[ NEW S.T.A.T.S — STRENGTH: MAGICAL=32 - PHYSICAL=16 — TENACITY: DEFENSE=32 - SPEED=16 — APTITUDE: MANA=32 - STAMINA=16 — TILT: CONTROL=32 - LUCK=16 ]
[ NEW UNCOMMON C.L.A.S.S. ACTION: DULLAHAN / CONVERT ARMOR — EFFECT 1: ARMOR OF TARGETED CORPSE DETACHES FROM BODY, BECOMING AN ADDITIONAL ACTIVE ARMOR UNDER YOUR DIRECT CONTROL — EFFECT 2: HP, MP, SP OF CONVERTED ARMOR ARE SEPARATE POOLS EQUAL TO 43.75% OF ORIGINAL — EFFECT 3: CONVERTED ARMOR DOES NOT FADE WITH CORPSE — COST: LARGE MANA — RESTRICTION 1: TARGETED CORPSE MUST BE EQUIPPED WITH ARMOR IN EVERY SLOT DISCOUNTING HEAD AND ACCESSORY — RESTRICTION 2: CONVERTED ARMOR CANNOT BE REDEPLOYED, REPURPOSED, OR REUSED AFTER FALLING — WARNING: CONVERTED ARMOR COUNTS AS 2 AGAINST MAXIMUM SUMMONED ARMORS ]
[ NEW COMMON C.L.A.S.S. PASSIVE: SUMMONER / INFLATED HEALTH — EFFECT 1: DOUBLES DAMAGE TAKEN FROM ALL SOURCESS — EFFECT 2: DOUBLES MAX HP ]
[ NEW COMMON CORE ACTION: EQUIPMENT RESET — EFFECT: ALL CURRENT EQUIPMENT IS INSTANTLY RETURNED TO ITS DEFAULT POSITION — RESTRICTION: IF EQUIPPED, PRIMARY WEAPON MUST BE IN-HAND TO ACTIVATE — WARNING: ALL DAMAGE TO EQUIPMENT IS RETAINED ON RESET ]
Tyrone surprised me over a week ago. Apparently, I am ready to complete the second step of my Path Quest.
Taking his word for it, but still unable to afford another boat trip, I’ve been flying back from the Gustlands Terminal for the better part of a week.
And while I fly, I’m testing some theories of Tyrone’s as he walks me through what to try with my new Skill. Like, can my Gale Ball be thrown?
No. No it can not. We already knew that though. But what about the arm holding it?
Since I can summon it back freely now, that could give me a ranged option, of which I am severely lacking at the moment. But I’m getting ahead of myself. First to test…
[ POWER BLESSING: GALE BALL ]
Plucking my arm out, I toss it downwards from the sky.
It seems to float below me for a moment, inching along before slowing down horizontally and speeding up vertically once it leaves my jet stream of the same color. But even before it can get that far, the swirling ball of green speckled with red, blue, and purple wind on the end of my detached arm, simply dissipates with a puff.
[ COMMON ACTION: EQUIPMENT RESET ]
Every armor I’m controlling is jostled to varying degrees. Doesn’t matter if it’s near, far, busy, or idle. Every last piece of armor is returned and readjusted precisely to its default state. The sensation is unnerving, but oddly comforting to be so unilaterally affected in the same way across all my bodies.
[ GUILD / PLEASE ENTER NAME: IT SEEMS THERE IS EXPONENTIAL RADIAL FALLOFF IN WIND INTENSITY WITH DISTANCE FROM THE ORIGINAL BODY ]
Tyrone clicks his tongue. “Damn.” Then he goes back to his chess game with Simon.
A few minutes later, Simon checkmates Tyrone. “Perhaps at next Attunement Stage?”
Tyrone shakes his head. “Maybe… But I wouldn’t count on it. You’ll be getting an Uncommon and a Rare at your next level, right PEN?”
[ GUILD / PLEASE ENTER NAME: MY NEXT RARE WILL BE ANOTHER DOUBLING OF MY MAXIMUM BODY COUNT ]
“Ah… Try to find a ranged option for Uncommon then, yeah?”
[ GUILD / PLEASE ENTER NAME: I WILL REFRAIN FROM SPENDING SKILL POINTS UNTIL PATH QUEST COMPLETION ]
“As long as you get there before this year’s Tournament, I could give a damn. But we need you in fighting shape by then. And everyone who cares has all the footage they need to prepare any number of counters for your showing last year. We’ve addressed some of that with your recent Skills. But… You know all this. How long until you arrive?”
[ GUILD / PLEASE ENTER NAME: I AM HERE ]
“Meaning..?”
[ GUILD / PLEASE ENTER NAME: THE MONK IS IN FRONT OF ME ]
“Oh.”
[ GUILD / PLEASE ENTER NAME: SHOULD I SPEAK TO HIM? ]
Simon laughs.
Tyrone sighs. “Yes.”
[ GUILD / KIRITO: CAN WE PLEASE KEEP THIS CHANNEL CLEAR OF SOCIAL MICROMANAGEMENT? ]
[ GUILD / ZACK: YEAH ]
[ GUILD / DAVID: AGREED ]
[ GUILD / YUKI: I DON’T MIND ]
[ GUILD / YUKI: KIRITO TOLD ME I SHOULD MIND ]
[ GUILD / YUKI: SO I DO ]
[ GUILD / YUKI: SORRY PEN ]
[ GUILD / YUKI: WHAT DO YOU MEAN I’M DOING IT NOW? ]
The guild chat goes silent after that.
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
At which point, I raise an arm on the three closest of the fifteen armors that I was flying with my head.
The monk rubs his own much smoother, rounder one. “Hello again, purposeless prophet.”
“Greetings, benefactor.”
His head is suddenly no longer smooth. “NO. None of that. Shame on you.”
I nod. “Okay.”
Some silence passes before he breaks it. “You’re not going to contradict me?”
“About what?”
“Your purpose. And it better be better than the one you had last time, or so help me god…”
“Yes?”
Sighing heavily, he shakes his once-more-smooth head. “It’s an expression. So what’s it gonna be? Why do you walk this path?”
“I wish to help my friends.”
“Not good enough. But, I will admit, walking a path for the sake of your friends is better than doing it for your parents.”
Tyrone whispers in the neckhole of the armor in the clubhouse.
As he said, I act like it was my idea to tell another truth. “I also wish to do it for myself.”
The monk sighs. “Again, better. But why do you want the power? Just to have it?” He bristles and shoots me a glare.
“To win the Tournament.”
He blinks, cocking his head. “Oh? We last spoke less than a year ago. What changed between then and now to give you such a lofty goal?”
“I joined a guild and fought in the Tournament of Ascension.”
“Did you now..? I imagine those will be the ‘friends’ you mentioned. And… No, you’re definitely not lying… You truly intend to win the Tournament of Ascension?”
“Is there another way to qualify?”
“‘Qualify’… You aim for the Hero King Tournament, then? Ambitious indeed. You’d almost need the power of a prophet to have any hope of qualifying.”
I nod. “No.”
The monk seems stuck halfway between confused and bewildered before remembering the last time we spoke. Then he’s simply indignant. “What is your goal, then?”
“Ragnarok.”
“You… You’re serious.”
I nod.
He steps aside. “You may pass. Incidentally…” Raising his pointer finger, a tiny tornado emits from it with red, yellow, blue, purple, and white currents swirling all around the green. “Tell me… Can you see this?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
My body in the clubhouse gives Simon a thumbs-up.
Tyrone smirks and they both return the gesture as I repeat what they just quizzed me on not an hour ago. “Attunement Energy, like System readouts, isn’t visible. That is merely how human senses interpret the messages sent directly to the soul. It’s a sense that every race shares, but not one that almost any can access natively. So their bodies interpret it as something else. For most people, this works as it should. But my species wasn’t integrated at the time of my death. So I am stuck with the interpretation of the body I now inhabit. Which is, to say the least, frustrating. And unintuitive. And the reason I can see your wind effect.”
The monk blinks. “That’s correct… And also the answer to my next two questions. In addition to several details I respect your privacy too much to ask after.”
Taking a seat in his padded stool of a chair, he shakes his head. “Very well. I endorse your Path.”
The same six-colored wind swirls around my feet before a green shell or shield of some kind shatters from all around me.
[ PATH QUEST COMPLETED: PRESTIGE OF THE GUSTLANDS ]
I don’t know what that bubble was or how it got there, but I cross the border regardless.
[ ERROR: QUEST REQUIREMENT NOT MET ]
Or at least I try.
The monk sighs. “I’m afraid you’re still lacking in either XP or money.”
An impatient voice sounds from just outside the room with my anime-watching body. “PEN, are you fucking serious?”
At that, Oneshot teleports between me and the monk. “I know you basically weren’t even two months old at the time, but I can’t believe you actually got grifted for everything.”
I nod. “I have no idea what you-”
“What were their names?”
“Who?”
Oneshot slides a hand down his own face. “Whatever. Just… Here.”
[ TRADE QUERY: ONESHOT — OFFERED: $1,500,000 HSD — REQUESTED: $1 USD ]
I nod. “Thank you.”
Oneshot rolls his eyes.
[ TRADE ACCEPTED: ONESHOT ]
[ HSD GAINED: $1,500,000 ]
[ USD LOST: $1 ]
[ PATH QUEST COMPLETED: WEALTH OF THE GUSTLANDS ]
Of the armor holding my head, Oneshot literally kicks my butt across the border.
[ PATH QUEST COMPLETE: SECOND STEP ]
[ NEW PATH QUEST: POWER OF BREEZEBERG — DESCRIPTION: OBTAIN 2,097,152 XP WITHIN THE BOUNDS OF BREEZEBERG — FAILURE: COMPLETE WEALTH OF BREEZEBERG ]
[ NEW PATH QUEST: WEALTH OF BREEZEBERG — DESCRIPTION: OBTAIN 2,097,152 HSD WITHIN THE BOUNDS OF BREEZEBERG — FAILURE: COMPLETE POWER OF BREEZEBERG ]
[ NEW PATH QUEST: FAME OF BREEZEBERG — DESCRIPTION: VISIT AT LEAST 12.5% OF ALL CITIES AND TOWNS IN BREEZEBERG ]
[ NEW PATH QUEST: THIRD STEP — DESCRIPTION: COMPLETE FAME OF BREEZEBERG AND EITHER POWER OF BREEZEBERG OR WEALTH OF BREEZEBERG — REWARD 1: ADVANCE TO FOURTH STEP — REWARD 2: SKYTOPIA ACCESS ]
The monk groans as Oneshot teleports to the other side with me.
[ TRADE QUERY: ONESHOT — OFFERED: $2,500,000 HSD — REQUESTED: $1 USD ]
I nod. “Thank you.”
Oneshot smirks, still directing it at the monk. “Don’t mention it. Just… Don’t give it away again, alright?”
[ TRADE ACCEPTED: ONESHOT ]
[ HSD GAINED: $2,500,000 ]
[ USD LOST: $1 ]
[ PATH QUEST COMPLETED: WEALTH OF BREEZEBERG ]
Ever more indignant, the monk looks like he wants to march over, but doesn’t move from his post. “I mean really, this is so against the very spirit of what I stand for that I can’t just… You know what? Fine. Go, prophet. Buy your way through the sacred pilgrimage. See where that gets you.”
Oneshot shakes his head. “I rather think it’s me buying his way through. And why not? I can afford it easily. In fact… Weapon of choice?”
The monk splutters. “W-what?”
“What weapon do you use?”
“Are you challenging me?”
“Just answer the question, Caped Baldy.”
“That is quite uncalled for. Just because I dislike hair and prefer a cape doesn’t give you the right to-”
“You know what? Don’t answer. Here’s what the stereotypes would have me assume.” Oneshot tosses over a plain red pole.
“A bo staff… How did you know? Wait, is this Unique!?”
“Thanks for not just letting him through the first time.”
“I… Oh, well… I wouldn’t be very good at my job if I did.”
Oneshot shakes his head. “Nah, you’d be fine. But you’re better than fine. You’re downright adequate. Sad how rare that is for NPCs.”
The monk narrows his eyes, but even the slightest hint of offense is quickly drowned out by… Regret? Profound regret, at that. “Truly, I cannot possibly accept a gift this… Priceless.”
Oneshot shrugs. “I can afford it.”
Then he teleports away.
