After Viessa witnessed a mirror spit out a mystical loot chest, I explained everything from the very beginning. I included a brief rundown on Earth before diving into the real crazy stuff, my reincarnation, Justice, Chaos's meddling, the system, and everything that transpired up until my return to Ingcaster.
"Galdir's gone?" she said, voice wavering. "And his divine servant summoned you to save the world?"
"Exactly.”
While Viessa sat in stunned silence, I popped open the chest and black smoke hissed out, dissipating before it reached the ceiling. I quickly rummaged through it, producing three items: a small jar containing a dark substance, a hand scythe, and a pocket-sized leather bound notebook.
One by one, I held the items up before the mirror, but only the hand scythe produced a tooltip.
Equipment: Demonic Scythe of the Blood Garden.
Quality: Rare
Equipped Bonus: Increases armor penetration by 25%.
Rare Demonic Passive: "Terror Charge" - Gains one charge per kill. Upon reaching 100 charges, the weapon activates Terror Aura, causing enemies within a 12 inch radius to cower in fear. Charges diminish every 15 seconds without a subsequent kill.
I re-read the weapon's passive twice, somehow growing more disappointed with each pass, unable to imagine a situation where the passive could come into play.
At least it looks cool.
The weapon's handle was wrapped in a dry, ridged leather, providing a tactile grip, the bottom jutted out of my palm like a glass breaker, perfect for a second means of attack. Its blade curved out like a talon, dark steel etched with subtle swirls that shimmered like scars under the room's candlelight.
It even came with a handy leather harness so I could easily carry the low-profile weapon underneath my cloak.
I swept the blade through the air, producing a satisfying whoosh. Despite its useless "demonic" passive, and the mouthful of a name, its weight felt perfectly balanced and it'd easily be concealed once I got a new cloak.
"What's my level and karma standing?"
"You're level two, and almost have 900 positive karma," I said.
Viessa rubbed her chin. "Hmm... What about you?"
"I'm level nine, and I have more positive karma than you."
Disillusioned by my response, Viessa's enchanted expression crumbled like she had just watched someone run a golden retriever over with a steamroller.
"That's the part you don't believe?" I asked.
She shook her head. "No. I believe you. I just need to think..."
Moving like she was in a trance, Viessa got out of bed, retrieved her journal from her rucksack and carried it over to the small desk in the room's corner. She wet a quill's nib with ink and began writing.
"We must go to Onadell immediately and inform the council of this development," she said, quill feather moving furiously.
"Stop writing."
When she ignored me, I walked over and plucked the quill away in a flash. She turned around, tears welling in her eyes.
"Shit, sorry."
I set the quill down, and took two steps back, giving her space but the tears only doubled down into a heart wrenching sob.
How do I turn her off?
"I didn't realize your quill meant so much to you. I promise I won't touch it again."
I took another step back. "I think I'll just go to sleep now."
She sniffled, trying to dry her tears only to break down once more. "Galdir's gone. And you're supposed to save the world?"
My back touched the wall and I was trapped, frozen like a deer in headlights as the bawling continued.
"There, there," I said from afar as I climbed into my bed.
I wasn't sure why anyone found comfort in those two bland words, but it seemed to help, temporarily stifling her sobs. Then she wiped her tears, recomposing herself in an instant.
Damn, that really worked.
"There, there," I said once more for good measure, pulled a blanket over my legs and turned toward the wall.
I closed my eyes, embracing the stiff mattress and worn pillows. Within moments Mr. Sandman ambushed me, and I was fast asleep. At least that’s what I thought, until I realized I was floating out of my body, watching myself curled up in bed while Viessa wrote relentlessly at the desk across the room.
Is this Void Seer?
Excuse me? Why in the flying fuck am I flying the fuck away from my body?
I tried forcing myself back into my body, knowing how ridiculous that notion was. But unlike when I had channeled the ability before, my vision moved on autopilot. Before I knew it, I was seeping through the ceiling, zooming out from the adventurer's guild and into the sky.
Hello, sleep, it's me, Derrick. I miss you.
Sleep had become scarce since I arrived in Gadika. Even when I had the opportunity to rest, it was rarely of high quality. Yet, I still looked forward to the much needed break away from reality and myself.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Instead of a peaceful night's rest, I held a birds eye view hundreds of feet over Ingcaster, automatically floating over the countless tiny lights dotting the districts. Suddenly, my vision jerked forward, then dropped sharp and fast.
Let me go, bastard. Cancel ability.
My silent pleas did nothing as I found myself whipping down a street at an uncomfortable speed, everything blurred into streaky highlights as I passed through walls, and people at a dizzying pace until it abruptly stopped inside of a warehouse.
A man wearing a black and burgundy checkered vest grunted as he pulled a wooden wagon behind him with a covered box on top.
Target: Taragon
Level: 4
Karma: -1375
Additional Data: Freelancer currently contracting for the Slaver's Union. Works in the procurement and transportation department.
Wooden wheels creaked as he dragged it down an aisle and turned into open floor space where a second figure stood, tapping his foot on the concrete.
Target: Chevdekt
Level: 6
Karma: -3030
Additional Data: A talented warlock who grew up on a farm in the Silverlight Plains, where he learned forbidden spells from his uncle. He slayed his parents at the age of 15, he moved to Ingcaster and discovered his love for acting. Starred in Lorraine Sawara's critically acclaimed play, "Quillblossom's Bloom Even During Droughts."
I tried activating the additional data prompt, but nothing happened. Previously, when I used Void Seer, I still maintained a connection with my body, albeit a foggy one.
He wore a plain gray robe with the hood drawn low and a mask that gleamed like glass, its crooked nose cast a warped shadow in the dim light.
"Thanks for waiting, the Royal Guard have been swarming Oarwin as of late," Taragon said.
"He's not happy. Neither am I." Chevdekt tapped his foot faster. "The product?"
"Of course," Taragon nodded and pulled the cover down from the wagon, revealing a crude wooden box.
Three sides of the box were sealed with planks. I assumed the side facing the human traffickers was secured with iron bars, but I had no control over the damn camera angle and couldn't see the cargo.
"There's supposed to be three. We paid for three."
"Yes, I apologize on behalf of the union. Drayvoss had certain agreements in place. Imports and exports have been more difficult than ever with his passing," Taragon said. "I assure you the union is working tirelessly to re-establish connections within Kalistan."
"I don't care about your problems. What did you do with the bodies?"
"They started to stink, so I got rid of 'em. It's your choice, do you want the elf or not?"
Move lower, and 80 degrees to the right.
I wanted a glimpse of whoever they were trafficking, but my vision refused to budge.
"Idiot, what happened to them?"
"It was hot and they don't travel well."
"I could've used the bodies. Damn, he's frail. Might not be enough blood." Chevdekt sighed as he stared at whoever was in the box, hands on his hips.
"You want him or not?"
"When can you get more?"
"Procurement is working overtime. As you know, elves are difficult and expensive acquisitions. Blame the phantom that slayed the Sanguine Syndicate," Taragon said. "I can't give a date, but I'll have someone contact you when we get more in stock."
Chevdekt cocked his head and the polished surface of his mask cast back a distorted reflection of Taragon. "The phantom? Please, come up with more reasonable excuses. I heard the union wiped out the syndicate and the other small-time players for a bigger share of Oarwin's underbelly."
Cool, I'll kill these bastards soon. Can I go to bed now? I'm exhausted. Let me sleep.
"No, the union struck a lucrative contract with the syndicate before they perished."
"Fine. I'll take him and the partial refund. He won't be happy. I'm sure your bosses will hear about it, which means you'll certainly hear about it."
Taragon bowed with a forced smile. "Anything for our client's satisfaction."
I remained affixed in the air as Taragon pulled the wagon out of the warehouse, following Chevdekt's lead.
Great, let's go.
Just when I thought it was over, my gaze dropped and followed them outside into a walled-in grassy courtyard.
I'm going to tear these scumbags into little pieces for ruining my slumber.
You're going to die.
Die. Die. Die.
Halfway through the courtyard Chevdekt brought everything to a halt.
"You hear that?"
Taragon took a ragged breath, wiping the sweat from his brow. "No. And where exactly is this manor?"
"Silence, peasant."
The warlock swept the courtyard and the sky, looking straight through me, only for a moment.
"Never mind, I thought I heard something."
The two targets crossed the courtyard, and turned under an archway, disappearing from my view.
Yet, I remained stuck, hovering a few dozen feet in the air, overlooking the backyard, longing for sweet dreams of chicken wings and deep dish pizza.
My frustrations mounted as the hours passed. Aside from the occasional guard patrolling the compound, nothing noteworthy transpired. Eventually, dawn broke and my eyes snapped open.
I stared up at the ceiling, laying in bed, scratchy clothes matted with sweat. And while my stamina had recovered, my brain felt like it hadn't gotten a wink of proper shut-eye.
"What the fuck was that?" I asked.
"You were muttering incoherently," Viessa said.
Alarmed by the proximity of her voice, I shot up and found her sitting on the edge of the mattress, scribbling into her notebook.
"Were you sent a divine vision?"
"No, just more targets for the hit list. I think they were in Oarwin, but I can’t be certain," I said, pressing my palms into my eyes. “If this is one of Void Seer’s side-effects, it wasn't on the label.”
Viessa's ears flicked back and she jumped up, equipping her bulky set of armor in mere seconds. "Someone's coming."
Someone knocked hard on the door and shouted, "Eamon's ready to see you."
***
Kora escorted us up from the basement and into a meeting room across from the vice captain's office.
Eamon sat at the head of an oval table, shuffling through a stack of papers. A short, stocky man named Jing sat across from him. Unkempt, frayed hair swayed in front of his dirty glasses as he watched our entrance.
"Good morning, Cyprus. This is Jing, Captain Summer's personal advisor."
"Nice to meet you,” he said, voice dry and distant.
He extended his stubby hand and I shook it before taking a seat with Viessa following suit.
"Xodoven mentioned you," I said. "May he rest in peace."
Eamon raised his piercing gaze from the papers, leveling his eyes at me like a loaded rifle.
"This morning's Ingcaster Bulletin was an interesting read. It seems the 1,000 gold bounty for your head has been lifted. Even stranger, my contact at the bulletin informed me the man who posted the bounty covered himself in lamp oil and lit himself ablaze outside of their offices.”
Sounds like Chaos is tying up his loose-ends.
"Once the Royal Guard finished their intensive sweep of Oarwin, they'll be aiding Waystone in their recovery."
"An intensive sweep?" I asked, re-framing my interest into outrage. "What could possibly be more important than helping the villagers?"
"Apparently a certain noble had invested quite a lot of gold into the Sanguine Syndicate. A few nights later..." Eamon loudly snapped his fingers. "Dead. Their leader, most of their council, and everyone in the compound. So the noble's doing exactly what nobles do, abuse power and wield influence, forcing the Royal Guard's hand."
Jing stroked his thin mustache and muttered. "It's best not to speak on unfounded rumors. Especially when the officials determined what occurred was no more than a tragic training accident."
Eamon leered at the advisor. "I say good riddance. This city could use a few more training accidents. Unfortunately, the void they left will be filled."
I sat still, hairs raised on the back of my neck as the old man turned my way, staring at me with a creepy 'I can read your thoughts' look. But I held fast, keeping my face straight.
"I paid the tax. Where's my chaos shard?"
"Ah, yes." Eamon reached into his breast pocket, retrieving a tiny cloth pouch.
He slid it across the table, and I intercepted it, feeling the stone's warmth through the container's fabric.
[Quest Activated]
The Realm's Great Defense - Activate Gadika's divine barrier by placing the chaos shards in their respective chambers, located in the heart of the Silverlight Plains.
Rewards - ???
