*Urgh*

I must have slept on a rock or something, because my back has a constant aching sensation. The fresh, crisp morning air enters my lungs in great volumes; however, mixed in with it is the smell of soot. We didn’t put out the fire last night and just left it to burn down naturally, but maybe that was not such a good idea.

I crack open my eyes and let in the blinding light. The fire and surrounding rocks have become a mess. It’s as if someone had kicked the ashes everywhere and then rolled in it. Within a metre radius of the fire is all black and grey with ashes. The rocks have been shifted and no longer resemble a perfect circle.

On the opposite side of the fire is a large woollen blanket splayed out on the ashes with blackened marks sporadically located all over.

Strange. Isn’t that the blanket I was given last night? Then why is it over there?

My drowsiness fades and the picture starts to become clear in my mind. I look down at my body and see I am covered in ash; however, there are no burn marks on my clothes. I must have rolled over the fire during the night and the blanket smothered it, while protecting my body from harm. I was able to sleep in a tree on a flimsy netting without falling off, yet somehow this happens.

“Ugh.” I groan in annoyance, “Thankfully, nobody is up to see this.”

*Rustle*rustle*

Movement starts to come from the girl’s tents. Speak of the devil and he shall come. I hurriedly stand up and start brushing off the soot. Clouds of ashes fill the air as I pat down my clothes.

*Cough* I accidentally breathed in some of the ashes. The horrid taste fills my mouth and overloads my senses.

By now, the movement within the tents has become more frequent. Last night, they had mentioned something about going hunting today, so that explains why they’re up. But, why must it happen at this very moment?

“P-pff...” A feminine voice sounds from behind me, “Hahaha!”

Apparently, while I was getting the taste of ash out of my mouth, Elayne came out of her tent. She is standing a few feet away from me, while laughing her head off. She is dressed in a pale red robe trimmed with black that covers from her neck to her ankles and is tied at the waist with a leather belt. Her dark brown hair drapes loosely over her shoulders, while amusement shines in her eyes.

“Hahaha,” She tries to stop herself from laughing enough to speak, “I-i’m sorry, haha, but you just look so ridiculous!”

“What’s so funny?” Astrya’s voice escapes her tent.

“N-nothing.” Elayne quickly responds after I glare at her in annoyance. When we were hunting together in the dungeon, she had given off a respectable first impression, but now it’s like it is two different people. Perhaps that was an internal defence mechanism to protect her against strangers, so maybe it’s a sign that she has accepted me; however, the contrast is just too large.

Elayne activates her magic and soon a blue orb starts forming in front of her. It seems to be drawing out it’s essence from the atmosphere, but that is just a visual effect of the magic system. I wasn’t the only one to advance, as it seems during this time Elayne was able to get level 2 water magic on top of her fire magic.

She must be planning to use the magic to wash away some of the ashes from the ground, so I turn my vision back to my clothes and resume patting myself clean.

*Splash!*

Her spell hits me instead.

*cough*cough*

“What was that for?!” Being in a safe zone, the spell doesn’t cause damage, but it still hurts.

“Well, I don’t know any wind magic, and...” She looks at me with an innocent expression, “You wouldn’t want anyone else seeing you like this, would you?”

“Yes, but...” My voice raises slightly, “Is there no other way, other than hitting me in the face with a level 2 spell?”

“We could try a level 3 spell?” She comments innocently, “However, I only have level 3 fire magic.”

“Ahh,” I let out a dejected sigh, “Nevermind.”

By this time, Astrya comes out of her tent and looks at me with sympathy. She is dressed in her shrine priest robes and looks ready for combat with her hair tied back.

Priests have become a necessity for most hunting groups of the second floor due to their purification magic. Purification magic has two general effects: to remove negative status’s such as poison, and to purify the undead. Therefore, on an island packed full of undead, this type of skill is the most handy. Many priests are catching up in the levelling due to this.

Rather than wait around the campsite, I move out onto the path that borders the edge of the island. It is at that point that I receive a notification on my user interface.

Notification Player: Gem Red has sent you a message.

"You never came back last night."

Her message is very short and the disappointment can be heard in her voice. Thinking retrospectively, I should have sent her a message last night. We've become a lot closer since the boss fight, but there is still some ambiguity in our relationship. Thankfully, she is not the type of person that cannot go 10 minutes without contact before becoming frantic.

I send her a quick reply, "I'm sorry. I ran into a real life friend of mine and wound up camping at his place over night."

Message sent.

Not even one minute passes before I hear her reply, "I see. Well, I guess that's alright,” Her voice becomes mischievous, “But, what will you do as compensation?"  

The hologram does not do her justice, but she still looks cute.

"Umm, how about I provide you with a free set of armour?"

Once again, her reply comes almost instantly. "Not good enough. How about this: I can make one request, which you cannot refuse."

Isn't this a prime example of being given an inch, but taking a mile.

I'm a bit hesitant, but since I trust her to not take advantage, I agree. "Okay, what did you have in mind?"

"Well, what are your plans for today?"

I can guess where this is going, "I'm going to do a job this morning, but I'm free in the afternoon and evening."

The job I'm going to do is one Ilyena had recommended. It should give me the Sneak skill. It would make sense, as an assassin class, if the skill could be obtained automatically, but this is not the case for this skill. Unfortunately, only the thieves can gain it without the class. While I am waiting for Gem’s reply, Elayne and Astrya pass me by as they leave to go hunting.

"It's settled then." She states with a smile, "You will accompany me this evening."

I send her a reply, "Alright, where should we meet?"

"Umm, let's meet at the central market in Fairhaven at noon."

"I'll see you then."

She doesn't reply after that. This method of communication via the messaging system is unique; however, it is not the most convenient at times. It's like video email in that you send the messages one at a time, but there is no real time back and forth conversation. That would be something I'd change if I were the developer.

I look out to the endless sky and void beyond the trail. Floating islands can be seen through the morning haze against the background of the whirling grey vortex. Tens of islands that must be cleared before we can leave. The scale makes one feel almost insignificant.

Players have started making their ways down the pathway in groups of twos and threes. Most are armed for combat, but the occasional one in luxurious robes also passes by. Like Phil, those who don't participate in lots of combat are also property owners. However, even he who has level 3 Alchemy had to partner up with three others to afford the 1 million Tor price tag.

Phil and Venkon haven't woken yet, so there is no need to wait around here. I join the flow of players heading towards the portal after taking a last look at the islands below.

When I pass by my plot of land, there are not many players around, but those not so secret observers are still there. I wonder how much they are being given to watch the site. A couple of the sites have already developed some semblance of a building, but based on the exorbitant price for the small houses I can only imagine the astronomical prices for these ones. I will explore those options once I get a guild going. By that time I might be able to recruit some player architects and construction workers with a higher level. The NPC ones currently available only have the equivalent to level 3, which is a far cry from what this area deserves.

Across the bridge, in the teleportation plaza, players start pouring out through the Fairhaven portal. They head either straight into the second island's portal to Ironskull Fortress or in the main hub's direction.  It's surprising how many people choose to pay the portal fee, but compared to sleeping in an unsafe environment, it is a fair price. I head my way over to the Fairhaven portal against the flow of players and enter.

On the other side is a bustling plaza awoken from it's slumber. The area directly around the portal is free of obstructions, but just beyond is the main city centre. Off to the right is the city hall's main building. It is on a grand scale compared to surrounding buildings, but still pales in comparison to the colosseum. The city itself is governed by the NPC's, but the leaders are rarely seen.

The Main Streets run straight through the centre north to south and west to east. The place I'm heading to is on the east side of town. It's in the older section of the city where the larger houses and manors are. Also, the area has a higher rate of poverty compared to the rest of the city.

Ilyena had mentioned the quest could be found in this area near one of the old houses. Unfortunately, every house here is an old house, and she wasn't specific enough. This job must have been found by accident, because it is not around any place a player would regularly visit.

Heading down the eastern street, the age of the buildings becomes more apparent. The street itself has more updated construction, but one look down the alleys and side streets will show the difference. Only a trickle of players is in the area at this time. It must be possible to rent these houses, otherwise why would they be coming from this area. Players can only rent properties in Fairhaven rather than buying them outright. This has been set by the NPC leaders, i.e. the system, and is non negotiable.

Ironskull Fortress on the second island is completely player run, but the only guarantee of ownership is based on the owner's strength. So, essentially only the guild's can own land there. Yet, it's more like they've just carved out a place for themselves, rather than paying for land.

Around ten minutes down the street, a handful of children rush from one side to the other. The disappear down one of the side alleys, and when I look down, I can see them running further away. This might be the group of children Ilyena was referring to. She mentioned what she could remember of their appearances, and it seems to be a match. Anyways, it would be better to follow them than aimless wandering for the better part of the morning, so I take off after them.

The path they take twists and turns around the various houses. Closer to the main round, the houses are right next to each other without any green space. But, as I continue to chase them, the amount of greenery increases and the houses become larger.

If I had tried to follow them when I had just started out, this task would have been near impossible. Even now, my stamina is down to half from all the running. Those children are still so full of energy, that I feel ashamed of myself. One of them turns their head to look at me and gives a mischievous smile before rejoining the rest.

They finally stop outside one of the larger old manors. It has a yard enclosed by a rusty wrought iron fence. The vegetation on the other side is overgrown and the house itself looks in disrepair. The child have stopped on the opposite side of the road to this manor and are whispering amongst themselves.

When I get within 10 feet of them, I can feel their gazes upon me. It doesn't have a feeling of hostility, but there is some weariness. I can't blame them, because if a strange person were blatantly following me, I would be weary as well.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

"Mister," One of the children speaks up, "You're not very good at following people, you know."

"Uh..."

"Don't worry," Another adds in, "We won't tell on you," He pauses and then smiles, "If you do something for us."

"If you do this, we'll even teach for a skill, so how about it?"

"What do I have to do?"

"See that house over there?" A little girl points across the street, "The old man over there said he would give us some candy, but is being very stingy and refuses to give us it."

"Yea!"

"That stingy old man!"

"So," The little girl continues, "If you can sneak into his house, get our sweets, and replace them with raisins, then we will forgive you."

"Alright. I'll do it." I easily agree. After all, how hard can it be?

"But you cannot get caught." She says after the fact, "Otherwise, you will have to try another day."

Wait. Can't you say that before I agree.

"Fine."

Job Request A Sweet Exchange Details Sneak into Old Man Snow’s house without altering the old man and replace his sweets jar with raisins. 

Bring the sweets jar back to the children.

Job will fail if you get caught.

Time limit 30 minutes Repeatable Yes, if failed Reward Sneak Skill A piece of candy

My Cloak of Infinite Shadows along with the cloaking skill should help me finish this quest with ease. So, without wait for another word, I begin making my way over to the old manor.

The gate is too rusty to be opened without making a noise, so I have to find another way in. The iron fence is approximately 6 feet tall, but there are no good hand holds and along the top are sharp pikes. The easiest way would be to jump over the fence. Assuming I can jump that high.

My high strength and dexterity has allowed me to do some things that would be impossible with my real body. So, I might as well try. The clock is already counting down, and I only have 29 minutes left.

Crouching down, I prepare to make a sprint jump for the fence. High jump was never my forte, but there is a first time for everything.

15 feet

10 feet

5 feet

I push off the ground with all my strength and soar into the air. The sensation of free falling soon appears and I clear the pikes by a good 12 inches. I wonder if there is an acrobatics skill that would help with jumping and balancing. That would be a useful skill to have. Especially if there is a parkour challenge in one of the later dungeons.

I make a soft landing in the overgrown grass on the opposite side before taking off towards the manor.

The grass gently parts as I brush past it, and only a light sound escapes with each step. There is only 10 feet between the manor and I, so the distance is quickly covered. The front of the building only has two windows and an old wooden door, but one of the windows has been left slightly ajar.

Going through the front door would be foolish at this point, so the window is my best bet. I lightly insert my hands through the opening and rest them on the bottom of the window. When I push up against it, the window rubbing against the window frame produces an awful screeching sound. I cringe my teeth in frustration at this window. Hopefully the old man is too deaf to hear it, because otherwise the job has already failed.

I halt my movement for a few seconds to make sure there is no stirring in the manor. The only sounds coming from in the buildings are the gentle creaking of wood as the house shifts.

*Phew*

Resuming my task, I make shift work of opening the window wide enough to slip through. The clock shows 26 minutes left, but that should be plenty of time.

The room I find myself must be for receiving guests, because it is a wide open room with a few chairs in the middle. The floor is hardwood, but there is a dusty square rug in the centre with a floral pattern. The colours have already faded, but I imagine it would have once looked brilliant. Lining the walls are paintings of landscapes and portraits. One painting in particular catches my interest. It is of a young couple in the prime of their lives. The painting looks to be 50 years old, but I don't have the proper expertise to judge it.

So as to avoid making creaks in the floorboards, I crouch down low and start slowly progressing into the next room. What I find is more of the same style of decor. It doesn't look like anyone has cleaned this manor for a good few years. The central hallway is mainly barren, and there is a staircase off to the left. It is far from grand, but is made of a practical construction without any needless decoration.

I sneak past the staircase, but the floorboards in the hall keep making squeaking noises no matter how I approach them. Amidst the squeaking, I hear a shuffling on the second floor.

Shit.

I stop right where I am, slow down my respiration rate, and concentrate on the noise to the point where I can hear my own hear beating. The shuffling continues for a minute before fading away once more.

There are now 21 minutes left on the timer, so I resume my movement towards what looks to be the kitchen. The kitchen is usually located at the back of old houses like these, so that is my destination.

What I find doesn't disappoint me. At the end of the hall is indeed the kitchen, and by the looks of it, it shouldn't take long to find what I need. There is a pantry close by the door, which is full of food items. However, after a few minutes of searching, I turn up empty.

The clock now shows 17 minutes. Damn it! Where could they be? They have to be somewhere, otherwise there is no way to complete this job.

They were not in the guest room, nor the rooms I passed on my way to the kitchen. Perhaps the dining room? I quickly check, but come up empty in that location as well. The only place I haven't check is on the second floor, but the old man is up there somewhere. I can only try my luck.

Back out in the hall, I try creeping my way up the stairs, but they creak with every step. Why must this house be so old, this job would be so much easier without all the old floorboards. It's worthy of granting the sneak skill, that's for sure.

At the top of the landing I am faced with a choice of going left or right. The timer shows 15 minutes left, so I am half way through this fiasco. The sound seems to have come from the left side, so I might as well check the right first. The hall is only a short dead end with two doors on either side.

Peaking in those rooms yields no results, but at least I can cross them off the list. All that is left is the area where the old man is sleeping, so I slowly inch my way over to the rooms. If there is one benefit to doing this, it is that the control of my steps has gotten more precise. I am able to make it so that even on these creaky floors, my footsteps are barely making any sound.

There are two rooms near the end of the hall, and either one could house the old man. There are 10 minutes left, and this is where my skills will be pushed to their limits. Out of instinct, I choose the left door; however, what is inside is shocking. It is a perfectly preserved room with feminine decor. Not even a speck of dust can be seen, which sharply contrasts with the remained of the manor. From this, I can clearly tell this man has lingering feelings of a woman. The picture downstairs must be them in their youth. These NPCs seem more like real people with every interaction.

Only one room remains, so I cross my fingers that the old man is asleep. I peak my head in the room and see him sleeping facing the far wall. On the bedside table closest to me is a small crystal jar of candy. Who places candy right next to their bed? Maybe he gets a craving for sweets in the middle of the night. It can be dangerous for the elderly to be walking around in the dark at night. In the real world, that’s how many end up falling and breaking their hips. It's even worse if they are alone in the houses.

"Mmm... Jean..." A raspy yet drowsy voice breaks the silence. My heart sinks and my body freezes.

Step by step, I carefully creep towards the bedside table. Lifting up the lid, I stick my hand within and draw out a handful of confections. As I am placing the raisin into the jar, the old man starts to turn over, so without waiting, I activate my cloaking and rush out of the room.

"Mmm..." The old man lets out a groan, but I am already out.

The clock still shows 5 minutes, and when I jump back over the house the children are waiting with surprised looks on their faces. Clearly they didn't expect me to make it.

"Is something wrong?"

"Don't worry," One of the children speaks, "Failure is only natural."

"Yeah," Another adds, "You can always try again tomorrow."

"Mhmm."

"Pfft... "I glaze over the crowd of them before opening up my inventory. "If I failed, then what are these?"

"Ooo" Their eyes go wide with delight. "Amazing!"

Ahh, children are so easily impressed.

"How did you do it?" The little girl who had pointed out the manor earlier asks.

"You shouldn't underestimate me." I reply.

"But, that old man is super strong!" She continues, "He has beat up everyone that has attempted so far!"

"You mean no one has succeeded?" The quest seemed so easy though.

"Mhmm," One of the children says with downcast eyes, "He's scary!"

"I see..." I rub my chin, while wondering how that job would be considered hard. Maybe he only sleeps in on certain days until certain times? Anyways, it doesn't matter. I passed, so now it's time for my reward. "Here you go." I pass them the candies.

"Thanks mister!" As soon as the candy leaves my hands I get a notification of job completion. "Now, as promised, here is our trick for being undetected..."

Notification: Skill Acquired Sneak level 1

Your footsteps become 10% quieter.

Cost: 5 mana per second.

Mmm, it's an active skill. Well, I guess that's fair; otherwise, it would be too overpowered if it were active constantly without a penalty.

The rest of my morning is spent loitering around town. I wander through the streets while keeping my cartography skill activated. Any experience is good experience, plus I haven't been keeping it open as much as I had initially planned. After all, having a window open while walking normally down the street is inconvenient.

I eventually meander my way to the central market by 11:30, half an hour early for our date, so I go find a spot to sit around the large fountain near the centre. The fountain's statues are shaped to resemble soldiers at war and is made of a light grey stone mixed with various types of metals. These metals give off an elegant shine when hit by the sun. The fountain itself takes up at least a 50 foot diameter and the water is shallow enough to see coins spread across the bottom.

Some players can be seen around the edge dipping their feet in the fountain or even standing in the water near the statues. However, when I look at the opposite side of the fountain, I can see an absolutely breathtaking figure. She is dressed in a pale white summer dress, which accentuates her graceful curves. Her long, slender legs showcase unblemished, silky smooth skin all the way down to her modest shoes. Many male players in the vicinity can be seen sneaking glances at her, some more obvious than others. When I look at her face, our eyes meet, and her bright smile is enough to blind the onlookers.