Chapter 14 - Starting Anew!
The storm that threatened their survival the previous day struck hard, making them remain in Kilton longer than planned. During that time, Innkeeper Trubin made sure they were given all the current information. The only thing he needed to have available was the calendar and the current date and time.
"I wasn't given that information." Trubin shrugged ruefully. "I thought it strange back then and find it frustrating even now." A sigh escaped him. "I hope you can update me when you find the information." He pondered the problem they were facing in Ravelin when they arrived there. "Ah, seek out Lancer Oljan when you go to the main area where announcements are posted," Trubin finally suggested. "He's friendly to newcomers, especially now that other scandals have reintegrated the belief that all aliens are going to kill the indigenous species and citizens already naturalized." He shook his head at the backward attitudes.
"So, we should find Lancer Oljan." Conroy reiterated what Trubin was telling them.
"He'll be able to guide us through the process of at least registering with some of the guilds," Kenneth mentioned as he compiled a comprehensive to-do list. He also made sure that Conroy had the same information.
Fortunately, their databases started to match the information being passed to them.
"This storm is yet another sign of bad times headed our way." The Innkeeper nodded. "Yes, you must find Lancer Oljan, or he'll locate you." He shrugged. "I'll contact him to prevent discrepancies when you finally arrive in Ravelin." His promise was firm when he told Conroy and Kenneth. "Further delays would only make your futures harder to improve when it comes to survival." He shook his head warily.
"More trouble would occur if anyone else were to find out your real identities." A sigh escaped Trubin. "Yes, you must find Lancer Oljan," he nodded decisively with the authority of knowledge in his demeanor and tone as he spoke. "he will guide you thoroughly. That way, you won't be further delayed."
The two men were relieved to receive this assistance. Still, they were troubled that they could do nothing in return to repay Trubin's generosity. "How can we thank you?" Conroy regarded the Innkeeper.
Kenneth nodded respectfully when he spoke quietly. "Yes, there must be something we can do to help you."
They were frustrated by the weather's stalled progress. However, it gave them more time to learn about the Innkeeper's obstacles to his future.
Surprisingly, the Innkeeper was clearly aware of the limitations that he'd placed on himself long ago. Trubin wouldn't let anyone face the same fate as him if he could help it. He regarded Kenneth and Conroy with a faint, resigned smile.
"Honestly, if there was a way to rewrite what is predicted of our future, that would be wonderful." Trubin shook his head. "However, that is impossible because none of us are foreseers." Clearly aware of his inability to advance further, which would allow him to leave Kilton, Trubin merely shook his head. "It would be more beneficial if someone could make it to Purgatory Waystation. That way, the stationmaster might be willing to alter our fates." A faint smile tugged at his mouth. "After all, Kilton and Ravelin are the first gateways to the next stage of reaching it."
They sat in moody silence.
In an attempt to change the subject to something more useful, Trubin sighed. "Unless you're able to fly whenever you please." He looked at them questioningly, and Conroy shook his head.
Trubin frowned in dismay. "Hmm, it'll take you at least three to four hours to travel those fifteen miles. Some steep areas are to traverse, and the road is bad." He warned. "You're better off taking a trail between the main road and the Abbey passage rife with bandits."
Conroy and Kenneth frowned. They needed to gain practical skills to combat bandits and similar riffraff.
Trubin picked up on their unease. "Now, now, don't be too worried." He showed them a map that was accessible in their inventory map and marked the trail he knew about. "This is the one to use," Trubin remarked with wryness. "I would accompany you two, but I don't think leaving here would be wise." he shook his head with exasperation. "I've heard that some bandits are up to no good and planning to wreak havoc here in this area."
*
Fuck those chaos gods and the game creators. They could just kiss his ass and go wander the universe as microscopic specks of dust. The author was so sick of what had happened to this storyline that he was at a loss. However, since he knew he'd die if it stalled any longer, he came up with a plausible species.
He wasn't going to turn cannibalistic because that was just disgusting. Luckily, as the author, he figured out a way to ensure thirteen years of breathing room.
The author muttered, "I'm going to make sure I have a species that people can become if they don't want to become stuck as mortals, NPCs, or otherwise disliking the species they were dumped into this world as."
He tapped his jaw and nodded, "Yes, this will work." he continued refining what appeared in his mind as the ultimate compromise. "Cytherian humanoid." the author murmured. "A species that is non-binary and capable of becoming male, female, Alpha, Beta, or Omega." He wrote in the specifics. "They could possess any number of abilities and not be tied to becoming a specific classification."
Hmm, what else was necessary to prevent problems? The author frowned. "Oh right, this has to be placed in the database farther back than thirteen years." A sigh escaped him. "A creator's work is never finished." He made it possible for anyone between the ages of eighteen and three hundred to opt into the species so that it was available for moving up ranks and levels and changing classifications.
"Hopefully, this will help people escape from this beginning floor that'll go extinct in thirteen years and counting down." He would remake his entire appearance into a Cytherian humanoid. Hopefully, those idiots who were once human and full of useless optimism would also get a hint and change. It would be their only chance to change their fates.
As for the author, it would be fun to remake his entire persona into something mischievous and entirely unlike what he'd been in the previous timeline. This was gonna be one hell of an adventurous, epic journey!