Chapter 5: Leveraging Fear and Shame
The sun was barely above the eastern horizon, painting the sky in bruised violets and sickly oranges, when Mark woke. It wasn't the pain from his thigh that woke him—Thomas's makeshift poultice of feverfew and pine sap had dulled the worst of the ache—but the realization that Elias, in the next room, was breathing steadily. A powerful, anchoring comfort.
"Host, your recuperation period is calculated at 48 hours for optimal recovery. However, the window for capitalizing on the Fear Market is 12 hours before the public moves to self-congratulation and apathy," Jarvis informed him.
Apathy kills profit, Mark thought, swinging his legs stiffly off the bench. He had a limp, but he could move.
"First, the inventory. We need to process the Alpha. Thomas can't see this—it might upset him. Jarvis, guide me through skinning and field-dressing a Goblin-Fox with elemental mutation."
"Affirmative. The valuable components are the elemental glands at the base of the skull, the earth-infused hide, and the crystallized bone fragments near the spine. Use the carving knife. Proceed to the corpse location."
Mark moved with the grim efficiency of a man who had faced death and found he preferred working. He found Thomas's canvas tarp and dragged himself back to the forest edge. He worked fast, directed by Jarvis's precise, anatomical diagrams overlaid in his vision. The smell was horrendous, the labor sickening, but the thought of fifty to one hundred Silver Shillings—enough to buy them stability—was a potent motivator.
He returned an hour later, leaving only the stripped carcass behind, now carrying a tightly rolled bundle of thick, faintly glowing gray hide and a pouch filled with heavy, crystal-laced fragments. He hid the bounty in the woodshed, securing the door with a thick piece of rope.
The village was beginning to stir. Mark cleaned the worst of the blood from his clothes and, armed with his limp and the aura of a man who had stared down a demon, walked straight toward the Elder Kaelan's large, well-maintained home near the center of Oakhaven.
Elder Kaelan was a figure of authority built on tradition and status, not achievement. He was a man of sixty, wearing a heavy, clean wool tunic and nursing a warm cup of herbal tea outside his door, ready to receive the morning's inevitable congratulations.
Kaelan saw Mark approaching—the obvious victor, the one who bore the scars of the night's battle—and his face stiffened, the congratulatory smile freezing on his lips.
"Mark Noax! A miracle! We heard the news from Brother Elara. An unprecedented feat! The Light was clearly with you, son." Kaelan's tone was dismissive, already minimizing Mark's role. "The community will organize a proper collection to show its gratitude, of course. Perhaps three or four Shillings for your trouble."
Mark stopped directly in front of the Elder's intricately carved oak door. He didn't thank him. He didn't ask for a reward. He just looked the Elder in the eye, his own eyes heavy with exhaustion and grim purpose.
"Elder Kaelan," Mark said, his voice raw and low, carrying a weight that forced the older man to pay attention. "I didn't kill the scourge for charity. I killed it to save my mother's life. And it cost every Silver Shilling our family had."
He paused, letting the silence stretch.
"The Alpha is dead, yes. But Jarvis—the way I defeated the Alpha—allowed me to learn something. The threat is not eliminated. It is dispersed."
Kaelan scoffed, straightening his tunic. "Nonsense, lad. The Scourge is gone. The Light provides peace."
"The Light provides courage to those who defend themselves," Mark countered, reaching for the Elder's stated weakness: Doctrine. "But Brother Elara will tell you that the Light does not protect the negligent. The remaining twelve Goblin-Foxes are now disoriented, true. But they left scent markings—pheromones—on every house they intended to attack. I saw them. They are marked for future predation."
Mark leaned closer, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, loud enough for a nearby baker sweeping his stoop to overhear.
"If the village remains passive, Elder, those twelve are coming back tonight. And who will they come for? The houses that smell like marked prey." Mark gestured dramatically toward the Elder's expensive, undefended door. "The Church teaches that to stand by while danger threatens your flock is a sin of omission. Negligence."
Kaelan's face drained of color. Mark hadn't threatened him; he had threatened his reputation and his standing within the Church's rigid moral framework. If the Elder dismissed Mark, and one home was attacked, Kaelan would be ruined by public shame and religious censure.
"Analysis complete. Elder Kaelan is experiencing cognitive conflict between personal avarice and public standing. Status: Highly Volatile," Jarvis confirmed.
"What are you suggesting, Mark?" Kaelan hissed, his eyes darting toward the baker.
"My System and I have developed a temporary, high-efficacy countermeasure," Mark stated, using the jargon deliberately to sound authoritative. "We can analyze the risk levels for each household, neutralize the pheromone markers with a simple forest distillate, and post Guardian Tokens to ward off stray beasts. This buys us a week of total safety."
Mark straightened up, putting on his most professional, customer-facing expression—a skill he'd picked up from his brief, miserable attempt at selling software.
"I am offering a Security Service, not Charity. I charge 5 Silver Shillings per secured house. This is a private contract for protection. If you wish to protect your reputation, Elder, and lead by example, your house should be the first."
Kaelan was trapped. He couldn't afford to be seen as the village leader who refused security, yet he hated the idea of this penniless boy making money on his turf.
The Elder slowly reached inside his tunic and pulled out a small leather purse. He counted out five silver coins with painful reluctance and shoved them into Mark's hand.
"You have your funds, Mark. Now perform your service. And if a single stray dog gets past your 'Guardian Tokens,' I will have you driven from Oakhaven."
"Understood, Elder," Mark replied, giving a short, curt nod of a professional signing a contract. He wasn't afraid of the threat; Kaelan had just provided his first piece of seed capital and an all-important public endorsement.
Mark turned and limped straight over to the baker who was pretending to sweep.
"A terrifying night, wasn't it, Master Elwin?" Mark said, displaying the five silver coins Kaelan had just paid. "Elder Kaelan just paid me to secure his home from the remaining packs. Would you like the same professional, elemental security analysis for your family? Tonight, those twelve Goblin-Foxes will look for the scent marks."
Master Elwin's eyes went from the coins to the Elder's nervous figure, then to Mark's genuine, bloody limp. Fear trumped frugality.
"Five Shillings, you say? It's too much, Mark, but... it's cheaper than a dead child. Do mine now, lad. Please."
By nightfall, Mark and a very confused, but determined, Thomas had secured eight houses. Thomas was tasked with applying the "forest distillate"—which Jarvis had identified as concentrated wintergreen sap that neutralizes the scent of fear—and posting the "Guardian Tokens"—which were nothing more than small, carved cedar tags blessed with a tiny amount of Mark's remaining elemental energy, enough to give a faint, magical hum.
Total Gross Revenue: 40 Silver Shillings.
Mark leaned against the door of his own home, counting the small, heavy stack of coins. He had enough to purchase a small, sturdy cart and provisions for the two-day trip to Port Elmswood.
"Forty Shillings, son," Thomas marveled, shaking his head. "More than I make in a month."
"It's enough for a start, Father," Mark said, looking toward the dark line of the forest. "I'm taking the Alpha's hide and going to the city. I'm going to sell this carcass to an alchemist for real money. We need a safety net, not just a bandage."
Mark felt the familiar pull of Jarvis's System.
[Quest Log Update]
Primary Quest: Financial Viability (Active)
Sub-Quest: Seed Capital Acquired (Complete)
Funds Raised: 40 SS.
Next Mission: Port Elmswood Expedition (Pending)
Objective: Sell Variant Alpha materials for > 50 SS. Acquire long-term income stream.
New Skill Unlocked (Level 3): [Basic Negotiation (Lvl 1)]
Description: Reduces the initial reluctance of a counterparty by 10%. Requires Charisma attribute check.
Mark smiled faintly, a tired, but genuine expression. He had survived the monsters, beaten the bureaucracy, and secured the initial capital. The next step was the big city, and he was no longer the trash man, but a cunning entrepreneur with an AI in his head.
Sorry, for yesterday, I was too busy,
Here is chapter 5 & 6
[AUTHOR NOTE SAME RULE, 5 POWER STONE = 3 NEW CHAPTER
AND
5 HONEST REVIEW = 3 NEW CHAPTER]
**** everyday 8:30 pm 'evening' new chapter ****