Ruthless (The Completionist Chronicles Book 5)

by Dakota Krout

  Damage dealt: 159,211 Dark damage. (Split among 312 aggressors. See full damage breakdown?)

  Skill increase: Retaliation of Shadows (Student IX). It’s not about the ability, it's about how you use it! Killing three hundred people within two seconds by using a single-target spell is quite the achievement!

  “I went up nine ranks in that spell?” Joe gasped as he glanced at the data swarming in. Then he spotted the wave of arrows coming for him and laughed wildly. “More! Give me all your anger! Let the hate flow through you!”

  In response to his taunts, hundreds, thousands, of attacks and attackers flew at Joe. Cone of Cold claimed the lives of dozens of fighters as they closed in, and a Dark Lightning Strike eliminated those that managed to survive. His shadowy self was everywhere at once; slapping, slapping, slapping. Anyone who survived a double slap—which could deal up to three hundred and ninety damage before other effects were considered—was then hit with double the damage they would have dealt. In this way, nearly two thousand people died in under thirty seconds.

  More would have followed, but there were professionals in the mix as well. Before Joe could react, a net settled over him and dragged him to the ground. No damage was done, so no reaction occurred. Joe was yanked along, and though people were still dying from barraging him with attacks, he was being drawn slowly and steadily toward the enemy lines.

  He couldn’t believe that he had been captured so easily. Joe roared like a caged tiger and flung spells as fast as he could manage. Acid washed his nets, and the fibers started to wither. Rough hands grabbed him, and he was tossed to the ground. Then, seemingly from nowhere, his robe was caught and he was yanked back into Aten’s embrace. The huge man sprinted for the walls, and dove through just ahead of more nets.

  “You absolute walnut!” Aten shouted at Joe, who was spotless even though he had received hundreds of attacks. “Didn’t I tell you that we had a plan for all of this?”

  “I was able to take out over two thousand attackers.” Joe’s words caused Aten to blink. “I thought it was a good deal.”

  “What happens when they drag you off our land and toss you into a place you can’t escape, one that automatically forces your bind point to that location? Less of a good trade, yes?” Aten took a deep breath as he saw Joe turn serious. “Listen to me, abyss-blast it! I need you to go and get your specialization, and I need you to do it now!”

  “I can't-”

  “Everything is set, except for your stats, correct?” Aten interrupted.

  “Yes, and that’s why-”

  “Otherwise, you are prepared?”

  “Of course-”

  “Then you need to go. You need to come back, and you need to save us. In a single day, we were forced to use our final trump card. In one more day, it will run out, and we will be running on fumes. At that time, if we don’t have something else ready… we are going to lose everything. This will last for five minutes.” Aten took a deep breath and put a hand over Joe’s heart. “Might of the Guild.”

  Chapter Fifty-Four

  All the light in the area seemed to dim as Joe was bathed in eight intermingled colors, which came together into a silver stream that filled him to the breaking point and beyond.

  Strength has reached the Zone maximum!

  Constitution has reached the Zone maximum!

  The messages continued until luck also showed that it was at the Zone maximum, which seemed to be one hundred and fifty points. His health shot over fifteen hundred points, his mana over three thousand. Joe looked at his hands, which seemed to have replaced all fat and bone with pure muscle, and turned to look at Aten. “You’re out of your mind! What good is this to me? I can’t use this to-”

  “Jo..oo..oe, yo..oo..oou need to go..oo!” Aten’s voice was so slow that Joe had a hard time understanding what he was saying. This must be the effect of having his intelligence and dexterity so much higher: everything else seemed to happen in slow motion.

  “I’ll try, Aten.” Joe growled and pulled out the tablet that was in his codpiece. “Activate?”

  Scanning… Base Class found: Ritualist. First prerequisite for usage met.

  Scanning… Specialized class found: Rituarchitect. Second prerequisite for usage met.

  Generating class selection options one through four… previously generated.

  Scanning… Third prerequisite for usage met. Base class ‘Ritualist’ requires that Characteristics ‘intelligence’ and ‘wisdom’ be at the Mortal characteristic limit before second specialization can be applied. Scan indicates that all characteristics are at this limit.

  Activate specialization attempt? Yes / No.

  “Yes.” Joe’s word was too fast to be intelligible to those around him, but that wasn’t on their mind. What they saw was a multicolored lightning that struck Joe… leaving behind a cloud of smoke with nothing in it. Their hopes died, and they thought he had as well.

  Joe blinked, and gazed around the room that he stood in. It was a small, comfortable space, with four hallways attached to it, and… there was one other person in the room. “Tatum?”

  Occultatum looked his way and grimaced. “You foolish mortal… activating a tablet using borrowed power? Do not talk, only listen. Choose which path you will attempt, and for all that is Celestial, finish the trial before your borrowed power fades! The tablet you activated was single-use!”

  Four paths lead away from where you currently stand. All of them contain power enough to transform you into what you wish to be. There are three things to decide before you follow a path to the end.

  Are you choosing the path that is right for you?

  Are you choosing a path that you are willing to follow to the end?

  Will you do what you must to attain the power at the end of the path?

  Path one: Reductionist. There is more, there is always more. More to do, more to build, more to learn. What if that can be reduced to the most basic components? The ultimate desire of the multiclasser, this path opens the way for all crafting by reducing everything to the common denominators. The path of the Reductionist is the path of industriousness.

  Path two: Reinforcer. The might of a city is not only in the buildings that it contains; it is also within the people that live there. Health, happiness, fertility, protection, empowerment. You will hold a city in your hands, and they will live or die when you decide. This path is based around protecting and enhancing structures, and allows for permanent boosts to nearly all aspects of life within its range. The path of the Reinforcer is the path of permanence.

  Path three: Seigebreaker. By following this path, no defenses can stand before you. No one would dare to hide behind a wall that you approach. Conversely, no one would dare assault a wall you have decided to protect. One way or another, the siege ends with you. Always. This path is the natural next step for a Rituarchitecht, being able to create or destroy cities practically on a whim. The path of the Seigebreaker is the path of the intransitive.

  Path four: Rarified. A rarefied being is one who has forgone other attachments, and has devoted themselves to their mental and physical perfection. Instead of focusing on what they can do for others, or what they can make for themselves, they look at what they can make of themselves. All characteristic training is easier, all skill gain is increased. The path of the Rarified is the path of enduring.

  Joe wanted to take all the time in the world to make his choice. He wanted to ponder the pros and cons, to make a carefully considered choice. But… there had been fear in Tatum’s eyes, not anger. Joe needed to make his choice now.

  He did.

  He ran.

  Siegebreaker. That wouldn’t do. Just like rejecting the choice to become a Waritualist, Joe didn’t plan to fight forever. He didn't want to be forced into it just so that he could advance along his chosen path.

  Reinforcer was a no-go, as he could create the same effects with his study into building as it was. So he might need to take longer to achieve the same effect? Worth it. The same fe
eling came from the Rarified; though it might take longer, the end goal was something he could do either way.

  This meant that the choice was simple for him. Joe sprinted along the path of the Reductionist. Turn everything into the common denominators? Useful for all crafters? Joe was nothing if not industrious, so the description suited him perfectly. A gate appeared, and Joe slammed into it without slowing down. The heavy wooden gate shattered into splinters. There hadn’t been a lock, or a key. This was a gate that had tested his strength.

  Nearly two minutes had passed.

  Soon, another ‘gate’ blocked his path. This one was intangible, and Joe sprinted through it. His nerves screamed in pain as the mist tried to tear apart his skin. His constitution held firm, and he passed through. Joe ran, pushing himself to the edge of his ability. The world blinked, and Joe stumbled… it seemed his luck had held firm.

  Five minutes had passed.

  Two gates appeared, and Joe went through the one on the left, somehow knowing that the right path held only failure. His perception and wisdom had seen him through. A narrow gate ahead, too small to fit through, too strong to smash. Joe contorted, screaming as his bones seemed to melt; then he was through. Jaxon would have been proud of his dexterity.

  Seven minutes had passed.

  A powerful saintly figure waited for him, a flaming trident poised to strike. Joe nodded politely, “Pardon me, I don’t have time to fight you.”

  The figure cocked it’s head to the side, and nodded. How very charismatic Joe felt right then! The figure only slowly got out of the way. So… so… slowly.

  The last gate was in sight, and Joe sprinted forward, saw what he needed to do… and the knowledge was gone. He collapsed to the floor as his body screamed that it had been badly used and abused. Forcing himself off the floor, Joe confirmed that his boost from Aten was gone. He reached a trembling hand to the gate, but he no longer had knowledge of how to open it.

  “I had to prove my intelligence…” Joe shook his head. “That’s not something that’s possible. There’s no way to show that you are intelligent.”

  Joe sat and stared at the door. There was no longer a time limit. If he couldn’t go forward, he was lost here anyway. The minutes turned into an hour, then two, as Joe searched every inch of the door for a clue. He slammed a fist onto it in frustration. “I chose the path that was right for me!”

  Joe kicked the door. “I’m absolutely choosing a path that I’m willing to follow to the end!”

  “What do I need to do to attain the power at the end of the path?” he shouted at the door. “I’ll do it! I just need to know what it is!”

  He sat and thought. He tried over and over to find a pattern, to discern some secret. Joe took a deep breath and mulled over all the information at hand… and a spark flew, a clue flashed in his mind. “This is the path of industriousness…”

  “How can I show my industriousness, willingness, and intelligence all at the same time? I know I knew I could do it… extra-smart me was even happy… what was it?” Joe pounded on the floor. “There’s only an eighteen-point intelligence difference. I can reach where I need to be in eighteen days. I can survive here that long; I just have to trust that the guild can hold out.”

  Joe pulled out his puzzle cube and worked on it, grumbling the whole time. “I’ll boost my intelligence until I’m able to get through this naturally! See if I don’t, door. I’ll stay here until I’m forced out, or I win!”

  Just under two hours later, Joe solved a question on the cube, and the entire thing locked into position and started to glow. “I solved it? No! I won’t be able to gain intelligence through training!”

  Characteristic training complete! Special reward, all characteristics +5! You have solved a tier three Puzzle Cube! You are the first to do this on Midgard. Your reward was decided long ago! Sage Treasure himself was the one to load the interior with-

  [[Sacrifice acceptable]]

  Joe was startled as the message he was reading was interrupted by a much more mechanical one. The cube was pulled out of his grasp, and hovered in front of the gate.

  Sacrifice Unopened, Completed Tier Three Puzzle Cube to open this gate? Yes / No.

  “I’ve been working on that since I learned that I could increase my stats!” Joe shouted at the message hovering in his face. “It was loaded by a Sage of freaking Treasure! You want me to give up… you want me… the third question. This is what I need to do to attain that power?”

  Joe stared hungrily at the items that were just visible through a haze of energy. That cube seemed to have been a spatial device, or the world might be messing with his mind. “Am I willing… to do what I have to do… to attain the power I desire?”

  He swallowed deeply. “Yes. Sacrifice the cube.”

  [[Sacrifice accepted]]

  The cube vanished with a small *pop*, and Joe felt his stomach drop. The gate fell over, toppling backward and leaving the way open for Joe to walk along. In the center of the room was himself, just as it had appeared when he had originally chosen a class. This doppelganger mimicked his movements, but stopped as he got closer. Then, it reached into the surrounding air and pulled two items out of nothing.

  One was a strange diagram that showed moving energy throughout all of Joe’s body. Joe took it, but wasn't sure what to do with it. The other was a ritual diagram, but… there was a sense of permanence to this diagram that he had never felt before. The other him activated the ritual, and Joe was wrapped in potent power.

  The shackles of Midgard trapping you upon the Zone break away from your limbs! You have gained the class specialization ‘Reductionist’. There are three benefits to this class and two negatives that balance it out.

  The first negative: You will no longer gain characteristic or skill points by leveling. Neither from character class, nor specialization.

  The second negative: You can no longer use standard materials for any form of crafting.

  “Excuse me?” Joe blanched at the words that appeared in front of him. Had his warehouse of crafting materials stored in his codpiece just become worthless?

  Chapter Fifty-Five

  Joe held back his fury and read onward, hoping that the benefits would be worth it. In fact, they seemed to be more of an explanation than anything else.

  Benefit one: You now have the ability to process all materials down to basic components. All raw materials, processed materials, and items are able to be ‘reduced’. You are able to reduce all materials by using mana alone. There is a ritual now engraved upon your being, a ritual that only requires the empowerment of mana to function.

  Benefit two: Any sensory abilities now also inform you of the value of anything that can be reduced, as well as the amount of material you will attain by reducing it.

  Benefit three: You can use the reduced material in any form of crafting, as a replacement for all components, ingredients, or other required material.

  After reading through everything one more time, Joe was… nonplussed. There was nothing in here that offered him or his guild salvation at this critical juncture, and nothing that looked useful in the near future. He would be able to craft more efficiently… maybe? Joe’s hands started to shake as he realized that he might have just failed to save his guild.

  He looked at the other item he had gained, and found that it was a type of mana circulation, designed to grind away at the Mana Manipulation and Coalescence skills. “Breaking the Mortal limit?”

  Either way, it was a system of ebbs and flows that appeared to be designed with his current mana system in mind. It also looked like it would take a very, very long time to learn and put into place. The world around him started to fade away, and Joe realized that he was returning, now that he had gained his reward.

  Tatum appeared, and though it seemed that he couldn’t say anything, his face showed a brilliant smile. Tears of joy had welled up in the deity’s eyes, and Joe relaxed as he suddenly knew that he had made the absolute best choice.

  Then
Joe blinked, and found himself surrounded by smoke. Not a mystical smoke, but black, greasy smoke that only came from burning oily things such as pitch. Obscured movement shifted all around him, and Joe gaped in confusion at the surrounding rubble. “This… the outer wall?”

  There was no golden coloration shining through the smoke, no Aegis protecting him from getting attacked. In fact, it appeared that the only thing keeping him safe was the smoke hiding his face and body from the tide of humanity. In an odd moment of deja vu, he realized that once again, he was surrounded by the huge mob of people that were attacking the town.

  A gust of wind cleared the immediate area for a brief moment, and his heart lurched as he saw the charred, burnt-out buildings that had once been housing for his guild members. They were structures that he had built, now collapsing under their own weight. He let himself be carried along with the crowd, and soon found himself at the inner wall that protected the core of the guild buildings.

  “You all need to surrender!” A man was shouting up to the top of the wall.

  “Your face needs to surrender!” Jaxon called down with an instant reply. Joe beamed at that; at least some of his people had survived!

  “Are you qualified to speak for your guild? Can I please speak to anyone except this antediluvian madman?” The man was getting exasperated; shouting for nearly an hour already, only to get this kind of reply was apparently hard to bear.

  “Are you qualified to speak for yourself?” Jaxon taunted him easily. “You appear sleep-deprived, and you seem to have an ashen complexion. Go get some food, a proper rest, and for the love of elderberries, take a shower! This is Towny McTownface, and you are Stinky McStinkface!”

  “You have all the food!” The man self-righteously screeched. “We are here to give it to the people, and you can’t stop us! It's only a matter of time - peh!”