by Edward Brody
You have failed to inspect your target!
You have failed to inspect your target
A drake, perhaps? I wondered. Though I couldn’t inspect it get the full details, I was certain that it was some variation of drakes I had seen in previous games.
The drake was alone and seemed to be napping in the center of the room. The sound of its heavy breathing was ominous, and a bone of something larger than it was sitting right by its snout. Its tail curved around beside it, and in between the curled tail was what appeared to be a mix of skulls, bones, rocks, and foliage. Nestled in that mix of hard and soft materials were three large, pillow-sized eggs. They were each a deep beige color with different colored speckles on each one.
On the far edge of the wall, near where another slope led upwards was a treasure chest. At the wall nearest to the drake’s head was a skeleton lying on the ground.
The skeleton was naked except for a pair of metal boots and a steel bascinet. In the hand and leaning against the body of the skeleton was thick sword with a brown handle. On the hilt of the sword was a narrow groove which seemed to have a runestone already inserted into it.
A magic sword, obviously. Or possibly… ancient weapon? Could the dead guy be the fabled guy who had come to Dragon’s Crest and was never heard from again?
That seemed a bit improbable. The journey up the crest had been incredibly difficult, but my guild and I were still relatively low level. Couldn’t a much higher-level guy with an ancient weapon make it further? From the way he was described, he was a badass.
But then again, he came alone. And there was no telling if there had been something else living in the cave other than a drake aeons ago. Or maybe I was just underestimating the power of a drake, and strong enough to take down a powerful hero.
I looked up at the sloping path inside, leading to yet another exit on the other side. I checked the ceiling, and there was nothing unusual or black hanging from it either.
I pulled my head back and considered my options. Now that I knew what was on the level, I could go back down to meet my friends. We could regroup, resupply, and come back later to attempt to defeat or sneak past the drake. If we were lucky, we might be able to crack open the treasure chest as well.
But… the drake was asleep.
It seemed like a prime opportunity for me to check the sword, and if it were actually an ancient weapon, I could grab it. What were the chances that the drake would be sleeping next time? Pretty slim.
I took a deep breath, knowing what I had to do.
My knees were nearly trembling, because I knew waking the drake would likely lead to a quick death, but I didn’t want to go back empty handed. I wasn’t there because I wanted to be, but because Adeelee’s life was at stake.
After taking a moment to gather my courage, I crouched into sneak mode and started creeping slowly inside.
You have reached level 7 in Sneak!
I moved at a snail’s pace and was constantly checking around me to make sure there wasn’t anything I hadn’t noticed that could jump out and attack me from another direction. With each step, the dragon’s breath seemed louder in my ears, and when I was close enough, my robe flowed sideways from the air pressure pouring out of its nose.
The drake snorted once, and I stopped in my tracks. My heart sank, and I thought for sure I was going to be dead. But after the snort, the drake just shifted its head a little bit and started its heavy breathing again.
When I reached the sword, I glanced to the drake behind me and made another prayer that the sword was the ancient weapon I had been looking for. I reached out and touched the blade.
Sharpened Soldier’s Saber. 35-72 Attack Damage. Requires 30 Strength. Requires 30 Dexterity. Durability: 6/10. Quality: Average. Rarity: Uncommon. Weight: 2.9 kg [Runestone Of Monster Slaying: +20% damage to monsters]
The sword was pretty nice, particularly because of the attached rune, but it wasn’t ancient. I lowered my head and sighed.
I grabbed the sword by the hilt and started lifting it up to place it in my bag, but the tip of the blade made a light scratching noise against the ground.
The drake behind me stirred again, this time with more intensity.
I released my grip on the sword, gently placing it back into place. Though the sword was cool, I couldn’t risk waking the drake. I could always come back and try to collect it later.
I rotated on my heel slowly to see the drake still in a deep sleep, and I was feeling good that I had identified the sword without being noticed. I looked to the upward slope and figured that there was no harm in pressing my luck and checking out what was on the next level.
As I tiptoed toward the slope, I noticed the chest again and reckoned I should at least check if it were locked before leaving. I wouldn’t try to open it if it were, but it would at least allow me to be prepared for a future visit.
Ever so slowly, I moved forward, and when I was almost up to the chest, I heard a terrifying sound behind me.
The sword in the skeleton’s hand made a faint scratching noise as started slipping out of its fingers, and when it reached a certain angle, it tilted off the skeleton’s body and out of its hand altogether. The hilt clacked loudly when it slammed on the ground.
Apparently, it wasn’t as secure after I moved it.
In a flash, the drake jumped up and charged forward, snapping at the skeleton and charging its head into the wall, causing the whole room to shake. Its leathery eyelids opened wide, and inside were large white eyes with light, glossy, pastel-grey pupils. The eye closest to me seemed to be looking at me, but the drake didn’t immediately turn to me or attack.
I started running for the slope in a fight or flight response, and the drake immediately turned and charged in my direction.
It was a lot faster than me and was definitely going to catch me, so I reached my hand out and shot a Fireblast, hoping to do any kind of damage that might push it back.
The drake made no effort to dodge the blast, but the creature was moving so fast that it missed. The Fireblast just flew by and struck the wall on the other side.
The drake stopped, swung its head towards the where the Fireblast hit, and altered the direction of its charge. After a couple seconds, it opened its mouth, and small, circular rings of blue energy pulsated out and crashed in the exact spot where the Fireblast had landed. The drake tilted its head slightly, turned, and started running back towards me.
I was already on the slope when the drake slammed its head against the bottom of the wall below me, causing everything to rumble. I had to stop and place a hand on the wall just to maintain my balance and not tumble to the ground. Tiny stones fell from the impact, which the Drake seemed overly interested in.
While I was stopped, and regaining my equilibrium, the drake made no more effort to attack me, but instead looked up and jerked its head from side to side. Momentarily, it looked like it was interested in something in the opposite direction, but then it looked like it was looking at me, but I couldn’t be sure.
Was the drake unable to see me? If it were blind, that would explain the strange, glossy grey pupils. And also why it hadn’t killed me right away.
I remained still for a long moment before the drake stepped backwards then started for its nest. But then, the moment I tried to take a step, the drake’s head swung towards me, and it charged.
Fireblast, I thought, this time sending the spell deliberately over the head of the drake and into the wall. It skidded on the ground as it changed direction and headed for the blast.
Arcane Missile, I thought again, time sending it to an alternate side of the room.
The drake turned from the Fireblast and ran for the Arcane Missile. After a few steps, it opened its mouth and sent another wave of energy rings into the wall.
Yes, it was very blind it seemed and blindly attacking anything that made a sound.
I grabbed my staff and used an on-cast against on the far wall, took two steps, shot a Fire Blast, took two steps, and sho
t an Arcane Missile.
The drake was charging all across the room, slamming its head into the loudest noise and stopping only occasionally to release energy from its mouth.
I continued casting over and over, taking a couple steps each time. It proved very effective until I ran out of mana about two-thirds of the way to the upper exit.
I was high up enough that time that I shot an on-cast and made a run for it. The drake showed interested in the blast briefly, but then came charging in my direction again. The drake’s head followed my footsteps, and when it was close, it made a running jump and started flapping its undersized wings as if it were trying to fly up to where I was.
It floated a few feet in the air for a second, but then awkwardly glided back down to the ground. I seemed it was both blind and unable to properly fly—perhaps not a drake but a sick dragon? I wasn’t sure.
The drake raised its snout to me, opened its mouth, and was about to fire the energy rings towards me, and seeing it coming, I held my cane out behind me and smacked it against the wall.
The drake-like creature turned its head slightly at the last minute when it heard the sound, and the rings of energy slammed into the wall just a few inches behind me, sending more rocks crashing to the ground.
Three steps later, I was out the door.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
2/12/0001
I clenched my teeth together and pumped my fist in the sky when out of the room with the drake. After a massive failure with the group, it was nice to have a tiny amount of success alone, even if it was just making it by monsters without defeating them.
I heard a thumping noise behind me, turned, and figured the drake may actually be climbing the slope. I looked up the slope and started running fast but carefully. At that level, the slope was only a couple feet wide, so any misstep would cause me to fall over the edge.
I hadn’t made it far when the drake slammed into something inside, and I saw its head peek out the exit. Its body was too large to fit all the way through, and it tilted sideways as if listening for where I had gone.
I remained completely still as the drake blinked over its glossy eyes several times, and after a good ten seconds or so, the drake retracted its neck and went back to where it belonged.
Gently, I sat down onto the hard rock slope, and crossed my legs. I needed to meditate, and it would give the drake some time to forget about the intruder moving about outside its home.
When my mana was full, I stood and continued up the path.
The very narrow slope continued winding around the mountain, and at that height, the wind was noticeably stronger. There was virtually nothing to hold onto other than the occasional rock jutting out of the mountain’s face, so the force of it seemed like it was actively trying to make me lose balance.
I climbed and climbed until finally, the slope suddenly ended. There was no additional entrance easily accessible at the end of the slope like on previous levels. Instead, there was an abrupt cutoff.
There was an entrance about four feet out and twenty feet below, however, this entrance was much bigger. The hole was massive, and there was a small platform at its base. Getting down to the platform was a little bit of an issue, however.
Several holes were carved into the rock above the entrance, along with a few strategically placed rusty, metal pegs. It was clear that I was going to have to climb down to get there.
Too bad I had never attempted any sort of rock climbing back on Earth.
I looked up, and while I was nearing the very peak of the crest, there was still a little bit of mountain above me—maybe enough for another level.
Looking out from the height, I could see the expanse of the Freelands, and when I turned, I could see the tops of the trees in the Vale. Even part of the High Elves’ palace could be seen from there.
Seeing the palace was one more reminder of my mission—Adeelee. Rock climbing experience or not, I needed to get it done.
I put away my staff, got my myself mentally prepared, and reached for one of the tiny holes that were carved into the rock face. When I had a good grip, I stepped out and placed one foot on a peg.
I shimmied sideways, one step at a time, using the pegs and holes to navigate. When I was directly aligned with the platform below the wide cave entrance, I started climbing down, which was a little bit scarier than moving from side to side.
Each step was deliberate, and my hand only slipped once, when I grabbed onto a particularly dry, dusty, hole. Thankfully, I recovered and didn’t fall.
When I was a few feet above the cave, I simply let go and fell the additional distance onto the platform below. I bent my knees and landed solidly on my feet.
Another tiny victory. I was feeling pretty good about myself.
Directly ahead of me wasn’t a small room like the ones I had encountered earlier, but it appeared to be an actual full-sized cave. There were a few stalactites hanging from the ceiling, and it was dark inside. I noticed another patch of moss and a Heaven’s Shroom growing high on the ceiling and out of reach.
The cave looked empty at first, but there was a sharp turn several meters in from the entrance. I walked inside the cave carefully—as silent as I could—and leaned against the stone wall to peek around the corner.
My knees turned to jelly, and my eyes went wide at what I saw.
Gold was everywhere. The entire floor was covered in piles of gold pieces, and there were a couple of small treasure chests sitting on top of the piles. Shields, weapons, jewelry, and other items were strewn about. It wasn’t clear if more gold was further in the cave as well, but it was obvious that the cave extended quite a bit further.
I kneeled and touched one of the gold pieces and then another. Each was only worth one gold, but even if all of them were just worth a single gold piece, it was still a ton of gold.
There were no monsters to be seen. Nothing was guarding it. Was there another slope deeper in the cave that led up, or had I reached the dragon’s nest? I could see no dragons or any evidence that dragons had been there.
I swallowed and turned in every direction. I wasn’t sure why the massive stash of loot was unguarded, but I knew that if I wanted a chance to check any of it, I needed to move fast.
There were two swords that stood out from the rest of the items, as they were jammed tip-first into the tops of the large piles of gold, almost as if they were calling out for someone to grab them. I ran to one of them, the gold under my feet chinking with each step I took.
I climbed the pile and grabbed the hilt of the sword, pulling it out of the gold. It was a very flat and sinister looking sword with tiny teeth cut into the blade near the hilt.
You’ve received: Warmonger’s Blade of Dread. 80-140 Attack Damage. Requires 40 Strength. Requires 40 Dexterity. Durability: 27/30. Quality: Great. Rarity: Legendary. Weight: 2.4 kg +5 Strength. +10 Dexterity. Each landed blow on an enemy temporarily reduces their Willpower by 1 and continuously stacks.
Holy shit, I thought. It was a badass sword, but not the ancient weapon I was looking for. As I ran for the other swords across the room, I opened my bag, and slid the sword inside.
I slipped a little on all the gold as I neared the other sword but started scurrying up the pile on my hands and knees. The other sword was long, straight, and the ends of the sword hilt had been carved as if two nude women were holding their hands up and against the sharp edges. Odd runic symbols were engraved the entire length of the blade.
When I grabbed the hilt, I took a sharp, deep breath.
You’ve received: Tymrial’s Blade. 200-450 Attack Damage. Requires 50 Strength. Requires 60 Dexterity. Durability: 851/1000. Quality: Exceptional. Rarity: Ancient. Weight: 5.2. kg. +30 Dexterity. +10 Strength. +20% Critical Hit Chance. +20% damage against Ancient Beasts and spirit-gods. On Cast: Temporal Strike: 125 Charges Left. On Cast: Fractal Wave: 90 Charges Left.
I couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t fucking believe it.
My body tingled, and I felt slight prickles un
der my eyes as if I were on the verge of tears. I had actually gotten my hands on another ancient weapon. At level 27, I had done what everyone had doubted, and now I had what I needed to save Adeelee.
I awed at the weight of the sword as I lifted it from the pile, and there was a slight breeze that brushed against the back of my neck. I had the sudden feeling that I was being watched.
I swung my head, and when I saw what was behind me, I turned around and began to back away slowly.
A massive, fully grown grey dragon was standing just a few away. Its eyes were yellow, and as I started to step back, those yellow eyes turned to a deep, sundering red. A low growl resonated from somewhere within its long neck.
I glanced towards the exit, and then back to the dragon, unsure exactly what to do. If I launched an attack, the dragon would surely kill me, but I wondered if there was any chance it would let me go if I were calm, collected and didn’t make any sudden moves. The Ancient Beasts were being pacified by the Old Ones, right? Maybe I’d be ignored if it didn’t think I was a threat.
When I was a kid on Earth, I remembered encountering a stray pit bull in an alley. Someone had told me that animals can smell fear, so you shouldn’t act scared or try to run. Though I had been terrified, I’d played it off, and the dog didn’t attack when I passed by. I wasn’t sure if the same could be applied to dragons in Eden’s Gate—it probably couldn’t—but what better option did I have?
I swallowed hard and continued backing away, altering my direction so that I was heading for the door. But after just a few steps more, the dragon opened its mouth and lunged towards me, splashing gold as it pounded its massive claws into the ground.
