Chapter 12 – A Moment in Time

Max was led into a long hall with very little light except what leaked out from the entrances of the rooms. He could hear voices and shadows moving in the last doorway, but was kept away from it all. He assumed that was where the healers were tending to the boys that had been in the fights.

Instead, he entered a fairly simple room with a couple benches and cabinets along the walls. In the center was a single water hand pump that shone too brightly to be any normal metal. A massive bucket rested directly in front of it big enough to fit Max comfortably.

Next to it was a hole in the ground wide enough to fit both hands balled into fists. The room was caved ever so gently toward it with clear intent and design to guide any water or liquid down there.

The legionary stopped at the doorway while Max walked in further. “Wash up. Everything you need is in one of the cabinets. Clothing too. Should be directly next to the soap and sponges on the left side. Don’t take too long.”

Max nodded.

Seeing that, the legionary left.

Max searched the entire left side and did not find any of the soap or clothes mentioned. He didn’t locate anything until he checked the other side and even then, he found clean sets of clothes in a bin next to the cabinets rather than in any of them. He didn’t touch anything other than the soap and sponge because even the tips of his fingers were covered in filth.

Let’s get to work… I think I got some blood stuck in my hair too.

He went over to the hand pump, stripped, washed himself, lathered the soap over his entire person, scrubbed hard, and then worked to scrape all the filth off his body and hair. He scrubbed until his skin was raw and he still couldn’t get most of the filth off himself.

Max washed himself to get a better view of what was still on him.

What the hell…?

The goblin blood and filth seemed to stick to his skin and hair like glue.

He began to rewash and lather the soap. Doing it five more times before he was finally clean enough to not gag and shiver at what covered his whole body. He needed two more rub and scrubs until he was comfortable with how clean his hair was to go back out.

The soap gave him a light herbal smell to him that helped make him feel better about himself.

Max stood up and let himself dry for a few moments and then picked up a set of clothes and put it on. They were exact replicas of the ones he had on his bed; a maroon shirt and deep gray pants that was held tight on his stomach with a rope belt in loops.

Unlike the ones in his room, these did not have any sigil or this Cursed Legions Golden Claw mark.

Max let out a long breath and found a basket to sit on and pulled his status page up.

Status Page –

Maximilian (Fome)

Patron Inheritance T̶̠͆h̵͙̓r̵̬͂ö̶̜́ň̷͎e̶̫̍V̷̗͌o̵̜͠i̵̥͌d̴̖͘

Class – N/A

Level – 1

strength – 9

reaction – 8

resistance – 6

magic – 6

dexterity – 4

vitality – 3

endurance – 7

intelligence – 10

wisdom – 8

Unallocated attribute points – 2

Title Unlocking Difficulty – (-1)

Stealth/Theft Skills – (+1)

Skills – 6

Reading (Common Tongue) – Level 4

Writing (Common Tongue) – Level 3

System Inventory (Unlocked) – Level 1

The Ledger [0/10] – Level 1

Theft Tier (2) – Level 1 (2)

Battle Focus – level 3

Achievements – 3

Attain a tier 2 skill before unlocking your class!

I have things to accomplish I!

Attain five titles before unlocking a class or Patron Inheritance!

Titles – 5

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High Potential I!

High Potential II!

First of thyne Name

Trailblazer

Risktaker

Max stared at the status page. There was a lot to take in, yet he had eyes on a single thing.

I have a family name? Fome? Why is it in parentheses?

His mother had never told him he had a family name nor had it appeared in any of his records. Max was just Maximilian everywhere he had gone including the orphanages registry and any other place he had checked. Nothing had ever indicated he had a surname.

Max shook his head.

The day he met his father was likely the day he died if his mother’s last words were anything to go by. He wasn’t sure why nor was he going to question it when there were far more important tasks he needed to accomplish. Mainly staying alive and using the Skill Shard without getting executed by the legionaries.

He would check the rest of the status page later. He didn’t know how long he had privacy but he planned to take advantage of it.

Max thumbed at the ledger skill.

Please use a Skill Shard to unlock your Patron Inheritance

Skill Shard detected

Do you wish to use Skill Shard to unlock your Patron Inheritance Skill?

Yes. Use the Skill Shard.

Max closed his eyes and held his breath. Everything hinged on this one moment. If it was detected, then he was dead. He would know quite quickly if he had screwed himself or not, but this was a chance he could not let slip by. He didn’t know when he would ever get another moment by himself.