As Liam entered the room, he noticed how plain it was compared to the others he had been in so far. The walls and floors were all one color, black. Scattered across the floor were a few boxes of different sizes. From what Liam could see he believed it was a forty by twenty room. Along one wall was a door and a glass window big enough for a group of people to see into the room. The only lighting came from four Yooperlite stones that were placed on both sides of the window while the other two were spread out on the other wall.
The lighting was dim and didn’t illuminate the room that much. A thin wall sprouted out a couple of feet from the walls around each corner of the room allowing the corners to be much darker than usual. A pedestal sat on the other side of the long room with nothing on it.
Liam was curious as to what the purpose of this room was used for, but figured he’d find out soon. He saw Lady Arachne and Tranquil Orchid waiting around a box that came up to his hips in the middle of the room. As he approached it they both looked at him.
“We’ll start here shortly after Tranquil Noxitanous and Silent Saboteur get here,” Lady Arachne started. “But as we wait there are a few things I need to go over with you.”
Curious, Liam slowly nodded ready to hear whatever she had to say.
“You are a newly integrated arrival into our world,” Lady Arachne started. “We know you are nowhere near the level where majority of the new applicants should be at. However, we also do not expect you to be able to fully pass the tests. These tests were not designed to be beaten. They are designed to test you and see where your capabilities lie.”
Liam was a bit confused now. If these tests were designed to not be fully beaten then what was he supposed to do to pass? And what did she mean by where my capabilities lie?
“The look on your face says you are still confused about something,” Lady Arachne started back up. “That is understandable. I am pleased you haven’t interrupted me so far. You’re probably thinking about if the tests were not designed to be beaten then how are you supposed to pass? If you are thinking this then you are already on the right track. These tests are designed to test several things.”
Lady Arachne brought up a finger as she said, “Adaptability and flexibility.” A second finger was raised. “Technique and abilities.” A third rose. “Areas you shine best and Areas you don’t. A fourth. “And finally, if any of the previous things we have spotted are good enough for you to be an actual member.”
Liam’s brows scrunched at that last part.
“Let me explain the part I know you’re confused about,” Lady Arachne started to explain. “Everyone has talents in certain areas. While people have talent that doesn’t necessarily mean it aligns with what we do here. You can be an amazing crafter, but the things you excel at in the craft are items not really useful to missions or jobs. Or say you have talent in stealth techniques or magic, but cave under pressure. That could tell us that if you mess up or get caught there is a chance you will talk when you should keep your mouth shut. We pay attention to everything you do during your tests and take in both the positives and negatives. Does that make sense?”
Liam nodded.
“Good,” Lady Arachne smiled. “These tests will not be easy. I won’t go into full details of each test right now, but they will be given right before you start each one. I will also add that there will be chances you can or will get hurt. If we think the test is too much or your life is in immediate danger we will stop the test right then and there.”
Her face then suddenly grew stern and strict as she stared at Liam. He could feel the authority and power she held as she continued, “Also, if we believe even for a second that you are not a fit for the Association then we will kill you to keep our secrets safe. Regardless of who your mentor is. I tell you this because even though I have stated we do not expect you to fully pass a test we still want you to take these tests seriously and give it all that you have.”
Liam nodded. “If I may ask…” Liam waited for a nod of acknowledgement before continuing. “In that list of things, you spoke about. You mentioned areas I shine and don’t shine at. What are those areas?”
“An excellent thing to ask,” Lady Arachne smiled approvingly. “The areas that I was referring to are things you specialize in. Things like Illusion Magic, Seduction Arts, Crafting, Poisons, and more. These specialties will help determine the type of categories you will fall under and help filter the missions you take. I won’t get into the full details, but the mission categories are Artisanal Crafts, Espionage, Information Gathering, Sabotage, Smuggling, Stealing, Protection, or Assassination.”
“Alright. I think I’m getting a good idea on how this works,” Liam stated as he thought over everything she said. While there were somethings he needed more clarity on, he figured he’d ask that later.
“Are you sure you understood everything?” a deep voice questioned.
The three turned to look at the door to find Noxi and Silent Saboteur walking towards them.
“Not everything,” Liam admitted truthfully. “Just enough. I figured I’d ask more later after everything is done.”
“Quite the confidence you have. Do you think you’ve already passed?” Silent Saboteur inquired with a bit of teasing.
Liam shrugged. “I don’t like to make assumptions, but I figured that if I’m getting this amount of information before taking the test then I at least have a good shot.”
Silent Saboteur, Noxi, and Orchid were about to make a comment, but stopped as Liam continued, “However, I won’t know until I take the tests. I need to have some level of confidence or else I’ll fail before I start. Right?”
The others were pleased with his response. The comment they each were about to make never came. Instead, they each turned to look at Lady Arachne as if to ask, are we going to begin?
Lady Arachne took the hint and smiled. She then looked at Liam and informed, “Your first test is the Steal Test.”
“Steal Test?” Liam repeated.
Lady Arachne nodded before she started walking over to the pedestal that sat close to the back wall. As she was walking, she pulled out an object and explained, “Your goal is to try and steal this item.”
Liam got a good look at the object. It was a small box with a magical lock on it. He tried to assess it, but nothing came up. After the short woman placed the box down, she turned around and made her way back towards the others. Everyone except Liam started to move.
Liam looked around the room. He wasn’t sure, but he knew there was going to be more than just stealing the item. He shortly got his answer as Noxi separated from the others and moved to get in between him and the pedestal.
“Of course, you’ll have to try and do it while fighting Tranquil Noxitanous,” Lady Arachne stated as she opened the door that led into the room with the glass window.
Silent Saboteur and Tantalizing Orchid followed her in and closed the door behind them. After they made their way towards the window, Lady Arachne pressed down on something and he was able to hear her voice.
“You have a minute to make a plan of attack. The test ends if either you touch the item or if Tranquil Noxitanous creates a situation where you cannot proceed,” Lady Arachne announced. “Good luck.”
Liam looked around the room. He could understand why he was given some time to create a plan. If this was a mission he would have already scouted the area and known who his possible enemies were.
He thought about the information he had on the man. He didn’t have much, but the comments Orchid had made the first time he met him as well as the introduction he had given him when the short woman was explaining some things. He was a poison specialist.
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Liam wasn’t sure if that meant he had some Poison Magic or if he crafted poisons himself. Either way he knew confronting or going head on wouldn’t be the best choice. He did know that this man was strong. When he introduced himself, he said he was the Second Leg of this location. If Lady Arachne was the one in charge and was the first, that means he was second in command here. You weren’t second in command if you couldn’t handle yourself.
Liam looked around the room and tried to see what he could do. There were boxes spread out that he could probably use to his advantage. He also had his Gravity Magic he could try to use to hinder the man’s movement.
Liam shook his head at the thought. While his Gravity Magic was useful in all of his previous fights, he didn’t think it would be in this test. He didn’t know exactly how strong the man was, but he had to be strong enough that his low leveled Gravity spells wouldn’t do much but hold him down for a brief moment.
If that was the case then he needed a different approach. Stealth would probably be a better idea. He could use his Veil of Shadows spell and try to sneak pass him. However, the spell had an issue. He looked at the four Yooperlite stones and then around the room. While the spell covered him in shadows and hid his form, he didn’t have it high enough to completely make him invisible. Whether it be against the wall or on the ground, he still casted a faint shadow that could be spotted if someone looked hard enough.
The man probably had a way to detect him too, but he wouldn’t know until it happened. And if he used it out in the open then he would know he was using stealth. If he was going to use the spell and take that route then he needed a way to confuse the man.
As Liam looked around he noticed the corner of the room and saw the walls that stood out near them. Inside the pocketed area of the corner that was both out of Noxi’s sight and full of shadows thanks to the dimly lit room, was possibilities.
“Test will start in ten seconds,” Lady Arachne announced.
Liam turned his full body to face the side of the room opposite of Noxi. He then slowly made his way towards it as he heard Lady Arachne countdown. He knew his plan was too simplistic, but it was the only one he could think of for now. He didn’t know what the man had instore for him, but if he found himself in a sticky situation he had two other things up his sleeves. One was something he really wanted to try out while the other was something that always helped him get out of sticky situations.
“Five…four…,” Lady Arachne said as she watched Liam slowly walking towards the other side of the room. She was both curious and excited to see what this young man would do. She already approved his actions to not stay close by Noxi and move away from him. However, she wasn’t entirely sure what he had planned.
Let’s see what you’ve got Little Kitten. Lady Arachne thought to herself as she finished counting down. “Two…one…Start.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The sun had finally finished setting over the island, bringing along the blanket of darkness. Light started brightening the city as people walked about taking care of the business they had before they could retire for the day.
In the middle of the city stood a tall building that was always busy. It never closed down and always had people coming and going. People switched shifts often to make sure everyone’s sense stayed sharp. With the nature of this building and what its purpose was, the employees needed to be ready for anything.
The Portal Tree was just that important to the residents. Not just the island, but also the kingdom too. Those that worked there seemed to be strict and harsh at times, but it was their job to make sure those who meant harm to their kingdom didn’t step forth onto their territory.
One such person that worked there had it rougher than the others. He was the man in charge of the security after all. His responsibility was much heavier than the others. If even one troublemaker made it pass them then problems they weren’t aware of could cause irreparable damage.
Ever since that Immoral Vice Incubus Demon-kin follower appeared a few days ago, Fred had started getting uneasy feelings around the building. It had been a few years since the last time any of their kind had tried to sneak onto the island. His uneasy feeling only increased when he heard about an incident inside the Green Dungeon. He sent a team inside to the location he was informed about and the reports that came back made him pissed.
The information he was given that made him send a team in was that a few people had died due to a weird monster being a much higher level than it should have been. The anonymous information giver had described the people they claimed to see dead, and a couple of the people described made his heart sink.
One was a reputable young woman he respected for helping her uncle out and the other was a newly integrated arrival. He didn’t know the young man that well since he was new, but he was happy to see a new face wanting to enter their kingdom and possibly getting to know his roots.
However, after his team came back they reported that only one body was found. The body didn’t match any of the listed people to boot. Instead, it was a foul demon-kin. An Oni that was believed could have been a worshipper of one of the Seven Immoral Vices too, nonetheless.
He didn’t know how or when this member of that race had slipped in, but he took it as a slap in the face that this person made it into the town without anyone knowing. After he found that out, he doubled down on security in the building and made sure guards, who specialized in finding Demon-kins out, were stationed with every Greeter.
He had also petitioned to the mayor of the city that others who had this ability to patrol the city to see if they could find any that had slipped by like that damn Oni. To his frustration and irritation, the mayor had declined. The reason given was some bullshit about how it could cause a commotion with the locals.
“What the hell is that useless man thinking,” Fred cursed under his breath as he walked down a hall.
Even though his main focus was on what had happened and wanting to make sure no more of those vile followers plagued the city, he had a job to do. He was currently on his way to a certain room that held a very peculiar group of individuals.
While he had seen weird group compositions, he had yet to hear about a group that consisted of these race members. Normally they wouldn’t team up together. Well except for two out of the three. They could be seen together since their races came from the same empire. One similar to his own, but with different beliefs. But for them to come here? He couldn’t blame the guards that were there when they arrived.
“Seriously, first demon-kins and now people from that Empire grouped up with a member from the Blood Thirst Plains. What the hell is happening here,” Fred muttered as he stopped in front of the door. He then quickly added, “Oh well. Hopefully they aren’t here to cause problems. Let’s see why they came here before casting any suspicions.”
As he opened the door and walked in he heard someone stated out loud, “Damn, talk about a bear of a man.”
Fred ignored the comment. Comments like that were normal for those who had never seen a Bear-Folk Beast-kin before. He determined it came from the young man who sat in the middle of his two companions on the other side of a metal table.
He was short and looked like he could be a feisty troublemaker. Fred was about to say something, but stopped as he watched the female that sat to the shorter man’s left slap a hand across the back of his head.
“Ow! What the fuck was that for?” the short of the three protested.
“For being a rude idiot,” the woman answered. She was lanky and had scales disappear from her body after the slap.
Fred then saw the other man, who was much taller than the other two and wider let out a sigh. This man looked Fred in the eyes and apologized, “I’m sorry. My teammate here tends to speak before he thinks. I promise he didn’t mean anything by it.”
Fred was shocked. His shock didn’t come from what this man said, but rather that a person, from a race that was known for their ferocity and hardheaded ways of never apologizing to races outside their own, was apologizing in place of a teammate. He knew this group was going to be strange, but he didn’t expect that.
“That’s alright. I get that kind of reaction from many who have never seen my race before,” Fred stated as he approached the table. He pulled out a seat and sat down. “I apologize for my employees bringing you here, but after a couple of recent incidents, we have to be a little stricter with strange people. I hope you understand that you are not in trouble we just want to make sure you aren’t here to cause any.”
“That is fine. We are willing to cooperate,” the female stated. “What would you like to know?”
Once more Fred was taken aback. The Orc looking man and his apologies were one thing, but a prideful Dragon-kin to be humble enough to not cause a scene…this group was definitely strange. The only one who acted according to their race was the short foxlike male.
“We want to know the purpose of your visit, if you require entry into the kingdom, and how long you plan on being here,” Fred listed off.
“Is that really all you need to know?” the foxlike male stated. “If so then this will go quicker than we thought.”
Both the Orc looking man and the Dragon-kin female let out sighs as the guards in the room stared at the fox.
Before the shorter male and Fred could say anything, the Dragon-kin female responded, “If the rules and wait time for entry into the kingdom are the same for the Draconic Empire then we do not require entry. For the length of our visit, it relies on why we are here.”
“And what is your purpose?” Fred asked, curiosity growing.
“We are here to find someone we believe is here on this island,” the Orcish male answered with a smug smile.
“Who?” Fred inquired. That smile he was seeing on the Orcish man made him feel uncomfortable and was worried that these people could possibly be here to kidnap someone. He thought about the possible people that could have made deals with members of these races and possibly were running from them. He realized his list was too long to consider who it could possibly be.
“Our overthinking,” the Dragon-kin woman started with a grin.
“Overworked,” the Orcish male added while keeping his smile.
“And sometimes idiotic teammate,” the fox finished up, matching a smirk with his two companions.