I shuffled the contents of the flaming red Deck Box back and forth as I considered what to do. The metal Cards clinked quietly beneath the wooden table with each motion. Though I'd done what was needed, it was impossible to chase away every shred of misplaced guilt. Even with his deep-rooted troubles, Zachary had been nothing more than a child who'd hardly taken a step into adulthood.
Since my regression, I'd committed a number of offenses for the sake of improving myself. Extorted a small shop owner, who came to be a loyal partner. Slaughtered a group of mercenaries, though they were crooked and destined to perform a series of heinous acts. Masqueraded as a member of not just one but both of the Churches whose influence spread throughout the Tower.
I had no issues justifying any of those acts, yet this one... My thumb traced the painting on the Card in my hand. There, a young man stood with a ring of fire erupting around his midriff.
Perhaps there was another way.
I cast my eyes up and over the table. Across from me sat a young man and woman, both waiting patiently for the clerk to deliver our Contract. The young man's cropped silver hair stood out against his fine black suit. He sat straight-backed, and his piercing, sky-blue eyes stared ahead as if he were a soldier waiting for orders.
To his right, a beautiful young woman with pale skin and long black hair studied the Circuits etched into the booth. Her intelligent, emerald green eyes flicked about curiously, likely looking for any connections between the several lines and curves.
Looking at her now, still alive, I smiled and slid the flaming Card back into its box before tucking the Deck away. If not for my actions, she likely wouldn't be breathing today. There hadn't been time for any other maneuvers once the past became clear to me, and unlike the young man who'd lost his life, this girl was innocent.
"So, would either of you care to review the terms again?" I questioned them seriously. "If either of you wishes to make any additions or amendments, now is the time."
"The current terms are agreeable," Nathaniel continued to look forward, his forever impassive visage not breaking as he spoke.
Aurora looked thoughtfully at the ceiling, "The terms allow a majority vote to call forth a change, and it even allows for minor revisions in the event of new Party members joining. I'm also in agreement."
I nodded, not intending to push the matter, and placed a single Essence on the corner of the wooden table. The Essence was drained, and a dim purple light followed one of the many Circuits leading away from the booth. Only seconds later, the door separating the large booth from the common space slid back to reveal a short woman with blue hair and a bright smile.
"Is all well?" she smiled jovially and looked over the three of us.
"Yes, ma'am. It seems we're ready to proceed," I pushed a thousand Essence toward the table's edge.
"Well! Congratulations, you three," the woman continued to smile warmly as she placed a black piece of parchment on the counter. Glowing purple script filled out the page. "Be sure to read the Contract thoroughly before you leave your print. Once you do, you're committed."
She slid another object across the table before leaving and carefully closing the door behind her. I picked up the Contract to review it. The Network vouched for this establishment, but I still thought it necessary to inspect the Relic.
[Name: Party Contract]
[Class: Bound Relic]
[Rank: 3]
[Description: This Party Contract can accept up to 6 marks]
[Effect 1: Binds all who leave their mark to this Relic. Each Bound individual must devote themselves to the agreed-upon terms under threat of penalty]
[Effect 2: Should any individual break the terms of this Contract without a majority consensus, they shall face a significant backlash. Furthermore, the individual in question will have to pay remunerations in the form of 50% of all Essence earned while in this Party under threat of losing their registration and right to ascend]
[Craftsman: Theresa]
[Note 1: All spoils harvested from Plagued Beasts shall only be discussed within the Party unless otherwise agreed upon. This also includes the means by which they are obtained]
[Note 2: No member shall disclose the build or fighting style of any other member unless otherwise agreed upon]
[Note 3: No member shall disclose the methods in which the Party clears each Floor]
[Note 4: No member shall disclose the harmful secrets of other members or their families unless otherwise agreed upon]
[Note 5: All Essence acquired shall be distributed evenly]
[Note 6: All Cards acquired shall be distributed by the Contract in a roll or pass method. Each pass results in a 10% increase in the value of the next roll for that individual]
[Note 7: All Cards not desired by any member shall be sold through Wielder's Wonders, and the profits shall be split evenly between all Party members]
[Note 8: Each member shall do their best to assist in the goals of the other members, so long as that goal does not impede the Party's ascent]
[Note 9: This Contract is amendable. With a majority vote or with the addition of a mark, one Note may be added or altered]
Appraising Eye allowed me to look directly through the fine print of the elaborately worded Contract and ensure that no unwanted clauses had been added. Satisfied with the terms, I retrieved the object given to us by the registrar.
The shell reminded me of a pocketwatch, but its innards were entirely dissimilar. Inside was a well of purple ink, and below that ink, I knew there lay a single sharp needle that would prick the thumbs of all who used the object. I pressed my thumb into the well, staining the tip and pricking my skin before pressing down on the bottom of the Contract.
Purple lights briefly danced around the booth as each of the words lit up. My mark seemed to catch fire, and I could feel the restriction placed upon my soul. It ended as swiftly as it began, and I passed the paper to Nathaniel.
The scroll lit two more times as each of my companions performed the same action. And then, we were done. We were an official Party and would be treated as such by our Cards and the Tower. I pulled out my registration and examined the new addition to the back, where Nathaniel and Aurora's names were now engraved on the bottom. A separate block on the top remained blank, a space that may one day hold the name of a Guild.
"I still don't understand why we need the first rule. Other than that, the rest appear fairly standard," Aurora spoke as she passed the Contract back to me. I tightly rolled the scroll and tucked it into one of the many hidden pockets within my jacket. The Relic was stored comfortably beside it. Just enough ink remained to recruit three additional members.
"Hoho," I chuckled lightly and motioned toward the door. "As time passes, you'll come to understand."
Nathaniel eyed me suspiciously as we left the booth, and I just gave him a wink. As we departed, we said our goodbyes to the registrar, who gave us a few encouraging words.
We left the building and entered the busy central market, where thousands of Wielders were already gathered, despite it still being morning. Vendors' shouts echoed ostensibly over the bustle of the crowds around.
"We're going to be standing about for ages," Aurora groaned and pointed ahead as we wriggled through a small group. She was right. It looked like the structure guarding the stairs was the head of a snake, with how long the line was.
I shook my head, "It'll move quickly. Just don't get distracted by the stalls along the way. The ones closer to the stairs have a higher markup. Those hawkers like to prey on the boredom of young Wielders like yourselves while they stand in line."
Aurora looked like she wanted to say something but shut her mouth when we found ourselves amongst another group. Nathaniel gave me a side eye, and I just shrugged. They'd already made whatever deductions they were going to make about my situation, which was part of why I trusted them. Of course, Threat Acuity helped as well.
Before long, we'd made it to the structure, shown our registrations, and stepped onto the strange metal stairs. Our footsteps echoed as the darkness drew tighter around us... and suddenly vanished. The darkness was gone, and we found ourselves standing in the boisterous town square of the Second Floor.
I covered my eyes to block the sudden blinding rays of the sun that I found myself under. The clangorous noise of Guild recruiters and vendors shouting reached my ears. As my sight adjusted, I saw the tents that the noise derived from.
Unlike the excellent wooden market stalls that could be rented on the Origin Floor, the tents here were pitched with wooden stakes and large bits of cloth. Men and women of different affiliations manned these tents, calling for newcomers to join their Guilds or buy their wares.
Without hesitation, I walked in a specific direction and trusted the others to follow.
***
Nathaniel watched Rowan curiously and checked to ensure Aurora was tagging along before he stepped off the platform. There wouldn't be another checkpoint until the stairwell heading to the Third Floor, where their registrations would be marked to show their Ascension Rank, and their time would be recorded.
"Oi! Yer a big lad! Step over here so I can get a look at ya!" a voice called from his right, and he felt a massive hand latch onto his shoulder.
Nathaniel glanced over and saw a mountain of a man smiling down at him. This interaction drew the interest of others, and several Guild recruiters began crowding around.
"Get off 'em, Curly! I saw 'em first!"
"This one 'ere is gonna be comin' with us! You lot might as well get to steppin'."
"Look at his size. Boy, if you join the Brutish Brawlers, we'll give ya enough Essence to get your Strength to Level 4 right off the bat!"
Nathaniel looked over the shoulders of the crowd around him and spotted a shining black ponytail bobbing back and forth, heading west. He walked straight through, almost dragging the man with a firm grip on his shoulder and pushing the others from his path.
The powerful Guilds didn't have to set up like this to find potential recruits. Most recruited directly through the Lower Families, the Academy, or raised up the orphans of their fallen comrades to fill in essential roles.
Nathaniel swiftly caught up to Rowan and walked alongside him, taking stock of their current, diminutive Party. Their discussions on the train hadn't amounted to much. When talks of Party roles came up, usually initiated by Aurora, Rowan would just wave them off and ask about their hobbies, future goals, and even favorite colors.
It was peculiar.
For the time being, Nathaniel assumed he would act as the Party's guardian. Of course, he was optimistic that he could serve in any role for the first several Floors. From birth, he'd been raised a warrior, forced from a young age to develop the boundaries of his soul.
Aurora, he knew from practicals, would likely be a Spellcaster. Even if she wanted a different role, that would be the best for the time being until they earned more Essence.
And Rowan... Nathaniel eyed the man up and down. He walked confidently, his light brown suit and red tie perfectly matching the hair tie and wooden cane that tapped along the walk. His eyes stared directly ahead, and he never broke stride, as if he'd been here before. Maps were available... but Nathaniel had those same maps memorized and couldn't move about this comfortably.
This man was an enigma. Nathaniel wasn't sure what Rowan's role would be. Perhaps a rogue? Even now, his body seemed to fade from existence with every passing shadow. Yet Nathaniel had also watched him cast Greater Heal on Aurora, meaning he was likely a follower of the Church of Liberation. So possibly a healer? He supposed he'd have to wait and see.
"Rowan, where are we going?"
Nathaniel glanced over to see Aurora looking about the outdated town with a distasteful gaze. The structures were mostly wooden, and the place was even less developed than the town on the First Floor. There was likely a time, long ago, when the resources of the Second Floor were vital to human society.
Now, however, Wielders who wished to safely grind away and build up Essence took up residence here. Cards would drop at a low rate from the Crazed Beasts that wandered this Floor and more often from the Corrupted. The town was clean, despite its simple structures, and simple lamposts were connected to Circuits that led off between the buildings.
Nathaniel took all of this in stride, observing Rowan's movements as he led them out the front gate.
***
"Alright, here's the deal, Aurora," Rowan leaned on that strange cane of his and looked Aurora in the eyes. "We'll be performing a little exercise. I need you to do your best. We will only be on the Second Floor for a few days, so we need to work on our Party's foundations along the way."
"What kind of exercise?" Aurora squinted her eyes. That was just a polite way of saying he wanted to observe her skills. She could understand Nathaniel asking something like that, but Rowan? He hadn't even received that outstanding of a score in his practical.
Aurora glanced at Nathaniel, who simply nodded at Rowan's suggestion as if he were the boss. For some reason, she felt like she was missing something.
"You'll see," Rowan replied. "Would you care to go first?"
"I can..." Aurora nodded.
"Then, I'll be back shortly," he ran off into the woods as Nathaniel leapt onto the lowest branch of a nearby tree.
Aurora waited...
And waited...
And...
"Squuueeeeaaa!"
Just as she was going to call out to Nathaniel, she heard a piercing squeal from the woods to her north. She spun around to find Rowan sprinting straight toward her with a massive boar in tow.
Aurora was stunned. This lunatic's exercise was to bring a Beast like that charging right at her? Hastily, she cast Examine on the charging boar.
[Name: Wild Boar]
[Class: Swine]
[Rank: Crazed]
[Level: 2]
[Description: A simple Wild Boar, which has been heavily infected by the Plague]
[Skills: ???]
It was much taller than those on the First Floor, easily standing as tall as a man's chest. Its fur was dark, and purple veins crept from its eyes and snout. A second pair of tusks jutted forward beneath its first, searching to impale the fleeing figure before it.
Aurora took a deep breath and readied herself. She recalled what her textbooks had said about standing your ground. Rowan suddenly vanished, surprising both her and the boar. The Beast didn't take long to change targets as soon as it noticed her in the clearing.
She raised one finger and pointed it toward the charging Beast. The point glowed with a blinding glare before a beam of light shot straight forward and into the Beast's forehead. It crashed into the dirt and slid to a halt several feet in front of her.
"Squeeeaaa!"
Another squeal sounded behind her. She turned and found Rowan sprinting toward her again, this time with two of the Beasts. She gaped at the scene, but Rowan vanished again before she could curse his birth.
Aurora raised her hand, palm out, and a bright Flash of light filled the clearing. The Spell would temporarily blind nearby targets who weren't in her Party and were looking straight toward her. Both of the Beasts slowed and stumbled into one another.
With a wave of her outstretched hand, she cast Psionic Wave. Several bits of stone and twigs lifted from the clearing and shot at high speeds toward the blinded creatures. Enough of the rocks penetrated their fur that the two were brought to a stop, bleeding heavily but not dead. That was when she heard the next set of squeals.
She snapped her head around and found two more boars speeding straight toward her, both from different directions. Her eyes widened... and she froze.
***
I watched from the shade of a nearby tree as Aurora's wave of debris crashed into them. They were severely injured but not dead. The racket was enough for the next step of the exercise to unfold.
She'd done well up to this point. Completely textbook. But it was the final exercise that would show how she performed under pressure.
I'd lured three other Beasts into the vicinity, hoping they would rush toward the sound of fighting. It worked. Two of the Wild Boars were sprinting at Aurora from different directions, and I was looking forward to seeing how she'd handle this development.
Flash has a low Cooldown, so she can blind one while dodging the other. The practicals proved that the dagger at her waist wasn't just for show, so she could-
Click
My thoughts stopped, and I Dashed forward. My blade Pierced cleanly through the skull of one of the charging Beasts still several yards from the frozen woman. I turned to deal with the other, but Nathaniel's glaive had already severed its head.
Well... it seems that we have a lot of ground to cover.
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