by Prax Venter
He looked over to the Bastion in leather armor and searched the depths of her golden eyes for some of the patience and wisdom she had taught him. Lex’s voice soared under his gaze, and he simply let her soothing power wash over him. There were only a finite number of days ahead of him where he’d be allowed to hear her sing- after all.
Jack turned to find Thymus still behind his turret, staring at the ground and realized that as they climbed higher, these close shaves would only become closer. There was also a newly promoted Townsfolk out there to consider. The reasons began to pile up, and by the time Lex had restored all of his HP, he knew what needed to be done.
He rubbed her back and then began stalking over to the miserable-looking Arcane Mage.
Thymus glanced up, and Jack took pity on the terror he saw in his red-rimmed eyes.
“When Alt died, I panicked and… acted on instinct.” His voice was weak and distant. The old mage had spent years alone, and his horrible experience of summoning his Lightning Turret over and over as he hid from the constant respawns was the epitome of ‘baking in bad habits’.
“Thymus, it’s been a great few days,” Jack began as he stepped closer to the old wizard. “And I gained invaluable experience fighting with you, but I think if you’re intent on climbing high in the Tower with a team, you need more time to recover.”
Jack extended his hand to seal this conversation and show that there was no ill will.
Thymus stared at it numbly.
“Am I truly a Bygone Hero?”
“Only you can make that call,” Jack said. “Blackmoor Cove still needs the wisdom you gained within the Tower, even if you never enter again. The Town still needs protection from Demon Spawn during the day, and this turret would be great for that. Also, Alt was just telling me that an unknown Townsfolk will be promoted to a Hero when we Exit.”
Thymus’ shoulders slumped as if Jack had just taken an unbearable load off them. He moved his outstretched hand closer, encouraging Thymus to take it while he still could.
The old man clasped it with both his wrinkled hands, and Jack shook it firmly, then continued.
“The world still needs a lot of work, inside the Tower and out. I’ll keep you busy.”
“Thank you, Jack,” the Arcane Mage said, and with only a sad nod to Lex, Thymus quietly shuffled to the Exit Orb. Then they were alone.
The Bastion slipped her arms under his and pressed him close. Jack stroked her smooth hair and glanced over at the freestanding door with the number 28 burned into its wooden boards. They really did have a long way to go still, and every step became harder than the last.
After a quiet moment to catch their breath, Lex pulled away, and they both agreed to leave the disturbing human crops behind them as quickly as possible.
Jack looted the Boss chest and found a nice two-hander to feed Alt and a pair of cloth shoes he knew was an upgrade for the mentally scarred mage.
Lex left first, and Jack checked his gear and stats once more before following her out.
Jack - Hero Class: Irrelevant | Level 28
[Health: 340/340 | Mana: 102/192]
[Defense: 213 | Dodge: 143]
[Main Hand Damage: 61 | Off-Hand Damage: 15]
[Hit Chance: 0.95] [Critical Chance: 0.20]
[Magic Power: 5] [Sneak: 1] [Movement Speed +0.05]
~
Main Hand: ARV Alternis - [Sword | Value: 1,485/250,000]
| Dmg: 61 |
| Def: 16 |
| Hit Chance +0.10 |
| Crit Chance +0.20 |
| HP +25 |
| MP +55 |
| Dodge +8 |
| Magic Power +7 |
| 25% chance to heal 1 HP on kill |
| +1 Sneak |
Off-Hand: Black Talon - [Off-Hand Dagger | Value: 114]
| Dmg: 15 |
| Dodge +33 |
| Movement Speed +0.05 |
~ They can’t hit what they can’t hit.
Chest: Bat Pelt Vest - [Chest | Value: 129]
| Def: 55 |
| Max HP +73 |
| Max MP +20 |
| Dodge +7 |
Legs: Brass Button Pants - [Legs | Value: 120]
| Def: 48 |
| Max HP +55 |
| Dodge +19 |
Feet: Dannog’s Boots - [Feet | Value: 124]
| Def: 42 |
| Max HP +50 |
| Max MP +30 |
| Dodge +15 |
Hands: Light Leather Grips - [Hands | Value: 130]
| Def: 52 |
| Max HP +77 |
| Max MP +37 |
| Dodge +26 |
Head:
Ring:
Ring:
Amulet:
Decorative Chest: Common Cloth Shirt - [Chest | Value: 1 | Def: 0]
Decorative Belt:
Decorative Cloak:
Decorative Hat:
With a sigh, Jack slapped the Exit Orb and appeared outside the Tower. Ryea was there to meet them as usual, but so were Sol and his daughter. The balding man always looked like an angry owl to Jack, and the top of his head was particularly red right now. There was a moment when Jack thought that he could have been the one promoted to Hero and almost laughed.
“I’ll be with you in a moment,” Jack said, holding up a finger as he stepped toward the chest and began to unload the huge pile of items from the day. He made sure to flag the shoes for Thymus- a gear upgrade was a gear upgrade, after all.
“I’ll keep them locked,” Alt responded in his mind, “but I should warn you, the ‘Best Hero’ algorithms I employed might have dug a little too deeply.”
Jack barely had a moment to process the information before Sol was looming over him.
“You did this to me,” the taller man growled. “I know it was you. Despite all your inspirational words, your one goal is to destroy what’s left of my family.”
“No way,” Jack said, his mouth hanging open. “You are the most powerful Hero in Blackmoor?”
The ex-Wharfmaster raised one of his sharp, angular eyebrows and pointed to his teenage daughter behind them.
“No, and Haylee certainly isn’t either. She will NOT be climbing that death maze, ever. Especially not with you.”
- 7 -
Haylee - Hero: Dark Prism | Level 1
[Health: 10/10 | Mana: 20/20]
Relationship -
[Disposition: Neutral]
“Dark Prism?” Jack repeated after inspecting Sol’s daughter. He searched her dark gray eyes and saw a sadness there he’d never really noticed before. She had to be only fourteen, maybe fifteen… he’d never even heard her speak. And she was the most powerful Hero in Blackmoor?
“Potentially,” Alt responded to his train of thought.
Sol was still on top of him, and Jack could practically feel the hot anger coursing through her father’s veins. This was only another problem that needed to be solved, and he harnessed his best leadership mindset to do it.
Jack gave the girl a smile before turning to face the unpleasant man leaning close.
“Will you please join me for a stroll before dinner?”
The taller man crossed his arms. “There is nothing that you can tell me that will change my mind.”
“Please?” Jack said, opening a trade window. He deposited 50 coins on his side and mentally selected the accept button. The money would barely put a dent in the pile he’d collected. The Tower was stuffed with coins that still had no real purpose for him.
Sol’s eyebrows rose so fast they nearly shot to the back of his head- and his hand shot out to accept even faster.
“I will admit, you do know how to get your point across. Lead on, Hero.”
He couldn’t keep paying the man whenever he needed him to shut up, but it was stunning how quickly his manner changed. Jack set a slow pace as they walked along the cliffs of the bay while the others went to the Inn.
As soon as they were out of earshot, Jack spoke.
“First thing I want to say is that
I will abide by your decision to not take Haylee into the Tower with my team. She is your daughter, and until she is old enough to make that choice on her own- oh, maybe three years from now, it’s totally your call.”
Sol was a bit behind Jack, but he sensed the hitch in the taller man’s strides. Sol was not expecting this.
“Second, you’re a smart man. Give me one reason that I would want to destroy your family.”
The ex-Wharfmaster remained quiet as he stalked through the tall grass. Jack could see Sol’s long shadow as the orange sun sank towards the horizon and waited a few steps before abruptly turning to block the other man’s path.
“I never want to hear that shit ever again. Do you understand?” Jack let his anger flare briefly as he held the owlish man’s eyes pinned down with his. In a rare display, Sol’s face shifted away from its perpetual scowl and cycled through multiple states before settling on a more neutral posture.
“Understood.”
Jack nodded. Was he getting somewhere with Sol? Was working as a Guard under Kron doing him some good? Even still, the man didn’t belong there, and it was time for Jack to hit him with his final punch.
“Third,” he began, “I now have the ability to move Townsfolk to different roles. If you had your pick, where would you like to be reassigned?”
The taller man blocking out the setting sun blinked at Jack. A breeze whipped past them from the ocean and sent Sol’s black silk robes flapping in the wind.
“Y-you… can do that?” he said finally.
“Honestly, I haven’t tried. Let me see what the options are.”
Jack squinted at him and willed an interface menu to appear, and one did.
The carved wooden panel was similar to his Alter Alt summon list in that it was only a simple series of options.
Reassign Townsfolk: Sol
Fisherman
Wharfmaster
Guard
Captain of the Guard
Lumberjack
Farmhand
Grain Miller
Inn Keeper
Inn Staff
Worker
Jack wondered what a Worker was, and Alt spoke in his mind.
“They fill miscellaneous roles the Town needs at any given time: delivering the fish to the Inn, the wood from the lumberjack, etcetera.”
There were fewer actual choices here than Jack expected. He cast his eyes up to Sol.
“I can offer: Fisherman, Farmhand, Inn Staff, or Worker… oh, I suppose you could be a Grain Miller too if you wanted.” Jack extended his hand to the nearby windmill.
Sol’s black eyebrows pulled down into their familiar V-shape.
“None of these options are acceptable.”
“I’m sorry that Princess isn’t an option. This is what we got for now until the Town grows. Pick one or I’ll pick for you.”
“Oh? You wouldn’t force me to stay a guard?”
“Damn it, Sol. You and I both know you don’t belong on the Wall. I could pick Fisherman, and you’d report directly to Garl…”
“Inn Staff,” Sol said with a sneer.
“Interesting,” Jack said. “I was expecting you to pick the serenity of life on the Farm.”
Sol crossed his long arms. “The Inn is the safest place in Blackmoor. It usually has the most people, Demi is a powerful healer, and the stone walls don’t hurt either. You won’t find me mucking around in the mud.”
Jack shrugged and selected the chosen role. Haylee’s father swayed on his feet for a moment, and then they both checked his updated Character panel.
Sol - Townsfolk: Inn Staff | 53% Proficiency
[Health: 5/5]
Relationship -
[Disposition: Dislike]
It was the most fitting role he’d held yet, and although the disposition was still negative, it seemed to be moving in the right direction. Jack shot him a smile and held out a hand to the sour-faced Sol.
“Congratulations on the new job. I also give you my word that I will follow your wishes where Haylee is concerned.”
The tall man angled his head back, looking down at Jack as if completely reshuffling his preconceived biases. He took Jack’s hand and shook firmly, nodding.
“This is acceptable.”
“You’re welcome,” Jack said. “Now, let’s get you to work serving drinks.”
Sol chuckled as they both turned to head back.
“No, I’m sure Demi will see my skills are best put to use in the kitchen while she fulfills her role as hostess.”
Jack said nothing but seriously doubted that this angry owl was able to out-cook Demi, especially with his middling proficiency at the role. This switch was better for the Town, and Jack hoped that Demi and Sol would be able to get along, but it still didn’t seem like the place he belonged. He’d be perfect for a bank or something similar.
“There won’t be a bank for a long time,” Alt said in his mind, and Jack acknowledged that and thanked him for all his help today.
“Oh, there’s one more surprise I have for you,” the amused AI continued, “but I want to wait until later.”
Jack didn’t have long to ponder what the AI was talking about before he and Sol entered the busy Inn and became distracted. Haylee was surrounded by Townsfolk all talking at once, and on the table in front of her was a small cupcake with a number one drawn inside a frosted yellow star.
“You must be so proud!” Reno said rushing up and grasping Sol’s hand. The owlish man yanked his arm away and stalked up to the table where his daughter sat.
“What’s going on here? There is no reason to celebrate the befouling of my daughter, and I certainly didn’t authorize this purchase.”
Jack was confused at first but followed Sol’s finger toward the simple pastry celebrating his daughter’s promotion to Hero. The crowd quieted to a murmur, Demi and Lex both crossed their arms, and Haylee went from reserved happiness to her normal sullen self. Jack was stunned by how disconnected this man was to the rest of the world and was about to say something he might regret when someone else beat him to it.
“Not everything is about you.”
The quiet murmuring dropped to a deafening silence, and everyone turned to the girl in the burgundy dress surrounded by Townsfolk. Her voice was deeper and more mature than Jack would have ever thought would come out of such a small frame. Haylee’s unflinching gray eyes stared daggers at her father, and the man flushed a deep shade of red.
This was an unnecessary public scene that needed to be defused quickly, and Jack stepped in before it escalated any further.
“Congratulations to you, Haylee. I’ll be looking for your help during the next Demon Spawn attack. Now, in news that does involve Sol,” he said, slapping a hand hard on Sol’s shoulder, pulling the man’s attention quickly, “this big fella has shifted jobs to help Demi at the Eye o’ the Storm. After dinner, I’m going to be going around and possibly rearrange some jobs so everyone can contribute to the best of their potential.”
All eyes were now staring at him, and more than a few mouths hung open.
“So…” Jack said, patting his stomach and walking over to his usual table. “What’s the special today?”
Demi took a deep breath and forcefully pulled her eyes off Sol.
“It’s crab-stuffed pheasant breasts over grilled spinach and onions.”
“Hmm… grilled spinach? I guess I’ll give it a shot.”
A few guards came bursting into the common room from outside, oblivious to what was going on and all laughing about something. Lex and Ryea followed Jack to their usual table as the Townsfolk scattered and the Inn returned to normal, but both women kept their eyes locked on him.
“What?” Jack asked the Bastion after a few moments, a smirk growing on his face.
“You can change Townsfolk jobs? Just like that? Since when?”
“Since Alt hit that new tier today.”
“What’s an Alt?” Ryea asked.
Both Jack and Lex shot their eyes over to t
he freckled Farmer, completely forgetting that their AI friend was supposed to be a secret. Jack sighed. Everyone was bound to find out sooner or later.
“Uh, well, Alt is-”
Lex spoke over him. “Alt is what we call Jack’s power to do the unthinkable.”
“Ah,” Ryea said, nodding. “Anyway, can you believe Haylee is a new Hero? This seaside pile of rubble is changing so fast! Mm, and have you seen how close Reno and Demi- oh, shh, here she comes...”
The silver-haired Innkeeper moved gracefully up to their table and locked Jack down with her eyes.
“We have some things to discuss, you and I.”
“Now?” he asked.
She put a hand on her apron-covered hip and pointed at Sol whispering quietly to his daughter. “How could you do this to me? Inflicting this beautiful establishment with that venomous snake.”
Although, right now, the dark brows on his face were completely inverted, making the owlish man actually look remorseful and apologetic. Sol caught Demi pointing at him along with Jack staring and instantly transformed into the angry owl he’d come to know.
Jack cast his gaze up to Demi. “Help him see. You know, like you helped me. It’s like he doesn’t know how what’s going on around him…” Jack trailed off and lowered his voice. “What happened to her mother, anyway?”
“Not my business and not yours. And I am certainly not going to take her place…” She sighed. “But as I don’t seem to have a choice with you digging your bizarre world-altering fingers into everything.”
“Great,” Jack said with a grin. “While we’re talking about my bizarre fingers, did you want to see what it was like to be Wharfmaster for a week? You know, walk a mile in his shoes?”
Demi turned her piercing blue eyes on him and physically felt the intensity of the Bygone Siren’s imposing gaze. The corner of her thin lips curled finally, and she let out a sigh.
“I like you, Jack, and only because I like you, I’ll see what I can do to help show him a different path, but it will still be his choice to walk it.”
The innkeeper took Lex’s and Ryea’s orders then flitted around the tables to collect others. Dinner passed quickly as Jack’s thoughts were mostly turned inward while the Town’s Farmer chattered away. Sol and Haylee quietly left as soon as they were done eating, and Jack wondered if he would ever see the young girl in action. They certainly could have used someone to replace Thymus.