Merchant of Death

by Jared Mandani

  Xan nodded. “I know, it was predicted.”

  John raised an eyebrow. “Predicted?”

  “The Jet Dragon Tong values highly the power of second sight. We employ many seers and diviners to glimpse into the future. It helps in our decision making when engaging in new business opportunities. When I left you, I consulted our most capable seer to determine your prospects. She reported that, despite a few setbacks, you would ultimately be successful and that the Ooze that you collected would animate our warriors perfectly. The Tong will reap a most handsome profit from the upcoming tournament thanks to you. Well done. You are now an associate of the Jet Dragon Tong.”

  Faction Update: You are now a Blue Serpent Associate of the Jet Dragon Tong. Standing with other members increased by 5%. Standing with all criminal elements increased by 10%. Increased respect and fear among non-criminal NPCs up by 12%. Access to all Tong owned buildings and businesses granted.

  “Thanks,” John said, “but don’t you want to check the ooze I got is going to work? It could be a duff batch like what Rourke and Manny provided.”

  “The seer was right about your tribulations. I am completely convinced her prediction will play out accordingly,” Xan said. “Besides, my instincts tell me you would prove a most useful asset, much more than those two morons, Rourke and Manny. They have proven worse than useless.”

  “You going to cut them loose?”

  Xan shook his head. “I gave my word that I would endorse their membership if you were successful, and the Tong always keeps its word. We may be criminals but we follow a strict code of honor. You would do well to remember that.”

  “I will,” said John. Despite Xan being an NPC and not a real person, he was starting to quite like him. “So now the formalities are over, can we get down with some real business? I can sell you gear I salvage from the battlefields, for the right price. You tell me what you need and I’ll get it for you.”

  Xan shook his head. “You do not get to dictate terms with us, John. It is up to the Tong Master, Madame Yu Sha, to decide those arrangements. You must have an audience with her and she will decide how you can be of use to us. Our main commodity is slaves, so you may be called upon to supply our needs in that area.”

  John nodded. “Fair enough. Let’s go talk to this Madame Yu Sha.”

  A smirk flickered on Xan’s face. “You do not get to dictate terms, remember? Madame Yu Sha will decide when she will speak to you. An audience will be arranged and you will be contacted in good time.”

  John was disappointed. “How long will that take?”

  “A good businessman knows the value of patience,” Xan replied. “I would advise you to develop your skills and focus on leveling up. You will need to be in a strong position if you wish to work in partnership with us. Go and learn about the game world. When the time is right, we will contact you, wherever you are in the world, and call you for the audience.”

  John felt a surge of irritation, but knew he would have to play it their way. Besides, it did make sense to explore the game world more, and he needed to visit the Holy Seal faction to try and set up an operation with them as well.

  “Okay, I’ll play it your way,” he relented. “But I can’t wait around forever.”

  “Don’t worry,” said Xan. “Madame Yu Sha will be very interested to meet you.”

  “I’m sure she will,” John drawled.

  “Oh and here, take this. You’ve earned it.” Xan reached into his desk and took out a small leather pouch that clinked when he passed it over to John.

  900 gold added to inventory.

  “Now this is the kind of reward I like,” John said, stowing the pouch into his cloak. “Thanks. Can you also tell me which is the largest city in the Holy Seal territory and how I get to it? I want to do some exploring.”

  “Heaven’s Shield would hold that distinction,” replied Xan. “It is the largest and busiest of the Holy Seal settlements. It is located on the north western edge of the Eternal Battlefield.”

  John nodded. “Then that’s my next destination.” He stopped as a thought suddenly occurred to him. “Now that I’m officially part of the Tong, will I get any hassle from the guards when I leave and re-enter Bastion?”

  “They will cause problems unless you can find ones willing to accept bribes, which is harder than you would think, thanks to our current Mandarin hiring a bunch of honest idiots,” Xan replied, “but the Tong rarely use the city gates to come and go anyway. To avoid drawing attention to ourselves, we have a network of tunnels that we use for our operations. I will have one of my men take you down there and get you out of the city. There is a secret exit on the edge of the wastelands a mile or so from the city walls. You’ll be able to get to Heaven’s Shield from there, but you’ll have to cross the Battlefield.”

  “Not a very pleasant prospect,” John said, “but it’ll give me the chance to salvage more gear, I guess. Do the tunnels stretch underneath the Battlefield?”

  “No,” replied Xan. “The network is used to get us out of the city unnoticed and connects all our properties, so we can move to locations without being seen. We have thought about extending it outwards but we don’t have the time or resources. Besides, we don’t conduct business outside of Seven Paths territory, so there is no reason to.”

  There might be no reason for the Tong to want tunnels linking to positions in all three faction territories, but such a network could prove very useful for him, John thought. It could make his operation run smoother and easier.

  “Okay, that’s very interesting to know,” John said, getting to his feet. “If there’s nothing else, I’d like to make tracks. Can someone lead me through these tunnels of yours?”

  “I’ll get someone to take you,” Xan said. “In the meantime, go downstairs and enjoy some refreshments. Everything will be on the house.”

  “Thanks, Xan,” John said. “I’ll be seeing you.”

  Xan rose and bowed to him and then returned to his work. As John left the office, he was rewarded with a notification that gave him extra cause to be cheerful.

  Level Up! LVL 05!

  “Good stuff,” he muttered to himself as he made his way downstairs. By some unknown means, the elderly serving woman who had taken him up to Xan’s office knew straightaway the situation and his new elevated status without being told. She ushered him to a table in the corner of the room and brought him a small cup of herbal tea that smelt strongly of blueberries.

  John settled down in his chair and took a tentative sip of the steaming tea.

  Item: Blueberry Tea of Keening Fighting Edge

  Minimum LVL: N/A

  Durability: N/A

  Faction Specific: No

  Soul-Bound Item: No

  Favorite beverage of Jet Dragon Tong Members, provides a general increase in Attack and Defense Stats. Effects last thirty minutes after consumption.

  ↑ Attack + 15

  ↑ Defense + 10

  John drank some more, savoring the flavor, and then opened up his character stats to check how far he had advanced now.

  Character Information

  Character Stats

  Currently Equipped

  Inventory: 21/60 Items

  Faction: N/A

  Class: N/A

  Guild: N/A

  Special Membership of Criminal Organization: Jet Dragon Tong LVL 01 (Blue Serpent Associate LVL)

  Primary Profession: Salvager

  Secondary Profession: Analyst

  Specialist Tertiary Profession: Smuggler

  Current LVL: 05

  Health: 200/200

  Mana: 0/0

  Speed: 100/100

  Attack: 100/85

  ↑ Attack + 15 (Side effect of drinking Blueberry Tea of Keening Fighting Edge, 30 minutes remaining)

  Defense: 100/90

  ↑ Defense + 10

  (Side effect of drinking Blueberry Tea of
Keening Fighting Edge, 30 minutes remaining)

  Charisma: 95/85

  ↑ Charisma + 10 LVL01: Ring Of Mild Charm

  Weapon Skills: 0/0

  Adventurers’ Backpack

  Chest: LVL 03 Button-Up Shirt

  Bracers: NONE

  Legs: LVL 03 Chaps and Pants

  Boots: LVL 03 Leather Boots

  Cloak: LVL 02 Hooded Traveling Cloak

  Neck: NONE

  Main-Hand Weapon: NONE

  Off-Hand Weapon: NONE

  Bandana--Black

  Dried Plums x 3

  LVL 01 Beginner Britches

  LVL 01 Peasant Tunic

  LVL 01 Peasant Pants

  LVL 01 Wood Sandals

  Jet Dragon Brooch

  Salted Meat x 4

  Save Marker

  Steamed Bun

  Steamgrad Gate Pass

  Well Water x 3

  Willow Bark

  Xan’s Map to Gelmara Mud Pits

  Gold: 941

  John browsed through his stats, satisfied with his progress. He had taken the Save Marker with him from Lao’s, but had forgotten to give his Seven Paths peasant outfit to the shopkeeper to clean. Fortunately, whilst in his backpack in inventory mode, there was no smell—or none that was too obvious for him to pick up on. Still, he could do with getting it clean. Looking up from his table, he caught the eye of the old server and beckoned her over. He gave the old woman his backpack.

  “Can you take this to Lao’s shop and tell him to clean the clothing inside? I’d take the outfit out of the pack, but it smells pretty bad. Please return the pack to me as soon as possible.”

  The old woman nodded and gave him a toothless smile. “Straight away,” she said and bustled out of the tea house.

  He had just finished his tea when the old serving woman returned with his backpack. “Lao says your outfit will be ready when you next visit the store,” she reported.

  “Thanks,” said John, taking the pack from her. “Can you find out when my escort will be here too? I want to head out to Holy Seal territory.”

  “Ah, here is Ro now,” the old woman said, pointing to the tall young man who was striding across the room towards John’s table.

  “Are you the new associate?” the man called Ro said tersely, coming to stand in front of John.

  “Yes, are we going now?”

  “Impatient to leave,” Ro replied. “This way then.”

  The elderly serving woman nodded her goodbyes as John got to his feet and followed the brisk walking Ro behind the counter and into the backroom. He took him past a small kitchen and opened a door that led into a dingy storeroom. Ro went to a rack of shelves that were cramped with herbs resting against the far wall, and pressed a hidden switch. The shelving and the wall behind it swung outwards, revealing a hidden passage.

  Ro gestured for John to go through the opening. “Through here.”

  John peered into the opening and stepped through. He found himself in a barrel vaulted corridor lit by torches which stretched off in a straight line. Ro followed him in and pressed a mechanism on the passageway’s side of the wall that closed up the entrance again. Ro pointed down the corridor. “Straight ahead,” he said and set off at a brisk pace.

  John went after him, coming up alongside the man and keeping pace with him. He looked around at the passageway. “Do these tunnels extend across the whole city?”

  “They do,” Ro replied, looking straight ahead. “We can access any point in Bastion through a series of hidden exits and entrances in Tong held establishments.”

  “Aren’t you worried the City Guard might find a way down here?”

  “We keep the tunnels well-guarded, and there are plenty of traps and enchantments to ensnare anyone who comes down here who don’t belong to the Tong.”

  “I see,” said John. “Who built the tunnels?”

  “Slaves,” Ro replied offhandedly. “When they completed the work, they were all killed to ensure the secrets of the network remained safe. It was a waste of resources but a necessary precaution.”

  “Yes, I can see that,” John replied. It made perfect sense, though he was relieved the NPCs were not real humans. It looked like the Tong were not squeamish when it came to cold blooded massacres.

  They carried on in silence until the corridor split into a T-junction. Ro went left, and then right, and then left again and took John into a labyrinth of passageways that soon became a confused jumble. Checkpoints had been set up at several places along the way, where heavily armed Tong members stood guard. At each checkpoint, Ro gave the men a different password before they would let him pass.

  “There is a different password for each checkpoint, and they change every other day,” Ro explained as they headed down another passage that had been cut into the gut rock itself. “The men have orders to kill anyone who gives a wrong password or is unable to provide one at all regardless of their rank or who they may claim or appear to be. Even Madame Yu Sha could not get past without following the proper procedures. This ensures absolute security. As you are an associate, you can only travel through the tunnels accompanied by a higher ranking member, so you will be given no passwords as of yet. Try and come through on your own and you’ll be cut down by the guards, or fall victim to the many traps that have been set in place. If I hadn’t been here, you would have fallen into one of the many hidden spike pits or been poisoned by the dart shooters set into the walls. This place is not to be underestimated, even for players. Do you understand?”

  “Sure,” said John, scouting his surroundings with a new found respect. “I don’t take stupid risks. I get the picture.”

  “If you get past the level of associate, you will be initiated into more of the Tong’s secrets, although that will take time and only the Tong Master and Inner Council know all there is to know, and even then there are things concealed to them. Secrecy is our ultimate weapon.”

  “Where do you fit into the organization, Ro?”

  “I am a Green Dragon Lieutenant,” Ro said with a swell of pride. “I am four ranks ahead of you. Master Xan requested that I personally show you how things work around here. Apparently, you have much potential, though at the moment I fail to see it.”

  “Maybe you shouldn’t underestimate me, Ro,” John replied wryly. “I got secrets of my own. If things go according to plan, I might be able to make the Tong a lot of money and extend their power.”

  Ro didn’t bother to hide his disdain at John’s assertion. “The Tong need no help to do that, I assure you. Here we are.”

  They came to a flight of steps cut out of the rock stretching upwards. The passage was narrow here and they had to go up one at a time. John noticed small apertures in the walls either side of him, large enough to shoot out projectiles, and there were strange-looking glyphs etched in black paint, faintly visible against the grey rock. Clearly these were yet more of the security measures the Tong had put in place to protect their tunnel network from unwanted visitors, though Ro had done nothing to deactivate them. Maybe his presence rendered them harmless? John was under no illusion that if he tried to navigate the tunnels alone without the passwords or the other Tong member’s know how, he’d soon be a lost cause. This was another secret of EWO he would have to learn.

  At the top of the stairs was a stone door sealed shut. Next to the door was a white stone with what looked like a handprint etched in red paint on it. Ro stood at the door and placed his hand against the print. There was a deep rumbling sound, and the door slowly opened outwards. Daylight seeped in through the opening, and John looked out on the desolate landscape of the Eternal Battlefield.

  Ro stepped out through the door and John followed him. He looked back to see that the door was set in a rocky mound amongst a cluster of boulders. There was another white stone set into the rock on this side of the door as well, but there was no handprint on it. Ro gave John a sharp look.

  “Show me your hand,” said the Tong memb
er.

  John frowned at him. “What for?”

  “Don’t ask stupid questions, do it.”

  John extended his left hand toward the NPC. Before he knew what had happened, Ro had moved with lightning swiftness and pricked his middle finger with a small jade topped needle.

  “Hell you do that for?” exclaimed John, looking at the small red bead that had welled up from beneath the surface of the broken skin.

  “Quickly, press your finger against the white stone. It’s important,” urged Ro.

  Seeing how pointless it was to argue, John obeyed. As soon as his blood came into contact with the stone, it glowed with a fiery orange light for a few seconds and then went back to normal. “What just happened?” John asked.

  “The stone has been blood-locked to you,” Ro replied as if that was the most obvious thing in the world. “When you touch it, the door will automatically open for you. Once you go inside, touch the stone on the other side to seal lit, but don’t walk down the steps if you don’t have the proper protective enchantments or passwords. You’ll need to be escorted by a senior member back to the city.”

  “I understand,” said John.

  “I will leave you now. Master Xan will be in contact when Madame Yu Sha deems you worthy of her time,” Ro replied. With that, he turned and re-entered the secret passage. John watched as the door closed to, and became completely invisible against the rock. The only thing that belied its presence was the white stone.

  John turned away from the Tong’s hidden door and looked out at the landscape. He remained there for a few minutes, contemplating his next move. There was no sign of life in the surrounding area and a chill wind whistled mournfully through the rocks. Desiring to be on his way, he spoke to the silence.

  “Bring up Void Storage. I want to look at the compass.”