by Dakota Krout
System response: As this is a deity-granted skill, more information is available. Skill ‘Hidden Sense’ increases in skill proficiency via usage that allows you to find hidden things. There is a skill proficiency multiplier that increases skill gain when something hidden has been investigated by others, and yet remains not found. The more people that do not find the hidden person/place/thing, the higher the skill multiplier increases.
“Oh. Handy.” Joe resolved to use the skill more often for searching ruins or something that thousands of people had been able to access before him. In the short term, he decided to cautiously walk down the ramp and follow along the path. As he was on the lookout for traps and monsters, Joe moved slowly and inspected everything. As the ramp widened out into a large room, he was slightly surprised to realize that there hadn’t been anything that suggested danger.
Joe stepped into the room, a massive sphere of a room that held a small waterfall, and looked around. It was dark, but that was no issue at all, thanks to his Darkvision. “This room is empty?”
A small hill near the waterfall suddenly moved, and Joe found himself looking into a pair of enormous orbs. No, they had just blinked at him. Those were eyes. The ‘hill’ stood up, and resolved into the single largest Neigh-Bear that Joe had had the misfortune to meet. The creature spoke slowly, carefully. “Room. Not. Empty.”
Staff pointed at the creature, Joe swallowed and barely held off from casting Cone of Cold. “What… who are you?”
“I am Arthur. Warchief of Neigh-Bears.” The huge beast took a few steps closer to Joe, his voice starting to smooth into a more natural cadence. Had he simply not spoken in a long time? “Have you come to help?”
“Help?” Joe was surprised; was he about to get a quest from this behemoth? “What do you need help with?”
“You… it is not known?” Arthur hesitated, then seemed to shrink into himself a small amount. “Rage has clouded the minds of my people; they have become lesser. It was the war between the Centaurs and the Neigh-Bears. Once, we were two sides of a coin. We were the melee fighters, berserkers, and true warriors. They were the fleet-of-foot mages, the archers, and scouts. At some point, they named themselves our betters, and attempted to make us into nothing more than beasts of war.”
Arthur paused for a long moment, coughing deeply. Joe took a step forward, wanting to hear more of the story. “Are you ill? I can heal you.”
“No, it is fine; I’m just partly horse.” Arthur didn't give Joe a chance to respond, launching back into his tale. “We devolved into war. They have range and superior firepower, but we had thousands; neigh, tens of thousands more warriors than they. The battle was decided in an instant, though the Centaur race refused to back down. As we surrounded them and demanded that they stop this madness, their most powerful Warlock sacrificed himself and the remainder of his race to curse us.”
“Are you hoping that I can break this curse?” Joe offered, somewhat unsure how he could go about doing that.
“Are you a fourth-tier Oathmaster, that you would offer to break a curse of this scale so lightly?” Arthur snorted loudly. “I can only ask that you go and relieve my brethren of their lives, that they may have at least some form of peace. Also, please, do not tell others of this great shame. If you do this for me, I will give you a token that can be used to summon me to your side. I promise you; I am a powerful combatant.”
Quest alert: Centaur of a Grizzly War. Kill 100 Neigh-Bears without any teammates present. Reward: summoning token. Failure: none. Accept? Yes / No.
“I will happily accept this quest, though I do have a few questions for you.” Joe took a deep breath and edged closer to the massive beast. “First, if your race was cursed, how are you still sane? Second, do you mind if I inspect you? I can’t be responsible for accidentally unleashing something on the world that is going to harm others.”
“I will certainly harm others, but only the people you send me after.” Arthur waved at the water flowing behind him. “This water is the only thing that allows me to retain my mind, and I can only be without it for a small time before I fall under the same effects my brothers and sisters have succumbed to. This means that when the allotted time of the summoning ends, I will not just return here happily; I will flee here to regain my thoughts and wisdom. Feel free to inspect me, for it will only reveal the truth of my words.”
Joe nodded, then studied Arthur with Intrusive Scan. In the next few seconds, information began to appear.
Name: Arthur G. Bearnard
Highest Characteristic: Strength
Active Effects: Force for Good. Cursed (Tier III Insanity, Shifting Alignment). Massive. Thundering Physique. Summonable. Holy Water (03:23:22).
Skill increase: Intrusive Scan (Beginner 0). Sometimes all you need is a willing target! Skill usage time requirements -.5 seconds!
Joe cut off the skill; not only had he seen everything he needed, he was shocked by the massive jump of six skill levels and the bonus for the skill. “I… yes, I will do what I can to help you, Arthur. Is the holy water what keeps you safe?”
“It is.”
“With alignment shift, does that mean that all other Neigh-Bears are evil at this point?” Joe was nearly done with his questioning, but this detail was important to him.
“Yes. Currently, all others are evil.”
“Almost finished.” Joe took a deep breath. “That token is to be used in a time of great need, which means you are essentially telling me that by completing this quest, you are offering me an insurance plan. So, my last question…”
“Insurance plan?”
“You know, because, like a good Neigh-Bear, you’ll be there.” Joe grinned at the huge, confused creature. “Are you wearing Khakis?”
Chapter Forty
Joe left the dungeon six hours later, having finally defeated the full one hundred Neigh-Bears required by Arthur’s quest. In total, he had slain one hundred and thirty-six of the creatures on this trip, and he had gained good rewards for doing so. After confirming that he had only gained four dexterity - three for the challenge, and one for the uninterrupted twenty-seven minutes of training - Joe counted all the Cores he had gained, pleased with the amount.
“Twenty-two common Cores, a summoning token that I can regain every five days so long as I kill a hundred Neigh-bears after each use…” Joe skimmed his notifications for the pertinent information, nodding as he continued muttering to himself. “Between the quest and the kills, seven thousand two hundred and twenty-two experience. That’s not bad at all for a night of fighting. Less than four thousand to level eighteen!”
Joe started on his way back to the guild, cheerfully skipping along as he thought over the other gains. His highest increase was Retaliation of Shadows, which had risen three skill levels. Sure it meant he had taken dozens of hits, but… worth it? Fighting against another hundred opponents had allowed him to raise most of his combat skills twice: Cone of Cold, Polearm Mastery, Acid Spray, Corify, and even Exquisite Shell. His Dark Lightning Strike had only increased to Beginner IX, but Joe was sure that it was getting close to the threshold. Even his Jump skill had undergone serious refinement, though he was certain that it wasn't about to rank up.
He was now casually feeding mana into every small jump and skip that he made, causing every step to propel him about three meters before he touched the ground again. While this helped him cross distance quickly, Joe knew that it also made it really hard to change course. This was for travel or fast escape, certainly not for close combat. At least… not yet. He had plans to change that if it ever became a viable option. There were all sorts of things he could do with this skill if he could get creative enough, and creativity was one of his stronger points.
Joe was moving fast as he sprang along the road, easily double his previous movement speed. Even so, when Towny McTownface appeared in the distance, he sped up to the maximum that his body and mind could handle. The reason was simple enough: the attack had arrived early. Way too early. It was cu
rrently dark out, making Joe recalculate the amount of time that he had spent in the dungeon. He had been having a really good time of it; which made him think that he had been in there for over half a day. Whoops. He had thought it had been six to eight hours, tops.
However, as Joe approached the town, he noticed that the intermittent flashing lights and explosions were coming from traps and the rituals that had been attached to rocks. The only sign of an attack were all the bodies strewn around, and none of them were wearing the Wanderer’s Guild insignia. To be fair, Joe didn’t wear it either, but most of the guild displayed their sigil proudly. It helped with reputation quests and granted access to certain NPC-run areas. The sigil was a winged shoe that was marked on the side with a triple triangle. It made sense in the context of ‘Wanderer’, but Joe much preferred the holographic book sigil that showed his ties to Tatum; which was what he chose to display.
“What happened here?” Joe called up to the gate guard. “Wait, Jay, is that you?”
“Son of a… Joe? You don’t have Jaxon with you, do ya? I’m not opening the gate if you do!” Jay called back playfully.
“Let me in, or I’ll tell him that you lifted a dungeon boss with your back only, while twisting your torso harshly!” Joe shouted with a laugh. If Jay was making jokes, then the situation probably wasn't too bad.
“Gonna be about twenty minutes, Joe.” Jay was serious this time. “Guild is on lockdown; something’s got their tighty-whities in a bunch.”
Joe looked at the wall, then up at Jay. “Any issue if I come in without you opening the gate?”
“Please don’t knock the wall down, Joe. I know you built it and all, but-”
“What sort of reputation do I have with you, Jay?” Joe wasn't sure if Jay was joking, but it sure didn't sound like it. “Just watch out!”
Joe retreated about fifty meters, then started running at the wall. With every step, he poured more mana into the bottoms of his feet, and each footfall became faster and moved him further. When he was ten meters from the wall, he released a huge burst of mana and jumped. Joe soared up, and up, and… not quite high enough. The metalic-black wall loomed closer and closer. “Jay, help!”
Jay tossed a rock straight down off the wall. The projectile had been placed there to throw at attackers. It was a good throw, falling down directly in front of Joe. He managed to get his feet in position, and another burst of mana later… Joe reached up and grabbed Jay’s extended hand. Jay wasn't at all happy. “Two leaps, and you are suddenly almost forty feet in the air? How the abyss are we supposed to defend these walls if people can just… pop to the top of them?”
“Pull me up first, please!” Joe was still dangling, but with a heave and a grunt, Jay yanked him over the edge of the wall. “Whew! Thanks, man. Also, I have a Master-ranked jump skill, so that exact thing isn't something you really need to worry about someone else having. But I’m sure there are going to be a ton of different ways to invade towns and cities. The walls are really only ever going to keep out land-based monsters and low-leveled people.”
Jay grunted, still clearly unsatisfied with that answer. “You should get over to the Guild Hall. Big meeting going on; I know they like you there for those.”
“Can do, but first, what happened?” Joe gestured at the blood-soaked field outside the wall.
“Exactly what we were warned about.” Jay waved a spear at the mess. “Just a huge mob of new players. Most of them didn’t even get in shouting range before our rangers and mages cut them down. But it was classified as an invasion, so we all got rewards for defending our guild.”
“Gotcha.” Joe excused himself and went to find a ladder. He got off the wall and hurried to the Guild Hall, which seemed almost deserted. Joe made it to the outside of the war room, only to find two guards blocking his path. When they recognized him, they let him through. Joe opened the door and was hit by a wall of noise. Literally hit by it? No. Still, the damage to his eardrums was enough that Retaliation of Shadows triggered. Suddenly, every person that was screaming got smacked in the face by a shadow-Joe. They didn’t take damage, but it was confusing enough that the room went quiet.
“What is happening in here?” Deciding not to waste the opportunity, Joe stepped into the silence and pitched his voice as he often had to do back in his military days. “Have you all lost your abyssal minds? Do I need to remind you that the people in this room are responsible for the lives and livelihoods of thousands of people? Get your act together!”
“Now, you listen to me, Joe.” One of the people at the huge table stood up and released an imposing aura. It didn't seem to be a skill, more a combination of charisma, anger, and strength. “You’re not gonna get away with treating us like children. We’re powerful team leaders as well as-”
“Stop.” Joe demanded in return, the area around him darkening enough to be seen by the naked eye. “I could only hope that if I were acting like a child, I would be called out on it. Especially when I was in a public place, even more so when it was in front of my fellow leaders, whom I need to respect; and who I need to respect me. So, I say again, stop screaming, and have a civil discourse. What has everyone so riled up?”
“Tch.” The man sat down heavily, his plate armor making the chair creak in protest. “All of that, and you don’t even know what’s happening?”
Aten smoothly joined the conversation from the head of the table. “Joe, thank you for joining us. Your group was instrumental in fending off the invasion, so thank-”
“That’s part of the issue, though, isn’t it!” Another person slammed their hand on the table, and several other voices joined into the conversation.
“Enough… please and thank you.” Aten’s voice was sharper than Joe’s Taglock needle. Joe winced and reminded himself to put that back on his staff; he had taken it off to train with the polearm. “Joe, the issue is simple. We fended off an invasion perfectly, but almost everyone that attacked was under level five. Because we defended ourselves so… vigorously, there is a huge public outrage. Not a single one of the people that attacked us survived, and most of them were hit by attacks that would have killed them a dozen times over.”
“They are calling us war criminals.” Aten finished grimly. “We even have a new guild title, which I’m not exactly happy about. Though, frankly, it does offer a really nice bonus. Take a look.”
Joe pulled up his ‘Guild’ tab to see what Aten was talking about.
New guild title gained! As it is the only title your guild has gained, this is automatically displayed!
‘The Wanderer’s Guild: Ruthless Defenders.’
Chapter Forty-One
Ruthless Defenders: this is a guild-wide title. You have stood against an invasion of at least a thousand strong, protecting what is yours and not leaving a single invader alive. To upgrade this title, destroy an invading force of at least ten thousand without letting a single invader escape! Effect: While defending the territory of the Wanderer’s Guild, reduce damage from invaders by 5%, and increase damage dealt by 5%. Enemies slain on the guild’s land have a 20% chance to drop an equipped item.
“I see it; that’s a really solid increase.” Joe looked around at the group as they shook their heads. “What’s the issue here?”
“Joe, this is a public relations nightmare.” Mike took the initiative to speak, and his words turned the atmosphere gloomy. “This was a trap the entire time. Because we thought that there would be expert players hidden in their ranks, we threw everything and the kitchen sink at them. Now, not only did scouts from various factions see what we were capable of, they are using the fact that we went all-out against low-level people as a way to incite a large-scale operation against us. This was just the beginning, and it was a trap from the start.”
Joe listened quietly, as did the entire room. They were suddenly in a bad position, and they all knew it. Still, Joe had one thing to say:
“So what?”
“What?” Mike and Aten spoke together, startled at Joe’s
words.
“I said, ‘so what’.” Joe stood tall and swept his gaze around the room. “Were we trying to recruit people, or show them that we wouldn't let our guild be robbed? Were we trying to feel them out? Hope that people coming here to steal our gear and burn the rest to the ground… would suddenly be friendly to us?”
A long moment passed, then Joe stepped forward and slapped the table. “No! We were showing everyone watching, and everyone that would attack us, that we will be serious against every threat, no matter how small! Yes, there will be people that hate us for not letting them take what we earned, but who cares! As for everyone else, don’t you think our guild is celebrating right now? Don't you all realize that security at this level is what people have been dreaming of ever since Earth was ripped away from us? When I see this title that our guild has gained, all I want…”
“I want…” Joe took a deep breath, and tried to meet the eyes of all the people around the table. “All I want… is to upgrade this title to the next rank! If we need to be Ruthless to protect ourselves, then I know that I will be at the front lines, casting the biggest spells I can. If people die because they are attacking us… it is their. Own. Fault!”
There was a roar of approval, and everyone started talking again. This time, it was about how to improve the defenses further, how they should take a stand, or what preparations should happen next. Aten nodded at Joe appreciatively, then frowned. In an instant, he was next to Joe, catching him just before he hit the floor. Even though the room was full of people, almost no one noticed; they were too engrossed in the conversation.
As for Joe himself, he had collapsed only after receiving a concerning message.
All prerequisites for full characteristic shift of Dark Charisma have been met! Before, you had managed to feel a hint of this shift, and it had been meant as a warning or an opportunity. Similar to an alignment shift, you have used this characteristic in a specific way so many times that it has centralized around the core concept of your usage!