And then Tanya was on the street again, staring down at her arm.

She began to summon Assistant, but it was already on its way out.

"Did you see that—the memory?"

Assistant nodded.

"So it replayed your experiences with Ian for you? Interestin'. I wonder what the significance was. Maybe it was 'cause Mrs Eceer sent him to do it—we do have that bond Achievement thing."

Tanya was distracted by Assistant's growing aura of confusion. It pointed at Tanya's hip.

"What?"

It pointed more intently. Tanya looked down and saw it focusing on the new gap where the resonance cannon had been.

"The cannon? Wait, you saw my memories—you saw the transfer?"

Assistant nodded.

"Oh fuck, we swapped!" Tanya raked her hand through her hair.

Tanya felt Assistant go through a few different questions and confusion before realising that she had seen Assistant with Ian. It seemed to prompt Assistant's memory of the journey, and the next emotion was the very same bored frustration that Tanya had become very used to over the span of the memories.

The moment they had both realised what had happened, the Notifications poured in.

• • •

Level Up!

You have leveled up Mnemonic Etching to Level 2

• • •

Level Up!

You have leveled up Mnemonic Etching to Level 3

Mnemonic Etching has received a Minor Ability Boon

Mnemonic Etching

Level 3

You, your tattoos, and those being tattooed can store a single memory within a tattoo. When activated or during creation, it imprints that memory onto both the Wielder's and your mind—whether it's a tactical lesson, an emotional moment, or even a warning from the past.

• • •

Tanya just stared at it for a second.

She couldn't find what emotion to feel. "Assistant can you see this?"

Assistant nodded in her peripheral.

"Imprintin' memories in tattoos isn't something I can only do during makin' them. Holy shit."

Tanya read through it again. The more she processed, the more she realised what this gave her.

"I can literally read people's memories whilst I tattoo them now. Holy shit." Tanya leant against the brick wall behind her. "But, wait, how did you read mine back? I suppose it's your Mind Meld Ability."

Tanya had a dozen more questions about how this worked, but for now all she could do was keep reading.

• • •

Congratulations!

You have leveled an Ability twice with one action.

You may choose to give this extra experience to your Tattoo Summoner Level, An Inkling of Control Level or Mnemonic Etching level.

• • •

Tanya picked Mnemonic Etching without a second thought. She wanted to see where it was going.

• • •

Level Up!

Assistant is now Level 6

You have unlocked a Major Ability Crossroads. As this is a Sentient Summon, the choice will be decided between you and the Summon.

Would you like to see your choices?

• • •

"I didn't realise you'd leveled so much?!" Tanya exclaimed.

Assistant pointed to the left.

"Backwards? Oh, back when you were trainin' with me and Mrs Eceer while we were finishing the shop." Tanya had barely clocked the levels going up back then; she was too busy finishing off the apartment, and none had been anything more than Attributes or levels without boons.

Assistant pointed into the air with vigour.

"You want to pick?"

It replied with a very excited nod.

Tanya glanced over to Ian, Mrs Eceer and Olena. They were still deep in conversation.

Tanya grinned at Assistant. "Alright then. Let's have a peek."

Assistant wriggled its fingers happily.

The menu appeared with the two dots like it had before. As both Tanya and Assistant stared at them, they filled up, one red, one blue, until being replaced by the level up options.

• • •

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

Please select from the following two choices.

Improved Mind Meld

Unlocked from Unique Track: Prophetic

Can access your interface, memories and thoughts perfectly. Can utilise your muscle memory, Abilities and physical skills as well as you.

Predict Target

Unlocked from Unique Track: Prophetic

Expend energy to analyse a target and learn the most likely following actions they will take.

• • •

"These are really interestin'," Tanya breathed.

Assistant again looked frustrated to not have paper.

"We'll make a deal with Ian to teach you sign soon."

It paused, finger pointing in the air with an idea. It began drawing letters in the air with its fingertip. It was slower than writing but not by much, alongside Tanya's ability to sense the vibe of what it was thinking.

First option feels better.

"Real good thinking," Tanya said. "What could the second one be useful for?" Tanya wondered aloud, playing devil's advocate. "Knowin' if there's a surprise attack could be good, but I don't think I've seen any monsters that do that yet."

Help with new people.

"That's true." Tanya stared at it for a moment longer. "But fuckin' hell, if you could tattoo like me, that would be wicked." Assistant had come a long way since the wobbly lines at the kitchen table in the old flat, but Tanya had still felt cautious about letting it on many customers, because when magic was involved, no one really knew what the consequences could be.

"General muscle memory too. Anythin' else I could do that you'd want?"

Fighting.

For a moment, Tanya thought it was joking, but she thought about it and realised that with the mix between her practice and Phantom Brand's Ability, she really was a lot better at sword fighting than she had been.

I get new things too.

Tanya double checked. "Oh yeah, it doesn't specify an endpoint for transferring. That could be useful. Hm, shame it doesn't seem to mention the other way around, but I wonder if there's more advancements to these things of yours or if this is the final one?"

They spoke back and forth for a couple more minutes, talking strategy of how they could use either of them. The best idea they'd had was to learn some kind of joint fighting technique, so that Tanya learning it would have both of them able to, and with completely joined thoughts, they'd be very powerful. Before Tanya could fall too far into brainstorming tag team strategy for tattooing, Ian yelled behind them.

Tanya whipped around.

Olena was pointing her cannon at the monster, whilst a very stern Mrs Eceer was talking her out of it.

"Oh fuck."

Tanya jogged closer until she could hear them. Assistant flew behind her.

Olena had her fists proudly on each hip. One of the fists was the cannon. "But Mrs E, then it will no longer be problem! I can make it into puddle and it drain away with the rain."

"Why are we destroying it again?" Ian asked, bewildered.

Neither of the others seemed to hear him.

"You will also get it all over us, and probably destroy the pavement," Mrs Eceer shot at Olena.

Olena's cannon started buzzing and glowing. Ian backed away, hands over his ears. Mrs Eceer readied a barrier. Olena scrabbled to turn it off. The glow faded.

Mrs Eceer sighed and relaxed. "Definitely destroy the pavement," she snapped. She pointed towards the shop. "Somewhere safe. Switched off. If it so much as beeps, then heaven help me—"

"Oh, goodie!" Olena exclaimed, skipping into the shop. "Does this mean it's not banned from tattoo shop anymore?!"

Tanya snorted. She didn't even know Olena had been banned from bringing it in.

Mrs Eceer didn't dignify that with a response. She rolled up her sleeves with a huff. "Seems like if anything's worth doing, it's better to do it yourself.

"So why are we destroyin' it?" Tanya asked.

Mrs Eceer bent down to pick up the hulking monster. "We don't need it anymore. My plan didn't work."

The moment she touched it, they both heard a gasp from behind them and swung around.

Ian was glowing with white light, staring down at his skin in awe.

Olena leant out of the doorway. "HIPSTER MAN BECOME HIPSTER GOD!?"

"He's not becoming a god," Mrs Eceer said, but she didn't sound certain. She left the monster, standing up again.

"Woah, I've been chosen?" Ian said. He stared into the air before him in the same slightly out-of-focus way that Tanya had become very used to seeing; he was looking at an Interface.

Tanya grinned. "You got a Class?"

"I didn't glow when I get Class," Olena complained.

"What is it called?" Mrs Eceer asked, putting on her spectacles and pulling out a notebook from a pocket Tanya didn't know was there.

"Errand Paladin," Ian read out.

"Huh, never mind, it actually worked," Mrs Eceer said, scribbling notes at a rate of knots.

Everyone's eyes snapped to Mrs Eceer.

"Wait, you did this on purpose?" Tanya asked.

"Well, not exactly. Most people seem to get Classes from combat, so I thought it gave him the best chance. I expected some sort of knife-based Class, so Paladin is most peculiar." Mrs Eceer turned to Ian. "Is it Unique?"

"Uhhhh, I don't know?"

"Does it have an Achievement called 'Unique Circumstances?'" Tanya added.

Ian furrowed his eyebrows. "There's an Achievements section, but nothing in it. Underneath that is Errands."

"Olena," Mrs Eceer ordered. "Get your cannon."

Ian looked utterly terrified. "Did I d—do something… wrong?" He gulped.

"It has a screen to share Interfaces."

"Oh. Oh?" Ian said, looking less scared for his life but no less confused than he'd seemed since he first started glowing. It had almost completely faded now, just leaving him with his original pale skin.

"Come and sit with me," Mrs Eceer said, walking into the shop and ushering Ian inside.

Ian looked down at the monster corpse on the doorstep. "Uh…"

"Don't worry, it'll turn to sludge sooner or later."

Ian blinked slowly, following her. "But didn't you want it?"

"She wanted to help you get a Class without being so direct as to upset The System," Tanya said. "Pretty genius actually."

"Your god? Oh wait… my new god???" Ian looked up to the sky, his hands coming together in a nervous prayer position.

Tanya offered him a hand to help him up. "Not that kind of god."

Olena was so excited that she hit her head on the top of the doorway on the way out, which was very impressive considering her lack of height.

She thrust the cannon at Ian the moment he'd gotten to his feet, and Ian took it with a face of anxiety.

"It not bite," Olena said cheerily.

Ian laid his arm in it tentatively. "How do I—"

It closed around his arm, the seal disappearing under the layers of scrap metal.

"Woah!" Ian cried.

He jumped backwards, holding his arm all the way out away from his body with the fear he might never get it back again.

"Is just like arm phone gun," Olena said, shuffling beside him and taking over the controls. With a few practised clicks, his Interface was on the little blurry screen, and Mrs Eceer almost trampled Olena in her attempt to see it.

Her thoughtful hm's and ah's filled the air.

• • •

Information

Name: Ian Barrow

Number: 976,856,120

Age: 40

Species: Human

Class: Errand Paladin

Level: 1

Attributes

Strength: 8

Dexterity: 10

Vitality: 8

Concentration: 12

Will: 14

Abilities

Strength of Will

Level 1

Whilst on an Errand, you are guided by your Will. Your Vitality will match your Will Attribute for the length of your Errand. At the end of the Errand, your Attribute pools will return to normal.

Achievements

Worthy

You were deemed worthy of The System's care. You have been given a class and access to The Interface.

Errands

Errand 1 - COMPLETED

Title: Monster Killer and Retriever Errand Giver: Number 576,876 Reward: Custom Tattoo from Number 10,056 Bonus: Class Unlock

• • •

"Think about the Errand heading," Tanya said to Ian, the moment she'd finished reading.

The only reason she'd finished before Mrs Eceer was that Mrs Eceer was still in her flurry of notes. Tanya dreaded to think how many words Mrs Eceer could read or write a minute nowadays.

Ian did, and a new box appeared beneath it.

• • •

Errand

(Class-specific Menu Type)

System-governed, Class-specific Pacts. Errands are never a compulsion, do not have a punishment for failure, and always have a real-world reward set by the Errand Offerer. Bonuses are given by the System and are almost always experience gain. This is decided based on authenticity, difficulty, and value to both the Offerer and Errand Paladin. Errands may be to help the Offerer with a task, but multiple deals may not be used to fulfil each other.

• • •

Tanya wrapped an arm around Ian's shoulder. "So, Ian, do ya think picking up your daughter from a friend's house sounds like an errand to you? Cause it sure as hell does to me."

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