The world...
It has been this way as far as you remember.
A desolate wasteland filled with deadly beasts, murderous machines, and bandits. Few precious pieces of fertile land that still exists are either held by religious fanatics or things that are dangerous enough to repel human greed.
Civilization is a story of the past. Only small pieces remain of its carcass, holding the last remnants of a time long forgotten.
There is no safety to be found, not even among your fellow man for it is from their ranks often come the greatest monsters.
Yet, for those willing to struggle, willing to fight, through all the pain and misery, risking death and tragedy, there exists something to be gained.
And for you, what was it?
The thing that sparked your will to fight.
White: Ex-Samurai start. The protagonist starts with high physical stats and elite combat skills along with advanced stealth training and basic medic training.
Combat is still dangerous but you are far better equipped to handle it and the stealth training also opens up extra or in some cases entirely new options. You are above mook level enemies and are capable of going toe to toe with most of the higher tier combatants. Just keep in mind that quantity has a quality of its own. This start has the potential to reach legendary levels in combat skills.
You were once a samurai, an Elite to be exact. You served in United Cities military for five years. And during that time you witnessed the corruption deeply rooted in the system. Bribery, blackmail, extortion, kidnapping, framing and more. It was more often that criminals were also your very comrades rather than the ones your blade was called against and the law only served those in power or those with money.
And above it all were the nobles. The ones responsible for this very system. They were like slugs gorged thick on blood, feeding on human misery and suffering, profiting from it. And it was your job to keep it that way.
To this day you still don't understand how you managed to survive those five years with your integrity intact.
You knew that it was beyond your power to change the system. You accepted the way things were.
Yet you couldn't bring yourself to become a part of it even though it would have made everything so much easier.
Was it pride? Or your sense of duty?
Or maybe something else?
You can't really tell.
But during those five years, those five very long years, you became the first honest samurai in the armed forces of Sho-Battai.
You refused bribes. You didn't extort people. You stood away from the games of politic and subterfuge that were oh so prevalent.
And you trained.
Every single day, until your palms bled and your muscles screamed.
And you earned your promotions. Each and every one of them.
You were a full-fledged samurai by the end of your first year. A sergeant by the second. Third and forth you spent as a Jounin. And you were made an Elite in your fifth and final year.
The year when you finally had enough and resigned.
It was the hardest thing you had ever done.
For despite all its faults, being a samurai had given you purpose. It had allowed you to climb above the life of constant hunger and pain that plagued most of the United City citizens.
Honing your skills, serving a cause, having a goal, pushing yourself ever onwards.
Some days, when your resolve is at its lowest and nostalgia becomes too much you even think of re-enlisting. Taking up the sword and donning the armor of a samurai once again.
It would be oh so easy. Nobles would trip over themselves to hire a warrior of your skill.
Then you remember all the things you have seen during your service and the temptation is drowned by disgust and apathy.
Yet you still keep your old badge. That piece of gold with your name engraved on it.
You put the badge back in the pouch and return to your drink. Even in a densely populated city like Sho-Battai, there are only a few people awake at this early in the morning when the sun has yet to rise up, leaving its main bar mostly empty.
Just how you like it.
Peace and tranquility are really hard to find these days and you intend to savor every minute of it.
You take another sip from your wine, imported from southern allied cities and made from a fruit native to that region. Strawberry it was called if you remember it right. Kind of expensive but you like the taste and since you recently finished a few freelance jobs, you have enough money to last you for while even with little bit luxury spending.
Sadly your peace is soon broken by a cloaked stranger who approaches your table and takes a seat opposite of you.
Without even asking. How rude.
Your Jounin training kicks in.
You analyze them. The cloak they wear is loose enough to hide most of their distinguishing features but you are able to spot a few errant locks of snowy white hair. There are also enough hints of their figure to suggest that they are a woman, one at the cusp of maturity.
You offer her your drink before she can utter a word. She accepts with a softly spoken "Thank you".
You patiently wait and watch as your guest lifts your cup and takes a sip all without revealing their face to you.
Which suggests skill earned through experience.
She politely places your cup back on the table, suggesting table manners.
Possibly a noble.
Her fingers are dainty and lack any callouses or scars. Her skin is pale, smooth and unblemished.
Definitely a noble then, probably an heiress.
Your guess is that she is here with a job offer. Surprising.
You were offered retainer positions by many nobles after your retirement but all of those offers were delivered to you by their lackeys.
To have one come to you in person, in disguise and without their usual entourage of hired guards.
Just your rotten luck.
You wait for her to talk first.
"I am sorry for intruding. I hope you will forgive my forwardness. But I have been looking for you."
Her voice is soft but has a hint of steel.
"Is that so?"
"Indeed. You have a very unique reputation Mr. Wolf."
"Just Wolf."
She nods.
"You see, I wish to offer you a job."
"Go on."
"I have been preparing an expedition for the Cannibal Plains."
This day just keeps getting better.
"Please forgive me for interrupting you but I must ask. Why?"
"I am afraid I can't share with you any more details before you accept the job."
"And the job is?"
"You will be my personal bodyguard for the duration of the expedition."
"You intend to personally lead the expedition."
"That is correct."
What is up with this girl? Could you be wrong? Maybe she is not really a noble after all because no noble you have the displeasure of knowing would risk their own skin. Then there is her polite and formal attitude.
Honestly, all of it only makes you more curious about her and her job offer.
"Tell me more about the duties expected of me."
"As I stated, you will serve as my personal bodyguard. I have negotiated with a couple of mercenary groups for this expedition. Problem is mercenaries usually have issues with loyalty and can only be trusted so far. As such I will need someone I can trust to watch my back in case some of my employees decide that taking me hostage for a ransom would be more profitable. There could also be some unknown parties who may try to convince them that they could make more money by making sure I don't return from this trip. This is where you come in. Your duty is to make sure I survive this expedition and convince any of the mercenaries thinking of renegotiating their contract otherwise, through violent means if need be."
That sounds, prudent really.
"And you are trusting me because?"
"Mainly your reputation. I also performed investigations of my own about you of course. You have an impressive record of service. Promoted to Elite in five years and through legitimate skill no less. But of course, what makes you really valuable is your integrity and sense of duty which is something very rare to find I must admit."
"I see. And how long will be my contract for?"
"If you accept? Starting from right now until the end of the expedition. As for the price-"
"750.000 cats. Paid when the contract ends." you demand.
"Done. Is that all?"
That is cats worth two years of your salary as a samurai.
"Can you tell me now why are we going to the cannibal plains?"
Your now employer falls silent. A couple of minutes pass and just as you start to think that she will not answer she breaks her silence.
"I am looking for someone. That is all I can tell."
Looking for someone in the cannibal plains? Yeah, that story does not have a happy ending. But cats are cats.
"If you don't have more questions then I think it is time to leave."
You shake your head no and follow after your employer as she leaves the bar.
"Where to now?"
"To do some shopping. You need better equipment if you are to protect me."
Sun is just rising over the horizon by the time you arrive at the largest weapon and armor shop in Sho-Battai. Predictably it is not yet open as there are still three hours until the start of the workday.
As you watch the shop guards open the door for your employer after being handed a pouch full of cats, you remember a popular saying among United Cities citizens.
"Cats open a lot of doors".
You shake your head in bemusement as you follow after the princess into the shop.
Shopkeeper, and old scorchlander with grey hair, greets you inside, roused from his sleep by the promise of wealth. He bows deeply to your employer before signaling his helpers to bring out and here you quote "the VIP selection".
Wow. That is some quality gear.
Your employer turns to you.
"You can pick any armor set you like and three pieces of weaponry. Don't worry about the price."
You nod.
There are four different sets of armor you can choose from.
First is a set of samurai variant heavy armor. It has been some time since you wore a samurai armor. They tend to be pretty heavy otherwise are pretty easy to move with, being designed with melee movement in mind. This also results in weaker joint and arm protection.
Second is a set of mercenary plate. It offers extra protection against bolts but hampers movement and agility somewhat.
The third set is the halfplate variant of mercenary plate with lighter weight and better mobility in return for a decrease in protection on areas that are not vital.
The last set is a plated leather armor combined with a dustcoat. It is considerably lighter and still offers decent protection but you probably shouldn't expect to weather volleys of bolts with it.
All of them are of high quality.
You'll go with the samurai set, it's better to stick with the familiar after all.
For weapons, you have more choices.
The first and foremost is the katana. The most widespread weapon in United Cities territories. It is also the standard weapon of samurai. Effective against unarmored targets. It can function both as a backup or a main weapon.
Second is the nodachi. Much harder to handle than a katana and kind of difficult to use in tight spaces but nodachi makes up for it all with killing power and longer reach. An excellent choice for primary weapon.
Third is the jitte, a baton-like weapon that is more oriented for defense rather than offense. Its short reach makes it better suited for indoor fighting. It can also deal significant trauma through armor with a strong swing.
Following that there is the plank. Plank is... Well, it is heavy, it has somewhat sharp edges basically is the perfect example of overcompensating. But there is no denying a solid hit from it can split open most of the heavy armors.
Then you have some throwing stars. You are familiar with them through your time as a Jounin. They have a short range and are pretty useless against armor but can be launched very quickly and only need a single empty hand to use.
Another option you have is the wakizashi. A short blade designed for slashing, it is designed to use in places where there isn't any space to maneuver. But it is hard to parry or block attacks with it and unlike the jitte, it is useless against armor.
Lastly, you have the glaive. A polearm suited for slashing attacks, it offers long reach which can be the difference between life and death when facing wild beasts and makes defending self easier. Kinda useless inside any tight space and lacks the killing power of other main weapons.
You'll go with the katana, with this blade and the samurai set you almost feel nostalgic.
You quickly don the samurai armor, refusing any aid from the helpers.
It fits you like a glove.
The familiar weight comforts you and you can't help crack a small smile. You clip the helmet on your belt before turning to the row of weapons offered you.
You grab the katana, the first weapon you learned how to handle. You test its weight and balance with few practice swings before affixing it to your belt.
Your second choice is the nodachi. People might argue that it is just a longer katana but those people are uneducated plebs.
Wielding a nodachi is a sign of mastery.
For your third choice, you decide to get throwing stars and a holster instead of another weapon from the rack. Shopkeeper frowns at your choice but a glance at your employer has him comply with your request.
"Will that be all?" shopkeeper asks.
You turn to your mysterious employer and nod. She promptly hands shopkeeper what amounts to a small fortune before turning back to you.
"You look more impressive now. Less like a homeless thug and more like a warrior." she states before making for the door with you following after her.
As you leave the store, armed to teeth, you can't help but agree with her.
You follow your employer through the mostly deserted streets except for the occasional guard or two on their morning patrols up until you come across a group well-armed men, three humans and a shek, barring your way.
"Are they yours?"
You ask your employer.
"No."
She replies.
A quick glance behind reveals another two, a human and a hive, walking out from side alleys and cutting off your escape.
Six in total. All possessing quality equipment. And the two guards who just noticed what is happening seem to be walking away, probably bribed.
It seems you are going to put your new gear to use much earlier than you have expected.
You put your hand on the hilt of your sword as one of the humans step forwards.
"Now, now. No need for violence my friend."
"See, we just want the girl-"
He doesn't get to finish as you explode into motion, closing the distance between you ans your target in merely two steps.
You watch as his eyes widen, realizing the danger he is in but it is far too late.
You draw your nodachi from your back and swing it in one fluid motion. Steel slices through flesh and bone in an explosion of blood as you separate the talkers head from his neck.
The decapitated head hits the ground as your would be ambushers draw their weapons.
But you are already moving.
You step into Red Harvest, a form designed to combat multiple enemies through the use of wide-sweeping swings.
Your first swing carves into the Shek, cutting through his breastplate and the bone plate over his skin before striking the merc standing next to him, slicing off his hand.
Your second swing connects with all three of your opponents. It catches the second merc off-guard who clearly wasn't expecting it, scoring a deep furrow on her chest plate before carving into the Shek once more. This time you draw blood, managing to strike his stomach where there is no bone. The end of your swing connects with the first merc's head, landing on his helmet and the force behind the blow sends him on his ass regardless.
Your last swing strikes the Shek and the female merc. Shek catches the blow on his forearm and only his natural bone plating saves him from losing a limb. The other merc is not so lucky and falls to the ground as your sword slices through her thigh, severing several important muscles.
(Merc 1 and Merc 2 are crippled. Merc 1 is stunned.)
Taking advantage of the opening in your attack, the Shek presses forward with a roar, swinging his plank sword in your direction.
It is a clumsy swing, one which leaves him wide open. You step under it before driving the hilt of your sword into the Shek's wounded stomach.
Shek spits blood and stumbles back, dropping his weapon in the process. You follow after, thrusting the tip of your sword into his neck and plunging it deep into his trachea.
Shek mercenary lets out a wet growl, blood leaking from where your sword has pierced his throat. It seems you missed the spine as your opponent grabs your sword instead of dying much to your annoyance. You try to wrest your sword free but found it locked in place by your opponent.
You lash out with your foot, burying it into Shek's injured stomach. His grip on your sword slackens due to pain, allowing you to easily wrench it free and then decapitate him in one fluid motion.
You turn your attention to your other opponents only to find the one whose hand you took fleeing while the crippled female merc is desperately trying to crawl away.
A quick glance at your employer reveals that she is standing her ground against the human merc with the saber, having drawn a needle-like sword, a rapier if you remember right.
Meanwhile, the hive merc looks at you and the dead shek below your feet, obviously feeling hesitant about attacking you.
This was supposed to be easy money. At least that is what Valk had told them. Just a teenage girl, all on her lonesome. Easy money. A lot of it too. Enough that when the shop guard they had bribed reported a bodyguard accompanying their target they still chose to go through with the plan.
After all, there were six of them. What could one man do against six armed mercs?
The hive mercenary named Jax looked upon the blood-soaked monster and the headless shek corpse beneath his feet. Ron had already ran away and Ann was on the ground, leaving a trail of blood as she crawled away in terror. Valk's corpse lay only few feet away.
All in under a minute.
You watch as the hive merc throws down his weapon and flees with barely any movement on your part. Well, at least this makes things easier for you as now you only have one target remaining. The last merc who is steadily advancing on your employer, completely unaware of you.
"Put away the toothpick girl. Don't force me to hurt you."
Your employer looks unimpressed with the merc's demand.
"Brave words for a dead man."
"Hah. Are you going to kill me? Is that it?"
"No."
It is then you impale the merc from behind, running him through with your nodachi.
"He will."
The merc coughs blood and looks at the piece of steel sticking out from his chest in confusion before you put your foot on his back and wrench your sword free, sending his lifeless body sprawling onto the ground facefirst.
"Adequate performance."
Your eyes snap back to your employer who looks calm for someone having faced a kidnapping attempt by several armed men.
"If you are finished, we need to move."
You look at the corpses and the female merc bleeding out.
"Let's go."
You and your employer swiftly vacate the street, leaving three corpses and a dying mercenary behind. Fortunately, with guards having left and the early hour means there is no one around to make a fuss about your bloodsoaked appearance.
Your new employer leads you to a large warehouse at the edge of the city. Such warehouses belong to Lord Nagata and are rented to wealthy merchants and such by his officials.
Approaching a side door, your employer knocks on the metal, with a certain rhythm.
"Password?" A voice rings out from behind the door.
"Aster" Your employer replies.
You hear the noises of multiple locks sliding out of place before the door opens and admits you two in.
First thing you take notice of is the multiple crossbows pointed at you by heavily armored men. You tense, one hand going for you sword even though at this range you know that you would get turned into a pincushion before you can draw it. Thankfully, all the weapons are lowered upon a signal from your employer who continues forward and you follow after.
Further inside the warehouse are many stalls, each housing a Pack Beast or a Garru. You see caravan hands and armed mercenaries milling about and there are multiple containers and boxes stacked at the end of the warehouse.
You can't help but whistle at the sight. You honestly didn't expect this level of preparation from your employer.
One of the people directing the caravan hands turns around and approaches your employer.
"We are done with the preparations, my lady. All our supplies are packed and loaded on the beasts. We only need your order."
"Good work Niels. Tell everyone we will move out in two hours."
"As you will."
Niels bows to your employer before going back to the group of caravan hands he was overseeing earlier. You on the other follow your employer up through the stairs into a floor full of rooms, dormitories and living quarters from the looks of it.
Your employer stops in front of a private room before turning to you.
"If you have any questions to ask, please do so now. Otherwise, you are free to rest and clean up. Meet me here two hours later and make sure you don't leave the warehouse."
First thing first, you get the directions to the showers from the nearest caravan hand and clean up. Thankfully your armor caught most of the blood, leaving your clothes unstained, as such you only have to clean your armor.
After cleaning your armor you limber down and take a shower yourself. Once that is down, you requip and head out in search of food. Your search yields only foodcubes, which are slightly better than ration packs but again food is food.
Afterward, you decide to get some shut-eye. You pick an empty bed from the dormitory and lay down for some rest. You awaken precisely an hour later.
"Do you always sleep in armor?"
You turn your head and notice another merc standing next to the bed opposite of your. The gas mask they wear and their cloak makes it impossible to tell their gender.
"Only among strangers."
The stranger silently stares at you for a moment before grabbing their bag and leaving the room. You do the same after rising up and limbering your muscles.
You catch your employer just as she leaves her room.
"Are you ready to go?"
She asks and you nod. You move downstairs and find everyone gathered up, pack beasts being lead out of their stalls by their handlers.
All the heads turn towards you and your employer as you two join this mass of people. Your employer climbs on top of a wooden crate before facing the crowd, all eyes on her.
"Everyone, before we depart, I would like to make a few announcements. First concerns the latest addition to our roster, Mr. Wolf."
Here she points at you, directing everyone's attention towards you.
"He will be serving as my personal bodyguard during this expedition."
After a moment of scrutinizing all eyes turn back to her.
"Second. I would like to inform everyone about our finalized route. As everyone knows we will be traveling to Cannibal Plains. Our first target will be Stoat after which we will follow the border between Bast and Skimsands into Okran's Valley. From there we will make our way to World's End where we will meet with a group of Cannibal Hunters before pressing north into the Northern Coast where we will follow the coastline into the Cannibal Plains."
"It will take approximately a month, maybe two depending on circumstances to reach Cannibal Plains after which we will proceed with our main objective. We will remain in Cannibal Plains until we complete our objective or our supplies run out. In the case of the latter, we will return to World's End, restock and go back into the plains. Rest assured, you will be paid extra in if we have to spend more than a month in those plains."
Some grumbling rises from the crowd at that one. Your employer patiently waits for it to die down.
"Now, does anyone has any questions?"
Couple of hands go up. You also have a question of your own which you resolve to ask in private after this in favor presenting a united front.
Instead, you decide to do a count while ruminating on the route expedition is going to take while your employer answers questions.
Honestly, the first thing you did upon hearing that expedition was going to pass through Okranite territory was to scan the crowd for any Skeletons. Thankfully there is none.
Holy Nation is one of three biggest military powers on this continent, being able to go toe to toe with the Empire or rather as it is known the United Cities. Built around the worship of the holy father Okran, Holy Nation is a Nation of zealots, open and welcoming to Greenlander men but hostile to all other races. Yet above all other races, Okranites hate the Skeletons most.
For Okranites might tolerate other races given certain circumstances. Not the Skeletons, those they kill on sight. Even the use of robotic limbs is enough to warrant execution which you spot on a few others in the crowd.
Thankfully you are not going through the heart of Holy Nation territory, instead of skirting around the edge of it. As long as those limbs are covered up or detached, everything should be fine.
Though you have no idea how your employer is going to handle any Holy Nation patrols since Okranites treat women as lesser than men since according to their religion women are the spawn of Narko, Okran's shadow.
Still, despite the risks, this route is better than the alternative which would require the expedition to go north and hug the coast as that would add at half a month in travel time, away from any roads or civilization without any chance to resupply not to mention all the beak thing packs that roam up north.
Yeah, no. You would rather take your chances with the murder-happy zealots than those bloodthirsty fuckers, than you very much.
Not that your current route does not have its share of natural dangers but expedition boasts enough numbers to be safe from the wildlife.
Bandits on the other hand.
You would probably at least face a few different flavors of those before reaching World's End.
Bandits are a constant of this world. You remember something one of your mentors once said.
"There are six bandits for every honest working man."
You really can't say whether that is because of the quantity of bandits or lack of honest men since the whole economy of the Empire is built on slaves.
Hell, you can even spot a few former slaves among the caravan hands. Brands and shaved hair is kind of a dead giveaway.
But returning the topic of bandits, it is known that you can't travel more than a few miles without stumbling onto one bandit group or another. This is especially worse in United Cities territories where the Samurai only bother to patrol major roads.
And those are usually done to weed out the chaff among the conscripts and bloody the rookies.
You come out of your thoughts as your employer finishes answering questions.
"If everyone is now satisfied and ready, it is time to get on the road. Markov, you and your group will be at the front. Noff and his unit will take the rear. Jezka and her men will cover the between."
Mentioned merc leaders nod at the orders given as the caravan hands start leading the pack beasts, seven in total, out of the warehouse. Your employer jumps down from the crate after she finishes giving orders. You shadow her as she makes her way to the middle of the formation.
"I have a question." You tell her.
"Ask."
"What do you plan to do if the person you are looking for is no longer on the plains?"
"Simple. We track them down. Though the information I gathered tells me that she is still in the plains."
You nod.
"Anything else?"
"Who are you searching for?"
"Why do you ask?"
You gesture to the everything around you.
"All of this must have cost a lot to fund. And we are heading to one of the most dangerous places on this continent. She must be someone pretty important."
"She is. The person we are looking for, she is a close friend. A sister even. Someone I would trust with my life."
"That last one really does not tell much considering you also trust me, a total stranger, with your life."
Your employer does something you don't expect. She laughs. A clear melodious sound that is more like music than any human sound.
"Is that so? Perhaps you are right."
The way she says speaks, you taste the mirth behind those words. That amusement born of knowing something others don't.
Honestly, this girl is going to be a lot of trouble.
But perhaps, trouble is what you need.
