Please do not eat, touch, look at, or think about the tofu based slimes; they have a heretofore unseen level of conceptual toxicity.
-Basen Koh,
from his public apology entitled
"Sorry, I Accidentally Invented a New Kind of Poison"
Reid groaned and rubbed his head. He opened his eyes, and nothing happened. He remembered the fall but not the landing. He wasn't exactly happy to be where he assumed he was, but he was sure glad he was breathing air and not a mixture of mud and swamp water.
He'd fallen into a pit. They'd been careful, but pits were as unpredictable as they were dangerous. The center was dangerous. What had they been thinking?
Reid steadied his breathing and sniffed the air. It smelled swampy, which was no surprise, but it didn't smell stale. It smelled fresh in some way. Perhaps he had fallen into another building and somehow been spared being either crushed to death or drowned in swamp water as the building filled. He didn't have answers, and being essentially blind wasn't helping that.
"Wait!"
He felt his back. Under Wes's cloak, he was wearing his bag. He hadn't lost it. He pulled it around and opened it. Immediately, the soft white light of the small stone they had found illuminated the space.
"I am so happy to see you, mysterious stone. Let's see how much trouble we're in."
He pulled out the stone and lit the space. He was in a room. Above him, the ceiling had caved inward, and huge stone blocks held each other up. Water streamed between the stones at a rather alarming rate.
Shit. What....fell through the ceiling of some building, and it caved in, stopping me from drowning? Seems about as likely as actually being alive right now. Great.
With one mystery kind of maybe solved, he investigated the next one—whether or not he was trapped in the room. The room was circular, and a set of stairs leading up was obviously useless, running into the collapsed ceiling above him. Stairs lead down on the opposite side of the room, at least giving Reid an option.
He needed to find a way to the surface. It was possible. Like in the Fells, most of the buildings in the city beneath the swamp were connected. He could find one that led up to the surface.
The stairs were very wet, and mud and muck were caught in the cracks. His entry must have been accompanied by quite a lot of water, but it had fortunately drained down the stairs instead of drowning him.
Always look on the bright side, Reid. You could have drowned while unconscious.
The next floor was full of rusty suits of armor and weapons piled in messy heaps. A glow under a pile of refuse caught his attention.
"If I get out of here, I might be rich."
Reid unburied a gauntlet. The magic of the item kept it in significantly better condition than the rest of the armor. It could have used a polish, but it wasn't rusty. He debated putting it on. Magic items came in three flavors he knew of. Things like the goblet were always active and acted on things they touched. Items that granted passive effects, like boots that made it easier to run without getting tired. His neighbor had found a pair of those last year. The last type was usually the most expensive—items that had usable magic spells and abilities.
Generally, it wasn't dangerous to handle unidentified items, but it was the exceptions that could get him killed. If the gauntlet had an ability that created a massive fiery explosion, it was unlikely to end well for him in such an enclosed space.
He decided to put the gauntlet in his pack rather than risk it. He risked his continued use of the small stone, but he needed light and guessed it was probably less dangerous than the gauntlet. He really wished he could identify items. The mayor of Glarrus had an item with an identification ability. When he became a merchant, that was his top priority.
Reid moved on. He headed down three more levels. He passed a library of ruined tomes and an empty room that had a depression on the floor. It caught a lot of what he assumed was the water he brought in with him. The third floor down was the ground floor, he guessed.
He almost jumped for joy when he rounded a corner and found a long corridor. It certainly led between buildings. He checked the last two rooms in the tower he had landed in, finding another glowing item. This time, it was a weapon.
Instead of being buried under a pile of rusty gear, like the gauntlet, the axe was set onto some pegs on the wall. More axes were hung along the wall, all in reasonable condition, but only one glowed with a steady orange light. The handle was a dark polished wood, and the head had a serrated edge.
"I have to admit," Reid said, admiring the axe. "This is an impressive axe. Maybe I should just become an axe wielding barbarian?"
He decided to risk picking up the weapon. Then when it didn't immediately kill him, he decided to keep the weapon at hand. If he was heading to the surface, encountering bog lurkers was possible, and he wasn't about to fight those with his bare hands. Reid wasn't a fighter, but maybe he could pretend to be one with his new axe.
The corridor connected to two buildings. The first was little more than rubble that was somehow keeping water out. The main room was so full of fallen stones that he had to climb over them to explore the entire space. He found no exits and, sadly, no magic items.
The next building was promising. It had the same layout as the first, but Reid wasn't on the ground floor in this tower. Stairs led up and down.
"Try to escape or explore first?"
Escape was the logical answer, but the glow of his magic items was too tempting.
"I'll just take a quick look downstairs first."
The stairs in this tower were dry. He went down a level and found...nothing. There were more stairs down. He figured the space was stable, seeing as it was still dry, so he kept going down. He hoped Samuel, Wes, and Orin were doing the smart thing and getting out of the center. He hoped they hadn't gotten sucked down with him.
The thought made him shudder, and he pushed it away. He had to assume they were safe. At the same time, the screams he heard...
Was that screaming for me? Or for themselves?
Unable to stop, he was consumed by the spiraling thoughts. When he regained his awareness, he realized he was still heading down. He had no idea how many empty floors he'd covered. Shrugging, he pressed on.
Might as well see how deep this goes.
He passed another four floors. He had no idea how deep beneath the surface he was now. Two hundred feet? More?
The bottom of the tower had a single wooden door. It was large and split down the middle. On each side of the door, an image was carved into the wood and embellished with golden metal inlays. On the right was a spider, and on the left was a snake.
"I shouldn't go in here. Right?"
No one answered.
"I am an idiot," he said. Unable to resist his curiosity, he pushed the door open.
The chamber he entered was massive. On the far end, some sort of altar glowed with a steady and powerful light, illuminating the entire room.
"Wow..." he said, looking up at the high ceiling.
Reid made his way inside, heading across the massive empty space. The glow became more distinct as he approached. There were five glowing pillars, each with a single glowing item on top. Reid's breath caught at the sight of them. He couldn't identify them to see how powerful they were, but given the way they were on display, he guessed the answer was a resounding "Very."
The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
He reached the raised floor just before the altar. When he stepped on it, the ground trembled slightly. He froze.
The sound of scraping on stone behind him made him turn slowly.
Only the absolute terror that filled him stopped him from screaming when he came face to face with a red and black scaled snake that was easily a hundred feet long and thicker than his torso. The head of the creature was as large as he was, and it studied him with vertically slit eyes and a flickering tongue.
"Greetingsss human," it said in a hissing voice.
Reid fell backward and tried to run.
"Sstop!" a command rang out.
Reid stopped. He couldn't move. He couldn't even look away from the massive creature. It held him by some kind of magic he was powerless to resist.
"I musst apologize for sscaring you, human. I forget how jumpy your kind can be. Please know that I do not intend to harm you. Do you understand?" the hissing quality of its voice decreased to the point where Reid could barely hear it. That was good because it was downright unnerving.
He found he could move his head again, and he nodded.
"Good, good. You are the first visitor to my sanctum in a very long time. Welcome."
Reid, unsure what to do, just nodded to the creature again.
"What is your name, human?"
"Reid Aveno."
"A pleasure, Reid Aveno. You may call me Vessiem. What has brought you to me today, Reid Aveno?"
It was with a heroic effort that Reid managed to comprehend what the snake was asking him. He was so terrified and confused that he could barely think. He figured out the question and tried to answer as best he could.
"Well. There was an earthquake, and we came to look for treasure. I got separated from my group and trapped in a building nearby. I made my way here and decided to head down. So I guess fate?"
"That is wonderful to hear. Those that seek what I have to offer because they desire it will only meet their fate at the many hands of my brother."
Somehow, Reid could feel the attention of the snake move upward. He followed it, and to his renewed and complete terror, there was a gigantic spider observing from a web high above the door he'd walked so casually through.
"When fate brings you to us," the spider said, its voice high and melodic, "then you are worthy of investment."
"Just so," Vessiem said.
Reid expected the snake to continue, but it just watched him. The silence was unnerving, especially since he now had two giant monsters watching him, so he broke it with a question.
"What kind of investment?"
"Potential. The greatest of all investments. Tell me, Reid Aveno, what is it that you desire most right now?"
Reid didn't have to think about it. It was the reason he'd ended up here.
"I want to know if my friends are safe above."
"Yessss," Vessiem's hiss came through. "A noble question. You are worthy of investment indeed. Your friends are fine. I can sense them now. They move between buildings and call your name into the windows. They yet hold out hope. Good friends."
Reid breathed a sigh of relief.
"Now, Reid. Tell me. What is it that you desire most for your future? If you were to set a direction for your life, which way would it point, and where would you go?"
This was easy to answer, too.
"I want to be a merchant. I want to be able to identify items like what I found today and use what I know to help people find what they need. I'm not trying to get rich or anything. I just want to be helpful, I guess. It kind of sounds silly when I say it out loud."
The snake studied him, and he felt self-conscious. It was bizarre to feel self-conscious in front of two giant monsters that could certainly eat him alive.
"It is not silly. It is a true desire and one you can grow into. Even without our help, you could follow this path. With our help, you could master it."
"What help?"
"Since fate has brought you here, and your heart is pure, I will give you a choice. Look to the items before us."
Reid steadied his nerves and stood. He disliked the idea of turning his back on Vessiem and his "brother," but he was curious about the items. He turned around and studied them. Each item filled his mind with the potential contained within.
The first was a vial filled with a glowing blue liquid. If he took this item, he could become a master alchemist or chemist. He could brew potions and poisons and elixirs that would make the heavens tremble.
The second was a hammer, small but sturdy. Reid saw himself hammering hot iron into shape, forging weapons, unlike anything the world had ever seen. He could master the lost secrets of this buried city, returning it to the surface and building it back to its former glory.
The third was a book; the cover was painted with arcane symbols. With this power, he would consume knowledge and gain insight. He would master the turnings of the world and create new magic items. He would rain fire and ice down on monsters with his right hand and heal the sick and wounded with his left.
The fourth was a sword, long and elegant. He would become a paragon of the blade. He would train the greatest masters in the world, and when evil came, he would take up his blade and face it. His understanding of the spirit of the world would allow him to forge techniques beyond what magic could provide.
The fifth was a silver coin adorned with dozens of tiny etchings. Reid traveled the world, building trade networks between cities and villages, rich and poor. He helped raise up those who needed help, meeting leaders and signing trade agreements to foster mutual benefit. Reid worked in a shop, helping a father keep his family safe with the perfect set of items. He delved into lost ruins and dangerous dungeons, finding the hidden treasure of the world.
The options blew him away. It was more than he'd ever imagined his life becoming. He wasn't even sure what he would choose. He was drawn to being a merchant, yes, but compared to the other potential he saw, it felt so...mundane.
"You may choose one, Reid Aveno. Choose wisely. Choose with your heart and your mind."
He tried to eliminate options first. The only one that didn't speak to him was the vial. It just didn't fit what he thought he might be interested in. That was out. The sword was the same. As he had thought many times, he wasn't a fighter. He didn't think he'd mind going into the occasional dungeon to slay monsters, but he didn't live for it. As neat as creating non-magical power sounded—no sword for Reid.
The hammer was interesting. He could see himself taking it, but it didn't let him help people as directly. He could provide weapons and shelter, but he could do that as a merchant, too. The idea of rebuilding an ancient city, while amazing, wasn't what he wanted to do. He let that fall to the wayside as well.
The book seemed to grant him access to powerful magic. It was tempting, but he also saw it as something he could always do. Magic items existed. He could get a staff that created fireballs or whatever. The healing aspect almost made him take it, but in the end, his heart knew what it wanted.
The coin. He would become a great merchant. In his heart, he knew Vessiem was right. He could become a merchant without it. He could take any of the other items and still do what the coin promised. But if being a merchant was what he really wanted, why not go all in? Why not accept this help and see how high it helped him reach?
Reid stepped up the coin and grabbed it.
"Now, young Reid," Vessiem said, slithering around the altar, "you must make your second choice. We have offered potential, yes, but the forms it takes are but templates. It is up to you to form your potential into what you truly desire. Accept the binding, and then sculpt your destiny!"
Reid was about to ask what that meant when the question answered itself.
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Coin of Potential is trying to bind with you. You can reject this binding.
If you accept this binding, you must choose a path. Each path comes with a starting ability and can be grown and improved to add more abilities in time.
[Path of the Merchant's Mark]
* An item that allows you to imprint items with a unique signature.
* Imprinting an item with your mark will identify the item.
[Path of the Trickster's Coin]
* An item that allows you to manipulate simple random chance.
* You can flip the coin to influence simple random chance around you.
[Path of the Bag of Endless Riches]
* An item that increases your wealth.
* Currency inside the bag will grow in quantity.
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The first option suited Reid's ideals the best, though he wondered what future abilities might come from a coin that could manipulate chance and a bag that printed free money. He'd have to continue wondering because the ability to identify items was exactly what he wanted.
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You are now on the Path of the Merchant's Mark. You have gained the item [Merchant's Mark]. You have unlocked your potential. You have bound [Merchant's Mark]
Current Potential: 3 Stars
1/3 Stars in use.
Current Magical Level: Lesser Mage
Specialization: None
Awakening: None
Mastery: None
Bound Items:
Merchant's Mark
* 1 Star Growth Artifact
* Unbreakably Bound
* Ability - Mark
* Use the Merchant's Mark to brand an unbound item with your signature.
* Your brand allows items to be identified. You will always know you branded the item and when you branded it, even if the item is later bound.
* Growth Conditions
* Mark and Identify 50 magic items
* 0/50 Items Identified
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The coin transformed. Instead of a coin, it became an intricate rune made from the same metal, about the size of his palm. A chain materialized, and Reid slipped it around his neck. It felt right in a way that no other item had ever felt.
He could now call up the information about himself at will. He knew about star ratings and potential, but he had never known how it was unlocked. Apparently, an item could do it. He didn't know what his magical level of "Lesser Mage" or the missing "Specialization," "Awakening," and "Mastery" meant.
"Very good, Reid. You have embarked on a path. Walk it with pride, and do not let fear or doubt stand in your way. You have potential."
"This is amazing. Thank you. I can never repay you."
Vessiem laughed. At least Reid thought it was a laugh.
"You will repay us by simply following your fate, wherever it may lead. I'm afraid you must leave us now."
"I have some questions about the information I can call up," Reid said, not wanting to miss out on an opportunity to learn more.
"You will need to discover the secrets of your power on your own, my young friend. I will return you to the surface so you do not have to worry your friends any longer."
Reid was about to protest since he wanted to look around the rest of the tower for more items, but a command shook him to his core.
"Begone!"
White light enveloped him, and in a moment, he was back on the surface. The swamp was growing dark, but he spotted his friends immediately. They jumped when he appeared.
"Reid?!"