3332 PM, January 1st
Agent Frost opened his interface as he walked back to police headquarters.
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 46.2953%; text-align: center">Name</td>
<td style="width: 46.2953%; text-align: center">Thomas Frost</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 46.2953%; text-align: center">Occupation</td>
<td style="width: 46.2953%; text-align: center">Detective</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 46.2953%; text-align: center">Race</td>
<td style="width: 46.2953%; text-align: center">Human</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 46.2953%; text-align: center">Bloodline</td>
<td style="width: 46.2953%; text-align: center">Deadtalker</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 46.2953%; text-align: center">Talents</td>
<td style="width: 46.2953%; text-align: center">
Speak With the Dead (9)
Remember With the Dead (2)
Unknown (0)
Perfect Recall (12)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 46.2953%; text-align: center">Skills</td>
<td style="width: 46.2953%; text-align: center">
Tracking (5)
Listening (6)
Focusing (3)
Insight (8)
Running (6)
Mana Manipulation (15)
Mana Filtering (6)
Cooking (4)
Cleaning (4)
Drawing (7)
Unarmed Combat (3)
Melee Combat (4)
Ranged Combat (6)
Magic Combat (1)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 46.2953%; text-align: center">Level</td>
<td style="width: 46.2953%; text-align: center">57</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 46.2953%; text-align: center">Soul Energy</td>
<td style="width: 46.2953%; text-align: center">1206/2288</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 46.2953%; text-align: center">Health Points</td>
<td style="width: 46.2953%; text-align: center">9000/9000 (+1155/hr)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 46.2953%; text-align: center">Mana Points</td>
<td style="width: 46.2953%; text-align: center">8102/27300 (+1925/hr)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 46.2953%; text-align: center">Stamina Points</td>
<td style="width: 46.2953%; text-align: center">18633/29250 (+2062/hr)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 46.2953%; text-align: center">Strength</td>
<td style="width: 46.2953%; text-align: center">20</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 46.2953%; text-align: center">Constitution</td>
<td style="width: 46.2953%; text-align: center">30</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 46.2953%; text-align: center">Dexterity</td>
<td style="width: 46.2953%; text-align: center">25</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 46.2953%; text-align: center">Will</td>
<td style="width: 46.2953%; text-align: center">15</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 46.2953%; text-align: center">Connection</td>
<td style="width: 46.2953%; text-align: center">14</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 46.2953%; text-align: center">Growth</td>
<td style="width: 46.2953%; text-align: center">11</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 46.2953%; text-align: center">Intelligence</td>
<td style="width: 46.2953%; text-align: center">35</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 46.2953%; text-align: center">Wisdom</td>
<td style="width: 46.2953%; text-align: center">20</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 46.2953%; text-align: center">Perception</td>
<td style="width: 46.2953%; text-align: center">39</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
“And to top it all off, not even an increase in soul energy,” he muttered under his breath. “Or a level in any of my talents or skills.” He couldn''t for the life of him figure out who that man was. The man’s face didn''t match any in the GSD (Global System Database), and beyond that, no one in the GSD has such power. No one had the power to stop time, dismember people so neatly, halt another person’s progression through time, tear a person''s soul from their body without them noticing, see the future, or manipulate visions. And yet, this mysterious person had the power to do all save the last two, of which they could do at least one. Frost had never even heard of such powers.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.
After several minutes, he arrived at the station. He walked through the doors. “Hello, Agent Frost. Victor is waiting for you in his office,” the receptionist called out. Frost nodded at her, and walked through the busy foyer over to the investigative wing of the building. Once there, he walked up to Victor’s office and knocked on the door. “Come in.” He opened the door and walked in, closing it shut behind him before taking a seat.
“So, Agent Frost. Have you found out who is killing the kings?” Frost shook his head. “No. Every time I use [Remember With the Dead], this… person kicks me out.” Victor blinked in surprise. “Oh? Explain.” Frost recounted his series of visions, three each on each of the last three kings to die. “Well, at least we have a face to put to the murderer,” Victor said. “Perhaps, if the person was even showing their true face, rather than an illusion,” Frost retorted. Victor nodded. “True.” They sat there for a moment in silence, contemplating. “One year. We have one year until the 111th king in the past 333 years dies like the rest,” Victor sighed, putting his head in his hands. After a moment he recovered his composure. “We’ll figure it out. For now, do you have anything else to report?” Frost shook his head. “Still no leads on the CRAV case, or on Vel DeBar’s location. Beyond that everything beyond the kings is all clear on our end.” Victor nodded before relaxing back in his chair.
“What about your personal project? Any leads there?” Frost frowned. “I am unsure.” Victor raised an eyebrow. “I have what might be a lead, or it could be a dud.” Victor stared at him. “Go on,” he said, motioning for him to continue. “A soldier that fell during the war of 2365 had a memory of a friend talking about a legendary archive, chronicling all of history. It apparently dwelt ‘where the sands turned to seas and the mountains to waves. Where the sky to ground and the clouds to dust’” Victor blinked in surprise. “Ok. I can see what you mean.” Frost sighed wearily. “I''m beginning to lose hope of ever finding the truth.”
Victor scoffed. “Come now, you’re only 27. You started searching when you were 15. Then you applied here at 19 and were accepted. You''ve had other things to do beyond this, only working on it in your spare time, 1 or 2 hours a day. Breakthroughs a tenth as important often take half a century of near constant searching. You have done an impressive amount in so little time. You''ll figure it out. You have plenty of time before you die of old age.” Frost shook his head, smiling faintly. “Point.” They rose from their seats. “I’ll have Agents Drew and Hawkes look for more leads,” Victor stated as they shook hands. “I''ll be on call if you need me,” Frost said in return. They both walked out the door of Victor’s office and parted from there, Victor headed in towards the other Agents’ offices, and Frost headed out towards the exit.
Agent Frost walked towards the parking lot and got into his car. He pulled out and began the drive over to his house on the edge of the residential district. A few minutes later, he arrived. Getting out of his car, he began summoning a ball of mana as he walked to his front door. Once there, he put the ball in a small receptacle off to the side of the door, unlocking it. He opened the door and went in, locking it behind him with a thought. He walked over to his home office, and turned the room on. Devices hummed to life, lights blooming as he walked in and sat down at his desk. He rested his hand on the scanner, and linked his interface to his computer. “Dave, report.” Dave, his AI Assistant, responded. “Multiple remains of people from Pre Magic Eras have been found, and their spirits contacted, the most recent being from just 100 years before magic. No one has been killed the same way as the kings have been killed. The remains of the first 12 kings to die as well as the 9 before them remain missing. The Orchid Order has reported members going missing in the Tibetan Jungle.” Frost acknowledged the report, sitting back in his chair. “Mark down that when I used [Remember With the Dead], a mysterious person kicked me out before he answered the king’s question of why he was doing this.” Dave beeped in acknowledgement. Frost muttered under his breath. “I will find who is killing the kings, and I will stop them.”