Chapter 9 – The Evil that Men do

Orders from King Baltan the III., Monarch of Bredon Kingdom, concerning The Cattle Hunt

In the name of the king you are to guard these nobles while robbing commoners and travelers. For every person they rob, they will pay 200 gold coins into our treasury. For everyone they kill, they will pay 2000 gold coins. The belongings of the people will become property of the king.

Protect them while they are entertaining themselves. Should they be harmed you will pay with your life.

Do not arouse attention! You will be equipped with purposely soiled armor and clothes to make it look like you are bandits.

Don’t attack other nobles, only peasants are fair game.

Destroy this message under any circumstances!

*Ding*

Quest: The Running ManThe kingdom seems to entertain their nobles by robbing, tormenting and killing the common people in exchange for money. It may even involve the king himself. Investigate!

Difficulty: E

Quest requirements:

find the orders of the king concerning The Cattle Hunt

Rewards:

Increased intimacy with the common people

Other Consequences, depending on your actions

Failure: ignore the quest.

'Well it does say investigate, not stop or do something, so the difficulty seems accurate.'

Lily was trembling with anger while Hall was shocked. His mouth open and closing without making a sound.

“Lily, what the hell?” She still couldn't compose herself. “I don't know Hall... I don't know, but....I...we should do something...”

Hall nodded and accepted the quest. Considering the strength of the one he just fought, he had to become a lot more powerful first.

He started to loot the corpses of the fake bandits but mainly found cheap weapons and dirty, damaged armor.

Until he inspected the bodies of the two guys he killed first. No wonder they went down like a lead balloon, they weren't even trained in combat.

But Hall felt no guilt, when he sensed their soul, he knew they deserved what he did to them and they should be thankful for their quick deaths.

In their pockets he found a couple of keys with identical crests engraved in them. He had to find out who they were so he could get their riches. Considering they even now carried a pretty decent bag of gold each, they should have a lot more stashed away somewhere.

When Hall opened the two leather pouches his eyes went wide again. He seemed to be surprised pretty often lately, he really should get used to the unexpected.

In each of the bags were at least 50 gold coins and a couple of other ones. He took everything. For a level 9 player his fortune of 107 gold, 18 silver and 10 copper was almost ridiculous. Usually it took until level twenty to get the first gold together. Of course he played long enough by now to reach level 30 under normal circumstances.

He didn't even bother with the armor and clothes, instead he took a dagger into his left hand so he didn't have to punch people anymore. It felt alright, but not special. It wasn't imbued with magic, runes, jewels or had any raised properties, so there was no need to identify it.

Simple DaggerDamage:6-9Durability:7 / 15Quality:CommonA common dagger without any remarkable properties, but without any great flaws. It seemed to have been damaged on purpose, reducing its quality and durability.

Before he left for the road he remembered to check the place where the leader of the fake bandits was hiding. There wasn't much, but under a rock he found what looked like fresh earth, covered in leafs that looked suspiciously out of place.

The man seemed to be rather smart, hiding this even though he was so much stronger than his opponent, it was Hall's luck he was underestimated or else ...well, the result would have been painful.

He dug up a metal badge with a crest on it. It was a lion with the head of an eagle standing on top of a shield. The words “By the authority of the Royal Guard” were inscribed.

You found a clue related to the quest “The Running Man”

It looked like the even the King's personal guard was involved. Hall had to be careful on how to get information when solving the quest. He probably shouldn't trust too many people with this, if it went up this high there was a lot of money involved. And where there was money, there was greed and betrayal.

For now he pocketed the small fortune, the badge and a couple of throwing knifes, the dagger and three common, but dirty swords. “Hey Lily, do you have an inventory too?” She nodded surprised, seems like that was new for her. “Yes, that's really handy, it might be because of the contract with a voyager.” Hall nodded, it made sense…kind of.

So he gave her all the books he got from the tower. Even though there were so many, it didn't make him any lighter. His best guess was, that the weight would only come into play after he surpassed a certain threshold.

He even found a bag with some dried meat and bread. Enough to last him until he reached the village. Nodding satisfied Hall and Lily continued their journey.

To pass the time they started to talk about their lives so far. Lily told him how she grew up in a small village of farmers and craftsmen called Howe, a couple of weeks away, although she didn't know exactly where it was.

It was a simple life, but she had a loving family and she enjoyed life. Well, until the man she loved betrayed her. Hall told her about his life, about his parent's death, about his years at the orphanage and his time in the army, of course he tried to make it sound like it all happened in a fantasy world. He told her about Belinda, how he always liked her, how they lost contact and then met again, only for him to be betrayed too.

Hall just talked to pass the time, but Lily looked at him with compassionate eyes, grateful that though he had a hard life, he still remained so kind at heart and strong of character.

They talked about how Lily liked the stew her mother made with tomatoes, potatoes, beef and the herbs behind their garden. How she preferred plain dresses over the frilly ones and how she always loved sunflowers. When she was talking it was like she was dancing through the air, brimming with glee. It made Hall happier than he was in a while.

After a couple of hours they took a break on a clearance that was crossed by a small stream. It was almost like he was dropped into a scene from a picture book. Serene and peaceful.

When they went on Hall wanted to try something. “Lily, please sing for me.” She nodded and when she started, Hall concentrated on her voice. He began to swing the chains according to the rhythm he felt. They started to resonate with Lily's voice, changing the song again, becoming darker and more terrifying.

He continued keeping his chains in a resonating state, first he walked with them beside him. They walked for hours like that, the melody from his chains became clearer, darker.

But he liked it, it was somewhat like a promise to protect the things he loved. It was dark and dangerous, but also calming. A threat for those that opposed him. A promise of a merciless end, planting fear and terror in the hearts of the enemy.

It was like he played the instrument accompanying Lily's voice. After a few hours he started to swing the chains with more strength, still following the road north.

He started to attack with both chains, keeping them resonating, adapting his swings to her melody, getting faster, more accurate, more deadly. The song kept going and he kept striking. If someone met him right now, they would run fast and run far.

It was like he fell into a trance, swinging left and right. After he invested all points he gained from leveling up into strength and agility, he hit harder and more precisely. He was so fast by now the fight before seemed like a joke where he moved like a new born baby.

On another clearance ahead there were two goblins closing in on a fox. The perfect target for his new found ability.

He approached them with a melody of death surrounding him. Usually Hall was the only one capable of hearing Lily but as they wanted to train her Soul meets Body skill, she stayed corporeal when they were alone, but never draining her mana too much.

Now she disappeared again, leaving behind the melody created by the resonating chains.

When Hall was around fifty meters away, the goblins as well as the fox froze up, and slowly turned to face him.

When he got closer the melody from his chains penetrated their weak minds, they were by far less powerful than the fake bandits before.

Their feeble green bodies trembled, their loin clothes were soiled as they couldn't control their body out of fear.

After over half a day of training he finally got what he wanted, although he wasn't completely sure it was even possible.

*Ding*

You have gained a new skill!

Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:Hells Bells (Subskill of Soul Chains)Beginner10%Your soul resonates with Lilith’s heart, you chains with her voice.

Together with her you create a special sound, a unique melody instilling terror in the hearts of your opponents.

Effects:

Fighting Spirit / Willpower of the enemy is reduced

chains cause 10% more damage

the stamina consumption of the enemy is increased slightly

Can only be used in combination with Lilith's skill Voice of the Soul

Effect is increased by 30% if Lilith is in her corporeal form

Chains have to be corporeal.

Cost: 3 mana / sec

+5 Willpower

Grinning he kept the skill active while swinging his chains, aiming at one of the shivering goblins. It was a gruesome sight, the chain crashed into the goblins side, lifting it up and smashing it into a tree two meters away.

The goblin didn't stand up again. His arm and chest were nothing more than a mash of reeking red blood, torn green skin and broken bones, the light in his eyes gone the moment the chain made contact.

Before the goblin hit the tree Hall's other chain was already buried in the head of his companion. The body was held only in place by the chain and the moment Hall pulled it back, the headless body fell down in front of him.

*Ding*

You have gained a new skill!

Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:Chain Mastery (Subskill of Soulchains)Beginner10%Constantly training with the chains around your wrists and even jumping into battle armed with nothing more than those, you have gained control over them and are now able to wield them with frightening skill.

Effects:

Damage increased by 15%

Speed increased by 5%

length can be varied from zero to three times its original length

+3 Strength

+2 Agility

'Finally!' He was satisfied, not only did he gain another interesting skill but he also got the mastery skill to improve his fighting style. Although he planned to use some kind of weapon, he still wasn't sure which one.

The goblins didn't drop any loot and he let the fox escape, it seemed somehow wrong to slaughter it, after all it did nothing wrong and who knows what those goblins did. After sensing their soul they definitely weren't innocent.

Although he thought by now that some mobs may just have been created with dark souls, without doing anything. Of course there was no way to check his theory for now and he didn't mind, he needed enemies. He preferred it if they were evil, but after all it was still a game.

Afterward they moved on, coming closer to the village Grim mentioned.

On the way they continued to train their skills. They even found some mobs every now and then, but they weren't a challenge and only used for skill training.

He managed to level up his Soul Chains, which allowed him to imbue them faster with his soul energy, the length was also extended to two meters.

Together with his Chain mastery he was now able to fight with two six meters long chains. Hall grinned at the thought. Invisible chains, extendable to six meters, a frightening weapon.

Lily leveled up her Voice of the Soul and her Soul Meets Body skill.

Hall was now level 10 and Lily reached level 19.

Shortly before they arrived in the village after a little over two days Hall logged out to sleep, eat, train and shower.

When he logged back in, they entered the village. Hall was rather excited, when he started he didn't really spent any time talking to anyone, so he looked forward to dealing with NPCs and maybe a couple of players.

His excitement was somewhat dampened when he looked around. The atmosphere was bleak, the wooden fence surrounding the village was partially rotten and broken in several spots. The decaying tooth of time took its toll on many buildings. The wood damaged by the seasons and the stones discolored by the decades.

As it hasn't rained in days the street transformed into a cracked surfaced of dried mud. The rotten food and other trash laying around in the radiating sun gave off a repulsive smell. There were almost no people walking on the street.

Grim wasn't wrong to call this a small village, it had maybe a few dozen buildings.

There were no kids playing around, no business being done in the small market place.

If it was dark it would probably be pretty scary, but right now it was just depressing.

The only building that at least seemed busy was the blacksmith.

A sign above the door showed an anvil and a hammer, it gave off even more heat than the surroundings and one could hear the clashing sound of metal hitting metal.

Because it seemed the best option, he went there. In there was a huge guy, with arms like logs and a gut like a barrel. He was passed out drunk, snoring, his head laying on the table while his beard was soaked in sweat from the heat and cheap wine.

Instead a young girl, maybe seventeen, swung the hammer, slamming it against a horseshoe on top of the anvil. She was pretty cute, not quite tall enough to reach his shoulders, her blond hair was bound to a ponytail behind her head.

Sweat dropped from her pristine skin as she slammed down the hammer again and again, so captivated by her task she didn’t even notice Hall knocking and entering.

When Hall cleared his throat to make her notice him she jumped up in surprise. He had to try not to laugh as she stepped back, tripped over a couple of tools and dropped on her behind.

Smirking he went up to her and reached out to help her get up. “Hello pretty lady, I’m sorry I startled you, may I help you up?” Usually he couldn’t really talk to women in a casual way. He wasn’t antisocial and he had no problems talking to them in general. He was just a shy guy without a lot of practice.

Maybe it was because she was so young or because she was a NPC, it didn’t matter.

She pouted, looking a little angry, but mainly embarrassed. Here was a handsome guy in her backwater village and she had to act like an idiot. She accepted his hand, getting up and dusting herself off she taxed him.

Still chuckling a little bit he offered his hand again, this time in greeting. “My name is Hall, I’m just passing through on my way to … I’m on a mission.” Maybe he shouldn’t reveal his target just yet, in the end she would think he was a dark magician.

She nodded and looked a little dejected. “Welcome to Gelt, a beautiful village in the most serene forest of the Bredon Kingdom.” Her voice was oozing sarcasm, but hiding underneath was a grave sadness. “I’m sorry, my name is Ella, daughter and apprentice to the blacksmith of this village.”

She grabbed the ends of her simple blue skirt, which was covered by a thick blacksmith apron to protect her from the forge’s heat, and performed a quick curtsey.

“I know what you must think about our village, but please believe me when I say, it’s not like this normally, it all started….” She stopped talking, shaking her head. “No, I’m sure you had a rough journey yourself, you are covered in a lot of blood after all and you certainly don’t want to hear about our trouble.”

She lowered her head dispirited, packing up her work as it was probably around time to close the shop. Hall stepped closer and asked her with honest compassion. “How about I invite you for some cold drinks and a warm dinner and you tell me about what happened here?”

She met his gaze, looking confused. When she realized what he said her head became red like the coal in the forge and then nodded quickly while looking on the ground.

‘Man, she is really cute.’ Hall laughed inside while he missed the pouting Lily behind him, while she had daggers in her eyes staring at his back. Instead he looked down at himself, seeing blood stained clothes and skin. ‘I didn’t even notice.’

“Ella, could you tell me where I could get some new clothes and leather armor? I’d like to freshen up a bit before our dinner.”

After Hall cleaned himself with the water in the canteen, he followed her recommendation and went to the store next door. It was a simple shop, the counter was dusty and the clerk looked bored while stitching some buttons on a shirt.

He didn’t seem to be the tailor who made the armor and was just selling them instead. That was a relief for Hall, he didn’t feel comfortable wearing armor in battle if it was made by someone who didn’t enjoy his craft.

Still, the offered clothes and leather armor weren’t anything special, but it was better than nothing. He still wasn’t sure if he should ask Ella for armor plating or at least chainmail, but using chains he had to be able to move freely, so heavy armor would only hinder him in battle.

Instead he would take a look at her weapons later, he needed something other than the tiny dagger or the crappy swords.

Not really happy he bought some sturdy linen pants and shirt, both black to fit his image. They didn’t offer any protection but it would feel a lot more comfortable when wearing armor.

The leather armor he chose was comprised of a chest piece without any decoration, the boots were made from sturdier material to travel the rougher parts of the forest and the pants were similar to the chest armor while at least the gloves seemed to be of better quality.

They didn’t raise his stats but at least gave him some halfway decent protection of around fifty points while not hindering his movements. He even paid a little extra so the clerk would dye the pieces black.

All together he paid not even fifty silver. A small amount but he wasn’t even close to being able to wear the more expensive stuff, his level was just too low.

Hall had some time before the tailor was done with his work so he refilled his canteen and bought enough rations to last him for at least two weeks.

Additionally he walked around the village and used Soul Perception on everyone he came across to improve his skill and finally leveled it up.

What he sensed made him even more depressed. Most people had a really cloudy aura around their souls, like a grey veil laying on top of a light. He didn’t know what happened here, but it affected the whole village.

When he picked up his order from the tailor he threw his old clothes away. They were pretty torn up and dirty. Instead he looked at his reflection while wearing the new clothes and armor.

He looked pretty sharp. Although it looked plain, the dark leather made him look like an assassin or a hunter of the night. The black outfit would hide him in the forest and in town it may keep nosy people away. Though he would really like some kind of hood or mask to hide part of his face.

When the sun set he met Ella for dinner in the local inn. There weren't many people around, just a couple of old hunters and craftsmen joylessly sitting around while drinking in silence.

She was already seated at a table and had cleaned up really nicely. Her hair was now open and looked like a wave of the sun's radiance when it reflected the candles dim light.

She wore a pretty blue dress and a thin golden necklace. Her nervous fidgeting and her red cheeks when she saw him made her look incredibly adorable.

Smiling he greeted her and sat himself down on the same table, though this time he could almost feel Lily's cold glares between his shoulders.

After they ordered their food and exchanged some pleasantries he started to ask about what was wrong with the village and its people. She fell silent for a few moments before looking into his eyes.

“Do you know about the mine in the north?” When Hall nodded she continued. “We always had a goblin problem in this forest, but they usually were weak, one of our hunters could take out a whole group.

Around two decades ago things changed when they settled in the abandoned mine a couple of days up north. They became stronger, darker and undead creatures started to roam the forest.

Every now and then some of them came close to our village and it ended in a few battles, but we tried to keep our distance and they rarely bothered us.

Until about a year ago that is, when a few voyagers showed up. They claimed they would destroy the goblins, but instead the attacks became more frequent. More brutal. More devastating.” Her voice became almost a whisper and her eyes seemed far away.

“Instead of an undead beast, every couple of weeks parties of goblins attacked us and took people away. They come, destroy part of the village and take whoever they can find.

We are powerless against them. They already killed most of our hunters and took so many people. My mother among them.” Her eyes became wet and she clenched her fist.

“You saw my father, he has been like that since that day half a year ago, I'm sure she is dead by now as are the others they took.

We begged the king and the bigger villages for help, but nobody came. Even worse, those that tried to get away or looked for help were robbed or killed.

These forests were always a little dangerous, because of the cursed tower to the south and because it used to belong to the Sorian people, but lately it has been unbearable. If my father wasn't a useless drunk I would be gone already.”

Now she sounded dejected, bitter, but when she remembered where she was and who she was with, she composed herself while slightly blushing.

“I'm sorry, I got all riled up, you have been so kind to me and all I do is complain.”

Hall shook his head, looking at her with compassion. “It’s all right Ella, I asked you to be honest and I was on my way to the mine anyway. A...friend asked me to clean up there.”

She started coughing after she choked on a bite of stew. When she calmed down she still looked at Hall with wide eyes. “Are you serious? You probably aren't even level 20 yet and alone too. The weakest goblin in the cave is at least level 40. I don't even know how high the level of the strongest one is.

Then there are the undead bests and who knows what happened to the voyagers. There should be a small army you know, what would make you think you can go there?”

Hall understood, she was depressed and disappointed and barely knew him, why should she trust him. But it didn't stop Hall from trying.

“You know I'm level ten actually but I never said I was alone.” Ella raised an eyebrow. “Who are you talking about?”

Hall smiled. “Let's just say I have help. To show I'm serious you can check the cursed tower in the south, it is no more. I also took care of a couple of bandits in its vicinity.”

This time she fell silent for a minute, eyes widened by surprise and shock after he so casually told her while eating his stew calmly. She had to admit, the man in front of her made an imposing figure, not only tall and muscular but he also made a reliable impression, eyes filled with resolve and sympathy.

He was only level 10 but looked like he could take on the world and she couldn't say why, but she believed what he said, without a doubt. She sighed and continued to eat. “Mind telling me a little bit about how you destroyed the tower and what happened with the bandits?”

Hall nodded and started to talk, but didn't say anything about Lily or Death. It wasn't like he didn't trust Ella, but he still preferred to be careful, he didn't know how people would react, so he also didn't ask her about the kings orders for The Cattle Hunt, it was too early.

In the end he even showed her his chains to prove the story, it wasn't a big secret, everyone who saw him fight would know about them.

She was speechless again so he continued. “You know, I really could use some halfway decent weapon, the bandits only had trash with them and I want these chains to be a surprise.”

She nodded, thinking about it. “You know, I have some good swords and daggers, but you have to gain at least thirty levels to use the weakest one. How about you show me what you got from the bandits and I'll see if I can find something better for you?”

Hall agreed, so they finished eating, of course he paid. “Ella, I don't get to have a nice dinner with a pretty girl that often, so at least let me pay.” Nodding, she stared at the ground with a bright red head.

He chuckled, her reactions to his teasing were just too cute. Lily's reaction on the other hand was...rather frightening, he thought shuddering.

Out of habit he controlled his surroundings with his Soul Perception skill every few minutes. For the first time since they arrived he felt a soul out of place. Someone who wasn’t there before, a rogue from the looks of it, sat at the table behind their own.

He had no idea how he got there, but it made him nervous. From the looks of it his level was a lot higher than his own and his soul indicated high infamy. He wasn’t sure if it was a NPC or a player but decided to ignore it for now.

When they arrived at Ella’s home he heard loud snores from the backroom.

She moved to the counter and pulled out some basic swords.

He actually hoped for something special, but he was in a backwater village and only level 10 to boot, so of course there wasn't anything to get excited about.

In the end he exchanged the weapons he got from the bandits, except for the dagger he kept, for a decent longsword he could handle with his right hand.

When he wanted so say his goodbyes, Ella spoke up again, it was almost a whisper. No matter what she said, she still was a child that missed her mother. “Listen Hall, if...if you find anything about my mother, would you mind telling me?”

*Ding*

Quest: Mama liked RosesElla, the daughter of the Blacksmith of Gelt asked you to find out what happened to her mother.

Difficulty: E

Quest requirements:

show interest in Ella and her story

convince Ella you are someone trustworthy

Rewards:

Increased intimacy with the people of Gelt

Additional reward possible

Of course Hall agreed to help her, even if the reward wasn't that amazing, but he just couldn’t turn her down.

After they talked a little longer she allowed him to train with the new sword during the night. They had a special room to test their weapons.

He was kind of happy he finally could train like everybody else. He stood in front of the scarecrow and looked at the sword.

Steel SwordDamage:14-17Durability:35 / 35Quality:CommonA common steel sword without any remarkable properties, but made by a talented craftsman with diligence and care.

Requirements:

Level 10

Strength: 40

It really wasn't anything special, but decent enough for a beginner's weapon.

He equipped it in his right hand and used the dagger in his left.

It had been dark for a while and some people wondered about the noise coming from the smith.

Hall attacked the scarecrow again and again. Struck with his right, ducked under an imaginary attack while sidestepping the scarecrow and ramming his dagger into its side.

He attacked while jumping, while crouching and while running. After a while he got the hang of it. He also tried to defend even if he wasn't attacked.

Thanks to his chains he had a long reach, but with additional weapons he wouldn't be that vulnerable in close combat. So the combination of a dagger for parrying and stabbing and a sword to cut and gain distance if necessary was a smart one.

He admitted, it wasn't as special as his chains, but sometimes common was good and it wasn't as easy as it looked. His real life experience with knives helped him a lot.

Meanwhile Lily looked at him from the outside, gave him pointers and helped him improve his stance and speed. She also trained her skills by singing and becoming corporeal, as long as she made sure no one saw her.

So after several hours of constant training, only taking a break if his stamina dropped too much, he heard the well-known sound.

*Ding*

You have gained a new skill!

Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:AmbidexterityBeginner10%Through constant training your left hand becomes a lot stronger and more skillful

Effects:

+10% left handed damage

+2% agility

the stamina consumption with left handed attacks is reduced

+5 Agility

After days of fighting and training with his two chains and then the night with the two weapons he managed to create a quite useful skill, one that could improve even further.

Slowly he managed to gain different damage bonuses, though he still couldn't compensate for the missing boosts for not having a combat class. That would usually give him a bonus of 50% close combat, range or magic damage depending on his choice.

The skills he gained so far could be gained by almost any class, so it wasn't an advantage.

What actually helped him was the increased damage of his chains. Imbued with soul energy they dealt crushing blows. That gave him an idea.

He sat down, concentrated and manipulated his soul energy. He let it flow into the dagger he held with both hands. The pulsating blue light slowly crawled up the metal and after a minute in enveloped the whole weapon, causing it to brim with energy.

Satisfied with the result he started to attack the scarecrow again. Where he could barely scratch the doll before he now left deep gashes and brutal cuts. The dagger was a lot stronger than before.

After the fifth blow, Lily screamed out in surprise as the knife exploded into hundreds of little metal fragments that pierced his newly bought leather armor and managed to scratch his skin. His health went down by a point or two for each cut so it wasn't dangerous.

Still, his new armor was already damaged and lost a couple of durability points, especially his left glove was torn to shreds. He had to repair it before he left.

Dejected his idea was a bust and his only dagger was gone he started to train with the sword. It dealt more damage now that he used both hands, but he lost a lot of speed and versatility while fighting. So he decided to get another dagger from Ella.

When the sun came up Ella found him still training but frowned at his damaged armor and the broken pieces of metal scattered on the floor and could only shake her head when he told her what happened.

When they went back to the showroom where she sold the weapons she picked a nice dagger for him and before he could say anything she took the sword too, took out a whetstone and started to sharpen both weapons.

When she gave him the dagger he nodded approvingly.

Steel DaggerDamage:10-14Durability:35 / 35Quality:CommonA common steel dagger without any remarkable properties, but made by a talented craftsman with diligence and care.

Sharpened, damage increased by 10% until the effect wears off.

Requirements:

Level 10

Strength: 15

Agility: 35

The effect was pretty decent. He read about it and it would wear off after a while, depending on your actions, meaning parry, attack, cut or stab.

After that she signaled him to take off his armor, he handed it to her and she repaired it.

Hall thanked her thoroughly and wanted to leave before he remembered something.

“Ella, I know we barely know each other and you have no real reason to trust me, but would you mind teaching me the repair skill?”

She hesitated and after a long silence he shook her head. “I'm really sorry, if you were a blacksmith or a tailor it would be possible, but I can feel you won't be able to learn these crafts. I'm not even sure you can learn the repair skill. Even if you could, it would take weeks of training.”

She looked unhappy when she told him and looked sadly to the ground when she saw his disappointed face, though he expressed his understanding. It was probably a result of his class.

Not having the repair skill was pretty disadvantageous for a solo player. He was surprised NPCs would know if he couldn’t learn something but at least he wouldn't have to waste time trying to learn a skill he couldn't gain anyway.

After a second her eyes lit up again. “I can offer you something else though, something even more valuable. Dad said I shouldn't grant it to any voyager, because they were ungrateful and didn't care about us.

But not only did you kill the bandits that harassed us, but you also destroyed the tower that loomed over us for centuries. I also believe you when you say you will help us.

I will teach you the Identification skill if you are willing to learn it.”

Hall was ecstatic, he grabbed Ella’s hand, shaking it with gratitude and smiling into her bright red face. She really couldn’t deal with Hall, Ella admitted to herself embarrassed.

The next two days she explained him how to identify different items. She explained how to recognize the material, the crafting technique, its origin and also if it was imbued with magic or some kind of power or curse. She showed him how the decorative value can be increased by adding gems or different colors.

She also told him about engravings and enchantments, how to spot the different kinds and how to differentiate between cheap and expensive ones.

During all the time he paid close attention, making swift progress, absorbing her teachings like a sponge. She was an amazing teacher and he was a diligent pupil.

After two days he finally heard what he wanted.

*Ding*

You have gained a new skill!

Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:IdentificationBeginner10%Allows you to identify items with special properties.

+5 Wisdom

He gained a quite rare skill. Usually players had to pay a fee for identifying items. Some craftsmen taught it to their students but only at the end of their apprenticeship, so they would know the worth of it and wouldn’t go around spreading the skill. It wasn’t exactly rare but not too common either as besides craftsmen many mages learned it too.

He was simply lucky the blacksmith was passed out drunk and his daughter took a liking to him. Additionally she knew how to teach the skill not only because she was his apprentice but precisely because she was his daughter.

He spent a lot more time in the village than he planned to, but it was well worth it.

After another promise to Ella to return with good news he left after he stored the books from the tower, except for the skill books, in her house.

He didn’t want to carry them around and didn’t really know if they were worth anything but he took them only because he didn’t want them to be destroyed. Still, he would pick them up again…probably.

With a whole lot of room in his inventory, decent armor, two weapons at his side and his chains around his arms he followed the road north.

Lily continued to improve her skills and leveled them up a bit over the last few days.

Although it looked like it slowed down a lot. Skill progression was dependent on new experiences.

That meant if it was a difficult battle or a new situation the experience gained would increase manifold compared to just using it casually. Still, even a little progress was better than none.

Leaving the village and closing in on the mine the forest slowly became darker, goblins appeared more frequent and in bigger groups, but they all seemed pretty weak so he slaughtered them without using his chains.

He tried to at least maintain a halfway decent rhythm to get some sleep and to eat in real life. Hall still had a couple of days left before he had to visit classes.

After three days his ambidexterity gained a level as well as Lily’s mana chains. He was around one day away from the mine when he also reached level 11.

There he met his first undead creature in this forest. It was a wolf, or used to be.

Its grey flesh was rotting on its bones, the teeth lay bare and no fur covered its oozing wounds.

When it closed in he noticed there was nothing left of the sharp eyes a wolf should have, no instincts or thought. Simply mindless slaughter remained in the dim eyes.

Through his Soul Perception he sensed a dark, mutilated soul. Years of torment completely destroyed what was left of the wolf and bound its soul to the decaying corpse. It felt simply wrong and he felt tainted only sensing it. Though somewhere deep down, under layers of anger and hatred, under a veil of dark emotion bringing out evil, he felt something else. He felt unimaginable pain and it made him pity the poor beast.

A soul, chained and tortured, mutilated by darkness. And he knew Lily felt the same as she grabbed his hand for support. They silently swore to punish who was responsible for this crime.

Although it used to be a simple wolf, dark powers made it stronger but it was still alone. So Lily bound it with her mana chains, while Hall quickly killed it with a few well-placed strikes and cuts, giving its soul peace with the help of his Judgement skill.

He wasn’t sure, but the moment it died, Hall thought he saw something like gratitude in its eyes. And although nobody could see it except for him, it was like the chains that bound its soul were destroyed and it finally found rest.

+1 Fame

He remembered that releasing a soul could grant him fame under special circumstances even if it wasn’t much.

During the next day he met more of those undead wolves, sometimes small groups, sometimes even bears or boars. But nothing he couldn’t handle.

Finally, shortly before arriving at the mine fighting with sword and dagger all the time paid off.

*Ding*

You have gained a new skill!

Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:Sword MasteryBeginner10%Constantly training with the sword increased your proficiency in combat.

Effects:

Damage increased by 10%

Speed increased by 3%

+5 Strength

Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:Dagger MasteryBeginner10%Constantly training with the dagger increased your proficiency in combat.

Effects:

Damage increased by 10%

Speed increased by 3%

+5 Agility

Now he was prepared to attack the mine. He logged out to take a nap and eat something.

When he got back he discussed his strategy with Lily. Unfortunately his idea of a frontal assault, annihilating anything and destroying whatever came their way was shot down by her.

Instead they observed the entrance. It was guarded by several goblins. But they were different, taller and more muscular with a menacing aura surrounding them. He had to be careful fighting a whole group of them. Every group seemed to have two undead animals with them.

Some goblins were as tall as Hall, they wore dark robes covered in dried blood and he could almost smell the stench coming from them. Many among them carried magic staffs and different weapons and armor.

He continued to watch for several hours, groups came and left, taking in several animals, sometimes leaving with corpses, sometimes with new undead slaves.

When he wanted to retreat he saw something that made his skin crawl. Two players, he knew they weren’t NPCs from the way they talked, walked among the goblins and everyone they passed lowered their head in front of them.

Hall guessed they were the players who were sent by the village to kill the goblins but instead they seemed to have joined them. No, they were leading them.

He saw some goblins carrying a corpse out of the mine. A human girl, not much older than Elsa. She probably belonged to one of the surrounding villages.

Her blood still was flowing, she wasn’t dead for long. A black necklace that let out a dark glow was placed around her neck. He couldn’t tell exactly what it was but it was powerful because he could feel its dark energy even though he wasn’t close.

She was placed on some an altar made out of thousands of bones, a circle of flames surrounding it. It was covered it rotting blood, darker than black, poisoned by evil.

It made him sick. They player who looked like a mage raised a black dagger. It was almost as long as a forearm. Curved and engraved with glowing red runes. It exuded a sickening purple glow and appalling black mist that reminded him of his chains before he managed to lift the curse.

Even though he was too far away for his Soul Perception, the moment the mage stabbed the dagger in the corpse he saw her soul, that glowed white and green, be engulfed in the same mist that surrounded the dagger.

It was like chains formed, tying down the soul, hiding it under a veil of pain. When the body rose, it was a puppet, an undead slave, nothing more was left of the young girl and in time her flesh would rot and decay and so would her soul.

Hall could hear her soul scream in agony and it killed him on the inside.

If it weren’t for Lily he would have taken up the sword and jumped straight in the middle of it. But she put her arms on his shoulder, comforting him, calming him. He knew a blind, headless attack wouldn’t help anyone.

So he planned, carefully, diligently. He let the wrath surge inside of him, he didn’t push it away, but welcomed it.

His soul energy slowly started to turn red. Not the sickening red of dirtied blood, but the color of flames strong enough to burn all evil. Flames that would punish those that opposed him and bring final judgement.

Back to Main Page

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Author’s Note:

Woho, chapter 9, almost made it to the double digits, hope you like the new chapter :grin:

Oh and as always, please tell me your opinions, suggestions and point out any mistakes you find, I really appreciate your support

:bye: