A fresh day dawned within Logan’s new room at the guild house. It was quite a novel experience, as the Spellthief made sure to get some of the best beds he could. Throwing on his coat, Logan went down to the foyer.

“Morning, Logan”, Marcus called from behind the counter, taking up the chef’s position for now.

“Morning”, Castore and Vern said simultaneously.

Vern’s plate was stacked, while Castore was a bit more restrained in his food pile. Logan dined on some fresh eggs and pork as the other guildies woke up to join them. There wasn’t a big enough bunch that they needed more chairs for the bar, but Logan had ordered some tables and chairs for the foyer.

Before leaving for the day, Iimi stopped Logan. “Are you intending to invite classless to the guild, perchance?”

“If they’ve got the aptitude and attitude, anyone is welcome”, Logan admitted.

“Then have you looked into hiding your aura?”

“Yes, I know of the twenty rank gap and I’ve got a mick for that.”

“Good, don’t want people getting crushed by the pressure”, Iimi laughed.

It was a similar issue that Logan felt when first meeting Zinzith after he had destroyed the ice throne in the Frost Monarch’s Cavern. Even looking the man in the eye was a pain due to the difference in their power. Logan would have people on the streets hit the floor if he wasn’t careful.

“I will probably hit rank 20 soon, and with my recruitment rules I’d need to be able to hide my spellforce eventually”, Logan explained. “I am curious as to why Zinzith didn’t hide his aura. Was it boasting, or something more defensive?” he thought to himself.

“Well, good luck out there”, Iimi wished.

“Good travels”, E’leth called out from the reading nook.

Returning to the G-Hall, Logan was treated to the sight of playful fighting amongst the previous team he had helped.

“You can’t keep firing off into the forests, your bolts are so annoying to go find”, Alice ordered.

“It’s not as if I do it on purpose”, Varuud replied with a clenched fist.

Sooryah was busy sharpening a new dagger with a stone, a grin on his face as he reflected in its metal. His face turned to surprise as a Spellthief appeared behind him in the reflection.

“Logan, good to see you!” Jayd spoke as he stood.

“Logan?” Alice and Varuud said in unison.

“Hey, boss”, Sooryah said shakily.

Taking a seat with the team, Logan spoke, “You’re all faring well I see. New gear?”

“Yup. Our dungeon pay went towards replacements and a few spares”, Alice announced with a confident smile.

“Alice is just being annoying about the bolts”, Varuud waved off.

“It’s a leader’s duty to make sure her team is working efficiently.”

“Alright, alright. Miss Leader, I got a proposal for your team”, Logan interrupted as he handed out four leaflets to the team.

“Oh? Let’s have a read then”, Alice said.

Sooryah scootched his chair closer to Varuud who read out the leaflet in a quiet voice to his ally.

After a few moments of reading, Alice announced, “Logan do you mind waiting outside for us?”

Further time passed before Logan was allowed back into the G-Hall, though he was led further into the training grounds in the back usually kept for assessments. But it was also a good place to settle disputes.

“Alright, Logan, you know the rules. Face us four in a match and we’ll join you”, Alice instructed.

Logan shrugged and sighed, “If that’s what it will take.”

“Do as we discussed, gang.”

“Right”, the team replied, ready for a fight.

“Dash, Rush, Rush”, the youths chanted as Sooyrah, Jayd, and Alice charged towards their foe.

As they met Logan, Jayd and Alice landed solid strikes on Logan’s blocking daggers before darting to his slides, Sooryah doing a flip over the man to his back.

“... Gaia Shot”, Varuud ended a chant, sending a spike of rock at Logan.

Logan smiled and merely bent to the side, the spike going in the arch of his back and having Sooryah almost hit his head on the floor as he went into a low limbo stance to avoid the stone.

Slashing at Alice’s sword, Logan set her off balance and did the same to Jayd’s hammer as both were only on a single foot. Logan kicked Jayd off into the distance and spun in the air to kick Alice similarly away.

Sweeping his leg, Logan had Sooryah fall to the floor and roll away from a dagger stab to the floor.

“...Shot!” Varuud chanted again.

Logan whipped around and aimed his fingers at the rock, “Force”, he chanted, splitting the rock in half with a tiny grey orb, causing the rock to dissipate in the air.

“Power Strike”, Alice yelled as she made an overhead slash at Logan.

Taking two steps back, Logan looked at the misty red blade in front of his face as it hit the floor.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

“Power Strike”, Jayd commanded as he attempted a wide swing at Logan.

“Force”, Logan chanted as he dropped his dagger and collided grey energy with the mace, sending it flying out of the Fighter’s grip. Kicking his dagger, it landed hilt first into Jayd’s helmet, making a loud donking sound as he flinched back.

Leaping at Jayd, Logan grappled the chin guard of his breastplate and belt, and shoulder-threw Jayd into the floor.

“Take this!” Sooryah yelled, swiping out with twin daggers, Logan side-stepping to avoid both.

Sooryah threw one towards Logan’s face, it sailing past his cheek, another at his leg which he brought up. Replacing them quickly, Sooryah spun around with twin slashes, throwing them in the air to draw another and swipe, spin, and kick the airborne knife towards his foe. He was a dervish of blades.

Avoiding all of them, Logan punched both of Sooryah’s inner elbows, forcing the Rogue to drop both weapons, then landed a solid punch into the Rogue’s stomach to have his foe fly into the air, grabbing the leg and slamming him over Logan’s head and into the floor.

A quick slash of a sword was quickly followed by another shard of rock, Logan dodging the first and punching the rock into the floor. Drawing up two daggers he continued to deflect steel as yellow lights began to fly to Varuud’s allies.

Logan twirled both daggers in his hand, threw one to collide with the yellow light to halt the healing, then tossed another into the Devout’s shoulder.

“You’re open!” Alice yelled as she attempted another overhead slash.

This time, Logan stood forward, grappled Alice’s wrists, and threw her onto her back. Before she could stand, a dagger was pointed down at her face. Logan just smiled in victory.

“Fine, I surrender!” Alice yelled.

Logan used Telekinesis to move all the weapons back to their owners, helping the group to their feet by hand and patting them on their backs.

“You lot did well. Some good teamwork and flanking, plus barrages of spells.”

“You didn’t get hit once”, Varuud said in defeat.

“Can’t believe you deflected my mace with a mick”, Jayd said under his breath.

“Well, I am over three times more powerful than that spider queen”, Logan smirked.

“How’d you like my ‘spinning death’?” Sooryah asked.

“It was stylish and great for catching your opponent off guard. However, with only six daggers, it is risky if you don’t win.”

“Thought at least one would land.”

“I’m used to daggers, and I throw a few too. Plus, I am much faster than you”, Logan laughed.

“What about me?” Alice asked.

“Good swings, plenty of power in them. You’re good to put your back into it, but, you’re too slow. Against a faster opponent, you need to be just as fast or have the number advantage. I was able to subdue your companions, so you should have let the heavy attacks go, instead, quick jabs woulda worked better.”

“A Grasp expert is so weird to fight”, Jayd added.

“You wear a lot of armour, Jayd, but you don’t protect yourself beyond that. The metal can’t do all the work, you need to have a defensive mind. Maybe pick up a dagger or two to off-hand in real-close-quarters. You’re a Fighter, not a Knight. You’re better off moving quicker.” Logan then turned, “Varuud, if I may. With three martials in the team, you will be better off saving your spellforce for healing, rather than offence. Until you learn Skystrike, you’re too far from the battle to have Shot alterations be reliable. Were you aiming for an opening, or just adding to the team?”

“I was hoping you had your arms occupied with their attacks.”

“Wait for openings. A back is easier to hit. Plus weak spots on larger foes, like the eyes of a large spider, are more worth the risk. If the team is down, you’re open to all your foes, so you need to be able to get them back up.”

“I’m just glad you’re a caster, those punches woulda been deadly from a Fighter”, Sooryah admitted as he rotated his arms.

“I was holding back. I only hit you with around a quarter to half of my strength.”

Sooryah gulped.

“Well, that’s that. You’re the winner, by a snowslide”, Alice announced.

“So, is that enough to have you lot come back to the guild?”

“Yes, sir!”

A quick walk to the guild, to save on any more fainting, had the party scanned thoroughly and signed up with VIP. Their addition brought the guildie count to 11, including the leaders.

“Hello, everyone. Let me introduce our new guildies…”, Logan announced to those still at the guild house, moving their stuff over.

The previous members gave a polite round of applause before talking individually and shaking the hands of the newcomers. Amalia was going to be busy outfitting the whole team, but at least Castore wasn’t needing anything new.

“Oh, Marcus. Any luck with Karn and Lole?” Logan asked as he noticed Marcus reading at the sofas.

“Huh? Oh. It’s a no-go, sadly. They are sticking with their church. A guild adds layers of complexity that they don’t want to deal with.”

Karn and Lole were the friends of Marcus from the Tinte church who had come to Gauntlet for work, and had spent the night with in the same inn when Logan and Marcus first came to the capital.

“That’s fine. I hope they do well. I have one more person in mind to invite, just having some trouble finding him”, Logan admitted.

“Need help?”

“Nah, I’ve got it. Just some leisurely strolls and asking at the G-Hall.”

Doing as he said, Logan took the long walk to the G-Hall. Using Identification and Echo Radar every so often to see who else he could potentially invite, as well as a means to find the last potential recruit.

Logan’s focus was rewarded as he spied his target through an opened wooden panel window that looked into a tavern.

Entering, he clasped the man’s shoulder with his hand and spooked him with a, “Shanin. Long time.”

The Fighter whipped around to look at Logan, shock across his face as his saviour appeared out of nowhere.

“Ah, Phasing Hunter, that it has. What brings you here?”

“A drink would have been nice, but you’ll do”, Logan teased as he sat next to the man.

Shanin had bags under his eyes and was no longer wearing adventuring gear, instead, he had thick gloves and boots with signs of dust and oil across his clothing. This man was once used as bait in quests by higher-ranked adventurers, Logan saving him from bullies in the past.

“Sorry. But I’m not too sure if I would be the best company. My tales are mice compared to yours.”

“Oh don’t put yourself down too harshly. You’re bound to have grander tales if you accept my proposal.”

“Proposal? You need a porter?”

“Nothing so menial. I want you to come out of retirement and join my guild”, Logan announced with a smile.

Shanin looked at the Spellthief for a while before replying, “How’d you know I retired as an adventurer?”

Logan just replied with his eyes going up and down the Fighter.

“Right”, Shanin accepted, “pretty obvious I suppose”, he continued as he sipped his drink, “I’m rusty and I sold off my gear. Unless you’re offering something to combat those two realities, I don’t think it’d be wise.”

“As luck would have it, I do.”

“I thought so, so—wait, you do?”

“Newcomers get a fresh set of gear on joining. Here’s the leaflet”, Logan offered.

A few faces turned to the pair, some curious as to if the drink had gone to their heads and they were hearing things.

Shanin glanced over the leaflet before turning to Logan, “This is a lot. Can I really offer enough in return?”

“Just because you were dealt a bad hand, doesn’t mean you’re a bad bet. I’m offering an ace to flip your hand into a better one.”

Shanin bit his lip as he stared at the leaflet, so many promises and too-good-to-be-true statements within. Holding out a hand he stated, “Alright. Take good care of me, Guildmaster.”

On their way back to the guild to sort things out, Logan spotted a sombre-faced man walking down a dark alley. Lighting up his eyes with Identification, Logan continued to spy more humans in the abyssal depths.

“Shanin, head to the guild ahead of me. Tell Marcus to wait for my return.”

“You got it.”

As the pair separated, Logan walked into the alleyways, to help yet another lost soul and one who needed a kind hand to bring them back to their feet.

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