I kept to the middle of the formation as we navigated the sea of trees.
Everyone around me was giving me a wide berth, but having me in the center was vital to give anyone in reach, especially the weaker members of the Guild, the bonus that came from proximity to me.
It was annoying, but it was a must in this situation.
A fifteen percent increase in all attributes was more than a fifteen percent increase in speed alone.
That would have allowed us to reach our destination sooner, but having the boost work with all attributes meant that we could move faster, yes, but also for more time as endurance was affected, with less effort because of strength, and possibly with less sore feet.
I had no idea if the mental stats helped too, but the mood was already joyous, as the people walked and talked together.
The harmony I could see was something incredible.
Something that I had never seen before.
Was it really all Veiled Marionette’s doing?
Or were some other factors at play?
I knew that the new group, I should stop calling them the new group, they were my people now, in my guild…
And I should find a name for the guild too.
Anyway, the people I recruited in town were more than happy to move from there.
They were scared at first, but a show of force was all they needed to realize that they were in good hands.
The trail of gremlins we left behind was another reminder.
I had to admit, I didn’t know what the others were up to as I did my thing during our stay in the safe zone, but I saw a great increase in the capabilities of almost everyone.
Many of the little bastards were found ahead of us, throats slit or a hole through the chest, courtesy of Quinn and Marcus.
Many of the crafters took up arms, deciding not to remain powerless in this world.
They formed the middle line of defense at our sides, Tom barking orders at them.
He gained some kind of presence skill, or command skill, maybe both, because they were moving at his words far too smoothly for people that had never seen combat before.
Their tower shields and spears locked easily into formation and found the enemy’s vitals as they moved as one, not even breaking stride.
The tactic was working.
Not only to protect us, we could do that too, but it was a great way to help them level up.
Crafting was not quick to level, but battling?
That was another matter.
Some people informed us that they gained achievements for defeating monsters way above their level, for defeating someone twice their level, and so on.
The guy who asked for the treant bloodline used a wooden spear he grew directly from a tree and said that he gained an achievement for felling a superior enemy with his own creation.
Overall, it was going pretty well.
I couldn’t complain about the Guild as a whole.
Tom was now listed as Lord Commander in the Guild interface.
Actually he was listed as Lord Commander Thomas Winslow, High Marshal Lv 28.
Honestly, a class like High Marshal was undeserved in my opinion, considering that he hadn’t really performed all that well before, but the System seemed to disagree.
Though now he was actually deserving of the commanding position.
The other important entries in the guild were:
Overseer Chloe Smith, Lore Warden Lv 25.
She was in charge of basically anyone not fighting.
While she was still not a strong combatant, she was giving her all to improve.
Her fighting style was as peculiar as they came.
She was using some kind of language magic, writing with a ballpoint pen in the air, leaving strange words I couldn’t understand floating for a moment before creating some kind of effect.
She told me that she managed to buy a guide and skills for supporting this fighting style that complemented the ones she got from her first class quite nicely.
Good for her.
Even if I found the whole thing strange, maybe there was more to it though.
You never knew when magic was involved.
I told her not to evolve her class again, or take some bullshit bloodline, as she was intending to.
I was intent on helping her get some nice achievements and a round of stat fruit strengthening.
If she had to be my second in command, she couldn’t afford to be weak.
And she actually was a really competent assistant.
She listened and accomplished everything I asked and more.
But the thing that sold her to me was another.
She had a hunger to her.
For more power, for recognition, for responsibility.
That was the real reason I was willing to overlook her lacking combat talents.
Still, I thought she could become competent there too with a bit of training.
We were in the tutorial after all.
For the moment the position of Master Artisan was left empty.
There was no one really above the others who was also well respected, and whom I respected and trusted enough with the position.
Gilbert came to me asking for it, claiming that it was in the best interest of the large number of crafters to have someone that represented them.
Yeah, if I had to choose someone for sure it wouldn’t be him.
Actually he was in the Guild only because it would cause friction not to have him, but sooner or later he would have to go.
He already got too much out of the deal with the golden pond, all for building a couple of barrels and a fucking cart.
If it wasn’t for the fact that I could amass a lot of points quite quickly now, I would want to strangle him.
Instead I just pushed his request down with a smile and told him that we would review it again in the new safe zone.
That was bound to be fun.
“You know, you could smile more,” said Rhea beside me. “You’re walking with your new girlfriend in this beautiful forest, you know…”
I turned to look at her.
She was dressed in dark, like always, high boots, jeans, top, and a long leather jacket.
All of it was magical, my eyes could see that clearly, even if I had no idea how to identify the effects.
I had to avoid looking directly at her, or at anyone, so as not to spook them to hell.
So I looked at her boobs, because why not?
But I smiled at her.
“I was just thinking, but I am glad to be walking around with my girlfriend,” I said to her. “Just not in this unending forest.”
I noticed her relax a tad as I confirmed her girlfriend status.
I had no idea what she and Alya talked about last night, but she looked fine, and Alya managed to give me a sad smile before taking her position on the frontline, so it seemed that for now I could avoid more drama.
But sooner or later I’d have to deal with that for sure.
“What do you have against forests? It’s nice here, the air is much better than anywhere I’ve ever been, and most of all, there are no insects! It’s really a magical forest.”
She was chipper today.
Not that she didn’t always have positive energy, but still, I really wanted to get close to her and…
I stopped my dirty thoughts, and refocused.
If I wanted that I’d have to resolve my aura dilemma first.
“Oh trust me, there are insects a bit to the west, but not the annoying kind.”
“What kind then?” she asked, some apprehension entering her voice.
“The kind that are dog-sized and swarming by the thousands.”
She looked at me in disgust.
Then on my left I heard someone muttering, “Fuck that shit, we’re not going there, right?”
I looked at the man.
He was one of the pure crafters, Michael if I’m not wrong.
He was a construction worker, no wait, a foreman, both before the tutorial and now.
“Not at all. Too dangerous. The stronger fighters could survive, but we’d be swarmed so badly that I can’t guarantee your safety.”
“How do you know this stuff?”
“I passed through there yesterday, and trust me, I got attacked constantly for hours while flying. Their territory is incredibly vast, and they threw themselves at you like their lives were worthless. They don’t have any sense of preservation.”
“Well, then I’m glad not to be going there. Actually, I didn’t get a chance to thank you properly, so err… you know, thanks.”
I snorted a little.
Yeah, thank you for saving me from slavery and accepting my sorry ass into the first Guild ever created by humanity, and for continuously protecting me without asking anything in return.
You know, thanks.
“Don’t sweat it, we got to look out for each other.”
“No, I mean it. It’s just that, sorry to say it, but you seem a bit hard to approach, you know? Always busy, always going somewhere. But the people here are not ungrateful, we’d repay you one day, somehow…”
His voice died down.
I couldn’t get a proper look at his face, but he sounded genuine at least.
Though I wasn’t really counting on them repaying what I did.
There was no way they could repay getting freed from that contract ever.
But okay, I’d take what I could.
“Yeah, there is always so much to do, but given the chance we should sit down and grab a drink sometime,” I told him.
“Oh yeah! I can’t wait. Maybe we should get the bartender to pour it for us, I heard during the party that when he serves the drinks they taste better!”
The passion in the man’s voice for alcohol was more than I expected, but I could go for a good whiskey.
“That’s a goo-”
I turned swiftly around, a hand already clad in a flowing gauntlet of manifested aura.
I felt someone get closer to me at high speed.
It was faint, but I felt it.
There was nothing to see, but my eyes got a glimpse of a shudder in the air, as if it were heated.
My perception accelerated while time slowed.
I activated my boots and stepped forward.
The invisible thing was nearly at arm’s reach when its shroud of invisibility faded as it clashed against my aura, revealing Quinn.
I stopped short of grabbing his face with my aura-clad hand while he came to a stop too.
“Holy fucking shit, man! Oh fuck! What is thaaat!” he screamed as he briefly crossed eyes with me.
Then with both hands on his knees he panted a little, avoiding looking up.
“Oh my god, I’m gonna get a heart attack… oh shit, fuck… How the fuck did you even feel me!?” he screamed at me.
“You’re not supposed to be able to feel that! And I just wanted to test my skills a little, there was no reason to give me nightmares!”
“Quinn, what the hell do you think you’re doing here? Playing a video game? What would have happened if I had just shot in your direction instead of approaching? What if you got injured or died? Think before deciding to perform your stunts. People here depend on your scouting, I depend on your scouting, so take this seriously, or don’t do it at all. And if you want to test your skills, just ask, I’d be happy to whoop your ass.”
I heard a couple of muttered curses from all around as his appearance and my aura brushing against some people created a commotion.
At least he had the decency to look chastised.
But after a second all signs of fear and remorse faded.
“You really gonna help? Oh and by the way, mainly I came back to tell you that there is a powerful monster ahead, something not on the map, but would you really train with-”
“Quinn,” I stopped him, “how far ahead?”
Before he could answer, a roar shook the leaves of the trees all around us.
I would kill him one of these days.