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Reign of Villainy | Ch. 35
🕑 Added 2024-01-18 17:10:00 +0000 UTCSet on her new strategy (aka: emotionally manipulating a delivery driver), Akemi opened up her System panel and searched through the available classes, skipping past the ones that she’d seen before.
Available Skill Trees
[NEW!] Darksided Druid – Reputation requirement (-600) – Level requirement: Lv. 4
[NEW!] Psychotic Pyrotechnic – Reputation requirement (-700) – Level requirement: Lv. 4
[NEW!] Mindshaper – Reputation requirement (-1,000) – Level requirement: Lv. 5
[NEW!] Possession Expert – Reputation requirement (-1,100) — Level requirement: Lv. 6
There it is, she thought. Mindshaper. Still, she’d definitely be revisiting the other class choices later. It could be potentially worth it to have points invested in multiple classes, and then switch between them on a situational basis. If the System even allows hot swapping…
Either way, for now, she had one lonesome skillpoint. So she had to spend it wisely.
Mindshaper
Read minds, influence emotions, and even shape the thoughts of others by accessing their worst fears and greatest desires. Masters of psychic manipulation, Mindshapers tap into the raw energy of emotions, drawing strength from the depths of their victim’s psyche. For every mental scar the Mindshaper inflicts, their physical prowess increases.
Unlockable Skills:
- Influence | Draw on a victim’s emotional core to momentarily weaken all of their base stats. The more intimidated they are, the more weakened their stats, and the easier it is to pass Persuasion checks. Every five seconds, a victim has the chance to break free from Influence.
- Brain Drain | For as long as a victim is Influenced, slowly drain their health.
As she read further into Mindshaper’s description, a spread of goosebumps ran down her arms.
This class is so disgustingly evil. I love it.
Skill Acquired! Influence
“Alright,” Akemi said to Pyre, a new spring in her step and a glint in her eye. “Follow me.”
“Are you sure you know what you’re doing?”
“It’s not rocket science, Pyre. It’s just a little old-fashioned bullying.”
They strode up to the carriage at the very end of the line, which was still being loaded. The carriage itself was rather fancy, with an external seat for a driver, a seating compartment for up to four guests, two horses leading the front, and an attached trunk holding wooden boxes of miscellaneous cargo.
A delivery boy—who Akemi could only guess was a boy and not a man due to his height, which was rather short for a chimera—was heaving the last package when Akemi intervened.
Young and impressionable. Wonderful.
“Let me help you with that,” she said, getting underneath the box and flashing him a wolfish grin. He looked at her strangely, quite startled. “We haven’t met yet. Nice to meet you.”
Bamo | Level 5 Merchant / Level 3 Artificer
An artificer, huh? Maybe this could be doubly beneficial.
“No…” he said slowly, confused. “We haven’t. Am I supposed to know who you are, ma’am?”
“Yes,” she said, grunting as she helped him place the last container onto the cart. “I’m your new supervisor. Well, we both are,”—she jutted a thumb between her and Pyre—“we’re here to evaluate your work and make sure it’s up to par.”
She could see the gears beginning to churn in his head. Not wanting to risk leaving the incoming persuasion roll up to the gods, she cast [Influence] quietly, under her breath.
Influence Check (Success)
Success! Target is under your influence.
Persuasion Check (Medium)
Multiplier Applied: [Influence]
Success!
Bamo’s eyes seemed to glaze over, his features softening.
“Right, of course,” he said hurriedly. “I—I apologize deeply for any confusion.”
“Your insolence will be noted on the report,” Akemi said, grinning wide. She was having a bit too much fun with it. She could practically hear Pyre’s disapproval from a few feet away. “Now, let’s get on with it. My associate and I will take the seats in the guest compartment.”
“Oh, but…” He frowned slightly. “Commander Ravenguard was supposed to sit back there. I’m expected to drive him into town while the footsoldiers take the less spacious buggies. And… he doesn’t usually like company.”
Her eyes drifted back to the crowds of soldiers, where the commander in question was standing, back rigid, arms crossed, looking pompous and punchable as ever.
This kid’s supposed to personally escort that asshole from earlier?
This was wonderful news.
“Change of plans,” Akemi said, delighted. She opened the guest compartment door, and beckoned Pyre inside like a gentleman. “Ravenguard is taking a different carriage, just for today. So that we can properly… evaluate your work, as a driver.”
It had been five seconds, so another influence die rolled across her System screen. She held her breath.
Influence Check (Success)
Success! Target remains under your influence.
She breathed out.
“Oh.” He brightened slightly, buying the lie. “I suppose that makes sense.”
Thank god.
“We might have a problem,” Pyre said discreetly as they loaded into the backseat of the vehicle. The seats were plush and warm, comfortable like nothing Akemi had sat on in days.
Following Pyre’s pointed finger outside the carriage window, Akemi could see Commander Ravenguard headed their way. He did not look happy.
“Okay, Bamo,” Akemi said, voice heightening as she clambered out of her seat and leaned out the window so he could hear her. “Your evaluation is starting now. Your first test is going to be about—err—protecting people inside your vehicle. Commander Ravenguard is going to come over here in a few moments and pretend like he is angry with you, and that he wants to be let in. But he’s just playing a part. You should, under no circumstance, stop for him. Treat him like an enemy. He is an intruder who wants to access your goods.”
Bamo looked at her anxiously. “Are… are you sure?”
She fixed him with a menacing glare.
“Do you want to lose your job, Bamo?”
He swallowed, thoroughly chastised.
“No, ma’am. Of course not. Intruder. Got it.”
They were nearly to the end of the line of carriages now, nearing the humongous, obsidian gate. There was only one more vehicle in front of them. From what Akemi could see, and to her great relief, there were no guards lifting up and down the gates; the lift mechanism was controlled by some sort of rune, one that the driver himself had to activate, sort of like a personal card at a parking garage.
“Bamo! You imbecile! Where are you going?” Ravenguard shouted, encroaching on them rapidly. His shoes crushed the grass under his feet with a ferocity, stomping like an elephant. “Have you forgotten about me completely? Are you insane?”
“Keep driving, Bamo. Open that gate,” Akemi ordered as they pulled up to the gate. The rune was near inches from the vehicle now, close enough that Akemi could see its intricacies: it was similar to the locking rune, but with an arrow in the middle, pointing both upwards and downwards. It seemed straightforward enough to trace, but it probably triggered some sort of alarm if you did the movements in the wrong order.
Bamo was sweating profusely from within his mask, his lips trembling. “I don’t know about this, ma’am, Sir Ravenguard seems very… serious—”
“Bamo! I order you to stop!” Ravenguard said, practically seething at the mouth. He was just a few yards away now, and pure, malevolent energy was radiating off of him. His greatsword bobbed on his back, its hilt shining in the light. “Don’t you dare disregard my orders, boy.”
“Oh, fuck it,” Akemi grunted. She whipped her head towards Pyre. “Do you know that rune?”
“Of course.”
“Then, come on!”
Akemi kicked the carriage door open wide and clambered into the driver’s seat. In one swift, coordinated motion, she grabbed the reins from Bamo, and Pyre leaned out and traced the rune. The gates responded eagerly, lifting in a matter of seconds; Akemi whipped the reins down, spurring the horses forward as Bamo stared in complete shock.
“Get back here!” Ravenguard cried out, slamming his greatsword down and sending a half-moon of red energy barreling towards them. It blew straight through their cargo, sending boxes of soil and pipes and vegetables and every type of farming supply flying through the air.
But it didn’t matter; the gate was already whining closed, slamming back into the dirt. Akemi handed the reins back to the stunned Bamo, stood up on the driver’s seat, and gazed over the carriage cabin to see the image of Ravenguard with his hands curled around the bars of the gate, frothing at the mouth.
“Sorry,” she yelled, wind buffeting her hood. “I guess you’ll just have to catch the next one!”
Comments
Thank you!
JHD
Thanks for the chapter. You missed a letter. "now, he had one lonesome skillpoint. So she had to spend it wisely." => "now, she had one lonesome skillpoint. So she had to spend it wisely."
jalapenochips
Poor Bamo. Hope that he can keep his life and find a new job after this
