Ch. 33 – Mercantus (IV) (Patreon)

The two acquired a map from the front window clerk and set out into the city. It was a beautiful sight that, for the first time since leaving Earth, reminded Felix of home. There were lights on poles that lit up the night sky – vibrant, sparking orange fixtures that – upon inquiry with a local, were revealed to be a permanent enchantment. The streets and canal below were well-lit, and despite night falling, the Tier still showed signs of thriving life instead of going to sleep. As some businesses closed their doors, others opened.

It was around this time that Felix learned that the various businesses marked whether they were open or not with those enchanted lights. They would glow a soft blue if the business was open, or a grey-white if they were closed. It was an ingenious idea, to at a glance have a universal way of denoting a business’ status. He made sure to take mental notes for adding similar concepts to his VBV – already thinking of adding a Renaissance-style city like this one.

The Harbor District was easy enough to find on the side of the Tier furthest away from the lifts to the next Tier. An enormous lake that extended to the edge of Mercantus before falling off and down to Dirge below – feeding into the swamp they had come from. There was a large, stone wall that skirted the outside edge, and an enormous waterspout shot up in the center; providing replacement water for what went through the dam-like structure. All of the canals led to this place, and only the canal-sized barges were either moored or docked near warehouses.

“Detect Object.”

The golden line shot out from his palm and went down alongside the docks, past barges that were teeming with workers. The two followed the trail and received many side-eye glances. Felix immediately noted that there were no Watchmen in this area. But there were indicators of some type of order; namely, different colored rags that were tied around the bicep of various groups of people.

Tinuriel noticed that too, and nudged him, “They have troop assignments.”

Felix chuckled, remembering she came from a solely military background. “Those are gang colors. Sort of like a unit assignment, but not as official.”

A burly man who reeked of piss and beer walked out in front of them, and the two stopped in their tracks as he faced them, “You!” he pointed at Tinuriel, “Big bitch!”

Felix felt a flash of anger and ran up to the man, punching him as he went sprawling.

The man – seemingly inured to pain from his inebriation – pushed himself off the ground and pointed to his colored rag – a lime-green bit of cloth wrapped around his arm. “You…you don’t treat me like that! I’m…I’m a…Sewer Serpent!” He stuttered over the last set of words before collapsing.

Tinuriel walked up to Felix and shook her head, “Imbecile.” She smiled softly at Felix, “Thank you for defending my honor. But you beat me to the punch.”

The warehouse the golden line led them to was nondescript. A dock extended in front of it, along with a simple conveyor belt that was offloading cargo. Several men – with the same green armbands – were working as a taller, gaunt, and pale gentleman with wide-rimmed spectacles monitored and checked off papers. Felix cleared his throat as he approached, and the man turned to regard him with narrow eyes. “Hi. I’m a Versewalker-”

The man put the clipboard down on a box nearby and grabbed his hipflask, taking a swig of something before putting it back. “And an Investigator,” he said in a very pompous tone. “What do you want?”

“We’re looking for someone,” Tinuriel said as she took up a wide stance and crossed her arms – menacingly. “Basilio.”

The man frowned and whistled. The various workers on the docks responded within moments, gathering in a cluster behind the man. “I am afraid he is not here. Best be off.” He lowered his voice in an attempt to intimidate, “Or you’ll have trouble.” The various ruffians laughed, chuckled, or chortled like a gang out of a bad eighty’s movie.

Felix looked over at Tinuriel, “What do you want to do?”

She grinned and laughed, leaning her neck to one side as it cracked. She assumed a boxer’s stance. “I want to fuck them up!”

Felix looked back to the man with the clipboard. “You heard the lady.” He launched himself at the man with the clipboard, pulling his punch after seeing his earlier power from his latent Might Stat, and dropping him with a single shot to the jaw.

Tinuriel launched herself into the mob of men who were entirely unprepared for a strong woman – who they did not know was even stronger because of her elven heritage – diving into their midst and unleashing rapid punches, jabs, and haymakers. Their momentary panic cost them two of their number going down.

Felix focused on her, “Netherlight Cohort. Netherlight Mantle.”

The white-silvery mist covered both of their forms and would allow their Anima to act as a temporary Health barrier.

Felix took a step back and let Tinuriel have her fun as she clobbered the members of this Sewer Serpent gang. A few came towards him, and he deflected their blows, wanting to assess his defensive capabilities in this low-stakes encounter. His innate Warrior Class’s hidden proficiency in weaponry did not fully extend to unarmed combat, and he took several hits – or rather, the silvery-grey Netherlight surrounding him did, diverting the damage to his Anima.

Tinuriel had finished off the entire crowd and came up behind the three attacking Felix. She picked one up by the neck and midsection, throwing him a good ten feet into the conveyor belt which he bent on impact. With that opening, Felix ducked under one of the wide swings from another one of the gang members, swung around behind him, and lifted him around the midsection, using a suplex to slam him into the stone. The impact cracked the pavement and he slumped over. Shit, did I just kill him?

Tinuriel slammed her fist into the last one, sending him flying. Felix crouched and checked the one he had just slammed into the ground. He was breathing – but faintly. “Damnit. I didn’t want to kill any.” He pulled out a Health Elixir, glanced at it in his hand, and back at the guy. Is he worth 500 VC? Felix jolted upright. Did he just compare a person’s life to money? What the hell am I thinking?

He chose to fight you. Actions have consequences. His free will-

Shut up. Felix poured the Health Elixir into the man’s mouth. His neck snapped back into place, and Felix breathed a sigh of relief at seeing the man’s breathing return. He quickly went from person to person, ensuring that they were not dead. A few were also wheezing and unconscious, and he spent the rest of his Health Elixirs healing them. He stood up and sighed.

[Experience Awarded = 15]

[Achievement Unlocked: Prevented the death of an enemy combatant through sacrifice]

[Talent Replaced! Show Mercy has been replaced with a new Talent!]

Sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you.

Lucifer was silent for several seconds before responding. You didn’t have to save them. You did save them from the consequences of their actions.

To be fair, they had no clue how strong I was. And if that’s really what you want, I don’t see the harm in causing a bit of lingering pain. He waved Tinuriel over, “If they don’t have a broken bone – break a few fingers. Not enough to impair their ability to work, but something that will hurt and be a constant reminder of their bad choices.”

Tinuriel nodded resolutely and went from gang member to gang member, snapping fingers, breaking toes, noses, in one case tearing a man’s ear partway. Felix watched with a grim fascination as she efficiently injured them. There was no grin on her face like in the heat of battle – just a resolute face. That of a soldier following orders; not questioning morality or ethics. She walked over and nodded, “Time to go inside?”

“Yeah. Let’s follow the line.”

Felix took the lead and walked through the open doors of the warehouse’s main entrance. The building was seemingly empty, but the golden line kept leading them to the back of the space. He opened a door and almost tripped over a trap, the golden spindle barely notifying him in time. It was easy enough to avoid – just requiring a step to get over. He pointed it out to Tinuriel, and they continued down a set of stairs.

They ended up in a long tunnel that felt like some sort of maintenance corridor. There were several doors on either side with a small glass window in the center. Looking into the first one, he inhaled sharply. A woman and man were hanging from some type of restraint device. Several men were punching them – not strong men, but weak, feeble, older, and rich types. Felix tore himself away and looked into another windowed door, seeing a chamber full of smoke and hearing faint coughing.

“It’s a lot of illicit businesses,” he whispered to Tinuriel.

She looked into each window and then down the corridor. “What’s more important, rescuing these people or getting our killer?”

“Are you okay splitting up?”

She nodded, “I have this Netherlight thing for another eight minutes. I’ll be fine.” She cracked her knuckles. “Let me deal with these rooms, you go get our killer.”

He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before activating Ghostwalk...

...and moving down the corridor. She waited a few moments until he rounded the corner before he heard the door open and some faint shouting.

You’re awfully quiet recently, Felix thought as he descended another flight of stairs and came upon a locked and trapped door. He slipped out the thieves’ tools and disabled the poison needle trap before beginning into the lock.

I’m dealing with a lot. Managing the goblins in the VBV. And now there’s ogres, there’s undead skeletons and zombies, a giant, winged, flaming demon from those movies. Groups of various peoples from across the Tiers. There was an exhausted sigh that turned to a chuckle, I might need to have you use more Functions soon here. To help me out a bit.

Let me know. Thanks for managing all that.

No problem. It’s nice, being the shepherd of mankind…well, something-kind.

Felix got the lock and slowly opened the door. Two men were leaning over a desk on the far side of the room.

“What do you mean we lost the snazpliff?” the more well-dressed man shouted.

A drug.

A squirrely, small man dressed like the dock workers - including the green arm sleeve – stuttered a response, “I-I-I c-c-can’t-t say.”

The golden line went to the well-dressed man. Felix pulled out both of his knives. Thanks to the new (P) Killing Intent Talent, he didn’t have to worry about holding back. Right. Neither of you dies. Detect Weakness stacked with Affinity Empowerment to hit both of them.

The golden targeted circles appeared on both. This will stack (P) Sneak Attack and (P) Slayer.

Next up, Execution - one use for each weapon.

He crept up behind the two men and plunged his blades into their weak spots. They both gasped and fell over. When he pulled the knives out, their wounds instantly closed. That’s cool. No clue how it works, but hey, I’ll take it.

[Experience Awarded = 5]

[Experience Bonus from Execution Skill = 1]

[Loot Obtained]

·         Local Currency: Converted to 110 VC

[Loot Bonus from Execution Skill]

·         Local Currency: Converted to 50 VC

He ripped off pieces of their clothes to tie them up and then explored the room. He found a small lockbox that he opened with ease, pulling out various documents. All in code. And no cipher. He couldn’t make heads or tails of it, just shoving it into his inventory before picking up the two men and carrying them along with him.

Tinuriel wasn’t in the hallways that he ascended, and when he got up to the warehouse, the sight he was met with was not what he was expecting at all. Tinuriel had not only beaten every person who was in the den of illicit activity to unconsciousness, but she shoved them all into a corner and used several enormous chains to tie them all together. The various people she had rescued were huddling together. She waved at him and grinned, “They were easy. Nothing like the thugs outside.”

Felix smiled at her and went to the group of survivors that were saved, “Are any of you familiar with this area?” A few hands went up, and he pointed at two who seemed relatively healthy. “Go, run to the nearest Watch post.” The two dashed off after being given the order, and Felix went over to Tinuriel, tying the small, stuttering man to the rest of the bunch. He tapped the taller, more well-dressed one until he woke up. “Hi. You’re a prisoner now.”

The man struggled against his bindings for a few seconds before sagging. “Who sen’ you?”

“No one.” Felix held up his badge, “I’m a Versewalker. And you-” he pushed his finger into the man’s chest, “Are Basilio Verjor. Annalise sends her regards.” The man’s eyes went wide and Felix shook his head, “No, she’s not back from the dead. But she pulled one over on you at the end.”

The man spit in Felix’s face, and Felix slapped him in return, fracturing his cheekbone. “Hump! Wha’ do you wan’ ‘o le’ me go?”

“I want evidence. Who hired you to kill Billiam III?”

Basilio struggled against his binds once more before grunting. “I’m no’ goin ‘o give ‘hem up.”

Felix shrugged, “Tinuriel, you’re up.”

She walked forward and grabbed the man’s wrist, holding it firm in the position behind his back. She gripped a finger like a vice and snapped it. The man screamed.

“Fuckin bi’ch!”

She snapped another finger as he howled in pain. “Call me that again,” she said, mustering up all the menace in her voice. Felix felt a chill go through him at the sheer terror her physicality could conjure in a person.

He sat next to Basilio, “Don’t ask me to have her break you more. Just tell me what I already know. You were hired by some representative of William VIII, right?”

The man, tears in his eyes, nodded. “’Ha’s righ.’”

[Crisis: Heficyre – Solve the murder of Billiam III, on Mercantus, the Merchant Monopolis – Solved!]

[You have earned a Multiverse Charge]

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