Day Seven. Mid-Morning.

The three dead mages—Ishan was still locked inside his bubble—carried a treasure trove of equipment. Unfortunately, most of the gear was not suitable for me.

Still, amongst the ones I could use, there were a few gems that had me all but rubbing my hands in glee. Laying out the trophies I’d recovered on the cave floor, I inspected each item in turn.

You have acquired 12 gold and 3 silver coins. Total money carried: 16 gold, 9 silvers, and 0 coppers.

You have acquired 5 full mana potions and 8 major mana potions.

You have acquired 3 invisibility potions. Each potion will completely hide your presence for 1 minute. Taking hostile action will break the enchantment.

You have acquired 9 enchanted rings, 3 enchanted bracelets, 2 mages’ robes, 3 pairs of enchanted boots, and 5 spellcasters’ wands.

You have acquired a rank 2 medallion of the stygian brotherhood. This item has an enchantment that allows the user to summon a stygian beast from the void. Note, unless the caster is a member of the brotherhood, the called creature will be hostile to the caster. Its enchantment can be replenished with mana. This item requires a minimum Magic of 8 to use.

You have acquired the Wayfarer’s Boots. This item is indestructible and part of a legendary set. Find more pieces in the set to increase the benefits received. The Wayfarer’s boots increase the Dexterity of the wearer by +4 ranks and allow him to soundlessly traverse even the noisiest surface.

You have acquired a small bag of holding. This item contains an enchantment to store medium-sized and smaller objects. Courtesy of the enchantment, the bag itself and all the items stored inside are weightless. Only inanimate materials may be kept in the bag. Currently stored items: 0 / 50.

The mana potions were nice, but the invisibility potions were more fascinating and better suited for my own combat style.

The stygian medallion was another interesting item. Worca had been carrying it, which explained why it hadn’t been used. Besina had killed the elven mage too fast. I couldn’t use the medallion just yet, but given that I would have to invest further in my Magic attribute, I expected to be able to use it in the not-too-distant future.

The bag was easily the most useful find. It would make lugging around all the loot I seemed to find easier. It had contained an assortment of other items—junk to me mostly—which I’d promptly discarded.

By far the biggest and most noteworthy find was the wayfarer’s boots. Xrex had been wearing them, and I could attest that they really made the user’s footfalls whisper-quiet. They offered a nice Dexterity boost too, but what I found more fascinating was the implication that there were more wayfarer pieces to acquire—pieces that would increase the buffs I received. I would have to find them.

The rest of the loot was an assortment of gear that, while valuable, were unsuitable for me or had prerequisites I couldn’t achieve. They all went in my new bag of holding to sell at a convenient time.

After I was done looting, I glanced at Saya. The apprentice was still busy with the wyvern, which gave me time to finally address the long list of Game messages requiring my attention.

Sitting down with my back against the cavern wall, I called up the waiting Game alerts.

You have reached level 76!

I’d gained two levels from the battle, which considering the ranks of my foes, was not much. But then again, I was sure it was the mages who had reaped the benefit from slaying Besina, not me. As for myself, I’d killed only two foes—Xrex and Lutra.

My skills, I didn’t bother reviewing; they had increased only slightly. My new attribute points, I invested in Magic.

Your Magic has increased to rank 7 (+2 from item).

Lastly, I turned to the most intriguing Game messages—the ones relating to my Class evolution.

Your Class has evolved! You are now a mindslayer!

The mindslayer is a master-ranked Class and unique to those with awakened Wolf blood. It is a path that embodies some of the most feared aspects of Wolf. A mindslayer doesn’t just stalk his foes’ minds and the dark corners of the world, he can act against them too: striking unseen, without warning, and often with fatal consequences. It is a Class that made the assassins of House Wolf some of the most feared in the realms.

Your Class base trait has changed from psi wolf heritage to slayer’s heritage. It increases your Dexterity by: +2 ranks, your Strength by: +2 ranks, your Perception by: +4 ranks, and your Mind by: +4 ranks.

Your Class trait, nocturnal, has changed to nightwalker. Wolves don’t just live in darkness, they thrive in it. This trait improves not only your sight but all your senses—including smell, hearing, touch, and taste—when in darkened surroundings.

Your Class ability has changed from mindsight to slaysight. The slayer cannot only detect the unseen minds around him, he can manipulate them too.

You have lost the ability: simple mindsight. You have gained the ability: simple slaysight.

Slaysight is an improvement of the mindsight ability in every way. Where all tiers of the mindsight ability provide only passive benefits, slaysight allows the caster to enact progressively more powerful manipulations against his targets with every tier the ability is advanced.

Simple slaysight is an activated ability that allows you to sense every unshielded consciousness within a 10-yard radius and blind one to your presence for 10 seconds. This ability consumes psi and can be upgraded with Class points. Its activation time is fast. This is a Class ability and does not occupy any attribute slots.

My mouth opened in a soundless O of amazement. My second Class evolution was nothing like my first—from scout to nightstalker. This time, the benefits were palpable.

Avidly, I read over the messages twice more, making certain I understood the changes to my new master Class. Studying its details, I was left in no doubt that master-ranked Classes were powerful. Both the slaysight ability and the nightwalker trait were a significant step up from their predecessors, and I could see multiple ways that I could’ve used them in previous encounters.

Perhaps, it’s time I spent those Class points I’ve been holding in reserve, I mused. There were definite benefits to improving slaysight in particular. What would happen if I invested all three of my Class points in the ability and advanced it to tier four? I rubbed my hands together in excitement. Alright, let’s try—

“Michael?”

My attention snapped outwards to find Saya standing in front of me. Mutely, she placed the alchemy stone in my hand.

You have retrieved an alchemy stone. New ingredients acquired: 25 x vials of beast blood, 25 x heaps of ordinary bonedust, 9 x sacs of wyvern venom, 1 x set of wyvern fangs, 1 x wyvern heart, 2 sets of wyvern claws, and 48 x wyvern scales.

The stone was brimming with components. The gnome had done a good job, harvesting more from the wyvern than I could’ve managed myself.

“Thank you,” I said gravely and banished further thought of my player progression from my mind. It would have to wait for later.

Rising to my feet, I drew the apprentice into the tunnel and away from the scavenged remains. “We must talk about where you go from here, Saya.”

“Oh?” she asked.

I remained silent for a moment, gathering my thoughts. My brief time alone had given me space to think, and I’d come to the realization I had to leave the sector—and immediately.

While the risk of the Talon and the Howlers marching back to the fort and claiming the valley remained high, I could see no way to stop them on my own, and truthfully, I wasn’t sure that was necessary anymore.

With the shield generator down and the interests of both Light and Shadow roused, I suspected the other Force factions would have more luck in stopping Tartar than me.

I turned back to Saya. “I’m leaving the sector. Traveling back to the safe zone overland alone is too dangerous for you to attempt. So, you have two choices. One, come with me, or two, go wherever you wish with the portal scroll.”

The apprentice looked at me in confusion. “But if you give this to me, how are you going to leave?”

“My friend will teleport me out.”

“Your friend—?” She gasped. Her voice dropped to a breathless whisper. “You mean the Power?”

I grinned and nodded. “What will it be then? Where will you go?”

Saya bit her lip. “I’m not sure... I don’t have anywhere to go.”

I raised one eyebrow. “You don’t? The scroll will take you anywhere, even back to the safe zone of this sector.” I paused. “You could always return to Gelar, you know.”

Saya hung her head. “I can’t,” she whispered.

“Why not?” I asked gently.

“Gelar didn’t send me out to the forest,” Saya admitted. “I don’t know why I let you think that.” She sighed. “I suppose it was easier than the truth. I went out on my own because...”

The apprentice fell silent, and I waited patiently for her to go on.

Saya raised her head and met my gaze almost defiantly. “I went to the forest alone because I’m a failure. Gelar was about to kick me out. He said I was worthless and that I’d never amount to anything as an alchemist. I had to prove to him I wasn’t.” Her chin trembled, and water formed in the corner of her eyes. She wiped them away. “Much good it did me. Anyway, he won’t take me back in.”

It seemed I’d done Gelar a disservice, if only in my thoughts. He had not endangered his young apprentice. She’d done that all on her own.

My gaze flitted over the despondent gnome, considering her thoughtfully. I sympathized with Saya’s plight but wasn’t so sure she was right.

From what little I knew of Gelar, he seemed the acerbic sort and not one to display affection. But he had placed a bounty on Besina, and that must mean that—in some sense, at least—he’d cared for his apprentice.

Still, I didn’t think Saya would believe me if I told her as much. And perhaps Gelar is right. Perhaps, she isn’t cut out to be an alchemist. Whatever else he was, the gnome was a master at his craft.

I rubbed my chin. “Maybe there is an alternative.”

Saya stared at me with reddened eyes. “What do you mean?”

“What do you know about running a tavern?”

~~~

By rights of your bill of ownership, you have appointed the player Saya as the tavernkeeper of ‘The Sleepy Inn’ in the safe zone of sector 12,560.

After I described to Saya what I meant, she was downright enthusiastic about the idea. Brewing drinks, she told me, was more exciting than harvesting ingredients, and she didn’t need to be much of an alchemist to create alcohol.

For my part, I was more than happy to employ Saya as a tavernkeeper and let her keep a share of the profits. I’d purchased the building less because I wanted to run the place and more because I needed Benadean to leave the sector and carry my message.

I’d never expected to recoup the money I’d invested and was only too glad that Saya was willing to take over the running of the tavern. Given that the sector was now open to everyone and seemingly home to a sought-after series of dungeons, I expected business would pick up significantly—which would benefit both the gnome and me greatly.

And truly, even though I planned on moving on from the sector, I was not done with it. The valley was home to the dire wolves, and one way or the other, I would return here.

I wonder what Benadean will make out of this.

The unfortunate barkeeper was sure to think I’d swindled him. But I couldn’t help that.

“Alright,” I said to Saya after we’d gone over all the details, “you’re sure you remember everything?”

She nodded.

“Good,” I said. “Then you better be on your way. And don’t forget to claim the bounty reward from Gelar on my behalf. That note I gave you should suffice to convince him. The money will help you get the tavern going.”

“I got it, promise,” Saya said. Stepping forward, she wrapped her arms around my legs. “I won’t forget this, Michael.”

I grinned. “You make a success of that place, and soon it’ll be me who’s thanking you.”

Smiling, Saya stepped back. “Maybe,” she said. She waved a final goodbye, then, unrolling the portal scroll, began to read from it.

A moment later, she disappeared.