(Joat’s POV)

Well this certainly sucks.

Sitting on the oh so damp bench staring at the mossy grey wall on the other side, watching it slowly grow over the hours really is the highlight of my night. That and the monotonous dripping of water from the corner fo the room.

Apparently, I’ve been incarcerated…for walking around at night.

Curfew is a thing and I’m paying the price for leaving Wendy’s in a hurry after going back to be practice the new languages I kind of copied onto the notes section on our menu.

Another fun fact, cannot even open up my menu in here.

At least now I sort of understand why Wendy was very adamant at having me stay around...

Man totally misread the situation.

Anyways, so being incarcerated has a fun little gimmick; you can’t log off while in jail.

And so I’m stuck watching a wall wondering about my human rights and where they disappeared off to.

At least I’ve been told I’m only staying the night.

“Get in here undead scum” The porky guard waddles into the corridor, pushing an oh so familiar skeleton into the cell opposite me.

“Sir, is it morning yet?”

“Morning?” He chuckles piggily “You’ll be lucky to ever see the sun again”

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Er what, wait Piggy guard come back and tell me what you mean by that!!

Of course he just walks off leaving all my wanting questions unanswered.

“Someone was found dead”

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“And that means I’m a suspect?” I do not believe in jinxes!

“Probably” Dammit Sharpy

“Well then, we better be getting our asses out of here” I’ve also got a lecture to teach in a while so I kind of need to get out…

“Already one step ahead” His arms come unbound, the cut rope falling briskly to the ground.

Wait a second, did he use his fingers to cut that rope?! That’s terrifying!

Brandishing his waaaay too sharp fingers once more, he sticks 2 into the lock fiddling around with it till a dull click is heard.

Swishing the door open, Sharpy’s already on the escape.

“You need a meat shield?” I mean I don’t think I’ve got the right skills for prison break, except being a meat shield.

He hesitates, for a second, but he does end up freeing me too.

*Creak*

“Another bloody criminal walking around tonight” Mr Piggy waltzes in with a criminal looking rabbit-beastman; the black, edgy hair along with a half bitten crooked ear really does bring out his almost punk-like look.

Mr Piggy stops his usual monologue of insults at the sight of us, getting a furry elbow in the face before tackled and summarily murdered without mercy.

Well we just killed a human, well not me, Sharpy, I just kidn of watched.

And Sharpy is not one to be messed with.

“Joat, fancy seeing you here” The punk-like rabbit-beastman gives me a nod as Sharpy helps untie him.

“The fact that you know me means you’re part of the village?”

“yeah, Hino” He rubs his wrists, falling into line as we stealthily walk out.

Small talk is over and the murdering/escape begins.

The prison seems to be an underground cube with blocks of cells. So leaving our block puts us at this central stairway which we take up, no problems.

Except for a few unsuspecting guards that get blitzed into pieces by an extremely pissed Sharpy. As I said, no problems.

Luckily no more people seem to be pissing about at night and bringing more troubles down onto us.

Making it up, we enter the lower section of the prison(?) and without further ado head towards the large double door which is around the corner of the corridor.

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Hmm that was surprisingly easy?

Would’ve thought it’d be harder to walk out of prison, but once again I am proven wrong by the universe.

“Oy who are you?” Oh bugger I forgot about him.

Sitting on our right behind a desk, feet straddling the counter, is an older human guard,who is basically the receptionist.

His feet slide to the floor along with his head

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OK Sharpy, we get it, you’re pissed, can you please stop murdering everyone we encounter please!!

Grabbing the log that is next to the receptionist and taking out the page which had my details on it, that should hopefully keep my identity silent.

Finally exiting the large double doors, we quickly split up: Hino and I head back to the Adventurer’s Guild while Sharpy seems to head off towards the Magical district

Congratulations! Through escaping Jail you have gained the title Fugitive

For leaving no witnesses to your identity only knowledge that someone was there your title has been upgraded to the rare title Unkown Fugitive

RARE TITLE: Unknown Fugitive

You have escaped jail, leaving no living witness as to who you are.

This title gives some in-game bonuses

For gaining this your Luck stat increases by 5. If these stats are unused the additional points will be added once the stat is active.

This title Increases effectiveness all counter-perception skills such as Stealth by 10%

If you become a normal fugitive this title will be erased and a bounty of 300 gold will be added to your head

Xp increases by 100%

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Awesome!!! And terrifying! If I ever become an actual fugitive I’ll lose the title too? Well to be fair the xp is awesome, but the fact that I could have a bounty on my head when that happens isn’t the best. I’ve already got enough on my head universe.

But all in all an entire level as well as a massive bonus to things like stealth, who wouldn’t want that!

After sharing a silent nod with Hino we continue walking silently.

To bed and hopefully not being caught again!

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(Krudel’s POV)

Just wait Mistress, I’ll find you!

Sprinting towards the Magical District, I notice the dwarven body that was on the bridge had disappeared, but no matter right now.

Delving through the maze of streets, I end up at the battleground-like field and immediately spot the dead guard surrounded by 3 others all ceremoniously lifting the blackened corpse.

NAME: Town Guard LEVEL: 10 HP: 300/300 Defense: 25 Attack: 36-50 Stats: Strength, Vitality

Stats? I suspected as such would be possible with monsters but seeing it does tell that our advantage as players is diminished somewhat.

Though with my brutality stat alone I can easily overpower one, and 3 shouldn’t be that difficult. Especially when they’re occupied.

Crouching in a nearby crater, I listen to them walking towards me, and then slightly past me.

…I could’ve killed them but I’m don’t unnecessarily murder people. Only when it’s for my Mistress’ safety.

Letting them go into the alleyways, I climb out of the crater and make my way to one of the most viable places: the massive black oak double doors situated up a few wide stairs in the far corner of the battlefield. It’s the most viable because her dot on the map is around that area.

Grabbing the thick greyish green handles, I pull…to no effect. The door doesn’t even budge.

Grabbing only a single handle this time I pull again…once again to no effect. For some reason the door is sealed shut. I’m starting ot doubt that Mistress is in here…but something keeps me going.

Planting both feet on one door, I pull with all my might on the other’s handle.

*CREEEE*

The door moved a single inch, the sound of what felt like a thousand years of rust screeching across the stone floor, resonated in my body. Pulling again, this sound continues to echo and vibrate through my body and the field at an inhuman pitch, ever increasing as I widen the opening inch by inch.

After what felt like listening to 10 hours of someone scratching a blackboard with their fingernails, the gap in the doors looked wide enough for me.

Squeezing inside, I am not assaulted by light, rather contrarily: I’m stuck in darkness no different than the outside.

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Wait a second, I am outside, viewing the battlefield from a small distance. Looking behind me, an alleyway is unexpectedly there. Did I just get teleported?

I see…so I guess the front door is not the correct way.

Walking back up to the massive double doors, this time I decide to skirt around and look for somewhere suitable to climb. The building itself is a tall tower stretching more than a few floors into the sky and barely above the width of the double doors so it doesn’t take long to skirt around it.

Multiple monotonous houses with alleyways converge around the tower but none are close enough to provide some foothold in climbing the tower.

Taking a long angry sigh, I do the only thing that I can currently think of: knock on the double doors in hopes that someone responds.

*Whoosh*

Unlike before, the doors seamlessly glide open, revealing darkness beyond. Huh, so knocking opened it how strange.

Taking a step in, this time my vision doesn’t slowly fill up with the battlefield but a long narrow corridor quite unlike the tower’s outside reveals to be possible.

Cautiously walking through, I spot large statues of armored warriors, all standing alert, a menoige of stone weaponry hanging by their sides as if ready to be drawn at a moments notice. Stopping curiously at one, I use Monster Identification.

Stone Golem [Lvl???]

???

A construct of magic

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*Ding*

I’ve gained the luck stat…that seems rather worrying given the circumstance.

Backing off, the golem doesn’t respond in the slightest. With more haste than usual I speed down the corridor, suddenly entering a round area with 3 red doors leading out of it.

*tap tap tap*

Raising my eyebrow, I glance around as to discover the source of that sound. Somehow it is a little bowl and brush in the centre of the room, with no hands supporting its 3 tap then a pause motion.

*tap tap tap*

Well this is blantantly obvious since there doesn’t seem to be anything else in the room.

Taking the door on the far right, I encounter some stairs, seems like my guess was correct. Heading up the stairs, it merges with another circular room, the stairs exit being at the centre where a large rock resides in the middle of a black lake.

With only one open exit over to the right hand side, I decide to make my way to it as quick as possible. Only I find out the minute my body touches the water that it’s barely knee deep. Rather strange, what is the purpose of this water then?

Though water would be an assumption as it doesn’t give as much resistance as it should and when I pass my hands through it, it slips through almost as it would with air.

Passing through it nonetheless, I head through the exit and within a few steps find myself at a familiar room.

*tap tap tap tap tap tap*

Wait 6 taps now? But there is only 3 doors…wait does that mean the taps signify the floor level?

So what if I went through a door that went above the top level…that seems like a rather scary prospect.

With this new information I take the doors with a pinch of salt and pick the left hand one. Partially because if my theory is correct the number of taps should increase to 7.

Though when taking the stairs up, I’m back in a corridor filled with the same stone golems…

*tap tap tap*

So I went down 3 floors instead?

Taking the middle door this time, I go up the stairs and walk into a rectangular room with a ledge in front of me and on the opposite side of the room. What is inbetween is a large drop filled with spikes…

Jumping wouldn’t do especially as the gap is around 20 metres if not more…so there should be a way to cross it normally. Checking out the edges of the room there aren’t any ledges so I begin slapping my hand at the air beside the ledge.

Aha, there does seem to be something invisible here! My hand hits what feels like stone in the air next to the ledge, a bit to the left, and after placing some force on it, it doesn’t seem to drop.

Stepping onto it, I begin slapping away around it, quickly finding another invisible block in front. Continuing this process I slowly make my way around half way before after slapping around I can’t feel anything.

It’s still too big a distance to jump so there’s only really one hopeful solution: there’s a small gap between the next blocks.

Sighing, I rip my left arm off, holding it with my right and gaining some much needed reach. Sure enough the block does get slapped a small gap away, enough to hop over to.

Hopping over to it, I resume the arduous process of finding block after block, encountering two more small hops and one final large jump to the ledge which I almost didn’t make.

Well that was certainly a lot easier than it could have been.

Standing myself up, I walk through the short hallway, arm in hand and reach the familiar door room.

*tap tap tap tap*

Ok so the middle door increases the level by 1. An interesting system indeed.

Going up the right hand door’s stairs since it should make me go to floor 7 (which I hope exists), I find myself in a strange sort of waiting room: a few cushioned seats crowd around various coffee tables, adorned with teacups and a large morrocan styled teacup. At the end of the small waiting room is a pair of curtains covering an archway, leading to somewhere else.

Being as cautious as I can, I head over to the curtains and pull them back.

“Hohoho that was certainly an entertaining tale my dear child. Tell me would you all like to stay for a late meal since all this listening has made me hungry and oh how I’d love such fantastical company such as yourselves”

“Oh Mr Lennus-”

“MISTRESS” Although I had opened the curtain, I had not moved inside upon hearing a voice, but upon hearing my sweet Mistress’ dulcet tone, I could not resist barging in

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To a tea party…?

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(Joat’s POV)

-moments after splitting up from Krudel-

No incarceration for me whoo! No rotting in cell for no reason whoo! Now I get to actually teach people some art whoo!

Seems like today is going to be a good end to my day.

*Huff*

Universe don’t tempt me please…dammit.

Curiously turning towards the sound which is coming from my left, I start making my way there, unconsciously leaving Hino to bounce home alone as it seems he hasn’t noticed me leaving…whoops.

Ah whatever the less people the less trouble I should get in right?

Sneaking up to the sound of heavy exertion, it leads me to the lavender smelling sewers

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“I leave you for one day, wait not even, and you’re already covered in sewage and is that a dead body you’ve got there” I whisper towards one Baila who is dragging a red-haired dwarf through the town’s sewage.

“AH” Baila jumps letting out a slight squeal before noticing me leaning on the low railing of the bridge. “Joat, what are you doing out here?” She frantically whispers back as she looks around “Go leave before it’s too late”

Rolling my eyes, I jump down plopping into the sewage and making my way over to her. Picking up the jesus Christ this body is heavy, I see Baila giving me an estranged look.

“Well I always knew the two of us were going ot get down and dirty one day…never saw it in both of us dragging a body through sewage though” Cracking a smile I don’t get the response I was looking for.

“Seriously Joat what are you doing?” She seems rather afraid of something…probably getting caught.

“I’m helping you carry a freaking dead body, rather should be the one asking the questions. Since you’re the one dragging a dead body through the sewage” I whisper back at her

“You can ask me questions later, just get out of here”

“No, you’re having trouble dragging the body so I’m helping you”

“But she’ll kill you”

“Nah I won’t” Someone cackles quietly from behind

“Eep” Both Baila and I whip around to see an old hag with tattered rags dangling her feet off the railings while stroking a white and brown tortoise furred cat

“Now that the venereable lady has told us that I won’t be killed by her, let us continue dragging this body to wherever you’re supposed to be taking it”

“Huu venerable lady, very political of you” The hags voice breaks into a more mellow tone, quite unlike her age.

“Well since Baila, the one who can break rabbit’s necks without blinking an eye is scared of you, insulting you is the last thing I want to do”

“Hehe smart boy”

“I am at least a young man and if you don’t believe so…” I send her a wink, which I’m hoping she can see in basically what is pitch black (well not for me haha!).

She responds silently with a glimmering smile, almost hungry looking.

Well ANYWAYS, let’s get moving this body. Seems like I should be careful with my playful advances here.

“So why are you dragging this body anyways?” I whispers between huffs of exertion.

“Because” *Huff* “I need to hide the evidence”

“Wait so you weren’t the one that killed him?”

“Well…yes I was but someone was coming and I kind of didn’t have time to hide it” She looks down embarrassed.

“Baila, I leave you for less than a day and you’ve already killed an Npc, why?” I give her both my raised eyebrows in slight concern.

She shivers for a second “He was bad and I really don’t want to talk about it”

“Ok cool, as long as it wasn’t a fit of psychopathy it’s all good”

“You really take things too lightly. I killed a person”

“You did, but you said it yourself he’s bad and as being quite experienced with the laws of this world, vigilante’s are going to be pretty useful”

“What do you mean by that. Actually why were you even outside here in the first place. Isn’t there like a curfew?”

“Well apparently I didn’t know that, so I may or may not have been incarcerated for the night”

“But…you’re here. Oh” Sudden realization

“Yes I decided to escape because somebody murdered someone and left their body out to be found which led the guards to believe that I was the culprit”

“…oh whoops, sorry”

“Just tell me if you’re going to be murdering people please because being incarcerated isn’t fun at all”

“Right, sorry will do, Joat” She hangs her head slightly in shame.

“Seriously you two, so chatty and Joat seems like you’re not such a bad guy afterall” The hag lady who I am almost a hundred percent sure isn’t an old lady at all whispers closeby as she casually strides along the sewerbank.

“What part about me jumping into sewage helping someone dragging a dead body was good action?”

“One where you’re helping a friend…or a lover” She sends over a wink upon that last statement.

“Don’t worry I’m single and so very ready to mingle” reciprocating her wink I get back to dragging the body with an oddly silent Baila.ah right, should be silent since dragging dead people isn’t something we should be bringing attention to.

With another 10 minutes of silently dragging the body along the sludgy water which smelled rankly of lavender, we finally reach a small grate underneath a bridge.

Baila opens up the grate with a key and it silently opens, revealing a festering hole of corpses below.

Damn, I hope Baila wasn’t the cause of all this, though by a quick looksie (eugh) I do see some quite old bodies down there.

Stopping her before we chuck the corpse down, I begin rifling through the dwarf’s pockets. Much to Baila’s distaste.

“Wait so you’re fine killing the guy but not looting him, if you’re going to do something bad might as well do it all” Producing a gold coin, my eyes do shine.

I am really poor so although I do have some qualms about looting a corpse, I’ve already escaped incarceration and helped drag said corpse through sewage for a good while which puts looting a dead body at the low point of my bad deeds list.

After a quick search, all I found was a small bag of 20 gold coins and nothing else really except clothes…but that’s too obvious, so I didn’t take those.

Finally, with her help we chuck the corpse down the grate and hear the squelching crunch as it lands on a few more corpses.

*Dingdingding*

Oh no, why do I not have a good feeling about this

Congratulations! Through being the first player on this server to loot an Npc corpse you have gained a title

TITLE: Corpse Looter

You have willingly taken goods from a dead body of a friendly Npc

This title is purely aesthetic and gives no in-game bonuses

For gaining this title your Darkness and Luck stats will increase by 5 each. If these stats are unused the additional points will be added once the stat is active.

xp increases by 25%

Your alignment is now Neutral Evil

Your Aura of Darkness has levelled up

Your Aura of Darkness has levelled up

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I really need to find out how to become good because if not I might become the equivalent of a devil at this rate. Though xp and another 5 points into luck…I’m enjoying that bonus.

“So…did you er get a title for killing the guy?”

Baila futilely tries to wipe the blood and sewage from her hands but gives up and stares at me.

“Well I got the murderer title which increased my brutality and darkness…but also gave me a 1% increase on attack…and the vigilante semi-class”

Actually the title doesn’t seem that bad a deal I guess? But the vigilante semi-class sounded worth it: it was a semi-class afterall!

“Ooh what does it do?”

“It gives me bonuses on stealth-like skills, a few stat bonuses and the ability to detect evil. It’s like you’ve got a black mist around you…so you’re evil”

“Yeah but with my guess you are too” I mean you did kill a person

“Somehow no, apparently as long as the general public don’t know about the killing, my actions are considered good”

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I need that even if I’m never using it, firstly it’s just free bonuses as well as a way to stop getting bad points, or well actually get good points.

“Well Baila, please let me do the next one, because I kind of need some good points” I almost get down on my knees to beg but then I remember we’re in sewage and I really don’t need any more on me.

“What are you two goblededooking?” The hag’s head dangles from the bridge above, curious.

“I’m asking whether I could help the next time around”

“Well you’re not completely useless and you do know of us…so I’d either have to kill you or let your help really and I don’t want to kill you. Ah I guess you can help next time” She exhasperates dramatically, her quite mellow voice reaching my ears. I do wonder who she is underneath all that makeup.

“Thank you” giving a small bow, I start to help Baila climb out only to be stopped by the hag.

“There’s an exit out there and a river about a mile east…come back through the gate in the morning” The hag points towards the sewage which seemingly stops at the outer wall of the town.

Oh am I really going to have to dive through sewage? Ewww. But I can do it, if it’s for a semi-class I will do it.

“Baila, you owe me some milk after this”

“Excuse me, aren’t you the one with the money gained from all my hard work” Dammit she’s right. Ah well I’ll get us a drink then, sheesh.

Right, time to disgust myself thoroughly.