The currency of this world is very basic, 100 coppers to a silver and 100 silvers to a gold. There are further denominations such as a large copper which is worth 10 coppers, a large silver worth 10 silvers, and a large gold worth 10 gold but otherwise the simplicity has worked well for the surrounding nations as its made trade far easier. This miraculous feat of currency unification has only been achieved due to the existence of the Evergreen Bank, a famed institution that arose a millennia ago, taking a hold of the market like no other and homogenising currency across the whole continent, it’s a bank ruled by the timeless elves giving them immense prosperity for their species.
This world similarly has a 12-month cycle with a few months for each season, which makes it much easier for Lance to keep track, though he’s not awfully bothered with keeping tabs at the moment, too busy with trying to gain some means of progress.
His base of operations has remained hidden and secure, guarded now by a great deal more animals and critters, which scurry around the area, eating scraps to sustain themselves, a fair few finding a boot to the head, taken away to be cooked or sold.
He has not had any quest for rank advancement given to him as of yet, but he has a feeling he has made some progress to that end.
“Damn rain”
Shielding his eyes from the torrential downpour that was assailing his base, Lance was trying to keep his base in order as best he can.
Things have been going good for Lance of late, at least since a week ago after Brack, Benny and Jael’s assault. Jack’s been good to him, and he’s been able to build up his wealth, albeit slowly. He’s had a few times where he was tailed but Lance was able to throw them off each time. Its only natural that people take note of a kid that seems to have an endless supply of fish, less so the rats but that’s also a rise for concern to most as they’re quite hard to catch.
After the rain lets up, Lance heads out on his usual route to a meetup spot with Jack, who he meets early every morning before Jack heads out to set up shop.
On the way, he hears a scream down an alley and turns to see two young boys, one clutching a smaller boy who is bleeding from his nose. Stood just by them was a man, not a large guy, maybe 5’5 or so, fists clenched and spittle flying from his mouth as he pulls his foot back landing it hard on the older boy’s face sending him sprawling to the side.
Lance looked on, but made no attempt to assist, yet just when he was taking that first step to walk away.
Having frozen in his tracks, the time taken to read the message was long enough that the male took notice of his presence who had then started to shout obscenities at him, telling him to fuck off and to mind his own business.
But Lance’s mind was elsewhere, he had seven days, but he had to kill someone. It felt as if a rock was placed in his stomach, his breath grew ragged and incoherent.
He knew who, the chance that the system would give him this quest randomly was unlikely, it was too coincidental after what he had seen, no, the quest was more like a suggestion, this man needs to die.
Before he could render further clarity to his thoughts a hand grasped the cuff of his neck and yanked him forward. The next feeling was pain as a fist collided with his sternum, the air shooting out of his lungs as he fell, landing heavily to the ground, tears swelling to his eyes, yet his lungs found no purchase, no air.
The man looking down at his work with a wide grin on his face, his hair matted from the sweat he has expelled after exerting himself to beat up 3 young, emaciated boys. As he raised his foot, looking to stamp on the boy’s head he found a number of flies had started to buzz around his face, even ramming his eyes and ears.
This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
“What th-”, his voice cut off by a number of flies entering his mouth. Panicked he spun around wildly swinging, but the attacks wouldn’t let up, the two boys looked on in confusion, but through the dancing man they saw the boy stand again, his hand clenched though they could not see around what.
Lance shot forward in a whir of motion, a shiv, grasped tightly. He had to make it right, the flies whilst useful for a distraction was all they were good for. In a lunge he covered the small distance between himself and the man, flicking out his arm towards his neck. What followed was gurgles as the man fell to a knee, grasping at his neck as a waterfall of blood started to cascade down his torso. The shiv had broken, but it didn’t matter, Lance had dropped it immediately after his attack, now he needed to get out of here.
“Hey! Follow me!” shouting at the two boys to follow, they surprisingly lacked any hesitance running out of the alley past the dying man and following him.
Finding a chance to fully catch his breath he turned to the two boys that followed him.
“Didn’t really expect you to follow, I’m Lance”
“Jace”
“Blake”
“Orphans?”
“Yeah”, “Yeah”
Lance made no effort to recall the haunting sight of the dying man, nor the feel of the shiv roughly cutting the man’s neck, he had to keep busy, he didn’t want to think on it.
“I have a proposition”
“What’s that mean?”
After walking with the two boys to the meet up, Lance told them of his business, and more importantly if they would like to be a part of it, to which both jumped on the offer. There are not many prospects for an orphan in a slum, their ends are never good, and few have a chance to make something of themselves, this was like an angel offering its hand.
Business was affected with Jack as usual; he had no questions concerning the two boys with Lance, nor the state they were in.
“Just a heads up, one of them may make the delivery instead of me”
“I don’t care as long as you keep up the deliveries, these minnows as you call them sell like you wouldn’t believe.”
The three kids made the trek back to base.
Having heard from the two the man he had killed was a truly sadistic person, a murderer and rapist, if he hadn’t been there those two would have most likely been added to his list of victims.
Back at base.
“You heard about the Griffin terrorising Ashcal” Blake asked
“No, what’s it about?”
“It’s hunting lifestock around the town, even attacked a few of the people, I’ve heard you can get 10 silvers for its head at the least”
Like this, conversations continued as they finished their porridge and bread, their beds some piles of straw, the base already feeling cramped now. As they went to sleep trying to keep their limbs away from the damp mud, Lances mind focused at his screen.
[Current Rank: E]
[System Status: Active – E-Rank Access Granted]
- (Expanded)
- (Expanded)
- (Improved Quality)
- (New Additions)
- (Poor to Low-Quality Range)
- (Expanded Lore and Instruction)
- (NEW)
-
(NEW)
-
With a great deal of thoughts flooding Lance’s mind it wasn’t till an hour in did he manage to at last drift off, exhausted.