by Tao Wong
I stay silent, listening to Kyle and his opinions. It is, after all, why I came. The Settlement Screen might give me numbers and facts, but the in-person reports give me context.
***
Exhausted, I collapse onto my couch, grateful that the System continues to keep my Whitehorse residence in good shape. Early summer in Whitehorse means that at eight o’clock at night, the sun is still shining brightly, bringing the bright greens and blues to life. The transition from somewhat setting sun in Kelowna to bright light in Whitehorse had been slightly disorienting the first time I’d done it, but this time around, it seems natural. The only pity is that Lana decided to stay in Kamloops with her pets to spend more time with Mikito. Making multiple jumps to get home is annoying, but it seems to affect others more than me.
Silence. Blessed silence. Which is interrupted by a knocking on my door. I frown, then frown even more when I see who it is on my minimap. Resolutely, I ignore the knocking.
“John, I know you’re in there.” Roxley’s voice is authoritative and commanding. Not because he’s trying to order me around but because that’s just the way he is. Even so, I have to admit that voice does things to me that wouldn’t be polite to mention in company.
Lord Graxan Roxley. Duke of the Yukon. The Duchess of the Pourquoi States’s errand boy on Earth. A tall, dark drink of muscle, nobility, and charisma. Someone I flirted with for a time—before the son of a bitch betrayed me and the city of Whitehorse by joining the Duchess. For all that, I can’t help but be slightly interested in seeing him again…
“I’m coming in. Don’t shoot.”
I growl softly, deciding that I won’t shoot him or even deign to stand. Instead, I put my elbow and arm over my eyes and stay flopped on my couch. It’s only when an uncomfortable amount of time has passed that I move my hand away to see Roxley leaning against the doorjamb, staring at me with a look that dries my throat.
Down, boy. I’ve got a girlfriend.
Even if she’s hinted that she’s not entirely opposed to…
Down, boy.
Down.
I clear my throat and subtly shift my position by sitting up. Damn pretty dark elf. “What are you doing here?”
Roxley smirks before he straightens up, his face falling into a more serious expression. “As Her Grace’s representative on Earth, I am here to greet the Redeemer of the Dead upon his entrance to her city and inquire about his intentions.”
“I’m here to sleep,” I state tersely. “Do you know how hard it is to not be bothered when I’m in my cities? Everyone wants a word with me. All. The. Damn. Time. I’ve got people literally walking into my house, demanding to talk to me about their latest pet project. Droids for recycling plastic, refurbishment of the kids’ playgrounds, a grant for Galactic languages, and on and on.”
“I keep telling boy-o if he shoots the first few, they’ll stop bothering him,” Ali says, waving hi to Roxley.
“Ali. I believe someone is awaiting you…?” Roxley says leadingly, getting a big grin from the Spirit who flickers then disappears. If I’m not wrong, the damn Spirit has gone to visit Roxley’s AI to gossip once more. I’m still a little perturbed by what goes on on the backend between the two, but interrogating Ali has offered little answers.
Damn traitor. Then again, Ali has never seen my problem with Roxley and his actions.
“Ah. And you have no intentions of expanding your territory?” Roxley continues once we’re alone.
“Not up north, no,” I say, eyes narrowing. “And you?”
“The Duchess has stated that she has no intentions of expanding beyond your Watson Lake. Our intentions involve the north and the resource fields and zones therein,” Roxley says, waving. “Our main point of focus is expanding the Towns of Whitehorse, Anchorage, and Fairbanks to Cities, thus increasing their respective zones of control.”
“I see…” My eyes narrow as I try to decide how much I believe him. In the end, I decide to do so, mostly because I understand how much work Roxley has ahead of him. It makes no sense for the Duchess to take control of a bunch of lower Level zones when she hasn’t completely controlled the areas she already “owns.” Higher Level zones provide higher Level goods, which mean more money—never mind the Level-tourism revenue she stands to earn.
“On a personal basis, I am surprised to see you back. Are you not concerned about the Weapon Master?” Roxley says with a raised eyebrow.
“That’s why I sent Ali through first.” I grin then shrug. “I’m done running. I’ve gotten a few Levels since we last danced. And anyway, way I understand it, he’s gone for now. I doubt he’ll be back so soon.”
“Risky.” Roxley sighs, giving up on admonishing me. “And is that all the reason for returning? Nothing personal?” At my flat stare, Roxley sighs again. “Well then, as Her Grace’s representative, I do extend my offer of aid in any matters of administration.”
“Why?”
Pain and regret at my brusque attitude flicker across his face before he resumes a neutral expression. “Your presence south of our holdings is considered a benefit to Her Grace. You are much less likely to be combative than the Sect or any other, hmmm, foreign interests that may appear. As such, the stronger your government, the greater the benefit.”
“Great…” I drawl as I assess the sincerity of his, and her, offer. “And what does this offer amount to? Credits? Technology? Maybe some Skill orbs?”
“None of the above, I fear,” Roxley says. “While we do wish to aid you, the aid must be proportional. Advice, at this time, is the best we can offer.”
“Advice,” I say, sarcasm dripping from my voice. “Right, I’ll make sure to ask for it. Now, I was here to sleep…”
“John…”
But I’ve already slumped back on the couch, arm thrown over my face in a copy of the same pose from before. Except this one radiates anger.
“Ms. Olmstead is doing well with treatment. I expect she will be on her feet within the next few days.”
Sensing that I won’t say anything, Roxley sighs, after which I hear the stomp of his feet leaving the house. I grunt in mild happiness, glad to be left alone and for the news he imparted.
Here to help. Har! Advice my ass.
***
It’s much later, when I’ve finished stewing, that I manage to actually calm down enough to do what I had Portalled all the way north for. Since I’m currently limited to 1,000 KM per jump, I actually had to cast it thrice—once to Kamloops, then again into the middle of nowhere before arriving. I did kind of feel bad that I didn’t spend more time in Kamloops visiting Lana and Mikito, but needs must come first. At the thought of the little Japanese Samurai, I made myself a promise to visit with her. Losing her apprentice, then Mel, in short order has resulted in Mikito withdrawing once again. While she isn’t suicidal, she has grown quieter and more subdued. It’s why Lana left the puppies behind with her—their furry presence is a good healing aid. Anna, on the other hand, is just getting lazy, preferring to sleep than go gallivanting with us on our errands.
Too many damn things to do and not enough time. I’ve been so busy, I haven’t even dealt with the numerous notifications I received from the knockdown, drag-out fight with the Sect. Including that most important of ones—my Level Up. With a mental command, my Status Screen populates.
Status Screen
Name
John Lee
Class
Erethran Honor Guard
Race
Human (Male)
Level
43
Titles
Monster’s Bane, Redeemer of the Dead, Duelist
Health
1970
Stamina
1970
Mana
1510
Mana Regeneration
111 / minute
Attributes
Strength
106
Agility
187
Constitution
197
Perception
61
Intelligence
151
Willpower
151
Charisma
16
Luck
32
Class Skills
Mana Imbue
2
Blade Strike
2
Thousand Steps
1
Altered Space
2
Two are One
1
The Body’s Resolve
3
Greater Detection
1
A Thousand blades
1
Soul Shield
2
Blink Step
2
Portal
3
Instantaneous Inventory*
1
Cleave*
2
Frenzy*
1
Elemental Strike*
1 (Ice)
Shrunken Footprints*
1
Tech Link*
2
Combat Spells
Improved Minor Healing (II)
Greater Regeneration
Greater Healing
Mana Drip
Improved Mana Dart (IV)
Enhanced Lightning Strike
Fireball
Polar Zone
Freezing Blade
Being part of such an insane battle did wonders for my experience. Killing the Sect Enforcer pretty much by myself pushed me most of the way to the top of Level 40. After that, the numerous small fry and the Blood Warrior I dealt with pushed me two-thirds of the way through Level 41. Ending the Master Level Psychic was enough to push me to Level 42 and netted me my third Title, as well as bonus experience for the kill.
Title Gained
For winning in a battle against a Combat Classer two Class Advancements above yours, you have earned the title Duelist. Others will fear your prowess from now on. Increased reputation in certain circles. +10% chance effect of social Skills in appropriate situations. +5% increase in damage against those with higher Class Advancements
I whistle slightly, noting the Title’s effects. Damn, but that’s nice. Of course, I cheated. For one thing, that Psychic was a Level 1 Master Class. For another thing, he was only one Advancement Level higher than mine, though technically the System still reads me as a Basic Class since I’m still in my first tier. It’s why my Monster’s Bane Title is still so effective. I cheat.
After that, I learned another little secret of being the owner of a Settlement. Any battle conducted during a declared war actually nets the owners of those Settlements a small experience gain for the entire battle. Of course, since it’s based off everyone killed, it was more than sufficient to push me up to Level 43, which is where I’m seated right now. It almost makes up for the fact that I currently have an “On-going War” declaration on the settlements, limiting some of the things I can purchase.
All those sudden experience gains mean that I have nine free attributes and two free Class Skill points. Now that I don’t need Portal as desperately, I actually have a chance to consider what to do with these Class Skill points. Though first, I want to look at what I can do to shore up my attributes.
Charisma continues to be my “dump” stat, as per Jason’s terminology. Though considering how I was—reluctantly—drawn into the world of politics, I might want to up it a little. Not that I have the Skills for it, but… yeah. Then we have my mainstays—my combat stats. I still feel as though my ability to perceive what the hell is going on lags behind what I am doing, especially when I am moving at the maximum speeds that my body can handle. It isn’t a huge difference, but it is there. There is something to be said about putting more points into Perception, especially since Agility and Strength go up by themselves anyway. Unfortunately, there’s no guarantee that the next few points will alter it in the way I need it to, rather than widening my hearing range or something less useful.
My Constitution is the bedrock of my survival, though more than once, I’ve noticed a distinct lack of Mana during my fights. Even with the ridiculous amount of regeneration I receive, once we start getting involved in these long, drawn-out battles, I realize exactly how hampered I can be by my Mana. It doesn’t help that so many of my Spells were Mana hogs.
I’ll admit, Luck is tempting as well. Even if I’m not adventuring as much, the bonus in loot drops is always nice, though harder to quantify. And having someone, something, with its finger on the scale seems like a nice idea. The gods know that I’ve seen enough of how fate can take a crap on you.
In the end, I discard Luck, Agility, and Strength. I’d increased Agility and Strength the last time around and Luck had a slight bump a few Levels back. With it being so nebulous, I can’t justify using my points on it all the time. Better to go for something more tangible.
While Willpower upped my on-going Mana regeneration, I am leaning toward increasing Intelligence since it gives me a higher starting point. A single point of Intelligence is worth 10 Mana, which doesn’t seem much but is worth 1/10th of a Blink Step, probably one of my most used Skills.
Constitution still continues to be a no-brainer. After all, I am pretty much the “Tank” of the group, which meant I get shot. A lot. On top of that, while I hate to “waste” points on Charisma, it is clear that I am going to be in social situations a lot more often. Still, I refuse to dedicate a full Level’s worth to it, so Perception is getting at least a point. If Jason were here, he’d probably bitch me out about deviating from my build or being a generalist, but thus far, it’s worked.
Having made my decision, I dump three points into Intelligence and Constitution, two into Charisma, and one in Perception, wiping out my free attributes. The next Level, I might put another point into Luck and Perception then rotate over to Charisma if I see some benefit in my interactions with others.
Figuring out what I intend to do with my Class Skills, on the other hand, is much simpler. I’ve wanted Sanctum and Army of One for a while now, and I can buy them. So I do.
Sanctum
An Erethran Honor Guard’s ultimate trump card in safeguarding their target, Sanctum creates a flexible shield that blocks all incoming attacks, hostile teleportations, and Skills. At this Level of Skill, the user must specify dimensions of the Sanctum upon use of the Skill. The Sanctum cannot be moved while the Skill is activated.
Dimensions: Maximum 10 cubic meters.
Cost: 1,000 Mana
Duration: 1 minute and three seconds
“Whoa.” I blink, staring at the Mana cost. A thousand Mana. That’s insane. Even with my frankly ridiculous Stats, I can only cast this once. A proper Erethran Honor Guard who’d advanced the normal way could probably cast this twice at best. And the duration isn’t even that great.
“Boy-o, just to clarify, since I’m summarizing the actual System description as always, this Skill blocks everything. Someone could drop an orbital strike backed up by a dragon’s curse on you and nothing would get through,” Ali says.
“Everything?”
“Everything.”
“Damn…” I say, staring at the description. “What’s with the three seconds?”
“Figured on this one, we need a little precision,” Ali says pointedly.
I consider the matter and nod. Yeah, I can see how knowing exactly how long my ability to be invincible lasts would require exactness. Most other times, it matters a lot less.
Army of One
The Honor Guard’s feared penultimate combat ability, Army of One builds upon previous Skills, allowing the user to unleash an awe-inspiring attack to deal with their enemies.
Effect: Army of One allows the projection of (Number of Thousand Blades conjured weapons * 3) Blade Strike attacks up to 200 meters away from user. Each attack deals 2 * Blade Strike Level damage (inclusive of Mana Imbue and Soulbound weapon bonus)
Cost: 750 Mana
I admit, it takes me a bit to figure out the math
on this. Basically, it works out to three conjured Thousand Blades multiplied by three—nine—attacks that each deals the equivalent of my Soulbound weapon’s attack. Which, at the present moment, is slightly over a hundred points of damage. That works out to ten attacks—including the original strike from my sword—each dealing about two hundred points of damage, which I can use as an area-of-effect or targeted strike. Put another way, I could almost one-shot myself with just base damage, which doesn’t include external effects like armor or targeting. And this is only the first Level.
“Jesus…” I swear. If I’d had this during our most recent battle… then again, without Portal at Level 3, I wouldn’t have been able to bring my friends. Well, not easily at least, since my range would have been shortened significantly.
Truthfully, the next Level up in Portal is tempting too. It adds approximately 4,000 kilometers to my range, which is significant. I could easily jump from Whitehorse to LA—if I ever traveled that far first.
“These Skills are over-powered,” I mutter.
“Eh… you should see Mike’s penultimate Skills. Hell, you saw his Sphere of Protection. It gave all friendlies within its bubble a 30% bonus to their resistances,” Ali says.
That’s when I realize. “You’re back?”
“We don’t actually need to take as long as you meatbags to talk, boy-o.”
I sigh and shut up, letting myself sink into the couch. “Asshole.”
Sleep. I’m here for sleep.
Chapter 2
I find Aiden standing outside my house early the next day, as I return from a hunting session. A quick check with Ali had indicated that the Kapre had been having issues with an Alpha monster a short jog from town, and after accepting their quest, I proceeded to apply a judicious amount of fire to the problem. And then a lot of Polar Zones. Look, you tell me how else I’m supposed to deal with a sentient moss monster.