LTSV - Harbingers of Change - 18 (Patreon)

[The following report is visible to all party members:

You have stabilized The Ruined Borough (D)

Best time: 47 hours, 55 minutesTotal Clears: 1The Ruined Borough will be stabile for 719:54:20

Boss Combat Report:Final Strike: Andrei ValeFirst Tap: Samira BellamyHighest DPS: Samira BellamyHighest Healing: Cecelia NewmanMVP: Samira Bellamy]

[Notice to Hunter Samira Bellamy: For your high achievements in The Ruined Borough, you have receive 250 bonus XP, a Journeyman Wand, and a Dragon-hide Robe.]

Mira wasn't the only one startled when the System dumped a wand made of pale wood that bubbled out into a spiral in two places and a dress made of heavy fabric that shone like scales into her lap. Cece squeaked as she bobbled a staff topped with a pair of open wings. Bryn got a shiny new shield that was made out of hardened wood and was embellished with the flattened carving of an old man's squashed, judgemental face. Alan got a pair of shiny black knives. Randall got a small buckler and a shoulder guard. Will got a cloak of some kind dropped on him and then his grimoire glowed with eerie green light—presumably he got a new spell.

Andrei looked around and up expectantly and there was a noticeable pause before the System spat out a single potion at him. This time, thanks to the delay, Mira could actually see how the item was delivered. A little window appeared over Andrei's head and the potion fell out of it and into his lap.

She used Inspection on it and…

[Minor Healing Potion: This potion will recover 30% HP over time – 1 minute. Value: 100 GP]

Andrei's face turned red as he stared into the middle distance, possibly at a System Window and that was very entertaining to watch Andrei realize that the System had a Leech Penalty protocol, but Mira flicked away the Dungeon Report to get at another window that had popped up just before the report did.

[Notice to Hunter Samira Bellamy: you have been admitted to the Living Shadow Guild. As part of your compensation package, you will receive 0.015% of all XP accumulated during Guild Operations.]

"What on earth is the Living Shadow Guild?" she asked aloud.

The others looked confused, but Adra caught her eye and nodded.

"That's one of the changes that happened while you were in the Dungeon," he explained and opened the side door of the van. One of the nearby Bowler Hats tossed him the key fob. "I'll explain at the Tower. The rest of you are welcome to join us, of course."

Alan made a point of not moving. His eyes narrowed as he stared at Adra. "Hang on, why is Mira already a member of this guild?"

"Her guardians have agreed to her employment package on her behalf," Adra replied shortly. "I have similar..."

"Now, now, Mr. Volkov," a sedate voice interrupted him as he was about to make an employment pitch to the rest of Mira's party.

A middle-aged man of medium height with receding salt-and-pepper gray hair made his way to them, threading his way through the barricade of vehicles. He was wearing a dove gray suit and walked with his hands clasped behind his back. The hair on the back of Mira's neck rose as she took in his gentle-looking shark eyes and a frisson of recognition rocked her body.

She knew this person; not as Samira, who had never met this person before. No, Mira recognized him.

'Two lives in a row,' she thought, dazedly. What were those odds like?

The man approaching them was the reincarnation of King Huron, Mira's first and least favorite parent. She'd just seen him in her last life, however briefly, as the ill-fated attempted usurper and former Prince Regent of Avenon, Hurandel Wraithwood.

She encountered his soul in the Cycle every so often, but twice in two lives was unheard of! What was he doing here?

"It's not fair of you to poach all the hunters, even if you did get to secure the Gate first," the man said. He paused by Mira and gave her a paternal smile as he took out a card case made of shining silver and natural dark wood. He handed her a card between two fingers. The name on the card read 'Blake Heron, MBA – Guildmaster' with a logo of a broadsword piercing a stylized sun. The text read 'SunBlade Guild.'

It had only been forty-eight hours since the Dungeons arrived. How did he already have custom business cards? It was also a little weird that the rest of her group had retained their names from last time, but he hadn't. Well, 'Hurandel Wraithwood' didn't map onto this culture as well as names like 'Randall' and 'William'.

"Miss Bellamy. We haven't met, but I'm acquainted with your father. I'm so glad to see that you're safe."

"Charmed," Mira said, shortly. She did not accept the card. "Would you explain your comment about 'poaching'?"

Blake Heron's smile didn't dim, but she recognized the faint coolness in his eyes that said her attitude had been marked in his ledger and he'd repay her one day. He was welcome to try.

"I expect my colleague hasn't had time to explain to you what happened here in the real world while you were inside," he said and smoothly angled his body to include the group.

Surprisingly, Mira's party members were all leaning subtly away from him. Cece edged closer to Mira and Bryn was leaning ever so slightly towards the gap between Heron and the van, like he wanted to insert himself there and hadn't spotted a good opportunity. Andrei was the only one who was facing Heron with open, interested body language.

They didn't like him—instinctively, they didn't like him.

Mira wondered how new of a development that was. Cece had told her, in their last life, that the rest of her party had been at least neutral about King Huron. Andrei/Peleon had obviously liked him because the King told him he was special and gave him nice privileges, but Cece (as Melody) had been scared of him and it didn't get better once Mira had died. She never did get her full memories of Melody's death back, but what she did recall told Mira that he'd been about to make Melody his new thrall with the same spell paint he'd used to shackle Mira's powers.

She'd never had an opportunity to see any of the other boys, aside from Andrei, interact with him in any of her lives until now.

Alan wasn't even being subtle about it. He wasn't subtle about much, but he had his arms crossed over his chest and was slowly circling around Heron, possibly to flank him. Adra was no better. Mira could feel shadow matter creeping up from her ankles to sheathe her vitals, wherever they were covered by her clothes.

Now, Mira knew they were all on abnormally high alert after escaping the Dungeon and their conversation was being half drowned out by the sound of dying goblins, but even then this felt like a disproportionate response. Was there something they knew that she didn't?

"The System descended on the world two days ago," Blake continued, still projecting that paternal image. "Hundreds of people suddenly went missing, sucked into glowing portals that vanished. Other portals, like the one behind us, appeared in other places. If that weren't bad enough, suddenly every global banking system went dead. Every form of fiat currency on the planet either vanished or went inert—and cryptocurrency? The block chain is dead. No one's cryptographic keys work anymore. Even people's cold wallets just went dead; the hard drives fried themselves. Just when we were on the cusp of pandemonium…"

Mira saw Randall mouth the words, 'cusp of pandemonium' behind Heron's back.

"…the System arrived," Heron continued, spreading his hands for emphasis. "Everyone was greeted by one of those windows, with which I'm sure you're now familiar. It informed us that our world had been caught up in a 'Spontaneous Incursion' and certain automatic protocols had been activated to help us survive. One of those protocols incorporated our entire global trade and currency systems into an interstellar banking network, which essentially ate ours. All trade goes through the Central Universal Banking Entity now…" he paused to harrumph and it was the most genuine feeling Mira had seen from him so far, "…although the common citizen didn't know who that was until Miss Samira managed to trigger the System Shop and the global alert went out with more information."

Great. So that global alert really had been global.

He cleared his throat. "I expect our world leaders got a little more explanation than most because we're not drowning in the army right now. They're all clustered around the White House where the Break happened and have forces around the bigger portals. The next alert explained the disappearances and the nature of the strange portals that had appeared everywhere. It also explained that certain people or organizations could apply for a license to become a Hunter Guild. The Guilds are meant to employ and support people like you, who escaped the Dungeon and became powerful enough to do it again. I expect that's why my friend, Mr. Volkov, was so eager to rush you off site—before you could find out that you have options about which guild you'd like to join."

Heron smiled at Adra. "That's not kind, is it, now?"

Adra smiled back. "I'm not in the business of kindness, but if I were then I might start by not forcing these exhausted, hungry, and dehydrated people to stand within a stone's throw of the Dungeon they just escaped while I forced them to listen to my pitch."

"No, you'll just bring them into your tower where you can control everything they see and hear until you get what you want," Heron replied, unperturbed. He folded his hands in front of him. "I respect you as a businessman, but they should be allowed to weigh their options." He turned to look at the assembled group. "You are all welcome to take up Mr. Volkov's offer, but I've got a block of rooms reserved at the Four Seasons available for anyone who needs a rest and some food. I won't control where you want to go afterwards, either. You can leave with no questions asked, but I hope you'll let me explain what I can offer you—barring Miss Samira, of course, since my esteemed colleague here has already got her under contract."

Mira felt Cece's cold fingers slide around her wrist. "I'm fine here," she said, still eying Heron like he was a snake.

Alan and Will made their opinions known by just getting straight into the van. Randall joined them with a sidelong look at Heron as he passed him by.

"Hey, I want to hear him out," Andrei said as an aside to Bryn without actually looking at him. His attention was on Heron, but he rapped Bryn's shoulder with his knuckles as he started to go over there and said, "Come on."

He noticed when Bryn didn't move and turned back.

"You're not still pissed at me, are you?" Andrei asked, looking up a Bryn who had a flat look on his face. "Come on, I saved everybody's asses in there. Doesn't that get me some points?"

"It's not about points," Bryn said quietly as he took a step back. "You do you, alright? I'm gonna do me."

He turned and went for the van, but didn't get in until after Cece gave up her spot standing by Mira and slide into the middle row with Randall. Then he closed the passenger door for Mira and got in, sliding the large van door shut with a definitive clunk. He settled into his seat with his arms crossed and his gaze straight ahead.

"I don't want to talk about it," was all he said.

Mira was more than a little proud of the others when they did not immediately try to talk about it.  

Note:

'Not talking about it' is the hardest ask in the world and the kids should get some points for managing it.