“Yes,” said the groll. “But I do not think I am there any longer. All this is new to me.”
Jace nodded. “This is the Americas continent.”
Yosyp had another groll laughing fit. “Figures, I’m not even on the right continent. No troll. No money. Not even million dollar life insurance policy.”
“We can tell you how to become human,” Jace offered. “And stop body hopping.”
“Human?” Yosyp asked glumly. “Not my troll?”
Jace shook his head. “Not right now. I’m trying to contact support to get them to fix this bug and restore us all. But until then, you’d be a human. And you’d stay human even when you die.”
“That would be something at least,” he started to say but broke into another laughing fit. “Sorry, I hate that! Anyway, the constant hopping and dying was annoying. Finally, I was a boss and I had minions. It was nice. I could actually defend myself. I killed two groups of players. I thought I’d kill you too. But you were smart. And lucky.”
“We knew you were a player,” Jace told him. “We can… sense… players in monster bodies. Once I knew that, I figured you’d try some non-standard tactics.”
“Ah,” grinned the groll, showing off his large canines. “That makes sense. The others just blundered right in and I took them out easily. Take out the Healer, then the Mage, and casually pick off the other two. Very easy.”
“We are strong,” Mika said. “And Jace is smart.”
Jace looked back at Mika and she blushed. As he turned back to Yosyp, he caught Charlena glance at the other girl with an unreadable expression.
“So,” the groll-player broke into a fit of hyena laughter. It passed and he continued. “How do you turn me human?”
“You hack the game,” Jace told him and then explained the code, as well as how and when to type it in.
“So, I need to die. Then I put in the code?” he asked just before another fit of laughter. “And then the next body I wake up in will be human, yes? And no laughing!”
“Yes,” Jace smiled. “At least, you won’t laugh unless you want to. But your new spawn location appears to be completely random. If you can make it back here to Whitecliff, we can help you. We meet at the Dwarvish Fork every morning.”
“Whitecliff. Dwarvish Fork,” Yosyp repeated. “Got it.”
The groll looked around and sighed. Or at least, it might have been a sigh on a human. Jace wasn’t sure if it was the same on a groll. “I’ll do it, if just to stop this stupid laughing. Do I need to kill myself or will you kill me?”
Jace shrugged. “It’s up to you, but if we kill you, we get experience.”
“And we need experience, darling,” Diana chimed in.
“Fine, fine,” Yosyp said. “Kill me and get it over with. And treasure is all here in the chest already. There is nothing left in the fort now.”
“Thanks,” Jace told him. He looked at his companions and then back to Yosyp. “Ready?”
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” the groll said and then broke into more laughter. “Ok! I am more than ready for that to stop! Kill me already!”
They proceed to attack him and Yosyp took the blows more stoically than Jace thought he could have. When they reached 75%, 50% and 25% of his health, they received system messages about his special abilities, but the shaman didn’t use them.
After several minutes of them attacking the groll and many laughing outbursts, Diana finally struck the killing blow and Yosyp.
Broken Paw Shaman dies.
You gain 1200 experience.
The groll’s body fell face down into the dirt and the staff fell from his hands. Jace and Charlena looked down at the body, waiting for the transformation that they knew should occur. While he did, he picked up the staff and saw that it was a quest item. Probably the item they’d need to turn in to the adventurers guild.
“Are we waiting for something?” Diana asked.
Right as she spoke, the body began to bubble and shift, shrinking down and losing the fur. The canine features disappeared, leaving a mostly naked man in place of the groll.
“Oh my,” Diana said, covering her mouth with her hand. “That was worth waiting for.”
Yosyp looked to be about six or six and a half feet tall, built like an athlete. He had a mane of dark brown hair that only partially obscured his face. The part of his face that wasn’t obscured showed chiseled European features that Jace associated with some of the male models he’d seen advertising various products.
Jace noticed all the women were staring at Yosyp’s body and cleared his throat. “Let’s check the loot.”
Mika blushed and looked at Jace, but the other two girls stared for a bit longer.
“He’s like a Greek god,” Diana said before finally dragging her eyes away and turning to Jace. “I’m sorry dear one, did you say something?”
Jace rolled his eyes and went over to the chest. The chest appeared to have been dropped and had broken open, so Jace just lifted the battered lid to look inside.
Ring of Armor
Type: Ring
Level: 5
Wt: .1 lb
Special: Provide +5 Armor
Description: Created for a noble knight of Whitecliff, the ring provided little protection when his horse threw a shoe and he broke his neck.
Chainmail Bikini of Moureva
Type: Chest Armor
Level: 5
Armor: 3 + 1 (Masterwork) + 1 (Sturdy)
Wt: 3 lb
Description: Created for a priestess of Moureva, this scant chainmail garment affords all the benefits of its less revealing counterparts.
Bloodstained Katana
Type: Two-Handed Sword
Level: 5
Damage: 14 + 1 (Sharp)
Wt: 4 lb
Special: Foes struck are affected with Bleed for 3 seconds.
Description: Commissioned for Prince Nicbomqeis, this katana disappeared when the young prince’s ship was lost at sea in a fierce storm.
Jace held up the chainmail bikini in front of his chest and shook his head. “This is NOT for me.”
The girls chuckled but Diana spoke up. “I can wear armor now, right? Because I’m a priest?”
“Yes,” he replied.
“I think that’s got me written all over it,” Diana purred, reaching out for it.
“Any other takers?” Jace asked. Mika blushed and Charlena just shrugged, knowing she couldn’t use it. He handed it to Diana. “All yours.”
“Is that… a… katana?” Mika whispered as she saw the katana sticking out of the chest.
Jace took it out and handed it to her. “You and I are the only ones who can use it. Take it.”
The katana was well made with a black and red scabbard, a gold guard, and a crimson wrapped handle. Mika pulled the sword slightly from the scabbard revealing a polished blade that looked extremely sharp. Her eyes didn’t leave the sword as she spoke. “Thank you.”
Jace smiled and then held up the ring. “Any objects to me keeping this? It’s an armor ring.”
No one did, so Jace slipped it on his finger. That done, he pulled the money into his inventory to see they’d gained 314 gold. Breaking it up, he handed each of just over 75 gold.
“Charlena,” he turned to the elf. “How much more time do you have? Enough for us to turn in the quest?”
Charlena’s eyes went glassy and then she bit her lip. “I’ll probably be a little over but that’s okay. Let’s go!”
They alternated running and walking all the way back to Whitecliff and reached the adventurers guild at a little after 9pm. Jace half-expected it to be closed and was pleasantly surprised when the door opened.
Behind the desk was their old friend, Throdgrug Greydigger. The dwarf looked up from scribbling something on a piece of paper and blew out a breath. “You lot again. Now what do you want?”
Jace handed him the quest note and the staff. He was curious to see what the dwarf would do with the staff since he’d eaten the alligat
or eye. Thus, he was disappointed when the dwarf leaned the staff against the wall and reached into the drawer to bring out their reward.
“Not bad,” he said. “We’ll make real adventurers out of you yet,” Throdgrug said and slid the pouches containing their rewards across the desk.
You have completed the quest, “Way of the Shaman”
You gain 800 experience. Experience to next level 1,880.
You gain +25 faction with Whitecliff Adventurers Guild.
They each took their reward and stashed it away in their inventories.
“Sorry guys,” Charlena said. “But I have to go. On the bright side, I made it to level 7 and almost 8! See you all tomorrow!”
Jace thought she would lean in to kiss him like she normally did but she just faded away.
After Charlena had completely faded away, Mika turned to him. “I also made level 7.”
“Does that mean you’ll switch to Rogue?” he asked.
Mika gave him a huge grin. “I already have. Now I will be ninja.”
Chapter 26
“I guess this means we’re off to do our own thing again?” Diana said. “More solo quests?”
“Yes,” Jace told the older woman. Then thinking about it, he smiled. “Don’t forget, you’re a priestess of the love goddess now. Who knows what the type of quests they might have for you…”
“Oh,” Diana’s eyes lit up. “You really think it might be something fun?”
“Only one way to find out,” Jace shrugged.
“Well then, I’ll see you two in the morning,” Diana told them and started to go. She took a few steps and then stopped and looked back over her shoulder. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
Diana winked at them, turned, and sauntered away. In a moment, she had disappeared into the crowd.
Jace looked at Mika, who had blushed slightly at the comment. He met her eyes and grinned. “Like there’s anything she wouldn’t do.”
They both shared a chuckle and then he motioned her to follow him. “Come on, I’ll take you to the guild.”
The two of them went north from the adventurers guild and looked for Tarot Street. Jace briefly considered asking for directions but considering what had happened to the previous thieves guild hideout, he changed his mind.
After close to twenty minutes of searching, they spotted Tarot Street and then found the Griffon Fabrics shop Webley had mentioned. They went around to the side door which Jace noticed had been reinforced and looked newer than the rest of the building. It also had a slot at eye level that could be slid open. Not something you’d normally find in a tailor shop.
Jace thought back to his conversation with Webley. Remembering the knock series, he knocked three times, then once, then twice. Having finished the knock sequence, he stepped back and waited.
The door slit slid open and a pair of large brown eyes that belonged to a panda-kin. From just the eyes, Jace couldn’t tell if it were Thom or Gerry. The eyes took in Jace but then narrowed when they caught sight of Mika. “Who’s she?”
“Fresh recruit,” Jace told the panda-kin, who he thought sounded more like Thom.
Having played an assassin to level 95, Jace had plenty of experience with the thieves guild and he knew quite a bit about their ways. He knew of only one sure fire way to get her in. “I vouch for her.”
Thom’s eyes widened slightly. “You know what that means, right?”
Jace knew. In the guild, vouching for someone meant he was equally responsible for anything they did. If they screwed up, they both paid the consequence. If they did something that got them kicked out of the guild, they both got kicked out. Jace glanced over at the petite girl and nodded. “I do. I vouch for her.”
“It’s your head,” Thom said and slid the slot closed. There was some noise behind the door, as if a bar was being drawn back and then some clicking sounds that Jace guessed was the lock. Finally, the door swung open. Jace glanced up and down the alley and, seeing no one, stepped inside with Mika trailing after him.
No sooner had the door shut than Jace heard a cry of “Panda!” from Mika. Before he could stop her, she had thrown herself at Thom and engulfed him in a hug. For a moment, no one moved.
Thom was unsure what to do about the cute little human hugging him. Gerry still seemed in shock and just staring at the two. Jace was trying to figure out a way to get Mika and himself out of the guild alive if Thom or Jerry decided to attack her.
Several seconds passed and then Gerry erupted into laughter. It was a deep, bellowing laughter that echoed through the place and Jace heard the noise in the other room stop. If he had to guess, no one had ever heard Gerry laugh before. The panda-kin pointed at Thom, still laughing. “Looks like you got a fan there Thom!”
Thom’s hands were still up, as if he hadn’t figured out what to do about her yet. Mika looked up at him with her big brown eyes and huge grin. “You’re so fluffy! And cuddly!”
Gerry lost it at that point, bursting into even more laughter. He was laughing so hard he lost his balance and slid down the wall, trying to hold his belly. “So fluffy…. And…. cuddly!”
Thom glared at Gerry but then looked down at Mika, gave her a smile and briefly hugged her back. Then he gently untangled himself and stepped back from her.
Mika looked at Gerry, rolling on the floor and might have tried to give him a hug as well but at that moment a familiar voice cut in from the next room. “If you two are done having fun. Perhaps you could go back to guarding the door.”
Jace turned to see the guildmaster in the doorway. The man’s face was serious but Jace caught the corner of his mouth twitch, as if he were trying very hard to suppress a smile.
“Yes sir,” Thom said and hurriedly locked and barred the door.
Gerry held up a hand, trying to bring his laughter under control. “Thom... is cuddly.”
At that, the guildmaster didn’t seem to be able to hold it back and his face broke into a grin. “I think that might be your new nickname Thom, Mr. Cuddles.”
Thom looked aghast and Gerry, who had nearly had his laughing under control, erupted in another fit of uncontrollable laughter. “Mister… Cuddles….”
Webley’s face went serious again and he glanced from Jace to Mika and then back to Jace. “You two, come with me.”
The guildmaster led them through a large room which had probably been the shop’s showroom at one point. Makeshift tables and crates now littered the room and Rogues sitting on stools and smaller wooden boxes. They went to the back of the room, then up a flight of stairs to the second floor and into what Jace guessed had been the master bedroom.
The room had been converted into a makeshift office with a sturdy oak desk. Webley moved around to the far end of the desk and sat down in a worn, leather bound chair and then looked meaningfully at the chairs on the opposite side of the desk.
Jace and Mika took the hint and sat down in the chairs. Before Jace could say anything, Mika burst out. “I’m sorry I hugged panda!”
The guildmaster kept his composure for only a moment before his face split in a grin. “I have to admit, I haven’t seen Thom so lost for what to do or heard Gerry laugh like…” Webley stopped and looked thoughtful. “Come to think of it, I don’t I’ve ever heard Gerry laugh at all. That almost makes your presence here worth it.” He then cast a much more serious glance at Jace. “Almost.”
The guildmaster leaned back, relaxed but his voice was terse when he addressed Jace. “Now is not the time for new recruits. Or new people.” Webley favored Mika with a smile. “No offense dear.”
Mika beamed at the guildmaster. “None taken. I want to become ninja!”
Webley cocked an eyebrow. “Ninja?”
Jace leaned forward. “I vouch for her.”
That caught the guildmaster’s attention, and he sat up suddenly. “You vouch for her? And you know what that means and what that entails?”
Jace nodded.
“What does it mean?” Mika asked.
; “It means,” he turned to Mika. “He takes full responsibility for everything you do. If you screw up, the punishment goes to both of you.”
Mika glanced at Jace and then back at Webley. “I will not screw up.”
Webley chuckled. “She’s got spunk. I see why you like her. Fine. From this point forward, anything you do is a reflection on him. Got it?”
“Got it,” Mika said with a smile.
Webley nodded at the enthusiastic girl and then turned to Jace. He reached into a desk drawer and pulled out the Infiltrator’s Hat. “It came in handier than I thought. So, I owe you that favor.”
Jace took the hat and stashed it back in his inventory. When looked up, his face had become hard again. “I heard from some of my contacts in the docks and some loose lipped sailors. Looks like Tiebaut is trying to go behind our backs and make a deal with the person who now has the princess’ tiara.”
Webley paused and Jace could see the anger clouding his face. To the guildmaster, someone breaking a contract seemed to be very serious and Jace remembered the sense of “honor” the mobsters from the vidstreams had.
“It also seems this mysterious Captain DD,” Webley said through clenched teeth, “is the one who ratted us out to the guard. I’m still not sure exactly how he got his information, but my contact in the guard says he was the one.”
“I plan to deal with both parties,” Webley said, bringing his voice under control. He looked pointedly at Jace. “And you will help me.”
“Me?” Jace muttered. Something this serious would warrant the guildmaster himself getting involved. Jace was just a newbie in the thieves guild.
The guildmaster seemed to guess what Jace was thinking. “You’re probably wondering why I don’t do something about it personally. Trust me, I would like nothing better. But, considering the recent… changes in the guild… I can’t leave the guild alone right now. For the moment, my place is here.”
“Also, you helped me out of a bind,” Webley said. “First the warning about the guild raid. Then with the hat of disguise. I’m inclined to trust you. So, I will give you a job. A very important job.”
Veil Online - Book 2: An Epic LitRPG Adventure Page 17
