Chapter 5
What are they thinking…
Mike Collier
About a month later…
As I entered the warehouse I noticed the lit torches, stacks of boxes, and aisles of merchandise. There was moonlight shining through the windows and I caught a glimpse of the stars. An orc sat at a desk strewn with papers awaiting my arrival.
“Mark.” Gunther nodded at my approach.
“Evening.” I greeted him.
“Fayt still out there?” Gunther asked.
“Yeah.” I agreed. “She’s finally starting to settle down.”
A memory of dinner came to the fore, as I thought of Fayt’s blushing cheeks. She thanked me for buying her meal. It really wasn’t all that expensive. Hell, we had been going to that same restaurant for a few weeks now. Rica and Tyler had been out clearing dungeons until later and later in the evening. I rarely felt like cooking, so we went out for dinner.
After clearly making the mistake of going to a tavern in the merchant district, I was the victim of yet another quest. We decided that it would be best to eat in a restaurant in the Height’s. The food quality was better, the people’s manners were better, and Fayt was beginning to open up. A smile here, some makeup there, even her hair had taken on a sheen that looked much better. When we had first met, her hair was a complete mess. She didn’t wear makeup. And there was no smile in sight.
Rica, who had a negative attitude toward her for some reason, had begun to soften up. Where at first it was all glares and threats. Now, she was cordial and friendly. I would like to claim that I didn’t know the reason for it… But I had overheard her and Tyler speak about her jealousy and how she needed to get it under control.
Fayt had a great smile, and I had no idea why she hid it so much. She barely talked about herself or her history. She would either poorly misdirect the questions or outright refuse to answer. I took the hint.
“Probably the raise.” Gunther chuckled. “How’s identify coming along?”
“Reached level 4 just last night.” I smiled.
“Good.” Gunther grinned. “That, along with being a level 5 Stock boy will help you as I unlock some of the more restricted areas of the warehouse.” He waved away my concerns as he continued to talk. “Don’t think that I haven’t noticed your main class reaching level 14. You are proving to be quite an asset. Though I know that you’ll be moving on much faster than anticipated, I believe I know why. So, let me ask you one thing.”
I glanced around, making sure that there was no one listening. “What’s that?” My charisma was the only thing that let me keep my cool. Barely.
“Rather than asking the obvious.” Gunther grinned at my reaction. “I would like to do you a favor.”
“Why?” I blurted out, fully confused.
“Because a favor now, will be worth so much more in the future.” Gunther slid a contract across the table. “This is an open supply contract. It is set up to help you stock your inventory on your first store.” Seeing my reaction, he chuckled. “You have born witness to my base inventory. Trust me when I say that that is the tip of the iceberg. Don’t worry about the cost. Consider it an investment.”
As I processed this information I frowned. If he couldn’t hire more than a single guard and required me to supplement that, why would this be that good of a deal? Other than free. Well, something wasn’t making any sense. Was Hire guard that rare of an ability? Or was it just that costly?
“And what sort of favor would you like in return for this… investment?” I asked.
“Just remember me, when you’re a noble trying to supply a village.” Gunther gave a smug grin.
“Right…” I stated slowly and pocketed the contract. There wasn’t a whole lot of value in that to me or him. It was more of a promise. Something that would mean more as a Tier 2 merchant than a lowly Tier 1. “So, what have we got going on today?”
I followed Gunther to the back. There was a door that I could swear was not there yesterday. Chalking it up to a system related problem or illusion issue, I ignored it and began to do as instructed.
The night continued in much the same way as any other. I just had more inventory to count. I also had piles of inventory to identify, count, and sort. That was something I had taken a habit of doing at the end of the shift, closer to sunrise. Mainly because in the early days I did it to familiarize myself with locations of various items. As the days passed, I kept it up because it had easily become part of my routine.
The most common item to identify was the low-level rings. They varied from +1 Strength to +1 Stealth and everything in between. Most of it was useless junk. But a skilled enchanter could absorb the weak enchantments and use a concentrated form on a higher-level item to make it a +2 Strength or whatever. Then they could do the same with the next level of items. It was a horrendously inefficient process that helped low-level enchanters gain levels. It cost something like 10 base rings to make one of a higher tier.
The same went for daggers, shields, armor, or even magical staves. Gunther made a hefty profit off the goods. When he was deeper into his cups, he would shamelessly brag about the turnaround he made off the goods. Being somewhat of a shyster, I suspected that was the reason he couldn’t gain the use of guards and was in part trying to salvage his reputation with the ability to make use of it himself. Not being informed, all I could do was speculate. And those speculations tended to vary wildly.
***
As I soaked in the hot bath, I mused over my stats and how many people were going to start figuring out my rapid level gain. That made things dangerous. It wasn’t until I got home that Gunther’s offer finally sunk in. It was more of a threat than generosity. He was essentially saying that he knew what my perk was and that he knew what would happen if people found out. It was more of a ‘you better take this contract’ type of thing.
As I read it over, he was trying to hit me with a deal that heavily favored him in the terms. A full 25% of the profits that came from anything that he supplied would be going in his pockets. He wanted to be the only supplier. And he wanted partial ownership of my shop. A generous 49%.
I had to laugh at the stupidity of it all. One word from me, and Rica would burn his business to the ground.
Character sheet
Name: Mark Collier
Age: 19
Tier: 1
Class: Merchant
Level: 14
XP: 1,506/14,000
Specialization: Stock boy (+1 strength, +1 Constitution, +1 Intelligence)
Specialized: Security
Level: 5
XP: 1,985/5000
Stored XP: 3,186
Health: 160/160
Mana: 140/140
Stats:
Strength: 18
Agility: 19 (+2)
Dexterity: 17
Constitution: 20
Intelligence: 45
Wisdom: 40
Charisma: 40 (+2)
Currency:
Gold: 1263
Silver: 72
Copper: 43
Free Stat Points: 20
Inventory:
Equipped: Affer’s sunglasses of perception, Clint’s business class security suit, Torpin’s boots of threatening speed.
Unequipped:
N/A
Skills:
Barter: Level 20 Maxed – (25%) allows you to haggle for goods in your favor. Level 1 value adjustments 5%. (Each level adds 1%) this is a general use skill and can be stacked with skills of an appropriate class.
Negotiator: Level 5 – (3%) allows you to haggle for goods in your favor. Level 1 value adjustments 1%. (Each level adds .5%) This is a class skill and can be stacked with similar skills. (Allows user to negotiate terms in hostile situations.)
Perception: Level 7 – (16%) (+2% equipment bonus) increased awareness that allows you to notice anything out of the ordinary. Level 1 value adjustments 10% (Each level adds 1%) Stacks with similar vision skills.
Identify: Level 4 – (Level 1-40 enchantments) You gain the ability to identify low-level enchantments.
Free Skill Points: 17
Abilities:
Coin purse: Level 2 – 436,737/1,000,000 to next level. Allows users to store up to 100,000 coins of each type.
Hire guards: Level 1 – (1 slot available) Upon completion of the security specialization you have gained the ability to hire a guard. You may gain experience and reputation through hiring a guard for long periods of time. (Starting at level 2 and all even levels you may unlock boosts. Odd levels unlock more guard slots.)
Free Ability Points: 8
Perks:
Plus Player – Player is granted a free skill with each specialization and a free ability upon completion. It takes half the effort to gain experience.
System Shop Discount – Tier 1 (10%) The ability to purchase items in the System Shop with a discount.
Progress was going fast, but not fast enough. It was either dial my leveling speed down and potentially lose out on whatever gains I could potentially earn or keep at this pace because there was no way I could speed it up any faster. If I kept at this pace, it would risk quite a few things. Tyler and Rica would be in danger… well, maybe not. Fayt would die if she chose to stay. And there would be nothing left of me. At all. Granted Fayt had been leveling fairly quickly lately.
As I continued to ponder on what to do, the bathroom door swung open. Figuring it for Rica, I barely moved. She had a habit of joining me in the bath. It was her way of crossing the line without crossing the line. I couldn’t say that I was against it either. Her sultry form pressed against me for the better part of an hour as we soaked and discussed our day’s activities was one of the better parts of my day. Okay, it was the best part. At first, she had begun teasing me relentlessly. After I had threatened to not bathe again, she had relented and just accepted soaking while sitting in my lap.
“Hey.” Rica spoke softly as she climbed in the tub. “I missed you today.”
“Oh, yeah?” I asked as I wrapped her up into a hug.
“Yeah.” Rica said as she leaned into me. “We were fighting some trolls that had holed up in the mountains. And I remembered that time when we were younger.”
Knowing that she didn’t need my interruption, I stayed silent. Giving a hum of agreement here and there as she explained.
“You used to be soooo… valiant.” Rica sighed. “Remember when we were kids and you used to save us from different monsters?” I hummed wanting to ask a question and knew that it would sidetrack her. “That time you, Gale, and Becky ‘saved’ me from trolls. It was my first kiss.”
“I was seven.” I chuckled. “That barely counts. It is the duty of the hero to kiss the rescued damsel.”
Rica giggled. “I didn’t say that it was a bad thing.”
“So, trolls?” I asked.
“Yeah.” Rica relaxed. “It was just something Tyler had said that reminded me. There was this girl adventurer that got caught up in the mess. When we were done, I recommended that he ask for a kiss as a reward. Then I couldn’t stop giggling.” Her voice saddened some. “Eventually, it hit me that we would never have that sort of relationship again.”
“Sorry…” I muttered.
I knew that it wasn’t my fault and even with the knowing, I couldn’t help but apologize. It had felt like it was my fault in some way…
***
“Get behind me!” Fayt roared as the assailant charged toward us.
I ducked behind her as ordered.
Fayt slammed a heavily armed boot into the attacker’s chest as she drew her sword. The attacker rolled head over heels as he recoiled from the guard’s boosted stats. I had no idea what his level was but with my most recent level gain in the Hired guard ability. She now received a third of all my stats while protecting me. That was roughly 14 levels worth of points spread out to boost her stats. And that number would only increase as we gained levels. It may spread out as I gain more guards. I wasn’t sure how the ability leveled and wouldn’t know until I reached level three.
“Yes!” Fayt roared as she charged her downed opponent.
The fight was over so fast that I felt bad for the guy that had attacked. I didn’t even know why he had attacked in the first place. He had no idea it was over when it was, because his head toppled to the ground after Fayt had passed his position.
“Thanks, Fayt.” I said sincerely. “That’s the first time I believe that I avoided an encounter entirely. I’m pretty sure that this one would have resulted in my death.”
Fayt flicked her sword, cleaning the blood from it. “I was beginning to think that you wouldn’t have need of my services.”
“Oh, I had no doubt that I would need you sooner or later.” I chuckled. “Loot him. I’ll trade off anything that you don’t want to keep.”
Fayt glanced at the corpse as if realizing something. She froze.
“Ah.” I said in understanding. “First dead body? I get it. My parents were high-level adventurers and we had to deal with this sort of thing frequently enough.”
Fayt nodded and looked puzzled at her hands.
“I get it.” I really didn’t. This was the sort of thing that I had to deal with for as long as I could remember. My parents had the demon version of quests placed on them quite frequently. This was just a normal part of life for me. “Do you want me to do it?”
“No… uh…” Fayt began to pant trying to get herself under control again. Her hands clutched to her chest as confusion settled into her features. “Just… uh… give me a… minute.”
I think she’s having a panic attack.
“Are you sure?” I asked, side-eying her. “We have to get back to work. If you can no longer do your job, that’s fine. I’ll request another guard tomorrow. Can you make it through the night?”
Fayt nodded. “It’s not like killing monsters, is it?”
“I have no idea.” I admitted. “The only time I tried to help with a monster attack, I blacked out.”
“Oh.” Fayt balked. “I didn’t mean… never mind. I’ll be fine. You need not find a replacement.” With that she began stripping the body. Stuffing it all in her storage bag, I nodded with approval.
“Great!” I clapped my hands and led the way. “Let’s get out of here. The town guards will take care of that.”
“Of course, sir.” Fayt said as she fell in behind me.
***
Becky Collier
Somewhere off the port shore of the southern isles…
Becky sat in a tavern, deep in her cups, with a girl wrapped up in each arm. The room spun as she sang a shanty about a leviathan taken down by a guy named Mark. The captain of a pirate crew that smuggled illegal goods, raided merchant vessels, and drowned themselves in ale every time they were at port. After losing her brother so many years ago, she had taken a liking to it. It reminded her of him. Not only the name, but also the daring deeds that he blundered himself into.
Her twin may not have been the most gifted person born under the sun. But he had an instinct that was rare in adventurers. He could take any situation, any, and boil it down to cold hard facts. Emotion held no sway over Mark. No way, no how. For example, he would see this situation that she was in and not see the humor in it. He might even agree with her choice of actions.
A devilish grin spread across Becky’s face as she thought about it. Becky, the daughter of the Black Dawn party. The future champion of the world, meant to be second only to her twin, and Hero of Heroes. She cackled at the thought. Looking at the band of criminals she called her crew, she could only imagine what Mark would say. Not that she would ever know now.
After the fuck up that was Rica and Tyler occurred, Becky had gone rogue. Not at first, no. She had been a part of that shit show they called a world quest. Anyone to survive that ordeal had come out of it at max level and Prestiged as a result. Not that her twin got anything out of it.
“Fucking bitch.” Becky muttered.
A memory flashed. That fucking asshole Michael wanted her brother, her brother to plead for help from the one that he loved most. It had broken Becky’s heart to witness him blubber for Rica as that prick cut a piece at a time off of him. Well, not literally, it was some sort of suicide disintegration spell. And not the part about it being Rica, everyone knew how they felt about each other.
Except for them. The pair had this awkward sort of love for each other since they were kids. They were blind to it. Danced around it. Mark would watch her until she caught his gaze. Then she would do the same. It only got worse as they got older. Mark would moon over everything that Rica did but didn’t have the balls to say anything. Rica never let another girl near Mark as she desperately tried to gain his attention. Neither of them could take a hint.
Then there was that display she had put on before they left for Tarkon. Rica had challenged her own mother in a duel to be allowed to go. Becky was pretty sure that Shealla had taken pity on the girl and let her win. Only on the stipulation that Rica take at least Tyler with her. Gale too if she could swing it. Rica had adamantly refused to let another girl join her. She had only allowed Tyler to join in hopes of making Mark jealous enough to act.
No, it was how he was dismembered piece by tiny fucking piece with each word. None of the fucking champions could do a damn thing. A spell of holding. Fifteen max tier, max level, adventurers were helpless as they witnessed that horror show. Blood, tears, and piss, you name it. Her brother expelled it as he bravely spoke.
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
“You see, it was a twisted fucking deal.” Becky drunkenly slurred to no one in particular.
Mark had a choice to make. Either speak to save his saviors and lose a sliver of himself with each word or stay silent and watch them die at the hands of the Fallen Angel. It was one of the few times she had witnessed him throw caution to the wind and speak from the heart. He spoke to each person in turn. Her mother and father were useless as he told them that he loved them no matter what. All those people that trained him and claimed to want to throw their lives away, if need be, to save him… they did nothing when push came to shove. It was all a lie. They didn’t care about Mark at all they just wanted the accolades and recognition that comes with a world event. They even claimed the credit for defeating that monster…
Becky kicked herself for falling into that very same crowd. No. It was Rica and fucking Tyler that broke their chains demanding a duel. They had refused to watch Mark kill himself for their sake. The weakest Max Tier members of the group, and they couldn’t even use the powered up holy gear. They had few skills, abilities, and spells. Just a determination that had driven them to this point.
The surprise came near the end. Rica was bleeding out and Tyler was lying in a broken mess. Mark, her brother, the fool that he was, sacrificed himself to save them. He spoke so rapidly that it was hard to make out the words. Becky’s nightmares were filled with the results of his actions. He exploded into a mass of white emoting lights. Just like those that monsters left when they died.
In the end, with his sacrifice, the heroes could claim victory and honors. Twelve of the members chose the story and that left Becky, Rica, and Tyler the youngest of the group to either agree or be put down. Gale was mostly indifferent to it all.
Tears formed on Becky’s cheeks as she tried to banish the memory. She must be really drunk right now, because she hadn’t thought about that shit in a long time.
“What was that, love?” The girl on her right, a succubus named Tilly asked. Becky’s first mate as well as first wife.
“Nothing, love.” Becky sniffed. “Just having some flashbacks.”
Becky had met her shortly after she left Black Dawn. She had decided to go solo after the events of the world level quest. The trust for her team was gone. They were willing to let her brother sacrifice himself and then had the gall to steal the credit for his victory. Her father even had the nerve to make a comment about it being the only useful thing that Mark had ever done. It was needless to say that they did not part on good terms.
“Which ones?” The girl on her left asked. She was Diente, an elven mage that Becky had taken for a second wife. “The death or resurrection?”
Becky’s eye twitched. “That was not a resurrection.” She snarled. “There is no soul in that thing’s body. Whatever it is, he doesn’t even know who he is.”
As a Valkyrie class, Becky had been the first one that Rica and Tyler had turned to. And at first, she tried to help, she did. But her skills and spells were outside that realm of possibility. Her class abilities were more in line with sending off rights. Rights that ensured heroes were sent to the side of there chosen god. A task proven difficult when there was no fucking body to send off. When she had found out the deal that Rica had made with Baal, her grandfather, Becky nearly killed her on the spot. Especially after witnessing the husk of a man shaped like her brother.
“Rica said he’s back and asking for you, love.” Diente cupped a hand on her cheek. “She even sent a copy of Mark’s status sheet.”
“I don’t need a status sheet to confirm that he’s still a shell of a man.” Becky slurred.
Name: Mark Collier
Age: 19
Tier: 1
Class: Merchant
Level: 14
Specialization: Stock boy
Specialized: Security
Level: 5
Health: 160/160
Mana: 140/140
Stats:
Strength: 18
Agility: 19 (+2)
Dexterity: 17
Constitution: 20
Intelligence: 45
Wisdom: 40
Charisma: 40 (+2)
“I think she might be right this time.” Tilly agreed. “Homunculus do not have stats.”
“You’re just saying that because she is your niece.” Becky argued.
“Yeah.” Tilly snorted. “One of like a thousand. And I barely know her mother, let alone her. Get the fuck over yourself and go visit them. Diente is getting requests almost daily now.”
“How?” Becky demanded. “We’ve been at sea for the last six months.”
Tilly laughed. “Wow, maybe we should cut you off from the spirits. If you can’t even remember that precious apology gift you got Diente for sleeping with that dryad.”
“What dryad?” Becky questioned. “Did I get you anything?”
“Yes.” Diente giggled. “I got the magical link, and Tilly got the whips.”
“Oh, right.” Becky nodded as the items came back to her. They were fucking expensive. “Wait, what dryad? I don’t remember any dryad.”
Just then a pair of slender wooden arms wrapped the three of them up. “How could you forget about me, captain?” She asked.
Fuck.
“Wendy?” Becky nearly jumped out of her skin. “When did you get here?”
“I thought we were going to ask Tilly and Diente tonight, captain.” Wendy pouted.
“How fucking drunk am I?” Becky slurred after taking another swig and sort of fell back into the seat.
“Good.” Becky could hear one of her wives’ say as slumber took her. “Wendy, can you keep her asleep until we reach Tarkon? There’s a wed…”
***
Fayt the elf/orc warrior
Standing watch…
Guard duty at night was both terrifying and boring as hell. Fayt had to guard the door to the business that her employer, Mark, worked in. Gunther was an ass. She knew him from growing up here. She suspected that he was a spy for the orcs just across the border. And… just couldn’t find it in herself to care.
The only thing in this town that Fayt could even care about were her parents and her latest employer. At first, it was all about the 2 silver a week that she was earning. She was no high-level adventurer that gained multiple gold from each drop. No, she earned a few coppers here and there from monster drops… if she hadn’t managed to completely destroy the beast in the process of killing it.
Then there were the levels she was gaining at a much more rapid pace. Every moment of free time she had, went to leveling. Other than the ridiculous amount of XP she gained for pulling double guard duty, she also ran quests, hunted monsters, and ran dungeons with pickup squads. The best part was… so long as she wore her guard armor, she still received the stacking bonus from guard duty. It would wear off over time, but the results had her out of the early teens before she knew it and knocking on the door for twenty.
Then it was because she no longer had to spend what little money she did earn on lodging and food. Her parents had offered to let her stay with them, but Fayt had to decline. She wanted to prove to herself that she could do it on her own. Which she had done… barely. Up to this point at any rate. Adventuring was an expensive job.
Then there were the little things. The first time that Mark had come to Fayt’s attention, was when he had met with two oddities in the Adventurers Guild. A demon kin and a minotaur. He was a somewhat passively attractive human.
I mean I wouldn’t kick him out of bed for snoring.
A human trader that had managed to swindle some high-level adventures into a contract. Both of which were of a race that was rarely seen in this Podunk town. They were giving him a massive amount of goods from the local dungeon. It was as if they were clearing it on a daily basis. She couldn’t help but gape at the site before her. Which, unfortunately, drew the attention of the demon kin. She thought that Fayt had plans on her merchant friend.
Despite being on the border of two kingdoms, Tarkon was a hotly contested town that had been built up and brought to ruin so many times that they had begun to plan wars over sacking it. The most recent occurred two years ago. It was now time for the rebuild.
Back to the little things. Mark had begun taking her to dinner on a regular schedule. Right before their shift. Normally frugal with his hard-earned coin, he was lazy in the kitchen. Rica took care of his meals.
Fayt begrudgingly accepted the dining experience. It was not expected for an employer to pay for the meals of their guards. She was worried that she would wind up wasting most of her money on the meals. To her surprise, Mark gladly covered the cost and refused any form of repayment.
Fayt began to enjoy those meals. Mark was a gentleman and didn’t judge or try to make advances. To her, it seemed like he actually wanted her as a friend. It was a new thing to her. Well, not that new. It wasn’t like she never had a friend. More like, she hadn’t had one in what felt like a very long time. She found herself caught up in the moment more than once, laughing at a joke that wasn’t that funny. Blushing at a completely benign compliment. It had been years since the last time that someone had told her that she looked pretty. Other than her father. Yet, Mark, said it with a straight face and wasn’t trying to make a move on her. He just stated it as if it were a fact.
Fayt’s heart had thumped harder at those words for some reason.
Most of the patrons at the restaurant were familiar to Her. Fayt had grown up here and gotten used to the sneers and remarks behind her back. They quickly shut up as Mark left a massive tip on his first night with the threat of going elsewhere. The staff had made a special effort to place some of the more outspoken citizens at the far end of the dining area.
Then there was the attack tonight…
Fayt acted without thinking. She cut down the threat without remorse and just a hint of excitement. Finally having a chance to prove herself to Mark she mercilessly slaughtered the dipshit that was foolish enough to attack. After it was over and Mark asked that she ‘loot’ the corpse, something struck her deep in her core. Mark was handsome, charming, and completely unaffected by her bloodlust. She had already been planning to loot the corpse.
But the way he said it, the way the moonlight had shone down on his face, and the smile that he wore. He wasn’t afraid of her. Mark wasn’t afraid. Her heart began to flutter, and panic twisted her gut. Fayt had not expected that. She had expected him to cower in fear. Scold her for her brutality in the moment. Even fire her on the spot for looting the corpse. Not… this.
It took everything she had too not… do something. Fayt didn’t know what, but she knew that it was important to regain her calm. Did she want to kiss him? Fuck his brains out? She didn’t know. Fayt had never been in a situation like this. Most people had a revulsion toward her, no matter the state that she was in. But, when her berserker rage had taken over, no one wanted to be near her.
Until now. Mark approached her without a care in the world. He touched her and smiled that sweet smile. Her nerves had begun to settle when she realized that he had misread the situation. Mark had assumed that she was in shock after killing a man. He had been wrong, but she was okay with that. So long as he continued to touch her. It gave her a warm tingly feeling inside.
Yes, Fayt was a Berserker, but it was easier to tell everyone that she was a warrior. She had learned early on that it was a mostly orc class and people tended to turn her away when they knew that she could go crazy at any moment.
As Fayt continued to ponder the course of the night’s events, she began to wonder if this was what love felt like. Maybe…
***
Baal the demon king
Meanwhile…
“So, the runt finally did it, eh?” Baal grinned at the latest notification. He turned a glare on the manacled demon tasked with delivering these messages as punishment. Her shameful display during the world event had earned her this position. “It looks like we’ll be paying little Rica a visit. And now I have the perfect gift to deliver.”
“Please, father.” The insignificant demon kin begged. “It’s not what you think.”
Baal swiped a hand and delivered a telekinetic smash that sent it reeling. “Not what I think!” He demanded. “You had your chance! If not for your daughter, the entirety of the demon race would have looked like weaklings in the face of our true enemy! Then you dare to threaten my little Rica if she did not play along with your cowardly story!” He had gotten up from his throne and marched toward her, a step with each word. His hand gripped her throat and squeezed tightly, he continued. “Then you shamed me again by running away and pretending to be a hero. When I find the rest of your companions they will not have long to live.”
“We saved the world.” The thing rasped.
“No, you only delayed events for a true hero to save it.” Baal hissed. “You sacrificed my little Rica’s savior. You’re damn lucky I was here to bring him back.” His voice dropped to a dangerous rasp of his own as the thing’s eyes began to bulge. “Because my little Rica would not respond so kindly now that she is as strong as you.”
It was a well-known fact in the demon kin community, that they valued honor, loyalty, and strength above all else. When a demon kin sets their mind to something, it is a fate worse than death for them to go back on their word. This thing before Baal had already used her one chance to regain her honor before the incident. And that was because she was his daughter.
When little Rica had declared that Mark was her mate for life and that she was willing to trade her life for his, Baal knew. He knew. That was not a statement lightly made. When she declared the actions taken by these false heroes, he could feel the truth of her words. Of course, as part of the deal made in the meeting of the gods, he would have revived Mark anyway. Baal sided with his granddaughter and declared the false heroes to be traders. The system announcement had practically said as much anyway.
Congratulations! The world boss has been stalled by sacrifice. You have been given a respite until the return of your doom. Prepare yourselves.
Baal glanced at the old notification again. Having peaked out max prestige, max tier, and max level. He knew that she was not worthy of succession. No, none of his children were. They kept getting hung up in the old ways. Soul contracts, wish fulfillment, among many other vices that were used to power level even before his time. It was a despicable practice that he had tried to abolish, but there would always be family secrets that were passed down.
Right now, however, Baal was in need of a successor. That way he could move on through the portal. The portal was a well-kept secret for the powerful people of this world. Once you peaked, you were given a mission that would take years. For each individual it was different. And for each individual it was difficult to achieve. For Baal, it was to find a successor worthy of his kingdom.
The thing’s arms went limp, and Baal dropped it to the ground like the trash that it was.
“This is a time for celebration!” Baal barked to those gathered in his throne room. “Tomorrow, we set out for Tarkon!”
An eruption of cheers broke out at these words. From the demon lords gathered on the ground floor to the commoners in the rafters. Baal ensured that they all heard, and that the news would spread…
***
Gale
Same time different place…
“Mom.” Gale whispered. At this moment she was sitting in the Adventurers Guild in New Haven. Her mother’s party was drinking boisterously as they told the tale of how they saved the world. It was an easy way to save on drinks. “If we don’t go, Tyler is threatening to expose us and put a quest out.”
Isabelle frowned. “He can very well try, it’s his word against ours.” She was deep in her cups and her ‘perfect mother’ façade was slipping.
“Mark is awake and regaining his memories.” Gale hissed as quietly as she could.
Isabelle’s gaze snapped toward her daughter. “What has he said?” She demanded.
“Not much so far.” Gale admitted. “We need to do something. Or this could turn on us. Why don’t we just visit Tarkon? Say, ‘hello.’ Then return to this tour.”
A knife appeared in Isabelle’s hand; she slammed it into the table. “I’ve received some bad news.” She spoke in a tone that quieted the whole room.
“What are you doing?” Gale hissed. She wasn’t thinking. Gale knew it. It was always like this when she was drunk.
“It’s looks as if a demon spirit has possessed a former acquaintance of ours.” Isabelle winked conspiratorially at Gale.
Gale winced.
“A person wearing the face of Mark Collier has appeared in Tarkon.” Isabelle continued. “Two former heroes appear to have conjured it into existence.” She shook her head sadly. Fucking fake bitch! “Those heroes are Rica the granddaughter of Baal and Tyler the unbreakable. I say we gather an army of adventurers, march on the border town, and put an end to this threat before it grows to a world event!”
“Here, here!” Mike Collier, Mark’s own father, was the first to cheer. It was quickly picked up by his mother Livia, and soon the rest of the heroes and adventurers. She couldn’t believe her ears.
Gale had never cared much one way or the other about Mark. But she knew, a bad idea when she saw it. Unlike Rica and Tyler who had been leveling constantly without a care for safety or a concern for much sleep for the last fifty years or so. Black Dawn had mostly been traveling around drinking on other people’s copper and basically ignoring their jobs as adventurers. Hell, most people thought that they were retired and that’s why they turned down anything above low-level quests.
Shealla had made the mistake of trying to visit Mark, just to verify Rica’s messages. She had not been heard from in over a year…
The biggest problem with the prestige level that they had gained was that all their abilities were reset to zero except for one. Sure, they kept their stat points and had a gift of skill points to start over with... In contrast to Rica and Tyler’s sheer determination to continue to level, Black Dawn didn’t want to bother with doing it again. Gale on the other hand had decided to take contracts whenever she could.
While everyone was cheering and celebrating the announcement. Gale decided to slip outside. She wasn’t about to get herself killed by those morons. Having experienced it for herself, she knew that skills gained after a prestige level were gained twice as fast. And depending on your previous tree selection… There was a chance that you could retain some of those levels. Another thing was that Rica and Tyler, even before the prestige, seemed to have stronger abilities than their levels suggested.
As a Wind Walker mage, Gale had decided that the best thing she could do for her old friend Rica was warn her. So, she headed for the Mage’s Guild to leave a message…
***
Rica Granddaughter of Baal
Early morning in Tarkon a few days later…
Rica had awoken again to the delighted feeling of Mark being there. After fifty years of her lying next to a vegetable, it was still hard to believe that her Mark was back. Even if it had only been a for few months so far. She could feel the rock-hard difference pressed against her leg.
Smiling as she stroked his hair and watched him sleep. Rica noted the subtle differences in his posture, the ones that reassured her that it wasn’t just a dream. Mark had begun to grow facial hair, something that did not occur in a body without a soul. Even in his sleep he carried that stone-cold serious face. The way his facial muscles were used was just naturally different compared to the soulless form they had been before. Besides, the most glaring difference was between his legs. His body hadn’t done that the entire time his soul was separated from this form.
Rica was still having trouble trying to explain many things to Mark. It saddened her to see him in pain or worse, the blank expression that he used to get when she tried. How was she supposed to explain that nearly everyone he knew had betrayed him? That the woman he most looked up to as a mother scoffed at the suggestion of dying in his place. That his own father cracked jokes about him finally being able to do something right. His mother was the one person that probably wouldn’t surprise him at all with what she said. Fucking bitch that she is.
Mark would never fully comprehend the extent of what she and Tyler had gone to for him. Becky was nearly as bad as the rest. She had run away, scared. With demons as an actual race living in this hell hole of a world and she had the nerve to accuse Mark of being one of us. Like that was a bad thing! If anything, the demon kin, had accepted him as a hero after she had spoken with her grandfather.
Hell, her first wife is one of my aunts!
More random thoughts popped into her head as she began to smile. “You really are like a demon kin, Mark. You’re a magnet for trouble.”
A noise came from the door and Rica noticed the elf girl enter. Rica beckoned her with a shooshing motion. Having learned of the girl’s infatuation about a week ago, Rica had begun offering to let her join them in bed for a time. At least until Mark began to stir awake. She smiled as she noted that Fayt, that’s her name, right? That Fayt had finally worked up the nerve to wear nothing. After meeting the girl for the first time, Rica had a hard time not thinking about her as anything but the elf girl. Honestly, she was just a kid. Not much older than Rica had been when she had started out. It was probably why Rica had taken such a liking to her. That and after years of heart ache she wasn’t about to cause someone else that pain. It wasn’t like Fayt was trying to take Mark away, she just wanted to be closer. A younger, rasher Rica would have stomped the girl like a bug. Or just like Jenny, the little harlot that liked to hang around while Mark was training. That just wasn’t who she was anymore. Even if it may have taken a long conversation with Tyler about her insecurities.
Mark and his damn stringent honor would never allow for a second woman that loved him in his bed. No, that would sully the name of everyone involved. He was just a merchant. Well, if I had my way, we would be working on breaking the bed right now! Rica thought with a smile.
Fayt managed to slip herself into the crook of his arm. Her head resting on his shoulder and a sweet smile on her lips. Rica had to pull her arm onto his chest. The poor girl didn’t realize that he was quite the heavy sleeper. It was rather cute. She was rather massive for an elf, but in the arms of their love, she looked delicate and vulnerable.
***
Rica Granddaughter of Baal
Still early morning. Just before sunup…
Hours had passed as Rica had watched Fayt and Mark sleep. Eventually, she had woken Fayt and together they prepared for the day. Rica dawned her robes and then helped Fayt get her armor on.
“It’s nice isn’t it.” Rica asked as they were finishing up.
Fayt blushed as she nodded quickly. “Mark’s the first person that hasn’t looked down on me for being a half-breed.”
Rica quirked an eyebrow. “That’s not the only reason you fell for him, is it?”
Fayt shook her head so hard that her armor rattled. “No, Lady Rica. He makes me feel like a real woman. Not like some adventurer on a job. Or a beast that needs to be tamed. Most guards don’t get treated to lunch or a fancy dinner. When I took the job, I half-expected to go broke supplying myself with rations. Now look at me.” She did a little spin. “Proper chainmail armor tailored to my size. I don’t have to tell you that no adventurer at my level can afford something like this.”
Rica giggled. “I know. Look at me. These are still my starter robes.”
Fayt gaped at her. “How?”
Rica shrugged. “Gear isn’t as important as the guild likes to make it out to be. Don’t get me wrong, I want you out fitted in a respectable fashion because you are as much of a reputation builder for Mark as his Charisma. But, for me, it matters a lot less. You have to hit me to damage my gear and I haven’t been hit in a long time.”
“Is that how it is for Tyler too.” Fayt asked curiously. “Having a similar class, I noticed that he is still wearing starter gear.”
Rica leaned into whisper. “Since you plan on staying for the long haul, let me, let you in on a little secret. Don’t tell anyone, not even Mark.”
Fayt nodded.
“Our gear gained a few things over the years.” Rica continued. “The first was a boost called well worn, it gives us a movement speed buff as well as a boost to dexterity. We didn’t have much time to gather gear while we were on that world quest. By the end of it we had seven individual buffs added to it. When we prestiged, we gained a buff worth more than any other. Automatic bubble for me. I won’t tell you how many times I can use it in a day or how long it lasts... I will wear other robes if Mark feels like replacing these. But for a dangerous fight, I’m equipping these.”
Fayt just blinked dumbly at her. “What did Tyler gain?”
Rica shrugged. “Something similar. You’ll have to ask him.”
Suddenly nervous, Fayt glanced at her shoes before speaking. “Does he know about… us? Me I mean.”
“Yes.” Rica chuckled, she knew that Fayt was asking about Tyler and not their love snoring in the next room. “We keep no secrets. You have to understand, we have been party members for a very long time. Tyler is my most trusted ally and he alone stood with me to fight that monstrosity, when no other would.”
Fayt looked confused. “The history books state that there were fifteen heroes.”
“I know what I said, girl.” Rica snapped out. “There was only one hero that day and he died.”
Looking even more confused, Fayt nodded. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend. I had never heard that before.”
Deciding to give the girl a break, for fuck’s sake, Rica was twice as naïve, ten times as angry, and paid even less attention to her histories at that age, she said. “Just be sure to guard our man well. He’s the most heroic person I know.”
Rica left Fayt with a dumbfounded expression as she made her way to the Mage’s Guild. She typically stopped by on a daily basis before leaving town to dungeon dive. It had become a routine for her. Besides, she had noticed that when outside the town, she could be gone for days, and when she returned it would be like no time had passed. It was some weird system quirk. Her dungeon dives had taken about two days each time.
Mark had called it the Adventurers Paradox. Or was that something that Tyler had mentioned it? At any rate, it all fell under the same umbrella of effects. Weird time dilations between adventurers and workers. They haven’t really been able to pinpoint how it works at the Mage’s Guild. At best, the time difference was considered random.
For instance, Rica could leave town for an hour and that’s how much time would pass. But, on the other hand, she could leave for days, and it would be like leaving for an afternoon. She had remembered stories from Marks books about an adventure who had multiple wives in separate towns and villages, would spend years away from each of them, and it was as if no more than a week had passed for the wives. It made no sense.
***
Rica Granddaughter of Baal
Mid-morning Adventurers Guild…
“Those sons a bitches!” Rica pounded the table in frustration.
“Calm down, we knew this might happen.” Tyler tried to placate her.
“His own fucking family!” Unbidden, a blue flame erupted from her hands. “Fucking treacherous bastards! Why?! I explained that he regained his memories but not all of them! Hell, I even sent a damn abbreviated character sheet. I explained that he wanted them to come to the ritual ceremony. All they had to do was pretend that they weren’t complete assholes…” Her tone softened into a mumble toward the end.
“Did you believe that they would behave any differently?” Tyler asked with a smirk.
“No!” Rica protested. “But it was what Mark wanted. I figured that if they remembered half the speech he had made at the end, they could just let the stupid shit that he doesn’t care about go.”
A massive hand gripped her shoulder. “Listen Ric’s, let’s focus on the positives here. You said that Backy’s wives are dragging her here. Bound and gagged. Which means that she’ll have no choice but to listen for once.”
“Yeah…” Rica had been excited about that. The last time they had spoken, Becky had threatened to kill her if she ever saw her again.
“And your grandfather said he was coming.” Tyler smiled. “That’s great news! When’s the last time Old Man Baal left that capital?”
“Don’t forget.” Rica said with a bit more energy. “He said, he was bringing an entourage and gifts.” She sighed. “He might just kill them all. Did I mention how much Baal said he liked Mark? For a human that he had never met, you would swear that they were brothers or something. All he ever talks about is how smart and courageous Mark is. He wants to claim him as a son and make him an heir to the kingdom.”
“Could you imagine that?” Tyler chuckled. “The first human, Demon King. Ha!”
“Would be pretty funny, huh?” Rica giggled. “Mark would never go for it. You know him. He wants to do everything on his own. Which I think is why my grandfather likes him so much.”
“You must talk to him a lot.” Tyler encouraged.
“Yeah…” Rica stated, feeling a bit more normal. “Other than you, he’s the only one to stick by me over the years. And I hadn’t even met him until after the whole world event bs.”
“And Gale sent that warning.” Tyler said, smoothly switching topics.
“She did…” Rica agreed. “But I’m not sure if she’s on our side, their side, or going into hiding until it all blows over. She’s always been a bit flakey. That’s why I knew that her actions were never personal with Mark. They were never all that close, and she was just looking to get in on the quest.”
“I remember.” Tyler smiled. “But at least she thought enough about you to send a warning. Otherwise, I suspect it would have been quite the surprise when they showed up.”
Rica gave him a flat stare. “Would it have been all that big of a surprise?”
“Not to me or you.” Tyler agreed. “But we can warn his secret girlfriend and hopefully get him a second guard before they arrive.”
“Not from the Adventurers Guild.” Rica warned. “That’ll just give them a closer target. I’m thinking either a healer or mage.”
Tyler chuckled. “Of course, you would say that.”
“You got a better idea?” Rica asked.
“I do, actually.” Tyler smirked. “Remember that Ranger Wolf girl we saved in the woods?”
“Is that the one I told you to kiss.” Rica smirked right back.
“No, that one was a human.” Tyler ignored the jab. “The one with a vendetta against those Dire Panthers. She worked alone.”
“Ohhhh.” It dawned on her. “Yeah, she was pretty cute. Did you bang her too?”
“What’s with you and the sex talk?” Tyler rolled his eyes. “When was the last time you got laid?”
“You know the answer to that.” Rica’s claws dug into the table involuntarily.
“As I was saying…” Tyler went back to the topic at hand. “I think you could convince her to be his guard.”
“What? Why me?” Rica asked.
“She mentioned something about changing careers.” Tyler explained. “And you were the one that had actually saved her. I didn’t even get a hit in.”
Rica nodded. “I’ll see what I can do.”
Tyler’s easy grin was back. “So, are we drinking the day away? Or pushing past fifty before Black Dawn arrives?”
Rica just chuckled as she tipped back her tankard. “So, how’s your mom been?”
Tyler glared. “She’s still asking about Mark.”
Ale shot from Rica’s nose as she couldn’t hold in her laughter.