Chương 27: Life finds so many curious ways to preserve itself, does it not?

>>Whoa! Freaky! Didn't even hear that guy. Ability Activated—From the Fragments to the Aftermath Threat Level 1 Knickknack Savant: Level 1 George cast draw and the eight ball rose into his hand. He brandished it at the newcomer.

"Mr. Brandiss," the man said, raising his arms and laughing.

"Please put that down. I'm not here to hurt you. I'm here to offer you an advantage." The man was short and wide. Round, jet-black glasses hid his eyes. He wore black from head to toe, and the folds of his neck spilled over his tight collar. His head was bare; even his eyebrows were only folded wrinkles banded across his forehead. >>Oh, snap. New guy knows your name.

"Who are you?" George said.

"And how did you get in here?"

"Why don't we sit down?" the man said and then lowered himself to the ground and folded his legs. He waved for George to do the same. He shook his head at the cradle and said, "Ah. I was told your accommodations were spartan, but this is… quite something, Mr. Brandiss."

"Why did you call me that?" George repeated.

"Because it is your name. George Brandiss, fifty-three. Formerly of Chicago by way of California. Three children. Two male, Max and Christopher. One female, Katherine. One wife, Jane, deceased. Current residence…" he raised his arms at the cradle.

"Here." The man said, "You came to our attention after your first trial, and we did our homework. You have no memory of your previous life. You seemed to be set up to lose your duel with Charlie James, a member of House Saar and the Moa guild, but you prevailed instead, earning yourself a death mark. You are also playing host to a node spider with whom you seem to have come to some sort of truce."

"Who are you, and how do you know all of that?" George said. He was still holding the eight ball in his hand. The man laughed.

"Forgive me, Mr. Brandiss. Manners! Identify me." He waved his hand and George's Identify skill supplied his basic information. <Name: Murdo Race: Human Level: 344 Profession: Avant Courier House: The Rook>"What the hell is the Rook?" George said.

"And this still doesn't explain why you are here." Murdo bonked the heel of his hand against his forehead.

"Again, forgive me. It really is hard for us to remember how simple the interface is for those starting out on such a basic path." Then Murdo extended his finger and began to write in the air. His finger was encased in a pointed black sleeve that George had not noticed before. The sharp tip flashed with sparks like a fuse as Murdo traced an intricate shape that burned an afterimage into George's vision. Yet, when Murdo was finished drawing, the shape did not fade.

Murdo flipped his hand, and the shape shot at George. He flinched, but it moved too fast for him to dodge it. The glowing rune hit his chest and disappeared with another flash of light. George felt the rush of tiny bubbles radiating from the place on his chest where the rune had hit him.

"Now, Identify me again," Murdo said. George used the Identify skill again as Murdo sat there smiling and waiting. He flourished his hand as if to say, " See?" Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. <Name: Murdo Race: Human Level: 344, C-Grade Profession: Avant Courier, Fifth Tier Abilities: Rune Scrye, Construct Sigil, Snap Portal, Boneharrow Gaze, etc.

House: The Rook House Rank: Five Metadata—Encyclopedia Esoterica: The Rook is one of the twelve High Houses and remains a dominant force. It is rigidly hierarchical, ruled by a royal family that rose to power through cycles of internal violence and political purges. The current dynasty oversaw a long ascendance, expanding the house's influence and securing repeated victories in high-stakes trials. That era is now waning as rival houses rise, but the Rook remains deeply entrenched and formidable.

The house is defined by its uncompromising ethos: victory at any cost. Its agents are conditioned to prioritize results over morality, and its alliances are pragmatic, unstable, and often temporary. >"What did you do?" George asked.

"I upgraded your Identify. The Rook helps those who help the Rook," Murdo said. Murdo put one of his hands on his chest and made a small bow while remaining seated.

"As you can see, my name is Murdo. I am here in my official capacity as avant courier to the Rook to offer you an advantage—and to ask for your help. We can think of that upgrade as a small gift in honor of surviving your first trial. Please, would you sit?" George sat down and put the pool ball on the floor beside him.

"Mr. Brandiss. I must ask," Murdo said.

"Is it true that you speak to the node spider? And that it responds?" >>If he knows to ask that, he must already know the answer.

"Yes," George said.

"Remarkable!" Murdo said.

"The relationship between all varieties of parasite and host is a fascination of mine. Life finds curious ways to preserve itself, does it not? I was overjoyed to learn that the task of meeting you had fallen to me. It is unusual for a node spider to allow its host to even know of its existence, let alone aid its host as yours did in your first trial. I have not encountered another example of such an arrangement. Fascinating." Murdo stretched out his hands and clapped in George's direction.

"As to why I am here, there is a certain person of interest to the Rook who will be competing alongside you in the next trial. I have been dispatched to obtain your cooperation in advance to ensure the survival and victory of that person of interest." >>They are rigging the game. Those assholes. But… maybe good for us?

"OK. Who is this person of interest? What am I supposed to do for him? And what can he do for me?" George asked. Murdo laughed quietly and glanced over his shoulder, as if to check for eavesdroppers.

"Mr. Brandiss… may I call you George? You must be careful what you say. I'm aware of your situation. You are new to this world and its power structures. Even so, etiquette must be observed. The Rook enforces its hierarchy with, shall we say, a predilection for brutality. The person of interest is Prince Neco, a member of the royal family and dux of an influential faction within the house."

Murdo laid his hand on his chest, "In my function as avant courier and emissary of the Rook, we may banter, we may haggle, we may talk of quid-pro-quo, but the royal family suffers none of that. They do not engage in tit-for-tat exchanges with their inferiors." At that, Murdo made a gesture that included them both.

"They demand and we comply. Those who forget this rule tend to find their lives painfully foreshortened." >>And I have just made a new entry in my "people to not piss off but to kill if we get the chance" list.

"Forgive me for saying so, George, but you are truly among the weakest and most lowly participants in the upcoming trial. Your fellow competitors will range from F grade to D grade. At level 17, you are on the low end of F grade. However, due to the nature of the trial, the victory—and the spoils thereof—will not necessarily go to the strongest. In the end, it will come down to a series of votes. All we ask is that you do not cast your votes against the prince's interests when the time for voting comes."

"How does the trial work?" George said.

"Last time, it was just two people who had to kill each other."

"Like all trials, it is a game," Murdo said.

"It plays out over a series of alternating rounds, with players divided into two teams. Players are released into a maze of linked environments connected by portals. Some hunt members of the opposing team. Some set traps. Others hide and let the timer run out." Murdo said, "When the hunting round ends, the voting round begins. All players are teleported to a common room where violence is prohibited.

There is a brief negotiation period in which players attempt to sway the vote, followed by a vote to eliminate a participant. The player with the most votes is removed from the trial safely but suffers a penalty and forfeits any share of the spoils if their team wins." He continued, "The cycle repeats—hunting round, then voting round—until all members of one team are either killed or eliminated through the vote."

"My proposal is that you aid Prince Neco to the best of your ability during the trial or, at the very least, that you do not vote against him. In exchange for your support, I have been empowered to offer you your choice of one of three items to help you survive and prevail." He waved a hand, and three items appeared on the floor between them: a full-head helmet of mirror-bright chrome, a silver medallion on a thin gold chain etched with a black tower beneath a skull, and an unadorned black ring.

"These were acquired at our expense. Given your level, your options are limited, but each of these is suited to your weaknesses—and to what awaits you in the trial."