Chapter 157

Sol Ligatus VIP Room, Hao’s Auction House, Pittsburgh - 7:18 AM

Our VIP room was off of the main stage and up the stairs. It hadn’t existed before the system, but now gave any distinguished guests able to afford it a clear view of the auction house stage below as well as those participating in the audience.

I stood on the balcony overlooking the main room, sipping red wine from a glass. It was labeled for 40 Constitution, though that couldn't even get me tipsy at this point. Still, it tasted good. When I saw Jamie start leading Greg and Olivia this way, I turned around to take in the room.

The display cases here were taller and held more holograms than the ones in the main room. They were separated in two sections: items going on sale later today, and items queued for sale at a later date. Here in the VIP room, we had first dibs of anything going out. At a price, of course.

It was all done at Hao’s whim, but his intuition for how much something was going to sell for was unmatched. Every item here had a set price that was fair both for the VIP and the ones who put it up for sale. It was very rare that I came away from a purchase here thinking I had gotten a raw deal.

As wonderful as it was, getting a guild VIP room was expensive. Under normal circumstances it would have cost 30,000 points and at least a week’s worth of patronage to get on Hao’s good side. Thanks to Jamie’s overall combat skill, we were able to get it for free by simply liberating the building, and that kind of savings was a godsend this early on.

Jamie knocked twice on the door before opening it, and Greg walked right in with Olivia in tow. Just like us, they were in their adventuring gear, and I knew they would be going into the Pitt after leaving the auction house. He held a cigar in his hand as he looked around the room.

“Nice digs you’ve got,” he said with a whistle, walking up to the display cases. “How’d you manage all this?”

As Jamie walked into the room, she closed the door and stood at attention. I gestured towards her. “She did it, on the same day she stabbed one of your men. Perry, I think it was?”

“Patrick,” Greg corrected absently. He nodded his head forward, and Olivia joined him. He tapped on the glass, showing off a golden baseball cap inside.

“Yes, Patrick, him,” I said, joining them at the display case. “Anyway, I sent Jamie down with directions, and she took care of liberating the auction house. From there, it was easy for her.”

Greg nodded along with what I was saying, but paused when I was done. He looked over at me. “Directions, you say?”

“Directions,” I confirmed with a smirk.

“And how did you get directions?” he asked, confused.

I pointed upwards as I answered. “Patron privileges. I’m surprised you haven’t been approached by one yet. Certainly a man of your caliber and skill would have several attempting to sway him to their side. I certainly didn’t take you for a peasant.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jamie bristle. Olivia had gone stiff, but her eyes were wide and her gaze shifted between her boss and me. Greg finally turned to face me, crossing his arms defensively.

“And what, exactly, do you mean by that?” he asked, his tone aggressive.

“I meant nothing offensive,” I assured him, waving my hand. “I was just certain that you had formed one of these connections, is all. Kings recognize kings, after all, and you’re as deserving of the title as anyone else I’ve seen.”

Greg’s eyes widened in surprise before he turned away. He set his hands on his hips, pretending to peruse some of the items. “Of course, I have several vying for my attention,” the man claimed, bringing his cigar up to his mouth as if it comforted him. “I’m weighing my options for now. I believe decisions like these shouldn’t be made without thinking them through. Men like us should look before we leap.”

“It is a very important decision, I agree,” I said, noting that he was already lumping us together. “Greg Davis, I’ll be honest with you. I have been avoiding you, in particular, since the day we first met in front of the Pitt. My people, Jeff and Kayla, were sent to see what your people could do while I took care of my own quest, and it is because of them that I wanted to reach out to you today.”

He seemed unsure how to respond to my words and nodded as if gesturing for me to continue. I took a sip of wine before Lifting it out of my hand, allowing it to hover.

“I’m a psychic, Greg,” I told him. “I see things that no one else does, and I avoid people who shine too brightly. Yourself, of course, and, to a lesser extent, Olivia Hunt. I don’t stay out of your way due to any jealousy or pride, but out of necessity. Being in the same room as you dazzles the senses and confounds the mind.”

“That must be the MVP you see in me,” Greg bragged confidently. “Liv here was with me at the end of the first scenario, so she must have soaked in some of my glory. She was with me when I won against that nasty infection zombie”

“That could very well be it,” I admitted, knowing I was full of shit. “But, just like I tend to avoid certain people out of necessity, I am also here because I need a favor. Not for free; a man of your talents undoubtedly has a lot to do, which is why I’m willing to offer you my services.”

“And what is it that you're offering me, Anthony?” he asked, raising his hand to rub his chin.

“Not only will I allow you to use our VIP room for the day, but I’ll also tell you your fate,” I said. “Which Patrons would be best for you, dungeons that may help enhance your build, the works. For Olivia here, as well. And, to top it all off, I’ll give you an item that’ll help your Smoke.”

Greg’s eyes narrowed. “And how do you know what will help me?” he asked suspiciously.

“Because, just like you, I had countless Patrons competing for my attention. The difference is, I settled on one,” I said, pointing back towards the ceiling. “They give me a… unique insight into the system and more information that I could use in a lifetime. Coupled with my natural skill and knowledge, we make for a very dangerous pair.”

The Smoke Keeper grunted, but gestured for me to continue.

“Your Smoke is a physical manifestation of your will, which I'm sure you know better than anyone,” I started explaining. “It’s a very potent weapon, and even in its base form it’s very powerful. However, when have men like us ever stopped when it comes to gathering strength? Gathering power is like climbing an endless ladder, don’t you think?”

“I get what you're saying. Sure beats the Hell out of the 9-5 grind,” he said. “No bosses except the ones you’re allowed to kill. That’s the dream, right there.”

“It certainly is,” I agreed with a chuckle. “But your Smoke can evolve. Weapons you feed it will give it buffs, bonuses, and allow you to use skills and passives through it. I think I have something perfect for you.”

Reaching for the glass case, I activated the search function and brought up an item that I had put up for auction. The rondel dagger was just over a foot long with a leather wrapped hilt and pastel blade. The metal had swirling patterns of pinks, purples, greens, and yellows. I took a step back and gestured for Greg to look it over.

[[Auction]]

Item: Betin’s Fairy Dagger

Seller: Anthony Franklin

Minimum Bid: 15,000 points

[[Item]]

Betin’s Fairy Dagger

(+8 Dexterity, Tricky Strike skill acquired, Attack Speed Up passive acquired)

[[Skill]]

Tricky Strike

Make an attack with your weapon and activate this skill. Your limbs holding that weapon elongate to up to twice their normal length, allowing you to strike from farther away. This skill may be used once every minute.

[[Passive]]

Attack Speed Up

Increase the speed of your strikes by 20%.

“It looks impressive, but I’m not sure if it’s worth that much,” Greg said dubiously. “Are you getting usefulness and rarity confused?”

“I set that price because this item is more than meets the eye, Greg,” I replied. “It is rare in that it’s a named boss drop from Etson, Florida. But think about that passive. How vague it is. Increase the speed of your strikes by 20%? What constitutes a strike? What movements are performed as part of a strike? How does that translate to weapons?”

The man was back to stroking his chin as he thought it over. I caught Jamie’s eye, seeing a sour look on her face. As soon as she realized I was looking at her, she returned to something more neutral. The Weapon Master could have put this to good use if I didn’t have to basically give it away.

Truthfully, I would have preferred to give it to Jamie. It was bait for Greg, though, and a way to make him more powerful. Under most circumstances he would have sought me out after it was on the market for a week or so to ask me about it. This was my way of leashing him onto a better path. Not a great one by any means, but better.

“Smoke is considered a weapon,” he said, trying to keep the eureka moment out of his voice. I smiled as if I expected him to already know. There was greed in his eyes as he looked over the dagger again, but he was cautious. “If it increases its speed by 20% when on the offensive, then that’s huge even discounting the increase in range. Which makes me wonder about that favor you’re going to ask me for.”

Grabbing my wine glass from where it hovered, I drank down the rest as I turned to close the doors to the balcony. “This conversation doesn’t leave this room,” I warned everyone, my back still turned to them.

“Yeah. Go on, then,” Greg urged. “We won’t say a word.”

I nodded appreciatively, though I knew it was going to get out eventually. Putting my hands behind my back, I walked to the center of the room. “There’s a Demon,” I started slowly. “Like an honest to God Demon from Hell named Pustibule. He thinks he’s a doctor. That’s not important. What is important is that I expect him to come after me because he holds a grudge. All of the information I have tells me he'll arrive sometime soon.”

“And you need help with one little Demon?” Greg asked. “You? The self-proclaimed king?”

“Pustibule is a social creature,” I continued, ignoring his question. “He’s already shown the inclination to pick up Humans to corrupt, and we know of one named Jeremiah Wilson. What I expect him to do is come to Pittsburgh and then tempt the strongest crew here.”

“Mine,” Greg said confidently. “You're worried about me.”

“You got it in one,” I agreed with a nod. “There’s a lot of things I can say about him, but he’s likely to try to corrupt as many people as possible starting from the top. Offers of power whispered in your ear. From what I understand, you’re a shrewd man who can’t be tempted so easily, but a fair warning is a fair warning. Because, well…”

My deliberate pause made Greg motion for me to continue. “Because what?”

“The only ones here in Pittsburgh who have seen what I’m about to do are Jeff, Kayla, and another guild member. It’s necessary for you to understand my intentions, so I’m willing to show you and Olivia.”

“Yes, yes, of course,” he replied impatiently. “Come on. The anticipation’s killing me.”

“Defeating Demons is one of the ways I grow towards the endgame,” I explained. “Pustibule, Jeremiah, any creature he corrupts or any player who joins him will become a stepping stone for me to grow stronger. It’s an inevitability for me, thanks to my Patron, to destroy such things whenever they come up. There are only two people in Pittsburgh that I don’t want to get in a fight with. Not because I don’t think I’ll win, but because I’d rather not risk it. One of them is you, Greg, and the other is Jamie, who has undoubtedly thought of beating me a few times.”

“It might be a recurring dream,” she said, speaking for the first time in this meeting. The Smoke Keeper gave her an appraising look.

“Good help is hard to find,” I said, letting my amusement show. “But you want me to get to the point, so I will.”

Closing my eyes, I took a breath. The room was silent for a few moments before I opened them back up. I spoke the words of power. “B̶r̸e̶a̷k̷ ̸f̵r̶e̷e̷ F̷r̸o̶m̸ ̵T̸h̴e̵ ̶S̵h̷a̶c̸k̵l̸e̴s̴ ̸O̴f̷ ̶M̸a̴n̸.”

The room illuminated as I became an Angel. My soulfire hair raged like an out of control fire burning on my head, though it didn’t reach the golden halo above it. Six, translucent wings with bright white feathers curled around me, three to a side. Power roared through my veins as I held onto this form.

“Holy shit!” Greg yelled, stumbling back into the case.

Jamie’s hand flashed towards her holstered pistol in surprise, but stopped, regarding me curiously. Olivia’s reaction was just as bad, though not for the same reason. She stared at me with wide eyes before falling to her knees and performing the sign of the cross. That wasn’t what I was doing this for, but it gave me some hope that she would urge Greg in the right direction.

However, not everything was fine. Before, when I used Break Free to become an Angel, it was like nothing I had ever experienced. Lightning coursed through me and I felt like I could take on anything.

This time, something felt wrong. I shook it off.

“I’ll give you the dagger and tell you the best path for you just this once as an advance,” I said. Despite the feeling of wrongness, my voice didn’t falter. “In exchange, any news of Demons or their forces comes straight to me. Pittsburgh will be purged of them by the… time… I…”

I grimaced and looked around the room. My senses were sharpened when I was using Break Free, and I was able to see everything in great detail. Minute chips in the paint, one of the display cases were slightly taller than the others, the slight difference in color where we fixed the armor on Jamie’s feet. I could smell the leftover wine from the glass I had emptied earlier and smoke, even though the cigar wasn’t lit.

None of it was the cause of this feeling.

I could feel it in my hair, I realized. Something oily was sizzling off of my soulfire. Not enough to be represented visually, but it was noticeable.

“You alright?” Greg asked as I turned around to take in the room. I didn’t answer him.

The more I focused, the more I could feel it. It was starting to become familiar, like it had happened to me before. The sensation oozed down from my soulfire hair onto my skin, leaving me feeling like I had to scrub it off. I actually couldn’t help it; reaching up, I wiped my brow.

“What’s going on with your boss?” I heard him say to Jamie, though she didn’t respond to him. Not verbally, at least.

I clenched my fist as I recognized where I had experienced this before. My power lashed out without my consent. One of the display cases beside me collapsed in on itself as my abilities activated, shattering glass and breaking wood. I turned to look at it, seeing that the furniture had been thoroughly destroyed before it started repairing itself. A feature of the VIP room, I knew.

Dropping Break Free and returning to my original form, I took a breath and shook myself. Lifting my hand, I noticed that it was trembling, and I narrowed my eyes. I recognized this feeling. This rage.

“What the fuck was that, Anthony!?” Greg loudly exclaimed.

Still holding up my fist, I turned around to look at the Smoke Keeper. Whatever expression I had on my face made him flinch, and even Jamie seemed to look concerned. Regardless, I didn’t soften it with a smile. I was right to be full of fury.

“He’s here,” I said to Greg before looking to the ceiling. “Pustibule is in Pittsburgh. I can feel it.”