Author's Preface
The next morning Ryan opened his eyes to see Thirty-Seven's face hovering inches from his own. Out of pure instinct, Ryan yelled and swung his fist at her. She simply raised her hand and caught his fist. "The guildmaster wishes to see you. Your breakfast is waiting in his office." She let go of his hand, turned, and walked out.
"Did she really catch my fist? Am I that weak?" Ryan sat up and threw on his clothes and donned his mask. "Hey, isn't a system supposed to show me stats? Like strength, agility, intelligence?" Ryan waited. The system didn't respond. "So you're some cheap knockoff Temu system. I get it." Ryan walked out and headed up the stairs toward Nyx's office.
Ryan entered as Nyx sat in the same chair in front of the same table, drinking the same tea, his legs crossed the same. The same relaxed posture and demeanor. "Sit, feel free to take your mask off and eat." Nyx snapped his fingers and a green circle expanded and encapsulated the entire room. "Now, if anyone unexpected opens the door, they can't see through the barrier and cannot listen in on our conversation."
Ryan sat down and placed his mask next to his plate of food. "So this is some secret squirrel type meeting today, huh?" Ryan grabbed his plate and shoved a few eggs in his mouth.
"I don't understand the reference, but I want you to be comfortable. And that mask looks very uncomfortable. May I?" Nyx gestured toward the mask. Ryan nodded and he shoveled more food in his mouth.
"I can have one made with enchantments on it. It will allow for you to breathe easier, as well as have an opening for your mouth, should you want to eat while also keeping your anonymity."
Ryan's fork paused just before his mouth. "You can do that?"
"Of course, very simply. Although, it is contingent on you telling me how you defeated the orc king by yourself. We sent two E-Rank teams before you and each of them failed."
"So, you sent two teams in before me? You had information that could have helped and you withheld it from me?"
"Now, now, I wouldn't say withheld. Each person must carve their own path, Mr. Kade. Can you really say you made your own way if everything is handed to you on a silver platter? Didn't you say you wanted to earn your reputation? I simply handed you the entree, you chose to eat off the plate."
"There is a difference in telling me information about something you learned from previous failures and guiding me through how and what to do. I lost two men because of your unwillingness to be a decent person." Ryan stopped immediately and realized what he had just said.
"Lost two men? We have no record of you being in a party. There were no bodies besides orcs and a headless orc king either."
"How does he know that? I just finished the dungeon last night?" Ryan thought to himself.
"Oh, I make it a priority to verify dungeon clears as soon as adventurers claim to have cleared one. My men went and inspected it as you slept." Nyx slid a bag across the table. "You're also very sloppy at fully clearing a dungeon. You missed precious ore and even a chest containing precious materials for enchanting items. This should compensate you."
Ryan opened the bag and stared at 10 gold coins staring him in the face.
"So, back to the two men you lost." Nyx leaned back in his chair and took a sip of tea.
"You wouldn't mind letting that go, would you?"
Nyx shook his head and grinned at Ryan. His eyes turned a slight red as he stared at him.
Ryan sighed and snapped his fingers. Bubba appeared behind Nyx and put both his hands on his shoulders. Nyx's head looked up and saw the orc king standing right behind him. He looked back down at Ryan. "Ohhh. I have heard of something like this before."
Ryan leaned forward. "Wait, are you fucking serious?"
"Yes, in the folklore and tales we teach children about the gods."
"Tell me!" Ryan said.
"It's a simple children's story, Mr. Kade."
Ryan leaned back on the couch. "Fine."
"I am interested in this, though." Nyx pointed to the orc king. "Can you make these from dead monsters?"
"Yes."
"Can you do it with humans or other living beings?"
Ryan shrugged his shoulders. "No clue, but what a weird question." Ryan snapped his fingers again and Bubba disappeared.
"How many do you have?"
"Just him right now."
"Only one? Is that your limit? You have an expansive mana pool. So why leave the other orcs and not use them to have more?"
"We all have our secrets. Are you going to tell me who you really are?"
Nyx stared at Ryan for a moment.
"Yeah, I didn't think so. Let's each keep our secrets and we can maintain the relationship we have established. I think I've shown you enough today." Ryan stood. "It's safe to assume what I showed you won't leave this room?"
Nyx stood and placed his hand over his heart. "I wouldn't dare. Maybe as we develop this friendship, we can let each other in on a few more secrets?"
"Oh, it's a friendship now, huh?"
Nyx pointed to the leather pouch in his hand. "The contents of that bag speak to how I look at you. Otherwise, I would've kept the profits to myself. To be honest, I did take a cut. You know, labor and all that."
Ryan chuckled. "Fair. I look forward to a positive friendship."
Nyx snapped his fingers as the barrier dissipated in front of Ryan and he stepped out of his office. As he walked down the stairs, Ryan let out a deep breath. "Like hell I'll be friends with you." He looked back at the door and shook his head. As he turned around to continue walking, he jumped again. Thirty-Seven stood in front of him. She took out a stick and placed it along the side of Ryan's mask. She measured every inch of the mask and then put the stick back down. "Your mask will be done in two to three days." She bowed and walked past Ryan and into Nyx's office.
Ryan walked out of the guildhall and toward the library once again. This time both guards recognized the mask. They each bowed and stepped aside as Ryan opened the golden gate. He walked into the library and headed toward a small, petite woman sitting behind a desk. "Can you point me to where you keep folklore and children's stories about the gods?"
The woman smiled and pointed Ryan to the back corner of the first floor.
Ryan flipped through book after book after book. Finally, he reached for a book that told a tale of a war between gods. Sylvara, Vesha, and the other gods of this world united to take down the most evil god to have existed. A god who commanded an army that lived in his shadow. A god who commanded the dead to rise and serve him. A god who spread tyranny and darkness across the cosmos. Ryan flipped to the last page. He stared at the drawing. A black figure with monsters coming out from his shadows. Each covered in a thick black mist and eyes that glowed purple. Ryan slammed the book shut and thought about the goblins, the orcs, the orc king. The black mist that covered them when he first took control. The purple eyes. Then he thought of the word from his system. INHERITANCE . "No fucking way. I cannot believe this shit for one second. A war between gods. This dude is some crazy evil god and I have similar powers to what is described." Ryan placed the book back on the shelf. "She did call me nephew. But that makes no sense either. Fuck. The towers. My answers will come from the towers." Ryan sat back down at the table. "I should stop looking into this until I can get some definitive proof of something. Right now this is going to throw me for a loop. I can't be wasting time on children's stories."
Ryan stood up and left the library more confused than when he entered. He wandered the streets of the capital until nightfall, where he retreated back to his room to claim the rest that could stop his thoughts.