Rebirth: Rise of the Slave Master

Chapter Thirteen: Choosing Infamy

Character Information Name: Theo (10) HP: 480/480 Race: Human MP: 480/480 Class: Slave Master Attack: 81~107 Alignment: Neutral Defense: 12 (15%) Attributes and Runes Strength: 50 (+0) Head Rune: Empty Agility: 8 (+3) Heart Rune: Desert Heart Rune Intelligence: 5 (+0) Core Rune: Serpent Prince's Core Rune Constitution: 28 (+5) Arm Rune: Serpent Queen's Wrath Rune Willpower: 24 (+0) Leg Rune: Empty Charisma: 36 (+3) Rune Locked Empty Luck: 5 (+0) Rune Locked Empty Skill List Skill Name Level Exp. to Next Lv. Tag Appraise Humanoid Lv. 1 0%/100% Beginner Conditioning Lv. 1 7%/100% Beginner Meditation Lv. 3 39%/100% Dodge Lv. 8 8%/100% Fend Lv. 1 24%/100% Inflict Pain Lv. 1 0%/100% * Lesser Persuasion Lv. 1 5%/100% * Lesser Polearm Mastery Lv. 2 1%/100% * Lesser Rune Mastery Lv. 1 2%/100% * Lunge Lv. 2 35%/100% Perception Lv. 2 66%/100% Slave Master's Brand Lv. 1 0%/100% Stealth Lv. 1 0%/100%

Through gritted teeth and reluctantly shut eyes, Old Man Snake Eyes was forced to accept the ultimatum placed before him. A slight tilt of his head was the only sign of his capitulation as he thought, “What other choice do I have?”

Never one to forgive or forget, the crime boss consoled himself with the thought, “A loss now can always be recouped in the future!” However, one could hear the rage and malice when he finally spoke, “I look forward to your… future accomplishments... Slave Master Theo.”

His expression was one of loathing as he parted with the basic training for the Slave Master Class. Luckily, it didn’t require any actual training. All Snake Eyes had to do was wave his hand, and Theo was engulfed in the golden light of a class change.

Having defeated the [Desert Serpent Queen] solo, Theo was fairly close to leveling up already, and the huge chunk of experience he got from ‘completing’ his class quest was enough to put him over the edge.

Of course, it also refunded all of his attribute points and left him as vulnerable as a newborn lamb. Theo quickly gave the crime lord the information he had bargained for and left the Gambler’s Den. He didn’t want Old Man Snake Eyes getting any funny ideas after he got what he needed, so moving like a whirling dervish he was gone without saying another word. The look he received from those beady black eyes on his way out was like a cold blade pressed against his throat. Theo knew he hadn’t seen the last of this man!

It was just too easy to make enemies these days...

With 5 points in Strength, 2 points in both Constitution and Charisma, and 1 point in Willpower per level, Theo’s attributes were finally redistributed in a more balanced manner. He could only lament his vastly reduced attack value. If it weren’t for the new weapon and the [Serpent Queen’s Wrath Rune], he would find himself feeling even more forlorn.

Upon unlocking his class, there were numerous changes to his attributes and new skills to look at. For starters, his [Beginner Rune Mastery] had ranked up to [Lesser Rune Mastery] as did his [Beginner Persuasion]. Unlike [Lesser Polearm Mastery], these two skills didn’t unlock anything else when they changed.

It did allow him to equip the [Snake Prince’s Core Rune] and the [Snake Queen’s Wrath Rune], a well as the [Desert Heart Rune] which boosted his defense and constitution slightly. He also received a bonus of 1 Charisma and 1 Willpower for every level of Slave Master he possessed, both of which were vital attributes for the class.

He had also received three new skills for his troubles. [Appraise Humanoid], [Inflict Pain], and [Slave Master’s Brand].

[Appraise Humanoid] was a skill that altered [Perception], allowing him to view more of an NPC’s stats than he could have normally. There were a few classes that received skills like this, such as the Beast Master’s [Eye for Talent], though their version only worked on beast-type monsters. The closest thing Theo could draw a comparison to was a skill gained by the [War Marshall] archetype, who specialized in commanding soldiers. It could be useful, but not worth tagging. It would raise on its own as he used [Perception].

“The wording was a little…” Theo buried his discomfort and moved on.

[Inflict Pain] was actually an active skill, and an odd one at that. It was similar to [Lunge] without the charge effect, and it was an attack that did less damage than a normal strike. Although the damage was lessened, it had a chance to Daze the target, and the MP cost and cooldown were quite low. From what he knew about skill progression in Dream World Online, Theo surmised new skills would unlock when he maxed this out. He would have to use it often, and even went as far as to tag it.

[Slave Master’s Brand] was the signature ability of his class. It gave him the power to apply a unique, magical brand to a target NPC and turn them into his slave. The requirements were quite stringent, of course. For starters, the target had to be a lower level than the Slave Master. The player would also have to get the NPC to either max affinity, meaning they couldn’t possibly like him more, or max fear, meaning they would run and cower at the sight of him. With a Neutral alignment, these two values would start at close to zero, and they could only be raised slowly over time. Finally, he would have to beat the target’s Willpower in a resistance check, or he would suffer a mental backlash and take a hearty chunk of damage.

This was why it was so difficult to get powerful NPCs as your slaves. Not only would you have to raise your level up so that it was higher than their own, you would also need to build some kind of relationship with them. A lot of the NPC bosses were totally immune to things like fear, no matter how much you beat on them, so the only option was to max your affinity. Theo hadn’t ever heard of someone surviving a boss fight long enough to befriend them, but even if they had managed it, there was the problem of the Willpower to take into account. Bosses always had considerably higher stats than players of a comparable level.

Theoretically, Theo could enslave a boss if he found one that was a significantly lower level, but the amount of patience required in such an endeavor was startling. Not to mention, he would be gaining a slave that was many times lower level than himself. Even if Bosses had impressive stats, it probably couldn’t make up for the difference in experience and skill proficiency.

“As I thought,” Theo absentmindedly rubbed his chin while he made his mental plans, “the best method would be to find a low-level NPC and raise it up carefully. Well, that’s how the class was designed to work anyway…”

Theo was still racing against the clock to get as much of an advantage as he could before the other players started hitting level 10. Once the absurdly wealthy players reached that point, the currency exchange would open and they could buy in-game currency with real money. Whether it was real or virtual life, having more money was equivalent to having more power.

If he wanted to get this enslaving thing over as fast as possible, there really was only one option…

Theo had reached level 10 and gotten his class, which meant he could register as a full member of the Adventuring Guild. Prior to this he was just a probationary adventurer. Being officially registered had several benefits, including reduced prices at shops sponsored by the Guild, cheaper travel and lodging costs, as well as a veritable mountain of missions that could be completed to increase your rank and fame. The downside was that his level and class would become public knowledge, and anyone in the Guild would have access to the rankings.

“Will today be remembered as the day I first became infamous?” Theo said woefully to himself.

The Adventuring Guild was a large domed building located near the center of Oasis. It was surrounded by narrow, dusty streets and a number of smaller secondary buildings, most of which housed a varied assortment of shops and businesses catering to 'adventurers' and owing their prosperity to the proximity of the guild.

Theo entered between the last two columns on the right and quickly moved through the first set of brass doors, each of which was carved with domineering reliefs of the Guild’s heroic exploits. Despite the echo-chamber size of the main hall, it had a cozy feel and was packed with dozens of NPCs and new players who were wandering around still completing the tutorial quest.

At the far end of the room were a number of bank-like counters with a pretty young greeter girl standing by. Each of the counters were separated by rank, from E to A, with A being the highest classification of adventurer. A-ranked adventurers were capable of taking the most dangerous missions and rightfully received the most benefits because of it.

“I’d like to register officially, as an E-ranked adventurer,” Theo said, approaching the designated counter.

The young woman was very professional as she regarded Theo, though her voice was laced with a level of apprehension when she spoke. NPCs could feel a player’s alignment instinctually, and so she was less overtly kind. She placed a small device on the counter that looked remarkably like a scale for weighing metals. On one end of the scale was a small blue crystal, and the other was empty. She motioned for Theo to take hold of the crystal.

In the lore of Dream World Online, this device was known as a [Ranker]. It used a special kind of innately magical mineral, the Crystal, that glowed in the presence of danger. Through whatever combination of magic and technology, they had repurposed the Crystal to measure the relative ‘danger’ of the one holding it and then relay that information as a numerical value. It wasn’t a one for one translation of a player’s level, and was closer to the amount of experience that had been earned for what the game considered ‘combat’ skills.

“This [Ranker] will determine if you are qualified to join the Adventuring Guild as an official member, of course, as a probationary adventurer the first examination is free.”

Theo sighed inwardly and cursed the developers again. Every time you took an examination to go up a rank in the guild, you would have to pay an increasingly steep fee. Any player who wasted their first free examination as a joke would cry tears of blood when they saw that insurmountable figure.

He grasped the Crystal on the [Ranker], which began to glow with a dull light. Although he was only level 10, so far he had focused on nothing but combat skills. As far as the device was concerned, it would probably find him to be on par with a player a few levels higher. What he hadn’t expected to see was the [Ranker] begin to smoke and whir angrily. The light in his hand grew brighter and brighter, to the point where he thought he might feel heat on his skin.

The greeter’s eyes were wide, and she took a step back when…

CRACK!

The crystal broke.

Was this thing defective? That shouldn’t be the case, since it was an item that was tied directly to the system which ran the game. Could Theo have affected the system’s ability to properly judge him after he soloed the [Desert Serpent Queen]? He’d heard rumors of the game secretly tracking a prestige value that might measure into your overall danger level.

“Is this typical?” Theo asked, his expression somewhat helpless.

“It-it…” the greeter was at a loss for words, but thankfully a senior member of the guild had heard the fuss and come to inspect.

“Is there an issue here?” the experienced greeter, a short woman with a smooth, caramel complexion and a cute little bob, spoke very politely.

Theo briefly explained the situation and received a curt bow in return, “I apologize for the inconvenience, sir,” she said with a commanding air, “The [Ranker] had most likely reached the end of its service period.”

She was quite formal, but the quick, sharp look she shot the greeter from earlier didn’t go unnoticed by Theo. That poor girl would probably take the blame for this later.

“We’ll just try it with another one, then?” Theo asked.

The greeter nodded, “It will be more difficult to read the outcome on a higher rated [Ranker], but I will personally take over for this examination. Telara, you may leave for now.”

A few of the people in the guild, whether human or AI, had taken notice of the incident and were idly gossiping as they waited to see the outcome. Theo couldn’t help but scoff.

“Didn’t these people have better things to do?” he thought.

“If you would,” the senior greeter guided Theo to the A-ranked counter, where the highest rated [Ranker] was located.

Theo once again took hold of the Crystal. This one was several times larger and mounted on a sturdy, more ornate base. Using this [Ranker] to measure Theo’s current danger level was definitely overkill. It was like using an industrial sized scale to measure the weight of a paper clip. Again, the Crystal began to glow, but the effect was little more than a soft light in the center akin to flickering candle. The surface of the mineral remained cool to the touch.

Only… this feeling. Was this, pain? A headache? Something small, like a pin prick, was rapidly growing in size as an awful feeling gripped Theo’s skull. It bored into his eyes, his ears, his sinuses, causing them all to shake internally as if threatening to fall apart. Pain! Unimaginable, unbearable pain!

Something that should have been impossible, experiencing pain in Dream World Online, was taking place here and now! Could this be happening in real life? Had something fallen on his head and broken the Lucid Lock’s safety features? Was he going to die?

Brzzt… Wazzr Gzzod… zzt… vvWovvrld… vWorvld… szz… szztovvp… Bzzt… Bvvrrt...

A series of sounds crashed into Rick’s ear drums, as if the words were fired out of a cannon and into the side of his head. He felt like collapsing on the spot, but his character wasn’t responding to any of his movements. It was like he was in a trance.

“D-rank, at least, no wonder...” the greeter’s words were a lifeline which pulled Rick out of whatever kind of hellish void he’d just been subjected to.

He was immersed in pleasant sensation, not unlike when he first made his character… the sensation of becoming Theo…

“Congratulations, sir,” the woman said with a bow, “it is rare to find a probationary member with such potential.”

Theo’s eyes were a bit vacant, as if he were momentarily distracted, “Huh? Oh, yeah, thank you,” he replied absentmindedly.

“Would you like to register as a D-rank Adventurer, sir? As an apology for the earlier mishap, we will waive the fee this one time.”

Hearing an opportunity to save some money quickly snapped Theo out of his malaise. Headache? Strange noises? Did something like that happen? He didn’t remember it clearly enough to even assume it had been imagined. It was like trying to recall a thought from first thing in the morning that he had over a week ago.

“Certainly,” Theo said, “I will make sure to return this favor to the Adventuring Guild with my continued service.”

The woman nodded, as if this was the customary response.

“Please fill out these forms.”

Naturally, Theo wouldn’t be forced to fill out the stack of papers, and a simple touch would automatically record all of his character data. Like a true professional, the woman didn’t even bat an eyelash when she saw the words “Slave Master” next to Theo’s class. Maybe it was because the NPCs didn’t have a very firm concept of the word ‘class,’ or maybe it was because the system presented some entirely different information for the woman to read. Either way, she filed the forms, and Theo was met with a pleasant jingle.

You have officially joined the Adventuring Guild! Current rank: D. Achievement points: 0

Achievement points, which were earned from completing the Guild’s quests, could be traded for various commodities. They were also one of the requirements to raise your rank.

“I believe it’s customary for a greeter to share their name with their new charges,” Theo said with a thin smile.

The woman seemed as if she wanted to throw a glare his way, but a polite sigh escaped her lips instead, “You are correct, D-rank Theo, as the greeter who registered you, I will be serving as your liaison with the guild from this point on. I will also be responsible for procuring and organizing your away supplies on expeditions in the future. As the official A-rank greeter of the Oasis branch, a D-rank such as yourself should feel honored to be under my care.”

Such sharp words... so much so they actually seemed to sting. Theo wondered what kind of verbal combat skill this woman had trained in, and what its proficiency level was. The way she slung around the term D-rank was no different than the way most would call out a pervert.

“Ah, I was mistaken for a pervert earlier, too, actually…” Theo thought, his spirit a little shaken.

“My name is Caoimhe,” the woman said curtly, “Now, as for your first mission -”

“Goblin subjugation,” Theo quickly cut the woman off, causing a dangerous glint to flash in her eyes.

She echoed her earlier sigh.

“D-rank Theo, that mission is currently rated for E-ranked adventurers. Completing it will only present half the usual reward, I suggest instead-”

“Goblin subjugation,” Theo said again.

Daggers. There were daggers somewhere, and they were carefully aimed at his neck! Theo suppressed the urge to gulp, wondering briefly if Old Man Snake Eyes had already tracked him down.

Caoimhe didn’t bother arguing with the stubborn man any longer, and retrieved the necessary form. It presented all of the information one would need for the mission and the completion thereof, as well as the support goods that would be requisitioned by the adventurer and the reward to be delivered upon completion.

“A local cave system has been taken over by a rather unruly batch of Goblins, leading to several raids on traveling merchant caravans in the area. The city would normally dispatch a subjugation team, but strange activity in the west has a higher priority, hence, they came to us. Find the Goblins and wipe them out, and don’t leave a single one alive or they’ll grow back. Are you clear on the goal of this mission, D-rank Theo?”

“Hmm, this part about an extra-reward?” Theo pointed to the briefing document.

Of course he already knew about the reward, but he had to bring it up before the other half of this quest would trigger.

Caoimhe had a grim look on her face as she said, “One of the merchants who was attacked traveled with his daughter, and she was reported missing. Although there was no sign of her survival, there was no sign of her death, either. The merchant has offered an additional reward if anyone can bring back proof of her fate.”

Theo raised an eyebrow, “Should I bring her back if she’s alive?”

Caoimhe frowned, clearly somewhat bothered, “Goblins are notoriously vicious creatures with little intelligence, and aren’t exactly known for taking prisoners. I wouldn’t get your hopes up.”

“Kay, thanks,” Theo touched the document and accepted the quest before making a quick heel-face turn and marching toward the exit.

“That - that,” Caoimhe stared blankly as she watched the strange adventurer charge out of the building as if something had set fire to his backside.

“Idiot…” she finally found the right word to describe the man, “Oh, he forgot his supplies. Well, the guild will still charge him for them regardless,” she said with a slight lilt to her voice.