“A delivery boy from the village? Bring him in. He better have them.” The voice raspy from excessive shouting, excessive drinking or excessing smoking. Possibly all three.

“Aye major!” the bodyguard answered. He came back to Enoch, nodded to him, kept the door open, whispered, “you better have them.”

Enoch smiled without hope and entered. The burly major looked at him with hungry eyes. Hairs shot with gray, neck and shoulders of a front line a phalanx. She filled her standard half plate armor, adorned with a silver lotus.

“Do you have it?”

Enoch nodded.

“Well give it already.”

Enoch nodded.

“Now.”

Enoch opened his bag. Retrieved one bottle of Simus juniper spirit.

She took it from his hand, opened it so fast Enoch wondered if she had a skill for it. Drank it all in one go.

“Next.”

Enoch gave her the second bottle. She drank it in a few mighty gulps. Sighed and, shockingly, smiled.

“Cursed Endurance, I barely feel a thing.”

The chat popped in his peripheral vision. Once again, his fans reveled in his suffering.

“He’s done for.”

“Beg for your life cripple.”

“The commentator predicted it.”

Hardly an accomplishment to predict the situation. The more he heard about his commentator, the more he hated her.

“Don’t stand there like an idiot,” said the major, “give me the third one.”

“Well you see –”

“Yes, I see, you don’t have it.”

“An arrow broke it.”

[-42 Health] – [Staggered | 6 seconds]. She punched him in the stomach. He went down on one knee.

“Well, now that this is taken for, thank you for the first two bottles. It is, after all, a warzone.”

Gin Delivery | Half-completed

150 XP | 84 SC

+50 faction points | Quon Kingdom

The major gave Enoch a dead smile and said, “Next is the bundle of wands. Although I can guess where this is going, considering the vaporised mutants out there.”

“Yes,” said Enoch, “I had to use some to make it, two on the battlefield, one in the mountain and a wasted charge on the wand of Bountiful Harvest.”

“Ok, can’t complain about dead mutants. Done.”

Wands Delivery | Completed

300 XP | 100 SC

+100 faction points | Quon Kingdom

“There’s also this roll of chain mail,” said Enoch.

The major took the metallic fabric, eyed it sceptically, tossed it to an aide who grunted under the weight, recovered, and promptly left to the room.

Chain Mail Delivery | Completed

100 XP | 40 SC

+50 faction points | Quon Kingdom

Maybe the alcohol kicked in, maybe not, but she fazed out for two seconds, came back to her senses and focused on Choo, “Is this a Bonded Artifact? I’ve seen a report on them,” The major flicked Choo, who bounced back a few inches, pulsed purple in anger. The tiny bugger didn’t enjoy being on the receiving end.

Choo used Telekinesis to throw a piece of stale bread at her face. Enoch froze.

The major raised an eyebrow, smiled, for real this time, and moved on to the four Spook Shields, “and these, I recognize as Jarmila’s craftmanship. Another quest for you, and one shield as a reward. The Quon army thank you for your service.”

She gave him her dead smile again.

Officers had their own specialised Skills related to logistic and quest management. They add other tricks too, most of them annoying to no ends.

The major’s expression changed. Here it come. Straight to the Drones tunnels. The game liked its dungeons.

“I sent a Messenger Stone to Edele yesterday. The village will evacuate to the Shaft. Too many mutants around. Mind a mini quest to escort them back?”

***

Three Animated Wagons were coming down the pass. Impressive. Edele was truly a wealthy village. Or used to be, depending on your optimism. These wagons were worth a fortune. Reinforced steel. Ward protected. Huge. They hovered one foot above ground, advanced at a steady pace, controlled by the thought of their master, powered by Artifacts.

Enoch recognized the old soldiers from the fort. Saw troop of burly villagers walking with Tatiana, the blacksmith boss in shiny armor.

Andrej rode a wagon, eating nuts. The clerk, or probably the mayor now that Enoch thought about it, hailed him, “Outsider, you made it. Can’t believe I wasted decent quests on you and then came in person with all the cargo I ever needed.” Andrej slapped the metal roof of his ride, grinned, popped another nut in his mouth and continued, “tell me the gin made it.”

Enoch waved the subject away. The old soldiers nodded to him, the villagers hinted at an acknowledgement and Tatiana grunted at him. Great.