He checked his inventory quickly. Three Corruption Cores glowing faintly among his other items. Rare materials. Probably valuable. Definitely worth investigating later.
[STATS INCREASED][STR: 27 → 28][SPD: 36 → 38][INT: 12 → 14]
Marcus dismissed the notifications. Right now, he needed to find the others.
He oriented himself north and signaled for his horse. The animal emerged from where it had been waiting in the trees, trained well enough to stay nearby during combat. He hopped on and started moving through the forest at a quick pace, the horse navigating the undergrowth with practiced ease. His Soul Reading stretched ahead, searching for familiar emotional signatures.
There.
Five signatures gathered together. Vera, Dain, Mikael, Tobin... and one more. Unfamiliar but calm, analytical. Someone new.
Not Corvin.
Marcus picked up his pace. The sun had fully set now, darkness settling over the forest. But his Soul Reading guided him better than sight ever could.
He emerged into a small clearing lit by a single campfire.
Vera spotted him first. "Marcus!" Relief flooded her face. "The specimens—"
"Dead." Marcus dematerialized Dagon, the blood vanishing with the blade. "All four."
"Four Tier 5 specimens?" A new voice spoke. Male, mid-thirties, weathered face with sharp, calculating eyes. He sat on a log near the fire, studying Marcus with professional interest. "Impressive. Most people would have run."
Marcus’s eyes shifted to the stranger. Not Corvin. Someone else entirely. "And you are?"
"Nigard." The man stood, offering a slight bow.
"Found wandering the forest paths by your companions here. Lost my caravan to an Ashfang patrol two days ago."
"He was alone when we found him." Dain spoke up from where he sat sharpening a knife. "Unarmed. No supplies. Just walking."
Marcus’s Soul Reading analyzed Nigard’s emotional signature. Calm. Steady. No deception, but something guarded. This man had secrets.
"Where’s Corvin?" Marcus looked at Vera.
Vera’s expression darkened. "Not here. We waited at the rendezvous point for an hour. No sign of him."
"He’s probably already at Ashveil by now." Tobin crossed his arms. "Man’s been three steps ahead this whole time. Makes sense he’d go straight to the source."
Marcus processed that. Corvin at Ashveil without backup, without knowing if they’d survived or made it to the rendezvous point. Either supremely confident or desperate.
"Which means we execute the plan without him."
Liz stepped into the firelight, her blade sheathed but her posture still tense from earlier.
"Agreed." Marcus moved to the fire, feeling the warmth. "But first, you’ve all introduced yourselves. What about your abilities? Your classes? We need to know everyone’s strengths and weak points before going into battle."
The group exchanged glances.
Dain spoke first. "Archer. Level 35. I specialize in long-range support and reconnaissance. My class abilities let me mark targets for increased damage and see weak points in armor."
"Level signifies skill mastery proficiency." Mikael added for Marcus and Liz’s benefit. "It goes up to 100. The higher your level, the more you’ve mastered your class abilities."
"Exactly." Dain nodded. "I’m about a third of the way to full mastery."
"Like we don’t know that already." Liz’s tone was dry. "Your max is already determined through birth. It’s up to you to level up your proficiency."
"Tank." Tobin’s voice was matter-of-fact. "Warden class. High HP, high defense. I draw aggro, keep enemies focused on me while you damage dealers do your work. Can taunt enemies into attacking me instead of squishier targets."
Mikael adjusted his glasses. "I’m not combat-focused. Support class Chronicler. I document battles, which gives passive buffs to the party. Increased experience gain, slight stat boosts. I can also identify enemy types and their typical attack patterns."
All eyes turned to Vera.
"Healer." She held up her hands, the Keeper’s mark glowing faintly. "But not a traditional one. I channel ley line energy to mend wounds. It’s faster than standard healing magic but requires proximity to ley lines. The closer we are to Ashveil, the stronger my healing becomes."
Marcus nodded, filing away the information. A balanced group. Ranged DPS, tank, support, healer. And himself as... what? Summoner-DPS hybrid?
"And you?" Marcus looked at Nigard.
The stranger met his gaze evenly. "After hearing what you’re up against Ashfang fortress, specimens, Duskhollow’s operation I’d like to volunteer."
"You might lose your life." Marcus’s tone left no room for romanticism. "This isn’t a game. Those specimens I just killed? They were prototypes. Failed experiments. The real threats are still waiting at the fortress and beyond."
"I understand." Nigard’s expression didn’t waver. "And I’m still volunteering. I have my own reasons for wanting the Ashfang destroyed."
"What’s your class?" Liz asked, skepticism clear in her voice.
"Battle Mage." Nigard pulled back his sleeve, revealing runic tattoos that glowed faintly in the firelight. "I fight in melee with enchanted weapons while casting offensive spells. Hybrid class. High INT and moderate STR."
"That’s new." Marcus raised an eyebrow, genuinely interested.
"There are vast variants of classes in the world of Veldrath." Vera explained, her tone taking on a lecturing quality. "Hundreds, maybe thousands. But many never master their full potential. They stick to basic physical classes warrior, knight, soldier because it’s simpler. Safer. Less demanding."
"Battle Mage is rare because it requires balancing two completely different skill sets." Mikael added. "Magic and melee. Most people can’t handle the mental strain of casting spells while being hit in the face."
"Can you?" Marcus asked Nigard directly.
Nigard smiled slightly. "I’ve managed so far."
Marcus studied him for another moment, then nodded. "Fine. You’re in. But if you slow us down or put others at risk, I’ll leave you behind."
"Fair enough."
"Now." Marcus turned to address the whole group. "Let’s talk about the final plan."
Vera pulled out her maps, spreading them across a flat stone near the fire. The fortress layout, patrol schedules, supply routes all marked in meticulous detail.
"The supply caravan arrives at dawn." She pointed to the eastern approach. "Six guards, two drivers, one cart full of supplies. We intercept here, five miles from the fortress. Kill the guards, steal their uniforms."
"Then we approach the fortress posing as the supply delivery." Dain traced the route with his finger. "Use their credentials to get through the main gate."
"Once inside, we split up." Tobin took over. "Team One Marcus, Liz, and myself heads for the eastern wall. The weak section Vera identified. We plant explosives there."