| The gods have reached a verdict

| These are the points you have obtained.

Floating letters shimmered before Jamie's eyes. He halted mid-stride, staring in disbelief at the words suspended in the air. He had assumed the gods would cast their judgment after the prisoners' trial was complete.

| Your team failed to prevent the ritual that summoned the Nightshadow

| Your team failed to hide that the Night God's throne is empty

| Your team failed to save one hundred and forty-seven souls, who were offered in the ritual

| Your team failed to contain Nightshadow's advance

| Your team succeeded in luring the Nightshadow to be taken down by others [+1000]

| Your team managed to discover who caused this crisis [+2000]

| Your team failed to kill or capture your enemies

"How is that possible?" Jamie muttered under his breath. He knew they had managed to apprehend at least six nobles. One of them was the usurper who wanted to kill the Hafenstadt. Even if the principal foe and the Inquisitors fled, that should have been considered.

He pressed his lips together, frustration burning in his chest.

Jamie read the text again, fighting a strange feeling that crept under his skin. They still had no word on the prisoners' status, and it felt like a bad omen to receive something like this.

| The gods are disappointed with your performance.

Jamie wanted to shout at the sky, "You do realize I'm only Level Three, right?" But instead, he clenched his jaw, cursing those watchers.

| Jamie, Thomas, Holz, Thyra, and Alonzo received 3,000 experience points.

Cheers and applause rolled out of the Golden Fiddle's open windows behind him. He could picture the happiness on his companions' faces. For them that bet their lives every day, any victory, no matter how small, was worth celebrating.

Yet he couldn't bring himself to return. He needed to check the progress of each project. They almost failed. Next time, he needs the city to be in better shape.

Jamie took a deep breath and stepped away from the tavern. The city was only just waking. Magic lanterns still flickered along the deserted streets. The storefronts were half-shuttered as merchants prepared for a new day. The air carried a rich smell of baking bread, spiced tea, and the faint brine of fish from the port.

He walked toward the Commercial Quarter. It was there that most of the repairs were underway.

Despite the early hour, Jamie was certain Emyr and Knall would already be at work. An old man, Knall, possessed a methodical mind that kept Emyr's chaotic genius in check. Emyr was brilliant, yet wild, impulsive, and fearless in her craft.

Even so, the two were so passionate about their work that limiting them to working only during the day was nearly impossible. Jamie had already got complaints about the noises they made in the middle of the night while working on the new weapon.

As he got close to the main, Jamie's gaze wandered through the notifications still hovering in his vision.

--

| James Frostwatch (Soul: James Murtagh) | Class: Bard [Rare] | Level: 3 | Experience: [6220 / 9000]

He grimaced. "Level Three… still," he grumbled under his breath. It felt like decades since he'd level up. Months of sleepless nights, battles, and near escapes, and all he had to show for it was an experience bar stuck.

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--

| 2# Member: Thomas Hartfield | Trust: [100/100] | Class: Harvest Guardian [Rare] | Level: 3 | Experience: [8188/9000]

| Thomas has reached the maximum trust.

| Thomas has evolved his position from Lieutenant to Commander.

| With a Commander, you will better control your gang.

| You got five new member slots.

"Finally," Jamie murmured. He brushed a hand across his forehead. If he didn't level up soon, they'd be stuck with no new recruits. But now, with Thomas's promotion, everything changed.

| You got the affiliated members option

"What is that?" Jamie wondered, before selecting it to see more.

| Affiliated Members don't receive the same Exp Bonus as a Member. Yet, they have increased learning when trained by their commander.

"Affiliated members, huh?" Jamie mused in a hushed voice. "So I can bring in more members. Let Thomas train them, and if they prove themselves, I can add them to the main roster." His lips curved in a slight smile.

At his side, Jay struggled along, no longer gliding in that semi-ethereal way he used to. The cat took a few steps forward, hopped into the air, and fell back onto the cobblestones with an indignant yell.

"Ugh, ever since I got my physical form, I can't revert to my floating form," he complained, tail lashing in frustration. "It's ridiculous. I hate walking."

--

| 6# Member: Alonzo Del Alcázar | Trust: [45/100] | Class: Lightning Whisperer [Unique] | Race: Human [Quarter Elf] | Level: 2 | Experience: [4560/7000]

| Alonzo increased his trust by 30 points

--

| 7# Member: Thyra Snowfrid | Trust: [20/100] | Class: Ice Witch [Unique] | Race: Human | Level: 2 | Experience: [3280/7000]

| Thyra increased her trust by 10 points

'This one is hard to earn trust,' Jamie thought as he compared her to the others. With almost everyone else, he would usually get more than ten points. Only Thyra's progress was painfully slow.

--

| 9# Member: Holz | Trust: [100/100] | Class: Carpenter [Common] | Race: Human | Level: 3 | Experience: [2170/6000]

| Holz has maxed his trust.

| Holz's position has become Devoted Follower

"Devoted Follower?" Jamie read aloud, one eyebrow lifting. "Guess saving his wife really changed things."

| As a Devoted Follower, Holz will help spread the name of your group, increasing your local fame.

--

Ever since he'd reached Level Three, Jamie had felt the slow crawl of progress slowing his every step. He needed to do something more daring and heroic to push beyond his current limits. However, before that, he needed to strengthen his companions. A voice in his mind insisted that if the next crisis struck before they were ready, they might not survive.

These thoughts swirled in his mind as he walked through the streets of the Commercial Quarter. In the distance, a stone wall rose up, still bearing gaps and blackened scars from the latest assault on the city. The morning sun reflected off the broken ramparts as tired workers moved through the rubble. Their faces showed signs of their poor sleep. Yet they pushed on, climbing ladders and scaffolding to repair the large holes.

Jamie walked faster when he heard loud voices coming from the top of the main tower. Beside him, Jay followed slowly, his tail hanging low in frustration every time his attempts to float didn't work. The cat had an especially hard time climbing the narrow, twisting stairs up the tower.

Finally, Jamie stepped out onto a platform at the top of the wall. Tools clanged, and the wind blew bits of construction material. In the middle of it all stood Emyr and Knall. They were arguing so loudly that the nearby workers pretended not to notice. Yet a few glanced over with small, amused smiles.

"If you call this invention that name, I swear I'll stop right this instant and walk away," Knall threatened, shaking his head with exasperation. "This is precisely why I refuse to work with Gnomes!"

"All right, all right. I'll drop 'Dragon Fart One,'" Emyr conceded, pushing back strands of hair from her eyes. "But you have to admit it was a pretty memorable name."

Jamie stepped toward them, eyebrows raised with mingled curiosity and disbelief. "Dragon Fart? Who on earth would call the weapon that?"

"I was using it as a placeholder!" Emyr protested, throwing up her hands in mock exasperation. At the sight of Jamie, her expression softened. "Boss! You made it. Good timing."

Knall let out a breath of relief and toddled over to greet Jamie. The older man usually had a calm demeanor, but now tension etched the lines on his face. "Thank the gods you're here. Maybe you can talk some sense into her."

Ignoring the halfhearted glare Emyr shot him, Jamie nodded. "All right," he said. "So, how are we looking? Everything set for a demonstration?"

"Absolutely!" Emyr crowed, her eyes bright with excitement. "I've been up half the night pulling pieces together. Trust me, it's ready."

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