“DEAL!”

  The single yell is all it takes to shift the focus from Valentine’s insane maniacal ughter to the talking cat.

  “What?” Valeurns to the voice.

  The cat hops off his perch.

  “You heard me. I accept your terms. I ehe tower, find out what's inside, and you give me that map.”

  The cat pauses for a moment.

  “Also, the leave everyone alone part too.”

  “You ehe tower?” Valentine asks, disbelieving.

  The cat rolls its eyes. “Of course I . I wouldn't be shouting DEAL if I couldn’t.”

  Valentine removes his leg from James. “So you're one of the chosen ones, eh? How about proving it?” He points at the barrier.

  The cat walks to the tower. He sticks his head through the barrier, theracts it. “Lots of sand there, That's going to be annoying on the fur.”

  “Harr, har, har. So you’re one of those gods chosen. Fine, you’ve got a deal. Go inside, find out everything about the pce, and tell me about it. Afterwards,” Valentine spreads his arms wide, “I’ll leave you and everyone here in peace.”

  “And the map,” The cat points at a paw. “Just because you’re losing your mind a bit doesn’t mean you go against your word… unless, your word doesn't mean shit?”

  You could hear a pin drop at how silent everything had gone. plete and utter silence.

  Valentine's smile is gone, repced pletely with anger. Not the crazy anger from before, but the cold and calg seething hate when personally insulted.

  “My word is everything to me. Every promise, every deal, and every threat is something I will always act upon.” He rests his hand on the sheathed cutss on his hip. “Anyone who says otherwise is making an enemy of me.” He tilts his head, “Is that uood, Quasi Eludo?”

  The cat matches the iy of the stare including the head tilt. “Perfectly, Valentine Vaevictus.”

  “Good. Now,” Valentine points at the dead Gemma. “He died rather quickly. I hope the same isn't going to be true for you.”

  “He wasn’t properly prepared, but I will be.” The cat gnces back at his crew. “Boriss.”

  “Yes rade?” The rge broad shouldered man asks.

  “Go to my ship a me my Gaus. I’m going to hem to deal with giant scorpions.”

  Boriss salutes and runs off to port. None of Valentine's crew move to stop him.

  “You use Gaus?” Valentine asks once Boriss is gone. “If memory serves, [Shifters] fight by transf into monsters. What reason do you need gaus for?”

  “e now, Valentine. We may have a deal, but that deal doesn't mean I tell you all my secrets.”

  Valentine leans forward. “Are you really in a position to say that?”

  Quasi stretches all four limbs before yawning. “Um, yeah. You want to know what's iower and I’m currently the only person around that tell you. I mean sure, maybe you’ll find someone else. But how long will that really take and are you willing to wait?”

  “Harr, har, har. You’re right. I need you.” He grins. “but I need you so long as you give me what I want. So, in lieu of your little attitude, I’m going to say this.”

  He looks at those present. All are in fear and listening to what is to happen. “If you fail, every single person here dies.”

  Gasps and cries of arm resound from all those present. Cries and arms that are shushed quickly by those with better self trol.

  The cat shrugs. “Fih me. I’m going to succeed.”

  Valeares at Quasi for several long silent seds. Then he looks to his female panion. “Gazania, do you know if sns have csses?”

  The Phytonid tilts her head slightly. “No sn has ever beeed to have had a css, but then again, very little is known about the monsters. Why do you ask? Do you think this one is actually a sn with the [Shifter] css?”

  “I’ve only met two [Shifters] and both of them couldn’t stay transformed indefinitely,” Valentine expins.

  “That does make a bit of sense. I’m not familiar with [Shifters], but [Druids] gain the ability to transform into beasts until their mana runs out. Never have I heard of them staying transformed indefinitely.”

  The cat grimaces towards Valentine, which makes the man grin.

  “I’m right, aren’t I? Why stay in such a weak form and drain your mana? Clearly because you’re not draining anything, are you?”

  “I prefer to keep my secrets to myself.”

  “Harr, har, har. Gazania, check his mana levels.”

  “Yes, [Chaptain].” Gazania’s eyes glow vibrantly while staring at the Cat. “Odd. Mana levels aren't dropping, but his body is aglow with mana.”

  “That’s normal. The Sn of Clouds and the Sn of Sands were smothered in mana.”

  “Did they have a css?” Gazania asks.

  Valentine shakes his head. “I didn’t have the skill to check at the time.”

  “You know,” The cat interrupts, “Jumping to clusions like that be dangerous if you are wrong.”

  “Maybe, maybe not. But my guts says I’m right, unless you want to tell me you’re not.”

  “Believe what you want.” The cat replies.

  “Harr, har, har.” Valentine ughs heartily. “You’re far too easy to read.”

  “Riiiggghhhttt.” The cat rolls its eyes. “Let's ge the subject, shall we. Mind telling me what treasures that map in your pocket will lead me to?”

  Valentine reaches inside and produces the scroll.

  “This is a map to a retly risen kingdom nearby. Mostly destroyed, but the castle is in good dition and the armory rotected by runes.”

  The cat frowns. “Ay armory.”

  “Not pletely. “I took the legendary staff alongside all the epid exceptional grade items only. Everything else I left behind.”

  “So I get the sloppy seds.”

  “Harr, har, har. I gave the offer and you accepted. It’s too te to ask for something else.”

  Before the cat answer, Boriss returns with two gaus in his hands.

  ________________________________________

  Boriss rushes up to me and ys the gaus at my feet. The metal ks loudly wheouch the weird metal ground.

  “Wolven Gaus!” Valentine excims in surprise.

  I see the doubt now radiating from him. He thought I am a Sn with a [Shifter] css instead of a guy who transform into a Sn.

  “You shouldn’t trust yut.” I taunt.

  Before he reply, I put my two paws into the open gauhen I cel my transformation.

  One moment I’m staring at Valentine's boots, and the we’re at eye level. I give him a toothy grin. Then he blurs. His hand grabs the handle of his cutss. Reag far slower than I would like, I raise my arms to block at the same time he uhes his on.

  A bde of lightniends out of the sheathe at the speed of a shockwave. Thunder booms loudly as Valentine's cutss parries a bde inches away from severing my neck.

  Teers away, Daichi Chikara, Valentines wolven [Stealth-operations Security Chief] is attag me with an eleveer long pitchbck Odachi.

  “Daichi, stand down!” Valentine orders.

  “[Captain], that’s a Fenrimorph!” Daichi warns. “It must be killed!”

  Valentine growls. Muscles flex and the cutss pushes away Daichi’s bde. At the same time, a wave of electricity releases in the dire where Valentine shifts his sword. Everything ih of that wave is electrocuted as though it was struck by lightning. A dozen people die and several tents are set afme. Even the bubble keeping the rain from p fails for a moment before restituting itself.

  “I SAID STAND DOWN.” Valentine roars at Daichi. He raises his cutss. The on s and statick’s like a psma ball.

  The two powerhouses stare each other down for several long moments, which gives me a moment to take a good look at their ons.

  Name

  Odachi Of Shadows.

  Rarity

  Legendary - 76 Runes.

  1(48 - Shadowed Metal)1(10 - Greater durability)1(18 - Metal Regeion)Description

  This on is made of shadows and transform into whatever the wielder wishes. This on is 200% more durable. This on will passively regee all damage doo it.

  Sustain

  2.8% Mana Regeion Per Minute

  Name

  Cutss of Wreathing Storm

  Rarity

  Legendary - 117 Runes.

  1(31 - (Greater Stormfield)1(64 - (Lightning Snty)1(22 - (Unyielding)Description

  This sword stantly produces 100 million Joules of electricity. The wielder of this on has plete dominion of all lightning several meters around them. This sword ot be damaged or ged.

  Sustain

  3.5% Mana Regeion Per Minute

  Eventually, Daichi’s bde shifts back to its inal length and size. Then the mahes the on.

  “All Fenrimorphs must be destroyed, [Captain]. My honor as a [Samurai[ demands it.”

  Valentine gres at the wolven man, cutss raised and wreathing with electricity as though ready to e down with the power of a thuorm.

  But no storm desds. Valentine lowers his on and sheathes it into his scabbard.

  “Daichi.” Valentine raises a hand and points at me. “That is merely a Fenrimorph transformation and not actually the real thing. Do not let your honor cloud your judgment again!”

  Valeurns away from the wolven and then on to me.

  He grins. “For a sed, I thought you were going to turn bato a wolven and prove my gut wrong. But no, you turn into a monster. Harr, har, har.”

  Is this guy for real? You know what, that’s fine. Let's just get this over with. I turn and start walking towards the entrance.

  “One more thing.” Valentine says right before I pass the barrier. “I see you have a [First Mate]. If her css ges, everyone dies.”

  I growl in aowledgement and thehrough the barrier.

  ___________________________________________

  Hot summer air hits me hard, followed by the smell of sand and the feeling of warmth. Not humid warmth, but the dry kind.

  The bottom of the tower is empty except for the presence of sand aal. Further in, I see a circur asding staircase leading upwards to where I see light. Gng behind me, I’m met with just a metal wall. Curious, I pce my arm on the wall and it immediately falls through.

  The barrier only be seen one-sidedly.

  Retrag my arm, I do a quick stretch, and then silent walk deeper inside. My eyes look around in as many dire as I while listening and sniffing to every gust of wind. As I get deeper, the amount of sand I see increases further and further. I finally reach the stairs to find nothing out of the ordinary.

  Seems like that Scorpis monster went upstairs.

  With bated breath, I start asding the circur staircase. After a good thirty meters, I arrive on the floor. The floor is also the st floor for there is nothing but sand, metal, and a single opening. Through the opening, I’m met with endless sand.

  Of course this test is going to have its own world.

  Above the opening, the same message is etched as the ones downstairs.

  Here lies the test of the Chariot:

  Through Perception you will find what you seek.

  Through Enduranbsp;you will strive long enough to find it.

  Through trol you will overe the limits of your body.

  I already guess that this test of Chariot is going to test those three stats. Perception, Endurance, and trol. Odd, but alright.

  I stare at the operao what I io be a desert. In the distance I see dunes, some roations, and oddly enough, several spires.

  Well, I’m going to take a wild guess that the test involves traversing a desert, which will require Endurance. Perception is probably inferring directly to sight. I’m going to have to see where I’m destio go. And then there is trol, which I’m not sure about. Maybe pag myself?

  Whatever. Doesn’t matter. First things first, Gotta deal with that scorpion.

  Warily, I walk forward and step outside the tower. I take a whiff and smell sand. Lots and lots of sand. I g the sand, looking for something hidden, and find nothing.

  Finally, I listen to the wind. The sands twirling to a gust. The beating of my heart… right above my body!

  I hop backwards just in time as the scorpion crashes where I’d been standing not a moment ago. The monster quickly rights itself and then turns in my dire with pincers ready. From it’s mouth, I hear a tinuous clig sound.

  The monster is a horse sized scorpion with pincers rge enough to crush my skull. It measures nearly four feet i minus the tail, and triple that height with. Its width is an easy six feet with the pincers, and its length is a good ten.

  Holy, this should be pretty easy so long as I avoid the tail and pincers. The only difficulty is the carapace. Hopefully I crack through it.

  I crack my ned then take an orthodox stah my legs far more bent than usual. Not even a moment siake the stahe scorpion rushes me.