Arthur used his gloved hand to prop the solid wood door to the private reception hall open. His smooth motion seemed practiced and allowed the stranger to enter first without exposing his back to the stranger at any moment. The faux butler continued to hold the door as Captain Kayla followed their guest through the threshold. The pirate captain walked with her cutlass already drawn, its slightly curved blade flashing in the light, but the stranger didn’t offer any resistance as he quickly made his way inside.
Marcus stood up from the comfortable seat and offered his hand in greeting after rounding the dark wood table. Maybe it was a bit on the nose, but he saw the opportunity to play the good cop to Kayla’s bad cop, so he took it. If it got them a few answers, like where this guy had come from and what he wanted, then it would be fine. He inspected the stranger using his Hierophant based aura skill, called Thoughtful Guidance, which had the additional benefit of revealing each stat where his target had a lower value than his own.
[Human (Level 66)]
[-Agility]
[-Mind]
[-Intelligence]
[-Acumen]
Marcus acknowledged that the man had an impressive level for anywhere except Ghost Reef. It wasn’t all that special in the island settlement after the first event, but that meant he was probably favored wherever he came from. That implied that he was most likely dealing with someone with a clear purpose.
Based on the man’s attributes, Marcus knew he had invested into Strength and Body, and therefore, he could surmise a bit about his class archetype. It wasn’t a perfect guess given the diversity of classes out there, but a guess based on stats was as reasonable a starting point as any. Marcus was a few levels lower, at 60, but he had distributed his attribute points into a wider variety of stats due to his class’s variety of beneficial skills.
The man’s equipment appeared to be basic, with a dark gray, loose fitted shirt that was tucked into dark pants, an off white, open robe that draped over his shoulders, and dirty wrist wrappings that went up into his loose sleeves: not something a faction would have provided. His hiking boots seemed as out of place for a sailor as the layered clothing did for the tropics, and Marcus adjusted his assumptions regarding his origin. Nothing about him indicated he was from a nautical settlement other than the fact that he had arrived via the sea. Mountains or jungle, Marcus guessed.
The stranger also had a long chain necklace that hung all the way below his chest. A large round pendant was attached to the end of the chain, weighing it down, with what appeared to be the hieroglyph of a skeletal face surrounded by intricate triangular patterns inlaid into silver and gold rings. The only other piece of equipment he wore was a black skull cap that barely covered the crown of his head and caused his hair to splay out. He supposed the stranger’s clothing fit the bill for a traveling priest or monk.
The man’s demeanor was odd. His dry, salt-reddened eyes were open wide, unblinking, as if he was surprised, but his focus was firmly in front of him rather than seeking threats. Marcus blinked as he inadvertently imagined the dryness and his own eyes watered.
“Would you mind introducing yourself?” Marcus prompted as they exchanged a firm handshake. The other man gripped for a moment too long, but released before it became rude enough to acknowledge. Marcus had been subjected to similar attempts at power moves many times before, but some people did such things unconsciously. It seemed likely that this guy had presumed he was Marcus’s superior based on his level alone, despite essentially being Kayla’s captive. Marcus was detecting mixed signals, but he could accept that their guest was just a weird guy.
The man responded as they both sat down on opposite sides of the table. “I am merely an unworthy acolyte, but I have been sent as an envoy to bring you into the fold.” He stated without further explanation.
Marcus waited a second before he tried to encourage the strange man to continue. “An acolyte? Of what?” He tried, conversationally, though he had several more questions already.
“An acolyte, for now.” The envoy corrected. “This mission will elevate me to priesthood.” The stranger declared happily before he leaned forward. “Are you the Champion of Ghost Reef?” His eyes finally moved up as he concentrated on Marcus, though the man began scratching at his neck, a potential nervous tick.
“No.” Marcus answered and as the guest refused to elaborate, so did he.
Marcus glanced at Kayla, wondering if she had exposed them as Ghost Reef, but she shook her head, clearly understanding his questioning look. It was possible old world knowledge had carried over and the islands just happened to be familiar. Marcus supposed it didn’t change much if outsiders knew the name, because, when it came to their safety, the location was the important part, and this stranger was already on the island. Ghost Reef was already exposed globally, but its immediate identification certainly added to the questions Marcus would like to have answered.
“I would like to speak to the Champion of Ghost Reef.” The self-proclaimed envoy leaned back into his seat and seemed to search for something on the ceiling before glancing at the docks through the window to their side. “It’s a matter of great importance. It would be best if he decided whether to accept or not right away.”
Marcus swallowed a sigh before he supplied some conditions. “You’re gonna have to answer some questions before you meet any Champions…”
The acolyte nodded while staring at the table, apparently willing to compromise. “I can only answer what I can.” Both of his hands continued to grip the armrest of the chair.
Marcus raised an eyebrow, but started asking what he wanted to know. “Are you representing a specific faction?”
“No.” The acolyte shook his head. “My faction directed me to claim a civilization shard in their name when they sent me back from receiving my sponsorship after just one day. If I had followed their instructions, I would not be here today. No, we have no need for factions.” His eyes shifted up toward Marcus. “I hope that is not a problem.”
Marcus waved his concern away, and continued with his questions. “Then what settlement did you come from?”
“It is unimportant, I have not spent much time inside any settlement.” The acolyte vaguely answered. “We only need one shard in the end.”
Marcus frowned. “Why are you here?”
“To bring Ghost Reef into the fold.” The acolyte repeated his original message. “I was granted the honor of traveling to Ghost Reef immediately after the siege event. The incredible performance of this settlement drew attention.”
“So, is this a diplomatic meeting or what?” Marcus asked, feeling more annoyed with each answer.
The acolyte moved his head back up, as if he hadn’t exactly considered it that way. “Yes, it could be a diplomatic meeting. You see, we have already determined the best way to win the assimilation. We need to consolidate the planet’s power to defeat the invaders. In my capacity as envoy, I am merely a conduit, and I am meant to incorporate the overwhelming strength of Ghost Reef for the good of us all.” The acolyte gave Marcus a genuine smile. “I am sure that we will come to an understanding once I have been able to explain everything to the Champion.”
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
Kayla was scowling from where she stood behind the acolyte, and while Marcus kept his expression neutral, he resonated with her feelings. On the surface, it seemed like they had mutual goals. But, Marcus was suspicious of this acolyte’s intentions. Where Ghost Reef was interested in defeating the invaders and viewed a united humanity cooperating as the correct approach, this envoy had presented a consolidation of power as their strategy. There were different ways to interpret words like consolidation, and Marcus wouldn’t have them be subjugated. However, the acolyte really didn’t give off the appearance of someone immersed in the nuance of his statements so it was possible they were being overly concerned. Really, his insistence on meeting their Champion was the biggest red flag.
“Is this a roundabout invitation to join your settlement? To consolidate power?” Marcus tried to get some clarity.
“Oh, no, not a settlement, and not yet. You have too much potential to bring in too soon.” The acolyte explained, but Marcus had no intention of being brought in at all. “If you didn’t have a settlement’s territory for protection, we would consolidate right away, yes, but Ghost Reef can still flourish. We wish to see you thrive first.” Marcus struggled to keep his neutral expression, but Kayla was making a face like she smelled something foul.
“So what? Are you offering an alliance between your forces and our settlement?” Marcus queried, carefully gauging the acolyte’s body language.
The acolyte ducked his head and smiled again as he responded. “Yes, an alliance of sorts, but there are conditions that must be discussed with the Champion.” He glanced over his shoulder toward Kayla before he returned to facing Marcus. “Tell me, can I also meet the one called Coop? I am personally very interested in him.”
A light knock interrupted them with impeccable timing and Arthur returned with tea, saving him from dancing around Coop’s identity. There was no way any settlement would let this acolyte meet their Champion. He was just too suspicious. A message could easily be relayed without a face-to-face meeting.
Arthur carefully poured for both of the table’s occupants, subtly observing as he did so. The acolyte was shifty, but he still didn’t seem threatening, returning his focus to the table. Marcus took one scoop of sugar with his cup and the meeting continued after the acolyte put five scoops in his own. Arthur’s composed exterior was morphed with disgust as he watched the stranger add an unreasonable amount of sugar to his drink, but he cleared out with his poise intact.
Marcus sipped his tea and came to terms that this meeting wasn’t really going anywhere. The acolyte seemed completely unable or unwilling to offer the transparency they wanted. It wasn’t a total waste to speak with him. They had confirmed some information that had previously only been conjecture, such as the location of Ghost Reef being identified and the siege event drawing attention to them, but this acolyte wouldn’t expose his mission to them willingly and they wouldn’t expose Coop to him either.
They would have to rely on their accumulated strength to keep the settlement safe with its location exposed, but they were in good shape even before they had reinforced the phantoms. As far as he was concerned, they were negotiating from a position of power with someone who didn’t understand their capability.
Marcus put his cup back down and restarted their talk. “If you want a message delivered to our Champion, we can make the arrangements, but otherwise you won’t be getting a meeting. If you need to return to wherever you came from, to speak to whoever sent you, in order to get permission to reveal your intentions, you are free to do so.” Marcus gestured toward the door. They would resort to tracking the stranger back to wherever he came from if necessary. “If you seek an alliance, you should offer some incentive. If you need help, you should ask straightforwardly.”
The acolyte didn’t appear surprised to be shown the door. “I can’t return yet. He would be disappointed if I returned so soon.” He stated somberly as he stood up.
“Who? The one who sent you here?” Marcus questioned, hoping to at least get that much.
The fervor that climbed into the acolyte’s expression as he focused his undivided attention on Marcus after previously not giving much eye contact at all made Marcus uncomfortable. When the acolyte spoke, he did so solemnly. “Chakyum, the Lord of Death, who has returned from ruling over the Underworld in order to aid us in this global conflict. It is he who shall save us and all he asks of you is to consolidate your power with his.”
Marcus almost rolled his eyes as he opened the door for the acolyte to leave. He wanted to sarcastically ask why he hadn’t said the Lord of Death was calling in the first place, of course they would let him meet the Champion. “Right,” Marcus shook his head. It sounded like more pumped up Chosen, riding a high from being sponsored, giving themselves useless titles that they thought sounded cool or intimidating. They had enough of that with the Endless Empire.
“Well, give the Lord our greetings.” Marcus stated cheerily, hoping it didn’t come off as sarcastically as it felt.
—
Coop blew air out of his nose dramatically. The coral platform could really use some nice comfortable furnishings. The amount of time he spent swinging his legs over the side or laying on his back while waiting for his mana to recuperate was pushing his tolerance to the limit.
He fantasized about making a pleasant lounge area to relax in, right there on the coral, though he wasn’t sure if the mana well was stable enough for any permanent features. It was too bad the mana well was basically a bubble that excluded itself from the settlement’s territory. If it was inside the territory, he was sure he would have been able to add modifications that suited their purpose. An outpost that served as a jumping off point for grind zones, filled with entertainment and comforts to pass the downtime would be perfect, like a proper adventurer’s guild house.
He took another deep breath, daydreaming, and watched the ceiling pulse with luminescence. Sure, he could admit that he had bitten off more than he could chew when he decided to clear out every single overleveled shrimp before he left. It was true, but it was also a worthy undertaking with benefits for himself as well as the residents of Ghost Reef.
The coral colony was massive, and he could see that with his own eyes, but what he hadn’t fully appreciated was the internal scale of the natural formation. Thousands of shrimp was almost certainly an underestimation when he had initially assessed their population.
His last ten runs had all been into the interior of the coral pyramid. That was where most of the unaccounted for enemies had awaited him. The coral colony wasn’t a condensed pile of corals with a winding exterior, but actually an interwoven pattern of spiraling surfaces. The surface area was significantly greater than Coop had originally estimated because there were paths running through the center of the corals in addition to the edges.
Coop exhaled through his pursed lips and watched as floating microorganisms soared through the air from his breath. The mana well was a lot like being underwater, only with creatures and light debris traveling along currents of mana instead of liquid. The creatures that managed to hover along tended to be extremely light, at least where he was, near the surface. The lower stages might hold some surprises in the future. He’d already witnessed several shrimp using their tails to ‘swim’ through the air as they sought unclaimed territory to establish their mana baths.
Coop had spent hours observing the habitat and was really coming to appreciate the combination of alien and familiar features. The Coral Forest was fascinating, but he was really feeling ready to finish the last few runs and head back to the surface with the good news that his residents would be able to utilize the coral colony for grinding. If he took too long, the shrimp that claimed the spots he left open would level up too much and force him to re-clear before his companions could make use of the grind zone. They were leveling up at a steady rate while they passively absorbed mana.
He had gone on dozens of runs already, running his resources down with Legacy of the Mists until he needed to wait for his natural recovery to refill his mana pool. Practical Application lowered the cost of Legacy to 487 which was good progress, but indicated that it would be a significant amount of time before the cost became negligible so that he could avoid downtime. Each run took around two hours in total, including his break time and depending on how quickly he found new monsters on his routes.
Even though it was nothing like his marathon grinds, Coop had been inside the Coral Forest for almost four days, with three in his fight-break holding pattern after he found the colony. He sighed, glad that at least the extended duration of his quick trip wasn’t due to getting lost.
Reviewing his notifications, he could confirm that it had been an extremely productive expedition. He had entered the mana well in the afternoon of Day 55 at level 100. It was Day 59 and he was level 117. Somehow, he was still finding incredible opportunities to make massive leaps of progress, long after the generally accepted wisdom stated that experience gains would slow down. It was a good thing too, considering the threat that mana’s Eradication Protocol could present. What would it even look like when mana broke free from the system’s limitations? Coop figured he would worry about it when he got there.
Unfortunately, the experience the shrimp monsters had been yielding had steadily diminished until he felt like he wasn’t making any progress from defeating them at all. Without quest chains, the rewards he was receiving had been relegated to basic credits. His last level had come approximately 500 kills previously. That was the main reason he wanted to get out of the mana well. If he wanted to continue to progress, he needed to go deeper, or go somewhere else, and he wanted to report the situation so that his residents could take advantage of the well as soon as possible.
He watched as his mana ticked upwards and prepared to make his last run.