The ins and outs of what he’d witnessed regarding the Cornerstone Path rolled through Cass’s mind over and over again. That it was unique was without a doubt.

  A self-propagating Node that expanded in size the more he unlocked?

  “Seems endless,” He said to noone in particular. “There’s also an implication that tomorrow, a new daily Quest will arrive from it. And it only cost me…one System Reputation to get things rolling for myself. If I do that for multiple people in Liberty, that’d be an insane amount of experience.”

  The dreaded math had reared its head.

  “So, if I’m understanding this right, the term Cornerstone is more accurate than it seems at first. If I unlock enough of those minor nodes, and they turn into active buttons like the four I saw in the Outliner, then there’s a good shot each will turn into a different Daily Quest that’s automatically available for the Questor.”

  He scratched his chin as he thought about it, “Does that mean someone can get ten, twenty, maybe more daily Quests out of it, depending on how many of those buttons are activated? Do I get the QuestWright experience share from each? Assuming I do, and for the low-low price of one System Reputation, I can collect tens, maybe hundreds of experience from handing out a single Quest.”

  Shaking his head at the thought, he leaned his arms back against the bed, “Unique Paths are truly something else. I wonder what the hell Tempered and Tactician are going to do. Especially since the node broke.”

  He also started to wonder about what choices Hollis had made when he was at his level. That he was angry at the man for what he’d done was a non-starter. The guildmaster had forced him into a Calling without speaking to him.

  But anger won’t put experience on my sheet.

  With a sigh, he lay his head down and dove into his screens. The last thing he could do before calling it a night was review the last two changes that had occurred since leaving Liora.

  “Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow. Tomorrow will come soon enough.”

  Finding the new Prestige option was as simple as looking in the corner. Touching it brought up a new screen he hadn’t seen before, one that held much more information than he expected.

  Welcome to the Prestige Reputation Screen, Cassio Vale of Liberty

  By pushing beyond the limits of a QuestWright’s standard Reputational levels, you’ve unlocked deeper insight into the System and the privileges that it affords.

  Name: Cassio Vale

  Calling: QuestWright

  Level: 13

  Reputation: Junior

  Age: 18

  Current location: Liberty

  – –

  System Reputation:

  Total earned: 1482

  Total remaining: 64

  Organizational Reputation:

  The Central Guild: 10

  The Office of the Sovereign: 22

  Liberty City: 0

  Liberty Guildtower: -25

  Liora City: 56

  Liora Guildhall: [250]+1

  Liora Council: 141

  GoldenCrowns: 180

  Shattermarks: 142

  Common Solutions: 128

  Valiants: 87

  Silvers: 58

  Bella the Draft-horse: 152

  – –

  Achievement sets completed:

  [Foundations of a QuestWright] 10/10

  [A Lengthy Path] 12/12

  Ongoing Achievement sets:

  [Tactics and Tribulations] 7/10

  [Combat and Monsters] 8/10

  [The Survivor’s Way] 3/10

  Future Achievement sets

  Junior QuestWright: Unlocked at Level 15

  Journeyman QuestWright: Unlocked at Level 30

  Strategist: Completion of Tactician and additional elements required

  Philanthropist: Complete acts of charity that promote the well-being of humanity

  Titles earned:

  QuestWright Apprentice, Experiential Delver, Blooded Survivor, Waywalker, Linked, Prestigious, Quillbearer, Bonded Guardian

  Titles held in abeyance or near to completion:Junior QuestWright (Unlock the Junior QuestWright Achievement Set)

  Hero (Save a second city)

  Legend (Gather three Prestige-level reputations)

  Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

  “So Prestige gives me the kind of information I’d have dreamed of when first getting my Calling. Wait a second,” His eyes noticed each line lighting up as he looked at them. “Can I…”

  The only negative reputation on the screen lifted up as text dropped just below it.

  [LIBERTY GUILDTOWER: -25]

  -25:

  The members of the Liberty Guildtower believe you are an agent of the Sovereign, sent to report on any of their dealings to the Central Guild.

  This reputation will continue to fall unless corrective measures and assurances are put into place.

  “Not likely, but thanks for the tip, System.”

  Cass thought over what he’d seen of the city when looking at Command Center. “This place is not Liora, that’s for sure. People are nervous around QuestWrights; the Guildtower already dislikes me and thinks I’m some kind of mole for the Sovereign. I’d have better luck sneaking out so people don’t track my every movement.”

  Shaking his head, he pushed his intent, forcing the Liberty text down as Bella’s came up next.

  [BELLA THE DRAFT-HORSE: 152]

  0-100:

  Saved by Cassio Vale, Bella the Draft-horse gains unflinching loyalty toward her bonded companion.

  Unlocks rudimentary communication between man and animal.

  Increases the intelligence of the draft-horse to near-human levels that will strengthen with the bond.

  101-150:

  Through caring actions and daily contact, the bond between man and animal has increased to a heightened level.

  Unlocks location sense between man and animal.

  Increases the odds of a titled connection forming between the bonded pair.

  Contracted Addition:

  By contract, emotions may now be shared across the bond. This will not fade even if the contract abruptly ends.

  151-200:

  ?

  201-250:

  ?

  250+:

  ??

  “So that’s an explanation, alright. But what the hell happens at 200? And, why was Hollis so sure I’d be shocked at 250?”

  The two question marks stared him in the face enough that he closed it down out of frustration.

  “I shouldn’t be upset, this is far more information than I’ve ever had before. But still.” Cass shook a fist at the ceiling, “Just a little more information wouldn’t kill you.” He paused with a fist in the air, hoping a conversation would drop in with great valor.

  But after stupidly holding his fist at the ceiling for five minutes didn’t pan out, he sighed, then continued to move through the Prestige screen.

  “The Shattermarks have a pretty high opinion of me. On the other side, though, the Silvers think I was lucky. Lucky? After leading hundreds of monsters to their deaths. Really?”

  Cass shook his head, “But at least the GoldenCrowns haven’t abandoned all semblance of rationality. I’m not the biggest fan of how much they like me because of my family, but there isn’t much I can do about that this far away.”

  That got him thinking about his family, in particular, his sister’s arm. “Hope they’re all doing okay.”

  Cass closed the screen and stared at the ceiling for a time. He checked in on Bella, if for no other reason than to feel better about her being there. Thoughts filtered through his mind over how she was doing, crossing a land filled with monsters. Was she alone? Were others with her?

  He couldn’t imagine what that would be like. By all accounts, his trip had been rather lackadaisical. Chained to a cart by his kidnappers, sure, but they hadn’t been mean about things. The walls of the carriage had worked double time as both a prison and a sanctuary from beyond.

  Then, inevitably, his mind went back to the Prestige screen.

  “At least I know there’s more titles and achievements to be had. Plus, having an informational breakdown of why I’ve been gaining reputation and how people think of me is a big boon. I’ll have to make sure I check in on things every once in a while.”

  “Now,” He held out a hand in the air and wrapped his fingers around the materializing Airscript Quill. Like always before, the sense of something otherworldly coming into being was as strange as ever. Though it was his fourth time bringing it into the world, he didn’t know if he’d ever get over the strong sense of awe he felt when it magically appeared.

  “Last thing to do before the pillow calls my name.”

  There hadn’t been a button or a screen for the tutorial, but somehow he knew there wouldn’t be. Since passing the first gate, he hadn’t been calling the Quill into being by touching an ability.

  It was always there, just beyond reach. And now, there was something else. A wall. That simply needed a light tapping.

  Like knocking on a door, Cass’s intent banged against whatever barrier the System had put in place, and just like that, it reacted. The Quill lit up incandescently bright in his hand as the light shifted and flowed into golden writing overhead.

  Welcome to Advanced Quest Formatting, Cassio Vale

  As holder of the title, Quillbearer, this tutorial is meant to assist you in discovering the additional properties of the Airscript Quill.

  The Airscript Quill is a non-standard reward for passing into the second tier. It has been granted to you as part of an arrangement between QuestWright and the System.

  Should your System Reputation ever drop below positive, the Quill will be barred from contact until that has been corrected.

  Beginning Tutorial…

  Step 1: Change the color of this writing

  Note: You may stop the tutorial at any time.

  “What?”

  Change the color of this writing

  “How?”

  The System didn’t respond this time. Instead, the word this shimmered in front of him, repeating the action no matter how he phrased the question.

  Alright, Cass. Think. This is advanced quest formatting. Don’t be a numbskull, just think over how Quests work.

  I get information, I outline it, I draft it on a Vellum, and the Questor goes from there. If I’m lucky or smart, I have a template ready to go, making the outlining easier, but that’s about…the end of it.

  There’s no vellum with the Quill, which is what I asked for. When I write Quests using it, I’m basically writing on the world. But I’m not thinking when I’m doing it. There’s something else at play.

  So what’s the trick here? It should be something simple I’m not considering, or the System would give me some form of hint. That means it’s something I do all the time without thinking about it.

  Without thinking…duh!

  Cass stared at the word, glaring at it until it shifted from gold to red.

  Step one complete: Change the Airscript Quill’s coloring

  Congratulations.

  You’ve discovered that, like the drafting of Quests upon Vellums, the drafting of Quests using the Airscript Quill is done through emotion and control.

  Step 2: Delay the Quest's activation

  Note: You’ve been granted temporary System Reputation while the tutorial is ongoing.

  Cass’s outliner appeared of its own volition as a pre-designed Quest filled itself out. It was a basic administrative-type, one that required forms to be filled out and placed within the correct bins.

  Holding up the Quill, he tried to push out the thought that he wanted to draft the Quest, but not let it activate yet. That was easier said than done, as the golden writing instantly spilled out into the open air.

  Failure conditions met.

  Step 2: Delay the Quest’s activation

  Cass took a breath and considered how he’d changed the writing’s color. That was easy; he’d gotten angry at it. Which made him wonder about something else.

  This time around, he didn’t try to hold off on the activation. Instead, he put his feelings into making the Quest’s writing hidden.

  I’m a secret Quest. Don’t show it. Hide. Stay in the shadows. Be invisible!

  The golden writing slowly, and then with more speed as he got better at it, began to lose its color. It continued to do so until he was worried nothing was coming out at all.

  Hidden step found: Write unseen upon the world

  +10 System Reputation

  Reverting back to the standard tutorial…

  Step 2: Delay the Quest’s activation

  Cass smiled, “So there are hidden steps to this, huh. I do like achievement hunting.”

  The System didn’t reply, but it didn’t need to. He’d already figured out what he needed to do, he just needed practice…and patience.

  Taking a breath, Cass calmed himself down until he reached an almost meditative-like frame of mind. Then, lifting the Quill, he drafted the Quest upon the world.

  The writing bunched up and held unmoving in place.

  Step two complete: Delay the Quest’s activation

  Congratulations.

  You’ve discovered that specific emotions can be transferred into controlling the Quest as it is created. Though a similar action occurs when drafting upon vellums, the Airscript Quill is much more intuitive, allowing for advanced Quest formatting and conditional creations.

  Step 3: Combine the two

  Note: You’ve been granted temporary System Reputation while the tutorial is ongoing.

  Cass smiled again, “Okay, I can do this.”

  [Tier 1 Experimental Quest]

  Assignment: Change Your Name

  For one full day, choose a different name.

  Not online. Not jokingly. Not ironically.

  Introduce yourself with it.Order coffee with it.Sign a note with it.Write it on paper.Say it out loud when someone asks.

  You are not pretending to be someone else.You are testing who you are when the label shifts.

  Notice what changes.Notice what does not.

  Do you act differently?Do people treat you differently?Do you feel fraudulent? Free? Amused? Irritated?

  You do not have to explain why you are doing it.You only have to commit for the day.

  Completion Condition: One full day lived under an alternate name.

  Timeframe: Within 7 daysReward: 8 XP

  Identity is more flexible than you think. Try it, and remember. Names are like clothes, shed and picked up at will.

  —J D Mullenary Sr The Original QuestWright