Ruthless (The Completionist Chronicles Book 5) Page 4

  “Mmm…” Joe opened his eyes, and they were filled with determination as well as excitement. “Time to do some research. I need to get to class level ten, start looking into new buildings, find material and Cores, and get some lore skills. Aten… you may have given me the kick I needed, buddy. I’ll just have to hope that you can afford to devote the resources I’ll need to power my way through the ranks.”

  A flash of light took him from the Temple portion of the Pathfinder’s Hall into the main square of Ardania. After about twenty minutes of pushing through the crowd, he found himself in the library. There was a new man at the main desk, who seemed to recognize Joe. He didn't seem very happy, but at least he waved Joe through without stopping him, which Boris had almost always done.

  “Common book area…” Joe walked into the largest room of the library and started toward the leftmost section. One of the benefits of setting up the organizational system for the area was that he knew where things should be. “Architecture… let’s brush up on history, types of buildings, and anything else that might be useful.”

  He spent the rest of the day going through books and reading everything that was publicly available about the subject. He took meticulous notes, and at the end of the day, he had a thin stack of paper that he had devoted to the process. Mate, his coffee elemental, had spent most of the day on his lap. Joe found that it had habits similar to a house cat, enjoyed sleeping in warm spaces, and happily bubbled.

  Joe very much enjoyed the creature. Not only was it giving him life-saving coffee, but as a non-combat familiar, it seemed that this thing was essentially a pet! He decided to look into how to take better care of it. Did it eat or drink; did it need anything beyond mana? He already knew that he could feed it beans to change the coffee flavor, but what else? All of this was information he would seek out, but for the moment he eyed his new skill with glee.

  Skill gained: Architectural Lore (Novice II). Allows you to fine-tune Architectural blueprints that you find or create. Can increase the quality of structures or decrease the cost of building them.

  “Knowledge, Architectural Lore.” Joe felt his mana start moving instantly, but it was a… strange feeling. Normally when he used a skill, the mana would flow through and out of him. Right now… it was flowing in and up. Mana was drained out of the battery that Joe had pulled out, and a rush of power entered his brain. Suddenly, he knew more about Architecture.

  Skill increase: Architectural Lore (Novice III).

  Skill increase: Knowledge (Novice II).

  “What in the blazes is going on in here? The library is closing; get out!”

  Joe blinked away his notifications as Boris barreled into the room to find out why mana was surging in his precious library. “Oh. Hey there, Boris. Did you have the day off?”

  Chapter Five

  “No, I didn't have the day off. I was… why am I telling you this?” Boris shook his head and glared at Joe. “What are you doing, youngster?”

  “Research.” Joe waved at the table and nodded. “Trying to find out more about my class, get a few lore skills, and find my path to my next Specialization.”

  “Ah. Well… I can't exactly kick out a Tenured Scholar.” Boris seemed as displeased by that fact as he seemed happy that Joe had that rank. “Is there anything I can help you with that will get you out of here faster? Truthfully, only so I can go to bed, but the offer stands. What are your reasons for looking into this?”

  “I’m trying to find what I need to do to achieve my next Specialization, and I feel that lore is the way to go.” Joe pushed his notes across the table and tapped his section headers. “As far as I can tell, there are three main categories of structure that I can make. The first is ‘offense’, or siege, which looks amazing. Buildings that can lob projectiles a quarter of a Zone? Resonating siege towers that cast and amplify a spell from a distance?”

  Joe blinked as Boris’s head bobbed; the older man was falling asleep. “Right, ahh… ‘defense’, which allows things like enchanted walls and traps. Also, massive stationary shields or magical auto-turrets. Finally, ‘utility’, which is mainly used as quality-of-life or support structures that help less directly with combat.”

  Boris glanced at Joe’s notes and agreed with him. “These do look interesting. Is there any specific one that you are leaning toward?”

  “Honestly… if I can find the path forward on one of these… I think that any of them will be valid. My real concern is that I am the class trainer for my class, so if I take something that isn't useful to everyone, there will be a lot of people stuck with my choices.” Joe paused and licked his lips. “I’m actually pretty concerned with what I took for my first Specialization. I’m wondering if steering my class away from war was the correct path.”

  Boris nodded and put a hand on Joe’s shoulder. “I think you are doing just fine. You can't decide to be responsible for everyone. If they want a different path, all they need to do is walk it. Now… I think I know of something that may help you.”

  Joe looked up, hope filling his eyes. Boris arched a brow and continued, “Don’t get your hopes up too high. What I am thinking of is going to take a lot of research on my end. I don't mind doing it, because I still feel that the Scholars owe you something. I’ll try to have some information for you in a week or two.”

  “Thank you, Boris.” Joe shook the old man’s hand.

  “Don’t run off now; I think that there is something you are overlooking.” Boris gave Joe a flat stare over the top of his glasses. “You are a Tenured Scholar, and that is wonderful, but what have you taken for your other professions?”

  “So far, I only have the one.”

  Boris shook his head in annoyance. “Then you are wasting your talents and throwing away experience and benefits. You have a profession that is currently based on gathering, so you should take another that is based on production or refinement. Or... it seems you are level fifteen, so take both! You can choose to synergize them well with your class and gain the most benefit from them. My personal recommendation would be something along the lines of paper production or bookbinding. You don't strike me as a blacksmith, for instance.”

  “Isn’t blacksmith a class?” Joe quizzed the older man. “What’s the difference here?”

  “Easy enough.” Boris cleared his throat and sat down alongside Joe. “You can have a profession, such as blacksmithing, that will give you anything from profession experience to skill bonuses for creating weapons and various metallurgy. Then, separately, you have the blacksmith class, which will give you things like weapon blueprints, class and experience toward your overall level, and will allow for much faster progression. Now, to maximize the potential, a blacksmith would likely take a blacksmith class and profession.”

  “I don't really see the difference there.” Joe admitted. “It seems like they do the same thing.”

  “In a way, yes.” Boris nodded, “But have you ever gained personal experience for increasing your profession? Or has it always been profession experience? I don't mean from quest rewards, of course.”

  “Honestly… I don't know?” Joe tried to think back, but couldn't remember the details.

  “That’s fine. The main difference is that a blacksmith class can reach say, level twenty, by crafting alone. No fighting required. Nothing is technically required, except smithing harder or more intricate items. A person with a blacksmith profession can make the same items, use the same tools, be very good at it… and be stuck at level one forever, because professions are only about skill. No experience is granted to the person.” Boris waved away Joe’s next question and pointed at the door. “My bed is calling, and the midnight oil is burning. I hereby rescind my previous statement that I wouldn't kick you out. Get!”

  “Pff.” Joe stood and helped Boris to his feet while chuckling. “Thanks, Boris. You gave me a lot to think about.”

  “Yes, yes.” Boris waved his hands at Joe to hurry him along. “Out!”

  Joe laughed and left with a wa
ve, thinking through his next options. His profession was something that he should really look into, something that he should spend a lot of time researching… “Nah. I’ll make Jess do it.”

  He chuckled as he teleported to Towny McTownface and found his bed. As Joe was disrobing, he heard a crinkle in his pocket. He reached in and pulled out… a paper crane? Was it a secret message of some kind? Joe pulled the paper to unfold it, and the entire thing glowed brilliantly… before exploding into shards of ice. There was a concussive blast that flipped Joe across the room and pinned him to the wall, where he lay feeling strangely lethargic.

  Damage taken: 250 (125 x2 sneak attack damage!) Debuff: Chilled. Slowed, movement speed reduced by 25%! You take additional damage from cold damage until ‘Chilled’ has worn off!

  Joe’s teeth chattered, and he slowly reached his arm up and touched his chest. He rasped out, “Mend.”

  Health: 245/330 Debuff: Chilled. Slowed, movement speed reduced by 25%! You take additional damage from cold damage until ‘Chilled’ has worn off!

  “I’m really missing Cleanse right about now.” Joe snarled in slow motion. “Mend.”

  His health returned to full, and Joe slowly pulled himself out of the puddle of frosted blood that he had been lying in. His door slammed open, and a few guild guards looked around. “Joe! You alright there?”

  “Jay? I’ve… never… seen… you… off… duty.” Joe’s teeth stopped chattering, and his motions became more fluid. The chilled debuff had finally worn off. “Was that a twelve second debuff on one spell?”

  “Someone attacked you?” Jay pulled out what looked like a riding crop and walked into the room, tossing open the small closet to see if someone was hiding there.

  “It was a trap,” Joe informed him. “Someone basically put a grenade in my pocket.”

  “There’s a paper on the floor.” Jay leaned down and picked it up before Joe could warn him off. “It says ‘Wolfpack forever. Hope this helps you chill.’ and it is signed ‘S’. Know any people that are after you?”

  “Way too many.” Joe admitted stiffly. “Thanks for coming to check on me, but I’m gonna get some sleep now.”

  “Fair enough, take care.” Jay stepped out of the room and closed the door behind him.

  Joe flopped onto the bed, staining the sheets in an instant. “Ugh. I miss Cleanse. Alright… sleep. Figure this out later.”

  The night seemed to fly by, and far too soon, Joe found himself on the way to an unknown dungeon with his group early the next morning. He explained to all of them what had happened to him, and made his request for Jess to look at what professions would synergize well with what he was doing.

  “I can certainly look into that, no problems there. It aligns well with what I am trying to research right now anyway, but let me know if anything changes.” Jess got more information from him, focusing mainly on what he was building, the things he was trying to do, and where he saw himself going.

  When all of her questions had been answered, Joe looked around at the others. “Hey guys, listen. I got ordered to make serious progress toward my next class, and I am wondering if you all need help as well. I don't want to have to leave Midgard without you, so if you need something that I can provide, just tell me.”

  “Sounds good!” Poppy was in a strangely good mood today. Joe didn't want to comment, so he focused on the road. “Did I tell you all that my girl learned how to do somersaults last night?”

  Ah. That would do it. It was strange to Joe that the steely-eyed Duelist who was driven to perfect his skills with a rapier… was also a doting doe-eyed father that could be put into a fuzzy pink mood for days after seeing his daughter. Joe certainly wasn't complaining. “That’s excellent, Poppy! How’s everything else going?”

  “Mmm. Good. The Pathfinder’s Hall allows for excellent skill sharpening, but I truly need to test myself in combat in order to consolidate my abilities with battle experience.” Poppy gave Joe a dark glance that was much more his normal style. “Joe, we have seen neither combat nor time together for too long. More than needing resources, we need to make sure that we are progressing smoothly together.”

  “I fully agree.” Joe nodded and glanced over at Alexis and Bard, but they were fully lost in their own conversation. Jaxon and Jess were arguing together, so Joe broke into their conversation. “Jess, will this be a good place for-”

  “Jaxon, there are no other people with that skill! How the abyss am I supposed to help you find your next Specialization?” Jess ignored Jaxon and turned to focus on Joe, but Jaxon was having none of that.

  “It has to be a cross between a tamer and a Chiropractor!” Jaxon demanded enthusiastically. “Or a druid of some sort!”

  “Joe, we’re here.” Jess kept her eyes locked on Joe. She pointed at a hole in the side of a hill that was flanked by two guards from the guild. “Watch this, guys.”

  Jess pulled out a bag and started dumping snakes onto the ground. Bard yelped a curse and jumped back, but Jaxon’s eyes lit up. They dimmed as he looked closer. “Aww. They’re dead.”

  “Yup.” Jess touched one on the head. “Slither again. Become my eyes and ears.”

  The snake corpse started moving, then coiled up and looked at her. It remained unnaturally still until the spell was cast nine more times, creating more serpentine servants. Poppy started chuckling, and Jess looked at him with pure confusion. “What? This is super cool! They can scout! I even combined one of my rogue abilities that lets me use them to steal items out of people’s pockets!”

  “I’m sorry, Jess… it's just… you raise snakes. Ha! You can steal with your serpents? From people? Is… hee… is that skill called pocket snake, by any chance?” Poppy only laughed harder as Jess turned red. “The fact that you aren't answering the question tells me everything I needed to know!”

  “You know what?” Jess growled dangerously, turning on the Duelist. He shied away, laughing, and she grumbled as she sent the snakes past the guards and into the open dungeon behind them. Jess pulled out a paper and a pencil, starting to draw a map out for the team while muttering, “Dirty minded… I better start getting some respect around here.”

  Chapter Six

  “Anyone know how to increase the luck stat? I remember something about games of chance, but I never followed up on that.” Joe finally broke the lingering silence. The only sound for the last ten minutes had been the slow scratching of Jess’s quill on paper, and the repetitiveness was starting to drive him crazy.

  “Yeah.” Bard perked up and scooted closer, leaving tracks in the dirt. “Ah’d be happy ta show yah. It’s gonna cost yah, though.”

  “Are you seriously going to…?” Joe trailed off as a deck of cards appeared in Bard’s hand. “What are you doing?”

  “Poker.”

  “I’m in!” Poppy scooted closer, and Bard nodded before looking to see if anyone else wanted to join. One of the guards at the entrance to the dungeon was staring hopefully, but a glare from Jess made him go back to guarding with a sigh. Bard had Jaxon sit, and dealt him in.

  “If I wanted to take your money, you would all just hand it to me. ‘Oh, I need money to make poisons for you all’.” Alexa pretended to swoon while speaking in a falsetto. “Pff. Yeah, right.”

  “...Right. We’re gonna have a talk later. I somehow feel like I’ve been overpaying you.” Poppy’s narrow eyes were locked on a suddenly-sheepish Alexis, but only until the first hand was dealt.

  Joe looked at his cards and tried to remember what everything was worth. “Can I trade these cards for another?”

  “Nah, this is Texas Hold ‘Em.” Bard snorted, then waved at the empty spot in front of Joe. “Big blind, two copper.”

  The next ten minutes saw Joe losing hand after hand. He was pretty sure that Poppy was cheating somehow, but there was no way he could prove it. At the fifteen-minute mark, he decided to stay in even though he only had a two and a seven. Since he had been either folding or losing badly, both Bard and Poppy also stayed in till
the end. Joe flipped his cards and sighed. “Two reds.”

  The others started chortling, then Jaxon nudged him. “Joe, you have a flush.”

  “Hey, no table talking!” Bard stopped laughing as the others leaned in to check. With a grumble, they let Joe take the coins.

  Characteristic point training completed! +1 to luck! This stat cannot be increased further by any means other than system rewards, study, or practice for twenty-four hours game time.

  “Nice.” Joe grinned as the notification scrolled across his line of sight.

  “Yeah, yeah. Blinds are up, now it is going to be two-” Poppy was cut off as Jess jumped to her feet.

  “Done!” she walked over to Joe and proudly held out a detailed map. “Take and bind this.”

  Joe gingerly took the still-wet parchment and looked it over. It was decently drawn, and a prompt appeared as soon as he had looked it over.

  Would you like to add the information from ‘Uncommon Quality Dungeon Map’ to your personal map? Durability: 1/1. Yes / No.

  Joe selected ‘Yes’, and the map in his hand converted to ashes. He shook his hand to get most of the particles off, and grimaced as he realized that he didn't have his shield active. Fifteen hundred mana poured into his Exquisite Shell, and Joe blinked as he realized something. He had fifteen hundred and ninety mana… which was exactly the amount granted by his intelligence score. If that was the case… he looked at his Mana Manipulation skill, and saw that it was no longer reducing the amount of mana he had! From now on as it ranked up, the stupid skill would boost the amount of mana he had! Finally!