When they couldn’t find me there, she initially thought I’d gone somewhere private with whoever I was supposedly meeting. Impatience turned to frustration, and she began asking around.
After I told her that I was at the Rogues Poison she and Andrew decided to continue their stake out. When the bartender informed her I’d been banned days earlier, panic set in.
She messaged me during my fight with the wolf, calling me out on my lie. With no response, she returned to the apartment and woke up Sharla. Sharla, already on edge, immediately sent Milli and Andrew back out to search the town while she waited for any news.
They’d only been gone for fifteen minutes when I returned.
As soon as I stepped through the door, Sharla was on me.
"Where the fuck have you been!?" Her voice was strained and frantic as she poked me aggressively.
"I told Milli, I was at—"
"Don’t. Don’t you dare try that with me," she interrupted, her expression a mix of concern and fury. "Milli told me everything. Don’t lie to me again."
The weight of her words crushed any resistance I might’ve had. I exhaled sharply, my resolve breaking.
"Fine," I said, my voice low. "I went to the goblin camp."
Her face twisted with frustration. Milli and Andrew entered just as Sharla began to speak, her voice trembling with barely contained anger. She had messaged them, and they were panting from exertion as they walked in.
"Together. We said we’d figure it out together." She placed her hands on the breakfast bar, her fingers trembling. "Please, enlighten me, Ryan—how does you sneaking out, alone, to scope out probably the deadliest place we’ve ever heard of, accomplish that?"
I kept my voice steady, though my guilt was a heavy weight on my chest. "I knew you and Milli wouldn’t let me do it alone. I couldn’t risk you two getting hurt. If you’d come, you wouldn’t have made it within a kilometre of that place without getting caught."
Milli’s eyes widened in disbelief as realisation sunk in.
"You did what?" Milli hissed dangerously, striding over with her fingers pinched together. He whole body trembled with rage
"Milli, it was the only way," I said, holding my hands up. "There were hundreds of them. They’ve trapped the roads, they’ve got lookouts everywhere—"
"How the hell did you even pull that off?" Andrew interjected, placing a calming hand on Milli’s shoulder.
I recounted the story, emphasizing just how dangerous the approach had been. I could feel their disbelief mounting with every word.
"How long have you had the ability to shapeshift?" Milli asked, staring at me as if I’d just revealed I was some kind of alien. "And why didn’t you tell us?"
I hesitated, the words catching in my throat. "Well... since the beginning, basically. I didn’t think it was useful for what we’ve been doing. It just didn’t come up in conversation."
Her mouth hung open for a moment before she snapped it shut. "I can’t even with you right now." She stormed off to her room, Andrew following close behind.
The silence that followed was suffocating. Sharla and I sat there, neither of us willing to break it. Finally, she stood, her shoulders stiff, her expression unreadable.
"You shouldn’t have kept this from us," she said, her voice low but firm. "We’re supposed to be a team. But you keep doing things by yourself."
She turned to walk away, but something inside me snapped.
"And what about you?" I said, my voice sharp and cutting. She stopped but didn’t turn around.
"What about all that fucked-up shit you said the other night?" I continued, rising to my feet. "You’ve been going through some seriously dark shit, and you haven’t said a word to me. I thought I was your friend!"
Her shoulders stiffened, but she didn’t respond.
"You’ve been spending all this time with Milli—talking with her, trusting her—and all you do with me is spar, like I’m just some project. Your fucking protégé." My hands clenched into fists. "I’ve known you longer than she has. What did I do, Sharla? What did I do to make you treat me like this?"
She didn’t answer. Instead, she walked into her room and shut the door behind her.
Her silence hit me like a slap. My anger and frustration boiled over, and I stormed into my room, slamming the door.
Needing something—anything—to distract myself, I opened my quest notifications. Samantha’s voice purred in my mind, dripping with admiration like a giddy schoolgirl barely able to contain herself.
Quest Complete:
Solo Play
Description:
I am sorry I ever doubted you. You chose to infiltrate the goblin encampment, and not only did you waltz right up to the place, you did it in the middle of the night! This calls for something special. You have been such a good boy tonight.
Reward:
Samantha’s Kiss.
The item appeared in my inventory: an amulet.
I wasn’t in the mood for Samantha’s twisted back and forth, but I needed a distraction, so I pulled the amulet out to examine it. My inventory flagged it as magical, but there were no listed abilities, skills, or spells. It was made of silver, with a red gem the size of a grape set within; it sparkled in the light. It was pretty but otherwise unassuming, lacking the telltale shimmer of a magical item. Curiosity got the better of me, and I slipped it over my head.
The moment the amulet touched my chest, a wave of pleasure surged through me.
It spread like wildfire, igniting every nerve in my body and bathing me in brain-melting ecstasy. My mind dissolved into pure sensation, every inch of me enraptured, floating as though I’d reached nirvana itself.
Time lost meaning. I was adrift in bliss, detached from the world.
Then, in an instant, the world came crashing back.
It was as if I’d fallen a thousand feet and collided with the ground. My vision swam, my ears rang, and everything felt wrong. The world looked washed out, like someone had turned the saturation all the way down. Sounds were hollow, their depth stripped away. The vibrant, sharp edges of reality had flattened into a dull, grey haze.
I grabbed at the amulet, shaking it violently.
"Give it back… GIVE IT BACK!" I shouted, yanking it off and then slipping it back on, desperate to replicate whatever had happened. Nothing.
Panic clawed at my chest. I held the amulet up to my face, trembling.
"I’ll do whatever you want, just give it back!"
I stood there, clutching the cursed thing, when the faint buzz of a notification interrupted my spiralling. Two new messages. My heart raced as I opened the first.
Achievement Unlocked:
Check Yo Shit
Description:
You’ve equipped a cursed item. You can’t say I didn’t warn you. What was it? A sword that whispered sweet nothings? Maybe a shiny little ring? Whatever it was, congrats—you’re now well and truly fucked.
Reward:
1 informational pamphlet: ‘Curses and You!’
"Oh, fuck you," I muttered softly, too defeated to muster any real venom.
I opened the next notification, Samantha’s voice chiming in with a sickly sweet tone that made my skin crawl. She sounded like she was cooing at a puppy or a toddler.
New Persistent Quest:
Plant One On Me, Baby
Description:
Mwuah! Oh, aren’t you just the cutest little thing when you’re high off your gourd? From now on, as long as you keep me happy and keep doing quests, you’ll receive one charge of ‘Samantha’s Kiss’ per day. Additionally, I’ll toss you a charge for every personal message you earn.
If you disappoint me… well, let’s not let that happen.
The notification disappeared, but the saccharine tone of Samantha’s voice lingered in my head like a bad aftertaste.
I lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling as the world slowly crept back to normal. Colours regained their vibrancy, sounds grew fuller, but none of it felt real. A deep, gnawing desperation throbbed inside me. I didn’t just want it—I needed it.
I pleaded with her. Begged. I even whispered aloud, asking Samantha for another quest, hoping for another kiss. But my words fell into the void, unanswered.
Sleep eluded me.
When I heard the faint murmur of Milli and Sharla in the common room, I dragged myself to the shower and turned the water cold. The icy sting barely registered, but it jolted me enough to face them.
By the time I emerged, they were at the table, eating breakfast. Andrew wasn’t there. Neither of them acknowledged me at first as I moved to the counter to make coffee. I sat down next to them, cradling the mug in my hands. Milli was the first to break the silence, her tone sharp and professional.
“Sharla and I have discussed last night, and we have a few things we’d like to say.” She glanced at Sharla. “Sharla?”
Her tone reminded me of that time I got caught with a bong and my parents staged a full-blown intervention. My stomach tightened.
Sharla cleared her throat and looked at me, her expression measured, as if reciting a prepared statement.
“I’d like to start by admitting I haven’t been the best version of myself lately,” she said bluntly. “I should have treated you with more consideration and sought help sooner. I’m sorry. I’ll do better.”
The bluntness caught me off guard. It sounded rehearsed, distant.
“Uh, thanks?” I muttered, distracted. I couldn’t focus—I just wanted to get through this, hoping for a new quest and another kiss. “And it’s fine. I’m here if you need me.”
Sharla gave me a small nod, but her expression didn’t soften.
Milli leaned forward, folding her hands on the table. Her eyes was sharp, piercing. “I’m disappointed that you chose not to trust us enough to talk to us about your plan,” she said. “But, if we’re being honest, we wouldn’t have let you go.”
I shifted uncomfortably in my chair.
“That said,” she continued, “if you hadn’t gone, I doubt we could have come up with a better solution. Still, we can’t tolerate more risk-taking behaviour from you. You’re the guild leader, and you need to act like it. We’ve supported you from day one, and we depend on each other. If we’re going to survive, we all need to work on our communication.”
Her words were calm, even diplomatic, but the weight behind them pressed down on me.
She called me the guild leader.
The thought twisted something inside me. We’d never explicitly treated me as the leader. If anything, Sharla had always been the final say on plans. Between her and Milli, I mostly offered suggestions during strategy meetings, specialising in ambush tactics. But lately, we’d been using direct approaches—methods where my input had less value.
“I agree,” I said, nodding, my voice quieter than I intended.
They both looked at me expectantly, waiting for more.
“Do you have anything else you’d like to say?” Milli prompted, her tone firm but not unkind.
I hesitated, feeling like I was missing a script. “Um, oh. I apologize for not speaking to you and Sharla before going on that mission. Moving forward, I promise I won’t go on quests alone without talking to you first.”
Milli tilted her head, her brows lifting slightly. “And you won’t go outside the settlement alone at night, either?”
“Yeah, that too,” I said quickly, nodding.
They exchanged a glance but didn’t look entirely satisfied.
We stood, and Sharla pulled me into a brief hug while Milli extended her hand for a shake. The gestures were stiff, forced, and uncomfortable. The unspoken words lingered in the air as we moved apart.
I started pushing the couches aside to clear some space for practice. Sharla came over to help, flashing me a brief smile before we worked together to move the heavy furniture. Milli went back into her room to continue to tinker, she was tense and walked robotically.
Louis trotted through the doggy door, his fluffy tail held high, and sat down to watch us. His piercing eyes had the weight of judgement, as always.
A thought occurred to me.
"Hey, I was using my new weapon earlier, and when I had the spear out, I felt slow and weak. Is there a way for me to train it up quickly?" I asked, directing the question at the dog.
The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
Louis sneezed, then fixed me with a withering look.
"As I have told you before," he began, his tone dripping with condescension, "I have access to a repository of information encompassing everything from potion-making to level 2 combat skills. Your unwillingness to avail yourself of my assistance continues to confound me."
He lifted a paw to rub his face, dislodging something from his fur with practised nonchalance.
The idea of this dog instructing me was beyond ridiculous. I wasn’t about to sit there and let a spoiled, pompous furball boss me around like I was some clueless kid, especially when he looked like a plush toy.
"And how exactly do you propose to do that?" I asked, incredulous.
Sharla stopped what she was doing, her expression thoughtful as she turned to look at Louis. He’d frequently boasted about the sheer breadth of his knowledge, offering advice on everything from local lore to navigation. Without his insight on the 'filters,' we’d likely have gone after another one and walked straight into our deaths.
Louis barked once.
In response, a shimmering light filled the room, and a humanoid dog materialised before us.
The figure was dressed in a snug leather breastplate, standing about five feet tall. Its yellow fur gleamed, reminiscent of a golden retriever, and its face beamed with a big, friendly smile. Its disturbingly human-like arms ended in four-fingered hands, while its digitigrade legs retained the shape of a dog’s, ending in oversized paws. The creature stood there panting, tail wagging furiously, as holographic drool dripped harmlessly through the floor.
Sharla’s stoic mood evaporated as she let out a delighted squeal.
"Aren’t you the most adorable thing! Look at you—you’re so handsome!" she gushed, skipping over to the creature.
She reached out to cup its face in her hands, but her fingers passed through thin air, making her stumble forward. She stopped just short of colliding with Louis, who let out an exasperated sigh.
The dog-man barked happily and produced a holographic longsword, its blade glimmering with faint light.
"Are you ready to train?" the projection asked, its voice quivering with excitement. It stood at attention, vibrating with enthusiasm as its tail wagged so hard it blurred.
Sharla giggled. I stared, dumbfounded.
Louis dismissed the apparition with a short, irritated bark. The figure shimmered and disappeared, leaving only silence in its wake.
"Would that be sufficient?" Louis growled, his tone edged with irritation.
"Y-yeah, that'll work," I said, still mildly disturbed by the unnerving creature that was standing before me just moments ago. "Are those things real...? Like, are there just human hybrids for the entire animal kingdom?"
Louis snuffed indignantly. "Is that really what you want to talk about? Very well, the system has over a trillio—"
"Nope, forget I said anything. Can I take one of those things out for a spin?" I quickly interrupted, eager to avoid another one of his long lectures. Sharla had a disappointed look—she clearly wanted to hear more—but it quickly vanished when the possibility of training with one of the apparitions came up. "Oh, yeah, can we?!" she said, her voice dripping with excitement, like a child asking if they could play with a puppy.
The holographic instructors Louis summoned were a mixed bag. They had "advanced" weapons training skills, but their incorporeal nature made the lessons slow and awkward. They tried to correct our stances and hand positions, but their furry hands passed right through us, forcing them to mime instructions from a distance. It was helpful, but it lacked the tangible feedback Sharla typically provided.
Milli wandered out of her room after about an hour, saw the scene, and decided to stick around for the show. A holographic cocker spaniel woman was patiently demonstrating basic spear drills to me. Her overly polite demeanour clashed with Sharla’s usual commanding presence, and I couldn’t help but feel like I was being trained by an enthusiastic kindergarten teacher.
"I’ve activated the instructor tab in your guild leader menu," Louis said, curled up in Milli’s lap while she sipped water and idly stroked his fur. "It cost a fair sum, but Milli has done an admirable job of bringing this operation into profitability and has approved the expense."
I glanced at Milli, who offered a smug grin. "You're welcome," she said before returning her attention to Louis, scratching behind his ears.
After we finished, Louis spent a few minutes teaching me how to summon the instructors and select weapon skills for training. I learned that the creatures were real beings, and the holograms were merely projections of them.
"So, we’ll get different ones each time?" I asked, already scheming to ask one about what lay beyond the forest’s boundaries.
"Not necessarily," Louis explained. "There’s a core group they rotate through, and you’ll need to compensate them for their time."
The compensation wasn’t much compared to our amassed funds, but it was enough that we couldn’t afford to overuse the service. With that settled, we wrapped up our training session and wandered into town. Now that we had intel on the goblin encampment, the next step was planning the attack. As we walked aimlessly through the streets, we messaged each other through the interface. It felt informal, but given the lingering awkwardness from earlier, it was less uncomfortable than speaking aloud.
Ryan:
There are too many for any one group.
Milli:
I’ve gotten kinda close with a few parties. I could ask if they’d be willing to help?
Sharla:
We’ve got Josh’s group too.
Ryan:
We’re gonna need a lot more than that. I’m thinking at least a hundred people.
The number felt daunting. There was no way we’d convince that many players to join what would almost certainly be a suicide mission. Still, I asked Milli to start spreading the word. Even if we couldn’t recruit that many people, we might attract some unknown parties interested in the challenge.
Ryan:
Let everyone know if they’re willing to help, to leave a message with the bartender at the Pit. Talk to them and toss them some Crowns for the trouble.
Milli:
Why don’t we just post a quest?
The idea hadn’t occurred to me, but she was right. We were a guild, after all, and could likely gain clearance to post an official request. I decided to leave it up to her.
Ryan:
If you think it’ll work. Just don’t bankrupt us by offering huge rewards.
Milli:
Sometimes it’s like you don’t even know me.
Her words were meant as a joke, but they lingered uncomfortably. Milli excused herself to figure out the logistics, leaving Sharla and me alone.
We walked in silence for what felt like hours. I wondered when we had grown so far apart; our relationship had taken a dramatic turn. Before this, I had considered Sharla one of my closest friends. Now she was both more and less than that. I had leaned on her and learned from her; we had saved each other's lives more than once and spent almost every waking hour together. She had taken on the role of mother, teacher, and—despite no one asking—protector for both Milli and me. She was our rock in the storm. I knew I should have spent more time checking in on her, but I selfishly assumed she didn't need it.
The entire time, my mind was preoccupied with the problem of completing a quest before the day was out. Samantha had made it very clear she wouldn't let me sit idle. I began guiding us toward the community board, hoping I'd come up with a convincing reason to head out again along the way.
In the distance, light reflected off a potion bottle. Standing behind it was the top-hat-wearing goblin. "That little fucker," I muttered under my breath. I sent Sharla a message as I pointed him out.
Ryan:
That one’s their leader!
I didn't wait for her reply and marched straight over to the goblin, unsure of my plan. I wasn't thinking clearly; I just wanted to do something to dispel the uncomfortable energy between us or at least provide a reliable distraction. I pushed past a group of people haggling with the dapper goblin, grabbed him by the collar, dragged him over the stand, and threw him to the ground.
"Ryan! What are you doing?!" Sharla yelled as potions flew in every direction, smashing on the ground and mixing together to produce a cloying, sweet aroma that burned my nose.
I picked the goblin up and lifted him off his feet, pinning him against a nearby wall. "Talk, you little prick," I said, shaking him. "What's inside the tent? What are you doing here?"
"Ryan! Put him down! You're going to get the guards called on us!" Sharla had her hand on my arm, staring at me intently.
"Oh no, I'm not letting this one go. He's their leader; we might be able to use him to clear the path or at least get some information from him." The moment the words left my mouth, I regretted them. I had just said the same kind of thing Oliver would have when he abducted the gnome. Sharla looked at me in disbelief and took a step back.
Before I could say anything else, the goblin choked out his words. "I'm not Nobblehob, you idiot! I'm his brother! I just sell his potions! Let me go, or he will send a thousand feral goblins to siege this settlement and burn it to the ground. He will know of this—I will personally tell him—and he will be waiting for you. We will laugh and drink as you are put to death for the amusement of our circus."
I let the creature drop, no longer concerned with him. He scrambled away, scooping up potions before disappearing down an alleyway.
"Sharla... I didn't mean it like that," I said softly. She looked like she was about to storm off but then straightened herself.
"I... I know you didn't," she said quietly, not looking at me. "We gotta go. I don't want to find out how the guards prosecute assault against merchants."
Looking around, I noticed a crowd had formed a large circle around us, murmuring and pointing. I saw the tips of halberds approaching in the distance. Without speaking, I sent Sharla a message:
Ryan:
Come with me. I've got somewhere we can lay low.
She gave a slight nod, and together we slipped away, weaving through the crowd before the guards could reach us.
I led Sharla to the abandoned building I’d used to practice my shape-shifting. We darted through winding streets, narrowly avoiding guards along the way. By the time we reached the derelict space, we were both out of breath. I slumped against the wall, feeling like a complete ass. Despite everything that had happened, a portion of my mind remained fixated on the amulet hanging under my clothes. I glanced at Sharla, who looked like she had something to say, her hands wringing together in deep contemplation.
"I hate this place," she finally said after a few moments of silence.
"It's not exactly prime real estate, but at least it’s private," I replied, trying to lighten the mood.
She rolled her eyes at me. "You know what I mean. I was going to warn you that I wouldn’t tolerate that kind of behaviour, but..." Her voice trailed off as she looked up through a gaping hole in the roof, revealing the clear blue sky above. "The rules aren’t the same here. I used to be so sure of myself and what I wanted in life. I thought I knew right from wrong and was willing to fight to defend my beliefs."
I didn’t want to interrupt her, so I lowered myself to the ground, sitting cross-legged and leaning back on my hands.
"I’ve seen more death in the last few weeks than even when I was in that warzone." Her voice cracked slightly. "I never thought I’d experience something like that again."
Sharla had spent two years in conflict zones, helping civilians and peacekeepers in exchange for an accelerated pathway to getting her medical license. She rarely spoke about her time there, and I had never pressed her. I knew it was something she would rather leave buried.
"I’m not going to pretend I’m alright with what you just did," she continued, her tone steadier now, "but I’d be a hypocrite if I chastised you. I’ve killed dozens of those things mercilessly. Hell, we’ve used them for training. I know they’d do the same—or worse—to us. They’re our enemy, and we have to be ready to make hard choices. I just don’t know if I can be the one to make them."
I stood up and brushed the dust off my pants. "Well, good thing you’re not the guild leader, then, huh?" I said with a small smirk.
She looked at me like she was seeing me for the first time, her eyes wide and searching.
"You can count on me. Milli too," I added. "I’m not promising I’ll make the right call every time, I’ll need you more than ever in the coming weeks to make sure I don’t go off the deep end. We’ve got your back."
Her lip trembled, and for a moment, it looked like she might cry. I walked over to her. Even sitting down, she was nearly as tall as I was. Slowly, I extended my arms, and she leaned into me, pressing her head against my chest. I rested my hand on her head, stroking her hair gently. She wrapped her arms around me, and for a moment, we stayed like that, letting the world fall away.
Eventually, she pulled back, sniffling as she wiped at her tear-streaked cheeks. "You’ve really grown up, you know that?" she said with a small, bittersweet smile.
I let the compliment slide without comment. She stood, and together, we made our way back toward the main street. As we approached, a notification popped up in my interface.
System Notification:
Your guild has incurred a fine:
Assault of an approved trader: 500 Crowns.
Options:
- Pay
- Dispute
I pressed "Pay" with a sigh of relief that it wasn’t a more serious punishment.
“Can we go out on a quest?” I asked finally. “Just you and me. I wanna get some practice in with the configurations Milli’s put into this thing.” I held up the Multi-tool, twirling the metallic rod between my fingers.
Sharla tilted her head, considering. “Shouldn’t we go back to the tavern before the guards find us?”
“I already settled it,” I said quickly. “We were fined, and it’s paid. We’re good.”
She hesitated for a moment, then said, “We should invite Milli, too.”
“She’s busy organizing that big quest and scouting for people to work with,” I replied, pulling the Multi-tool back into my inventory. “Let’s let her handle that.”
Sharla nodded. “Yeah, fair point.”
We took a simple patrol quest, though the difficulty had noticeably increased. The expected goblin count had jumped to sixteen, even with just the two of us. The groups we encountered along the roads were larger and more aggressive, but Sharla and I handled them without much trouble. She mostly hung back, letting me take point, only stepping in when I got outflanked or overwhelmed. I had decided to focus on training my spear technique as my lessons were still fresh in my mind.
After the third encounter, she asked, “Can I try that thing? I saw a guy in a tourney once do something that might look stupid, but it’s amazing for handling crowds.”
I handed her the Multi-tool and stepped back as she gave herself some space. Sharla swung it over her head, mimicking a helicopter blade, and I bit my lip to keep from laughing. It did look ridiculous, but as the blade spun around her in a wide circle, I realised something: approaching her was next to impossible. The weapon’s arc was perfectly positioned at goblin head height, a literal spinning wall of death.
I studied her movements, watching how she adjusted her grip, the placement of her feet, and how she kept her balance.
When she handed the Multi-tool back, I tried to copy the movement. It was harder than it looked, requiring precise coordination and timing. After a few pointers from Sharla, I started to get the hang of it.
When the next group came down the road, we deliberately let them surround me. Sharla stayed hidden in the tree line, ready to jump in if things went sideways. As the goblins charged, I spun the weapon over my head. It was devastatingly effective, mowing down goblins as they mindlessly rushed forward. A few of the smarter ones hung back, but when they tried to flee, I pounced and took them down too.
By the time we were done, I had taken down close to thirty goblins.
“That’s called the moulinet in the manuals,” Sharla said as we walked back to the settlement, “but everyone just calls it the ‘windmill.’”
We returned to the settlement without incident. As we passed the community board, a brightly coloured flyer stood out from the usual sepia-toned parchments.
R.S.M. Industries Wants You!
We are looking for eager, experienced, and fearless parties to assist in clearing the Goblin Circus. We have firsthand intel that we are happy to share and are willing to discuss a profit-sharing opportunity for your involvement.
Think you’ve got what it takes? Contact Josiah at the Bottomless Pit to apply!
I recognised the enthusiastic tone immediately. “Milli,” I muttered. She only ever used this tone when she was in full ‘corporate’ mode. I needed to talk to her about naming the guild without consulting Sharla and myself.
“Who the hell is Josiah?” I asked Sharla.
The tension between us had eased significantly on the way back, and we’d started joking and talking like we used to. It was a relief to feel some normalcy returning.
Sharla burst out laughing. “You’re hopeless. How have you gone this long without learning the bartender’s name?”
“That thing has a name?” I asked, genuinely shocked. Now that she mentioned it, I did vaguely remember people calling him that, but I’d never connected the dots.
We passed through the gates, and a notification pinged on my interface: Samantha’s Kiss gained one charge.
My heart raced, the temptation to use it immediately was almost overwhelming. But I forced myself to wait. “Tonight,” I thought. “After everyone’s gone to bed.”
When we returned to the tavern, Milli was set up at a table near the bar, enthusiastically talking to a party of five players. Her face was alight with passion, but the man at the front of the group wore an unimpressed scowl. Before we got within earshot, he raised a hand, cutting her off mid-sentence, and jerked his head to signal his companions. They turned and walked away, leaving Milli standing there with a strained smile.
“Please feel free to come back if you change your mind!” she called after them, waving energetically despite the obvious dismissal.
We sat down beside her. On the table were informational pamphlets she’d made about the quest, along with a colourful sign reading “Sign Up Here” hung neatly over the edge.
“Any luck?” I asked, though her deflated mood had already given me the answer.
“All people care about is money,” Milli huffed, crossing her arms. Her voice carried the indignation of someone who hadn’t fully realised the irony of her own words.
Sharla leaned back, lips twitching as she visibly resisted the urge to point it out. Instead, I filled the silence with, “Yeah, some people. Am I right?” I shot Sharla a knowing glance, earning the faintest smirk.
We stayed with Milli for the next few hours, lending moral support as group after group approached, listened to her pitch, and inevitably walked away. Milli’s boundless enthusiasm dwindled with each rejection, her cheerful tone becoming flatter and more forced as the hours dragged on.
“How can they be so short-sighted?” Sharla said, trying to mollify Milli after a group outright laughed at the mention of “profit-sharing.” “Don’t they realize that if we don’t do something soon, we’ll get swarmed by those things?”
I shrugged, my thoughts elsewhere. A part of me wanted to head upstairs and check in with Samantha’s Kiss, but I knew this wasn’t the time. After a few more fruitless conversations, Milli handed Josiah—the quokka-man hybrid—50 Crowns for acting as her unofficial receptionist. Then, we all headed upstairs.
Back in the apartment, Sharla went to her room to clean up, leaving me alone with Milli. We brainstormed ways to improve our approach for recruiting help, but every idea felt either infeasible or too risky. Neither of us could find a solution that sounded remotely plausible.
Our discussion was interrupted by a knocking at the front door.
“I’ll get it,” I said, standing up and walking over. When I opened the door, I blinked in surprise.
Josh was standing there, his usual scruffy appearance transformed. His hair was slicked back with pomade, parted neatly down the left side. He wore a crisp shirt, slightly too formal for his usual demeanour, and in his hand was a small, wilted bouquet of flowers. He looked like he wanted to be anywhere else.
“Oh, uh, hi Josh,” I said, mockingly formal. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
Josh shuffled nervously. “Is Sharla home?”
Behind me, Milli let out an excited squeal and darted to Sharla’s door, knocking rapidly. Sharla emerged a moment later, towel draped over her head, dressed in her crop top and flared denim pants from the night of the selection. Her preferred evening attire.
Josh’s face turned bright red. I glanced between the two, fighting the urge to roll my eyes. Not this again, I thought, stepping aside as Sharla quickly ushered Josh out into the tavern, murmuring something about wanting to “talk.”
Milli, meanwhile, was practically vibrating with excitement, her eyes flickering with the telltale glow of an interface chat. I seized the moment to slip into my room. Though it was still early, I considered using the amulet but decided against it. There was still time left in the day, and I wanted to squeeze in another round of training before calling it.
I was about to head into the shower to wash off the accumulated goblin blood and grime when a knock sounded at my door. Opening it, I found Milli standing there. She looked pale, almost frightened.
“Milli, what’s the matter?” I asked, stepping into the hallway, my eyes darting around the room.
That’s when I saw him.
Edward stood in the doorway, his posture relaxed yet imposing, hands clasped behind his back like he owned the place. Slowly, he brought one arm forward, holding a quest flyer delicately between two fingers. His faint, amused smile didn’t reach his cold eyes.
“I heard you were looking for some help,” he said, his voice dripping with calm confidence.