All in Charisma (A LitRPG/Isekai Adventure)

Justin tried to think of an insult for his Poison Barb ability, but the words caught in his throat.

Lila, thankfully, didn't hesitate. She started lobbing her knives at the Arch-Mage, each successive knife shining brighter, an effect of her Rhythmic Barrage ability. The first two blades buried themselves in his chest, hardly slowing him down, while the last four also struck true, each one knocking him back further. The final knife landed in his abdomen, and the Arch-Mage actually grunted.

But despite this, he still stood, his face hardly registering pain. Weren't mages supposed to be physically weak? In Zaramund's case, apparently not.

The knives fell from him as sinews of dark magic knitted his wounds, repairing them almost instantly.

Justin was still frozen as Zaramund raised his arms, becoming surrounded by a dark aura of shadowy magic.

That was when groans emanated from behind.

Justin spun around to see dead Valorian soldiers rising from their cots near the command tent. The Healers screamed and fled, none apparently having offensive magic to counter them. The reanimated bodies jerked and twisted, effusing dark magic, their eyes glazed over with death.

They hobbled toward Justin and Lila, about a dozen in all.

Justin charged for Zaramund, dagger out, but Zaramund raised his hand, completely stunning him with terror. Justin somehow knew he was under the Fear effect, but maybe Alistair was too far away to protect him with his Divine Aura.

Justin could think of nothing but the undead soldiers creeping closer with each passing second, and yet, he was unable to do anything to counter the spell. Lila could do nothing either, having run out of knives to throw.

After five seconds, Justin broke from the stun. It was far past time to run, but escape was impossible. The undead were closing in, forming a wall that was impossible to break. The zombies stumbled to a stop, likely at Zaramund's command, a noose ready to tighten.

Zaramund's hands then glowed darkly with a new spell. "And now, Socialite, you will become mine. In body. In spirit. In death. Behold the power of Death Magic!"

The air around Justin grew cold, similar to the chill he had felt at Baron Valdrik's mansion; only this coldness was deeper, seeping into his bones.

Until that coldness was rebuffed mightily.

Zaramund's face twisted in rage. "Who…who has marked you for death already?"

Activating his Poison Barb ability, the perfect insult came to Justin. "Someone far more powerful than you ever will be! You thought taking up necromancy would make you strong. But no. You are still as weak as that helpless, scared child abandoned on the streets of Karadesh, mewing for the mother who told him she'd be back. She's never coming back, Zaramund. Never."

Zaramund's eyes widened, and he stood completely stunned. In his gray eyes, it was as if he had gone back in time, reliving the terror of his childhood. The undead stood still, receiving no further orders from their master.

"Come on!" Justin said.

The duo sprinted between two of the undead soldiers who made no move to attack.

[Poison Barb refreshed.]

Zaramund recovered from Justin's stun, howling in rage. As one, the undead stumbled after them, even as Zaramund began casting a new spell, one Justin was sure would pull no punches and end them for good.

But that was when Eldrin swept in, appearing from around a tent with his longsword drawn. He blazed by, and Justin and Lila turned to see the Ranger cutting through the ranks of undead with several deft and deadly strikes. Faster than Justin would have believed, Eldrin felled three of them in quick succession, slicing their necks clean through.

Zaramund's spell was interrupted when Lila threw a knife, not one of her own, but one retrieved from nearby. It took Justin a moment to realize it was his own dagger, the one gifted to him by Eldrin. Despite not being balanced for throwing, it struck true, landing right in the Necromancer's shoulder. He grunted, but this time, there was no dark magic to mend his wounds. Perhaps that had been a once-a-day skill or spell.

Meanwhile, Eldrin continued fighting the undead while Zaramund started a new spell, raising more zombies from fallen corpses. Justin focused on the Necromancer's face, lobbing another hasty insult, one so pathetic it did absolutely nothing.

"Hey Necromancer, your magic sucks!"

The insult failed to even get his attention. Justin madly searched for some sort of weapon to help Eldrin, who was quickly becoming overwhelmed, when out of nowhere, Alistair entered the fray, jumping in with a gravity-defying leap. His war hammer glowed with divine fury.

Zaramund had enough time to widen his eyes and raise a thin, cadaverous hand, just as Alistair's hammer came down, instantly smiting Zaramund into a mixture of pulp and ash.

With Zaramund's death, the reanimated dead collapsed to the ground.

Alistair turned to Justin and Lila. "Are you okay?"

Eldrin groaned, clutching his side. Alistair came over, throwing out a hand and casting Bind Wounds, the same spell he had used on Justin back on the road when he'd first come to Eyrth.

When the golden magic faded, Eldrin looked up and nodded his thanks.

As the dust settled, a sense of relief washed over Justin.

Alistair's clothes and armor were both dirtied and bloodied as he regarded the party. "The Shadowist mages have broken into the camp. As long as we stick together, there's still a chance we can—"

The blaring of a horn echoed throughout the pass. This was not the low horn of the Shadow Empire forces. It was high, trilling, and triumphant.

Lila jumped for joy. "The reinforcements. They're here!"

Justin felt his spirits lift. "Hell yeah!"

They ran toward the sound of the horns, only to see the first lines of fresh Valorian troops with purple banners marching toward the camp. Within minutes, soldiers in gleaming bronze armor were pouring in, along with mages who started cleaning up the leftover Shadowist magic users. And among them were not only mages, but several Paladins in steel armor and white cloaks, not to mention several other classes Justin couldn't name.

Alistair, instead of joining the battle once again, allowed himself a smile. "We've made it. Can't you feel it?"

They headed back for the front lines, where Justin watched in amazement as the Valorians, spirits lifted, began pushing back immediately. Within minutes, the Shadowist lines were breaking, especially under the assault of multiple Paladins and Elementalists with fresh fire spells.

As for the hidden path, more reinforcing Valorian mages rained death against it, using a combination of throwing boulders and fireballs. Even at a distance, Justin could see the Shadowist soldiers trying to flee, but such was the treachery of the trail that many fell to their deaths.

It was all over in a matter of minutes.

Half an hour later, Justin, Lila, Eldrin, and Alistair stood before Commander Thalon within the throng of celebrating soldiers. Thalon's smile was so wide that Justin thought it seemed likely to split his face.

"Gods be praised!" he said. "Arion has not abandoned us to the Shadow!"

"Not on this day, nor any day, my lord," Alistair said. "We must always trust in His plans."

"I didn't believe you at first, but now I know you were right, Sir Paladin. Because of you and your companions, Valoria will live to fight another day. Thank you. Thank you, from the bottom of all our hearts."

Suddenly, the scene paused, the image of smiling soldiers freezing in time. Slowly, the surrounding setting faded, replaced by the mountain pass of modern day under starlight. There was nothing but dirt, trees, and a thin path snaking its way around the bend in the distance, the same bend which, hours ago, had swarmed with Shadowist soldiers.

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"You have passed the Trial of the Vault of the Guardian Pass," Thalon intoned solemnly. "Alas, would that your party were here a millennium ago in our hour of greatest need! But now, the spirits of the Guardian Force can rest easy, knowing how things might have been."

Justin listened solemnly, taken in by the moment. From the somber expressions of the others, it seemed they were of a similar mind. Even Shadowflight, perched on Eldrin's shoulder, was silent, not even ruffling his feathers.

"Your party has fought bravely, and each of you is owed one bronze-tier item, while one of you will be rewarded with one silver-tier weapon." First, Thalon turned to Alistair. "To Alistair the Paladin, I gift the Ring of Valor, which will boost your Power and Endurance by 10% when targeted by three or more foes."

Alistair nodded graciously, accepting the proffered purple ring, which seemed to be crafted from pure amethyst. "I thank you, Commander Thalon."

Thalon turned to Eldrin, and in his hands appeared an unassuming pair of leather boots, supple and well-made. "To Eldrin the Ranger, I gift the Boots of Silent Steps. They are enchanted to make nary a sound, no matter how hard they press down or what they find underfoot."

"A wonderful prize," Eldrin said, taking the boots. "My thanks."

Thalon then turned to Lila, producing a gold-chained amulet with an amethyst gem crafted in the likeness of a knife. "And for Lila the Bard, who fights with knives, I gift the Amulet of Everblade. When you throw a knife, hold out your hand, and after fifteen seconds, it will return directly to you, provided it is within a hundred feet."

Lila's eyes widened as she took the amulet. "That's pretty damn handy. Thank you!"

Next, Thalon turned to Justin, and he felt the weight of the Commander's blue-eyed gaze. He produced an unassuming silver ring. "And for Justin the Socialite, I gift the Ring of Hygiene. Once a day, become perfectly clean in body and apparel, and get your hair cut and groomed to your exact specifications."

Justin accepted the ring with shock, almost in dismay, as he inspected its properties.

The Ring of Hygiene

Type: Accessory

Tier: Bronze

Dapper's Touch: Once per day, become perfectly clean and groomed to your exact specifications.

He put on a smile, but it was hard not to be disappointed. The others got cool weapons and gear, and he just got free haircuts and showers for life?

Surely he didn't stink that much.

It was only made worse because Lila looked like she was stifling laughter.

"Thanks," Justin said, hardly able to keep the glumness out of his voice.

All the same, he slipped on the ring.

[Do you wish to bind the Ring of Hygiene to your core?]

Justin hadn't expected that, but it made sense. He intrinsically knew the action would make the ring truly his. No one else could use it as long as he was alive.

Justin did so with a mental click. He felt its potential, but for now, he decided not to use it, even if he was filthy.

Thalon stood back, surveying the party. "And now, the ultimate prize. A silver-tier weapon for the one the Vault has determined to be the most valuable character—"

"—If it's me," Alistair said, interrupting, "I withdraw from consideration."

Thalon regarded him coolly. "It was not you, Sir Paladin."

Alistair's eyes widened at that, but he said nothing.

Again, Thalon's eyes went to Justin, and he felt a thrill enter him.

"Justin Talemaker," he said. "It is by your brave deeds, insight, and decisiveness that the battle was won at all. Trusting your keen Socialite's instinct, you read the malcontent soldier Darian like a book, following him to the Shadow Empire camp, a detail missed by all other party members. Though you couldn't prevent him from delivering the fateful message, you at least told Shadowflight, who relayed it to Eldrin, who was able to block the hidden path in time. You also deftly handled the Arch-Mage Zaramund with skill far beyond your abilities as a Level 2 Socialite, aided, of course, by Lila the Bard. Alas, Darian the Treacherous, in real life, betrayed the Kingdom of Valoria to the Shadow Empire, revealing the path he himself walked as a youth as the son of a goatherd. He betrayed his country, and as his reward, he enjoyed a rich life thereafter. At least, until four years later, he hanged himself from the rafters of his Belmoran manse."

Justin felt a chill at those words, swallowing a nervous lump in his throat.

"Justin Talemaker," Thalon began again. "The Vault has determined that your contributions have made you the worthiest of the silver-tier weapon." Thalon held out his hand, and within it materialized, seemingly from the Aether, a beautiful cane of pure ebony, about four feet long, with an amethyst as large as a fist on top, carved in the likeness of a stag's head.

Justin's breath caught, and even the others' eyes went wide.

"The Cane of Valoria," Thalon said solemnly. "As soon as you wield this cane, you will be granted a permanent increase of 1 to any attribute of your choosing. Besides this permanent increase, you will gain an additional +1 boost to Charisma and Intellect when wielding this cane. Unlike many weapons, the Socialite's cane can be used both as a bludgeon and a spear, for it has a retractable top that, with a swift press of a button, reveals a sharp knife, about six inches long, with a blade enchanted to never go dull. Also, when wielding the Cane of Valoria, you gain access to Gentleman's Rebuff. With Gentleman's Rebuff, you will instinctively block the first hostile attack directed at your person, physical or magical, once per day, by any character, monster, or creature up to Level 20. This reflects the brave defense the Valorian soldiers made, both in this Vault Trial and in real life."

"Whoa," Justin said.

"A silver-tier weapon with the properties of a gold," Alistair mused. "My congratulations, lad."

Eldrin nodded appreciatively, while Lila looked amazed.

"The Cane of Valoria is yours, Socialite," Thalon intoned. "Wield it with poise and aplomb."

Justin accepted the cane, eyes wide. It was lighter than it had first appeared.

His interface lit up with information as he regarded the cane.

The Cane of Valoria

Type: Weapon

Tier: Silver

Class Restriction: Socialite, Diplomat

Heroic Ascension: Upon core binding, gain a permanent +1 to any base attribute. This enchantment can only be used once.

Valor of the Fallen: The heroes of the Battle of Valoria lend their gravitas and cunning while you wield this cane, granting you +1 to Charisma and Intellect.

Gentleman's Rebuff: Block the first hostile attack directed at you once per day by any character, creature, or monster up to Level 20.

"Now we're talking," Justin said.

A free attribute point and an amazing defensive enchantment? This more than made up for the Ring of Hygiene. The +1 to Charisma and Intellect was icing on the cake.

[Do you wish to bind the Cane of Valoria to your core?]

Justin mentally agreed, and he felt the cane become one with him.

[The Cane of Valoria has granted you a one-time boost to any base attribute of your choosing. You now have one attribute point to distribute.]

For Justin, it wasn't even a question. With a mental click, he locked it into Charisma.

[Your Charisma is now 13.]

Unbidden, he gave the beautiful cane a twirl and a quick button tap, exposing the knife at its tip from the mouth of the stag. His eyes widened as he almost fumbled it. He pressed the button again, retracting it. This would indeed come in handy, but he still needed to learn how to use it effectively.

Thalon stood back, taking in the entire party. "Well done, Brave Adventurers. The Trial of this Vault is over. The Vault has also sensed the danger to your Party from those who await your exit. However, you may continue enjoying the Vault's safety as you continue out the other side of the pass. But this boon will not last forever. Once again, the Kingdom of Valoria thanks you—not for saving it, for it can no longer be saved. It thanks you for giving it a cherished memory, so that its inhabitants can rest easy knowing that faith in Arion isn't misplaced. Fare thee well."

And with that, Thalon faded, and the Voice came to Justin, speaking as if in benediction:

[The Vault honors your triumph. Now go forth, with courage in your hearts, strength in your limbs, and wisdom in your minds.]

[The Trial of the Vault is complete!]

[Experience Gained: 1,000]

[Your experience stands at 1,404/250. Level-up available!]

Justin blinked at that experience notification. During the entire Vault, he wondered why he hadn't gained anything, especially for his use of Dazzling Display. Perhaps the experience from Vaults was given as a lump sum toward the end.

The air was now warmer than before, telling Justin they were back in the modern day. A thin veil of green magic covered the pass overhead, through which the stars could be seen.

"That was something," Justin said, examining his new weapon. "What a productive Vault!"

"It turned out well," Alistair said. "Congratulations, all."

Eldrin had already changed into his boots, giving them a few steps. Indeed, not a sound was made. He nodded in satisfaction.

Lila put on her amulet. She threw one of her knives, embedding it in the bark of a nearby pine, then held out her hand. She waited for fifteen seconds, and sure enough, the knife spun backward, its hilt landing in Lila's outstretched palm.

"Nice," Justin said.

"That Vault was much closer than it seemed," Eldrin said, "but we survived."

It was at this point that a message interrupted Justin's interface:

[Warning: the protective magic of the Vault will dissipate in one hour.]

"We'd better get moving," Alistair said. "I know it's been a while since our last rest, but there can be no rest until Highcliff. And if we push ourselves, we can make it by morning, especially with Eldrin's Pathfinder's Pace. The daylight will slow down our undead friends, giving us a chance to rest."

"We'll be safe there?" Justin asked.

"The Aranthian Plain beyond is less forested," Eldrin explained. "There aren't many places for the undead to avoid the sun. They'll be reduced to hiding during daylight hours and making up time at night. Plus, the undead can hardly show themselves on the Queensroad. They'll either have to journey off-road or leave them behind."

"We go," Alistair said. "If we don't hurry, this will all be for nothing."

Dutifully, they followed the Paladin. After seeing the way he was fighting, Justin had to wonder if he might have been capable of taking on all the Baron's men on his own. Perhaps that in itself was too risky; Alistair's strength during the battle might have been deceptive, since he was mowing down mobs of low-level undead, against which he had strong bonuses, anyway.

It was also likely that Baron Valdrik would have sent minions which, working together, could feasibly bring down a party like theirs.

With that unwholesome thought, they headed due east, toward the eastern exit of the Guardian Pass. Justin used his cane as a walking staff, and as such, found the going much easier. Indeed, these days there was less weight to carry around. He had dropped at least ten pounds since entering Eyrth.

As they walked, Justin summoned his character screen:

Justin Talemaker

Class: Socialite

Level: 2

Experience to Level 3: 1,404/250. (Level-up available!)

Power: 10

Coordination: 10

Endurance: 10

Intellect: 11

Spirit: 10

Charisma: 14

The Cane of Valoria: +1 to Charisma and Intellect.

Justin closed his interface, pondering his new items and abilities. It was a lot to take in, and he could only hope he would survive long enough to explore their capabilities.