A well known Man

Chapter 100: A well known Man

Hello. This is Liam again. I really don't quite know what to say. This is chapter 100 of a story I wrote. Up until now, it has a little over 325 000 words. On average, I apparently exceed the chapter length of 3000 words, which is interesting.

For anyone who has made it this far, thank you. I know this has been a long journey up until now, and not every chapter has turned out as well as it could have. Some were better than I thought going into it, and some I maybe put too many of my personal frustrations in.

Once again I want to really thank everyone who has made this journey possible. My ever supportive friends, my mostly supportive family, and of course every single reader who kept me to my deadlines. Yes, I know I sometimes don't make them, I apologize again for that.

As always, I hope you've been enjoying this story. I once again want to take the time here to specifically state that this story is supposed to be inclusive of all people. If you take issue with someone because of their gender, sex, sexual orientation, skin colour, or any other surface reason, I kindly ask you re-evaluate your choices. People are people, and they deserve to be treated as such.

LGBT+/GRSM rights are human right. POC rights are human rights.

Be kind to other people, this should be a safe space for anyone to be themselves. And please, continue to enjoy the story.

- - - - - -

/Sometimes being in the devil contract partnership program is a bit difficult. I mean, signing up to be summoned is great. I love making contracts with humans, elves, and dwarves. It feels great helping them with their problems and all, but sometimes, those summoners can be so arrogant, you know?

I'll genuinely be having a movie night with my best pals, and suddenly I'm in some dudes dark, damp, cramped closet, with my horns scraping uncomfortably against the closet. I'll be readjusting my eyes to the lighting, and my nose to the smell, because somehow drawing pentagrams means they don't even clean the floor anymore, and some grimey motherfucker will be looking at me and go, "Bow to your new master, foul daemon! Witness my power and obey my command!"

Like, bro, you talk like that, and expect me not to rip you the hell off? I like contracts as much as the next guy, but don't treat us devils like trash. We got names, and we got proper classification as a species within the system too. Seriously, a single appraisal would tell you I'm a devil subspecies, not a daemon.

But fine, my patience is nearing its limits and I'm already tired. Planning on ripping some idiot off for all they're worth, so I ask to hear the request. "I wish for the power to spill my enemies' blood, to take over this empire and make those who spurned me kneel before my feet, only to take their begs for mercy, and extinguish them in their throats!"

What the fuck kinda deal is that? Look, your soul is worth like a quarter of what you're asking for. You need to know how to barter. Maybe, just maybe if it had been someone nice 'n polite I'd make an exception, right, but it's never someone nice. Nice people don't need to make their enemies beg for mercy. Nice people go something like, "Hey there mister devil, so I kinda need some help."

Those grand ambitions will get you backstabbed. Period. You're gonna summon someone way above your league, they'll smash the pentagram, and eat your face for calling them a demon. We have standards, man. I even got serial contractors. This girl, Mandy, summons me every freydan night so she doesn't get lonely when watching her favourite show. I bring snacks with me by now, just because she's so nice.

If you're a prick to us devils, expect to get backstabbed. I'm no demon, but even those only ever try to scam assholes into bad deals.

Ah, right, the dude I was talking about. I made him a contract alright, because that day I was feeling real nice and chill, and the dumbass signs it without even reading. Didn't speak a lick of West Arterusian I bet. So, after he signed, I picked him up and threw him in a river. He was forced to shave, change into nice clothes, and do a proper clean of that miserable hole he summoned me in.

Then, once he was looking like a functioning member of society, though with some tears on his cheeks, I took him back to my home city. We devils got some sickass councelors, and man, sometimes people like him just need some help.

He's been to therapy for six months, and is getting better. Higher self-confidence, better circle of friends.

Don't be afraid to reach out for help, you might find it in even the most unlikely places, but for the love of god, in terms of summoning devils, if you need to see your own value, just ask us for that instead of limitless power./

Mologoth the baleful, high-devil and outspoken representative for the devil contract partnership program.

- - - - - -

Well, those were certainly a few notifications to get through.

[Level Up!]

That was one for killing the mountain lord.

[Personal Quest: "Territory" completed!

Reward: 1 level, 5 Ability Points, 100 Skill Points, 500 Gold, 20 World Points,<Mountain Usurper> Title.]

[Level Up!]

[Main quest: "Ihn'ar" completed!

Reward: 12 Ability points, <Patient Learner> title, additional inventory slot, immediate increase in power for any growth-type equipment.]

Okay, now to go step by step. First, status!

- - -

Status:

Mercury Rainfall Starlight

Level: 7 -> 9

Species: Leyfal

Titles: <Patient Learner (New!)>, <Mountain Usurper (New!)>, <Tenacious Genius>, <Forest Usurper>, <Tutorial Completer>

Alias: Beast, Mittens

===

Hp: 285/285

Mp: 667/667

Sp: 307/307

===

Strength: 68 -> 69 (+5)

Vitality: 61 -> 62

Dexterity: 65 (+1)

Agility: 64 -> 67 (+1)

Intelligence: 94

Wisdom: 79 -> 81 (+2)

Willpower: 85 -> 87

Luck: 34 -> 37

===

Ability points: 80

World points: 67

Skill points: 2360

===

Gold: 2063

Beast familiars: 1/2

- - -

Interestingly, his familiar slots didn't increase this time. <Appraisal>, what exactly did those new titles do?

[<Mountain Usurper>: This title was awarded to the individual upon defeating the prior Mountain Lord and thus claiming said position as their own. It grants a +5 to all stats while in the vicinity of the mountain it was acquired in. Additionally, it grants its user 3 inventory spaces, as well as increased mastery gain in most perception-related Skills. For having acquired two separate "Usurper"-type titles, the individual is granted the Title Skill, <Usurp>.]

[<Usurp>: A Title Skill acquired upon receiving two separate "Usurper"-type titles. Allows the user to set a territory, instinctually warding off smaller predators, and challenging any whose territory was there before. Additionally, it can be used on other individuals. It costs 300 Mp, and steals 50 Hp from the desired target.]

Hm. The Skill was certainly good, but given that the system went out of its way to have a unique category for it, he'd honestly have thought it would be better. Maybe he needed more usurper titles? For now, it was definitely usable, especially when he was finally establishing his own place, though that was still a little far off.

At any rate, the lifesteal could definitely save his ass, even though it was vastly more expensive than most other techniques he used. It also seemed quite inefficient, but hey, maybe he could buy mana potions in the shop and convert his gold directly into damage that way? What did mana potions cost in there, anyways?

500 Gold for 50 mana. Okay man. Sure. Go frick yourself.

In any case, there was still more to check out, right?

[<Patient Learner>: This title was awarded to the individual for their diligent study and perseverance. It grants increased comprehension and focus when meditating or in a calm state. This is intended to slowly break down more complicated processes into smaller steps, and additional bonuses to understanding and mastery will be granted upon longer use, study, and growth of an ability.]

[Confusion detected. Appraisal rewording issued. Processing.]

[Essentially, when the individual encounters a learning barrier, the longer they are stuck, and the more patient they are, the easier the wall will become to break down and improve upon.]

Well, that was very fucking good. Now the question was how long the system considered a long time though. A lifetime, maybe? Looking at <Skill Point Generation>, he wasn't quite sure how far he would trust this <Patient Learner> thing, but it sure as hell was better than not having it at all.

Okay, getting closer to the end. His inventory now had nine slots. One from the start, the one he bought, one from the quest, and three from each of the usurper titles. Which was really damn sick, because it meant he could now store quite a bit of stuff, especially since the categorization of an object seemed to be pretty much determined based on whether he could view it as one, and also its dimensions.

The biggest thing he had managed to shove in there was his trusted log, and he was pretty sure that for now, anything bigger than that was unlikely to fit. Still, having more slots was always very welcome, since he didn't exactly have a good method of carrying stuff other than <Telekinesis>, and that was a nightmare for long distances.

For now though, he was also excited to see how his cloak had grown.

[<Dracoleather Cloak>: Proficiency: 500/1000. Grade: Unique D. New Blessing: <Shelter>]

[<Shelter>: This passive blessing is any traveller's first choice. It grants increased resistance to the elements, warding off rain, snow, hail, storms, wind, and anything else more effectively, keeping the user warmer and happier. Additionally, these effects provide some resistance against elemental magic, reducing damage from elemental sources by 5%]

Holy fucking shit. He hadn't used <Drake's Wings> last fight, since he had forgotten about it in the heat of the moment, but he was really starting to realise just how amazing the blessings growing equipment got were. Of course, the cloak still didn't boost his actual stats by much, and when he thought about the kind of effects he remembered from the few playthroughs of rpgs he had watched, they seemed tiny, but the blessings were actually mad.

He'd been struggling with the rain quite a bit recently, since his fur dried slow, and the water stuck to him, carrying cold winds right into his bones. <Telekinesis> had been helping, but once again he could only keep that up for a limited amount of time, so quite frankly, something like this was more than appreciated.

Honestly, the elemental damage reduction was more of a sidenote to him. Of course it was incredible, don't get that twisted, but most of the time, he wasn't fighting magic users, but instead hunting for food. And since he was more focused on survival rather than completely thriving in this strange world, a buff to his comfort was worth more than a simple damage reduction.

Now, was there anything else noteworthy he still hadn't checked out? Some of his Skills had levelled up, that was for sure, any ready for evolution?

[Your Skills have levelled up: <Bloodlust lv. 2 -> 3>, <Dash lv. 9- > 10>, <Throw lv. 16 -> 17>, <Fall Damage Reduction lv. 2 -> 3>, <Steady Heart lv. 5 -> 6>!]

[<Dash> has met the necessary qualifications for evolution. Evolve?]

[Evolution confirmed. Engaging. Please pick an option to evolve the Skill into. The price will be the same, no matter which you choose.]

[1. <Glimmer Dash>

2. <Reinforcement Dash>

3. <Steady Dash>]

Well, onto more reading then. <Appraisal>, if you would?

[<Glimmer Dash>: A Skill that sacrifices stamina efficiency in exchange for sheer speed. The consumption is extremely high, but in exchange, the amount of momentum the individual can reach is incomparable to that of the regular <Dash> Skill. A small trail of light will follow the individual, making stealth difficult, but distracting enemies in direct combat.]

So an option that went all-in on raw speed? It seemed strong in fights for sure, but with even the system warning him of the stamina cost... he was really unsure about it. Also, the additional bit on light made it look very inconvenient in any situation except one on one fights. For now he'd prefer to hear the other options.

[<Reinforcement Dash>: This Skill doesn't simply accelerate the user, but instead heightens physical capabilities in general. Very popular with fighters who seek balance between strength and speed, it makes the user faster and any attacks hit heavier as well.]

Honestly, this one already seemed a lot better. It made him even faster but also generally sturdier and stronger. Especially since he could activate it on even small attacks and claw swipes, this could make a huge difference in any exchange.

It was weird though, how would it make his attacks hit harder without just a pure speed increase. It couldn't exactly make him heavier, could it? After all, that and speed were the main components of force.

Well, whatever, he'd worry about it after choosing. He still had to hear the last option.

[<Steady Dash>: This option gives a much lesser speed increase than most other forms of dash, in exchange for far lower stamina consumption. Individuals with high stamina recovery may even be able to permanently keep this Skill activated, although the best time to do so would be after eating, as stamina recovers the fastest in those cases.]

This one was interesting, but it didn't really suit Mercury. As of right now, his power was short lived and explosive, which wasn't great, and he definitely needed to work on fights of endurance, but quite frankly, it was slowly getting better. Still, having a dash option that just doesn't stack up to what others can do, what's the point? It wouldn't be useful for switching up his rhythm in a fight, and it wouldn't be useful for making an escape. Of course, a passive speed boost would be nice, but this one just had far too little of an impact compared to the cost.

No, he'd have <Reinforcement Dash>, please.

[Evolution selected.]

[The individual has acquired the Skill <Reinforcement Dash> through Skill evolution!]

Almost immediately, Mercury decided to give the new Skill a try, activating it and then attempting to run. His stamina was recovered after the levels and browsing the menus, so he was honestly feeling pretty alright again. Definitely good enough to give the evolved <Dash> a try.

The system really hadn't been lying. When Mercury used his new dash, he didn't just get faster, he also felt his movements become heavier. It was a little bit of a weird feeling, genuinely, though he thought Avery might have mentioned something like it before. Mass was an overwhelming advantage in terms of the force one can generate, so with a high strength score and some Skills, maybe it was possible to change one's mass on the fly?

If so, this Skill was better than he had thought. Especially using short bursts of activation, like he had been doing even with the old version of dash, would now be way more powerful. This was definitely a good choice, at least in Mercury's book.

With that all said and everything done, Mercury finally began heading down the mountain, after grabbing the corpse of the drake. Now, while his Hp was in order again after the rejuvenating effect of gaining levels, that didn't mean he was looking good. His fur was full of mud and dried blood, and his cloak had lost all its luster. He was perhaps fitting to be placed in a dictionary as the definition of filthy.

Still, Mercury couldn't help but smile. This time, he had done it all by himself. He'd walked up to some lord motherfucker, and then kicked his ass.

Wait. He kicked that guy's ass. So there was still a reward!!

[<Ice-Affinity Core>: This core, once housed inside a drake, is charged with ice-affinity mana. Usually, the treatment to give an affinity to mana has to be executed post mortem, however this one was immediately finished as a drop by the system. It allows the user to absorb the mana, losing its affinity in the process, or extract it to power magical constructs. Additionally, the option to analyze it in hopes of developing ice spells is open. Grade: C.]

Yoooo, alright, Mercury already knew what he would do with that. Honestly, if the choice was between temporary and permanent strength, was it really a choice at all? Of course he'd try and analyze the mana, what a dumb question. The ice spells that drake had cast really packed quite a bit of a punch, and Mercury was more than excited to blast some of them himself.

[<Drake's Flesh>: Tissue taken from a dead drake. Still pulses with power. Can be used as an ingredient in cooking or alchemy, as well as directly consumed in order to inherit some of the drake's strength. Consumption should be avoided if the individual does not have a strong stomach. Grade: Unique C.]

Wow, nice, was this like the great stag's heart again? Honestly, for a moment, Mercury considered giving alchemy an attempt, but in the end he decided against it. He was a carnivore as a cat, and he could eat raw meat without blinking an eye, so he decided having a bite while it was still fresh would give him the most benefits.

[The drake's strength courses through you. Strength increased by 3. Vitality increased by 5. Dexterity increased by 2. Luck increased by 1.]

Hell yeah! That was one full level's worth of points pretty much! Totally worth it.

Finally satisfied with everything, Mercury continued his descent, even ignoring all the dirt on him as he slowly got closer to the foot of the mountain. It had grown a bit darker by now, and dusk had firmly settled in, yet when he came all the way down, Marsh was still waiting.

"Thought you'd never come back," they said, looking at the dirty ball of fur in front of them.

"You wish," Mercury said. "Got some kind of bathing river near your village?"

Marsh sighed with a light smile. "We do," they said. "Follow me."

Not very long after, Mercury actually did reach the village. It was bigger than he had expected, quite frankly, houses placed on plateaus and crops growing wherever there was space. The buildings were stable, made of solid stone and wood, built to last against storms and heavy weather. He could see smoke rising from many of them, a fire burning where it was needed to cook and warm.

Marsh showed him to the river, which Mercury reluctantly lowered himself into. Some of the dirt washed off easily, other pieces needed some convincing, but not too long after, Mercury and his cloak were clean again. Wet and cold, too, but at least clean. Marsh threw him a drying rag, quite reminiscent of a towel, and with <Telekinesis>, Mercury was soon no longer dripping, and only uncomfortable.

"Let's get you inside?" the expedition leader asked, pointing towards one of the houses.

"That yours?"

"My family's," Marsh nodded.

"You really don't have to force yourself-"

"Just go inside," Marsh sighed, pushing the mopaaw a bit with the tip of their boots.

"Thanks," Mercury grumbled, finally taking the invitation and stepping foot into the house.

"Welcome to my humble abode," Marsh said as Mercury looked around. It was a decently big place, with a couple rooms, and the sounds of regular life sounding throughout. The cat could hear a chair creaking as someone rocked back and forth, and he heard a knife slice up some vegetables. Fire crackled, and the air was warm.

"It's nice," he said, smiling.

"I know," Marsh replied, though with a bit of a smug look on their face. "Come on, let me introduce you."

With that, they already went ahead, moving towards the sound of the knife rather than the chair first.

"Mother, I'm home," Marsh said, opening the door to a well lit room with a set dining table, only to have the view into it blocked a moment later, as a tall figure rushed out to hug him. It was a woman, maybe in her late 30s if Mercury had to guess, with wolf ears poking through her brown hair. It was beginning to gray ever so slightly, hints of silver no one would dare mention neatly tucked away, and the light folds in her face spoke of many smiles.

"It's so good to see you back," the woman said, hugging Marsh tightly, who was now blushing a little.

"Hey, it's alright mom, be careful, I've got a friend-"

"A friend? Who is it?" she asked, looking around, only to find Mercury standing on the floor. "Awwe, what a cute little mo-" she said, already beginning to reach out before Mercury interrupted.

"Hey, my name is Mercury, please respect my personal space," he said.

"Ah! Is that a true kin?!"

"A traveller, mother, calm down," Marsh said.

The woman sighed again, her dark green eyes focusing on Mercury again. "A traveller? Welcome then. I'm happy to hear Marsh has decided to introduce someone to me again, they should really go out there and see more of the world. I'm Ria, pleased to meet you."

Mercury decided to nod politely for now. "Well, thank you for having me in any case."

Marsh, however, seemed less excited about what their mother was babbling, deciding to drag Mercury out of the room with a hand on their face to hide their exasperation. "Come back for dinner!" Ria yelled after them, to which Marsh quickly yelled some form of affirmation before ducking behind another door.

"Your mom certainly has a lot of... energy."

"Tell me about it," Marsh shook their head. "Well, time to introduce you to grandpa. He's a little old fashioned, but don't mind him."

Mercury nodded, and with that, they walked into another room, the one with the crackling fire and slowly rocking chair, yet almost immediately, Mercury was able to pick something out. The breathing of the man sitting in the chair was soft, but strong. It was determined and confident, and while simply rocking back and forth in a chair, it seemed that no sound he didn't wish was allowed to be in this room.

Here, Mercury couldn't hear the insects outside, no buzzing, no sounds from other households. He could no longer hear the knife pass through food that was being prepared, not the sound of footsteps in the hallway. Mercury could tell, be it instinctively or because of <Intuition>, that this man owned the silence in this room.

In fact, it seemed as though all the silence in this house was his, belonging to the man with short, grey hair, and a chiselled face, muscles still showing through his shirt even at older age. His eyes were a similar green to Ria's, yet a bit brighter, perhaps with more authority and mischief in them. His beard was trimmed and taken care of, maintained fully, with streaks of black still in it.

"You're back," he said out loud to Marsh, his voice cutting through the room like a well-sharpened sword.

"I am," Marsh nodded. "I've-"

"Brought company, yes, I saw. Well, beast. I see this child has brought you into my home. Then let me introduce myself, please." With that, the man got up from his rocking chair, to stand a full head taller than Marsh. He proposed an imposing figure even in his late years.

"My name is Alexander of Macedon."

"Macedon? Isn't that Greek?"

And then, the old man raised an eyebrow. "Ah, you know Greece? A fellow traveller then. Yes, though maybe you would know me as Alexander the Great. Though now, I do little more than own the silence I wish to die in."

And Mercury's mouth may as well have dropped to the floor.