The streets of Verona were covered in ice and snow. Kaden tried summoning Vip to let her sprint throught he streets and she acted as though he’d dipped her paws in acid, whining and begging until he recalled her.
Trinity did not whine or beg or bow to mere natural forces like cold, ice, or snow. She plodded along beside him, her wide claws gouging the cobblestone to keep pace. Kaden kept a hand on her back and used Remembrance to keep his balance until he reached the tall stone doors of Birchhome. They’d changed the engraving on the twin doors to be a tree with spreading branches, when Kaden preferred the old zoo carvings.
Two guards wearing heat charms stood on either side. “We’re sorry, sir. Birchhome is—oh. Let me get the door.”
Trinity had been sizing each of the two up and negotiating which head got to eat what, so it was just as well that they swung the doors inward and let Kaden through.
He stopped not two steps in.
Every building was lit.
Every lamp.
And Birchhome was full. The pathways lined with Centurions who talked and argued. [Identify] began to activate, and Kaden’s breath caught. Almost everyone here held a title of ‘Saint.’”
“71?” Kaden called to the Wisp. It wasn’t tamed or bound to him, but he had a gut feeling that wisps craved names and attention. He’d seen it floating around the Holding and figured it couldn’t be that much of a threat since Dominion didn’t harm it. It blazed into existence, bobbing back and forth. “You are the most helpful wisp in the city. Where’s James Dervish?”
It set off at a relentless pace, pulling him through the pathways that made up Birchhome. 71 stopped when a being made of nothing but mana floated by, trailing wisps of fire that blazed downaward and then swept up like embers to fall on it. Near the obervator, a ring of Centurions stood, speaking silently. If they minded the snow or the ice or the cold, it didn’t show.
It made sense. Kaden could practically sleep in the snow with [Resist Cold.] 71 stopped bobbing and circled behind Kaden as though hiding behind him. “Mr. Dervish.”
The Summoning Saint looked back. “There he is. Kaden, you’ve met Ashorn Winlock, Forest Saint.”
“The one with Demon Sight,” Winlock said. “The one who learned to [Bind] demons. And you’re level twenty five now. Planning on dual-classing?”
Kaden shook his head. “Respectfully, sir, no. My path is different. I won’t ever be able to use [Reign of Tears], but he wouldn’t mind.”
Ashlock nodded. “You’ve got Demon Sight. If I need help finding some demons, I’m sending people your way.”
“Find. I can find any level. Killing them is your job.” Kaden offered a handshake. “What was the favor you wanted?”
“Not him.” Mr. Dervish put a hand on Kaden’s shoulder. “Don’t go getting afraid. A Saint is the exemplar of their class, that’s all. The one that embodies a class. If there’s only two, it’s probably the stronger one. And there’s a lot of Classes.”
“So Eve will be one?” Kaden asked.
“If she survives to be a Centurion. And you. Ain’t something to worry about with so much ahead of you. Focus on staying alive. On making friends. On making enemies. Now, most of us, you don’t worry about. The one what needs help, she ain’t like the others—”
“Metami!” Kaden shouted as he sprinted across the way.
The Shield Saint turned to look his way and smiled with her crooked, misshapen grin. “Kaden.”
Mr. Dervish fell back to give him privacy, and Kaden couldn’t help noting the smile. The spring in Metami’s step. “Where did you go? You didn’t have to leave. I was so worried about you.”
“I needed to see the world. See if things were the way I remember. Hey, look at this!” Metami pulled a block of ivory stone from Inventory. “See this? After I made Centurion, I founded a town. Grew into a city. Became the heart of an empire and every road they built, everywhere, was made of these. I found a brick!”
Kaden reluctantly accepted what was in fact a brick. “One?”
“The odds were against it, but I found it, probably half a mile underwater outside one of the southern continent port cities.” She took it back. “It’s good to know not everything I did is lost to time. And I found a purpose. I’ve been killing people!”
The shock in his face must have read, because she clarified. “It’s ok. Just [Priests.]”
“How is that better?” Kaden asked.
“Priests from the Saint’s Hall,” Metami said. “See, told you it was better. If they’re doing their job and raising orphans right? I explain how I knew Trois. How I know what he wanted. How good it is that they’re doing what he would have wanted. Then I ask if they heard about what happened in Zellavi. Someone killed every single [Priest] in the hall.”
Kaden nodded. “Have you found the ones from Verona? Because if you do—when you do—Trella and I want to be there.”
“What happened to you?” Metami spoke softly. “Something’s changed in you. There’s a jagged spot in your soul.”
“Ever had to choose between letting the Blight take over a city and killing forty people to prevent a war between Necromancers and an aeons old Broker? Hey, did you know Oberix?”
“Oberix.” Metami’s scowl put fear in Kaden’s stomach. “Tell me Oberix is dead. Because if not, I’ll take care of it myself. I don’t care much for revenge, but I’ve waited entire Cataclysms for this.”
“Oberix is possessed by the vengeful spirit of a woman she murdered. Don’t think she’ll be back and I have a respectful relationship with the spirit possessing her. Listen, you’ve got your quest. If you ever need a place to stay, swing by. Trinity?” He called out, and the TriTerror came running to slide on the ice before Metami put out a hand. “Say hello. No headbutt.”
Trinity rumbled and roared from her blind head.
“If you don’t mind?” Mr. Dervish said. “Old Morgana’s not the patient type, but helping her is always in your best interest.”
“Morgana.” Metami’s tone was careful. “Think I’ll come along. Just in case”
“She ain’t going to hurt him. She needs help. Winlock and Basta already tried.” Mr. Dervish led into the underground area where subteranian beasts were housed.
Metami followed, each of her steps a thud.
The darkness wasn’t just the absence of light, but like the light avoided the area. “Morgana’s the [Witch] saint. Think like if an Alchemist and a Mage had a baby. Morgana. Cut the shadow show and come on out.”
“Killing my fun, killing my kind, killing is all that rests on my mind.” The voice reminded Kaden of the ancient woman who had guarded the door at the Saint’s Hall. Except this woman wasn’t frozen to death when the heatstone failed. She emerged from shadows, showing pale green skin and shriveled gray lips parted by a black tongue. Her eyes were two different colors, one purple and one orange, and her robes were the darkest brown. “[Beast Master]. The [Ranger] failed, the [Druid] failed, the [Tamer] failed. This is desparation. But we are desparate.” The shadows surrounding her sank back like a receding tide.
In one of the actual cages, a Beast raged, hitting the bars over and over.
Kaden approached. “It’s a turtle with angel wings?”
“It’s a [Serapin],” the Witch answered. “My familiar.”
“A soul-bound beast that helps with her brews,” Mr. Dervish added. “But something’s wrong with it. Every other kind of Beast Speech don’t work anymore, and…”
Kaden forgot everything as he focused on the [Serapin]. It was like a tortoise except with a snake head and tail and beautiful white wings that flapped lazily to hold it in place. His [Identify] skill had always been malfunctioning, but he was certain it would give him critical information.
It didn’t activate, even a foot away. Kaden focused on [Beast Soul]. “Hello.”
No answer.
“I might be able to communicate, but I don’t know what this will do to your bond,” Kaden said.
“He’s dying. Better I start over with a new familiar than sacrifice him.” Morgana’s voice held sorrow.
“I want you to barely open the cage. I need to touch him.” Kaden knew how this would go.
Metami pulled at the door, with Mr. Dervish on the other side.
Kaden reached out.
Warning: Binding another person will result in dual-classing as a [Slaver.]
“It’s not a [serapin!]” [Split Second] activated, and Kaden poured hundreds of mana into it to twist away as the creature inside became black liquid that gushed out at him. “It’s a person—”
This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
The [Shape Shifter] flashed into a demonic goat the size of an elephant. It didn’t so much ram Kaden as flick its head his direction.
Kaden met it head on with [Moment of Speed] and Remembrance. The impact threw him twenty feet backwards. Kaden slammed into the wall and lost five hundred health. The assassin wasn’t focused on Kaden, it was split into ten forms, most of which wrestled with Mr. Dervish’s summons. Two had attacked Metami, but one—a very human one—focused on Morgana, swinging hands that morphed into axe blades.
The decrepit witch moved with shocking grace, dodging blows as though she knew they were coming, with just enough movement to let a swing miss by a hair.
Kaden treated Remembrance with [Bleed] potion, then drew Thorn Caster and loosed arrow after arrow, hitting all of them. The Poison notifications rolled by. One stack of Poison was nothing. A Centurion could easily ignore eight. Nine. Ten—two of the forms merged and charged toward Kaden, who sprinted toward it—then leaped into a Portal. He emerged behind the one threatening Morgana. “[Backsmash!]”
It blurred.
Kaden’s response was nothing but instinct, not dodging but swinging Remembrance. He caught the blow with Remembrance’s axe edge. Splatters of black sprayed from the tendril, burning his skin. This time, he expected the impact. This time, he was ready to spring from the wall. Remembrance sang in his hands. The black chunks embedded in it had ceased to emit rings and now the hammer head was nearly perfectly black.
Kaden dodged a spear of black as Morgana drew potions from her belt.
Metami grunted and hurled one opponent across the room—straight into Mr. Dervish. Her other she smashed with both hands repeatedly. Every time Kaden tried to attack, the Assassin effortlessly tossed an attack his way.
Which left Kaden with an option he didn’t use much.
Stumpy claws clicked on the stone as Kaden summoned his beast.
The Assassin swore—a woman’s voice—and swung a blade in an arc.
It shattered on Rocky’s shell, and the [Rock Gobbler] let out an angry bray and charged straight at the Assassin, who kicked at it with a foot that was a solid black mallet. The force hit Rocky so hard the Rock Gobbler stumbled.
Kaden hadn’t removed Rocky in so long, he had no concept just how heavy the Beast was. Items carried in Inventory—or a Summoner’s soul—added only a fraction of their weight. But now he felt fast. Incredibly fast. Kaden charged and slid under a spear, grasping it with one hand while he cut with the Levicon Blade. It sliced a chunk of black of cleanly, and the spear turned to black blood—and another quarter of Kaden’s health burned off.
This wasn’t a battle he could win, and it was time to acknowledge that. He pulled Rocky back into his soul and opened a portal behind Mr. Dervish. “This can hurt it.”
Mr Dervish took the Levicon Blade. “Stay clear. Black-Blood Assassins have a death skill that’ll kill anything below seventy five.”
With that, he attacked. Gone were the ponderous punches and kicks, now Mr. Dervish fought with lightning fast slashes, accepting a spear to his chest in order to trap the Assassin’s form for a flurry of slashs that sprayed acidic blood everywhere.
Kaden spotted an opportunity and sprinted across the room as Morgana began to radiate white light that burned if Kaden looked and made his clothes smoke if he didn’t. The stairs up were just across the room, but Kaden would never make it there.
Instead, he dove into a feeding chute and slammed the lid down, holding onto it with all his weight.
The stone shook, and the metal chute tore loose. The air swam with mana as Centurions battled. Beasts screamed over and over as the light in the room grew so bright that even in his sheltered position, Kaden saw spots.
Kaden drank a health potion.
A woman screamed out in rage and a spell activated, so strong it sucked the mana from the air. Kaden’s mana ticked downward slowly as the spell condensed. A shockwave blasted out.
Resilient Constitution has blocked 27,732 points of damage.
Your health is critcally low.
You require healing.
You have helped slay the [Black Blood] Chera Mu.
You have gained experience.
You have gained a level.
You have attribute points to distribute.
Kadel lay limp, his arms and legs trembling. His health ticked up two points.
Another two. His hearing wasn’t right, but voices spoke in angry tones.
“I had him shielded and that death wave passed right through me.” Metami tore the metal chute apart. “How in the thirteen hells did you survive that? I’m with James. You’re a cockroach.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Kaden stood and surveyed the wreckage. “You destroyed this place.”
Morgana now wore a dress of glowing white, the long trailing ends flicked strands of mana into the air. Her skin had gone from pale green to radiant pink, her hair now platinum. “There aren’t many uses for white magic, but it does have its advantages. Take this.” She tossed him a vial the size of his thumb.
Kaden carefully deposited a drop on his thumb. His health didn’t rise. It rocketed upward. “What was that?”
Metami kicked a corpse. “Level 99 [Black Blood.] They’re a specialization of Assassin and that one was hell bent on becoming a Centurion. Picked the wrong time and place, but then again, you’d ruined her surprise.”
“Not a bad choice,” Mr. Dervish said. “Darkness makes them stronger. All these holding cells made her far more powerful than any single Centurion. She couldn’t have figured on being three on one—which reminds me.”
The Summoning Saint turned on Kaden. “Listen up and listen well. When you see a set of Centurions start to brawl, you get clear. Your only job is to remove yourself. That poison was nasty, and I appreciate the thought. The blade was even better. But you owe it to your party to be smart and stay clear.”
He handed Kaden the Levicon Blade. “What were you trying with that hammer?”
Kaden hadn’t explained about what happened in Omnor. “I have tier four skill. I spoke to the spirit of a previous wielder of Remembrance. The more powerful the enemy I’m fighting, the more powerful Remembrance becomes. Once, that Tier four skill activated when the hammer absorbed enough power. How else would I have three levels in a tier four skill?”
Remembrance had stilled in his Inventory. Kaden drew it out and studied the embedded Chronosium. “My mana drains so fast it’s almost impossible to read but I could have used the Levicon Blade for a dozen attacks.”
Metami reached out. “I want to swing it.”
Kaden didn’t mind. “Don’t break my doors.”
A thunderclap rang out as the Shield Saint slammed Remembrance down.
Waves formed in the air, and Metami strained to keep a hold on it. Again, she slammed it down, blasting chips from the floor. Chips that then floated back to their previous position. Metami gripped Remembrance with both hands, straining. “Almost…” She swung it over. Remembrance went flying across the room as Metami lost her grip.
Afterwards, Kaden couldn’t say what prompted him, but the image formed in his mind. Not his imagination, but the way it had screamed when he fought Jagi. Time stuttered, and Kaden held Remembrance in his hands.
Every stone in the constellations of his armor hummed in time with Remembrance. The humming slowly dipped to nothing, and he put away the hammer. “Let’s not try that again.”
“Broke my arms,” Metami said. “Morgana, didn’t clip you, did I?”
The witch had watched their entire test with an uncomfortable level of glee. “I am well, thank you. But now, I must tear this city to pieces and find my familiar. The Black Blood cannot have hidden her far, and it can only hold the shape of a living victim.”
“Or.” Kaden said. “This is a small city. Just put up posters. Tell people there’s a huge reward for anyone who finds your [Serapin]. Tell them he loves to hide and could be anywhere. The commoners will search every inch of Verona for you.”
Morgana crossed her arms. “That could work. I suppose.”
How many times did a city come close to destruction without anyone ever knowing? Kaden didn’t want to know. “All of you are paying to repair this. You, [Witch], owe me a favor.”
Morgana cackled as her skin turned greenish again and inky black spread down her hair. “A brave soul binds the most broken heart. You collect Beasts, but search for Dragons. I know the location of the Sea Dragon Oceanus—”
“Me too. My basement tunnel,” Kaden said. “I’m not joking. I swear before the system.”
Your oath is heard and affirmed. Sea Dragon Oceanus by basement tunnel.
Morgana sighed. “Fine.”
She drew something from Inventory. “Don’t let a soul know you have this. If you doubt me, ask the Summoning Saint. You should take it now. It will grant you a [Talent], but you don’t get to choose what you get.”
Kaden accepted it.
“Actually, you can influence it,” Metami said. “Focus on the type of talent you want. The old [Talent Pool] gems worked the same way. You focused, and if what you really needed was a battle talent, you’d get one.”
Kaden had a talent in mind.
He’d passed it over once because getting hit was the opposite of what he wanted, but now, he saw how powerful it could make him. “[Immovable.] With it, I’ll be able to power up Remembrance beyond anything I’ve seen.”
He drank the potion, which tasted like pus, all the way to the bottom, then wiped his lip.
You have received a Talent.
[Quest Master]
You understand the loopholes in the system, you see the code in the matrix, you are one with the universe and know the universe is a crock of shit and all of existence a game. Any rewards for Quests you complete are doubled.
Kaden had couldn’t contain his frustration. It was exactly the opposite of what he’d focused on, not a battle talent, and the number of Quests he received went steadily down as he leveled. “Thank you.”
“You don’t understand yet,” Mr. Dervish said. “I can see it on your face. You wanted that [Shield] talent, right? But that’s problably the fifth most powerful talent in the System. You have anything to do with that, Morgana?”
“It’s literally any talent,” she said. “But I agree, it doesn’t feel random. [Luck] can occasionally cause things like this, but it’s impossible to manipulate. I knew a [Bard] from a previous cataclysm with level one hundred [Luck]. His enemies would slip and fall on their own daggers. Or fall in love with each other and forget he was there.”
Kaden wouldn’t mention that in Omnor, a woman could still adjust [Luck]. Any talent was better than no talent. “Thank you again, and let me know if you find your Serapin. I’d like to see a real one. What are you going to do with her?”
“I’ll drop her to level seventy five and see if another century teaches her better targeting. Oh, don’t worry, deary. I’m not going to kill her. I have a potion that will drain experience and levels from her. It’s my class Evolution skill.” Morgana’s crooked-tooth grin made Kaden nearly vomit. “I have to go.”
“Relax, boy. Level twenty nine doesn’t have enough experience to be worth the effort.” She chuckled to herself as Kaden sprinted up the stairs.
He was level twenty nine.
And delighted.
But as Kaden made his way back toward the guild, he could only imagine how much more difficult this would make the situation with Trella. Kaden sprinted for the gates—and slid to a stop as [Ranger Winlock] appeared from nowhere, flanked by a small, thin man.
“Ranger.” Kaden kept his tone respectful.
“I meant what I said. I have four towns where we know a Demon’s Daughter was loose. I’ll reward your help, even though killing Demons is your responsibility.”
“And I’ll accept those rewards. And kill the demons, if they’re at least level twenty five and not more than, say, thirty five.” He looked to the other man. “I don’t know you.”
“Basta Ron, [Taming Saint].” The man’s voice was barely audible. “I heard Brownbeak hid an egg. A broken egg. Gryphons are increasingly rare, and I’d like to see it. I swear before the System I won’t endanger the egg, try to steal it, or attempt to tame it.”
Oath heard and acknowledged: Blair Ron Dung will not attempt to harm or take a Griffin egg in any way.
“Blair Ron Dung?” Kaden asked.
“I prefer Basta. I was the first [Tamer] to successfully, permanently tame a [Giant Scorpion]. I also am immune to scorpion venom. The two are related.” The Saint bowed.
“We’ll have to go to [Beast Control]. It’s not ideal, but it’s where the enchantments were forged, before the previous administrator retired.” Kaden led them through the streets of Verona to Beast Control. Beast Control was always open, and Kaden stepped through the front door door, greeting the Night Admin. “We’ll need to wake Wren. I have to see my Griffin egg.”
“Wren’s Academy is in session. Okit’s in charge. You really want to wake her?” The man’s tone said there was a right answer and the one Kaden was going to give.
“Yes. I know the code for the door.” Kaden headed back, ignoring the protests.
As he approached the main office doors, they opened, and a very sleepy Okit Von Czerk stepped out, still wrapped in a fuzzy pink robe. “Good, you got my message.”
Kaden was about to answer when a Messenger Bird landed on his arm. “It’s vital you come to Beast Control immediately. The crack on the Griffin egg is growing. Either it’s hatching or it’s dying.”