Ruthless (The Completionist Chronicles Book 5) Read online

  Ruthless

  The Completionist Chronicles Book Five

  Dakota Krout

  Copyright © 2020 by Dakota Krout

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Contents

  Acknowledgments

  Newsletter

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Chapter 49

  Chapter 50

  Chapter 51

  Chapter 52

  Chapter 53

  Chapter 54

  Chapter 55

  Chapter 56

  Chapter 57

  Chapter 58

  Epilogue

  Afterword

  About Dakota Krout

  About Mountaindale Press

  Mountaindale Press Titles

  Acknowledgments

  I’d like to thank my readers for their unceasing support. At the time that this book is going out, there is a global pandemic that is keeping a large portion of the world in lockdown. Knowing that you are supporting me helps me to push harder to complete my projects. I hope that my words can bring you joy and entertainment.

  To my Patreons who are supporting me directly, thank you all so much! Especially to Justin Williams, Samuel Landrie, William Merrick, John Grover, Kyle J Smith, Dominic Q Roddan, Mark R, Carrie Crumsey, Arthur Gschwind, Phil the Strange, Chioke Nelson, and Mike Hernandez. I will drink a large pot of coffee in your honor!

  The completion of this novel would not have been possible without my lovely wife, PhD Danielle Krout, CEO of Mountaindale Press. Thank you for all the work you do, not only in making things happen, but in giving me a daily reminder of what matters most in life.

  Newsletter

  Don’t miss out on future releases! Sign up for my newsletter to stay up to date. And as always, thank you for your support! You are the reason I’m able to bring these stories to life.

  Prologue

  Zone Alert: To the Unified Race, Humans, congratulations on your achievements this far! As of this moment, the path to the next Zone has been opened. The entrance to the Bifrost is located on the Eastern edge of this Zone.

  The current Zone has earned the designation ‘Midgard’, the abode of mankind. If all else fails on other Zones, Midgard will welcome your return.

  Take heed! Use of the Bifrost means stepping into an energetic field. If you have not achieved a second Specialization, also known as a Third Tier Class, there is a near-certainty that you will not survive the use of this mode of transportation.

  A small group of well-armored humans stood next to a beam of colorful light that rose as a column into the sky. The largest of them, clearly a tank, nodded and strode forward. “I don't know about you guys, but I’m ready to taste the rainbow.”

  “Seriously, Sponge?” An archer-type shook his head. “It literally opened three hours ago, and it tells us that we’ll die if we use it!”

  Sponge grinned at the archer. “Nah, it said there is a near certainty of death. I’m level eighteen, and I have fourth-tier constitution. If anyone can survive this, it’s me.”

  “Why is one hundred and fifty-five constitution tier four?” A fighter questioned him, stepping into the light. “Ooh. That tickles.”

  “Right? It’s the fourth threshold, that’s why! Ten, fifty, a hundred, then one-fifty points in a single stat. Tier four. That’s as high as it goes in this Zone, so it's time to move on,” Sponge stated knowingly. “C’mon, guys. Even if we don't survive the trip, I bet we get a title for being the first to use it!”

  That argument was more persuasive than anyone wanted to admit, and after a few reluctant moments, the rest of the group was standing in the crackling rainbow. “Alright… you guys seeing the same options? I see ‘Zone Two, unification unresolved’. Go for ‘group transport’?”

  There were a few muttered replies, but the overall tone was agreement. Sponge pressed ‘activate’, and the group vanished, leaving behind a puff of smoke that smelled of burnt hair.

  The five screamed as they shot through space at speeds they could barely comprehend. Sponge looked down and saw Midgard vanishing into the distance, and was shocked to find that the entire Zone was a single massive disk. That didn't seem possible… but he supposed that they weren't on Earth anymore.

  A sound like popcorn popping came from his right, and Sponge turned to find that the group’s Assassin had vanished. He scooped up the dagger that had continued flying in the light, determined to return the loot to his fallen teammate. “How’s everyone else doing?”

  *Pop*.

  There went their combat medic. Uh-oh. Sponge was starting to feel… queasy. The light of the stars darkened for a moment, and he turned his attention upward. There was something blocking the… the new Zone! He continued rocketing onward, travelling up the static-charged rainbow; the Bifrost. Odd… there was something different about this Zone.

  *Pop*.

  Another teammate gone. It took Sponge a long moment to figure out what he was seeing. By the time the truth dawned on him, he was at the top of the overly energetic rainbow, and he began to descend.

  *Pop*.

  Now it was only him remaining.

  He was looking down at a landmass that was twice the size as the first Zone, but that was not what had been messing with his head. The fact was, there were two disks that had converged upon each other. They were rotating, and it was clear even from this height that there was a war raging wherever the disks touched. But from here, it was just an amazing lightshow. At least, it was just a fun show until a small asteroid tore past him, following a beacon of light toward the distant Zone. “Now we’re talking! That’s a power level I haven’t seen before.”

  Sponge kept dropping, and found that it was getting harder and harder to breathe. That… that was… “Ow. Oh… ow.”

  *Pop*.

  A pair of smoking boots landed on the ground near the active combat zone of the two disks, and a long-eared man grimaced a
t the boots and rainbow in disgust.

  “Toads looking at swan flesh… they are a hundred years too early to challenge this Zone. Perhaps that one dying a dog’s death will enlighten others!”

  Chapter One

  *Boom*.

  Joe settled on the ground with the rest of his Coven as the ritual completed, finishing a dense black wall that encircled the core buildings of the Wanderer’s Guild. “Thanks, everyone! I know it was an early morning, but I thought that this was the best way to avoid getting in people’s way.”

  Class experience +400!

  “Taka, Kirby, Robert, Big_Mo, Hannah, I’m going to go over your suggestions for more Ritualist classers, but please remember that we are making a tight-knit group. We aren't trying to make a sea of people that can do what we do. The more people that come into the class, the more likely it is that we get downgraded in rarity, and then there is less incentive for people that we actually want to join us.”

  Hannah nodded at him, grinning at how Joe preempted several incoming questions. They had been bugging him about getting more people involved. Robert waved and walked off with Taka and Kirby, while Big_Mo looked at the wall they had just built. “Whew. Looks kinda sinister, right? I mean… it's a wall, but that looks like something that surrounds an evil lair or terrifying dungeon, not a Noble Guild.”

  “To be fair, it is a wall that used to surround a terrifying dungeon,” Joe pointed out. They watched for a few minutes as the guards in the area climbed the wall and took up positions. “Hey, look, Jay gets to get off the ground now. Jaxon is going to miss having easy access.”

  “I think he heard you.” Big_Mo nodded at Jay, who nodded vigorously and made a ‘victory’ pose when he saw that he had their attention. “Makes sense to me, though. Jaxon is a little over-exuberant.”

  “He just loves what he does; can't fault him for that. The rest is the system messing with him.” Joe laughed as he remembered how Jay got an extra strong dose of Chiropractic Services whenever Jaxon saw him. “Also, Jay might be running, but he can’t hide forever!”

  The last bit was shouted up at Jay, who shrugged and mimed stabbing with his spear. The guard then stood perfectly straight and focused on watching the people that were up at this early hour, which looked to be mostly trappers and a few rogues off to pursue dark deeds. Joe rolled his shoulders and started walking. “Alright, Big_Mo, I’m gonna head out. Let me know if you need anything.”

  “Doing good, man. Let’s talk about a ritual I’m thinking about after I get about… four more hours of sleep.” Big_Mo walked off toward his bed. “I’ll find you; don’t worry about me.”

  “See ya!” Joe moved through the gate of the new wall, getting a once-over by the guards. They seemed to enjoy having a specific area to guard instead of a vague ‘the area’. “Time for a breakfast burrito. Yum yum.”

  “Did you see the notification?” Jess shouted over to Joe as soon as he came around the corner toward the coffee shop. The acoustics were excellent in the area, and most people were just getting going, so her raised voice made a few people dive for cover.

  “Jess, it is way too early for that.” Joe winced as he looked around at all the weapons that were suddenly in people’s hands. Weeks of combat and preparation for combat made everyone a little paranoid, even with the mind-soothing that everyone was getting from this world. “Of course I saw the notification. Everyone did. That’s the point of a Zone notification. We even had to dismiss it, or it didn't go away. One moment. Coffee. Large. Black. Espresso if you have it. By chance, do you have any burritos?”

  Jess watched as Joe ordered his coffee from the suddenly-empty space in front of the coffee shop. As the team’s new logistician, she was always looking for ways to prove herself useful to the group at large, and hadn't found much opportunity recently. Perhaps this was a place that she could help. “You know, Joe… you are getting a bit of a reputation for being dark and mysterious, and not in a good way. You need to boost your public image, or it is going to come back to bite you.”

  “What are you even talking about?” Joe started to turn toward her, but the barista on duty handed him a large mug, way ahead of the other people that had already been waiting in line.

  “H-h-here you go… Elbow.” The barista gulped as Joe turned dark eyes upon him. Joe was certain that this guy knew his name and was just playing up his role. “P-please come again.”

  “Mate. A boost here?” Joe continued staring daggers at the sweating Barista. A dark blob poured down his shoulder and hovered over his coffee before pouring half of its body into the drink. Then it rolled up his arm and flattened, making a black cuff at the end of Joe’s sleeve. Joe took a sip of his drink and nodded at the Barista. “Thanks for this… I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “You see, that is exactly what I’m talking about,” Jess told him as they walked toward a table. “You have a terrible reputation. Everyone thinks you are trying to be all ‘edgy’, but you’re strong and scary, so no one wants to do anything about it. Like tell you, or slap you until you stop. I’m volunteering for that.”

  “I have literally no idea what you’re talking about. I was trying to give Mate a rest, but the coffee they gave me was weak.” Joe said over the rim of his cup. “ As for the guild, I have done nothing to the guild and its members except help them, time after time. Look at that!”

  Joe pointed at the towering egg-shaped Pathfinder’s Hall. “We get a huge boost to learning skills near that. I also made the Evergrowth Greenhouse—which is the only place that is a sustainable food source—the housing that’s keeping people out of sleeping bags at night, and the wall that just went up to keep monsters away from the doors! People should love me.”

  “Right. You made all those things. You also made them in the dark when no one was looking. You need to involve people in things, make a public spectacle of this sort of thing.” Jess leaned forward. “People want to feel useful, Joe. If you give people too much, too fast, they are going to rely on you for things that you can't give them. Like security. Leisure. Power. When you can't do it, or you start needing help in the future, people are going to look at you in a different light really fast.”

  Joe shrugged as he sipped his fragrant coffee, responding flippantly, “Perhaps a ribbon cutting ceremony? Cake! People love cake.”

  Ignoring his attitude, Jess pressed on. “You need to help people rely on themselves to give them purpose, or you need to involve them in the process now while it is in the beginning stages. If you don't… if you make everyone need you, either you’ll not be able to do anything… or you’ll go too far. At the end of the day, they are going to think that you will do anything to get ahead. They’ll think you’ll leave them behind, that you’re ruthless.”

  “I’m being too nice? I’m helping too many people?” Joe shook his head, then drained his mug and stood. “I have work to do, Jess. I know that I can't do everything for everyone, but I’m going to do what I can to make all of our lives better.”

  ‘I Know Better’ effect activated!

  Joe paused as he was storming away and looked at the notification. He replayed his morning in his head, but he didn't know where he had gone wrong. He pulled up the active effects tab of his status, and looked at the effect in question.

  Intelligence is two thresholds above Luck! Debuff added: I Know Better. Little Joey would soon learn that he did not, in fact, know better. Effect: 1% chance to make a terrible decision.

  “That’s just… what terrible decision did I make?” Joe looked at the four other debuffs that were in place, frustrated that simply focusing on one area had caused him so many problems. He had a five percent chance to decrease reputation by a full rank during conversation, a five percent chance that he would see someone else's plan as a terrible idea beyond redemption, a ten percent chance of not moving when there might be an easier option around, and finally a chance that any actions he did take would be ten percent slower than usual.

  The worst part was: he would never be able to
realize what was going on. He might not even recognize that he had created an issue, similar to how Jaxon - the low charisma Monk in his team - couldn't recognize that he was making constant social faux pas. The system would make sure they couldn't recognize their mistakes, and that - more than anything - worried Joe. There was no opportunity for growth if you couldn't see the issue in the first place.

  Before he could follow his circular logic down into the drain, another voice shook him out of his reverie. “Joe! You seen Jess? We gotta’ get inta the greenhouse if we wanna beat the lines today!”

  “Good morning, Bard. Oh, hey, Alexis, Poppy, Jaxon. Wow, the whole gang's here, huh?” Joe looked around at the others, surprised to see everyone out and about this early. “What’s going on with the greenhouse?”

  “Morning, Joe. Jess has been keeping tabs on the growth and respawn rate of the food in there.” Alexis explained after covering her mouth to hide a yawn. “Apparently, there’s a good chance that we can get Uncommon or Rare ingredients if we get in there in about ten minutes.”