Priests and nuns were gathered in the ruins of what was once a temple. The temple had every window smashed and holes in several doors and the roof. The gathered holy workers stand staring in the same direction. Opposite them is a grand pedestal with a cushion. On top of the pedestal are two halves of a shield that was a legendary item days ago.
“Well this sucks.” a priest says.
“Yeah. Besides this thing, we only recovered the Martyr’s Sash. Everything else we were safe keeping and sealing got out.”
“So loads of dangerous magic items are loose on the world, is that it?”
“Yeah, it seems so.”
“The last one to be sealed below was Mona’s right?”
“Yeah.”
The crowd turns to look at Mona. She is in bandages and remains stoic.
“That hairpin is dangerous.” Mona says. “It's an artifact that grants you great power. The skills of a master assassin. It also whispers into your ear. It beckons you to become a king killer. It thinks it's righteous, but it's a sadistic and cruel monster with a voice.”
“So, not great.”
“We’ll need to figure this out.”
“So what, do we go on our own crusade to hunt down everything lost?”
“Let’s not try that.”
“Even if we got them, where would we seal or enshrine them?”
“Yeah, this is all a fine mess now.”
“We’re going to need the mayor’s help before we can do anything.”
“I don’t know if the mayor can help us. We might need a noble to step in.”
“So how about our town’s lord?”
“This town has a lord?”
“O- okay. How about we just petition for aid and come back to this later.”
“Sounds good to me.”
Everyone begins to head out to their temporary homes or try and see what surviving rooms can be made into a bunk room. Mona parts from what few friends she has in the temple and begins to make her way back to the inn she and Vivi have been staying in. She had also heard from both the innkeeper and Vivi that Ren managed to leave her room yesterday and today. Mona had hoped that she could catch Ren at some point, but the last time she returned to the inn, Mona was already asleep. Today Mona returns to the inn, and the innkeeper calls out to her.
“Hey! Mona! Vivi and Ren went next door to get dinner.”
“Oh! Thanks. I’ll head over now.” Mona says.
Mona starts down the street to a restaurant. Easily she spots Vivi’s blonde hair and Ren’s red hair, however it seems that Vivi is standing behind a seated Ren for some reason. Mona starts to approach the pair.
“Hello! It’s been a while.” Mona says.
“Oh! Mona!” Vivi says. “Look what Ren got. A cute hair pin. The color doesn’t quite match her hair, but I think it still looks neat.”
“I have a terrible history with hair pins.” Mona rubs at her eyes as she speaks. “I had this magic item that was really awful. I mean, I made a lot of headway in my last career thanks to it, but I wasn’t a fan of how it was trying to turn me into a king killing revolutionary. Anyway, where did you find it?”
“Oh, I found Maloon. I killed her and took this cool hairpin.” Ren says.
Mona snaps to attention at Ren’s blatant verbal bombshell. She looks at Ren and Vivi. Vivi was trying out hair styles on Ren using the new hairpin. Right now, she was trying to pin her bangs to the side to see how it looks. In her hands was Agnoir. In Mona’s younger years, that magic item whispered techniques and skills into her very mind. Through it, she became a Phantom Assassin and nearly wiped out a noble house. Now that dark voice was in Vivi’s hands as she was pinning it to Ren’s hair.
“There, how does that look?” Vivi hands Ren a mirror.
Ren stares blankly at her reflection.
“Maybe not the bangs.” Ren says.
“Alright. Maybe we can try a half up style.” Vivi says. “Just tie some behind your head and let it rest after that.”
Vivi takes the dark object from Ren’s bangs and begins to pull hair from above her ears back behind her head. Mona just stares wide eyed at Vivi handling it and Ren’s lack of urgency.
“Stop! That’s dangerous!” Mona says.
“Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing.” Vivi says. “I’m not all that good, but I like to think I’m at least passable as a seamstress and decently fashionable.”
“No! No! That’s dangerous!” Mona reaches out for Agnoir.
Ren snatches the hairpin from Vivi before Mona could reach for it.
“It’s mine. I found it first.” Ren says.
“Ren, that’s dangerous.” Mona speaks with a pleading voice. “Inside that thing is a dark entity bent on twisting the world to it’s own sick worldview. You need to get rid of it. Just give it to me. I’ll figure out some way to keep it sealed in a vault for all eternity. Just hand it over.”
“No! I got it. I want it.” Ren says.
“Ren! Please. It’s dangerous.”
“But it’s my loot.”
“Ren! You can’t!” Mona is begging her.
The other diners look at the two bickering like sisters. They shrug their shoulders and leave them to their argument about fashion or whatever.
“Why is she here?” Agnoir speaks with her velvety feminine voice. “This elf has talent. Incredible talent, but she refuses to apply herself, and reach for the peak of what an assassin can achieve. A king killer! Who doesn’t want to be the assassin to kill a king?”
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“Please, can you have the girl just give this thing over to the elf?” Apherward begs, unlike the prideful wizard he usually speaks as.
“I’ve tried throwing her in the river. I’m trying now with the elf.” Warumasa hisses trying to maintain his tone as a demon.
“Ugh, gods. Someone help me.” Apherward sounds like a wizard about to cry.
“You know, this Ren girl is actually moving pretty well.” Agnoir says.
“Yes, because I’ve been caring for her health. Unlike this lout.” Warumasa says.
“Shut up!” Apherward snaps back.
“I’d believe it.” Agnoir says.
“Absolutely! This idiot forgot to keep the girl fed! Would you believe this guy used to be mortal?” Warumasa sneered.
“Oh, my various gods. Who does that?” Agnoir says.
“That idiot. Right over there!” Warumasa says.
Having gotten nowhere with her words, Mona balls her hand into a fist and casts her gaze down. She wasn’t pleased by what she had to do next.
“I’m sorry, Ren.” Mona says under her breath.
“Dark Step!”
Mona suddenly vanishes and appears behind Ren. Mona reaches for the hairpin.
“Oh my gods! This bitch!” Agnoir says. “You had a shot at being the greatest of assassins! Now you want me back?!?! No! No way!”
“Come on! Come on! Come on! Elf woman, if you take this slasher nutjob from us, I’ll grant you the secrets of the known world!” Apherward says excitedly.
“I’m not going down without a fight! Come on, girl! Use this!” Agnoir speaks into Ren’s mind.
Class promotion!
Ren
Level 13 Samurai -> Level 13 Assassin
Strength: 40 -> 38
Magic: 40
Agility: 31 -> 37
Vitality: 36 -> 34
Ren learned Dark Step Level 1.
Skill Level Up
Dark Step Level 1 -> Level 3. Level capacity has been met. Level up to increase level capacity.
“Aw. She figured out how to do that.” Apherward says.
“Dark Step.”
After Mona appeared behind Ren, Ren suddenly appeared behind Mona. Mona goes wide eyed and turns to face Ren. Mona draws upon all her resolve and lunges at Ren in a bid to grab her. Ren backflips away from Mona’s clutches. The two of them engage in a lightning fast chase. The other restaurant patrons look at the two.
“You know, I used to fight with my sister like that. Good times.”
“Hey, you two! No roughhousing in my diningroom!”
“Not bad! Not bad!” Agnoir says. “This girl is pretty good.”
“Yeah, we know.” Warumasa says. “She’s the greatest thing to grace any of us. Now don’t break her.”
“Don’t break her, you say. You’re talking like my backside.” Apherward says.
“I’m not the one who failed to, at the very minimum, feed her.” Warumasa spat back.
“I’m not the one who made her go outside!” Apherward says back.
“That’s your comeback? That’s really your comeback?!?!” Warumasa exclaims with confusion.
Ren learned Marksmanship Level 1.
Skill Level Up
Marksmanship Level 1 -> Level 7. Level capacity has been met. Level up to increase level capacity.
Ren learned Firearm Loading Level 1.
Skill Level Up
Firearm Level 1 -> Level 2. Level capacity has been met. Level up to increase level capacity.
Ren learned Knifework Level 1.
Skill Level Up
Knifework Level 1 -> Level 8. Level capacity has been met. Level up to increase level capacity.
Ren learned Sneaking Level 1.
Skill Level Up
Sneaking Level 1 -> Level 5. Level capacity has been met. Level up to increase level capacity.
Ren learned Hit Marker.
Ren learned Confirm Kill.
Ren learned Thief’s Sleeves Level 1. Level capacity has been met. Level up to increase level capacity.
Ren learned Alchemy Level 1. Level capacity has been met. Level up to increase level capacity.
Ren learned Poison Expert Level 1. Level capacity has been met. Level up to increase level capacity.
Ren learned Explosive Expert Level 1. Level capacity has been met. Level up to increase level capacity.
“Woah! Woah! What’s all this?” Warumasa scoffed.
“Gods! You’re just loading the girl up with skills.” Apherward joins in the scoffing.
“Alright. What’s her status look like now?” Agnoir cheers excitedly.
Ren
Level 13 Assassin
Strength: 38
Magic: 40
Agility: 37
Vitality: 34
Magic Capacity: Clear
Titles: Blue Pine’s Favorite Adventurer, Ren the Red
Skills:
Swordsmanship Level 3
Housekeeping Level 1
Netami Style
Netami Style: Form 1: Flash
Netami Style Form 2: Swallow Dive
Netami Style Form 3: Helm Splitter
Netami Style Form 4: Blade Wave
Martial Arts Level 2
Netami Style Form 5: Horizon
Dark Step Level 3
Marksmanship Level 7
Firearm Level 2
Knifework Level 8
Sneaking Level 5
Hit Marker
Confirm Kill
Thief’s Sleeves Level 1
Alchemy Level 1
Poison Expert Level 1
Explosive Expert Level 1
Spells:
Ice Bolt Level 2
Fireball Level 1
Haste Level 1
Raise Zombie Level 1
Stone Wall Level 2
Water Arrow Level 2
Blind Level 2
Locate Location Level 1
Project Mind Level 1
Magic Soft Fall Level 2
Chain Lightning Level 1
Basic Barrier Level 2
Whisper Sanctum Level 1
Magic Sense Level 2
Invisibility Level 1
Magic Lock Level 1
Magic Impact Level 3
Magic Pierce Level 2
Status: Injured, Bandaged
Left Hand Bruised Severity 1 Bandaged
Right Shoulder Cut Severity 1 Bandaged
Torso Bruise Severity 1 Bandaged
Left Leg Bruise Severity 1 Bandaged
“Oh my gods, why does her status look like this? It’s a complete mess!” Agnoir scoffed.
“Eh, it’s fine. It’s no big deal.” Warumasa says.
“It’s perfectly serviceable. No issue at all.” Apherward says.
“You know you can switch these around, right?” Agnoir says. “It doesn’t have to list everything in the order you got them.”
“What’s the big deal? It’s not like we have to look at it.” Warumasa says.
“Anyone who checks the girl’s status will see this! This is a mess!” Agnoir says.
“Fine, you take care of it.” Apherward says. “It’s your problem now.”
“And why is the girl a mess?” Agnoir complains. “When I first saw the girl, her hair was more tangled than jungle vines! And why is she slouching? She was slouching, standing or seated!”
“Ugh! Gods.” Apherward groaned.
“Women.” Warumasa joined in the groaning.
After a messy dinner with friends, Ren returns to her room at the inn. Strangely, Ren carried a mop and work apron with her. Ren’s room wasn’t a complete mess with an avalanche or trash, but it wasn’t tidy either. Still, it was enough of a mess to give one of the voices in Ren’s headpause. There was a magical tablet lying around. A bucket was filled with ashes and put against a corner of the room. A breastplate was sitting just on the floor. There were also various bags and sacks pushed up against walls. You could walk the room perfectly fine, but this was clearly a mess.
“Ugh! I should’ve seen this coming.” Agnoir gives a long sigh. “If the two of you couldn’t be bothered to keep the girl’s status clean, I’m confident that you wouldn’t have kept her domicile clean.”
“Ugh! Whatever.” Warumasa says.
“I know where everything is. There is no issue.” Apherward says.
“For fuck’s sake!” Agnoir groans. “I’m trapped in a girl with two slobs. Outright gutter pigs.”
Ren gets to work cleaning the room. She sets aside some old bags and trash that should have long since been thrown out. She steps over to a bucket filled with ashes.
“Wait! No! No! No!” Apherward shouts inside Ren’s mind. “Those are demonic vampire ashes! I was saving those for magic, or selling them to an eccentric alchemist!”
“You kept vampiric demon ashes in a bucket? Then you left it in the corner of a room?” Agnoir scoffed.
“Yeah! Where else was I going to put it?” Apherward asked.
“In a bottle or vase! Top it with a cork!” Agnoir speaks with a frustration it has never known before this day. “You don’t do that in your wizard lab?”
“Not with ashes.” Apherward says nonchalantly.
Ren opens the standing wardrobe the inn provided. Inside there are some clothes tossed inside in a crumpled pile. At the very least, they’re clean.
“The hells is this?” Agnoir says.
“Uh, a wardrobe. They’re for storing clothes and such.” Warumasa says.
“Did either of you bother to fold these?” Agnoir says.
“Eh, why bother? It’s not like it takes up that much space.” Warumasa says.
“Oh my gods. She has nothing in here. Why doesn’t the girl have a stocked wardrobe?” Agnoir can almost cry.
“Look, she has all the bare necessities.” Warumasa says. “Some gym clothes, armor and plain clothes. Simple.”
“Simple my ass! I don’t even see another pair of small clothes… Wait…” a dark thought begins to dawn on the hairpin. “You got her small clothes, right?”
“Oh, she’s fine. She only needs the one pair.” Warumasa says. “Not even that! The girl is as flat as a washboard, so she doesn’t even need the top-”
“ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS?!?!” Agnoir begins to scream in Ren’s head.
“Oh gods. I just remembered.” Apherward began to speak. “I couldn’t stop hearing the demon. Does that mean I can’t stop hearing the woman? Gods! Gods, no! Spare me!”
“Oh devils no! Someone save us! Please!” Warumasa begged to anyone who would hear him plead.
