Yala seemed displeased with me, to say the least. "This boy gets damaged so often, that I barely have time for anyone else! Enough, I say!" she grumbled, refusing to help me at first. But Isabel intervened. "He did save a bunch of people today, Yala. I'm sure you heard of the commotion in the trade district."

Yala frowned. "I heard that there was one, but not any details. Oh, fine. But you better keep him out of trouble this time, Isabel!"

The healing went smoothly this time, and there were no missing bits. I took that as a win. Yala grumbled a bit at the poison, but in the end, it was easily treated.

Less than an hour later, Malik was waiting for us outside the temple. He gestured for us to follow him to a secluded park I had visited recently. Once we were alone, he said without preamble, "We have a problem!"

Lyra rolled her eyes. "We have a bunch of those, big guy. We only just finished solving one of them, remember?"

Malik shook his head. "No, this is worse. A lot worse. I found some information at Sigen's house, and the storage ring he wore held a whole lot more."

Isabel tapped her foot impatiently. "Well, out with it then!"

Malik took a deep breath to steady himself. "Maximilian is involved in the distribution of the cores."

Both Lyra and Isabel looked dumbfounded, but I was just confused. "Um... Who is that?"

All three of them turned to stare at me, and then grinned. "I am new here," I explained.

Isabel nodded. "Right... Well, Maximilian is... He is the guildmaster."

I blinked at her, then turned that around in my noggin for a few moments. And then I burst out laughing.

All three of them looked at me in disbelief, and Isabel cuffed me on the shoulder. "What in the hells is so funny?! This is a momentous problem!"

I held up my hand, forestalling her as I caught my breath.

‘’Oh come on, you can’t be that surprised? It is so obvious that it’s funny. I mean I thought he was an asshole, but to this extent?’’ I said.

Malik just shook his head in disgust, ‘’the old man is more desperate than I thought.. But I still can’t fathom it. He can’t be aware of the true extent of all this.’’

I shrugged, ‘’perhaps he is not. Do you think he is the mysterious rune mage hiding in the shadows?’’

Malik frowned, ‘’there were orders among the papers Sigen had in his ring, they said to support the smugglers, and help the plan along. I can’t say anything other, than the man is definitely involved, I would recognise his handwriting anywhere.’’

Isabel sat down on a nearby bench with her face in her hands, ‘’this is such a shitshow Malik.. What are we supposed to do now?’’

Malik’s face hardened, ‘’he needs to be stopped, but none of you are up to that task. I am.’’

Lyra looked worried, ‘’Malik.. If you go up against him alone..’’ He nodded, ‘’it won’t be pretty. I am hoping he will give up instead, I will show him the full scope of what is about to happen. As I said, I don’t believe he is aware of what he has helped set in motion.’’

I sat down next to Isabel and leaned back in a casual manner, ‘’what do you think is his motivation though?’’ Malik smiled sadly, ‘’I told you before of the state of the guild in Creston, how we are slowly losing influence and purpose here. I suppose the old man saw a chance to fabricate a disaster, one the guild would be needed to solve.’’

Isabel was just shaking her head in disbelief, but I still had questions. ‘’Is he really that gullible? Assuming for a moment, that he is not the mastermind as it were, the real mastermind must have some real pull. He would need connections, gold, and followers. Where would you even hide an operation like that? It must have been going on for years.’’

Malik frowned a bit, ‘’you have a point.. I guess I will ask the man himself.’’

The big man looked at us and smiled, ‘’well, I have my job, but you still need to continue yours. The cores are still out there in numbers, and the other teams will need help. I just hope we are in time.’’

We nodded in agreement and went back to our tasks, but the conversation kept nagging at me. What was really going on here? And could Malik stop it before it was too late? Only time would tell.

The three of us left in a carriage, while Malik took off on his own to hatch some plan, as he said there was work to be done.

As we traveled back to the house, I had a question for the others. "So, I have a question. Why are we doing this exactly?" The others looked at me questioningly, and I shrugged. "The whole saving the city thing. Aren’t we mercenaries or something?"

Lyra shrugged. "I don’t know about Isabel here, but I am just glad something interesting is happening. Creston is usually so boring."

Isabel rolled her eyes. "We do it because it’s the right thing to do, David. Yes, we are mercenaries, but there are people I care about in this city. They don’t deserve to get caught up in some sick power play."

I nodded slowly. "Sure, alright. It just seems weird that we are the ones taking charge of it. You guys are not weak by any measure, but aren’t there stronger people around?"

Isabel nodded. "There are. Malik is one of them. Eric is another. The team from the main branch are all pretty high level, and their training is another thing altogether."

I sighed. "It’s just... I mean, I’ve only been here for what? Two months? Maybe not even that. I’ve almost died several times, lost an eye, and we just keep putting ourselves out there. I guess I’m just a bit tired of it all. My old life... well, it was nothing like this."

Lyra came over and sat next to me. "You can leave, you know." I frowned at her, but she held up her hand for me to wait. "I don’t mean it that way. I mean that we understand, David, and you really have no reason to risk your life here."

I shrugged. "I got you guys. I would feel like shit if you got hurt or worse, and I was off somewhere dallying around with pretty elf girls." Lyra punched my shoulder, and I gave her a grin.

"Alright, enough of that. I just needed to get it off my chest. Promise me one thing, though." Lyra nodded. "Tell us."

"Once this is all over, we leave this place. I want to explore more of this world, and Creston is starting to sour on me a bit." Both nodded in agreement at that, and soon we reached the house.

I headed straight into the bath, and after that, my room. I needed a few hours of sleep, but first, I had notifications to check.

You have Defeated 1 Mercenary Rogue

You have earned Experience

You have assisted in destroying 1 Awakened Rune Giant

You have earned Experience

Your level has increased to 20

For each level your base stats in physical and mental attributes

have increased by 2 for a total of 4

For each level your base stats in spiritual attributes

have increased by 3 for a total of 6

Congratulations

Illusion Magic has reached level 18

The ether consumption of spells has

Decreased Moderately

Congratulations

Slippery footing has reached level 7

The ether consumption of spells has

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Decreased Slightly

You bond with Harlequin’s mask has strengthened

Current level of bond: Friend

Agility: 5

Ether Affinity: 5

Ether capacity: 6

You have reached level 20

It is time to make a choice.

Upon reaching level 20 you must choose your class evolution.

Choose wisely, it cannot be reversed.

Class evolution of the trickster:

Spectral Trickster

Masters of deception and trickery, these arcane casters specialize in creating illusions to confound and confuse their enemies. Able to phase out of existence, move through walls, and teleport around the battlefield. With this path the trickster can become a ghostly apparition, untouchable and unseen until he strikes from the shadows.

A true terror lurking just out of sight.

Illusionary Conjuror

These tricksters have formed a deep connection with the spirit world, allowing them to summon and command spectral creatures to aid them in battle. They can imbue their illusions with the spirits they summon, creating an army of possessed illusions to overwhelm their enemies. They are also able to harness the energy of the spirits, to fire spells of pure magic at their foes, causing devastating damage.

Blood Jester

This path is a dark one, as it delves into the world of blood magic. The practitioner can drain the life energy of their foes to fuel powerful attack spells, sacrificing their own health in the process. They can create illusions that inflict physical harm on their enemies, as well as summon spirits that are twisted and corrupted by blood magic. The Blood Mage gains the ability to control the blood of others, making it flow faster or slower in their veins, causing weakness or fainting. However, the use of blood magic can have dire consequences, making this path not for the faint of heart.

I stared at the screen in front of me for what felt like hours. Class evolution? I had no idea that was even a thing. Now I had to choose, and I wasn't sure which way to go. "One of these days, I would love to know what is around the next corner for once," I grumbled.

Suddenly, Grim's voice echoed in my mind. "Ooh, go with the blood jester! Definitely the blood jester!"

I sighed. "I had a feeling you would lean that way," I told him.

"It is the obvious choice, partner!" Grim insisted.

But I wasn't interested in manipulating people's blood and whatnot. "Nope, definitely not. Screw that," I said.

Grim grumbled a bit, but he left me alone, and I turned my attention back to the screen. The other two choices seemed good, but they had very different focuses. One was basically a summoner, someone who could conjure an army all on his own. The other was like what I was now, but on performance-enhancing drugs. It was a hard decision to make, and I spent almost ten minutes just staring at the screen.

Grim's voice began a low whisper a few minutes ago, "Blood jester, blood jester, blood jester," but I ignored the spirit. Finally, I made my choice.

You have chosen the Illusionary Conjuror

Stand by for integration

I stared at the message in horror, feeling a sense of dread and fear wash over me. The pain came crashing down on me like a wave, worse than any pain I had ever felt before. My title did nothing to alleviate the agony, and for what felt like an eternity, I writhed and twisted in my bed, clutching my head in agony.

When the pain finally subsided and I was left gasping for breath, I hesitantly opened the message again, my whole body shaking.

Congratulations, you are now an Illusionary Conjurer.

You have been awarded the following rewards:

Stats gained:

Physical Attributes:

Strength: 5

Agility: 3

Endurance: 10

Mental Attributes:

Intelligence: 6

Wisdom: 6

Spiritual Attributes:

Ether Affinity: 10

Ether capacity: 20

You have gained a new spell related to your core class:

Spirit Caller (Level 1)

This spell allows the caster to summon mischievous spirits from the realm in between. These spirits can take on the qualities of any element, chosen at random upon their summoning. It's important for the caster to keep a tight reign on them, as they can be unpredictable and potentially dangerous. Once summoned, the spirits can be placed into illusions, making them tangible and able to fight on their own.

You have gained a new spell related to your core class:

Conjurer’s wrath

Conjurer's Wrath is a powerful spell that enables the caster to draw energy from any spirits they have summoned and concentrate it into a spear of pure magical energy. This spear can cause immense damage to the target, but the process of gathering the energy is highly draining on the caster's ether. The spirits used to fuel the spell will not be harmed, but instead will retreat back to the realm in between to regain their strength. The spell requires a great deal of focus and concentration, as the caster must carefully gather and control the energy to avoid harming themselves or their allies.

I grinned at the screens in front of me, I had gotten a buttload of powerups, and just in time for the big fight. I decided to bring up my status screen.

Status screen

Name:

David Wendell

Class:

Illusionary Conjurer (Trickster)

Titles:

Deceiver’s Resilience

Master your fear

Against the odds

Experienced Masochist

Vanquisher of the Goliath

Power is relative

What lurks in the dark

One eyed

Level:

20

Bonded Spirit possessed Items:

Harlequin’s mask

Level of Bond: Friend

Physical Attributes:

Strength: 54

Agility: 65

Endurance: 74

Mental Attributes:

Intelligence: 57

Wisdom: 54

Spiritual Attributes:

Ether Affinity: 84

Ether capacity 93

Inner Core:

Awakening stage

Abilities:

Flowing Mirage (fighting style)

Illusions (Level 18)

Slippery footing (Level 7)

Mirror Mirage (Level 5)

Phantom Images

Phantom pain

Spirit Caller (Level 1)

Conjurer’s wrath

Frozen in fear

Ignore pain

I laid back on the bed, my heart racing with excitement and anticipation. The surge of power I had just received was way beyond my expectations. I could feel the raw magical energy coursing through me, and it was pretty exhilarating.

As I continued to revel in my newfound strength, I couldn't help but think about all of the incredible spells that were now at my fingertips. I had always been fascinated by magic, and now that I had the power to wield it, it gave me a great sense of freedom.

"Whatever comes next," I said to myself, a determined look on my face, "I'm ready for it. Bring it on!"