[Copper-Banded Sconce] = 3 Copper (Ring, 0.4-0.45m) + 4 Copper (Bar, 0.08-0.1m) + Copper (Bar, 0.4-0.5kg) + 12 Copper (Rivet, 0.04-0.05kg) + Coal (+1, 0.1-0.35kg) + Leaves (Dry, 0.05-0.1kg) + 2 Flint (0.5-1kg)
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“Answer me, Witch,” Dyrk ordered again. “What is meaning of this?”
She narrowed her gaze. “Zynth interrogate enemy, yes. Learn information after your mistake, Corporal.”
Dyrk pointed. “Find Dyrk first. That was precondition for Interloper capture to confirm identity.”
“What of it?”
Dyrk pointed. “This is Jay Reis, hrm?”
Zynth folded her arms, indignant. “And?”
His jaw practically fell from his head by how fast it fell.
“And!?” he screeched. “Consular provide protection for Jay Reis and companions, yes! Word of Empire given for this mission!”
“No, no! Consular orders overridden. Wartime provision activated when interstice uncovered.”
“Overridden!?” Dyrk snapped. “By who?”
The grumble came from behind.
“Hrm?”
Dyrk spun around, only to look up at the goliath that had entered to his flank. Though the shield and sword were gone, this monster’s body was as hulking as ever.
Dyrk fell to one knee and saluted. “General Gornn…”
He scoffed. “This is not your post, Corporal Dyrk. Why interrupt interrogation, hrm?”
“Sir, Dyrk has been ordered t–”
“Enough!” Gornn watched him closely. “Open conversation intolerable in front of prisoner of war. Continue with subvocal, yes.” He turned to Archwitch Zynth. “Both of you.”
Their eyes glazed over again with that strange film, as if they’d lost awareness of the outside world.
The room become eerily quiet as they looked from one to another, as if having a conversation without words. Yet, the only sounds emanating from them came through their extremities. Like branches shaking in the wind.
Dyrk’s head snapped back and forth as he gestured with his arms, pointing to Jay and back to Zynth. She merely tilted her head back and forth to these silent accusations, only occasionally looking to Jay as well. Gornn looked from one to the other, arms folded, revealing nothing.
And Jay’s head still throbbed from the torture they’d put him under. The pain from the invading roots lingered, along with wherever it was he’d been through.
That had grown fuzzy too…
Somewhere along the way, Dyrk’s eyes grew solid again, and his jaw fell with a snap.
“Sir!” he pleaded. “This is directive from Consular himself. Jay Reis and Interlopers associating with him are to be allowed relocation. Orders were explicit, and he saved Dyrk’s life!”
Gornn’s eyes normalized as well, but they burned with a cold fury as they narrowed on his subordinate. “Orders change, yes.
“But…”
“There is no but, Corporal. Interstice uncovered is third largest outside Night Sea, and Interlopers are only witness. What if this threat appeared near Capital, hrm? Would you adhere to Consular whims?”
Dyrk dropped his jaw to speak, but no words came out. Only a low moan.
“Answers are required to protect Empire,” Gorrn continued. “We will learn every detail.” He turned back to Jay. “No matter the cost.”
* * *
Time dragged on from there while Jay sat in his dark prison. His head bent low, supported only by the ever-present vines that bound him and the flow of gravity. His body’s strength was all but extinguished.
The spriggs had begun to force-feed him some kind of paste that leveled out his hunger and thirst, even as his vitality plummeted. This was another trick they’d developed when handling Expats. Simply purge the high vitality food from their system so they’d be too weak to resist.
He’d never felt so anemic before.
But more than that, Zynth had done three more of those memory sessions, each with a different purpose. To learn about the Interstice. To learn about the Wyrms. And to learn everything about how he got by without an Expat Core. That had become their newest focus. Apparently, it was rare enough to warrant study, and Zynth mentioned something about how it could be used with “Vox,” whatever that was.
Jay had fought with every fiber of his being, refusing to surrender against a tactic that was as wicked as it was invasive. He refused to hand over parts of his very soul willingly. Yet for all his best efforts, there was little to be done. Just as Tül’Rah had been able to infiltrate his mind with the power of his Curse, so too could these creatures use their roots. The longer the resurrected memory persisted, the worse the damage became.
And he had no way out. Without his gear, he lacked access to any skills. The only one available would be [Forbidden Knowledge], but that would accomplish nothing now but drain his sanity until none was left. He wouldn’t be able to perform that craft while locked up, and he suspected that his captors’ patience could only go so far.
They distrusted him more than ever after uncovering his classless handicap. That much, more than anything, continued to keep his mind occupied.
Expatriate Cores were the Wyrms’ gift to humans upon acceptance of the Grand Bargain and completion of their Tutorial island. Everyone who conquered this starting phase received one of their own.
This Core defined everything about how they would be able to interact with the Crafting tree, the magical knowledge of the Guide more or less successfully imprinted based on how their Core became tuned. An axeman would be able to learn how to make better axes with less time and materials spent, along with having an advantage in upscaling any mats involved in its creation. An archer would see a similar benefit, but also be able craft arrows for cheaper, and even hold Special Ammunition with various perks. An alchemist would be able to experiment with all sorts of potions to great effect, and a tinkerer would be able to do the same thing with their schematics, manufacturing gadgets that would never be possible on Earth.
And the higher an Expatriate rose, the more their Core would assist them. Upon defeating their top-Rank leviathan and absorbing those cores too, theirs would adjust into the next Rank, providing more buffs along every facet that it had ever been tuned, along with giving the chance to generate a new class specialization. Just as Sayid had started as a mere swordsman and evolved into an alchemist as well, so too could anyone else do the same.
This made their Bargain that much less imposing. Even when faced with a God as their enemy, they would always be able to rise. To become stronger. To adapt against every adversary along the way.
But Jay did not get one.
He had missed his Tutorial, and he’d never been able to find a replacement. Oh, sure, moments had come and gone where someone around him died, but one crisis or other had come about, and he could not bring himself to do something so detestable as harvesting this trophy from someone else. Only once did this happen, but that was under the influence of his Curse.
Another memory that still tormented him. Even if a blind madness had driven his hands when he killed that man and claimed his Core, he had still made the choice to enter that state in the first place while knowing the risks. He had chosen to become a thrall to a greater being temporarily, all in the hopes of gaining a sliver more power for himself.
And still, that had not been enough. Nor might it ever be.
As Jay had learned through his captor, an Expatriate Core was more nuanced than he first thought. The moment it became absorbed, it fused permanently with the soul of its owner, merging to them and their very essence like it was part of their DNA.
No one could say for certain what would happen if he were to find another Expat Core and try to absorb it because this situation was so unprecedented. Only a rare few had ever been uncovered by the spriggs before, but they had all died within weeks of arriving, and only their dead bodies had ever been collected.
Not Jay, though. He’d managed to get over every hurdle, even if many of them had been stumbles at first.
But this truth also created a more unique and dire circumstance. Because of the way in which leviathan cores were supposed to fuse with an Expat Core, what would happen were he to gain one now? At first, he assumed nothing based on what others said, but the truth appeared even worse if the spriggs were to be believed. The very act might kill him, as his body absorbed the leviathan’s power instead of an Expat Core.
That was why the Expat Core was there, more than any other reason. To act as a focus. A limiter. A conduit between the raw potential of Annwyn’s magic and any ordinary human body. Without it, there was no way to concentrate that in a way that would be stable.
Zynth believed she could learn something about the relationship between the Nightrealm and Annwyn by examining him further, and use that for her Vox thing, but Jay could only think of what would come next.
Even if he escaped, what would he do after, other than remain forever trapped as an F-Rank weakling?
He sighed, ignoring the pain and tightening of his binds. At least he still had his “Will To Live.” Though it only provided the Stats boost once, that was apparently a reflection of his deeper soul. So long as he fought to survive, there was no telling how far he could go.
Stolen story; please report.
That much gave him hope.
Light started to flicker again, the smell of peat in the air. Archwitch Zynth would be coming soon, and with her, another round of interrogation.
But Jay held his head high.
No, he would not die here either.
* * *
Light flowed into Jay’s prison again, more indeterminate time having come and gone. He groaned, unable to do anything else.
Man, did his head hurt.
But instead of seeing Zynth arriving, a different sprigg came into view. Hunched over, jerking their head side to side, with a glowing flower that looked an awful lot like a hooded lantern, and a knife in hand. Jay stared blankly at this weapon, not sure if this was their way to perform an execution.
But then it began to slice through the vines holding him in place.
“You are alright, Jay Reis, hrm?” Dyrk whispered.
“Alright?” he mouthed. “Are you serious?”
“Yes, yes. Roots dangerous for humans. Body and spirit hard to recover, hrm?”
You can say that again. His arms and legs loosened, and then he tumbled forth at once, coughing from the exertion.
“Careful,” Dyrk whispered, catching him on his shoulder. “Must save strength for escape.”
The two began to hobble out.
“I don’t…” Jay started, dragging his foot. “You want me to escape after your people imprisoned me?”
Dyrk sighed. “Not much time to explain, but it is complicated, yes. Consular made direct order for island raid. Eliminate high Rank Interloper, but give chance to relocate low Rank ones outside Empire’s influence. Deal with Dyrk let Empire know about dangerous Interloper, so you were to be free first.
“However, Interstice change everything. Nightrealm monsters and Wyrms can slip through Seams without proper quarantine. Spread Interstice further into the Mad Sea if left unchecked. This puts whole Empire at risk, yet Flotilla response takes time. Our Legio alone is not enough, yes.”
They reached a split in the cave. Dyrk looked both ways, a pair of stems on his scalp twitching. With a grunt, he dragged Jay down one end.
“General Gornn has declared wartime provision to chain of command. Until Interstice is cleared, he has full authority. Not even Consular can tell him no. Empire security against Nightrealm most important, yes.”
Dyrk pulled him further. “But intelligence has already been gained. Further interrogation no matter. Zynth only cares to study Interloper without Core for her experimentations, and the General will turn blind eye until all Interlopers are captured to prevent another Interstice from forming.
“However, Dyrk make promise, hrm? That is Word of The Empire, and The Empire’s Word must remain sacred. You deserve chance to be free, yes.”
“What about you?” Jay asked.
He humphed. “Dyrk is Corporal Scout for the Legio Geminus. Do not concern yourself with my safety, Jay Reis. This is matter between Dyrk and Zynth, not Dyrk and Empire. Forgiveness can be requested after, not permission before.”
They reached another door. It took some time for Dyrk to open this one. The vines seemed to thread together in a complex knot, and he failed to unwind them in the right order. Like a lock for the door, if the combination of removed threads didn’t work, it’d seal back together on its own.
But after a minute of fumbling, Dyrk finished. The vines finally slithered aside, leaving the wooden door free.
The light fell onto the contents within. Jay’s eyes widened.
Weapons lay sheathed into moss covered mounds. Armor sets sat upon mannequins. Shelves held all the other tools, from pickaxes to potions inside this chamber. His gear remained intact.
Not just his, either. Hyuk, Trish. The spriggs had kept everything available.
There were other things too. Various herbs and liquids, monster organs embalmed. A strange, purple flower sat on one shelf, with magenta antennae that glowed of their own accord. His eyes lingered on this blossoming flower for a few moments, as if being drawn in…
Jay blinked and averted his gaze, now looking low. His heart skipped a beat. Hidden inside different pods with transparent bulbs, their Guides sat ready to be used again in most of them, while his Vitaberry Bush sat in the back in one that looked even thicker, sharp thorns on the edges as well.
Jay reached out instinctively, but Dyrk held him back.
“No, no,” his companion whispered. “This cagebulb flower emits paralytic if triggered. Let Dyrk handle this, yes.”
He sprinkled some dust over the strange flower’s surface. The transparent petals spread wide.
Jay grabbed his Guide and hugged it tight. Oh, how he needed this safety net back in his life.
But then he made the mistake of checking his Stats.
Name: Jay Reis (Copper Age)
Vitality – 46/46
Hunger – 25/72
Thirst – 19/24
Fatigue – 11/24 (Poorly Rested+2)
Sanity – 74/110
He gulped, seeing his low Vitality. No wonder you’ve felt so weak. How the hell would he climb back from this!? His vitaberry bush only equalized the number. It would not raise it up. What else could he get?
Dyrk tapped him on the shoulder, as if in answer. He handed over some seeds, dry and cracked.
“Eat this,” he ordered.
Jay swallowed the handful at once.
But then a knot grew in his stomach, and within seconds, he keeled over a began vomiting up. The strange plant-like paste spilled onto the cavern floor
“What… The… Hell!?” Jay wheezed before retching further.
“Must purge low-Vitus vegepaste from stomach, yes. Bad for Interloper diet, hrm?” He handed over something else. A reddish mushroom this time. A lifeshroom? “Now, this.”
His nails scraped against the wall at the thought of swallowing something else, but he had no other choice other.
This one went much better. As his stomach absorbed the mushroom meat, his muscles tighten at once. He ended up swallowing a second soon after, feeling like he’d climbed to peak shape.
If only that were true.
Vitality – 87/87
Better than before. At least this bought him more breathing room. Enough to get out of here before it was too late.
“Must move quickly,” Dyrk said. “Night comes in one hour. Must be far away before then.”
“What about the others?” Jay asked, already putting on his gear.
“No, no. Too risky. Only save Jay Reis, yes.”
There was a time where he would have been in full agreement. He’d always had a propensity for self interest before everything else, and never deviated unless it was to his mutual benefit. Sure, his early days had no shortage of collaboration thrown into the mix, but most of that occurred not by his choice as he navigated this new, strange world. He’d taken the loner life for that reason.
But between those early experiences and Viktor’s games, he’d learned how precious lives were. Not just his own, but everyone else as well.
“I can’t leave them behind,” Jay decided before collecting their gear. He wouldn’t be able to bring his potions and tools, and Trish would have to go without her leggings and gauntlets, but he could just about squeeze everything else into a pack while hoisting the rest over his shoulders.
Dyrk shook his head. “No. It is too dangerous.”
“Just point me in the direction of their cells. I’ll figure it out from there.”
“You no understand. They are back from where we come, Witches will return soon, and sun will set after. What will you do then, hrm?”
“But you’re saying they’re back there, right?”
“Yes, but exit is other way. Must move quick.”
Jay studied their position, with Dyrk still standing in the weapon room, and him just at the edge outside. He looked to the door and vines, still slithering where they’d been pulled aside.
He thought about his allies one last time, no doubt trapped in a cell like he was, their memories slowly getting sucked out. He thought about what it would take to get them free, along with what would happen were he to fail.
Then he looked at Dyrk in the eye and smiled.
“Thank you.”
It all happened before his companion could blink. Jay slipped the door shut and smacked the vines. They reacted at once, sliding over the wooden planks, sealing it shut for good.
Dyrk peered through a gap in the wall, dumbstruck. “What are you doing, hrm?”
“This is for your own protection, Dyrk,” Jay said, striking one of his sconces. “Whether I succeed or fail, you are no longer a part of our escape. You can tell them you tried to stop me, but I managed to lock you in here before you could warn them. I won’t have anyone else get hurt because of me.” He sighed, remembering why these spriggs had first come. “This is all my fault.”
He glanced down the halls, thinking about how best to play this. There would be guards at the entrance no doubt, and he still wasn’t entirely sure the most efficient way through.
“No, no!” Dyrk whispered from within his prison. “There is no time for heroic rescue. Night will come before long, and Natura will attack in full force!”
A small smirk spread across his cheeks as he considered that aspect too.
“Yes,” Jay said. “That’s what I’m counting on.”
Name: Jay Reis (Copper Age)
Vitality – 87/87
Hunger – 58/72
Thirst – 19/24
Fatigue – 11/24 (Poorly Rested+2)
Sanity – 74/110
Main Crafts: Alchemy 2, Armor Crafting 2, Base Building 3, Cooking 2, Jewelry 2, Medicine 2, Tailoring 2, Tool Crafting 3, Tinkering 1, Vehicles 1, Weapon Crafting 2.
Weapon Crafts: Axes 5, Bows 9, Clubs 5, Daggers 5, Spears 5, Swords 11.
Armor Crafts: Heavy Armor 5, Light Armor 5, Medium Armor 8, Shields 6.
Sub-Crafts: Curved Swords 5.
Character Skills:
[Forbidden Knowledge]
Armor Skills:
Heavy Armor: [Push], [Stampede]
Medium Armor: [Recover], [Leap], [Waterform], [Quickstep]
Light Armor: [Dash], [Feather Fall]
Shield: [Brace], [Track], [Break]
Weapon Skills:
Axes: [Chop], [Whirlwind]
Bows: [Sharpshooter], [Longshot], [Scattershot Arrow]
Clubs: [Bash], [Paralyze]
Daggers: [Slice], [Flourish]
Spears: [Thrust], [Sweep]
Swords: [Power Attack], [Slash], [Rend], [Shirk], [Violent Storm]
Cursed Items:
[Vitaberry Bush]
Armor:
[Copperplated Hat+3] (Nightmarish+4), (Buttressed+3), (Hardened+2), (Reinforced+2)
[Copperplated Leggings+3] (Nightmarish+3), (Buttressed+3), (Hardened+2), (Reinforced+3)
[Copperplated Shoes+2] (Nightmarish+3), (Buttressed+3), (Hardened+1), (Reinforced+2)
[Silver Amulet]: Socketed with [Chipped Tourmaline] (Tempus)
[Silver Ring]: Socketed with [Chipped Beryl] (Frigus)
[Silver Ring]: Socketed with [Chipped Beryl] (Frigus)
Weapons:
[Pig Iron Scimitar+5] (Affinity+8), (Hardened+6), (Reinforced+6), (Stable+2)
[Treated Bow+2] (Hardened+2): Socketed with [Chipped Beryl] (Frigus)
[Steel Combat Knife] (Sharpened), (Reinforced+4)
[Iron Geargun+4] (Heavy+6), (Quick+2), (Thermal+4), (Expanded+1)
Tools:
[Copper Knife+3]
[Copper Axe+3]
[Copper Hammer+3]
[Copper Pickaxe+3]
[Copper Shovel+3]
[Basic Grappling Hook]
Boons:
[Minor (Speed)] (x3), [Minor (Sanity)]