God Class, page 37
Silas contemplated this information then turned a raised brow on Pawlin, not buying into his improvised lesson or his supposed random job offer any longer.
“Seems like you lingered on Vanguard for a bit longer than the others, Pawlin,” Silas said, folding his arms over his chest as he eyed the guard. “Six to eight sounds like a convenient number too.”
Pawlin laughed and waved him off. “Okay, you have seen right through me then! Fine,” Pawlin said and composed himself with a long sigh. “You are correct in your assumption, Silas. Esabell is looking to restart our Vanguard division with herself at the helm, along with Reimond, Ingran, and yours truly. Commander Culkran had already given us the required permissions many moons ago, however we could find none to join our cause. The truth is that it is a dangerous position, and our enemies of the forest claim many, while roaming beasts and bandits take the others.”
“If this Vanguard is so dangerous, then why would your people want to do it?” Tulk sneered. “Are you so stubborn that coin would drive you to a short life for long pockets?”
They had made it to the training grounds, and Pawlin signaled them to place down their weapons as he leaned against a shielded training dummy. He ran his fingers through his hair slowly, the lines of stress on his face as readable as the large scar in the bright daylight. He gave both Tulk and Silas a more sympathetic gaze than the one he usually wore.
“It is not just coin,” he answered after a long beat. “The truth of it all is that we are the only town which does not employ a Vanguard, and we suffer for it. Without that division we must rely on other guard factions to relay information to us and to gain information from us. This has put Autumnrun behind at every step, leading to several close calls with invading forces of creatures, Goblins, Trolls, and even a mishap with a Giant. These could be avoided or prepared for, but the word does not come quick enough. And, over more recent months, no Vanguard has even bothered to come from another town after hearing of the fate of ours. They will not risk their own guards, and I would not blame them for it.
The only alternative to this madness is the one that our Commander has fought against for numerous years now, which is gaining the aid of the Empire’s armed forces themselves.” Pawlin shook his head and spat to the dusty earth, sending a small plume of dirt to gust outward from the impact. “Our town owes enough in overdue taxes as it is. We cannot afford to have the military in our town, nor would we want to with their reputation. Lor… emperor Rainier knows this and has pressured our Commander to accept the aide for some time.”
“But…” Silas interjected, nodding as he spoke. “It would only be the start… wouldn’t it? If one town has to accept military forces on their guard, then all eventually will. Creating a sort of police state.”
Pawlin shrugged. “I am not so sure as to what that is, but if their forces come it will be bad for all of Perlavore, possibly all of Galleon. They will purge our resources, eating our food, drinking our water, and destroying our homes before leaving as if it was an enormous success. Autumnrun is a small town, barely getting by as it is. Between the cost of the military to occupy our town, the taxes to the emperor, and the lost goods we would be a ghost town in no time.”
Silas heard him, and only took a single moment to drink in his words. It did not take long for him to process it; he already knew from his own world how those in power could create a cycle to keep the weak down while prospering for the strong. He did not have some sense of justice or heroism, no matter how much his childhood self-screamed at him to feel that way, but he did know that the guards here had helped him and continued to do so. He had come here with nothing, barely even clothing, and had little to no true purpose here. But this could be it. It could be his purpose. He could help restart the Vanguard division, and with their abilities he could truly help not only this small town but others just like it. He could own up to what his class title was, Deity, and provide true help to those who needed it; unlike the deaf and blind religious figures who received worship in his world.
With that settled, Silas bent down to collect his rifle, spear and saber, and gave Pawlin a nod.
“Say no more, just lead the way,” Silas said, then added a sly grin. “We are in. We will be part of the Vanguard division.”
“We will?” Tulk answered.
“We will,” Silas said. “Because who is better suited for it than us?”
“Come now, lieutenant,” Commander Culkran said, accented it with a roll of his eyes. “This again? The Vanguard? I barely have enough guards to patrol this town, do you believe I can risk any of them to be used as Vanguard fodder?” He shook his head and sighed. “I regret giving you the permission, lieutenant.”
“I know, sir,” she answered, nervously tapping her foot and she stared back to her commander from across the desk. She wanted to sink into her chair and melt away every time his harsh glance met hers. “However, I truly believe these new recruits can offer us exactly what we have been missing for our Vanguard division. According to the Forest Guardian, one may even be a Samblar Parora! A real Sword Sentinel! This could be how we take back our town!”
Commander Culkran laughed at that. It was thunderous coming from such a large man, and it boomed out against the walls of his office. He was a man of some stature, as all of the Wesal’s had been. Culkran was the youngest brother, with Hevurn as the middle and Ingran as the oldest, but he was far greater than either of them in aspects beyond just size. Many of these are what made him such a force to be reckoned with both on the battlefield and off. Silas could feel the sheer presence of the man like a powerful, weighted aura as if he had some kind of Class or powers.
No, Silas thought to himself. He is just that imposing all on his own.
Esabell also seemed to envy him. He was a role model for any guard, being a breakout star during the emperor’s crusade for the unified dominance of Galleon. Culkran was rumored to have been the only survivor of his platoon, and the same rumor claimed that he fought against dozens of allied forces from Shakuun and Aumento, beating them single-handedly. Sadly, the altercation cost him the very hand that wielded his blade and forced him to the desk overseeing the Autumnrun barracks.
Silas had been briefed on this during their walk over, but words didn’t do what he saw in that man’s eyes any justice.
While Ingran had gone gray some time ago, and Hevurn sported darker hair, Culkran had long red hair that was nearly the crimson shade of fresh blood, and sported a short, cropped beard. Unlike the rest of the guard, he still wore the plate armor of the Empire’s military forces, only with a navy-blue guard jacket draped over his shoulders for the sake of symbolism like a cape. But it was his eyes that seemed to capture the room like homing beacons.
“And, lieutenant, I am to believe that a real Sword Sentinel has shown up in Autumnrun of all places, and that they want to assist with a Vanguard unit? Or, that they would want to partner with our unit at all? Preposterous.”
With that, Silas proceeded to nudge the grumpy Goblin in a way that was far less than subtle. Tulk lurched forward just a bit, but more than enough to be noticed. Culkran’s eyes fell on the Goblin with a mixture of curiosity and racial hatred. The man did well at shoving down that unnecessary anger but given that the humans of Autumnrun and the Goblins of the forest had been enemies for so long it was difficult to be rid of completely, even in a casual environment.
Culkran leaned forward a bit and waited for Tulk to speak up, each trying to out due one another in standard alpha masculine fashion. Silas rolled his eyes on the unnecessary bravado. He would not say it aloud, and tried not to even think about it, but given the monsters and powers he has seen unleashed so far, a petty squabble over top dog status seemed pointless. There were flame chucking Goblins and gigantic slugs!
Well, he supposed he was the cause of at least one of those things.
“I am the Sword Sentinel, human,” Tulk said in a gruff tone with squinted eyes. “And I approve of whatever it was this other human said about Vanguard business.”
“You?” Culkran responded, nearly chuckling. “A Goblin? An elderly Goblin no less! Tell me, should I take your word that you will not lure my soldiers to the edge of the forest and overwhelm them? Should I take it on faith that you are one of the legendary Samblar Parora? Do not waste my time…” Culkran looked to Silas then to Esabell. “That goes for you as well, Esabell.”
Tulk only smirked and snarled, a combination as confusing as it was off-putting. “Welcome to test my merit with a sword, you oaf.”
“Oaf?!” Culkran exclaimed, standing to his massive full stature. “Lieutenant, remove this thing from our barracks at once!”
“But sir-”
“Esabell, Forest Guardian or not I will not tolerate mockery from an enemy in this manner. What proof do we have that this creature is one of the Sword Sentinel? We have the words of a mysterious elemental, but I do not dare to simply-”
Before Culkran could finish his statement, Tulk removed the blade at his side and began a chant. His voice grew slowly louder, seeming to bounce from each wall and create an orchestral effect from all around them. Clutched between both of his hands was the sword, which now began to glow in an unholy icy blue as it expanded bit by bit, growing longer and wider until after only seconds later it was larger than Tulk himself. There was a cascading wind that blew in tremendous force from the magical blade, and it glowed like a morning sky crafted in the shape of a giant sword.
Tulk placed a palm on the flat of the double-edged great sword, and the wind died down to coalesce around the sword itself. The power Silas could feel from the blade was incredible, and it seemed to nearly rival that of what he had remembered of Morning Star. Had he really gifted Tulk with this much power? It was impressive and alarming all at once.
Still, the expression on Culkran’s face at that moment made it all worth it. The man was slack jawed, wide eyed, and practically speechless. He barely managed to mutter three words.
“Y-You are hired…”
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nineteen
Long Live The Vanguard
Silas had hoped to head right out on patrol after Tulk’s display of power, but that seemed to not be in the cards for them yet.
What proceeded instead was training. A lot of training. On the first day it had simply been learning the code that governed the guards of Autumnrun, filing paperwork, and being shown around the barracks more. They had met many of the other groups with most seeming to welcome Silas openly while simultaneously glaring at Tulk whenever they could. The pair had been shown to their living quarters, which consisted of two small rooms, furnished with beds and a desk, that were adjoined to a small common area. Silas would have complained, but anything was an upgrade when compared to a cave floor or a hospital bed.
Then, training began in earnest, and Silas was pleased with the results.
There had been unit formations, battle commands, and weapons training. The commands seemed useful, consisting of quick, one- or two-word orders that could be recognized in the heat of a battle. Esabell had taken the role of the Vanguard’s leader, which would have made sense even if she wasn’t the highest rank of them, and even Tulk had begrudgingly agreed to follow the commands after only a day or two of constant pestering. The formations were extraordinarily dull, and Silas found them sort of meaningless. They were a six-person patrol group, so the idea that they needed to walk in rows of three or practice defensive stances in a diamond formation were not practical in the slightest bit. Silas would not dare to say he had more combat experience than the guards of his party, but more than once he questioned if they had faced a foe that ever actually posed a threat. Thinking back to the giant spore-strider slug fight he could not help but chuckle at the idea of a formation helping.
Burbles also found the formations amusing, but mainly that was due to the constant shifting and moving around that made the shoulder-dwelling crustacean sway back and forth.
But the actual combat training was where Silas began to find meaning in all of the guard’s tactics.
Marksmanship with the rifle and practice with the sword quickly grew from being fun to just downright necessary. On the first few days of the combat training Silas found himself far outmatched in every category but hand-to-hand, and even then, he had only won due to the Style taught by Tulk partnered with his Shadow Jab. Tulk far outranked any of the guards with swordsmanship and had become the head trainer of the entire guard force within the first week, with even Culkran himself attending a training lesson. Silas had faired far worse at first and had to work his way up to being good enough for even Tulk’s most basic class. Esabell turned out to be an extraordinary rifle teacher who had taken a lot of time teaching Silas the ropes.
Each day began to fall into a routine, and soon Silas found himself feeling true happiness. He had made true friends in his Vanguard group, Tulk had found his place among the humans and had slowly been more welcomed in Autumnrun as a whole, and Silas was receiving excellent training.
Mornings consisted of a light solo jog down to the inn where Melra or Tiffy would prepare a hearty breakfast and would fill him in on town happenings. He would claim breakfast from the barracks and distribute it along with some of the breakfast from the inn to the less fortunate people of Autumnrun. From there, a nice jog back with a full belly to prepare for the day of training. First was formation and commands, followed by sword practice and even occasional spear practice, then lunch with his group in the larger common area. There, Silas would mingle with other groups when possible or listen to stories told by those around him in an effort to learn more about Galleon. After that they went on to exercise drills such as jogging or anaerobic training such as push-ups and squats, with the late afternoon being marksmanship and rifle mastery before dinner. The group had scattered days off which all of them rarely lining up on the same day, and Silas and Tulk had been put on guard duty to fill in on many occasions as well, but soon Silas found that even on those free days he would disassemble and reassemble his rifle, practice with his sword, or read further about Galleon just to continue some forms of training.
Others had thought of him as just a hardworking, driven, and focused individual. But Silas had at least some other motives.
[Quest Complete: Guard Duty: Two. Reward: 3,000 experience, 1,000 experience multiplied by 3x for Universal Understanding. Item: Standard Rifle, Steel Saber]
[You have unlocked a quest, Guard Duty: Three. Being a guard is more than standing watch. It is a thankless job that requires vigilance, dedication, and danger. Begin your new role with your Vanguard unit. Reward: 3,900 experience, 1,300 experience multiplied by 3x for Universal Understanding]
[Congratulations! You have completed a personal quest, Short Swords: One. Reward: Dexterity + 1, Short Sword Affinity +10]
[Congratulations! You have completed a personal quest, Short Swords: Two. Reward: Strength, +1, Dexterity + 2, Short Sword Affinity +10]
[Congratulations! You have completed a personal quest, Rifles: One. Reward: Dexterity + 1, Rifle Affinity +10]
[Congratulations! You have completed a personal quest, Rifles: Two. Reward: Dexterity + 3, Rifle Affinity +10]
[Congratulations! You have completed a personal quest, Rifles: Three. Reward: Dexterity + 3, Wisdom +1, Rifle Affinity +10]
The stat boosts from training were amazing, and Silas could feel himself growing more capable physically with each new personal quest accomplished. His Short Sword Affinity had plateaued at 20 for now, but he had still become one of the better wielders in the barracks. The rifle had really grown on him quickly, and he just knew that if he were to use it in combat situations, he would easily get the final two parts of the personal quest line for it. It was disappointing to see that he had not done anything when it came to spears, but it was understandable when he considered just how bad he was with the long weapons, often times finding himself tripping his comrades or with the point stuck in the dirt. Still, these were not even the ones that got him most excited.
[Congratulations! You have completed a personal quest, The God of Gains: One. Dang, bro, you are looking straight yolked. Need a spot? Note, this is a personal quest and does not reward experience. Reward: Strength +1, Vitality +1]
[Congratulations! You have completed a personal quest, The God of Gains: Two. Trying to look like you, my dude! Note, this is a personal quest and does not reward experience. Reward: Strength +2, Vitality +2]
[Ability: Thrusting Strike. Type: Bladed Weapon/Physical. Rank: Normal. Cost: 15 Mana. Cooldown: 15 Seconds. Effect: Thrust bladed weapon forward inflicting 2X piercing damage where X is equal to Dexterity. Has a 25% chance to inflict Bleeding debuff on target for 20 seconds. Requirement: Bladed Weapon, Short Sword Affinity +20]
[Ability: Spirit Gun. Type: Rifle/Spirit. Rank: Rare. Cost: 95 Mana. Cooldown: 10 Minutes. Effect: Fire a bullet of condensed Spirit for 1.5X damage where X is equal to combined Dexterity and Intelligence. Requirement: Rifle Affinity +20]
[Ability: Phoenix Shot. Type: Rifle/Fire. Rank: Rare. Cost: 335 Mana. Cooldown: 24 Hours. Effect: Fire a bullet of condensed Fire for 3X damage where X is equal to combined Dexterity and Intelligence. Has a 45% chance to inflict burning debuff on target for 30 seconds. Requirement: Rifle Affinity +30]
Silas had known that working out would have some benefit here, whether it was a personal quest or just standard healthy benefits. Dexterity had climbed to be his highest stat, and he had already reaped the benefits of it when he quickly rose to one of the fastest during their morning sprints along with one of the most accurate with a rifle, nearly rivaling Esabell. However, Strength and Vitality were the stats that had been worrying him since he attributed those with his current direct survival; at least until he had a better understanding of his Class and powers. The cherry on top were the new abilities, and while he practiced Thrusting Strike regularly, he was more than just eager to try out his rifle skills. It was far too risky inside of the camp, given that he would have a lot of explaining to do, but he figured that Tulk and himself could align to sneak out one night soon and do some real training outside of the camp.
