by Seth Ring
Relieved, Thorn sat slumped on the stone floor. In his half-delirious state, he wondered if the red veins in the stones would be replaced by black veins. As his consciousness began to fade, he felt a warm breeze, and his muscles began to fill with energy. His mind cleared, and he found himself standing as if nothing had ever happened.
Facing a big wolf.
A really, really big wolf. In fact, somehow, its head took up his entire vision. Blinking, Thorn jumped to his feet only to realize that the stone floor he thought he was standing on was actually the rough nose of the giant wolf. Two massive silver eyes stared down at him, reflecting myriad thoughts and feelings. At times curious, at times cold and ruthless, at times warm and proud, the huge silver eyes seemed like giant moons rotating through their phases.
[Welcome, child.] A deep, warm voice echoed in Thorn's head. Instinctively, Thorn knew that the voice belonged to the wolf god whose nose he was standing on. [You have done well in breaking the seal of the betrayer. By slaying Gargish and repairing my holy symbol through the aid of Terberus, the Earth King, you gained my eye. By cleansing my temple from the corruption of Karrandaras, the Betrayer, you have gained my favor.]
"Thank you, uh, god?" Thorn did not know how he was supposed to refer to the wolf the size of the sky.
[Haha, you may call me Hati, child. Or Great Wolf.]
"Thank you, Great Wolf." This time Thorn bowed, his hand on his chest in the warrior's salute that Janus and Dovon had taught him.
[You have a powerful spirit, child. A spirit much stronger than most of the travelers we watch over.]
"We? Are there more gods than you?"
[Of course, there are more gods than me. While I am strong, I am not strong enough to care for everything in this great world. I rule over the night.]
"But I thought the gods were dead? Didn't they fall to the dragons at the end of the first era?"
[And who told you that child?] Hati chuckled, causing Thorn's body to shake. [The dragons were strong, for mortal beings, but they were no stronger than our avatars. No, we did not die, but we chose to step back from the world at the command of the High One to give the other species of the world the chance to flourish.]
"Is that why Karrandaras was able to take over your temple?"
[When I stepped back from the world, I left my avatar, Davyos, but as the years passed, the Betrayer corrupted his mind with dark whispers. Through an evil ritual, Davyos betrayed my favor, pledging himself to Karrandaras and turning his people against me. From then on, the corrupted Wolfkin appeared in the world. Karrandaras gave them the power to assume human form, so they could mingle with the other races of the world while murdering and hunting their prey in secret. The beings you know as werewolves are corrupted Wolfkin, remnants of Karrandaras' power in the world.]
"What about normal Wolfkin? We fought some regular Wolfkin in the tunnel leading to the temple. Are they corrupted as well?"
[No, child, those are remnants of my followers who still follow the old ways. They have hidden from the world and only appear to fight against the Betrayer's minions.]
"Oh." Thorn shifted. He had assumed that they had been enemies. "Sorry about that. I hope we did not harm you by killing them."
[Oh, child, I am a god. I do not need them to exist. Nothing apart from the High One can impact my existence. I am and will be. So long as this world exists, I will be here. The same is true for the other gods. Of course, I would rather you had not killed them, because I love all of my children, but it is not my place to question the will of the High One.]
"Who is this High One you keep talking about?" asked Thorn, relieved that he was not about to be eaten for accidentally shooting Hati's believers.
[That is not for you to know, child. It is sufficient for you to know that the High One is the beginning and end, and my master. Now, let us move on to more interesting business. I have watched you, and I am pleased. Therefore, I choose to grant you my essence. Henceforth, you shall be my presence on the world, my avatar. My fangs and claws will be by your side, my subjects will serve you, and my radiance will watch over you.]
"But didn't they steal my potential?" Thorn asked, downcast. "How can I be your avatar if I can’t master a class?"
[Child, no one can take your potential from you. Your potential has not been taken, it has been compressed. This makes it much harder for you to unleash it, but by no means is it gone. Do not despair, though the journey may be harder, though the road you tread may be longer, it is still possible for you to reach the peak. What I grant you is not a class. Rather it is a different path, a path that requires much of you.]
"Being an avatar is not a class?"
[No, anyone might be an avatar. It means that the essence of a god resides within them and that they are qualified to speak on behalf of that god to the world.]
"That means I can get a class, right?"
[Yes, child. Though, due to your unfortunate experience, you will be required to walk the path of mastery one step at a time.]
"You mean I can only take a single category class at a time? Doesn't that mean no mastery bonuses?"
[In a way. The strength of mastery is dependent on how well suited you are to a class. Say, for example, if you were to become a tailor. Your body is not suited for fine needlework, so even if you mastered the class, your mastery would not be as strong as if you were to master smithing. The same is true for a multi-category class. Because multi-category classes come with other people's mastery, they will never be as strong as abilities from classes you mastered yourself.]
"That makes sense, I guess. So, it’s a quantity versus quality question. I mean, if I have a multi-category class, I can get one additional ability, but my abilities will not be as strong."
[Precisely.]
"Do you have any recommendations for what sort of class I should try for?" Thorn asked. "You're a god, so you should be able to tell what I am good at, right?"
[You are correct, I can see what you would be best at. However, it is not my place to interfere with your future in that way. All I can say is that patience is the key to choosing the best class. Now, it is time for you to return. Let us begin.]
Under Thorn's watchful gaze, the massive eyelids closed. As the light from Hati's silver eyes grew dimmer, Thorn could feel power flowing into his body. Unlike the aggressive, invasive power Karrandaras' had tried to force into him, this power was warm and comforting, growing and strengthening him. His skin took on a silver sheen, and his muscles tightened, growing even stronger than they were before.
The silver light continued to stream toward him, wisp after wisp curling around his body until no more could force its way in. The extra energy began to gather around him, changing his equipment. His black armor glowed as the silver wisps remolded it.
Claws grew from the fingers of his gauntlets, as sharp as razors. The curling silver mist landed on his chest plate, engraving silver motifs of the phases of the moon. Around his head, wisps of energy condensed into a wolf head helmet.
Once the armor was formed, the rest of the silver energy condensed into ethereal forms of wolves and Wolfkin, shifting and changing. Above his head, the phases of the moon formed. As Hati's eyes closed completely, and the world went dark, his deep, warm voice rang out in Thorn's mind.
[Wake, my champion!]
With a gasp, Thorn's eyes opened. He was back in the temple, slumped down on the floor in front of the altar. Vestiges of the multiple battles lay around him, and the broken altar was quiet. Tired beyond belief, Thorn struggled to keep his eyes open. Finally, he collapsed backward onto the cold stone floor.
When he woke up a few hours later, the room had reverted to its original state, the black stone altar shining dully now that the red streaks were gone. There was no sign of Karrandaras or anyone else, and even the marks of the battles they had fought were gone. The only things letting him know that his experiences were not a dream were the absence of Mina, Velin, Jorge, and Ouroboros and the deluge of notifications flas
hing in the bottom of his screen.
*Ding*
Title: Moon Wolf Avatar
Having cleansed the altar of Hati, the Moon Wolf, you have been granted a portion of his essence. Your Bloodline advances.
Ability: Avatar of the Wolf
Ability: Call the Pack
Ability: Blessing of the Moon
Title Advancement: [Moon Wolf Avatar] +
[Lord Greymane (locked)]
Because you possess two associated titles, they have combined to form a new title. Title Abilities have been updated to reflect the new title.
Title Gained: Lord Greymane, the Moon Wolf
Title: Lord Greymane, the Moon Wolf
Having cleansed the altar of Hati, the Moon Wolf, and been granted a portion of his essence, you have met the conditions necessary to claim the title of Lord Greymane.
Ability: Avatar of the Wolf
Ability: Call the Pack
Ability: Blessing of the Moon
Ability: Presence of the Wolf Lord
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
*Status*
Name: [Thorn]
Race: [Titan]
Health: [37%]
Mana: [100%]
Titles: [Battle Mad], [Wolfsbane], [Lord Greymane, the Moon Wolf], [Friend of the Earth]
Conditions: [None]
Abilities: [Wolf Lord's Howl], [Avatar of the Wolf], [Call the Pack], [Blessing of the Moon], [Presence of the Wolf Lord]
A new field had opened up in his status. Thorn still had no class, but his abilities were now listed. If what Hati had said was correct, then Thorn would not be able to take a multi-category class, but he could still get a single category class and work on mastering it. Curious, he looked over his new combined title and the abilities it gave him.
Title: Lord Greymane, the Moon Wolf
Chosen of Hati, the Moon Wolf, you have earned the title of Lord Greymane, rightful ruler of Greymane Keep and the Lord of the Wolfkin. To take the first step in being recognized as the rightful ruler of the Fang Forest, you must take Greymane Keep back from the corrupted Wolfkin who inhabit it.
Ability: Wolf Lord's Howl
The call of the wolf represents fear and danger. Your battle cry contains a stunning effect.
Ability: Avatar of the Wolf
Because you carry the essence of the Moon Wolf, you have gained the form of the wolf. As you grow, you can adopt features of the Moon Wolf Form.
Wolf Claws: You gain the Claws of the Moon Wolf
Wolf Hide [locked]
Wolf Helm [locked]
Wolf’s Fury [locked]
Wolf Form [locked]
Ability: Call the Pack
The strength of the wolf lies in its unbreakable link to its pack. Dangerous alone, wolves become deadly together. As the Lord of Greymane, you can call upon your pack, granting them increased speed, strength, and healing.
Ability: Blessing of the Moon
Ruler of the night, Hati, the Moon Wolf, has blessed you as you walk under the moon. While under the light of the moon, you gain the following abilities: the longer you spend under the moon, the more abilities you will awaken.
Night Vision: The darkness of night cannot block your sight
Shadow Walk [locked]
Glory of the Moon [locked]
Ability: Presence of the Wolf Lord
As the chosen of Hati, you carry the essence of a god, granting you the bearing of an alpha wolf. Your interactions with monsters of the wolf type and races with ties to wolves will become easier because of your powerful presence. Friendly Wolfkin will treat you as a member of their race.
Language: Wolfkin
All the abilities that he had gained were powerful and still contained room to grow. Sitting on the stone floor of the temple, Thorn could not help but shake his head. The last 24 hours had been an absolute emotional rollercoaster, between having such high hopes for playing with Ouroboros and the others to being stabbed in the back and having his ability to take multi-category classes taken away. Then fighting against the corruption of Karrandaras and gaining the favor of Hati by purifying the altar.
With so much to think about, Thorn knew that he was not going to be able to process it in a short amount of time, so he pushed it all out of his head and opened up his inventory, pulling out some food. Once his health had gone up a bit, he pushed himself to his feet and made his way out of the top floor of the temple. The monsters that they had killed on the way up had spawned again, though in fewer numbers. Thorn did not mind one bit.
Feeling quite aggressive, he pulled out his Tetsubo and charged as soon as he saw the first group of skeletons, smashing them beyond recognition with a few swings. None of the bosses had reappeared, so Thorn bashed his way through the mobs without a pause. On the second and first floor, where the party had encountered the black-robed Wolfkin, Thorn only found more skeletons, which suited him fine.
The city lay as silent as before, but this time Thorn found himself able to read the signs, making it much easier to navigate. That reminded him of the book that he had tossed into his inventory, so he stopped, sitting on the steps of a house along the road, and pulled the book out.
[Twelve Major Climates of the Angoril Continent]
Flipping through it, Thorn made his way back to the library and started tossing books into his bottomless inventory. Rather than leave the books for the next people to come, Thorn figured he might as well take what he could. Not bothering to organize the books, Thorn swept the library clean within half an hour.
After that, he decided to check out some of the other buildings and made his way back to the main square. Most of the buildings in the city seemed to have been homes but, after peeking in a couple of them, it was obvious that they had been cleaned out. The only buildings that might have anything worthwhile were the buildings that were still locked.
It was a day later that Thorn finally struck the jackpot. A merchant shop off of the main square had yielded nothing of note until Thorn squeezed down into the basement and found a large safe door. Hidden behind a shelf of old empty jars, Thorn only discovered it by accident when, out of frustration, he kicked a lantern that had been lying on the ground. His kick sent the lantern rocketing through the air and into the side of the bookshelf, which collapsed with a thunderous sound, revealing the large metal door.
Without a key, Thorn could only resort to brute force to open the safe, but he had plenty of that. The safe was set against the wall and, from what Thorn could see, the hinges were internal to prevent someone from cutting them off. That proved a barrier for Thorn until he remembered his Form of the Moon Wolf and summoned his claws.
Almost immediately sharp, pointed claws grew from his fingers. He had tested the ability earlier, discovering that they worked whether he was wearing gauntlets or not. Sliding his claws into the bricks on either side of the safe, Thorn grabbed the edges of the door and pulled the whole thing out of the wall. After brushing off the crumbled brick, he pried the door open at the top corner and managed to stick his fingers inside.
From there it was as simple as rolling the door back, opening the entire front of the large metal safe. Full of anticipation, Thorn peered inside and was not disappointed. Piles of glittering gold bars met his gaze, as well as a small tray of precious stones and three books written in Wolfkin.
At first, Thorn was at a loss regarding the gold bars, but when he finally put one in his inventory, he noticed that it had been converted to gold coins. Each bar was worth 200 gold and, with 27 bars, Thorn felt as rich as a king. The precious stones were not quite as convenient, so Thorn could only plan on going to an appraiser when he got back to town. Once he had put the gems away, Thorn looked over the books.
[The Complete Alchemist]
[101 Poisons and Their Applications]
[The Code of the Wolf]
The first book looked to be a primer for becoming an alchemist while the second was filled with 101 different types of alchemical poisons. Not having much interest, Tho
rn tossed them into his inventory to deal with later. The last book, however, caught his attention.
[The Code of the Wolf] was a book of law, laying out the rules of the Wolfkin from the first era. In pristine condition from being locked away in a safe for so many years, Thorn enjoyed reading through it. According to the book, Wolfkin society was divided into three different strata: the Lord, the Warrior, and the Worker. A complicated hierarchy existed between them with each having control over a part of society. As far as he could figure it out, the society was equal parts democracy, monarchy, and military state, depending on what part of society you belonged to.