The grandfather clock in the hall chimed twice, signaling the witching hour. The Southport manor was steeped in the deep, silent sleep of a well-ordered household.
In his room, Greem was already moving. He dressed in dark, practical clothing, strapped his shortsword to his hip, and tucked the crossbow and a pouch of bolts into his pack. He was a shadow against the moonlit window as he slid it open.
[Sneaking…]
He moved with a silence, his movements efficient and fluid. He dropped from the windowsill to a lower roof, then to the garden wall, and finally melted into the alleyways of Lunia.
The night welcomed him. From a distance, he could see the unrest of patrolling soldiers within the city.
Recent crimes in the slums and rumours of skeletons in the sewers had cast fear in most inhabitants, and soldiers from the Town's watch were not immune to it.
His destination was the Lunia Library, his official place of work and the perfect cover for the Association's dealings.
The main halls were dark and deserted, but a single candle flickered in a secluded reading nook deep within the archives.
Willem was there, leaning against a bookshelf. But he wasn't alone. A second figure stood in the the shadows, her form barely distinguishable from the darkness.
As Greem approached, she stepped forward. She was a Dark Elf, her skin was brown, her long white hair, recognisable from a distance. Her eyes, a piercing violet, assessed him with an unnerving stillness.
"Greem, this is Iriana", Willem said by way of introduction, "Iriana, Greem. Our strategist. I think I introduced you in the last Association's gathering"
Greem gave a curt nod, his own analytical gaze taking her in. He focused, and the blue text appeared.
[Iriana - Lv. 4 Acolyte]
[Strength - 2 | Agility - 1 | Vitality - 1 | Magic Power - 4]
[Perks: Dark Elf Bloodline, Blood Affinity]
[Spells: Summon Blood Wolf (?)]
[Skills: Dagger Mastery (20+)]
Her physical stats were unremarkable, average at best. Her magical power was decent, but as Willem said, they had been introduced in the last Association's gathering. She only knew one spell, and she had not even gained a single level in a year.
'Seems like she is even less talented than Willem and Vanessa', Greem analysed
The beast, however, did not escape Greem's eyes.
[Moe - Lv. 5 Beginner-rank demon bat]
Moe, Willem's contracted magical beast, had gone up a whole level. Most likely, Willem had used the blood crystal in a ritual to strengthen both himself and his magical beast's magical power.
'Summoners are still helpful. As expected of Willem's network, he managed to find a replacement to Vanessa in just three days'
"Your pet looks stronger, Willem", Greem nodded
Willem's eyes flashed in surprise, not expecting the subtle difference to be caught, but it was quickly replaced by a knowing smile. Greem had always been perceptive...almost too perceptive.
"I've heard you are efficient", Iriana cut him, her voice akin to a melodic whisper, "Let us hope that is true"
Greem did not know where she got her pride from. She clearly was a weak acolyte, yet she was challenging his credentials
"The mission," Greem prompted, turning to Willem, ignoring her subtle challenge.
Willem produced a small, familiar scroll from within his cloak, the seal of a yellow star clear on its wax.
"Elizabeth's request. We are to retrieve a batch of Grave Moss from the deep sections of the Death Catacombs. Standard procurement. Nine magic crystals, split three ways. We leave now"
Greem took the scroll, the official contract. It was a simple one—a mere herb-gathering mission any band of adventurers might take. But the location… the Death Catacombs were a dungeon, a natural EXP farm. He could feel the potential.
Compared to the red-star mission they had just gotten, the rewards and difficulty felt a bit unsettling, almost too easy. However, with an outsider as their teammate, there was no need to take risks when they could just accumulate a bit more wealth without danger.
"Acceptable," Greem stated, tucking the scroll away. He glanced at Iriana, then back to Willem. "Let's go"
As they moved to leave the library, Greem took one last look at his own status, a silent reminder of his goals.
[Greem Southport - Lv. 7 Beginner Rank Acolyte (428 / 800 EXP)
Strength - 3 → 4 | Agility - 2 → 3 | Vitality - 4 | Magic Power - 7
Perks: Grade III Shadow Elemental Affinity
Spells: Dark Illusion (81), Shadow Hand (65), Ombre Curse (29), Shadow Cloak (3)
Skills: Shadow Elemental Knowledge (58) → (62), Magical Knowledge (45) → (48), Swordsmanship (25) → (27), Crossbow Mastery (9) → (11)
Miscellaneous skills: Accounting (60) → (61), Eloquence (35) → (36), Charm (25),
Magical Artefact: Soul Ring [SSS], Thread of Fate Pendant (+1 Perception) [Low-grade Rank 0] New]
With the breathing technique, his physical attributes had already gone up by one point. As per the Town Watch's grading system, he was on the brink of becoming a knight. He had already awakened internal energy, or at least grew accustomed to it through the Dusk Hound Breathing Technique, and his stats were almost averaging 4, the empirical limit he had observed to be qualified as a knight.
But perhaps his biggest achievement in the past few days was the learning of his fourth spell: [Shadow Cloak]
The three figures slipped out of the library and into the sleeping city, their path set towards the graveyard and the dark entrance to the Catacombs beyond.
A new panel opened.
As expected, only yellow-star missions and red-star missions triggered the ring's ability.
As Greem's fingers touched the yellow-starred scroll, a familiar, cool sensation spread from the [Soul Ring] on his finger. The world seemed to sharpen, and text etched in light blue materialized in his vision, overlaying the physical parchment.
[Optional Mission: Alchemical Procurement - Grave Moss]
Rank: Yellow-Star
Location: Death Catacombs (Deep Sections)
Objective: Harvest 1 batch of High-Quality Grave Moss for Elizabeth Blackhope.
Context:
Potent moss grows only in deep, magically polluted areas. Area is a known adventuring zone, providing operational cover.
Threats:
Creatures: Giant Rats (Lv. 1-3), Ghouls (Lv. 1-4), barbarians (Lv. 1-3), skeletons (Lv. 1-2), ...
Rewards: 9 Magic Crystals (split), Reputation in the Black Widow Association, 60 EXP for each member]