Chapter 168 (Patreon)

The Pitt - 4:02 PM

It didn’t take long to confirm that my suspicions were right; we were being followed. I activated Aura Sense every few minutes, and every time it showed the same group trailing us at the very edge of the skill. At times they had disappeared from it completely, but slowing down allowed them to catch up. Since we had time, I quietly told Mercury the story of Pustibule and what went down in Florida.

“Dang, so we’re definitely going to have to deal with these Demons, huh?” he asked as we ducked into a low corridor. “I mean, that sounds like some world saving stuff so I’m down, I just didn’t expect to get tossed into something so world shattering as Angels versus Demons when I was stalking you.”

“You weren’t expecting anything at all except another set of bosses on your item count,” I said. “And Angels versus Demons is an event for another day. This is basically just a small skirmish. Barely counts.”

“If you say so,” Mercury replied with a shrug. “But it sounds like you were expecting this, so why’s it such a big deal? Or, a bigger problem, I guess. That’s what you said, right?”

“I could feel that the area was being suffused with Demonic energy when I transformed in the auction house,” I answered with a nod. I had taken my Angelic form for only a few seconds, but there was no doubt in my mind that it meant Pustibule was here. “The thing is, my Patron hasn’t been able to find them despite having taken the time to look through the Pitt on her own. They’re the second highest powers in the system aside from the administrators. In some ways they’re more so, since they cater to Patrons. Now, think, what should that tell you?”

“That… Pustibule, or rather Jeremiah, has a Patron on their side that can block others of their kind?” Mercury asked, clearly unsure of his answer.

However, it was the right one. “Yeah, that’s what I’m thinking,” I said grimly. “Depending on which one joined in on their crusade against me, it’s not unheard of. Trickster deities in particular would have that power, various Demon gods could, and some that would oppose Angels or those aligned with the forces of good could do the same. It would be expensive, but possible.”

“That sounds like your assessment of their threat level might need to be kicked up a few notches,” he replied.

“That sounds about right,” I agreed. “It certainly adds more to consider, but hopefully I’ll get some answers from these people.”

“Wait, what about the Princess’ puzzle?” Mercury asked. “You’re going to help me with that, right?”

I waved my hand. “Nah, you’ll do fine. I know you’re going to nail it, so just do what you have to do.”

“Really? That’s-“ He was cut off as we approached the cavern holding the dungeon.

The building was four stories tall, only about fifteen feet wide, and looked like it had once been set up between two others. The sign in the front read Crown Antiques and Collectibles. Littered throughout the cave and inside the buildings were different types of swords sticking out of the ground and walls.

Really, the variety was outstanding. There was everything from large, two-handed greatswords to curved blades that were just long enough to no longer be considered daggers. Each was different, with some sporting colorful hilts or odd colored metal and several in states of disrepair.

I stopped Mercury right inside the dungeon when the quest screen popped up.

[[Second Scenario Quest: Liberate Crown Antiques!]]

Congratulations, players. You have found a puzzle dungeon.

Here, you will find the Princess, an intelligent spirit housed inside a fearsome blade. She cannot be attacked, nor will she harm you physically. Instead, you must gain her favor and be accepted as her sole wielder.

Choose the correct blade and you will bond with the spirit, who will grow as you do. Choose incorrectly, and be banished from this dungeon forever.

Objective: Find the blade the Princess is bound to and wield it.

Reward: +800 points, +15 Guild Points, Crown Antiques will be liberated.

“Go get her, tiger,” I said, pushing him further into the dungeon. “Save the Princess from being stuck here until someone else finds this place and pulls her.”

Mercury stumbled forward before regaining his balance. “Now’s… now’s not really a great time to mention that I’m bad at talking with women, huh? Like, absolute train wreck. In passing? Sure. Actual conversation? Not really.”

“First, no train wrecks allowed,” I told him, holding my hand up. He shot me a confused look, and I smirked. “Our guildhall is a train. I won’t have that bad juju going out into the universe.”

“Bad juju, universe, no doubt. I’ll keep that to myself from now on,” he retorted sarcastically.

“Excellent, glad you see the logic. Second, Leonard Langston is bad at talking with women,” I said with a snort. “Mercury Moongrave, on the other hand, is fantastic.”

“I don’t think-“

“Go on, roleplayer!” I said, giving him another push with my mind. “You’ve got this! Complete and utter faith in you. If you can’t believe in yourself, then believe in the outcome I’ve foreseen. And, whatever you do, don’t worry about me. I’ve got all of this.”

“Yeah, yeah, alright, I get it,” Mercury muttered. He examined the swords out here, dallying, before taking a breath. I watched him visually steel himself by puffing up his chest as he walked inside the building.

“He’s going to be just fine,” I announced, putting my hands on my hips before retrieving my Writhing Belt Whip from my pocket. On my heel, I spun around and lashed out at the ground. A gouge appeared where it struck, marking the entrance to the dungeon. “Which is more than I can say for the likes of y’all out there. What’s with the hiding, eh? Come on out and meet me.”

Silence met me, and I activated Aura Sense. Just as I thought, six people were hiding just around the nearest corner. I tapped my foot impatiently, watching them without their knowledge. sighing, I pulled out the Scalpel of Angelic Healing. The item had been a fantastic addition to my arsenal and I had used it to great effect against Manny’s Demonic axe thanks to one skill it possessed.

[[Skill]]

Demon Slayer

This skill can only be activated in the presence of Demonic energy. You can transform this item into an Angelic sword that is especially potent against those who oppose the powers of Heaven. While this skill is active, gain an additional +10 Strength and +2 Constitution to your stats.

Twirling the tool in my hand, I attempted to activate Demon Slayer, and frowned when I couldn’t. The stalkers still hadn’t moved, so I shouted out again.

“Look, people,” I said, making sure they understood my exasperation. “I’m psychic, you’ve got minds, whatever you’ve got going on hasn’t worked since the surface. You can just come on out, and we’ll talk. Simple as that.”

The figures shifted and, after a few seconds, one of them walked around the corner. I was about to drop Aura Sense when I noticed that they were invisible to my actual sight. Arching an eyebrow, I crossed my arms and watched as their colorful silhouette raised their hands to their mouth. The sound of air leaving a tube alerted me to the blowgun moments before I let the dart strike me for intelligence purposes.

Guild on guild violence was against the rules without strict permission, and there would be a screen that popped up that would tell me exactly which organization was attacking me. I hoped that it would be a name I didn’t recognize; things would be a lot less messy if the Demons had their own guild.

[[Warning!]]

You have been attacked by a member of the guild [Black & Gold]. This is their first strike of three against [Sol Ligatus].

The moment the dart struck me in the neck, the man who shot it became visible. He was middle aged, wore red leather armor, and wielded a blowgun the size of his forearm. His expression turned to one of triumph at the fact that he had hit me dead on. Not only that, but his aura shifted once his invisibility dropped, and there was nothing remotely Demonic about it.

I scowled and didn’t even bother to pull out the dart from my neck.

“Really? Black & Gold?” I asked, throwing my arm up in disappointment. “Here I thought I had a real, tangible threat on my hands, and it’s just a set of low class bozos. This is our dungeon, you dirty thieves, we’re completing it.”

My mind started to fog before my Constitution kicked in and dispersed the poison on the dart. A second effect that did the same hit me before being stopped by my Wisdom. It had been meant as a one-two punch to knock me out. I had to hand it to them; they were thorough. The ammunition itself had dealt such minimal damage that my healing body pushed it out, and I caught it before tossing it into my inventory.  

Regardless of what I was actually feeling, I let my eyelids flutter and grabbed the rock wall. I stumbled as I moved out of sight before turning Aura Sense back on. Swiping open my menu, I spent the 100 points to send a guild-wide announcement. It would be well worth it, even if this continued to be a disappointing piece of nothing.

I watched as he took a few tentative steps forward, head cocked to the side as if waiting for an audible clue, and I knocked over a few of the swords when I fell to the ground. Not trusting them to leave my weapons when they could steal them, I made sure they were underneath me.

Once he was satisfied, my assailant nodded to himself before gesturing for his crew to follow him. They did, though the shroud around them didn’t drop. In fact, the aura of the guy who became visible returned to its artificial state. It was a powerful illusory spell that covered a lot of bases.

“Jagoff really gotta call us out like that,” I heard a woman say.

“It was surprising enough that he noticed us,” another said. “Be careful of the other guy.”

“Yeah, we didn’t notice him until the snow started melting off of his armor. He’s a stealthy one. Keep your eyes peeled. Devin, keep your detection spell up, Leslie, keep us shrouded.”

“Of course,” a man replied.

I resisted the urge to sigh as I pretended to be unconscious. Black & Gold was a guild dedicated to sniping dungeons. They would follow smaller groups in, wait until the dungeon was almost complete, and finish the job. Almost the same as Mercury but done with actual malicious intent. Still, I knew they weren’t going to kill me. That wasn’t how they operated, hence the Spell Dart they had used to load up a second sleep effect along with the poison.

Despite thinking they had me taken care of, the group took their time. Approaching slowly and keeping an eye out, they entered the dungeon only once they were sure it was safe. It was almost infuriating. I didn’t want to be patient but was forced to, anyway. Everyone paused when they received the scenario quest, taking the time to read through it.

“Don’t touch any of the swords, and keep quiet,” the man who shot me warned before walking over to me. “We don’t want to alert this guy’s partner. Also, newbie, credit where credit is due; good call saying to follow them. He shoved the dart into his inventory before it took hold, but the dungeon seems like it’ll pay out.”

Another man grunted before my assailant kicked my leg a few times to make sure I was actually down, and I made sure not to respond to the provocation or the pain; his attention was not gentle. Satisfied, he nodded and looked back. “Alright, fan out.”

Black & Gold did as commanded. Six identical aura signatures spread out, though they didn’t spread out too far from each other. They seemed to know the distance of the shroud spell by heart now, and stayed within a circle around the one I assumed was their illusionist.

But, something was amiss. They started moving away, and yet I heard a pair of footprints approach me from behind. I wasn’t the only one to notice.

“Hey, come on,” the boss said. “He’s out like a light. Don’t bother him.”

“Checking the breathing and pulse,” the truly invisible man said. His accent wasn’t that of someone from Pittsburgh, but from somewhere down south. “Can’t be too careful.”

“Well, we need you up here,” the woman said. “You’re supposed to be protecting me, not messing with the sleepers.”

“It’ll only take a moment,” he claimed.

My thoughts returned to what Thomas had said back on the Angel Express after the first failed assassination attempt. About how he spoke in short, clipped sentences. It had been such a little detail, but both it and the accent were adding up. The Justicar had also said he was a mousy fellow, shorter than any of the present company at the time, with short cropped hair and a nose that no longer sat right.

The man leaned down and put his fingers against my throat. I resisted the urge to swallow as my skin burned from the contact. He jerked his hand back as he swore. There was no doubt about it, he was Demonic. Just as I was about to jump into action, he spoke.

“I know you’re conscious, Anthony Franklin,” he whispered low enough that the others couldn’t hear him. “We have to have a discussion. Take me hostage. Tell the others to leave.”

A chill washed over me, but I knew this was going to be better as a one on one instead of a guild brawl. I quickly rolled to my back and kipped up to my feet, nearly sending the other man flying away. Unlike the others, he was visible, out of range from the shrouding spell.

Demonification was a violent process that warped a person’s form beyond recognition. At a glance, I couldn’t see it in him. Aside from unnaturally pale skin, he looked exactly like a regular person. That was at complete odds with what I felt when he touched my neck, but I knew it was safer to trust the feeling than my eyes. Doctor Pustibule could have been the plastic surgeon of Demons for all I knew.

Reaching out, I grabbed him by the collar and spun him around to use as a shield. The man I assumed was Jeremiah raised his hands to indicate he was giving up as I placed the scalpel near his neck. If it damaged him then I would receive a warning, and I wasn’t ready for that yet. While I couldn’t see the other members of Black & Gold with my eyes, I could see their auras bring up their hands. Some were holding weapons, others were unarmed. Another spell brushed against my consciousness before being beaten back by my Wisdom stat.

“If you value his life, grab a sword,” I threatened. “I guarantee his safety if you leave now.”

“If you hurt Jeremiah, you’ll only have two attacks left before you’re punished by the system,” the boss said, showing a willingness to negotiate. “Even if you kill him in one hit, there’s still six of us. You can’t-“

[[Guild Notice]]

The guild [Sol Ligatus] has successfully filed for an Emergency Skirmish against the guild [Black & Gold]. These two will be able to attack each other for the next 24 hours so long as it is done within the Pitt.

I felt Jeremiah stiffen as they all received the same notification. The rest of his guild loudly complained, and it was justified. Rules such as Emergency Skirmishes were not evoked lightly, and Kayla had to stop whatever she was doing to run to the Guild of Guilds to advocate for one on my behalf. Thankfully, she was a very Credible Deputy Guildmaster.

“Quiet down, all of you,” I said. “That’s insurance, but the offer’s still on the table. You probably know the name Anthony Franklin by now. 50 and oh in the Fieldhouse, guildmaster of Sol Ligatus, and overall badass. Lucky for you, I don’t want to actually kill this man. So, you all get out of here, and he’ll follow you. Eventually.”

“Really hope that’s not a lie, Angel,” Jeremiah muttered out of the side of his mouth before addressing his guild. “Get out of here.”

“We can’t lea-“

“Get out!” my captive roared. “I’ll be right behind you.”

Black & Gold still looked concerned, so I placed the scalpel against Jeremiah’s neck. The flesh sizzled loudly as the Angelic item touched Demonic flesh. Whatever veil he was using was top notch, reinforcing my theory that he had a Patron, but skin contact was enough.

I attempted to activate Demon Slayer for a little extra intimidation, and the scalpel transformed into a full blown sword shaped like an Angel wing with a halo crossguard. The members of the opposing guild took a few steps back before looking to their boss. With a grim nod, he put his weapon away.

“If he doesn’t make it back alive, we’re going to come down on you,” the man spat.

“Talk is cheap, let’s see you grab those swords,” I replied.

I couldn’t tell what look was on his face since he was still invisible, but I assumed it was a grimace as he reached out and grabbed one of the swords. A rusty scimitar. An X appeared above his head before he and the weapon were teleported out. The others were quick to follow, offering empty platitudes to their comrade before disappearing.

Once they were gone, I didn’t bother letting Jeremiah go. Kicking both of his legs, he fell to his knees. The scalpel cut a line of black blood from his neck as I pressed it against him, solidifying to me that he was Demonic. “Give me one good reason not to gut you right here and now.”

“Pustibule has planted a bomb in me,” the man said. There was no stress in his voice. “Feel free to test it. Or, we can talk. Your call.”

I narrowed my eyes at the back of the Demon’s head. It didn’t take me long to decide to trust that statement, if only for now. “Fucking doctors,” I muttered.