AN: Wow, I actually reached the sixth chapter for one of these.

Don't think this trend will continue.

Unless you really want it...stupid...

Jacksons' POV

He~

Oh, isn't murder oh so murderously fun~

Level 76, with a unique weapon and Rare level armor, along with three rings each giving stat boosts~~

Just a little more, and I'll kill every~last~person~

In that fucking town~

He~he~he~~

"""WHOOO!"""

I left the latest tavern, with light pockets. Life was good. The birds were singing, people walked by me with smiles on their faces, and all around good feelings abounded.

It made me sick.

People who told you they were going to kill you were honest, people who smiled at you were dirty traitors who wanted to stab you in the back. Urgh, I need to start making preparations. Pretty soon, someones' going to take a swipe at my pedestal, and I don't want to be standing on it when that time comes. If only I had an enemy to take my place...

Hmm...the gang bosses aren't enemies, that kids' already been taken care of...I don't think I have any yet.

Damn. I must be slacking. I'll need to pick up the pace. Well, I don't have to worry too much...fame breeds animosity like a light draws moths. But, I'd better get ready now, or I'll end up dead.

Again.

---

Waving farewell to the apothecary, I headed up the windy road to the chapel on top of the hill. Once there, I rang a bell hanging from a pole to alert the priest that I was here. This chapel wasn't very big, so it was unlikely to have more than one.

A middle-aged woman came out, and offered a polite greetings. "Hello, stranger. Have you come to pay respect to the goddess?"

I smiled, and held up the bag of material I had. "Actually, I was hoping to use some of your equipment. Of course, I'd be happy to pray or donate or whatever."

She looked at me weird. "Um, equipment? I use it to make medicine, and I could make some for you..."

I laughed. "No, I'm not making medicine. But, I'm hoping I'll be able to make something else. What do you say?"

She took a minute to decide. "Well, it couldn't hurt, and I haven't used it in a while..."

She led me into a back room, filled with glass bottles, pipes, a burner, and other complicated tools. I breathed in the sour scent of burned glass, and went straight to work.

"I must compliment you. This is even more advanced than mine was. Well, at least one good thing came of my sleep..."

I went about my task quickly and efficiently, wasting no time or material. After a couple minutes, I set a substance to heat, then went back into the main building, and took a seat. The woman followed me out, and sat beside me.

"You seem to know what you're doing...but I must confess that I don't know what you're making."

I nodded my head. "I never told anyone about my discoveries. And even if I wasn't the first, or the only one, I doubt anyone else talked about it either. It's simply too valuable."

"So...you're not going to tell me what you're making?"

I grinned. "Nope. But you needn't worry. In this amount, it can't be dangerous. But, I wish I could use magic. I'd be able to speed up the process considerably. Still...if I hadn't learned patience by this point, I'd have died long before I actually did."

She chuckled. "You sound older than me."

I sigh. "With age comes foolishness, not wisdom. If only I'd learned that and checked my pride, things would've...no...actually, I think things turned out rather well. Here I am, a fresh start, I have Quibbles, no one's posted my face all over the nine kingdoms with a price on my head, and I don't have a bloody fiance that wants to marry my corpse. I...I think I'm actually better off, now that I'm dead, than I was alive. Well."

I'd brightened considerably. I'd always felt a little down because I'd been killed due to my own incompetence, but now...was being dead really all that bad?

For the next couple hours, I talked animatedly with the priestess, about philosophy and the workings of the divines, and we had a friendly argument on the pros and cons of priesthood. I insisted that being a priest was in no way favorable, and she politely extrapolated the blessings she received. We came to a stalemate, as these conversations with two stubborn people usually do, and I finally went back to my finished product. After bidding her goodbye, I went to the potters and got a small, fragile vase with a thin neck.

---

Three days later, a carriage came into town. It went straight to the mayors villa, then departed to the nearest tavern. There, the footman inquired the occupants as the the location of the infamous, 'Loaded Dice' and then departed as per direction.

When they arrived, the place they came to was full to bursting with happy, drunk people. Outside, an armored person was trying to push their way through.

The carriage pulled up to the door, then two men in plate stepped out, followed by a young girl. She ordered the two clad in plate to clear a path, which they did with enthusiasm.

Inside, there was a table set in the middle of the room, with all of the other furniture set against the wall. At the center table, two chairs were set up. In one, a burly wagon driver was sitting, perspiration running down his face. In the other, a small, slight, pale man in a black cloak sat with a lazy smile. Two men stood behind the slight fellow, both built like bears. When the girl came in, she motioned towards the wagon driver. He was picked up, chair and all, and deposited outside, while a plush, throne-like wooden chair that probably cost more than the building, was set opposite of the slight man. The girl then daintily took a seat, with the two clad in plate taking up positions behind, and mirroring the two bear-men.

At this, the cloaked mans' smile grew wider. "Hey Ben, Fen, how much would I have to pay you to go up against those two tin-men?"

As one, the two responded, "More than you have." then they went to leave. Before they could go, I threw them a small pouch.

"A small gift to your boss, and for you too, if you want."

They gave a salute, then crossed their bodies and left. A good funeral send-off.

I turned toward the girl. "Now that that's done...would you like to play a game?"

She leaned over the table, blond hair falling like a river of gold. "I'd rather you answered some questions."

I chuckled, then pushed a pair of dice towards her. "The alleys' for asking questions. The table's for playing."

She frowned, and held up a hand. The plate-clad warriors took a step forward-

"For every round you win, I'll answer a question truthfully. For each one you lose, I'll answer falsely. Deal?"

He waved the two back, grinned like a wolf, then pulled out a large, heavy gold coin. "I only play with gold."

I shrugged, and pulled out ten silver. "Soon I will too." then smiled a challenge.

She picked up the dice, and threw them. I gave mine a casual toss, and took her gold. "Now, ask a question."

"Are you the one named, 'Loaded Dice?'"

I nodded. "Yep."

She frowned, then threw again. I threw and took another coin. "The next question?"

"If your name isn't Loaded Dice, what is it?"

"It starts with U."

I took another coin. "Next?"

"Do you actually cheat?"

"No."

And then, she threw, I matched one, and she matched both. She clenched her hand in victory.

"Now, you have to answer my question truthfully."

"Yes."

Then I picked up my dice. She froze. "Wait. That wasn't a question."

"It sounded like one."

"No, it was obviously a statement."

"Obvious to whom?"

She snapped her fingers, and the two plated men took another step forward. I nodded. "I see. Kindly ask your question, which I will answer truthfully."

She pointed at me. "Are you a servant of the Demon King?"

I blinked. "Sorry...that's your question, right? You're not joking?"

She motioned to the two behind her. "Check his bag."

They quickly stepped forward and dumped it over the table. Amidst the shining silver and copper, a single black ring stood out, a prominent red gemstone set carefully within fine design. She reached out and picked it up.

"Hmm...this seems rather suspicious, doesn't it?"

I looked at her, than at it. "I've never seen that ring before in my life."

She smiled. "Oh, but these rings always glow when their owner touches them...you wouldn't mind wearing it, right?" She proffered the ring, and I looked at the two plate-clad angry-looking sword-wielding maniacs, and decided taking it was a good idea.

I took it, and slid it onto my right-ring finger. Then, it shined with a fiery glow.

The girl pointed her finger. "There! Proof that you're a devils' servant! Quickly, call the guards, and have him arrested!"

I bowed my head, and admired the ring, not paying any attention. The two armored men stepped towards me, but paused as a surprising sound echoed and grew from within my throat.

"...Ha...ha...ha...ha...ha...ha...ha!...ha...ha...ha...ha...Ha!HA!HAHAHAHAHA!"

"What are you laughing at, demon spawn?"

I looked up at the little girl, who couldn't have been older than fourteen. "It's just...to think, that all of my problems could be solved with no effort on my part!

I'd spent so long, pretending to like people...pretending to care...but now...I have it."

I looked directly into her eyes, and held up the ring. "I thank you for the gift, I'll make sure to put it to good use. And as for your reward...I'll answer you question."

She blinked. "Wait...I was just...you couldn't actually..."

I bellowed out a laugh, then yelled, "Yes! Yes! A thousand times yes! Now, you filthy humans and your disgusting skin...keep one eye open tonight, eh? Oh, and you, the little blond mite...I swear to one day find you, and 'repay' you for this."

Then I raised my arm high above my head. All around, people screamed and covered their heads. Then, I threw down the pot, and smoke soon choked the room.

---

I continued to chuckle as I jogged down the road. At the inn, I dropped off a message for the lil' kid that'd helped me, and told the innkeeper to deliver all of the things I'd left in there to the kid.

Then, I took a good amount of money, and jogged down to the towns small stables. I bought a black and white-streaked horse, and rode out of town laughing like a maniac.

Congratulations! You've gained the title >

Effects include: Magic path unlocked, -1 Luck

I once again admired the ring that girl had so kindly slipped into my bag, then turned around and given to me.

>

Effects: +1 Intelligence, +5 Mana Capacity

Now...I could do something. Not a lot, I would have to level up to even learn a magic, not to mention I'd only be able to use it once, but...I wasn't completely powerless anymore. Then, I remembered something.

"Oh, shit...I forgot Quibbles.."

"..."

I'm sure he'll be fine...