-Gildarts Clive

Mini-Boss defeated, Dungeon completed [Level 5]!
+625 EXP [+25 Bonus EXP]
+$1,250
+15 Dust of Undeath
+5 Unholy Essence

Achievement Unlocked! "Offline-Only!" ~ You beat a dungeon solo, without abusing Purify! Maybe you're not totally worthless.
+25 EXP from all future Dungeon Completions
Double $$$ rewards from all future Dungeon Completions
Receive Zone Customization Points from all future Dungeons completed solo!

"All that… plus EXP from the zombie kills… and it's still not enough!"

John mumbled to himself a list of gripes he had with his night farming, not the least of which was that he'd been foolish enough to pick the zombies instead of something equally flammable that would give him crafting materials he could use on objects and not have to hide from Moira…

The worst of it was that, even though he was now so scarily close to level 10, he couldn't risk another Dungeon. He ended up losing over half his health fighting that oversized monstrosity that moved far too quickly to be truly made from rotting flesh. With his Endurance HP / Regen equation designed as it was, even the buff from food ended up meaning he needed nearly 20 hours to fully regenerate.

Thanks to his heal spell, he could convert his mana (which regenerated per minute instead of per hour) into health, but he quickly ran out of mana experimenting with his new spell during the fight, so he barely got himself going again. He thought he'd have time to rush into a dungeon first thing after school, but Moira hadn't even allowed him to get home. She had demanded he immediately ride with her after classes, quite forcefully.

Despite all his grumbling though, he had accomplished something. Since his mana regenerated so much faster than his health, John had checked exactly what he might be able to replace his cloak with. Of course, all he could work with that he could wear around Paladins was the metal he'd been given, so he couldn't make another cloak, but it felt a bit pretentious anyway. Instead…

Bronze Ring of Transference ~ Has the capacity to store up to 25 HP and 25 MP. User may transfer HP or MP into the ring at any time, at a ratio of 5:1, and may transfer HP or MP out of the ring at any time at a ratio of 1:1.

It had taken all 10 of his Bronze Ingots, plus he'd had to use Craft to make more with all of his Copper Ore and some of his Tin Ore, but he'd forged the ring and couldn't be happier. Through liberal use of his Lesser Heal spell, and the fact that its formula meant he would always be doing a 1:1 conversion of mana to health, John was able to fill both halves of the ring before the end of the school day, although he didn't have enough mana to make anything else. Still, an emergency reserve was nice - hopefully in the future, if he got some more advanced ores, he could forge rings with a better storage capacity.

John strode out of the school with confidence he didn't truly feel, hoping to appear to Moira as a stalwart ally. He still had his quest to become her best friend, and aside from that, he honestly wanted to get closer to her, if only for the selfish reason that he didn’t' want to have to hide everything from her anymore. Given her very stereotypical Paladin attitudes, the best way he could see to grow closer to her was to be as reliable as humanly possible. Actually, given what he had seen of her own devotion and fervor, he might need to be inhumanly reliable.

"Ah, Mr. Newman! I had thought you might be deciding to retreat after all," Moira called out to him. She was already straddling her motorcycle, just fastening the straps of her helmet under her chin. John idly wondered if she was wearing a helmet because it was actually necessary for safety or merely so that, if she did happen to get into a massive crash, nobody wondered how the girl on the motorcycle was less injured than the driver of the truck she'd crashed into.

"Last thing I need in my life is a Warden hunting me down," John replied, chuckling. Moira smiled warmly at him.

"Hush, now, Mr. Newman. Not until we arrive."

John quickly nodded and climbed on behind Moira, clasping his arms around her sides and hanging on as the tenacious Paladin quickly darted both of them off toward the Brighton Manor.

"Today, you fight for the Order! Today, you fight for justice! Today, the Lady's enemies weep for their sins, and those who have been cast from the light of grace will be blinded by its radiance once more!"

A dozen shields and weapons rose in unison, cheers and war cries raised yet somehow almost paling in comparison to the booming voice of Lord Brighton.

"Our lands have been encroached, our people wounded and slain, and our ideals made a mockery of. We shall not stand for this! The Lady's blessing is upon us, and her will is ours. Our foes stand against the might of the world itself. They stand against Gaia herself, and before her judgement, they shall find themselves cast into the darkest pits of the Abyss!"

Once more those weapons rose up, this time the cheers seeming almost bloodthirsty. With no weapon of his own - save for a bat that he refused to show in front of these well-armed and well-trained warriors - John raised his fist and matched their cries.

"Your mission is as pure and righteous as the Lady herself - you are to take the lands we have designated from the corrupt hands of this Cabal, turn them over to the Order's control, and show them that we will not stand idly by as they encroach our territory and attack our people! Go forth with the Lady's blessing, and may none stand in the way of those who are righteous!"

The cheers were overpowering, overwhelming. John couldn't hear the sound of anything except metal-on-metal as the Order's selected soldiers headed for their transport. Which, apparently, was a fully armored APC. Apparently having enough money to completely buy out small countries could get you some pretty hardcore military hardware. Combine that with enough magical prowess to easily disguise it as little more than an average minivan, and you had a semi-literal private army ready to go on a moment's notice.

"Are you ready, John? This will be your first mission acting under the Order's directives."

Moira stood beside him, her face determined. Ever since they had arrived back at the Manor, she'd taken on a stark, serious demeanor. More like when he'd first met her… back when she suspected him of being an evil mage. He did not greatly enjoy the memory but couldn't blame her, considering that he'd found out after their arrival that she was in charge of the mission.

"Of course," John said; "I came all the way here didn't I? I wouldn't back out now."

"Yes, you came here," Moira pointed out, raising a finger, "a place that you have already been, and know now as a safe haven of sorts. Taking the first step toward uncharted territory is a harsh moment for many. Do you have no fears? No regrets? No one expecting you to return safely?"

*"But… I should fight by your side, I-"

"You can't, Seras," John sighed, shaking his head. "I can't explain you, and even if I could, they might not accept your existence. You have to remain here. I'll do my best to make sure that you don't remain a secret forever, but you have to believe me on this - there's no way to follow me that doesn't involve you being killed, captured, or worse."

"I… yes, Master," Seras agreed, knitting her brows together and staring down at the ground. John was torn on how to feel. It was the first time she'd called him Master since he revealed her origins to her, which was outstanding. On the other hand, she was still dulled emotionally, it seemed. Even her sadness was muted, as if translated through some barrier he could not fully comprehend.

"Seras, I… know this hasn't been easy on you."

John's eyes were drawn toward the ground as well, not wanting to meet Seras' own even by accident. His words were true, but they didn't quite acknowledge that it was his fault her last few days had been so difficult.

"It won't be like this forever. You'll adapt, you always have. You're strong. I can't stay here with you right now, but… I'll be back."

John paused, unsure of what to say. Her eyes were on him, and for just a moment he thought he saw the same Seras that had been so frightened to be left alone in the dark just the other day.

"I promise."

"My mother," John stumbled, trying to hide how off-guard that comment had caught him. The memory of Seras had come unbidden and nearly unseated his calm demeanor in a single moment. Despite his awkwardness, Moira seemed almost unfazed, her eyes turning toward the vehicle the rest of the Order were loading into.

"Yes. We all have someone looking forward to our return. And we don't want to disappoint them, do we? So let's make this a tale for the ages!"

John was no longer entirely certain if Moira was trying to psyche him up or talk herself into the mission. He felt like there was a lot about her relationship with her father that was only just barely kept under the surface… but having known her less than a week, he was quite certain it was not his place to ask that kind of questions.

"Right, let’s go," John agreed as he followed Moira quickly into the APC, hearing the engine almost immediately start roaring. Lost in thought, John Newman found himself hurtling rapidly toward his first true battle almost quickly enough to leave behind the thoughts of what might happen if things weren't so simple.

Almost.

"In the name of the Order of the Golden Rose, and in the name of the Lady, this land is hereby sanctified, cast away from your mortal concerns. Justice has come to this land, and all sinners who do not confess shall be met with holy fire that consumes all darkness, turns night to day, and leaves only the untouched purity of innocence and rebirth. Step forth, cry out your sins, and rejoice in your redemption!"

"Is that… really necessary?" John whispered to Moira, trying to make sure no one else could hear his question. The crier was loud enough that all attention had been focused on him, but the quiet in the absence of those words left John feeling as if he himself were the center of attention.

"The Order is founded on tradition and continues to exist based on its own lengthy and powerful history. Though some of the language may be outdated, our petition to confession is a necessary and powerful one. It is our signal of value and morality to our enemies - to let them know that even though they have forsaken what is good and just, no man is too far gone, so lost in the darkness, that he cannot find the light once more. It tells them that the Lady is eternal, forgiving, and that no sin against her or her creations is without atonement."

"And if they don't atone…"

"There is no escape from this Barrier while a member of the Golden Rose remains within. If they do not atone, then only the fires of hell await those who will not surrender, or cannot be captured."

Moira finished John's sentence with no remorse, no hesitation. Her eyes never left the cul-de-sac, some fifty yards ahead, and she seemed completely unperturbed by John's questions or his disbelief in the tone and phrasing of their announcement.

When John voiced no further questions, the entire Barrier seemed to grow deadly in its absolute silence. As if the tiniest movement, the tiniest sound…

From one of the nearby homes a violet cluster of particles erupted forth, streaking into the gathering of Paladins with a vengeance. One of the forwardmost warriors stepped forth and cleaved into the magical **** with a glistening yellow blade, which seemed to dissipate the blast's cohesion and absorb what magical fragments remained. John blinked, trying to decide whether to be shocked at the sudden ****, impressed by the warrior's quick reflexes, or awed by the magical skill on display. All three blended together with a shot of adrenaline thrown into the mixture, leaving him twitchy and uncertain. Moira showed none of those emotions, merely sighing and shaking her head.

"They have made their decision. May the Lady's judgement fall upon them!"

Around John, a battle cry rose once more, and the weapons that were raised seemed all the sharper for it.

(The above image reflects John's stats with the Necromancer Cloak unequipped)