Resources poured from his new spatial device and into the open air, and after a long moment, his mentor appeared in front of him. The Dwarf’s eyes were closed, and remained that way until a large cigar found a way into his hand. He took a deep pull from it. “Celestials, I hope I'm not an Elf.”
Joe couldn't hold it in anymore; he started laughing, nearly falling over as tears streamed from his eyes. He reached up to touch them, wondering why his face was so wet. He tried to force some words out and failed, until he looked up and saw that Havoc was preparing to ‘help’ Joe get himself under control. That sobered the human up instantly. “Major General. Are you ready?”
“For what, human? Disappointment? From you? Always.” Havoc took another deep pull on his cigar. “Although… to be fair, you surprised me a few times now. What have you got up your sleeve this time? Where are we right now, the capital?”
The human did not answer him, instead selecting the next name off the rolls and allowing only a slight wince to escape as all the beautiful resources vanished forever. A new Dwarf that Joe had never seen before took shape, coalescing into a blonde mustached body… a Dwarf with long hair. She was nobility as well? Her eyes popped open, a brilliant green that exactly matched Havoc's. Her deep voice echoed into the absolutely silent room, the confusion evident. “Where am I? What happened…? We were just about to finish the campaign… I overslept!”
Before she could panic any further, her gaze swept through the room and landed on Major General Havoc, who was trembling and staring at her with wide eyes. His cigar fell to the ground, quickly standing up and snuffing itself out. “Dad? What happened to you? Did you get hit by an aging spell? Your beard…! Who set your beard on fire?”
That was all she could get out before Havoc had enveloped her in a hug and swept her into the air. “My… my little love. I’ve been so lost without you. I…”
The pressure behind his thick lenses mounted too much, and tears spilled out. Tiny wiper blades appeared and washed the front, but couldn’t clean the source. Havoc’s top hat dropped off his head and landed on the floor, revealing wild white-blond hair. “I’ll never lose you again, Francine. I’m so sorry I left you all alone.”
“You’re freaking me out.” The startled Dwarf held Havoc tightly as she realized what must have happened. “Fifty years? I… I can’t imagine what you’ve gone through. But I’m here now, and you’ll never have to worry about losing me again.”
Joe decided it was time to leave the room, and quietly let the family reunion run its course. His task was complete, all the troops—Elven and Dwarven—that had perished in the assault were back as Dwarves, so all that remained was to reap the rewards. He looked through the flood of messages that had poured in as soon as the raid officially ended, then at his status sheet.
You are considered the main contributor to the destruction and capture of a major fort. Experience gained: 50,000. Reputation gained with the Legion: 1,000. Reputation gained with the Dwarven Oligarchy: 500.
Quest complete: Ranker. After review, your Candidacy has been accepted. Your preliminary rank in Dwarven society has been set to ‘Major General’.
Major accomplishments as a Candidate:
Bringing access to the Deities back to the Dwarven Oligarchy.
Granting an option for a Grandmaster to advance into the Sage ranks in two disciplines (Smithing, Enchanting).
Applying a buff to various Officers that arguably saved the lives of thousands of Dwarves, as well as the Officers themselves on 15 occasions.
Rebutting an invasion.
Recapturing a national memorial landmark.
Rescuing 8,891 Legionnaires from an ambush.
Capturing a hidden major fort.
Building an Artifact-ranked Alchemy workshop for the usage of the Dwarven Oligarchy.
Pending review, your rewards will be as follows: Noble title (Major General). You have completed a task, or created something that benefited the Dwarven Oligarchy as a whole. In addition to your rank, you will gain 5000 reputation with the Dwarven Council, a small homestead, a command of your own, immunity from past crimes, and a large plot of land to do with as you will. Report to General Court-Martial to receive rewards.
Plot of land determined as: Gramma’s Shoe.
Welcome back to level 21!
Name: Joe ‘Tatum’s Chosen Legend’ Class: Reductionist
Profession I: Arcanologist (Max)
Profession II: Ritualistic Alchemist (1/20)
Profession III: None
Character Level: 21 Exp: 240,559 Exp to next level: 12,441
Rituarchitect Level: 10 Exp: 45,000 Exp debt: 6,590
Reductionist Level: 2 Exp: 4,636 Exp to next level: 1,364
Hit Points: 1,864/1,864
Mana: 6,788/6,788
Mana regen: 52.7/sec
Stamina: 1,524/1,524
Stamina regen: 6.46/sec
Characteristic: Raw score
Strength: 146
Dexterity: 146
Constitution: 142
Intelligence: 152
Wisdom: 133
Dark Charisma: 100
Perception: 137
Luck: 79
Karmic Luck: 11
“I… I did it! I can finally bunker down and forget the world for a few months!” Joe was almost screaming from joy as he browsed the changes that had occurred since he had landed on this new Zone. Now he had a chunk of land to develop however he wanted, and he could barely wait. “That's okay, though! No more deadlines, no more quests from random places. All I'm going to do for the next… I don't even know how long… is turn this major fort into the most powerful outpost for the Dwarven Oligarchy, and the most awesome base for The Wanderer’s Guild when they eventually catch up to me. Can I grind to my skills, train myself, and-”
“Joe! Get your rear over here!” Havoc shouted at him, poking his head out of the door to the one of only two buildings in the entire fort. “We have a war to plan! We're going to pay those elves back triple for daring to-”
“Nah…”
“Excuse me?” Havoc was taken aback by Joe’s noncommittal answer.
“Havoc, all I want to do is spend some time putting my fort
