Chapter 18: An Offer You Can’t Refuse

Chapter 18: An Offer You Can’t Refuse

Status

Unspent Status Points: 10

Physical

Strength 1

Endurance 2

Agility 4

Dexterity 3

Ethereal

Charm 1

Faith 1

Attunement 1

Soul 4

I looked at my stat sheet. The fight with the Tarnished had bumped two of my skills up a level, which left me with more stat points to spend.

I still didn’t really get these stat points. Did they have second order effects? The physical ones certainly seemed to. But would I become more faithful if I put points in Faith? Or were they just numbers plugged into my skills? On one hand, I wanted to run some tests on these, but every point was precious. The last three points that I’d invested in Soul had paid dividends in that fight.

I certainly wasn’t feeling more soulful.The initial posting of this chapter occurred via N0v3l.B11n.

But what if they had larger effects later on?

After a moment, I huffed. Being all indecisive like this? It was a bad look. And here I’d made fun of Electra, while I was agonizing over where to put all of my points.

I heard a cough from the side. “Lady Via.”

I rubbed my eyes. “More of them, already?”

Rel nodded. I could see a smirk playing around the corners of her lips. “It would seem so.” She’d gotten pretty cheeky recently. Not that I hated it.

With a sigh, I distributed my stat points and confirmed.

Status

Unspent Status Points: 0

Physical

Strength 2

Endurance 3

Agility 5

Dexterity 4

Ethereal

Charm 4

Faith 1

Attunement 3

“Hello, Empress.” He gave a friendly smile, running a hand through his dark red hair.

I raised an eyebrow at him.

Not a pushover then. I was only level 5, rare class or not.

“And you are?”

“Devarin, at your service!” He gave me an elaborate bow. “My boss sent me because he wants to talk.” His smile widened. “Someone’s been moving and shaking in this part of the docks.”

I waved a hand. “I’m not doing anything special.”

“It will be a nice and short conversation then.”

I sighed. Politics. This was why I refused to work with any other villains. “And I suppose your boss wants a face to face meeting and all of that too.”

“Of course.”

“Well.” I folded my arms. “Tell him we can meet on the edge of my territory, there’re plenty of buildings for him to choose from if he wants to sit down.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I should have been more clear.” Devarin tilted his head, and I felt the hairs on the back of my neck go up. “You’ll be meeting with him now, at the Poisoned Apple.”

That was the name of a tavern close to the center of their territory. According to Dee and Dum, the knives used it as a de facto headquarters.

I nodded, tapping my chin. “And why, pray tell, would I ever agree to do something as stupid as that?”

“Well, because you don’t have much of a choice, of course!”

I stepped back, hand coming up with my spell already formed. Devarin made no move to dodge.

Then I heard Rel hiss behind me.

Devarin smiled as I froze. “Go on, I promise I won’t attack... first.”

Slowly, I glanced over my shoulder. There was a person wearing a dark hood. They had their arms around Rel, pressing a knife to her neck.

There was a commotion across the small dirt road as the door to the bunkhouse flew open. More men with knives came out, pushing my people in front of them.

Last out were Dee and Dum, sporting more bruises and cuts than I remembered seeing them with.

Every single one of the Rusted Knives was a rogue or an assassin. Higher level than us, and they outnumbered us as well.

To say nothing about the knives threatening my people.

Slowly, I lowered my hand. In my chest, the surprise faded, replaced by a growing volcanic rage. They’d gotten me, without me even realizing I was in danger.

“Now then.” Devarin held out his arm. “Shall we go?” He cast a faux careless glance over his shoulder. “I’m sure you don’t want to be... late.”

I did not growl at him. I didn’t let a single speck of anger show on my face.

Control your anger. Never let it control you.

I pushed it down, building walls around my anger, like coals in a forge. They glowed bright hot, but on the surface, I remained as cool as ice.

“Of course.” I slipped my hand into his elbow, putting on a smile. “I would love to.”

I fell in step behind Devarin as his men moved to tie up the rest of my people. I cast a single look back at Rel. She met my eyes, question plain in her gaze, but I shook my head.

She wouldn’t gain anything by dying pointlessly here.

“Something on your mind?” Devarin asked.

“No.” And after this little display... “Nothing at all.”

My revenge would be much more personal.