There was a ton of activity happening all around the visiting JTF party members, though it did not appear organized. Regardless of the situation Travis knew he had to dig into his journal, he couldn't leave a potential rise in power on the table. At the very least he had gone up one level but didn't know if there were new missions, skills or something else. Now that they were being attacked, he wasn't sure if there would ever be time to complete his missions. He wanted to check those first just in case.
Main Mission - ‘Road Trip!’
Now that you are of the Mercenary class, it is time to go out into the world and either cause havoc or do good works. Your class does not require you to take on contracts or missions, but it does give you the option where that did not exist before.
There is a growing settlement to the North, a place rebuilding after the cataclysm. It will be marked on your map. Visit there and make an impression, good or bad, but register as someone to be reckoned with.
Reward - 5000 gold coins
Main Mission (add-on) - 'Zombie Apocalypse'
You have reached the settlement to the north, it turned out to be a huge building, but you humans will gather anywhere and call it a settlement.
It looks like the place is under attack. You could probably get out of there if you left now but what kind of main character would that make you.
If you decide to stay and fight here is an extension of your main mission.
A. defend any non-combatants that come within your zone of control (the area in which you can reach with your powers or skills in a reasonable moment in time) if a large percentage of civilians die this will be forfeit
B. kill a sufficient amount of enemies to fit your power level, this will be decided based on a power scaling algorithm done automatically
C. kill any leaders not including the Lich King
Reward: a magic item will be rewarded based on how well you handle each of these sub-missions
Add-on 2: The Lich King seems to have had a power up. Face him straight up and win. This will garner you the largest reward by far. Kill him from afar and get a magical tome of short teleport. Do it the first way and get this plus something else powerful
Secondary Mission - ‘It's the Economy, Stupid’
That reminds us; unique gold coins should now be used as this world's primary monetary currency. They will be rewarded at first from missions and given in some chests. You will be the first person to have such a large amount if you complete your main mission. It's good being the MC.
Task - Complete the mission above and then use at least 1000 of your coins in 4 different places. Get the gold economy started!
Reward - 1000 gold coins and a tier 4 skill book for whatever melee weapon you are wielding when you complete the mission
Travis Porter - MC
Race - Human
Tier 3/Level 9
Class - Mercenary
Subclass - NA
Faction - Leader - Joint Task Force
Alignment - Good - Virtue Signaler
Base Attributes
Strength: 15
Intelligence: 11
Reflexes: 15
Endurance: 15
Charisma: 12 (base of 8 Merc skill adds 25% + 2)
Secondary Attributes
Luck: 10 Willpower: 10 Perception: 10
Upgrade points: 3
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Looking at the mission's page Travis was a little apprehensive. The Lich did not seem super tough in their first encounter, but he was hard to kill. If he had some kind of massive upgrade, he might be close to unkillable. What did Clyde say about these types of situations? Something about how they are classified as boss fights and in almost every game even if a "last guy" type seemed impossible to beat there would always be some type of weakness or gimmick to put him down. That information would not stray far from his thoughts if it came down to a tough fight.
He also supposed if he did well here then he would complete the first mission. That would get him an infusion of gold which might go a long way to helping make some headway in this stronghold. That's right, he had resolved to try and integrate this place into his faction. Not that he didn't think its current leader did not deserve it but by now Travis understood that he was tasked with glorious purpose. Okay he had seen that movie, and he loved that line from Loki. For real though if there was going to be world ending threats, he would be at the center of them, and this place would go a long way to making himself and the other good people of the world stronger.
There was just a level of trust he had in himself dealing with crisis that was absence in others.
Let's take a look at the skills page next, see what's new, he thought.
Skills
Analytical Mind - Level 6
- Read situations from a tactical or strategic level with superhuman clarity. Your mind is constantly analyzing situations to the point where it can predict danger before it happens. (Your Main Character status will boost the perceptive abilities of this skill. As this ranks up with your perception, it will appear as if the player can see or “feel” the future)
Superhuman Perception - Level 2: (up one level) Every player in the world, particularly those made players from the start, will have a special power. As the main character you may develop more than one. For now your power has advanced in the realm of enhanced perceptive abilities and strong senses. With this new skill you will be able to send out an extra sense. Using your mind you can feel for things around in a circular motion with you as the center point, very similar to radar. You may have already experienced this at the end of the previous level. If so this skill will be slightly stronger, and as you use it and rank up the skill will become profoundly powerful. Reading people's presence, emotions, and even potentially seeing what transpired previously.
You have learned that your perception is a direct descendant of one of three unique magical systems. You are proficient in Spirit Magic. This not only enhances your perception skill but is born from it. You can be innately perceptive without being gifted with Spirit Magic, but the reverse is not possible. Spirit magic does not rank up, instead the user becomes stronger as he uses his ability. Gains and news abilities are entirely up to the talent and diligent study of the operator.
Top of the Leaderboard - Level 3 (up two levels)
- Your recent defeat of an enemy faction leader earned you this skill. Now when you encounter an enemy peer (faction leader or head of an order), receive a damage bonus against them. For all other interactions, you will get a charisma boost in their presence.
Leaders bested: Destro, Lich King, Demon (former champion of Lucian)
-You can now sense details about enemy leaders not otherwise available
Class Skills
Two Primary Weapons - Passive
Merc with a Mouth
- This skill boosts charisma permanently. Unless you are in the presence of a fellow Mercenary or someone of the opposite alignment of you. Example: If you are currently ‘Good’ then anyone ‘Bad’ (these are not arbitrary, Good is the first positive alignment above neutral and bad is the first negative) will cause your charisma to go down the amount it went up with the skill, plus that same amount. (Your charisma went up 5 points, it would go down that 5 plus another 5 under the circumstances mentioned) - Passive
Healing Boost - Passive
Triple S enhancement (TSE)
- Speed, Strength, and Smarts are improved to a small extent - Passive (improvement changes with every 3rd level gained) Skill Boosted with rank up to level 9 (you can now store up power to unleash on your enemies)
One Tough MFer - Passive - Tough exterior skin, especially around vulnerable areas of the body. While you still have human limitations this skill can see you through that
There were certainly some growing pains, but he was past the point where these growths in power shocked him. Seeing the threats people faced and knowing that humans themselves could be worse than the monsters sometimes. There was no time for sentimentality and philosophy. It was go time, every single one of these upgrades would assist him in saving as many people as possible. While also attempting to grow something offering a more stable environment for future generations.
Omar had humanized him to the plight of young people. When he first refused those families into this base the cool hard truth of it gave comfort that it was the right decision. Yet now whenever he thought about it there was a strong twinge of guilt at the life, he may have forced them into. He had fully accepted the role of the hero; Clyde had subtly been working it into his mind that his path leaded in that direction and he was correct. He was the main character, he had immense advantages that others did not.
The death toll that this mage academy "master" had so casually stated shocked the system. The US invaded two countries because 3000 people died on 9/11, now millions of not billions of people were being snuffed out and it was in service to some sick game. Torak may be onto something after all, well not entirely. Where the werewolf mage was desperate to learn how he had come to be, Travis wanted to know who it was that brought him and others into existence. Find who created Torak and he would know who killed so many of his species.
Saying species in his head might make one think that aliens were the main culprit, but whoever it was could not be a human, even if biologically they were.
--
Clyde walked into the room and saw Travis in deep thought with his journal out. He would have loved to give the man time with his thoughts, but things were happening fast.
“Major, there is talk of a council of war. I think you should be there.”
Travis broke from his contemplation and smiled wanly at his friend, “But do they think that?”
“Probably not. You know how men in positions of power are. They do not want to share it until it's too late, and then they want to spread the blame. I do not know if that is how the people in control here are, but it would not surprise me. It was like that at my college in ways, and I know you said it was in the army too.”
As they were talking, Patrick knocked on the door. He came in and looked a little annoyed. Travis could sense through his aura that he was jealous. They were about to find out why.
“My master has requested your presence at the war council meeting being held on the 6th floor.” He didn't have any scorn for the two men he was telling necessarily; he just thought he should be there as well. What Travis said next did give him scorn for Clyde.
Travis got up and started walking to the door, “Come on, Clyde.”
Patrick looked at him, “The invite is just for you.”
“I understand, but Clyde is my magical advisor, and I would not feel comfortable attending without him.”
There was not much the man could say. He wasn't a complete tool to deny Travis entry for this. He merely motioned for them to follow him, and they walked towards the elevator. “We will use the elevator due to the sensitive nature of your audience.”
Once the door closed and they headed up, Travis asked the man if he had any news, but Patrick seemed to be tight-lipped. Oh well, he would find out everything he needed soon enough.
The door opened to the 6th floor, and they walked out. This area was much the same as the others he had seen, except there were not nearly as many people walking around. The doors were closed to the rooms he walked past, and they made the way down the hall in silence.
At the end of the hallway stood two large men in the same black uniforms, if you could call it that, of the other soldiers they had seen. Except these two had large SWAT team-like riot shields. They also carried sheathed swords. They had faces of quiet professionalism, and Travis figured these were some sort of bodyguard unit. They were pretty impressive if he was honest.
Patrick moved forward and told the men who he was bringing. They nodded at him, and he turned to leave. Travis and Clyde thanked him then stood at the door. One of the guards spoke, “Before you enter, you will have to leave your weapons with us.”
Travis thought about it for a second but understood why they would be cautious; no one knew him. He put his weapons in his infinite bag, as did Clyde, and they handed it to the guards. At the last second, Travis did think about trying something, though. You could never be too careful.
He pulled his gun from the holster and looked at them, “Obviously, this doesn't work, and it was a gift from my wife before, well, you know. I don't put it down. It's not a problem, right?”
They looked at each other, but what was the harm in letting the man hold onto a gun that didn't shoot. It would be like giving a car that didn't drive to a man with no license; they nodded and opened the door.
Upon walking in, the strange mix of times and cultures struck them again. There was a modern conference table in the middle of the room with modern office chairs around them. Except inside, the men and women were dressed nothing like modern office workers. There was also a huge parchment map of the grounds and surrounding areas hanging on the wall straight ahead.
No one paid much mind to the two as they walked in, that was until Master Pavel came over and shook their hands. He greeted them warmly as if they were long lost friends and turned around to what had become a pretty quiet room all of a sudden. Apparently, this mage held sway.