When the tiefling was done with his meal, he didn’t have the same crazed hunger in his gaze. He looked over at Hunter and frowned.

“Why can’t I see your abilities? My Covetous Gaze should be able to identify you even if you’re a higher level than I am.”

Hunter shrugged as his mind raced for a suitable answer. He needed this tiefling’s help if he wanted to ascend further up the mountain. Hunter was pretty sure he could kill the cobalt humanoid, but that would be the last resort option. If he was honest with himself, Hunter was just happy to be conversing with someone else after his period of isolation. He didn’t realize how much he missed the bustle of school, even if he felt out of place.

“Covetous Gaze can only identify high-leveled being within a certain range. I’m likely above that.”

Hunter was taking a shot in the dark. All he had based his response on was his own Covetous Eyes skill, which definitely had more limitations than he was comfortable with. Covetous Gaze seemed like an upgraded version of Hunter’s. If it weren’t for his Aura of the Black Wind, the tiefling would have been able to see that Hunter was a level zero nobody.

The tiefling stroked his chin with taloned fingertips as he considered Hunter’s answer.

“I guess that explains how you killed the ghorum so easily.”

The other man’s voice was slow and considered. Hunter watched as the other man’s face shifted from calculated suspicion to naked greed.

“Say, what’s your name, boy?”

Hunter shrugged. There were many reasons he wanted his level to be hidden from potential enemies, but there was little reason to hide his name.

“Hunter Gold”

The tiefling barked out a laugh. “That’s my kind of name. You make that up?”

Hunter had heard the refrain before. When he had been in elementary and middle school, it had been the irony that caused him to be bullied. Hunter supposed there was something funny about the poor kid at school named ‘Hunter Gold.’ The teenager hated it. It stank of desperation.

“No, it’s my real name.”

The tiefling nodded, “That means you must be Hank and Blair’s missing whelp.”

Hunter felt like cold water had been poured down his back at the mention of his grandparents.

“How do you know them?”

The man used the claws on one hand to sheepishly scratch the back of is head.

“Name’s John Murtle. I know your grandparents from around town.”

Hunter blinked. He wasn’t sure which town John was referring to. Was he talking about Crested Butte or the still unnamed marker on his map? The gleam of avarice was still shining in the tiefling’s eye, and Hunter knew not to trust him. He had seen greed make creatures act outside of their normal survival instincts. Even Hunter had fallen afoul of its influence. There was something about Hunter that John was interested in.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“Which town?”

“Both,” John supplied. “I was a lawyer back in Crested Butte, and now I’m one of the warriors in the Outpost.”

“The Outpost?”

“Yeah…” John paused to scratch his head again. Hunter noticed it was quickly becoming a tick. “How long have you been on the mountain? Your folks have been asking about you for months.”

“Months?” Hunter choked out as he tried to think about how long he had been in the Rift. He had slept four times, so for about five days?

“Five days,” he said more confidently than he felt.

“Only five days?! You’ve already killed a…” John stuttered and ended his sentence prematurely. His face became a pleasant mask, hiding his emotions underneath. He drifted closer and clapped an arm around Hunter’s shoulders with a Cheshire grin on his face. Hunter felt uncomfortable at the over-familiar gesture. He had never been the huggy-feely sort, and being in the Rift had caused him to develop instincts that were opposed to physical contact.

“You sound confused. That’s okay, kid. Time works differently in the Rift. Your family and the rest of us have been in the Rift for close to six months now.”

Hunter carefully extracted himself from the other man’s one-armed hug. Instead of looking upset, John appeared cheerful. Hunter didn’t trust the man. The only thing that made a greed-creature happy was the prospect of acquiring something valuable. Hunter didn’t know what John’s game was, but he wasn’t going to get caught up in it.

“So why do you look like this?” John gestured to the tiefling’s horns, tail, and blue skin.

John smiled so widely his eyes became thin slits.

“That’s a blessing from our Master, the Great One. Don’t worry, as soon as you pledge to him, you can get an upgrade too.”

Hunter resolved never to receive a blessing from the ‘Great One.’ He wanted to retain his humanity. John was so far gone that he didn’t even realize the extent of his change. Or maybe he did and thought the price was worth paying. Hunter wasn’t going to say any of that. Instead, it sounded like this ‘Great One’ might be the Rift boss that he needed to kill. Barring that, he could confirm whether the Rift Sentinel was dead or not.

“Maybe you can bring me to him?”

“That’s exactly what I was going to suggest! We have to bring you to your folks first." John nudged Hunter with an elbow. “They’re a bit higher up the food chain than I am.”

His face took on a wistful cast. “I’ll be there eventually,” he said before looking at Hunter knowingly. “With you, I might make it big faster than I thought.”

Hunter felt like the tiefling was undressing him with his eyes. There was naked greed on the man’s face that hinted that John knew something the teenager didn’t.

“How would I be able to help you?”

“Don’t worry about that for now, kid. Right now, it’s enough to remember ol’ John when he takes you to see your family. I might be asking for a favor down the road.”

Hunter weighed his options. He already knew the general direction of the Outpost. At least, he assumed that’s what the marker on his map indicated. However, having John make the introductions would get him closer to the Rift boss without any extra trouble. He only had one more question.

“Why were you fighting the ghorum? Aren’t they….err… on your side?”

John’s eyes literally burned with fire as he hissed.

“No, they’re in between us and taking back our world. The Great One says they’re a test for us to prove our strength. When we can clear the Rift, we can return to the normal world.”

Hunter frowned at the new information. It raised more questions than it answered, but Hunter didn’t want to reveal his lack of knowledge. His strategy depended upon the tiefling’s considering him a friend. It would be even better if he didn’t display his strength to John. He needed to surprise the Rift boss, which would be hard to do if the ‘Great One’ already knew all of Hunter’s moves. Instead of asking more questions, he shrugged his shoulders.

“Alright, let’s go to the Outpost, then.”