(Book 1 Complete!) Side Quest [Isekai / LitRPG]

Back at Mariv's house, a celebration was underway, prepared by the gnome himself. It was not what Logan had expected, considering they still had the business with the reavers to discuss. He wasn't the only one confused by the non-urgent agenda, as Cassandra voiced the same concern.

"Oh yes, of course," said Mariv. "I suppose you've been so busy getting the Adventurers' Guild back in shape that I haven't told you, either. Well done, by the way!"

"Thank you," she said with a small, befuddled laugh.

The gnome's mood was infectious, and Logan was catching it too. Even Razor was humming as she prepared their drinks.

"Mariv, where's that elation milk?" Razor asked.

"In the top left cupboard, right behind the newt feet."

Razor grunted as she moved something around in a cupboard, then she let out a small disgusted sound. "I think there's a problem then," she said. "There are newt feet in the milk."

"Of course there are. The newt cannister dispenses a fresh foot once a day." He turned to Logan and the others. "It's a slow-steeping process. Really extracts all the flavor. You must try it. It's divine."

Logan shared a glance with Cassandra, and they both shrugged.

"Now, where was I? Ah, yes. I'm happy to say that we've bought some time with the reavers."

"How?" Alden asked.

Mariv lifted the transponder device. "I have Mishki to thank for that." He turned to the goble. "If I could grant you extra prestige, I would, but alas, I am not a member of the Adventurers' Guild."

The goble waved the gnome's apology away. "Not a problem." Mishki was craning his head for a better view of the milk, and it seemed he was quite eager to try it. Logan was just glad to see how much more comfortable the little green guy seemed here compared to at the guild.

As Razor poured the milk, she made a face as little lumps dropped into the tall glasses.

Mariv, meanwhile, set the transponder on a table with a small flourish. "Now, observe this encryption rune." The gnome pressed a symbol on the side of the device, and a blue screen, much like a hologram version of a System prompt, hovered over it.

Enter cardinal sector and waypoint.

"The warlock," said Mishki, "mentioned Waypoint 3 whenever he met with the reavers. I never knew what it meant."

"And when you consider where we are," added Mariv, who activated his illusion map as a bird's-eye view of a vast, roughly circular area. A bright point bobbled over a small valley. "Gnashridge is in the South-Southeast of the Fold, which must be the cardinal sector."

Logan understood. This was like a walkie-talkie. "So it's less about encrypting for privacy, but more like a configuration?"

"Precisely."

The gnome didn't enter the passcode, but explained that it listed a schedule of times for regular check-ins across various devices.

Despite the gnome's chipper attitude, Cassandra frowned.

"Should we be concerned if the reavers don't hear from their scouts at the agreed upon times?"

"I don't think so," said Mariv with a wink. "We've actually already had contact."

"How'd you keep them from knowing who you were?" asked Bromlin. He was staring at the device as if it were an alien spaceship.

"It doesn't work like my hive mind," Mishki answered. "All communication is input as text." Logan supposed it was kind of like the Quest Board in that regard, but as a device rather than a skill.

"And I," said Avalyn, "have enough knowledge of what the reavers intended to achieve from waking the Devouring Coil. While I did not know the extent of the entity's power, I know they sought to use it to tear the Boundary down in this area."

Now that Logan had seen Kural, he wondered if the reavers were trying to spread some type of skewed version of Order. If so, he still figured they had greater intentions. "So what do they know about what happened here?" he asked.

"They know the Devouring Coil has fallen, as well as the warlock." Avalyn took on a slightly apologetic look. "I hope you don't mind me taking credit for your battle, but in pretending to be the reaver scouts, we told them I escaped my bonds and was the one to defeat them."

Logan laughed. "By all means, if that keeps them from targeting me, you can have all the fame." He had gained the experience and a celestial core, so that was plenty enough reward than a target on his back.

Avalyn continued explaining how she would return to Kural with Razor. Razor, when masked, appeared to be a level 19 human. Unmasked, she appeared at level 50. But at her full size and in dragon form, she was level 100. And that was the highest anyone could reach in the Fold. Which is why Avalyn would take her to Kural, so she could take the first step in crossing level 100. Once she unlocked that challenge, she could continue advancing.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Logan loved the idea of being allied not with just one dragon, but two. And Razor was pretty damn badass.

Beside the transponder was the rest of the looted reaver equipment. Senna was inspecting the reaver's blade. "Will you be taking all this stuff with you?"

"No, we will leave everything here."

"Even the transponder?" Cassandra asked.

"Yes. That can be tracked to a general region when the passcode activates it, and so it must remain here to keep them from catching on. As long as the reavers believe Gnashridge Heights is under their control, with the Devouring Coil already defeated, they will have no reason to send forces here beyond simple upkeep."

"The greater concern," Mariv said, "is trying to figure out why this region is of so little concern to them. They only sent a small group of scouts, so they must have larger plans elsewhere."

"When they took my home," Razor said, venom in her voice, "they sent an army."

Mariv, unable to reach her shoulder, patted her side in consolation. Nugget cooed and flitted from Logan's shoulder to Razor's, and Logan was glad to see her face brighten.

"What we have gathered," Mariv continued, "is that they intend to seize more regions. We don't know exactly where, but we suspect at least four or five major strongholds like Emberholt, as well as a few other minor sections, like here."

While it was bad to know the reavers had such grand plans that the Devouring Coil was one of their lesser concerns, at least it meant they had some time. Mariv said there were communications scheduled at increasing frequencies a few months from now, so they expected to at least have that much time before worrying about any drastic moves on the reavers' part.

An ambiguous number of months wasn't necessarily a long time, but Logan's life here had been rushing by at a breakneck pace since arriving. At least he didn't have to worry about the world ending tomorrow.

"I guess there's still something that I'm confused about with this plan," Logan said. He assumed they had thought through this, but he wanted peace of mind, too. "Avalyn, you're the one who can best pretend to be the reaver scouts when it comes to communicating over the transponder. But if you're gone, how can we be sure Mariv will have all the right information to share?"

Mariv chuckled. "Excellent question, my boy. But we have that covered, and in fact, you'll be able to benefit from this, too, since you have the Dream affinity. Mishki, do you care to extend the invitation?"

Another has initiated a Tetherlink Contract Bond with you. Would you like to accept?
YES/NO

The word contract seemed overly dramatic for what this bond actually did. It was like Mishki's goble hive mind, but the hive mind had to be instituted by a warlock and could only be shared among other gobles. When Mishki defeated the warlock, he had the Dream affinity and had apparently inherited partial access to the hive mind. He could tell his goble tribe still lived, although he did not know where they were. And he could not communicate with them unless they swore fealty to him.

None of that mattered for this, though, except to understand there was a way for warlocks to extend a form of the hive mind to non-gobles. It required the Dream affinity and a token of homage.

"What do I have to give you?"

Mishki smiled gently, but instead of answering, a new prompt showed up.

Contract dues: 1 copper coin per year.

Logan laughed. Avalyn and Mariv both had the Dream affinity too and had already entered the contract. Logan fished out a coin and tossed it to the goble.

Mariv: Logan, can you see this?

Logan: Yes. Huh. This is actually pretty simple to use.

It worked similarly to the reavers' transponder device, but it was thought-activated. Like his Interdimensional Storage Ripple that had required the Void affinity, he should be able to use this even when he changed from the Dream affinity, although it had required the affinity to gain it.

Just when Logan was feeling good, Razor cleared her throat. "Don't look so relaxed, champion. Don't forget we summoned you here for a reason."

"Yes, Razor's right," said Mariv. "This is a valuable time to train yourself. You've already risen in level drastically, and we want to keep attention off you. Keep busy with the Adventurer's Guild. They'll have plenty of contracts for you, and hopefully you can continue to rise in level. Our main objective is to overthrow these reavers, and while we try to figure out their main plan, you should spend this time preparing."

Apparently, Mariv already had a mask covering everybody's levels. The mask had already been in place from the moment Logan returned with Senna and Bromlin, and Cassandra and Alden had their levels masked too. They had all gained significant levels in the aftermath of the Devouring Coil, and it might have looked strange for the Adventurer's Guild officers to suddenly discover their newer recruits nearly outleveled some of them.

Usually, Mariv's ability to mask someone required them to be in his general vicinity. Because of the Tetherlink Contract bond, though, he could extend the mask to anyone in the group, too, as well as anyone in their general vicinity. While that wouldn't be a problem for Logan or Mishki, it meant Senna, Bromlin and Alden needed to stay close to at least one of them at all times.

Logan's next step, then, was to take advantage of everything he could with the Adventurers' Guild in Caerwyn. While interacting with them, he'd have to act lower-leveled than he actually was, which might make things a little difficult, but it was still better than answering a bunch of questions he wasn't ready for and having it come out that he was Exalted Kin to everybody. News like that would inevitably attract the reavers.

And to get to Caerwyn, they'd travel along the blight's edge while they looked for any clues regarding the disappearance of the guild members. As a bonus, that should also take them by the region where the perk divining rod had last been known, since Mariv had traded it with a fellow diviner in the area. Logan had several skills at level 24, and he suspected any threshold perks he gained in skills would only work for the particular affinity he had it in when he gained it.

Logan was mildly surprised how excited he was about all this. The biggest threats were distant enough that they didn't feel like they were breathing down his neck, and he had a unique chance to grow. Razor was going to exceed level 100, and if he was going to help them against the reavers, he would plan on that too.

And she wasn't the only dragon on his side. He smiled at Nugget, who was eating all the newt feet from Razor's untouched milk.

Mishki nudged Logan, asking if he was going to finish his own newt feet. The goble had apparently already collected everybody else's. When Nugget's eyes went wide at Mishki's trove, Mishki invited the dragon to help himself.

Senna, meanwhile, held the reaver blade in her hand and beckoned Logan. Bromlin had already given her his axe.

"Hold out your hand for a second?"

Logan obliged, and she held the glowing reaver blade next to his gauntlet claws. She nodded, wrote some notes, and thanked him and Bromlin before releasing Logan's hand and giving Bromlin back his axe.

She then stored the reaver blade, having been granted it by Mariv.

Yeah. Logan was definitely excited for whatever would come next.