* * *
It took them most of the day to prepare, but by the end of it, two large expeditions had been formed and were ready for action. The Dungeon Guardians sent out one and the Dragon’s Spear prepared a small group to surreptitiously follow the Guardians from afar. The Guardians were sent out in gaudy triumph as envoys. They weren’t certain who they were meeting, but they had a general trail to follow. And they would find the people responsible and thank them, very insistently if possible, or with groveling friendship if not.
* * *
Gunlan, Second in Line for Patriarch, fumed in impotent anger tinged with no small amount of fear. He wasn’t a fool and had planned well, but to see himself on his third set of plans proved both infuriating and quite concerning. It also disturbed him as each consecutive plan undermined his future plans more and more. This was his last effort and also his most dangerous.
Around him, his staff busily prepared for him to move out, although he would wait till the end of the week to make it more acceptable and less noticeable to leave so quickly after the monster tide. His eyes snapped up when his spymaster entered. His spy master said nothing, simply nodding softly before turning to join the other servants preparing his belongings, slipping in anonymously amongst the others. Gunlan smiled, then grimaced as he remembered what this would entail. His sigh was of future regret laced with anger.
He watched his spy master go before turning to enact the second part of his plan. There was little more he could do to the eccentric, but now he could finalize the end of his mother’s reign.
“Call for the most reliable messenger,” Gunlan called out to the room without any care for whom he spoke to.
It took several minutes, almost pushing on his patience, when a man entered the room at a run and immediately collapsed to the floor in a deep bow, head pressed to the ground.
“I await, Second in Line for Patriarch.”
“Excellent,” Gunlan replied as he stood. He pulled out his obscure and stalked to the man before coming to stand before him, staring down haughtily as he initiated the obscure at full privacy. All around them vanished into a haze of mist, turning their small area into a rather spooky foggy dimness.
“Here is your mission. Go to the gate, await until it is opened. Travel to the capital and seek out the Wyvern. Report to him that I have done as he desires. I expect payment immediately.”
“Yes, Second in Line for Patriarch.”
“Be prepared to leave immediately.”
“As commanded, Second in Line for Patriarch.”
“Go,” Gunlan commanded, dropping the privacy immediately.
“Yes, Second in Line for Patriarch,” the messenger reported before coming off the ground but remaining bent over at more than a ninety degree angle as the messenger backed out of the room until he came to the doors and opened them while still bowing to Gunlan. He did not stand until he was out of the room and the door had closed.
Gunlan sighed and turned back to his throne, watching all quickly packing his belongings. It would be a long week far from the comforts of home.
* * *
Spymaster for the Second in Line for Patriarch hid in the alleyway watching the clan gate for the eccentric with consternation, fear gnawing at his guts. He’d found himself having to return to spy on the eccentric as the young masters efforts to trick the eccentric into pursuing the insanity job had failed. Or, at least, the eccentric still proved remarkably unaffected. He found himself chewing on a fingernail and ripped his finger out of his mouth in consternation when he caught himself lacking self-control. He’d never lacked control so before, but neither had he attempted to spy on and contrive against an eccentric. He had to be cautious but he was running out of time. He would meet his death either possibly by the eccentric or most certainly by his master if he failed. He had no more time, so found himself outside the clan city gate plotting against the eccentric, the First in Line for Matriarch’s spouse. He shuddered and ended his thoughts, not wishing to think of how the clan would treat him as traitor.
When the eccentric did finally leave the clan, the tension of being alone on the streets ratcheted up as the spy master tensed, quickly turning his gaze away from the eccentric so as to not trigger any skills that might be sight based. He watched carefully and while the eccentric did seem a bit agitated, the eccentric was most certainly not insane. The spymaster frowned and turned away. He fled back down the alleys, seeking out plan B.
Dodging through the alleyways and side streets, he approached the seedier parts of town but continued diving deeper. Soon, he came to the street he was seeking and slowed, turning down the alleyway, he came upon a small shack that appeared run down and rather decrepit. He didn’t allow the appearance to deceive him and he came upon the door with hidden trepidation covered in a generous slathering of bravado.
“I wish to procure your services, witch.”
He remained silent after the statement, not moving for some time until the door finally creaked open and a hunched figure covered in a shabby cloak and a very deep cowl peered out through the crack. The cloak covered everything of the rotund figure while the deep cowl kept the face deeply hidden in its depths. He’d never learned who the witch was beyond knowing what the witch desired to reveal.
“What?” a soft whisper wafted out.
“An obsession.”
“Hmm. On what?”
“The insanity job.”
The witched cackled at that, high and feminine if not exactly attractive as it came out scratchy and with no little insanity, “Oohoo. And would you like that permanent?”
The spymaster kept his irritation quite low but allowed a fraction of it to reveal itself, “What use for permanence? The insanity job will care for the rest. I seek only until the job is chosen.”
The witch cackled again, “On who?”
“The eccentric.”
That gave the witch pause, and she seemed to wait quite some time before finally whispering a curse under her breath.
“Triple.”
“Double.”
“Triple.”
“Double,” the spymaster leaned forward with serious and narrowed eyes, attempting to cow the witch.
The witch stared at him with a frown then closed the door. The spymaster cursed and leapt forward to place a hand on the door. The witch growled softly and he quickly pulled his hand back.
“Triple. Triple. Fine… triple!” the spymaster quickly offered.
The witch stared at him for a time before turning away to consider for some time. The spymaster waited patiently until she looked back up at the spymaster and nodded before waiting while piercing him with her stare. The spymaster stifled a curse and pulled out the payment, still upset at the witch’s reluctance to ever interact with any semblance of normalcy. The witch took the payment with a rabid snap of the hand and slammed the door shut. The spymaster walked away, controlled, but sought escape without showing weakness as quickly as he could.
* * *
She came back from the shut door and disrobed the cloak and cowl, relieved to be free of the stifling costume. She had no desire to reveal her true identity to the community. She held the payment in her hand and cursed quietly once again. An eccentric! I do … not… She ground her teeth and then sighed before turning to head back to her laboratory and reagents hanging against the wall. She sighed then began cackling and offering odd and strange moans and mad singing. She had an image to maintain, after all. It helped keep almost all away. The mad made all uncomfortable and most just a little bit scared. She pulled out her reagents and materials before preparing her obsession curse. She could only hope that it was effective.
That paused her for a moment before she grimaced and turned back to her reagents, adding a few more and another curse. She had no desire for the eccentric to seek her or find her. A three curse ritual would tax her, but it would be the safest. She worked long and cautiously that night, and even grew to feel pity for the eccentric. He would become obsessed with the insanity job but never know why. Nor would he realize it nor seek her out. But… maybe… for a time, I’ll take a long trip to another city.
* * *
Joe woke at midnight, shivering slightly from the cold even as a deep dream faded from memory. What… it was… He almost lost it, but it happened to be some … the two guys talking about the physics job… in the alleyway. They said I… I… Joe sighed and yawned deeply, blinking slowly with bleary eyes. A second yawn took him and he took a look around the room. What was I thinki… oh!?
I’m alone! Joe found himself relieved in one sense but also a bit upset before he turned back to his mana studies. I’m the one to push keeping this slow… no one to blame but myself. Joe sighed and opened his skills pages, looking at what he’d gained today, but did not have much in the way of any expectation.
Numb: Pain half as effective at influencing, affecting, or incapacitating job user.
And he was predictably disappointed, although at least a bit surprised because he’d found an old friend. His Loki Cardinal job gained a new skill to curse others with the simpleton curse. Joe had felt a bit of déjà vu when he’d seen the skill, but popping it open reminded him that Garnedell had had that curse upon him, the one that destroyed his learning stat. And he got one more ‘char:’ skill. Something called ‘char: numb’ from his battler class. He almost didn’t even look at it, but forced himself to at least take a look at it and found it quite interesting but still currently useless as he’d not be keeping this class. He just didn’t have enough room, but he did make a note of it. Might come in useful… some time? Other than that, the paragon, battler, and gifted jobs proved immensely disappointing and he sighed once again, turning to his mana and mana point practice.
Status
Blessings
Current Job
Curses
Available Jobs
Current Skills
All Skills
Log
Joe McConnell
Status
Physical Resistances
Magical Resistances
HP
210.00
Physical:
Wind
0
SP
210.00
Piercing
126.00
Water
0
MP
42.00
Crushing
0.00
Earth
0
Attack
336.00
Slashing
0.00
Fire
0
Defense
168.00
Ice
0
Magic
42.00
Gravity
0
Magic Defense
42.00
Paragon
42
Magnetic
0
Strength
210.00
Gifted
45
Light
0
Dexterity
210.00
Battler
42
Shadow
0
Agility
336.00
Loki Cardinal
42
Space
0
Speed
168.00
Spirit
0
Endurance
126.00
Mental
0
IQ
42.00
Sound
0
Wisdom
42.00
Electricity
0
Will
31.50
Learning
42.00
Luck
0.00
Status
Blessings
Current Job
Curses
Available Jobs
Current Skills
All Skills
Log
Joe McConnell
Status
Physical Resistances
Magical Resistances
HP
126.00
Physical:
Wind
0
SP
126.00
Piercing
126.00
Water
0
MP
42.00
Crushing
126.00
Earth
0
Attack
168.00
Slashing
126.00
Fire
0
Defense
126.00
Ice
0
Magic
84.00
Gravity
0
Magic Defense
84.00
Battler
42
Magnetic
0
Strength 168.00
If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
Gifted
45
Light
0
Dexterity
126.00
Shadow
0
Agility
126.00
Loki Cardinal
42
Space
0
Speed
84.00
Spirit
0
Endurance
210.00
Mental
0
IQ
42.00
Sound
0
Wisdom
42.00
Electricity
0
Will
31.50
Learning
42.00
Luck
0.00
Status
Blessings
Current Job
Curses
Available Jobs
Current Skills
All Skills
Log
Joe McConnell
Status
Physical Resistances
Magical Resistances
HP
90.00
Physical:
Wind
45
SP
45.00
Piercing
0.00
Water
45
MP
45.00
Crushing
0.00
Earth
45
Attack
135.00
Slashing
0.00
Fire
45
Defense
135.00
Ice
45
Magic
45.00
Gravity
45
Magic Defense
45.00
Loki Cardinal
45
Magnetic
45
Strength
45.00
Light
45
Dexterity
45.00
Shadow
45
Agility
45.00
Space
45
Speed
45.00
Spirit
180
Endurance
45.00
Mental
180
IQ
270.00
Sound
45
Wisdom
450.00
Electricity
45
Will
292.50
Learning
7200.00
Luck
0.00
Status
Blessings
Current Job
Curses
Available Jobs
Current Skills
All Skills
Log
Joe McConnell
Status
Physical Resistances
Magical Resistances
HP
450.00
Physical:
Wind
45
SP
450.00
Piercing
135.00
Water
45
MP
450.00
Crushing
135.00
Earth
45
Attack
225.00
Slashing
135.00
Fire
45
Defense
225.00
Ice
45
Magic
180.00
Gravity
45
Magic Defense
180.00
Gifted
45
Magnetic
45
Strength
225.00
Light
45
Dexterity
225.00
Shadow
45
Agility
225.00
Loki Cardinal
42
Space
45
Speed
135.00
Spirit
45
Endurance
135.00
Mental
45
IQ
450.00
Sound
45
Wisdom
450.00
Electricity
45
Will
337.50
Learning
45000.00
Luck
225.00
<Chapter 91 Completed!>