After finding the Mayor and accompanying Mrs. Glasscock back to the Cemetery Rich was quickly paid the 30g and Charles god a firm pat on the head with the Mayor saying "Good Pig". Both left happy and headed back to the Wolf's Den with not even the kids to bother them as it was around lunch time and most were off the street. With Rich's mind wondering he wondered that "If I am trying to be polite how would I differentiate between the Mayor and her wife? If they both took the last name how could he call one Mrs. Glasscock and the other Mrs. Glascock. He could of course call Amanda, Amanda or Mayor. He pondered this unanswerable question for a few breath longer and realized he should never bring the topic up and that he would find out if he ever met the Mayors better half. If he could say that. Either way it wasn't worth actually asking the question. Robert chimed in "See since you slowed down to think about that you came to the wise conclusion that you should never voice that thought. Thinking like that will save you a lot of heartache in life". Rich couldn't disagree with his guide considering he didn't even insult Rich and he was right. Rich thought back "What's your opinion on the matter then?" and Rich calmly replied "So long as they're happy that's all that matters. Same as yours. Just don't make it weird".

  Rich then asked his guide for the funniest joke he knew. Robert replied "What is a cleric’s favorite drink?" Rich was stumped for a second and thought "Oh easy Holy Water". Robert snickered and said "Divini-tea!". Rich outwardly groaned as walked. Great he was stuck here for eternity with someone that made Dad jokes and just when Robert seemed somewhat redeemable. What's going to happen next? Rich finds out Robert is the guy that feels the need to slow clap every time something happens? Certainly a fate worse than death. Rich's musings ended as he walked into the Wolf's Den and he saw Sally placing a plate of food down for him at his favorite spot. The Inn was pretty dead. Wolf and Sue were laying down on Bear's rug leaned up against Bear. Bear was not sleeping but didn't seem to care. He couldn't quite hear what the two were talking about but it sounded like they were telling stories back and forth while interrupting Bear's afternoon nap by the fire. Every few moments Bear seemed to exhale a breath that went unnoticed.

  Rich sat down and considered his food. It was a solid large ham sandwich with some kind of spicy and sweet sauce. It was not Rich's favorite but edible for sure and the bread was pretty good. Nice and toasted. He slowly munched on his sandwich trying to think about what he was going to do the rest of the day or what he would spend his gold on and suddenly Wolf appeared on the other side of the bar with a large chest and plopped it down in front of Rich. Sue was sitting beside him and Rich realized the sandwich was cold, that he didn't care because there was loot.

  Wolf cleared his voice and said "I'll take the scythe. It by far too dangerous to let anyone here use. It is a cursed item and has a spell on it that imprints a geas onto the persons soul that subtly makes them want to become a dark under lord and rule for eternity. It is far too weak to work on someone my level but it would have quite the benefit for any low leveled person. It would give a +4 to intelligence and +6 to strength. At my level that's not even better than my belt but if one of you wants to suffer ever lasting damnation then by all means take it". Neither of the two wanted the item. Wolf opened the chest and exclaimed sarcastically.

The contents of the chest were:

* 2g Coins

* Hat of Ill Intended Glamorweave - A hat. It can look like any hat. No stat bonus. Can change shape and design once a day. Often misinterprets the users intentions.

* Robe of Useless Items - This robe has many patches on it. None of the items on it will ever be useful and any time you think you finally need an item it has vanished and been replaced by another. The patches constantly move around so grabbing one to rip off won't be easy. If one can successfully rip off a patch they will get that completely useless item for 24hrs.

* Cotton Gloves of Fire Detection - Flammable Cotton gloves that detect fire. The range of detection is touch.

  Wolf identified all the items and handed each of the new adventurers 1g. He didn't tell the two the descriptions on the items. Rich ended up taking the Hat and said "Well it's an upgrade over my old company hat" and willed it to look like a Cleric's hat from Dark souls. The hat turned into a White baseball cap that had "Cleric's" embroidered in thick gold letters on the front and had little cartoon like black ghosts swirling around on the fabric. This was honestly a lot cooler than what Rich wanted any way. Screw the weird bowler style gray hat he thought of. Sue took the Gloves of fire detection then cursed outload when he read the description.

  Sally came out from the kitchen and said "Ohhhhh mine" and yanked the Robes of Useless items. Rich started to protest and Sally said "My husband saved you. This is the Tax" and continued on. Since all 3 adventurers had inventories and the robes were useless none of them complained. Sally took the robes and hung them on the wall where the useless patches swam around on the fabric making a neat little wall display. It was a better use than anyone else could think of.

  Rich stared at the new wall ornament and asked "Man why did the loot suck so much" to which Wolf explained "It was a low level dungeon and you got carried. You might have got something useful if you two defeated the lich on your own but even then probably not". Sue signed and said "I had low expectations and even those were crushed".

  Neither adventurer was really in the mood for more adventuring after that. They sat around the Inn and talked. Rich went on a walk that was just a walk this time. Charles and Bear played around with the kids. Other than the quest the day seemed like a total waste. Except when Rich closed his eyes to go to sleep. Rich and Robert were immediately sucked off into the Dream World. When they realized what happened they looked around and saw Jack. Both were a little taken aback and confused.

  Jack started "Good evening. I have gathered you two here today for your first assignment. I have recently taken on a new outlook on life and I need your help to preform some good". Neither were sold. Robert because he was tricked into a state of eternal servitude until he successfully got one of Jack's followers to lvl 20 and Rich because he was beginning to trust Robert and his guide did correctly tell him the nature of his God. Robert started to open his mouth and Jack continued "Robert I can guarantee you'll agree with this assignment. It's easy. Port in, stab, make it look like some cult offering, port out. Done". Robert really got fired up but before Robert could go off on a tirade a picture of a noble Robert was very familiar with popped up next to Jack. Robert forgot his anger and said "You're asking us to kill Nobleman Grinder?" and Jack replied "Yes. He killed one of my few disciples about a decade back and I can no longer stand for his tortuous ways. I am taking a good outlook on life now. Robert I know you won't have a problem with this, convince Rich. When you have use these items. There's a stone of teleportation attuned to Grinder's bed chambers in his mansion, a scroll of returning that will bring you back to your room at the inn you two are staying at, A scroll of silence, and a sacrificial dagger of endless suffering. Their use should be obvious and I swear as a god these items do exactly what their descriptions say they do and that I am not tricking either of you. You two owe me nothing from this and it is considered a favor to me if you complete this task" and with that Jack vanished. A quest popped up for Rich.

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  Robert started off "Rich this man is evil. He buys and marries unwed girls and takes them as concubines. Then when they grow too old he sends them down to his dungeon where he tortures them and slowly kills them. I thought it was a rumor until my late wife's sister went missing without a trace and her body was found in the sewage outside his estate a few years later. Nothing ever happened to him as he's rich enough he just bribes away the guard and investigators. Please Rich if we can kill him it would mean a lot to me. That sick bastard is in part why I ended up making an oath to Jack. The disappearance of my late wife's sister drove her mad with grief. She was never the same after that moment". Rich was far from convinced. Rich asked for proof and Robert had none. Robert said "Rich I have no proof I am a guide. I have no items. This guy really is some demented cult leader that bathes in the blood of young girls. I swear it but I can't prove anything to you. Please do this for me. Jack even swore that he wasn't tricking us, that's no small thing for a god. He even gave you a quest with rewards stating as such. It's iron clad proof that he's not trying to double cross you this time" and Rich heard the hurt in his voice as Robert was fighting back tears. Rich didn't like it but he did agree. He figured this new world was harsh and he had to wake up and smell the roses. They did have to come up with a plan.

  Rich woke up and he and his guide mentally discussed the best plan. They knew that they had to use Rich's changeling ability to disguise himself. Rich took off all his clothes and dawned his black vestments. They conveniently looked like cultist robes. Rich then tried to will his body to forum an evil cultist forum. Of course there was no evil cultist forum. Rich thought it might be best to become a skeleton since he had fought one twice in two days and being a skeleton meant he had no stomach to throw up it's contents from after he murdered someone in cold blood. Assassinated really. He tried to will his body the same way he did in the tutorial and at first it didn't work. Then he heard Jack's voice "Sure if you want to be a skeleton for this fine. I will give you that ability. Not a bad choice" and poof Rich was an animated skeleton with ivory white smooth bones. Robert went over the plan as best he saw it. Crack the scroll of silence, use the teleport stone to teleport into Grinder's chambers, stab him in the heart with the dagger of endless suffering, throw some blood around for a few minutes, draw a pentagram in blood, scroll of returning back. seemed easy enough. Now just to get over the fact that Rich was going to go murder a stranger in cold blood. Just a small thing. He reached into his inventory and pulled out the water skin filled with wine. He opened it, tilted his head back, and gulped at the liquid like he was "slapping the bag" at a frat party. The wine went through his bones and landed on the bed and floor in a waterfall of red. Right. Rich was a skeleton. He cast mend a few times to clean up the wine and tried to steady himself. He put his hands on his head and tried to not thing about what he was going to do and to his surprise he felt the skull of his head. his temples felt smooth, cold, and strong. It was a freaky sensation that got his mind off murder. Rich grabbed the dagger, activated the scroll of silence, and crushed the stone of teleportation.

  Instantly his consciousness was flung through space and time and for a half second everything was black, then he was standing over a sleeping portly man. Thankfully the man was alone and hadn't woke up. Before he could think about it Rich stabbed down as hard as he could into the mans chest hoping this was a good idea. Rich was not sure what he expected but what happened was certainly not it. The man's eyes immediately shot open but it was too late. The dagger of endless suffering did it's job and the man started to contort as he died. Blood pumped out of his chest wound like a geyser and the mans voiceless mouth opened into a horrified silent scream. His neck bent at an unnatural angle to the right and snapped. His legs bent all the way around forwards on his body and his knees popped out in a gruesome bloody mess. his left arm reached up and ripped his right arm off and tried to beat himself in the head with it. The ripped flesh on his right arm also squirted out blood for an instant. The whole ordeal lasted way too long for someone who just got stabbed in the chest and was spookily unnatural. Then it was over and only then did life leave the mans eyes. The body and dagger then turned to dust. It was a sickening site and Rich was glad he was a skeleton because he certainly could not have kept his dinner down after that site. Robert was talking. It was faint but he hears "Rich just use the scroll of returning. This is good enough". Rich did.

  He sat silent on his bed for an hour. He was still a skeleton and a little bloody. He cast mend on his skeletal body and transformed back into his human body. Lifelessly he changed out of his black cultist robes and into his green shirt. He did his best to forget what just happened and Robert thanked him. He was in shock with how gruesome the death was but he should have realized what would have happened with a "sacrificial dagger of endless suffering" wouldn't be pretty. This was a hard new world. Rich had to be hard. He wanted to stop evil people. He had stopped an evil man who hurt one of his friends and condemned him into an eternity of serving an evil god. He served an evil god. He had to do it. That's how he rationalized it to himself before he picked up the half empty bag of wine and finished it. Rich slept that night, but only in name. It was a restless drunk sleep filled with horrific nightmares about what he just did.

  Zach watched the proceedings with Jack and turned to him. He exclaimed "Jesus fucking Christ Jack that's not what I meant at all by doing good things you can't do". Jack just replied "What? He killed a bad guy I didn't like. What did you expect when you heard of a dagger of endless suffering?".