What could’ve happened that would trigger a Quest Chain? Did something go wrong? Is Master Chask okay?

  Judging by Kara’s damaged figure and grim look, that last question would have to remain unanswered for the time being. Instead of asking, he simply said, “Master Chask finished the Quest, but the experience was a lot higher than I’d initially drafted.”

  “Of course it was.” She said with no small amount of bitterness. She paused, fists clenched at her sides. “Everywhere the Master goes, bad things happen. He’s a plague on the Guildhall. Why Guildmaster Hollis ever put him in charge of the Hunters is beyond me.”

  Cass chose to remain silent as Kara began to mumble under her breath, their speed picking up.

  “..so great. He’s a monster. Gets people killed. Stupid scar. Should’ve killed him.”

  Eventually, they wound up in one of the few Guild locations Cass had heard of but hadn’t visited.

  Stepping through a wide arch just a little distance from the Range where his classes had begun initially, Cass found himself in a vast, open courtyard. Starting small, then growing in size, several rings dotted the landscape, racks of weapons and shields standing just outside of them. Near the third ring, a familiar System Engineer waved at him.

  “Hey, Cass!”

  “Ho, Pell!” Kara gave a curt nod of permission, so Cass jogged over to his friend. He discovered Pellin standing beside a thick wooden post mounted on the edge of the ring. Scattered across its surface were several rotating dials, small slots, and an inset glowing screen.

  Pellin scratched the back of his head after glancing at Kara, “Guess I’m not the only one being thrown into unfamiliar territory.” When Cass gave him a confused look, he clarified. “I’m trying to update all of the Combat Rings. This one is just about done, then the Ring’s safety protocols will come back online, and it’ll be ready for use again.”

  “What can you tell me about them?”

  “Mmm,” He mumbled, twisting a few knobs on the post. “It’s like an integrated training program. The big rings on the right are mostly just anti-lethal programming for duels, but in the first five rings, you can go up against monsters. Think of it like sparring in a padded world that reacts before you break something.”

  “So what am I doing here?” Cass asked, looking back at the quickly losing patience Guild Trainer.

  “I don’t know, buddy.” He tapped on the screen a few times before stopping and looking at him. “But you’d better not pick up any Combat abilities or they might just reclassify your Calling.” Laughing at himself, Pellin continued to work as Cass returned to Kara.

  Wouldn’t be the worst thing to happen.

  Kara gestured at Pellin with her chin, “He going to have that fixed soon?”

  “Knowing Pellin, probably.” Cass said with a lopsided smile, “And he’ll probably get another level from it.”

  The snap of a folder came out, “I see. Noted.”

  While she wrote, he asked, “So, what are we doing here?”

  Snap. “I lost a bet with Chask, come along.” She entered the first ring with an awkward jump, Cass following along in her wake. Stepping over to the posts’ side that faced the ring, she pushed a few buttons. Then, a two-foot-tall creature with wiry limbs and twitching ears appeared in the center. Instantly, a shimmer suffused the area before a Cyanic dome fired from the post, encapsulating the ring and changing the color of everything in the area to an off-white blue. The creature looked around with a chirp before spotting him.

  “What the hell! Why is there a monster in here!?”

  “Smarten up!” Kara yelled, “You’re under attack from a Scrounger, what do you do?”

  “Run!”

  “Good, but that’s not an option today.” He felt the moment her foot connected with his back. As he stumbled forward, the creature leaned back onto two flat feet and then sprang forward. Cass screamed as it leaped directly for his face. In a dive back, he fell onto his rump, terrified that his life was about to come to an end. Until just before connecting, a small blue shield popped up.

  He was still screaming even when both the creature and the dome disappeared.

  “Cass…Cass!” Kara smacked the back of his head, causing his jaw to instinctively close and cut off his scream. “I’m sorry, but that’s the best way to get a non-combat type to understand the Ring’s protections.”

  A shaky breath exited his mouth, “What the hell, Kara?”

  “I said I was sorry, that should be enough. Now, do you believe your life is still in danger from the Scrounger?”

  “No,” Cass said after a deep breath.

  “Good. We’re going to try this again, but first, you’re going to get a weapon. Head over to the rack and pick whichever one calls out to you.”

  Cass turned in his seated position to look at her, “Calls out to me?”

  Kara rolled her eyes. “Pick them up and see what feels right.”

  Cass grumbled under his breath as he stood up on shaky legs and approached the weapon rack. There were a dozen options: swords of different lengths, a few staffs and spears, blunt weapons, and what suspiciously looked like a repurposed blacksmith hammer. He passed over the swords. It’s not that Johnny’s death still lingered so severely that he couldn’t pick one up, it just…didn’t seem like Cassio Vale.

  He lifted a spear, then shook his head. He wanted a hand free, which wouldn’t be possible with any of the two-handed weapons. A mace was too heavy, and the Morning Star scared the hell out of him. He didn’t want to accidentally brain himself. But then he found a smallish, unweighty axe. Something closer to a hatchet than anything else.

  Lifting it, he understood what Kara had been talking about. It felt right.

  He returned to the circle as she looked over his choice, “You planning on chopping some wood later?”

  Cass shrugged, “It feels right.”

  Kara gave him an approving nod, “If it feels right, it’s right.” She said, confirming his choice. “Now, are you ready for round 2?”

  Cass spread his feet a little, falling back into his mother’s training, “Yes, let's do this.”

  The Scrounger appeared again, and Cass felt no little shame in its appearance. The Skreels had around a foot of height and ten times the lethality of this tiny creature, yet he’d panicked all the same. Where was his warrior spirit? Where was that thing that had gotten him through the attack?

  The Scrounger chirped when it saw him, then it leaped. Moving slightly to the side, Cass brought the hatchet down on the blunt side, rotating the weapon unexpertly and fumbling the movement. When it struck, he felt a slight resistance vibrate into his hand, then stomped down with his shoe, crushing the things back. It faded as soon as the monster croaked out a final sound.

  This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

  A little better every time, He thought to himself. He was about to ask for another when Kara called out, “Not bad. I can see why you did well against the Skreels. Let’s see how you do against two.”

  Two Scroungers appeared, their chirps warning him they were coming. The two leaped at somewhat different angles, forcing Cass to jump out of the way. As he turned around, one latched onto his weapon arm while the other was already leaping for his face.

  This time, Cass didn’t scream.

  “Again.”

  Better.

  Chirp, Chirp.

  “Again.”

  Faster.

  Chirp, Chirp.

  And so it went five times over, until Cass was breathless and felt a twinge burning in his back as the Way tried to heal him over. But each fight was a little better, until on the last round, he’d managed to kill the first quickly by going on the offensive before they could react.

  “That’s enough for the day, but I have to say, I’m thoroughly impressed.” Kara pushed a button on the post and then walked over. “It’s honestly too bad you didn’t get a Combat Calling, I bet you would’ve been a solid addition to any Company.”

  Cass was still trying to catch his breath. “Can I come back here sometime?”

  “You’re a Guildmember, come back whenever you please. In fact, how about this, QuestWright Vale. Anytime we have a field block and I get pulled away, why don’t you head over here and practice? The Guild can never have enough people who can fight those damned things.”

  With enough time remaining for a quick shower, Cass went back to his room. While he soaked, he considered the Scroungers of the world. Small monsters who seemed designed to overwhelm you. Sometimes, going on the attack was the right move.

  After he hopped out, he quickly pulled up the ledger to see what had happened with the Hunter’s quest.

  [QUEST INFORMATION IS CODED CONFIDENTIAL PER GH]

  Cass cursed. Gaining knowledge of not only what happened, but also how to create a Quest chain would’ve been a great boon to him. Knowing he only had about ten more minutes, Cass decided to form a mini-rebellion. He decided to attack the problem.

  It took only a few minutes for him to get to the Atrium, his fist poised above the black door of the Guildmaster's office, when a thought leaked through.

  Is this the smart move? He stood there, frozen in thought for all of a second, before he remembered just how much experience he’d gained. Then, it was already too late to second guess himself.

  Knock knock.

  “Come in.” He heard from beyond the door.

  Turning the knob, Cass had to put a serious amount of muscle into pushing the door past the frame. The Guildmaster’s office, it turned out, was not what he had expected.

  Rather than the spacious, lush comforts he’d anticipated finding, he instead noticed a small bed, a wide desk that looked a little too familiar, and a man with mussed hair leaning back in a dark chair.

  “Hello, Cassio. How can I help you?” the guildmaster asked in a voice that sounded both alert and tired at the same time.

  “Hello, Guildmaster. If you’re busy or this is a bad time, I can come back later.” He already had a foot inching that way when the tired man sighed.

  “No, it’s perfectly fine. Let me see, why would you choose to approach me now? Ah, Master Chask’s Quest Chain.” He sat up a little straighter. “You want to know what happened, don’t you?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “I’m afraid, by decree of the Liora Council, that information is currently embargoed. You’ll also need to forget any mention of Fillmore’s Decor and pretend like nothing ever happened. I meant to send you and Ms. Tullis a message declaring even that, but” He gestured at his lined face, “I never had enough time.”

  “I understand, sir. It’s not a problem.” Cass kept his tone respectful. He wasn’t about to dip a toe into Liora Council business without an explicit invitation. “I’m sorry to bother you.”

  “No, no. You did well. Unlocking the Investigation type after only a week into your Calling show’s great promise. Now, that deserves the gift of knowledge.” Rubbing his hands across his face, he stood up. The sound of his bones cracking in his back was audible. “Quest Chains aren’t designed, they’re activated by the System when the Questor discovers there’s more to the task than initially meets the eye. While not going into specifics, I can tell you that Master Chask’s Quest began as something simple, that soon ballooned into a much larger problem.”

  “So, there’s no way to create Quest Chains intentionally?”

  The Guildmaster gave him a knowledgeable grin, “I know what you’re thinking. Technically, yes, you can force them. But it’s not about stringing Quests together on paper.”

  Cass found himself leaning forward, “Then what is it?”

  “It’s about outcomes, Cassio. The System tracks the progression of not only Quests, but people and results. If the final tally of a Quest creates new consequences that demand resolution, be they Systemic, Social, Logistical, or even danger-related, then the System responds by spawning a chain. It sees when a single action leads to a cascade of needs, and that’s when a Chain starts.”

  “So it’s not about the Quest’s structure, but about the ripple effects that they cause.”

  The Guildmaster nodded, “Exactly. The System doesn’t reward clever design. Rather, it responds to necessity. If you try to force it, you’ll run into problems with your System Reputation. The best you can hope for is to continue assigning your Quests to the right people with the right skillset, then hope that they develop naturally.”

  Cass gave a slow nod in reply, “I see,” and he did.

  In fact, he even had an idea about how to create one that would begin with a simple, innocuous Quest to the right person at the right time.

  Knowing he was burning the Guildmaster’s time, he thanked the man and quickly walked away, closing the heavy door behind him. The rest of the day continued. Cass pulled aside Orla after lunch and during one of the later classes. By the time dinner had come, he gave her a very special Quest.

  [Tier 1 Administrative Quest]

  Orla Marrowind. You are charged with establishing an Enterprise by gathering at least ten Tradesmen from the Commons of Liora. In coordination with QuestWright Vale and Leatherworker Rina, you have one month to create a Council-approved Collective.

  Requirements:

  –A minimum of ten active Tradesmen sign on

  –Draft, submit, and gain approval from the Council for an Enterprise charter

  –Secure a location for the sale of wares

  Reward for completion: 10xp

  Cassio Vale

  Liora Guildhall

  QuestWright

  The merchant looked it over as she slurped some noodles out of a bowl. Her face moved through a range of emotions as her eyes seemed to track the thing twice. Cass felt like his heartbeat and the sound of her eating were the only two things in the world before she nodded.

  “I can do this. As we discussed earlier, the products they’re creating are useful, but they lack an effective way of getting them into the supply chains. With me on the job, we’ll have our Collective in a month.”

  Cass felt a large smile splitting his face, “Thank you, Orla. I promise we won’t disappoint.”

  “The only thing disappointing me right now is the experience attached to this thing. Do you know how much work is involved in creating an Enterprise from scratch? I mean, I’ll get experience once we have the thing up and running as soon as our foundational training ends. But still, that’s barely twice what I get on the daily.”

  Cass tried very hard not to laugh, “Don’t worry, I’m sure it’ll be worth it. By the way, what are we going to call ourselves?”

  Pellin took a sip from his glass before looking at them both. “Why not call it Patchwork?”

  “Terrible,” Orla said with a sneer, “A name is a brand. I’m signing paperwork for something that sounds like a thrift bin. No, it needs to be something that fits exactly what we do while inspiring others to use our services. I think…” She considered it for a long moment. “I think we should call ourselves The Little Foundry.”

  “Pschh,” Pellin chuckled. “Sure, if you want a cease and desist from the Guild Tradesmen in your first week. They won’t even want to work with you after naming yourselves that.”

  “He’s right,” Cass added in. “Besides, we’re going to be working with Tradesmen from all different types. Leatherworkers, Blacksmiths, a group of Callings working together. The name should reflect that. I think, since most of our people are low-level and we’re planning for the future, we should lean into it.”

  “So what’s the name, genius?” Orla said with a raised brow.

  “Simple,” Cass said with a smile. “Common Solutions.”

  for questors.

  for questors channel for validation. Then, I'll go through once a week and update a spreadsheet where I track everything.

  proof in the comments, I'm afraid it'll be hard for me to track. That's why I'm leaning into Discord for this. But that doesn't mean you can't tell me about what happened if/when you complete the Quest! I want to hear it all!

  Quest ID: RQ-JDM-0001-D-EA

  [Tier 1 Delivery Quest]

  To the person whom I will likely never meet, but for some reason likes me. Hi. Your Quest is of the simplest. Obtain a single, as close to perfect flower as possible. As you obtain said flower, locate one in need of lifting and grant it upon them. Do not die in this process.

  Should they question you on this bountiful gift, smile, and say something nice.

  DO NOT do so in a lascivious manner! Results from such have been shown to cause great bodily and/or emotional harm. Unless you're married or dating...then, it's whatever. Enjoy.

  You have one week to complete this noble quest.

  Reward for completion: 5 xp

  J.D. Mullenary Sr.

  The Original QuestWright