While Jay was resting at the inn, Max made his way to the Protector's Guild to meet the head of the branch. After a brief chat with the lady at the front desk, he was led to Ambrose's office, a room that felt more like a storage space than the office of the most important man in the guild.
The lighting was dull. The walls were completely gray. There was a luxurious-looking couch in the corner, but even that looked out of place in the otherwise bland room. The only other piece of furniture that stood out was the Guild Head's desk.
Max stepped in, hands in his coat pockets, and smirked.
"So… Ambrose. We meet again."
The man behind the desk was dressed in a bleak grey coat over a white shirt. His hair was a mix of black and grey, and even just sitting there, his posture radiated strength- calm, but firm.
"Max Everwood! Welcome!" Ambrose greeted him with a sharp grin. "How's your quest going? Is your party settling in, now that all three of you are Bronze-ranked and already outpacing most protectors your age?"
Max walked toward the desk, no smile on his face. He stopped just a step away from Ambrose and looked him straight in the eyes.
"About that quest," Max said firmly. "We've already encountered two Silvers. If it were any other Bronze party, they'd be dead by now. This is as far as we can go with it."
Ambrose leaned back in his chair, unfazed.
"That's the thing, Max. This mission wasn't handed to just anyone. I gave it to you because I know your potential. You're Max Everwood, the prodigy of prodigies. And, well... there's also Sarah Wells."
"Oh?" Max raised an eyebrow. "So you're saying you gave us a mission even Silvers would struggle with... just because we're slightly better than most Bronze-ranked parties? Do you have any idea how many goblins are headed toward Silvermoon right now? Even with their terrain advantage and defenses, it's going to be a hard fight. They're merchants, Ambrose. Not warriors. You need to make this into a proper hunt and open it up for others to join."
Ambrose shook his head slightly. "I can't. You know that. But what I can do is offer you some resources. And another Bronze-ranked party to back you up. What about Alaric Quickfrost's group?"
Max sighed, glancing around the room once before answering.
"Ambrose... this is why we don't get along. But I guess that's fair enough from your end. I have others who can help. Give me a Resonator and some Skill Tokens, I'll choose the rest myself."
Ambrose raised an eyebrow. "Hmm? Is this for your new friend? Seems like he's got potential, if you're going out of your way to get him some goodies."
"Oh, he has potential," Max said, already turning to leave. "You'll see."
Max left the office and was guided to the guild's resource collection. He took his time browsing through the options. His eyes scanned the rows of magical tools and gear before finally picking up a Resonator, a few Skill Tokens, and a set of light armor that looked more like athletic wear than battlefield protection.
"I'll take these," he said to the lady at the counter. "Thanks for the help."
With that, Max left, heading back to the inn where the rest of the party was waiting.
Jay's Pov (Next day)
I woke up with a splitting headache.
"Ughhh... Why do I always end up either passed out or with a headache?"
I rubbed my temples and sat up, feeling like I'd been hit by a carriage. The room was quiet. No signs of Max, Sarah, or Cleo. I figured they were already out.
Since I didn't want to sit around doing nothing, I decided to head over to the Protector's Guild and wait for them there. Maybe Max had figured something out about the goblins headed toward the river.
As I waited in the lobby, I pulled up my Character Sheet to check how things had changed over the past few days.
Character Sheet
Name : Jay Chawla
Rank: Iron Race: 'Human' '????'
Alignment: Neutral
Class: None
Profession: None
Resonators: 3/5
Time(Iron)
Skills:2/20
-Slowdown(Iron, Time)
-Clockwork (Iron, Time)
Dark(Iron)
Skills: 2/20
-Void Step(Iron, Dark)
-Arcaniac (Iron, Dark)
Wind(Iron)
Skills: 2/20
-Blade of Wind(Iron, Wind)
-Horde of the Wind(Iron, Wind)
Talents: 2
-Sword Mastery (Toggle)
-Monologue (Passive)
Magic:
-Magic Points- 45
-Magic Points Replenishment- 1.5 per second.
"Huh… Fifteen more MP," I muttered to myself. "Not bad, especially with the regen rate. Still need two more resonators and a lot of skill tokens, though. Looks like I won't be a complete Iron-rank for a while."
I closed the sheet, satisfied enough, until I heard a voice.
"Well, well, well... look who it is."
I turned around. A man I didn't recognize was walking toward me. His outfit was simple, but something about him felt... heavy. Not physically, the pressure he gave off. He was definitely strong. Even stronger than Max.
"Hello, mister. Do I know you?" I asked, cautiously.
The man smiled slightly.
"I'm Ambrose Blackthorn," he said, nodding toward the guild building. "Guild Head of this branch."
"Oh.. Mr. Ambrose, it's a pleasure to meet you. I am Jay Chawla." I stood up and shook his hand.
His grip was firm, but calm.
"How are your friends treating you, Jay?"
"They're all very helpful. I've learned a lot from them already."
Ambrose paused for a moment. His expression didn't change, but his eyes narrowed just a bit.
"You know… you might think Max is the strongest in the party," he said slowly. "But that's not the complete truth."
"Wha—?" I blinked, confused.
But before I could ask what he meant, he disappeared. No flash, no sound. Just... gone.
"...Did he just use a skill to leave mid-conversation? One he started?"
I stared at the space where he'd stood for a second longer, completely thrown off, before I heard footsteps behind me.
"Hey, Jay. How are you feeling now?" Sarah's voice cut in as the party finally arrived.
"I—uh, I'm okay now. Just a bit confused."
I looked at Max.
"I met Ambrose. He spoke to me for a moment… said something weird about how strong you are. Then he just disappeared without saying anything else."
Max raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment. Typical.
"Well, he's a weirdo. Just ignore him," Cleo said, brushing it off.
"Yeah! Instead, listen to what Max has done," Sarah added, clearly more excited than the rest of us.
Max stepped forward, arms crossed.
"It's not all good news," he started. "But there is some support coming. The guild's sending us one party for backup. Just one. But they're strong — on par with us. They've also got a new member, so you'll probably get along with them, Jay."
He paused, then turned to me.
"Also… I got you something."
"Huh? Got me what?" I asked, surprised.
"A Resonator," he said. "Took me a bit to decide, but I think it's the right choice. I also picked up some Skill Tokens for you. And a set of armor — it's light, probably more comfortable for your style."
"Wait— You got me all that?" I blinked. "Why? I mean… we just met a few days ago…"
"Oh, don't worry. Max just skipped the buffet of loot Ambrose offered," Cleo said with a grin. "He's too picky. Could've cleaned the place out."
"Cleo," Max sighed, "what did I say about mocking your leader?"
Then he looked back at me, more serious.
"Ambrose was being 'generous' because he couldn't give us much else for the goblin situation, aside from assigning that one other party. I figured if I can't get more people, I'll make the ones I have stronger."
"I see…" I nodded slowly, then asked, "So… what's the Resonator?"
Max reached into his coat and held it out.
"Spirit."