* Runeknight Magic Detected. Runeknight Magic Detected. *
The look of worry and fear wiped off of the orc's face and was replaced with a vicious smile. The once confident man's expression slowly turned into a look of fear, similar to the orc just before.
* High Tier Runeknight Passive Skill: Power Siphon Identified. *
[Sire, it seems that the orc is stealing away the human's strength.]
Power Siphon was a passive ability which enabled the user to slowly siphon away the opponent's power the longer they were in battle. This was the true power of a high-level Runeknight; the culmination of enhancing one's power while taking away another's. In fact, a Runeknight could be said to be similar to a Shadowdancer, both specialize in stealing or negating an opponent's strength and skill.
A Shadowdancer excels in executing weak targets in succession, but the Runeknight steals the power to become stronger. That's where they are complete opposites. A Shadowdancer attempts to end the fight as quickly as possible, while the Runeknight gains an advantage the longer he is in battle.
It slowly became apparent to the contestants as the tides quickly turned into the orc's favor. The orc's green hands gradually inched away from his side of the table and seemingly pulsed with energy stolen from the man. The veins that were previously popping from the man's forearm and hand begin to die down as the orc's iron grip hardened around the man's hand, as though it was crushing it.
The challenger let out a yelp in pain as a crack could be heard in the sky. That crack was the orc's doing, crushing and splintering every bone in the helpless man's body. The battle was over before it even started. The audience let out a gasp at the axis of arms swing in favor of the champion like a magnet and slam onto the table. The champion stood up and raised a fist in the air, roaring in victory. The poor human could be seen grasping what remained of his bloody hand as the crowd roared once more. It was a spectacular contest, and everybody was exhilarated.
The host walked up to the stage, and with the orc, bowed towards the audience. "Thank you for having us perform for you today! It has truly been a pleasure. We hope to see you soon!" And just like that, the show was over. The champion packed their stuff with the help of the host and was quickly on their way.
This was the average day in the Kingdom of Geros. Scams invisible to the average person's eye, and a deceptively simple game paired with the skill of your choice made cheaters extremely hard to catch. It seemed like a Runeknight in a game of arm wrestling was one of the scams used to make coin and entertain the crowd. Of course, the events couldn't last as long as the scammers wished. Magic abilities could be hidden but were still detectable to the trained eye.
A trained eye like Derek's.
Everybody in Aeras had a class rank, but your average commoner would stop learning after breaking the first rank, Ensign. The reason why is because the five classes that you typically chose would always, in some shape or form, enhance your current occupation or task. For example, a low-tier Mystic would be suitable for a housewife, able to control lightweight objects and move them around the house. A low-tier Runeknight could be useful for carpentry or other kinds of legwork. A Paragon as a guard. It was recommended to reach Regent rank to apply for any job at all and that slowly became the expectation if one wanted to work.
Rather than for combat and fighting, many classes were useful for everyday lives as well. People had families to take care of and errands to run. Thus, no one really trained to future levels after attaining a profession. The average rank of the populace of Aeras became around low to mid-tier Regent. They were the base of the economy and the majority of the kingdom.
Avid individuals devoted to training would typically reach the next two ranks, the Bishop or the Sentinel. Training persisted throughout their lifetimes and required major dedication towards the arts and magic. In return, an individual was granted more power and more abilities, which could be used for more specific, high paying contracts/jobs or for individual gain. These are typically people who were pseudo-famous in the kingdom; your librarian, blacksmith, and your alchemist. They had the ability to create and accomplish feats most people wouldn't dream of, and as such, their services and wares were greatly sought after.
Even though training seems more beneficial, it was just as hard to survive at the base of the economy. Everybody can train hard and become a Bishop or Sentinel, but at the end of the day, people prefer wares and services from the best, and only the best. There's going to be one sought after alchemist. A famous healer and doctor. Second-best was second to none. After people realized that "everyone" wanted to be the best, a lot of miscreants forgone honest work. An example would be the host and the arm wrestler. Most mid-ranks would resort to scams and evil deeds.
Then came the miracle workers, typically reaching a rank of Herald or Templar in their lifetime. These gems were a few genius scholars, Hand of the King, and other people born with innate abilities. Hard work alone could not equate to a rank of Herald. These nobles were blessed with powers from above and the mysterious.
And finally, the King. The Elf King has always been at least a Vizier. A lifetime of blood rights and blood descendants gave way to the powerful. The power of the King was always handed over to a blood relative who achieved a rank of Vizier or forecasted to achieve it. Whether distant or close relatives, the blood of the ancient Reikas family fought hard against other dynasties, honing itself over millennia to become the kings they are today. Each generation, there has been an heir with the capabilities of a Vizier.
Derek learned all this while travelling with Kiren, and it was interesting to see it first-hand in action. He takes it all in as the crowd dies down.
The excitement eventually disperses and the marketplace's glory can finally be seen. Exotic pets, trinkets, and decorations could be seen floating and shining everywhere. The marketplace didn't have a name, it was simply, "The Marketplace". There wasn't a set theme, store owners came offering various wares that didn't fit any description. There were basic commodities though, your food, basic weaponry, books, the usual works.
Derek was extremely hungry and went over to the food area to grab a quick bite to eat. The area worked like your average street food lanes, unorganized people and noisy store owners.
"5 Aers for the finest squidling's entrails !"
"Come get your mantis skewer's for a discounted price of 8 Aers!"
"Leopard Feet for sale!"
It seemed like Derek's balance was considered sufficient to purchase some goods. The first course of action was to buy some decent clothes and food. Thanks to Kiren, his clothes were cleaned to the tee, but the torn and tattered bits remained. He could've even passed off for a beggar. It was a good thing Kiren gave him a long dark robe to barely wrap himself up with on their journey back to the kingdom.
Derek began to walk over to the mantis store. It seemed the most appetizing compared to the other options the store owners were shouting out, and he was famished. He pointed at two mantis skewer's and the store owner went to fetch them.
"That'll be 16 Aers, but as a fellow half-blood, it'll be only 15!" The owner said with a big smile.
What a kind store owner! I'll be sure to frequent him again, Derek thought. He gave him the money and made his way to the clothing district. Balance: 135 Aers.
Derek was marveled at the different kinds of clothing that were offered. Some robes, garments, and undershirts were made from cheap animal skins. On the other hand, there were exquisite hoods detailed to perfection, less about functionality and more about aesthetics. It was a colorful mix of quantity and quality. Derek took out the two skewers while perusing at the items and chomped at them viciously. They were a little bit on the crunchy, but other than that, it was quite good!
As Derek happily ate his mantis, he didn't seem to notice a cloaked man approaching him from behind. The hooded stranger tapped Derek on the shoulder. Derek turned around with two skewers in his mouth and heard a raspy voice come from the hood.
"I know you can see it. Follow me." Derek then felt like his feet were moving on their own. The skewers dropped from his mouth and fell to the floor. He struggled to move the lower part of his body, but it wouldn't budge. He was stuck.
"Hey! Let go of me!"
"Don't cause a commotion."
* Mystic Ability: Partial Puppeteer Identified. *
* Ability Preview *
[Partial Puppeteer: Less potent than Full Puppeteer, an ability that controls a part of the target's body. Energy drains with duration.]
Derek continued to struggle as he slowly followed the old man out of the middle section and towards the outskirts of the city. The light outside begin the darken. It seemed like they have been walking for ages.
Darn it! I had so many things planned for today! Derek muttered under his breath.
Soon, it was nighttime, and as if on cue, the old man snapped his fingers. A ball of flame emitted from his palm just as the last drop of sunlight disappeared.
[Sire, I am unable to identify your captor due to the hood over his face. Can conclude that captor is probably concealed under a magic guise and performing Mystic abilities.]
"Old man, where are you taking me? I don't think I can be of any help to you." The hooded man was silent for a while, a lifeless expression visible only by the ball of light from his hand. Derek could barely make out the man's face.
Then he spoke. "The Runeknight earlier, he was cheating, was he not?" Derek reluctantly nodded.
"I know that he is cheating, but I can't prove it." The old man turned towards Derek and put the light under his face.
"But you seem to know what was going on, even so, more than me. When the tides were swung in the orc's favor, you had a certain look in your eyes, as if an alarm had been rung and new information had reached you."
"Am I wrong, my fellow winged stranger?"