The next morning came and gone and Mark was delighted to see that the system welcomed him as usual, indicating his current level and class. As soon as he opened his eyes, a translucent blue interface appeared before his inner vision, slightly more massive than before, and resonating with a new, robust note that was quite different from the sensation of sleep.
WELCOME BACK, USER MARK VANCE,
Current Level: 6
Class: Tactician
Status: Active Frontier Champion
He enjoyed a long, hot shower to wash away the sulfurous stench of the northern mire and arrived clean-shaven and refreshed for breakfast. He had plenty of money now; his system wallet was full of the substantial silver he had won from both the werewolf alpha and the serpent trial. So, Mark told the innkeeper to prepare something special for him. Silas’s kitchen crew pulled out all the stops for the village’s new hero.
Within twenty minutes, a hearty meal of thick slices of mutton, fat-rimmed and sizzling in their own juices, lay before him. A big skillet of fluffy eggs tossed with chives and melted into lumps of tangy goat cheese stood at the edge of the table. Next to it was a pile of dense buckwheat pancakes drowned in sweet mountain berries syrup. There was also a clay cup of dark bean coffee that perfumed the whole tavern with its aroma. Mark ate heartily and enjoyed every mastication of the calorie-dense, protein-rich meal that made him feel stronger with each bite.
Then the system interface with his health stats appeared before his eyes, demonstrating his current attributes after all those days of training and gaining levels.
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Attribute
Base Value
Modifier
Total Status
Strength
20
+0
20 (Highly Formidable)
Agility
19
+1
20 (Blinding Reflexes)
Constitution
20
+0
20 (Iron Hull)
Intelligence
10
+2
12 (Tactical Mind)
Wisdom
13
+0
13
Willpower
18
+0
18 (Unbreakable)
54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmAgAE24OH6
Maximum Health: 160 / 160
Maximum Mana: 50 / 50
Then Mark came out from the hotel, went to the nearby garden, which was just inside the inner edge of Oakhaven's defensive wall, and started his morning routine. He did several sets of standard military calisthenics, then a set of fluid, high leverage defensive Jutsu that had been drilled into his muscle by Mr. Smith. After that, he had his protein shake, a vile mixture of local grains, ground beast cores, and goat's milk, and, on his way back to the village square, met Alden, who was smiling.
The old man was leaning against a stone sundial, his crumpled up in a deep, unreadable expression behind his glasses.
"You look good, Vance," said Alden, his voice unusually deep and gloomy. He informed Mark that, from this point on, he would have to operate in an entirely different reality, the paranormal, where he would have to deal with such foes as ghosts, demons, djinn, vampires, and walking hoards of the undead.
Mark's hand instantly went to the hilt of his short sword as his tactical mind automatically assessed the situation. "A paranormal tier? My current skillset is geared more towards physical and elemental foes, Alden. I would need an entire tactical overhaul to deal with the undead and the non-corporeal." said Mark.
"Which is why you're not doing this solo," growled Alden, gesturing with the wooden staff he carried at a shadowed figure waiting behind a weathered stone archway. "I am offering you the three great fighters of Ahmed, Amit, and Diljeet for your personal aid, Vance. Forget the old business, and give them a warm hug."
Out came the three warriors from the shadows. The first one, Ahmed, was a former champion of the Oakhaven Combat Hall, but his boastful smirk was gone, replaced with the humble, yet proud expression of a man who had suffered greatly. Next to him stood two strangers, both of which looked equally intimidating.
The three of them gave a group hug to Mark, and then clasped Mark's hands with theirs, in a show of unity and solidarity under the morning sun. Alden continued, saying that Amit and Diljeet had been renowned ghost hunters during their time on the material plane, having saved countless innocents from the vengeful ghosts and demons that plagued the region.
Mark turned his gaze to the two newcomers, using his standard reconnaissance spell to look them over
"Inspect," he thought.
Party Registry: The Paranormal Vanguard
Ahmed (Level 9 Vanguard): Heavy physical anchor, crowd control, and shield mitigation expertise.
Amit (Level 10 Occultist): Earth-based expert on paranormal entities, able to localize and bind ghosts and spirits using chalk, salt, and other material plane offerings.
Diljeet (Level 10 Exorcist): Earth-based holy warrior specializing on tracking and direct combat against imps, demons, and other non-corporeal foes, including aura-based blessing and incantations.
Suddenly, Mark's mind gave a jingle as a system notice alerted him.
[SYSTEM_NOTICE: "Party Synergy Detected"] ,
[UNLOCKED FEAT: "Tactical Commander's Aura (Passive - Rank 1)"],
[EFFECT : "When leading a registered party, all members within a 20 meter radius will gain a +10% Mental Fortitude and Mental Resistance bonus"] ,
Mark quickly closed the notification as his tactical mind already began reprocessing the new information. He was beginning to see the bigger picture. A balanced strike force of one physical anchor, two paranormal tacticians, and a tactical commander. It was perfect.
Alden seemed to have noticed it as well, nodding approvingly at Mark's renewed vigor. He informed Mark that today, he had the day off, and was free to mingle with the new party members. He would brief them again tomorrow about their upcoming mission. "Take the jeep and get to know each other, Vance. I'll tell you what further improvements you need to make and what gear you will need to deal with the dark creatures of Aethelgard," said Alden, as he walked back to the village town hall. "Have fun with your new friends."
Mark turned around and greeted his new team. Ahmed immediately came forward, giving a broad smile as he clapped a hand on Mark's shoulder.
"No hard feelings about the combat hall, Commander," said Ahmed, his voice as rough as the leathers he wore. "If your tactical mind can get us through the dead just as you got us through my joint locks, then I would follow you straight to the mouth of hell and back."
"We've seen our share of ghosts and spirits, Mark," said Diljeet, adjusting a leather bandolier that held small vials of glowing holy water. "But the paranormal entities in Aethelgard are powered by raw mana, so the rules of engagement here are a bit different. We need to get used to working together if we hope to survive our first encounter with the undead hoard."
Mark turned to look at the three men, then at the horizon, where the sky seemed to always have a faint gray haze. It wasn't his home anymore, and it sure as hell wasn't the world he was familiar with. He wasn't just some wandering mercenary anymore, fighting goblins for coin. He was a commanding officer, a leader of men, ready to take on the forces of the undead and the paranormal.
"Right, gentlemen. Let's go get in that jeep. We have twenty four hours to turn this band of misfits into a well oiled killing machine."
ns216.73.216.242da2
and then Add to home screen.