Tra-la-la! Congratulations! You have Leveled Up! You have achieved level 10! Due to you being a Harbinger, you will receive 6 points instead of the usual 4. Use these points within a week or they will be set randomly.

The sight of the notification was nice, but the feeling was soured by the constant pain Malcolm felt in his head. The memories that the Lich had forced upon him were still swirling about in his mind and caused a wicked migraine.

With a sniff, he wiped away the tears that had escaped his eyelids. He'd have to find a therapist in this world thanks to all the new dreadful images floating inside his mind. Thankfully his Calmest Mind ability made it easy for him to compartmentalize the alien thoughts aside, so they couldn't permanently damage his mind. He was beginning to really appreciate Lorne for giving him such a useful ability.

"The last thing I need is to go insane like that damned Lich..."

He could still see flashes though. Foreign memories of happy miners heading off to begin their work shift, then the image would change. The memories were a constant jumble, one moment they’d be happy then the next he’d catch a glimpse of the Lich’s wife crumpled on the floor. Eye’s open in shock. He could even hear the screams, all of them screaming in madness.

Quickly, he focused on his Calmest Mind ability and began to force the twisted memories in the far crevices of his mind. To hell with the off chance that it could shatter his emotional perception, he knew he had to do this, or he’d end up truly insane. Instantly the headache beating at the sides of his skull dulled and he let out a sign of relief. His face relaxed from its scrunched-up expression to be more placid.

"Are you alright Malcolm?" Saria looked over to him. "We still- Oh..."

Her eyes became unfocused. It took a while for Malcolm to figure out that she was staring at a notification box. "What's up? Did you level up too?"

Saria's eyes re-focused and she looked over at him with a serious expression on her face. "Uh, not quite." She then sat up slightly and placed her full attention on him. "Tell me, do you thirst for power?"

Taken aback, Malcolm nearly scoffed. But then he saw the intense serious expression on her face, he decided to give her a real answer. Random thing to ask after nearly dying, but alright...

"Power? No. What I thirst for, if I were to thirst for anything, it'd be comfortability." He then stood and straightened himself. His back popping as he stretched. "I'm not sure why I was sent here, but I do know myself. I don't want extreme powers or abilities. Though being able to use magic is pretty damn awesome." Malcolm turned to her and offered his hand. "What I want, is be comfortable enough to relax in the company of goods friends and allies that I can rely upon. Need a hand?"

Saria looked at the gentle smile on his lips the at his offered hand. A part of her was slightly unsettled by how calm he now was despite what had just happened. She grasped his hand with her own. Gently, he lifted her to her feet. "That's a strange answer. To be honest, I wasn't expecting that. But I like it." A smile creased her lips. "I decline! And offer this reward to Malcolm Freeman!"

Malcolm's face crumpled in confusion. "What are you-"

He was soon cut off by a chorus of trumpets and violins as a notification popped into his vision.

"Oh... damn."

Saria Aedorin has declined this offer and has gifted it to you.

Congratulations! You have just cleansed the Abandoned Mine Town of a sickening darkness. As vanquisher of the Lesser Lich, you may lay claim to the Abandoned Mine Town. Would you like to lay claim? Yes or No?

Warning: This offer cannot be gifted again. If you decline, this land will become "Free Land" and will lose all its magical potential.

Malcolm reread the message at least five time as he scratched his head in confusion. He then looked to Saria who was now beaming at him.

"What are you waiting for? Accept it." She said as she walked over to Kaslier. "The reason I left the Coven was to retire, I don't want to oversee a whole town. That's a job for someone with a stronger back."

Stupefied, Malcolm thanked her and with a gulp he mentally clicked the 'Yes' icon.

Wondrous! You have claimed the Abandoned Mine Town. You are now Lord and Master of the Mine Town. Your town is Level One. As you increase the level of the town, more power and resources will become available to you.

Malcolm took a step back as a constant flood of notifications streamed before his eyes. Each giving him details about his newly acquired land.

Hear this! This town is placed upon great Leylines of power. As Master of this town it is your responsibility to unlock each Leyline connected to your land! Unlocking a Leyline will grant you mastery over that Leylines element.

"What did I miss?" Darion asked, the entire left side of his face was covered in blood due to a deep cut above his eyebrow. It made him look like a nightmarish version of Two-Face. "And why is Malcolm grinning like an idiot?"

"Where'd the Lich go?" Berlung coughed as Saria helped him sit up. "And who's that over there?"

They all turned to see a woman in a black dress standing on the porch of the large house in front of them. A powerful odor of dirt and lavender caressed their nostrils and just like that, Malcolm knew exactly who the woman was.

"Hello dear mortals!" Lady Lorne's shouted as she joyfully waved at them. Then in a blink, she was standing beside Malcolm and tilting his chin up to look him in the eyes. "Hello, my dear Harbinger. Oh, you are growing nicely!"

"By the Elderwoods!" Saria squeaked before crumpling down into a kneeling position. She was quickly followed by Berlung, Darion, and Kaslier. "Your Ladyship, you honor us with your presence! What can we mere mortals do to serve you?"

Lady Lorne ignored the rest of the group and instead kept her eyes on Malcolm. Her intense stare made his stomach flip for all the wrong reasons, with effort he snatched his chin from her grasp and looked away from her.

"Yeah, tell us. What do you want, Lorne?" He averted his eyes away from her face, then turned away entirely once he caught himself admiring her wonderful womanly figure. Isn't she basically a skeleton under that dress? How could she possibly have a chest like that! And those hips... It's inconceivable!

"Watch that tone, boy." Lorne chided him. "I may favor you, but that doesn't mean I can't tear you apart with the snap of my finger then stitch you back together before you could say 'Mortality'. Understood?"

Biting the inside of his lip, Malcolm turned back to Lady Lorne and gave her a slight bow. "My apologies my fair lady. What can I do to serve you?"

Lady Lorne giggled at his performance, then gestured to the house. "Smart ass. Follow me." She then waved a hand towards the others. "Oh, and you three go retrieve the rest. Bring them here. It's their new home after all, if they so choose."

Saria glanced to Malcolm, a worried look on her face. Her lips moved, silently mouthing advice to him that he'll be told countless times again. Words of pure wisdom and insight.

Don't be a dumbass.

It was quiet as they made their way to the large house. Once they stepped into the old home, Malcolm nearly gagged at the stench of decay. He lifted the cuff of his cloak to his nose to filter the stink, but it did little to help. He was about to complain, but Lorne suddenly stopped and pointed in front of them.

"There it is, amazing isn't it?"

Malcolm looked around her and his face dropped. Before was a small pillar with intricate wonky designs etched into its dark wood. Each layer displayed a different symbol, but their meaning was lost on him. "It's a tiki pole..."

"No," Lorne said exasperated, then clapped her hands together. "It's a totem. A Mana Totem. An ancient relic, in old times they would use these to make it easier to harness the rare mana of a place of power. Each tier of the Totem tells which elements the place of power is more strongly tied to. Watch."

With the clap of her hands, the totem pole began to glow. Intricate lines shined and traced all around it until Malcolm could plainly make out the carved designs of different elements. From top to bottom as the lines began to shine brighter, he could easily tell which element was depicted. Earth, Fire, Air, and Death.

"Since when is Death an element?" Malcolm cocked an eyebrow.

The death goddess grinned over at him. "Since the very beginning."

She then winked at him, but it was hard to tell with the other side of her face being skinless and her other eye socket just being an empty void. Well, not entirely empty. There were at least three families of maggots squirming in there.

"This is my gift to you." Lorne went on.

A notification popped into his vision.

Hidden Quest Completed!

Title: South to Sanctuary! Info: Follow Lady Lorne's directions. Fight through scorpion infested lands and find the hidden oasis.

+Bonus: Clear out undead, slay the Lich, and lay claim to the land!

Rewards: New Title: Lord of The Waste, 1000XP, and 10,000 Gold!

+Bonus Rewards: 4000XP!

T-ten thousand gold! Malcolm felt faint for a moment. And five thousand experience points! I just leveled up, but now I'm nearly half way to leveling again! On the inside Malcolm was doing his happy dance and dropping it like it was hot. But on the outside, thanks to his Calmest Mind ability, he just nodded.

"Lord of The Waste?" He cocked an eyebrow.

"Oh yes," Lorne cooed. "That's a title that hasn't been granted in centuries! It comes with a few helpful perks, it'll also make you an official Lord. As a Lord people can swear fealty to you and become true citizens of your land." She gestured around, indicating the old mine town.

Swear fealty? Malcolm wasn't quite understanding all what Lorne was saying, but he could feel that the title held considerable weight. He couldn't quite place it, but it just felt right. "Oh, thank you for honoring me with such a title."

"Enough with the sarcasm, you little shi- Oh my!" Lorne stepped closer to him and raised a hand to cradle his face, but Malcolm took a step away from her. "It appears the Lich managed to leave a mark on you. Interesting." She then rested her half-rotted chin in her hand and studied him like he was a lad rat in a maze.

"What are you talking about-"

He was cut off by another notification, though this one was different than all the others he'd seen. Unlike the others which were a pale blue, this one was a deep green, and had white letters scribbled on it. The tone that followed this strange notification sounded like a large drum being struck twice.

Bum-Bum! You have been marked by a Lich!

Malcolm yelped at a strange symbol burned itself into the skin of his left hand. It looked like an arrow with an eye in its center, and three smaller triangles above it to indicated eyelashes.

"Aggghh! What is this!" Malcolm gripped his arm as the stench of burning flesh entered his nostrils. He turned to Lorne for answers, but she did nothing but look him over with interest. Swearing underneath his breath he kept reading the notification box.

Not much is known about this kind of mark. Is it a curse? Or perhaps a gift? The effects of the mark are random and physical change is likely.

"Physical change!? Lorne, what the fuck did you do to me!" Malcolm hollered.

Lorne just cocked her head to the side. "Watch that temper, Malcolm. This wasn't me. Even us gods don’t know what strange things this realm may do. But it is fascinating to watch..."

Malcolm glared at the death goddess, the wide-eyed expression on her face at his torment pissed him off. "You sick bitc-Aggghh!"

Just then, Malcolm's back spasmed and he fell to his knees. He could feel as his bones began to shift, and his muscles began to strain and tear. It felt like all his bones were breaking repeatedly, just to reform themselves.

The mark has merged with your very being! Augmenting you permanently! You are no longer a mere human; your sub-race is now Lichmarked!

No longer human? Malcolm thought to himself. Just what in the hell did the Lich do to me?!

Stats altered due to Race Change!

+2 Intelligence! +3 Wisdom! -3 Constitution! +1 Strength! +2 Dexterity!

No! Malcolm screamed. Not my stats, anything but my stats! Though he was relieved that it seemed he gained more than what was taken.

Due to becoming a member of a dark race, you have now been granted innate mastery over the Dark magical element! Granting you 50% Resistance to all dark spells and 50% Increase damage to your own dark spells!

After seeing that prompt Malcolm felt a pulse within himself. It was as if there had always been a hole within himself, that he'd never noticed until now. Finally, that hole was now filled, a peg darker than black settled within him. And just like that, he knew!

Dark Magic is now Skill Level 1! New spells are available.

New spell learned!

Dark Bolt Level 1: Fire an orb of pure darkness at your enemy to cause sizable damage. May also cause your enemy to go blind temporarily. Cast Time: 2 seconds. Cost: 20MP. Damage: 25(+50%)

New abilities learned due to Race Change!

New Ability! Night Vision (Passive): You are now able to see in the dark as if it were day!

New Ability! Mana Leech Level 1: Feast upon magical energies of others to make yourself more powerful and satiated. You no longer need to sleep or eat as much as a normal person. Cast Time: Instant. Cost: 0MP. Damage: -10 Mana Per Second. Range: Target must be within 20ft.

"Jesus Christ! I'm a fucking vampire now!?" Malcolm picked himself off the ground, Lorne certainly wasn't going to offer a hand to help him up.

"Do not say that name around me!" Lorne snapped but then her face softened as she began to examine him. "Oh, well don't you look handsome!" Lorne clapped her hands in delight.

Malcolm was about to retort, but then another chime went off in his head. A translucent box popped into his vision.

Due to knowing the skill Mana Manipulation and Mana Leech, you have gained a new skill: Mana Sense.

You can now sense magic around you and within certain items. This will allow you to see more info about magical items you examine!

Malcolm cocked a brow. So, I can examine magical items now? He was about to admit that this sudden change wasn't all bad until he looked down at himself and gasped.

He didn't look at all different. The only thing he could tell that was different was the mark that was now branded into the back of his left hand. He was about to remark as such until Lorne pulled a mirror out of thin air and held it in front of him.

"What in the crypt monster!"

It seemed that most of the outward physical change had occurred on his face. His cheeks were now just a tab bit gaunter, which made his face look more angular. The dark rings around his eyes made it look like he suffered from intense insomnia. His eye color changed, the warm brown marbles had now faded to a near lifeless grey. Though when his eyes caught the light just right, they shone like silver.

But the biggest and most alarming change was his newly elongated fangs. The sharp canines weren't too long but he quickly learned that if he focused enough, he could get them to grow tab bit longer. Oh god no, I look like Eddie Murphy in Vampire in Brooklyn!

Lorne closed her hand and the mirror dissolved into nothing. "What do you think?" She asked.

Malcolm buried his face into his hands. "Please, just promise me. If I start sparkling in the sun, kill me."