Chapter 53

Chapter 53

Jinny

Level 5 Magus

And that was where everything went off the rails.

There was so much wrong with her sheet, I could barely mentally catalog it all. Her stats were absurd. Intelligence and Will were in the mid-twenties, everything besides companionship in the tens.

She had more than double the number of skills I did, almost all of them spells that looked anything but beginner material. just to name a few. Her feat list was just as long. When Nick was discussing general marching order, hed asked Jinny to just reign down hell. I could see why he hadnt needed to be more specific.

I went through her feats one by one, searching for something, anything to explain how the hell shed gotten so powerful at such an early stage. They were all good picks, but there was no bullshit asking-the-genie-for-more-wishes selection that would have made sense of it. All her feats were magic focused or class-specific, save one.



It was the sort of feat youd take if you had something to hide. Something I was all too familiar with, and an explanation for how had missed this.

Shes still watching me. Waiting to see if Ill say something regardless.

Her title, surprisingly, wasnt redacted:



Unless I was misremembering, the title was a reference to an old taoist aphorism.

I frowned and took a moment to consider. Jinny specifically mentioned that they hadnt bothered to look at each others sheets in a while. If they had, it was likely early on, before whatever was happening with Jinnys was apparent. It would be one thing if I thought she was a possible danger to Nick. If that were the case, I wouldnt give a damn what she wanted.

But this wasnt that.

Considering how stacked her stats were, it was clear her presence was hugely beneficial to the party. And I suspected from the nature of the quote that whatever secret she was hiding was a personal one. Therefore, none of my business.

I looked up to where she still watched in the rearview. Quick question. Have you tried using any fire spells while Saes is active?

Jinny sagged in visible relief. No. We usually use that for positioning, and start attacking once it wears off.

What are you thinking? Nick asked.

Depends on how Gloom works. Weve established the fact that the system doesnt give us all the information. If its demoralizing because they cant see, it probably doesnt matter. If its demoralizing because its gaseous and thats an effect of breathing it in, small chance it might be combustible. I shrugged.

This is it, Sae confirmed.

Below the door was a small accumulation of dirt and grime. Not much, but enough to assume it had been used recently.

These bastards all look the same. Nick groused. He slid the door open and revealed exactly what youd expect to be in a supply closet. Brooms, mops, and an astronomical amount of dirt. I entered last, taking a small dust rag from my pocket and sweeping the dirt on the exterior inward before I shut the door behind us. The supply closet was lit by a single transparent bulb hanging by a cord.

If I were to make a joke about Narnia I started.

There was a groan around the group.

Played out. Noted.

Weve already beaten the wrong side of the tracks, bit to death too, though Nick will never admit it. Jinny shook her head.

Tracks? I asked.

As if answering my question, Nick moved a stack of pallets aside easily, as if he were shifting around books on a shelf. Open sesame!

Also played out, Sae murmured.

Alright. Everyone suit up. Nick stared at the hole grimly. He was all business now, and equipped with hardy looking metallic armor, a silver sword with an emerald at the pommel that was at least half as tall as me, and a shield roughly the size of a car door.

He looked heavy, and more importantly, like he would make a lot of noise.

Beyond the pallets was a gaping hole, showing nothing but black. Jinny pulled a brown satchel out of her inventory and handed out four flashlights, giving me an encouraging smile when she handed me mine. Make sure you stay close.

Last-minute check, Nick said, not turning from the hole in the wall. Everyone good on health potions?

It was important that we all had our own individual supply, in case anyone got separated. The bare minimum was five. I had eight, but I hadnt advertised the excess. My excuse for the armor was already thin; no need to make myself look more suspicious. Once everyone confirmed, Nick turned and dropped down the waist-high ledge, then stepped into the dark. His flashlight reflected off a long rail, bisected by rotten wooden planks.

Wrong side of the tracks.

I went back and listened at the door, making sure there were no approaching footsteps.

New guy. Sae was staring at me over the drop-off. Hurry up.

Still, I kept my ear to the door. There was nothing. Not even the slightest echo. Satisfied for the moment, I flicked my flashlight on, and followed the others into the dark.