡ª 76
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 78 Knifework ¡ª Level 60 Stealth ¡ª Level 34 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades II ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Etched spells can be activated up to ten times. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
233. Making Noise The hag shrieked its deathcry, and I withdrew my dagger. I spun on the spot, opening a portal ahead of the one that was fleeing, the portal¡¯s partner blooming into life at Corminar¡¯s side. I shifted my attention away as the elf loosed arrow after arrow through the portal into the enemy, trusting him to finish the job. One of the six remaining hags charged at a man standing in front of his two young children. He knew they could not outrun the monsters, and so he put himself between them and danger, buying them a few more seconds. ¡®Val!¡¯ I shouted, pointing to the endangered residents. She didn¡¯t even look where I was pointing, and just started running. I opened a portal in front of her, dropping her onto the roof above the man and children, and she released her life-drain magicks onto the enemies. Over the past few minutes, I¡¯d noticed this new spell was very effective against the hags¡ªsomething to do with them being monsters of Witchcraft, I suspected. I left Val to it, closing both pairs of portals before falling backwards through a new one. This one opened me in the air above where Lore and Arzak faced down three more of the enemies. I tumbled backwards, feet over head, before landing at the rear of one of the hags. I stabbed as I fell, burying my dagger deeply, before activating Val¡¯s life-drain spell that was etched into the side of my blade. Green magicks shot forth, enveloping the creature, and it, too, shrieked as it died. ¡®Mm. Nice,¡¯ Arzak said as she swiped her swords at the nearest hag, only for it to blip out of existence the moment before the blades touched it. But Arzak moved with the momentum of her attack, spinning around on the spot to slice at the air behind her¡ªjust where the hag rematerialised. ¡®Also nice,¡¯ Lore commented. He tried the same, but was out of luck; the creature instead reformed at my side. I knew that any attempt to stab the hag¡ªat least, one that it saw coming¡ªwould cause it to phase out of reality again. But I had my blade held out already, so it was a simple case of activating Closed Reach, warping reality to bring the hag onto my blade, rather than the other way around. I activated my Etched Blades ability once more, draining the monster of its lifeforce. The glow on my blade grew fainter; I would need Val to recharge it once the fight was done. Not that it took much longer. Now that the hags were outnumbered, we could easily dispatch them. And the last two that tried to flee? I opened portals for Corminar and Val to finish those hags off. 4x Enticed Hags defeated! Worldbending ¡ª +7,300xp Worldbending increased to level 79! Base Points gained ¡ª +2 INT, +2 Free Points (INT/WIS/CHA) Knifework ¡ª +5,200xp Knifework increased to level 61! Base Points Gained ¡ª +1 DEX, +1 STR, +2 Free Points (VIT/DEX/STR) Level up! You increased to level 25! ¡®We good?¡¯ I called out after registering my notifications, not just to my team but to the residents of the small town too. Some way away, someone called out in pain. I opened a portal next to Val, rushing her to the injured woman¡¯s side. ¡®Anyone else?¡¯ * * * Arzak had an informant in town. Well, she had two informants in town, technically, but only one of them is relevant to the story. While the orc and Lore spoke to the stablemaster who wore the symbol of a circle sliced in half upon their chest, the rest of us reconvened. ¡®We¡¯ve seen it before,¡¯ Val said. ¡®Seen what before?¡¯ Val gestured to the town, and to the two bodies being shifted onto a cart. ¡®Monsters. Pushed out of their normal habitats. A dozen hags¡­ that¡¯s beyond strange. That¡¯s unnatural.¡¯ ¡®The witchfinder village,¡¯ I said. ¡®That too, but not the one I was thinking of,¡¯ Val replied. ¡®The Iron Sea. Back before we sailed to face down Niamh.¡¯ Corminar shifted from foot to foot as that particular Player was mentioned; she was a reminder that his home was still occupied by the forces of the Goldmarch. ¡®We saw cephalopor pushed from the sea. Merfolk too. And it was power pushing them out, wasn¡¯t it?¡¯ ¡®What are you saying, Val?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m saying there is immense power at play once again. And I think we all know who¡¯s going to be behind it.¡¯ The Council. I didn¡¯t need to say this bit aloud. ¡®Maybe there isn¡¯t time for rest, after all.¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying.¡¯ I nodded, then left Val and Corminar to appear at Lore and Arzak¡¯s side. ¡®What¡¯s the latest?¡¯ I asked. ¡®Trouble in Tradum, a couple of days to the east,¡¯ Lore said. ¡®A Player there, it sounds like. But¡­¡¯ ¡®But if we go after them, we might have to contend with my mother again.¡¯ Lore nodded, and both Arzak and the informant looked warily my way. ¡®Well, I think I¡¯ve got a plan for that,¡¯ I said. ¡®We¡¯ll make use of her own weakness.¡¯ Arzak grunted her understanding, but it took Lore a little while to catch up. ¡®There¡¯s just one more thing,¡¯ I said, this time to the stablemaster. ¡®We¡¯re going to need a pretty big favour.¡¯ * * * I held on for dear life. The sound of beating hooves echoed around my skull. The constant impact of hoof against road had me gritting my teeth to stop me from biting from tongue. It was fair to say that I wasn¡¯t a natural horseman. Val, on the other hand, was a different story. She said she¡¯d only ridden twice before, but I couldn¡¯t help but think she was lying. The horse seemed to respond to even her lightest touch, and she navigated us around obstacles with ease. An overhanging branch threatened to knock us from the horse¡¯s back, and I ducked just in time, hanging on to Val¡¯s waist ever tighter. Val could very easily have ridden us around this particular obstacle, but then she wouldn¡¯t have been able to screw with me. ¡®Having fun back there?¡¯ Val shouted, and I could hear the glee in her tone of voice. ¡®No!¡¯ ¡®Oh well!¡¯ she retorted, and then a moment later she had our horse galloping even harder. I grit my teeth even tighter, then barked through them, ¡®Do we have to go this fast?¡¯ ¡®Do you want to catch up with Elinor or not?¡¯ The question was a good one. Initially, my answer would have been a quick ¡°yes¡±. Now that I was living in the reality of riding a borrowed horse, I wasn¡¯t so sure. This wasn¡¯t for me. This really wasn¡¯t for me.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. The plan was a simple one. Elfric had told us my mother¡¯s weakness¡ªeven she couldn¡¯t be in two places at once. So if we, as a team, wanted to hunt down a Player, then we¡¯d need to ensure that my mother was elsewhere. While Arzak, Lore and Corminar rode east to Tradum¡ªCorminar had to share a horse with Lore, and he had not been happy about the whole affair¡ªVal and I were making noise. We stopped in every town we came across, asking as loudly as possible if anyone had seen someone matching Elinor¡¯s description. The reason for this was twofold. First of all, we really did want to know where she was. Secondly, though Arzak¡¯s network of informants was great, we knew the Council¡¯s network was greater. If anyone heard us asking after the location of a Player, it would get back to them sooner or later. And who would they send to deal with us? My mother, of course. But that was only the first stage of the plan. ¡®Branch!¡¯ Val shouted, and I ducked immediately, not realising that there was no branch. The witch cackled, which did nothing for her class¡¯s stereotype. ¡®Very good.¡¯ ¡®I thought so.¡¯ I caught sight of the sun, hanging overhead to the left of us. It seemed to have moved fast; no wonder Val was pushing the horse so hard. If we were going to have any chance of catching up with Elinor, we needed to be much further north before the sun set. ¡®Reckon you can get the horse through a portal?¡¯ I asked. ¡®Err¡­¡¯ ¡®They¡¯re pretty big?¡¯ ¡®For a person, sure. But¡ª¡¯ ¡®Arzak and Lore fit through just fine!¡¯ Val grumbled something that I didn¡¯t quite hear. ¡®What was that?¡¯ ¡®I said¡­ we can give it a go.¡¯ Something told me that this wasn¡¯t what she¡¯d grumbled, but I opened a portal way ahead of us anyway. This one wouldn¡¯t take us too much further along the road, but I wanted Val to have plenty of warning for our first attempt. I expected the horse to resist the instruction to leap through the portal. Going through one for the first time was a¡­ strange experience. It felt unnatural, or dangerous somehow. And yet, the horse happily tucked in its front legs, pushing off the ground with its rear legs, and soared through the portal. Val and I had to duck to avoid us hitting the top of the portal¡ªand being knocked from the saddle¡ªbut it worked. We made it. We travelled this way for another hour or two more, the portals combined with the horse¡¯s speed allowing us to cover ground at a rate surely unheard of anywhere on Alterra. It pleased me to think that we were maybe the fastest travellers alive outside of direct teleportation spells¡ªand those were only used by the super rich. The sun was not quite setting, but was certainly low in the sky, when my mother shimmered into sight on the road ahead. Val wrenched on our borrowed horse¡¯s reins, bringing it¡ªand us¡ªto an abrupt stop. I had to hold on tight to Val¡¯s waist as the animal reared. The Council had heard our noise. They knew we rode north to take down Elinor. And my mother had once more been sent to stop us. This time, the woman made no effort to speak, only staring at me with those horrifying eyes that so closely mirrored my own. She drew her blade. Would she make no offer this time? Would she attack us for real, rather than simply miming her strikes? I could not honestly say I knew, and I wasn¡¯t about to find out the answer. ¡®I want to accept your offer,¡¯ I said. My mother paused, mid-way through the slow drawing of her dagger. She didn¡¯t open her mouth, yet the question was plain. Why? Why would I change my mind so soon? What could possibly be a convincing answer to that question. Of course, Val and I had practised it. ¡®On one condition.¡¯ A pause. The woman who was my mother in blood only kept her eyes on us. The evening light filtering through the leaves on the branches that hung over the traveller¡¯s road, bespeckling the ground. One of the last fallen leaves of winter crunched as the horse shifted on the spot, apparently as uncomfortable with this situation as I was. ¡®Tell me,¡¯ Cleo finally said. ¡®Val¡¯s coming with me,¡¯ I replied. ¡®Both of us.¡¯ ¡®And your other friends?¡¯ I shook my head. ¡®I thought that would be pushing my luck. There¡¯s a reason we didn¡¯t bring them.¡¯ My mother stared back at me for a moment, considering her reply. This was a woman who did not speak without giving it due thought. I must have got the opposite trait from my father. ¡®I think that can be arranged. In return, you will stop hunting members of the Council.¡¯ I nodded. ¡®Agreed.¡¯ Cleo stared at me longer still. Could she really see inside my soul? Did she really have that ability? It certainly felt like it. If she could, she would know that this was a ruse¡ªa ruse intended only to buy us some time, not one that would fool the Council forever. As she continued to stare, I held that dark gaze. Finally, my mother put a hand in a pocket, then threw me a gem. I opened a portal to snatch it from the air and take it in my own hand. ¡®Bleed on it,¡¯ the woman said. ¡®Sorry?¡¯ Val repeated. But if I wanted to be believed, I was going to have to be seen to follow instructions. I took my dagger and sliced the back of my left arm, the resulting red trickle flowing down the dirty skin and light hair, and landing on the gem I¡¯d just been given. It glowed blue as the blood touched it. ¡®When the ritual begins, this gem will summon you,¡¯ my mother said. ¡®Be sure you answer its call.¡¯ I nodded, and watched as my mother turned away before disappearing from sight. ¡®Come on,¡¯ I told Val. ¡®Let¡¯s go.¡¯ Without sharing a word¡ªneither of us convinced my mother had gone just yet¡ªVal turned the horse around, and we galloped away from our meeting point for at least half an hour, using portals to increase our pace all the while. Only then, when we were as sure as we could be that my often-invisible mother wasn¡¯t listening in, did I tell Val to stop at the side of the road. I drew the gem from my pocket. ¡®You think she believed you?¡¯ Val asked. In answer, I threw the glowing gem into the trickling water of a nearby stream. From the banks, I could see that this was a fully fledged river in the summer months, when the hot sun melted the snow in the mountains so far from here. If nobody found the gem before then, it would sink to the bottom of the Sea of Terrors, never to be seen again. ¡®Only the gods know what that gem is really for,¡¯ I explained to Val, who nodding knowingly. ¡®Come on. Let¡¯s head to Tradum. See what the others have learned.¡¯
"Styk" Level 25 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 292 Dexterity ¡ª 195 Strength ¡ª 105 Wisdom ¡ª 94 Charisma ¡ª 77
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 79 Knifework ¡ª Level 61 Stealth ¡ª Level 34 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades II ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Etched spells can be activated up to ten times. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
234. Bear With Me Val and I stopped for the night not long after the sun had set over the horizon. We could have kept going for a couple of hours yet, but we¡¯d stumbled across a town in the middle of nowhere that had a surprisingly nice-looking inn. Well-kept hanging baskets adorned the outside of the inn, and on one wall was a recently painted mural of a battle of old. Through the frosty window panes, we could see ample flickering candles, and when the door opened to let a patron out, we caught the scent of spiced pastries. When Val insisted we stopped there rather than risking the next inn being less comfortable, I was in no mood to argue. We wouldn¡¯t reach the others for a couple of days yet anyway, even with horse and portals to help us on our way. We hitched the horse, and Val¡¯s ability to tie a knot made me suspicious again that she did have more experience with riding than she¡¯s said. Stepping inside the inn, I let the door swing closed behind me, and I closed my eyes, letting the warmth and the smells flow over me. The heat of the fire was pleasant, and as too was that mixture of aromas, pastry and beer. The singing of the bard in the corner, however, was not so¡ª ¡®Oh, hells,¡¯ my wife said. The singing stopped. ¡®Val?¡¯ a booming voice shouted across the room. Usually, when someone recognised Val, then there was a fight in our immediate future. But from the tone, this bard was actually excited to see her. ¡®An old boyfriend?¡¯ I asked, then immediately regretted it when I actually saw the bard. This wasn¡¯t a bard. Or, at least, it shouldn¡¯t have been. That booming, toneless singing had come from¡­ a bear. A bear that wore human clothes, complete with hat and lute strung over its back, and walked on its hind legs. I blinked, then looked around at the others in this fairly crowded inn. Few of them gave the bard a second look. Was I completely losing my mind? There was a wild animal in here¡ªa dangerous one!¡ªand nobody seemed to care! ¡®Boyfriend?¡¯ Val repeated. ¡®What do you think I am, a druid?¡¯ Even if I¡¯d had a witty retort to that, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to say it, because I was pushed aside by the bear¡ªthe bear!¡ªwho wrapped its black, furry arms around Val, lifted her up, and squeezed. I was about to attack when I realised this wasn¡¯t the bear-bard trying to do Val any harm. It was giving her a¡­ bear hug. I just want you to know that I tried my best to describe the hug in other terms, but ¡°bear hug¡± really is the only apt descriptor for it. So you¡¯re going to have to just let that particular pun go, whether I intended it or not. ¡®I am so, so sorry,¡¯ the bear said to Val as it released her and set her down on the ground once more. Safe. Without mauling or clawing her. ¡®I know that nothing I can do can make it up to you, but maybe I can start by buying you a drink? You always liked a drink, didn¡¯t you?¡¯ ¡®Hi,¡¯ I said, stepping forward and putting out a hand for the bear to shake. What can I say? It was a moment of courage. ¡®I¡¯m Styk. I¡¯m her husband.¡¯ This, as it turned out, was a mistake. The bear¡¯s eyes widened with delight, then it wrapped its hands around me and squeezed me tight in the same way as it had Val a moment earlier. I breathed a sigh of relief when my feet touched the ground once more. ¡®And you¡¯re married!¡¯ the bear said to Val with delight, a bright smile crossing its otherwise monstrous face. ¡®You¡¯d like Lore, I think,¡¯ I mumbled. ¡®Styk,¡¯ Val said, gesturing to the bear. ¡®This is Reginald. Reginald, this is Styk. As he says, he¡¯s my husband.¡¯ ¡®Oh, I¡¯m so delighted! Let me buy you a drink, what will you have?¡¯ ¡®He¡¯ll have a beer,¡¯ Styk said, then gestured to her belly. ¡®But I won¡¯t be drinking anything at all¡­¡¯ It took the bear¡ªReginald¡ªa moment to understand. He really would get on with Lore. ¡®You¡¯re having a baby!¡¯ the bear squealed with delight, hopping from foot to foot with sheer glee and making the beers on nearby tables wobble. ¡®I will see what they can do you.¡¯ With that, Reginald disappeared towards the bar. ¡®So, err¡­¡¯ I started. ¡®I don¡¯t really even know where to start with the questions here. That¡¯s a bear, right?¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t tell him that,¡¯ Val replied. ¡®He thinks he¡¯s a human.¡¯ ¡®OK,¡¯ I said. ¡®And¡­ why does he think that?¡¯ ¡®Because I cursed him to.¡¯ I put a hand to my forehead, then drew a deep breath. ¡®Why did you do that, Val?¡¯ She shrugged. ¡®Thought it¡¯d be funny. And it is.¡¯ I narrowed my eyes at her. Not because I disagreed that it was funny¡ªI was still undecided on that point, the shock of seeing a bear still rattling through me¡ªbut because I knew Val well enough by now to know when she was lying. Right now, I was pretty sure she was lying. This flew in the face of all the open communication we¡¯d been doing over the past few months. ¡®Next question,¡¯ I started. ¡®Last one?¡¯ ¡®Not even close. Next question: what is he apologising for?¡¯ I suspected that the answer to this particular question would shed some light on what Val was hiding. I didn¡¯t get an answer to this one, because Reginald returned, drinks in hand, and nodded us over to a small table in the corner of the room. He¡¯d been served quickly, but then again, I wouldn¡¯t want to keep a bear waiting either. Reginald placed a beer down in front of me, then a juice down in front of Val, but remained standing himself. ¡®I have been apologising for my misdeeds in the form of poetry,¡¯ the bear said. ¡®Oh?¡¯ my wife replied, and to say that her reply was half-hearted was understating it; she really was just asking to be polite. Nothing about her demeanour shouted ¡°I want to be here¡±. ¡®Yes! Just yesterday, I ran into old Runasc, and had to come up with one on the spot. It went like this.¡¯ He strummed his lute and sang¡­ There once was an orc from Sif Quarry Who¡¯d earned himself fortune and glory. Along came a bard Who squished his head hard And now is so terribly sorry. Reginald paused for a moment, letting the last note ring out, and took a seat on a stool that I didn¡¯t think would hold his weight. ¡®Well? What do you think?¡¯ ¡®Glory doesn¡¯t rhyme with quarry,¡¯ I replied. ¡®Yes it does. Glorry, quarry. See?¡¯Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. I furrowed my brow. ¡®Well it does when you mispronounce it, yeah.¡¯ Reginald shook his head, apparently bored with my feedback, and turned to my wife. ¡®I wrote one for you, too, Val, for if I ever saw you again.¡¯ Val¡¯s eyes snapped open. ¡®Oh, that¡¯s not¡ª¡¯ But already the bear was standing once more, strumming his instrument and opening his mouth to bellow out the words. There once was a talented sorcerer Who had both power and force on her. She knew a cute guy But had to say bye Because I killed him in Seckle Thur. I coughed midway through a sip of my beer. So many more questions immediately sprang to mind. What guy? Had Val forgiven Reginald for this? Did the bear always use the same rhyming pattern? And could he maybe hire an editor? ¡®Val, what¡¯s he talking about?¡¯ I asked. If it was possible for a bear to pale, Reginald paled. His furry shoulders immediately sunk, and his eyes widened just as Val¡¯s had a moment earlier. ¡®Oh, I thought¡­ I¡¯m so sorry. I¡¯ll have to write you another¡ª¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s quite alright!¡¯ my wife cut in, voice just a little shaky. She looked from the bard to me. ¡®He should know.¡¯ Reginald nodded thoughtfully. ¡®I was a younger man back then. A man with a terrible temper. I allowed certain beast-like instincts to overpower me, and I lashed out at a young man. A young man who Val was fond of.¡¯ He turned to Val. ¡®I really am sorry, Equivalence.¡¯ I forgot that was Val¡¯s full name sometimes. ¡®It¡¯s alright, Reginald,¡¯ Val said. ¡®It was a long time ago. And things were¡­ different back then.¡¯ Certain parts of this story were clicking into place with every second that passed. This was a very good reason for Val to put a curse on someone. Which would mean¡­ ¡®So Reginald didn¡¯t think he was a human back then?¡¯ I asked Val. ¡®He was just a bear?¡¯ Reginald roared with anger, knocking the table over and making Val and I freeze. At last, the locals reacted, though not with the level of panic that I thought the situation deserved. If I wondered why this was, it was answered by the bear closing his eyes, breathing deeply, and slowly counting to ten. ¡®I¡¯m sorry if I¡­¡¯ I started. ¡®It¡¯s OK,¡¯ Reginald said. ¡®I would just rather nobody called me a bear. It makes me angry. Just because a man is a little tall and a little hairy, people think they can call him names.¡¯ ¡®Oh, that¡¯s not¡ª¡¯ I started, but a glance from Val made me think better of finishing that sentence. Reginald was really convinced he was human. ¡®That¡¯s OK. Sorry.¡¯ Reginald nodded, then sat down once more. ¡®It¡¯s water under the bridge. I can¡¯t expect others to forgive me if I don¡¯t forgive them too.¡¯ At that moment, he poked his head up, looking over my head, as someone else caught his sight behind him. ¡®If you¡¯ll excuse me, I have another apology poem to sing.¡¯ Val waved him away. ¡®How many people did he hurt?¡¯ ¡®I mean, he was a bear, wasn¡¯t he?¡¯ the witch replied, keeping quiet enough that Reginald wouldn¡¯t hear her. ¡®That¡¯s what they do.¡¯ ¡®I still think cursing him was a bit much. As you say, he was a wild animal, after all.¡¯ Val shrugged. ¡®What, would you rather I¡¯d killed him?¡¯ ¡®It might have been better than¡­¡¯ I gestured to the bear. ¡®Than this living torture.¡¯ ¡®What torture?¡¯ Val asked. ¡®Being human. If that¡¯s torture, then we¡¯re all suffering.¡¯ I had no convincing response to that particular point, so I let the matter drop. ¡®I¡¯m sorry about your boyfriend.¡¯ Val squeezed my hand. ¡®It¡¯s OK. I was a long time ago. We were young; it wouldn¡¯t have lasted.¡¯ ¡®You really haven¡¯t had much luck with romance, have you?¡¯ ¡®Not until¡ª¡¯ Val immediately caught herself. I couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡®Go on. You can say it. I believe in you.¡¯ The witch smiled back. ¡®Not until I met an idiot Bladespinner,¡¯ she said. I pecked her on the lips. ¡®Proud of you.¡¯ Val sighed, sipped her juice and then sunk her face against me shoulder. ¡®Feeling cosy?¡¯ ¡®Trying to get a whiff of your beer,¡¯ she replied. ¡®I miss it.¡¯ We sat like that for a while, drinking by the fire, listening to the bear sing his weird poems, and I took great pleasure in it. It was nice to have a moment to ourselves, just this once. I savoured it, because who knew was tomorrow would bring? These days, it certainly wouldn¡¯t bring anything good.
"Styk" Level 25 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 292 Dexterity ¡ª 195 Strength ¡ª 105 Wisdom ¡ª 94 Charisma ¡ª 77
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 79 Knifework ¡ª Level 61 Stealth ¡ª Level 34 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades II ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Etched spells can be activated up to ten times. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
235. The Beginning Of The End It was night once more by the time we reached the outskirts of Tradum. Val and I¡ªand maybe even the horse¡ªhad all sensed that something was wrong. There was something intangible in the air, an atmosphere and ineffable quality that I can¡¯t describe even now, all this time later. Was it the glum faces on those we passed by? Was it that we saw so many travelling the road away from Tradum, and so few heading there? Suffice to say only that when we arrived in the small city and saw it under military rule, we were not surprised. There were no high stone walls or guardhouses around the perimeter of this city. Tradum was too small to warrant such defences, and held little strategic value to the Goldmarch¡ªthere was no big agricultural industry around these parts as the soil wasn¡¯t kind to crops, and it was still too far from the coast to support the empire¡¯s new navy. Instead, the city of Tradum was guarded by an army of soldiers in their golden uniforms, so many here that they didn¡¯t even need a wall to keep people out. Well, keep others out, at least; those of us with portal magicks could always find a way inside. Val and I doubled back, hitched our horse a half mile away, in the woods off the road, and crept back towards town by foot. We crouched down behind a large shrub, peeking over. Soldiers stood alert every dozen yards around the edges of the city, a pair of them each time¡ªone facing out, one facing in. They weren¡¯t talking to their colleagues, or distracted in any way; they were determined to do their jobs well. Just what had put the fear of the gods into them? ¡®What do you think?¡¯ I asked. ¡®No good reason for them to be here, is there?¡¯ ¡®Nope.¡¯ ¡®So they¡¯re hiding something. They¡¯re doing something in Tradum that they don¡¯t want others to know about.¡¯ I nodded. ¡®Otherwise they¡¯d do it somewhere on the main traveller¡¯s road. One thing I¡¯m not sure about though: are these soldiers here on behalf of Amira, or the Council?¡¯ Val retreated from the top of the shrub; she¡¯d seen all she needed. ¡®You think Amira¡¯s planning another invasion?¡¯ ¡®The Sundorn?¡¯ I asked. ¡®Maybe. If she¡¯s hungry enough for an empire, I wouldn¡¯t rule it out. But Arzak¡¯s informants seemed to think there was a Player here. That, to me, says this is a Council ploy.¡¯ My wife nodded. ¡®Finding the others isn¡¯t going to be easy.¡¯ ¡®No. We¡¯ve gotta put a locator stone on them or something. On Lore, at least, as he¡¯s always wandering off anyway.¡¯ I looked back over the shrub, getting a view of a portal-accessible rooftop. ¡®They¡¯ll be staying at one of the inns. How many can there be?¡¯ ¡®A lot,¡¯ came the reply. ¡®Oh. Well, then, we best get started.¡¯ I opened a portal at our feet, sending the pair of us soaring down onto the rooftop I¡¯d spotted earlier. Val scoffed as she landed. ¡®I thought you said you were gonna warn me when¡ª¡¯ An almighty wail cut her off. A sound I¡¯d heard before, but one that it took me a moment to place. Usually when I heard the screech of a banshee, it was my own doing, my own Shrill Perimeter ability going off, either intentionally or because danger was close. This time, I¡¯d set no such spell. Waves of rippling purples magicks, flickering like a fire, rose from the perimeter of the city nearest to us. This was a version of my ability far more powerful, covering far greater an area¡­ maybe even the entirety of the city itself. This meant that there was a Worldbender here with great power, and keeping in mind what Arzak¡¯s informant had told us¡­ ¡®Player!¡¯ Val shouted, taking the word right out of my mouth. I heard the charging guards before I saw them¡ªthose light armoured boots were helpful for withstanding damage, but they were clunky, too. Without waiting around for them to come upon us, I opened a portal at our side, practically throwing my pregnant wife through it. These portals brought us out on a not-too-distant rooftop; being able to open portals anywhere in sight was all well and good, but my aim was pretty shoddy after a certain distance, and I didn¡¯t want us to accidentally fall to our deaths. Pretty sensible, if you ask me. Guards appeared on the original rooftop, pointing at us and shouting for their colleagues to close the gap. I wasn¡¯t worried, because I had a portal, and¡ª A portal opened on the rooftop next to us. ¡®Ah, that¡¯s right,¡¯ I mumbled. ¡®Player worldbender.¡¯ Before anyone¡ªor anything? No, just anyone¡ªcould emerge from the enemy portal, I opened a portal of my own in front of it. Anyone passing through the first portal would also pass through mine, but to them, there would be no difference. A dozen soldiers poured out of a portal high in the sky above Tradum instead of onto a rooftop, and that bought us a precious few seconds. The other pair of portals I used to step us down to street level, hoping that we would be able to blend in to the crowds. My hopes were dashed immediately; though the sun had only just set, the streets were deserted. The fist of the Golden Empire had squeezed all the life out of this city. People preferred¡ªor were forced¡ªto spend time after dark inside rather than out. I released Val¡¯s hand, gesturing her away. ¡®Go,¡¯ I said. ¡®Change your face. I¡¯ll lead the soldiers away.¡¯ But my wife didn¡¯t move a muscle. ¡®I can¡¯t,¡¯ she said. ¡®I can¡¯t change form. It¡¯d hurt the baby.¡¯ ¡®You know, I¡¯d really thought your changeling abilities would come in handy more often than they have.¡¯ ¡®Well sorry if¡ª¡¯ I cut Val off by beginning to run and dragging her along with me. ¡®Not the time!¡¯ I told her. It was nice to get the last word for once, even if it did come at a time when we were in very severe danger. We bolted down streets, taking abrupt corners and backing up whenever we ran into the soldiers of the Golden Empire. I felt increasingly cornered, that there was no way out for us, and I considered simply portalling us back to the rooftops and away from Tradum entirely¡ªeven though it meant abandoning the rest of the team. But I was distracted from such shameful thoughts when a man stepped out into the street ahead of us. One with aura powerful enough that I knew instinctively that this was the Player we suspected was in town. I stopped running, Val slamming into the back of me, and then cast a quick glance over my shoulder. There were soldiers there too, also slowing, allowing their boss to do as he pleased. I resisted the urge to glance towards the rooftops; they were our only way out, now. I knew that, and I suspected that the Player did too. ¡®You with the Council?¡¯ I shouted down the street, flanked by tall buildings and host to only me, Val, two dozen Goldmarch soldiers, and the worldbender. ¡®Do you need to ask?¡¯ the man replied. ¡®I thought perhaps Cleo had dealt with you already. Alas, no.¡¯ With the flick of his wrist, the Player opened four more portals against the buildings that loomed over us. More soldiers still poured forth. ¡®And our friends?¡¯ The Player hesitated, but only for a moment. It was enough for me to see through him; he¡¯d heard of us, he knew exactly who we were, but he didn¡¯t know where Lore, Arzak and Corminar were. That was a relief. They¡¯d escaped. Maybe they were far from Tradum, quicker than we were to realise that helping here was biting off more than we could chew. And then I reconsidered. Who among Lore, Arzak and Corminar would realise that? Lore would be oblivious. Corminar had never once expressed doubt in his ability to do anything. And Arzak? She wouldn¡¯t be able to turn her back on people in need. No, they were here. Somewhere. ¡®Do you expect me to be honest with the Slayers?¡¯ the Player asked. ¡®The greatest thorn in the Council¡¯s side?¡¯Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡®No, I suppose not,¡¯ I said, my vision flicking to the slowly encroaching soldiers. They crept forward gradually, as though Val and I might not notice. ¡®You gonna introduce yourself?¡¯ The man raised an eyebrow. ¡®I am Arit of the Council. Don¡¯t tell me you haven¡¯t heard of me?¡¯ ¡®Afraid not,¡¯ I replied. ¡®Yeah, me neither,¡¯ Val added. She was on the same page as me, then; whatever we could do to distract the Player could be the difference between life and death, between the Player using his Worldbending abilities to trap us and accidentally letting us slip away. As with all Players, their pride was their greatest strength¡­ and their greatest weakness. ¡®Eli, you said?¡¯ I asked. ¡®No, I don¡¯t think I know that name.¡¯ ¡®Arit,¡¯ the worldbender Player spat back at me. ¡®Arit, right. No, still don¡¯t think¡­ don¡¯t think you¡¯ve come up at all.¡¯ I glanced over at the nearest batch of soldiers. They were close now. Too close. It was now or never. Though Val had kept herself composed, giving off no air of anxiety, I knew that she, too, was searching desperately for a way out. The moment came when the soldiers finally pounced. Within half a second, Val struck left with her lifedrain magicks, the green lightning effect crackling through them, while I swung one arm around, peppering the enemies on the right with needle darts. Neither attack was enough to kill, but both were enough to stun¡ªand I¡¯d also opened a portal beneath our feet. Val and I fell through it, into the sky high above Tradum. I was about to open another portal to get us away from the enemies, when suddenly a purple ring appeared around us. We fell through it, landing hard on the cobbled streets at Arit¡¯s feet. I flung my hands forward and opened two portals behind Arit, in the foundation of the building that loomed over him. The foundations of the house began to disintegrate immediately, and I didn¡¯t waste time hanging around to see what would happen. At the slate roof tiles began to fall on the Player, I grabbed Val by the arm and opened another portal beneath us. In the sky once more, I quickly located a safe spot below¡ªanywhere would do, as long as there were no soldiers nearby¡ªand opened another portal to spill us out there. I tumbled across the cobbled street, clutching Val and protecting her from the pain of the impact. The moment we came to a stop, I wrenched her back to her feet, but she was well on her way to being upright anyway. I took her by the hand, and bolted. We ran down the winding, narrow streets of Tradum, blinking in and out of sight of the enemy as we charged through portals. The soldiers had eyes on us, at least most of the time, but it seemed that the Player was happy to let Amira¡¯s golden army do the hard work, as they were nowhere in sight. We continued on down desolate streets, passed huge warehouse buildings and houses with no signs of life. I kept myself oriented by glancing at the stars above, making sure we weren¡¯t going around in circles. If we head in a straight line, then sooner or later we would break out of the city, and¡ªhopefully¡ªescape the grasp of this Player worldbender. It was a simple plan, and one that surely was going to work. Except, of course, we got sidetracked. As we turned a corner, a sewer plate slide from the street, and a hand reached out to grab my ankle as I sprinted past. I slammed to the stones before I knew what had hit me, and had just enough presence of mind to start kicking wildly as I got dragged into the sewers. An enormous hand slammed over my mouth, and Lore¡¯s face smiled back at me. ¡®It¡¯s us!¡¯ he announced. Val slipped inside, the dark, dingy and incredibly smelly sewer as Arzak and Corminar slid the cover back in place. We stood still for a moment in the near pitch black, lit only by the small glowing orb hovering over a stranger¡¯s finger, and waited for signs that the soldiers had seen us slip inside. Footsteps grew louder, and then softer. Our pursuers passed the sewer plate. ¡®You¡¯re alive,¡¯ Val said. ¡®Surprised?¡¯ Corminar replied. ¡®Because that would be rather rude.¡¯ I opened my mouth to say something, and then was so overwhelmed by the stench of¡­ you know, sewer stuff¡­ to actually speak. But even foul smells couldn¡¯t shut Val¡¯s trap. ¡®What happened? Where¡¯ve you been?¡¯ Val looked at the stranger with the orb¡ªone of two. ¡®And who¡¯s this?¡¯ ¡®There lot to expl¡ª¡¯ Arzak started. Lore blurted out, ¡®We found em.¡¯ ¡®Found who? The Council? We know where they are.¡¯ Val glanced at me, and with glance alone managed to communicate the question ¡°are the fumes going to his head?¡± But Lore looked glum. ¡®No. The missing malae. They¡¯re here. They¡¯re Tana¡¯s witchcraft¡ªwhat she wants to use to create the new world.¡¯ I nodded, making eye contact with Val again, across the cool, dark sewer, trying to ignore the trickle flowing over my boots. ¡®OK. OK, that¡¯s OK. We knew they¡¯d be used for something, and we can¡ª¡¯ ¡®That is not all,¡¯ my elven friend interrupted. He looked to Lore. ¡®We have to tell them about Alenna.¡¯ ¡®She¡ª¡¯ the big man started. ¡®Alenna sought to save us all with her experiments, yes,¡¯ Corminar said. ¡®But she may, in the end, have doomed us all.¡¯ The elf looked to Val and I in turn. ¡®The Council have replicated her creation. They know how to use the malae to create soldiers.¡¯ ¡®They¡¯re creating an army?¡¯ I asked. ¡®They¡¯re corrupting people? How many?¡¯ Nobody spoke, nobody able to put the answer into words. ¡®How many, guys?¡¯ Val asked, voice strained. Arzak met her gaze. ¡®Half of Tradum,¡¯ she said.
"Styk" Level 25 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 292 Dexterity ¡ª 195 Strength ¡ª 105 Wisdom ¡ª 94 Charisma ¡ª 77
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 79 Knifework ¡ª Level 61 Stealth ¡ª Level 34 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades II ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Etched spells can be activated up to ten times. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
236. Interlude — Reginald ¡®I¡¯m walking, walking, walking, I¡¯m walking down the road,¡¯ Reginald sung to himself as he trudged along the merchant¡¯s road, headed west. What a lovely day it was; most of the people around here found this time of year to be bitterly cold, but Reginald didn¡¯t find it too bad. He had thick skin. ¡®I¡¯m stepping, stepping, stepping, and the melody doth flow. I¡¯m strolling, strolling, strolling, and I don¡¯t hardly know, all the joy I¡¯ve been bestowed.¡¯ Yes, there were some chilly winds here and there, but the sun was shining, and a shining sun was good enough reason for Reginald to be happy. Not to mention all the progress he¡¯d made of late; over the past week or so he¡¯d scratched over twenty names from his list. Soon enough there would be nobody left on the list, nobody left with whom to make amends. And to think¡ªone of those names he¡¯d so recently scratched off was none other than Equivalence Vignor. Not only had this woman suffered the last of Reginald¡¯s crimes, but her influence had somehow sent him on a path of redemption. Reginald had wrestled with his wrongdoings for the first time when he¡¯d crossed paths with her, and he owed her so much. He still, to this day, did not know the form of her influence, only that it seemed to quell those dark, almost animalistic urges he¡¯d had for as long as he remembered. All that death. All that blood. Reginald burst into another verse. ¡®I¡¯m searching, searching, searching, I¡¯m searching for my truth. I¡¯m looking, looking, looking, I am a fledgling sleuth¡­¡¯ He trailed off to wave at two merchants approaching him on the road. ¡®Hello there, sirs! Fine day, is it not?¡¯ The two men came to an abrupt halt, and one of them shrieked. One, then the other, abandoned their hand cart to flee into the forest. Reginald was sure he heard the sound of someone screaming, ¡®Bear! Bear!¡¯ It was unfortunate that such an insult was so popular these days. Reginald¡¯s hide was thick, yes, and lush with hair, but that was no reason to be so rude. And for them to run screaming into the forest was a cruel jest, pretending that they had come across a wild animal rather than a human man. A human man armed only with a smile and a lute, no less! Reginald had to hand it to these two, however; leaving their loaded cart behind to flee into the trees was commitment to the joke indeed. The human man shook his head to himself and forced his anger away. There was no use getting so worked up over the words of strangers. There was no use in letting his wrath control him once more¡ªit would only end up with more names added to the list. On he went down the traveller¡¯s road, singing as he went, doing his best to ignore all those screaming as they came across him. And there really were a lot. Just where were they all going? * * * ¡®Good morning to you, Perup!¡¯ Reginald said as he burst into a familiar inn. Perup, the half-tiefling barkeep, barely looked up as the human man with a lute entered. ¡®You alright, Reggie?¡¯ ¡®Reginald, if you don¡¯t mind, Perup,¡¯ the bard said. He reminded Perup of this every time, and yet the man never seemed to remember. ¡®Reginald, right. You alright?¡¯ ¡®I am, as a matter of fact! My quest for redemption has gathered speed. The hero of this tale¡ªme, you understand¡ªfinds joy in coming across so many to whom he owes apologies. But let us not forget that the rising action of the second act so often ends in the protagonist losing nearly everything. And that, my friend, is a fate that I am keen to avoid.¡¯If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Perup threw a tea towel over his shoulder. ¡®You want the usual then, eh?¡¯ Reginald took his usual seat at the bar, and nodded. ¡®Four fish stews please.¡¯ ¡®Right you are.¡¯ The barkeep turned away, giving Reginald a moment to look around the tavern. Only one of the fireplaces was lit, Reginald noticed, the other devoid of either firewood or charcoal, having not been used for some time. And it was cold in here, Reginald noticed. Not for him, of course, but colder than other human people were usually comfortable with. The bard wrenched his head around to look at the other patrons and confirm, but he soon realised that there really weren¡¯t many other people here¡ªjust one old man in the corner who had drunk himself either to sleep or to death, his upper body slouched over the table. ¡®Slow day today, is it, Perup?¡¯ Perup reappeared from the kitchen just as the bard finished his question. ¡®This is about as good as it gets these days, pal.¡¯ The aroma of simmering stew filled Reginald¡¯s nostrils, and he took in a deep breath. The fish wasn¡¯t as fresh as normal¡ªnot that it was ever entirely fresh¡ªand it gave the human bard the impression that Perup had been selling the same batch all day. Times really were slow. ¡®Where is everyone then, my dear friend?¡¯ ¡®Gone,¡¯ Perup replied, and he said it with such dramatic flourish that for a moment, Reginald thought he was talking to a fellow bard. ¡®Gone? Gone where? Surely your usual customers¡ª¡¯ ¡®No, Reg¡¯¡ªReginald resisted the urge to growl; this nickname was even worse than Reggie¡ª¡®they¡¯ve gone too. All of them have. Fleeing that business in Tradum. I¡¯d go too, but all my money is in this place. If I left, I¡¯d be leaving my life¡¯s work behind. Still, maybe that¡¯s better than¡­¡¯ Reginald didn¡¯t hear the end of that sentence, because Perup went back into the kitchen to retrieve the first two bowls of four of the fish stews. ¡®May I ask, Perup, what¡¯s in Tradum? What is there that people flee in such numbers?¡¯ Perup held Reginald¡¯s gaze, and the human man saw fear in the barkeep¡¯s eyes. Was it fear? Or was it shock? Reginald was never good with reading other human¡¯s emotions. ¡®You don¡¯t know? You¡¯ve been away too long.¡¯ ¡®My excursion to the west has been not two months long. What could¡ª¡¯ ¡®Oh, that¡¯s all it takes, my friend. Happened overnight, it did. Jak¡ªone of the regulars here, he is. Or, was¡ªhe saw them come in. Hundreds of wagons. Or dozens. A lot, either way, all of them protected by a golden legion, and all of them bearing Queen Amira¡¯s mark.¡¯ ¡®She¡¯s an Empress now, I hear.¡¯ ¡®Right you are, Empress Amira¡¯s mark, it was. And Jak, he says there was something in those wagons. Something dark. Something powerful. I don¡¯t know what, not with any certainty, so don¡¯t bother asking. All I know is, these wagons pull in to Tradum, and the next day, all word in and out of the city stops. Complete silence, just like that.¡¯ The innkeep snapped his fingers. ¡®What happened?¡¯ ¡®I dunno, Reginald.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s¡ª¡¯ the bard interrupted to correct the innkeep, then realised Perup had actually got his name right. ¡®Carry on.¡¯ ¡®All I know is, half of the residents are gone. Nobody knows where, at least nobody that came through here. And the other half, they¡¯ve either fled for their lives, or they¡¯re holding up in their homes, eating rotten food, never lighting a candle, not letting the soldiers know anyone is there. Because if they make a nuisance of themselves, they might get taken too. ¡®I got a few theories on what¡¯s happened, based on what¡­¡¯ But Reginald did not hear the rest of Perup¡¯s information. His eyes had glazed over, and his mind was elsewhere¡­ dreaming of future glory. Reginald could continue as he had already, apologising to those he¡¯d wronged on a case by case basis, penning beautiful poetry all the while. Or, he could accept this call to adventure, and he could become the hero he¡¯d always knew he was, deep down. Really deep down. Reginald would go to Tradum, and he would free its people. All of Alterra would know his name. 237. Fire & Ice We shepherded a dozen locals of Tradum out through the sewer network¡ªsomething that wouldn¡¯t have been possible without my portal magicks, as even the sewers were well guarded. Of the lot of us, Lore was the most desperate to head straight back in and save more lives, but we had to be pragmatic about what to do next. The Council seemed closer than ever to enacting their grand plan, and eliminating their number and stopping the ritual had to be a top priority. But there was another urgent matter, too: we now knew where the malae were. They were right here, in Tradum, and being used to breed an army of corrupted soldiers with the strength to withstand a number ten times their size. Above all else¡ªeven above heading to Auricia and killing Tana herself¡ªwe had to destroy the malae. If we destroyed them, and destroyed them totally this time around, we would stop the corrupted army growing any larger. But we¡¯d also, maybe, remove a crucial source of power from the Council¡¯s plans. And so we had to leave those thousands of locals behind, cowering in their homes or being ushered towards dark and looming warehouses to be converted. We had to let them be drained of their personhood, we had to let them become these things, these tools to be used to the Council¡¯s ends. We had to. We had to. Other than Lore, the other four members of the Slayers were in solemn agreement: killing the malae had to take priority over sneaking out any more citizens of Tradum. And if we were going to do that¡ªif we were going to kill this many¡ªwe were going to need a fire sorcerer. Arzak¡¯s network of informants knew just where to find one. * * * The first snow of winter came that night. We were riding south, fast. Our borrowed horses were growing weary beneath us, but we couldn¡¯t think of their wellbeing; far more than three creatures would suffer if we didn¡¯t return in time. We pushed them as far as we dared, stopping only when the road grew too cold for us to stand and the visibility became too low for us to steer. We hadn¡¯t seen an inn for over an hour by this point, and there was no guarantee that there would be one any time soon. Instead, we ambled off the road and found shelter as best we could among the evergreen trees, where even there the ground was dusted with white. Arzak and Lore cut down a few branches to form the shelter, while Corminar used one of his specialised arrows to start a campfire. Val rested in the relative warmth of the undergrowth¡ªshe¡¯d been growing increasingly tired these last few days¡ªand for my part, I opened two pairs of portals above us. The falling snow drifted through these portals and reappeared in the distance, stopping our camp from getting any more cold than it already was. When all was said and done, I cosied up to Val, shivering, and wondered just how I was going to get some sleep. But I soon discovered that my eyelids were heavy, my body spent from the days of fast-paced travel and avoiding trouble in Tradum, and I drifted off. At day break, his breath forming clouds in the air, Lore woke me by gently shaking my shoulder. We¡¯d not had a full night¡¯s sleep, but we couldn¡¯t afford it; there was work to be done. Val was the last to wake up, and her transition back into the conscious world was slow, slower even than Lore. ¡®You feeling OK?¡¯ I asked. ¡®Just a little tired,¡¯ she replied as I helped her back to her feet. ¡®You know, if you need to rest¡­ If you need us to handle¡ª¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m not showing, am I?¡¯ Val asked. I looked down. ¡®Well, no, but¡ª¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m here. I¡¯m good to go. I¡¯m just a little tired, that¡¯s all. You don¡¯t need to worry.¡¯ I said nothing, though I disagreed with her there. I did need to worry, and I was going to continue to do so; there were dangerous times ahead of us. We mounted our horses once more and continued on the road south. In fact, it turned out that the next inn hadn¡¯t been that far ahead. Within the hour we came across the small village of Pleasantview, a settlement on the edge of the Sundorn border. Yet, nobody regretted spending a night under branches and atop pine needles, because the village was empty. There were obvious signs of trouble here and there¡ªa forgotten shoe, a fallen blade, a house¡¯s door left open and swinging and slamming in the bitter winds. But there were no dead left behind, not a single one. Whatever had happened here¡ªwhatever foul beast had been drawn out from the wilderness, like was happening so often of late¡ªit was made all the more terrifying by the lack of bodies. ¡®Come on,¡¯ I said, nudging Val, who spurred the horse back into action. ¡®There¡¯s no need to stop. The trouble might still be here.¡¯ We rode out of town without another word spoken. * * * When we arrived in town, we were told that the woman we were seeking was staying in the cottage on the outskirts of town. Though this was the first town in which we¡¯d found a bustling tavern, we didn¡¯t stop for a drink, very conscious that every moment we delayed could result in another of Tradum¡¯s residents being corrupted by the malae. So instead we found ourselves outside a small, dingy cottage away from the rest of the town¡ªa cottage with no sign of life inside. ¡®Hello?¡¯ Arzak called out, rapping her knuckles against the door once more. ¡®We look for Zoi. Have business.¡¯ We waited again for an answer, but still none came. ¡®Perhaps your network of informants provided incorrect information,¡¯ Corminar suggested. ¡®We would be fools to believe them infallible. In fact¡ª¡¯ I opened a portal next to us, its partner inside the small cottage. If nobody was home, nobody would know. And if they were¡­ A tiefling woman blinked back at us through the portal, the inside of the cottage illuminated by the low winter sun. ¡®...Ah,¡¯ she said. Arzak nodded, then stepped through the portal. ¡®No need to get door,¡¯ she said, a little irritably. The rest of the team followed her inside. ¡®Zoi, yes?¡¯ The tiefling woman smoothed down the front of her robes, gathering herself, then took a seat on the opposite side of the rickety dining table from where we were standing. She clasped her hands together and almost seemed to look down her nose at us, as though we hadn¡¯t just caught her in the lie of pretending she wasn¡¯t there. ¡®You¡¯ve come to hire me?¡¯ she asked, and I could hear a hint of doubt in her tone.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡®We¡ª¡¯ Arzak started. I cut in. ¡®Who did you think we were?¡¯ I wasn¡¯t going to let this matter drop, not if it might give us an advantage in negotiations. ¡®I¡­¡¯ Zoi trailed off, mouth still opening and closing, the tiefling apparently completely unable to find the words. ¡®I ask, cos we are looking to hire you, yeah. And we were gonna offer you money, but if it¡¯s protection you need¡­ well, we¡¯ve killed a dozen Players between us. So whoever¡¯s after you, I¡¯m pretty sure we can handle them.¡¯ The tiefling met my gaze, considering me while I pulled out another dining chair for Val to sit on. The witch squeezed my arm in gratitude as she took it. ¡®Who is it?¡¯ I pressed the point. ¡®Managlass.¡¯ Val¡¯s ears pricked up at the name of her old school of magicks. ¡®The academy? What did you do? Witchcraft?¡¯ Zoi shook her head. ¡®Nothing so crude. I just¡­ made a bit of money on the side. Academia does not pay well, you know? I assume it is this ¡°money on the side¡± that brings you to me? Which of you wants me to burn down your house?¡¯ The other Slayers and I didn¡¯t reply immediately. ¡®Burn¡­¡¯ Val mumbled, ¡®down our house?¡¯ ¡®Yes. That is why you are here, is it not? To hire me to burn down your house?¡¯ ¡®Repeating the question doesn¡¯t make it any more reasonable,¡¯ Val said. I shook my head in confusion. ¡®Why would we want¡ª¡¯ ¡®For the insurance payment,¡¯ Zoi replied, furrowing her brow. ¡®Because¡­ I¡¯m good at making it look like an accident?¡¯ Again, silence passed across the room. Finally, Arzak said simply, ¡®Hm. OK.¡¯ ¡®I am almost certain that you did not get into the fire sorcery game so that you could be an accessory to insurance fraud,¡¯ Corminar said. Zoi put her feet up on the dining table, pressing against it to tilt her chair backwards, balancing on its rear two legs. Now happy that we weren¡¯t from Managlass Academy, we¡¯d seen a change come over her; she was much more comfortable with potential clients than she was with her old professors. ¡®Of course not,¡¯ she replied to the elf. ¡®I hate fire, in fact. I don¡¯t even like the heat; that¡¯s why I left the Armada. No, I got into it for the chicks.¡¯ ¡®For baby bird?¡¯ Arzak asked. Corminar whispered the real meaning into the orc¡¯s ear, causing her to blush; turns of phrase from south of the Northern Reaches were not her specialty. ¡®Oh.¡¯ Zoi looked us over once more, as though considering us anew. ¡®But if you aren¡¯t here for insurance money, then why are you here? Surely my name didn¡¯t come up in the context of doing anything dangerous?¡¯ ¡®Uh¡­¡¯ Lore started, revealing our hand. ¡®We need someone who can handle fire,¡¯ I said. The tiefling woman raised her eyebrows, drawing in a deep breath. ¡®I assumed. Why? What do you need to burn?¡¯ ¡®A thousand or more malae,¡¯ Corminar answered her. ¡®In the midst of a city. Without¡­ burning said city to the ground.¡¯ Zoi¡¯s eyes widened. ¡®Malae? Oh, no, I¡¯m not getting involved in that. I¡ª¡¯ But whatever her reason, we didn¡¯t get to hear it, because Corminar spun his head around. ¡®What is it?¡¯ ¡®Trouble,¡¯ he said. ¡®Approaching fast.¡¯ ¡®...Managlass,¡¯ Zoi and Val said as one.
"Styk" Level 25 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 292 Dexterity ¡ª 195 Strength ¡ª 105 Wisdom ¡ª 94 Charisma ¡ª 77
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 79 Knifework ¡ª Level 61 Stealth ¡ª Level 34 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades II ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Etched spells can be activated up to ten times. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
238. An Academy Of Dunces ¡®We deal with this and you come with us,¡¯ Arzak told the fire sorcerer as the agents of the Managlass Academy grew closer. It wasn¡¯t just Corminar who could hear them now, we all could. ¡®You deal with them and you pay me,¡¯ came the reply. ¡®They already find you. You not get out without¡ª¡¯ But Val cut the orc off. ¡®How much do you want?¡¯ ¡®Fifty gold coins,¡¯ Zoi responded. ¡®Done.¡¯ My wife stood up, pushing her hand across the table to shake the tiefling¡¯s. Usually she was a good haggler. I suspected that this time, she was keen to deal a little pain to the staff of her old school. Besides, we probably wouldn¡¯t live to survive all this anyway, so what did fifty gold matter? ¡®Hm.¡¯ Arzak frowned disapprovingly at Val, who shrugged. That shrug seemed to communicate much the same thing as I¡¯d just thought: what did it even matter? I strode towards the door to put the argument to bed before it really began. I swung the front door open, casting the cottage¡¯s interior with the yellow light of dusk. In the short time that we¡¯d been inside, the snow had begun to fall once more. And standing outside, in a semi-circle around the door, were a half-dozen sorcerers clutching ornate wooden staffs, a small coat of white forming on their colourful robes. ¡®Hi,¡¯ I said, waving once before stepping outside and gesturing for the rest of the team to do the same. We fanned out in front of the door, and only Lore followed my suit in waving to the potential enemies. I looked at each of the sorcerers in term, meeting their gaze, acting as though I was treating them all equally, when in fact it was clear who their leader was. ¡®Do you know who we are?¡¯ I asked them. One of the academics¡ªthe one I¡¯d figured was in charge¡ªlooked at me over half-moon spectacles. He¡¯d grown out a long, straggly grey beard as though it made him look wiser, but I could see straight through that one; the wisest thing to do would be to trim that bread. ¡®I am afraid not. Should we?¡¯ ¡®Hm,¡¯ Arzak said, still apparently a little miffed over Val agreeing to Zoi¡¯s terms so easily. ¡®Not pay attention to geopolitical affairs. Too busy spend time studying magicks? Is typical.¡¯ The sorcerer with the half-moon spectacles blinked, looking taken aback. ¡®Well, yes, that is what we do at the Academy. It is our life¡¯s pursuit, in fact, to push the boundaries of current magickal interpretation, to further our knowledge in¡ª¡¯ ¡®We¡¯re the Slayers,¡¯ I cut in. These academic types couldn¡¯t half ramble on when they wanted to. ¡®And Zoi under our protection,¡¯ Arzak added. ¡®I am afraid that¡ª¡¯ the sorcerer started. Val threw her head back and sighed. ¡®Ugh. They don¡¯t know us. Can we just jump to the fighting already? I¡¯d really love to fight these guys.¡¯ ¡®The exasperated witch is correct.¡¯ The elderly sorcerer glared meaningfully at Val. ¡®We know of you, Equivalence Vignor. In fact, our very last report from Arnold Orellan seemed to mention your name. It was he who revealed your true nature to the faculty, I seem to remember?¡¯ Val opened her mouth to retort to the sorcerer, then looked over at me instead. ¡®As I say: really wanna fight these guys.¡¯ ¡®You will stand aside, Vignor. You and your friends. We will deal justice to the fire sorcerer as we see fit; stand aside, or we will reopen the investigation into your own crimes.¡¯ ¡®Fight, fight, fight¡­¡¯ Val started chanting, pumping her hands in the air half-heartedly. The elderly sorcerer raised his staff, the gem at its head beginning to glow. ¡®If we must.¡¯ * * * ¡®The Slayers,¡¯ I repeated, as I held the old sorcerer by the nostrils, my blade on his neck. ¡®Do you remember who we are yet?¡¯ The sorcerer replied in a muffled tone, probably because he had one of my fingers up each of his nostrils. In hindsight, this was pretty gross, but they¡¯d found their way there in the scuffle, and I wasn¡¯t about to give up a perfectly good advantage. ¡®My memory has not been¡ª¡¯ I sighed, then whacked the man over the back of the head with the pommel of my dagger. It didn¡¯t knock him out in one hit, but I didn¡¯t care that much. The sorcerer was lucky that we were just rendering him and his fellow academic unconscious; a few bruises on the back of his head was far less than he deserved. Head of Elemental Studies defeated! Knifework ¡ª +1,950xp Knifework increased to level 62! Base Points Gained ¡ª +1 DEX, +1 STR, +2 Free Points (VIT/DEX/STR) Worldbending ¡ª +1,650xp I turned away from the now unconscious leader of the enemy team to cast my eyes over the rest of the battlefield. Three of the academics were still conscious. Val and Arzak were busy dealing with one, Corminar with another, and Lore was split halfway between fighting the last and stopping Zoi from burning them. The barbarian held one hand over the allied sorcerer¡¯s eyes to blind her, while blocking spells from the enemy with the flat of his sword. ¡®Zoi!¡¯ I shouted. ¡®No killing! They¡¯re not the real enemy, they¡¯re just misguided!¡¯ ¡®Very misguided!¡¯ Val shouted across the battlefield. ¡®I am not killing!¡¯ the tiefling protested, pulling in vain against Lore¡¯s huge hand. ¡®They will just need a lot of healing afterwards.¡¯ I opened a portal and appeared at Lore and Zoi¡¯s side, sliding my own hand over the tiefling¡¯s eyes just as Lore let go. ¡®Thank you,¡¯ he said kindly, then turned around and roared as he hit the enemy sorcerer with all he had. ¡®Let me go!¡¯ the tiefling cried out, placing her hands on my arm. She burned to the touch, and I recoiled from her instantly. ¡®Aha!¡¯ she announced, then launched a fireball at the academic that Lore was fighting. I snapped open a portal to catch the fireball, redirecting in harmlessly into the snow-covered ground. ¡®Oh, really?¡¯ the tiefling said to me, hands on hips. ¡®If you¡¯d know what they did to me, you would permit me a little revenge.¡¯This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. ¡®No. Killing,¡¯ I said again. ¡®Add it to the terms of our business arrangement.¡¯ I could practically see the tiefling resist the urge to roll her eyes, but ultimately she nodded. She took a seat on the ground, folding her legs nimbly beneath her. ¡®Well, if I am not permitted any revenge, then I shall simply sit here and observe.¡¯ ¡®Fine by me,¡¯ I grumbled. I was about to charge away to help Corminar, who was struggling the most with his enemy, when one of the tiefling¡¯s hands snapped out to grab my ankle. ¡®Make it painful, though, will you?¡¯ she asked. I shrugged. ¡®Yeah, sure. No skin off my back.¡¯ I stepped through another portal to appear behind one of the academics, narrowly avoiding a wayward arrow from Corminar in the process. He grimaced. ¡®My apologies.¡¯ Then he immediately dove to the ground to avoid a slashing line of ice that the enemy sent his way. ¡®That¡¯s quite alright,¡¯ I replied. My speech alerted the enemy to my presence just before the butt of my knife collided with her temple, which meant that my Stealth Attack damage bonus was eliminated. And that meant that I had to quickly activate Knifestorm to lash out multiple times with the pommel of my blade in order to actually render the enemy unconscious. It looked like it hurt. Zoi clapped politely from the metaphorical stands. ¡®Beautiful work, whatever your name is.¡¯ Student of the Divine Ice defeated! Knifework ¡ª +1,650xp Worldbending ¡ª +1,300xp Worldbending increased to level 80! Base Points gained ¡ª +2 INT, +2 Free Points (INT/WIS/CHA) Ability selection unlocked Select an ability from the list below¡­ ¡­ ¡®It¡¯s Styk!¡¯ I cried back to Zoi, then pointed to my elven friend. ¡®That¡¯s Corminar; he¡¯ll hit on you when we¡¯re done.¡¯ ¡®I look forward to it.¡¯ Corminar and I looked over at Val and Arzak, then over to Lore, who was struggling against the magick user. We nodded to one another, and then I ran towards Lore while Corminar helped the others. ¡®The big guy is Lore,¡¯ I said before leaping into the air and through a portal I summoned before me. I appeared high above the sorcerer and began to fall. ¡®Hello!¡¯ Lore said cheerily, taking a moment to wave at Zoi. This moment of distraction allowed the sorcerer to land a hit on him¡ªa huge crystal shooting forth from the ground and piercing the man¡¯s foot. ¡®Concentrate on the fight, perhaps?¡¯ Zoi suggested. ¡®Yes, good idea,¡¯ Lore said. I landed on the sorcerer at that moment, hitting them again with the wrong end of my dagger¡ªI really needed a better way of knocking people out; maybe this ability selection would give me one. At the same moment, Lore knocked another crystal attack away and then he too hit the woman with the end of his weapon. This hit alone was enough to knock her out. ¡®And then there¡¯s the other two,¡¯ I called over to Zoi. I would have jumped in to help the other three, but now the last enemy was severely outnumbered; my friends really didn¡¯t need any assistance. ¡®Val is the¡­¡¯ I almost said witch, but managed to pivot at the last moment. ¡®She¡¯s the sorcerer. She also got kicked out of Managlass.¡¯ Zoi recoiled at this. ¡®Excuse me. I did not get expelled. I left of my own accord after a rather severe disagreement.¡¯ ¡®Same thing.¡¯ ¡®I assume she was expelled because she is clearly a witch?¡¯ Zoi asked. ¡®Huh,¡¯ Val said, taking a moment to pause mid-fight. ¡®You worked that out far quicker than he did.¡¯ ¡®I worked it out quickly, I just didn¡¯t make a whole deal out of it. Besides, you had an obscurem back then; the green glow is a bit of a giveaway.¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t believe you!¡¯ Val replied in a sing-song voice, then more crackling green life-drain magicks shot forth from her hands and into the enemy¡ªnot enough to kill them, but it went a long way towards weakening them. ¡®And then there¡¯s Arzak,¡¯ I finished. ¡®She¡¯s the most mature out of us.¡¯ Corminar raised an eyebrow at this, apparently thinking he was the most mature. That absolutely wasn¡¯t true, though. ¡®Is most interesting thing about me?¡¯ Arzak asked, almost seeming dejected at my description of her. Before I could reply, she landed the final hit, and the fight was over. ¡®Well,¡¯ Zoi said, brushing the dirt from her backside as she stood once more. ¡®It is a pleasure to meet anyone who would deal with my pursuers. Shall we go burn some malae now?¡¯
"Styk" Level 25 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 296 Dexterity ¡ª 198 Strength ¡ª 106 Wisdom ¡ª 94 Charisma ¡ª 77
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 80 Knifework ¡ª Level 62 Stealth ¡ª Level 34 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Enhanced Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location within current range of sight or within a thirty yard radius. Support up to two pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades II ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Etched spells can be activated up to ten times. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
240. Corruption Thwarted I dismounted. Val followed suit soon after, then Zoi and Lore too, for good measure. With a heavy weight in my chest, I approached the closest of the bodies littering the road out of town. I wanted there to be a good explanation for a slaughter of this scale. I wanted these two hundreds or so citizens of Tradum to have died for good reason, not simply to fulfil the whims of the Players and their Council. I found myself wanting to find evidence that these people have been corrupted by the malae, their souls lost to the void, leaving only empty husks capable of spreading the malae¡¯s touch across the world. But there was no corruption. Only wounds and arrows with their heads buried into flesh. These people had posed no danger. Their only crime had been that they¡¯d fled. They had organised themselves enough to flee Tradum as a group, hoping that their numbers would be enough that some, at least, would escape. I really hoped some had escaped. ¡®Monsters,¡¯ Val said. I was about to argue with her, to say that these people weren¡¯t corrupted, but then I looked at her. My wife wasn¡¯t calling the dead monsters; she was condemning those that had done this. This sight echoed how this journey had begun. Val and I had stood in the ruins of Plainside, with so many dead at the pyroknight¡¯s hand. My wife¡ªthen a near-stranger¡ªhad opened my eyes to the true crimes of the Players, to what their kind were truly capable of. More and more, the world¡¯s eyes were opening too. Already hundreds had joined Arzak¡¯s network. If news got out about this, then surely the tides would turn. I strode back over to the horse and remounted. ¡®Zoi. Get those fire magicks ready.¡¯ The tiefling nodded. We rode towards town. * * * We went where the soldiers were most concentrated. I portalled us from rooftop to rooftop, able to make use of my new ability upgrade to keep more pairs of portals open as the six of us traversed the city. Nobody commented on it, and I suspected nobody even noticed. I¡¯d have to point it out to Val at some point later, but right then maybe wasn¡¯t the time. Corminar and I scouted from the rooftops as we travelled, communicating only with nods and gestures, keeping our presence here as minimal as possible. If one of the empire¡¯s soldiers saw us, then we would have to flee and start all over again. The people of Tradum maybe didn¡¯t have that long. The elf nodded me over to the edge of the rooftop, then pointedly stared down at a large warehouse building. There were no windows, and the one entrance I could see was guarded by a team of soldiers in golden surcoats. They stood squarely at attention, the importance of their job apparently made clear, and their eyes swept the streets under the light of the full moon. This was surely it: their centre of corruption operations in the city. Using my portal magicks, I could get us inside without alerting those guarding the warehouse, but if there were more soldiers inside, we¡¯d be quickly outnumbered. There was little we could do about that, however; we¡¯d just have to hope. I turned and waved Zoi over, and whispered to her, ¡®Get ready. You¡¯re on. If you see malae inside, you burn them, and you burn them hard. But you have to keep the fire under control; I don¡¯t want Tradum burning to the ground on our watch.¡¯ Zoi nodded. ¡®It makes a change from my usual work, at least. And if those inside focus their attack on me, as a result?¡¯ ¡®Good point. We¡¯ll have someone protect you.¡¯ I turned to my wife, feeling that she¡¯d be best placed to watch over the tiefling, considering they¡¯d become so close so quickly. ¡®Val, will you¡ª¡¯ ¡®No,¡¯ Zoi cut in, looking over at Arzak. ¡®I want the orc.¡¯ I raised my eyebrows in surprise, then looked over at my green friend. Arzak¡ªalso with her eyebrows raised¡ªnodded, then stood over at Zoi¡¯s side. ¡®OK,¡¯ I whispered, raising my hand and preparing to open a portal to inside the warehouse. ¡®Get ready. We¡ª¡¯ Corminar¡¯s head spun to face me, then he shook his head pointedly, gesturing for me to look over the edge of the rooftop once more. I looked down at the soldiers just outside the warehouse, and realised that the door had opened. Out poured another half dozen soldiers, most of them much the same as those stationed outside the building, but one of them in particular stood out. ¡®A knight of the realm,¡¯ I whispered, staring at the huge, towering man with a magickally flaming sword sheathed at his side and a flaming shield hooked on his back. These were senior soldiers in Empress Amira¡¯s army, those whose strength gave them power, and command. Perhaps these knights of the realm weren¡¯t as strong as Players, but when there were twenty soldiers to back them up, we were better off not crossing their path. And where there was one knight, there could well be more. We held back, only Corminar and I daring to poke our heads up over the edge, to minimise the risk of being spotted. The team shifted from foot to foot as we waited for the knight and additional soldiers to stop their conversations and move on, and for the door to close. None of us wanted to be here, in this eerie ghost town, with every moment that passed increasing the likelihood of being spotted. But all we could do was wait it out. Finally the moment came that the knight finished his conversation with the soldiers posted outside the warehouse, and Corminar and I kept both still and quiet as we watched him and his unit depart down the empty cobbled street. I turned back to the team, and gave them the nod. With the flick of my wrist, I opened a portal, one side on the rooftop, the other placed blindly within the warehouse. I stepped through first, plunging myself into darkness, as in this warehouse there was not even the light of the full moon to shine down on us. I found myself standing in an aisle between rows of stacked crates, each maybe two foot in every dimension and piled six crates high. As Lore stepped through the portal behind me, it took me a moment to place the symbol on the crates. It was the same icon the malae traffickers had used in Coldharbour; this was where their goods had gone to. We were in the right place. I crept along the aisle, my hands tracing the edge of the stacked crates gently, barely touching them at all. The pressure from my fingertips was enough only to make sure I didn¡¯t stumble into them; the last thing I wanted to happen was to free another of those monsters. As more of the team stepped lightly through the portal behind me, I poked my head around the corner at the end of the aisle. There were more rows still of stacked malae crates, but then, at the other side of the warehouse, I saw a plinth not unlike the one Alenna had used in her surgery. A man was strapped to it, unconscious. And a member of Amira¡¯s golden army stood over him, malae clutched in armoured glove. I realised then that I hadn¡¯t truly believed it. I hadn¡¯t truly believed that Amira¡¯s army had figured out how to replicate Alenna¡¯s super soldier experiments. But¡­ no, that wasn¡¯t it. I believed that. I just didn¡¯t believe that they would replicate it. And yet, here was the evidence. Did they know what they were dealing with? Did they know what could happen if anything went wrong? And did they care what happened to civilians?If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. I did not have my mother¡¯s near-invisibility abilities, but in this low, low light, I didn¡¯t need it. I opened another portal at my side to bridge the distance between myself and the man operating on the unconscious local. Without a moment of hesitation, I activated my Stealth passives and stabbed the man in the side of the neck. This man deserved no mercy. Nobody involved in any of this deserved anything but hell. I ignored the resulting notifications, my attention drawn instead to the malae fallen on the floor at my side, the monster seeming to stare up at me though it had no visible eyes to speak of. ¡®Zoi,¡¯ I said, then opened a portal beneath the malae. Having never encountered portal magicks before, it had not yet adapted to them, and it fell to the floor in front of the tiefling¡¯s feet. She blasted it with raging, focused inferno, the heat so great that I instantly felt it tickling at my skin, even twenty feet away. She blasted it until nothing could possibly have survived such flames, and then she blasted it some more. The squealing of dying malae had ceased after maybe two seconds, but that didn¡¯t stop Zoi. Like the rest of us, she knew better than to take any chances with the malae. ¡®Corminar, Arzak,¡¯ I said, gesturing to the man on the table. ¡®Get him out of here.¡¯ Arzak nodded, but otherwise, they followed this instruction without saying a word. They hesitated at the man¡¯s side, looking for signs of corruption, and only once they were satisfied that he was still healthy did they unbuckle the clamps around his extremities. When they¡¯d disappeared through the portal amidst the stacked crates of malae, I closed the portal behind them, and ushered the rest of the team away from the packaged, smuggled creatures. ¡®Zoi,¡¯ I said, ¡®I think you know what to do.¡¯ The tiefling nodded, then stepped forward a single pace in front of me, Val and Lore. As she raised her hands to cast the fire-summoning spell, I cast a spell of my own. A bubble of Silence appeared around the crates of malae, making sure that no sound that occurred inside could be heard outside of it. I did this not just to make sure our presence here remained unnoticed, but to spare us all the terrible noise of dying, burning monstrosities. The flames engulfed them, the boxes beginning to shake almost imperceptibly from the malae struggling against their charcoal destiny. As the malae squealed mutely, Zoi stood silent, taking in the sight of fire licking at the crates and the creatures. She kept her hands raised, arms stretched out wide at either side. When I stepped to her side, I saw the reflection of the flames flickering in her eyes, and though her mouth didn¡¯t warp into a smile, I could see joy behind those irises. Was this what the team wondered about me? Did they think I took joy in my killing of the Players? Was that why I occasionally saw worried glances sent my way, did they think me growing slowly corrupted by my power? Val had grown beyond those suspicions these days, but the rest of the team¡­ I saw how they looked at me. I saw how they wondered. ¡®Enjoying yourself?¡¯ I asked Zoi. She looked at me with wide eyes, as though caught in the act. ¡®Should I regret that I¡¯ve made these things hurt?¡¯ I shook my head. ¡®Extinguish the flames when you¡¯re done.¡¯ I turned to the rest of the team as I opened a portal back onto the rooftop. ¡®We should get out of here before we¡¯re noticed. We¡ª¡¯ ¡®Wait,¡¯ Lore said, his eyes drifting over the charred remains of the crates that had once held the seeds of corruption. ¡®What is it?¡¯ ¡®This ain¡¯t enough of em,¡¯ Lore said. ¡®We saw hundreds before, maybe even a thousand. They¡¯ve already moved them on. Maybe there are an odd few still in the city somewhere, but¡­¡¯ Val gulped. ¡®The malae slip through our fingers again.¡¯ The building was cast in silence once more, this time not through means of my Worldbending magicks; we simply stood quiet in the revelation that we were too late once again. But¡­ were we? ¡®No,¡¯ I said, activating my portal relays, ten tiny portals floating around me. With the flick of my wrist, I sent them soaring back onto the rooftop, and then in different directions above the city. ¡®No, not this time.¡¯ ¡®You have a plan?¡¯ Val asked, but it wasn¡¯t a question; I could see the glee in her eyes. She knew I did. She knew me well enough for that. ¡®Yes. We get everyone out of Tradum. And then we go after them.¡¯
"Styk" Level 25 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 296 Dexterity ¡ª 198 Strength ¡ª 106 Wisdom ¡ª 94 Charisma ¡ª 77
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 80 Knifework ¡ª Level 62 Stealth ¡ª Level 34 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Peerless Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location. Support up to ten pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades II ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Etched spells can be activated up to ten times. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
239. I Thought Wed Sworn Off Mercenaries Zoi was slow to rise and pack up her part of the camp each morning. In normal circumstances, I was the same¡ªas were Val and Lore¡ªbut right now, time was of the essence; every moment that we wasted potentially meant more citizens of Tradum corrupted by the malae. We did our best to hurry her, but still this didn¡¯t do much to deter the anxiety churning in my stomach. I could, however, focus on my ability selection, and a distraction was better than nothing. There were as many as four¡ªyes, four!¡ªoptions this time around. Ability selection unlocked Select an ability from the list below: Option 1: Saved Portal III (Worldbending) ¡ª Upgrade to Saved Portal II. Select up to 2 locations to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Even as I read this option, I knew this ability selection screen was going to be one of the best I¡¯d ever seen. With the Sisyphus Artifact having boosted my experience gain so much¡ªnot to mention how many fights I¡¯d been in since meeting Val; some might describe the amount as ¡°too many¡±¡ªmy skill levels were higher than ever before. Before I¡¯d died that first time¡ªand that felt like so long ago, by this point¡ªI¡¯d been a successful thief that relied upon my abilities to do my work. But back then, my highest skill tree level had been a measly 56, so far short of the level 80 I now had in Worldbending. So it was no wonder that my ability selection choices were more compelling than ever before. In the case of Saved Portal III, the benefit of the upgrade was obvious. Now, I could call upon two locations to open my portals, from anywhere in the world. I could maybe saved a location underwater to tip a sea onto an enemy. I could maybe find an active volcano somewhere in the world and do the same with flaming lava. I could maybe even open one in the poisonous waste that people rumoured were in the Badlands. Of course, I¡¯d need to actually go to those places first, in order to save those locations. And then I¡¯d need to go back there whenever I overwrote my existing saved locations. When this occurred to me, I became slightly less enthused, but still happy enough with this option. I moved on to the next. Option 2: Kinetic Rebound (Worldbending) ¡ª Absorb 50% of the impact of an attack with a portal. The next portal you open will release the same energy. I liked this one. I liked this one a lot. The idea of sending the impact of someone¡¯s attack back at them really appealed to the child within me. It was like something out of a theatrical production for kids, karma in the form of slapstick comedy. But there was a problem with it, wasn¡¯t there? The ability absorbed only half of the impact. Which meant that the other half would hit me as normal. I wasn¡¯t built like Lore or Arzak; I couldn¡¯t withstand huge amounts of damage. And this ability meant I had to take at least some damage just to be able to use it. It was a great ability choice, and a fun one for someone who¡¯d taken a different progression path, but not one for me. Oh well, I thought, at least I have three other options this time around. My fate changed with the third option. Hidden condition met! Alternative ability choice unlocked. Option 3: Peerless Portals (Worldbending) [Requires: ¡®Enhanced Portals¡¯ ability] ¡ª Replaces ¡®Enhanced Portals¡¯. Create a portal to another location. Support up to ten pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. This was another upgrade to my most fundamental ability, evolving Enhanced Portals¡ªwhich had once been only Local Portals¡ªeven further. This evolution of the ability went further than a standard upgrade, with the two changes having profound implications. Firstly, this evolution of the ability completely removed the distance requirement. Whereas before, I could only open portals either in current range of sight or, more accurately, within a thirty-yard radius, now I could open portals¡­ anywhere. My immediate feeling was that this made me all-powerful, able to take down monsters and gods with the flick of a wrist. But, of course, the system didn¡¯t work that way. I knew already, from experience, that my aim at a distance was¡­ iffy, at best. Some¡ªVal and Corminar included¡ªwould go so far as to describe it as ¡°bad¡±. I could open a portal in the distance on a flat plain, aiming to drop up out straight onto the land, and accidentally open it twenty feet in the air. If I opened a portal anywhere beyond line of sight, my portal-aiming ability would be so bad as to invite even more chaos into our lives. We could try and portal into a tavern and end up in a dungeon. I could aim to portal us into the enemy¡¯s lair and throw us into a lake of laval. I could aim to take us to the enemy for a final showdown and accidentally interrupt a book club instead. So, yes, this part of the ability¡¯s evolution had its application, but I couldn¡¯t rely on it. The second part of the evolution, however, was all positive. I would now be able to open as many as ten pairs of portals, which was a huge upgrade from my current limit of two. I could move people all around the battlefield with the flick of my wrist, the only limiting factor being that my attention would be split ten ways instead of two. But I¡¯d come to get my head around controlling two pairs of portals at once, so maybe I¡¯d be able to handle ten in time as well. I kept this ability evolution in mind as the frontrunner as I opened up the fourth and final ability selection choice. Hidden condition met! Alternative ability choice unlocked. Option 4: Otherworldly Prison (Worldbending) [Requires: any ¡®Pocket World¡¯ ability] ¡ª Replaces ¡®Pocket Worlds¡¯. Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Store sentient beings in pocket worlds for up to 15 seconds. My immediate reaction, which was to exclaim, ¡®What the hells?¡¯ was enough to make Val and Zoi turn to me with raised eyebrows, distracting them from whatever hushed discussion they¡¯d been having. But it was also probably an apt descriptor; how else could I describe these pocket dimensions other than as hells? The pocket worlds were a void, a space beyond our reality, and I had a sneaking suspicion that being in a world beyond your comprehension wouldn¡¯t be great for the old mental health. The idea of removing someone from a battle was appealing, particularly in situations where we were fighting multiple enemies at once¡ªthat seemed to happen a lot lately. But how much of an advantage did fifteen seconds really afford us? It wouldn¡¯t be enough time for Val to heal anyone. It wouldn¡¯t be enough time to really turn the tide of a battle in our favour. No, I decided, in its current state, this peculiar and strangely cruel ability was not the one for me.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. I knew exactly which one to pick, in fact. Ability unlocked ¡ª Peerless Portals Peerless Portals (Worldbending) ¡ª Create a portal to another location. Support up to ten pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. My instinct was to test this huge ability evolution out straight away, but I resisted. Zoi had finally finished packing up, and it was time to go. Inevitably, I¡¯d get to try Peerless Portals out in the heat of battle anyway, and these days, battle was never all that far away. Arzak helped Zoi up onto their shared horse, much to the¡ªadmittedly giant, a behemoth of a beast¡ªhorse¡¯s chagrin, and the tiefling smiled at the warrior. Arzak didn¡¯t return the smile, and had in fact been acting pretty off with Zoi since not longer after she¡¯d joined the party. I had my sneaking suspicions that the orc was reminded of Tokas, and that was not a subject she broached lightly. I kept quiet on the subject. ¡®Good to go?¡¯ Val asked. Before I could even reply, she spurred the horse into motion, and we rode on for Tradum. * * * When we made camp that night, Val and Zoi continued their increasingly impassioned conversation. I couldn¡¯t help but smile; it was nice to see my wife making a new friend. Would I have preferred her to make friends with someone who wasn¡¯t a fire sorcerer being hunted by the most prestigious institution of magickal studies in the world? Absolutely. But that wasn¡¯t Val¡¯s style, and that was what I loved about her. ¡®What¡¯re you two talking about over there?¡¯ I called out across the camp. ¡®Oh, you know, magick studies,¡¯ Val replied. ¡®I study magicks.¡¯ ¡®No, you train magicks; we studied them.¡¯ I shrugged. ¡®Fair enough.¡¯ Under her breath, Val added to Zoi, ¡®I should¡¯ve just told him we were talking about girl stuff,¡¯ which got a smirk from the tiefling. I left them to it, turning to Arzak, who was sitting around the fire at my side. Only the gods knew where Corminar and Lore had got to; something about all this had them training harder than ever, which often resulted in the barbarian coming back to camp with arrows sticking out of him. He would explain that those were the ones he failed to block, and then Val would have to heal him as I pulled the arrows out. So I had that to look forward to later. ¡®I thought we swear off mercenaries,¡¯ Arzak grumbled, quiet enough that Val and, more importantly, Zoi could not hear. ¡®After whole Trio incident.¡¯ The orc wasn¡¯t wrong. Our last encounter with soldiers for hire had ended¡­ poorly. I¡¯d been too distracted by Raelas¡¯s rather flattering attention to see them for what they really were: people who would look for gold no matter the cost. It had got Ama and Carle killed, and Raelas left alone in the world. ¡®She¡¯s not a mercenary though really, is she?¡¯ I replied, nodding to Zoi. ¡®No, she fraud.¡¯ ¡®What, you¡¯re worried about the insurance companies¡¯ profit lines?¡¯ ¡®I worry if she lie to them, she lie to us.¡¯ I followed Arzak¡¯s line of sight, seeing that her stare was bearing into Zoi, with only the occasional glance spared for Val. Even I could quickly see what was going on there. ¡®You¡¯re worried Val¡¯s making friends with her.¡¯ ¡®Val my best friend, not hers.¡¯ These words sounded a little strange coming out of the orc¡¯s mouth, considering she was far, far too old to be sounding like a child. But stressful times do strange things to us, so I gave her sympathy over judgement. ¡®They¡¯ve just got something in common, that¡¯s all. Doesn¡¯t mean she¡¯s gonna replace you.¡¯ Try as I did after that, I wasn¡¯t sure my reasoning really convinced Arzak, and still the orc¡¯s glaring at Zoi didn¡¯t stop. So I left them to it. It was none of my business really anyway. Little enough happened on that last night before we arrived back at Tradum¡ªLore didn¡¯t even end up looking like a pincushion¡ªbut none of us felt rested for it. We travelled more quietly than ever, barely a word spoken between any combination of us that wasn¡¯t Val and Zoi. But even they were speechless when we finally arrived in sight of the city, and for one very good reason. The road was littered with bodies.
"Styk" Level 25 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 296 Dexterity ¡ª 198 Strength ¡ª 106 Wisdom ¡ª 94 Charisma ¡ª 77
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 80 Knifework ¡ª Level 62 Stealth ¡ª Level 34 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Peerless Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location. Support up to ten pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades II ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Etched spells can be activated up to ten times. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
241. The Survivors ¡®It is time,¡¯ I bellowed through the portal relays, my voice echoing around the city. ¡®Those of you still here, those of you still cowering in fear, awaiting the day that you are dragged out of your homes, turned into one of those monsters¡­ it is time. We rise as one, all of us, together, and we fight our way out. I can¡¯t pretend it won¡¯t be dangerous¡ªit is¡ªbut the alternative is to stay. And if you stay, you die¡ªthat is a certainty. ¡®We have seen what the Players are capable of. We have seen one burn Plainside to the ground. We saw one strip the Tundras of resources to bolster their war machine. We¡¯ve seen one unleashed the very same corruption across the Armada as you¡¯ve suffered here. It is time to shed our illusions that Players are heroes, that they are noble and honourable, and it is time to embrace those qualities ourselves. Be the heroes you want others to be. Rise up now, and survive this night.¡¯ I could hear soldiers running outside, charging for what they thought was the source of my bellows, but of course they were wrong. Each of them thought my voice came from one of those portal relays dotted around the city, and none of them realised that I was standing in the very building they were here to guard. A hand clasped me gently on the shoulder. ¡®She¡¯s done,¡¯ Val said, nodding over to the smoldering crates. At that very same moment, Zoi was gesturing the fire down with her hands, as though extracting its innate mana from the room. She extinguished the last of the flames seconds later. ¡®Time to go,¡¯ I said, and with the flick of my wrist I opened a portal back atop the very same rooftop. The snow had picked up once more, but the white dusting wasn¡¯t enough to awake the unconscious citizen of Tradum. Arzak crouched over the man, who was propped up against the chimney, slapping him gently around the face. ¡®Poison, we think,¡¯ Corminar said, as we arrived at their side. ¡®Val, perhaps you can¡­¡¯ My wife stepped forward, placing her hands on the man¡¯s pale face for a minute, before shaking her head. ¡®It¡¯s beyond me, but he¡¯ll wake up in time.¡¯ ¡®Mm,¡¯ Arzak said, nodding, before grabbing the unconscious man and slinging him over her shoulder. ¡®Then I carry.¡¯ ¡®You said there was a plan?¡¯ Zoi asked me. ¡®For getting us out of here?¡¯ ¡®For getting the survivors out of here,¡¯ I corrected her. I strode over to the side of the rooftop, looking down to the snow-dusted street below. Already the remaining citizens of Tradum were poking their heads out of the buildings, weighing up their attempt at escape. ¡®We can get out no problem. But for everyone else, it¡¯s a numbers game. The soldiers can¡¯t catch all of them, but we know they¡¯re going to catch some.¡¯ Down below, a soldier shouted and pointed as they spotted a young teenage pair slip out from a building. Several of her fellow soldiers in gold began to rain down on the innocents¡¯ positions. ¡®Our job,¡¯ I continued, ¡®is to make sure they catch as few as possible.¡¯ I opened portals beneath the enemy, a portal to a soldier. Half of them fell through, finding themselves suddenly in the sky high, high above the frosty city. The other half instinctively grabbed at the rims of the portals, or darted to avoid them entirely. ¡®Oh, I don¡¯t like this at all,¡¯ the tiefling replied. I opened a portal each for Lore and Arzak to step through, down to the street level. As Val, Corminar, Zoi and I followed, Lore dispatched one of the remaining soldiers instantly. Arzak took a second to place the unconscious local down on the thin layer of snow before attacking another soldier with her dual blades, her swipes near as fast as I¡¯d ever seen before; we¡¯d all come to truly despise those involved with the malae. Corminar clipped the last of the soldiers with an arrow, but it glanced off the enemy¡¯s shoulder plate. A second later, the soldier raised a throwing knife, aiming at the elven ranger. A panicked Zoi raised her hands to blast the soldier with her flames, but¡­ only a whisper of fire spouted forth from her hands. ¡®I¡­¡¯ As the throwing knife spun through the air, I flicked a portal open just in front of Corminar, in the nick of time. My aim was off slightly; the knife didn¡¯t make it through the portal but instead clipped the edge, sending it spinning ineffectively into the snow. I opened a portal and dropped Lore on the last of the soldiers, and moments later I felt more experience point notifications pop up. I ignored them for now. We had a job to do. ¡®You two,¡¯ I said, spinning to where the teenagers had been a moment earlier. ¡®Get¡ª¡¯ But they were gone already, having fled in the chaos of the brief fight. Good for them. Arzak picked up the unconscious man from the ground once more, and we headed north, creeping at first before I remembered myself. The more attention we drew, the more others would escape. That was why we were here. That was what true heroes did. The tiefling shifted forwards, to join me and Arzak at the front of the pack. She visibly swallowed before speaking. ¡®I¡¯ve never used my fire magicks on a living being before,¡¯ Zoi explained, referring to her ineffective spell from a few minutes earlier. ¡®The malae¡­ they were the first.¡¯ She didn¡¯t say the next bit, but I knew it was there. She didn¡¯t like how it felt to burn things. No, that wasn¡¯t it at all; she didn¡¯t like how much she liked to burn things. That was always the allure of fire magicks, and always its curse. ¡®They would deserve it,¡¯ Arzak grumbled back at her as she wrenched her blade free of the enemy¡¯s chest. ¡®But understand what you mean.¡¯ Zoi nodded back at the orc, and smiled, though Arzak was too busy concentrating on the task at hand to notice. ¡®Thank you,¡¯ the tiefling said, and squeezed Arzak¡¯s shoulder gently. This, the orc noticed¡ªas evidence by the flushed cheeks¡ªbut still she kept her eyes scanning our surroundings. We dispatched another handful of soldiers as we made our way north. These soldiers weren¡¯t in their usual squads, and were more fragmented than they should have been¡ªseparated amongst the chaos of more and more locals beginning to flee their homes. A mother clutching a young child yelped as she turned a corner to see us, but a kind smile from Val¡ªdirected at the child, I noticed, not the mother¡ªcalmed her. The mother joins our party as we wound through the streets, and I couldn¡¯t decide whether she was safer with us¡ªand the attention we were drawing¡ªor without out¡ªand outside of our protection. As we continued through the streets, our combined footsteps softened by the settling snow, more joined us. A lone older woman emerged from a house as we past it. A family burst forth from the cellar access door of an ancient-looking tavern. A gaggle of children¡ªno parent in sight¡ªemerged from a dark alley, having apparently already made the decision to flee, but much happier doing so at the sight of protectors. It came to the point where we had enough people following us that I decided we were better off going unseen by enemies, rather than drawing them to us. We had people under our protection now, and our duty to them was to see them out of the city alive. And so I led our contingent off the main streets and down back road, and alleyways. Corminar and Val scouted ahead using my portals, keeping us clear of trouble, but that didn¡¯t mean we were perfect. A soldier stumbled upon us, as surprised by the sight of us as we were of him, and he was able to fire an arrow before we could take him down. It was one of the locals, the older woman, who took the arrow to the gut, but Val¡¯s Healing magicks and Corminar¡¯s potions were enough to save her before the blood loss became too great. Lore took to carrying the weakened woman, and it wasn¡¯t long before she was completely distracted from her semi-healed wound by Lore¡¯s solid, carved chest. As we turned down another alleyway, we stumbled across across another. A huge figure, barely visible in the dim light of the snowstorm, but distinctive enough in appearance that Val and I recognised him. Reginald.Stolen story; please report. I saw Zoi open her mouth to shriek at the sight before us, but Val saw it too. My wife clasped her hand over the tiefling¡¯s mouth before she could give away our position to the hordes of soldiers. ¡®I know him,¡¯ Val said, as reassuringly as possible. ¡®I know him.¡¯ ¡®You know this¡ª¡¯ Arzak started, and before the orc could call Reginald a bear, I interrupted. ¡®This human man is called Reginald,¡¯ I said. Lore and Corminar looked at me like I¡¯d finally lost it, but I ignored them for now. ¡®Reginald, meet Arzak, Zoi, Lore and Corminar.¡¯ I pointed at each of them in turn. ¡®What are you doing here?¡¯ Val asked. ¡®This is no place for a¡­¡¯ She trailed off as she searched for the right ending to that particular sentence. ¡®This is no place for a bard.¡¯ In answer, the bear stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Val, squeezing her tight in another of his overly eager hugs. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Corminar twitch, ready to strike if this was an attack on his friend. ¡®It is so, so good to see you, my friend,¡¯ Reginald said. ¡®Twice in one fortnight, what a treat! If only it were not under such dire circumstances.¡¯ Lore shifted his hold on the woman he was still carrying to free up one arm, which he thrust forward to shake the bear¡¯s hand. ¡®Any friend of Val¡¯s¡­¡¯ he started. ¡®...is a friend of mine!¡¯ Reginald finished. Lore smiled; he¡¯d met someone on his wavelength. It was a shame, in retrospect, that this person was actually an animal. ¡®Lore,¡¯ he said. ¡®Reginald.¡¯ ¡®What are you doing here, Reginald?¡¯ Val repeated, brushing herself down because her coat was now covered in fur. I grew conscious of the crowd behind us, keeping their distance from the bear, stepping closer only as it became clear that it wasn¡¯t about to attack us. Still, we couldn¡¯t wait around here for long. ¡®Val, I think¡­¡¯ ¡®I heard the rumours, and I came to rescue people, as heroes of legend do. Of course, I didn¡¯t know heroes of legend would already be here.¡¯ Lore pointed to himself in surprise, then bashfully batted the compliment away. There was an opportunity here, I realised. ¡®Reginald, how is your stealth?¡¯ ¡®I am as stealthy as I am brawny,¡¯ the bard replied. ¡®Especially if I use my¡ª¡¯ ¡®Good,¡¯ I said, cutting to the chase. ¡®Get everyone out of here. Keep to the backroads. Stay out of sight.¡¯ The bear¡¯s face dropped. I didn¡¯t realise a bear¡¯s face could drop, but it did. ¡®But Styk, my friend, there are perhaps three hundreds soldiers still in Tradum. We¡ª¡¯ ¡®We will draw them to the south. We¡¯ll clear a path.¡¯ I turned to the citizens under our protection. ¡®Go. Go with him. He¡¯ll keep you safe.¡¯ Before anyone could argue this point, I opened a portal at my side, and turned back to Reginald. ¡®Good luck,¡¯ I told him, ignoring the part of my brain shouting that I was trusting a hundred lives to a bear, and then I stepped through the portal. Back on the rooftops, I waited for the team to join me before letting the portal close once more. Arzak and Lore had shed their loads, and through the portal I could see that the unconscious man was now draped over Reginald¡¯s shoulder. When the portal was gone, my gaze lingered on Zoi. ¡®I¡¯m surprised you didn¡¯t go with him.¡¯ ¡®I figured my chances were better with you.¡¯ ¡®Let¡¯s hope not, for their sakes.¡¯ I opened another portal to put us on a rooftop to the south, putting space between us and Reginald¡¯s group, before activating my Portal Relay ability once more. This time, I made no effort to hide my location. ¡®Alright, Arit,¡¯ I shouted, my voice echoing around the city. ¡®You want a fight? Let¡¯s have one. City centre, in about, oh, let¡¯s say¡­ now.¡¯ We were in the central square moments later, assisted by portals, and we beat Arit there. If he was even coming. In fact, the only sign of trouble that I could see were two looming silhouettes plodding slowly down one of the adjoining streets. I recognised one of them by their flaming sword and shield, neither of which were sheathed any more. Only when they were well in sight, even through the snowstorm, did they come to a halt. ¡®Slayers?¡¯ the one with the flaming sword growled. ¡®That¡¯s right,¡¯ Val replied. The enemy nodded. ¡®Very well. Let us have our battle.¡¯ ¡®I think we can handle a couple of knights of the realm,¡¯ Corminar scoffed. A portal opened up behind them. Not one of mine. And through it stepped Arit, the Player worldbender, as well as maybe two dozen more of Amira¡¯s soldiers. ¡®And what about now, Lieutenant Cladenor?¡¯ Arit replied. Though this was what we¡¯d wanted, Corminar¡¯s smirk faded.
"Styk" Level 25 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 296 Dexterity ¡ª 198 Strength ¡ª 106 Wisdom ¡ª 94 Charisma ¡ª 77
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 81 Knifework ¡ª Level 63 Stealth ¡ª Level 34 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Peerless Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location. Support up to ten pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades II ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Etched spells can be activated up to ten times. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
242. Bonfire Knight We didn¡¯t need to win the fight. We just needed to survive it, and to keep the enemies occupied for long enough for the innocent citizens of Tradum to escape the city walls. With Arit and his soldiers training their attention on us, I felt a lot better about Reginald and followers getting out unscathed. Every second that we could maintain this distraction, the better for them. The rest of the Slayers¡ªand Zoi¡ªat my side, I stared down the approaching enemies. The two knights of the realm were closest, but they¡¯d come to an abrupt halt as the Player had stepped out of a portal. One of them held flaming sword and shield, his equipment imbued with Sorcery magicks. The other carried a simple great axe, but a leather sash across her chest had pockets for vials, each of them filled with potions or poisons. Behind them stood Arit, the worldbender and member of Tana¡¯s council. He carried no weapons to speak of, his magicks apparently being all the firepower he needed. Either that or he trusted the now thirty or so soldiers stepping out the portal behind him to do the hard work. There were too many of them for us to fight for long, weren¡¯t there? A thought occurred to me just then, and I kept chewing on it while Val engaged the enemy in spiteful conversation. ¡®Is this what you were like in your old world?¡¯ my wife asked, eyes trained on Arit. ¡®Did you step on people, kill them, corrupt them, just to get your way? Cos I got news for you: if you did, then you¡¯re a right¡ª¡¯ I¡¯m not going to repeat the string of words that followed, but I¡¯m sure you can fill in the rest as appropriate. It was pretty nasty, nastier than much that I¡¯d heard Val say before, but as Arit was apparently in charge of corruption operations, he deserved every syllable of it. That¡¯s all I¡¯ll say. ¡®In my own world,¡¯ Arit replied. ¡®I was just a man. In the worlds that my kind created¡­¡¯ He trailed off. ¡®Yeah, I¡¯m gonna need you to finish that sentence,¡¯ Val said. ¡®In these worlds, we¡¯re gods. Gods can do what they like.¡¯ Arzak groaned. ¡®You lot all same! Do they teach you this in Council school? Other Player we meet, Elfric, he not think this. Just Tana and friends.¡¯ Arit raised his eyebrows. ¡®You met Elfric? I¡¯m surprised he¡¯s still out there. I thought he perished long ago, that he was sentenced to live our his days in the ascended world. I suppose I will have to report this back to Tana¡­¡¯ Arzak shrugged; though the hermit Player had only helped us, he was still a Player, and that was apparently enough for the orc to not care too much about his wellbeing. I caught Lore¡¯s eye, trying to communicate my plan without words. He held my gaze, but I had no idea what he¡¯d understood from it. But he was the least of my concern; Corminar, Val and Zoi were the ones I needed most. At that moment, Lore slyly elbowed Val, then nodded over my way. My wife tensed for a moment, but didn¡¯t look at me, knowing that this would draw the enemy¡¯s attention. Still, I saw her flex the fingers of her right hand, and knew that she was ready to cast. Corminar was still oblivious, but he reacted quickly; I could trust him to act the moment he saw the portals open. It was just Zoi that I needed to speak to, but she was on the other side of our group; I couldn¡¯t go whisper in her ear without drawing attention to myself. I caught Lore¡¯s eyes again, alerting him to the fact that I was about to need him. The moment I felt like he understood, I strode fast towards Arit and the two knights of the realm. ¡®You¡¯re a monster!¡¯ I shouted, spitting with rage, putting on enough of a performance that Lore would recognise it as an act, but hopefully the strangers wouldn¡¯t. ¡®You deserve to be trapped here. You deserve¡ª¡¯ Lore¡ªthank the heavens¡ªgrabbed me hard by the upper arm, wrenching me backward. I pushed forward against Lore¡¯s grip, but pretended to be overpowered. The barbarian yanked me back towards the team, and I gently nudged us towards Zoi. ¡®See, worldbender,¡¯ Arit gloated, ¡®even your team recognise that you can¡¯t win this one. Why don¡¯t you save us all the trouble and¡ª¡¯ As I arrived at Zoi¡¯s side, I whispered seven simple words in her ear. ¡®Burn them like you did the malae.¡¯ I opened the portals¡ªthree fanned in front of each of Val and Corminar, four fanned in front of me and Zoi. The tiefling was quick to act, her flames erupting through the portals in the same moment that Val¡¯s lifedrain magicks crackled forth across the unit of soldiers, with Corminar¡¯s rapid-firing of arrows following a fraction of a second after. Some soldiers of the empire fell, but some survived. And those survivors were so in the midst of the chaos that they didn¡¯t notice when I closed four of the portals and reopened them under the soldiers¡¯ feet. As more enemies fell from the sky, Arit tried to catch them with portals of his own, but I had one advantage over an otherwise inevitably more powerful man: I could open more portals than him. Perhaps twenty-five seconds after I whispered my instruction to Zoi, Arit¡¯s golden army was severely weakened. Maybe a dozen soldiers remained standing, if barely alive, though the Player and the two knights of the realm remained untouched. ¡®Arzak! Lore!¡¯ I shouted, pointing to the knights as they charged me. ¡®One on each. Protect us from¡ª¡¯ Fire engulfed one of the knights, these flaming magicks streaming forth from the hands of a screaming Zoi. I wasted not a second for that light shining in the tiefling¡¯s eye, instead portalling over to the aflame knight¡¯s rear. I activated Titan Husk to protect my hands from the flames as I drove my dagger into the woman¡¯s back. Another notification piled up, a Worldbending level-up message among them, but I pushed them aside for now. But this left another knight¡ªthe one with the flaming sword and shield. I turned, searching the chaos for sight of him, and caught Arit¡¯s wide eyes through the flames. A half second later, a portal appeared at the Player¡¯s side, and the man disappeared through it, out of sight. It seemed he¡¯d never thought so small a team could turn the tide so quickly. It scared him. We scared him. The thought was immensely satisfying. A flaming sword arced through the air, and instinctively I opened a portal between myself and the weapon. With my Titan Husk ability activated, I could withstand the flames, but I was still not strong enough to be sliced by a broadsword and escape unscathed. Lore barrelled into the knight¡¯s side, shoulder-tackling the enemy to the ground. As they struggled, the barbarian grabbed the knight¡¯s wrist, pushing his flaming blade out of harm¡¯s way, his own arms trembling from exertion. I moved to help, raising my dagger high and about to plunge it down into a stab, when the sword¡¯s flames came to life, licking at Lore¡¯s face. The barbarian cried out in pain, stumbling backwards from the scuffle and leaving the knight free to move once more. My blade met nothing but empty air as the enemy rolled out of the way. Arrow and lifedrain spell hit the knight, but the enemy struggled against the pain, gritting his teeth and warping his lips into a vicious growl. Despite the attacks, he strode towards Lore, who was still clutching his face. Flames erupted from the knight¡¯s blade once again, a torrent of fire far stronger than the previous attack. Lore¡¯s eyes widened in the split-second before the fire shot towards him, and could only wince in anticipation of the burn.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. But it never came. Zoi had stepped forward, arms raised, her mouth twisted into a growl of her own. Her hands were taut claws, her fingers seeming to be stuck in unnatural positions, as she worked her magicks to turn the knight¡¯s flames back upon him. There was a moment of invisible battle, a clash of will as the two fire-users fought against one another. But it was the tiefling who won this skirmish, and the knight burned. When the dust settled, the tiefling continued to stare at the fallen knight. Her eyes didn¡¯t blink, didn¡¯t snap away from the body even for a second while the rest of us gathered ourselves, and while Val worked her Healing magicks on Lore. Only Arzak¡¯s hand on Zoi¡¯s shoulder finally snapped the sorcerer from this daze. ¡®It not define you,¡¯ the orc said. Zoi¡¯s wild eyes looked up at the warrior, meeting the taller woman¡¯s gaze, and she nodded. ¡®Arit?¡¯ I asked. ¡®Escaped,¡¯ came Corminar¡¯s reply. ¡®Through a portal. Though I did look, I could not determine where the other side was located.¡¯ I shook my head. We knew where Arit had gone. He¡¯d fled. His job in Tradum was done, or done enough. He had his army, and he had the rest of the malae¡ªthat which Zoi hadn¡¯t burned. If I was him, if I thought like him¡ªand I admit, the ability to do so came easier than I liked¡ªthen I would take my winnings and ride north. I would head to Auricia, where the Council had made their headquarters. I would give Tana the malae she needed for this ritual, and I would use my corrupted army to make sure that the Slayers never so much as troubled them. ¡®We¡¯re leaving,¡¯ I told the others. ¡®We could do with some rest,¡¯ Lore said. ¡®There¡¯s¡ª¡¯ I started, but Val had reached the same conclusion. We were thinking more alike day by day. ¡®We don¡¯t have time,¡¯ my wife said. ¡®Arit will be fleeing. We have to go now, before it¡¯s too late.¡¯ * * * The low winter sun was setting by the time we found the camp. They were based in foothills to the north. It was a clever, tactical location; their presence was hidden by the crests of the hilltops, and few roads came through this mountainous terrain, so there would be few travellers to spot them. We¡¯d found them only by recreating the same logic; if we were Arit, where would we hide? Again, it was me who had been able to habit the Council¡¯s mindset, and me who figured out the answer. Corminar and I crawled slowly up the side of a grassy hill, the blades frozen, patches of ice and snow littering the hillside. We kept low, and halted for minutes at a time, to be absolutely sure we were not spotted by the main camp that we knew dwelled just over the other side. We crawled over bramble, uncomplaining, we felt our fingers grow numb, without comment, and we kept our minds focused on the task at hand. More so than ever before, it wasn¡¯t just us who would suffer if we were unsuccessful; beating Arit and destroying the malae could just save the world itself. If we had to suffer a little pain, a little numbness, to save our world? We would do so without complaint. The night was pitch black by the time we reached the crest of the hill, and in the minutes leading up to this, I¡¯d wondered if that would mean we wouldn¡¯t see the full scale of the camp. But as it turned out, I hadn¡¯t needed to worry. The thousands of torches in the valley below us provided plenty of light with which to see the several hundred-strong army of the Golden Empire, packing up their camp and preparing to leave. Most of the tents were disassembled, or in the process of being disassembled, but the crates filled with the monsters of corruption were already loaded onto wagons. Yet, only half of the soldiers below wore that golden uniform. The other half wore rags, wore basic tunics, wore pretty much anything you¡¯d expect of a civilian, not a soldier. But these two hundred or so soldiers out of uniform did not mind being unarmoured, did not mind being cold. They did not mind much of anything, for that matter, because they were the citizens of Tradum that Arit had already corrupted. Arzak had been right; they hadn¡¯t just corrupted a handful of people. There were hundreds of these corrupted pseudo-soldiers before us, hundreds of these super strong beings that we¡¯d struggled to kill just one or two of in Coldharbour. With this many, Arit was surely unstoppable. With this many soldiers of corruption between us and the wagons, what hope did we have of destroying the malae?
"Styk" Level 25 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 299 Dexterity ¡ª 198 Strength ¡ª 106 Wisdom ¡ª 94 Charisma ¡ª 78
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 82 Knifework ¡ª Level 63 Stealth ¡ª Level 34 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Peerless Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location. Support up to ten pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades II ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Etched spells can be activated up to ten times. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
243. A Lingering Threat The camp was silent. After the heavy snow had hit over night, covering the ground in a thick layer of white, the silent was, somehow, quieter than ever. The snow blanket dampened noise, and the cold forced nearby critters to remain in their holes. The only sound I could hear, in fact, was the occasional thump of snow falling from the bare branches. ¡®I¡¯ll ask again,¡¯ I said. ¡®Any ideas?¡¯ ¡®We heard you,¡¯ Val replied. ¡®It¡¯s just¡­¡¯ She trailed off, but she definitely hadn¡¯t needed to finish that sentence. All five of us knew that Arit¡¯s army would be on the move by now, the malae-laden wagons protected by his hordes of corrupted soldiers. How he had them following his command, I did not know. But where the Council faced a problem, they usually also found a solution. We could handle two or three corrupted soldiers, maybe even as many as ten, if we had a plan. But two hundred? We had no chance. We¡¯d die before we so much as reached the malae, much less had time for Zoi to burn them all. I looked over at Zoi, who was crouched over the fire, staring into the flames. I knew what she was wrestling with; fire magicks had a dark allure, one that Zoi was only just beginning to experience for the first time. She¡¯d burned malae, her first time using her fires on anything living¡ªif you could call them that¡ªand then only hours later, she¡¯d been forced to burn a man. Even without fire getting under your skin in the way it did, hurting people in this way could do things to you. To your head. To your soul. ¡®If I portal you in,¡¯ I said to Zoi, ¡®how quickly could you burn them?¡¯ She didn¡¯t reply. ¡®Zoi,¡¯ I said. When the tiefling still didn¡¯t look up from the flames, Arzak shook her gently by the shoulder. Zoi snapped out of her trance. ¡®Apologies. Were you talking to me?¡¯ ¡®I portal you in. You burn the wagons. I portal you out.¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s the plan?¡¯ From her pale face¡ªnot just from the cold¡ªand her uneasy tone, I could tell she wasn¡¯t convinced. ¡®As it stands. How long would it take to burn them?¡¯ ¡®How many wagons?¡¯ ¡®Eight.¡¯ Zoi shook her head, and her eyes drifted over to the fire once more. ¡®Too long,¡¯ she said. ¡®Then we¡¯ll think of something else.¡¯ The camp went quiet once more, though whether this was the silence of deep contemplation or inner despair, I did not know. I heard a crunch of snow underfoot. From Corminar also turning to look over his shoulder, I could tell that it wasn¡¯t just my imagination. I kept my eyes peeled for signs of life, and a few moments later, I saw the orange blur of a fox darting along in the distance. I looked back at Corminar, and shook my head; we were growing paranoid in these dire times. At my side, Val shivered. The fire was growing low; someone would have to do something about that. Though Zoi could summon fire, there was no use her wasting her mana reserves when there was plenty of wood around still untouched by the snow. Maybe we¡¯d need the tiefling¡¯s summoned fire later; I had a feeling there were ambushes and other attacks in our near future. I slapped the tops of my thighs to announce that I was standing, then headed off into the woods in search of dry wood. A set of light footsteps followed as I passed away from the light of camp. Glancing around my shoulder, I saw that the tiefling had followed me. Perhaps it was the inner yearning to feed the fire herself¡ªin some way¡ªor perhaps it was something else that pulled her along with me. ¡®You¡¯re still here. You¡¯re still with us,¡¯ I said. I phrased it as a sentence, but we both knew it was a question, really. ¡®You hired me to burn the malae,¡¯ Zoi replied. ¡®There are still malae to burn.¡¯ I held her gaze. ¡®Very good answer. Now, what¡¯s the real answer?¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t want the world to end.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡®That¡¯s an even better one.¡¯ I held her gaze for a moment longer, looking for signs of deception in those eyes. But I saw only fear¡ªthe fear of a woman who¡¯d become wrapped up in something terrible, something that she would now need to see to the end. ¡®Come on. Let¡¯s find some fuel for the flames.¡¯ Zoi nodded. * * * Val and I kept first watch that night, though I¡¯ll admit that I was doing most of the watching, unless my wife had invented a way to keep watch through her eyelids. She¡¯d struggled more with her tiredness these last few days, though she assured me this was normal; I¡¯d just have to look after her a bit more than usual. Not that Val thought I typically spent time looking after her, rather than the other way around. At least the snow had stopped for now. Only Arzak didn¡¯t seem bothered by the cold, though the orcish homelands were so far north that they had weather like this in their summers, on occasion. Lore and Corminar stirred under piles of their clothes by an old oak tree, every now and then yanking a thick blanket back from the other. Zoi, who¡¯d clearly realised that Arzak didn¡¯t struggle with the cold, had curled up next to the orc¡¯s back. I didn¡¯t quite know how Arzak would react to this turn of events when they woke up for their turn of watch, but that was none of my business. In an effort to keep warm, I stood up, sliding my arm out away from the dozing Val, and began to pace around the camp. The snow crunched over foot, but not enough to rip anyone away from their dreams. In fact, the white blanket dampened the noise of my footsteps. I kept my eyes on the trees, scanning them every few seconds, though surely any would-be attackers, sapient or otherwise, was cowering from the cold. Out there, somewhere to the north, was Arit. He and his soldiers would be camped out for the night, too. Though would all his soldiers get their rest? I definitely wouldn¡¯t sleep knowing that there were soldiers of corruption standing guard outside the tents, able to spread corruption onto others with the lightest touch. I felt it, then: a pang of doubt erupting in my gut. Were we already too late? Had our only chance to stop the Council¡¯s plan been back in that desert, when we¡¯d been too busy chasing down Yusef to put an end to the malae once and for all? How could we defeat so many soldiers of corruption? How could we get past them to reach the Council, to stop them creating their new world at the expense of our own? Did all this¡ªall this fighting, all this freezing our butts off¡ªdid all this have only one destination, our deaths? I shook my head; I couldn¡¯t think like this. Going down this route was a path to certain destruction, to manifesting the very death that I feared. No, I would have to do better than that. I would have to believe us inevitably victorious if we were going to stand a chance of saving the world, and¡ªmuch, much, much more importantly¡ªstaying alive in the process.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡®Styk.¡¯ I felt my gut wrench again, but this time not with doubt but with fear. Val had only said my name¡ªand softly, at that¡ªbut I knew that tone. Something was wrong. Very wrong. When I looked over at my wife, I saw that she had a blade to her neck. ¡®You lied,¡¯ said the person standing over her. My mother. We knew we hadn¡¯t seen the last of her, but for her to return to us so soon? Either we were a priority target of the Council, or she had rushed back to us¡­ because she felt betrayed? I raised my hand slowly, fingers splayed, gesturing for Cleo to stand down. ¡®Alright,¡¯ I said, ¡®let¡¯s not do anything rash.¡¯ ¡®Keep your voice quiet,¡¯ the Player said, dark eyes bearing into mine. ¡®If you wake the others, then¡­¡¯ ¡®Then you kill me,¡¯ Val cut in. ¡®He gets it. I¡¯m really done with you.¡¯ She took the words right out of my mouth. ¡®We had a deal, you and I,¡¯ my mother said. ¡®You would stop hunting us, let us do what we needed to, and then we would welcome you into the new world with open arms. I brought that deal to Cleo. It has her approval. And now you make a fool of me?¡¯ ¡®Oh, I¡¯m sorry if we double-crossed someone who wants to end the world,¡¯ Val mumbled, and this really wasn¡¯t helping her chances of staying alive. Of my child staying alive. ¡®Val,¡¯ I said, resisting the urge to gulp. As I had sensed meaning from Val¡¯s tone earlier, she did the same from mine. Her mouth snapped shut; there was no sassing her way out of this one. ¡®So you¡¯re here to kill us, this time?¡¯ I asked. Cleo stared back at me a moment longer before replying, as though she was still working out the answer to this question herself. ¡®I am here to send a message. I will not kill you, but I will kill your wife.¡¯ She pressed the side of the blade into Val¡¯s neck, drawing blood but not doing more than minimal damage. ¡®Why? Why won¡¯t you kill me?¡¯ I asked, my volume getting away from me some. I paused, glancing to the others, but though they stirred, none awoke. In more hushed tones, I continued, ¡®Is it because I am blood? Is it because there is part of you in me?¡¯ To voice this made me feel sick, but it was the only bargaining chip I had right about then. ¡®Everyone has a line that they won¡¯t cross,¡¯ my mother replied. I almost breathed a sigh of a relief right then and there. It wasn¡¯t just that I wanted to know that I was safe; now, Val was too, at least for a time. ¡®Then you won¡¯t hurt Val either,¡¯ I said, still holding Cleo¡¯s gaze. ¡®You¡¯re going to be a grandmother.¡¯ My mother¡¯s gaze flickered to the woman in front of her, to the woman into whose throat she pressed her blade. It was as though she saw Val for the first time, then. The knife drifted away from the flesh, only by a fraction of an inch, like it was an unconscious act. ¡®You are going to be a grandmother,¡¯ I said again. This wasn¡¯t quite how I¡¯d ever expected to give this news¡ªI¡¯d never really expected to give it at all¡ªbut here we were. Cleo released Val, stepping backward, and out of reach of any reprisal. Not that we would attack her; it was clear by now that she was just as likely to kill the lot of us as we were to kill her. Stood there, between the bare trees, Cleo considered me one more time. ¡®Stay away from Arit, Styk. There will be a place for our family in the new world, but only if you stay away.¡¯ Cleo really thought that I would relent, this time. No, she wanted to believe I would relent. She wanted to believe it so badly that she had fooled even herself. Elfric had given us a glimpse of my mother¡¯s actions in the Badlands, but now I glimpsed the impact they¡¯d had on her mind. This was a woman who solved problems only with violence. Now that she¡¯d come across a problem that she wouldn¡¯t¡ªor couldn¡¯t?¡ªkill, her mind desperately grabbed at other options. I said nothing that would dissuade my mother from the idea that I would let this world die. In fact, I remained quiet as I watched her go, until her form faded into nothing as her camouflaging magicks reactivated once more. It would come to a battle in the end¡ªthat much I was sure¡ªbut this bought us more time. And maybe that was enough. I did have one nice thing to say about my mother¡¯s hope that I would surrender, though. Val would be safe. Our child would be safe. And I would never have to worry about either of them ever again. After all, in the new world, we would be gods.
"Styk" Level 25 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 299 Dexterity ¡ª 198 Strength ¡ª 106 Wisdom ¡ª 94 Charisma ¡ª 78
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 82 Knifework ¡ª Level 63 Stealth ¡ª Level 34 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Peerless Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location. Support up to ten pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades II ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Etched spells can be activated up to ten times. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
244. Interlude — Arit ¡®Sir, you¡¯re needed.¡¯ Arit sighed as he rose from his bunk, then turned to face the guardsman who¡¯d poked his head in the tent. This wouldn¡¯t be forever, he told himself; in a matter of weeks¡ªif that¡ªthe ritual would be complete. He would exist in a new world, and he would exist as a god. The locals would wait on him hand and foot. He wouldn¡¯t have to face battle, he wouldn¡¯t have to lead armies, and he certainly would not be woken in the middle of the night. But that was soon, and this was now; there was a job to be done. ¡®Yes?¡¯ Arit asked. ¡®What news?¡¯ ¡®I¡­ I dunno, sir. There¡¯s a scout waiting for you¡ª¡¯ Arit pushed passed the guardsman the moment he realised that the soldier was of no more use. The young lad followed him back outside the tent, past the two armed soldiers of corruption positioned at the tent flap, flinching as he passed them. Arit was hardly thrilled to be in their presence, but they were a tool, and if one is to get the most value out of a tool, they must not fear it. Did Athena fear the bow? Did Elecon fear the insidious weapon that pushed the Ascended World to its end? These monstrosities would be destroyed with this world, and Arit would have to contend with them no longer once the ritual was complete. A matter of weeks, he told himself again. ¡®The scout,¡¯ Arit said to the guardsman. ¡®Where?¡¯ The lad pointed across the camp to the west, to a woman on horseback, a deep wound in the brown beast¡¯s side. The horse would need Healing, and soon, if it was going to survive. ¡®A healer,¡¯ Arit told the lad, and off the guardsman ran to carry out his order. The worldbender spared little thought for the wellbeing of beasts, particularly those who would die with the world anyway, but that was no reason to waste a perfectly good tool. Arit closed the distance between himself and the scout using a portal, arriving at the mounted woman¡¯s side in a flash. ¡®The news?¡¯ he demanded. ¡®Trouble to the west,¡¯ the scout replied. ¡®More elderbeests.¡¯ Arit nodded; this wasn¡¯t the first time they¡¯d encountered these creatures since he had taken over control of the malae. There was something about those monsters of corruption that drew enemies in. Beings of nature, particularly those touched by Witchcraft emerged from the dark depths of their homes, lured by the presence of the malae¡ªparticularly when there were so many malae in one place. They¡¯d had trouble in Tradum, but that had been an easily defensible city. Now that they were making a new camp each night, with no real knowledge of the surroundings, they were vulnerable. Arit hadn¡¯t expected so many obstacles. ¡®Heading this way?¡¯ he asked, though he knew the answer; the scout wouldn¡¯t trouble him if they weren¡¯t. Still, the mounted woman nodded. ¡®Six of them.¡¯ Six. Usually six enemies would not be worth the effort of even noting them; the soldiers of corruption would throw six humans aside no problem. But six elderbeests were a different matter. These creatures were never truly formed in the creation of this world, their power diverted into Hephaestus¡¯s artifacts when he betrayed the rest of the Architects. It was salt in the wound; Tana¡¯s intelligence said that the team who hunted him possessed one of these very artifacts. That Hephaestus would, however unintentionally, have caused his problems on two fronts¡­This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Arit shook his head; there was no reason to think about it, not when there were other priorities. ¡®Order the camp to depart within the hour,¡¯ Arit told the scout. ¡®Send a third of the soldiers of corruption west to meet the enemy. The others should join the untouched in defending the caravan. The malae are all that matter, you understand?¡¯ The scout saluted Arit. ¡®In Yusef¡¯s name.¡¯ Arit nodded back, swallowing his pride for a second. He hated that he¡¯d needed to weaponise Yusef¡¯s legacy; the loss of that arrogant ex-Council member was no tragedy, in his eyes. They were better off without him. But his name did prove useful¡ªnothing drove the locals of this world to such loyalty than the work Yusef had done. Though, it was unravelling fast. That fool had exposed the truth of himself¡ªexposed them all¡ªin his dying breaths. It was only a matter of time before his legacy was eradicated by truth. But all Arit needed was a couple of weeks. The worldbender turned back towards his tent, but felt the scout¡¯s eyes bearing into him. He returned the stare. ¡®Sir?¡¯ she asked. ¡®Are you not riding with them? They could do with your support.¡¯ Arit bit his tongue. He let everything that he wanted to say pass through his mind unsaid. He didn¡¯t say that he wouldn¡¯t waste his time on fighting animals. He didn¡¯t say that he wouldn¡¯t risk his life unnecessarily, not when the Council were so close. Arit couldn¡¯t risk his grip on Amira¡¯s soldiers growing any looser than it already was. So instead, he nodded, and he turned west. * * * When the soldiers of corruption spoke, Arit heard screams. They were not screaming, of course. These monstrosities were not capable of the emotions that would urge them to scream; Tana had seen to that when she¡¯d instructed the learned librarians of the Estat Order to build on the tiefling¡¯s research. But still, Arit heard the screams. Was it in his mind, simply the echoes of the screams he¡¯d heard during the corruption process? Or was it there, beneath the surface, almost imperceptible to the human ear¡ªthe screams of the soul still trapped inside these emotionless husks? ¡®What are our orders?¡¯ the corrupted soldier asked. No judgement, no secondary meaning to the question, just simply that¡ªa question. Yet those hints of screams gave Arit pause. ¡®Send two out. Lure the beests to us. We hold our ground here.¡¯ The Player finished his instructions, and the monstrosity nodded, passing the orders down the line. Arit watched as two of the soldiers ran out into the treeline, passing out of the moonlight and into the shadows. They ran faster than even the strongest of men. If these creatures weren¡¯t fully under the Council¡¯s control, they might well have posed problems even to Players, especially with their far greater numbers. But Arit had sensed no sign of dissent among them. The growing disillusionment was left strictly to Amira¡¯s soldiers¡ªthose who were still untouched. Perhaps Arit would have to corrupt yet more men, both to keep them unquestioning and to hold as a threat over those who would abandon the cause. He still had the tools to do so. They were loaded on the carts. They were the very thing that had this army heading north, to make delivery to Auricia. The monstrosities held the line unflinching, unwavering, unbreathing, as they awaited the return of their colleagues¡ªand the elderbeests that would be chasing them. Arit had no doubt that they would be successful in luring the creatures in. If the darkest creatures of this land were drawn to the malae, drawn to corruption, then that would surely apply to these disgusting soldiers, too. It was only a matter of time. The snow began to fall once more, again dusting the ground with little more than half an inch. Arit held his coat tight, his eyes drifting to the soldiers with their grey skin exposed to the elements, paying no attention to the flakes landing upon them. He envied them, but something as insignificant as resistance to the cold was not going to convince him to get corrupted any time soon. He felt the elderbeests before he saw them. Before he even heard them. The great, lumbering beasts from another time were large enough to shake the very ground beneath Arit¡¯s feet, especially when charging in such a number. ¡®Soldiers¡­¡¯ the worldbender shouted, holding his order for a beat, until the first pair of antlers burst forth from the trees, ¡®...attack!¡¯ 245. Winters Grasp ¡®My mother visited us in the night.¡¯ Lore, Corminar and Arzak didn¡¯t react, but Zoi raised her eyebrows. ¡®Oh?¡¯ the tiefling said. ¡®Is she still with us? Should I make her a nice cup of tea?¡¯ Corminar smiled to himself, biting his lip, while Lore looked at Zoi in horror. The tiefling looked around at the wide variety of reactions. ¡®What? Did I say something¡­¡¯ ¡®She try kill us,¡¯ Arzak said, filling Zoi in on the finer details of my family¡¯s dynamics. ¡®She one of Players. Of Council. She not want us here.¡¯ The orc turned next to me. ¡®You fight her off? Without waking us?¡¯ ¡®Did you use your Silence ability?¡¯ Lore guessed. A sensible guess, particularly for him, but obviously not the right one. ¡®We didn¡¯t fight,¡¯ I said. Corminar pointed at Val. ¡®Your spouse has a fresh, if light, wound upon her throat.¡¯ ¡®We didn¡¯t fight much,¡¯ I corrected myself. ¡®Then what¡ª¡¯ Lore started. It was Val who answered, and pretty concisely, at that. ¡®She¡¯s pretty annoyed we lied to her. Came back to kill me.¡¯ ¡®Yet you live,¡¯ Corminar observed. My wife nodded. ¡®Styk told her about the baby. I guess she didn¡¯t want to kill the mother of her grandchild.¡¯ Arzak joined Zoi in raising her eyebrows. ¡®So we lucky. Again. How long we be lucky for? I sure not much longer. How long until she decide kill one of us after all?¡¯ The tiefling raised her hand timidly. ¡®Can I ask¡­ Why are we worried? You told me you have killed Players before. Why not simply kill her before she kills you? That is the usual arrangement, is it not?¡¯ I shook my head. ¡®It¡¯s not that simple.¡¯ ¡®Because she¡¯s your mother?¡¯ ¡®What? No. If one of you kills her, I¡¯m perfectly fine with that. I¡¯d just rather not do it with my own hands if I don¡¯t have to. No, the problem is that she can turn invisible.¡¯ ¡®Ah.¡¯ ¡®Yeah, you can see how that poses a few issues.¡¯ Zoi nodded thoughtfully. ¡®Alright, so we look for a spell that can aid us in seeing invisible people. We¡ª¡¯ ¡®And how much time do you want to spend doing that?¡¯ I asked. ¡®Because every moment we spend doing something other than hunting down the malae is another moment they grow closer to Auricia. For all that there are two hundred corrupted soldiers protecting the caravan now, it¡¯s not like it¡¯s gonna be easier to get to the malae later, once they¡¯re in the palace city. No, we¡¯ve gotta focus on the malae.¡¯ ¡®I suppose you have an idea of how we do that?¡¯ Corminar asked. I rolled my eyes. ¡®Why¡¯s it always me who has to¡ª¡¯ ¡®Do you have an idea, Styk?¡¯ Corminar pushed the question. ¡®I have the start of an idea, yes. We don¡¯t go straight for the malae. They¡¯ll be expecting that, they¡¯ll have planned for it. Instead, we go for Arit. We take the general from the army. We leave them in disarray. And when chaos spreads through their ranks, we take the first opportunity we get.¡¯ Five pairs of eyes looked at me. Val sighed. ¡®I suppose that¡¯s the best idea we¡¯ve got.¡¯ * * * We rode north. Our horses¡¯ healths were fading fast, not because they weren¡¯t trained for long distances, but because of the cold, and because we¡¯d found so little food for them. But they¡¯d only need to hang on a while longer, then they could rest. And when I say that, I mean rest¡ªI¡¯m not using cryptic language to mean ¡°then they can die¡±. They deserved more than that for how much they¡¯d helped us. There was no ¡®Welcome to the Goldmarch: where all your dreams come true¡¯ sign¡ªslogan provided as an example only¡ªas we crossed over from the Sundorn into the new continent. In times past, the border would have been marked by a dramatic increase in wealth and quality of life. Houses would be larger, and freshly painted. Roads would be well-maintained, with signposts clearly marked at every junction. The people would even be happier. But while we¡¯d been south, in the Sundorn, things had changed. Fast. We barely saw anyone in the towns we passed through, and those we did see ran at the sight of us. Buildings were razed, or demolished, or had worryingly large claw marks in their doors. There was no patterns to the incidents that had befallen these towns; in some, it seemed that hags had attacked, in others, giant neereagles. In one town it almost looked like an elderbeest had passed through. It was Lore, in the end, who pointed out that this was a pattern. We hadn¡¯t seen devastation caused by a single type of creature because it was all creature types. All manner of monsters had emerged from the darkness, and we knew from previous experience that this only happened when they were drawn to great power. It was Arit¡¯s army moving north that had caused this, or rather the malae they transported north. Until Zoi could burn the malae¡ªuntil we could get the malae in reach of her flames¡ªthis would keep on happening. When we finally reached a tavern that was still in business¡ªif only just¡ªI elected to position a Saved Portal there. If we had to use it to flee, then we¡¯d be giving Arit¡¯s army a significant time advantage. But if we had to use it, we almost certainly had bigger problems on our plate. If it came to us being in that much trouble, a hearty stew and some decent ale would do us some good. It was another two days before we caught up with Arit and his army. The snow had really taken hold by then, piling half a foot deep. Though it slowed down our progress significantly, we at least had my portals to support us along the road. Arit, on the other hand, wouldn¡¯t have enough portals to transport an army that size; they¡¯d be slowed down more than we would. We knew we¡¯d grown close when we saw the wheel marks cutting through the snow, and from there we kept quiet, not a word shared, not wanting to risk alerting Arit¡¯s army to our presence. We kept our horses to the paths trodden by the soldiers, and our eyes fixed straight ahead. In the depths of winter, we couldn¡¯t see far, and it was Corminar who heard the army before any of us saw it. We did as before. Corminar and I left the team with the horses, and we pressed on, through the torrential snowstorm. We approached slowly, in a crouch, then in a crawl, using the thick white layer to our advantage, to keep us out of sight of the dozens of corrupted soldiers that served as guards. Finally, satisfied with our vantage point on a low hillside, we set about our work. Whereas before we were looking in a gap in the malae¡¯s defences, now we had another target: Arit. We sought to cut the head off the hydra that was this army, though hopefully no more heads would regrow in Arit¡¯s place. At least, not until after could get Zoi to the malae, to work her flaming magicks.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. The enemy worldbender pushed back the flap of the camp¡¯s central tent as we approached, escaping the cold. If we¡¯d approached a moment later, we wouldn¡¯t have seen him, yet we would still know exactly where he was. Only one tent in the whole camp was made of such sturdy material, and only one was guarded by a half dozen corrupted soldiers. From the look of it, there were more still inside the tent. Arit was watched over at every moment, it seemed; he knew we were after him, and he was taking no chances. I considered opening a portal then and there, to inside the Player¡¯s tent. If he were anyone else¡ªor if he were less well-guarded¡ªI could snatch him out from under his army¡¯s nose, and we could deal with him as a team. As it was, though, Arit was an experienced enough worldbender that there was no guarantee that I¡¯d be successful in snatching him. And his soldiers of corruption reacted quickly enough that they might not let me get away, even if I had Titan Husk active. After all, their ability to spread corruption was just one of a great many advantages that these former humans had over regular soldiers¡ªthey were also faster and stronger than most. Perhaps even faster and stronger than some Players. As it stood, it was useless. We¡¯d need to separate Arit from his guards before we could strike. I took one last glance over at the carts, over on the far side of camp, and confirmed that they, too, were under heavy guard. I looked at Corminar, discovering that he was already looking at me. The elf nodded glumly; we were on the same page. I began crawling backwards, through the paths in the snow we¡¯d left before, keeping my head down. As we retreated to the team¡¯s camp, intrusive thoughts whirled around my mind¡ªwas this a hopeless task? would we chase Arit all the way to Auricia, and the protection of the Council, without ever having a chance to strike? Corminar¡¯s hand whipped out to grab my leg, and I froze. It took me a few more seconds to hear it¡ªfor my human hearing to catch up with Corminar¡¯s enhanced elven senses¡ªand I forced myself to remain as still as possible as the trouble approached. I bit my tongue as the singular enemy scout grew close, and then I bit it harder still when I realised that it was a corrupted soldier. I could portal Corminar and I out then and there, but then the enemy would know that we¡¯d closed on them, and that was why we¡¯d approached on foot to begin with. The crunching of snow under enemy foot grew louder as they approached, and with every step, I heard the pounding of my own heart grow louder too. I only released my breath when the footsteps began to quieten again, their owner drifting past us. Only when Corminar tapped on my leg again did I begin to move once more, trusting the ranger to be a better judge of this kind of thing. We skipped the crouching stage on the way back to our woodland camp, and instead I opened a portal immediately in front of Corminar, slipping through it behind him only half a second later. This portal dropped us atop a nearby hill, and from there, we returned to camp at a sprint. Lore stood when he heard us approach, drawing his blade. At the sight of us, Val raised her eyebrows. ¡®Everything OK?¡¯ ¡®Scouts,¡¯ I said through loud breaths. ¡®Not sure how far away from the camp they¡¯re coming, but we should pack up. Play it safe.¡¯ Zoi looked up from the fire, then pointed to it. ¡®I just started this the non-magick way.¡¯ It was the kind of slightly irritable point that Val would make; did we rub off on people that easily? ¡®Then you¡¯ll have to do it again. Better safe than¡ª¡¯ Corminar¡¯s hand whipped out once more. This time, my heart truly sank. Corminar and I being in danger was one thing, but if the enemies had found us here, with Val around¡­ I forced the thought out of my mind, instead focusing on action. The elf nodded to our left, to where he¡¯d apparently heard the noise. ¡®Fire. Out. Now,¡¯ I breathed to Zoi. The tiefling tore the flames away with her magicks, but it was too late. A woman with pallid grey skin and eyes that were totally black emerged from the trees. I turned on the spot, whipping my hands towards Val, opening a portal beneath her that sent her falling away, out of trouble. Lore, who was half over the opening of the portal, tumbled through it sideways. Without turning back, I activated Titan Husk, then shunted backwards into the path of the charging soldier to give my friends a chance to escape. Corminar was already pulling Zoi by the arm, but Arzak reacted with intent to fight, not flee, raising her blades. The corrupted soldier and I collided, sending me flying across the small clearing and clipping the side of a tree. I pushed myself back up in a daze, head spinning, the taste of blood in my mouth. Staggering, I raised my hand to open a portal between Arzak and the corrupted soldiers, to protect my orcish friend. But I missed. The corrupted soldier slipped nimbly around the portal, bring her axe down to meet Arzak¡¯s raised dual swords. It was a clash to behold, a duel of immense strengths, the soldier pushing down with her axe against the swords held in an X-formation, Arzak holding her own even against someone with supernatural strength on their side. But I didn¡¯t get to see how this would end, because instead of pressing the attack, the enemy grabbed Arzak¡¯s wrist. And corrupted began to spread.
"Styk" Level 25 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 299 Dexterity ¡ª 198 Strength ¡ª 106 Wisdom ¡ª 94 Charisma ¡ª 78
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 82 Knifework ¡ª Level 63 Stealth ¡ª Level 34 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Peerless Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location. Support up to ten pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades II ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Etched spells can be activated up to ten times. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
246. The Cost I¡¯d seen this before. I knew what to do. I could save her. That was what I told myself in the half-second it took me to process what had happened. I leaped into the air, bringing my knife down towards the corrupted enemy while activating Val¡¯s magicks that were Etched into the blade. My wife¡¯s life-drain magicks would be far from enough to take down the enemy, but all I needed was a second of opportunity¡ªmy priority was to save a life, not to take one. As I passed over the enemy, I flung one hand downwards to open a portal beneath Arzak, and sent the other pointing towards the sky. Arzak tumbled through the portal and I fell after her, letting the portal close behind me so tightly that I felt it pass over my skin. We tumbled through bitter winds and frigid air. I snatched at Arzak¡¯s flailing leg as we soared. My fingers slipped free on the first attempt, but on the second, I got purchase. I used my grip to pull myself up to Arzak¡¯s arm¡ªto where the corruption had touched her. The cold air would slow the spread of corruption, I knew, but there was still no time to waste. Every second that passed could be the difference between life and death¡ªthough Arzak¡¯s arm was already a goner. I sliced through the straps that held the armour in place on the orc¡¯s arm, tossing the metal plate aside, then raised my blade. I wouldn¡¯t be able to cut through in one go. And I could do nothing to reduce the pain. If my friend wanted to live, she was going to have to go through extreme agony to do so. Arzak¡¯s eyes widened when she realised what I meant to do. ¡®No!¡¯ she roared over the tumultuous winds. ¡®I dual-wielder!¡¯ I brought my knife down anyway. Another arm snapped to meet mine, appearing through the blizzard. ¡®No,¡¯ the orc insisted, holding my blade back with ease. ¡®No.¡¯ I glanced at the ground, making sure I still had time. I released my grip some, then slid downwards¡ªupwards, really, considering we were falling head-first¡ªto the orc¡¯s forearm. The patch of grey skin had grown, and grown fast, even despite the cold air. So I cut it. Arzak roared with pain, but made no effort to stop me as I stripped her arm of corrupted flesh, one strip at a time. I cut as delicately as I could, but falling through a blizzard was not exactly the ideal scenario for surgery, and so on occasion I cut living flesh along with corrupted. I cursed myself every time I saw an error, but let it go. There would be time for regret later; Arzak needed me to concentrate if she was going to have any chance of keeping her arm. The ground crept up on me. I glimpsed the solid white mass approaching a second too late. When I opened a portal beneath us to catch us, I was successful in putting it in our path. I was not successful in the careful placement of its other side. Arzak and I erupted through this second portal, a dozen feet in the air, and then tumbled across the snowy landscape. The thick snow helped to cushion our fall, but I still felt something snap in my right leg. I ignored the fierce, eye-watering pain and staggered over to where Arzak had landed, to continue my work. My hands shook, both from pain and cold, but still I worked, slicing ever more flesh away, carefully balancing ¡®too much¡¯ and ¡®too little¡¯. Cutting too deeply would damage Arzak¡¯s ability to use her right arm. Cutting too shallowly would mean that the corruption would spread further¡ªand losing an arm would be the least of her worries. I thought I heard a shout, but amidst the growing blizzard, it was impossible to tell. I continued at my work, assuming¡ªno, hoping¡ªthat the shout had been a creation of my imagination. If it wasn¡¯t, and if we were in trouble, I didn¡¯t know how Arzak would survive. I heard it again. Lore¡¯s voice. ¡®Here!¡¯ I cried back, forgetting for a moment the enemy that had done this. The very same enemy that I saw approaching, charging through the blizzard. I spared one moment to whip one hand back, opening a portal in the trunk of the nearest, largest tree. With my portal slice ability activated, the top of the tree was cut free of its roots, and its massive trunk tumbled towards ground, just in front of the charging enemy. I¡¯d bought us only seconds. ¡®Lore!¡¯ I shouted, as loud as I could, supporting by my portal relays. ¡®Lore, help! Here!¡¯ I sliced another strip of flesh away from the screaming Arzak, and out of the corner of my eye, I spotted the soldier of corruption leap over the fallen tree trunk in one stride. ¡®Lore!¡¯ I bellowed, though even with my relays, I couldn¡¯t hope to match the volume of Arzak¡¯s cries of pain anyway. It occurred to me only then that we weren¡¯t all that far away from Arit¡¯s camp; I could only hope they couldn¡¯t hear our cries over the blizzard. The barbarian appeared amongst the falling snow, emerging in a flash to stand between us and the corrupted soldier. He met the enemy¡¯s charge with the flat of his Bane Sword, crying out with effort as he fought against unnatural strength. I knew he could only last so long. I would have to finish now. I made one last cut, deeper than I would have liked, and tore free the last of Arzak¡¯s corrupted flesh, leaving her arm looking¡­ I tried not to see how bad it was. ¡®Zoi!¡¯ I cried out, but when I heard no response, I pulled one of Corminar¡¯s fire potions from my satchel. I wrenched the cork out with my teeth, then poured it over Arzak¡¯s arm. Even in such cold conditions, the potion blossomed into fiery life, the flames cauterising Arzak¡¯s wound, just as Val had taught me. I used my Titan Husk-adapted hands to pat the fire out a second later. ¡®Styk, I don¡¯t think¡­¡¯ Lore cried out, his voice straining, just as Corminar, Val and Zoi appeared in sight. ¡®I know,¡¯ I said. With that, I opened a portal beneath me and Arzak. We fell through it, and I left it open for my friends to leap through. I¡¯d done what I¡¯d sworn I wouldn¡¯t¡ªthis was no regular portal, but a Saved Portal. This brought us out in a tavern a day¡¯s ride to the south¡­ and without our horses. I¡¯d given Arit a huge lead over us, but if I hadn¡¯t, the corrupted soldiers would have found us. Arzak almost certainly would not have survived. Val leaped through the portal next, followed by Corminar and Zoi, before finally Lore jumped through, yelping as he did so. I closed the portal the moment that he was passing through, but the soldier of corruption reached a gray hand through after him. I rose, shakily, to attack, to force them out of the portal, but instead¡­ It closed through the hand. Whatever the Council had done to these corrupted soldiers to make them more obedient, it had also made them less¡­ sentient. The system no longer considered them alive. And, as a result, my portals could cut through them. ¡®Huh,¡¯ I said. ¡®That¡¯s new.¡¯ A lifeless, corrupted forearm dropped to the floor of the tavern, in front of me, Lore, and a particularly alarmed innkeeper. The stranger watched, mouth hanging open, as I opened another portal to drop the dismembered arm into the raging fireplace. ¡®We¡­ can explain,¡¯ Lore told the innkeeper. * * * Arzak was resting upstairs, in one of the bedrooms, while she recovered. The rest of us waited downstairs, barely touching our ales, as Val reappeared. I wanted to ask how it had gone, but the pale look on my wife¡¯s face said it all.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Still, it didn¡¯t stop Zoi from asking. ¡®How is she?¡¯ ¡®I¡­¡¯ Val trailed off, then approached the table and took a big swig of my beer. I pointed to the untouched drink next to me. ¡®I did buy you one.¡¯ Val took another swig of my ale before continuing, ¡®I did what I could, but¡­ What I could do wasn¡¯t enough.¡¯ ¡®You couldn¡¯t heal her?¡¯ Zoi asked. ¡®I know someone, not far from here, who might be able to¡ª¡¯ Val shook her head abruptly. ¡®No.¡¯ Another swig. ¡®I¡¯m not the best healer, I know that, but that¡¯s not why I couldn¡¯t do enough. The corruption, it did more damage than anyone would be able to heal. The malae, they leave lasting marks.¡¯ Lore raised his eyebrows, as if to say ¡°I could¡¯ve told you that¡±. My wife took a seat at my side, her hand drifting to my right thigh. I¡¯d thought it a loving caress before she began to squeeze, and then I realised that she was checking that Corminar¡¯s healing potions had been enough to fix my broken leg. That was loving too, in a different way. ¡®How bad is it?¡¯ Corminar asked, eyes locked on Val. ¡®I¡­¡¯ ¡®How bad, Equivalence?¡¯ the elf asked again, this time using her full name. ¡®If she can use her arm at all, I¡¯ll be happy,¡¯ Val said. Silence passed over the group. Lore and I took hefty swigs of our beers, and Corminar must have decided this was a good idea, because he quickly followed suit. ¡®Was she awake, up there?¡¯ Zoi asked. Val nodded. ¡®Awake, just resting. I want her off her feet.¡¯ My wife downed the rest of the pint she¡¯d stolen from me, then began to rise from the table. ¡®I was just coming down to give you all an update, really; I should¡ª¡¯ But Zoi stood. ¡®I can go up for a bit. Keep her company. I think you¡­ I think all of you could do with some downtime too.¡¯ I nodded, and gestured for Val to sit back down again. It was good to have someone travelling with us who reminded us of the need to look after ourselves every now and then. We¡¯d become so focused on taking down the Council over the past few months that maybe we¡¯d forgot to leave room for ourselves. The one bright side had been that it¡¯d kept our squabbling to a minimum; we were all hyper-focused on the same objective. We drank in silence for a time. Well, nearly in silence¡ªLore very quickly drifted off to sleep sitting upright, and his snores were like a swarm of hornets. I tried to occupy Corminar and Val with a game of cards, trying to get their minds off Arzak¡¯s injury. The elf was quickly invested when it became apparent that he was on a winning streak, but Val¡¯s eyes kept drifting to the stairs. ¡®Maybe you should go check in,¡¯ I told her. ¡®Zoi¡¯s been up there a while, and if it¡¯d make you feel any better¡­¡¯ Val opened her mouth as if to say something, but then sighed instead. She nodded, threw her cards down on the table¡ªa winning hand, if she¡¯d been paying attention¡ªand disappeared up the staircase. ¡®This game requires a third,¡¯ Corminar said, apparently eager to continue. He nudged Lore with his elbow, gently. When that did nothing to awake the big man, he elbowed him much harder. ¡®Is the food here?¡¯ Lore spluttered as he woke up. Corminar answered by dealing him a hand. ¡®Oh,¡¯ the barbarian replied, but otherwise didn¡¯t put up any fuss about being woken for a game of cards. We made it through half a hand before Val appeared back downstairs again, her face bright red. ¡®Val?¡¯ I asked. The woman shook her head, but her face was bright enough that it distracted even Corminar from the game. The elf placed his hand on the table. ¡®What is it? Am I to assume that something terrible has happened up there?¡¯ Val licked her lips, her mouth opening slightly then closing again, as she searched for the words. ¡®Arzak and Zoi, they¡¯re¡­ getting on a bit better than I thought.¡¯ ¡®Oh?¡¯ Corminar said, a smiling creeping across his face. ¡®Oh,¡¯ I added, catching up a moment later. ¡®They¡¯re getting on.¡¯ The three of us looked to Lore, who was busy rearranging his hand. When he felt our gazes upon him, he looked up at us. ¡®What?¡¯ he asked. ¡®Val said that Arzak and Zoi are getting on better than we thought.¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s nice!¡¯ Lore said, then began rearranging his hand of cards some more. Corminar placed his hand gently atop Lore¡¯s card, forcing him to lower them. The elf looked into the barbarian¡¯s eyes, willing him to catch up. ¡®They are getting on better than we thought,¡¯ he said again. A few seconds later, Lore¡¯s eyes widened. ¡®Oh!¡¯ He broke immediately into a wide, toothy grin. ¡®Oh, that¡¯s really nice. I guess we all need a little comfort at the mo.¡¯ The barbarian placed his cards down on the table, and Corminar groaned when he realised his winning streak was over. ¡®Bet they¡¯ll wish you hadn¡¯t see that, though,¡¯ Lore said, nodding to Val. Val remained flushed. Corminar suddenly sat up straight, no longer interested in the game of cards in the least. ¡®What did you just say?¡¯ ¡®Bet they¡¯ll¡ª¡¯ Lore started, before I waved him down; Corminar¡¯s question had been rhetorical. ¡®Cor, what¡¯s up?¡¯ Val asked the elf. For the second time in as many minutes, Corminar smiled. ¡®I think I have an idea.¡¯
"Styk" Level 25 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 299 Dexterity ¡ª 198 Strength ¡ª 106 Wisdom ¡ª 94 Charisma ¡ª 78
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 82 Knifework ¡ª Level 63 Stealth ¡ª Level 34 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Peerless Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location. Support up to ten pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades II ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Etched spells can be activated up to ten times. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
247. Rebuilding ¡®Arzak¡­¡¯ Corminar said hesitantly as we entered the bedroom. The orc rested in bed, while Zoi sat in an armchair at the other side of the room, focusing on reading a book. Or pretending to. For the sake of Arzak¡¯s weakened state, we opted not to make jokes about what Val had walked in to. At least, we opted not to make jokes right now; there was time yet. ¡®Yes. Arm hurt,¡¯ Arzak replied. Corminar nodded. ¡®I am sorry to hear that, but it was not the subject of my question.¡¯ The orc nodded approvingly. Only she could be frustrated by people fussing over her. Only she could think Corminar¡¯s apparent apathy about her injury was something to be lauded. ¡®Good. What, then?¡¯ ¡®I have had an idea. One that may help us deal with our Arit problem.¡¯ Corminar glanced at me. ¡®And perhaps our Cleo problem, as well.¡¯ This was the first I¡¯d heard about that part, but I made an effort not to react. ¡®I require your network of informants. I require them to send a message, if that is not too much to ask?¡¯ Arzak pulled herself up to a seated position and grabbed for the quill and paper on her bedside table. She winced as she put pressure on her injured right arm, and my heart dropped. If the orc could not so much as support her weight on this arm, how could she hope to fight in her typical two-handed manner? How could she hope to be a part of the battles we would need to fight in the coming days? I was happy that she had survived¡ªecstatic, even¡ªbut were we not essentially down a soldier nonetheless? Again, I made an effort not to react. At the sight of the orc hurting herself, Zoi tossed the book aside and rose to help her. I didn¡¯t quite know when these two had become so close, but I suppose I¡¯d been focusing on other matters. Trying to stop the world ending and having to deal with a mother who was one bad day away from murdering you were both stressors that had to be the priority over my friend¡¯s love life. The tiefling took the paper and quill from Arzak¡¯s trembling hands, then looked to Corminar. ¡®Tell your network,¡¯ the elf said, ¡®that Corminar Cladenor seeks Ted the enchanter. He is calling in his blood debt.¡¯ ¡®Oh, he won¡¯t like this,¡¯ Val said, a smile on her face that matched my own. Zoi raised an eyebrow, but asked nothing of our apparent past with this enchanter. ¡®Inform him of our location,¡¯ Corminar continued, ¡®and that we will be travelling north. I expect to meet him on the road.¡¯ Arzak swallowed. ¡®What if informant captured? What if Council intercept?¡¯ ¡®The scout that¡­¡¯ Corminar trailed off, but gestured to Arzak¡¯s injured arm. ¡®The scout was able to retreat. Arit will be informed that we are pursuing him, if he was not already aware.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m guessing Cleo told him,¡¯ Val added. ¡®He won¡¯t learn anything that he didn¡¯t know already.¡¯ I nodded my agreement. ¡®Speaking of, we should set off, when we can. Coming back here and Arzak recovering has given Arit a couple of days¡¯ head start. We have some ground to cover, and we¡¯ll need to find new¡ª¡¯ ¡®I sorry if injury slow us down,¡¯ the orc said, having so recently mastered the art of sarcasm. Holding up my hand to beg her forgiveness, I replied, ¡®I didn¡¯t mean it like that. You getting better is important. But so too is stopping Arit and the malae. We¡¯ve got to get moving.¡¯ Arzak raised her injured arm for all to see. ¡®And I fight like this?¡¯ To this, I had no response. Nobody did. The room went silent. Val moved almost imperceptibly towards me. It was up to me, then, to be the villain. To be the one to say it. ¡®You don¡¯t have to fight. You¡¯ve given enough. We can¡­ go on without you.¡¯ If the silence of moments earlier was chilling, I don¡¯t know how to describe the one that followed. Arzak held my gaze with eyes so intense, yet so unreadable. ¡®You retire me?¡¯ she asked. ¡®If it¡¯s what you want.¡¯ ¡®And if not what I want?¡¯ ¡®Then you¡¯ll come with us,¡¯ I answered. ¡®We¡¯d want you there, and you¡¯ll still be valuable to us. But¡­ it¡¯ll be dangerous.¡¯ ¡®I know it dangerous,¡¯ the orc replied. ¡®I¡­¡¯ She shook her head. Just what had I seen in her eyes? I¡¯d thought at first it was anger, directed at me. But now I wasn¡¯t so sure. ¡®There is another option,¡¯ Zoi piped up. ¡®If we can spare a day.¡¯ ¡®We can¡¯t,¡¯ I said. ¡®Styk!¡¯ Val cried out, and when I looked into her eyes, I was sure I saw anger. I held her glare. ¡®I¡¯m sorry to have to be the one to say this, I really am, but we¡¯ve got to strike Arit now. We¡¯ve got to strike him before the malae get to Auricia. Once those creatures are behind Amira¡¯s walls, we¡¯ll have no hope of getting to them. The Council¡¯s plan will be as good as complete.¡¯ ¡®We don¡¯t know that, Styk,¡¯ Lore said, adding to the choir of voices rising against me. ¡®We might find another way. We usually do! And if we can help Arzak in the meantime¡­¡¯ The elf stood tall. ¡®Styk is right,¡¯ he said. ¡®Thank you.¡¯ ¡®We must bring the battle to Arit as soon as possible.¡¯ I nodded. Corminar licked his lips. ¡®...However.¡¯ Ah. ¡®Our latest and best plan¡ª¡¯ ¡®¡°Best¡± is a stretch,¡¯ I cut in. The elf drew a long sigh, but nodded his agreement. ¡®Our latest and least terrible plan relies upon the presence of Ted, the enchanter. As we do not know where in the world that dreadful yet admittedly slightly handsome man is, we may have to wait. If, in the meantime, we can aid our friend, then I think we must.¡¯ ¡®And give up valuable reconnaissance time while we do that?¡¯ I asked. ¡®What if future scouting trips show a weakness we didn¡¯t spot before. What if¡ª¡¯ ¡®You want go back into that?¡¯ Arzak asked. ¡®You want face corruption again? Who lose strength next? Corminar? Lore? Pregnant wife? Or maybe they not just lose strength. Maybe they lose life.¡¯ I struggled to meet the orc¡¯s gaze. ¡®We¡¯ll have to face them eventually.¡¯ ¡®Then we face them after this handsome enchanter arrives,¡¯ Zoi said. It was a clean sweep; everyone in this room, even the temporary member of the team, had spoken against me. I drew in a long, deep breath, then finally raised my hands in the air to admit defeat. ¡®Fine. Tell me, Zoi. How do we help Arzak?¡¯ * * * Lore tried to make me feel better about the situation as we travelled northwest, following Zoi¡¯s lead. He was right, of course, that looking after our friends was important, but he didn¡¯t need to use the phrase ¡°the power of friendship¡± quite so much. I let him think he¡¯d won me around by making the case that if we didn¡¯t look after each other, then we were no better than the Players, but I didn¡¯t really believe that. Not at times like these.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! No, the only thing that made me feel better about the situation was our direction of travel. Though we weren¡¯t directly following Arit¡¯s army, we were still riding in roughly the right direction, if a bit inefficiently. Val had started teaching me the basics of riding over the past day or so, and I have to admit that it wasn¡¯t something that came naturally to me. Nobody could be amazing at everything. So I let her keep the reins, and in the meantime, I focused my mind on plotting. I wish I could say I came up with something new and revolutionary as we travelled, but honestly I thought of nothing better than we already had. The worst thing possible had happened: we were relying on that annoying Ted guy to stop the world from ending. I could think of nobody worse suited to the task. But when he came¡ªas Corminar was sure he would¡ªand we could get old familiar enchantments from him¡­ then maybe we stood a chance at taking out Arit. Everything else would follow. When we arrived at Zoi¡¯s intended destination, I was surprised to find that it wasn¡¯t the house of a great healer, or some academy of magicks. No, instead, we stood before a humble blacksmith¡¯s hut. Even Arzak was unsure. ¡®This right place?¡¯ Zoi squeezed the orc on her good arm. ¡®It¡¯s the right place. Trust me.¡¯ The tiefling said, before glancing over the burning forge then pushing open the flimsy wooden door of the blacksmith¡¯s hut. ¡®Kudd?¡¯ the tiefling called out. ¡®Are you there?¡¯ A filthy head poked out from around the corner of the dusty interior, and the man¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡®Zoi, darling! It¡¯s been too long!¡¯ The man hurried to hug the tiefling, an apron with soot stains disguising its floral print draping across the floor. Surprisingly, Zoi didn¡¯t seem worried about the dirt¡ªI would have thought she was the type to appreciate cleanliness¡ªor at least hugging an old friend was enough to put such concerns aside. To make matters worse, the blacksmith gripped Zoi by the shoulders and placed a kiss on each cheek, leaving black marks on either side. Only then did Kudd notice the rest of us. ¡®And you brought friends!¡¯ Zoi nodded, stepping aside, and gestured to us. ¡®Kudd, meet Arzak, Val, Corminar, Styk and Lore.¡¯ The blacksmith nodded, then pointed to Corminar. ¡®I am going to guess you¡¯re Lore.¡¯ He pointed to Val. ¡®You¡¯re Arzak.¡¯ To me and Arzak. ¡®You¡¯re Corminar and Val.¡¯ Finally, he gestured to Lore. ¡®And you¡¯re Styk.¡¯ ¡®Not even close,¡¯ Val said. ¡®Arzak is an orcish name.¡¯ Kudd stepped forward, taking Arzak¡¯s left hand for a shake, having apparently noticed the injury to her right arm without us realising. ¡®A beautiful name for a beautiful woman,¡¯ he said, kissing the orc¡¯s hand. ¡®I should¡¯ve known.¡¯ ¡®Is it only Arzak who shall be receiving a kiss in the near future?¡¯ Corminar asked, immediately jealous¡ªas always¡ªof someone else getting attention. Kudd¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡®Of course not. Where¡¯d you want it?¡¯ ¡®I¡ª¡¯ ¡®We¡¯re actually here for a favour,¡¯ Zoi interrupted Corminar before he could give the inevitable answer. A wise decision, because it seemed that even my elven friend had met his match in the blacksmith with the flowery apron. Kudd feigned offence, placing a hand on his chest. ¡®This isn¡¯t a social call, my love?¡¯ Zoi drifted to Arzak¡¯s side, putting a hand tight on the orc¡¯s good arm. I watched Kudd¡¯s eyes drift from the hand, to Zoi, and then to Arzak. A small smile crossed his face. I could see that he knew of Arzak and Zoi¡¯s blossoming relationship immediately; nothing got past this man. ¡®Arzak here,¡¯ Zoi said, ¡®she recently suffered an injury to her arm. It was an injury of a sort that no healer could ever truly mend, and as she specialises in Two-Handed¡­¡¯ Kudd nodded. ¡®She will need strength in both arms. I understand, my dear. Perhaps there is something we can do about it, but I will need to consider it, and it will come at a price.¡¯ ¡®A price?¡¯ Val asked. ¡®We have coin, we can¡ª¡¯ But the blacksmith shook his head. ¡®No, no, nothing like that. My price is simple. In the kitchen, you will find ingredients for a carrot and parsnip soup.¡¯ He turned to Corminar, Lore and me. ¡®Perhaps these strapping young gentlemen could prepare us dinner?¡¯ * * * I was on cutting duty. I suppose that made sense; of the three of us, I was definitely the one most adept with a knife. Corminar stood over a giant metal pot, stoking the flames beneath with drops of fire potions, while Lore, of course, was in charge of flavour. As we worked in the kitchen, we heard all kinds of noises coming from the other room. At first there was the fast, scratchy sound of frantic charcoal sketching. Then we heard thuds and wallops as the blacksmith looked for the required materials. And finally, we heard ¡°oohs¡± and ¡°aahs¡± as Kudd revealed his intention. Corminar, Lore and I looked up from our work at these noises, frowns on our face, but nobody with any extra information that we could provide. Only when all the ingredients were chopped¡ªa job fairly quickly achieved due to my high Knifework ability¡ªwas I able to leave the other two guys in the kitchen and take a look for myself. What I found was the four of them standing over a large desk, staring down at a sketch of the blacksmith¡¯s creation. I arrive at their side, tried to peer over Arzak¡¯s shoulder, failed, and then peered over Zoi¡¯s instead. What I saw was a beautiful sketch of Arzak¡¯s frail, injured arm, but that wasn¡¯t what the rest of the team had gasped at. What they¡¯d be in awe of was the intricate mechanical contraption that Kudd had sketched around the drawing of Arzak¡¯s arm. It was an elaborate frame structure that encompassed the arm, complete with springs and lines of what I could only assume were a form of mana running down it. ¡®Huh,¡¯ I said. ¡®Huh?¡¯ Kudd repeated. ¡®Is that all you have to say, my dear?¡¯ ¡®I mean¡ª¡¯ ¡®This will fix arm? Make strong again?¡¯ Arzak asked, saving me from having to defend myself. Kudd took the orc by the shoulders, and looked deeply into her eyes. ¡®It won¡¯t just make your arm strong. It will make it an arm fit for the queen that you are.¡¯ Zoi smiled. ¡®What do you need us to do?¡¯
"Styk" Level 25 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 299 Dexterity ¡ª 198 Strength ¡ª 106 Wisdom ¡ª 94 Charisma ¡ª 78
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 82 Knifework ¡ª Level 63 Stealth ¡ª Level 34 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Peerless Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location. Support up to ten pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades II ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Etched spells can be activated up to ten times. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
248. A Debt Repaid ¡®Alright, ready?¡¯ Val asked Arzak. We were standing in a clearing not far off the traveller¡¯s road, our new horses tied up to a tree at its far side. This morning, we¡¯d left Kudd¡¯s blacksmith hut after very little sleep, kept awake by the clamour of the blacksmith working on the arm contraption all night. But when he¡¯d finished and presented it to Arzak, and when she¡¯s strapped it on, it seemed like it had all been worth it. My orcish friend had tested it timidly at first, just stretching her fingers, moving her hand this way and that. But Kudd had encouraged her to show what the contraption could do. He picked up a bar of iron, and he threw it at her. When I say he threw it at her, I don¡¯t mean gently and under-arm, but instead that he threw it as hard as he could at the orc¡¯s face. Arzak¡¯s hand had snapped up to grab it, and the weight of the iron bar looked like it hadn¡¯t weighed on her at all. I watched as a tear rolled down the orc¡¯s cheek, followed by a tender moment between her and Zoi, which had Lore and Kudd crying too. But catching an iron bar was one thing. Using her heavy swords effectively in battle was another thing entirely. And so we stood, Lore, Zoi, Corminar and I at the edge of the clearing by our horses, Val and Arzak in the centre. I checked my mana reserves once more, finding them still drained by having to feed mana into Arzak¡¯s contraption, but they would recover. And, again, it was worth it, even if we¡¯d have to top that mana up occasionally. The orc flexed her arm once more. ¡®I ready,¡¯ Arzak answered Val¡¯s question. My wife nodded, then crouched lightly to place her fingertips on the ground. Her eyes and hands glowed green as she invoked her Witchcraft magicks, and we all listened out for sounds of the approaching enemies. The summoned wolves came promptly. All kinds of creatures had been drawn out of the darkness in the wake of Arit¡¯s army, and wolves were no exception. Plenty were about. And as a result, Val might just have summoned too many. A dozen lupine faces emerged from the darkness of the trees. I reached for my knife, but Zoi shook her head. ¡®She can take them,¡¯ she said. ¡®Watch.¡¯ Though I hesitated, I did lower my hand. Still, I wasn¡¯t sure if it was true. Wolves were generally low-level enemies, yes, but there were many of them, and we still didn¡¯t know how strong Arzak now was¡ªthis being the test of that. I identified a couple of the larger beasts, noting that they were shadow variants; they would have some control over light. I kept my hand off my blade, but I was still prepared to intervene if I had to. The twelve beastly faces trained themselves on Arzak, who stood in the light of the centre of the clearing. The orc stared back, and raised her swords. She gripped the blade that could absorb magicks in the hand supported by Kudd¡¯s contraption. Lore leaned over to me. ¡®You know what I¡¯m thinking?¡¯ ¡®What?¡¯ ¡®We should¡¯ve thrown you a bachelor party.¡¯ I furrowed my brow, turned to him, and blinked. ¡®Is now really the time?¡¯ Lore shrugged, and I¡¯m pretty sure I heard him mumble under his breath, ¡®I would¡¯ve been your best man if you asked.¡¯ I shook my head to free myself of this strange tangent, and I turned back to Arzak just as the first wolf pounced. The orc shifted to one side, raising her supported arm to bring the sword up, slicing the beast along its underbelly as it drifted past her. Another wolf sprung forth in the meantime, and Arzak wasn¡¯t able to shift aside before it hit her. But the orc had never been fast, or agile; that simply wasn¡¯t her nature. Her strength didn¡¯t lie in that, but in, well, strength. Arzak tensed as the second wolf hit her, then shoved it backward. As the creature rebounded, she caught it across the back with the sword on her off-hand¡ªthe arm that hadn¡¯t been injured by the corruption. ¡®What did I tell you?¡¯ Zoi said happily. ¡®She can take them.¡¯ I wanted to correct the tiefling, to tell her that Arzak had only successfully taken down two of the enemies, and that there were ten remaining. But I held my tongue, and I too hoped for the best. Three wolves leapt at once. Arzak easily batted two of them away¡ªher strength had not faded with her injury¡ªand struck with her supported arm to attack the third. But this wolf was nimble, and the contraption on Arzak¡¯s arm wasn¡¯t perfect; it didn¡¯t always move in the way that the orc would have wanted, its movement limited. So the orc missed with this attack, and the wolf managed to get its jaw around Arzak¡¯s vulnerable inner leg. Out of instinct, I moved for my dagger, but Zoi moved to stop me. ¡®She has this under control,¡¯ she reiterated, but I could hear in her tone that she was no longer so sure. Arzak shifted strategy, instead kicking the creature with her other leg. She fell backward to the ground with this manoeuvre, but was successful in pushing the enemy back. As it pounced once more, Arzak raised her blade to meet it. Though sword met flesh, at the same time, more wolves decided their prey was now vulnerable enough to attack. ¡®Ar¡ª¡¯ Val started. ¡®I got!¡¯ the orc declared, as she hopped back to her feet. And maybe she did. But I could see already that my orcish friend was going to have to change her fighting style. Even with Kudd¡¯s genius contraption, Arzak would no longer be as agile with her dual blades as before. It was better she acknowledged that and adapted, rather than stubbornly trying to fight on as before, and potentially losing her life as a result. She still had her strength on her side, and she would need to lean in to that. I resisted the urge to shout out, to suggest this to my friend. Arzak was wiser than the others; she would work it out before long. And maybe it was better she discovered it from herself rather than having someone drop the truth on her. I looked to Zoi¡ªwas she ahead of me on this? Had she already realised what had needed to happen? Four wolves remained, though this included the two largest of the pack, the two shadow variants. Light bent around them some, obscuring their movements, giving Arzak less time to attack or defend. Even without her recent limitations, it would have been difficult to react in time to hit these enemies. Instead, the orc lowered her blades, and she let them come to her. As they pounced, I realised Arzak knew that she couldn¡¯t hope to meet them with her blades; she wasn¡¯t fast enough. But she was strong enough to let them bite, and then they would be well within reach. Jaws snapped at flesh, some hitting armour, some piercing cloth, and Arzak raised her blades to meet them all. * * * It was nice to ride into a town that wasn¡¯t entirely deserted. A few homes were empty, sure, but there were still enough people around that someone noticed when we arrived. One of them, a young boy perhaps six or seven years old, looked at Arzak with bulged eyes. I thought at first that he was looking at the contraption on her arm, but then I realised it might be something else. My suspicions were confirmed when the boy ran the length of the town, before returning dragging his mother by the arm. And his mother wore the badge of Arzak¡¯s network. ¡®Good meet you,¡¯ Arzak said when the woman looked up at her. Maybe so as to seem less intimidating, my orcish friend dismounted the horse, but it didn¡¯t much help because even then, she was still towering over the informant.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡®You¡­ you as well,¡¯ the local woman stuttered. Her son looked up at her, and squeezed her hand reassuringly, as though it was something he¡¯d done several times before. ¡®You got news?¡¯ The woman nodded, but didn¡¯t immediately speak. Her lips twitched as she tried to form the words, but couldn¡¯t speak them. ¡®Is OK,¡¯ Arzak reassured her. After nodding, the informant was finally able to deliver her news. ¡®There has been¡­ been a small uprising. Near Westbara. Armadans fi¡­fighting against Goldmarch. Not many, only¡­ only maybe a dozen people involved, but they set fire to the fort¡¯s¡­ grain supply.¡¯ Arzak looked over her shoulder, back at us. Though she said nothing, I could tell what she was thinking; the tides were turning. People really were starting to fight against the Players and their Goldmarch host. ¡®Good,¡¯ the orc said to the local woman. ¡®Thank you. Any more?¡¯ ¡®No. I mean¡­ yes! The woman who led them, they say her name was Raelas, if that means any¡­anything to you?¡¯ I heard Val chuckle to herself, and under her breath she added, ¡®Good for her.¡¯ From her tone of voice, it sounded like she actually meant it. ¡®It means,¡¯ Arzak said, nodding. ¡®Thank you. You been helpful. What about you? You need thing?¡¯ The informant looked taken aback, even going so far as to take a short step away from Arzak. ¡®No, I¡­ helping the cause is enough. Thank¡­you for the honour.¡¯ The orc smiled, then smiled down to the boy as well. She pulled a fresh badge from her pocket¡ªthe symbol of the informants¡ªand handed it to the lad. He, too, broke out in a great big smile, and clutched the badge to his chest. ¡®Thank¡ª¡¯ ¡®Alright!¡¯ someone shouted from down the road. ¡®I¡¯m here! I¡¯m bloody here. What do you want, Corminar? What gets me out of my debt?¡¯ I tried to resist the urge to grin, but I failed. Admittedly, I didn¡¯t try that hard, and when I immediately relented to the urge, I allowed myself to grin as smugly as humanly possible. When the enchanter saw me¡ªand the expression on my face¡ªhe turned his nose up. ¡®Hello, Ted,¡¯ Corminar said. The enchanter was looking better than the last time we¡¯d seen him. He¡¯d shaved recently, and wasn¡¯t wearing the attire of the Cult of Ascendancy, so that was good, if not a particularly high bar. Still, his clothes and his slightly less manic expression suggested that maybe he¡¯d had a bit more luck in the past few months. Maybe he¡¯d even paid off that other debt we¡¯d incurred for him by destroying his shop in Auricia. I could have asked, but ultimately decided that I didn¡¯t care enough. ¡®Yes, hello, elf. Let¡¯s get straight down to business, though, yeah? Tell me what you want, and I¡¯ll do it, and then I can be free of all of you forever.¡¯ Ted¡¯s gaze passed over the group, lingering only on me, who he snarled at. I waved faux-enthusiastically in response. ¡®You think a blood debt is paid so easily?¡¯ Corminar asked, his head held high, his tone deep and foreboding¡ªlest Ted realise that a blood debt wasn¡¯t a real thing. ¡®No. You will provide us with enchantments, and not leave our sides until after our battle with the Council is complete.¡¯ Corminar glanced at me, and caught me shaking my head. ¡®You will meet us again for our battle with the Council,¡¯ Corminar corrected himself. ¡®Rather than accompanying us on our journey.¡¯ ¡®What¡¯s the Council?¡¯ Ted asked. ¡®A large team of Players who seek to end our world,¡¯ Zoi filled him in. She held her hand out towards the enchanter. ¡®Hi, by the way, I¡¯m¡ª¡¯ ¡®You want me to fight Players?¡¯ ¡®I want you to pay your debt,¡¯ Corminar replied. ¡®But that will all be in good time. Arzak¡¯s network will reach out when the time is right. For now, however, all we require are your enchantments.¡¯ Ted held the elf¡¯s gaze for a moment, then slumped his shoulders. He pulled a small sachet from his belt. ¡®Fine. You want enchantments? Have at it.¡¯ Ted tossed the bag to Val. ¡®Do all your enchantments have to be in sweet form?¡¯ Val asked. The irritable enchanter shrugged. ¡®It¡¯s my signature.¡¯ ¡®We have specific requests,¡¯ Corminar said. ¡®Not just any will do. In fact, we request the very same enchantments you once gave us in Auricia.¡¯ Ted raised his eyebrows. ¡®You got another records office to break into?¡¯ I smiled. ¡®Something like that.¡¯
"Styk" Level 25 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 299 Dexterity ¡ª 198 Strength ¡ª 106 Wisdom ¡ª 94 Charisma ¡ª 78
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 82 Knifework ¡ª Level 63 Stealth ¡ª Level 34 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Peerless Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location. Support up to ten pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades II ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Etched spells can be activated up to ten times. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
249. Interference I sucked on the sweet, enjoying the red-root flavour almost as much as I enjoyed its warming enchantment. The foot-deep layer of snow covering the ground now worked only to our advantage; with Ted¡¯s sweets, we could avoid the cold, and the snow was good for keeping our approach quiet. Though I left footsteps in my wake, there would be gaps as I crossed distances with my portals, making me nearly impossible to track. Besides, the enemy would only know to look for my tracks once the job was done, and by then, it would¡ªhopefully¡ªbe too late. I was alone, having left the team behind in a strategically advantageous position. If everything went according to plan, then I would get into the enemy camp, assassinate Arit, and get out of there before anyone ever knew anything had happened. But we had a track record of things not going according to plan, and so it made sense to have a backup. If needed, I would portal Arit out of his camp and drop him into the middle of a small valley, where the rest of the team would be waiting to strike. I hoped it wouldn¡¯t come to that. I hoped that, just once, things would go our way. Over the past few days of riding, the foothills had given out to the great flat plains of the southern Goldmarch, and so there were fewer places to hide. I approached Arit¡¯s army from the west, from among a dense forest, but this would only get me so far. I¡¯d still need to cross a great distance to get into the enemy camp, but this, again, was where the snow came in handy. My latest core Portals ability upgrade had removed the distance requirement, but still relied on my aim. Even from as far away as I was, I could in theory portal myself into Arit¡¯s tent. In practice, however, I¡¯d probably miss on the aiming front. At least the thick snow would dampen my fall, even if I were to fall from a height. Before I stepped forth from the trees, I pulled a poison from my pocket¡ªone of Corminar¡¯s most damaging creations. I dipped my knife into the oozing green mix, watching the poison interact with the green spells etched into my blade by Val. Both of these impacts, combined with my Stealth passives, would have to be enough to kill even Arit¡ªthe amount of damage dealt would be incredible. But I left nothing to chance, and had one more trick up my sleeve. I opened a small satchel, and pushed aside the sweet in question, instead looking for two others. I removed the next two sweets and popped them in my mouth alongside the remnants of the warming red-root nugget. These were two sweets I¡¯d had before, back in Auricia all that time ago, and they would temporarily give me a couple of active effects. Eyeslide meant that even if people did see me, their vision had a good chance of drifting over me without properly noticing me. And the second sweet, which granted me temporary Invisibility, probably needs no explanation. The moment that I saw my hands disappear before me, I stepped out from the cover of the trees. I began to run, portal, and run again, towards the camp, the only sign that I was there being the tracks I left in the snow. But at this distance, even the improved eyesights of the corrupted soldier guards were unlikely to spot such minimal impact. I kept moving as I was, scanning the camp for signs of that larger tent that I knew hosted Arit¡ªwho would suffer nothing else. I spotted it in the camp¡¯s very centre, surrounded by more soldiers of corruption than I stood any chance of surviving. There would be one or two more inside the tent, I knew, but hopefully with my new enchantments, I could slip through their fingers. I waited as long as possible to open the final portal, the one that would spill me out into Arit¡¯s tent. The closer I was, the more chance I had of getting the aim right first time, and the more chance I had of killing Arit before anyone knew anything had happened. I drew my poison-covered, lifedrain-etched blade, and I pulled the last two sweets from the satchel. I popped them into my mouth, and then bit hard into the solid sugar candy, activating the last two effects. Lightfoot nearly eliminated the sound of my footsteps, while the other, Mighty, increased the damage I would deal in the next few minutes. And then I opened the last pair of portals. I leapt through it and landed mutely on the ground of Arit¡¯s tent. My aim had been true. Success. I looked around slowly, desperate to avoid any movement¡ªor knocking anything¡ªthat might give away my position. I saw Arit lying asleep on the bed¡ªapparently even Players slept¡ªwith two soldiers of corruption standing at the tent flap. It was just as I¡¯d expected. It was almost too good to be true. Don¡¯t think things like that, idiot, Val¡¯s voice ran through my head¡ªan imagined jab but one that wasn¡¯t wrong. The opening of the tent flapped in the bitter wind as I creeped over to Arit¡¯s side. I raised my knife in the air, pointing downwards into the Player¡¯s chest, I drew in a deep breath, and I activated Execution. My blade plunged towards Arit¡¯s heart. But something grabbed my wrist, mid-attack. I pushed against the force, blinking, then tried to shake my wrist free. Was this some kind of Worldbending spell I was yet to unlock? Some trap that Arit had set for me, or for any would-be assassin? My question was answered with the invisible force turned visible, and I saw that it was little more than a woman¡¯s hand grabbing my wrist. ¡®Hello, son,¡¯ my mother said. Arit¡¯s eyes snapped open. My mother yanked on my arm, her immense strength sending me flying through the air. I ploughed through the side of the tent, taking a good half of the fabric with me, then landed, tumbling across the camp. A hundred pairs of eyes looked at the tent cloth draped over me, but all failed to react. It took me a second to realise that they¡¯d only seen the fabric move, and not the invisible Player slayer underneath. Yet¡­ my mother had seen through that active effect. Whatever the true extent of her build was, it meant that she didn¡¯t just turn invisible, she could see through others¡¯ invisibility too. I stumbled back to my feet, tearing myself free of the cloth that had wrapped around my legs. I saw Arit also leaping to his feet, apparently much less groggy when he¡¯d just been woken up than I would have been. And I saw, a moment too late, my mother pick up the vial of ink from Arit¡¯s desk, then throw it at me. The glass shattered on impact, the ink inside making my otherwise invisible body visible for all to see. Only then did the army truly react. In a blink, the soldiers had formed a circle around my inky shape, spears held out, the soldiers of corruption standing closest to me. I turned back to my mother, and I sighed. ¡®Is this how it goes?¡¯ I asked. ¡®You won¡¯t kill me, but you¡¯ll keep interfering? Is this just gonna continue? Are we doomed to some eternal battle?¡¯ ¡®Not eternal, no,¡¯ my mother replied. ¡®It won¡¯t be much longer, now.¡¯ I hated to think what she meant by that. Were Tana and her Council almost done with their preparations for the ritual? Were these malae the last piece of the puzzle? ¡®Oh, I beg to differ,¡¯ I said. I snapped open a portal beneath me, then fell through it to land at Arit¡¯s rear. I activated Titan Husk just in time, just before a corrupted soldier could reach out to grab me, to dig its fingertips hard into my shoulder. Opening a portal with one hand, I severed the monster¡¯s arm, though its fingers were deep enough into the muscle tissue of my shoulder that the hand remained in place. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. At the same time, I reached my blade forward to stab into Arit. I didn¡¯t have my Stealth Attack or Execution damage boosts, but I still had the effects of the Ted¡¯s enchantment, Corminar¡¯s poison, and Val¡¯s lifedrain magicks working for me. It was nice to have such a strong team on your side. I knew it wouldn¡¯t be enough to kill Arit¡ªthose missing damage buffs were more than enough to make a difference¡ªbut at this point, I would take weakening him. I opened another portal beneath us, this one my saved portal back to the valley where the Slayers waited. Arit and I fell, the Player falling through it, while my fall was interrupted by a spear passing through the shoulder. I cried out in pain, my vision blurring, darkening, bile erupted from my throat. Having just enough of my wits still with me, I turned and portal sliced through the spear¡¯s shaft. Half of the weapon stayed within me as I began to fall down into the portal once more. Of the many soldiers of corruption charging at me, two thought not to attack me, but to leap for the portal that I was falling through. When I tumbled out onto the grass of the valley sides, I knocked spearpoint against ground, making the extreme pain flare up once more. This slowed me down just enough that when I closed the portal, two of the soldiers of corruption were already fully through, though parts of a handful more were sliced off when my magicks ceased. In such a state as I was, I didn¡¯t have time to read the resulting experience notifications. I realised then that it wasn¡¯t just the soldiers of corruption who had passed through. My mother stood, having emerged through the portal quicker than even the monsters, her expression calm as she settled her eyes on me. To look at her calm posture, she wasn¡¯t angry, or frustrated, but simply¡­ considering the situation in front of her. ¡®Styk!¡¯ Val cried out. I pushed myself to my feet, staggering, blinking the world back into focus. The team had launched into an attack on the Player, just as planned, but that had been a gamble even before considering the presence of two corrupted soldiers. While one of them charged Zoi, Arzak and Corminar, the other went at Val and Lore. It was the second one I focused on, retrospectively justifying that as being because Zoi had fire magicks at her disposal, when really it was pure favouritism for my wife. I pressed my left hand forward¡ªthe other injured by the spear still protruding through my right shoulder¡ªand opened a portal just in front of the monster. The corrupted soldier tried to avoid the magicks at the last possible second, but it was charging too fast. Its own momentum carried it into the edge of the portal, slicing it in two. I had to quickly open another portal to catch the grey flesh that spilled forth, stopping it from corrupting my friends. ¡®Thank you!¡¯ Lore called out. At the same moment, a huge blast of fire erupted from the other side of the small valley, where Zoi was incinerating the other corrupted soldier. For good measure, Corminar lobbed a flammable potion at the creature. When the glass hit, and the contents spilled over the monster, the fire grew greater, and the inhuman shrieking grew louder. But these two victories had just distracted us from the real danger: the worldbender. The Player, in the past few seconds, had gathered himself, and opened a portal high in the sky above us. From that portal began to pour a steady gush of lava. So Arit had access to saved portals too. ¡®Watch out!¡¯ I shouted, and the ever-alert Corminar immediately looked up at the lava falling down to meet them, his eyes widening. I used my magicks to pull my friends out of trouble at the last moment, dropping them to my side. Meanwhile, Lore had charged the enemy, as he was prone to do, and at that very second his sword met the Player¡¯s own. Metal clashed against metal, then the two men pressed their weapons against each other in a struggle of strength. But Arit wasn¡¯t built for strength, he was built for magicks, and so the clashed blades slowly, trembling, headed his way. Val was already crouching with her hands on the ground by this point, her eyes glowing bright lime green, her Witchcraft magicks seeping into the ground. Roots shot forth from the mud, wrapping themselves around Arit in the blink of an eye, holding him in place. ¡®Don¡¯t release the magicks!¡¯ I shouted at her. ¡®If you release it, he¡¯ll be able to cut through the roots with his portals!¡¯ Val nodded her understanding, but said nothing more. As the other four of us turned, injured and slightly singed, to face down the Player, I¡­ believed. I believed, just for a moment, that we would win this one, that we were turning the tide of battle. I shouldn¡¯t have thought it. I shouldn¡¯t have dared to hope. Because at that moment, my mother joined the fray.
"Styk" Level 25 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 307 Dexterity ¡ª 198 Strength ¡ª 106 Wisdom ¡ª 94 Charisma ¡ª 78
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 83 Knifework ¡ª Level 63 Stealth ¡ª Level 34 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Peerless Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location. Support up to ten pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades II ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Etched spells can be activated up to ten times. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
250. Redundancy ¡®I don¡¯t think anyone has ever hated their mother-in-law as much as I hate mine,¡¯ Val said as she crouched over Zoi, working her magicks. Our new tiefling friend was down. In the moments after my mother had decided to join the fight, she¡¯d disappeared from sight. My gut had dropped immediately, thinking that she sought to attack my friends¡ªif not me and Val¡ªand so I¡¯d done my best to put myself between her and the team, to block her attacks with my body. This was something easier said than done, particularly when the attacker was invisible to the naked eye. But, as it turned out, her priority had been freeing Arit. It had taken me a moment to notice the slices appearing through the summoned roots, and I had just enough time to say, ¡®Lore! Watch out!¡¯ before Arit was free once more. The worldbender crossed the battlefield in a flash by stepping through one of his portals, but it wasn¡¯t him I was worried about. Lore avoided my mother¡¯s attack only by chance, having spun on the spot to track down Arit. As he¡¯d turned, he¡¯d whipped his huge sword around, and its side had caught my mother¡¯s shoulder. I could see her location now based on the blood flowing from her wound, but it was still hard to spot. I thrust my hands forward to open a portal beneath Lore, who was perfectly happy to fall through it and out of immediate trouble. But my mother had been smart enough to avoid pressing the attack on him, instead using her near-invisibility to lend to the chaos. Instead, she¡¯d turned to the rest of the team and charged. Zoi had thought quickly, and she pressed both hand in front of her to conjure forth a wide wave of fire that swept over the landscape. A gap in its coverage announced the location of my mother, who was strong enough to resist the flames somewhat, but almost certainly was suffering damage from them. It was this quick thinking from the tiefling that drew my mother¡¯s ire. I ran to place myself in front of Zoi, to protect her with my own body, as I knew my mother would not spill my blood. Yet I arrived there a second too late, and when I lashed out wildly with my blade in a knifestorm attack, my mother had already inflicted a glancing slash on the tiefling¡¯s chest. When you were as strong as a Player, a glancing attack was all you needed. Zoi collapsed to the floor, clutching her wound, and Val ran to our side, having realised that her roots advantage was over anyway¡ªit was an easy attack to avoid when you knew it was coming. As she set about desperately healing Zoi¡¯s wound, she didn¡¯t look over at me to say, ¡®I don¡¯t think anyone has ever¡­¡¯ and so on. There, you¡¯re all caught up. I turned, looking for that trickle of blood that would mark my mother¡¯s position. Across the valley, Lore, Arzak and Corminar clashed with Arit, blades arching through the air but never hitting, the worldbender being too quick with portals to be caught undefended. That didn¡¯t stop him landing attacks on my friends, however, though at least none had dealt significant damage. Yet. This left the injured Zoi, Val, and me to deal with my mother. This maybe wasn¡¯t the best setup. The tiefling wasn¡¯t going to attack anyone anytime soon, with Val¡¯s healing being so slow. And I knew my mother wasn¡¯t going to hurt Val or me, because she wouldn¡¯t spill her own blood. Which meant¡­ I caught sight of the wound out of the corner of my eye, droplets of blood becoming visible as they dripped from my mother¡¯s flesh. She wasn¡¯t attacking us. She was attacking¡ª ¡®Lore!¡¯ I shouted. Instinctively, he ducked. Unfortunately, this did nothing to save himself from my mother¡¯s attack. Her invisible blade carved a wound deep in my friend¡¯s arm, an attack that dealt enough damage¡ªenough pain¡ªto cause him to drop his weapon. The Bane Sword clattered on the ground. Arzak and Corminar moved swiftly. The elf released a torrent of arrows towards Arit¡¯s head, snapping to re-aim whenever the enemy stepped through a portal. Corminar would have known just as well as I did that he would not hit Arit, and so his intention was clearly to occupy the enemy while Arzak shifted her focus. The orc, for her part, flailed her contraption-supported arm towards where my mother had attacked Lore. From the thud that followed, her swipe met the mark. ¡®Elf! Mark her!¡¯ Arzak shouted, pointing to the space where she¡¯d just hit. Corminar swivelled on the spot and released an arrow just where the orc had been pointing. The arrow seemed to stop in mid-air, its front half going invisible as it became buried in my mother¡¯s body. ¡®Elf?¡¯ he repeated, eyebrow raised. But Arzak didn¡¯t reply. She had that look in her eyes. That look that said she had a plan. I couldn¡¯t ask what it was¡ªnot with two Players around to hear¡ªbut I could keep my mother distracted while Arzak enacted this scheme. I hopped through a portal, leaving Val torn between rejoining the fight and healing Zoi some more, and I activated knifestorm once more. Even with the arrow marking her position, only one of the many frantic slices of my blades actually met my target, and even that dealt only a light wound. But it gave Arzak her opening. She brought her enhanced blade around and lunged at my mother. One attack wouldn¡¯t be the difference between victory and defeat, but¡­ that wasn¡¯t what Arzak was trying to achieve. When her sword met my mother¡¯s flesh, she activated its enchantment, drawing the magicks out of whatever it touched. In the case of my mother, it drew from her the invisibility. My mother blinked as her arms came back into view, and then again as Arzak¡¯s blade disappeared from sight. While Corminar and the injured Lore continued to keep Arit occupied, I pressed the attack on my mother. I knew, deep down, that¡ªlike her¡ªI would struggle to kill someone of my own blood. Arzak could kill my mother, but she would need me to split her attention, and wouldn¡¯t that make me just as complicit in her death? ¡®Whatever it is that you intend,¡¯ Corminar cried out, voice shaking, ¡®please do it soon.¡¯ He was right. We didn¡¯t have time for this. We were facing not one but two Players, and our lives depended on us killing one sooner rather than later. I would have to do it. I would have to draw my mother¡¯s attention, for the sakes of my friends. I roared, half-performatively, as I rushed in with my dagger, bringing it around over-arm to stab. My mother turned more than quickly enough, bringing her own dagger up to meet mine with such precision that they locked against each other despite their small blades. She didn¡¯t look at the locked daggers, however; her eyes were trained on mine. ¡®Your¡­ blood¡­ is meant for more,¡¯ she spat. She pushed blade against blade, sending me stumbling backward, and turned just in time to avoid Arzak¡¯s attack. Then her eyes flicked to Lore. The injured Lore. She knew exactly what she was doing. I opened a portal beneath my feet to drop in front of Lore, abandoning Arzak for a moment. I saw my mother slow in her approach, eyes narrowing, when she saw what I was up to. I knew she wouldn¡¯t hurt me, and she knew that I knew that. And I knew that she knew that¡­ You know what? You get the idea. The only question that remained was: how did that change the dynamic of the fight? My mother sped forward, towards us, and I shifted to block her. She spun to the right, knife raised, urging it past me, but I blocked her with an opening portal. She placed a hand on my shoulder, then pushed off the ground to somersault over me, but I opened a portal beneath me to fall through, so she couldn¡¯t use my shoulder as leverage. A second later, I was back at Lore¡¯s side. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡®We need to focus on one!¡¯ the big guy cried out, midway through an attack on Arit. With the injury, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to land it without Corminar occupying some of the worldbender¡¯s attention. ¡®I know.¡¯ ¡®Which one?¡¯ I met my mother¡¯s eyes as she charged us once more. ¡®I can keep her away. You lot¡ª¡¯ I didn¡¯t get a chance to finish this suggestion, as an enemy portal opened beneath one of Lore¡¯s feet. The portal caused Lore to fall sideway, and in the same moment, the enemy brought their sword up. I could see it about to happen, the blade about to come up to meet Lore¡¯s exposed abdomen. In that split-second, I could think of no ability that would save him, so I reacted just as I¡¯d been doing during the fight so far¡ªI put myself between my friend and my enemy. But, unlike my mother, Arit had no qualms about hurting me. The sword continued on its trajectory, coming up, up, up, and¡­ the metal sliced into my side. I¡¯d already been fighting through the pain of having half a spear poking out my shoulder, but now, the pain was unbearable. I screamed. Arit yanked his sword¡¯s pommel back, pulling me with it. He snarled as he looked into my eyes, apparently savouring the kill. I trembled at the pain, but tried to raise my dagger nonetheless. When the enemy saw that I was still trying to attack, he threw his head back and laughed, before knocking my blade aside with his free hand. I caught sight of one of my friends behind him, or at least, I saw a familiar silhouette¡ªI could not focus beyond that. ¡®C¡­ Cor¡­¡¯ I breathed. My elven friend released an arrow that sped towards the enemy¡¯s head, but despite Arit¡¯s lust for the kill, he was ready for this. The Player worldbender opened a portal behind him that caught the arrow, and¡ªjudging by the resulting scream¡ªinstead found its way to hitting Val. ¡®No,¡¯ I tried to say, but no sound came out. Was this it? Was it over just like this? Had we come so far, only to fail? I had a handful of charges left in my Sisyphus Artifact, but it would take time for me to come back to life, and if the situation didn¡¯t change then I¡¯d just be killed all over again. I needed the rest of the team to alter the flow of battle. I needed¡­ In the immense pain, I lost my path of thought. Lore hadn¡¯t attacked Arit, and Arzak was nowhere that I could see, which meant that my mother¡ªeven visible¡ªwas more than enough to occupy them both. If I was going to survive this, I was going to have to save myself. But with no blade, and without the presence of mind to perform complex magicks, I was out of options. Wasn¡¯t I? I mustered up the last of my strength, and I grabbed the spear point that was protruding from my shoulder. ¡®What are you¡­?¡¯ When I pulled, my vision went black, but I had just enough energy left within me to finish my plan. I activated my low-level Closed Reach ability, and I stabbed forward with my makeshift weapon. As I struggled to maintain consciousness, Arit gasped. And that was it. He didn¡¯t drop the sword that had sliced partway through my side. He didn¡¯t recoil. He didn¡¯t so much as cry out in pain. What I¡¯d done wasn¡¯t enough. I was about to give in, to let the dark take me. I readied myself to jump back into battle through the power of the Sisyphus Artifact, though I knew it would be in vain. But then I saw another shape behind Arit. A woman whose name had slipped my muddied mind approached the Player from behind. The woman¡­ my mother¡­ Arit wasn¡¯t concerned about her nearby presence. She wasn¡¯t the enemy to him. My mother trained her eyes on me, and in a fleeting moment of focus, I saw pain in those eyes. I saw that she truly was capable of such a thing. My vision faded nearly to black, then, but I could still hear. I was still present, if just about. ¡®It¡¯s time for an act of good faith,¡¯ my mother said. ¡®Oh?¡¯ Arit asked. As it turned out, these would be his final words. I heard the gasp of pain that I wanted before. I felt the pressure of the protruding sword relent. I felt myself collapse to the ground, unsupported. I even sensed the notifications coming in, the signs that the enemy was gone. ¡®Can you hear me, son?¡¯ the woman asked. I tried to move my head, to nod, but I can¡¯t say for sure that I was successful. ¡®We have another worldbender for the ritual; Arit was always redundant. But maybe this proves that we can find common ground, you and me. Maybe this proves that you can accept my¡ª¡¯ I passed out.
"Styk" Level 25 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 319 Dexterity ¡ª 204 Strength ¡ª 108 Wisdom ¡ª 94 Charisma ¡ª 78
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 86 Knifework ¡ª Level 64 Stealth ¡ª Level 34 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Peerless Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location. Support up to ten pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades II ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Etched spells can be activated up to ten times. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
251. The Only Way We Win I gasped as I awoke. It took minutes for my sight to return to me, and even after a quarter of an hour or so, my vision was still blurry. I could tell that I was in a room, lying in a bed, and that the bright light of the midday winter sun was pouring in through the large windows. There was a small fire crackling in the corner of the room, dwindling but enough to keep me warm, at least. And there was a chair at my bedside that had a large, dark green scarf draped over its back. I reached my hand out slowly, expecting more pain than I ended up suffering, and let my fingertips drift over the fabric. It was Val¡¯s. She¡¯d been sitting at my bedside. The thought brought me comfort. When I touched the wound in my side, it was still incredibly sensitive, but it was at least closed. That meant that some time had passed since our fight, but perhaps not too much¡ªa day or two. I had the sense that I¡¯d never died, that I¡¯d remained on the cusp between life and death. At least, I couldn¡¯t remember the artifact¡¯s messages. I couldn¡¯t remember selecting anything. There would have been no benefit to dying; I had no upgrades to the artifact¡¯s abilities that I could accept. I¡¯d only have been down a charge. Maybe that was why Val had kept me alive. My gut wrenched when I realised that Val being here meant that she wasn¡¯t out there, pursuing Arit¡¯s caravan of malae. If it was just the other four who went after the malae, then that meant they had less chance of success. They needed to have thrown everything at destroying those malae. I pulled myself upright, sliding my back up against the wall until I was sitting. On my bedside table was a small wooden cup filled with water. I reached out to grab it¡ªI was parched¡ªbut the pain of movement caused me to spill it. The liquid covered my pillow and the cup clattered on the floorboards. Murmuring that I hadn¡¯t quite been conscious off came to an abrupt halt downstairs, and soon I heard footsteps approaching. It could only have been Val. I felt weak. I didn¡¯t like feeling weak in front of my wife, particularly while she was pregnant. I felt an innate responsibility to be the strong one, though even then I recognised that this mentality was probably flawed. Either way, that didn¡¯t stop me from forcing my face to a less pained expression, and from touching at the artifact that dangled from my neck. My heart dropped when my hand touched only my own flesh. Val¡¯s face appeared in the doorway. ¡®The artifact,¡¯ I said, not even sparing a moment to greet her. ¡®Where is it? Where have you put it?¡¯ Val gulped. ¡®Styk, calm down,¡¯ she said, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder. ¡®You should¡¯ve let me use it. I could have healed faster. We could both be with the others, chasing down the malae.¡¯ My wife¡¯s eye twitched. She grabbed me more firmly this time, by both shoulders. I resisted the urge to cringe from the pain. ¡®Styk. Calm down. This isn¡¯t doing you any good.¡¯ ¡®Does telling someone to calm down ever actually work? Where¡¯s the artifact, Val? I need it. I can¡¯t be without it. What if something¡ª¡¯ ¡®She took it.¡¯ ¡®What?¡¯ I replied. ¡®Arzak? Why¡ª¡¯ ¡®Why would Arzak take it? No. Your mother. Your mother took the artifact from you.¡¯ Suddenly the pain seemed overwhelming. ¡®No¡­ No, she wouldn¡¯t. She wants me alive. She wants¡ª¡¯ ¡®Maybe she does,¡¯ Val said, ¡®or maybe she just can¡¯t bring herself to kill you. Maybe this is her making it easier for someone else to do her dirty work. Styk, love, I don¡¯t know why she took it. I only know that she did. But in return, she left the rest of us alive.¡¯ She held my gaze with those damn beautiful brown eyes, then set about healing my wound some more. ¡®We¡¯ll get it back,¡¯ I said, intending confidence but finding it lacking. ¡®Won¡¯t we?¡¯ In answer, Val smiled at me. ¡®There¡¯s¡­ one other thing you won¡¯t like.¡¯ My heart dropped once more. This was maybe the third time that¡¯d happened since I¡¯d regained consciousness, and I¡¯d hardly been awake for that long. I gulped. ¡®Tell me.¡¯ ¡®The others are downstairs.¡¯ ¡®Val¡­¡¯ ¡®I know what¡ª¡¯ ¡®We¡¯d killed Arit!¡¯ I shouted. ¡®The army was without leadership. That was the time to strike, then! We could have put all this to rest, ended their ritual before it ever began. And yet you¡ª¡¯ ¡®We wouldn¡¯t have survived!¡¯ Val shouted over me, managing a much louder volume. ¡®We needed your portals, Styk. You saw what just one of those corruptions did to Arzak; she¡¯s lucky to still be alive. She barely is; you¡¯ve surely noticed that light go out behind our eyes.¡¯ ¡®There¡¯ll be more we have to pay if we¡¯re going to stop the¡ª¡¯ ¡®Is that what you¡¯ve become? Someone who would sacrifice a friend if it meant saving the world?¡¯ ¡®Guess what happens if the world ends, Val? They die too. We all do!¡¯ My wife grimaced. ¡®Would you sacrifice me, too? Would you sacrifice our child?¡¯ ¡®I¡­¡¯ I croaked. ¡®No. Of course not.¡¯ ¡®So why are they any different? Cos they¡¯re family too. Maybe not by blood. But they¡¯re family. You know what the others have been saying behind your back? They¡¯re worried they see too much of your mother in you. Too much Player in you. It¡¯s out of concern, not malice, don¡¯t get me wrong, but they¡¯re saying it. And right now, you¡¯re proving them right.¡¯ I could say nothing to disprove this; I¡¯d have to speak with my actions. ¡®What did she say, my mother? Before she left?¡¯ ¡®She wanted you to join her in the new world. You and me, actually.¡¯ ¡®You know I¡¯d never do that.¡¯ Val looked up at me, hesitating for just a moment. So there were still remnants of that old doubt in her mind. There were still some worries about my Player heritage. But then she smiled, and squeezed my arm once again. ¡®I do know that. I have to remind myself sometimes, but I do.¡¯ She pulled away from my wound. ¡®How¡¯s it looking down there?¡¯ ¡®How¡¯s it feel?¡¯ ¡®Bad.¡¯ Val raised her eyebrows. ¡®Yeah, I figured; it¡¯s deep. It¡¯ll get there. I still need a few more days to work on it, but you¡¯ll be fighting fit in no time. Or, as close to ¡°fighting fit¡± as you ever are.¡¯ She rose from the side of the bed. ¡®I¡¯m going to tell the others you¡¯re awake. We should get moving soon.¡¯ Before she left, she planted a juicy kiss on me. ¡®I¡¯m glad you¡¯re back.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here,¡¯ I called after her. Moments later, I was alone once more. I looked at the windows, and found them fogged up, obscuring my view of the snow-laden lands. Downstairs, my friends began to talk once more, and I could swear the tone of the muffled voices got joyful. Lore¡¯s booming voice got more excited, at least, though I couldn¡¯t work out what he was saying. I touched my chest, forgetting again that the Sisyphus Artifact was gone. For now, at least. What could my mother have wanted with it? Was it just as Val had suggested? Was it just to make me vulnerable? Or was there something deeper to it? Had she been ordered to take it? It was small comfort that I did, at least, have a new Worldbending ability to select, from my contribution to the deaths of Arit and the soldiers. Though, unless these options were game-changingly strong, they wouldn¡¯t make up for the loss of the artifact. Ability selection unlocked Select an ability from the list below: ¡­ ¡®Huh,¡¯ I said, skimming the list. Maybe these weren¡¯t totally game-changing, but these were all strong enough to make a difference. At level 85¡ªhigher than I¡¯d ever got a skill before, in this life or in previous ones¡ªthe options were consistently powerful. I settled in to bed to read these properly. Option 1: Portal Manipulation (Worldbending) ¡ª Passive. You may now slowly move and rotate portals without closing them. Costs mana. I could think of many applications of this ability, even off the top of my head. I could shift portals into the path of enemies who might otherwise avoid them. I could nudge enemies through. I could aim portals at a moving target, for Corminar or Zoi to launch projectiles through. And I was sure that with more time¡ªand maybe some input from my friends¡ªI could think of more applications still. At any other time, during any other ability selection, this would have been a must-have. But not today. Today, it would be a tough decision. Option 2: Distant Portals (Worldbending) [Requires: ¡®Peerless Portals¡¯ ability] ¡ª Create a portal to any location in which you have stood previously, with perfect aim. Uses significant mana to open portals. As with the first option, there was a huge amount of potential in this ability. Having perfect aim fixed one of the problems of creating portals at a distance with my Peerless Portals ability. And I could jump around Alterra at will. I go travel to my home, the Gentle Tundras, in the blink of an eye. I could face down the golden army that had invaded the Dawnwood. I could talk to the orc of the Northern Reaches or visit the desert city of Coldharbour. And I could do all of this in a matter of minutes, if my mana reserves were up to it¡ªthat was the only real restriction here, besides having to have been to that place before. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. But what were the applications in combat? That, I struggled with. And my near-future¡ªperhaps all of my future, depending on how all this ended¡ªwas combat. I moved on to the third and final option. Hidden condition met! Alternative ability choice unlocked. Option 3: Portal Traps (Worldbending) [Requires: Stealth level 30; ¡®Peerless Portals¡¯ ability] ¡ª Create a potential portal at any location within visual range. When a creature enters this location, the portal activates. Inherits ¡®Peerless Portal¡¯ restrictions. Costs mana on activation. Now there was an ability option suitable for combat situations, and it fit nicely into my build, too. I could more effectively set an ambush; we wouldn¡¯t just be catching enemies unaware¡ªwith damage boons to help us take them down quickly¡ªbut would also be able to drop some through portals. Surprise. I could either drop enemies high into the air, or I could portal them into the paths of my friends¡¯ attacks. Unfortunately it sounded like I couldn¡¯t use Saved Portals in conjunction with this ability, but that was hardly an issue. ¡®Can you stand?¡¯ I hadn¡¯t heard Val enter the room, and I blinked as I minimised the ability selection notifications for the time being; I¡¯d need to stew on them anyway. ¡®I got hit in my shoulder, not my legs.¡¯ Val rolled her eyes. ¡®I was just being polite. Get up, then. We¡¯ve gotta go; Arzak¡¯s spies bring some worrying news.¡¯ I hopped to my feet. ¡®We¡¯ve got to get the artifact back first. We¡ª¡¯ ¡®There¡¯s no time. They¡¯re nearly there. They¡¯re nearly ready to begin.¡¯ I didn¡¯t need to ask who ¡°they¡± was. * * * We rode for two days, barely stopping. Arzak had sent word ahead through her network, and through their messenger pigeons: we needed fresh horses on our route, as we were riding them into the ground. Some of our steeds were happier jumping through portals than others, but all of them did so with the right motivation. We stopped only to eat, for hour-long naps here and there, and for Arzak to get the latest on the malae convoy¡¯s position. We were closing on them fast, but deep down I knew that it wasn¡¯t fast enough. By the time we reached them, we would be well within Aurician territory; the enemies would be surrounded. I considered taking the ¡®Distant Portals¡¯ ability, but we¡¯d never ridden this road before, having instead sailed south from the Beached Armada, to the west. I could get us into the city, but what then? From what Arzak¡¯s informants were saying, we¡¯d struggle to get out, even with my portal abilities up our sleeves. No, our best bet was to keep riding. Arzak slowed our party down as we rode through a small village not a stone¡¯s throw from the Goldmarch capital. ¡®No,¡¯ I told her, ¡®we¡¯re not stopping.¡¯ ¡®But¡ª¡¯ Lore started. I didn¡¯t let him finish. He¡¯d want food, or sleep. The gods knew I wanted both desperately, but we simply didn¡¯t have that luxury. ¡®There¡¯s no time.¡¯ My orcish friend nodded to the symbol-marked informant who rushed out to update her. ¡®Get horse. Ride with.¡¯ The local woman rushed to comply, taking a horse from the nearest hitching post¡ªone that I suspected didn¡¯t belong to her. We galloped north once more, Val and I leading our party, Corminar and Lore behind, and Arzak and Zoi at the rear, being updated by the informant. At this speed, and in the chaos of the portals, I couldn¡¯t hear what they were saying, but I didn¡¯t care. I had only one priority¡ªcatching the malae before they fell under Tana¡¯s protection. I ignored the pain in my shoulder, my heavy eyelids, my grumbling stomach. None of that mattered. Nothing else mattered. I touched the spot on my chest where the artifact should have been hanging. As we rode over the crest of a gentle hillside, Val suddenly wrenched on the reins, bringing us to an abrupt halt. ¡®What is¡ª¡¯ I started, but I was answered by the sight before us. We¡¯d arrived. I could see the towering palace where the Council dwelt, and the sprawling city of Auricia. I could see an army, the size of which I¡¯d never before seen, camped outside the capital¡¯s high walls, all under the Goldmarch banner¡ªa golden sun on a red background. And I could see the convoy travelling through the military camp, already under the protection of thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, of soldiers. Yet, unbelievably, that wasn¡¯t the worst of it. The worst of it, the one thing worse than the Council locking down control of dozens of malae, stood looming over even the palace. Placed evenly around the city were three towers, taller than anything built in this world, and their designs were familiar to us. We¡¯d seen them a year ago, back in that witchfinder village. These were the devices that pierced through the void between worlds, yet these were a hundred times the size¡ªa hundred times as powerful. We¡¯d known, even back then, that there had been Player involvement in these experiments, but how could we have known it would lead to this? This was the basis of their ritual. This was how they created the new world. We knew from Elfric that they needed all types of magicks to complete their plan, but there had still been a missing piece, otherwise any group of magic-users could attempt the same ritual. They couldn¡¯t just create a world¡ªthings weren¡¯t that simple. First, they needed to make space for this world. They needed to make space in the void. They neede to pierce through the fabric of reality itself. And they had all the tools they needed. The only saving grace was that there was still scaffolding around two of the towers. They weren¡¯t quite finished. They couldn¡¯t quite begin, but they were very close. And what could we do in the meantime? There were six of us against maybe ten thousand soldiers. Perhaps there were more soldiers still in the city itself. It didn¡¯t matter. Either way, we were outnumbered. Either way, the ritual would go ahead. I sunk in the saddle. Right then, for the very first time, I truly wanted to give up. I wanted to relent. We¡¯d done all we could¡ªwe¡¯d done more than anyone could reasonably expect of us¡ªand yet the malae had slipped through our fingers, now under the protection of an army larger than Alterra had ever seen. We¡¯d failed. It was¡­ ¡®It¡¯s over,¡¯ Lore breathed. ¡®No,¡¯ Arzak said. ¡®Yes,¡¯ Corminar disagreed, his voice weak. ¡®No,¡¯ the orc said again. ¡®We Slayers. We not give up. We¡ª¡¯ I remained quiet, my eyes on the towers, but Val turned around at my side, to face Arzak. ¡®Look at it. It¡¯s over. We¡¯ve¡ª¡¯ ¡®No!¡¯ Arzak said for a third and final time. She gestured the informant up. ¡®Tell them what tell me,¡¯ she instructed her. I turned, and met the stranger¡¯s eyes. She held my gaze. ¡®It¡¯s about Governor Yua.¡¯ ¡®Duchess Yua, I believe,¡¯ the elf corrected her. But the woman shook her head. ¡®No, governor. They ran elections a few months ago; Yua won in a landslide victory.¡¯ ¡®Good for her,¡¯ Val said, seemingly meaning it sincerely, but her heart wasn¡¯t in it. ¡®I don¡¯t see how the wonders of democracy help us right now.¡¯ ¡®It not¡­¡¯ Arzak started, but then she turned back to the informant. ¡®Tell them.¡¯ ¡®Governor Yua has publicly denounced the Players,¡¯ the woman said. We went silent. ¡®OK?¡¯ Val replied. ¡®That¡¯s nice, but it¡¯s a bit late, considering¡­¡¯ She gestured to the towers. But I met Arzak¡¯s eyes, and I smiled. I understood. There was still hope, and this hope came in the form that Tokas had realised all along. It wasn¡¯t enough for our team to take down Slayers; the world at large had to see them for what they were. The most important thing had not been to kill the enemy, but to expose them. Those seeds of doubt had taken hold all around Alterra. More and more, people knew the truth. And that might just be our salvation. It was then that I realised there was only one ability choice I could make. I brought up the notifications once more, and I locked in my choice. Ability unlocked ¡ª Distant Portals Distant Portals (Worldbending) ¡ª Create a portal to any location in which you have stood previously, with perfect aim. Uses significant mana to open portals. I raised a hand to my right, and I opened a portal, immediately making full use of this new ability. ¡®Styk?¡¯ Lore asked, eyes on the new portal. ¡®What¡¯s the plan? What are we doing?¡¯ I turned to him, and I smiled. ¡®What do you think? We¡¯re calling the world to war.¡¯
"Styk" Level 25 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 319 Dexterity ¡ª 204 Strength ¡ª 108 Wisdom ¡ª 94 Charisma ¡ª 78
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 86 Knifework ¡ª Level 64 Stealth ¡ª Level 34 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Peerless Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location. Support up to ten pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Distant Portals ¡ª Create a portal to any location in which you have stood previously, with perfect aim. Uses significant mana to open portals. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades II ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Etched spells can be activated up to ten times. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
252. Interlude — Ewar, Librarian of the Estat Order Please, please, please, Ewar begged. He didn¡¯t dare voice the request aloud; who knew how she might react? When the librarian of the Estat Order had taken this research assignment, it had seemed like an honour. It was a chance to work on something entirely new, to put into practice all the knowledge acquired from the order¡¯s dusty library. He would be paid grandly, and was provided room and board even for his family. How things had changed. When Ewar had discovered the truth of the project, he¡¯d tried to refuse. He¡¯d tried to sabotage it. He¡¯d tried everything to stop the ritual in its tracks. But then he¡¯d realised why Amira had encouraged him to bring his family. It wasn¡¯t a pleasure to host them here; they were a bargaining chip. At the first sign of dissent, his wife and son had been disappeared. The head of this mysterious Council of Players, Tana, assured Ewar that they were safe, but she¡¯d never made any attempt to prove it. The librarian just had to hope that she was a woman of her word¡ªthat she would release his family when she knew the towers were complete. And that there really would be a place for them in the new world. The scaffolding swayed in the wind, and Ewar snapped his hands to the nearest pole, clinging on for dear life. In the first few weeks of building the towers, his fear of heights had nearly overwhelmed him. But, just as it said in the books, the fear grew lesser in the face of exposure to it. He was no longer at risk of wetting his underwear at any particular moment, and there were even minutes at a time where he was so focused on the job at hand that he didn¡¯t hold on to the railings. But when you were this high up¡ªhundreds of yards into the sky¡ªit was helpful to have a healthy respect for the possibility of falling. The wind was bitterly cold, this high up, even with the warming charm hanging from his neck. Ewar pulled his hood further around his face, shielding himself from the snow that seemed to fall so fast that it could slice flesh. He steeled himself; Tana would arrive soon, and it would be time. It would be time to ask to see his family again. Minutes later, Ewar heard footsteps on the ladder from the previous level, and soon Tana¡¯s head appeared through the hole in the scaffolding. She was completely unaccompanied. Ewar had seen her travel with a full security team to other meetings¡ªthat she came to him alone either meant that she trusted him, or that she knew that holding his family was motivation enough to behave. If she thought the latter, then she was correct. ¡®You sent for me?¡¯ the Player asked. There was a slight bite to her tone when she said the word ¡°sent¡±. Ewar bowed graciously, a skill he had picked up fast over the past few weeks. ¡®The work is complete,¡¯ he said. At this, Tana raised her eyebrows, and Ewar thought he saw a small smile cross her face. However, it could have been a trick of the light; this was not a woman known for such frivolities as smiling. ¡®Very good, Ewar. I always knew that you could do it, with the right motivation.¡¯ This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. She hadn¡¯t needed to bring it up, but she had. Tana had apparently felt a need to remind Ewar of his family¡¯s disappearance, as though this wasn¡¯t on his mind every waking second. The librarian swallowed the bile that was rising in his throat, and said simply, ¡®Thank you.¡¯ Tana approached the ornate markings on the side of the tower, her fingertips drifting over them. These were not merely ornamental; these markings would allow the towers access to the magicks that formed this world. These were vital to ensuring that the ritual worked. The Player nodded approvingly. ¡®And how long will they take to draw sufficient power?¡¯ ¡®Once they are tested? Perhaps¡­ eight days?¡¯ ¡®Days, Ewar?¡¯ Tana repeated. ¡®I thought it would be a matter of hours.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s¡­ Your ritual requires a great deal of power; it is not as simple as activating the towers and beginning. There will be¡ª¡¯ ¡®Eight days,¡¯ Tana repeated, eyes glazing over in that usual way that accompanied deep consideration. ¡®It is no matter, it will have to be sufficient. We could protect these walls for a century, if we must.¡¯ ¡®You say that as though these Slayers stand a chance,¡¯ a new voice said. Ewar¡¯s head snapped to face the top of the ladder, though Tana didn¡¯t react. The Council¡¯s leader had heard the other Player coming. Neia, the diviner, had now joined them. Of all those who would be involved in the ritual, Neia was the most invested in the construction of the towers. Tana seemed to have interpreted it simply as interest, but Ewar was sure he heard paranoia behind all her questions. ¡®Do you think those five could defeat an army, Tana? Their leader has grown strong these past few months, but surely you don¡¯t¡ª¡¯ ¡®Of course not,¡¯ the leader of the Council snapped. ¡®Then you can wait eight days,¡¯ Neia replied. ¡®We¡¯ve already waited years, and this must be done properly.¡¯ She approached the solid black metal at the centre of the tower and slammed the heel of her hand against it, testing its solidity. Tana watched the diviner, her lips pressed firmly together, her arms folded. ¡®Well?¡¯ ¡®They seem to be built to the specifications,¡¯ Neia said, without looking away from the tower. ¡®At least thus far. I believe I can foresee them working.¡¯ ¡®You cannot be sure?¡¯ Tana asked. At this, Neia looked around. ¡®You know Divination does not work that way. Or did Yusef¡¯s lies convince you, too?¡¯ The Council¡¯s leader ignored the taunt. She seemed, then, to remember Ewar¡¯s presence. ¡®Very well. Inform the team that final tests will now begin. When they are done¡ªwhen all tests are complete, and tested thrice¡ªwe will begin to draw power. Inform the relevant parties.¡¯ Ewar bowed again; the Council enjoyed it when people bowed to them. ¡®I will, Tana. Of course.¡¯ He hesitated for a moment. He had to ask the inevitable question. There was no better time than this. ¡®And about¡­¡¯ ¡®Your family?¡¯ The librarian nodded, his heart racing, his gut clenched. ¡®I¡¯ve already had them released back to your quarters.¡¯ Ewar blinked back at the Player, not quite believing the words that had come out of her mouth. Tana scoffed. ¡®What? Did you expect otherwise? I¡¯m not a monster, only a woman with the will to do what has to be done.¡¯ Ewar bowed once more, and he retreated down the ladder. 253. The Weight Of A Crown By the time night fell, we¡¯d gathered three dozen would-be soldiers. I used my new distant portals ability to retread recent ground, spilling the team out around the southern Goldmarch. We picked up people here and there, promising revenge on the Council that had led the malae through their lands, caring not for the destruction left in their wake. We recruited some from near Tradum, who had almost been corrupted into monsters for the Council¡¯s army. Some of them recognised us as the team that had got them out of that city, and were not just ready to join us in battle, but ready to pledge their lives to our cause. I felt uncomfortable asking for that at first, but Corminar reminded me that we couldn¡¯t afford such luxuries; we needed all the help we could get. My latest ability had quickly proven to be the correct choice, allowing us to jump around the continent in the blink of an eye. But it came at a huge cost¡ªthe mana required for each activation was huge, and I could only keep going for as long as Corminar could provide me with mana potions. Without said potions, I wouldn¡¯t be able to use the ability more than once or twice a day. And though I had the mana potions to keep me going, the spell was draining. I could feel the bags under my eyes, my eyelids ready to close at any moment, my thighs aching with exhaustion. This was another thing we couldn¡¯t afford to care about; I would have time to be tired later. Corminar and I spilled out of the latest portal with four new soldiers at our side¡ªthe best single haul we¡¯d had so far. We arrived back in camp, a few miles to the south of Auricia and hidden in a dense woodland. We couldn¡¯t afford to be spotted, at least until we had more in our number. If the Council knew we were here, we¡¯d be easy pickings. The camp had taken shape more in the hour that Corminar and I had been gone. Arzak, with the help of Zoi, had ordered our new charges into responsibilities based on their skillsets. Some gathered wood for the fires, others made arrows, others hunted food¡ªand the list went on. We¡¯d been lucky to find an expert Needlework crafter in one of the first forays into the south. Though creating tents was below their level of expertise, it meant they were able to craft them quickly, and were even happy to do so. I saw Val getting some rest in one of these tents in the centre of the camp. Good, she needed it. I had a job for her and Lore, and she¡¯d need to be fresh for it. For now, I let her sleep. I considered joining her¡ªthere was space on the thin blanket for me to lay beside her, and I knew she¡¯d appreciate the warmth, but¡­ still, there was work to be done. My elven friend handed me another potion, and I drank it immediately. Though it didn¡¯t do much to lessen my fatigue, at least I wouldn¡¯t have the uncomfortable sensation of low mana reserves. ¡®How many more until you need to make more?¡¯ I asked. ¡®That is the last. Perhaps we do one last foray¡ªI hear there is a town north of Tradum ripe for the picking¡ªand then you get some rest. You look as though you need it.¡¯ ¡®What about you?¡¯ I asked. ¡®I am not the one casting powerful spells.¡¯ Before I could argue, he added, ¡®I will rest when the work is done. I¡ª¡¯ His ears pricked up, and I knew exactly what that signalled. I turned to the treeline, looking for signs of movement, looking for signs that the Council had found us, that we were now about to be ambushed by a corrupted army. ¡®Trouble!¡¯ someone roared. The shout came from the north side of camp¡ªnot good. Corminar and I began running to the source of the shout, and I closed the distance with a portal. As we stumbled out at the very edge of the camp, I followed the lookout¡¯s pointed finger. There were silhouettes darting between the dark trees. ¡®To stations!¡¯ I shouted, and dozens of voices echoed the order, causing it to ring around the camp. Every soul here came to defend us, including a groggy Val, who was wiping the sleep from her eyes even as she prepared a lifedrain spell. We formed three long lines along the northern side of the camp, the strongest in the first line, those with ranged attacks in the second, and those with support skills at the back. A lone man stepped forth from the trees, into the light of our torches. He wore the golden armour of the Goldmarch, but one with an ornate metal design, and freshly polished. I saw that he was carrying a large glass flask in both hands¡ªone that was filled with a red liquid that swirled and glowed in patches, as though full of energy. As the stranger in gold placed the container on the ground, Corminar shouted, ¡®Everyone, get back!¡¯ Everyone but me took a dozen paces backwards. I, on the other hand, portalled to the enemy¡¯s side, placing the point of my blade on his neck. ¡®What is it?¡¯ I spat. ¡®Insurance,¡¯ the stranger replied. ¡®An explosive potion,¡¯ Corminar called out from the second row of our defensive line. ¡®One that is powerful enough to eliminate most of us in one fell swoop.¡¯ ¡®Why?¡¯ I asked, digging the point of my blade into the enemy¡¯s neck. A small trickle of blood ran down the side of my dagger. ¡®Why have you brought this here?¡¯ The soldier smiled. ¡®Because my liege wishes to speak with you, and she thinks you¡¯re gonna need the right motivation to listen.¡¯ He turned to the rest of the camp. ¡®If any of you run, I activate it.¡¯ I was pleased to see the line hold steady¡ªthere were no cowards here. ¡®Where are they? Your liege?¡¯ I demanded. ¡®They are ready for you,¡¯ the soldier shouted, ¡®your majesty.¡¯ My heart dropped. The ornate, polished armour now made sense. This wasn¡¯t just any old soldier in the Golden Army; this was a member of the royal guard. Which meant¡­ The empress and a small retinue emerged from the darkness. Amira¡¯s long hair draped over fox skins and an ornate velvet traveller¡¯s robe¡ªthough dressed for the cold, she hadn¡¯t sacrificed that regal style. The soldiers were dressed in the same ornate metal armour as the first, about half their number armed with explosive potions of their own. From the look on Corminar¡¯s face, that wasn¡¯t just enough firepower to kill all of us, it might well wipe a good chunk of the forest off the map too. ¡®You will kneel in her majesty¡¯s presence,¡¯ the first soldier spat. Nobody moved a muscle. ¡®Kneel?¡¯ my elven friend repeated. ¡®You are fortunate that we do not kill her, after all she has done.¡¯ I knew exactly what he was referring to; it was part of Empress Amira¡¯s army that had taken the Dawnwood, despite our efforts to stop it. ¡®I am sure my footman explained the nature of his potion to you,¡¯ the empress said, beady eyes trained on Corminar. Though the golden crown she wore looked heavy, she still managed to raise her head enough to look down her nose at him. ¡®At any sign of attack, we will¡ª¡¯ ¡®And kill yourself in the process,¡¯ Val finished. ¡®I don¡¯t think so.¡¯ The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. At this, the empress smiled. ¡®If you knew that which I had been through, you would not doubt my intent.¡¯ I flicked my eyes around the camp, looking for other signs of trouble. My first thought was that this wasn¡¯t an ambush, but that didn¡¯t make any sense. Why risk the empress to lure out a small camp? Why not send someone else? ¡®Why are you here?¡¯ I demanded, lowing my dagger from the soldier¡¯s throat. He didn¡¯t seem to care about his own life all that much anyway. ¡®I have come to propose a deal,¡¯ she answered. ¡®To us? What could we have that you could possibly want?¡¯ ¡®If only you knew the fortune we expended to find you. You command loyalty in the south¡ªparticularly the orc. Few wished to reveal your location, yet every man has his price. Do not doubt my intent, Tundran. I would not be here if I did not think this meeting could be mutually beneficial.¡¯ ¡®I have had quite enough¡ª¡¯ Corminar started, reaching for a bow. I raised a hand to signal him to stop, not quite sure if this fury was a ploy or simply his sincere reaction. ¡®You could¡¯ve sent a scout,¡¯ I said to the empress. ¡®But you¡¯re here yourself. And something tells me those potions weren¡¯t meant for me.¡¯ The empress¡¯s right eye twitched ever so slightly, and I wouldn¡¯t have seen it if I hadn¡¯t been looking for it. I was on the right lines. ¡®You¡¯ve been exiled, haven¡¯t you? Your precious Council have thrown you out, haven¡¯t they?¡¯ Empress Amira didn¡¯t say a word, but Corminar threw his head back and laughed like I had never seen him laugh before. I couldn¡¯t blame him. Val, also struggling to suppress a snicker, added, ¡®You gave them everything for an empire, and then they took your empire anyway! What a deal! Nice one, your majesty.¡¯ ¡®If you do not cease insulting her majesty, I will¡ª¡¯ one of the soldiers started, but just as I had signalled Corminar to stand down, Amira did the same. ¡®I¡¯m guessing those potions are the only reason you even got away, are they?¡¯ I asked. It was a guess, but a pretty safe one. ¡®The Council don¡¯t strike me as people who shy away from a little assassination if it suits their needs. And, wait, if you¡¯ve been exiled, what could you possibly offer us?¡¯ Amira¡¯s face remained stony, not betraying her true feelings, though I suspected I knew what they were. ¡®If you eliminate the Council, and put me back upon my rightful throne, I will not just make you lords. I will cede land, and give you kingdoms of your own.¡¯ ¡®I¡ª¡¯ I started, but Amira raised her hand to cut me off, and for all her faults, she had enough gravitas that I paused. ¡®You know the true nature of their schemes? They would end this world, in a matter of weeks. You may feel as though I am giving you a choice, but there truly is none. Rise against the Council, or perish¡ªit seems no choice at all, to me.¡¯ I looked to Val, then to Lore, then to Arzak. I didn¡¯t need to look to Corminar because I knew he¡¯d still be snarling at the exiled empress. We were not a team who did what we did for land, or coin, or fame. We did what we did because it was right. We were going to attack the Council, and probably even die in the process, but the only reward we sought was for our world to survive. And I had an idea, just then, about how we might do that. ¡®Keep your lands,¡¯ I told Amira. ¡®We¡¯re not interested.¡¯ ¡®Err¡­¡¯ Val started, apparently not quite so sure. ¡®But if you want us to kill the Council¡­ if you want us to save this world, you¡¯re going to have to pay up.¡¯ I gestured to the glass container in the nearest soldier¡¯s grasp. ¡®Those potions. I want them.¡¯ ¡®Without them, we are defenseless!¡¯ a soldier cried out. ¡®You¡¯ve still got your weapons. With your training, you would take down a good number of us before we killed you, and you know as well as I do that we can¡¯t spare anyone. So you will have to trust us.¡¯ As the empress considered the terms of this new deal, Val approached me, grabbing me gently by the arm. ¡®Styk? What are you planning?¡¯ I looked up at her, and simply from seeing her face, I smiled. ¡®I¡¯m gonna buy us some time,¡¯ I said.
"Styk" Level 25 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 319 Dexterity ¡ª 204 Strength ¡ª 108 Wisdom ¡ª 94 Charisma ¡ª 78
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 86 Knifework ¡ª Level 64 Stealth ¡ª Level 34 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Peerless Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location. Support up to ten pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Distant Portals ¡ª Create a portal to any location in which you have stood previously, with perfect aim. Uses significant mana to open portals. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades II ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Etched spells can be activated up to ten times. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
254. Sabotage I sent Val and Lore away. It was in part a selfish measure¡ªwith what we had to do next, I wanted Val to be safe, and I trusted nobody more than Lore to look after her. But there was a practicality to it, too; if Val came with us on this mission, then I would be distracted by her wellbeing. I couldn¡¯t afford that. I opened a distant portal to Lenktra, where we had been all those months ago, and gave Val and Lore their instructions: find Governor Yua, and convince her to ride to war. We would meet them there when the job was done. Arzak recruited no more than five of our allies to join us, as per my advice. We needed the stealthiest among them¡ªeven Arzak coming was playing with fire¡ªbut also those who could escape if this all went wrong. I was under no illusions that we would all come back alive. ¡®Do you understand the mission?¡¯ I asked them. The eight of us¡ªmyself, Arzak, Corminar and the five new recruits¡ªwere standing in the largest of our camp¡¯s tents, the one we¡¯d now earmarked for strategy meetings. ¡®Yes, sir,¡¯ our crew said, not quite in time with one another. ¡®I¡¯m not a ¡°sir¡±,¡¯ I replied. ¡®You can drop that bit.¡¯ ¡®What do we call you, then?¡¯ one of the soldiers asked, a woman named Jera that we¡¯d picked up near Tradum. She¡¯d been with Reginald when he¡¯d led them out of the city. ¡®Call me ¡°oi, you¡±. Or Styk. Whatever you like; it doesn¡¯t matter.¡¯ I turned to Arzak and Corminar, who were already well up to speed with the plan. They¡¯d helped me perfect it. ¡®Anything I haven¡¯t mentioned?¡¯ ¡®Try not die,¡¯ the orc added. I nodded. ¡®Good advice. Don¡¯t die¡ªthat¡¯s an order.¡¯ ¡®Yes, sir,¡¯ two of the soldiers said. I groaned. Corminar picked up the first of the five explosive potions that we¡¯d taken from Empress Amira, and handed it to the nearest soldier. When all five had their weapons in-hand, Corminar handed me another two mana potions. I only needed to create a distant portal one way, as I had set the camp as my saved portal location, but I wasn¡¯t going to turn down more mana. I could well need it. I drew in a deep breath. ¡®Then we begin.¡¯ With the flick of my wrist, I opened a portal within the tent¡ªone that led to a place in Auricia in which we¡¯d stood before. I knew that at this time of night¡ªin the early, early hours before dawn¡ªthe records office would be closed. It might even be locked up, but that would be no obstacle for us. Corminar stepped through the portal first, bow raised and ready to fire. After the rest of us poured through, I closed the portal behind me. But then an almighty wail rang out, causing many of our number to cry out in turn. At least none of them dropped their potions in the process, as that would¡¯ve been pretty catastrophic at this stage. Without the artifact hanging around my neck, I felt vulnerable. Weak. I needed it back, as soon as I could. ¡®What is it?¡¯ I shouted at the top of my lungs, over the racket. I had a feeling I knew already, and I didn¡¯t much like my suspicions. It meant that enemies would be here shortly. Before I got an answer, I opened a portal to the street outside, and Corminar led the team through it, bow raised once again. Jera¡¯s body language was panicked as she hopped into the portal, almost dropping the glass vial once more. ¡®The records office. It must have been enchanted to alert for Worldbending magicks.¡¯ ¡®Hm. Bad luck,¡¯ Arzak replied, standing aside to let me through before her. But Corminar had been the first out there, and he stood now, his head leaning back, his eyes on a shimmering purple blanket covering the city. ¡®No,¡¯ he said. ¡®Not the records office.¡¯ Corminar looked to me. ¡®They knew we would come.¡¯ Seven faces looked to me, all paling, all looking for my instruction. ¡®This changes nothing,¡¯ I said. ¡®We do what we do because we have to. There¡¯s no other choice. Move.¡¯ I led the way, sprinting down the street to the east, towards the nearest of the three giant structures that loomed over the Goldmarch capital. Shouts rang out to the left and right, soldiers who¡¯d been alerted to our presence by the enchantment, who now would hunt us down at any cost. We just had to make sure we did what we needed to, then I could get us out of here. As long as I was alive, and as long as we didn¡¯t get separated, everyone had an escape route. I felt for the artifact once more. It was a reflex, something that I did when I felt in danger. Usually it reassured me, but now that I was without it, it only served to remind me how fragile I really was. I opened a portal in front of us, allowing those bogged down by heavy glass vials to move quickly across the city. At our rear, I glimpsed soldiers approaching. Some of them were slow, others fast. Those that approached quickly had the familiar pale grey skin of corruption. Maybe we could handle normal Goldmarch soldiers, but I didn¡¯t want to less those monsters anywhere near us. If they got close, we were dead. Or worse, we were corrupted. I worked hard to get us across the city as quickly as possible, leaving one pair of portals open while I opened the next. This meant we could move as quickly as possible, even nearly matching the pace of the corrupted soldiers, but I had to be careful. If I left any portals open too long then our pursuers could use them to their advantage¡ªand the plan would be over. But I¡¯d selected the records office as it wasn¡¯t far from the nearest ritual spire. We didn¡¯t have to sustain this for long. As we neared, I switched up the next set of portals to send us stumbling out onto the highest rooftop near the spire. This gave us a vantage point from which to work, as well as buying us a precious couple of minutes as our pursuers tracked us down. I did not intent to waste this advantage. ¡®The spire,¡¯ Jera said, nodding towards its base. ¡®Let¡¯s go.¡¯ But when I looked at it, my gut twisted. There were people surveying the spire from the scaffolding¡ªpeople who did not wear the golden uniform of the military. These were civilians. And our plan would kill them. Was this too much of a price to pay? Did they even know what they were helping the Council do? ¡®Come on!¡¯ Jera cried out again, her eyes darting back the way we¡¯d come. ¡®There are civilians doing checks up there. I won¡¯t let us hurt them. Not unless we must.¡¯ Arzak narrowed her eyes. ¡®And who you to say when we must?¡¯ She glanced to Corminar, as though looking for backup. ¡®Styk, do not turn into Player. You better than them.¡¯ I held her gaze as I replied. ¡®I won¡¯t. But if we do nothing, everyone dies anyway. We have to remember that.¡¯ Without giving my orcish friend a moment to reply, I raised my hands and aimed a portal up into the top of the scaffolding that encompassed the spire. On the first attempt, my aim was off¡ªthe portal would have sent us tumbling a long way towards the ground. But the second attempt hovered nicely a couple of feet above the scaffolding¡¯s top floor. ¡®Through! Now!¡¯ I cried, gesturing my hands wildly towards the portal. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Jera was first through, followed by Corminar and the other near-strangers, with Arzak and me at the rear. ¡®There!¡¯ I heard a soldier shout from down below. We didn¡¯t have long. The members of the team with potions placed them down gently at the edge of the scaffolding, taking great care not to let them hit the wood too hard¡ªthough Corminar had assured me that they weren¡¯t that sensitive. The wind picked up as one of our team¡ªa young man still in the midst of puberty¡ªwas placing the last potion down, and the scaffolding swayed. He would have fallen if Arzak hadn¡¯t grabbed him with her faster, support-free arm, and that potion would have destroyed the scaffolding below us. It was a good job my friend was quick when she needed to be. Down below, soldiers began climbing the scaffolding. One of them¡ªa corrupted man with no weapon in his hands¡ªdidn¡¯t bother with the ladders, instead climbing the outside of the balcony by leaping from ledge to ledge. ¡®Go go go!¡¯ I shouted as I opened a portal next to us, just off the edge of this level of scaffolding. A combination of trust in me and fear of the approaching monster meant that the team happily jumped into the portal, despite it being hundreds of yards above the ground. They spilled out onto the street below, leaving Corminar and I as the last on the scaffolding. ¡®You got everything you need?¡¯ I shouted over the bitterly cold winter winds. ¡®Return us to the rooftop!¡¯ Corminar cried back. ¡®It is my best vantage point.¡¯ I nodded, closing the first pair of portals and instead opening another, putting us down onto the rooftop once more. I was about to turn back to the scaffolding when I heard a familiar grunt on the street below¡ªArzak was under attack. I rushed to the edge of the rooftop, my elven friend following at my heels instead of focusing on the objective of our quest, but I didn¡¯t have time to tell him otherwise. As I reached the edge, I saw the street below, and the team of six fighting off soldiers dressed in gold. None of the much stronger, corrupted kind of soldier had reached them yet, but they were only seconds away. I thrust a hand forward and opened a saved portal back to the camp next to them. ¡®Go!¡¯ I shouted to those on the street below, gesturing to the portal. ¡®Get out!¡¯ Only Jera hesitated, the others quick to follow my instruction. And that hesitation got her killed. Before she could leap through the portal, the brawny arm of a corrupted soldier reached out to grab her. She wailed only for a second, obscured in the huddle of enemy soldiers, and her scream¡¯s abrupt end told me all I needed to know. Corminar moved to help her. I grabbed him by the arm. ¡®She¡¯s gone,¡¯ I said. The elf looked to her once more, eyes glum, before nodding. I looked up to the scaffolding on the spire, to where we¡¯d stashed the potions. Even from this rooftop, those potions were far away. It would take the greatest ranger in the Tundras to make this shot. Fortunately, we had him. ¡®Do it.¡¯ Corminar raised his bow, drew an arrow, and fired. I stood with bated breath as I watched it soar through the air, swaying slightly to the left in the breeze. But Corminar was a clever ranger; he would have accounted for it. I saw the explosion before I felt it, before I heard it. For a fraction of a second, all of Auricia was lit up by the inferno. Then all of Auricia felt a wave of power sweep over them¡ªone strong enough that it almost made me take a step back. I blinked the spots of light out of my eyes, hoping¡ªpraying¡ªthat the potions had been enough to break the spire. When the dust settled, I saw a huge crack in the spire¡¯s side, its line of vibrant symbols obliterated. We¡¯d done damage. We¡¯d done significant damage. Pieces of exploded scaffolding emerged from the sky, falling down on the civilian workers below. I flung out one hand, then the other, making use of my high portal limit to catch pieces of falling debris and save those underneath from all but the smallest pieces. But even these tiny fragments were enough to do damage, and those below cried out in pain as they were cut or pierced by these falling pieces of wood. The city would have to heal them; I¡¯d done what I could. Turning away, I saw a corrupted soldier on the next rooftop, bellowing our position to the rest of the standing army. Without waiting for another second, I opened our saved portal back to camp. ¡®How much time do you think we¡¯ve bought?¡¯ I asked, as I stepped through. ¡®Enough, I can only hope,¡¯ Corminar replied. I closed the portal behind us.
"Styk" Level 25 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 319 Dexterity ¡ª 204 Strength ¡ª 108 Wisdom ¡ª 94 Charisma ¡ª 78
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 86 Knifework ¡ª Level 64 Stealth ¡ª Level 34 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Peerless Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location. Support up to ten pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Distant Portals ¡ª Create a portal to any location in which you have stood previously, with perfect aim. Uses significant mana to open portals. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades II ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Etched spells can be activated up to ten times. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
256. Conscripting A Broken Army Lore was the face of Coldharbour¡¯s salvation, and for good reason. He was a local boy, with enough charm that he was still known around the city. It had been him who had provoked Yusef into revealing his true nature, and it had been him who had broken the news to Coldharbour¡¯s leadership that the malae infestation was over. People knew him. People almost worshipped him, like he filled a void of faith left by the Players. So it was him that I took to our next stop on the recruitment drive. Val and Arzak remained in Lenktra for now. My wife encouraged the city¡¯s citizens to join us in battle, while Arzak sent word north through her network to summon the rest of the Tundra in the same way. Corminar was back in camp, having assured Arzak that he and Zoi had the matter well under control, despite the camp starting to billow in size. So it was only Lore and I that took my distant portal to the place where he¡¯d grown up. We stumbled out of the portal to find a city in rejuvenation. Along the high street, buildings were patched with slightly off-colour stone, the holes caused by the corruptions having been quickly dealth with. For the larger projects¡ªwhere whole buildings had fallen¡ªnew structures stood in their place, still using the stone so prevalent in this area, but formed into bricks. The architecture of these newer builds stood out from the older, but still the two eras of design complemented one another. Some of these buildings were still in construction, and the little wood I could see¡ªthe nearest forests to Coldharbour were still far to the north¡ªwas used to create scaffolding. Unlike in Auricia, I would not be destroying this scaffolding. Lore¡¯s eyes lit up at the sight before him, and if I wasn¡¯t mistaken, I saw him blink back tears. I got it. It was nice to know that a city could come together enough to achieve so much in so little time, even despite all they¡¯d lost. ¡®Come on,¡¯ I said, tapping my friend on the arm, then nodding towards the second government building we would visit in two days. ¡®Can I¡­¡¯ Lore trailed off. ¡®Nothing.¡¯ I didn¡¯t press; we had work to do. We travelled through familiar streets towards the central palace, Lore waving back at those who recognised him and greeting them with a smile. On occasion, he asked about people, called them by name, sometimes even mentioning their family members. I wondered where he¡¯d found the time to meet all these people. Before long, the Palace of Coldharbour was looming before us. We had no trouble getting inside. Even without sending word ahead of our arrival, we were assured that the council¡ªnot the evil Council; note the lower-case c¡ªwould gladly meet with us shortly. Well, they said they¡¯d gladly meet with Lore, but I was with him. We still had to wait for the best part of an hour, but in the context of government workings, that was only the blink of an eye. Before long, we were ushered by a receptionist through a door at the end of the palace, and told that we would be speaking before the Rejuvenation Select Committee. The chamber was smaller than that in Lenktra, and was far less intimidatingly designed. There was no podium, no sloping benches to loom over you. No, this was more like a luxurious living room, with a little over a dozen armchairs placed in a circle. Two of them were empty¡ªthe receptionist gestured us towards these. ¡®Can I get you anything to drink?¡¯ he asked. ¡®No, thanks,¡¯ I said. ¡®I¡¯m good,¡¯ Lore replied with a smile, ¡®but thanks for asking.¡¯ The receptionist bowed, then took his leave. Only when the door was firmly shut behind him did a man in the armchair opposite Lore speak. ¡®Welcome, heroes of Coldharbour,¡¯ he said. There was no ounce of insincerity in his tone, but why would there be? We had, after all, saved the city. ¡®I am sorry, we didn¡¯t know to expect you, or we would have welcomed you into the Chamber of the Commons.¡¯ I looked to Lore to speak; he was the one who held the most sway here. But he was hardly one for public speaking. I had to nod at him encouragingly. ¡®I¡­ We¡­¡¯ He gathered himself, and a smile crossed his face once more. ¡®That¡¯s alright, we weren¡¯t even expecting this. I mean, it¡¯s nice that you welcomed us, I don¡¯t mean that I wasn¡¯t expecting you to be organised or anything, I just¡­¡¯ ¡®We¡¯ve come with a request,¡¯ I offered, helping to focus Lore.¡¯ My friend nodded. ¡®Yeah. Right, we should get straight to business, as I¡¯m sure you¡¯re all very busy.¡¯ He sounded more confident now, and was making sure to look at each of the ten members of the committee in turn. ¡®I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ve come to tell you that the world is ending.¡¯ I would maybe have expected a greater reaction to this than we received. There were a few raised eyebrows, a few glum expressions, but nobody rose from their seats and began shouting. These people had already faced so much; maybe they¡¯d come to expect the worst. ¡®It¡¯s the Council of Players,¡¯ Lore continued, ¡®in Auricia. Amira has given them all they needed to complete their plan. And it turns out, their plan is to create a new world for themselves. At the expense of this one.¡¯ There was no question of the committee members not believing Lore; they held him in too high an esteem. This wasn¡¯t the challenge here. The challenge was to convince them to do something about it. ¡®What do you ask of us?¡¯ the same man said, apparently the head of this committee. ¡®We want you to raise your armies. We want you to march to Auricia. For war.¡¯ A stony silence passed around the room. ¡®To be clear,¡¯ the committee head eventually said, ¡®you are asking us to declare war against the strongest empire in Alterra. An empire, I must add, that is backed by a Council of Players. It is¡­¡¯ ¡®A lot to ask,¡¯ Lore said. ¡®Believe me, I know. But we have to.¡¯ Another silence. ¡®You have asked others to raise their armies too, I assume?¡¯ Lore glanced at me. ¡®We¡¯ve¡­ been to Lenktra. They would only let volunteers go south.¡¯ I probably would have left out that bit, personally. The committee head nodded. ¡®I see, I see. I¡­¡¯ ¡®Geron,¡¯ another committee member said, her tone coming across as pointed. ¡®You know what our answer must be.¡¯ Geron, the head of the committee, glanced in her direction, and once again, he nodded. ¡®I do.¡¯ He turned back to Lore. ¡®I am sorry, heroes. In the Devastation, we lost many in our city. There was not a family that was untouched; we are a city that is still grieving. I¡­ We cannot ask our families to lose more than they already have. The chamber will not pass it. I am sorry.¡¯ ¡®But the world¡ª¡¯ ¡®Will need to be saved without us,¡¯ Geron finished. ¡®I don¡¯t think our broken army will be the key to success in either case.¡¯ ¡®The world will end,¡¯ Lore said, putting it simply, letting the words hang over the chamber. When the silence grew unbearable once more, Geron cleared his throat. I could see the torment behind his eyes, just as I had seen in Yua¡¯s. These were leaders who wanted to help, but they were good leaders of their people. They couldn¡¯t subject their people to any more hardship. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡®We will do our due diligence,¡¯ Geron said. ¡®We will, of course, put it before the Commons for debate, but I must reiterate that the chance of such a bill passing¡­ it is unlikely.¡¯ I opened my mouth, about to channel my inner Val and argue our case, but Lore rose from his seat. ¡®Thank you for your time,¡¯ he said. I stood too, and bowed my head in gratitude before following Lore out of the door. ¡®You didn¡¯t argue with them?¡¯ I asked. Lore shrugged. ¡®I know what people are like around here. If you want them to do something, it has to be their idea. I could¡¯ve argued, yeah, but it wouldn¡¯t have helped. Might¡¯ve even put them off.¡¯ I pressed my lips together, saying nothing of the doubt that still lingered in my mind. ¡®Could we stay in town a little while longer?¡¯ Lore asked. ¡®There¡¯s something I want to do.¡¯ * * * I knew what Lore had wanted to do, of course, but I gave him a little space. Instead of going with him, I ambled down Coldharbour¡¯s main street, grateful for an hour or two of downtime. I stopped in a jewellers, picking up a green hair clip for Val that I thought might complement her magicks, and I brought some interesting looking yarn for Arzak¡¯s knitting. Only when I¡¯d left the shop did I realise I hadn¡¯t seen my orcish friend do much knitting of late, and I wondered if the contraption around her arm made it difficult. If that was the case, I hoped that the gift would be received in the intended spirit, and not make her feel more upset about her injury. I put both purchases in my pocket world for now for safekeeping, despite neither being particularly heavy. My last stop was a florist. I asked the woman behind the counter for a suitable selection for my needs, and they were more than happy to oblige. She created a bouquet of simple white flowers, which I noticed were the most common flower in stock. This was not a cynical decision to shift some stock, I realised; this flower was here in great supply because Coldharbour had lost so much. Geron¡¯s words echoed through my mind once more. We cannot ask our families to lose more than they already have. With bouquet of flowers in hand, I travelled west through the streets of this dusty city, to where I knew Lore would be. The cemetery was much busier than it had been during our last¡ªprolonged¡ªtrip to Coldharbour, with the new graves having maybe doubled it in size. There were many locals visiting, paying tribute to those they¡¯d lost, and I bowed my head to them in recognition of that fact. But my focus was on Lore, who knelt before his sister¡¯s grave. There was a newer grave at its side, one with the inscription: ALENNA TARKOS SHE WANTED TO SAVE US For all of Alenna¡¯s crimes, her original motive had been pure: she had wanted to protect her people. That it had got out of hand¡ªthat it had eventually led to the Council¡¯s army of corruption¡ªwas her fault too, but I forced myself to give the dead woman some benefit of the doubt. After all, she¡¯d been the closest thing to a sister that Lore had had left, until the corruption began. Lore was many things, but he was rarely a poor judge of character; if he believed her to have had a good heart, then a good heart she had. I approached slowly, and placed the flowers not on top of Plyas¡¯s grave, as I had intended, but between the graves of Lore¡¯s adopted sisters. The barbarian looked up at me, eyes watery, when he heard the rustle of petals upon dirt. When he saw the offering, he smiled. ¡®For Plyas?¡¯ he asked. ¡®For both of them.¡¯ I took a seat in the dirt at Lore¡¯s side, and we sat like that for nearly an hour without another word spoken. It was a time for contemplation, to think about matters past and the journey ahead, and for me to wrestle with my doubts. There were many of these doubts bubbling beneath the surface, but I had a handle on them. For now. It was me who finally broke the silence. ¡®I¡¯m sorry for being so distant,¡¯ I said. ¡®Not just from you, either. From the whole team.¡¯ ¡®Not Val.¡¯ ¡®Not Val, no. I¡¯ve been working on that.¡¯ Lore turned to me and smiled once more. ¡®Good. I like that.¡¯ After another extended moment of contemplation, he added, ¡®You shouldn¡¯t be sorry; we get it. I think we¡¯ve all been a bit distant lately. Arzak has, for sure. Corminar¡¯s been quieter than usual.¡¯ ¡®And you? What have you been thinking about?¡¯ ¡®The barrier,¡¯ he replied. ¡®The¡­¡¯ It took me a moment to understand what he meant. ¡®The one in your head?¡¯ Lore nodded. ¡®The one holding back all that Divination magick. Maybe I should pick at it. Maybe we need it. Maybe we need to be able to look ahead a little, even if it costs me my mind.¡¯ ¡®Lore?¡¯ I asked. ¡®Yeah?¡¯ ¡®I can¡¯t ask you to give more than you already have.¡¯ Only after I¡¯d said the words did I realise that I¡¯d just echoed Geron¡¯s sentiment.
"Styk" Level 25 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 319 Dexterity ¡ª 204 Strength ¡ª 108 Wisdom ¡ª 94 Charisma ¡ª 78
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 86 Knifework ¡ª Level 64 Stealth ¡ª Level 34 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Peerless Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location. Support up to ten pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Distant Portals ¡ª Create a portal to any location in which you have stood previously, with perfect aim. Uses significant mana to open portals. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades II ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Etched spells can be activated up to ten times. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
257. Cut The Roots Before They Bind You ¡®Chop the trees to the south,¡¯ I ordered. ¡®Set every fletcher to work; I want enough arrows to fill the Iron Sea.¡¯ Over the past few days, our army had grown beyond the two hundred mark. Our main priority had been producing enough tents to keep up with the ever-growing demand, as we wouldn¡¯t last long without them. People needed to be warm as much as they needed to be fed, and with the worst of winter coming in hard, both of those had become problems. The food part of this equation had turned out to be the simplest to solve. The southern Goldmarch was an ¡°agricultural powerhouse¡±, to borrow the phrase from a minor lord who had been advising me since I returned from Coldharbour. Turell, the lord in question, had come from a family that had grown rich from farming, and so he knew the industry well. He knew it so well, in fact, that he knew of the key warehouses that stored dried wheat and salted meat. We sent scouting parties out to barter¡ªor beg, as needed¡ªfor this produce, and most of these scouts came back empty-handed; the warehouses were empty. A few scouting parties, however, were more than successful. Along the path of the malae caravan, monsters had been drawn out from the darkness, and these monsters had attacked the towns. We¡¯d seen this for ourselves, having ridden through many ghost towns on our journey to Auricia. But not all of the citizens had had time to empty their food stores before fleeing this terror, and some towns had kept more than enough food to spare. The warmth issue was slightly trickier to solve. We had a good few people working on creating tents¡ªweaving warm fabrics and building tents that would withstand the worst of the winter winds¡ªbut they couldn¡¯t work fast enough. We needed ready-made cloth, and for that, we needed coin. Our volunteer army were generous with their coins, recognising that now was not the time to hoard wealth, but it still wasn¡¯t enough. Our breakthrough came only when Val slipped back through the still-open portal to Lenktra and met with Yua alone. My suspicions were correct; Yua recognised the need to raise their army to join us, but her voice had been in the minority of Lenktra¡¯s government. As she was a woman of honour, she stuck with the established workings of their democracy and respected the wishes of the elected leaders. But she had once been a duchess, and as such, she still had great personal wealth. Great personal wealth that she sent almost entirely our way in the form of supplies: cloth, food, weaponry and enchantments. The supplies were managed between Seah¡ªYua¡¯s personal aide, who now spent most of her time in the camp¡ªand Val, the only member of the Slayers that Yua seemed to totally trust. Our shelter problem, as well as a fair few problems that I hadn¡¯t had time to think about it, were solved. So here we were, our most basic needs sorted. We now looked beyond, to making us as strong an army as possible. We stood in the command tent, all those that had taken leadership roles in the camp: myself, the rest of the Slayers, Zoi, Turell, and Seah. ¡®I¡¯ll see that it is done,¡¯ Turell said, leaving with a bow. I wasn¡¯t fussed about the bowing¡ªthat seemed to be something that Turell expected was wanted¡ªbut I appreciated the man¡¯s ¡°get straight to it¡± attitude. ¡®I was gonna tell him to expand the archery range too, but¡­¡¯ I shrugged. It was all well and good arming soldiers with bows, but if they didn¡¯t have even the most basic Archery skill with which to use them, then it was pointless. Corminar had told me that the range would help him share his own skillset. ¡®I tell him when I see,¡¯ Arzak said. I nodded. Val spoke up next. ¡®Seah is going to come with me to other towns in the Tundra. Yua thinks that her face might help change some minds.¡¯ Seah raised her eyebrows. ¡®I am grateful that the governor has such faith in me, but¡­¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s worth a try, either way,¡¯ I replied. ¡®Give me a list of towns, and I¡¯ll open portals to any that I¡¯ve been to before.¡¯ I turned to my elven friend. ¡®You can create more mana potions for me?¡¯ ¡®Yua¡¯s gifts included plenty of ingredients.¡¯ Corminar paused to nod his gratitude to Yua by way of Seah. The governor¡¯s aide returned the nod in kind. ¡®We have enough that we will not need to worry about running low on these potions any time soon. But, I must reiterate, you do also require sleep.¡¯ ¡®I slept last night,¡¯ I said, my tone bordering on snappy. Val glanced at me; she knew this wasn¡¯t true, but at least she didn¡¯t say anything to anyone else. I¡¯d snapped at her, too, last night¡ªthen immediately apologised. She¡¯d been nice about it, attributing it to my lack of sleep. The reality, though, was that my abrasiveness came from the lack of an artifact hanging from my neck. Once again, I touched the spot on my chest where it should have been. ¡®How are we on recruits?¡¯ I asked, eager to shift the conversation along. It was a question that could be answered with a pretty good accuracy simply by looking outside the tent, but it was still worth asking. ¡®Three hundred,¡¯ Arzak said. ¡®We at one hundredth of thirty thousand goal.¡¯ ¡®But we get more every day,¡¯ Val added, slightly more encouragingly; the orc¡¯s tone had been so flat as to suggest she was close to giving up. But my wife¡¯s addition to the report wasn¡¯t just to add a positive spin to dire results. It was true that with every day that passed, our number was growing by a higher amount; we weren¡¯t adding to our army linearly. The stronger our army was, the more convincing the argument to join us. ¡®Still,¡¯ Arzak continued, ¡®we need big army to join us. Two better.¡¯ She turned to Lore. ¡®Go Coldharbour? See if can convince them?¡¯ ¡®There¡¯s no point,¡¯ I replied, speaking for him. ¡®We¡¯ve done all we can there; they either join us, or they don¡¯t.¡¯ ¡®I prefer join us.¡¯ ¡®Wouldn¡¯t we all,¡¯ Val added. ¡®There is still the Sundorn, in the south. We could try them.¡¯ ¡®What reason would they have for joining us?¡¯ I asked. ¡®We¡¯ve done nothing to help them.¡¯ ¡®Err¡­ survival?¡¯ I nodded. ¡®Fair point. I can open a distant portal to Farnet. Do you think you and Corminar could ride from there?¡¯ ¡®Sure,¡¯ Val said, at the same moment that Corminar said, ¡®No.¡¯ I looked to the elf for an explanation. ¡®I will need a day, and a portal to Uil, if possible. If Uil is not possible, then any location in the eastern Goldmarch will be suitable.¡¯ Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. I nodded. ¡®Val¡ªtake Lore instead. Corminar¡ªI can do Uil, or any location on the road to the witchfinder village. But can I ask¡­ why?¡¯ Corminar held my gaze for a moment, and I swore I could feel his eyes boring into my soul. ¡®You may not. I ask instead that you trust me.¡¯ A moment of cautious silence passed through the tent, all eyes on me. I nodded. ¡®Fine.¡¯ Turning to the group at large, I added, ¡®I think we¡¯re done here for today. Val, Lore, I¡¯ll sort out that portal in ten minutes¡ªget ready.¡¯ With that, our leadership group left the tent, separating to go about our separate duties. Except, I pursued Corminar. I knew he would realise I was following him¡ªit was hard to sneak up on an elf¡ªbut he made no show of it until we were at the edge of the camp, where the archery range was being set up. Here, there was nobody close enough to overhear us. ¡®You do not trust me,¡¯ Corminar said. It was not phrase as a question. ¡®I trust you, Cor, but do you trust us? If there¡¯s something you can do to turn the tide of this battle, don¡¯t you think you should tell us? We need to know.¡¯ ¡®And if knowing causes you to stop me? What then?¡¯ I looked around the camp, to make sure nobody was nearby. What was there that Corminar didn¡¯t want anyone knowing? ¡®Tell me,¡¯ I insisted. ¡®You need my portal. This is the price.¡¯ Once again, the elf held my gaze. ¡®The army of corruption is not our only obstacle,¡¯ he said after a minute or two of silent consideration. ¡®There is another¡ªone that has altered or destroyed our plans on multiple occasions.¡¯ I understood, then, where he was going with this. This wasn¡¯t a plan that he didn¡¯t want anyone to know. This was a plan that he didn¡¯t want me to know. ¡®My mother,¡¯ I said. The elf nodded. ¡®I had Arzak put out word through her network, and through my business contacts. I told them that I would pay the fortune of a lifetime for a means by which to render invisibility magicks inert. We heard last night¡ªwe have found one.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re going to kill her before she kills one of us. And you didn¡¯t tell me because you thought I might stop you.¡¯ ¡®She is your mother,¡¯ Corminar replied. ¡®And you have had¡­ reservations on the matter already.¡¯ ¡®Just because I won¡¯t kill her with my own hand, doesn¡¯t mean¡ª¡¯ ¡®It is more than that. I know of her offer¡ªthat she would give you and Val a place in the new world. What if you recognise that our chances of success are thin? What if you treat this new world as a backup plan? What if our battle no longer gets your full attention¡ªcould that be the difference between success and defeat? At such low odds, I would not take any chances.¡¯ I nodded, considering these words for a moment. Corminar didn¡¯t trust me, not totally¡ªthat much was clear. I already had suspicions about Arzak and Lore having their own doubts. I wanted to blame them. I really did. But there was this thought in the back of my mind: if we do fail to stop the Council¡¯s ritual, what harm really was there in me saving my family? A chill ran down my spine when I realised that¡ªwhen I realised my friends were right not to totally trust me. But I didn¡¯t say any of this. Instead, I asked Corminar, ¡®Uil, are you ready to go?¡¯ He replied with a nod, and I opened a distant portal in front of him, my hand immediately going to the mana potions hanging at my waist. ¡®I will open another portal in the same location, three days from now. Be there, yeah?¡¯ Corminar paused on the threshold of the portal and looked back to me. ¡®Thank you,¡¯ he said.
"Styk" Level 25 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 319 Dexterity ¡ª 204 Strength ¡ª 108 Wisdom ¡ª 94 Charisma ¡ª 78
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 86 Knifework ¡ª Level 64 Stealth ¡ª Level 34 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Peerless Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location. Support up to ten pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Distant Portals ¡ª Create a portal to any location in which you have stood previously, with perfect aim. Uses significant mana to open portals. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades II ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Etched spells can be activated up to ten times. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
258. Reading The Signs Three days later, Corminar did not appear. I waited, Turell and Arzak at my side, to greet him. Well, mostly it was to tell him that the range was ready and that our arrow supply was nearly overflowing, so Archery training could begin. Arzak had a list of trainees ready and waiting, while Turell was there because he had nothing else to do¡ªhaving been so eager to help that he had already got through all the tasks I¡¯d given him. But the portal opened, and through it, we saw only the slightly blurry brick wall of one of Uil¡¯s many buildings. I gave it a minute or two, coughing awkwardly while we waited, before starting to panic. It occurred to me that maybe my mother had got him. For all we knew, she¡¯d been in the camp with us, invisible, this whole time. Maybe she¡¯d stepped through the portal with Corminar, and killed him while he was separated from us. But then I caught myself: no, that didn¡¯t make sense, because if my mother knew where our camp was, then the Council¡¯s armies would have already wiped us off the face of Alterra. If Corminar was missing, someone¡ªor something¡ªelse was to blame. Whatever it was, we wouldn¡¯t find out from here. ¡®Arzak,¡¯ I said, without turning away from the portal. ¡®Put Zoi in charge. You¡¯re coming with me.¡¯ My orcish friend disappeared to give Zoi her orders, leaving Turell and I at the portal. I¡¯d have trusted Val or Lore over Zoi, but they were down south, in the Sundorn, doing their best to recruit a part of the world untouched by the Council. Turell coughed pointedly, as if to say that after all the work he¡¯d put in, he should be in charge. ¡®Keep an eye on Zoi,¡¯ I told him, demonstrating that I trusted him too. ¡®Keep her on task.¡¯ The minor lord¡ªnot someone used to receiving orders¡ªnodded his agreement, then he, too, disappeared from my side. It took Arzak a few minutes to return, but when she did, her presence was announced by heavy footsteps and minutely squeaking joints on her metal arm support. We¡¯d need to see about greasing that contraption at some point, but right now, there was another priority: making sure that Corminar was still alive. ¡®Ready?¡¯ I asked Arzak. ¡®Mm. Ready.¡¯ I stepped through the portal, Arzak on my heel. We appeared in the centre of the small city of Uil, a key trading post in the Goldmarch empire. It was a bustling city, filled with traders, merchants, and people whose business it was to put others together. The taverns were grand, the main streets cobbled with large, polished stone, and often you would hear a drunkard or two singing as they strolled on home. But it was a ghost town. Nothing about this made any sense. The southern Goldmarch was quiet because the malae had passed through, and the corruption¡¯s innate power had drawn out monsters. But out here, in the west, there had been no malae to speak of. No monsters. So why was there not another person in sight? Arzak furrowed her brow. ¡®Hmm. Cos of snow?¡¯ The suggestion was half-hearted. I shook my head. ¡®Something¡¯s happened here.¡¯ ¡®Think it got Corminar?¡¯ I didn¡¯t answer; we both knew I did, yet I couldn¡¯t quite bring myself to say it. I crossed the street, snow crunching underfoot, and called out, ¡®Hello? Anyone here?¡¯ The fluttering of a curtain¡ªthat I spotted just out the corner of my eye¡ªsaid that this wasn¡¯t a ghost town at all. People were still here, they were just hiding in their homes. Yet this wasn¡¯t like Tradum, where Arit had been corrupting the locals, because there was no Goldmarch soldier presence in sight. Whatever this was, this was something new. Could there have been some incursion from the tribes of the Badlands, farther to the east? It would be unprecedented; they¡¯d never got this far into Goldmarch territory before, but it was possible with Amira ousted and the Council¡¯s attention focused elsewhere. Still, it didn¡¯t seem quite right. To the south was the Bay of Roots, and a day¡¯s sail away from the broken Dawnwood. To the north was the Iron Sea, and then the militarily weak and disorganised Gentle Tundras. There was no force nearby other than in the Badlands that could realistically be here. I looked up and down the street, finding the layer of fresh snow untouched except for a few sets of footprints. There was no blood spilled here¡ªat least none that I could see¡ªand no damage to the buildings. Arzak strolled north, calling for someone just as I had, but also getting no luck. She was more at home in this bitter weather, and even in few layers of clothes she wasn¡¯t shivering, like I was. At the next junction, between the tall structures built in the wood-and-stone style of the Goldmarch, she crouched, and pulled a single arrow from the snow. ¡®I don¡¯t like this,¡¯ I said, just loud enough so that she¡¯d be able to hear me. ¡®Keep your eye out for trouble. I¡¯ll portal you away if you cry out.¡¯ ¡®Mm.¡¯ Arzak turned on the spot, looking down each of the four streets that met at the junction. When she didn¡¯t wave or call out to anyone, I understood that she¡¯d not seen a single soul. I turned my attention to the building where I¡¯d seen the curtain twitching. Snow crunched underfoot as I approached, but halfway to it, Arzak called out. ¡®No,¡¯ she said. I stopped and turned to her, asking her the inevitable question with a furrowed brow. ¡®Could be ambush.¡¯ ¡®Then let¡¯s spring it,¡¯ I suggested. ¡®No,¡¯ Arzak said again. I considered her, seeing her unconsciously fiddle with her contraption with the other arm. ¡®It¡¯ll be OK,¡¯ I said. ¡®You¡¯ll see. If it¡¯s an ambush, I¡¯ll portal us away, and they won¡¯t be able to reach us.¡¯ ¡®Portals not always perfect. Sometimes magicks dampened. Sometimes you not quick enough.¡¯ The touching of the metal contraption made sense now. I understood what Arzak was thinking of; if I¡¯d been quicker to portal us out of the way of the corrupted soldier, she would never have been touched by it. She would never have been hurt in a way that she would carry for the rest of her life. The light was fading behind Arzak¡¯s eyes. She¡¯d once carried such an unbridled passion for justice, one that had once upon a time made her the de facto leader of the Slayers. But now, after all she¡¯d seen and after all she¡¯d been to, her heart simply wasn¡¯t in it. I could hardly blame her. ¡®Alright,¡¯ I said. ¡®Stand back. I¡¯ll be careful. I promise.¡¯ As I turned back around to face the building where I knew someone was home, I noticed an odd-looking piece of cloth opposite. It stood out only because there was no good reason for it to be there, and it was held in place by metal rings that didn¡¯t seem part of the original structure. I kept one eye on it as I approached the door. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. ¡®Open up!¡¯ I demanded as I pounded on the wood. I caught sight of the curtain moving once again. ¡®I know you¡¯re in there, so you might as well open up. I¡¯m not leaving until you do.¡¯ There was nothing; whoever was home was pretending that they weren¡¯t. ¡®Dunno if you heard me and my mate talking about portal magicks? Well, yeah, I can just portal myself inside if you don¡¯t open the door, and that might with some of your furniture being cut in two.¡¯ I heard a mumbling inside¡ªthere were at least two people there. I pounded on the door once more. ¡®I¡¯ll give you to the count of five. One¡­¡¯ The door flew open, to reveal a man about my mother¡¯s age. Towards the back of the house, I could see the silhouettes of another adult, and two children. ¡®It¡¯s not an ambush!¡¯ I called over to Arzak. ¡®You can come over here.¡¯ ¡®Please, sir, I¡ª¡¯ the man started, voice quite high in pitch and legs trembling in fear. ¡®Hello,¡¯ I said. ¡®Let¡¯s start over, shall we? My name is Styk. My friend, who¡¯s just coming over now, is called Arzak. We¡¯re here in town looking for someone, and you seem to be about the only person about here who might be able to help.¡¯ The man said nothing, but was still clearly unsure. This didn¡¯t change for the better when Arzak arrived at my side, towering over me. ¡®That¡¯s fine, I suppose I didn¡¯t ask for your name. Maybe you don¡¯t wanna give it. But can you tell me if you¡¯ve seen another one of our friends? He¡¯s an elf, about this¡ª¡¯ ¡®No!¡¯ the man shouted. ¡®No, no, we¡¯re not part of this! We just want to live our lives!¡¯ I gestured for the man to calm¡ªhands in front of me, pushing them down. ¡®We¡¯re not gonna hurt you. We just wanna¡ª¡¯ The man¡¯s eyes widened, but not with fear¡ªwith hope. ¡®You¡¯re not one of them? But you came from the portal, the same portal that he came from.¡¯ I grabbed the man by the shoulders. ¡®Corminar? You¡¯ve seen him?¡¯ The man went deathly still at my touch. ¡®I saw someone come out a portal, three days ago, if that¡¯s what you mean. Another one of them.¡¯ ¡®What you mean, ¡°them¡±?¡¯ Arzak demanded. ¡®Another elf!¡¯ the local cried. ¡®You¡¯re saying there are others? Other elves? What do you¡ª¡¯ But then, I understood. I¡¯d been wrong before. There was another nearby force who could cause trouble in this area¡ªone that I had considered, but had immediately discounted. The elves had been scattered by the Niamh-led Goldmarch invasion of the Dawnwood, but they weren¡¯t dead. And if they were going to sail for the Goldmarch, they¡¯d land in this area. I released the stranger, eliciting a sigh of relief from him, then turned away. I strided fast across the snowy street, to the piece of cloth hanging from the opposite building. I tore it away, already knowing the essence of what I¡¯d find behind it. There was a large symbol, scrawled into the wooden panel behind the cloth. It was unmistakable¡ªit depicted one of the towering trees of the Dawnwood, so unique in its appearance. From the tree fell a seed, one which was depicted as lying upon the dirt. Tendrils had begun to sprout from it. Underneath the symbol, a single phrase was carved: FROM A SINGLE BIRTH SEED, THE POWER TO TOPPLE TYRANTS. The elves hadn¡¯t simply admitted defeat. They hadn¡¯t simply been biding their time. Some of them were out for revenge. I turned back to the man in the doorway, and I barked a simple instruction. ¡®Tell me where they went.¡¯
"Styk" Level 25 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 319 Dexterity ¡ª 204 Strength ¡ª 108 Wisdom ¡ª 94 Charisma ¡ª 78
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 86 Knifework ¡ª Level 64 Stealth ¡ª Level 34 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Peerless Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location. Support up to ten pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Distant Portals ¡ª Create a portal to any location in which you have stood previously, with perfect aim. Uses significant mana to open portals. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades II ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Etched spells can be activated up to ten times. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%
259. A Typically Elven Rage The citizen of Uil we¡¯d been speaking to had taken a little more encouraging to give us the answers we wanted. He really didn¡¯t want to speak about the elves around here, which made me a little worried about what they were actually up to. But we were here to find Corminar, and it could have been no coincidence that elves would be around when he¡¯d gone missing¡ªwe had no choice but to track them down. We were pointed east, towards the coast, and Arzak and I made quick progress using my portals. With the thick snow, it was impossible for even elves not to leave tracks, and so they¡¯d made no attempt. This was good news for us, because Arzak and I were hardly expert trackers, so we needed all the signs we could get. As we tracked, I wondered if Corminar could have known about all this before he¡¯d come this way, or if he¡¯d just stumbled into it. He¡¯d told me about the solution for my mother¡¯s invisibility before he¡¯d come, and I could think of no good reason that he would lie about it. If he was going to obscure his real reason for coming, that would hardly be the lie that he chose to cover it. So this meant that the elves being here was just chance, but Corminar had jumped at the opportunity to meet with them, or help them, and in doing so he¡¯d even missed his portal appointment. I knew my friend well enough to know that he wouldn¡¯t do so without good reason. I stood, having been crouched to look for the tracks in the snow we¡¯d been following. ¡®He¡¯s recruiting,¡¯ I said. ¡®Mm,¡¯ Arzak replied. ¡®Maybe most successful mission yet. If enough elves around here to cause trouble¡ªand there no Goldmarch soldiers around, yes?¡ªthen must be lots of them.¡¯ I nodded my agreement. Maybe we were about to find a good few allies after all. * * * ¡®Keep low,¡¯ I whispered. Arzak nodded, not daring to speak¡ªher voice typically being a lot deeper, and louder, than mine. We moved slowly as we approached the two men in Goldmarch uniform, weapons raised and ready to strike. It was the day after we¡¯d arrived in Uil, and the elven tracks had turned to head south. We were in the midst of a dense woodland, one that in warmer months might be alive with the sound of birds and insects, but right now was nearly silent. The two soldiers ahead were part of a larger unit, pacing through the forest and stopping here and there as they scouted their perimeter. If we wanted to know what the soldiers were doing here¡ªonce Amira¡¯s army, now effectively under the control of the Council¡ªwe needed to get closer to their camp. We waded our legs through the snow rather than taking tall steps, which might result in crunching underfoot, and might in turn alert the lax scouting party to our presence. When we were near enough, I stopped, nodded to Arzak, and then opened a portal for each of us. At the same moment, she and I leaped through, and downed our assigned enemy in one hit. The resulting experience was enough not just to level up my Worldbending, but also to tip me over into level 35 for Stealth, which of course meant that I had an ability selection to make. Right now, though, we had other priorities, so I minimised the notifications for the time being. I patted mine down, looking for orders or any other sign of why they were here, but came up short. Arzak shrugged; she¡¯d found nothing too. ¡®Soldiers dow¡ª¡¯ an unfamiliar voice cried out. I had just enough time to snap my head to the source of the noise before its source was abruptly cut off. In the distance, through the snowy pine landscape, there was a flash of movement, and suddenly the soldier who¡¯d spotted us was gone. Arzak frowned at me¡ªan expression I returned in kind. ¡®Monster?¡¯ she mouthed. I shrugged, then nodded us towards where the enemy soldier had disappeared. I didn¡¯t open any portals to carry us over there, being that I didn¡¯t want to dump the pair of us into the midst of trouble, and instead kept them ready to activate. As before, we kept low as we crossed the dense forest, growing closer to the Goldmarch camp. I caught another flash of movement out of the corner of my eye, but when I turned to look at it, it was gone. ¡®I may drop you through a portal, if there¡¯s trouble,¡¯ I whispered to Arzak. ¡®Be ready for it.¡¯ She nodded her enthusiastic agreement. We arrived at the very edge of the camp, obscured by a fallen tree. By my count, there were only a couple of dozen enemy soldiers here. That was simultaneously fewer than I expected and also far more than the pair of us could handle. We¡¯d need to be careful, and pick them off one by one. If whatever other force was active in this forest didn¡¯t get to them first. Part of me was tempted to wait to see what happened, to let this third party do the work for us. But there was no guarantee it wouldn¡¯t kill us before it killed all the soldiers. I poked my head over the pine tree, and prepared a strategy. ¡®There are three soldiers in a group on the left side of the camp,¡¯ I whispered to Arzak. ¡®If we¡¯re fast, we should be able to take all three of them before¡ª¡¯ From the trees, they fell. A dozen shapes released the tops of the pine trees that towered over the clearing, and they seemed to float down towards the ground, white capes billowing gently behind them. These humanoid shapes¡ªthese elven shapes¡ªlanded on the thick snow without a sound, not alerting a single enemy to their presence. Moments later, as one, they took their blades to the throats of the Goldmarch soldiers. This left only a half-dozen soldiers in golden uniform, all of whom sprang to attention to return the attack. Two more of them fell before they could even raise their blades, three of them attacked the elves just as the elves attacked them, and as for the last¡­ I opened a portal beneath the enemy woman¡¯s feet, and dropped her upside down in front of Arzak. My orcish friend saw to her. It had been only seconds since the elves had dropped from the trees, and the clearing had grown silent once more. ¡®Styk?¡¯ a familiar voice called out. ¡®Is that you?¡¯ Arzak and I stood from behind the fallen tree, revealing ourselves to the elves. One of them pulled back his white hood, revealing Corminar¡¯s smiling face. ¡®It is good to see you, my friend,¡¯ he said, his tone more light and joyful than I had heard it since the Dawnwood fell. ¡®My most sincere apologies for missing our meeting; there was work to be done.¡¯ ¡®So I see,¡¯ I replied, my eyes sweeping over the other elves¡ªeleven others, all told. When these newfound allies of Corminar understood that we weren¡¯t the enemy, they also lowered their hoods. ¡®Was that you back there?¡¯ ¡®We thought it beast,¡¯ Arzak added. Corminar smiled. ¡®That was one of us, indeed. The army of the Goldmarch should have known better than to hide in such territory; our people are well equipped for forest warfare.¡¯ ¡®You know why they¡¯re here, not hurrying back to Auricia?¡¯ One of the other elves stepped forward¡ªa beautiful woman with piercing eyes and long dark hair. I made a mental note never to mention her to Val. ¡®They are here for us,¡¯ the elf said, her tone one of easy command. ¡®We have sought vengeance on their kind for the battle of Sunalor, and we have done battle here for weeks. It is an annoyance that the Council wishes to stamp out, I believe, but little more than that.¡¯ You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. I raised my eyebrows. ¡®Well, if you want to be a real thorn in the Council¡¯s side, then¡ª¡¯ ¡®I have explained the situation,¡¯ Corminar cut in. ¡®Though they required a demonstration of my loyalty to my people. After Sunalor¡­¡¯ ¡®There were some who blamed you for the fall of our capital,¡¯ the other elf said. ¡®But we know for certain, now, that the loss was not your intent, despite your treason.¡¯ The elf focused on Arzak and me, considering us. ¡®I must assume that you are other members of the Slayers; you must be Arzak and Styk.¡¯ The orc blushed slightly¡ªsomething that I had only recently learned to spot. ¡®You have us at disadvantage. Please, what your name?¡¯ ¡®Ulara. Once understudy to the great Captain Relaar, now captain of the Rooted Guard myself.¡¯ She bowed to us. ¡®If even a fraction of what Lieutenant Cladenor has told us of you is true, then it is an honour.¡¯ I returned the bow, copying Turell, not quite sure how else to respond to such levels of respect. Arzak awkwardly did the same. ¡®If my sincerity is now sufficiently proven,¡¯ Corminar said, ¡®perhaps you might¡­¡¯ Ulara nodded, then raised her hand to summon her squadron in close. ¡®Guard? Splinter. Summon as many of our kind as possible; we march for the Aurician Meadows.¡¯ * * * We were back in the command tent, and pleased to find that our camp had grown further in our absence¡ªour number couldn¡¯t have been far off five hundred by now. It was huge progress, and yet still only a fraction of what we needed to have even the slimmest chance of success. Still, it gave me hope. The leadership team was all present, short of Zoi. The tiefling was at this very moment welcoming an old friend to the fold¡ªthe blacksmith who had built the contraption that supported Arzak¡¯s arm. Hopefully, they weren¡¯t just catching up, but were instead figuring out how Kudd¡¯s abilities might help the war effort. The rest of us had other priorities right now¡ªnamely the purple gem that Corminar had placed on the centre of our new command table. The table itself was a brilliantly ornate scale model of Auricia and its surrounding meadows, built by an artisan carpenter who had joined the camp two weeks prior. She¡¯d built it with accuracy in mind so that we might plan our attack on the Goldmarch capital, and no attention to detail had been spared. Yet it paled in comparison to the brilliant glow of the gem that Corminar had retrieved. ¡®It will reveal invisible objects within a radius of thirty yards,¡¯ he explained. ¡®It is not perfect, and yet it should be sufficient for our needs.¡¯ I stared into the gem¡ªthe means by which we might finally defeat my mother. Corminar continued, ¡®My recommendation is that, until we meet Cleo again, we entrust this to the guards of the camp¡¯s outer perimeter. We should change their route to encircle the camp as quickly as possible, with the gem brought into the centre of camp every hour, in case Cleo has slipped past. Should her presence be revealed, a specific cry should spread across the camp, and the gem kept as close to the Player as possible.¡¯ He looked to me for confirmation that this plan was sufficient. After a moment of consideration, I nodded. ¡®Whatever you think is best.¡¯ I left out the part about not trusting myself on this matter. For all my mother¡¯s evil deeds, she was still blood; I had the same resistance to killing kin as she had. ¡®Excellent,¡¯ Corminar said, swiping the gem from the table and handing it to Turell. ¡®Please, summon your best guards, and¡ª¡¯ A cry rang out from somewhere outside the command tent. My eyes snapped to Corminar. ¡®Is this¡­¡¯ He shook his head. ¡®I have not yet told the scouts of your mother. This would be something else.¡¯ The camp¡¯s leadership ran out from the tent, looking for the source of the cry. Three scouts had just ridden into the camp, their heads raised, looking for us just as we were looking for them. When they spotted Arzak and Lore, towering over everyone else, they rode for us. ¡®It has happened!¡¯ one of the scouts spluttered. Her mouth moved more, but no words came out, as though she was still frantically searching for them. ¡®What has? What¡¯s happened? Have they found us?¡¯ My own reply was just as strained and anxious in tone as the scout¡¯s. ¡®No, no,¡¯ another scout replied, shaking his head. ¡®It¡¯s not that. It¡¯s¡­ You should come with us.¡¯ We rode north, towards Auricia. Even before those strange devices towered before us, I had a sense of what we would see. Green light crackled throughout the sky, not entirely dissimilar to Val¡¯s own lifedrain magicks, all of it seeming to centre in the heavens above the city. When we rode over the crest of a hill, and saw for ourselves those great towers, my heart dropped. Those giant copies of the devices in the witchfinder village were activated; the Council had already fixed our sabotage. It was those towers that drew the witchcraft magicks from across Alterra. ¡®They¡¯re drawing power,¡¯ Val said. ¡®The Council are getting ready to begin.¡¯
"Styk" Level 25 Bladespinner
Base Stats: Vitality ¡ª 68 Intelligence ¡ª 323 Dexterity ¡ª 206 Strength ¡ª 108 Wisdom ¡ª 96 Charisma ¡ª 78
Skills: Worldbending ¡ª Level 87 Knifework ¡ª Level 64 Stealth ¡ª Level 35 Needlework ¡ª Level 31
Abilities: Peerless Portals ¡ª Create a portal to another location. Support up to ten pairs of portals at once. Uses mana to open portals only. Portal Slice III ¡ª Passive. Portals can now be spawned within non-sentient objects. Doing so slices through all objects except those specifically imbued with Worldbending protections. Tamed Portals ¡ª Passive. Increased efficiency of portal magicks means that your portal glow is reduced by 50%, making them less likely to be detected by enemies. Titan Husk ¡ª Warp your flesh to withstand all physical damage effects, including fire, frost, lightning, poison, and corruption. Shrill Perimeter ¡ª Create a perimeter wall of 20 foot radius, invisible to all but those adept in magicks. If an enemy crosses this perimeter, this spell releases the shriek of a banshee. Warped Shield ¡ª Passive. If an enemy strikes you with a low-level melee weapon, Warp Shield automatically activates to open a portal that deflects this attack. You must not have any portals currently active. Uses mana on activation. Pocket Worlds ¡ª Open and access pocket dimensions. Storage capacity of summoned pocket worlds scales with [INT] of creator. Silence III ¡ª Create a bubble of 20 yard radius in which sound is eradicated. Uses mana to cast, zero mana to maintain. You may only have one bubble active at any one time. Saved Portals II ¡ª Select a location to ¡°save¡± for future portals. Until your save point is moved, you may always open a portal here, even if it is beyond your current Local Portal range. Mana is used only upon opening the portal. Portal Relay II ¡ª Up to ten small-scale portals can now be positioned stationary to an entity, and used to communicate sound. In addition, your standard portals may be used to communicate sound. Needle Dart II ¡ª Launch needles through minimised portals. Can be targeted to any location excluding living beings. Uses mana per use. Distant Portals ¡ª Create a portal to any location in which you have stood previously, with perfect aim. Uses significant mana to open portals. Stab IV ¡ª Put your weight behind your wielded blade and force the tip through all but the toughest hides and armour. Damage scales on [STR]. Damage increased by an additional [+100%]. Execution III ¡ª Attack a target while undetected for +300% damage. Closed Reach ¡ª Bend reality to narrow the gap between blade and target by up to 8 inches. Uses mana. Mana-Fuelled ¡ª Passive. Optionally, use mana in place of stamina to activate Knifework abilities. Knifestorm ¡ª Lash out at all surrounding enemies in a tornado of blades, using either one or two daggers. All enemies with arm¡¯s reach receive physical damage worth weapon¡¯s base damage and additional damage scaling on [STR]. Throw III ¡ª Throw blades at great speed towards your enemy. Deal considerable damage to armourless area, with addition damage scaling with [DEX] and [STR]. Etched Blades II ¡ª Etch spells into the sides of your blades, giving you the ability to activate said spell on a successful hit. Etched spells can be activated up to ten times. Stealth Attack IV ¡ª Passive. 300% boost to damage when unnoticed by enemy. In Plain Sight ¡ª When activated, you have a heightened abilitiy to hide in plain sight, and are able to spot opportunities to break from combat at a higher rate. Scales on [WIS]. Gentle Step ¡ª Passive. Your footsteps are dampened on even the hardest of surfaces. Reduce noise of movement by 80%. Stitch ¡ª Create a basic stitch in common fabrics. Ability scales on [CHA]. Quality Cloth Armour ¡ª Craft a cloth armour of higher quality than materials and time should allow. Enchantment-Ready ¡ª Passive. Light armour you craft can be enchanted.
Active Effects: Legacy of Sisyphus: XP gain increased by +1,900%