They were escorted into the building in short order by the maid, where they met quiet chaos as the guards and soldiers of the noble family used the first floor as their base. Messengers ran to and fro while officers were bent over giant desks filled with maps and papers.
Sam and Fitzgerald had a brief moment to take it all in before the quiet murmur of the space was broken by a very familiar squee. Instantly, almost all the soldiers jumped up, some unsheathing their weapons, some just placing their hands on it, and looking wildly around, hoping to identify the possible attacker.
They relaxed marginally when the body of the lady of the manor in all her splendor flew forward and hugged Sam’s rigid form.
He looked down on the young girl, dressed in a mix of armor and dress – well a cuirass over a full-body dress – as she tried to hug the stuffing out of him, looking up at him with big dewy eyes.
“Samuel! I missed you so much!” Sam stood there rigidly, letting the girl chatter on as he tried to ignore the deadly glare from the maid that followed the young girl, promising all sorts of terrible things if he said or did the wrong things. “I really liked this task but it was horrible that I couldn’t meet you but you’re now here and we can work together and destroy our enemies and create something wondrous! How amazing!”
Sam blinked as he took in the word vomit, then before he could react the young woman moved from hugging him to standing in front of Fitzgerald and giving him an elegant bow.
“Welcome to the base of our operation, Master Fitzgerald,” she stated, her previous excited behavior nowhere to be seen, looking exactly like a young noble lady should look.
“Thank you for the welcome, young lady,” he responded with a bow of his own and a small smile playing on his lips. Sam caught the glance at him and steeled himself. “However, it seems, you already knew my student. How did that come to pass?” he asked, the smile on his lips growing slightly malicious.
Sam wanted to curse but held himself back as he watched Lucrecia’s face light up as if the sun was shining on it and the young woman smiled and clapped her hands together.
“Oh my! What an excellent question! I shall tell you the entire excellent tale!” She turned halfway toward the staircase and motioned toward it. “Would you mind joining me in the tearoom, Master Fitzgerald? This tale requires the utmost comfortable seating and exquisite tea!”
“It will be my pleasure, young lady!” he replied while jerking his head at Sam toward the staring guards who were trying not to laugh. Sam recognized several of them from when he visited the Silvercrest manor.
Thankfully, that was enough for Lucrecia to actually forget about Sam, grab Fitzgerald’s willing arm, and drag him up the staircase, already starting to tell the heavily dramatized and romanticized version of her and Sam’s first meeting and the subsequent events.
“Well, that happened…” Sam spoke up as he stood with the maid who brought him to the building still in the same place he stopped when he stepped through the door.
“Indeed, my lord,” came the greeting from one of the guards with the captain’s insignia. The man saluted him and motioned him toward the room with the giant desk in the middle, the rest of his cohorts waiting for them. “If you would like, we have a report prepared.”
Sam nodded and followed the man.
It took a minute to get everyone situated, or called back from outside, but it gave Sam a few minutes to study the map on the desk. Instead of focusing on architecture and civil engineering, it focused on the movements of the guards, guild members, monster hot spots, and areas where it was easy to attack the ruins.
He could even see a few spots marked for scouting, overwatch, nightwatch, chokepoints, and other strategically important locations.
Sam turned to the captain and nodded. “Well, I’m here and ready to hear it, so don’t hold back, captain!”
The older man nodded, glanced around then began his report.
“Very well, sir! As you can see on the map, we had set up the defenses based on what Miss Lara had discovered of the ruins. The walls are currently being rebuilt but we created a few temporary lookouts and based our patrol routes on the walls. Patrols are being reinforced by the guild members, but we made sure those patrol rosters and timetables are generated based on a different system to confuse any potential adversary.”
“Tim?”
“Yes, sir. Master Tim was very helpful with his suggestions, though, somewhat paranoid,” replied the man good-naturedly while the others chuckled around the table.
Stolen novel; please report.
Sam joined them with a smile. “Well, that’s why I pay him…”
“And has it been worth it?” came the question from somebody around the table.
Sam just shrugged. “Haven’t been assassinated yet…”
There was a small laughter hearing that before returning to the task at hand.
“What about the local monsters and other dangers?” Sam asked.
The captain began pointing at the map. “As you can see, we have nests here, here and there. The rest were removed by the guild.”
“Why did they keep those?”
“Based on our recommendation.”
“Really?”
“Yes, sir. Those nests are in areas where the monsters themselves create a sort of defense against invaders plus some of the materials you can harvest from them are valuable. The young lady insisted on harvesting them as long as possible.”
“What type of monsters?”
Instead of answering, Sam was just handed a paper with a list on them. He read over it, and while the monsters were nothing noteworthy, the materials they provided would account for a decent income. At least until the number of local residents increased to a level where maintaining those nests would become more trouble than worth it.
He handed back the paper and nodded. “Good work.” The captain returned the gesture. “What about the non-monster type of enemies?”
The captain frowned as he answered. “Much more difficult. The local miscreants are easy to apprehend and even the weaker groups are not an issue for our patrols, but there have been several groups where the guild had to chase them away. And those were the ones we noticed…”
“Well, on that front I have some good news and bad news…” he replied.
The captain just sent him a forlorn look and motioned for him to continue.
“As you saw, I arrived with Master Fitzgerald, who is a…”
“Master of Runes. Yes, I’ve heard of him,” finished the captain for him. “Are you escorting him here for a task?”
“No. He is here to set up a workshop.”
“A workshop. Why?”
“Well, that’s the bad news, I’m afraid, captain…”
“Oh no… You don’t mean?” he asked, fear evident on his face.
“I’m afraid, yes.”
“Government contract?”
“Government contract.”
“Secrecy?”
“You squeal and nobody will ever admit that you existed,” answered Sam with a grimace.
The captain just cursed while the soldiers muttered among themselves.
“What’s the good news?” the captain of the guard finally asked after a few seconds.
“Lots of money, of course…”
“Naturally…”
There was a brief silence as everybody contemplated the information that Sam shared as he turned back to the map and began to take another look.
Based on his previous life he wanted to see if he could add anything to the defenses. Finally, after a minute he spotted it. He spoke up while pointing at a specific spot.
“Have you sent scouts there, captain?”
“Hmmm?” the captain leaned closer and took a look. “That’s the end of a small mountain range, we scouted it but aside from a few shallow caves, we didn’t find anything. Why?”
Choosing his words carefully, not wanting to explain his ritual that allowed him a brief overview of the area, he began to explain.
“You need some mages in your scouts, captain. There is a spot around there that is radiating magic, I can even feel some echoes from here,” he fibbed. The Silvercrest family was trustworthy but he didn’t know any of these guards. Better not tell them that he knew there was a fracture there.
The captain, instead of getting angry, just nodded tiredly. “I requested a magical unit, but the logistics…”
“Ah, say no more. I’ll have the guild scout it in case it’s something dangerous…” Sam offered generously.
“Thank you, sir.”
“You’re welcome. Now, before I go and greet the young lady, are there any questions?” he asked, looking around the room.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on how one looked at it, almost everybody raised their hands.
Sam knocked on the wooden door and waited until the severe-looking maid opened the door for him. He bowed his head in greeting to the maid, then he focused his attention on the lady of the house, who was basically vibrating in her seat while trying to appear as if she was calmly sipping her tea.
“Miss Lucrecia, it’s lovely to see you!” he called out cheerfully while giving a deep bow. He straightened out and looked around theatrically. “I don’t see Master Fitzgerald? Did he already depart?”
“The good master has insisted that he wanted to look around,” came the clarification from the maid while Lucrecia just nodded.
“Good to know.”
The statement was followed by an awkward silence – at least it felt awkward to Sam – as they looked at each other until the maid cleared her throat, breaking the younger woman out of her daydream. She jumped a little but finally began talking.
“Would you-you like some tea, sir?” she offered with a hesitant smile while her eyes shined with hope.
Sam contemplated for a moment saying no, but upon looking at those eyes, he just didn’t have the heart to do that. ‘Damn those devs for making the NPCs so realistic…’
“One sugar, please,” he replied with a wan smile as he went forward to take a seat.
The blinding smile the young woman gave him illuminated the entire room.
“How is the apartment hunt?” Sam asked, leaning against the door.
Lara looked up from the plans she was staring at and just snorted. “I’m rich, Sam. If I want an apartment, I get it.”
“So, did you get one?”
“It is currently being cleaned and upgraded.”
“Cool. How is Dan?”
“Still lost a little…”
“At least he has a paper that says he is super smart…”
“Try telling him that…”
“You’re the girlfriend. That’s your job.”
Lara glared at him. “Did you come here just to annoy me?”
Sam shrugged, then retrieved a stack of documents and dropped them on the desk. “I brought you your first official client that ‘doesn’t exist and please don’t ask any questions, thank you’!”
She blinked and in surprise, took the papers and gave the top one a read. Then after finishing she frantically began paging through the stack, occasionally stopping to check something.
“Are you for real?” she finally asked.
Sam walked forward and took a seat in the only chair that wasn’t covered in papers, maps, and other planning-related materials. “And that’s just the things that can be put to paper…”
Lara grinned and leaned forward. “Do tell…”
The three of them stood in front of an empty plot deep into the ruins, with no NPCs or players nearby.
Lara was taking glances at Fitzgerald, while the man in question was looking around and checking out the plot.
“What do you think, sir?” Sam asked after a few minutes. “Is it large enough?”
Fitzgerald walked forward, spun to face them, and grinned.
“Perfect! I can’t wait to see what we can accomplish here!”
Lara and Sam exchanged a glance then gave a polite clap at the declaration.
Owed bonus chapters: Two (2)
Titles:
[Apprentice: You are an apprentice learning under a master. Increased experience point gain in the key skill of the apprenticeship.]
Magical Items:
[Ring of Minor Health Regeneration: A small ring, made from subpar materials, with a low-quality magical gem. As long as the gem holds mana, it aids with health regeneration. Can hold 100 Mana Points, and regenerates 10 Health Points for every point of mana consumed. Current Mana: 100/100.]
[High-quality Troll Leather Armor: Created by a journeyman crafter employed by your own company. They worked extra hard to make sure to return your goodwill. Excellent quality, given the materials and the crafter. Enchanted to decrease the sound it makes during movement, as well as has increased durability. Thanks to the substance it was impregnated with the troll leather it lacks its customary weakness to fire.]
*Not actually bottomless.]
Quests:
Active quests:
[Just walk in there!]
[Prove yourself!]
Finished quests:
[Monster Parade!]
[Topping the tree!]
[Reap what you sow!]
[Seaside opportunity]
[Another seaside opportunity]
[The booty of mystery!]
[Demonic demonstration!]
[The Test of the Survivor!]
[To the city you go!]
[Eternal Vigilance!]
[Returning Champion]
[Volatile Valley]
[Ride forward to be not killed in nasty ways!]
[Location, location, location!]
Skills:
Mana Skills:
[Mana Body: Level 7/100 (21%) (Passive) Your mana permeates your body, enhancing and improving it. The better your control of your mana is, and the more mana you have, the bigger the effect is. For every 100 Mana Points, it grants you 1 Base Health gain. For every skill level, it increases the Health Regeneration by 0,1.]
[Mana Shield: Level 99 (99%) Using mana, you can form a simple shell around yourself, which decreases the damage you take. Damage decrease depends on the amount of mana invested. For every unit of Mana invested in the spell, the shield will protect you from 9,9 (physical) damage.]
[A/N: Currently: WIS: 50 / MAG: 50 = 1 --> +2 Mana Regeneration per skill level]
Neutral Mage skills:
Elemental Mage Skills:
Wind Mage skills:
[Wind Blade III: Level 9/10 (99%) (Active) A spell that allows you to launch a blade of wind. The cutting power and speed of the blade are increased. You have greater control over its movement after creation. Allows you to slightly control its path after launching the wind blade.]
[Wind Blade Storm: Level 6/10 (7%) (Active) A spell that unleashes a storm of wind blades around you. The damage of the released Wind Blades depends on the Wind Blade spell and your mastery over it.]
[Wind Bullet III: Level 9/10 (99%) A spell that allows you to launch a bullet made of concentrated wind. You have excellent control over the projectile’s speed, size, and path.]
[Wind Explosion: Level 3/10 (21%) A spell that allows you to create a singular bullet of wind mana, and then fire it, which will, upon impact, detonate. The strength of the detonation depends on the amount of wind mana channeled into the bullet and your mastery over the Wind Bullet spell!]
[Wind Movement: 39/100 (19%) (Active) You can use your mastery over wind to move in any direction you wish. Your movement speed is increased significantly. This speed boost is increased by 1% for each skill level.]
[Wind Edge III: Level 9/10 (99%) (Passive) A spell that allows you to enhance the edge of any bladed weapon you wield with the wind. Thanks to the spell, the speed of your strikes will greatly increase. The power and reach of the blade will be greatly increased further.]
[Wind Affinity: Level 61/100 (17%) (Passive) You have a good affinity for the wind. Beings born of the wind will be more favorable to you. The cost of the Wind-type spells and skills is reduced and their power is increased by 0,5% for each skill level.]
- Wind Flurry
- Wind Bullet Barrage
- Healing Wind
- Wind Jump
- Wind Drill
- Wind Blade I-III
- Wind Blade Storm
- Wind Bullet I-III
- Wind Explosion
- Wind Movement
- Wind Edge I-III!
Utility skills:
Companion skills:
Shadow skills:
(Shadow Cloak triggers this benefit.)]
[Shadow Affinity: Level 30/100 (14%) (Passive) You have a good affinity with the shadows. Beings born of the shadows will be more favorable to you. The cost of the Shadow-type spells and skills is reduced and their power is increased by 0,5% for each skill level.]
Physical skills:
[Basic Armor Mastery: Level 91/100 (6%) (Passive) You learned the basics of wearing armor. Decreases the Stamina consumption slightly while wearing any kind of armor.]
[Clean Armor: Level MAX (MAX%) (Passive) Your mana got used to a certain spell, so the waste mana radiating from you will, over time, permeate and clean your armor.]
[Resistant Armor: Level 5/5 (MAX%) (Passive) Thanks to your practice, you can fully utilize everything that your armor provides, granting you increased resistance against the environment. Grants 2% increased environmental resistance per skill level. Environmental resistance protects against environmental effects only.]
[Durable Armor: Level 0/5 (0%) (Passive) You learned how to roll with the punches. This includes knowing when your armor can take a hit and when it can’t. Increased durability for any armor you wear from incoming damage from non-environmental sources.]
[Epic Breathing Technique: Level 9/10 (99%) (Passive) You breathe, and the world breathes with you. You move along your own rhythm. Decreases stamina consumption even more during any activity and further increases stamina regeneration when not in a fight. Gain +2 Stamina Regeneration for every skill level.]
[Tranquil Heart: Level 11/100 (54%) (Passive) Your heart beats to the same rhythm as your body. It’s efficient and harmonious. You have an even easier time resisting mind-altering effects and a portion of of those effects are reflected back to the source. The portion is 1% per skill level. You also radiate an aura of tranquility that confers the resistance portion of the skill to your allies near you.]
[Flow: Level 77/100 (9%) (Passive) Thanks to being a natural sensor, you can read the flow of the mana. Increases your stability and the bonuses any movement or martial art skill provides by 1% per level in the skill.]
[Focused Flow: Level 5/5 (MAX%) (Passive) When focusing on any enemy beyond what is normal, your ability to read their flow becomes clearer and more precise.]
[Controlled Flow: Level 5/5 (MAX%) (Passive) Your read of the flow is more controlled, allowing you to see the flow much better. Increases the flow visibility by 20% for every skill level.]
[Immersed Flow: Level 0/5 (0%) (Passive) When you start reading the flow a counter starts. After every ten seconds, the effect of the Flow skill increases by 1% for each skill level. Maximum 600 seconds.]
Parry: Level 24/100 (13%) (Passive) Decreases the stamina consumption of defensive weapon movements. It allows you to more efficiently and accurately parry incoming attacks. Decreases the damage of the blocked attack by 0,5% for each skill level at the moment of blocking.]
Resistance skills:
General skills:
[Dwarven Language: Level 5/10 (1%) (Passive) You managed to learn the basics of the Dwarven language.]
[Elven Language: Level 7/10 (8%) (Passive) You managed to learn the basics of the Elven language.]
[Dark Elven Language: Level 5/10 (1%) (Passive) You managed to learn the basics of the Dark Elven language.]
[Sarkan Language: Level 3/10 (42%) (Passive) You managed to learn the basics of the Sarkan language.]
Crafting skills:
Pet skills:
[Strong Jaw: Level Max (Passive) The jaw of the wolf is strengthened.]
[Lucky Aura: Level Max (Passive) Those who are in the same party as the wolf receive a buff to their luck. It depends on their luck how big the increase is.]