Wild Era 2, Ch 14: Into His Own Hands

“Are you alright?” Sandren asked. 

She had just flopped down in a chair in her office across from Kelin. The last couple of hours had been busy and there was a touch of exhaustion in her tone from dealing with it all.

“I’m fine,” Kelin replied, waving his hand. “They didn’t succeed, and I wasn’t even scratched. What I care about is the challenge to the guild’s authority here. It is a problem.”

“It is,” Sandren agreed with a sigh. “We’ll deal with those two, but the organization behind them...they’re even more difficult than Verasun.

“Those two have been hanging around the guild for the past week doing nothing. They were supposedly between jobs,” she added, “but now it looks like they were waiting for an opportunity. When you shifted to the other training hall, it must’ve caught their attention.”

Kelin nodded in agreement.

His whereabouts in the guild hadn’t been hard to trace for anyone who was watching. He had been relying on the guild’s authority to keep trouble away, but their reputation locally was apparently not as overwhelming as it should have been.

That was an insult to the guild and to the Sovereign, not just to him.

The guild was part of the army that defended the galaxy from the Chaos Gates. Its intention was always to promote adventurers, increase the average power of individuals, and foster talent.

The locals should never have dared to challenge it. 

At that moment, a glowing sphere of light appeared in the air above Sandren’s desk, humming for her attention.

She touched it and the light faded away, revealing a crystal slip, which she studied. Then she passed it to Kelin. 

“Take a look at that,” she said. “It’s the file on them. The information section just finished putting it together.”

It was a memory slip, something that made it easy to record and transport large amounts of information. Kelin took the slip and scanned through it, the same as she had.

It was a detailed breakdown from the guild’s intelligence section about the two assassins, including their history in the guild, the missions they’d undertaken, their history in Celadon, and more.

The guild had been aware of their connection to some mercenary groups, but until now they hadn’t caused much trouble, nor had they been known associates of an assassin organization.

But it hadn’t taken the guild long to find the connection, once they looked into their abilities and questioned them.

The assassin group in question was called the Thousand Leaves Adventuring Supply. 

It was one of the moderately large supply and mercenary companies, with locations in all twelve of Celadon’s major cities and branches in several other countries too.

It had backing from quite a few nobles and city lords.

Most of its activities were above board with regular mercenary contracts and supply missions, but assassination was its more secretive business.

They were known to the guild, and there had been occasional points of tension, but this was the first time they had dared to try anything on the guild’s territory.

It seemed they’d become bold over time as the guild ignored them.

Kelin tapped his fingers on the list of information as he finished reading it. Then he handed it back to Sandren as he came to a decision.

The two assassins were no longer worth thinking about. 

Now that the guild had them, they wouldn’t be escaping. The only question was how much information they would give up and how hard it would be on them.

If they were lucky, they would be killed as traitors. At worst, they would be used as an example of why you shouldn’t betray the guild.

As for the assassin group behind them, some punishment was due. The guild should have handled it, but his faith in their local power had been shaken.

He had their location and a list of some known members, including their bosses, which was all he needed to exact some justice of his own.

Most of them were in the First Evolution and their boss in the area was at the high Second, even stronger than Verasun. 

There was a long list of crimes next to most of the names that the guild was aware of, but until  now they hadn’t challenged the guild and their political backers had kept them from being arrested by the locals.

That had left them in a grey area where the guild didn’t deal with them, and the locals couldn’t.

It was like a festering wound in the city that needed to be dealt with, but the guild had been hesitant.

He shook his head at that.

He was tempted to criticize everyone involved, from this branch to the overall guild commander on Lareth, who was probably at the Fourth Evolution, and tell them to get moving to clean up their mess.

Given his current status, that was a futile path.

Still, he could do something.

He would have to be careful, since their backers were even more powerful than Verasun, but he was unwilling to let this lie.

Dealing with them in the open would be like hunting a den of serpents with a hundred exits they could escape from, so he would have to be quiet and careful.

He doubted he would be able to clear them out completely, but he would take some steps to ensure they suffered. 

The assassins would probably make the connection to the attack inside the guild, but even if they thought it was him, his low level should deflect their attention.

They were more likely to blame someone else, whether it was one of the captains, a hidden adventurer, or the information section.

Anyone at that level would have some ability to protect themselves, so he wasn’t too concerned about implicating them. If he made a big enough stir that the assassins tried to get revenge, the guild wouldn’t be able to ignore it.

Every elevation of the conflict would draw the guild further into it, and if they kept ignoring it, it would turn into a war on their doorstep.

They wouldn’t have a choice except to show their might and crush their enemies.

He didn’t mention his plan to Sandren, since she would try to talk him out of it. 

He was aware of the strength of the guild, as was she if she thought about it. 

Dealing with something on this level was easy.

That they hadn’t done it already, and that the fine Verasun owed hadn’t been paid yet, implied weakness.

Sandren had filled him in on the background of the guild here, and he knew they had enough Gold and Platinum rankers around, including ones that could be called in from other worlds, so it wasn’t just about strength.

That left corruption as the most likely reason.

There was probably that someone higher up in the guild on Lareth had friends among the nobility and the merchants, and they were causing delays and suppressing issues.

It might even be that connection that led to the assassins believing they could get away with this.

In all of his years, he’d seen such things too many times. 

They never went away.

Every one of that type thought they were special.

He didn’t have any memory stones on him except the one he was using for his enchantments, so instead he took out a slip of jade, a type of stone that was well suited for basic enchantments and widely used. 

He refined it with a flare of soulfire and began to inscribe a message. When he was done, he looked to the side and began to draw the Seal of Silver Stars in the air. 

It was a rune that looked like an ornate star, with abstract lines behind it that resembled comets.

As he connected the parts and focused on the unique imprint of the sovereign’s energy, the seal came to life. It floated in the air as its lines began to shine with silver light, and then its structure changed, swiftly turning more complex as new parts began to form.

Within moments, a nine-pointed silver star hovered in the air. 

Runes flashed around it and the abstract lines for comets changed to resemble true comets shooting through the depths of the Void. Endless other stars flashed past, like the space around the star stretched into infinity.

A profound aura of magic and starlight radiated through the room.

The Seal of Silver Stars was part of the Sovereign’s magic, an echo of his immortality that resonated through the galaxy. 

The army and the guild used it as a form of identification and a truth spell.

It could also verify a record.

He fused the imprint into the recording, swearing that it was true, and then he handed it across the desk to Sandren.

“I’d like to pass that to the higher ranks of the guild,” he said calmly. “It’s a recording of what happened from my memory, as well as a description of the connection between Verasun, the assassins, and the nobility’s attempt to control the local dungeons. 

“Everything they should know is there. How they deal with it is up to them, but I’d like to officially record that it’s been sent.”

It included information he’d obtained from the guild, as well as the record Sandren had just shown him.

It was enough to condemn the entire assassin’s group, and the verification by the Seal of Silver Stars meant that it would be difficult to ignore.

“That will help,” Sandren agreed as she took it. “I’ll pass it up now.”

She didn’t stop to read it. Instead, she held the slip in one hand and raised it into the air. 

A flash of silver light came from the guild wards in the office, and then the slip disappeared.

“They should have it in a moment,” she said. “I’m not sure when they will respond, but given the attack, it will probably be within a day. They should already have received the internal report, and even short staffed, there will be a response.

“It helps that you’ve been marked as a prodigy of the guild,” she added, “someone that we’re supposed to protect. They won’t ignore that.

“This branch might get some attention for the failure, but in general the guild doesn’t blame the lower ranks for things that they can’t control. This was a challenge to the guild’s authority and a loss of face for us. Hopefully, they see how short we are on influence and people.”

Kelin’s opinion was less optimistic.

“Verasun’s hand is behind this, but it will be difficult to prove,” he said as he stood up. “I won’t wait around for him to try again. I’ll wrap up my training here shortly and then take the team with me. If you could keep an eye on the kids and provide a couple of guards to stand outside the dungeon, it would be helpful.”

“Which dungeon are you heading to?” Sandren asked as her eyes creased with concern. 

She’d heard his overall plan, which she thought was crazy, but he had talked her out of trying to stop him.

“Shadowfall,” Kelin replied calmly. 

“That’s a Level 112 dungeon!” Sandren said as she tossed her hands up in the air. “You’re good, but it has an Evolution on you! Not to mention the rest of your team. They’re barely closing in on Level 65. It’s almost twice their level!”

“They’ll need it, if they want to succeed in the future,” Kelin said. “It will be dangerous, but their future is to be harassed by Verasun if they stay here, and some assassin will eventually find them. They would be dead either way.

“At least with this one, they have a chance. If it succeeds, and they level up, the guild will also pay more attention to them, and then Verasun won’t dare to bother them as much...or at least I would have said that before this assassin attack.”

Whether the guild still held that level of threat against Verasun, he was no longer sure.

“I can send them to another city, or even another world,” Sandren offered. “The guild will teleport them for free, given the need for it.”

“They have connections in Cerith, some family,” Kelin said, shaking his head. “They won’t leave them behind. They would all have to move. So far, Verasun hasn’t gone so far to try and kill their families, but it’s not impossible that he would.”

“I can move their families too,” Sandren insisted. 

“Wouldn’t it be better for them to stand on their own?” Kelin asked, shaking his head. “I’m not making them come along. This is their chance to rise. If they can succeed in the dungeon, their classes will benefit. When they Evolve, they’ll have a better foundation.”

It was especially important for them now, when the guild wasn’t living up to its duty.

The fine for the last time Verasun tried to kill them hadn’t even been paid yet.

If they got tangled up with him again, they were likely to die and an apology would come too late. 

Relying on themselves was the best option.

“I understand,” Sandren said, “but surely they could take the standard path, or at least something still under Level 100. With Shadowfall, the risk is extreme.” 

“It is, but I will watch over them,” Kelin said. “It will be about the same as a Level 110 team taking on the dungeon.”

“Even with a powerful inheritance, how can you guarantee that?” Sandren was looking a bit angry now, mostly out of concern. 

“I know you killed Orest and protected them, and he was Level 121, and you nearly protected them from Kolburn, but this is an entire dungeon.”

“Because of these,” Kelin said, smiling slightly. “What do you think I’ve been working on all this time in the guild?”

As he raised his hand, seven hundred talismans appeared in the air, floating around him in massive stacks. 

The energy in them was well contained, but to have that many in one place was enough that the air turned dense and rippled with force. Illusory flickers of soulfire began to appear around the talismans and spread through the room.

The mana wasn’t escaping. Instead, it was an effect of the fragments of Law they held, thanks to the soulfire runes he’d used.

Sandren knew he’d been crafting in the guild, but until now, he’d never shown her how many things he’d made.

She stared at the talismans, her mouth slightly open, and then she closed it with a snap. She still looked stubborn, but her expression relaxed.

“That is...insane,” she muttered after a moment, but her words weren’t as sharp.

“It should be enough to help clear the dungeon, and to protect them,” Kelin said. “I’ll keep talisman shields on them to prevent surprise attacks, and deal with the rest as it comes.”

Sandren frowned again, shaking her head, but she stopped arguing as much.

“Shadowfall was right next to one of the undead cores we cleared,” she said. “I didn’t see any signs that Sarathia tampered with it, but be careful. It’s a natural undead dungeon, which is why almost no one goes there. The mana density is going to be high. I don’t think it’s been cleared for a couple of months.”

“That’s what we need,” Kelin said, nodding in agreement as he stood up. “It also suits my magic. We’ll leave soon. Maybe two days.”

He needed that much time to finish his ability training. It would be tight, but he was confident in making it. 

“Let me know when you do,” she said with a sigh. “I’ll try to get you some guards. With the attack on you, it should be fine to send a few.”

“If not, we’ll just be quick about leaving,” he agreed.

He gave Sandren a relaxed wave as he stored away all of the talismans and headed out of her office.

Hopefully, the guild would respond in force to Verasun and the assassins, but he wasn’t going to wait around to see. It would only give them more time to try something. 

He glanced around the guild hall, making sure it was empty, and then he headed upstairs.

He still needed to check on Yao and Naomi and give them the amulets.

On the way, he debated having the kids stay here any longer.

His confidence in the local guild had been shaken by the attack, and it would only be fixed if the guild responded in force.

Unfortunately, he didn’t have any other resources.

If the guild failed to live up to his expectations, he would probably talk Sandren into teleporting him and the kids to a different world, one where they were unknown.

It wouldn’t necessarily be any better, so he didn’t want to do it unless he had to, but it would delay the problem for a little while

Despite its other flaws, Lareth was an excellent world to level up on. The dungeons were mostly open, the local levels were moderate, and the guild was here.

Only relatively wild and newly settled worlds had so many dungeons overflowing with mana.

For now, it was best to stick to his plan.

As he walked, he sent a couple of messages to the team and arranged a meeting to discuss their departure in person.

The time they’d agreed on was almost used up, and two more days would have to be enough.

When he reached the kids’ room, it was late in the evening, but the two were still wide awake and waiting for him.

“Teacher!” Yao asked as soon as he opened the door. “You were attacked?!”

“Are you alright?” Naomi asked an instant later. She looked him over head to toe and let out a sigh of relief when she saw that he was fine.

“Let’s talk inside,” Kelin said as he waved them back into the room.

Their questions came rapid fire and he answered them briefly, doing his best to reassure them that the guild would handle it.

Despite that, he warned them about Verasun and the assassins, making sure they understood the dangers and that they needed to keep training hard.

They needed to know the truth of the world. It would motivate them to keep training hard.

Then he pulled out the two amulets.

“These are for you,” he said as he handed one to each of them. “They will help you to heal from small wounds and grow stronger. But first, put a drop of blood on the gem. It will bind them.”

He pointed to the correct spots.

“A soulbond?” Naomi asked, looking up at him with surprise. “But that’s only for powerful artifacts.”

“Yes,” Kelin said with a slight smile. “These are not too powerful, but they still count. They will help you a great deal, especially if you wear them for a long time, so don’t take them off, even if you’re bathing. They’re a form of protection.”

A few minutes later, both amulets were bound to the kids and they were wearing them.

“Good,” he said, feeling a little relieved. “You might not be able to sense it clearly, but you have the ability to change their size, as well as to make them invisible and weightless. I suggest you do that, so that no one else can see them. It’s best not to draw unnecessary attention.”

He spent a few moments guiding them through the process, and before long the amulets faded out of sight. 

“Better,” he said, nodding in approval. “Leave them like that.”

He could sense the enhanced vitality already flowing through their bodies. 

There was a faint touch of red to their cheeks that hadn’t been there before, but that would disappear soon enough and no one would be able to tell the difference unless they looked very closely and compared their condition to the day before.

To most people, it would just look like they had healthy vital energy.

“I’ll be leaving in a couple of days for another dungeon,” he added. “So let’s work on your skills for a while. Then you can continue to practice until I get back.”

He spent the rest of the evening helping them with their mana circulation and basic theories of magic. 

He also taught them some basic soul meditations that would help to reinforce their inner defenses, calm their minds, and harness their potential.

It would slowly strengthen their souls.

He wasn’t sure if it would help with their classes in the future, but the techniques were primarily visualization and didn’t require more than a trace of mana, so it was something they could practice.

Even if they didn’t become soul mages, these techniques would help them to protect themselves if they encountered curses or other soul-damaging spells, and the calming effect would make their training more productive.

They took to the arts like fish to water, learning them without question.

While they worked, he spent some time strengthening the wards on their room, making sure that nothing under Level 110 would be able to get in easily.

As for things over that, the wards would do their best and create a gigantic racket.

It would be secure enough against most things, and while they were in classes with the guild, there were teachers and guards around.

It should be alright.

As the moons rose halfway through the night, Kelin left them to get some sleep. 

He headed back to the training hall, where he activated the wards and tossed a bedroll on the floor. Then he drew a second ward around himself and hung the Soulfire Sigil in the air for extra defense.

Around him, Gaius’s presence weighed on the area, keeping a silent watch on anything that moved as he fell into a fitful sleep.

When morning rose, he washed his face and cleaned up. 

His expression barely changed as he worked a subtle spell to alter his features, one that relied on Gaius’s stoneskin to reform his body structure and shift his aura signature from Soulfire to a more common Earth affinity.

Slight touches of stone made his face thicken, his chin broaden, and his shoulders and hands grow larger. 

The same type of shift took place all across his body, until his lean and muscular form was changed into that of a much burlier and somewhat stocky man who looked to be in his early fifties.

Golden Earth symbols glowed across his skin for a moment, but then they faded away, and the color of the stone changed to a regular skin tone that wouldn’t be out of place anywhere in Highmist.

With his soulbond to Gaius, it would be very difficult for anyone to tell the difference between his real skin and the stone he’d added. They were all part of the same aura signature.

When that was done, he checked over the changes in a mirror of ice and then memorized all of the shifts so that he could change between his real appearance and this one in an instant.

Then he shifted back to his regular self and headed out of the guild. His steps were calm and purposeful.

Once he was on the street, he turned a corner and ducked into a shadowed alley. By the time he left the far side, his appearance was that of the burly fifty-year-old.

He glanced around the streets to get his bearings and then he headed off toward the assassins’ guild. 

It was time to send a message.