From Player To Npc

Chapter 104: Master Jax

They headed to the same inn that Shingi had stayed then night.

On the main door, there were two guards, and Shingi could see others around the block keep looking for anything weird.

Of course, this kind of security was unusual to be seen in a place like that, but for someone as high ranked as Master Jax, anything less would be unacceptable.

The guards on the entrance spoke briefly with Roth and then let him and Shingi in the establishment.

Inside, a single person was sitting on one of the chairs of the middle table, which was the biggest the inn had.

At the bar's counter, the waiters, cook, and barman, who was also the owner of the establishment. They were standing up like soldiers in front of their general.

"Oh, you are finally here. Come, take a seat."[Jax]

The older man turned then towards the rest of the people waiting at the bar.

"You can begin bringing the food now that everyone is here."[Jax]

Shingi sat in the seat to the left of Jax, even if Roth didn't seem to like it

Roth sat at the seat to the right of Jax.

"Well, I must say you look younger than through the crystal or from what I expected. Tell me how your Master is? It's been so long since there was any news of his."[Jax]

Shingi looked towards the bar towards the employees who were still there, the cook and the owner. The cook probably has finished what needed to be done, so they just had to serve it, and the owner was responsible for the bar.

"Oh, you don't have to worry about anything said here getting out. Each of these people is trustworthy, or I wouldn't allow them to stay. So you can speak without worries."[Jax]

Even after hearing that, Shingi had some worries. It wasn't that he didn't believe what Jax said, but he knew that the Dark Guild's power wasn't to be underestimated even by one of the Kings.

They found the Air Spire's location, something not even Jax or the King knew, and they even destroyed it.

"He is working on a few things as always. But he is somewhat different because of what made him disappear for all these years."[Shingi]

"What difference are we talking about? You speak as you know him for a lot of time, but I hadn't heard of him having anyone so young in his inner circles."[Jax]

Shingi didn't try to hide much from him cause he knew that it was pretty much impossible to do so.

Jax had a Special Skill, similar to his EAGLE EYES, being an evolution of a Skill. In Jax's case, the Skill was INSIGHT.

This Skill made him a human lie detector.

"Well, he was dead for some time and not the typical death that a Blessed One was able to return from. We are talking for a permanent one, or at least it was supposed to be one."[Shingi]

Jax's eyes widened a bit as even he didn't expect this response. He was confident that the boy spoke the truth even if he could understand that he was hiding some details but not too much to hide the truth.

"Could it be those people who took over the Tower be behind it?"[Jax]

Shingi nodded.

He wasn't entirely sure that Light and Dark were part of the Dark Guild, but most facts pointed toward it.

"And you say that he somehow got out of what they had done to him? I am guessing he had to pay something, and that is why the change."[Jax]

"In a way."[Shingi]

Then Shingi whispered something that only Jax could get by reading his lips.

For the first time, for possibly a long time, Jax's eyes got full wide of confusion.

Roth noticed this and was curious about what happened, but soon he saw Jax's face be back to normal.

"Do you mind me asking for proof of what you just said?"[Jax]

"I would expect nothing else. I guess you have something specific in mind. Right?"[Shingi]

Jax gave it some thought before continuing speaking.

"Allow me to read your mind."[Jax]

Usually, something like that would be impossible as mortal NPCs couldn't read the minds of Blessed Ones, but Shingi wasn't a Blessed One, or at least not a complete one.

"I have no problem with this. Although I warn you that some things may be unexpected even for you."[Shingi]

Jax chuckled at this. He had been alive for a long time as he was the counselor for the last three kings.

He was a Half-Elf, but he didn't have any characteristics of his Elven side other than being able to live longer than a human. His ears were rounded ar normal human ears, and he even had facial hair, which was hard for Elves to grow.

It was rare for one who was half-human to get mostly the body characteristics of his human side, but it wasn't unheard of.

Jax put his hand at the head of Shingi, and he started speaking some Arcane Words.

================================

A SPELL TRIES TO AFFECT YOUR MIND

================================

================================

THE USER OF THE SPELL HAS LOWER CHA THAN YOU SO YOU CAN CHOOSE TO NOW ALLOW THE SPELL TO AFFECT YOU.

DO YOU WISH TO MAKE THE SPELL FAIL?

YES / NO

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He expected this message to show up since he was aware that a Spell would be cast on him and was willing.

He felt Jax going through his memories, but he seemed to have only access to the ones he had as his NPC self and not his Player.

Their minds were considered separate by the System, even if he had access to the memories of both minds.

But even so, there were a few instances that he had done things that only Ameanum should be able to do, like having Varic reincarnate to Volig.

Of course, he didn't have the memory of Varic taking the potion, but Jax could put the pieces together by the discussions he had.

In a couple of minutes, Jax went through everything Shingi had done the past weeks as an NPC since he woke up.

When he finished the reading and got his hand back, he looked at Shingi with awe, which was something rare for him to do.

"Master Jax, what happened? Is what he said all along just wrong?"[Roth]

Roth thought that his Master had found about a dark deed that Shingi had done.

"Roth, go with the rest of the employees in the kitchen and make sure we aren't to be disturbed."[Jax]

Roth followed the orders even if he was confused about why.

He knew Master Jax had his reason for giving an order like that, and he wasn't going to go against his orders.

When he was sure they were on their own, he stood from his chair and then kneeled in front of Shingi as a sign of respect.

Shingi was surprised but was expecting this action from Jax.

It was because of his Class.

Having a True Class was a sign of being acknowledged by a power greater than Gods, so the holders of those Classes were considered more significant than even the King.

He may haven't fully earned his Class, but even if he had it as an Apprentice, it was a sign of being acknowledged.

"You know that I never liked people kneeling for me, and this feeling remains the same."[Shingi]

Jax stood up and sat back on his chair.

He cleared his throat before started speaking again.

"I see that you have done a lot in such a short time. Your meeting with the man named Mikhail is troubling, as well everything you learned about that Dark Guild."[Jax]

Shingi was aware that Jax most likely didn't know of the Dark Guild being called like that. They were working in secrecy, and he was aware of them because of their 'work' on other games.

Soryn knew of their identity cause the Air Spire didn't know few things, and the name of the Dark Guild wasn't one of them, but their true power was.

"So what do you think of my plan then?"[Shingi]

Jax started putting some serious thought into everything he learned and what Shingi wanted to do with making his party of Players and NPCs.

"Well, it is the best and most reasonable approach. Even if I suggested the King take actions, we can't since the Tower is in the Neutral Territory. We would need to work with all the other Kingdoms, which is close to impossible and would take a long time. But even if we succeed on that using on armies would be useless if they are a powerful as you gathered."[Jax]

"Exactly. We need a small group for us to get into the Tower and work our way up. I am sure I was close to where Mikhail was, and he probably hides something that we could use."[Shingi]

"But even if you succeed on getting in, it took you years to get as far as you did, and now if your assumptions are correct, things not only going to be different but also more difficult. Do you think the ones you chose can do it? None seemed like they had any extraordinary abilities."[Jax]

Shingi nodded as he agreed on that statement.

"You know that diamonds are made out of coal? They just have to go through a specific process."[Shingi]

Of course, Jax was aware of what he was talking about but making coal into diamonds needed extraordinary pressure and heat that even some great Arcane Practitioners couldn't produce with their power.

But using that logic of turning someone who seemed not to have any exceptional talent into a monster to be feared wasn't unheard of but wasn't something that just anyone could do.

But if one could do this, then Shingi was the one with the biggest chance.

His knowledge of the game, both as the Blessed Ones and the NPCs, was something that even the game developers wouldn't have at that degree.

"If someone else said those words, I would just consider them crazy, but I do believe that you have a chance. I can't help you much as it would draw attention, but I can provide some help to your people back to your place."[Jax]

Jax's sources were better than even Ardent Scythe's. 

She was just rich because of her real-life background, but some people wouldn't sell to her. Some were having a closed circle, and Jax had a big chance to be in there.

"I can make a list of things that we can use, and I am sure you can add to it. But there is something more other than this kind of help that you could provide."[Shingi]

Jax raised one of his eyebrows as he was curious about what Shingi referred to.

"We need to find Beliss."[Shingi]