QuestWright C50: Promise Fulfilled (Patreon)

Alan…

There had been a short discussion between Alan and the team leaders. They couldn’t stay below much longer, as monsters from the nearest dungeon would eventually begin to make their way over. Nobody except a few of the ranged fighters were in any kind of shape to fight, so Alan made a decision.

“Dain, carry him.”

The big man reached down and grabbed Cass’s shoulder in a firm, cradling grip. Gently, he placed the thin young man across his shoulders as they began to walk and limp back to the entrance.

Adya moved close and looked at his flickering eyes, “Is it normal for this to happen right after closing a portal?”

“What’s normal?” Alan shrugged, and Joran nodded in agreement beside him. “Closing a Portal doesn’t exactly come with an instruction manual. I admit this one was stranger than most, but we still found the result we were looking for. Better, even.” When Adya didn’t look convinced, he looked over at Joran. “Has anyone ever been hurt when communicating with the System right after?”

“Not to my knowledge,” The tired man slowly replied.

“See, there you go.” He placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a light squeeze. “He’ll be bouncing around and causing us trouble in no time.”

She took another long look at Cass before shrugging off his hand, “I have no choice but to trust you. I’ll scout ahead.” She moved out ahead to do her job, and Alan fell in beside Dain. 

Looking deeply into Cass’s twitching eyes, System Insight struck him.

The Source really seems to like you, Vale.

***

Cass hadn’t known what to expect after seeing he had over a hundred thousand points. Was it a lot? Was it a little? Luckily, his thoughts bounced around so much without sticking that he never heard anything echo back to him. 

All the wording faded away, but the point total after the Sources fee stayed in place, then came closer to him and took on a golden appearance. All at once, a large screen formed itself around the numbers, and writing juxtaposed itself on the screen.

Welcome, Cassio Vale of Liora, to the Index

As someone who has closed a Portal and has a tier of System Trust, additional options are available for review.

The text faded as Cass processed it, then several boxes appeared with bold words stamped upon them.

So these are all my options?

Categories, yes.

He clicked on Augments first, and a drop-down appeared with all of his abilities, both passive and active. Curious, he tapped on Command Center first. The list was huge, ranging from creating grouped tracking to radius expansion. Cass clicked on Cartographer.

[Cartographer]

Command Center augmentation.

Allows the QuestWright to record explored territory onto vellums with great detail.

Point cost: 1,000

Cass clicked on Threat Level next.

[Threat Level]

Command Center augmentation.

Allows the QuestWright’s Command Center to identify, categorize, and monitor known threats within its operational range.

Threats may be marked as: Minor, Major, Severe, or Catastrophic.

Point cost: 12,500

Are the costs arbitrary?

No. They’re assigned based on how taxing the ability is for the System to manage.

So, making a map is cheaper than telling me what might kill my friends and me?

You don’t understand everything that is happening, Cassio Vale, so your misunderstanding is expected. But be aware that every ability you have is a gift that is earned, not given.

Then it isn’t a gift.

The Source had no response to that as Cass spent some time going through everything. Then a thought occurred.

Wait, how much time has passed since I got here?

Time moves a little differently in here. To the outside world, eleven minutes and eighteen seconds have passed.

In a slight panic, he asked, Are my friends okay?

You are currently being carried by a Loader Calling named Dain. Nineteen others are with you, and they are not under threat as they’re walking to the exit.

Orla?

The Merchant Magnate will recover physically.

Feeling slightly relieved, even if he didn’t like the wording, Cass dove in and analyzed all of his options. The augmentations were all amazing, but he instantly knew he wouldn’t be able to afford everything. Even buying all of Command Center’s upgrades was impossible. He’d have to clear hundreds of Dungeons, and that was only scratching the surface.

The Quill, noticeably, wasn’t on the list. Rather than bother the Source about it, Cass moved on through all of the ability augmentations, then clicked on a new category.

Titles.

Here, the list was much smaller than before.

Why is this title called Portal Closer II?

Because you already earned the original, you just haven’t seen the status update yet.

So I can purchase the title upgrade, even though I’ve only closed one Portal?

To the victor go the spoils. Or the closer, in this case.

Cass snorted on purpose, then clicked on the upgraded title.

[Portal Closer II]

A title granted to those who repeatedly survive and complete Portal closures.

Increases all point gains within active Dungeons by 15% and allows unspent points to persist from one Dungeon to another.

Point cost: 5,000 

How much did the original title increase point gains?

Ten percent, and though you didn’t ask, the upgrade is what allows points to carry over.

After Titles, he went over Abilities, then Paths. Both were egregiously expensive, meaning they were big-ticket items. Cass was unsurprised to find Profile in there, but the cost was over two hundred thousand points. If he picked a single option from either, it would take away most, if not all, of his points.

His eyes did rest on one Path in particular with sadness.

[QuestWright Path: Shepherd]

An unusual Path designed to help leaders guide their followers toward discovering their true potential.

Unlocks abilities that will allow the QuestWright to better recognize talent, growth, and personal development.

Point cost: 2,500,000

Why so expensive?

It is a unique Path, much like Survivor. They naturally cost much more than a common or rare Path.

Since there was nothing he could do about it right now, Cass moved on to Exchanges.

Basic experience exchange:

1 point per experience.

After that, there was an option to spend points on System Reputation, and another to buy Survivor Tokens, though the cost was again high. Cass ground his teeth.

Do you know how many Survivor Tokens I currently have?

You currently hold 457 Survivor Tokens, 210 Stalwart, and 207 Tempered.

And what do Survivor Tokens do?

They help you unlock future Ways. Anything more than that, I am not permitted to tell you until it is discovered.

Cass mentally pushed his extra questions away as he projected his thoughts, can we make a deal?

Are we negotiating?

Let’s say we are.

Make your ask.

Give me an option to convert Survivor Tokens into the other types.

Interesting. I would be forced to make the conversion rather cost prohibitive.

How prohibitive?

Let’s say, four to one, either way.

Deal, Cass said quickly, but the Source wasn’t done.

I’ll also have to charge you twenty thousand points.

Why?

Let’s say it’s in the interest of fairness. Though if you die, the next Survivor will receive this benefit as well.

Cass thought about the bargain and not his potential death. He still had three more Ways to unlock, and this would speed him toward unlocking his next Way faster. Not only that, but if the trend of increasing Token costs continued, it would also help him with the following two. 

Deal.

An agreement is made.

For once, the Source’s monotonous voice sounded gleeful, making Cass briefly wonder if he’d made a deal that would make Orla mad. The point counter ticked down until he had a little more than eighty-two thousand left, and he took a mental breath.

Cass went through the rest of the screens quickly, clicking on named items and categories that stuck out to him as potentially useful. He wasn’t looking just for the moment, but for the future as well. Who knew how many Dungeons he might close in the future, or how many expeditions he might find himself on. The more he understood now, the better his planning would be for later.

Then there were only two categories left.

[Legacies & Foundations]

- - -

Guild Charter

Book of Callings

Book of Callings fragment

System Tower

Settlement Registry

Cass’s mind blanked out as he clicked on each. 

The Guild Charter was, all told, cheap at 75,000. It allowed the user to start a Guild from scratch, but wouldn’t activate unless they had at least 100 people sign it. Most of its description was rather vague, with promises of communal power.

The Book of Callings, on the other hand, was very specific.

[Book of Callings]

A living record containing partially documented Calling evolutions and developmental pathways.

The Book grows as additional information is gathered and integrated.

Warning:

Incomplete information may produce dangerous conclusions. 

Point cost: 500,000

Dangerous conclusions and the mystery behind it stuck in his mind as Cass quickly clicked on the fragment next. It broke down into several different, smaller options with varying point totals. That meant he could buy a small piece with leftover points and build it up from there if he wanted.

Are these all of the options?

No.

How do you decide what someone like me can see?

Levels, Tiers, Achievements, and the Calling of the Individual.

The Source didn’t say anything more, no matter how he asked. Cass stopped poking the bear when it began to sound annoyed in its one-word responses. There was a final category left, but he had another question.

[Origins]

- - -

Bond Realization

Calling Seed

Path Inheritance

Catalyst

Way Fragment

Contract Nullification

Cass had eyes for only one option at that moment.

[Bond Realization]

Allows a bonded companion to attempt a Calling integration.

Point cost: 100,000

Cass took a pause, then closed his eyes and cleared his mind. When he opened them again, he smiled, Let’s negotiate.

***

Vale is taking his sweet ass time, Alan grumpily thought as the metal doors came into view. 

The group had been quiet most of the time, only speaking up when they needed help or they thought they saw something out in the darkness. Even the torches they’d brought along began to burn low.

Those still living had all received excellent rewards and experience, leapfrogging them years ahead of where they’d otherwise be. Of the dead, only a cold ground awaited them.

Twenty from twenty-five. With odds like that, we’ll never close the second Dungeon.

Movement where none was yet seen caused him to glance over. Vale’s legs had started to kick.

Let’s see what happens now.

***

So we’re agreed?

We are. You purge all corruption beneath Liberty, and I give you the rewards you’re asking for.

I’d like a down payment on the big one.

The source paused, and time moved slowly before it spoke again.

Very interesting. It is done. See the corruption purged within half a year, or all your rewards and the benefits of them will be reclaimed.

Cass took a mental breath. You’re not a bad sort of person, Source.

I am not a person at all, Cassio Vale of Liora. And we will see each other again…

If you live.

The dark space peeled back slowly, only for Cass to notice a single bright light peering down in the near distance. As the Source had said, Dain was carrying him forward, and the doors were already open.

Adya, standing just past the exit, noticed him looking at her and her smile was a sight to see.

“Put me down,” Cass said weakly, his body back to the shape it had been in before the Portal had closed.

The big man shook his head, “I don’t think so, little man. You can barely stand up, let alone walk.”

“He’s right, Vale, take it easy,” Alan said, walking into his eyeline. “I’m very curious to know what happened in there.”

Cass sighed, “In where?”

Joran laughed, only calming down when Alan sharply looked at him. He stepped closer to Cass and Dain, “Don’t mess around with me, Vale. Everyone goes to the same place when a Portal is closed, and that one had quite a lot of currency. What did you buy with your points?”

Cass pinged Bella and found her already waiting above him. “A few things, but mostly, I fulfilled a promise.”

A neigh rippled down, so powerful that it vibrated the chest, causing everyone to pause for a long moment as people looked at their ‘safe’ exit. 

Cass smiled.