Tunnel Rat Chapter 303 (Patreon)

Galet looked at Milo, puzzled. "This is too far above my level to deal with. I'm just a humble advisor who helps neophytes enter the game. I'm not high enough level to deal with huge quests. It's bad enough that you triggered something like this before. How did you do it again?"

Milo looked at the smooth metal ball, glowing with internal magical energy. "I don't know. It was just a metal ball with no enchantments before." He looked at it suspiciously. "And it wasn't in my chest."

"Hmmm, I suspect the Engine may have something to do with this. That would mean that the quest is now system-approved, so we can just let the System deal with it."

World Wide System Message:
Galet, the Helpful, patient guide for new players, has volunteered to advise and organize the Heroes who have completed the Eye of Wonder quest. Heed his words of wisdom.

Galet raised a finger, wagging it back and forth. "Oh no, you don't! You aren't sticking me with some odd quest just because the Engine dumped it on you. I heard the gears grinding and know what that means. It's interested in something, and things are changing. Find someone else to do your dirty work. I barely know what's going on."

"Me Too! This was a total surprise. And it's quite annoying. I still don't know the whole story of that affair with the Benevolent Sage (who turned out to be neither benevolent nor a sage), who managed to hide somehow hide his entire profile from me and was using non-system-approved spells! It's so annoying. And this quest was first inserted into the game illegally, then erased, and now it's back!

However, I noticed a certain person with a tail is involved both times—how coincidental! You gained quite a bit of interesting stuff when you fed that villain to some horrible ancient creature, including a certain orb. I'm not judging! I'm just mildly suspicious."

Milo was unapologetic. "Not my fault. He picked on me first, and I was only trying to free myself and the other people he had in cages."

"Yes, yes, I'm sure you had good reasons for doing everything you did, and none of the chaos you caused was actually your fault. You stumbled into your special class, and things just sort of happened. I notice a group of your friends have also stumbled into special classes. I shudder to think of the messes I'm going to have to clean up!"

Galet laughed hard at this. "You're upset at not being told all the details and the Engine re-instating the quest."

"Well, yes, I am! I'm the one fielding a million requests for information from players, and I suddenly need to increase the number of creepy old men with lanterns wandering in the wilds and slums, make up cryptic hints, and send everyone off on wild goose chases while I see how the Engine evolves the storyline. Everyone is looking for this quest, and the bucket of bolts told me to give individual tasks to each group that would eventually lead them to the next stage.

At least I get to torment them with the next parts of the quest storyline. But I worry that in my current state of annoyance, I might make the quests too difficult. If only I had a trustworthy person to help me out, someone used to dealing with humans, holding their hands and wiping their noses."

The old man sighed, then winked at Milo. "Alright, I'll help you. In a way, I'm still doing my appointed task as a guide, just at another level. As soon as I've taken care of these beginners properly, we'll sit down together and discuss my role."

"Excellent! I knew I could count on you to be a team player. I'll leave you to your work here. And we'll talk when someone with fuzzy ears and a tail isn't around. I can't give him any hints—not that he is paying any attention to us at all."

Galet looked over at Milo, who seemed to be staring into space. "Odd, he's usually quite attentive."

Milo suddenly ran toward Belinda, shouting. "I have to go. Rusty just sent a million emails trying to get my attention, and all they say is HELP!"

Before Belinda could say anything, Milo disappeared. The Eye of Truth dropped to the ground. Galet picked it up and put it in his pocket, then walked over to Belinda. "Is something wrong? What can I help with."

"I wish you could. Our friend Rusty has a big problem and needs Milo to help him. Hopefully, it's just about anime or a new type of chess game he wants to play and not something important."

The old man nodded. He'd never been part of the 'real world' and, like most inhabitants of Genesis, ignored it. "Then let us assist your friends in choosing their special classes and races, a reward for the hard work they put into solving the quest for the Eye of Truth.

Unseen and unheard by anyone, a voice quietly said, 'Rusty?!'

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"So, what are you thinking about, 'Big Brother', see anything you like?" Min was following Butch around, casually spinning her spear through different positions and stances and watching as he looked at one statue after another. "I mean, your first pick is awfully short; just saying."

Butch looked up at her smirking face. "Oh, I hear you. And nearly anything I pick is going to be shorter than you. You're a damned giantess now."

Min pointed to a tall statue in the outer ring. "That one is cute, and you'd be taller than me."

"A giraffe centaur? No thanks."

"You sure? Four legs means we could use you as a pack animal, and they have a long reach with their polearms. That neck would be a little tough to armor, but I'm sure you figure it out."

"No!"

"Okeydokey. Just being helpful. Hey, there's one shorter than you over there! You wouldn't even come up to my waist."

Butch looked at the statue out of curiosity.

Gnomish Stone-Clan Knee-breaker
These hardy gnomes come from the far outskirts of the Gnomish lands where the ground is as hard as granite and the people are even harder. Warriors of the clan specialize in fighting creatures bigger than them. (Nearly everyone.) The swing their hammers with great force, landing blows in against ankles, knees, and groin to cripple their opponents and knock them down. The giant clans that share the rocky mountains with the Stone Clan fear them more than any other foe.
Like dwarves, Stone-Clan gnomes have the Toughness stat. (TOU). They receive the following: +3 STR, +3 CON, Skill: Knee capper, Skill: Battle Sense.

Butch smiled up at his sister. "Great advice." He touched the statue, and his dwarfish form shimmered and grew even smaller. His skin was a dark grey with hard, defined muscles and no fat. He only wore simple leather armor but held a large, two-handed Warhammer. The head of the weapon was a dark stone that shone like obsidian. The weapon looked too big for his small frame, but he swung it around with ease.

"Ok, I'm ready for round two."

Min was happy to oblige. "Bring it on."

Galet pulled out his healing potions and bandages. Kenji walked up to watch, looking different. He looked mostly human if you ignored the slightly pointed ears and long, sharp fingernails. His hair was thick and wild, tied into a ponytail. Bushy sideburns and a small beard added to his wild look. His only weapon was a thick oak branch that still had a few green leaves at one end.

The guide looked at his profile. "Ah, a Wolf Blooded Tree-Shaper? An excellent combination of forest and animal-based spells. That will work well with your two melee fighters."

Kenji looked over to where Min was keeping Butch at bay with her long spear, stabbing at him. He, in turn, took every opportunity he could to move in close and swing at her, following up as she tried to get distance from him. Already, he was bleeding from two small punctures, and she had heavy bruises on her legs.
"Can we hurt or kill each other here? What happens."

"A good question. The answer is yes, but I have adjusted the tutorial so that while the pain is full, the damage is at a minimum. Pain is a good teacher."

"Cool, let me give them a playmate." He tossed his staff to the ground. The branch shot out roots and drew in sustenance, growing and changing into a creature shaped like a wolf but made of vines and bark. When it stepped free of the ground, Kenji yelled, "Go get them." The wolf loped up behind Butch and bit him on the butt, then chased him around as Min watched. The fight turned into a three-way battle until Min pinned the wolf in place, and Butch smashed it flat. With the wolf turned into wood splinters, they got back to pummeling each other.

A gust of wind announced Yumi as she landed beside Kenji. The wings on her back folded down and became a golden, feather-trimmed cloak. "Wow, flying is awesome. But I need more stamina. I got tired too quickly. STR gives you more, right?"

"At Tier 1, you will see an increase in 20 stamina for each point of STR and 10 for each point of CON, but don't neglect your other stats, as a Wind Sister you will need mana for your spells, and AGI to help with aerial maneuvers, plus DEX to make your arrows and javelins fly true."

Yumi was now six feet tall, and her normally dark hair was midnight-black and lustrous. His skin was tanned and slightly weathered, as was the light leather armor she was wearing. She strung her short bow and looked at the people fighting. "Who do you want to team up with, Kenji? I'll take the other side to keep it even."

The Druid considered. "Give me Min, you take Butch." The two of them ran to join the melee, shouting at the two already fighting.

Galet turned to Brad, hiding in some thick bushes. "And are you joining in?"

He stepped forth, dressed in soft grey trousers and a long-sleeved grey hood, and low boots. "I'm content to get the hang of moving silently. I'll see if I can sneak up on anyone."

Galet shook his head. "It is notoriously hard to 'sneak' around people intent on doing damage to each other, but I suppose you'll have to learn that."

"Sure will." Brad dropped to the ground and his form changed color, matching his background. He slowly started moving forward toward the battle. Galet stared at his gloved hands. He recognized the boy's race. The nomads of the Ilhardine Desert were known for their nimble hands that help them craft brilliantly colored pottery and weave complex designs in their rugs, among other things. He cast his spell of Identification at the boy, and to his astonishment, it disappeared. Nor could he cast it again. He sat down on a rock to observe the fight. "Of course, he'd take that class."

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Ilhardine Spell Thief
The desert tribes of Ilhardine are known for their clever hands, their strange magic, and their curious lack of concern about the ownership of shiny objects. The best way to keep your shinies is never to let a tribesman know you have any. Some of them feel the same way about spells. Their mages don't study any one particular type of magic but borrow from all of them. Unlike a Hedge Mage, they become quite knowledgeable about the theory of magic as they collect and discard one spell after another.
+1 INT, +1 CHA, +1 WIS, +3 DEX.
Gain the Perk: Mystic Library. Your Mystic Library may contain a number of spells equal to your Level +3.
Gain the Perk: Spell Slots. Each active spell you choose from your library must have a Casting Level assigned to it. This cannot be higher than your Level. The total number of Spell Levels cannot exceed the sum of your levels +3.
Gain the Perk: Steal Spell. When a spell is cast near you, you may steal it temporarily. You may then cast it at no cost at a Level equal to your own. You retain the spell until: 1) You copy it to your Mystic Library, 2) You cast the spell, or 3) 1 minute passes. The spell's owner may not cast it until you have done one of these three things. Attempting to steal the same spell again during the same day is not recommended.

Valkyrian Wind Sister
In the Golden Sea, a dry plains area far south of the Empire, the Wind tribes roam with their herds of cattle and horses, eternal nomads. When a white foal is born, seven women are assigned to care for it and train it as a steed. In the foal's third year, their wings begin to grow, and the Valkyrie of Asgard come to claim the winged steed and reward the tribe. The seven are dubbed Wind Sisters and given winged cloaks to wear and pass down to their daughters. In times of great need, it is said that a mortally wounded Valkyrie will choose her successor from the ranks of the Wind Sisters.
+1 STR, +2 AGI, +2 DEX, +1 WIS
Perk: Winged Cloak granting limited flight.
Perk: Air Aspect

Wolf Blooded Tree Shaper
Some Druids walk on the wild side more than others. Uncomfortable around other humans, they open their heritage to both beasts and plants. No two are the same, walking different paths in the forest.
Perk: Double aspected in Nature and Beasts
+3 WIS, +2 CON, +1 AGI
Perk: Tree Shaping. The forest answers your call and takes the form of beasts to defend you.

Red Maw Spear Master
Orcs live for War. Their young wrestle and fight with each other constantly, preparing for the Day of Challenge. Those found worthy will be trained by the veteran fighters, while lesser warriors must strive to train themselves or beg lessons from their clan. A Spear Master is chosen by the spear they wield. The Spirit inside has chosen to leave the path and train the best of the next generation. Spear Masters specialize in their weapon, along with Unarmed Combat that synergizes with spear maneuvers. They will train constantly to live up to their name and win the approval of their weapon.
Orcish Spear Masters gain the following: +4 STR, +2 CON.

Perk: Spirit Spear. This magical weapon, blessed by the tribe's shaman, holds the spirit of an old warrior.
Perk: Swift as the Wind. Add +10% to your avoidance and increase your movement by +25%. You may not wear anything heavier than light armor.
Perk: Whirling Defense. Never standing still, the warrior weaves and dodges while using their Spirit Spear and Unarmed attacks to block the opponent's weapons. All attacks made by and against the Spear Master suffer a -20% penalty, in addition to the Spear Master's avoidance bonus.