Book 2: Chapter 33 (Patreon)

Emily bear-hugged the Gazzelym from behind, pinning its arms to its side. The fire in her eyes grew to cover her face, spreading down her neck in a flash and encompassing both her and the dungeon boss in a searing white flame.

The monster chittered in real pain for the first time and thrashed.

“Hit it with everything you’ve got,” Emily groaned through gritted teeth. “I can’t keep this up for long.”

Orrin worked quickly. He reduced every stat he could, hit the over-sized insect with a few quick [Lightstrike] spells, and summoned an [Ice Sword].

“That girl is on fire,” Daniel sing-songed. He raised Gertrude straight up and activated his [Gravity Strike]. Motes of grey swirled around the tip of his sword.

Orrin watched as the sword moved through the air like it was honey. The slow movement doubled in speed and when he blinked, the fight was over.

Daniel’s attack had cut the Gazzelym in half from the top of its head to the middle of its chest. Emily had let go and jumped back at the last moment. The flames covering her body guttered once before flickering out completely.

Orrin opened his mouth to speak. He didn’t know if he was going to chastise Daniel or Emily for their reckless attacks or shout congratulations. He didn’t get the chance as the ground below the dead boss began to glow.

Lines of squiggly runes circled the body. The Gazzelym sank into the ground and a black ball rose a moment later to hover in the air between them.

“Is that the dungeon core?” Daniel stepped forward and reached to touch the ball. It spat flickers of blue, green, silver, and black, and the [Hero] pulled back.

“Should we wait?” Daniel glanced at the still-frozen party member. “How long until Garret comes out of that?”

Emily rapped her knuckles on the archer’s still form. “He’ll be around in a minute or two. I’m not sure what would happen if you destroyed the core while he was incapacitated. Would you all mind terribly if we waited?”

“Is touching it going to destroy it?” Orrin found himself standing closer to the ball. Something about it entranced him, called to him.

“No, you have to squeeze it.” Emily was knocking on Garret’s head. “Wake up, you useless…”

Orrin stopped listening. He reached out with a finger to brush the glossy black sphere. The colors jumped in little arcs, swirling back into the dark center. He heard voices in the background as he connected with the core.

Welcome Administrator

Would you like to absorb this core for ten (10) Administrator Points?

“What the what?”

Orrin fell back and landed hard against a tree. His heart was pounding against his chest and Daniel was already standing in front of him.

“Orrin! Orrin? What’s wrong?”

How could he even answer? The core wasn’t supposed to do that. What were Administrator Points? Orrin felt the eyes of Madi and Emily on him. Nobody even noticed as Garret took a deep breath and began to slap flakes of metal off his arms.

“Orrin! Answer me. What happened?”

Daniel had both of Orrin’s arms gripped tight and was having trouble getting his friend to look him in the eye.

“I can’t explain it.” Orrin looked meaningfully around at everybody.

Thankfully, Daniel caught on quickly. “Can everybody give us a minute?”

“No.”

Daniel turned on Emily. “No?”

The mage shook her head. “You’re the [Hero] and we were tasked with listening to you, but we’ve completed the mission. You don’t get to send us away before destroying the core. We all deserve to get those points.”

Garret, who had only half an idea of what was going on, nodded and stepped up beside her.

Daniel’s chest swelled up as he took a deep breath. Orrin could see his friend was still coming down from the adrenaline of the fight. A confrontation was not something they needed.

“That’s alright, Emily.” Orrin grabbed Daniel’s sleeve and pulled away from the group. “We’ll just go over here.”

“No.” This time it was Madi.

“Madi?” Orrin frowned.

“Something just happened. This is like last time, isn’t it? In the Aqua Chambers?” She put her spear on the ground and slowly approached the two of them. “We’re on the same team, Orrin. What is it?”

Orrin thought fast. He could tell Daniel about the Administrator stuff because they were best friends. Madi had earned their trust but he didn’t know what she would do if she learned he had these powers too. He flashed back to the image of Tony falling to his knees in fear. There was no way he was going to let Emily know. She’d try to study him. Maybe bring him back to Odrana to be researched. Garret wouldn’t care but would likely sell the information back to the Guild.

“Back off,” Daniel demanded. His voice was quiet but held steel he hadn’t directed at anyone in the party before. “Orrin and I need to talk. This is still my party and I’ll decide—”

“Daniel, stop threatening people. Give me a minute to think.”

To his credit, his friend shut up and crossed his arms.

He could try dropping Emily, Madi, and Garret. A few debuffs to their strength or dexterity and they’d be unable to move. That would mean leaving Dey behind, along with Madi. She was going to be their liaison with the elves. Orrin wasn’t stupid enough to think either of the teens had a good enough political mind to treat with the centuries-old elves, but at least Madi had been trained in statecraft since birth. Attacking all three was out.

He could still take down Emily and Garret. Bring Madi up to speed and hope she didn’t turn on them. Best case, she’d still come north with them. Worst case, they’d have to leave her, resulting in the same outcome as the first option.

Think! What’s the point of all these extra points in intelligence if I can’t come up with a good lie? Orrin knew the stats didn’t actually make him smarter and not for the first time, wished they did. But he was getting off track again.

If he could figure out a good enough lie, he could fill Daniel in on the Administrator Points thing later. Maybe, the Quest triggered when he touched the core?

Thank you for the idea, Madi.

Orrin did his best to come up with the various responses and answers he’d have to give. He was going to need to lie his ass off.

“Madi, this has to do with the you-know-what.”

Madi quirked her eyebrow.

“It’s very similar to what happened in the Aqua Chambers.” Please, please, buy it.

Madi glanced at the other two party members. They glared back.

“Could you two—”

“Fuck off,” Garret cut her off. “What are you all hiding?”

Orrin played the only card he could think of to get out of this situation. “We have a Quest to defeat a dungeon.”

Emily’s eyes narrowed. Garret’s jaw dropped.

“You…all three of you?” Garret stammered. “You weren’t going to share it, were you?”

Madi responded defensively. “Of course not. You two are already giving a full report on every skill and ability the [Hero] has to the Guildmaster. Why would we give you more?”

Emily blushed in embarrassment but Garret threw the accusation to the side. “Of course, we are. You knew that when you accepted us but hoarding a Quest? That’s low.”

“What does the Quest have to do with Orrin, though?” Emily asked.

Damn it. I knew she was too smart.

“Orrin has a weird class. Something happened in the last dungeon we were in and he was able to… I don’t know how to explain it. He unlocked the rewards.” Madi had positioned herself between Orrin and the other two.

I need to sell this, Orrin thought before he spoke. “When a Quest shows up, I can edit the rewards a bit. Not all the time, but when I’m close the Daniel. It’s one of the reasons we’re in the same party. We don’t know why. Maybe because I awakened my class while fighting monsters off him.”

He’d never given a straight answer to Madi about where they’d met or how. He saw several wrong assumptions click into place for her with that lie. The real reason the [Hero] would keep a weakling like him around. Daniel turned his face so only Orrin could see him and raised an eyebrow.

What the fuck?

Go with it!

Daniel gave a minuscule shrug. You’re the boss.

Everyone stood in the deathly silent forest. Orrin noticed Garret was still injured with the cuts to his chest and hip bleeding freely.

“Garret, do you need a heal?”

“It can wait. Are you going to share the Quest with us? We fought the entire dungeon with you. Do you not think we deserve the rewards?”

They’d discussed giving the Quest to them before leaving Dey. They’d decided against it for a multitude of reasons but right now, Orrin only had one thought in his mind. The new message.

He turned to Daniel. “What do you say?” He winked.

Daniel bit his lip and rubbed at his chin. He’d grown a little bit of stubble in the dungeon and was looking older with facial hair. “You think we should?”

Orrin gave a slight nod of his head. “It’s up to you.”

“I want to know what Orrin saw.” Emily derailed his entire plan.

He closed his eyes in frustration. “I think I can change the reward,” he lied.

Madi’s face lit up. Emily was still giving him looks of disbelief and suspicion. Garret was rubbing his hands in anticipation of getting a Quest.

Madi stepped closer to Daniel and whispered something. He nodded.

“Let’s talk,” Madi stepped up and grabbed the two Guild members. They were only a few feet away but Daniel leaned over and whispered to Orrin.

“What’s going on?”

Orrin pulled his friend a few steps back and lowered his voice as low as he could. “Give them the Quest. It doesn’t matter. I need to be the one to destroy the core, I think. Something to do with my other ability. I’ll explain later.”

“What are you two whispering about?” Madi peered over her shoulder. “We all get a say in the reward.”

“Well then, let’s discuss it.” Daniel strode forward into the small circle and negotiations began.

In return for the Quest, Emily and Garret would report only a specific set of information to the Guildmaster about the [Hero] and his party. Obviously, the Quest would remain their dirty little secret.

“Orrin has to be the one to destroy the core,” Daniel confided.

It’s too bad there isn’t a Charisma stat because Daniel would have that in spades. Orrin stayed quiet during the talks, only giving monosyllable answers to questions.

He healed Garret’s wounds without a thank you. Once everything was hammered out, Daniel shared the Quest with the other two.

Emily’s eyes were bright as she read her own screen and Garret actually jumped in the air.

“Let’s do this,” Daniel said, gesturing Orrin forward to the still-floating sphere.

“If we get to choose our reward, can I have more dexterity points?” Garret asked in glee.

“I’d prefer intelligence.” Emily was standing very close and watching Orrin.

“I’ll do my best,” Orrin muttered and reached for the sphere again.

Welcome Administrator

Would you like to absorb this core for ten (10) Administrator Points?

Yes.

A cascade of notifications lit up his screen.

Congratulations! You have   defeated the Crumbling Waste!

You have been rewarded two   (2) Dexterity points!

Quest Complete

Defeat a Dungeon

Reward: Defeat of tier one,   single deca-set dungeon.

Calculating variable reward…

Calculation Complete.

Reward selection of the   following:

1) Increase Strength Stat + 5

2) Increase Dexterity Stat + 5

3) Increase Constitution Stat +   5

4) Increase Will Stat + 5

5) Increase Intelligence Stat +   5

Orrin almost cried in relief that the Quest was allowing a selection. Almost like the System knew he needed it.

“He actually did it!” Garret cried out. “Emily! This kid is for real!”

Orrin had done nothing. He looked at the next notification and paled.

You have been awarded 10 Administrator Points.

You have Unlocked Administrator Skills

A new page on his Status showed new skills. Except these weren’t silly spells like what he’d been purchasing up to this point. Orrin read the first half-dozen:

· Assign Class

· Reset Class

· Assign Quests

o Edit Reward

· Unlock Ability (Select One)

o Unlock Skill

o Unlock Spell

· Edit Stats (Sanctioned)

o Remove

o Assign

o Full Reset

· Edit Stats (Unsanctioned)

o Remove

o Assign

o Full Reset

There weren’t nearly as many options as his normal purchase lists but he didn’t have time to read through the entire list right now.

“What is happening to me?”