The Rifleman - Bk1 - Ch.60 (Patreon)

Chapter Sixty

Evolving Situations

Wesley stumbled out the door of the safe room after the others and collapsed against the cliff wall, looking anxiously around to see if there was anything that looked urgent. 

Like a bit of the cliff shearing off.

Nothing seemed different than before, so he closed his eyes and allowed the process to continue.

Profession Evolution Proceeding...

Steward — Guardian (Blocked)

Steward — Host (Blocked)

Steward — Keeper (Blocked)

Steward — UNKOWN (Accepted)

Unknown Profession accepted….

Naming Profession…

Logistics Officer.

Every military in the universe has one thing in common. It requires supplies and logistics. 

A gift to any military organization, the Logistics Officer can hold provisions, provide lodging, and more!

Skill:

My Domain (100%) — Station

Station:

Claim an area equal to a single Hex or more, and establish a Station on the claimed ground.

NOTE: This may be used in the secondary form if no grounds are available to claim; summon a suitable mobile station instead.

Skill: My Shield (100)

Charges: 3-10

Removed.

Skill: Armor Up! (0%)

Charges: 5

Summon armor plating to reinforce the Station.

If not used on the Station, summon a reinforced riot shield instead.

Skill: 

My Will (N/A) — Stores (0%)

Ammo, charges, and buffs are doubled for you and all associated military personnel within the area of Station Control. 

Profession Evolution Complete!

Wesley let out a relieved sigh, glad to have finally gotten through the grueling process. As always, he promised himself to stop letting things build up like this.

Totemic Evolution Begining!

“Fuck off!” Wesley gasped and collapsed as he was forcefully dragged into his own mind.

Wesley found himself standing on an empty stage, the lights fully on and nothing but a void where the audience was supposed to sit. He could even smell that strange mix of old wood varnish, wax, and mildew that always seemed to suffuse these places. Honestly, it could have been one of a hundred shitty little theaters in the middle of nowhere that Wes performed in over the years.

“Hello?” Wesley called. 

“Hello, Rifleman,” Sara walked onto the stage, to applause for some reason.

“Sara?” Wesley knew it wasn’t but had to ask.

“A part of her is a part of us now,” The thing smiled. “Shall we talk?”

“Let’s start with what you are and what is going on here?” Wesley offered. 

“I am you, and the wisp that tried to kill you, and a bit of Sara, even a bit of Pris. Funny, is it not? I am not even me, and you stand on an empty stage and talk to the fragments of the past.” It turned and looked out into the void. “Tell me, do you think it is sad that even in your own imagination, there is no crowd to watch you perform? I do.”

“Not that I would complain about some therapy; I’m certain I could keep a therapist busy for years, but is this the time?” Wesley looked out over the void, trying to imagine a crowd. 

“Probably not,” The thing smiled. “Still, it was nice to meet me. When you leave this place, the last remaining part of the wisp will be fused into you. The process will end not in destruction but in creation. You will be a new type of wisp. A Human wisp.”

“I will still be human, right?” Wesley asked.

“You will, and you will not. You will have a human form and a wisp form, but they will no longer be separate states. Instead, they are two halves of a single whole.” Sara smiled at him.

“The wisp. Will it die?” Wesley asked.

“Die? No, not really. It will go back to where the wisps are from and begin to gather energy again. In time, it may return.” Sara laughed and slapped him on the back. “Do not worry so much. We love to take things easy, remember that, okay?”

“I’ll try,” Wesley chuckled. “They don’t make it easy.”

“Speaking of which,” Sara turned back just before leaving the stage, “The man you dreamed of? The one who Drafted us? You better know that really happened. It was just blocked from your memory.”

“What?” Wesley felt his mouth drop open, but Sara was already gone. “Wait a minute—”

Totemic Evolution Complete!

Fusion of entities complete!

Racial category changed to Wisp!

Racial category rejected due to impossibility!

Racial category changed to Half-Wisp!

Racial category rejected due to impossibility!

ERROR!

ERROR!

Racial category changed to Unknown!

Success!

Totemic Ability: Never Forgotten becomes Racial Ability: Never Forgotten.

Racial Ability: Never Forgotten (100%)

Choose the upgrade path:

Quick-Step:

Simulacrum Cooldown reduced to 12 hours.

Roll Call:

The max simulacrum count is increased to 3.

Army of Me:

Only a single Simulacrum is summonable, and it is an exact copy of you.

Wesley was tempted by Quick-Step, but ultimately, he needed more Sims, not quicker resummons of them. They just didn’t die that often. As for Army of Me, that was the same issue. He needed more Sims, not less. Sure, it would have his full charges instead of half, but it would still be a net improvement to have three halves rather than a single full copy.

Evolutions Complete!

“Fucking finally,” Wesley grumbled and opened his eyes.

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“Can we talk now?” Malia and Joy were waiting for him the second he opened his eyes, and they looked almost frantic.

“Sure,” Wesley winced, his throat was killing him. “Wait, what is that?” His voice sounded off.

“You sound a little echoey?” Malia frowned. “Not as bad as when you are a wisp, but—” She gave up, grabbed his arm, and led him away from the others, Joy following along behind.

“What?” Wesley asked when she had led them all the way down to the next outcropping.

“My class evolved,” Malia and Joy said together.

“Mine too,” Wesley winced. “It hurt like a bitch.”

“Wait, you hit Tier ten?” Malia asked.

“Yeah, and tempered three times in the process.” Wesley looked pointedly at her vicelike grip on his aching arm.

“It’s weird that we all Evolved, right?” Joy asked.

“Hang on,” Wesley went and stood next to Joy, measuring her against him. “Are you taller?”

“Yeah!” Joy smiled shyly. “I evolved my race.”

“Me too!” Wesley was so glad he had explained the concept of a high-five to them as she slapped his palm in celebration.

“There is a problem,” Malia fretted. “Remember?”

“Shit, what happened,” Wesley still felt a little dazed from everything.

“I am not a Knight anymore!” Malia looked terrified. “It evolved into something else. I didn’t even get to choose.”

“Shit, what is it?” Wesley asked.

“I’m a Captain,” Malia said with a slight flush. “All my skills upgraded as well, but….”

“You wanted to stay a knight?” Wesley guessed.

“Well, I mean, who is going to join up with me if I’m not a Knight.” She looked away. “People respect Knights.”

“People respect Captains, too,” Wesley added sympathetically. “But if you don’t like the class, I’m sorry it happened.”

“Why couldn’t it be a Knight-Captain?” Malia hissed. “It said something about the class of Knight being removed? Is that even possible?”

“Removed?” Wesley looked over their small ledge at the water below. It was all connected; he just didn’t know how. 

“I got something really weird, too,” Joy added. “I was hoping to get Chef, but instead, well….” 

“Go on,” Wesley put an arm around her. “We’re here for you.”

“Corpsman?” Joy frowned. “I don’t even know what that is, but the skills are kind of cool. I even got some healing ones.”

“Ah,” Wesley immediately felt guilty. 

“What?” Malia asked.

“It’s just,” Wesley shrugged. “It might, possibly, be because of me.”

“Explain quickly,” Malia growled.

“My class evolved, you remember? Well, so did my profession.” Wesley swallowed at the glare Malia was giving him. “I’m now a Marine Rifleman and a Logistics Officer now.”

“And?” Malia said, stepping closer than he would like right at the moment. The words ‘striking range’ immediately came to mind.

“Well, those, Corpsman and Captain, are all things from my world. Well, Captains are more general, but see, it’s all kind of going together. They are all things that a single unit would have.”

“You mean, like a team?” Malia looked off to one side.

“A squad, but yeah,” Wesley shrugged. “I have no idea why it is happening, sorry.”

“Actually,” Malia smiled a little. “That must mean we are a good match if all our classes are aligning.”

“Thanks,” Wesley said. “Sorry, Joy.”

“What does a corpsman do?” Joy asked suddenly. 

“They are the healers, normally. Also sometimes help with caring for the wounded.” Wesley offered. “I think that might be where the system got the idea.”

“So, do they fight?” Joy asked.

“Only if they have to,” Wesley assured her. “Why?”

“I got three combat skills,” Joy smiled slyly. “Good ones.”

“Captain?” Rupert called. “If you three are finished for now?”

“Sorry!” Malia called. “What can we do for you?”

“I would like to request a small explanation of a couple of small matters, and then, we would like to get out of here, please.” Rupert bowed his head slightly in respect.

“Are you okay?” Malia asked.

“I was just wondering when and why I became eligible for a military class evolution,” Rupert said as he walked slowly down the steps. “I was offered a single class evolution, and it has left me a Lieutenant with very little in explanation.”

“Did any of the others get evolutions?” Wesley asked with a sinking feeling.

“All of them,” Rupert confirmed. “Most remained soldiers, although they say the names of some skills changed. Dolin was the one who changed the most, and I will leave that to you to sort out.”

“Ah, okay,” Wesley rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “Did you, by any chance, hope to remain with us after we were done with the sundering?”

“We had agreed to ask that if we could,” Rupert frowned. “Why?”

“Well, see,” Wesley tried to smile reassuringly. “A funny thing happened when we evolved….”

Talk about awkward conversations, especially since he had no idea why it had happened at all. If he was a betting man, Wesley would put everything he had on it being the same reason that Knight was apparently no longer a thing, and there was water everywhere. 

Something had changed the game. 

It was too soon to know for sure, but it was his best and only theory so far. Wesley didn’t mention anything yet, but he was getting more and more sure about it as they learned more.

“I see,” Rupert nodded. “Well, I suppose we have no better explanation as yet.” He turned and nodded to Malia, “Given the circumstances, I would like to request recruitment into your outfit, along with the men and women under my command, of course.”

“I accept,” Malia said with a smile. 

“Excellent,” Rupert smiled. “Now, will someone go and explain to Dolin what the hell to do with the rifle she just acquired?”

“Wait, what?” Wesley sprinted for the stairs.

///////////////////

Dolin was more than a little excited as he explained her new class to her. There was a little upset when she discovered that the wisp totem didn’t come as standard and she wouldn’t be transforming any time soon. A quick explanation of her brand new and slightly shiny M1 Garand which the system had gifted her later, and she was keen to try target shooting. It was astonishing how easily she adapted, and Wesley was more than suspicious that some system assistance was in effect. 

That or Dolin was just naturally gifted, at a prodigy level.

“So, the Reload thing can be upgraded?” Dolin asked. “You’re sure?”

“I did it myself,” Wesley assured her. “It takes a while, but yes.”

“And you are SURE I don’t get a wisp form?” Dolin asked for the dozenth time.

“Yes, Dolin!” Wesley did his best not to lose his temper. “I am sure.”

“Well, still a good class anyway,” Dolin grinned. “Now I just need to find myself a wisp.”

“DO NOT DO THAT!” Wesley shouted after her.

“We might as well move out,” Malia said as she came over, smiling brightly. “Our people are ready to move if you are?”

“Yeah,” Wesley nodded. “Let’s go see what fresh nightmare the players have designed for us.”