Grace sighed, tucking a few loose strands of her snow-white hair behind her ear, as she waited in front of the Mages Guild’s teleportation beacon. Her eyes narrowed the moment she saw the gems encrusted into the obelisk’s surface lighting up. A moment later, Master Roy stepped through the shimmering portal, followed by Drake and five others. The pony-tailed woman with the bolter strapped to her belt, the dwarf, and the horned half-beast towering over everyone else seemed unremarkable, at least from a magical point of view. The other two, however, immediately caught Grace’s attention.

Her mahogany eyes lit up, shifting to a bright, blueish hue as she took in their auras. The warm, golden glow surrounding the robed female appeared to not be centered around her, but instead the book that she had slung over her shoulder through a thin, elegant chain. The lycan, on the other hand, had darkness-tinged mana swirling all around his arms, the shadowy tendrils pulsating as they looked to be slowly extending towards the rest of his body.

“Good evening, master,” said Grace, clasping her hands in front of her chest and bowing her head towards her former mentor.

“Hello, Grace,” Roy nodded as his glacial gaze moved from her to the tower shooting up from the Guild hall’s main body. “I see Ezra’s got you on door duty.”

“Not at all,” she smiled. “Master Ezra asked me to take and deliver the items to the lab as soon as possible. He also said that he wants to have a word with you the moment you arrived.”

Roy sighed. “Of course he does. Well, runt, you heard her. Tag along and then she’ll lead you to the Hall of Lecture.”

“Understood,” said Drake, as a small iridescent coin appeared in the palm of his hand, as if out of thin air. “By the way, master, our… mutual friend told us to give this to you when she dropped us off in Bord. Said you would know what it meant.”

Grace’s eyes widened seeing the Strangers’ Inventory in action for the first time. Sure, they had all been briefed on their supposed abilities, but hearing and witnessing it for herself were completely different things. That, and seeing the Trorian Crown that he had so casually pulled out, made the strength in her knees vanish for a second. She looked away, lest the master catch her eyeing the small, shimmering jewel. ‘Just one of those and you’d be set for life…’

The grizzled mage frowned as he picked up the Crown, inspecting it on all sides. “Alright then. Arthur will get in touch with you once our artificers have a chance to inspect those things.”

As Drake nodded, the taur woman placed her hand on his shoulder. “In that case, we’ll meet up with you later once you’re done,” she said as she and the others turned around, heading towards the main gate through the verdant courtyard.

With the master having entered the main hall, Grace lead Drake around the building, they came across the annex that housed the Guild’s Artificer Department, a short, wide tower with narrow windows, jutting out of the main building’s side.

****

“Brother…!”

The blacksmith froze, his back towards the entrance where Bane stood. Hammer trembling, Loke brought down his hand as he then turned around, his focus first settling on him, Lilly, and Vala. He then lowered his gaze, gasping the moment he saw the dwarf standing in front of them.

“Dhek? Is that you?” Loke whispered as he dropped his hammer to the floor. “W-what are you doing here?”

“Heh, it’s nice to see you too,” Dhek chuckled before charging at his brother, almost tackling him to the ground. “It really is,” he sobbed, sinking his face into the blacksmith’s shoulder and wrapping his arms around him.

Loke stared silently for a second, his hands still petrified in midair. A stuttered sigh escaped the dwarf as he finally returned his brother’s hug, his eyes welling up as tears began to stream down his cheeks.

Feeling himself getting choked up, Bane grabbed Vala wrist and gently tugged on it as he stepped out of the smithy, with Lilly following suit. “Why don’t we give them a moment?” he asked, taking in a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself.

“Aw,” the taur snickered as he also Lilly grinning from ear to ear. “I never knew you were such a softy.”

“Fuck off,” he groaned, wiping his eyes. Still trying to get rid of the knot in his throat, he turned to watch the various people shuffling along the bustling street. He could still spot quite a few players amidst the crowd, although it didn’t seem quite as busy as the first time they had come here. But despite that fact, he could still spot at least one person dressed in white robes at each juncture along the road traversing the trade district. “Honestly,” Bane sighed, “can you two believe that it’s only been a couple of days since this all started?”

“It’s been quite the ride,” said Vala. “But I can’t complain. This sure as hell beats just sitting around.”

“I’ll say,” Lilly nodded. “No offense to innkeepers everywhere, but I don’t think I could’ve taken much more of just sitting there, helping Wade out with cleaning and various odds and ends… I mean, I’m kind of used to being on the other end of the whole guest-host dynamic.”

“Seriously?” Bane asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah,” she replied. “Had to move around quite a bit for the job.”

He scratched his head, his wolf ears twitching a bit. “Huh… I can’t even remember the last time I left the city, to be honest.

Vala, on the other hand, chose to focus on another aspect entirely. “Oh, another fellow Earner?”

Lilly winked. “Though I’m kind of taking a… let’s just call it a break. Had a few people that weren’t exactly thrilled with me poking my nose in their business.”

“PI?” the taur asked.

“Nah, journalism,” she clarified. “Could never really stomach the whole tabloid industry thing. Putting shady stooges in the spotlight is a hell of a lot more satisfying, but it really doesn’t earn you any favors. What about you?”

“Former officer,” said Vala. “Used to be in the field before an accident managed to drop me on my ass. So, for the time being, I’m using Prism as a nicer way to pass the time since it beats just sitting around the house and doing nothing.”

“Interesting,” Lilly grinned, narrowing her eyes as she inspected the taur with a look that made Bane shudder. “What about you Bane? How’s married life with Drake working out for you?”

“Hah, very funny,” he sighed, rolling his eyes. “I’ll have you know that I’m a very respectable business owner. And I also happen to be his boss!”

Compared to how easily Lilly had accepted Vala’s answer, the look of disbelief on her face managed to tick Bane off a tad. “Wait a second,” she said, “you’re being serious?”

“Yes, dammit!” he huffed, before a knock on the smithy’s door behind him made them all turn around to see the blacksmith gazing up at them.

“Come on in,” said Loke, closing the door behind them as he then ran his hand over the lamp sitting on his counter, causing it shine brighter. “Eventually, I did expect to see you two back here for some repairs,” he smiled, glancing at Bane and Vala. “But never in a thousand years would I have expected to see you here with my brother.”

“Heh!” Dhek laughed. “I could hardly believe it myself. Three years of volunteering for exile detachment work, barely hoping to even catch a rumor about Loke, much less actually find him.”

“Exile detachment?” Lilly asked, her interest peaked as Bane then nudged her with his elbow.

“Not the right time,” he whispered, drawing a hearty laugh out of Dhek.

“It’s fine, it’s fine,” the dwarf chuckled. “Let’s just say that Troria has some… interesting views when it comes to their neighbors. Basically, most dwarfs look down on anything but the Trorian lifestyle. As such, one of the most common punishments is to have criminals and troublemakers dispatched to work in places like Xeladia.”

“And then there’s exile,” Loke grinned, leaning his back against the counter. “But most of those pansies see it as being almost as bad. Hence, exile detachment.”

“Wait just a second,” Bane blinked. “So, that means that almost every dwarf we’ve seen so far is a criminal?!”

Dhek nodded. “Criminals, officials, merchants, or people like Goldur who managed to step on the wrong person’s toes. Dignitaries also swing by for a bit on official business, but they don’t stick around for long.”

“Does that system actually work?” asked Vala.

The blacksmith scoffed. “Since most don’t want to end up making their ‘visit’ permanent, they all tend to behave.”

“Not much love lost between you and them,” Bane smiled.

“Bunch of narrow-minded bigots,” Loke frowned. “But enough about those idiots. How can I ever thank you for bringing my brother to me?”

No Good Deed - (Completed)

With a bit of luck, you have managed to reunite Loke with his brother. Your debt finally repaid, Loke will now offer you a discount whenever you wish to buy or repair items.

Discount: 20%

Quest Difficulty: C

Experience Gained1800

You have reached level 6!

“You don’t have to worry about it,” Vala said with a smile. “But if you want to help us out, we would really appreciate it if you could maybe sell us some equipment. If these weapons that you gave us really are ‘a far cry from proper,’ then I’m absolutely dying to see what a proper one can do,” she said, recalling the dwarf’s words as she played around with her short iron mace.

Hearing the taur’s words made Bane’s head spin. The entrepreneurial side of him just couldn’t help but question the woman’s decision to turn a blind eye to any sort of potential reward. Then again, besides their initial weapons, they had already gotten a level out of the quest, not to mention an incredibly decent discount. All this for the grand total of free.

“I’ll do you one better,” the blacksmith grinned as he grabbed a stool, placing it next to the counter. He then climbed on top of it, pulling out a stick of chalk and a reel of measuring rope. “Come on over,” he said, beckoning the taur next to him. “That’s it. Now, turn around, face the other way, and raise your hands away from you.”

With practiced moves, Loke began to take Vala’s measurements, jotting it all down on the small blackboard mounted on the far edge of his counter. “You really are quite the sturdy lass,” he chuckled, barely reaching all the way up to measure the taur’s biceps. “I can only pray for a swift end for whatever fools decide to cross your path.”

“There’s never really a shortage,” Lilly chimed in.

“Hah, I can imagine,” said the blacksmith as he finished and then started sketching something in chalk. “Okay, that should do it… What do you think?”

Curious as to what the dwarf had in mind, Bane inched closer, followed by the living shadow known as Lilly. On the blackboard was a simple, yet surprisingly well drawn sketch of a full set of plate armor.

“This looks amazing!” Vala exclaimed, her eyes widening at the speed with which the dwarf had managed to finish the sketch. “But I don’t think our budget can actually handle something of that caliber.”

“It doesn’t have to,” Loke grinned. Getting off the stool, he straightened his back and cracked his fingers. “That’s on me,” he said, raising a hand and stopping the taur from arguing with him. The dwarf then glanced over at Bane and Lilly as he continued to speak. “I’ll also put in a word with Henry to fix you and your friend up with some proper leather armor. At a discount.”

Bane could hardly believe his ears and, with expressions that more than likely mirrored his own, neither did the two women.

“This is way too much,” said Vala, knitting her brow. “I’d be more than happy to pay for the armor once I can afford it, but I couldn’t possibly accept it for nothing in return.”

Loke didn’t so much as flinch. “You can and you will.”

“I’d just admit defeat if I were you,” Dhek laughed. “Once this bastard sets his mind on something, there’s no turning back. I mean, when he decided to become a blacksmith, our old man even threatened him with exile if he refused to join the family business. I’ll give you one guess as to how that played out.”

“Damn straight,” the blacksmith scoffed.

****

‘While not as popular as its Arcane or Elemental counterparts due to its steep learning curve, the Darkness magic boasts a variety of offensive and utility-oriented spells. Ranging from gravity manipulation, necromancy, to even short-distance teleportation, Darkness magic is one of the most versatile schools of magic, matched only by Light.’

Drake sighed, closing the old tome labeled ‘Darkness Magic – A Brief History.’ Once Grace had led him into the Guild’s underground library, it had taken him almost an hour just to find a book that touched upon the subject of Darkness magic. Once Bane had told him about his newly acquired Darkness Affinity, Drake wasted no time in asking if Arthur could maybe guide his friend or, at the least, point him in the right direction. But as he soon found out, this particular school of magic wasn’t exactly a widespread practice.

He had thought about asking Roy for advice on the matter, but given the master’s family history, Drake decided against it in the end. He had hoped to find something in the Guild’s library in Bord. However, beyond mere mentions, he hadn’t found a single book dealing with the subject within the master’s collection. So, instead, he had asked for permission to enter the Guild’s Hall of Lecture in Alissey. ‘Lot of good that did…’

“Cheer up, boss. We’ve barely scratched the surface.”

“I know,” he answered, getting up from the small table placed in front of the section that he had just searched. Leaning against the lacquered wooden railing of the topmost floor, Drake took another moment to just gawk at the sheer size of the underground chamber hidden beneath the Guild. He looked down at the lowest level, four floors beneath him as a slight feeling of vertigo overcame him. He sighed and stepped back. “Well, as long as we’re here, we should also keep an eye open for anything that has to do with spirits.”

Accompanied by Zeph’s silent approval, he sighed again and resumed his search through the dusty and nearly endless shelves of the Hall of Lecture.

****

Bane looked around nervously as Vala spoke with one of the receptionists within the Adventurers Guild.

“What’s gotten into you all of a sudden?” Lilly asked. “You’ve been on edge ever since we entered.”

He frowned and scanned the crowd again. “Don’t mind me,” he sighed, trying to suppress the feeling of uneasiness gnawing at the back of his mind, as his amber eyes searched for any signs of a certain redheaded mage.

“Hey guys,” said Vala, her voice accompanied by the party chat’s subtle chime as she looked over the registration form in front of her. “Seems like we can create the guild, but I can’t add anyone that isn’t already registered with the Adventurer’s Guild.”

“Okay,” replied Drake. “In that case, I’ll swing by later with Mia.”

“That’s not a problem.” Vala gestured for Bane and Lilly to come and take a look at one of the empty fields on the guild registration form. “We haven’t decided on a guild leader yet. And until we do, we can’t actually create the guild.”

“Does it even matter?” Lilly asked. “Can’t we just write a name down and then change it later if needed?”

“Why not just have Vala do it?” proposed Bane.

“That’s what I was thinking as well,” said Drake.

“Don’t I get a say in this?” the taur frowned.

“You do, of course,” said Mia, the warmth of her voice carrying even over the chat system. “I don’t think anyone here would try to force you to do something that you didn’t want to do.”

An impish smile crept over Lilly’s lips. “I could always –”

Drake’s reply came immediately. “No.”

“Hey! You didn’t even let me finish!”

“I didn’t have to,” he replied.

“Never mind,” Vala sighed. “I’ll do it.”

“If that’s settled, then we’ll talk later,” said Drake.

“Any luck, by the way?” Bane asked, crossing his fingers.

“Not yet. But I’ll keep you posted.”

A few minutes later, just as Vala had finished signing the form, a couple of system notifications appeared in front of Bane.

Congratulations! You are now registered as a founding member of the adventurers guild: Solace.

Solace (Guild Roster)

Vala - Level 6 – Taur (Guild Leader)

Banefang - Level 6 – Lycan

Lilly - Level 4 – Human

“Okay,” said Lilly. “What now?”

“Not sure,” Bane mumbled, scratching his head. “We can’t really enter that damn library to help Drake, so how about we meet up with Mia? Afterwards, we can stop by and resupply at the general store near the church.”

With no better suggestion for the moment, the three of them left the Trade District’s central area as they headed for the old, stone church.

They stopped in front of the small gate, just outside of the weed-infested courtyard. Somehow, the place seemed even more rundown than the last time they were here. Taking a deep breath, Bane opened the side door and entered, the persistent scent of sickness lingering heavily in the air. As they passed the small foyer, they found themselves in the middle of the improvised field hospital. The sight itself was enough to freeze Lilly in place. On the far side of the room, Mia knelt next to a shivering woman as her hands radiated a warm, golden glow.

“What the hell…?” Lilly whispered.

As if on cue, the blonde healer got up, stumbling a bit as her mana began to fill up. “Hey guys,” she greeted them, her ever-present smile still there, albeit a bit strained.

“How’s it looking?” Vala asked.

“Not good,” said Mia, shaking her head. “The health potions we bought for them after the dungeon kept the worst cases afloat, but they still lost a few people… I can at least alleviate their pain if I use Mending Light on them. But at this rate, they won’t last long…”

They all looked around silently as the sounds of stuttered coughing dominated the atmosphere. And amid the cacophony of wails and groans, two small chimes resounded within their heads.

The Culling of Harkon – (Completed)

The Conclave’s operations within the mining town have come to an end. You have helped quell some of the unrest brewing within Harkon and have successfully defended the town with minimal casualties.

However, your investigation has yielded some worrying results. According to the Mages Guild’s Artificers, the tainted Waterstone seems to have been cursed. As such, the first batch of water produced by it causes whoever or whatever drinks it to fall ill.

Thanks to your hard work, the Mages Guild has begun its investigation in earnest. However, the full extent of the situation remains unknown for the time being.

Quest Difficulty: C+

Experience Gained3200

Skill Points Gained10

You have reached level 9!

Shattered Faith

Update: Once prosperous and beloved, the Church of the Shattered Light has been forced to make more and more concessions towards the Conclave. Even so, the faithful few still do their best to tend to those in need.

Although hard to believe, it would appear that the Conclave’s recent efforts to distribute cursed Waterstones is to blame for the recent string of illnesses plaguing Alissey.

Find a way to help those in need and assist the Mages Guild in whatever way you can.

Quest Difficulty: C

“Hey,” they heard Drake say. “I just got word from Grace about those stones.”

“Yeah, we saw,” Bane muttered.