Day Three. Morning.

Under the watchful gaze of the gate guards, I looted both corpses.

You have acquired 10 gold. Total money carried: 45 gold, 9 silvers, and 0 coppers.

After I took their coin pouches, I saw to my leveling, this time deciding to increase my health pool.

You have reached level 48!

Your dodging has increased to level 38. Your shortswords has increased to level 49. Your two weapon fighting has increased to level 43.

Your chi has increased to level 35. Your meditation has increased to level 37. Your telekinesis has increased to level 29. Your deception has increased to level 27.

Your Constitution has increased to rank 13.

When I was done, I looked up to find the Howler warriors staring at me, their faces impassive but with an ugly gleam in their eyes.

What are they thinking?

Sheathing my weapons, I turned about, wondering if the goblins would attempt to stop me from leaving the fort. My hunters were dead, and I could see no reason now for their shaman to keep the gates closed. With my, every sense extended and alert for an ambush, I strode towards the outer wall.

I didn’t manage more than a dozen steps, though, before my attention was caught by the screech of metal on metal. I recognized the sound immediately.

It was the safe zone gate.

I spun about, hands dropping to the hilt of my blades. I had not been mistaken. The gates were opening. Tense and wary, I watched the heavy metal gate creak open. I was sure now that the Howlers shaman’s neutrality had ended, and he meant to let in more players.

Two figures slipped through the gate. I recognized both.

The tension in me eased as Ultack and Cecilia hurried toward me. “What are you still doing here?” Ultack barked.

I stared back at him mutely, saying nothing.

Cecilia’s gaze flitted over the two nearby corpses. “You killed them?” she asked, slightly disbelievingly.

I nodded curtly, not elaborating further. “Why are you here?”

“The captain sent us,” Ultack said.

“Why?” I demanded.

“To warn you that the shaman is opening the gate,” Cecilia replied.

I rolled my eyes, but she interrupted me before I could speak. “Players are gathering in the village square. In a few minutes, a horde of Ishita’s followers will be coming through that gate—” her look turned grim—“including her sworn servants.”

My ears perked up at that. “Really?” I murmured.

“Yes, really,” Ultack confirmed. He stared at me for a heartbeat longer. “What are you still doing here? Go!”

“I’m going,” I assured him. I glanced at Cecilia. “What’s the difference?”

She looked at me in confusion. “What?”

“Between sworn and followers. Aren’t they the same thing?” I asked.

“We don’t have time for—” Ultack began.

Cecilia waved him to silence. “This is important, Ultack. He should know this.” She turned back to me. “Followers are players who have pledged allegiance to a Power. Becoming a follower is only a matter of making an oath. The sworn, though, they are much more. They are players who have already proven their loyalty to a Power by deepening their binding Marks.” She bit her lip. “Somehow, each sworn is linked to their Power. I’m not quite sure how, but—” her gaze darted back to mine—“killing sworn is bad. Very bad. When you do, the Power knows and invariably seeks revenge.” She paused. “As you should know.”

I scratched my head. All along, I’d thought the two—follower and sworn—were one and the same. Now I learned they weren’t. Was that why Ishita’s hatred towards me hadn’t increased when I’d killed Forsyth and his gang? “How do I tell the difference?”

“You don’t,” Ultack chimed in. “Not until you’ve killed one. Then you’ll know,” he finished in a mutter.

“Those red-robed mages guarding the portal in the safe zone,” Cecilia said. “You’ve seen them?”

I nodded.

“They are Ishita’s sworn servants,” she said. “Avoid them at all cost.”

I nodded again, though it wasn’t in agreement with her words. I hadn’t been mistaken about those four’s nature, at least.

“What did the captain ask you to do?” Cecilia asked abruptly.

I glanced at her. “Didn’t he tell you?”

The elf didn’t reply, but her frustrated expression was answer enough.

“Thanks for the heads up,” I said, making no attempt to satisfy her curiosity. “Time for me to go.”

I turned about. Then hesitated as something else had occurred to me.

I wasn’t sure if I would be able to return to the safe zone. My gaze drifted downwards to the coin pouch at my waist. And if I couldn’t, all the money I’d looted would go to waste…

Swinging back to the Tartan recruits, I unclipped my coin pouch and held it out to Ultack. “Here, take it.”

The half-orc eyed the small bag in my hand. “What’s in it?”

“Money.”

He looked dubiously at me.

I smiled. “It’s not a gift. I want you to do something for me.” I paused. “If you’re willing.”

He didn’t say anything.

Taking it as a positive sign, I explained further. “I need you to purchase a few items for me.”

Ultack still made no move to take the pouch.

“Please,” I added.

Looking reluctant, the half-orc took the coin pouch. On feeling its weight, his eyes widened. “Where did you get all this?”

I jerked a thumb at the corpses. “From them,” I paused, “and their friends.”

Ultack grunted. “Alright. What do you want me to buy?”

I told him, describing in detail the items I wanted.

“Where shall we meet you?” Ultack asked when I was done. “If you’re giving me this, I can only assume you won’t be returning to the safe zone.”

“Which is unexpectedly wise of you,” Cecilia remarked.

“I’ll meet you in the glade with the dead rhomodillo,” I said, ignoring the elf’s comment. “Tomorrow morning, if you can make it.”

“We’ll be there,” he replied simply.

“Thank you.” I turned to leave.

“One more thing before you go,” Cecilia said, stopping me.

Halting, I raised a questioning eyebrow at her.

“I almost forget. The captain wanted us to tell you something else.”

I waited for her to go on.

Mariga,” she said.

“What about her?” I asked.

“You shouldn’t trust her,” Ultack said.

I glanced at him. “Don’t worry,” I said. “I don’t trust anyone.”

And on that note, I finally took leave of the pair.

~~~

I passed through the fort without incident. The Howler soldiers gathered in groups along my route but made no move to stop me, and reaching the outer gate, I found it open.

I exhaled in relief.

If the gates had been barred, I was unsure what I would have done. Attempting to take on the entire fort and fight my way out was too rash—even for me.

Letting my hands hover in plain sight, I strode towards the open gate. Without prompting, the guards on duty shifted out the way, not demanding to see my writ of safe passage. I pursed my lips. Clearly, they’d been told to expect me.

Was I about to be betrayed? I feared so. I didn’t let any of my concerns show, though, as I kept up my nonchalant advance.

A drawn-out minute later, I passed under the gate.

The hairs on the back of my neck prickled. If the goblins were going to attack, now would be a perfect time.

But they did nothing. Their gazes cold and inscrutable, they simply watched me leave.

The air whooshed out of me as I escaped the fort and beheld the forest’s greenery. Where days ago, I’d eyed the forest with dislike, now its tangled depths looked inviting. I increased my pace to a fast walk, then a jog, and then once more, until finally, I was sprinting towards the forest.

Reaching the treeline, I pulled the shadows around me.

Multiple hostile entities have failed to detect you! You are hidden.

At last, I breathed. I’m safe.

Almost, it felt like I was home.

~~~

I considered my recent sojourn into the safe zone as I strolled deeper into the forest. It had not gone entirely as I’d expected.

I had discovered far more than I’d bargained for and gained multiple tasks in the process—notwithstanding how seemingly impossible they all were. Now, I also had an inkling of what was going on in the sector, if not yet a means of escaping. Rubbing my chin, I considered my next move.

Where to now?

North, I decided.

To the Red Rat encampment and almost all the way back from whence I’d come. I’d visited two of the three goblin tribes, and it was time I saw the third. But before I headed their way, there was a detour I needed to make.

~~~

I cut northeast through the forest.

By now, I had traveled the length of the valley, journeying from its northernmost point with the dungeon entrance to the southern border along which the safe zone was situated.

At my best guess, it would take me a day to traverse the sector’s entire length again, which should leave me sufficient time to go everywhere I needed to in the five days remaining on my nonaggression Pact.

My first destination was the clearing where we’d slain the rhomodillo. I had it in my head to employ Gelar’s gadget and see what alchemy ingredients I could harvest from the dead creature.

Assuming it was still there, of course.

The journey progressed without incident, and I spent the trip practicing my insight and deception skills. With so many creatures available to analyze in the forest, insight was easy enough to improve. Making the most of the opportunity, I targeted and identified every creature I encountered, employing mindsight when the animals were out of sight.

Deception was harder to train.

It seemed the skill only advanced when I was in close proximity to neutral or hostile entities. Nevertheless, I persisted in my attempts to trigger the skill as often as possible, sneaking up on the forest’s denizens with my blades concealed and facial disguise cast.

Just before noon, I reached the clearing with the rhomodillo’s corpse. I was tired and weary, less from the hike through the forest and more from the sleepless night before. Before entering the glade, I reviewed my skill gains from the journey.

Your insight has increased to level 53. Your deception has increased to level 33.

Congratulations, Michael, your skill in insight has reached rank 5, allowing you to learn tier 2 abilities.

I smiled at the Adjudicator’s message. At last, I had my first rank five skill, and soon, I hoped to have my first tier-two ability.

Returning my attention to the glade, I surveyed the area with both my mindsight and physical senses.

The clearing appeared free of danger. A pack of hyenas was feasting on the rhomodillo, but no larger beasts were around. Judging it safe, I slipped out of the shadows and into the glade. On spotting me, the scavengers fled.

I reached the corpse and crouched down over it. It smelled awful. Wrinkling my nose against the stench, I studied the carcass while I waved the buzzing insects away.

The body was more than half-eaten. Most of its entrails were strewn about the ground, and the ivory-white bones of its rib cage had been exposed.

Wondering if the journey to the clearing was a wasted trip, I placed the alchemy stone on the dead creature and waited.

A few seconds went by, and nothing happened, leaving me feeling foolish.

Uhm... am I even using this thing the right way?

Gelar had said only to place the stone on my target and let the stone do the rest. Now I cursed myself for not questioning him in more detail.

I should have gotten more precise instructions. Maybe, I should—

I broke off. Something was happening. I need not have worried. Off its own volition, the stone had activated, pulsing a furious emerald. With each pulse, the corpse shrunk, shriveling before my eyes.

In less than a minute, the rhomodillo was nothing but an empty husk.

The light emanating from the alchemy stone faded, its work done. Leaning forward, I picked up the object.

You have acquired 4 x vials of beast blood, 5 x heaps of ordinary bonedust, and 1 x rhomodillo tusk.

I grinned in pleasure. It worked!

While the ingredients I had harvested were nothing to shout about, I was satisfied that the stone functioned in the manner I’d expected, and my purchase had not been made in vain.

My work in the glade done, I rose to my feet and orientated myself towards the valley’s center. The wyvern hatchling’s corpse lay somewhere in that direction, and after my success harvesting the rhomodillo, I saw no reason not to do the same with it.

I yawned. But first, I needed a nap.