Trouble brewing

Chapter 30: Trouble brewing

/Well, this is a predicament, isn't it? I can't really start this by saying "sometimes the system doesn't put things clearly enough" because, well, I don't want a raging mob going after me. No, I definitely couldn't do that. I would never say something so blasphemous, no.

Actually, I would say that sometimes, the system is plain wrong!

Now, now, down with the pitchforks and torches, this is anonymous after all, so what are you gonna do about it? Let me elaborate first.

This is about Skills and Abilities, to be specific. What really makes them different? Well, there's only a few key differences, but even those vary from case to case.

In essence, they max out at different levels. For Skills, this is usually a very even number, such as a multiple of 10, while for Abilities, that cap can be literally anything. 3, 5, 8, 10, 12, 13, whatever. Usually Abilities have a lower level cap, but that isn't a guarantee.

Now, the other, more key differences, lie in the gaining of levels for the Skill. Abilities gain large portions of mastery whenever the user makes a breakthrough in understanding the Ability, while Skills gain a set amount for each usage. This can be a little different case by case, since Abilities still slowly gain mastery just by using them, and Skills can gain large amounts by comprehending how they work, but in the end, this is a core part of it all.

And the absolute most important difference is in how they evolve. A Skill evolves once it hits its level cap. The system will then send the user a prompt on whether to evolve it or not, depending on whether it costs Skill points to evolve. If it does, the system will specifically ask the user, while for free evolutions, it will happen automcatically.

Some Skills also have multiple paths after evolution, which are different depending on the Skill, the user, the synergy with other Skills, etc. Depending on these factors, Skills can have different paths of evolution, and depending on the Skill, the user can retroactively achieve other paths than the first chosen one. For some Skills, however, the chosen direction is permanent and irreversible, so maybe you should think closely on what to choose.

With Abilities however, this is different. There are no Skill point requirements to evolve them. Abilities only evolve once the user pushes them past their limits, and the way of doing that is entirely up to the individual. Some Ability evolutions are fairly standard, while others are more unique, though that is a topic for another day.

However, evolving an Ability in no way limits your progression path. If you find another path to push that Ability forward, you can gain a second evolution, which will show up as a separate Ability. Evolving an Ability in and of itself is usually much harder than with a Skill though, since there is absolutely no help from the System.

That should do for a rudimentary differentiation. For more descriptions on how this very thing so pivotal to, well, fucking everything in existence, works, check out the next issue. Until then, keep your pitchforks close to you, and don't croak!/

Issue 3 of "This System Sucks!" by an anonymous "heretic and scoundrel".

- - - - - -

After a somewhat relaxing, and most certainly interesting night, Mercury woke up again and immediately started on his journey to the gloryhall. It must have been around 10 already anyways, he had apparently slept in.

Still, that sure wouldn't stop him from becoming E-rank! He quickly walked up to Marcel at the counter and handed over the tusk when he came close.

"Looks good," Marcel nodded. "Congratulations on your promotion then, Mercury! I hope for our continued cooperation in the future!"

"Alright, sounds good Marcel. I turn in commissions to you then?"

"If they're offered by the guild, yes. Usually, foreign commissions are filed as complete by the patron, but if they don't sign it off as done, you can at any time give it to us and we'll get that fixed as fast as possible. This also applies if someone is refusing to pay. Of course, there are various legal procedures, but we usually take care of those as well, since they could also vary between nations."

"I see, thank you in advance then. I suppose I'll talk to you later?" Mercury asked and slightly tilted his head.

"Of course. I'll let you know if I find any commissions you might be specifically interested in, based on your job. If you're eligible for another promotion, I will also contact you, though of course that requires you updating your address on your license. Other than that, you can approach me anytime you need something or have a question!" As always, Marcel was to the point and helpful, which Mercury could really appreciate.

"Thanks, we'll talk then," Mercury said as he jumped off the counter, receiving a small wave from his dedicated receptionist.

Well, what to do next? He had a little bit of money, but nowhere near enough to buy books, and he had already scanned those in his possession for info on necromancy, coming up empty.

In that case, what really was there to do but work? He just had to take a look at those E-rank missions. Hm, what was there? Cattle being hunted down, collecting herbs from the forest, bear fur for... boots?

Mercury was lost in his own thoughts as he stared at the notice board, when the door to the gloryhall swung open and the usual ,uttering inside quieted down for a moment.

Mercury could distinctly feel the difference in atmosphere, quickly turning towards the door at the same time as many other eyes did.

But after the door opened, it hastily closed again, leaving all inside pausing for a moment, as anyone near the door stepped back a bit. Mercury once again tilted his head then. What was that just now? He thought he could hear a quiet huff outside...

SLAM!!

The door was kicked open again, almost falling off its hinges as a man stepped in. He wore a large, bright orange shirt and beige pants, which sunk into his high, brown leather boots. The man had dark skin, almost black, a trimmed goatee plastered around a wide smile, his eyes covered by sunglasses, and black dreadlocks falling from his head down to his shoulders, lightly tied together at the back.

After a short pause, he balled his hands into fists, bent back at his hips, his tight muscles now showing through his shirt as he inhaled deeply.

...

"YEAAAAAAAAHHHH!!"

Immediately, the entire gloryhall burst into wild howls, as men and women of all ages toasted and yelled to each other, because of just one person.

"I'M BAAAAAAAACK!!!"

Mercury, on the other hand, was busy folding his ears to his head, simply trying to discern something from everyone in here, as whoever that was slowly made his way to the counter, talking to the receptionists.

"It's Beckham!"

"Guild master Beckham is back!"

"... Avery Beckham?"

"AHHHHHHH!"

Ah, yes, of course. Guild master Avery Beckham. The man, the myth, the legend himself. Now, how could Mercury have possibly not known who he was?

Stormbraver fame leaderboard's number 13, with 1059 fame,"Lightfoot" Avery Beckham, the master of the local Godseekers' Guild.

After a moment of reading up on Avery, Mercury noticed that one of the receptionists was pointing towards him, and also that the guild master himself was now walking towards him. Well, shit.

Surprisingly though, the Avery stopped in front of Mercury, quickly looked him up and down, then tilted his head and sat down cross legged in front of Mercury.

"This sure seems weird. You don't look a mascot my guy, but I'm sure no one in here would tell me a lie. Interesting." Avery placed his chin on the back his hand, resting his elbow on his knee.

"It happens to the best of us, guild master. I'm just a regular godseeker, what can I say?"

"Regular? My guy, you seem anything but regular, hm? I mean, ye're not exactly... our regular customer here. Ya know, no battle scars, no weapons on you, no hands, that kinda stuff." Mercury could feel the man staring at him even through the sunglasses, but there was no malicious intent in there at least. It felt more like genuine curiosity.

"Well, I suppose I'm a ca- a mopaaw. Doesn't change that I got a godseeker's license, so I hope you can look past that difference. If yes, I'd say I'm looking forward to working with you." Mercury gave his best smiles, exposing his canine's a little, when Avery slapped the floor and let out a laugh.

"KAHAHAHAHA! Man, you got a good smile my guy. Zetraspa it is. Alright, consider us friends then," he said as he hit his chest with his right fist. "Avery," he added and held his hand out.

"Mercury," the newbie in front of him answered, before shaking Avery's extended hand as best as he could.

"Whelp Mercury, nice meeting ya my guy. Sadly, I gotta go get my mountain of work done, since I've been gone for a little long. See ya some other time!" Avery quickly signed goodbye by putting two fingers to his forehead and flicking them away, before jumping over the counter and disappearing into the door behind it.

Slowly but surely, the excitement bubbling in the air faded away, though quite a handful of godseekers now approached the wall of commissions, looking for some work to do, same as Mercury did, placing this bizarre encounter at the back of his mind. Well then, time to earn his keep.

- - - - - -

It felt good smelling this hall again, that much Avery knew. But to see a talking cat on the day he came back? Kah, he sure didn't see that one coming!

Luckily, Mercury was a chill guy. Didn't panic at all, even though the dude saw his entrance. Ballsy, he could appreciate that.

He quickly checked out some data about the cat, just stuff that was easily accessible via the license. Spent the last year in Treyno, didn't do any commissions there though. Before that, some time in... Alywick? Ah, fuck.

As a guild master, Avery of course knew about Alywick. City was fucked. Survivors only because of Yvette or dumb luck, as usual. Rough fate.

Avery sighed to himself. He hated the whole shit of blood eclipses, because honestly, it sucked. Made one feel unsafe, no matter where ya are. Now it also made sense why his new buddy had smelled a little off. After all, something like that was a smell too hard to get rid off.

In the gloryhall, a lot of people had unique stories to tell. Everyone, in fact, since no one was the same. But an event like that? Now that's an unmistakeable smell. That stench of blood and guts, of sweat, and fear, and terror. Yeah, that was something that didn't wash out.

After a moment of pondering on it, Avery shook his head and leaned back further on his couch. Nothing he could do about it now. Nothing he could have done about it even if he was there, unfortunately. Instead, he needed to focus on his work right here, after all, there were prestigious guests in the city.

Apparently the Church of Order had caused the Merchants' Guild some trouble. Not that those fatasses deserved much better, but if the Church kept it up, they'd run into some trouble with the council, and that wouldn't do. As a guild master, he still had to keep the city nice 'n habitable after all.

So, it was decided then! He'd have to swing by Lucia later today, once he was done filing his report to the higher-ups. What a chore, what a chore.

- - - - - -

Lucia smiled to herself. She looked at the three people they had in a cell beneath the church. It was an older man, maybe in his 50s, as well as a similarly aged woman, and their daughter who seemed around 30.

They had violated a core principle! They were selling stretched versions of those already vile "charrs"! Not only were those things already harmful by themselves, but they had additionally sold contaminated ones, containing blacksalt to make them cheaper and much more toxic.

They had to be tried! THEY HAD TO BE!!!

Lucia took a deep breath before she spoke, letting the warmth she had been taught to keep inside her flood into her face as she kneeled down in front of the cells.

"Do not worry for your fate, my dears. We are fair above all, and you will have a chance to defend yourselves. You will be served two meals a day in here and we hope to make your stay as short as possible."

Then, as she turned away from the cell, the warmth became a smoldering heat in her stomach. She turned to her attendants as she wove that fire deep into her every word.

"I want them on trial, tonight. Collect the evidence. Let nothing escape you. Use violence whenever you need, and before tomorrow, I want to see them punished. Have I made myself clear?"

And after a quick nod, she was left alone again, walking up to her room with shaking legs, where she quickly downed a bucket full of water to cool the fire inside her down, transforming it back from burning coals into a gentle warmth.

After all, she couldn't allow herself to linger. She had a mass to hold and a trial to judge!

- - - - - -

[Level Up!]

It had been so long! So very, very long! But he had finally done it again!

it was Mercury's first level in a long, long while, which he got from killing another boar today. They were apparently one of the more prominent sources of food for the city, other than the farms surrounding it, so a lot of butchers would regularly out commissions for them out.

Mercury was now freely enjoying the spoils of that, as he would be able to earn a little extra money for the commission, while the butcher would also pay him for the meat itself, depending on how intact the body was. Mercury did make sure to work with the same butcher as he had already sold a boar to last time, since he seemed decent enough and there would be no need for another explanation as to why he could talk.

like this Mercury decided to aim for two boars a day, using his <Mana Veins> to quickly take them down. He had also taken precautions in case they moved their bathing spot, tracking one of the boars home to their main community. Sometimes being small really did pay off.

The commission was for 5 boars, offering 5 Dims extra on completion. So, he handed in two for the day, cashing out a Pale and a Dim, as well as some prime boar meat to feast on himself.

He was glad he had at least developed a taste for raw meat now, as cooking all of it without hands would have been impossible. It just spared him a lot of work in general, so that was something at least. Maybe he could actually get used to being a cat.

Well, then again, not being able to grip literally anything was kind of annoying. And unfortunately, in a body as small as his, little injuries could already be fatal. He really should add some more points into vitality to make sure he wouldn't just fall over dead at pretty much anything...

Yeah, actually, he'd do that right now.

Vitality: 26 -> 46

Oh yeah. Now we're talking.

With his HP now at 205, Mercury felt quite a bit more secure from, well... anything, really. At least he was fairly confident he wouldn't die immediately from being gently tapped anymore. It was a good feeling.

And after a long day and a hearty meal, Mercury threw himself to bed, thinking of maybe browsing for some more Skills tomorrow, completely oblivious to the troubles between the Church, the council, and multiple guilds.

... Okay, to be fair, we have to cut him some slack here. It's not like he'd be qualified to help with any of them. Like, seriously, right now he isn't exactly the greatest fighter. He still has quite a ways to go after all.

Ah well. Conflict was brewing whether Mercury was currently part of nonetheless, and no matter how small, its effects would certainly trickle down to him...