The dungeon door unlocked at Kaden’s command, and he swung it inward, blocking the way. There, filling the doorway, stood Captain Blanco, captain of Verona’s city knights. “They said I’d find you here. Dervish says this dungeon’s your pet. I didn’t hop four different portals for nothing. Accept this quest, it’ll be worth it.”
New Faction Quest! Rescue the Hostages - Pirate King Harrigan has been taking hostages for years. Take them back. Reward: Faction Tokens, Faction Favor.
Kaden immediately accepted.
“I, too, have accepted,” Ashi said.
Moments later, the notification came in.
Quest Complete: Rescue the Hostages!
You have received: 30x Justari Faction Tokens.
Your favor with the Justari faction has reached a new threshold: 2x.
You have unlocked Justari equipment.
You have unlocked Justari contacts.
Your first Justari contact has been assigned (Dominic Blanco).
Kaden couldn’t help smiling. “Thank you.”
“No thanking me for doing our job. We contracted with the beserkers and they broke the contract when a civil war broke out. You and Circe Karn put an end to Harrigan’s rule. I would have preferred—and it would have been right—to bring him back for trial.” Blanco sighed. “I know how battles go. I know how easy it is to finish an enemy. You need to learn to temper that.”
They would have to disagree. “Help me understand something. Let’s say Harrigan was King. King of his own country. And he passed a law saying it was legal for him to take hostages, steal, and kill. How—”
“You know. We don’t step in on petty theft. We don’t take sides in religious wars, except to protect the powerless. You know damn well Harrigan was on the wrong side of every law. Next time, you leave final punishment to Justice.” Blanco turned and slogged off into the lake, ignoring the water before he came up on the other side.
“I do not agree. Your word, your decisions are as good as any king of this world,” Ashi said. “Let us retire. Night comes, and with it, monsters.”
Monsters were welcome to try and threaten him. For now, Kaden headed to the farmhouse. Eve sat at the table, eating a meal from the storage box, which to Kaden said she was hungry and desperate. “I’m so glad you’re back. How is Trinity?”
Vip sat beside Eve, begging for food, which wasn’t desperate, it was hopeful.
“Tired of motherhood,” Kaden said, drawing a soup from the prepared meals and offering another to Ashi. “I thought you’d still be in Krevat.”
“I wasn’t comfortable staying and Sara had several tasks. While you and Cutter were both dead. I looted Harrigan. The gold is boring and surprisingly little. The weapons various, you’ll find them downstairs.” Eve drew a rusted key the size of her forearm from Inventory. “This is the real loot. I don’t even understand how to work it.”
[Tidal Key]
The holder of this key controls a section of the ocean absolutely. You may choose if others may enter or leave. Not even your death will release the Tidal Key’s lock on a region. The size of the area you may control will grow with time.
Kaden picked it up, turning it over and over. “This. Egalion would be impossible to attack with this.”
Eve nodded. “They would. But they already hold the Temple of Varun and the power that comes with it. I think no nation should be unassailable. Fear tempers ambition.”
Kaden stored it away. It would be a powerful trade at some point. If he’d known, and if Ashi hadn’t already called Oceanus, he could have established his own area, then released the lock on top of it. Maybe. “If you need anything, I’m going to play with a wyvern out in the fields. Vip, you want to come?”
Vip looked back to Eve and lay her head down.
Kaden didn’t mind.
The evening encroached as Kaden unleashed the Destruction Wyvern, already holding a slab of tuna in one hand. “Hello. This—”
The Wyvern lunged, chomping down with a ferocity that Kaden found amazing. But as it ate, it began to whimper. The food it devoured turned to mush and black flakes even as it ate. Kaden reluctantly siphoned it back into his soul. The beast didn’t need to eat there, but it couldn’t grow, either. Perhaps a Vivomancer could help. King Evan had one who served him to modify the bosses in the Fire Domain.
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Another task. Another beast to care for. His giant honeybee colony would arrive within months, and their ships from Xiao.
When a Messenger Bird arrived, Kaden eagerly greated it—then sat back, frustrated. He’d expected Olidar answer. Instead Kaden answered the summons, taking a FarPortal to the Adventurer’s Guild, and climbing the stairs to the Guild Administrator’s office.
“He’s been waiting,” the administrator’s secretary said. Her smile showed row upon row of shark teeth. “I don’t like it when people keep him waiting.”
Kaden dipped his head. “I was trapped in a Pirate King’s hidden island lair and had to be let loose by a Sea Dragon Oceanus.”
“Who hasn’t?” she nodded to the door.
Inside, the wall sconces lit the stone with warm light, while the Guild Administrator lounged at his desk. A thin black man with close cut hair, he had forgone the traditional assassin’s black for deep blues, and set aside his quill. “Kaden. I heard you found Cutter Karn and some pirates. Good to see you came back. I wanted to have this discussion with Sara, but since the Mercari say she’s going to be very busy for the next few months.”
“Weeks.” Kaden wasn’t worried about the time. He was worried about Sara. “We’ll join her—”
“This is a private Quest, think of it like your Trial of Yarrow. It’ll change her if she’s strong, and break her either way, but it was her choice. The rest of you owe the Guild and I have a stack of complaints that you’re not taking Quests.” The Guild Admin motioned toward Kaden.
You have been promoted to Temporary Party Leader.
A slew of notifications filled his list. “How many of these—”
Kaden winced as feedback hit him. “What is this?”
“Got a headache? Your Quest list is probably overflowing. Go see the Quest Brokers, take some off the top and the pain gets better. You can leave now.” The Guild Administrator turned his attention back to a stack of paperwork.
How had Sara even functioned like this? It was something he’d be asking himself for a long time. The additions to his available menus left Kaden dazed and confused. It was similar to the Hunting Party only with more detail. In particular what caught his eye were the Quest markers with notes. Sara had added notes about which ones would help advance every party member’s progress.
The top ten faction Quests stood gleaming at the top. Poteri, Justari, Mercari, Naturi, he expected. Every one beneath that was Demoni. And entirely new sections of the System Interface opened up, a slow-scrolling set of notes from other Party Laders.
Kaden started by focusing on his own notifications.
You have received a new Quest: Balancing Act - Complete one Quest a Party Member Requires - Reward - Experience
You have received a new Quest: Lead from the Front - Die in defense of your party - Reward - Attribute Boost (choice).
You have received a new Quest: Suck it, Dungeon - Clear a Dungeon - Reward - Equipment (unmatched)
You have received a new Quest: Full Contact Negotiation - Survive a battle against an enemy party - Reward - Inventory Boost (10%)
Most Adventurers would know if they wanted to lead a party long before level ten, and these starter quests would certainly benefit a young Part Leader. With most of the System interface minimized, Kaden headed to the Far Portal and returned to the Holding.
Ashi stood atop her guest portal, and jumped out, activating Hover so she could land lightly. “What is wrong? Your soul is filled with turmoil.”
“Let’s find Eve.” Kaden headed inside, turning off a flashing notice that a premier Quest had been issued for a dungeon break. Level forty five monsters would be a challenge for him, let alone for the people he was responsible for. “Eve? Part Meeting.”
She came downstairs dressed in a nightgown—and Vip wore a matching vest. “Since when can you call—oh. Oh, Party Leader. Sara. Did she quit? Is she dead? Can you get me within ten feet of her corpse?”
“Not dead. She’s running a ‘private challenge.’ Could be months, and we’re on the Administrator’s shit list for not taking Quests.” Kaden looked to Ashi. “You have no class quests. Not one. How is that even possible? Eve has Quests for number of people healed, amount of health healed, resurrections, purifictations, debuffs, one for marrying a couple—”
“Really?” Eve asked. “I hated my class so much I ignored the quests. Yes, there’s ones for gallons of blood shed. I’m actually not far off on that.”
“Tomorrow, we’re going to take a Quest. I don’t know what it is, but it’ll be a Faction Quest, probably something for the Mercari, since they pay well. If I get permission to move Trinity’s brood, we’re doing that. I’ll see you both tomorrow.” So many requests for help.
So many options.
Kaden picked a Demoni Quest and squinted. A Demoni faction token would let him bind a demon, which he could already do. But what Kaden found interesting was that the pay was adjustable. He bumped it to a hundred tokens and max favor.
Your proposal was not accepted.
Astronomicus has issued a counter-proposal: 2 faction tokens.
Kaden bumped it to ten thousand. This time, he didn’t get a response, and that was ideal. As he lay in his bed, he couldn’t sleep until the bedroom door bumped open. Yellow eyes gleamed in the darkness as Eclipse leaped up onto the bed, no larger than a house cat. “She’s not here. Trella will be back as soon as she can. She had a traitor to deal with.”
Kaden lay back in bed and summoned Burney, letting the [Match Lizard] sit on a stone coaster, and feeding him slivers of wood he carved from the bedpost as he added a wyvern to the carved beasts. Match Lizards weren’t known for feasting, and soon enough the lizard curled up, wrapping his tail around his body.
The flames that sometimes engulfed Burney turned down to a soft blue glow, a night light that made Kaden happier. The night stuttered, and Kaden jerked awake as the first rays of sun came through the window. No Trella. Eclipse had fled for darker areas.
Sixteen urgent notifications had come in overnight.
Three more faction quests.
Eve was already awake, already cooking, with Vip as an assistant. More of an observer. A taste tester, who approved of every taste as long as she got some. “Morning, Party Leader.”
Kaden shook his head. “Temporary. Just temporary.” He didn’t look up as Ashi entered, too engrossed in reading the updates. And then he stopped to listen to a messenger bird as it arrived.
“Dungeon?” Eve asked.
Kaden shook his head.
Ashi thought for a moment. “A faction quest.”
“Nope.” Now, he could enjoy the breakfast. And later, plan his attack on the mound of quests they needed to fulfill. “The head druid of the Southern Isles has approved Trinity’s brood for the island of our choice. That’s the priority.”
It wasn’t anything the guild wanted, but as Kaden considered what had to be done, he couldn’t help smiling. In a distant way, he understood Professor Treadle’s pride at unleashing monsters on the world. It was time to help Trinity unleash her kind. And Kaden knew exactly how he’d do it. He drew the Tidal Key from Inventory. “What do you say we take a trip to the Southern Isles?”
END OF VOLUME