Shocker

Rogue.

I read over and over again, feeling nothing less than utter shock.

Based on everything I learned, a rogue was someone who either blatantly stole from others, was a recognized criminal, or had been banned from a city or state for nefarious deeds. Yet, as far as I was aware, the only things I've ever stolen were souls and trinkets from the dead. And Humphrey, but I wasn't aware that amounted to me being a rogue.

Even if I've eschewed the ways of the kin I've never met, I didn't see how that warranted me becoming a rogue. And being one required far more than just dealing with souls. If I wanted to finish this path, and I had to if I wanted to remove this brand, I had to raise a devil army alongside my Legions and eventually war against the divine.

If anything, I expected the Path of Zefroth to lead me down such a road. Instead, it called for me to create warlocks, learn the ways of devilkin, and retrace the steps of my distant ancestors; giving me transformations and other abilities along the way.

Being on the Eternal Path, I figured I'd have to war with at least one god eventually, but being forced to do so left a sour taste in my mouth, to say the least. Regardless, I was interested to see many of the future rewards in action, though I was fully aware that moving up in the class depended entirely upon the actions of others, thus it would most likely be the last path I saw the end of.

As it should be. And my sorcerer and rogue paths wouldn't be too far behind them.

On the contrary, however, I was confident that the Way of Death's Door would be the first that I'd see the end of. All it required of me was to spend an increasingly longer time roaming and fighting and meditating on death's door and continuing to develop the ki paths within my spirit to the point of Eiriol's.

As I assumed, it synergized nicely with both my strengths and weaknesses. I was half-drow, which gave me an innate resistance to magic on top of my elvish agility and dexterity. That, combined with the monk abilities, made me virtually untouchable at long range and simultaneously heightened both my offensive and defensive capabilities at close range. Essentially, antimagic would be no issue for me with the perks of this class, yet it was the easiest of them all for me to venture.

Considering that, I decided it best to place it at the far end of my priorities for the coming year and instead move down the path of the Soul Mastermind first. All I needed to do was to learn a language and make a nickname after all, so it made sense that it was where I would start. And after that, I'd have the ability to gain my first promotion or two in Sorcery before I took off to learn enchanting and toil away in a temporally dilated lab.

Once every creation festering in my mind was brought into reality, that was when I'd spend the few months with Eiriol to begin making my way towards Death's Door.

Regrettably, however, all I could do until then was create my divine portfolio and crank out as many potions as I could. And for better or for worse, the former wouldn't take long and I had more than enough time and resources for the latter.

"Congratulations, newly awakened!"

A voice as regal and smooth as silken strands boomed through the hall, stirring our minds and eyes away from the arcane scrips floating before our eyes and onto Eiriol, loosely leading the other instructors into the hall behind waving hands.

Frantically waving, it seemed at a glance, but I recognized it as the soundless variant of our tongue taught to me by my mother.

<<Rendezvous with us in the court, exalted one.>> She motioned. Yet she said otherwise. "As of this hour, you are Pages no more. You yearn for freedom, I'm aware, thus I'll keep my words sparse. Meet with us to learn when and where your studies are to begin and do your best to make this time of leisure worthwhile."

With a pompous huff, she turned on her heels and trotted off to an ambiguous corner of the room to wait.

Soon enough, the instructors did much the same, and we newly awakened eagerly followed. I noticed a sour look in her eye as I turned away from her to speak with Zoop, though I put it out of my mind as I caught a glimpse of a sign telling the rogues where to be, before the bubbling face of the gnome appeared before my eyes.

"Hey, hey! Nice to see ya!" She beamed.

"Likewise!" I couldn't help but beam back.

"Are you a Grandmaster Industrialist too?" She beamed, nudging Ed as she did so. "Are ya? Are ya?"

And of course, I beamed wider. "I am!"

"Good, good!" She bounced in place. "And don't be daunted about alchemy! As long as you got the materials, you can brew as big a batch as you want!"

"That's good to know." Both I and Ed sighed in relief. Then we nearly coughed after a loose scroll was shoved into each of our guts.

"Here's your map! Classes begin on the first, but you can show up whenever you like! But keep in mind, once you come, you're expected to stay until you're certified. And then you're free to create!"

"Oh, that's not a problem." I grinned knowingly.

"Good! And last thing!" She wagged a pudgy finger towards our brows. "Two things I'm obligated to tell you, really. Some classes allow you to have a Familiar. And some classes or magic types or even scrolls allow you to summon creatures from the other realms. Your evolution should give you the know-how for the first. And a course for the second one starts during the second semester."

"Who's the instructor?" I quickly asked.

She paused to give me a knowing wink. "Why, the Necro King of course. But not as you know him, I'm sure."

"Ah." I dejectedly nodded. "I see."

"Yep! Well, see ya soon!"

"I can't imagine the Necro King coming here to teach." Ed chortled after she left. "Even for you."

"Yeah." I snorted. "One clone could become two. But no more," I muttered my great-grandfather's now less-cryptic words, then turned to Ed, grinning, to give him a brisk pat on the back. "Anyway, congratulations. I need to talk to take care of a few things. We'll meet at the tower to do all the other things and celebrate, yeah?"

"Yeah. Take your time." He returned my pat and trotted off into the distance.

I turned just as the matronly drow turned away from the other monks. In ways she could only dream of, I kept to the darkness on the way to the courtyard and soon found Corym and Indra standing adjacent to each other in wait for her arrival.

I waited a few moments after she arrived by their side before revealing myself. If only to gain a bit of information. But alas, there wasn't as much as a sneer shared between them while they waited.

Only when I stepped from the curtain of darkness clinging to the walls did they spur into action, reaching into dimensional storage pockets, pouches, and sleeves alike to offer me gifts in the form of magical items.

"What is this?" I asked Eiriol as I took a set of garbs from her, then soon released them in a slow orbit. She, however, only lifted her pointed chin knowingly, and indeed, I had no need of my perks to understand what they were or even did. So I instead asked. "Why?"

<<Our tasks, given by the Eternal.>> She regally bowed, singing in my mother's tongue.

<<Our?>> I flicked my eyes to the other two.

<<Us three and one other.>> Corym said as he threw a pair of violet-hued leafy boots and a similar pair of gloves into my orbit. And those I did need my perks to identify.

<<One who never comes down from their high horse. Not even for the Champion, it seems.>> Indra surprisingly sneered and threw a seemingly innocuous ring into the mix. <<My tasks aside, this belongs to you.>> She casually said. <<A ring of animal speaking.>>

Yet, I beamed in amazement from her songful notes <<Oh? A most gracious gift indeed!>>

<<A reaction I'm most pleased with.>> She smiled knowingly. <<Though I have doubts you, in particular, will need it, I trust you will make good use of it. Should you have time, however,>> she quickly added, changing the subject, <<I would ask you to visit the grove in the Redagh Woods when you are ready.>>

<<For what intent?>> I was almost afraid to ask.

<<I am charged with showing you the way to the Feywild.>>

<<I see.>> I nodded, not really understanding the implications, and turned to the others. <<And you?>>

<<I am to teach you our science.>> Corym said, causing me to grin wide in excitement.

But then Eiriol traced her slender finger over my hand. <<I am to teach you of this.>> She snickered. <<But only after you master the ways of your path.>>

<<There is another, Young Champion.>> Corym added. <<A high-elf who is to teach of you ritual magic. Though they are not here, we are told they will find you when you are ready.>>

<<Very well.>> Impatient to get on with the night, I eagerly bowed whilst backpedaling away. <<And thank you for the gifts.>>

They bowed their dismissal and departed without another word, giving me the solitude I needed to try out this appraisal and get back to the others to finalize my portfolio.

As the arcane words implied, using the skill required me to concentrate on the object for about six seconds. And by concentrating, that implied turning to object around before my eyes, feeling the fabrics, the stitching, and most importantly, the magic as deeply as I could before the ambient mana surrounding me coalesced into words.

[The Fey Runner's Night Heels aids the wearer in acts that require stealth, speed, and agility, and mutes the wearer's movements at will while within dim light or darkness.]

[The Elven Gloves of Floral Handling grants the wearer the means to imbue plant life with temporary sentience for the sake of conversation, and simultaneously gives the wearer limited control over plants.]

[Raven's Ring of Animal Speaking is an accursed ring that requires the wearer's life essence in order to speak with animals. If the wearer is a necromancer or undead, however, this is negated and instead, the wearer can speak with deceased fauna.]

"Fascinating!" I let the ring join the last few items swirling around me. It seemed to be a relatively unremarkable ring made of wood and perhaps ivory, carved with the likeness of many animals around its circumference. A ruse, I now realized and began to assume that its true form- whatever that was- would show once it'd been attuned with a new owner.

Fascinating indeed, and rather uncanny, were the last few items, a drow-made tunic, and matching bracers with a Greater Piwafwi- a gossamer-threaded magical cloak that'd been improved upon with resistance-granting materials and enchantments- all embroidered with the same markings spread across my stomach and chest.

As great, and uncanny as it was, I had no use for anything other than the clothes and perhaps the ring. The boots had the added benefit of increasing my speed while the Piwafwi worked as camouflage in the Darkworld and acted as a shield from the sun. Two things I had no use for.

The gloves were nice in the sense that they gave me control over plants, but I quickly saw how slippery a slope conversing with plants was, so they were placed into storage along with the other items and the ring.

My connection to it aside, the ring, I had a use for. Or perhaps not, if I were to believe Indra's teasing words. Either way, I wanted a druid in my squad and more, I intended to dissect each gift to figure out how they worked and, hopefully, improve upon them and make more.

Regardless, I slipped it on and attuned to it with a small burst of mana without delay and stepped off at once, eager to test it. However, an accursed presence soon pulled my attention away from the sudden darkening of the ring, bringing my eyes around to see a hulking, horned figure slouching forward from the shadows.

"I assume you want to get this over with as soon as possible?" I mockingly laughed through the darkness, sending waves of haunting whispers rippling towards the ancient ears of Zorrenor Knagh. "The beginning of the year is always a bit hectic; am I right?"

He halted mid-step, just before stepping into the gentle radiance of Mani, my moon, and took a deep sigh. Almost as if he needed to mentally prepare for the act, he took a final, great step forward, placing his overbearing, yet diminutive frame just within arms reach.

"What is this deal you proposed?" He resignedly sighed.

"First, I must say that I lack the time and the inclination to go through with this at the moment. But, you're desperate." I gave him a pained smile. "I'm willing to meet in the middle. But beware, this deal will in no way benefit you. Your only benefits are that I allow you to live and take no further actions against you.

"I would ask if that applies to your... subordinates, as well?"

"Of course." I nodded.

"And your undead?"

"Naturally." I nodded again.

"...Then I am listening."

"There will be six clauses to our agreement," I said, holding out my thumb to count. "First, I require sixty-six parcels of land from your territories, one hundred square kilometers each. Second, I ask for first rights on recruiting the next two classes of students to attend the Bodhi Tree, and third." I grinned wickedly. "I would like to harvest one branch of my choosing from the Bodhi Tree."

His face wrinkled with equal parts wrath and terror, but he could do nothing but resign his fate and listen, much to my glee, as my next demands would surely put him on edge.

"The fourth clause is a divine tree seed from the Bodhi Tree and the knowledge of how to cultivate it." His grimace tightened while my grin widened. "I'll be taking that tonight along with the branch. And the parcels will be taken by the end of the month. Once Class One Thousand completes their mid-year festival, I'll return to put a mark on your dominant eye, thus completing the fifth clause and finalizing our deal.

"The sixth won't go into effect until after your inevitable death," I explained in response to his silent inquiry. "Rather than your soul or your flesh, your Mana Well will belong to me.

"A small price to pay for a continued- if not fleeting- existence, is it not?"

"Begrudgingly so." He growled through clenched teeth. "But I must know, why the seed? You're guaranteed to get one in but two short years."

"While I'll tell you that it's none of your business, I'll also tell you that it's for an experiment." I smiled warmly. "Let's hope you live long enough to see it. Though I and neither shall my subordinates, nor my undead, raise our hands against you.

"So, Zorrenor Knagh, do we have a deal?"