Chase stared at Ricardo for a few moments before saying, “Two months ago, that would have terrified me. But compared to killing a mountain lion that was Level 10 not ten minutes after the Grace Period ended and having my nose bitten off by a turtle that was the size of my palm a few days prior, I have to say that you don’t compare. No offense.”
Ricardo laughed, “None taken, the most I’ve done with the gangs in the last decade was in the beginning of the Tutorial. Ya don't have to worry about me. I've picked up a few things here and there, but I have no interest in being the one in charge.”
“Glad to hear that there’s one person I don’t need to worry about getting stabbed in the back from,” Chase drawled, sarcasm dripping from his voice.
Ricardo’s expression turned serious, “Ya joke, but that’s gonna be a real concern for ya with the elves. From what I’ve gathered in the weeks I spent scurrying around their people, their king may be big on honor and all that, but they aren’t. I saw more betrayal and other twisted things there than I did the entire time I’ve been in and around the gangs of Haiti.”
Chase grimaced, but nodded, “Any specifics I need to know about?”
“Nothing specific, unfortunately, though I will note that they won't exactly be fond of the idea of ya being a Human. From what I saw, their society's pretty rigid in who belongs where despite the constant efforts in upward advancement, both by individuals and organizations. Everyone has a ceiling that limits how high they can go, so they also look down at everyone around them. Given the initial exposure of humans being Haiti, that soured them to humans pretty quick,” Ricardo explained.
“Is there any good news?” Chase sarcastically asked.
“I think the average elf is weaker than the average human.”
Chase straightened up, and Ricardo grinned in amusement as he began to explain. It turned out that it was possible to show others your information that the Network provided, and he’d seen glimpses of the dokkalfar showing their information to others. What he’d notices was that every human whose stats he’d seen had Rank L next to their Race, but almost every dokkalfar had Rank M. That…
“What about the one I fought, Heir Something or other?” Chase asked.
“I didn’t see his specifically, but from what I heard, most of the nobility found and used some sort of ritual they discovered in the Tutorial to upgrade their race a Rank. A few might have upgraded it more,” Ricardo answered.
Chase’s gaze turned to the blood red orbs that had manifested on his table the previous night. He was ninety percent certain that they were the race orbs granted for succeeding the quest that involved thwarting the dokkalfar invasion. Which reminded him…
“Before the pillar showed up, I got a quest to enslave or kill all of the attackers that came from it. Why did killing the guy in charge count as completing it?”
What followed was a brief explanation of dokkalfar inheritance laws, which could be summarized as: ‘You kill them, you get their stuff.’ Which included their slaves, and Heir So-n-So had been the only dokkalfar to come through that wasn’t a slave.
Chase leaned back in his chair, processing the new information. The dokkalfar society sounded even more cutthroat and treacherous than he had initially feared. Having a potential advantage in base racial stats was a small consolation. He would need to tread very carefully in his dealings with the dark elves.
His eyes drifted back to the crimson race orbs glinting on the table. Selecting a new race was a monumental decision that would shape his future path in this ruthless world. But which one to choose? Each orb likely represented a step up the racial hierarchy, granting him enhanced abilities. In his case, probably just boosting his Characteristics rather than giving him anything new.
“So, what’s ya plan now?” Ricardo asked, leaning back in his chair. “Ya got a lot on ya plate with this whole elf situation.”
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Chase sighed, running a hand through his hair, “Honestly, I'm not entirely sure. I need to gather more intel, figure out the lay of the land politically and socially. Can't go charging in blind.”
Ricardo nodded sagely, “Smart. Very smart. Ya gonna need allies too. Can't take on a whole society by yaself, no matter how tough ya are.”
“Yeah, I've been thinking about that,” Chase admitted. “Problem is, who can I trust? Especially among the elves.”
“That's the million dollar question, isn't it?” Ricardo mused. “But ya know, sometimes unlikely allies can be found in the most unexpected places. Keep ya eyes and ears open, and ya instincts sharp.”
Chase considered this, his mind already working through possibilities and scenarios. One thing was for certain – he couldn't afford to underestimate the elves, or anyone else in this strange new world he found himself in. Every move would need to be carefully considered.
“Well, I appreciate the advice and information, Ricardo,” Chase said, standing up from the table. “I’ve got a lot to think about and plan for.”
Ricardo stood as well, offering his hand, “Anytime, Chase. Ya ever need anything, ya know where to find me. I may not be looking to lead, but I'm always happy to lend a hand to a friend.”
Chase shook his hand firmly, feeling a small measure of comfort in knowing he had at least one person he could potentially count on. As Ricardo left the cabin to have a look around, Chase turned his focus back on the race orbs. He’d used a Network provided Meditation Orb, which had helped him unlock the Path of Precision, but he was worried about what using the Race Advance Orbs would do to him. Would they make him into something else, or just enhance what was already there? The heir he’d killed had still looked like the rest of the dokkalfar, but the way he’d replaced his arm when it was injured…
But considering how focused around necromancy Dokkalfar society was, that might have just been from that, rather than doing something to his race. Shaking his head, and before he could continue second guessing himself, Chase picked up one of the orbs and concentrated on it.
~*~*~*~
As the effects of the Race Advancement Orb wore off, Chase's head throbbed and his vision blurred. As he regained consciousness, he realized that his skin was now coated in a thick, black substance that had a putrid smell. Even with his missing nose, he could still detect the foul odor emanating from the sludgy, oily gunk that seeped from his pores.
“Lovely,” Chase grumbled, only to pause. His voice…it was still his but it sounded…better, more perfect, for want of a better way of putting it.
Standing up, Chase immediately left the cabin and made his way to the pond. Using some of the water to wash the gunk off of his face, Chase then stared at his reflection. The massive scar tissue and open hole where his nose and once been was still there, but the odd blackheads that still showed up even in his thirties were all gone, his vision, which had already been 20/20 before the Network showed up, was slightly sharper.
Chase leaned closer to the pond, studying his reflection intently. Despite the lingering grotesqueness of his missing nose, there was no denying that his complexion looked smoother, his eyes a bit brighter and more vivid in color. He ran a hand over his jaw, feeling only smooth skin where the occasional rough patch used to be.
Straightening up, he looked down at his hands, flexing his fingers. They moved with a fluid grace and dexterity he had never quite possessed before. Curious, he scooped up a small rock from the shore and tossed it from hand to hand, marveling at how natural and effortless the motion felt.
“Huh,” he grunted, a small smirk tugging at his lips. “Guess that race boost did more than just turn my sweat into tar.”
He glanced back at the cabin where the remaining race orbs awaited. The temptation gnawed at him, urging him to claim that power for himself. But he hesitated. The quest had specified that they were Rank L orbs, did that mean that he wouldn’t be able to get much use out of them beyond the first one?
Opening up his screen, Chase was surprised to see that despite the improvements, his race was still Rank L. But there was a new number next to it: 42%. If he was right, that meant that he was almost halfway through Advancement of his race.
He let out a frustrated huff. This was exactly the kind of thing that would have driven him crazy before the world went mad. Now, however, he was more concerned with how to proceed. He could feel the orbs calling to him, promising power and strength, but he had to weigh that against the potential risk.
After thinking on it a moment, he decided that the risk from the dokkalfar was probably a bigger risk than whatever the Orbs might do to him. So he headed back to the cabin, grabbed the remaining four, and came back out to the pond. Stripping out of his clothes that had been soiled by the gunk from using the first one, he grabbed another and concentrated.
~*~*~*~
In the end, each subsequent Orb was less effective than the previous. The second one had boosted him to 61%, the third to 76%, fourth to 90%, and the last one finally pushed him from Rank L to Rank K. The reek around the pond reminded Chase of the dog food factory that had been on the side of the highway on his commute to another town when he’d first started working, and he decided that rather than try washing he was just going to burn the hides he was sitting on while doing it.
Advancing his race may stink to high heaven, but the benefits were definitely worth it. In addition to feeling better, faster, and stronger overall, opening up his Character Screen showed that he'd gained quite a few points to all of his Characteristics. A bit of investigation showed that every Characteristic had received a ten point boost to it's base value.
Taking a dip in the pond to wash off all of the sweat and sludge, Chase then headed back to the cabin, a spring in his step as walking barefoot over pine needles no longer bothered him. His Resilience and Vitality at this point, 107 and 92 respectively, had long, long since surpassed the point that he needed to be careful walking along the forest floor. Still, as he walked back towards the cabin, Chase's mind raced with the implications. Becoming Rank K was progress, but would it be enough to face the challenges ahead? Probably not, he needed to find more challenges to push his level and capabilities even higher.