| You destroyed the 'Cutpurses.'
[The Pantheon blesses you with 1,000 Experience Points]
| James Frostwatch (Soul: James Murtagh)
| Experience: [2620 / 2000]
[You leveled up!]
Jamie stared in amazement as dozens of notifications cascaded before his eyes. The numbers and words seemed to dance and shift. His heart quickened. "I leveled up? Already?" he whispered to himself, scarcely believing it.
As the initial messages faded, new ones took their place, the letters rearranging themselves in midair.
| James Frostwatch (Soul: James Murtagh)
| Level: 2
| Experience: [620 / 5000]
"Five thousand?" Jamie murmured, his brow furrowing. "It increased quite a bit." He pondered the steep climb to the next level.
Another notification appeared, drawing his attention:
[You obtained a new talent]
A grin spread across his face. "Great! What can I choose?" Rubbing his hands together, Jamie felt a surge of excitement. The prospect of selecting a reward was invigorating—perhaps he could tailor his abilities to better suit his plans.
However, his enthusiasm was cut short when the following message appeared.
[Talent Obtained: Healthy Territory]
His smile faded, replaced by a look of surprise. "What?! I can't select?" he exclaimed, frustration creeping into his voice. He had expected to have a choice in the matter.
From the corner of the room, a soft voice chimed in. "It's normal," said Jay. The sleek black cat sat perched atop a nearby shelf, his luminous green eyes observing Jamie with amusement. "In the end, it's in the hands of the gods."
Jamie sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Damn it…" he answered.
A detailed description unfurled before him as he resigned himself.
[Healthy Territory]
| Increases the Constitution of your allies by one point while within your territory.
"Well… that's not bad," he admitted, feeling a flicker of optimism return.
"Not bad at all," Jay agreed, leaping gracefully to the table beside him.
Jamie nodded. "This could be useful."
Before he could dwell further, another notification appeared.
[You have obtained a new Skill]
This time, an extensive list of options began to scroll in front of him, each word etched in shimmering letters.
- Athletics
- Diplomacy
- Knowledge
- Stealth
- Perception
- Arcane
- Survival
- Intimidation
- Medicine
- Investigation
Dozens more continued to appear, a seemingly endless array of possibilities. Jamie's eyes roamed over them, curiosity piqued.
"But what in the world is a skill?" he wondered aloud, glancing at Jay, who had now settled comfortably on his shoulder.
"It's like an alignment or a focus," the cat explained, his tail swaying lazily. "It won't instantly grant you expertise in these areas, but it will ease your learning and proficiency. Think of it as a door slightly ajar, waiting for you to push it open."
"Ah," Jamie mused. "So it makes it easier to develop these abilities."
"Exactly," Jay confirmed. "A nudge in the right direction."
Jamie scanned the list once more, tapping his chin thoughtfully. Learning had always come naturally to him, but even he had areas where improvement was needed. His gaze settled on one word in particular.
"Then let's go with Stealth," he decided. "I shouldn't be in the frontline of a battle. Last time I got a dagger to my guts."
[Skill Acquired: Stealth]
[GangMaker System Updating…]
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[New trait added to GangMaker.]
[The God of Mystery is deliberating on what you will receive.]
[Thinking…]
[The God of Mystery believes he knows what you need to make things interesting.]
[ [Quest Giver] obtained]
Jamie leaned forward. "Quest Giver?" he murmured aloud.
[Quest Giver] | Invest your experience points into creating Quests.
| Define your allies missions, and the gods will grant bonuses to your allies upon success.
| You will receive experience as a result.
| If your ally fails the mission, you lose the experience invested.
| Each mission will be evaluated by the gods; if deemed a false quest, you will automatically lose the experience.
"Interesting," Jamie mused, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "But how does this appear to others? Do they receive a quest notification, or is it only visible to me?"
Jay tilted his head. "We won't know unless you test it," he suggested. "It's the only way to find out."
Before Jamie could answer, more notifications appeared once more.
| You have obtained five additional slots for your team.
| Members Slots: [2/10]
| Your lieutenant has leveled up!
| Thomas Hartfield has reached Level 2.
| Thomas Hartfield's trust has increased by +10.
| Trust: [60/100]
A satisfied smile spread across Jamie's face. "Thomas leveled up as well," he noted.
Just then, the door to his bedroom burst open with a clatter, the sound echoing sharply in the stillness. Thomas stood in the doorway, breathing heavily, eyes wide with excitement and apprehension.
"What's happening?" Thomas demanded, his voice edged with nervous energy.
Jamie raised an eyebrow, suppressing a chuckle at his friend's evident agitation. "What do you mean?"
"I—I leveled up!" Thomas exclaimed, stepping into the room. "I've been stuck at Level 1 for over five years. And now, all of a sudden, I advance to Level 2!" His hands trembled slightly, whether from nerves or exhilaration, Jamie couldn't tell.
Jamie gestured for him to sit. "It seems the Cutpurses have finally been dismantled," he explained. "We received experience from their downfall."
Thomas crossed the room with heavy steps, dropping onto the edge of the bed. "It's one surprise after another," he muttered, running a hand through his tousled hair.
"What do you think about leveling up?" Jamie asked, genuine curiosity in his tone.
Thomas shrugged, a sheepish smile tugging at his lips. "Well, I'm still a [Farmer] …" he admitted, his voice lowering as though embarrassed. "But even so, I can feel a difference—a bit more strength, perhaps. Also, I got a Talent—[Farmer's Stamina]—It makes it harder for me to get tired."
"That's excellent news," Jamie encouraged. "We'll need you to grow stronger. There are more challenges ahead."
Thomas glanced up, his eyes meeting Jamie's. "I suppose you're right. It's just… unexpected."
"Now, onto another matter," Jamie said, his gaze steady on Thomas. "Did you manage to open the chest?"
"Ah!" Thomas exclaimed, startled as if snapped out of a trance. "Yes, I did—I borrowed some tools from Knall, and it finally opened. It's in the cellar."
"Then let's have a look." Jamie braced himself against the wall and pushed up from the wooden chair he'd been sitting on. Though his wounds were healing, a residual ache lingered.
Step by step, they descended from the second floor, the creak of the wooden stairs echoing softly. At this hour, the main hall of the Golden Fiddle was still empty. Elize and the other girls bustled about, arranging chairs and cleaning the floor, preparing the tavern for the day ahead.
Jamie offered them a brief nod as they passed through, slipping behind the bar to the discreet door that led down to the cellar. The air grew cooler as they descended the narrow staircase, the scent of earth and aged wood enveloping them.
Knall had been busy. Though no new equipment had been installed yet, various repair materials—planks of wood, coils of rope, and tools—were scattered about in organized chaos.
The chest was in the far corner of the cellar, tucked beside a wall where some of the stones sat loose. The metal padlock securing it hung askew, visibly bent and broken.
"I had to break it," Thomas admitted, holding up the heavy hammer and pliers he'd used. "There was no other way."
Jamie chuckled softly. "No worries." He crouched carefully beside the chest, mindful of any lingering traps. A fleeting thought crossed his mind—perhaps he should have checked for enchantments or mechanical devices before opening. But it was too late now.
He lifted the lid slowly. The hinges protested with a low creak, revealing the contents within. A soft glow met their eyes—a small pile of gold coins gleaming softly, also nestled among the coins were several document.
"Wow!" Thomas breathed, eyes wide with awe. His usually stoic demeanor melted away, replaced by childlike wonder at the sight of the treasure they obtained.
"No doubt about it. Wow," echoed Jay, who had silently padded after them.
Jamie allowed himself a satisfied smile. "Quite the treasure," he agreed. He sifted through the gold coins briefly, estimating their worth. But it was the documents that truly caught his attention.
He unfolded the parchments carefully, scanning the elegant but hastily penned script. "These appear to be property deeds," he noted. "Legal rights to the buildings the Cutpurses were using."
Thomas leaned over his shoulder. "Wait. They legally owned those places? Does that mean …?"
"Well, we have to verify if these documents are real," Jamie confirmed, a spark of triumph in his eyes. "But in the meantime, it looks like these properties now belong to us."
"That's amazing," Thomas said, shaking his head in disbelief.
Jamie folded the documents with care. 'Excellent,' he thought. 'This could expand our influence significantly.'
Rising to his feet, he turned to Thomas. "I need you to visit Knall. We need a new padlock for this chest—one sturdy enough to keep unwanted eyes and hands away, but that we can open without resorting to brute force."
Thomas scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Right. Sorry about that. I'll see to it."
He began to head toward the stairs but hesitated halfway up, turning back with a serious expression. "Jamie," he began cautiously, "I think it's best if you keep quiet about those… buffs you can offer."
Jamie raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms. "Oh? What brings this up?"
Thomas took a deep breath. "I've gained more experience in the past few days than I have in years. I know it's because I'm part of your 'team' somehow. If word gets out that you can grant such things, others might try to…"
A thoughtful silence settled between them. Jamie stroked his chin, considering his words. "You make a valid point," he admitted. "However, I think it's exactly the opposite. We should use this to acquire the best talent possible and become strong before such things might become a problem."
"I see." Thomas's posture relaxed slightly.
Thomas turned to leave but was stopped by the sound of hurried footsteps descending the stairs. Elize appeared, her skirts gathered in one hand as she navigated the steps with uncharacteristic haste.
"Boss," she called, a note of urgency in her voice. "A butler just came by and left this letter for you. Said it was important."
She extended an envelope toward Jamie. The paper was crisp and of fine quality, sealed with a distinctive wax emblem—a crest depicting a ship framed by laurel branches.
Jamie's eyes narrowed as he recognized the symbol. "Thank you, Elize," he said, accepting the letter. He didn't need a closer look to confirm—it was the seal of the noble house of Hafenstadt.
[author]
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