“Stop running!” Robert, the thief, shouted out. He was chasing after a group of four honorable individuals. They were a team of adventurers he hired before things went awry. Their job was simple: cause a distraction. The team was paid in advance, though not what Robert initially promised. He slipped into the crowd only for that same team to immediately reveal his plot to a nearby paladin and got him locked away. Of course, betrayal was often expected in this line of work. He should have known better. Robert's main issue was that inept novices got the better of him.

“No, I don’t wanna die!” Robyn shrieked at the pursuer. She was at the rear end of the team’s formation. Her legs pumped furiously while her arms pulled along one of her companions, Nicholas. The two were exhausted but couldn’t stop running out of fear. Thankfully, the team was getting better at running from things. So much that Genesis offered words of encouragement.

“NOTICE. SKILLS [STAMINA INCREASE I] AND [SPRINT] HAVE BEEN ACQUIRED.”

“You’re not going to die! I just want to talk!” Robert yelled, ruining the good mood that Genesis brought. He noticed that the team was slowly increasing in speed. At this rate, he’d lose the team. He needed to find a way to stop them. They were obviously still novices. A simple lie should have been able to stop them, especially with how proficient he was at lying.

“You’re running pretty fast for someone that just wants to talk!” Xander replied from the middle of the pack. He wondered how Robert found them. The thief should have been locked away, and the team made an effort to hide where they lived. Then, it clicked. The shady merchant from the other night must have sold Xander out. It was all a ploy to send Robert the information. They even swindled some money out of their naive customer.

“And, you’ve got a dagger in your hands!” Rex shouted, pointing out the obviously menacing weapon. The blade was crudely constructed. It jolted and stuck out at random places, making a sort of wave shape. That alone was intimidating, but there was something else about the dagger. Though hard to see from the blade’s reflection in the moonlight, there was a greenish aura surrounding the weapon. It was enchanted. Whatever the effects were, no one wanted to find out.

“It’s my talking dagger!” Robert replied with another lie. He was annoyed that the first one failed. The chase needed to end before guardsmen got involved. All of this running and shouting would grab someone’s attention. Not to mention that the group was running towards the city’s southern plaza. A guardhouse stood there, and many merchants and their hired mercenaries would also be present. Even at this time of night, there were plenty of people walking the streets. His lie needed to work. Fortunately for the team, it didn’t.

“[THIEF]’S LYING PROFICIENCY IS LOWER THAN ONE OF THE TARGETS. SKILL FAILURE.”

“Guys, I think he’s telling the truth!” Nicholas yelled to his team between gasps. Despite his newest skills, he was still struggling to run with the group. Through his struggling breath, a smile appeared. He was happy that one of his negative skills was finally useful. [Pathological Liar] was linked to [Master Liar], so Nicholas was almost impossible to fool. Not even Robert, a professional in his craft, had a skill higher than that.

“Now is not the time, Nic!” Xander responded to his partner. It was ludicrous to joke in a time like this. They all heard the same message. It was obvious Robert was lying. Rather than make light of the situation, Nicholas should have used that energy to run faster. Xander thought about lecturing his teammate when they returned home safely. The jokes and misplaced lies were getting out of hand. He’d never known Nicholas to be this type of person, but all thoughts were interrupted by the thief’s announcement.

“I’ve had enough of this! [Quick Step]!” Robert shouted in frustration. He used his skill to increase his speed. Its duration and effects were different from the skill [Sprint]. [Quick Step] only activated for a few seconds but allowed for an incredible burst of speed. Robert shot past the back two fools. He maneuvered around Xander. Finally, he attempted to get in front of Rex.

“Oh no, you don’t! Go, tiny balls!” Rex replied with his own plan. He reached into his pocket and retrieved a set of small iron balls. They could easily be mistaken for marbles, but Rex had a different plan for them. They were the start of an ingenious new weapon. It would be far better than any bow and revolutionize combat for the entire team. He had just thrown his first set of bullets onto the street. Of course, he was sad to see them go, but Rex wouldn’t be able to make a gun if the team died. It was this line of thinking and [Irresponsible] that coupled to make this ingenious plan. The others watched and reflected.

“Did he just-” Robyn started to think before being cut short. Her legs were swept out from under her. In fact, everyone fell over in a massive stumble on the street. Rex’s weapon landed at the feet of everyone present, and no one was prepared. The group, including Robert, tumbled and tripped spectacularly.

Their momentum kept them moving forward, but a wooden cart was kind enough to act as a blockade. It shattered upon impact, sending splitters across the plaza. All five participants were sprawled out onto the ground. They stared at the sky for several moments, reflecting on what just happened. Robert was the first to stand. He wielded his dagger once more, but a familiar voice stopped his attack.

“What is the meaning of this?” Rose said as she approached the group. She was enjoying dinner before some commotion forced her to step in. Immediately, she noticed the armed thief. It only took Rose a moment to recognize him. It was the thief she had previously arrested. He shouldn't have been released any time soon. Her eyes darted to the four adventurers she was familiar with.

“He did it,” the four said in unison.

“NOTICE. SKILL [TATTLETALE] HAS BEEN ACQUIRED.”