LOCATION: THE LUSTY WENCH
CITY: DAWNHOLLOW, ALLOVIA
DATE: APRIL 16, 2032 | TIME: 8:30 AM
The city of Dawnhollow had become a regional hub of activity. It had been six years since Grimwatch joined with its neighbor, The Shadowed Hamlet, becoming an officially recognized City in the eyes of the System and the kingdom of Allovia.
Guilds of all types established official branches in Dawnhollow, and tourism became a significant portion of the city’s revenue.
Adventurers throughout the southeastern area of Allovia flocked to the city for missions, weapon and armor upgrades, and gossip.
The Lusty Wench, now one of ten large inns in the city, was always booked solid. But the tavern was always a major attraction. The staff had expanded considerably, and Greta and Liesl still worked hard every day to keep the kitchens and bar stocked.
Wondrous smells of roasted meats and freshly baked bread wafted from the tavern the entire day and night, and the sound of merriment drowned out even the rhythmic clanging of the blacksmith’s hammer on the streets.
Meanwhile, Trevor Gant had purchased a permanent residence in Dawnhollow. He still returned to Chicago, of course. But as he drew closer to Level 100, he was highly motivated to push through.
In February 2026, Trevor made an incredible sacrifice that, in the end, saved Earth from a horrific fate. He possessed a unique class called Hollow Mantle.
The Hollow Mantle was a rare class that allowed one to take on the stats and skills of someone they defeat. Trevor started with three open slots, and when he defeated an opponent, he had the ability to infuse the class of that enemy into one of his open slots.
One of the personae he had assumed was a terrifying and powerful man from the world of Evirond named Varris.
In order to rid himself of Varris’s insidious influence, Trevor had to undergo a painful ritual that ripped the persona slot from him.
Trevor was hit with a 33.3% penalty until he reached Level 100. The penalty reduced his stats by a third and all experience gained was cut by the same amount.
By the time he was, at long last, on the cusp of Level 100, he had done enough work to reach Level 133.
But after the long slog, helped by the astounding friendship and support of Mason ‘Brick’ Briggs, Trevor was finally ready to cross the threshold.
Liesl dropped off two large mugs of beer. The frothy head wavered and spilled over the sides as she set them down on the table, winking at her two customers and sauntering away.
Brick and Trevor raised their glasses and clinked them together before drinking deeply of the tasty local ale.
“Ahh,” Trevor said. “That hits the spot.”
“It sure fucking does,” Brick said, wiping the foam from his stubbly beard with his sleeve. “So, when you do want to do it?”
“I don’t want to wait another day,” Trevor said. He reached for the meat and cheese tray and selected a thin cut of boar jerky. “I’m doing it tonight. Mallory contacted me and said they’ve got an assignment for me so I shouldn’t delay.”
“I’ll be waiting for you. I’m excited to see what you get on the other side. I’m sure your Trial is going to be unique.”
And it really was.
That night, sated on meat, cheese, and a good amount of ale, Trevor returned to his home on the outskirts of Dawnhollow.
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He closed his eyes and forced himself to process the rest of the alcohol, erasing all signs of drunkenness from his body.
Then, he walked to his bed, read the System message once more, and kicked off his long-awaited Level 100 Trial.
After Trevor’s grueling Trial, he had a choice to make. As always, the System did not make it an easy one, either.
---
System Message.
Congratulations.
You have completed all stages of your Level 100 Trial.
Your body has been bolstered to handle more powerful stats without fracturing.
Your pathways have been remade to begin producing your own vital energy and mana in limited amounts.
And finally, your mind now houses a fragment of System code. This will allow you to carry your enhancements with you beyond the practical range of the System.
To close your Level 100 Trial, you are being offered a choice.
Life is forged by decisions, and some close off one path while opening another.
This is one such choice.
You have suffered through your 33.3% debuff for 92 levels, and never complained. You are, by all measure, an exceptional man.
Your restrictions have been lifted.
In reward for your relentless pursuit of greatness, you will receive a 15% boost to experience points earned for a period of one year. Use your time wisely.
Your class, Hollow Mantle, is powerful, but it is time for it to evolve.
Ponder carefully, Trevor Gant.
This choice will cause your path to branch forever.
There is no undoing it without severe consequences.
Option 1: The Well-Trodden Path
Expand your Hollow Mantle class to five slots. You will have the opportunity to replace the two currently filled slots without losing XP or skills in those slots. The procedure to obtain new personae is unchanged. The number of times you can switch between persona slots will go from one to three per day.
Option 2: Embrace the Darkness
You participated in a ritual to purge the influence of the ancient Mage Varris from yourself, and saved your planet from a terrible fate in the process. While you were penalized for this action, you were stoic in your response. If you choose this option, you will remain limited to three persona slots, but you will regain the Mage Varris’s full skills, stats and abilities. You will only be able to switch persona slots once per day, but Varris’s slot will be more powerful. You will also have to train up your other two slots to avoid an incredible imbalance that will destabilize you in unpredictable ways.
Which Option do you choose?
---
Trevor opened his eyes. Brick was there.
“Hey, bud. How was it?” Brick asked.
Trevor leaned his head back, looking at the ceiling for just a moment.
Then he met Brick’s gaze and started laughing.
“One of my choices is to bring Varris back.”
He shook his head.
“At full power, too. The absurdity. The audacity. After everything I’ve been through…”
Brick reached out, but Trevor kept talking.
“And what’s crazy is that I want to do it. Varris was fucking powerful, man. But when I had his persona, It was at Level 8. If I get it now, the System says it will be at full power.”
Brick leaned back and exhaled.
“I can see why you’re torn. I mean, why would you not want to do that?”
“Normally I’d get five slots now, but if I take Varris, I will still be limited to three.”
“Yeah, but you’ve got your rogue and melee fighter slots trained up pretty well now. Adding a powerful mage to it would round you out pretty nicely, right?”
Trevor looked up again, and Brick could see he had made up his mind.
“I’m going to do it,” Trevor said. “But I’m going to need your help. Just a little longer, because if I don’t train up the Rogue and Fighter to at least get close to Varris, I fear he’s going to take over again.”
Brick nodded.
“You know you’ve got my support.”
Two marbles vibrated in his pocket, and Brick chuckled.
“And apparently Nina and Sienna agree. We’ve got your back.”
Trevor focused his attention and selected Option 2.
The System provided a final warning, and Trevor had to confirm once more to proceed.
---
Be warned: Varris may be dead, but he was insidious by nature. The results of this choice could lead to madness if you do not bolster yourself against it.
You must strengthen your other two slots as quickly as possible to retain balance.
Please confirm to proceed.
---
Trevor confirmed, and the next morning he was on a plane to Washington DC. He had a meeting with the Celestial Intelligence Service.
Apparently there was a mission waiting for him that would immediately test him.
Trevor smiled in anticipation. He had been suppressed by that penalty for so long. Now, he felt like a thoroughbred greyhound just let off the leash.