The early hours of the fourth day were filled once again with the chiming crash and shattering of magic. Yen sat against the wall, mana forming and failing in front of her, and Donny to side running through the stances and motions Shin had showed him with great focus and persistence.
As the latest shield broke apart, Shin tossed a cloth bag and before it landed in the mage’s hands, he burst over to Donny swiftly outmaneuvering him with a hard shove to his metal chest piece to signal his failure. Shin continued this rough game of tag without explanation but none was needed after the first shove. Yen shut her eyes as they trained around her, frustration and determination grew on her face until finally the mana in front coalesced into a solid dense wall.
“Yes!” She rose to her feet with a shout to the world.
Shin sped by her side. “Mana?”
“Low.” Yen answered, fulfilled grin still on her face.
“Still got some gas in the tank.”
“Okay.” Shin turned his attention back to Donny but a commotion pulled all three of theirs to the town square.
“Should probably check that out.” Donny suggested.
“Why not? Could be something fun.”
Yen headed off with renewed vigor and the other two followed. They walked through the crowd, who quickly made a path for them at orange haired mage’s command to move, finding themselves in front of a huge message board lined with dozens of paper, many with drawings among short messages.
“A quest board.” Yen’s excitement found her face. “They give a ton of money, too.”
“Something to do in between training?”
“Shin, you can wipe out some ogres, right?”
“Yeah.”
Yen ripped two pieces of paper of the board and turned with a cocky smile on her face. “Lets bleed the board dry.”
---
Shin put an arrow with the eye of each brutish ogre with ease, silencing their roars in methodical massacre. The highlands of the ogre’s territory held a particular herb called a Hornflower, its dark yellow petals twisted around each other into the shape of its namesake. They tended to grow around habitats of ogres, trolls, and other giantkin. Terrible news for most players searching for them, but for those fighting elites, it was two gold mines in one.
Among the most valuable hornflowers were lower tier herbs like Evergolds, Redglories, and Rockroots. None as valuable as the rare tier main quest target but provided good money in large amounts all the same. And left with the task of collecting such herbs as the blacked haired goblin of the highlands ran rampant was a certain squire and mage, one of whose previous smug enthusiasm was replaced with bitter annoyance.
“Fucking grunt work…”
“Gotta run errands before you get real work.”
“Yeah, you happy being a gardener?”
“It’s relaxing.” Donny carefully cut out a red flower by the roots to the sound of ogres dying loudly in the distance. He stored the herb and glanced at Shin who held a large leather flask pouch draining the dead ogre’s blood dry in a vacuuming stream. A magic item they had invested in specifically for this task.
“Isn’t this what you wanted anyway?” Donny asked as he returned to herb searching.
“I wanted the money. This fetch quest shit is for noobs and goons.”
“Which one are we?”
“You’re a fool. Why’d you even challenge Shin with your shit build if you knew what he could do?”
“Not a lot fun running with people who can’t keep up.” Donny casually continued his harvesting. “Just didn’t realized the gap was that big.”
Yen fell silent. Behind them both in the quiet distance, Shin leapt high in the air, spinning around slowly and dashed next to them as soon as he landed.
“There’s another tribe over there.” Shin pointed in the distance further away from the mountain.
“Donny glanced in that direction then over to the ogres. “Nothing else we can get from them?”
“Bones.” Yen muttered.
“Would take too long to skin them clean.”
“You’re a scary fucker, you know that?” Donny smiled. “Get all the rare herbs and move on, then?”
“Yeah.”
With the plan decided, Shin hopped around, adding another pair of hands to the harvesting, taking care to glance around in all directions regularly.
---
The party returned to the town at a reasonable pace, what Donny currently considered a jog, so he doesn’t waste stamina on travel. A pace Yen greatly preferred, even in the surprisingly stable arms of Shin. But unlike the previous times they returned, the gates were closed shut, with two greater peasant players stationed outside and more lining the walls. Donny and Shin came to a stop at the same time, and walked observant towards the entrance, Shin continuing to carry Yen.
“Silver coin for each person or you don’t get in.” One of the guards firmly informed them as they got close.
“Do you know who we-”
Shin flicked three coins in the hands of the guard who banged twice on the doors and they opened immediately. Shin let Yen down and the trio headed inside.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
“Hey, why’d you fold? You understand you’re the strongest person here, right?”
“You’re not.” He directed at the two of them.
Yen scowled. “Point taken…”
“Cost of doing business.” Donny moved with them surely and casually, discreetly scanning over the town with observing eyes.
The system settlement was quieter than usual and people either moved through the streets with purpose or stood around staring at others silently. The party headed to the Apothecary without incident and dropped off the quest items. Unlike the previous transactions Shin had witnessed, the items vanished and money appeared on the counter in their place without the storekeeper’s involvement at all. 16 gold coins and 7 short stacks of silver went straight into his spatial bag.
“Not bad for five hours of work.”
“We need a lot more…” Yen responded as they made their way to their plot. “Target practice!”
Mana bolts crashed against Shin’s shields again and again, each starting to hold up more and more, although such a feat meant little considering the other side. He condensed another wall as strong as he could. Two petty mana bolts sent wide fractures into the shield which stood firm for a third to break through and strike Shin in the stomach.
[Greater Mystic Wall has reached lvl. 8.]
[Condense has reached lvl. 10. 50 Attribute Points rewarded.]
[Greater Buffer has reached lvl. 5.]
Shin stood still focusing on his status. Ideally, he would like to increase his Agility, his speed still not high enough for his liking, but he had another priority. 5 of the points he just gained he threw into Strength, 1 into Vitality, and the rest finally into Control.
[Human Shaman (rare) - Lesser Lord]
Strength - 150 (195)
Agility - 355 (461)
Constitution - 50 (65)
Vitality - 85 (110)
Dexterity - 33 (43)
Perception - 150 (195)
Force - 24 (31)
Spirit - 466 (605)
Control - 151 (196)
Willpower - 36 (47)
Skills:
Greater Cure Wounds lvl. 1, Greater Mystic Wall lvl. 8, Summon Mystic Kitsune Guardian lvl. 10, Greater Buffer lvl. 5, Superior Martial Combat lvl. 10, Greater Quickstrike lvl. 4, Befriend Spirit lvl. 10, Meditation lvl. 10, Galvanize lvl. 1, Greater Quickstep lvl. 6, Harvest Spirit lvl. 3, Spirit Possession lvl. 1, Ripple lvl. 3, Condense lvl. 10,
Traits:
Body Supremacy, Eyes of the Spirit King, Ethereal Soul, Spiritkeeper,
Shin glanced up. “More work.” The crowd that had started to leave seeing his changing attention stopped and waited around.
“Figured out a way for me to grind?” Yen asked from the wall.
“Yeah.” Shin picked her up and burst back over to the center in a flash. Donny whistled at them in response.
“Shutup!” The mage collected herself after a pause, the practical urge to level winning out over her damaged image, and put up a blue mana wall.
Yen didn’t use the costly condense skill yet her shield was stronger than Shin’s even from the start, taking three hits to break. Shin lurched down, letting the mana bolt crash into the wall behind him, controlling his body carefully to not put a strain on her. They continued for five more shields before Yen’s mana ran out and Shin let her down. The crowd lingered for a bit but seeing them walk over to the wall, began to disperse truly this time.
Yen sat against the wall, channelling her focus into the ring of meditation, and Shin turned to Donny. “Shield training until you max Footwork.”
A shield appeared on the squire’s arm, his expression more than willing.
---
A beautiful barmaid with cat ears and a tail deftly placed down food and drink in front of Shin, Yen and the open chair at the table, leaving without a word. Yen glanced over at her delivering an order with the same sullen attitude.
“Isn’t something wrong with these N… locals?” She corrected herself remembering Shin’s opinion of the NPCs. “All of them have this attitude. Like, the storekeepers I get, but barmaids?”
“Really?” Shin asked, having taken no particular notice.
“Yes, it’s fucking weird.” She took a swig of the ale in her wooden mug. “Something’s up with this stage.”
“Found out what’s going on.” Donny returned to them from his socializing around the tavern, leaning in as he started to eat. “Town’s got a leader now.”
“Like, a player?”
“Yeah. Goes by Chato. Him and that Osee Shin killed were in a power struggle, recruiting, getting ready for a gang war and all that. With the big guy gone, Chato moved in, snatched up his people and took over. Controls the whole place somehow. He’s the one that put up that quest board.”
“So there’s city builder mechanics this time? What else can a lord do?”
“Don’t know. But he’s got a lot of people under him. 50 or 60, all greater peasant at least. Needs some way to keep them loyal, hence the new taxes.”
“Well, Shin’s fine with paying and we make a lot more from quests.”
“You’re missing the problem here.”
“What problem, no one is going to fuck with Shin now.”
“Shin is the problem. He’s a threat and the new lord isn’t just going to trust we won’t try and take his place. Obvious move is to use his numbers to take us out.”
“Guess it’s time to move, then?”
“No.”
“Did you hear all that?”
“Yeah.”
Yen sighed, having been around Shin long enough to know he doesn’t budge on random decisions like this.
“He might won’t try anything right away. We’ll just have to stay sharp, wait and see what he does.”
Shin looked up to the person approaching them, and the other two turned to expressionless brown skinned beauty, alluring curves even through her robes and captivating eyes, golden lotuses within a sea of purple. Shin tilted his head for a moment. “You’ll join?”
“Yes.”
“Shin.” He smiled.
The stoic priestess paused for a moment, any hint of her thoughts absent on her face. “Kamala.”
Yen’s expression grew a bit hostile, seeing her unidentifiable status. “Who is this?”
“Healer.” Shin tilted his head as he thought of something. “Nature Priest?”
“I can heal.”
“You came to the right place, we’re very environmental.” Donny greeted the newcomer with a smile.
“Be serious.”
“I am. Healing’s gonna matter to me more than anyone.”
“What houses are you from?” Kamala spoke up in a calm stoic tone.
“Huh?”
“We got rid of those a while back.”
“...are they not murim?” She looked at Shin.
“No.”
“Murim?” Yen’s voice perked up.
“Underground society of clans with special powers.”
“What?! How?!”
“When two people with the same power have children-”
“Shutup. How?” She directed at Kamala who promptly ignored her.
“...What part of this is ‘more’?”
“They’ll be fine.”
“Vote of confidence from the man himself. Let’s get along, yeah?”
“You don’t have anything to say about this?”
“Saw a goddess stop time a few days ago, so no, not really.”
Yen fell silent, unable to find a good response to that. “So what… I guess two rooms?”
“I won’t stay at the inn.”
“Hey, this is a group decision so you do what the group says.”
“I know a place.”
Yen was the first to come to the realization. “Fuck…”
---
Grenda opened the side entrance to the party of four, a boy with a calm smile at the forefront.
“This isn’t an inn, boy…”
“I’ll pay.”
“...don’t move anything around.” Grenda head back upstairs, sealing the door behind her without even looking. Donny was the only one who paid attention, glancing back at the talisman and then around the place.
“This is what you wanted so you better not complain.” Yen directed at Kamala, who walked past without a word finding a seat in Grenda’s chair, her head finding rest gracefully on her hand as she closed her eyes.
“You’ll get her next time” Donny patted her on the back as he found a corner next to the stairs facing the door and window to sit down against.
Yen’s frown worsened but noticed Shin holding out the thick fur cloak she had given back, pausing for a moment before taking it to her old sleeping spot at the back. Kamala’s eyes opened slightly to the smiling Shin handing her a long cloth dress. She stared at it for a while before accepting it and draping it over her shoulder. Shin headed over and sat down behind the scribe desk, intent on reaching the quota Grenda had set by morning.
“Seducer. Liar. You want them. Beautiful…”
Shin thought for a moment. “Mara.”
The other three glanced at him but returned to themselves after it was obvious he wasn’t talking to them. The siren elite within his soul understood, quieting down with an air of happiness for the name she had just received.