Prologue

“Ha… ha… ha…” Mike panted heavily as he stood over the dead demon lord. “Man that sucked. Livia? You okay?”

“Yeah…” Livia answered, breathing just as hard. “I just wish that it wasn’t so gross.”

“Yeah…” Mike smeared black blood and guts from his face. “I think it’s time we retired.”

“What?” Demitree asked. He was the party’s Mage. “You can’t be serious, Mike?”

“We talked about this Demitree.” Isabelle chimed in. “One last job, remember?”

“Yeah.” Mike agreed. “Then me and my lovely wife are going to retire.”

“I thought that you were joking…” Demitree said in disbelief. “We were supposed to take out the demon king together.”

“Oh, give it a rest, Dem.” Livia groaned. “That’s just a suicide mission anyway. If the crown really wanted to get rid of him, why would they send six adventurers instead of an army?”

“It’s just a ploy to get rid of anyone that might threaten the status quo.” Isabelle agreed. “I say we take our retirement and reap the rewards.”

“But…” Demitree deflated. “Fine, you guys quit. I’m not.”

“Come on, Sugar.” Riviera the party scout wrapped him up. “Don’t be like that. We agreed to this.”

“Damnit, Riv!” Demitree snapped at his husband. “You know what they did!”

“A quest.” Riviera answered before Shealla could snap out in anger. Shealla was a demon kin Mike had convinced to join the party. “No different than the quests that we were given.”

“One that conveniently took out an upstart Mage with the power to challenge the throne.” Isabelle stated.

Shealla couldn’t help but snap out. “Just like Lord Finkly here.” She gestured in a softer tone. “He is the one that attacked your village. That is why I agreed to this farce. Dem, don’t make me regret helping you. Please…”

Demitree sighed heavily. “Fine… But, don’t expect me to be happy about it.”

Riviera squeezed him tightly and kissed his cheek. “That’s the spirit, Love!”

Shealla, Isabelle, and Livia gathered as close as they dared to Mike and his disgusting filth. He was still trying to get rid of the guts and blood that covered him.

“What was the name of that town again, Mike?” Shealla asked. “Will Meloney be there?”

“Yes, the mountain mother will be there.” Mike said, try to wipe away the black gunk that persisted in clinging on. “Ugh, did you really have to blow him up like that?” He shot a glare at Demitree.

“Yes.” Demitree huffed. “I did.”

“Calvara.” Livia wrapped an arm around her friend and kissed her cheek. She completely ignored Mike and Demitree’s glaring contest. “Did you know that Meloney was Mike’s first wife?”

“The goddess of the mountain?” Shealla asked in disbelief. “No, I didn’t.”

“It was before my time…” Livia explained. “But, I’m sure that Meloney will tell you all about it. She just loves telling the story of how a mortal stole her heart…”

Mike’s dying testimony. A statement recorded and confirmed by Demitree the Mountain Hermit.

I write these words to remind myself that my parents were not always bad people. It was the tick of the clock and the memories of heroism that drove them to what they were in the end.

Act 1

"This tome is Mike's notes on his early days. Before setting up a trade empire, before his journey for revenge, and before he helped change the educational system to something other than apprenticeship. They can be somewhat jarring, as the events were for him. Hell, he didn't even know why his first girlfriend fell in love with him until the memories unlocked. Other perspectives were written as notes of events that were explained to him later. That and his intelligence was too low to recall everything in greater detail. He has tried to piece this journal into a somewhat educational tome for students that are studying to become Traders and Merchants. I find that it is more entertaining than educational. But the director thinks that as an integral part of setting up the school, it would be wise to read the thoughts of the current ruler."

Multi-class Academy Instructor, Fayt the Grand Protector and Senior Trader Instructor, introducing this year's group of freshmen traders.

Chapter 1

A very long two-week journey…

20 years later…

Mark Collier

I fidgeted in my room, sitting on the edge of the bed. My parents had been adventurers, pretty famous ones at that. Therefore, it was no surprise to find out that they were less than disappointed with me and my lack of skills. Especially, with the perk Plus Player I had. Most people with that perk became legends. Most could fight with a natural skill that would put even hardened veterans to shame. I was not most people.

Plus Players gained a few special perks. Sadly, no one really knew what they were. Except for me and those that were like me. And I wasn’t about to be the one to let that cat out of the bag. It was a rare enough perk as is. Where the typical person gained three stat points per level, Plus Players gained five. They also gained a fifty percent bonus to experience gain. My problem was that I hadn’t even gained a class yet. I couldn’t gain any levels... yet. Consequently, I was a huge failure.

In this world of levels and stats, people horded their leveling secrets like treasures. There were no academies, no training guilds, or schools that trained one to be and adventurer. Adventurers hid there secrets from the working class and vice versa. At best you could recieve an education in one or the other from a mentor that had traveled that path. Or you could buy books written by retired adventurers and hope that they weren't full of crap. I had a few books on the Worker classes, but I knew next to nothing about it. Other than Tyler's mom I didn't really know any Traders.

Dad was disappointed that I hadn’t been an absolute monster walking out of the womb. Mom was disappointed that I couldn’t cast magic with my first word. Nonetheless, they made sure that I had the best training available.

Shealla, a demon kin soul warrior, could set her body aflame, greatly increasing her strength in close quarters combat. Which was what she was training me with. That and she was trying to teach me to use her demon fire ability. Apparently, one of her sisters was a Plus Player as well and she could learn cross race abilities. She was a neighbor and former party member of the Black Dawn party. My parents’ former party. She also had an infuriatingly attractive daughter. I still haven't figured out how to do it. But i believed her.

Rica was Shealla’s daughter. She was older, sexy, and a complete flirt. She also did not care who I was. Rica had an older boyfriend that was an adventurer and a warrior to boot. As a mage, she planned to join his party as soon as she could convince her mother.

Isabelle was a dark elf and another neighbor. She was a rogue in the party and trained me in skills such as lock picking and stealth. Of all the people that I grew up around, she had been the most mother like. Where my own mother treated me like a tool to be used. Isabelle actually cared. She would ask things like how many friends I had, or if I had a girlfriend yet.

Her daughter/son Gale hadn’t decided which she/he was yet. They were originally thought to be a boy, but to everyone’s surprise, Gale began to grow breasts at thirteen. The problem my eighteen-year-old brain had with it, was that Gale was hotter than most women I had ever met. Yet, much like Rica, Gale was not the least bit interested in a talentless nobody.

All I could hope for was getting a decent class. I had to be an adventurer. Had to be. I didn’t know what would happen if I didn’t. Well, I did. My parents would cut me off and kick me out. Maybe they would give me a few coins before sending me packing. My sister Becky was their pride and joy anyway.

Becky was also a sweetheart. As the little sister, albeit by a few minutes, it was my job to protect her. A task that seemed like I was needed less and less for. She used to look up to me. She used to treat me like her own personal hero. Now, I could tell that every stat she had outshined mine by at least a few points. Mine just took longer to increase. She also refused to tell me what her stats were.

The issue at hand kept me on edge. My thoughts kept drifting. My knees bounced up and down as I just knew that I would fail to be an adventurer. No matter the hope, the dream, wish, or prayer. I could feel in my gut that I would get a commoner class. Or worker class as they were officially called. I had no idea why, but I could just feel it and was trying to prepare myself mentally. My bags were packed and placed at the foot of my bed and I would know in the morning if I was worrying about nothing or not…

***

Congratulations! You have gained the Merchant Class! You have 5 free stat points, 2 skill points, and 1 ability point available. Please choose.

“Shit!” I cursed as I awoke to the message and examined the class descriptions.

Merchant Class: Rare. (Upgraded Class only available to Plus Players) The ability to buy/sale and trade anywhere in the world without the need for a permit. Profits gained from business ventures are only taxed by the system and free from the tyranny of man. You may use system shops on a tier-based system and gain discounts as your level improves. Charisma is a core Stat for this class.

Well, at least I won’t be charged for no reason. I moved on to the character sheet.

Character sheet

Name: Mark Collier

Age: 18

Class: Merchant

Level: 1

XP: 0/100

Health: 60/60

Mana: 120/120

Stats:

Strength: 8

Agility: 9

Dexterity: 7

Constitution: 6

Intelligence: 12

Wisdom: 10

Charisma: 11

Free stat points: 5

Going over the stats, I realized just how pitiful they really were. The base value for a human was ten. Mine were extremely poor. With the core attribute of a Merchant being Charisma… maybe I should just put it all in that? Worker classes gained experience in sort of the opposite way of an adventurer. It was all non-combat. Just like adventurers, workers could gain out of class experience, at a reduced rate. So, if I tried to focus on combat stats and skills, I would be hindering my growth.

Well, this sucks. I thought as I placed them all into Charisma. Now, at sixteen, I hoped that my Charisma would be enough to convince my parents that I wasn’t a complete waste of space.

“Valkyrie!” Becky burst into the room shouting. Before I had time to react, she tackled me back onto my bed squealing. “What did you get? Warrior? Ranger? Sorcerer? Tell me that it was Sorcerer!”

“Ugh.” I groaned at her weight pinning me down. “You’re a shieldmaiden? That’s awesome.” I tried to fake enthusiasm. Pointedly avoiding telling her my class and disappointing her.

Becky frowned. “Come on bro, you can tell me. Was it bad?”

I nodded slowly.

“How bad?” Becky refused to move.

“Merchant.” I mumbled.

Becky sagged and rested her head on my chest. “That okay, it’s totally okay! It’s fine! You know what? With my Class, I am sure that I can convince mom and dad to let you stay. Right?” She spoke quickly. “You’re my hero, right? And heroes don't get to leave, right?” She began to get irritated. “I’ll just tell them. If you are out! Then so am I!”

“Becky.” I gripped her shoulders. “Please, don’t do that. Mom and dad are going to power level you. You can come find me when you are a big-time adventurer.”

“But…” Becky began to tear up. “That’s not the plan. We were going to do this together. You and me. All the way to the top.”

I kissed her forehead and gave her a sad smile. “I know, Beck’s. I know.”

“Alright!” Dad hollered from my doorway. “Time to put up or shut up!”

Before Becky could even stand fully. I sent my character sheet and grabbed the pack at the end of my bed. Preparing for the worst.

“Get out of my sight.” Father sneered. “Fucking merchant?! I always knew that you were a little blood sucker.”

“Dad.” Becky warned in a dangerous tone.

“It’s fine.” I said, trying to calm her down. “Isabelle said that I could stay with her a few days.”

“Not bloody likely.” Dad snorted as he checked Becky’s sheet. “It looks like she’ll be coming with us to train your sister.”

“I don’t need power leveled.” Becky had been adamant about that from the very beginning. “I can do it on my own.”

“No.” Mother interjected. “The deal was that if your brother got a decent class, you two could go together. Not on your own.”

Becky balled a fist up. Placing a hand on her shoulder and kissing her cheek, I whispered. “It’s okay. Just be safe out there.”

“I’m sorry.” Becky choked out as the tension escaped her body and I left for the nearest town.

***

“They didn’t used to be such assholes.” Shealla stated as I met her at the gate. “In fact, neither of them wanted to be adventurers.”

I chuckled. “Yeah, why don’t you remind them about that. You’ll probably never see me again.”

“Oh.” Shealla quirked an eyebrow. “Planning to keep me away from Rica, are you?”

“Ha.” I laughed. “What? Are you marrying her off to me?”

“No.” Shealla deadpanned. “I gave her a quest. And if she wants to go adventuring, she has to complete it.”

“What quest?” I asked.

“I don’t know your class, boy.” Shealla admitted. “But knowing your parents. I asked her to guard you for a month while you get settled into your new role.”

“Thank you.” I appreciated the help. “But, if I have to pay her… well, I won’t be able to for a while.”

Shealla hugged me tight. “Don’t worry about it, boy.” She choked up a bit. “You were always my favorite.”

I returned the hug. “Thanks, Shea. Where should I meet her?”

Taking a step back and patting my shoulder with a good thump. Shealla spoke up. “She’s got a small wagon with travel supplies ready and waiting in my barn. You just tell her where you want to go, and she’ll take you.”

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak and made my way to her barn. Isabelle was waiting for me, arms crossed, and toes tapping.

“My baby, boy.” Isabelle wrapped me in a hug as I approached the barn. “Shealla mentioned that you might be leaving today. Where will you be heading?”

I hugged her back and sighed. “Tarkon, I suppose. Gonna have to register with the Merchant’s Guild to get any kind of work.”

“Ooooo.” Isabelle grinned and pinched my cheek. “A trader class? I wish that my gale had gotten something like that.”

I grinned at the warm affection she was showing. “Yeah, hopefully I can get it leveled up quick enough. Maybe then I won’t be such an embarrassment.”

“Oh, honey.” Isabelle frowned. “You are no embarrassment. Your parents just don’t understand that you walk a different path.”

“Thanks.” I muttered. “I wish they could see it that way.”

Isabelle kissed my cheek and shewed me off. “Maybe I’ll stock your shop for you, once you get one.” She laughed.

I rolled my eyes. “So, all my neighbors can blame me for stealing?”

“How many times do I have to tell you?” Isabelle smiled. “It’s not stealing, it’s borrowing.”

I waved her off with a smile on my face.

“Took you long enough.” Rica said grumpily. She was sitting in the drivers seat and ready to go. I noted that the wagon was weighed down with various trade good, as if someone had known that this would be the class I gained.

“Thanks for doing this, Rica.” I said, as she snapped the reins before I even sat down. It caused me to nearly stumble over the bench and into the wagon.

“Don’t thank me, thank mum.” Rica spat.

I could already tell that this would be a long month and a half.

“I did.” Was all I said, before I noticed that she had already turned the wrong way. “We’re going to Tarkon, it’s the other way.”

“Yeah.” Rica glared at me. “Well, I’m taking the scenic route.”

I frowned, until I realized where we were headed. Rica’s boyfriend Tyler lived down this road. Tyler was pretty cool, for a minotaur. He stood at a whopping 8 foot 6 inches tall, with long curved horns that protruded from his forehead. Thick, bull muscles covered his body. Cloven feet. And a black leathery hide.

Other than being an ass, Tyler was cool. In fact, he was cool with just about everyone. Not me. But everybody else. Just because I was never allowed enough time to drink at the bar. Doesn’t mean he had to be a dick.

“Rica!” He bellowed and climbed aboard and promptly sat between us.

He nearly knocked me off. I had a sneaking suspicion that he did it on purpose.

“Mark.” Tyler grunted and I could tell that he did it on purpose.

“Tyler.” I grunted back. Dick.

“Thanks for coming babe.” Rica said sweetly. “I don’t think I could last a month with this loser.”

My eye twitched at the comment.

“No, problem.” Tyler rumbled and looked around nervously. “Shealla is okay with me going, right?”

Rica giggled. “Of course, she was happy to hear that her precious little boy would have some extra protection.”

The way she said that makes me think that she might hold some resentment. But what’s Tyler’s problem?

“Your mom too, eh?” Tyler grumbled.

Tired of the conversation and nearly being squeezed off the bench. I climbed in the back for a nap. “Hey, Rica. Tarkon, don’t forget.”

“Whatever, runt.” Rica spat. “You don’t have to tell me again.”

Ignoring her attitude, I did my best to get some sleep…

***

I woke up sometime later. Judging by the position of the sun, it had been hours. A pair of notes were hanging from my pocket. And I had to check to make sure Tyler and Rica hadn’t ditched me. It was a stupid thought. The wagon was still in motion. So, yes, they were, and it looked like they were chatting merrily without me.

I picked up the first note and began to read.

Dearest boy,

I hope you are far into your journey when you find this note.

My mother once told me to find what I love and do it well. Being a mother is what I love. I would like to think that I do, do it well. You have always been special and don’t let anybody say otherwise. No matter how tough it is out there, remember my love. It will always be with you no matter what. When you break down and feel like you can’t go on, remember that you are still loved. If you ever feel like it’s just too much, I want you to take out this letter and remember that I still love you.

As for Rica, don’t let her get to you. She loves you in her own way. Don’t tell her I said this, but I heard her begging her mom to let her go with you. She said that she would drag that bull with her. She thought you were defenseless. I’m sorry, as you can imagine, I am giggling pretty hard right now.

Remember baby boy. Find what you love and do it well. You will be much happier that way.

Love,

Momma Isabelle

I appreciated the letter and suspect that I may need it down the line. Tucking it back in the envelope and saving it in an inner pocket I read the other one.

Hey kid,

Listen up, this is important. Your mom and dad don’t hate you. They want everyone to think that they do. There is more going on than you know. I couldn’t just let you go out there blind. There is a small chest in the hideaway in that wagon. We all chipped in. The stuff that you will find in there has a personal meaning for each of us. There is also a good number of coins in there. Don’t waste it.

In a month’s time, I will be joining you in Tarkon. How did I know? Trust me kid, I know a lot more about you than you might think. I’ll also have a surprise for you when I arrive. Just focus on your leveling for now. Everything will be fine.

If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

Now for the important part. You are not safe. Don’t tell anyone about your perk. Just be vague or tell them that it’s against your customs for you to reveal anything more personal than your name. Trust me, it’s a more common custom than you might think. Do not do anything that might draw attention to yourself.

With all the love in my heart,

Shealla

P.S. Rica might play hard to get. But don’t forget that she loves you too. In her own way.

Not knowing how to take it, I put away the note and pondered over the words in it. Shealla’s note was a warning. She knew way more about the class than she had let on during our training. I still find her words about my parents hard to believe. Shrugging it off, there was little that I could do about it now. My thoughts came to a halt as the wagon stopped.

“Time to set up camp.” Tyler called back. “Can you cook?”

“A little.” I admitted. “I’ll see what there is.”

“Then get to it.” Rica spat. “We’ll set up camp. You find the stuff to cook with. Have it ready within the hour. My ass hurts after that trip.”

“Ha.” Tyler chuckled. “Just wait till we’re doing it from horseback.”

Rica frowned and glanced at me. “Yeah… I can imagine.”

While we all set about doing our own tasks, the evening passed relatively quickly. Rica set up a tent that she would share with Tyler. She explained that the wagon was where I would sleep. Tyler set up a series of alarms around the camp. And I started the fire, along with the cooking pot, vegetables and meat. Tyler had gathered some water for me as well as some edible berries. We snacked on the berries as I prepared the meal.

The clearing we were in looked to be a commonly used rest area set up just off the main road to Tarkon. The grass was worn down to practically nothing. The trees were thick enough to mediate strong winds while thin enough to allow for a gentle breeze. It was open enough to get a glimpse of the purplish orange sky as the sunset.

“Why Tarkon?” Tyler asked as I let the stew simmer, stirring occasionally.

“Huh?” I jolted up to see that he was across the fire from me.

“I mean, there has to be at least a dozen Larger towns between here and there.” Tyler explained. “And two or three cities. So, why Tarkon?”

“Oh.” I sagged with relief, he was just trying to be friendly. “Actually, I did some research on that before I knew what my class was. If I had gotten something like a fishing class, I would have chosen a port town, like Pheboes. As a farmer, I could have gone to a provincial town, such as Torper. But, since it was a Merchant class, I wanted to go to a border town that doubled as a trade hub. It should be swarming with smithies and clothiers. Maybe even enchanters and such. I figured that it would be a great place to get a start. Especially, since I gain more experience from making a trade.”

“Nice.” Tyler grinned. “I bet I could make a little coin on the side, with all the dungeons around there too.”

I nodded. “I hadn’t known that either of you were coming. But another reason I chose it was all the low-level dungeons. Which meant that I could supply adventurers as well.”

“Smart.” Tyler nodded. “Good way to make a name for yourself.”

“Yeah.” I agreed with excitement. “I figured with my class; I could sell high-quality goods at affordable prices.”

“Sure.” Tyler snorted. “And lose your profit after the king takes his taxes.”

“Oh, I didn’t know that you could read.” Rica teased as she sat down next to Tyler.

“Funny.” Tyler chuckled. “Nah, that’s something that my mother had to deal with my whole life. I can’t remember a day that she didn’t complain about the king taking his pound of flesh.”

“Ah, but that’s the thing.” I grinned.

“You have to pay your taxes, just like everyone else.” Rica narrowed her eyes at me in warning.

“Right.” I agreed with a flinch. “It comes out automatically. Not, like I have a choice.”

“That’s right.” Tyler agreed. “But your heart is in the right place. Maybe, we can help stock your store while your still low-level and earning enough to buy one.”

I gestured to the wagon. “I’m thinking I might go with the traveling merchant specialization. Lots of money in that.”

“Oh, nice!” Tyler grinned. “Maybe we’ll see you in our travels later on. Besides, you can always settle down and get a shop when you switch to another specialization. So, which one are you going with. Caravanner? Rancher? Mercenary?”

“How do you know so much about his class?” Rica demanded.

“Like I said.” Tyler huffed. “Mom taught me all about it. In case I got saddled with her class.”

“E-emperor route.” I admitted as if it was a secret.

“Ha!” Tyler barked with laughter. “A decent choice. Most merchants or traders try that one. Takes a lot of specializations though. Want my opinion?”

As nice as Tyler was being, I decided to take him up on the offer, with a nod. “It’s better to focus on one path at a time. The common misconception is that the more you spread out the better your chances. Mom said that she realized that too late. That you had to level each class skill at a time.”

“How do you mean?” I asked, suspecting I knew the answer. But wanted clarification.

“Well, let’s say you chose cattleman early on but chose to switch at a low or even mid-level. Then you decide to change it up and own a shop in the big city. Eventually, you won’t be able to improve your business without going back to leveling your cattleman class.”

“How does that work?” I asked.

“Well, with merchants or traders, it’s a special case.” Tyler explained. “Because you have the opportunity to become a noble, without death defying risks, you have to max-level each class before gaining another. Otherwise, your previous class can hold you back.”

“I see…” I said as it dawned on me. “Which creates a bottle cap on each subsequent class.”

“Which most merchants and traders learn years down the line.” Tyler nodded. “Most often once it’s too late to start over.”

“Wait.” Rica interrupted. “Is that how it works for adventurers as well?”

“Sort of.” I agreed. This is more my area of expertise. “While adventurers can be more versatile and learn more skills. Those skills can be limited. I would recommend that as you level you save skill points back until it becomes too difficult to level naturally. Only use them to purchase skills. The most common mistake young adventurers make is sinking points into already learned skills. Which can outright halt any natural progression that you might make.”

“Is there a limit to that?” Tyler asked.

I nodded. “The prominent theory is that five is the limit, and for each point up to that, you lose 1/5 the progression speed.”

“I see…” Rica leaned forward. “Where did you learn that? My mom never said anything like that.”

“Books and research.” I stated. “Remember, I was supposed to be some sort of champion class adventure by the time I was ten. So, my parents invested heavily in everything that could give me an edge. Then…” I trailed off.

“You were you, and you failed just a I expected.” Rica teased.

"Yeah..." I said standing up. “Dinner should be done. I’ll eat later. Night guys.” I hurried off toward the wagon. Ashamed.

“Good job.” I heard Tyler remark. His big booming voice could never be considered a whisper. “The kid was finally warming up to me.”

“Sorry.” Rica said in a hushed tone.

I wept myself to sleep that night…

***

As the trip continued on, we traveled in relative peace. A monster attacked here or there. Tyler and Rica took care of those in short order. Bandits gave us a scare once, until they saw the battle-crazed Minotaur charging them swinging an axe. Other than that, I barely left the wagon. Well, except for the valuable lesson I learned about combat before and after having a class. Before gaining a class you were allowed to train in anyway that you want. Even hunt monsters. You wouldn't gain XP from it, but it would teach you a valuable lesson in how to deal with them. After gaining a non-combat class... not so much.

Upon making a fool of myself the first night, I decided that it would probably be for the best if I didn’t bother them. They were adventurers and I was just a lowly merchant. This was more of an escort mission to them. I was just a nobody. Rica obviously hated me, and her boyfriend was just trying to be nice. I would just have to get used to this being the way things were. In all the tales about adventurers, merchants were just a footnote for the low-level adventurers to gain some easy experience escorting or trading with. Sure, I knew my escorts. But Rica made it obvious how much that really meant.

Until one day…

We were travelling through a denser portion of the forest and the humidity was thick. The canvas cover on the wagon did little to help as I sat back there leafing through some texts about the dangers of a border town. It was over four hundred years old and described the last time that we were at war with a neighboring country. The night before we had been attacked by some odd looking bandits. Honestly, the looked like priests. I was still a bit embarrassed, because I couldn't remember what exactly happened. It sort of felt like I blacked out as soon as one of the priests grabbed me.

“That’s enough.” Rica growled as she handed the reins off to Tyler. “I can’t take this anymore.”

“Do what you gotta do.” Tyler chuckled. “I trust you, babe.”

Rica climbed into the back, over the seat. She made sure that I was paying attention before doing whatever she had planned. I gaped as she began to strip down to her underwear.

“Uh…” Was all I could get out.

“What?” Rica, the demon kin, asked. “It’s hot.”

“Sure…” I narrowed my eyes and sighed. “Rica, I’m tired of making a fool out of myself. Please, just stop teasing me.”

“I intend to.” Rica said as she strutted forward removing her bra and panties. “At this rate you’ll want me gone as soon as we get there. After what had happened last night... I won’t leave.” She stated as she nudged the book from my lap with a foot and took its place.

“Listen, Rica, you really don’t have to do…” I trailed off as Rica wrapped her arms around me.

“I do.” Rica said, nervously. “Or you’ll never understand.”

“But Tyler.” I mumbled.

“What about it?” Rica asked, looking me dead in the eye.

“Aren’t you two together?” I asked.

“No.” They said together.

“That was more of an excuse to party up.” Tyler explained from the driver seat. “Sure, we’ve had some fun. But I always knew what this was.”

“Mom wouldn’t let me explore the dungeons near home without a partner that I trusted.” Rica explained. “It was never serious.” Her husky voice was near my ear as she whispered. “Not like I feel about you.”

I shuddered as she pushed me onto my back. “Rica…” I exhaled, looking into her fiery golden eyes. “I thought you hated me.”

Rica ripped my shirt open and kissed my chest. “I have been waiting for you to be a man and claim me. Especially, after @#!@#$” A severe screeching noise pierced my skull as she spoke at length about... something. She rested her head on my torso and trailed a finger over my abs. “You could at least show some interest.”

I sighed, realizing that this would go no further and that something in my class or the system would not allow me to understand whatever it was that she had said. “You really are a tease, Rica.”

“I know.” Rica sighed and let her hand rest on a pec. “Do you forgive me?”

Knowing that I would never be strong enough to ‘claim’ her. I took a few slow, deep breaths and rubbed my hand across her back. “Yeah… and you know that I could never be strong enough to do that.”

Rica didn’t respond. She hardly moved. I realized that she must have fallen asleep.

“Tyler?” I asked.

“Yeah, Mark?” Tyler responded.

“Is this a joke or are you guys serious?” I had to ask.

“Dude.” Tyler chuckled. “Trust me. It’s all good.”

I could feel that Rica’s body temperature was much higher than mine, and she didn’t appear to be sweating either. I suspected that she used the humidity as an excuse to strip down.

Me on the other hand, I was now sweating buckets. But, despite everything, I dozed off as well…

“Mmmh.” Rica moaned in my ear sometime later. It woke me up enough to see what she was doing. I was not stupid enough to ruin the show by jumping, jerking, or moving in general.

I couldn’t believe my eyes. Rica was rubbing one out right next to me. It looked as if she were biting a finger to stay quiet. The problem that probably woke me up was that she had a leg wrapped around mine as she was grinding into me. Hot wet fluids had soaked through my trousers, and I presumed that this wasn’t even the first time she had done this.

“Oh, Mark.” Rica mumbled through her bit finger. “Almost there, almost, almost… Ahh!” She sagged into me. “I love you.”

“What?” I couldn’t stop myself before the words came out.

Rica’s golden eyes fixed on mine so fast I thought she might have hurt her neck.

“You heard me.” Rica squinted dangerously. “Time to set up camp. Are you cooking that horrible stew again?”

“Uh, sure.” I was tempted to kiss those pouty lips to see what her reaction would be. But alas I did not have the confidence for something like that.

“Good.” Rica said as she got up and dressed. “I hope you enjoyed the show, because it was your last.”

I groaned as I got up. So, she’s back to hating me…

***

Rica took the first watch as Tyler headed to their shared tent, and I read by candlelight in the wagon. This one was a more current book that was based on prices for goods coming out of the capital. Ores such as Iron, bronze, and copper were fairly cheap and a good product to invest in due to the demand. Leather could be expensive depending on the beast that it came from. Food, such as potatoes, corn, and wheat fluctuated depending on the region it was sold. Same went for various types of meat. Cloth was another type that varied depending on quality, rarity, and availability.

There was a base price for goods that could not be bargained with. Anyone that tried to sell below base would be in serious trouble. The first time was a fine. The next time it was a heavier fine, plus a week in prison/mining camp. If you were dumb enough to do it a third time, you got a permanent ban on selling items. There were a fair number of Adventurers that would try to force merchants into that very thing anyway. Whether it was with a skill like intimidation or barter, or if it was just outright theft and beating them within an inch of their life. Adventurers wanted special treatment, no matter the cost, from those they referred to as NPC’s.

NPC was an incredibly derogatory term that they used to describe townsfolk. Whether it was a blacksmith, a mayor, or even a guard. They thought that their levels and abilities made them better than everyone else.

I knew most of this of course, but it never hurt to do a refresher. Especially, if you’re going to be working in the field. This wasn’t the only type of book that I had collected over the years, and I had guides for most available occupations. Whether those guides were all that useful was circumspect. As well as guides that gave the best locations for dungeons, monster farming, and where to find high-level repeatable quest monsters.

I had hopes that I could get Rica and Tyler to do some mapping for me. Then I could use that as an earner as well. Hopefully, once I reach level ten and establish a trade, I can use them as a supplier of sorts. Granted, the more I dug into it... that was not nearly as straight foreward as I once thought. Apparently, each tier of my class ranged for ten levels. So, once I reached level ten i would need to choose a specialization. At level twenty I had the option to sacrifice half my earned stat point and chose another Tier 1 specialization. Or I could just take a Tier 2 specialization and sacrifice the ability to gain levels in anymore Tier 1 abilities. Which is fine if you are not interested in gaining a noble title or ranking all the way up to Emperor.

As for Rica and Tyler, I’m sure that they will have goods, that they will be more than happy to get rid of. Specifically, if they are dungeon diving. Typically, the Adventurers Guild only wanted specific items, everything else that took up space and seemed next to useless would come in handy for the townsfolk in one way or the other.

Adventurers may not realize that the useless junk they find in a dungeon, such as a hammer or even a button they received from a looting ability, actually worked as gear bonuses for townsfolk. That hammer could wind up being a +4 Carpentry or the button once sown on could give a +2 health or something. It was all random. The only people that were really in on the secret were merchants. And only those that either read it like I had, or those lucky enough to be in a specific field of commerce. Why give away trade secrets and lose out on all that potential profit? That would be as stupid as an adventurer finding a moronically easy, repeatable boss, and just giving away it's location for free. (Bosses give out massive XP and the only time that information is 'given away' is when the adventurer in question wants to sell it for a sizeable profit. After they had leveled as much as they could from it.)

The more I delved into the class and the branching options, the more intrigued I was by it. Sure, I wouldn’t save the world with a sword. But, with enough gold, I could own it. I was also beginning to see the perks of my plus player perk. Without the need to pay taxes, I could pocket my excess coin for stats, skills, and abilities.

Technically, with enough gold, I could save the world with a sword. I had access to something that most people did not. I could make purchases directly from the system. At an extreme cost. But according to the description, with time I could gain discounts. There were these tiers set in place, and I had to work my way up. My first goal was to purchase these tiers one at a time. The first-tier cost 100,000 gold, but that would gain me a ten percent discount. The next tier was 1,100,000 gold, which I suspected would drop ten percent after purchasing the first tier. In turn that would gain me another five percent discount, and so would each consecutive tier after that.

“Hey.” Rica said, stepping up to the wagon. “You still reading?”

“Yeah, what’s up?” I said, placing the book down.

“I’m sorry.” Rica said nervously, looking at her feet. “About earlier. I just don’t want you to be mad at me. It's just difficult for me to be overly friendly, you know?”

“Like your teasing?” I smirked.

“It’s your own damn fault!” Rica snapped defensively.

“How?” I asked.

“You’re always reading those damn books.” Rica ticked off a finger. “Or training with my mom, your mom, your dad, Isabelle, or working out, or running, or hunting…”

“I get it.” I laughed. “How is that my fault? You know what my parents are like. And what’s that got to do with your teasing. As far as I could tell, you hate me.”

“I don’t hate you.” Rica grumbled. “I hate that you don’t see me. Or didn’t see me. Until I started teasing you.”

“What?” I was lost.

Embarrassed, Rica began to back away. “Remember when we were twelve and you were trying to flirt with my mom while training?”

“Uh, no?” I admitted. Honestly, I had been flirting with her mother for years. It was part of my Charisma training. Shealla loved it, she said I made her feel young again. Probably why she let me do that thing with her the night before I gained a class. Don’t tell me Rica knew?!

“Well, that hurts.” Rica admitted and took another step back. “Not gonna lie. But that’s what I’m talking about. You were always too busy for me. Or anyone else. How else am I supposed to get your attention?”

“Rica…” I was at a loss for words. “Come here.”

Rica just looked at me for a second then back at her feet. “No, I-I can’t. I can’t take it anymore.”

Like approaching a skittish deer, I stood and crept toward her. “Rica don’t run off again. Please.” I took another cautious step. “I’m not fully aware of what’s going on, but I do know that if we don’t talk about it, things will never change.”

Suddenly, Rica’s head snapped to the side, and she ran off. I sighed and sat in the open door of the wagon. Either she was helping with a threat to the camp, or I scared her off. Rica’s behavior was odd today. There was obviously nothing I could do if there was an attack. Not only were my stats too low to help, but I also had a class that reduced the damage that I dealt. I would need God like weapons and the skill requirements necessary to use them properly. Even though I had been trained in their uses before gaining a class. Right now, I could no longer pick up weapons with an intent to use them.

“I’m so fucking useless.” I groaned as I heard the battle take place.

Rica was shouting out fire spells and Tyler was taunting. I had witnessed the scene a few times already and accepted that I couldn’t help. The first time, I really did try to help. Until I embarrassed myself with a conscious losing fate. Because that’s what happens when a non-combatant picks up a weapon to fight. The only caveat is when you gain a skill for it. Not many non-combatants can afford to purchase a skill scroll and those that do, do not purchase one for a wasted skill. Why gain a combat skill when you would never use it? Just hire some guards and pray that they are enough.

As I read more in detail, I also learned another interesting quirk that the adventures never knew about. Yes, non-combatants can give out quests, that’s normal. But they can also receive quests, even from adventurers. It’s more of an intent type of thing. For example, if an adventurer went to a blacksmith for a specific sword, that blacksmith would receive a quest to make the appropriate weapon. That’s not the interesting part though. The blacksmith would gain experience to match that of a dungeon run of the same tier. Without ever facing danger! It’s no wonder then that townsfolk are content with their lot in life.

On top of that, townsfolk gain a city-wide defensive stat when working in a town, village, or even a city. Just to protect them in case of an attack. In a high-level city it would be nigh impossible to take down a lowly merchant or barmaid. Especially, considering that a business is allowed to hire guards that in turn receive the same defensive bonus, along with an attack bonus to boot. Hired guards also receive a payment from the system to match that paid by the business that hired them. For instance, if I were to hire a guard at a silver a week, that guard would hear and be paid two silver a week. In the case of the guard talking to me, I would hear and agree to pay a single silver a week. This was accidentally discovered when a merchant had accused his high-level guard of skimming.

My vision began to blur as a large man with larger white wings protruding from his back and they were shining even in the dark of night...

***

BAM!

Lost in thought, I was taken off guard as Rica dove into me, planting kisses in the process. “I’m so sorry, baby. I love you.”

I blinked rapidly wondering what happened to the figure that had approached. If I were to guess, by this confusing conversation starting point, might have a mix of things I am unaware about going on. Probably, heightened blood flow and adrenaline, whatever was going on in her head throughout the battle, and whatever other assumptions she had made. But, who was that guy?

I noticed that adventurers or at the very least, Rica and Tyler, tended to do that after combat. My book had yet to touch on the topic. Except for the few that I read about being married to one. According to one account, she had been married to an adventurer for years, and her husband would leave for a time. A week at most. Then said adventurer would return and speak of a journey that lasted for years, maybe more. I was rather curious as to how that would work.

“Rica.” I smiled and brushed some hair from her eyes. “Are you okay?” The first thing that I had noticed was the age lines that creased around her eyes and mouth. Were they always there? Then there were her eyes themselves. They looked... darker? No... desperate.

“I thought, I lost you!” Rica began kissing me repeatedly. “That monster! He… he…” She began to weep.

I held her tight. “I’m fine Rica, I take it you won.”

Rica looked at me strangely for a second. “Yes, we won. We’re back, and you are safe. Just don’t scare me like that again.”

It was my turn to give her an odd look. “Okay…”

“You didn’t forget, did you?” Rica asked… hopeful?

“Uh, sorry.” I stated a bit confused.

“I promised.” Rica stated. “You are mine. I told that Angel too fuck off. That you were mine and then you came to me. You remembered me.”

“I must have forgotten.” I was lost. None of this happened. This was odder than her usual pattern. “What happened?”

“It’s… it’s okay.” Rica began to shake in my arms. “You weren’t yourself at the time. Now, you are back. Right?”

“Uh, yeah.” I agreed. “It’s like I never left.”

Rica kissed my lips. “I’m so glad that you are back to your old self. I was worried the whole trip back. Don’t ever, ever scare me like that again.”

I smiled and built up the nerve to swat her booty. “I’ll try not to.”

What the fuck is going on?

“Good.” Rica smiled. “Now, let’s get back to our bed. It’ll feel much better with you… here.”

Here? I never left.

“Yeah.” I nodded. “But I think you’ll have to get up first.”

“You with us?” I heard Tyler ask. He looked to have gained a new scar since I had seen him last. And the same sorts of aged markings.

“He is.” Rica said cheerily. “I told you my Mark would come to his senses.”

Tyler let out a long heavy sigh. “Phew, that’s great news. Looks like we can finally start this journey again.”

“Um, Rica?” I asked. She looked a little… older? More haggard? Than she did a few minutes ago. “How long was I out?”

“Shh, let’s not talk about it, love.” Rica whispered, putting a finger to my lips.

With that, we laid down, and an uncomfortable feeling settled over me as we fell asleep.

***

Over the next few days, similar events occurred, and Rica grew more and more affectionate each time. A bandit would grab me and I would black out. A dryad beckoned me into the forest, same thing. For some reason, it began to feel natural to think of her as at the very least my girlfriend. I mean I had always had a crush on her. But now it felt different. Reciprocated. It was still strange knowing that I was missing some very important details as to why we were in a relationship. And I'd be nuts to turn her down. She was my dream girl. It was better to just pretend that I knew and go with the flow. Tyler seemed happy for us too. It was a little odd, but I just accepted that it was something strange about being an adventurer.

I noticed that their skills and abilities seemed to be getting stronger as well. With our journey nearly complete, Rica was beginning to show her excitement at us having a place to settle down for a while. She kept trying to convince me that it would be better if I set up a shop in town and waited to become a traveling merchant. I grunted, noncommittal at the topic. I really wanted to travel.

“It’s too dangerous.” Rica snapped at me, tired of not receiving a straight answer. “Baby, please. I just want a break. After you gain some levels, we can move on.” She didn’t even try to bring up how many times that she ‘supposedly’ saved me.

“Fine.” I huffed. “You can do all the adventuring you want. Go! Have fun! I’ll just stay home and keep a tidy place for you.”

“Mark!” Rica looked hurt. “It’s not like that and you know it. Tyler and I need to visit a trainer and work on our abilities for a while. We won’t be leaving you. It’s just… hard.”

Tyler gave me a sad smile. “If you could just remember what’s been happening, you would understand, little buddy.”

A growl of frustration escaped my lips. “How the fuck am I supposed to do that, huh? The damn system locks me up every time apparently. Or you two are making it up.”

They both looked hurt at that.

“What level do you think I am?” Rica asked, innocently.

It was a trap and I knew it. I aimed high. “I don’t know, twelve or thirteen.”

“No.” Rica said flatly. “I started this journey at six. Tyler started at eight. We’re at about half a level from thirty and with beginner skills that are maxed out. You have been kidnapped by bandits, an Angel, a fucking wolfpack for some fucking reason, and a literal hag. We just want to sit back and relax for a while.”

“Don’t forget about the dryads.” Tyler grinned.

“Why do you keep bring that up?” Rica demanded. “Like I want to keep remembering my boyfriend having the life literally fucked out of him.”

“Any man should be so lucky.” Tyler grinned. “Death by snu-snu.”

“Fine.” I grumbled. “Why don’t I get to remember any of these adventures? They sound fun.”

Tyler hi-fived me. “Yeah, I think its called the adventurers paradox or something. Mom said that it happened to her from time to time. That’s how she met dad.” He explained.

“What?” I asked.

“Yeah, basically time stops for you while we adventurers rescue you.” Tyler continued.

"Wait, time stops?" I asked.

Tyler nodded. “Yeah, at least until you can gain control of your motor functions during a quest. I think it's a parameter in the system that stops you form waking up old enough to die before you even gain a level. You'll have to ask her. She said that back when she was around level 4, she got wrapped up in a quest that took two years. Her younger sister came out older than her at the end of it. At lower levels, you are basically guided by instincts. At higher levels, you will have more control over your faculties. So, until you’re at a higher level, we’ll be stuck rescuing you from every little mouse that wants to steal you. When you get to a higher level, you can gain the opportunity to do something about it. Right now, we are gaining maximum experience from the rescues.”

“What?” I felt like I was on repeat.

“Well, the way mom described it.” Tyler said. “It’s like you are gambling with the monsters for your life. You’ll see when you get stronger. Typically, the world will freeze, and you have the chance to place a bet. The riskier the bet, the less control you have. As weak as you are right now at level 1. Every bet is automatically at max.”

“I see.” I muttered. “But my instincts always send me to Rica?”

Rica squeezed my leg and smiled. “Yes, love. They do. But it scares the shit out of me every time. What happens if we’re in an area out of our level range? Or skill set?” That almost felt like a lie. Like maybe she was omitting stuff.

“My hero.” I groaned as I leaned into her shoulder. “Fine, but as soon as I max the shop owner class, we’re hitting the road. All I’ve seen is this fucking boring ass main road. Hell, have we even left the woods?”

Rica and Tyler shared a look.

“What do you see right now?” Tyler asked curiously.

I rolled my eyes. This is going to suck. “A dense forest area, with the exact same clearing looking area that we have had every night of the journey.”

Rica groaned.

“I wish.” Tyler laughed. “No, my friend. Right now, we are cutting across the Sand dunes of Cavarr. With any luck, we will be in Tarkon tomorrow.”

A thought occurred to me. “When was the first time I was kidnapped?”

“About a day before Rica came all over your pants the first time.” Tyler chuckled.

Rica reached across to punch his shoulder. Tyler batted her fist aside.

“Tyler is right.” Rica glared at the big man. “However, I would not have put it that way. The bandit leader asked you to beg your lover for your life. You begged me to leave. You said that whatever happened you would always love me. But didn’t want me to risk my life. You understood how much I hated you and that we would never be together.”

I had to chuckle. It did sound like me. But not something I would say out loud. Way to emotional.

“Gee.” I mumbled embarrassment. “How romantic.”

“It was sweet.” Rica said. “Tyler explained that whole paradox thing and I wanted you to understand that it was never what you thought. Then that Angel…” She finished in a near growl.

“You were in pretty bad shape, dude.” Tyler grimaced. “Like fit in a backpack bad. Your body took a long time to recover. Then one night, Rica found you sitting at the edge of the wagon. Like you never moved from your spot the night that you were taken.”

I sat there in horror, that was the first time that I had heard that story. I wish I hadn’t. “How… … long?”

Rica tensed up.

“Two years to find you.” Tyler admitted. “Rica was nearly out of her mind. When we finally got you back… needless to say it took some effort to find a way to fix you. The temples don’t restore the working class. At least without a.. nevermind. Necros and alchemists were baffled. Rica found a hint in one of your books.”

"!@$#" Rica and Tyler told a grand tale or epic or sad? It was hard to focus on anything but there lips as they spoke. My head pounded and my ears throbbed as I strained to understand them. I couldn't interrupt them and they couldn't tell that I didn't understand. Eventually, when they stopped speaking and the ringing subsided, I spoke.

“How long?” I asked again.

Rica and Tyler shared a look.

"%#$$" Tyler said as Rica watched me closely.

She frowned and shook her head.

"!@" Tyler asked.

Another shake.

“It’s been eleven years since we began this journey.” Tyler tried.

“It was only supposed to be two weeks.” I mumbled and looked at my character sheet. I was still eighteen.

“Yeah…” Tyler rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, technically we’ve already been there once.”

“Really?” I asked.

“Yeah…” Rica admitted. “I thought… if we completed your quest, it would be fine. Your body was healed. But it was like…”

“No one was home.” Tyler ripped off the band aid.

“Eventually, I found the notes from an adventurer about returning to the place you were first captured.” Rica said slowly. “But we got you back.”

I suppressed a groan and forced a smile. “Well, I’m back now.” Then I chuckled. “I suppose that explains why you haven’t spoken about adventuring without me for a while.”

Rica nodded solemnly. “I’ve had enough major quests for a while.”

“You’ll still run some dungeons for me, right?” I asked with a cheeky grin. “I would hate to have to do it myself.”

Tyler chuckled. “Yeah, little buddy. But we do have enough to stock a store right now.”

Rica squeezed me tight around my shoulder. “I’ll be too busy guarding the shop.”

Planting a kiss on her cheek I chuckled. “But I’m still level one. I can’t even own a shop until I'm Tier 3.”

“Fine.” Rica smiled much brighter at the attention that I still had to work up the nerve to give her. “Only, until you get that shop.”