2 Chapter 2 - Mandatory Quest

Locki woke up annoyed, cold and covered with saliva. He furiously wiped his face as a high-pitched chuckle informed him of the culprit to his situation.

His eyes squinted at the newest member of his guild. A ball made of nothing but poisonous gas. Honestly, Locki supposed he could have had a worse member.

And speaking of his newest member, he had gotten worried that it needed more coaxing after the [Dimensional Guild System] told him he needed the summon's approval. Though, a simple "do you wanna join my guild" was enough for Gastly to join. It was weird, but Locki wouldn't question a good thing.

"Don't do that." Locki frowned as he finally wiped the last of Gastly's saliva off his face. If anything, his warning was only met with more chuckling.

Exasperated already, Locki turned to the shadowy areas of the room where the light Lacrima could quite reach. "Make sure he doesn't…" Locki squinted at Gastly. "He? Are you a boy or a girl?"

Purple gas wafted off the floating ball, and Gastly's tongue lolled out. It bobbed up and down then happily dispersed into a cloud of noxious gas.

Locki coughed as he covered his face, watching the living gas somehow seep into his own shadow. He stared long and hard at it.

"How does that even work?" He mumbled, finding no indication that Gastly was there.

Shaking his head, the teen stretched out of bed. His jaw and back cracked and popped as he lazily got up and looked at his clock. He huffed at how late it was, knowing it was deep in the afternoon already.

The perfect time to take on the day.

Blearily walking through his morning(?) routine, Locki looked through his various screens to take stock of what happened. He clicked his tongue as he found that his member count on the [Guild Stats] menu had dropped to one. A number that was only held up by Gastly who was currently doing who knows what in his shadow.

"[Self Stats]." Locki said, watching as a screen popped up.

[Self Stats]

Name: Locki Wyn

Conditions: [Buffs], [Debuffs]

Charisma: 15

[Skills]

Carpentry:: Support :: Rank F

[Magic]

Affinity: Support

Spell Systems: [Earthland Magic — Enchanting Speak], [Earthland Curse — Cursed Knowledge]

His lips quirked back into the facsimile of a smirk at the second option in his spell systems. A bit of pride puffed into his chest as he strutted out of the basement of his guild.

That self-gratification quickly ended as he looked up at the old woman glaring down at him from the other side of the counter. Locki hurriedly shut the basement doors.

"Gastly, can you teleport?" He whispered urgently to his shadow. A pair of large white eyes blinked in his shadow, smoke beginning to trail out of the indistinct edges. "Maybe shadowport? This is urgent. Come on, what is a sentient ball of gas good for?"

His guildmate's eyes closed as the doors over his head swung open. Light stung his retina, and he swallowed heavily at the gaze of the woman above him.

"Brat." She said, voice stern.

"…shit." He glared down at his completely normal shadow. "Traitor."

"I think you know why I'm here." She narrowed her eyes.

It would be a lie to say he didn't. Anyone who even recognized what a guild is in Evermont knew of her.

Lon Clurliss was the Magic Council inspector for the city. An occupation that was as desired as it was feared and reviled. After all, the only reason why they would show up anywhere near a guild house was to sanction it or worse, abolish the guild.

For Evermont, it was a position that garnered a heavy amount of hate by the morally grey parts of the city, and the fact that the woman had the job for twenty two years straight spoke for her abilities. Lon was a lady who Locki would confidently say was fueled by hate and spite.

And those beady black eyes set in a wrinkled, liver-spot covered face spoke of untold horrors.

"Shit…" naturally, he deflated immediately. He hunched his shoulders and marched out from the basement, leaning lazily on the countertop. "What is it this time, Miss C? Another mission sanction? I don't know if you saw it, but no one's sending any requests here."

"That's because I made it so." Lon glowered, causing Locki to flinch. "Because a snot nosed brat who's got his head so far up his ass is too dumb to manage his own shithole. You think people just forget? No… no, it's because I personally bury guilds like yours."

"Geez, love you too. Though, I speak for the both of us when I say: [can you get to the point]?" Locki paused when he felt his magic activate.

Lon also froze for a moment before shaking her head and continuing as if nothing happened. "Right. I've got better things to do than deal with a brat."

She waved her hands, and with a sparkle of light, Locki saw a file and envelope slowly appear in her hand. A proficient use of Requip Magic. He bit back the envy that ate at him at that; if only he could do that instead of relying on skill cards.

"This here is your two weeks' notice." Lon said while she tapped the thick file with a long red nail. "I need this acknowledged and signed by the Wednesday two weeks from now. As of right now, the Scarlet Hand Guild is officially on the block."

"Wait, what?" Locki shot up. He could feel Gastly's smog curl around his feet, but was focused on other things to pay it more attention. "You can't just do that… right? That's not how it's supposed to be. Scarlet Hand has always been in the dumps, but this—" he pointed at the notice. "This is stupid. I- I won't stand for this! I demand a re- re uh, redo! This won't hold in the council!"

Lon stepped back, eyes searching Locki for a moment. Then, much softer this time, she shook her head. "Locki, brat, you need to face the facts. Scarlet Hand is a bleeding corpse. Asiar— I mean your grandfather, held it together by more crook than anything else. Times are changing. Guild regulations are stricter, and even then, you need to look around you…"

Locki glanced around. The place was still empty, and even the Jewels had been stolen sometime in the night.

"Throwing a tantrum might have worked when you were a cute kid." Lon said, shaking her head. "And I put it off as long as I can, but with the last of your members leaving…" she paused to look at the purple smoke curling around Locki's feet. "A guild that has no prospective power to solve missions? That's not a guild at all. You're better off joining someone else or finding a better job."

Locki bit his lip. He knew that. Everyone who was anyone had told him that. Sit down, shut up and stop being dumb. Same shit, different words.

He hated it. He hated his weak magic. He hated how everyone just left. He hated how everyone thought they knew better.

And he hated how much sense they made. More than anything, he hated being told what to do.

[Guild Quest]

Urgent!

Rank: Unknown

Complete the task required to keep your guild!

Rewards: One Tier 3 Blue Prism, One Tier 2 Gold Prism

Failure Penalties: Forever lose [Dimensional Guild System], possible death and dismemberment

Apparently, this system agreed with him, too. Even if the penalties seemed a bit much.

"I refuse." Locki said, glaring down at the notice in his hands. It was the equivalent to a death sentence to his aspirations.

"Brat. Don't push your luck."

"A guild is an organization that can do missions." Locki repeated, staring at her.

She raised an eyebrow. "Missions outside of town, brat. Any place can set up shop and run a lumber guild in a city. A Magic Guild like Scarlet Hand needs to have members who can do missions outside of the city."

"And if we can prove we can do that?"

"I'm not seeing a mage who can take on a B-rank mission around here." Lon said. "Unless you store them down in that basement of yours."

"No, it's me. I'm a mage." Locki said, trying not to sag in embarrassment. He knew more than anyone how "talented" of a mage he was.

"Uh-huh…" Lon said, and he could tell just how convinced she was by her tone.

"Be that as it may, mister mage. It is a requirement for a guild licensed in Fiore to be able to handle B-rank missions outside of its city or town of origin. If, by some random fluke, you were able to complete one, I would be able to withhold Scarlet Hand's disbandment for another month." Lon said, and very carefully requiped another paper in her hand. A mission paper.

She placed it on the countertop, right next to the envelope. "This here is a B-rank mission. Not too hard; just a pack of Vulcans terrorizing a town. Though, said pack has Taken-Over two mages. This, Locki, is your last chance." She very deliberately kept her fingers pressed on it. "This is dangerous. At any moment, you could lose your life. Better men have— your father, to name one."

Locki scowled at the comment, feeling his magic pool at the back of his throat. "Give me the paper, you old hag."

Lon scoffed, but she released the mission nonetheless. Locki grabbed it, scared she might pull back at any moment.

[Urgent! Guild Quest "Rank", "Description" and "Rewards" have been updated]

"Locki," the teen looked up to see the old woman smiling bitterly at his actions. She pointed to the envelope. "That is from your father. He told me to give it to you if I had to bail your ass out."

Locki stared at her.

"His words, not mine."

"Uh-huh…"

"Don't get cheeky now, brat. And," she smacked her lips before awkwardly turning to leave. "Don't die. Burying two Wyns was already killer on my back. If I had to bury you too, I might as well keel over from overwork."

Locki felt he needed to say something to that. A scathing, knee-jerk retort. Yet, his tongue was dry as he watched her silently leave, cursing at the loud, rusty hinge that was the entrance. Though, even if he did, he still heard the message loud and clear.

Because even if she was feared and hated by most in Evermont, Lon always found a way to annoy him again. Whether to check up on him or flaunt the dying guild in his face, she was there.

Locki sneered in her direction, distaste coloring his tongue. "Hag needs to mind her own business."

Now that he was finally alone, he took a moment to realize that another aspect to the [Dimensional Guild System] appeared. This was the first time it had given him a [Quest], and he felt that anything important concerning the guild itself was needed to qualify. He took a look to see what had just changed.

[Guild Quest]

Urgent!

Rank: B-rank

Kill or stop the Vulcans from terrorizing the village to keep your guild!

Rewards: Tier 2 Blue Prisms, Tier 1 Red Prism, Tier 3 Blue Prism, Tier 2 Gold Prism

Failure Penalties: Forever lose [Dimensional Guild System], possible death and dismemberment

"That's looking nice." Locki whistled happily at the sheer amount of prisms the [Quest] was offering. He would normally get one or two from Dralt completing a B-rank quest, so a total of four different prisms was an enticing reward. Enticing enough that he ignored the potential penalties.

Then, he paused to look down at the smog that was curling around his legs. He scowled at Gastly's actions. "And where the hell were you? You left your guild master hanging."

Gastly's large eyes blinked into existence as it came out of his shadow slowly. An echoing chuckle was all it offered, and Locki dodged the tongue that came right for his face.

"No," he said, annoyed. "None of that. You left me to fend for myself. Now, I have no idea what the fuck you are, but I think we need to set some rules– guild rules."

Gastly bobbed vaguely, but Locki accepted it and raised one finger. "Firstly, [Don't abandon your guild when they need it]. Got it? This is literally the most important because it includes me."

"Secondly…" Locki started, raising another finger before wilting. "Dammit do you even understand what I am talking about?" He glared at the ball of gas. It bobbed vaguely again as he groaned. "Gods, I'm talking to a living fart cloud… what has my life descended into?"

Locki slumped in defeat, forgetting about his only other guild member. He had no idea what a Pokémon was, and the creature wasn't in any bestiary he had read before. In the first place, he supposed that it could be some creation by a dark mage since it seemed to be made out of poison.

However, the oddities of his guild member aside, he had bigger problems to tackle. Mainly, the question on how he was supposed to handle a pack of Vulcans?

Vulcans were a weird creature whose origins started somewhere in Bosco and Iceberg. A couple sources had labeled them as escaped test subjects from places that were experimenting on Take-Over mages. In the end, all they got were a massively invasive species with the strongest versions of them able to completely blend into someone else's life without anyone noticing.

Though, that was luckily only seen in singular Vulcans who had been banished from their packs. They were an odd species that seemed to grow inversely stronger whenever they left their packs, so while a Vulcan pack was dangerous, they were not the worst the species had to offer. In some cases, a pack was a less worrying option.

Still, that was only when someone was considering the average mage. Locki was… perhaps a little below average. Okay, in less considerate words, he was a shit mage.

And in a fight between a shit mage and a Vulcan was an overwhelming victory in favor of the Vulcan. Vulcans themselves negated the only advantage he had over random creatures. As they originated from mages, and as such, their species as a whole gained the automatic bonuses a mage brings.

Strength, durability and growth. A staple to any mage. Vulcans were exemplary evidence to what happens when you give the ability to be a mage to creatures in general.

Normal civilians have to band together in large groups to barely ward off a couple Vulcans. A pack who had used Take-Over magic on two mages was a death sentence for any small village without a strong mage. A person who would have left for a larger town or city the second they realized they had talent.

Locki ran a hand through his hair the more he thought about it. He felt more annoyed by the situation by the second, and quickly marched down the stairs to his basement.

Behind him, he felt Gastly trail after him slowly. His attention was more focused on what needed to be done to care for the ghost.

Travel was his first problem. The village in question was located a little ways from Hargeon, so getting on the train that passed from Magnolia to Hargeon would be good.

Combating the issue was the bigger problem in his books. Locki knew he'd lose nine out of ten times against a Vulcan. His advantage of bodily strength wasn't applicable when concerning the creatures, and his magic was next to useless like always.

"But…" Locki remembered his Curse. That was something he could use.

He nodded and reached the pile of armor and weapons thrown to the side of his basement. If he could use his Curse, then things would get much easier. One of his hands brushed through the weapons on the floor till he found what he was looking for.

[Enchanted Rapier]

A rapier that has been enchanted with a bit of Titanite. It will pierce through most things.

Effects: No special Magical effects

Carefully, he slung it on his hip, feeling the awkward weight as he moved around. He had never used a weapon before, and had no idea what Titanite was, but he felt that a rapier would be easier to use than some sword or spear.

Next, was a more important consideration. He turned to the fancy armor full of glowing runes on it. His hand rested on it as a screen appeared in front of him.

[Rune Woven Armor]

Runes that have been weaved into armor.

Effects: Can be condensed into a single piece of armor.

Locki was no stranger to magic items. Item-focused magic was a thing that many mages dabbled into. At one point in time his father tried to get him more involved with magic items like, but he had been more focused on how weak his magic was to care.

Though, he didn't really regret it. The people who used items had a different kind of talent he never cared to cultivate, either. He hadn't expected to need his magic in the first place after he realized how bad it was.

Still, even if his knowledge about magic items was abysmal, Locki still knew that weaving runes into the form of armor was almost impossible. Letter Magic was an odd thing in how many different types it came in, yet there were still no written examples where said magic was used to make something as intricate as the armor in front of him.

At least, not something that had special effects that lasted like the Rune Woven Armor.

He knew the Rune Knights of Fiore had armor that was enchanted with Jutsu Shiki, but they were not made from runes. Instead, they were something else. Every book he read in the library never really said how they were made; the pages that detailed it were ripped out or purposely destroyed.

The rules of Letter Magic aside, Locki cared more about if it will protect him or not. He roughly grabbed the silvery bracer of the armor, letting the blue light of the working runes shine through his fingers as the armor began cracking and shuddering under his unspoken order. The screeches of metal sliding against itself echoed in his ears as the armor slowly shrank itself into the small bracer in his hands.

Locki tossed the bracer in his hands, feeling its weight. It wasn't as heavy as he thought it would be as he slid it over the right sleeve of his stained, white shirt.

He scrutinized the bracer, staring at it over his arm. In doing so, he caught his reflection between a couple of dull runes.

Unshaven stubble coated his chin and upper lip. His blonde hair came down over his ears messily, covering most of his pale complexion. Baleful red eyes sat above deep, dark bags and stared back at his own.

If it was anyone else, he would have said that face looked like a villain.

"Whatever." He said, tearing his gaze away. Gastly was hovering nearby, floating around the weapons and chuckling at a couple. He scowled at it. "Come on. Let's go."

He spared a glance over his shoulder, looking to where one of his shade mooks might be. "Make sure no one breaks in and steals anything."

Like that, he left. Behind him, his father's letter sat untouched on the countertop.