Bram was getting tired of the whole save our town nonsense and decided to head over to the tavern. There he would at least hear rumors of the townsfolk and any additional issues with the quest.

Walking into the tavern Bram was hit with a scent of sweat, food and stale alcohol as he entered the tavern. He didn't even realize he had his senses until this moment, or if he was just imagining what a tavern smelt like based on memory. Everything inside seemed to be haphazardly thrown together. Only a couple of chairs were out per table, the tables had been patched again and again with mismatched assorted lumber. It was not one of the finest establishments Bram had been inside but also not the worst. An old man was scrubbing at the soft wood bar with some sort of cleaning brush. The poor soul had seen better days just like the building itself. Only a few men were inside, one of which was drinking an ale, which gave Bram the best idea he had ever got.

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Bram slipped into Gregory’s body with ease, the man’s mind sluggish and unguarded thanks to the ale he’d already consumed. For a moment, Bram was stunned by the strange sensations, the weight of a solid body, the scratch of stubble on his chin, and oh, the glorious taste of ale lingering on his tongue.

“Another round!” he bellowed, slamming the tankard down hard enough to rattle the bar. The barkeep, wide-eyed, complied, filling Gregory’s tankard again.

Tankard after tankard, Bram drained the ale like a man who hadn’t tasted anything in days, which, to be fair, was true. The warm burn of alcohol coursing through Gregory’s veins was intoxicating in more ways than one. Bram laughed loudly, telling nonsensical stories about heroic feats and daring exploits, much to the bemusement of the other patrons.

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As soon as I stepped into the tavern, I spotted a giant of a man staggering near the bar. His face was flushed red, his eyes half-lidded, and he was leaning precariously on the counter like it was the only thing keeping him upright. A tankard dangled from one hand, dangerously close to spilling its contents onto the already-sticky floor. The barkeep wiped his hand down his face and muttered "What has gotten into you Gregory? You never drink this much ale."

The sight alone would’ve been odd enough, but then Gregory opened his mouth.

“Liam! My loyal companion!” Gregory, or Bram, I realized with growing horror, bellowed, throwing his arms wide. “Join me in celebrating this most magnificent establishment!”

I froze. “Are you... drunk? How the hell are you drunk? You’re a spirit!”

Bram, or rather, Gregory’s body, stumbled toward me, weaving like a leaf in a storm. He clapped a heavy hand on my shoulder, nearly taking us both down. “Oh, Liam,” he slurred, his breath reeking of ale. “You wouldn’t believe it! Possession isn’t just for scaring people, you know. Turns out it’s a marvelous way to indulge in... shall we say... earthly pleasures.”

“You possessed Gregory just to drink ale?” I hissed, barely keeping my voice down as the other patrons stared at the scene unfolding.

“Not just to drink ale,” Bram corrected, wagging a finger. “Also to sing! Watch this!”

Before I could stop him, Bram clambered onto the bar, Gregory’s body wobbling dangerously, and launched into some kind of bawdy tune. His voice cracked on every other note, and I was pretty sure he made up half the lyrics as he went.

The barkeep wasn’t having it. “That’s enough!” the old man snapped, slamming a hand down on the bar. “Get out before I have you thrown out!”

With a groan, I stepped forward and grabbed Bram-Gregory by the arm, hauling him down. “Alright, we’re leaving,” I muttered, dragging him toward the door. He didn’t even resist, though he kept giggling like this was all some big joke.

Outside, I practically dumped him on the ground. “What the hell were you thinking?” I growled.

Bram left Gregory’s body in a swirling mist, the man groaning and curling up in the dirt like he’d been hit by a freight train. Bram floated beside me, his smug grin as infuriating as ever.

“Oh, lighten up, Liam,” he said. “It was just a bit of fun! Besides, Gregory had already started the drinking. I merely... expedited things.”

“Expedited things?” I snapped. “You turned the guy into a walking keg!”

Bram shrugged. “Small price to pay for a little indulgence. You should try it sometime. You’re wound tighter than a crossbow string.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose, taking a deep breath. “One of these days, Bram, you’re going to push me too far.”

“And on that day,” Bram said, drifting lazily ahead of me, “I’ll be sure to bring popped corn.”

I glanced back at Gregory, who was still groaning in the dirt. “You’re helping me fix this.”

Bram chuckled. “I’d love to, but you know, spirit. No hands.”

I muttered a long string of curses under my breath as I bent down to help Gregory to his feet. "Have a good day sir, I'd probably go home if I were you." Gregory dizzily looked me in the eyes for a few seconds until he turned beat red in embarrassment from the memories. He quickly dusted himself off and headed away in the opposite direction.

"Bram! We need to have a long thought-out discussion about everything, and I do mean everything that you know about the system and how all of this shit works. I am more than tired of being left hung out to dry and figure all of this out on my own. Please for the love of the gods just do that much for me." I started calmly but ended it in an irate mood.

"Fine by me... But we need to find somewhere private, and we need sleeping arrangements. That is assuming you accepted the quest."

I just ignored him and went on the lookout for Renna, hoping she would put us up for one night.

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After finding Renna talking to Cooper, she agreed to let me stay in a spare bedroom on the second floor of the town hall. By some means the room was more of the size of a suite and didn't really make sense given the building layout, but I wasn't an engineer or a construction foreman back on earth so who knows. Bram and I have a long-drawn-out conversation that had lasted hours about anything I would find out about the system, and I felt immensely better about my situation now. I was pissed when I found out that he was the "Curse" behind the ring and that he'd been here as long as I had, but over the information he shared that rage had died down. The only real concern I did have was my class choice coming up, but with enough funds I could change it eventually. Bram reminded me of my system credits I got along with the chests I first received and when I selected them, they automatically deposited into my mark. With my newly acquired funds I went back to Cooper and got a full set of undergarments, including a long sleeve cloth shirt for under my armor. I didn't really care for the idea of wearing something called stockings, so I got the linen trousers instead. Plus, I was fairly sure the stockings were meant for under armor since they were so thin and uncomfortably tight looking. After the clothing was out of the way and only spending 120 of the credits I bought the travelers boots, short spear, a waterskin and one major health potion. I was out of money all over again, but I also felt a million times better about the situation.

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I pushed the door open, balancing the weight of my newly acquired gear, and found Bram lounging in his usual lazy fashion, sprawled across the bed like he had any right to it. It was an odd sight, considering he didn’t have a physical body, yet somehow, he managed to project an aura of sheer entitlement.

“You know,” I said, dropping my things onto the small table near the window, “you could at least pretend to be helpful while I’m out spending every last credit trying to keep us alive.”

Bram didn’t even open his eyes. “Helpful? I’ve been immeasurably helpful. People would kill for the amount of information I gave you today."

"Yeah, and thanks for that. Now we have to go to the capi-" A loud banging sound interrupted our discussion. We quickly looked at each other and sprinted outside. It was night already, the moons giving us just enough light to see. I turned towards the south gate and noticed one side was completely off its hinges and the other was hanging from the top; I withdrew my spear through the ring and looked around. There was no one in sight, Bram appeared to my right with a slew of curses.

"Go take a closer look." I told him as my eyes never seemed to stop scanning the area.

Sneering up at me but fighting the urge to rebuke he descended the steps from the town hall and went towards the gate. Not wanting him to get into any real danger I quickly followed behind him. Keeping my eyes on Bram but also looking at the nearby houses nothing seemed out of the ordinary. The doors were all still shut and there was no further damage outside of the gate. When we got to the gate, I looked for the old gate guard. His table and chair were smashed to pieces, my heart skipped a few beats as I noticed a slumped form ten feet away from the table.

"Shit! Bram will a major health pot work on him?" I stumbled while running towards the body. Getting closer revealed it was not the grizzled old man but a goblin with sword and shield. "Scratch that. We need to find him but first we need to warn the others inside."

"They went further south Liam. One of them has a mount so likely the chieftain is with them" peering at where he was pointing there were large, furrowed claw marks in the road leading south. "They were in a hurry to leave, but why?" asking Bram but then a loud, ear-splitting cry was heard within the town, and we turned to find its source. A plume of smoke rose near the center of the village, lit by a flickering orange glow.

"Fire," I muttered, dread pooling in my stomach. "Damn it, they sent a group inside while we were distracted at the gate."

Bram floated to my side, his eyes narrowing as he surveyed the scene. "Typical goblin tactics. Divide attention, sow chaos, and attack from the least-expected angle. Sloppy, but effective when the defenders are unprepared."

I spun toward the town, gripping my spear. "We have to stop them before it spreads. If they torch the whole village, there’s no way we’ll recover."

"You focus on the fire," Bram said. "I'll keep an eye on the outskirts, if they’ve left any surprises, someone has to make sure you don’t walk into them blind."

"Be careful," I muttered before taking off toward the smoke.

As I ran through the narrow streets, the crackling of flames grew louder, mingling with panicked screams and the sounds of clashing metal. Rounding a corner, I saw a cluster of villagers desperately trying to douse the fire with buckets of water from the nearby well.

At the center of the chaos, a group of goblins was attacking anyone who got too close. They were smaller than the one I’d seen near the gate but no less dangerous. One of them shrieked as it lunged at a man carrying a bucket, knocking him to the ground before turning its beady eyes on me.

Without hesitation, I leveled my spear. "Come on, then," I growled, taking a defensive stance.

The goblin screeched and charged, swinging its crude weapon in wide, clumsy arcs. I sidestepped its first swing, jabbing forward with the spear and catching it in the shoulder. It yelped and stumbled back, but before it could recover, I thrust again, this time striking true. The goblin crumpled to the ground, lifeless. This new spear was amazing, exactly what I needed to counter the little bastards.

Eyes darting towards the remaining group, doing a quick head count there were six of them. Charging forward before any more of them attacked the defenseless villagers, two noticed right away, while the others were too occupied with watching the fire burst free towards the nights sky.

I met the two head-on, the first one darting ahead of the other with surprising speed. Both were armed with the same crude daggers as the rest. Charging with my spear outstretched, I aimed for the faster goblin's torso, but it ducked low, effortlessly evading the strike. Reacting quickly, I swung the spear to the right, hoping to at least graze the second one. It wasn’t quick enough. It raised its arm in a futile attempt to block, but my spearhead sliced past it, and as it leaned forward slightly, the blade found its mark, burying deep into its neck. The first goblin was on me swinging his dagger, I dropped my spear taking a chance with hand to hand, knowing from my previous encounters I was stronger than them. Swiftly I took a step back as the dagger would have hit where my hip was if I hadn't moved. The goblin put all of his weight into the strike throwing him slightly off balance, which was a life ending mistake. I shot forward with a twelve to six elbow to the top of his skull, the goblin staggered heavily as I muffled a cry from hitting my funny bone. Mentally swearing to never do that move again, no matter how cool it looks. Then the goblin dropped to the floor, and the pain subsided, "maybe just once more" I mentally thought to myself.

Too occupied with my own fight I didn't realize that the gate guard had taken up arms with the other four goblins. Happy to see him I fought the urge to call out to him while he was in the heat of battle. Fighting with myself if I should help him or go see how Bram was doing, it only took a couple seconds to decide. I ran forward grabbing my spear off of the dirt floor in the process. The loud cries and shouting from the villagers helping mask the sound of my footfalls. Taking the first goblin by surprise as my spear head pierced through his back and out of the front of his chest. I yanked the spear out having to put my foot on his back to fully dislodge it. As that happened two of the other goblins turned to see me. The uglier one of the two lunged towards me, the damned thing had a septum piercing hanging from his nose. Trying to catch his wrist as he swung his blade wildly towards my thigh was a mistake. He tossed the dagger from one hand to the other just before I was able to grab his now empty hand. An earth-shattering pain came from my right hip as I suddenly got heavier. The goblin had stabbed me and then took advantage of my position. He was now on my back with his feet interlocked across my midsection. I pulled on the one arm I had now in both hands, but he was determined, striking me in the side of the head over and over again. Getting desperate I heaved his left arm putting every bit of strength I had into it. I felt a popping sound and the arm went limp as he cried out scrambling off of my back. During his descent he kicked the dagger that was embedded into my side free, causing another wave of agony wash over me.

I glanced at the guard to make sure he was still in the fight with me, he was but barely... He had a dagger sticking out from his thigh as he was wrestling one of the goblins, the other one was sneaking in blows where he could, trying not to get caught. I rose to my feet shakily, snapped my eyes towards the ugly goblin where he was crawling towards his dagger. Not giving him the time to wield himself, I stepped towards him, summoning my club as I did. The pain shooting up my right-side was bearable, but it still hurt, radiating with each step. The goblin must've felt my footfalls through the ground because just as I reached him, he turned towards me. Panic took over his facial expression, his eyes restlessly darting side to side, swinging my club back and that's when he spoke.

"I... Help..." It screeched in a guttural nasally voice. I hesitated for a second, but that was all. Bram had told me what happened to his family and that was unforgivable. However, I did make his death instant in painless as my club smashed through his head and its contents burst out like some sort of sick firework.

Turning towards the guard I found him back on his feet and ambling towards me.

I locked eyes with him and spoke... "What the hell happened?"