[Deeprooted Conflict]

A wizard, Petramus, has settled deep in the forest of the soaring monkey tribe. The constant expansion of his garden has been devouring the soaring monkeys' natural habitat and recent activity has provoked retaliation. Not long ago, Petramus animated a powerful golem to assist him in his unceasing greed. The garden's accelerated development has forced the soaring monkeys to fight back, leading them to assault the golem in an attempt to shut it down.

Peacebringer, end this conflict.

It humoured Ted that he was the very golem that triggered the quest, it was a quite unique quest system. Intriguing as it was, Ted bore no interest in completing the quest. He was more concerned with his own survival. After all, his soul would detach from the golem, if his mana fully depleted. Or he could face life worse than death at the hands of Petramus, if he can't complete the task he was assigned. The monkeys were currently the least of his troubles, but Ted feared they could still end up being disruptive.

Ted opened the [Skills] tab and found [Reincarnation] was still a skill of his.

[Reincarnation]

Activates once vessel receives a fatal blow.

Soul is pulled out, preventing nirvana. A suitable empty vessel is chosen automatically based on availability. Calculations are made to avoid conflicts, such as collisions or vessels being taken before arrival. There is still a risk of collision, losing a race, the vessel vanishing before arrival or otherwise not making it into a vessel. Soul Essence may be lost during the transfer. If Soul integrity is too compromised on arrival the reincarnation may fail.

Current Soul Integrity at 97%.

Reading the skill's description exposed it's many pitfalls. It was perversely risky to rely on. Losing Soul Essence was without a doubt bad, evident by the curse given from plague rats digesting it. The soul was seemingly a reservoir best kept intact. Being trapped inside a golem let Ted envision many horrifying scenarios worse than death. Magic users at war with monks would likely create an incinerator for reincarnated souls. Or keep souls trapped through persistently feeding an immobile vessel mana.

Ted was also concerned about his current predicament, since running out of mana in his golem form might not be considered a fatal blow to the vessel; preventing the skill from activating. Coming to terms with [Reincarnation] not being flawless and acknowledging its shortcomings gave Ted flexibility.

Since Ted was a Respecialist, he had the class-trait [Indecisive], allowing him to refund the skill point used for [Reincarnation] for free when pressing the [Respec] button. Being a golem, Ted had a strong physical defence, apparent from taking no damage when the soaring monkeys unleashed their relentless barrage, to say nothing of his encounter with Petramus' doorway. With that in mind, Ted felt safe to let go of [Reincarnation] to search for a Skill bearing more immediate merit.

With Ted's guard lowered, he began his search through the endless skill list, tapping and reading the description of any that caught his eye.

[Soul Swap]

Shoots a beam out of the palm of your main-hand, tranquilizing the target's Soul Essence in preparation of a Soul Transfer. The user's Soul Essence will detach from his vessel and begin the transfer once the target has been confirmed to be sedated. The beam cannot detect if the target hit is a proper vessel and in such case will result in the loss of the user's soul. If interrupted, can cause Soul Essence fragmentation.

Exchanges Soul Essence with target.

1 MP cost per 10% Soul Essence transferred.

A high risk skill, which is not likely to be seen utilized in combat. If Ted could secure a new vessel, he could transfer his soul to it, freeing him from [Petramus' Puppetry] and he wouldn't require a [Mana Link] to recharge.

Last he checked his Mana, Ted found it was running dangerously low. If a skill would let him conjure a vessel, he might not be able to afford the [Soul Swap] afterwards.

[Pinocchio's Perfect Disguise]

Permanently frees the user's vessel from [Puppetry] and creates an illusion in it's place fooling any connected Puppeteer.

Dispels [Puppetry] replacing it with an illusion.

5 MP cost

Ted's ceaseless scrolling had paid off, a highly situational skill applicable in only his specific circumstances had shown up. He wanted to use it promptly, but another skill in his view caught his attention. It's unusual name ignored any established naming convention.

[Tanaxonomkastic Obsessivation]

Activates once any vessel is within user's cone of vision.

Vessels within user's sight have their names revealed and shown above them. While in a state of rest, more information can be discerned after tapping their name.

It infuriated Ted to see an essential game mechanic carry such a repugnant name. Any attempt to discuss it would require mouthwash after.

The ability to have basic information displayed above enemies and allies alike was a standard in any MMORPG. Having to dedicate a skill point was not. Spending a valuable point for the name to be displayed dumbfounded Ted. The level, healthbar, modifiers, intentions, aggros and status effects would not be displayed using [Tanaxonomkastic Obsessivation]. To Ted it was plainly unbeneficial, with the nametag having no use in combat.

The skillpoint ended up being spent on acquiring [Pinocchio's Perfect Disguise]. After assigning the skill point, an icon, a long wooden nose, appeared in the center of Ted's vision. Pressing it did not activate it, but instead let him drag it around.

Ted was getting proficient at working the display, understanding its concepts: The panels were a fixed distance from him and their positions were anchored to him, effectively following him around the world. A panel's rotation was dissimilarly fixed to the world, so if he placed a panel to the south, it would reappear to the south regardless of his rotation. He dragged the Skill icon down a bit from the center and stood up.

All the panels disappeared as usual, but the skill icon stayed, as Ted had suspected it would. He rotated his neck, thereafter his upper torso and found that the skill icon, in both cases, did not keep centered. With small steps, Ted walked in a circle and asserted the skill icon would follow along, it rang true, the skill icon's rotation must therefore be anchored to his pelvis. With this little experiment, Ted had uncovered the skill display's basic functionality.

Judging by his current trail of tipped trunks, Ted doubted Petramus would be satisfied by his performance. From the edge he was standing to the other end of the area filled with logs, he could see no curvature bending around the garden. The degrees he had rotated around the tower had to be miniscule, his impact insignificant.

Making his mind up, Ted resolved to press the skill icon. A guilty child's nervous laughter sounded in the air once [Pinocchio's Perfect Disguise] activated and Ted felt as if he had been whistling a joyous melody. Ted's movement turned sluggish, since the control of his body fully relied on his draining mana reserve. The expulsion of Petramus influence had cost Ted valuable mana.

*clank*

Ted instinctively looked up, surveying the upper tree branches at the edge of the forest. The soaring monkeys were returning and a crowd had gathered above him. Pinecones in hand, they sneered. They inflated their lungs, pounded their chests, ultimately riling each other up with shrilling battlecries. *Ook! hoo~ oo oo*

Rushing underneath the trees the monkeys were in, Ted grabbed one of the trunks. He hoped to scare them away, by rocking the tree. Wh-what the.. the tree is not moving!

The living trees had roots growing deep into the ground, their structure too firm to shake. A rain of pinecones showered from above.

Recalling how the soaring monkeys had kept themselves distant, remaining high up in the branches. Ted stepped away from the tall trees and into the clearing from his recent demolition. By doing this, Ted hoped to make it outside their range, forcing them out of the trees to engage from the ground. Despite his impenetrable defenses, Ted wanted to avoid coming to blows. With his mana reserves running dangerously low, he could not afford spending it on a dragged out fight.

If they decide to engage, I will have to make them flee. I need to preserve my mana and find a suitable vessel. Ted schemed. If I could grab one of the soaring monkeys, I could use [Soul Swap]. An ambitious plan, but Ted wasn't ready to give in to despair.

The soaring monkeys carried on with their volleys of pinecones, they remained safely in the tree branches. The pinecones curved trajectory left them rolling to a rest at Ted's feet, but they refused to withdraw.

*Caw caw caw* a muffled rustle emerged from deep within the forest, startling nearby birds. Ted took heed of it, worried the soaring monkey tribe could receive potentially dangerous reinforcement. The rustling grew louder, Ted could see treetops deep in the forest swaying back and forth, concentrated in a zigzag pattern, heading directly at him.

*Zap~~ Crunch* A huge cannonball sized projectile exploded out of the dense forest with enough force to topple Ted, throwing him to the ground and shattering his torso. Cobbles and pebbles exploded out from the impact. The status panel popped up revealing the damage.

Level 1 Respecialist

HP: ▨▨▨▨▨▨▨▨▨▨

MP: ▨▨▨▨▨▨▨▨▨▨

Status Effects: [Peacebringer's Tranquil Mind], [Curse of the Scorned], [Pinocchio's Perfect Disguise (Petramus' Puppetry)]

Title: Peacebringer

[Traits] [Skills] [Passive Cloud] [Inventory] [Quests]

The rolled up ball leapt off Ted, uncovering a metallic core underneath the rocky chest and revealing itself to be one of the Soaring Monkey Tribe's warriors wielding a shiv. The other monkeys cheered him on, while they kept themselves safe, high in the crowns of the forest. The warrior was astonishingly muscular, his figure more of a gorilla, he did not have the skinflaps that allowed the rest to glide. A ragged loincloth hung around the warrior's pelvis, telling of a more civilized culture within the tribe.

Ted felt nothing from the impact, but the perceived damage threw Ted into a panic. He sped through the menus, refunded [Pinocchio's Perfect Disguise] and were scrolling through the endless list of skills. When he was hit again. *Zap~~ Clang~*

Level 1 Respecialist

HP: ▨▨▨▨▨▨▨▨▨▨

MP: ▨▨▨▨▨▨▨▨▨▨

The metallic core took another blow, bending it's surface. The warrior was deliberately aiming for it, aware of it's importance.

Ted rose to his feet. He had desperately wanted to respec into [Reincarnation], but finding it on the endless list of skills during battle was improbable. Ted had to fight, he couldn't outrun them. He took a stance inspired by his time as a catcher in baseball. Crouched down, hand forward, covering the hole into his core. half-baked as it was, it was his last resort.

The warrior crouched down entering into a leap. He made some swings with his empty hand before grasping onto the shiv with both, keeping it close to his chest. His legs covered in a red gleam, expanded, the muscles magically grew. He is using magic! *Zap~~* He sprung out once more and with incredible speed smashed into Ted's receiving hand. *Crunch*

The shiv successfully impaled Ted's hand, but was unable to fully penetrate, leaving the warrior hanging in Ted's grasp. Keeping the warrior clenched, Ted brought him down to the ground with a smash. *Boom* The warrior let out a painful yell, blood spilling out of his mouth revealed internal bleeding.

Enraged, the monkeys descended the tree tops and charged towards Ted, rushing to their fallen warrior's aid. They crawled onto Ted and began in vain smashing pinecones against his rocky build. With his main hand occupied, acting like a cage for the warrior, Ted swung out with his free hand, hoping to frighten the monkeys away. The monkeys didn't flinch in the face of Ted's powerful swing and continued their assault, their weight alone pushing Ted to the ground.

Brought to his knees, Ted's display popped up, allowing him to navigate it. He changed tactics and searched the skill list for the one solution on his mind.

From the top of his tower, Petramus oversaw the battle through a telescope, with a glass of rum at hand. He had found the fight amusing and was watching it with pleasure. His golem, now overswarmed with the occupants of the forest, seemed to have lost.

"Hahaha! Creating that golem wasn't a complete disaster" He grinned and took a swig of his rum, it had been an inspiring display: "If I link a bunch of them to a mana pool, they might be able to take care of this newfound pest."

"Arghh! This golem really is completely dense!" In a disappointing turn of events, the golem let go of his hold on the warrior. " It could at least have taken care of the big one with a gory splash!"

The golem rose up, strangely revitalized and on all fours, sprinted away from the fight, towards Petramus' precious garden. "W-what is going on!" Petramus rushed down the stairs and into his half-collapsed doorway.

"Y-You are trampling my fields!" Petramus was met with a petrifying sight, his golem was charging through his crops, headed straight at him. "What are you doing!? I did not [Recall] you! Stop!"

The golem ignored his commands and with a great leap overwhelmed Petramus, making him flee into his tower. *Crash* The golem crashed into the already compromised arch. "No!! Noo~" screamed Petramus as the front of the tower collapsed, trapping both of them inside.

With great resolve, the golem turned to face Petramus. Despite his own creation towering over him, Petramus remained unfazed and without rushing fetched a deep purple, perfectly spherical orb from his belt and fitted it into his sceptre. "You have sealed your fate!"

Petramus swung his unoccupied hand to his left and in an exquisite display of finesse, he pointed blankly in the air. *Brzzz~~* A masterfully refined deep purple beam shot out of the sceptre emitting in a straight line, hitting the golem's exposed metallic core. "To purgatory with you!" With a twist of his sceptre, a final blast rang out. The golem's body scattered as cobble and pebble flew across the room.

The metallic core remained floating in the air, held by the deep purple beam, revealing it's ornamented surface with various tiny gaps exposing a glowing shard within. Petramus ended the beam and the core tumbled to the floor. It rolled like a ball and landed at Petramus feet, he dropped the sceptre and picked it up. With both hands on it, he turned it in a wringing motion and all its gaps closed, sealing the shard within.

"The expansion will have to wait.." Petramus mumbled as he walked off with the core.

Ted woke up, lying on a bed of leaves inside a hollowed out tree trunk, celebratory salutations ringing in his ears. The room was filled with an alleviating aroma from a freshly cooked meal. As he opened his eyes, he was met with dancing monkeys surrounding him and shouting in joy "Bamm! Bamm! Bamm! Bamm!". His status panel was up and he turned to read it.

Level 1 Respecialist

HP: ▨▨▨▨▨▨▨▨▨▨

MP: ▨▨▨▨▨▨▨▨▨▨

Status Effects: [Peacebringer's Tranquil Mind], [Curse of the Scorned], [Bamm's Aping of the Monkeys], [Bleeding]

Title: Peacebringer

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[Traits] [Skills] [Passive Cloud] [Inventory] [Quests]

While his mana had risen out of danger. Ted's health was dangerously low and he had obtained a [Bleeding] effect. "It worked.." exclaimed Ted, "but.. it isn't looking good.." Ted recalled his last moments, his memory was a conflicting jumble from two perspectives. It eventually settled on him, being stuck under a pile of rocks, while gasping for air.

"Bamm! Bamm! Bamm! Bamm! Ba- ~ ~~"

A stiff silence swelled through the room, extinguishing the cheers that had filled the air. Unhurried steps from a single person took its place, inching towards Ted.