Chapter 41 – Revealing
When Matt and Tobias returned to the city, they made their way directly to the hub. It was still mid afternoon so they suspected that Franklin would still be there rather than off on his own business.
Upon stepping through the door, they were immediately greeted. “Welcome lads. We did it! Or rather you did it.” Frank said, quickly correcting himself.
“Did what, Frank?” Matt asked, genuinely curious.
Franklin looked at him like he was a dunce. “The city quests. We passed the subjugation threshold just today.” He walked over and shook both their hands. “Between the levels of our people, the defeat of the guardian and securing the mines, it all added up. We are officially a city.”
Hearing those words reminded Matt of something. “I um, I gotta go. Tobias, can you talk to Frank?” He asked, already making his way out the door.
“Yeah, sure but… and he’s gone.” Tobias said as Matt vanished from the room.
*****
Matt quickly made his way back to the mech before mounting up and headed toward the forge. He had been waiting so long and had been let down so bad when he first learned that the city hadn’t actually qualified for the title. He thought it was a pretty ridiculous thing to stop the book from working but he didn’t put the enchantment on it.
After stopping outside the forge, he hopped out of the mech and sat himself down on the grass in Van’s shadow. Echo had followed and was now looking curiously at the small black book he pulled out of his storage ring. With a soft prayer and possibly some oaths of violence if he was let down again, he opened the book.
To Matt’s immense relief, words populated the page. He began to read, promising to finish the entire thing. He skimmed the book, handwritten in a very neat penmanship, perfect print on every page. Returning to the first page, he began to read in earnest, starting with a short note, addressed to him.
Matt, I write this with conflicting emotions. It is my deepest regret that your parents were unable to live their lives with you and I am saddened by their loss. Yet, I am also immensely joyed that their sacrifice was not in vain.
While it is not the same, please know that we of the Veiled are here, if you should ever wish anything of us. This book is but the explanation of your origins, and I still acknowledge there is a debt that is owed you. I swear to the System that remuneration will be paid in full.
* Lyerinthea, The Veiled Queen, Monarch Inferior.
A few hours later, after the sun had set. Tobias found Matt still sitting outside the forge. Supported by Echo behind him and guarded by Van above. Matt still held the book in one hand while he looked up at the night sky, staring at the stars and moon. He sat beside him, looking out at the slowly growing city.
Without saying a word, Matt handed over the book. Tobias took it carefully, getting a nod before opening it. He read quickly, always being a fast reader. In half the time it took Matt, Tobias had finished the book.
Tobias sighed explosively, like he had held his breath the whole time he read. “Fuck.”
“Yeah. Fuck.” Matt said.
“Want to talk about…” Tobias trailed off as they both received a message from their patrons.
*****
Matt put the finishing touches on his ritual circle before both he and Tobias intoned the spell allowing them to project their consciousness to a certain location using Matts patron as a target. Shortly after, they both appeared in what seemed like a board room, complete with big fancy table and a view.
“Well, this is giving me some flash backs right now.” Matt said. He was doing his best to hold in some rather heavy emotions.
“I regret to have you perform a communion ritual on such short notice and for purposes you probably weren’t expecting.” Tori said as she walked into the room. She paused after approaching Matt, speaking very softly. “What troubles you?” She placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed firmly.
“Can we, um. Can we talk about it later?” Matt asked, getting a nod with a worried look in return.
Just then a familiar person walked into the room, his head held low as he entered. Hal looked like he was trying very hard to not be noticed, sticking to the edges of the room and not making direct eye contact. Matt noticed he looked much more haggard than the first time they met.
Matt looked to Tori. “What’s up with him?” Tobias also leaning in to hear better.
“He decided to try and broker information without having the clout to stay independent.” Said a third god who waltzed through the door like he owned the place. Matt noted that he was of the demon species but wasn’t familiar with this one. His horns were much more pronounced and bright orange veins ran under his grey skin. He unceremoniously pulled out a chair and flopped into it. “He also might have had less than pure intentions for this integration, but I can’t prove that.”
“Matt, Tobias, meet Weltgan otherwise known as The Proverbial Hammer.” Tori said, sitting next to Matt. “He has come with a very interesting offer. Its really an offer for Tobias but since it somewhat concerns Matt, and my recent activities, we had you conduct the ritual for both of you.”
Weltgan looked over to Tobias. “Greetings and well met, little forge master. I have come with an offer for you and some compensation for Matt.” He glanced over to where Hal had settled. “It would appear that your previous patron was perhaps taking advantage of your ignorance. It is within his rights, but he made a slight miscalculation in bringing some information my way.”
Weltgan went on to explain that Tobias was being shorted in the benefits of having a patron. While he would gain some benefits, almost all of them would be related to trade. Tobias being more focused on creation rather than barter would be better off having a similarly focused patron. Hal ended up admitting that while they had some overlap, Weltgan was a superior match.
One thing confused Matt and he asked for clarification. “What do you mean benefits? I haven’t gotten any from Tori besides advice.” He looked over to the god in question. “Sorry, I mean no offense.”
Tori waved him off. “None taken, but you are wrong about the benefits. They were offered but you opted to pass on them.” She waited for it to click, studying the faces of both mortals. “So far it has been offered every five levels….” She said, trying to lead them to the answer.
“Skills.” Matt gasped. “I thought a couple looked out of place for my past couple selections. Shit, sorry for passing yours up.”
Tori nodded along. “It is of no concern, your choices in skills are for you to make. But skills are not the only part of this arrangement.”
The demon spoke up now. “Legacies are part of it. Some like skills are passive but others require our input in a more involved fashion. Ole’ Hal was going to just sit on his, but that’s ok, I made an offer he wouldn’t refuse. Tori and I are going to team up.” He looked to Tori, get a nod of affirmation. “Pretty much we are going to enter a trial partnership in the city of Vil’Krad and if things go well, perhaps some more.”
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
Tobias cleared his throat. “Ahem, what does that have to do with Hal? You hinted at it but haven’t said anything more concrete.”
“I offer you my blessing instead. A little more actually.” The demon said, finally sitting forward in his chair. “I wish to make you a prime disciple, just like Matt is for Victoria. If you accept, your E grade evolution might be a little more exciting.” He was fully leaning on the table now. His red eyes practically glowing in interest.
Hal picked this moment to weigh in. “It is for the best. He is more aligned with your path than I could ever be. Also, it’s an opportunity you wouldn’t want to pass up. The benefits associated with being a prime are beyond compare at later grades.”
Tobias looked beck and forth between the two gods before looking to Matt. “What do you think?”
“Do it, Tori would not support something that’s bad for you.” Matt said.
Tobias looked back to Weltgan and gave his acceptance. The process for transferring the blessing was actually quite simple and within a few minutes, Tobias had become a prime disciple of Weltgan. The demon man looked beyond happy, despite the clear fatigue that he experienced from bestowing the high-level blessing.
Once the deed had been done, Hal opened a rift and hopped through, immediately shutting it behind him. Weltgan spoke with Tobias briefly, handing him a small booklet with some diagrams in it, similar to what Tori gave Matt. He then promised to send something nice Matt’s way for compensation. He then vanished into his own rift after promising to meet with Tori soon over their partnership.
Tori looked to Matt after the demon closed his rift. She didn’t say anything, but her face said she was still curious about what was happening. With a sigh Matt began to tell her what happened, handing over the small book in the process.
To her credit, Tori didn’t open the book, instead sliding it back to Matt as he began. He said that the book told of the race’s origins. That they were an evolutionary offshoot, a by product of exposure to their environment. That despite their efforts, they were natives of the higher plain and thus could not move past S grade. They even had System confirmation of this fact after petitioning the exchange for a direct communication.
To combat this, they tried several methods to varying degrees of success. They tried having their people move into the seed universe and hit a recall window. This failed every time since they were only going back to the System they came from. Neither did their children benefit from the recall since the universes were still connected.
The only success they had was that the children that ended up being recalled had more probability of making it to higher grades than the average person. Their race had a higher than average percentage of A and S grades than any other in the higher plain. It gave them a very real advantage as a faction, but they remained without a deity to fully elevate their people.
Then came the expedition. The book told of their latest and arguably most successful ploy after hearing rumors of worlds beyond the System. They had taken volunteers and selected the best ritualists in the candidates. These ritualists were then sent to various worlds outside the system with one goal: Bring forth life not recognized within the System universes.
Matts parents had been one such pair. They had traveled to Earth, through means still beyond his comprehension. Once there, they had managed to perform a ritual to shed their veiled nature, essentially putting a timer on their lives. Where they would have lived for tens of thousands of years at C grade, they would have less than 10. Sacrificing their levels and grade to revert to a mostly human form.
They succeeded toward the very end, managing to bring Matt into the world. They loved their son but knew that their remaining time was short. They had strategically picked his adoptive parents for surrogacy. James and his wife Kathy were the perfect adoptive parents for the young Matthew. With his mother passing away within a year of his birth and his father going soon after, it was only a matter of getting lucky with the timing and the System recalling him.
He found that his father hadn’t exactly died in a workplace accident. He had performed one last ritual. It was a type of communion but only a one-way communication. In the ritual, his father had passed on the news of their success but also their final words to both the veiled race and Matt. The last few pages of the book were essentially a letter from his parents to him.
“Matt, I am so sorry.” Tori said a few minutes after he finished his retelling. “I had no idea that was what had happened. I knew the veiled had done another one of their experiments, but I didn’t know the extent. Forgive me but it does satisfy my curiosity of your origin.” Her face held genuine sadness; an emotion Matt appreciated for his own sake.
“Thanks, Tori.” Matt said, forcing the words through his slightly thickened throat. “It doesn’t change anything for me in the grand scheme of things, but it does answer some questions.”
Tori did her best to be supportive and asked a question he wouldn’t have asked himself. “Would you like my people to make contact with them? The veiled I mean. My organization could act as an official liaison for you.”
“Umm, no. I have a contact already.” Tori raised an eyebrow, so Matt explained. “One of their people, a lawyer, helped both of us through the process at the exchange.”
“Edmund.” Tori said, making his name sound like a four-letter word.
“Know him I assume.” Tobias said.
Tori pinched the bridge of her nose as she took a deep breath. “We are acquainted, yes. He has officiated on several agreements for my order over the centuries. His work is impeccable but its best for you to hire him first rather than be on the receiving end of his attentions.” She then looked up. “How about this: After the first trial, I will meet you at the exchange along with Edmund. I don’t mean to say you cant handle your own affairs, but I would like to see you properly rewarded by both the System and Weltgan.”
Matt considered briefly. “I don’t really have anything to lose by saying yes.” He said with a shrug. He then looked to Tobias. “You good here?”
“Yeah, this has been a lot. After your issues with your trait, then the book now this.” Tobias said, standing and stretching. “I would like to finally get my evolution out of the way.”
Tori stood and gestured to the door. “Thank you for being flexible and acting quickly.” Then she looked Matt in the eyes and spoke telepathically. “We will discuss your trait in detail later. There are implications you need to be aware of but not until the cusp of your next grade.”
Matt nodded and stepped through the portal, returning his mind to his body. Tobias suddenly shot to his feet with a gasp. “Yeah, it can be a little disorientating the first time. Its probably worse when you aren’t running the ritual.”
“I have a strange feeling that I will get that experience on my own very soon.” Tobias said as he brandished the booklets that materialized in his hand.
They both looked up suddenly as a deep voice rumbled from above them. “Good, you are both back. There is quite the que for your attentions.” Van was looking down at them. “Tobias, your attention is needed in the forge. Matt, your presence has been requested in the hub.”
Both Matt and Tobias looked at each other, nodded, then went their separate ways. Tobias disappearing into the forge while Matt mounted up in the mech. Echo was already prowling around, waiting for them to get moving.
Matt made his way to the hub as quick as he could. The last vestiges of twilight fading from the sky. He wasn’t sure why Franklin had summoned him to the hub but, it must be important. However, he would have to make sure it wasn’t becoming a trend.
Arriving back in the hub, Matt walked straight up the stairs after not seeing Franklin in the lower floor. Sure enough, he was in his office on the second. “What’s up Frank?” Matt asked as he walked in.
Franklin looked up from his display. “Oh good, you’re back. Well, not that you actually left.” Franklin looked Matt up and down before continuing. “I trust everything is in order?”
“Yeah, had some things that I forgot to handle, and it ended up taking longer than expected.” Matt said, purposely not giving any detail. “Did you need something? Van said you asked for me.”
Looking down at his display for a moment, Franklins eyes scanned across it before lighting up. “Ah, yes. Your rewards for the quests you completed.” Franklin turned the display so Matt could see. “There are a few options, I can pay you, which would be very little since our resources are minimal. The System can reward you with either credits or ‘reward box’, whatever that is.” He then looked at Matt before continuing in a serious tone. “The last option is that you forgo your rewards which is absolutely out of the question.”
Matt looked at Franklin, seeing that he would not budge on this issue. “I guess I will take the System boxes then.”
“Good, I was wondering what those are.” He pulled up a display that showed a list of quests which he quickly filtered. “These ones are those that you are responsible for. The system assigned quests at least. There is the quest for claiming the mine. The one for claiming the trial orb and you get some credit for the subjugation quest. The others were for the spiders you mentioned and dealing with Alfron.”
Matt was momentarily stunned. He didn’t think he had been responsible for that many things but guessed it made sense, there had been a lot going on and the System was a better accountant than he would ever be. “Ok, well what do I do now?”
“It seems you can have rewards individually or lump sum. Which would you like?” Franklin gestured to 2 buttons at the bottom of the screen.
Matt just picked the lump sum option. He didn’t want a half dozen boxes to deal with and possibly smaller rewards if it was split up. A message popped up and both of them turned to read it.
Rewards being calculated. Please wait.
“Well, this might be a good time to talk about another issue we have.” Matt said. “On the trip around the city to set up the repeaters we ran into a little issue.”
“Oh? What issue? Tobias and Rohm didn’t mention any casualties.”
“We didn’t take any but there are implications of a more serious problem if we don’t handle it.” Matt said and pulled the carcass of the mutated wolf like thing out of his storage. He held it for franklin to use identify on.
Canid Mutant. Level: 18
This mutant is a result of a dungeon becoming corrupted and breaking containment. Through arcane means, the dungeon has begun to claim territory. Its corruption will spread, eventually affecting every being on the continent.
“Well, shit.” Franklin said. “Remember that locked quest I showed you? Yeah, it just unlocked.”