“There aren’t any rules in a real fight. When you go into battle, you must have the mindset of killed or be killed.”
~Head Duelist Instructor of United Arcanists Institute
“What in the nine hells have you done?!”
Devin spurred awake upon hearing a gruff voice scream in his ear. He looked around in confusion, before remembering where he was, and what happened.
Right, I nearly died. Again. It was far from a comforting thought, but he didn’t dwell on it.
Death lurked around every corner in this new world; dying from his own efforts was at least ironic instead of horrifying. Plus, it was hard to focus on his brush with death when a card made of soft green light hovered in front of his face.
He reached out to grab it, only for a shrill scream to remind him he wasn’t alone. “NOOO!”
Devin got up as he grabbed the card. “What?” He said, turning around only for mangy merchant to tackle him back to the ground.
“Get off of me! Stop!” Devin yelled as the rat’s grubby hands swept across his body, until Devin threw him off. “What’s wrong with you?!”
“What is wrong with you, ungrateful human?!” The ratman’s vague accent thickened while his beady eyes angrily drilled into Devin’s face. “I give you chance for good profession, and you stab me in back to find card? You stealer!”
“What are you talking about? I didn’t do anything.”
“Did Dewey tell you the rules of Lost & Found? You betrayer! You ugly mouse!” Spit flew over the man and mouse, as the ratman furiously flapped his snout-lips.
Devin was more than a little perturbed.
“Dewey didn’t tell me anything. We can’t speak in words, man.” Devin raised his hands passively, trying to explain rather than fight.
“So you do not know the Rules?” That ratman blinked.
“Yes. I didn’t know. If you’ll tell me, I’ll be happy to obey your rules.” Devin bowed his head to show his sincerity
“Your visit is almost over.” The ratman said curtly. “I can give you 10 thousand shards in store credit, and the book you requested. Anything else on your way out?
“What?” Devin asked, confusion written on his face. “But this is over 20 thousand. I counted myself!”
“I can only give you 10.”
“But that wasn’t the deal!”
The rat man shrugged with its thin shoulders. “I cannot help. Those are the Rules.”
“What are these rules—”
The ratman cut him off with a raised palm. “I cannot talk about it.”
“... And that’s the Rules?”
“Yes sir. Now, if you are done here, you can leave my store,”
Devin almost protested, almost fought back against the merchant's sudden attitude change, but two things flitted through his vision.
Somehow, Dewey had gotten a hold of the store card, openly waving the side that showed how much time he had left. It was only a couple minutes, or so—and through their growing link, he understood what she was trying to say.
The name of the store was more than just a name.
Second, Devin noticed the greed that sat in the ratman’s scrunched eyes. He could already see the calculations running through the ratman’s mind. He already thought of the shards and card as his, and maybe they should’ve been.
But this was the Lost & Found, and that wasn’t the Rules.
Devin threw his palm out, flooding his skill with arcanium. [Seize] easily mimicked the merchant’s previous trick, and pulled the shards alongside the card into his hand with an otherworldly suction.
“I guess I’ll leave with my money and stuff, then.” Devin made a show of taking the store card from Dewey, and holding it aloft with his other hand.
“NO!” The ratman fell to his knees. “You cannot do that!”
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“But aren’t those the Rules? They were lost, and I had found them, right?”
The ratman grimaced, showing its disgusting decaying, yellow teeth. The merchant then narrowed his eyes, flitting them between man, and the mouse that scurried onto his shoulder.
“Oh, fuck you, Dewey.” He said in perfect English, only to revert back to his vague accent. “How could you help one of those new mortal races when you should be helping me, your rightful storekeeper?”
Devin shifted to the side, standing in between the ratman and mouse spirit. “Don’t blame her. I wasn’t about to walk outta here with nothing anyway.” He opened his palm, revealing the condense stack of shards in his hand. “Now, I would like to purchase one fruit of ascension.” That was the only thing he had his eye on in this crappy place.
The ratman sighed. “Just my luck.” He grumbled under his breath. “Pick anything other than that trap. I am holding that for actual paying customers. If you want to buy it, bid for it like everyone else. Auction opens next week.”
“Well,” Devin was stumped, unable to even think about what he wanted from this dump, until his eyes landed on the mouse spirit on his shoulder.
“I’ll call us even if you give me Dewey. Either way I’m keeping this card.” Devin added, sliding the card into his pocket. “I did find it after all.”
“Deal!” The ratman blurted out without even a moment to think. The shards flew from his grasp straight into the merchant’s dirty, grubby hand while a golden card flew into Devin’s chest. “Next time, come back with more cash, as you humans like to say.”
“Wha—” Devin didn’t even get to finish his question as he was pushed straight through a golden, shimmering doorway he didn’t notice was behind him.
Unlike the first time, the teleportation wasn’t seamless, nor instant. Instead, Devin plummeted through space at terminal velocity. He screamed as countless stars glimmered all around him.
Then just as suddenly as before, a golden portal opened in front of Devin and threw him back into reality—
—straight into a wall.
“Fuck.” Devin groaned. A yell echoed downstairs followed by a few pairs of stomps.
He got to his feet, ready to confront Isabella, yet for some reason, alarm bells rang in his head. His gut was screaming at him to get out of here, but that didn’t make any sense.
Devin was home, where it should be safe.
Two people busted into his room that he reappeared in, yet they weren’t the twins like he was expecting. It was Shortstack, and Longneck, screaming for help once they saw him.
The anger in their eyes was clear as day, but now it was tempered by something more powerful, marked by their hesitation.
Fear.
Unbidden, his magic circle spun into existence as Rage activated. The card painted his sight red while injecting him with a dose of immense strength. Devin roared, using all his superhuman power to punch Shortstack right in his face.
Devin barely noticed the fat man’s face cave in, but his rampage didn’t stop. He grabbed Longneck by his throat before jumping out the window with his screaming luggage in tow—
—which stopped as soon as he hit the ground neck-first, followed by Devin’s knee.
Bones snapped and blood squelched beneath his weight, and Devin relished every moment of it. Fire raged in his chest as destructive wrath overtook his mind.
A boom popped in the air next to his house as a shadow jumped into the sky, and landed right in front of Devin.
“You fucker! How dare you kill Ryan and Tanner?” The superhuman thug from earlier in the night yelled, rage burning in his eyes.
“I told you not to come back.” Devin snarled. “I’m not dumb enough to let someone come after me twice.”
“You took the words right out of my mouth.” A disembodied voice echoed out of the darkness, giving him goosebumps.
Despite the rage coursing through Devin’s veins, he felt a pang of fear deep in his heart.
“Don’t expect anyone to save you this time.” Bateman said as he stepped out of the shadows, wearing a disturbing smile. “There’s no one here to interrupt us.”
A shudder threatened to crawl up his spine, but he squashed the urge. Despite the cool night, sweat began to drip down his back. Rage roared at Devin to attack, to use his wrath as a means to destroy his enemies. Yet he didn’t.
The picture of a spear made of golden flames piercing through the skull of the elite boar made him hesitate.
“Why aren’t you attacking? You got that achievement from stealing my kill, right? You should be itching to attack me.” Bateman said in an uncomfortably happy tone despite donning his signature shit-eating grin.
The bastard is enjoying this. Devin wasn’t about to give him the satisfaction. “Why would I jump into a fight, two against one? Especially since you're stronger than me.”
At his statement, Bateman threw his head back and started to laugh maniacally. “You think that shit will work on me?” He asked, still giggling as he faked wiping a tear.
Then, as suddenly as it began, he stopped laughing, donning an expressionless face. “I’m going to tear you apart, and get back everything you fucks stole from me. I’ll make sure to kill those annoying brothers in front of you too, that’s the least I can do for my men that you murdered.”
This time, Devin was the one to chuckle. ”Murder? All I was doing was putting down the neighborhood’s rabid dogs.”
Bateman’s thug swelled in anger. “You—”
The goon was cut off by flashes of light. Bateman summoned two circles, one red and the other a bright orange, conjuring two balls of fire that sped towards Devin.
His skin burned as they grazed him with their searing heat, yet they were pushed back by Boar’s Charge.
Synergy Detected!
Big Bertha’s Blitz
(Rage)(Boar’s Charge)(Wrath)
Increased Velocity, Increased Mass, Increased Wrath Essence
The conjuration shrugged off the attack with a grumble before it charged right at the two arcanists.
Bateman jumped over the conjuration with a burst of flames while Lenny hurtled through the air from taking the full brunt of the attack.
By the time Bateman landed and the dust settled, Devin was gone.
“YOU FUCKING RAT!!!” Bateman yelled with so much force that Devin could feel it despite hiding in the woods.
There’s no way I can go up against them by myself. Devin bit his nails as he crouched behind the bushes. He refused to move a muscle, observing the two superhumans from his cover.
Where the hell are Bella, and the twins? They should be here. He couldn’t help but worry.
Looking through his deckbox, Devin searched for any card’s that could be of any help.
Luckily, Dewey’s card was cantrip class, letting him summon her without the need of his ring spewing light. The mouse spirit manifested in a congregation of shadows in the collar of his shirt. I’m sorry to tell you so soon, but get ready to fight.
Resoluteness echoed through their bond. The mouse spirit patted Devin’s shoulder, staring in Bateman’s direction as if to keep watch.
“I know you’re still here! I can feel it.” Bateman yelled into the air, in no particular direction. “If you won’t come out, I’ll force you!” He promised before spewing a stream of flames all over the property.
Jesus! Isabella, where are you?!
Skill Gained!
Stealth (Common)
Skill Vaulted!
Dewey, Librarian of the
Lost Libraries (Uncommon)
Ethereal/Summon
Caretaker of the books
within the Lost & Found
Cantrip Class—ACU
Circle: Guidance
[Mage Hand]
{Checkout}
{Examine}
Guidance
An ancient guide that lives to serve
Alignment: Ethereal
Tempo: 5 seconds
Focus: Skills are
passively strengthened