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SoK Chapter 170
🕑 Added 2025-06-14 15:00:11 +0000 UTC***
Instead of Molly and Tessie and their families plus Mimi and Sam and a couple other people, TJ stood looking down at at least 30 assembled people. Many of them were those thatâd followed Sarah and Farid there, but there were others that TJ had only seen in passing. One who took TJ py special surprise when he saw her there was Maddie, the scout that heâd run into outside of the encampment before heâd made first contact here.
âIâm not going to be so childish to ask what these people are all doing here,â TJ said, âbut Iâm really not sure what Iâve done to gain their confidence. I mean, theyâre nominally here to follow me, soâŠâ
âFrankly, I donât know.â Seth replied. âI just got here too. There were a couple other people gathered, but I donât have the same experience around here that you do. I figured that youâd know better than me about why these people would want to follow you into the untamed wilderness instead of sticking around here in the comfortable known.â
TJ levelled a look at Seth, who just shrugged. He was more confident now, as an Avenger. His shoulders were squared, his hair pulled back from his face, and, now that TJ thought about it, Sethâs skin had cleared up quite a bit. Evolution? Or something else, something more than that?
There wasnât any way to know without asking, and he didnât care enough to ask. Instead, TJ spoke aloud. âHello, Iâm going to assume youâre all here for me. Or, to follow me, as the case may be. If youâre not, well, Iâm glad to see you, you can move along.â
Nobody moved. TJ nodded and spoke again. âLook, Iâm not sure why most of you are here, and I donât need you to air your grievances or whatever. Just know now: if youâre going to be my people, then you can trust me to be on your side. To help you when I can. To fight to keep you safe. All I expect in return is for you to protect the people at your side. Be reasonable. Talk like adults. This is a new world weâre in, and I expect you to act in a way that isnât going to get the person next to you killed. Other than that, weâll get this figured out. Grab your things, and let me know if thereâs been any problems before we get going.â
A couple scattered claps and a single whistling cheer from Molly greeted his little speech, and TJ just walked forward to stand in front of the rest. Nobody approached him right away, but after about thirty seconds, Maddie walked up. She carried a baseball cap in her hands, twisting it nervously as she approached.
âHey Maddie. Surprised to see you here. What can I do for you?â TJ asked.
âUm. I have a couple things that I wanted to bring, but my old team leader told me no when I tried to bring them out this morning.â
TJâs knee-jerk reaction was to storm through the New Republicâs lands, to take back everything that these, his people said was theirs. These pissants would attempt to steal from his people? It was an outrage!
Then, he calmed the feeling and instead thought about it logically as he Appraised her.
Acolyte (Copper), 27
âWhat were you trying to bring out? I can see that youâve gained some good levels and evolved since I last spoke with you, so congrats.â
âYeah, thanks. It was some equipment Iâd had made. A quiver, some gloves, and a pair of boots.â
TJ nodded. âOk. Was any of it Bronze tier? Did any of it give Attributes or have any Skills?â
âNo.â She shook her head. âThe gloves had a⊠wind enchantment, I think? Let me draw arrows a little faster, kept my fingers from getting too irritated. The boots were just leather, and the quiver just held physical arrows Iâve made with a Skill. Iâve got those in my bag, but the quiverâs nice.â
âOk.â TJ sighed. âWe can go in there and try to give em hell for that stuff. I can probably get it back. However, it looks like most of it is just⊠convenient, is that right?â
âYeah.â Maddieâs face fell, knowing where he was going.
âDonât misunderstand,â TJ raised his hands, âif itâs really important to you to get those back specifically, I can do whatâs necessary to make it happen and I wonât mind. Hereâs the tradeoff, though, and I want you to know what it is and make your decision accordingly, ok?â
Maddie nodded.
âIâve got mostly tanned leather from two different Copper monsters back there. If you can wait a couple days, one of our⊠at least four crafting-adjacent people can probably make you way better equipment. So, youâd go without for a couple days, and in exchange, youâd get something better. Or, I could storm in there, scare or hurt enough people for us to get all these things back, and then weâd part on worse terms with Sven and his people. Honestly, if we push that too far, I wouldnât be surprised if we ended up with some violence on our hands. Iâm willing to do either of these things for you. Which do you want me to do?â
âIf those are my choices,â Maddie laughed, âthen Iâll take the Copper equipment.â
âProbably the better choice.â TJ agreed with a chuckle. âThanks for understanding.â
âYeah.â
âNow,â TJ raised his voice for all the people nearby, many of whom were eavesdropping, âI donât want you to misunderstand. If you have something that is important to you for any reason, let me know. If some asshatâs got your wedding band or a childâs favorite blankie, or a piece of equipment that really matters to you, let me know! Iâll make sure we can get those important things back! If itâs something thatâs just a thing and you donât care too much about it, just let me or one of the people from my Tutorial, Seth, Farid, or Sarah, or to a lesser extend, Molly and Tessie, and weâll get it replaced with things that we already have. Got it?â
A chorus of more excited answers came that time, and TJ allowed himself to smile. As he looked around the group, he saw that Roger and Suzie, his back neighbors, were missing. Theyâd seemed pretty happy to throw themselves in with the New Republic, and despite his many statements to the contrary, he found himself a little miffed. Heâd saved their lives and promised and delivered them so much, and they just⊠didnât care about that?
An old woman walked up and interrupted his thoughts. In her, TJ saw one of the positive possible side effects of the Integration. Various signs of advanced age covered her body, like fading liver spots. Thick crowâs feet and worry lines on her face, and though her palm was firm and rough when she shook his hand, the skin on the back of her hand seemed as thin as paper.
âI have just one thing.â She said.
âGreat, Iâd love to hear it. By the way, Iâm TJ. You?â
âGertrude. And someone in my row of cots took my locket, and it was then passed around. Itâs from my late husband, Bob. They wanted it becauseââ
âI donât care if they wanted it because itâs damned Gold tier equipment.â TJ growled. âIâm not going to stand for it. Whoâs got it?â
âAâŠâ Gertrude looked more than a little frightened by his intensity. âItâs a woman, her nameâs Raya. Do you know her?â
TJ cursed sulfurously under his breath. Taking a moment to gather himself, he answered. âYeah. Sheâs Svenâs second in command. She say something stupid like it being for research or the good of the New Republic?â
âBoth of those, yes.â
TJ nodded once. âIâll take care of it and get it back for you. Once anyone else has said what they need to get back, Iâll take a list and ensure that we get it all.â
âBless you, TJ.â Gertrude said it, and he felt something warm suffuse him as she said it. The System flashed a notification in his face, and he quickly read it.
You have been entrusted with a Divine Trial. Divine Trial: requisition Gertrude Nieuwyndykâs locket. Reward: Understanding of the Path of Worship available to all Participants.
TJ wanted to delve deeper into what that meant, but instead, he nodded his goodbye to Gertrude and instead called out, âAnyone else need to tell me anything? Iâm happy to do it, but I need to know now.â
He waited another minute, but nobody approached, so he nodded. Then, looking at the Copper tiers all around him, William, Brad, Lucy, and Stella included, he crooked a finger at Farid. The Acolyte walked forward without question, and TJ addressed the rest of this new group of his.
âFaridâs going to come with me. Weâll get this locket back, and weâll meet you. With as many Coppers as you have, especially you more established Copper tiers, you should be fine. Weâll meet up at the corner of Broadway and Mill Ave, just in front of the high school. Any questions?â
Sarah frowned a little. âWhy not me too?â
âBecause youâll try to start a fight.â TJ said simply. âI trust Farid to keep a level head.â
âAnd to keep yours level.â Farid joked back, though the small smile on his face didnât reach his eyes. TJ was sure it was still to do with his parents, and heâd already had the conversation with Farid a time or two. There wasnât anything else that he could say.
âGreat, you all move out. Seth, you pass the bag on to someone else. Mimi, you take Luz, please.â
They followed his commands, and though a part of TJ loathed to be in charge, he found he was more and more easily falling into the position. Then, before he left, he called Molly, Tessie, and Sarah forward.
âI donât know how long this will last, because weâre going in opposite directions for now,â he warned, âbut having my Ritualistic Transfer going on will let the others know if somethingâs going on. Iâll be able to see if youâre losing any resources, and Iâll pull a little on you if somethingâs going on here. Not saying anyone should react drastically if that were to happen, but itâs something that the otherâs should be aware of, for as long as we have the capability.â
âGood idea.â Sarah nodded. âIf I start going hog wild with the crazy, everything-destroying attacks, can you just⊠give me more Stamina and Mana to do it some more?â
âAm I capable of it?â TJ answered. âYes. Will I? Not today. Have a rampage when weâre not precariously exiting a semi-hostage situation.â
âFine.â Sarah smiled, less goofy and more honest. âBe safe. Let us know if anythingâs happening.â
âIâll pulse three times slow if Iâm feeling the connection fade, howâs that sound?â TJ offered.
âGreat.â Sarah nodded.
âDonât give my Class a reason to come back here.â Seth said, his tone serious. âI donât think I want to see what would happen to me and Avenger if I got a bunch of levels from slaughtering my way through a peaceful camp.â
âOk.â TJ quickly went through the motions of his ritual, anointing each of the Participants from his Tutorial, his friends. Then, once it was complete, he waved them off and stood shoulder to shoulder with Farid.
âYou ready, Farid?â He asked.
âTo enter the lair of the dragon and demand that she return her stolen gold?â He joked. âI suppose. You donât have any sort of a shield that holds dragons back, do you?â
âEh. Iâm kinda a dragon. I mean, I can fly now. Thatâs a good start, isnât it?â
Forcing themselves into a happy mood, they strode deeper and deeper into campus, more and more aware of unkind gazes looking at them. And still they walked until they stood outside the permanent enrollment shade tent that Raya usually stayed at. And just their luck, there she was.
âTJ.â
