Logan looked over the counter at the guild house, it still needed staffing as there weren’t any amazing cooks amongst the guildies just yet. Finishing up some soup for lunch, Logan looked over his status screen for the changes he had undergone most recently.

One portion was that of his most recent quest to take down Thermodan. It wasn’t exactly a leisurely time, so the Spellthief had to rush some things, but he did at least read the objectives to assess which ones could be done easily enough.

“Quest - Bring down Thermodan, has been completed. You achieved 1 additional objective during the mission and as such your rewards will be increased. Distributing rewards…”

“The reward for your quest completion is as follows:

History of Ritual Casting Vol 1. Relic’s Reliquary Vol 1. 1 Skill Point.”

The two tomes appeared in Logan’s hands at the counter. Two large volumes that were bigger than normal skill tomes.

One would give him some insight into ritual casting, such as he had heard and seen used several times now, and was something of a well-kept secret technique if not for the people using it against him.

The other was a new form of crafting, using experience as a resource alongside normal components. This one came at a steady time in Logan’s adventure, where a guild all his own could fund the creation of relics.

Relics were one stage behind artefacts but with the benefit of being crafted by hand rather than dungeon. Their effects varied immensely and their power was glorious.

Logan ruminated about the new tomes, and the income for helping to kill Thermodan, but he thought it best to walk the streets to clear his mind. However, a face at the door stopped him.

“Sir Logan. I’ve come to apologise”, Kruma Welt, the hero, spoke.

Sitting back in the interviewing chamber, Logan and Kruma sat with steamy cups of tea on either side. Logan was a bit laid back with one arm over his chair, Kruma fidgeting in his lap.

“So, what made you change your attitude?” Logan asked before sipping his tea, he at least knew how to brew a good cuppa.

“Well, you see, thing is”, Kruma stumbled, “I looked into you after my outburst to make sure you weren’t what I was thinking.”

“And what came about that investigation?”

“Nothing but good, sir. A Wolf Hunter, Friend to Tinte Residents, Gashriek Ally. It all painted you in a good light.”

“I see my titles have travelled far”, Logan laughed.

“It’s not usual for a person to be so giving, alright? It’s either you’re family, a friend of the family, or an asshole in my life.”

“I get that. You should have seen my start as an adventurer. The early ranks were a trial”, Logan nodded.

“Is this your attempt at changing the norm, or something?”

“Yeah. But power speaks more than words and a few actions. A big guild will help demonstrate a good example to follow.”

“Yours is probably the best start I’d ever have, and a year isn’t that long when I can do many more quests with better equipment from your guild. We might chat after the year is up, but, I’m willing to sign on”, Kruma spoke with a much calmer voice.

“And the parents?”

“They’re on board to become staff.”

“Great!”

Advelt and Waerell came to the guild house not long after. The father putting on a butler’s outfit and sorting out the bar counters, the mother putting on a similar attire with towels in her pockets and getting a lay of the house.

“Do you mind if I make a list of items to stock, sir?” Advelt asked.

“Logan is fine. Write up what you like, I’ll leave the financing of the bar to you.”

“Logan, am I to enter the rooms?” Waerell asked.

“Get permission from the guildies when you can, otherwise, clean the vacant ones and meeting chambers”, Logan replied as he handed a neat book with a black cover to Advelt with the title “Guest List” written on the front.

“Would this be the allowed visitors?” Advelt asked as he opened to the first page, each one having a sticker from A to Z like an address book.

“Yes. You may also contact me with this”, Logan continued as he handed a commwatch to his new foyer attendant.

Logan quickly explained how to utilize the device, in Advelt’s hand it was mostly reduced to a phone, but that was all Logan needed.

“Thank you, si—Logan”, Advelt bowed.

“You can use this book to teach both Vern and Sooryah how to read, too”, Logan added as he handed a thicker volume to Advelt.

“I will do my best, as will my wife when she has finished her duties.”

“Thank you, well, it’s time to get Kruma set up at the G-Hall.”

Walking to the adventurer’s hall of Gauntlet, Logan and Kruma talked about how the newcomer Knight would go about his adventures and reputation. As a nation, Logan had the ability to assess adventurers at his leisure and set up the documentation instead of having people assessed at the G-Hall.

Taking this path just meant it was harder to get groups and quests, as the G-Hall did not know your total capabilities. This penalty was easily nullified in big guilds with plenty of similar-ranked allies, though.

Kruma felt it would be best to also hide who he was. The fame of a Hero could potentially bite him in the rear with his previous history, but, it could also be a target for those who had jealously clouding their hearts and minds. Kruma’s grandparents’ fates being blamed on him, or how he hadn’t helped in recent times. Total bullshit.

The documentation went through easily enough, with Logan paying the normal fee as his part of having done the work and acting more of an assurance of the newcomer's abilities.

Logan was reminded by the receptionist that the Spellthief was due a new reassessment himself. It was common to have one every two months, with around six per year. As a Guildmaster it was even more encouraged.

Those in Twain Dagger did not speak of Logan’s appearance as a level 20, to their mind it was his business and they weren’t about to gossip about a recently made ally. Hunters were well-versed in keeping secrets and relationships safe.

With enough time to think it over, Logan accepted a reassessment, and with a space on the ledger, he was allowed to get one straight away.

Logan sped between straw dummies, hit targets in mid-air, and filled the training yard with fire, lightning, and shadows. The display of mastery over spells had many adventurers drop their jaws at the competent caster who had several areas of expertise.

“Logan Hall has been reassessed. He has been marked as a rank 20 Wizard. While his slots are lower for his class, he has ample access to spellforce granting skills and trinkets. He has mastered many spells, and has specialities for Grasp, divination, teleportation, summoning, as well as quickcasting and silentcasting. This Guildmaster is also accepting adventurers, ranked 0 and above, to his guild, Vip. Please see details in the hall.”

The training hall was full of whispers, whistles, and clapping hands. There wasn’t a soul there that spoke against him, worried that the proficiency he just showed off might be used against them.

Getting his signet updated in the main lobby, Logan also had his space on the leaderboard moved. The new location was a bit more sparse but still packed with names. He wasn’t going to be in a private club until he passed 40.

If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

Returning to the guild house, Logan saw his lowest ranked and newcomers all geared and ready for his return, alongside Marcus. The whole group left to the exterior of the city.

Castore, E’leth, Vern, Alice, Hayd, Varuud, Sooryah, Shanin, and Kruma all lined up and awaited Logan’s commands.

“Today we’ll be engaging in some sparring. All skills will be allowed, sans long-term effects such as Severing Slash. I’ve got pieces of parchment in this box with all your names written. When called, please move to the centre of the clearing.”

“Boss. We’re an odd number”, Castore mentioned.

“Yes. Whoever gets called last, will fight one of my elementals”, Logan smirked evilly.

The newcomers shivered all over, not wanting to get that pick.

Logan picked out two pieces of parchment and shouted, “E’leth versus Vern. Move to the centre.”

The Devout and Rogue did as commanded, E’leth with a crossbow in one hand and a mace in the other, Vern wielded dual daggers.

“Fight!”

E’leth let fly a bolt from his crossbow that Vern deflected with his dagger, before charging at his foe with his mace. Vern threw out a dagger that E’leth jumped to the side to dodge.

“Dash”, Vern called as he rushed at his foe. The one skill he inherited from his class, it seemed.

Sliding to E’leth’s side, Vern swiped at the Devout to have his blade blocked by a mace and sent flying away. Before smashing it onto the poorer man’s head, E’leth stopped it a few inches away.

“Winner, E’leth”, Logan called.

Vern sighed heavily as he stood up, “Thanks for not landing that.”

“You almost got me, wasn’t expecting you to go to my side like that so quick”, E’leth replied showing a bit of fear.

“Kruma versus Castore.”

With some placeholder gear, Kruma ran at Castore with fervour. Castore flicked his finger and let loose a blast of flame at the Knight.

Kruma blocked the fire with his shield and pushed through it to swipe at Kruma with a shortsword. Castore deflected it with his own sword and drew a dagger with the other.

The dagger slammed against Kruma’s blocking shield while the longer sword came underneath it in a diagonal, causing the Knight to bend back as far as his armour allowed, letting the blade only cut a few hairs instead.

Twisting his blade, Castore jammed it within Kruma’s grip of his shield and pulled him awkwardly forward. Castore then tumbled over the shield and Kruma’s back, letting his sword go and called, “Power Strike”, coating his dagger in a red mist and stopping it just before Kruma’s neck.

“Castore wins!”

Kruma fell to the floor as sweat fell with him.

“See that! I got to his back”, Castore gloated to Logan, looking for praise.

“Very good. You blocked well, Kruma”, Logan praised doubly.

Castore helped Kruma dislodge the sword and shield and helped his ally to his feet.

“That was a great first fight from you, buddy. I’ve had a few months of training, so don’t feel too bad.”

“No. That was great”, Kruma replied as he shook the rich boy’s hand.

“Shanin versus Varuud.”

Shanin started the fight by Rushing the Devout, however, his charge was halted weirdly into a slide and doge back as Varuud waved his hand forward and chanted, “Gaia Wall”, causing a tall barrier of earth to shoot upwards and towards the Fighter.

“He read that book quick”, Logan praised in his head, noticing the Wall alteration.

Jumping to the side, Shanin attempted to run at his foe to land a slash again, but was met by a violent fire of an earthen shard.

Shanin deflected the spell and had mud roll over his hands. Varuud jumped up and swung strongly with his staff at the Fighter, Shanin blocked it easily and pushed away his foe.

“Power Strike”, Shanin called, coating his blade in red mist and stabbing it into the floor. Dragging it forward he let loose a rush of mud and grass at the Devout.

Varuud blocked his face with his arms and staff, allowing Shanin to run around and end his pointed strike a hair from the gashriek’s armpit.

“Winner, Shanin!”

Shanin got back to a normal stance while Varuud fell to the floor on his rear, breathing heavily, sweat coating his face.

“Varuud, good casting. But quickcasting is quite draining for someone with your spellforce reserves, especially in such hurried manners. You left yourself with nothing for healing. Shanin, great tactics. You had trouble reaching your target, and they weren’t suspecting a ranged manoeuvre like that.”

“Hey, Shanin. Let’s have a rematch sometime”, Varuud requested as he held a hand up.

“Sure thing”, Shanin agreed as he pulled the gashriek to his feet.

“Alice versus Jayd.”

“Fuck”, Alice cursed under her breath.

The fight started with a double use of Rush from the Fighters, Jayd swinging a mace around in a spin, just narrowly missing Alice’s head as she ducked and swiped upwards with her sword.

Jayd spun sideways as if squeezing between two walls and dodged the slice, then kicked off the floor to backflip kick at Alice’s sword hand, sending the sword upwards.

Landing solidly, Jayd kicked off the floor again to smash at Alice. Alice made her hand flat and landed a solid palm strike into Jayd’s mace, slapping it away. Recoiling from the slap, Alice clenched her fist and landed a solid blow into Jayd’s helmet.

Jayd became disorientated as his helmet rang out. Alice caught her sword from the air and placed it in the neck gap of Jayd’s helmet and sent that flying off before stopping a downward strike on the man’s face a few inches away.

“Alice wins!”

“Fuck yeah! That’s 1 to 8!” Alice cheered as she jumped around.

“Damn. My streak has ended”, Jayd sighed as he picked his helmet back up.

Marcus went over to Alice and requested her hand, the Fighter revealing it was bleeding from the hazardous parry she enacted. Using Healer’s Caress removed the wounds, but Alice’s dangerous tactic was still scolded. At least it would be utilized if she kept a Devout in the party, and she recognised it would work on Jayd’s attack. As long as she kept that calculating mind in the fight, it was a viable move.

“Sooryah—” Logan began to call.

“Awh man, short straw”, the Rogue sighed.

“Tough lucky buddy”, Alice patted Sooryah on the back.

“—E'leth, Castore, Shanin, Alice, versus Umbra”, Logan finished as a shadowy elemental appeared from the canopies.

“What!?” the victors called out.

“Your prize is fighting as a team. I didn’t say the odd one out was going to fight alone.”

Sooryah had life return to his eyes, “Let’s do this, team!”

“You shall not feel pain long”, Umbra intimidated.

The team lost a bit of their life with that remark.

“Fight!”

E’leth started the fight by firing his crossbow, Umbra stepping half a foot to the side to dodge it. Alice, Castore, and Shanin as the trio of Fighters ran at the shadowy foe and began to attack with swords that either missed or were deflected by the elemental’s slams.

Sooryah came up from behind and began to stab at the rear of the elemental, its wavy body moving around to dodge many of them.

“Castore, Shanin, take low and high!” Alice commanded as she turned her blade sideways and made a horizontal slash.

The other two took the command and sliced horizontally at the bottom and top of the shadowy foe, with so many areas to dodge, the elemental couldn’t dodge any. Getting slashed three times did little to the mass.

Sooryah took the opportunity to dig both daggers deep into Umbra, but his lack of physiology had the Rogue confused when he seemed to do little to the summon’s back.

Umbra whipped out his shadowy limbs, slamming into each of his close foes’ stomachs, causing them all go to flying. He then whirled around and charged at the far Devout, grappling his crossbow arms, twisting them, and crashing the man to the floor.

Wiggling and bending forwards, Umbra dodged a dagger toss from both Castore and Sooryah as the quartet followed their foe as it incapacitated their healer.

Jumping and darting around the shadow, the group worked well in a team and hit the summon every so often. However, Umbra landed a solid blow into Shanin, picked them up, and used them as a mace on the other three. Having all of the adventurers moan on the floor in pain.

“Umbra is the victor”, Logan called.

“The young ones are full of vigour”, Umbra praised as he nodded his head.

“How is this a prize”, Alice moaned as she stood.

“Just think of the experience of fighting something that strong”, Castore commented as he helped Shanin up with him.

“You all did well to land so many strikes, and take some in return”, Logan clapped as he approached the team.

Marcus clapped too, and patted the downed members with a quick Healer’s Caress.

“I’d hate to see what punishment from you looks like”, Sooryah laughed.

“Now, can anyone tell me why I didn’t assign your sparring partners?” Logan quizzed.

“Because you didn’t want to show favouritism?” Alice answered.

Logan shook his head.

“Because out in the field, you cannot determine who you’d fight all the time”, Shanin answered.

“Correct. You need to adapt to any situation, and fighting a caster or someone of the same class must come with the same sensibilities. Make the unknown a non-issue.”

“Dungeons often hold new foes to boot, even outside of intel bought at the G-Hall”, Marcus added.

“I understand”, Alice accepted.

Logan clasped his hands to get the attention of the new recruits, “Now, onto the next segment of training.”

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