The appraisal had succeeded. Haldryn sold the Book of Apology to the Piety Shop.
A new free item appeared in the list: [Commendation of Justice]. He bought it without hesitation.
Obtained: [Merchandise Expansion: Contemplation]
Light flashed once, and the free slot was replaced by [Contemplation (Fragment) – 9.99].
[You may purchase additional Contemplation fragments here.]
The moment he saw the name "Contemplation," Haldryn nearly swore out loud.
In World of Warcraft that ability did absolutely nothing except look dramatic—further cementing the paladin's reputation as the class of pure performance. Kneel on the ground, Holy Light rains from the heavens… impressive, sure. But this wasn't a game. Was he supposed to use it to attract enemies?
Then he thought again.
The Tome of the Kings might look suspiciously like something a certain large game company would design, but a pure show-off ability shouldn't exist. Call of the Holy Light already produced glowing effects.
Same name, different function? It had better be, or this thing was pure bait.
He hesitated only a moment before buying one [Contemplation (Fragment)] and reading the description.
[Contemplation (Fragment): Places the target in a state of Contemplation, greatly increasing mental efficiency for two hours. Requires Call of the Holy Light. Upon use, this fragment is consumed… This ability is not part of the Sacred Codex and has no basic version. Collect one hundred fragments to learn the full spell.]
Haldryn's expression brightened.
The Tome still had a conscience after all. Same name, completely different effect—no empty theatrics, just a genuinely useful skill.
A massive boost to thinking speed was exactly what he needed while grinding herbal knowledge. With this he could reach the requirements for the Flask of Talent far sooner.
The price, however, was steep. 9.99 Piety cleaned out nearly his entire balance.
He spent the rest on three [Holy Strike (Fragment)] and three more [Gift of Fate].
[Obtained: [0.69 Piety]
[Obtained: [Thank You for Your Patronage]
[Obtained: [Book of Trials: Witheredwhisker Kobold Miner]
His eyes lit up.
A Book of Trials?
He flipped to it at once.
[Book of Trials: Witheredwhisker Kobold Miner]
Kobold Miner
Trial Rank: 2
Victory Reward: Small amount of Piety, chance of merchandise
Description: Enter the Trial Space and battle the Kobold Miner. Victory yields rewards; defeat carries no penalty (except the loss of any spell fragments used). Upon victory this Book of Trials disappears…]
In the center of the page a handprint glowed softly, rising and falling as if breathing. The invitation could not have been clearer.
Failure cost nothing. He might as well try.
Haldryn placed his palm on the print and closed his eyes.
Light and color swirled. When the world settled he stood inside a dim, narrow mine tunnel that looked exactly like the ones in World of Warcraft. Scattered rocks littered the floor.
While he was still looking around, torchlight flared in the darkness ahead, accompanied by rapid footsteps.
"You no take candle!"
The classic kobold battle cry rang out. A candle-headed kobold brandishing a miner's pick charged straight at him, face twisted with rage.
Haldryn's heart jumped. He tried to dodge, but the tunnel was so tight there was nowhere to go.
The pick came down with a wet crack and punched straight through his throat.
"Ah—!"
The scene shattered. When his voice faded he was back in his own room.
Damn it, one kobold was that strong?
The memory of the pick through his neck left him cold with sweat.
Most of it was his own fault—no weapon, no preparation, and zero awareness of how cramped the tunnel would be. One-shot by a kobold. Humiliating.
Next time he would be ready. He would shave that candle-head bald.
After steadying himself he tucked the Tome back into the satchel and went to find Gnar with the recovered money.
According to the Tome, obtaining a Book of Gratitude from the victim would earn a second Commendation of Justice.
Yarlin's apology letter had listed the location of the theft and the victim's name. A few quick questions in town led Haldryn straight to the man.
Gnar was a plump old fellow with a kind, smiling face.
"Are you Master Gnar?" Haldryn asked.
Gnar turned, puzzled. "And you are?"
Haldryn smiled. "Have you lost any money recently? How much?"
"How did you know?" Gnar's eyes widened. "Three days ago I lost fifty-two large gold coins while shopping. I argued with the shopkeeper for ages over it."
Haldryn held out the pouch. "This is your money. It was stolen. I taught a lesson to someone who tried to take my personal journal and happened to find a few other stolen items in the process."
Gnar opened the pouch, delight spreading across his face. He looked Haldryn up and down—slight, clearly still a youth—and blinked. "Truly… one should never judge by appearances."
Haldryn felt a little awkward. "The thief was about my size. Lucky for me I've studied a bit of combat."
"Who was he?" Gnar asked casually.
"I don't know." The lie came smoothly. "Every Asgardian has a duty to expose crime, but at the time I only remembered to thrash him and let him go. By the time I thought better of it and went looking, he had vanished completely. I suspect he knows some special disguise techniques."
"I'm deeply grateful," Gnar said. "Those missing coins nearly caused a fight with an old friend of two thousand years. We hadn't spoken in three days. Now I can finally explain everything."
He pushed the pouch back toward Haldryn. "It isn't a large sum. Take it as a small token of thanks."
Haldryn hesitated.
To a full-grown Asgardian, a few dozen large gold coins really were pocket change—enough for a decent set of clothes. To him it was an entire month's income.
So which was more valuable: the extra Commendation of Justice, or the gold itself?
^^^
Hey guys! If you've been thinking about subscribing to my patron, now's the perfect time. There's currently up to 50% off!
[Every 100 Powerstones = 1 Bonus Chapter]
If you'd like to read up to 50 chapters ahead, please visit our p@treon:
---