What could the Registry do for him?
Miles leaned back, eyes wide for a moment before a chuckle escaped his throat at the sheer irony of the offer. In a way, this… offer had the potential to resolve most of his issues. It could make the “Wanderer” into an official figure. Legitimize him and shield him—at least partially—from his enemies. It could actually provide him the peace and quiet he’d been striving toward. Give him room to rest and the opportunity and support to look into the why and how of his acquired ability. It could likely do a lot more.
He picked his teacup and sipped from it as he eyed the Inquisitor’s polite smile. The Registry could deliver on their promise, he was pretty sure of that. In fact, somehow he had in front of him something even more valuable than the Wishmark token he’d gotten from Ilyon. That one was for a favor from Hollow’s Wind. A Great Guild. But this in front of him—if he believed the Inquisitor, that was—was basically a Wishmark from the Registry itself. From the largest and mightiest organization in the world. Miles wouldn’t be surprised that they’d actually give him governorship of Rivergate if he’d asked for it.
But here was the kicker. To benefit from it, he’d have to severely weaken the separation between his new identity and the Wanderer’s. Because there was simply no way for him to benefit from whatever the Registry offered without potentially tipping his connection to the Wanderer and while he knew that sooner or later that separation would progressively deteriorate, this would speed it up dangerously. Previously, his worry was mostly about having the time to establish himself and carve-out a safe spot in the Dungeon, at which point, if the barrier between Miles and the Wanderer fell off, he’d be established enough to weather the storm. But with the Registry at his back, he might not need to do the heavy-lifting by himself. Even if they ended up being opportunistic or ended up flaking on him.
He could even negotiate something outrageous, at which point it wouldn’t even matter if things got spicy later on and frankly, with the abilities at his disposal, so long as he played his cards right, he could always counter them.
Miles sighed. There was so much potential benefits here, but he needed to mull it over. He couldn’t bring himself to refuse this starting offer just yet. It was too tempting. But he couldn’t accept it right away, either. He needed to know more.
“I’ll need some time to think about this,” he finally said, to which Talon dipped his head. He would have said more, but Miles didn’t want to come off as too interested. “As for everything else you’ve said… what makes you think I’m one of these individuals you speak of? What kind of abilities are we talking, here? And do you have a more precise timeline of these episodes the Oracles are having?”
That last question was a last minute addition. While at first he didn’t think he was involved aside from the fact that maybe the Dungeon was up to something, another thought had inched itself out of the corner of his mind. What if this sense of dread was his fault?
If Oracles were somehow connected to the future or to “fate” or whatever, what if him popping back in time every few weeks or months was doing something? Maybe he was creating some sort of ripples? After all, he was altering the timeline every time he went back. He was heading back in time with both knowledge and power. If so… well… he’d have to keep an eye on it. If he was causing that, he’d have to investigate, just in case someone could figure out what he was doing. Revealing his secret identity was nothing when compared to revealing his ability to literally travel back in time.
Plenty of questions, and plenty of issues to figure out, he thought as he watched Talon consider his words for a few moments. The man wasn’t afraid to take a moment to think and a few seconds after Miles finished asking his question, Talon nodded decisively.
“I understand and please, take all the time you need. As for why we think you might be one, let me answer the question about their abilities first. Again, this knowledge is pretty guarded, but there is one case of which I’m aware and which I was allowed to share.”
Miles resisted the urge to lean forward. Instead he just picked up his cup and listened.
“The case is one of a young man in our care. He is a farmer, residing near one of the larger settlements within the Dungeon and one day… his colleagues and friends watched him be dragged away into the woods by direwolves, bloodied, with one of them having its jaws tightly clasped around his neck. It goes without saying, he was immediately considered dead, as he had neither the levels nor the power to survive such an encounter, only for him to show up nearly a week later, with his clothes torn and bloodied. Aside from the mental trauma, there wasn’t even a scar from the encounter.”
Miles rubbed the back of his neck as he considered the man’s words. In his own experience, the Custodial quest had shown up as he’d been bleeding out decades ago, when that fateful delve had gone wrong. So in the farmer’s case, it might have happened as he was being dragged away. Quinn had been cagey about her circumstance, but it did reveal that it had happened in a particularly traumatizing event.
“We asked this young man about this ability, of course,” Talon continued. “It took him a few days to recover and be able to speak to us, but when he did, we realized something else. We couldn’t learn it. We believed it was Transcendent. When we tested it with our best appraising apparatus, it showed as Transcendent, but when we asked him, he denied it. When he spoke of it, none of our agents could hear him. If he wrote it down, the eyes of whomever read it would glaze over for a few seconds, and they’d forget they even had the paper in their hands.”
Crap. Yeah, that’s a Custodial ability, Miles thought as he tilted his head in fake-confusion. “That’s odd. It sounds like Sealed Knowledge, but I’ve never heard of it behaving in that manner. My experience is that the text would just look like incomprehensible gibberish. At least, from the couple of books and scrolls I’ve seen.”
Talon nodded. “We believe it is. At least, a form of it. And without knowing what the condition to access it is, there’s no way for us to read or hear about it. But the fact that there is a Skill-rarity that we don’t know is revolutionary enough.”
Miles hummed as he tapped the edge of the table with his fingers, thoughts were whirling. That most definitely sounded like a Custodial skill, and speaking with the man in question would immediately clear it out. And who knows, maybe he’d have a couple more details about what was going on.
“Were you able to learn what exactly was the ability? Can he not be injured, or is he healing incredibly fast?”
Talon was eying him curiously, but if he was expecting Miles to confirm or deny having a similar Skill, he had another thing coming. After a short beat, Talon nodded. “Both. He is difficult to injure—at least, when he agreed to test that with a small cut—and he heals abnormally fast. We don’t know to which degree, because he… doesn’t have the profile to go through such rigorous testing, but we believe it’s high enough to rival or surpass some similar Epic-rank or Legendary-rank abilities. At least, considering the initial circumstances. We hope he recovers and shows more interest in martial pursuits. Someone with such an ability would be invaluable.”
Miles could only agree as he listened. That was the perfect ability for a Vanguard or a Warden though if he took the Registry’s words to heart, it seemed to have popped up in the worst possible candidate. It meant that the poor guy would never be able to leave the Dungeon. What were the odds of him making it to 30th floor?
“That sounds… hard to believe,” said Miles after a moment as he watched Talon refill his cup. “But stranger things happened. You said the Registry is looking into these individuals, then? Any hints on how many were found?”
He was clearly fishing for information, and Talon knew it. It was obvious from the smug smiles he was giving Miles. “I could tell you more, of course. I don’t know everything, but I do have another profile I could share.”
What, of course, he wasn’t saying was that the Inquisitor wanted some answers in return, and Miles had to admit, information and knowledge was yet another argument for joining, or at least, establishing a loose alliance, just to keep abreast of news. And considering the nature of the Custodial quests, Miles might need to do something about it. While he wasn’t that interested in the farmer’s ability considering [Respawn Protocol], someone else might find a way to pressure the man into giving his ability away.
Miles bit his lip under the mask. The farmer had blabbed, too, so this knowledge was spreading, and sooner or later, the Registry itself might learn of the possibility of giving the abilities away to be freed out of the quest. They might already know about it. But better them than some murderous psychopath. Potential invulnerability in the wrong hands could spell disaster. One he could always work around, but still.
Miles gave Talon a long look. “You want me to confirm if I’m one of these people?”
Talon smiled. “As I said, we suspect it. Having it confirmed would be valuable intel, and it would certainly motivates us a little more to maintain this friendship. But we understand if you would rather not. Though if you were to want to meet the individual we’re keeping protected, we’d need a good reason to do so, otherwise why would the higher ups approve such a meeting.”
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Miles smiled, and acquiesced to the point. Though he didn’t confirm it yet. “And what makes you think I am one of these people, exactly?”
“Well,” Talon began, cocking his head to the side. “You have an uncanny ability with timing, and your exploits speak for themselves. The Gorgon’s Pass Escort. The Redmarsh Heist. Most attempts at ambushing you often ended up with you slipping away as if you knew when and how exactly you were about to be attacked. And now? Single-handedly getting past Ashirruk? You are either an unprecedentedly powerful Oracle yourself or you have a particularly potent ability that allowed these miracles. Whatever it is, we don’t want to pry, so rest assured. Inquisitor Thorn might have been a bad first impression, but we’re not about to make that same mistake twice. We dearly wanted to rectify it but by then, you had disappeared past the 25th floor. We waited. We kept our ears peeled, so we were ready when the news broke out to bring our offer forward. And fair warning, expect more offers soon. While your enemies might have moved fast, there are plenty of factions wanting to make contact. I bet a few will be more forceful in their offer, but I’m sure you can handle yourself just fine.”
Miles pressed his lips together. While he recalled most of these events, they weren’t as fresh in his own perspective as they would be for an external observer like the Inquisitor and the Registry behind him. For him, it had been decades. For them, just a handful of years. He couldn’t deny his ‘foresight’ as he didn’t recall every single instance of it, and he’d bet they had more damning documentation about his exploits. They most likely have had plenty of time to ask around and document his passage through the earlier floors while he was working his way toward the 30th floor, spending day in and day out fighting, practicing against his summons and the local monsters, or hunched over his cauldron as his improved his refining ability.
Yeah, they likely knew, and both of them were just dancing around the subject. Now, it was going to be about whether it was worth confirming their suspicion, or keep it in his back pocket and let them stew. He wasn’t in a rush to learn about this other potential Custodian, but Miles will likely have to confirm their suspicion before he could delve deeper into that part of things. Once he established a good rapport with the Registry, it’d be easier to fish for information. Especially if did that within the confines of the Dungeon.
Deciding to not comment on that side of the conversation for now, Miles moved on. “I see. So what are you offering? I’m not against working with the Registry, but I’m not really willing to place myself under its authority. Plus, if you have been tracking my past, you do know I have a bit of a criminal record. I’ve made a few enemies. You included, I’d even say. Are you going to hand-wave that away?”
Talon nodded knowingly, then gave a little shrug. “Well…. Yeah. We can’t exactly say you’ve been a paragon of upholding the law. The good news though—and what makes thing easy—is that you never went after innocents. A few rules were broken here and there, but it’s not worth ruining a potential partnership over. Plus, once we vouch for you, you’ll have more of a leg to stand on when it comes to your detractors. It won’t fully shield you, but if, let’s say, the Church of White Flame were to send its own after you, as a recognized figure, you’d be able to knock them down a peg and not have to worry as much about the fallout. You wouldn’t be a random Delver. You’d be someone affiliated with us, which means most will have to take that into account before they move against you.”
While that in and of itself wasn’t that much of a defense, it was better than nothing.
Damn. This keep on getting more and more interesting. Especially the part where I’d get access to their archives and what they have learned of the deeper floors, Miles thought. He had tried in the past to access some of the Registry’s resources and knowledge, but even with the loops, it was not that easy.
“Speaking of benefits, what’s on the table?”
Talon interlaced his fingers. “As a sign-in bonus? That’ll depend on what you ask of us. But aside from that, well, you’d have access to our offices. You’d be able to make requests for both our services and intelligence, and you’d have access to the Registry’s assignments. You might not have clearance for the highest level when you start, but you’d certainly gain access to some pretty lucrative assignments from the get go. Especially if you’re about to start exploring past the 30th. You’d also be allowed to establish your own House or Guild, and you would have independent access to the Dungeon. Those are the basics. Everything else we can discuss further.”
Miles inhaled and puffed out his cheeks. They really weren’t holding out on him. But before he could give his answer, there was something else to consider. “You seem very intent on getting me to join,” he said to the Inquisitor. “What’s in it for you?”
Talon smiled sheepishly, then dipped his head. “I would be credited with having brought you in. I would be allowed to request your assistance without having to jump through hoops—if you agree to that, of course. And I’d be able to access more resources for myself and for you, if you chose to be an ally instead of a full-time Registry agent.”
Miles leaned back, a little pained. The offer sounded good. It still had its downsides—mainly reducing the distance between his real identity and his manufactured one—but there was a lot on the table. It would offer some extra security and plenty of opportunities. It’d put him in touch—or at least get him closer—to other Custodians, and it’d let him access whatever secrets the Registry managed to accumulate through the centuries of its existence. What was a little secret identity compared to all of that? Still, he didn’t have to accept right away, and he didn’t need to reveal much. No one had to know he had his own access to the Dungeon, and no one to know the exact nature of his abilities. And even then, the Registry would be happy to have him around no matter what he decided to reveal. After all, tier-30s didn’t grow on trees, and the treasures of the deep Dungeons were always sought after.
Miles could see himself accepting something loose already. But better give it a day or two, and see how the Inquisitor behaved over the next couple of days.
With all that said, there was one last issue to address, and while it would give him away a little, he couldn’t afford not to address it. He didn’t come all this way up to see his sister be involved in anyone’s plot, and while he felt that there were likely nuances to the events that took place, he had to make his point come across. He had to get an answer.
“I will start by saying this. I am interested,” he began, and Talon’s eyes nearly shone as they widened. “I will need a couple of days to decide, but so far, I’ve liked what I have heard. One thing that still bugs me a little though, is the individuals you have summoned to this compound. What is going on with that? Is this part of a different investigation, or is this connected to my exit, somehow?”
If the Registry was trying to over-reach or use people as leverage, then that might leave a sour taste in the back of Mile’s throat. But he also knew how information circulated and what might be happening, and while Talon seemed to be surprised at the direction the conversation went, he quickly gave a crisp nod.
“Right. As I previously said, there is no issue with taking time to think. I can meet you somewhere in the Dungeon, or I can wait here for however long you need. As for the individuals we summoned,” Talon continued, lapsing into a more bureaucratic cadence, “it has come to our attention that on the aftermath of your exit, a few incongruous events had taken place and unfortunately, they had been written down and circulated between informants. On the off-chance that you happened to be connected to any of these individuals, closely or not, we didn’t want them to be embroiled in the search, especially considering your black-market bounties have been updated. And while we want to always prevent crossfire, this time it also happened to involve me personally. One of them—the individual you have seen when you arrived—is my sister. This is for their protection, and as for those that have not been invited, I have some Shadows watching over them, just in case. This is the Registry making it clear that no foul play would be allowed, to whoever third party is watching.”
Miles carefully watched the man, and nodded. That angle made sense, then. While there was a small chance that this was still leverage, the Ironvault’s words made enough sense. He hadn’t expected information to move this fast, but now that he was back around civilization, it was inevitable, and it was realistic.
“If you agree to work with us,” Talon continued, “we will make a proclamation, and that will have some of the bounties be pulled back, but not all. Though once your status becomes legal, there will be no reason to hide these individuals, as whoever wants you harm will just come directly after you. You wouldn’t be a fugitive or a hidden figure, anymore. You’d be easy to find and access, just by taking assignments and whatnot. But I believe you can handle that just fine. For now, we want to prevent any potential… spillover. They aren’t connected to you, are they?”
To that, Miles just cocked his head, and he smiled at the fishing attempt. Catching himself, Talon raised an apologetic hand. “Sorry, that was an intrusive question. It doesn’t matter, they will be kept safe. That I can promise.”
“Good,” Miles simply said, and with the conversation reaching a good stopping point, he got up. Immediately, Talon followed suit. “This has been pleasant. Let’s say… a day or two. If I don’t show up within 3 days, then that will be a no for the generous offer. Otherwise, I will come through the main door. Publicly. And we’ll iron out the details.”
Even if he ended up showing up and not liking the terms, using the Registry as a distraction would be funny enough. He didn’t mind having the informant circles scrambling about for details. He reached out and shook the Inquisitor’s hand.
“That ought to make a scene,” Talon said with a grin. “I hope to see it.”
With that, Miles decided it was time to head out and with an activation of whatever left of his potion, he made his way out of the compound and back to his hotel room, which he discreetly and quietly accessed through the window.
He took a moment to stand in the dark room and just… do nothing. The fatigue of the day began to creep in, and Miles closed his eyes and stood there for a few moments, just listening to the faint voices of the street behind him. It was still early evening, and people were still walking around, laughing, drinking, eating.
I should do that soon, he realized. He hadn’t actually sat down at a tavern for a night out in a while.
“But not right now,” he mused as he stepped toward the wardrobe. Once he was through the gate, he removed the mask, rubbed his face, then under the starry sky, he took a moment to washup and eat a quick bite before he summoned his sleeping bag out of storage and settled inside of it. Somewhere in the Custodial room, Hazel was probably watching the stars or meditating, so he left her to it.
“It’s gonna be a busy couple of days,” he muttered as his eyelids grew heavy. He had to make the run to the 11th floor to deliver the letters, keep an eye on the surface, then decide if he was taking the Registry’s offer and what he was going to ask for it. And when he’d have some time to kill, he’d do a little more planting. At dawn, most likely. There was a lot to think about, and doing a little manual labor would probably help.
A smile tugged on his lips. He was busy, nowadays. But Miles didn’t mind it. Not at all.
“It certainly beats having to fight Ashirruk over and over again,” he said as the stars twinkled above. Tomorrow was a new day, and he was looking forward to it.
