"A Fringe Walker? What's that?" Arthur asked.
"Well, they're incredibly rare so I'm not surprised you haven't heard of them. People who enter invasion points are usually one of two types, fighters or supports, though, at the end of the day, their jobs are the same. They are the Defenders of the planet."
"Fringe Walkers on the other hand... Well, how should I put it? They invade the invaders. Warriors strong enough to take the fight to the fallen realm. It's irregular, unheard of even for a tier 1 planet, but there is precedence for permanently succeeding against an invading world. The fallen realm, whilst far larger than our own, is not infinite. They cannot attack every planet equally; it's simply not feasible."
"So what are you saying? That if we fight long enough we'll beat the invasion," Arthur asked.
"Nope, not long enough. A battle of attrition against the fallen realm is impossible to win. Their forces replenish far faster than there are births on this planet and there are seven tier 1 planets arrayed against Earth. Not one. Ninety-four percent of tier 3 planets have been battling their invasion points for the past seventeen thousand years. It's only after becoming tier 4 that natives usually become strong enough to deal with invading worlds for good."
"And why is that?"
"Well, you'd be much better off asking my sister that. Melissa's been researching the fallen realm for almost a decade now. She'd give you a proper answer."
"All I know is that mirror worlds- that's what we call the fallen planets connected to our own- evolve and grow at the same speeds as our world give or take a few years all the way up to tier 3. At the barrier to tier 4 however, mirror worlds slow down. They're usually about five hundred years behind, which allows the natives on the newly evolved planets to deal with their invading worlds permanently. It isn't easy by any means, but that's the way things usually go, at least when we win."
Edward paused to take a sip of tea before pouring him a cup. Arthur tentatively tried it and was momentarily blown away by the flavours that exploded in his mouth. He wasn't exactly a tea connoisseur but he didn't need to be to recognise the exquisite skill that had gone into the creation of this beverage. Edward laughed at the expression on his face.
"I love the way people react to their first taste of Mylan tea. The wonder and awe never gets old."
Arthur immediately searched it up on the System store and was shocked to see the leaves retailing for ten thousand credits a piece. The cup in front of him probably cost as much as an uncommon-ranked weapon. Edward quickly pulled him out of his reverie.
"Back to Fringe Walkers, they're basically elite warriors who work to permanently end the threats of invading worlds before a planet reaches tier 4. The earlier it's done, the more resources are saved. World cores harvested from the fallen realm catapult a planet's growth and development by thousands of years. They're also the most sure fire way to gain noble status and establish your own Territory. Suffice it to say, being a Fringe Walker is an extremely lucrative business."
"And you think I have what it takes to sign up?"
"Mr white," Edward said deadpan, "If I couldn't see your potential, I'd have to pluck out my eyes for how useless they were."
The alien noble, Arthur was quickly learning, had a flare for the dramatic.
"The percentage of tier 1 planets that manage to permanently deal with their invading enemies is so minuscule it's practically unheard of. People with Fringe Walker potential don't tend to crop up so soon. The earlier a world core is harvested, the more useful it is for you. You can start refining it and direct its evolutionary path much sooner."
"Mr White, you're quite literally sitting on the mother of all golden tickets right now. All you need to do is cash it in and you'll earn more than you ever imagined, power and wealth you've never dreamed of."
As far as selling things went, Edward Agroth wasn't half bad. The position of Fringe Walker was looking more and more like something Arthur wanted. It aligned with the goal he'd had in mind when coming here today, even better than his original plans if he was being honest. That didn't mean he'd take the noble's words as gospel. He quickly opened up the System store and searched for an information packet on Fringe Walkers.
He was instantly flooded with millions of results and so refined his search to items under thirty thousand credits from sellers with a three-star and above information broker licence. That cut his search down all the way to two products. There was a clear winner between the two. Bonjam's Wares offered a product that had sold far more than its competitors and also had a higher rating. Being a digital item, the information packet arrived instantly for his perusal.
"Take all the time you need, Mr White," Edward said with a knowing smirk. "You'll find that I'm not a dodgy salesman trying to con you."
Arthur ignored the man and started to read. Spending only twenty-seven thousand credits meant that the information was quite barebones, but coming from a reputable three-star source, Arthur could be confident in its accuracy. With his mental stats so high, it didn't take him long to read through everything. It confirmed everything Edward had said and added some context. The Guild of Fringe Walkers was an ancient faction that had been established fourteen thousand years ago. Joining them was almost impossible and only occurred on a special invite-only policy, which meant that Edward Agroth was vastly more important than the minor noble Arthur had initially taken him for.
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Fringe Walker scouts weren't your average Joe. Arthur snuck a glance at Edward who now had his hands behind his head and was poorly whistling a famous hip-hop song, completely butchering the melody, enough that Arthur was surprised he even recognised it. I guess you really can't judge a book by its cover. The greatest part of joining the Guild of Fringe Walkers was that it offered you a sense of legitimacy and protection few groups could match. There were documented cases of wanted men and women who'd sought refuge under their banner, people who'd had entire galactic empires chasing after them.
Whilst that didn't match the magnitude of the forces currently after him, the sentiment was there. Even better than that was how much emphasis the guild put into protecting the identities of its members, going so far as to create entire histories and backgrounds for those who desired it. It was so perfect for him that Arthur was immediately suspicious. When something was too good to be true, there was always a hidden catch. The only other time things had aligned so well for him was... the dragon's core that saved my life.
Had Iris prepared all this for him too? Just how far into the future did she see? Arthur didn't know if he should be amazed or appalled. He felt like a fly trapped in a spider's web; only the spider was friendly and into him a little more than she probably should have been. Iris hardly knew him, after all. Actually, that's just not true, is it? With how far into the future her vision sees, she could have known of me years before the System arrived on Earth. Arthur recalled the first conversation he'd ever had with Ayesha Murker. In it, she'd told him that she'd only come to Earth following the advice of her seer, who Arthur now knew was her best friend, Iris. Am I looking into things too much and seeing patterns where there aren't any? Edward cleared his throat loudly and pulled him out of his spiralling thoughts.
"So what do you say, Mr White. Are you ready to become a Fringe Walker?"
"The profit margins I'm seeing online all differ. How much will I be making exactly?" Arthur answered with a question of his own.
"I'll give you the best deal we can for new members. You'll only earn seventy percent of the credits you'd otherwise earn while fighting creatures in the invasion points, but battling in a fallen world will give you double the profits. The identity protection of course comes as part of the deal. I'll also sign you up for one of our exclusive courses. I'm guessing you've seen the selection available."
"Yeah, I'll take the runes and alchemy module."
"An interesting choice, Mr White. I wouldn't have pegged you as much of a crafter but appearances can be deceiving, can't they," Edward said with a smirk.
Is he messing with me?
"Normally I'd tell you to specialise instead of taking a double course, but you don't strike me as a fool. I'm sure you have your reasons."
They talked for a while longer, fleshing out the details of their contract, what kinds of elixirs and potions he'd be provided, weapon and armour maintenance plans and the health insurance that came along with the work. Finally, after fifteen minutes of talking, and another cup of tea later, they were done. A System notification appeared in front of him. It contained all the details of the contract they'd worked out. It was incredibly lucrative, negotiating with Edward had been a novel experience. He was the first employer Arthur had met who demanded he take more for the services he provided, constantly pointing out places where Arthur was eligible for benefits he didn't even know existed. Well, I guess a scout's job is to make sure I get the most I can. After all, my success directly affects his own.
Mr White. Would you like to sign up to the Guild of Fringe Walkers with the aforementioned contract for the period of five years, extendable at your behest?
YES/NO
Arthur clicked yes.
~~~
Immediately after Arthur Ward left the tent, Edward rushed home, using a privatised teleportation line to prevent anyone from tracking his whereabouts. The woman waiting for him was not someone whose patience he wanted to test. By the time he reached his personal quarters, he had a sheen of sweat coating his skin, an admirable feat considering his high stats. He placed five Tier-3 ether stones on the communication array and waited the four seconds it took to connect.
"Report," Iris' voice was crisp and clear, as bewitching as the first time he'd heard it.
"Arthur Ward came to the recruitment trials today, just as you said he would. I managed to get him to join the Guild of Fringe Walkers as you requested ma'am."
"Excellent," she replied coolly, though he detected a slight hitch in her voice. As always, when the topic of Arthur Ward came up, the normally aloof woman became strangely excited. How would people react if they found out Fatebreaker's daughter was gushing over some man? They'd think he'd gone mad, that was certain. Either before or after her insane fans killed him for sullying their Idol's name.
"Can you give me a report on his status?"
The question threw Edward for a loop. That was impossible, even with his incredible power as a Fringe Walker scout. Someone's status was impossible to see, regardless of how powerful you became unless they gave you permission to see it. She couldn't be asking for the impossible, could she?
"Ma'am. Are you trying to ask how your man seemed to be doing?" He regretted the words the second they left his mouth. Shit! What the fuck did I just say?
"What did you just call him?"
Edward felt his stomach drop before he realised she sounded... pleased.
"Actually, never mind. Yes, you're right, Mr Agroth. That is exactly what I was asking."
What followed was both the most terrifying and strange conversation he'd had in his life, one in which he had to tell the most powerful woman he'd ever spoken to how her boyfriend was doing. Do people like that even have boyfriends? Or is he more like a pet? He told her the gist of what he'd inferred from his short conversation with the Originator and gave the seer a picture of Arthur's new appearance. It was by far the longest conversation he'd had with Iris and he'd had to spend an extra seven ether stones just to keep the communication array going.
"So you're saying you think he suspects I had a hand in getting him recruited?" Iris asked quietly.
Five minutes ago, the question would have had him sweating buckets but his brain was too overloaded with fear right now. That and Iris currently reminded him of his teenage daughter when she'd had her first crush.
"Yes, it appears so ma'am," he replied. "I'm positive he noticed your fingerprints all over this situation. It was too beneficial to have come about by chance and Mr Ward did not strike me as a fool."
Iris was silent for a while before speaking again, her voice containing a hesitation he'd never sensed before.
"Does that- does that make me a cool girlfriend or creepy?"
Edward choked on his spit. For some reason, he felt very, very sorry for Arthur Ward.