While the return to his room was fast considering the distance traveled, the anticipation building up within Cass was almost too much to handle. Several things were going to happen at once the next day, and he could feel the anxiety of that as if it were a physical thing. But even though his body felt like running a few laps around the Guildhall walls, he somehow managed to fall asleep only minutes after his head hit the pillow.
The moment he woke up, he veritably leaped to the stables in his haste. In the early morning light, anyone passing by would’ve seen a young man, face set in determination, sprinting in his robes across the Guildhall expanse. Not forgetting the now-required sweet, he entered Bella's stall, gave her a few quick pats and her snack, then activated and completed his tenth personal Quest in the fastest recorded time yet.
While his body recovered, Cass flattened himself on the ground and opened his screen. There was no thinking or planning for this. Only a single choice, and an action to be made.
[SURVIVOR PATH: WAY OF THE STALWART- STEP TAKEN]
Second node unlocked: Targeted Strengthening.
New Way function unlocked: You can now pick one of several strength-based routines each day.
Your daily Quest has been reset
You’ve gained a slight increase to the Way of the Stalwart’s passive ability.
Before Cass could look at the new options, he curled up in pain as his body lit on fire..
[WAY OF THE STALWART INTEGRATING]
When it was done, sweat had broken out all across his body, and a soft, wide nose was brushing against his head. Cass reached up with eyes closed and patted Bella’s snout, “I’m fine, girl. But thank you.” She whuffed his hair, then resumed her post as Cass looked at the new options, but that was when he received a shock.
[System Notice]
Bonus experience granted for unlocking your first step
+50 xp
WayWalker Achievement progress 2/10
“Fifty experience? Fifty? But that’s ten times what I got the first time?” Some quick math told him that if it increased by ten times in each bit of progress, he’d quickly have experience streaming out of his ears. But his expectations cooled when he considered the first achievement set he’d completed. At the halfway point, it had changed. Still, he counted out what would happen if it kept multiplying till then.
“Five, fifty, five-hundred, five-thousand…fifty thousand. No,” he shook his head and laughed, but it didn’t last, ending on a slight manic note. “There’s no way I’ll get fifty thousand experience by the fifth stage. No way.” Rather than brood on what he could do with all that experience, he lowered his expectations and set it there in his mind. Until the System came by and slapped him with five hundred experience on the next achievement, he wasn’t going to rely on it.
The Way of the Stalwart had changed. To the left were now several different Quests, with the original sitting furthest to the side and a new byline beneath it: Beginner. But new options had appeared, and the variety of them was slightly overwhelming, as were the rewards.
[WAY OF THE STALWART - INTERMEDIATE OPTIONS]
Completion of three intermediate options consecutively will unlock additional types
Questor: Cassio Vale
Calling: QuestWright
Timeframe: One Day
Questor Reward: +7xp, 2 Stalwart Tokens, 1 Survivor Token
Power objectives: Complete all objectives within one hour.
- Carry 2 weighted buckets (25 lb minimum) for 5 uninterrupted minutes
- Perform 3 sets of power squats (10 reps each, addition of 50 pounds applied to Questor required)
- Complete 3 sets of exploding pushups (10 reps minimum)
- Perform a loaded carry: 100 meters minimum with at least 60 pounds held.
Endurance objectives: Complete all objectives within two hours.
- Hold an elbow plank without touching the ground (3 reps of sixty seconds each)
- Perform 4 sets of inclined pushups (15 reps each)
- Hold a weighted object of at least 15 pounds overhead for a total of two minutes (no rest period may last longer than 20 seconds)
- Complete 3 sets of walking lunges per leg while holding at least 5 pounds in each hand (20 reps each)
Seven experience isn’t a small amount. To get that with a normal, non-chained Quest would take most of my slots in the day. And the token amount went up. Bella’s node says it needs seven tokens, which would only take me a few days to complete.
But the severity of the objectives made him swallow through a lump in his throat. And though several more options presented themselves, it was a flood of jargon so unknowable that, ultimately, he just gave up. Which was a good thing, as he was going to be late for Dev’s training.
“Dev!” He yelled out, causing Bella to skittishly move to the side. “Sorry, girl, I just realized who I can go to for answers.” When she gave him a look, he shook his head, already heading for the gate. “No, I can’t give you a bath today. If I can get here a little earlier tomorrow, maybe then.”
Cass made his way over to the rockyard for their daily training and arrived a few minutes early. Luck was with him, as Scout Dev was already there.
“A loaded carry? Exploding pushups?” She said, a smile starting to break out on her face. “My goodness, Mr. Vale. Are you interested in continuing our little routine here after you’re done with your classes?” Cass was about to object as politely as possible when she sighed. “Sadly, that’s not possible. But a little extra instruction wouldn’t hurt before everyone gets here.”
One by one, Cass asked for a description of each workout. Naturally, with Dev being Dev, that wasn’t good enough. When the rest of the group arrived, they found Cass pushing off the ground, clapping in the air, then reforming into a pushup position.
“Good, but higher! Higher! Yes!”
Mistakenly seeing how taken Cass was with the exercises, she put him through every routine while a line-faced Kara worked with the rest of the group. Was it torture? In a way. But it was necessary torture, as every time he faced the ground for his rest period or took a quick breather, his eyes became glassy with the screen and his next loaded question.
After class and his burning muscles finally started to calm down, he took a quick shower and met the others for breakfast. Orla was all smiles.
“We made our first profit.” She slid across two tiny orange-colored coins. “Your percentage.”
Cass picked them up with his fingernails. “What?”
Pellin grabbed them immediately and held the two coins up to the lights overhead, “This is amazing. I’ve never seen two bits look so small before.”
Orla glared at him before shifting back to Cass, “In order to start up an Enterprise charter, we need at least ten members, a location for our wares, and profit, no matter what size. Those two coins in that idiot’s hand represent the final blockade to Common Solutions. We can be officially recognized today, if the Council Clerks are fast enough.”
Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
“Today? Like, today, today?” Cass asked.
“Or tomorrow?” Pellin interjected, handing back Cass’s first real payout.
“No! We need to celebrate tonight, it’s a special day, and I refuse to let those bastards move slow. They’re going to approve.” She gave the kind of laugh a person would hear just before they died. “Oh, they’re going to approve it, whether they like it or not.”
Knowing Orla wasn’t as crazy as she currently sounded, Pellin and Cass agreed to meet her at Cullings that night. Later in the Annex, he and Kara met up. On her advice, he pulled up and unlocked a new Quest type: Construction.
It was much more varied than any other he’d seen so far, with the only exception being Training. A lot of what the outline required seemed to be based purely on the plans and the finalized product. What that translated to was that Cass had to have a general idea of the exact project’s requirements before he could assign the Quest.
And that came with homework.
The sound of several books landing distracted him from the Annex screen. He lifted one off the top.
Basic Principles of Architecture: QuestWright Abridged
Looking at a tower of books taller than the height of the desk, he gave Kara a glare, “What the hell?”
“Sorry, Cass, but I’m busy later today. This,” She tapped the tower, “is on personal loan from Guildmaster Hollis. Make sure you don’t damage any of them, or it's your ass, not mine. Accept this, please.”
She handed over a glowing paper, but as soon as he touched it, the glow disappeared.
[SYSTEM WARNING]
Due to your Unique Path, you may not accept any Quests from persons other than yourself.
Kara hadn’t seemed to notice as she was looking at her nails, “I’m going to be showing the new Clerk around as they’re due to arrive any minute. Knock out these books as much as you can, then we’ll talk on and off about how construction Quests work.”
Sneakily, Cass calmly placed the vellum in his bag, “I’ll look it over later, don’t want to be holding you up. So, you’re still going to look after me when the classes end?”
She looked up, “Of course, I’m your Trainer. Everyone in the Guildhall has one. Right now, I’m in charge of you, setting up the new Clerk, Chancey, and a few others. Once a trainee hits level ten, they tend to be on their own, but some request that we stay a little longer. After that, you get higher-ranked trainers the higher up you move. Anyways, you won’t see me for the rest of the day, but we’ll catch up with each other at Dev’s class tomorrow. See you later.”
After she left, Cass spent the rest of the time looking over and prioritizing the books, then went to the rest of his classes. As he sat through Myla Jen’s discussion of Logistics, his pen paused mid-writing as a disparate connection in his brain found root.
“You’re not just transporting swords. You’re also transporting sharpening stones, oils, spare sheaths, and a dozen other items. And people, too. Never forget the people. For every Combat Calling, there are ten people who help them get through the day so they can focus on what’s best for everyone…killing Monsters.”
Swords and monsters…swords and monsters… Unlike what he expected to happen, Cass didn’t feel his anxiety rising. Instead, something else came forth. Preparation. Everything he’d seen told him that things were getting worse, not better. And he was not prepared.
That naturally got Cass’s brain firing, enough so that he knew he had to make a trip today, skipping his study time until after their trip to Cullings. When the class let out, he began a long walk to the Foundry. Climbing the stairs, Cass made it to the third floor and instantly spotted the person he needed to see.
“Hey, old…old man.” He yelled out as the man started to walk away. He quickly caught up to the same crafter who’d made the knife currently sitting in his bag.
Wearing the brown robes of the Guild, he could’ve been anyone, but Cass recognized the curved folds of his face. He was proven right only a second later. “Well, Mr. QuestWright. It’s not kind to point out my age. But I suppose after what you’ve been through, a loss of manners can be forgiven.”
“I’m sorry, sir.”
“Phaw,” He waved it off, “Rather than old man, call me Jack. Now, young QuestWright, what can I do for you? Was that knife everything I promised?”
“That and more, sir,” Cass said, placing a friendly hand on his shoulder, “Your knife saved my life.”
His face didn’t change in the slightest. “Good, but I have a feeling you didn’t come here to tell me that.”
Cass shook his head, “No, sir. Are you able to make me a hatchet, but a little larger? One that has a bit more weight to it.”
The old man gave a slow shake of the head, “Afraid not, young man. My specialty is knives, but I know someone who can. Follow me.”
Following along, they walked to the other side of the building. In the corner was a table with a middle-aged man standing behind it. He and Jack exchanged pleasantries as Cass looked at all the axes spread out before him.
Some had spikes, while others were double-sided. Some looked like they were designed for trades, while others had the cruel gleam of a deadly-sharp edge. They varied in size and thickness from one to another, with a single large one standing on its own and leaning against the nearby wall.
“Sir?” The man said, causing Cass to look up. A thick three-fingered hand reached across, “Names Noah Curry, nice to meet you.”
“Likewise, Cassio Vale.”
Before the man could speak, Jack nodded, “One of those Vales, yep.”
“Well then, what are you doing here?” Noah asked with a laugh, “The GoldenCrowns can get you fixed up right away.”
“That’s true, Noah, but I need something made for me, and I don’t want to depend on my family for everything.”
“Wise young lad,” Jack said. He reached a hand out, “If you ever need another knife, young Vale.”
“Thank you, sir,” Cass replied, shaking his hand with a smile.
“Like I said, call me Jack.” He walked away before Cass could respond.
“Jack’s a legend, you know,” Noah said as he watched him walk away. “He’s the one who figured out how to create ever-sharp weapons. That method spread like wildfire from here to the Capital. It’s a basic necessity for every knife, sword, axe, you name it. Who knows what ripples his crafting has caused in the world? A legend.” The way he said that last word seemed to hover in the air before them.
Cass paused and considered that he had a legendary crafter’s knife in his bag before shaking it off. Knives were all and good, but he was here for a different purpose.
“Noah, I was hoping I could commission you to create a special kind of axe for me.”
Noah turned to him, “Special? How?”
“Well, I was testing myself in the rings and think I may have found the one that fits me.”
“On the hand-me-downs? Those are throwaway weapons because none of the basic enchantments took. They’re all off-balance, dull, and missing that extra oomph a good weapon deserves. But you think you’ve found the one that fits you, huh? And you’re at my table, so there’s really only four or five ones you could’ve chosen. Here, try this out.”
Lifting an axe off the table, he handed it over. What Noah had said proved true. It felt perfectly in balance with his arm. But again, it didn’t feel right. They tested out several others, including a custom-made bearded axe. Frankly, it was a close match, but still, not quite right.
“It was more like a heavy hatchet.”
Noah scratched his chin, “Strange. It must’ve been an initiate’s work to end up there. Well, I can make it for you, but it isn’t cheap. Even with your Guild discount, you’ll be looking at over a thousand crests, maybe more if I have to outsource some of the materials.”
“A thousand crests! I only have two bits on me!”
“Well,” Noah paused, then spoke again, “I heard Jack say you’re the new QuestWright. If you could throw a few Quests my way, get me set up with some quick experience, I’m sure we could make a better deal.”
Cass froze, his three rules popping into his head. He took a breath and let the disappointment wash through him. “I’m sorry, Noah, but I can’t do that.”
“I see.” Noah didn’t look put out by his refusal, just accepting. “Well, we could work out a pay-as-you-go kind of deal, but it’ll still be expensive. And, I’ll only charge you a little bit of interest. Say, twenty Crests a week? Should have it paid off in about a year.”
That wasn’t what he wanted to hear. Cass needed a weapon now, but this was the best way to go if he didn’t want to sponge off of his family.
Is Common Solutions going to bring in enough profit for that to work? I know I’ll have a guild salary once the classes are done, but they haven’t even told me how much…He considered it for long enough that a cough to the side pulled his attention.
Standing there was a serious-faced man in a brown robe. He had the kind of complexion one would expect of a grave as he looked at Noah, “He can afford it.”
Cass blinked, “Do I know you?”
“Thomas Moore, young man. You and I will be working together often in the very near future. Based on your pause and the relative newness of your Calling, I am assuming that you don’t know how much a junior QuestWright makes from week to week. The answer is fifty Crests after room and board is subtracted. You can afford the smith’s price. That is, if you feel the need to have a weapon on hand.”
Cass didn’t know what to say for a moment. The man had seemed to read his very mind. He decided to trust his word, then turned to Noah, “Twenty Crests a week will be fine.”
“Excellent.” Noah clapped his hands together, “I haven’t had a commissioned piece in some time. Give me a few days to get the materials, then come back. We need to do a few measurements and test out your strength. Weight has a power all on its own.”
“I’ll do that.” Cass agreed. They shook, and when he turned around to speak to Mr. Moore again, he found the man had already disappeared.
“How strange.”
Quest ID: JDM-0001-I-EA
[Tier 1 Investigation Quest]
To those who are about to Quest, we salute you. Investigate the sprawling world of Royal Roads and discover one who’s writing has yet to be noticed. Speak to them with comments, show them that they’re seen, and provide a small note of appreciation.
The world of stories is large, but the smallest note can have a profound effect.
You have one week to complete this noble quest.
Reward for completion: 6 xp
J.D. Mullenary Sr.
The Original QuestWright
Note: Interpretation of Quests is up to the Questor. As long as you fulfill the basic objective, you’re solid.