Dimension System - Chapter 90

 

Everything had been secured. With my business in Ishtar temporarily put on hold, I joined up with Xander and Reed, who were holed up at a nearby inn. The locals were still celebrating the recent victory. Xander wanted to confirm that everything was set.

 

“So you’ve taken care of everything than?”

 

“Yes, everything has been taken care of.”

 

Nodding, we moved outside to a quiet alleyway, where he began the incantation for a portal. Since we had a few minutes, I asked Reed about the spatial mages, as I understood that he worked with them in some capacity.

 

“Is there anything I need to know about their organization before we get there?”

 

“Hmm, they’re a very unique group, unlike any other. Just be honest and respectful when we get there and you’ll be fine. Oh, and don’t ask too many questions.”

 

With a gentle hum, a blue portal was created. I braced myself for the slight queasy feeling that came from entering a portal, but was pleasantly surprised that this portal was much more stable. It seemed like the additional conjuration time produced a much more stable transition.

 

Entering the portal together, we emerged on the other side, from a corresponding orange portal. The room that we entered was surprisingly.. modern looking? Brick and mortar walls were complimented by a beautiful hardwood floor that was stained to a rich dark color.

 

Glancing around the room, I saw interior decorations and furniture reminiscent of a hunting lodge. Mounted heads of fierce animals and monsters decorated the walls. To my left, was a slightly recessed area, where there was a roaring fireplace. Several recliner-style chairs were positioned around the fireplace, covered in an unknown animal leather.

 

Shifting my gaze to the right, I saw a small reception area, with a single attendant who was approaching us. He greeted Xander, as he took his robe and placed on a nearby rack.

 

“Captain Crestwald, welcome back to the citadel. I see that you’ve completed your mission. This must be the new spatial mage?”

 

“Yeah Tony, this is the new guy. He’s got a lot of talent, so I’m very eager to introduce him to the family.”

 

As they spoke, Tony retrieved a suit coat, placing it onto Xander. Turning to me, he gave a slight bow and introduced himself.

 

“Antonio Vincetti, at your service!”

 

I reached my hand out to reciprocate his greeting.

 

“Zanir Coffey, pleased to make your acquaintance.”

 

Grasping hands, we shook briefly, as he seemed to eye my tailored suit.

 

“A firm handshake and a nice suit, I’m sure that you’ll fit right in. Welcome to the family!”

 

“Thank you, Mr. Vincetti.”

 

Smiling, he held his hand up while responding lightheartedly.

 

“Please, call me Tony. My grandfather is Mr. Vincetti!”

 

With a slight chuckle, I agreed, and we made our way past the reception area into a hallway corridor. Opening the large door at the end, we entered what could only be described as warmly lit speakeasy. Chandeliers and lamps illuminated the room, which included a bar area, several tables of varying sizes, and what appeared to be dining booths on the other side.

 

Several different groups of men congregated together at various sections of the rooms. They appeared to be gambling on various card and dice games, while others were enjoying their meals, or drinking at the bar. All of them were well-dressed, in varying states of suits or dress shirts and suspenders. Some of them were wearing vintage fedora-style hats.

 

A rich smoke permeated the air, produced by several of them smoking what looked to me like cigars. Upon entering the room, a few of the men called out to Xander and Reed.

 

‘Eyyyyy, Xanny, how you doing?”

 

‘Long time no see Reed, lemme buy ya a drink!’

 

‘Xanny-boy is that the new kid?’

 

Navigating through the room, Xander patted the shoulders of some of the men while giving short responses. We made our way over to one of the larger, quieter tables, were several men were casually dining. A very large man was seated at the head of the table, listening to the others between bites.

 

Noticing our approach, the hard look on his countenance softened, as he greeted Xander.

 

“Cousin, have you eaten yet?”

 

“Uncle Vinny, just the man I was looking for! We’re not interrupting your meeting, are we?”

 

Laughing so hard that his jowls shook, the man waved his sausage-like fingers, as if to dismiss the notion.

 

“Fuggedaboutit!”

 

Joining the men at the table, we were quickly served generous portions of a stuffed pasta dish. They almost looked like ravioli. Digging into the food, I listened as Vinny described the origins of their organization.

 

“Welcome to the Vincetti family, the largest and most powerful collection of spatial mages in the world. In order to understand who we are, I have to explain our origins and where we came from. First of all, are you familiar with reincarnation?”

 

Hmm, I wondered if they were testing me. Did they already know? I decided to respond casually for now.

 

“Aren’t they people who retain memories of their past lives?”

 

With a pleased look, Vinny continued.

 

“Exactly! Well, this may be hard to believe, but our organization was founded by such a man. Our founder, Lorenzo Vincetti, came from another planet called ‘Earth’. He was killed by a rival businessman and found himself reincarnated to our world. This was over a hundred years ago.”

 

Pausing for a split second, Vinny took a drink from the wine glass at his side, before continuing.

 

“With his aggressive business tactics and strong spatial magic aptitude, he did something that everyone considered impossible. He united the fractured, squabbling spatial mage groups into a single organization through acquisitions, mergers, and alliances. Together, our family rose in power and prestige, eventually stamping out our rivals to achieve total dominance.”

 

“Our organization is just like a family, it’s built on the foundations of trust, loyalty, and respect. Those who work hard and prove themselves will rise up through the ranks. We can talk about all that later though, for now I’d like to extend an invitation to you. I can see that you’re a sharp dresser and I feel that you will fit in very well here. Whaddya say?”

 

Listening to his story answered several questions, while raising a few more. I had my suspicions, so I responded jokingly to test the water, while clasping Vinny’s outstretched hand.

 

“Sure, I’m in! It’s not like you guys are some kind of mafia right?”

 

As soon as I said that, the entire table went silent and everyone had a serious face.

 

“Zanir, I can assure you, our family runs a legitimate business!”

 

Looking like he’d been offended, Vinny scoured for a few tense seconds, before everyone at the table busted up laughing. After catching his breath, he backed up from the table and stood up, while motioning for me to follow him.

 

“C’mon kid, I’ll introduce you to the Don, so we can induct you into the family.”

 

Following the large, balding man, we approached a guarded door. Recognizing Vinny, the guards opened the door for us, shutting it once we entered. Walking into the small office, I looked around the cozy room, noticing that it had very little decoration.

 

Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves lined both sides of the room, while the back wall was painted with a mural of a gorgeous Florentine-style coastal vineyard. An older man with faintly greying hair sat at a rather humble looking desk, reviewing documents and reports. He didn’t react to our presence at first, until a few minutes later, when he set down what he was looking at.

 

His physique looked average, even a little on the shorter side perhaps, though he gave off the aura of a powerful man in charge. When he finally looked over to address us, he motioned for us to have a seat in front of the desk.

 

“Ah, Capo Vinny. What brings you to my office?”

 

Taking off his hat, Vinny held it to his chest and responded with a very formal tone, unlike the way he had been speaking before.

 

“Don Vincetti, I’ve brought the new spatial mage as you’ve ordered. His name is Zanir Coffey.”

 

“Have you given him a proper introduction to the family?”

 

“Yes sir.”

 

Turning in my direction, the Don extended a greeting to me.

 

“Alright, let’s get down to business. I’m offering you a position in this organization. If you choose to accept, you’ll be given a ninety day training period. We will assess the extent of your spatial magic aptitude and powers. This will also give you time to familiarize yourself with our various staff and department members. After the ninety days, you’ll be evaluated on your performance, and you’ll also have one last chance to back out, should you decide not to join us.”

 

Shaking the Don’s hand, I made my decision to join them for now.

 

“I agree to the terms and accept the position.”

 

Releasing my hand, the Don gave me my first instructions.

 

“Excellent, if you run into any problems talk to my nephew Vincent here. He’s one of the Capos that I work with directly. Talk to my grandson Antonio in the reception hall to get started. He will handle your paperwork and get you registered. He can also answer many of the questions you may have.”

 

With the introductions concluded, the Don gave one final comment, before returning to his desk.

 

“Welcome to the Vincetti family, Zanir. I have a feeling that you will do extremely well here.”

 

“Thank you Don Vincetti, we’ll be on our way than.”

 

Patting me on the back, Vinny escorted me back to the bar area. He praised me for staying so calm.

 

“You did good kid, real good.”

 

While heading back the system had prompted me that a new mission was available.

 

*Ding*

 

[New faction mission unlocked]

 

[Spatial Mage Mafia: Having discovered the existence of a spatial mage organization that originated from a nineteenth century mobster, you are tasked with becoming the Godfather of the Vincetti crime family. You are authorized to use any means available, weather it’s subjective force, bribery, or simply working your way up through their ranks.]

 

[Reward: Unknown]

 

Well, this is certainly going to be interesting!

 

———————-

 

With dark circles under his eyes, the royal palace caretaker brought Angel to the final library in the city, which was located inside the local branch of the Church of Helios. For some reason the soldier clad in white plate-mail had dismissed the caretaker, insisting on entering by himself. As the caretaker was already paid, he happily agreed, eagerly heading home to get some rest.

 

Unsure of how things would go, I saw no need to take an unnecessary risk. The caretaker would only be a liability, if the Church of Helios decided to make an attack against me. Remembering my orders, I brought out the Golden Sun Tiger and rode it directly into the church.

 

Inside the brightly lit church many people occupied the pews, as they listened to the bishop giving an afternoon sermon. As soon as the first person noticed, the entire crowd focused their attention on me and the Golden Sun Tiger. Hushed whispers moved throughout the crowd, even causing the bishop to stop mid-sermon, his mouth hanging open in disbelief.

 

Dismounting from the Golden Sun Tiger, I removed my helmet, causing the bishop to display very curious facial expressions. He went between looking shocked, angry, and very confused. Eventually settling on angry and calling out to the guards.

 

“G-guards! Detain this man! He’s wanted for practicing the dark arts!”

 

As the confused guards moved to surround me, a nearby old man hobbled out, blocking off their paths and holding both his arms out in a T-pose.

 

“This man saved my entire family! I can’t let you take him. How could such a man be evil?”

 

Moving to his pulpit, the bishop produced a wanted poster with a crude sketch of Zanir.

 

“See here, he matches the description perfectly of this wanted poster!”

 

During their back and forth argument, several other churchgoers had joined the old man, forming a human blockade against the church’s guards. They joined in on the argument from there.

 

‘He saved my family from the fields as well! Where were your men during the beetle attack?’

 

‘Yeah! We didn’t see any of your banners until the attack was already over!’

 

‘He even rides the sacred tiger and it doesn’t burn him!’

 

Coughing, the bishop attempted to regain control of the congregation.

 

“Alright, alright, but it says here that he kidnapped several church officials. What about that?”

 

Turning around, the crowd stared at me and waited for a response.

 

I looked toward the ceiling and pretended to give a deep and profound response.

 

“Those who stare directly at the sun, may become blinded by it’s glory.”

 

Taking a few moments for maximum dramatic effect, I continued addressing the stunned crowd.

 

“They approached me with aggression and malice in their hearts, qualities unbecoming of the churches’ faithful, don’t you agree?”

 

With an audible gulp, the bishop hesitantly agreed.

 

“Yes… that is most unfortunate. We should always strive to act with the warmth of light.”

 

Sensing the bishop’s conflicted emotions, I gave him an easy out.

 

“Do not worry, for the light is merciful and forgiving, such that it cleanses us!”

 

Raising my voice in a crescendo of fervor, I began emitting sunlight from my body, causing the entire church to cover their eyes from the sudden brightness. During that brief period, I released the church captives, depositing them in front of the altar.

 

Witnessing the sudden appearance of the missing church members drove the crowd into a frenzy. People had begun praising the sun with passion. The guards moved to secure the captives, escorting them away for medical treatment. Their captain moved to approach the Golden Sun Tiger, who licked him and purred happily.

 

Attempting to reign things in, the bishop addressed the excited crowd.

 

“This is truly a blessed day! I will write a letter to the Arch-Bishop explaining what has occurred today. We must exonerate your good name and clear up this misunderstanding!”

 

This caused the crowd to begin clapping and cheering. The bishop turned to address the captain.

 

“Would you be able to continue this sermon captain? I feel that I must speak with our guest in private.”

 

“It would be an honor, your holiness.”

 

As the captain stepped up to the pulpit, the bishop stepped down and approached me directly, inviting me into his office.

 

Following him, we entered a lavishly decorated office room, where he offered me a seat. Reverence had replaced his former suspicion as he begun to address me.

 

“Now, how can this humble servant of light be of service?”

 

Bringing out the royal decree, I explained how I wanted to record the information contained in their library. He had a perplexed look as he gave his answer.

 

“Well… the thing is.. our library can only be accessed by members of the church. Our rules are very clear on this and the order comes directly from the pope. I’m afraid that I don’t have the authority to grant you entry.. unless…”

 

I could see where this was going..

 

“Unless I join the church?”

 

At my response, his eyes lit up.

 

“Yes, yes! Normally, a member must have attended for some time and be vetted for approval, but in light of your.. abilities.. I’m prepared to directly offer you the rank of initiate of the sun.”

 

Extending his hand out eagerly, he made me an offer.

 

“Would you be willing to spread the glory of light, my child?”

 

Clasping his hand, I accepted the offer, completing the first step of my mission.

 

“Yes, I’ll agree to join.”

 

“Excellent! I’ll inform the staff directly, so that you may study the holy scriptures in the library. Once you have completed the task, return to my office and we’ll set off for the morning mist capital. We must inform the Arch-Bishop of your talent!”

 

“Thank you, your holiness. I shall do as you instructed.”

 

Taking the initiate badge the bishop handed me, I left the room smiling, delighted by the system prompt I received.

 

*Ding*

 

[New faction mission unlocked]

 

[Praise the sun: Having been inducted into the Church of Helios, you are tasked with becoming the Pope of the organization. The organization will undoubtedly have resources, manpower, and knowledge that will aid you in future quests.]

 

[Reward: Golden Sun Dragon]

 

———————-

 

A three-masted galleon ship sailed through the ocean off the coast of Ishtar, surrounded by several smaller sloop ships. On the deck of the galleon, a soldier in black plate-mail sat down to join a samurai. Removing his helmet, he set it aside, then addressed his ally.

 

“Hey Dante, what do you have there?”

 

Dante responded while attempting to maintain concentration on his pouring. He didn’t want to spill any due to the swaying of the ship.

 

“Ahoy Devil! This is alcohol fermented from rice, a very classic brew, called ‘Sake’. Do you want to try it with me?”

 

“You had me at alcohol!”

 

Setting another cup down, he carefully poured out the sake, filling another cup for me. Together we drank the sake and savored it’s unique flavor. It had the bite of alcohol, but the burn felt much more subtle, and the tastes were significantly more pronounced than others I’d tried.

 

[Material analyzed:

Name: Sake

Type: Liquor

Rating: Level 3

Description: An alcoholic beverage produced by fermenting rice. The unique brewing process converts starch into sugars, instead of using sugars naturally present in fruit. The water used during production must be closely monitored, as chemicals contained within can drastically affect the quality of the product.]

 

I took a few moments to enjoy the warmth. The warmth of the sun also washed over me, balanced out by the refreshing, salty breeze of the ocean. Finally, I lazily stretched out, before getting up to address the crew.

 

“Hey you lazy gits, form up!”

 

Shuffling to and fro, the various crew members assembled on the deck, ready for their orders. None of them knew why the crew had been gathered together. As their captain, it was my duty to inform them.

 

“Alright everyone, attention on me now!”

 

‘Yes, captain!’

 

“Everyone here has been selected for a very special mission. We’ve gathered together the strongest warriors, the toughest battle freaks, and the most cut-throat criminals in our ranks.”

 

‘Yaaaaar!’

 

“Today, I’m going explain what we’re doing out here, and more importantly, what our mission is!”

 

By raising my voice a little I was slowly, but surely, whipping everyone into a frenzy.

 

“We’ve been chosen to form a special elite unit. The first subdivision of our spatial world! Our mission is of vital importance. I know that you’re going to love it!”

 

I motioned the man in the crow’s nest to release the ship’s new flag. As he chopped the binding rope, a beautiful black and white flag was unfurled. The flag contained the traditional skull and crossbones of a jolly roger, but there were also several additions, making it unique.

 

Above the skull and crossbones, a full colored chest was emblazoned, which was depicted to be overflowing with gold and jewels. Directly below the skull and crossbones, large white text spelt out the name of crew.

 

Loot Sect.

 

“From this point on, we’re all members of the Loot Sect! We’ve been assigned acquisition duty, if ya get my drift.”

 

One of the men in back raised his hand.

 

‘What does acquisition mean?’

 

‘Oh c’mon Fred! Seriously? The captain means we’s going back to pillaging and plundering. Now that we got ships, we’s pirates too!’

 

‘Is that true, captain?’

 

I resisted the urge to face-palm. These men were selected for their ruggedness, not their intelligence. I’d have to work hard to mold them into proper warriors.

 

“Yes. Our mission is to acquire as much loot as possible. We’re going to grab everything that isn’t nailed down. This world is ours for the taking! We only need to reach out and grasp it! Are you with me men?”

 

‘Yeeeeeeeaaaaaahhhhh!’

 

“Alright, for now we’re going to sail along the coastline, until we find something of interest. An island, a ship, a town, whatever! The only restrictions are, that we can’t initiate attacks against innocent towns, as that will disrupt the Dragon’s Den’s plans. However, that doesn’t mean that we can’t… defend ourselves. Dismissed!”

 

Shuffling back to their respective positions, the crew had a spring in their step, as they returned to their duties with renewed vigor. Returning to the helm, I joined Dante at the captain’s table.

 

“Excellent speech captain! I’m excited to get back to battle. My skills are getting rusty from disuse.”

 

“Haha, no need to rush things Lieutenant Dante, I’m sure there’s plenty of fodder on the road ahead. You’ll be able to forge your blades in a fountain of blood, as we carve away swaths of this world!”

 

As we prepared another Sake toast, the system rang out with the prompt I’d been expecting, causing my smile to widen into a grin.

 

*Ding*

 

[New faction mission unlocked]

 

[Loot Sect: Having established your own special forces unit, your mission is simple, and you know what you have to do. With your unique ability, it’s inevitable that this world will be the first of many to be completely absorbed.]

 

[Reward: Unknown; Progress: Negligible]