I'll kill them, it doesn't matter anymore, they've taken everything.
You have gained [Pariah Aura Manipulation] Apprentice 1
Apprentice - you no longer need to be at the center of your aura
Gain 2 exp
Even that is not enough to cause the white mana people to stop moving in the ceiling, even if they're fuzzier now. A guard has my meal. I am the epitome of worthlessness, and now so is he. He ends up digging his own eye out with my meal’s fork, then he digs deeper.
Gained 54 Exp from unidentified source
The exp hits me, I'm numb to it, I haven't let my aura diffuse out. It's no longer an accident, I'm killing them and I won’t be stopped.
There is shouting above, the white mana people are more animated now. Another guard comes, he shouts something and then puts the key into the lock, before he can turn the key he starts ramming his head against the bars. He is on his back, his breathing getting shallower, I can see his brain from where he shattered his skull. There is more there than I expected. I turn the key and slide the door. The man's breathing is still slowing. I walk to what's left of my meal, and eat what I can, when I am done, so is he.
Gained 42 Exp from unidentified source
He was even younger. I hear a woman's voice at the top of the stairs. I am standing at the edge of my aura, and she is on the opposite edge. It's enough, she throws herself down the stairs, she reaches the end with her neck twisted at a bad angle.
Gained 57 Exp from unidentified source
I climb the stairs and wander forward, then I hear a familiar voice.
“Sara Sleep”
A third of my mana is gone, I turn towards Frank and start walking towards him. He is resisting my aura, my only choice is to close the distance.
“SARA STOP”
I don't, that one spent the rest of my personal store, I'm getting closer to him, he is starting to claw at his face.
“SARA—”
He arches his back and then falls forward. There a stick sticking out his back. Feather on the stick, an arrow?
I see a man with a crossbow in his hand, I don't recognize his mana shape. I swing my aura behind myself, I need to identify this man, before he is to be condemned. Frank stops breathing.
Gained 87 Exp from unidentified source
You gained 2 unallocated stat points
I can see why slavers set up exp farms. I ask my question.
“Are you a slaver or one of their clients?”
“Um neither, I'm just an adventurer out to collect an abandoned [False Soul] ring. Seems a tier 5 adventurer must have died to these slavers 2 days ago. Damn shame, the ring must have been using the ambient mana to send a signal. The local hall noticed and sent me and my team out.”
“Oh.”
So if I had taken off the ring I could have used it like an sos beacon but then I would have been exposed.
“Where are the rest of the slavers?” Their mana signatures are out of my range.
“That was the last one I believe, my associates have been combing this abandoned keep with me, clearing them out.”
“Oh.”
I pull the aura into myself. Ever since the fight my notifications have been firing off. I feel as worthless with the aura in me or out of me.
I pull off the ring from my finger, it's been visible ever since I was expelled. I hold my hand out, he cocks his head to the side and reaches a hand unsure what I want to give him. I drop the ring into his hand.
“Can you tell me the way to Hilgurd?”
-----
I'm in the backroom of the local guild hall. I keep asking where Hilgurd is but they just keep talking.
“And she just handed you the ring.”
“She was wearing it.”
“Where did you get the ring?”
O, that's directed at me, now my chance.
“Can you tell me the way to Hilgurd?”
He seems angry, “Damn it, child its a hundred miles to the east.”
That's a lot of kings feet. “Thank you.”
I get up to leave and head for the door. A man bars my way. I look up at him. He speaks before I do.
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“Where are you going, Missy?”
“To Hilgurd, would you move please, you're not a slaver. I don't want to have force you to kill yourself. Unless you are a slaver or one of their clients, I think I can live with watching the clients kill themselves.”
“You are one spooky kid.”
I stop listening to the obstacle, I start to pull my aura out.
“Sara, Sara thats your name right.”
I look at crossbow man in the peripheral of my mana eye, my head only turning slightly. I look like I am staring at the wall. “That is my name.”
“Good um Sara, before a long journey, you should eat a good meal right?”
“That sounds practical.”
“How bout we bring you a meal here?”
I stopped listening and started turning my head back to the obstacle in front of the door.
“Sara, we can bring you a meal here before you leave, will you wait?”
Staring at the wall again.
“Alright, I will wait” I go back to my previous seat.
“What was that about, Derrick?”
“I back tracked the girl's bloody foot prints and found three corpses. She was unarmed and the man I killed in front of her was in the process of clawing his face off.”
I look at the bottom of my feet, there is blood dried on there. There are even some flakes on the ground here.
“I apologize for tracking blood everywhere.”
“We should just compel her to speak.”
“The guy clawing his face was using one word commands with her name. He shouted the last one, it didn't phase her.”
Derrick turns to Sara, “Sara, is there a meal you like to have delivered here?”
I just have too many things one could ask for, a decision made.
I reply, “Anything as long as it comes with bread, bread life is the best life. Though the last thing I ate had no taste, which is strange as it was spilt on the floor and I would of expected it to at least taste like floor, don't tell Marie I ate with my hands but the fork that the guard brought ended up entering his brain through his eye socket and I thought eating with that would be worse than using my hands.”
It took the gathered adventurers a moment to parse that.
“I think so long as you use her name, she'll pay enough attention to answer you, watch, Sara who is Marie?”
“She is the sadist who liked to zap me when I was slouching.”
“We got a giant word bonanza when it came to food, but just a sentence when it came to this Marie, do you think she was one of the slavers?”
I look straight at the offending obstacle, “Do not ever besmirch the names of those under the employ of grandmother.”
I am out of my seat again, if I am to end this obstacle life I prefer to minimize collateral.
“Sara, he didn't know and didn't mean anything by it, maybe if he knew your grandmother's name he wouldn't be so disrespectful.”
Derrick is in the way but he does make a point.
“That could possibly be true...”
“So?”
I look at the man not understanding the question, I wonder when the bread is arriving.
“Sara, what is the name of the grandmother you just spoke of?”
“Bianca, though I only really think of her as the [Lady].”
There was a stir in the room at that statement.
“Sara, does Bianca have a family name?”
“Yes.”
“Which is?”
“Is the bread arriving soon, if not I would like to get started for Hilgurd, I'm sure there are mandrakes along the way I can eat.”
Obstacle grimaces at the idea of eating mandrakes, I have to agree they suck.
“It will be here soon, Sara, what is Lady Bianca's family name.”
“Maxwell.”
------
The meal took longer to arrive than I wanted, and then everything tasted like nothing. Even the bread, I was polite and told the adventurers that it definitely tasted better than mandrake. The adventurers led me to the Maxwell company store. They told me if they could get a message out then perhaps transportation could be arranged which would be a lot faster than walking. I had to agree with that, it was sound logic.
I meet a male mom. It's weird how everyone looks like mom in the family, there's grandmother and now this Maxwell. I feel like I might be bucking the trend.
“And this is?”
“She claims to be Sara Maxwell.”
“I don't recall any Sara in the family at her age.”
“Are there any Sara at any age in the family? I need to know if I am unique or not. Being called scratches by family would be weird.”
I stare at male mom expectantly, then I take a deep breath and shudder. What have I been doing for the last few days.
You have gained [Resist Mental Attacks] Intermediate 1
Intermediate- doubles the effective power of the Men stat against mental attacks
Men raised to 38
That puts me above my soul count. I went too deep for too long. I think I broke my soul for a bit there. I remember the killing, I never wanted to but my despair. I shudder. It's a lot. I sit down. The legs weren't going to hold me for much longer.
“Sara?”
I look at Derrick, “Thank you for stopping me from killing everyone at the guild hall, I really wasn't thinking clearly back then. If I had killed someone who was innocent I'm not sure how I would live with myself. I'm kinda struggling with the guards I did kill.”
I can feel the tears streaming down my face. I try to console myself but it's hard when there is no one you know around you to hug. The man who looks like mom isn't helping, going by context he must be Francis. I gather myself mentally.
“I'm sorry brother Francis, this is not the best way to introduce myself. I have only just been adopted into the Maxwell family, well at least two months ago.”
“These adventurers said that you were claiming to be my niece, not my sister.”
Right loopy Sara has a big mouth. He already was skeptical, now he has caught me in a lie. Well nothing to do about it.
“Well, sorry to have wasted your time Sir Francis Maxwell. I'm going to head back to the adventurer guild now.”
Then I ran.
-----
Back in the guild hall backroom.
“So what is your name?”
“Sara Maxwell.”
“I thought you were lying about that.”
“I have a public lie and private truth, while I was out of mind, I went and told you my private truth, then I greeted my uncle with the public lie, and since I look like a bleeding murder goblin I don't think he is going to believe me if I try to clarify.”
“Ah.”
“Ya, ah.” I pinch the bridge of my nose, then catch my habit I gained and feel morose.
“You were nicer before.”
“I literally almost killed you because you were standing between me and the door.”
“I'm still not sure how you would accomplish that.”
I'm just going to ignore him, “Was there a bounty on the slavers? You've already confirmed three kills by me.”
“I'm afraid those bounties were already claimed by other members of the guild, you can try to talk to them but the guild would side with them if there is a dispute.”
Right the guild protects their own, and I am no longer one of them.
“About that ring you handed me Sara?”
“What are the rules for reapplying to the guild?”
“What? You were part of the guild, Sara?”
“Ya those bleeding slavers had captured and held me past my probation period and I lost my title which is why you guys got the ring alarm.” A ring ping? Nevermind.
“Are you implying that you were given a [False Soul] ring as a tier one adventurer.”
“Yes, so how do I reapply?”
“As you were removed due to delinquency, you would have to appeal at the hall you were stationed at.” Obstacle again.
“Guild Master Reginald is pretty nice, I'm sure if I tell him my situation he'll understand. Could you guys give me a parchment on how you found me and that this guild hall possesses the ring he gave me. I'm sure he won't be angry if another guild hall has the ring, right?”
“Actually we are to return the ring to its original guild hall so that they can document the loss of the adventurer.”
“O that's great, can I come with?”
“No.”
Obstacle living up to his nickname.
“Any reason for the no.”
“No.”
“Well then it's time for me to head out then.”
“No.”
“For what reasons are you detaining me?”
“You've claimed both to be nobility and an adventurer that was given a [False Soul] ring at tier one. While the claiming of the ring is an internal matter, we will need to turn you over to the guard for claiming to be nobility.”
