Samantha spent the next half hour getting Tobias caught up on what had happened since they’d last seen each other. She worried at several points that she was boring him with her retelling, but he never gave any outward indication that he was anything less than fully engaged with listening. In fact, the occasional question or comment from him encouraged her to go into deeper detail than she’d originally been planning to.
“...and that’s everything, I think.” she finished.
“You’ve certainly been busy these last months!” Tobias chuckled. Then, his expression turned introspective, “It’s strange to think such a span of time has passed in only a blink for me.”
Samantha had tactfully avoided asking any of the many burning questions she had for Tobias thus far out of fear that they were insensitive. This comment almost seemed like an invitation for further inquiry, though. “You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, but what was it like for you? When the last quest ended you seemed to gain some… clarity about yourself, I guess. And then…?”
“I don’t mind.” Tobias smiled encouragingly, “Truth be told, it was much like waking up from a long dream, then falling into a dreamless slumber.” Seeing that she didn’t completely understand what he was getting at, he clarified, “When you’re in a dream, you don’t usually realize it. The dream plays out, and you play your role in it completely unaware of reality and unbothered by oddities. However, upon waking, you look back and wonder how you could have gone believing the dream to be your truth. That was how it felt at the end of my scenario. Like a veil was lifted, I suddenly became aware of myself and my situation.”
“I can imagine that would be upsetting.”
He shook his head, “Not at all. Surely, you don’t wake up from every dream angry that it wasn’t real?”
“Well, maybe the really good ones make me a bit disappointed? But I guess not usually.” Samantha admitted.
“For me, learning I wasn’t truly human was neither a bad or good revelation. It just made everything make a lot more sense. Then, before I had much time to think about it, it was like I was put to sleep. ‘Darkness’ isn’t quite the right phrase for it–more like the absence of awareness?”
“I think I know what you mean. And then me activating your construct was like you waking up again?”
“Exactly.”
“Can you give me an example of something that only made sense after the quest ended?”
“My memories.” he immediately answered, “It’s like… the only memories I possess are directly related to the quest. I have knowledge of fighting, clearly, but no recollection of training my skills. I was supposedly part of the guard for years, but couldn’t envision the faces of my coworkers or remember their names. Nothing comes to mind when I try to think of my parents, friends, or other loved ones. My time with you and Silas are actually my most vivid memories.”
Samantha’s face fell at that. Though Tobias spoke of it matter-of-factly, it sounded sad. It took her a moment to come up with an appropriate response, but she eventually settled on something. “We’ll have to make more memories together, then!”
He bowed his head slightly in her direction, “I would be honored.”
She proceeded to ask him several other questions about being a construct and his time in the scenario. She also asked him for input regarding future upgrades she could potentially purchase for him.
One of the most interesting things she learned was that Tobias currently had the capacity to reach Peak Bronze, and that Peak Copper was just his default starting rank. Similarly to how Silas siphoned a small amount of qi from her cultivation base through their spirit bond, Tobias’s construct would do the same. Over time he would advance in power just by being bonded to her, though he was unable to surpass her own cultivation rank. He’d likely stay 1-2 ranks below her so long as he had the capacity to reach those heights.
The upgrade to advance his capacity to Peak Silver was another 100,000 points. She was definitely interested, but wouldn’t seriously consider purchasing it until later on. As it stood, her own rank of Mid Bronze currently limited his advancement to around Low Bronze anyway. Raising his capacity for learned arts–or buying him more arts directly–would be more appealing for the short term.
Tobias could retain five arts at once at the moment, meaning he could gain three more arts before needing an upgrade. Alternatively, if she found [Concussive Blast] or [Taunt] weren’t working out, he could choose to swap them out for something else. Tobias could ‘learn’ these arts through the shop, or by studying from manuals or being taught by someone as human cultivators did. As for his Attributes, he got a small boost to base values each rank up, but could also have them increased through the shop or while performing relevant actions. If she wanted to further improve his Attributes, she could even upgrade his aptitudes through the shop.
They talked for the next few hours until Tobias’s qi reserves ran out. Seeing his color fade and his form dissolve into light again was a less distressing scene now that she could feel the unnatural heat return to the figurine in her hand, but it was still an odd experience.
She began charging the statue’s reserves up to full so she could summon Tobias again when needed. With her qi regeneration rate, she could manage it in just over three hours if she devoted her full attention to it. She’d tried to feed qi to the statue while Tobias’s construct was active to keep his reserve topped off, but it had rejected any attempts to infuse it with more energy. She got the sense she could deactivate the construct early if she wanted to, but would need to fill the reserve back up to full if she wanted to reactivate it again. She also was unable to take any qi out from the reserve once she’d invested it, though there was an upgrade that could unlock that capability for 50,000 points. Having an extra 300 qi she could access in a pinch would definitely be useful, and was something she was considering for future purchases.
Calling over Silas, it was finally time for her to make good on her promise to him. Samantha presented him with the list of scenarios that she was willing to undertake, and he began narrowing down the selection based on what he found most appealing. It only took a few passes of the rapidly shrinking list for him to finalize his choice.
Rift Reward Shop - Floor 2
Current Balance: 60,732
Rift Qi Reserve: 92%
Filters: [Rift] -> [Scenarios]
Role
Possible Main Objectives
Possible Optional Objectives
Details
Cost
…
…
…
…
…
Supplier
Completions: 0
> Delivery - Transport resources
> Stockpile - Resupply hidden caches
> Collection - Acquire specific resources
- Recover lost/stolen resources
- Establish supply chain
- Expedited delivery
- Discreet delivery
- Handle with care
- Above and beyond
- Frugal acquisition
Difficulty: Low
Reward Yield: Low(5% reduction per completion)
Points: 5,000
Rift Qi Reserve: -1%
…
…
…
…
The Supplier scenario was one that Samantha wasn’t terribly interested in doing. The objectives seemed somewhat bland, and both the difficulty and reward yield were low. On the bright side, the cost in both points and qi reserve were low as well, and it seemed like it would give her and Silas a chance to take things a bit easier.
Silas was excited about this scenario in particular because it nearly guaranteed he’d be free to fly around, explore, and scavenge for snacks–unlike during the counterintelligence quest. Even after explaining that she was unsure how many ‘real’ plants there would be along their travel route, he was still eager to get underway. Surprisingly, the freedom of movement was what was most important to him this time around and not the food. She wondered if his recent evolution had shifted his desires and priorities, or if he had just started considering other items more important than eating.
She waited to purchase the Supplier scenario until after Tobias’s construct was fully charged and her qi pool had been refilled. Upon her selection, however, an unfamiliar notification appeared.
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
This scenario has been enhanced (Purchase cost has remained the same)!
Difficulty has increased from Low -> High.
Reward Yield has increased from Low -> High.
Rift Qi Reserve drain has increased from -1% -> -3%.
Would you like to continue with this scenario, or cancel your selection for a full refund of points?
She took in this new information with great suspicion. Having a greater reward yield for the same price was a nice benefit, but she didn’t like how much everything else had changed as well. What alterations could have been made to ‘enhance’ a low difficulty quest to high difficulty?
There was no question that this was the doing of either Theora or Karrenne, seeing as the representatives were the only ones she knew of that could alter the scenarios. The real question was which one of them had made these updates. If Theora had done it, Samantha could believe that the alterations would be to her benefit even if it made things more challenging. Karrenne though… that woman seemed to be rooting for Samantha to fail for some reason. Or, at the very least, Karrenne wanted to make things as hard as possible for her. In that case, she might want to back out while she still had the chance.
If she did cancel her selection, though, the same thing might happen again for whatever she picked next. If she chose a higher difficulty scenario, it was possible they could even raise it to a level of difficulty that wasn’t currently shown in the list. She was rightfully afraid of what an ‘extreme’ difficulty scenario–or whatever it would be categorized as–would entail. She considered testing her theory out, but ultimately decided against it. Apart from concerns that something would happen to the Supplier scenario if she canceled now or her first delve bonus might be affected somehow, she was also mindful of the possibility that her refusal could cause offense. While she wasn’t afraid to push back against Theora or Karrenne if they put her up against impossible odds, she also didn’t want to have them make the rest of her time in the rift miserable because she insulted them. While she was wary of this scenario’s new difficulty rating, she also knew that she could succeed on high difficulty quests. She’d just come out of the last one with a perfect performance, after all.
Her confidence bolstered by her internal dialogue, she conveyed the changes to Silas and explained how she thought they should proceed.
“Is the scenario still the same?” Silas questioned.
“I think so. The notification didn’t mention any other changes.” she answered, slightly unsure.
Silas gave her a mental shrug, “I don’t have to be stuck in a tiny room? We can still travel? Sounds good to me!”
She laughed and scratched behind his ears, “Fair enough. I’ll buy it now then.”
New scenario purchased! Rift qi reserve has decreased from 92% => 89%.
A familiar rift in space tore open beside them as the entrance to the next scenario was revealed. Hoisting her equipment across her back, Silas easily jumped up and settled across the top of her pack and her shoulders. She patted the inner pocket of her robe where she’d placed Tobias’s statue, confirming that it was where she’d left it. Everything was as it should be.
Then, she stepped through the portal.
Rift Quest: Stockpile Delivery*
Transport resources.
*Note: Rift Qi Reserve = 89%. First time delved. The difficulty and rewards for this quest will be enhanced accordingly.
Accept? Y/N
Samantha accepted.
Rift Quest: Stockpile Delivery [IN-PROGRESS]
Premise: Your guild has won an army contract to deliver volatile resources* to hidden caches along a supply route. The last two deliveries to this area have been thwarted: once by outright theft, and once by discovery and subsequent raiding of the caches. As the first courier was killed, and the second didn’t notice being followed, there is no information regarding who could be responsible or what methods they used. The guild has already spent much of their goodwill for the chance at a third delivery attempt, but further failure could result in more than just the loss of this one contract. If the resources aren’t found in the caches during the next army patrol (~ 2 weeks), there will be consequences.
Main Objective: Deliver the resources* to the hidden caches marked on your map.
Optional Objectives: Recover lost/stolen resources* from previous deliveries. Expedite delivery to cache C, which will have an earlier pickup opportunity (~ 1 week). Deliver the resources* discreetly. Handle resources* with care, ensuring none lose more than 50% durability. Go above and beyond, and bring retribution to the thieves.
*Resources will be clearly marked and labeled as such
She dismissed the notification and let out a long sigh. Two of the main objectives–Delivery and Stockpile–seemed to have been merged together into one larger objective. This was also the most optional objectives she’d been given thus far.
Another oddity was that the time limits for the scenario were unclear. The patrols would apparently visit some of the caches in about two weeks, and cache C would have a patrol visiting it in around 1 week, but it could be more or less. Furthermore, there wasn’t a hard cut-off for some of the optional objectives. It was possible she’d need to recover lost resources and bring retribution to the thieves before two weeks had passed, but she might also have some time after her deliveries were picked up to tie up loose ends. She wouldn’t bet on it, but she was willing to leave those objectives for last if she found she was short on time. How much leeway she’d have for deliveries was largely dependent on how far she’d need to travel to reach the caches.
“Speaking of which… where is that map?” she mumbled to herself, taking in her surroundings.
She appeared to be in a dark warehouse. Shelves and tall stacks of crates filled the space, giving the building a labyrinth-like feel. The area was lit only by a few candles and torches placed in strategic spots, with one such half-melted candle set on a worn wooden table in front of her. Splayed out on the table and held down at the corners with small pebbles was a thin, paper map. The map had clear markings for direction and distance, her current location at the warehouse, the army supply route, and three caches–A, B, and C–she was meant to deliver to.
The caches were lettered in order of distance from the warehouse, meaning A was the closest at 100 miles away and C was the furthest at 300 miles away. The caches were essentially spread out across a circuitous loop with pre-established roads along the route, meaning she wouldn’t need to hack her way through the wilderness the entire way if she didn’t want to. However, some of the roads were meandering or veered away from the caches before circling back, so blazing her own trail may save her some time. This would also help throw off anyone trying to follow her on foot.
She took several minutes to study the map, plan possible routes, and commit it to memory. Then, using the flame from the candle, she burned it to ashes.
No sense leaving hard evidence of where the caches are when my mind meridian can easily retain this information.
“Smart.” a man commented from somewhere above her, “Well, smarter than the last two.”
She glanced up and caught sight of a man peeking over a stack of crates at her. Unkempt hair, stubble, and dark circles under his eyes made him look at risk of falling asleep at any moment. He had been sitting down on top of the crates, which was why she hadn’t noticed him right away.
“The goods are this way, follow me.” he continued, not waiting for her response.
He nimbly hopped down to the ground and led her through the maze of boxes, passing several other hidden guard posts along the way.
“There they are.” he stopped abruptly, then pointed to three medium sized crates, “There are sealed glass vials in the boxes packed tight with hay to prevent movement, but you’re free to repackage them if you want. How you get them delivered is up to you, but keep them intact. I don’t know what’s in the vials, but they’ll explode if exposed to air.” Before she could ask any questions about that semi-horrifying statement, he pressed on, “The boss gave you full reign of the warehouse to take whatever you need to complete the job. Travel supplies are over there, pack animals and their carts are outside, or, since you’re a cultivator and can probably outpace a horse or mule, special courier gear is here if you want it. Got it?”
“Well, I actually have–”
“Great. Glad I could help.” he said dryly, cutting her off, “ Don’t forget to lock up and douse the fires on your way out.” He turned on his heel and waved behind him as he walked away, “Alright boys, handoff is done! Let’s get out of here. Time for a well-deserved rest.”
Several cheers sounded throughout the warehouse as Samantha was left alone with the delivery, a tad dumbfounded by the carelessness with which the man had said his piece and departed.
Wasn’t this supposed to be an important delivery for this guild? Well… whatever. I’ll make it work.
First, she opened the boxes to check how well they were packaged and was satisfied with her findings. She didn’t feel that she could do a better job preventing glass breakage by repacking them herself, and opted to leave the vials in their original crates.
Checking out her options for the delivery, she settled on a metal-framed backpack which allowed her to stack the crates neatly on one another. She then tied them down securely with rope before draping a canvas tarp over them to protect the boxes from rain. Next, she unpacked her own equipment and loaded her belongings up on whatever space remained. She did her best to keep everything compact, but the pack still ended up incredibly bulky. After slinging the straps over her shoulders, it almost looked like she was carrying an entire other person on her back.
She did a couple leans from side to side and jogged in place to get a feel for the weight distribution and stability of the load. After a few tests, she was confident that the crates would be suitably secure for normal travel movements.
“Are you ready to go yet?” Silas asked, the tone suspiciously close to a whine.
She pat him consolingly on the head, “Just about. There’s just one more thing I want to prepare before heading out. Would you mind checking around outside to see if anyone is watching the warehouse? I want to make absolutely sure I leave here without being followed.”
Silas perked up at that, “Sure! I’ll sniff around and fly to see if I can find anyone.”
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The men watched the girl lock up the warehouse, her ridiculously large backpack making her seem small in comparison. She wore a loose cloak and baggy clothing, probably in an attempt to disguise her more petite frame and feminine features during her travels.
As soon as the final torch was snuffed and the last lock turned, the courier turned and took off at a full sprint down the dirt road. She moved at a pace comparable to a galloping horse, but they were ready for that. They’d heard she was a cultivator and prepared accordingly.
Taking off after her on their mounts–saddles enchanted for silence and stealth–they followed her for several hours at a safe distance. Their enchantments held well, and she seemed completely unaware of their presence like the others had.
They had us worried over nothing.
When five hours had passed, the courier suddenly collapsed in the middle of the road. The backpack clattered across the street and the men collectively gasped as they pulled back hard on the reins and awaited the expected explosion. After several minutes with no reaction from the fallen boxes, nor movement from the girl, they cautiously approached. Looking around in confusion, the girl was nowhere in sight. All that remained of her was a loose pile of clothing in the street.
“They’re empty!” one of them shouted, pointing out a crate that had broken open during the fall.
Sure enough, all three crates held nothing but straw. Even the backpack was empty.
The tallest man spit on the ground and cursed, “We’ve been had. Send word the goods are on the move.”
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Samantha felt the warmth return to the figurine as Tobias’s qi reserves finally ran out and smiled.
“Thanks, friend. I hope you led them on a merry chase!” she spoke quietly to the statue, placing it back in her pocket.
They’ll have to try harder than that.