by J D Astra
Meredith bustled up and dropped off a plate of eggs, hot bread, pears, and cheese. I stopped her before she could run away again. “Don’t you get tired?” I asked.
“Whadja mean?” she asked, blissfully unaware of the exhaustion I was under.
“I mean, you were here past midnight last night, and now it’s eight in the morning.” I took a sip of the cool water she brought with the hot plate and felt even better. The itchy-burning sensation under my skin subsided, and I was again able to think clearly.
Meredith looked confused. “You must mean my sister, Makenna.” She left me without another word, leaving me in silence. I turned back to the food and looked up at the void left in Otto’s absence. It was better. I was better off alone. I had my class kit, I was level 22, my gear was decent; I’d be fine. He’d be fine.
Most of my gear was decent, I reminded myself. My little war staff was piddly compared to everything else, but I had enough time to stop off at Hasan’s to see what he had for me. With 290 gold, he’d likely have plenty for me.
I stuffed the rest of breakfast down my gullet, hardly enjoying the punch of flavors. The eggs had been a perfect over-medium: no jiggly whites, no solid yolk. I wondered if the game was cheating, looking into my personal profile to find my preferences, or if over-medium was just the standard.
Feeling a little less generous than last night, I dropped a single gold on the table and made my way out into the street. It occurred to me in that moment that I hadn’t paid attention most of the times we walked around the town, and I wasn’t completely certain where Hasan’s was.
I popped open my map, and to my relief, it was marked as one of the places I’d visited. I set a tracking node down and closed out of the menu. A smaller map in the corner of my vision appeared, highlighting the way to Satin and Beech.
The typical affair of the early morning hustle and bustle was more annoying now that I didn’t have someone to clear a path. Strangers bumped my shoulders, cried their indignation at my clumsiness, and then checked their coin purse. I did the same, keeping one hand pressing it against my thigh to be sure it couldn’t be snatched or rifled through.
Hasan was setting out new wares from the back when I arrived, but he stopped upon seeing me and smiled. “Glad to see you’re enjoying the shawl! How can I serve you today?”
“I need a new war staff.” I popped the old Obsidian War Staff from the holster on my bandolier and held it out to him.
He took the battleworn wood into his hands and looked closely at the black gem at the top. “Yes, I see this is not going to serve you well for long. I have the perfect thing.”
He shoved the staff back to me as if the substandard item tainted his being. With a whoosh, he pumped his huge wings and moved to the back in a single thrust. It seemed all the “perfect things” came from the back of the shop. I wondered if what Hasan put out front was actually any good.
“Here we are. Come, come.” Hasan appeared at the opening and beckoned for me to follow him to the back. My thinning patience pinged me with annoyance, but I kept my smile on. I trudged up the few stairs to the back room where Hasan grinned broadly, holding something behind his back. I could see over the top of his head the glint of a ruby.
“Don’t peek! Close your eyes!” Hasan scolded, and I smirked, then closed my eyes. I heard the ruffling of his wings as he moved the staff around his body.
“Open!” he declared, and I did as ordered. In his outstretched hands was a gorgeous, sleek staff. I’d had a lot of cool swords and warhammers in past MMOs, but this thing was a work of art.
The black-stained wood was engraved with glowing red runes that snaked up the slender body to the head of the staff, which clutched a deep red gem that was polished into an oval. I placed my hand on the wood, and a jolt of power zapped me like a live wire.
My hand recoiled on instinct, and Hasan chuckled. “It’s safe, you will become accustomed to the feeling.”
He held it out to me, and I took it in both hands. After a moment, the nerve jumping feeling of being shocked subsided, and I was invigorated with a sense of might. My eyes roved over the solid, smooth wood, watching the runes pulse like hot embers at my touch. This thing was beautiful, without a doubt.
Hasan stroked his hawklike chin. “It is a good match for you, I think. Yes, it is for you.”
I opened the item’s info card and let out a low whistle as I read.
<<<>>>
Embergrave War Staff
Weapon Type: Two-handed Staff
Class: Ultra Rare
Base Damage: 25
Primary Effects:
● +5 Intelligence
● +5 Spirit
● +20 Spell Strength
● +30% Spell Critical Damage
● +3% Spell Critical Chance
Firelight illuminates the darkest time, but Embergrave warms the soul of the world.
<<<>>>
The flavor text was puzzling, as though there might be another weapon out there called “Firelight.” All the same, I enjoyed the little quips and comments the creators of the weapons left behind.
“So? What do you think?” Hasan asked, though he looked assured I wanted it. Of course I wanted it, but I didn’t want to see the price tag associated with it.
“How much?”
I tried to pass it back to Hasan, and he refused. “You can afford it. Just thirty gold. Such a good price for such a perfect weapon.”
Otto had scolded me for not bartering better with Hasan, bartering at all for that matter. So, when Hasan said something was a good price, I had to assume he’d be willing to go lower.
“No.” I shook my head and sliced my hand through the air, mimicking gestures I’d seen Otto use while bartering. “Twenty gold.”
“Deal!” Hasan clapped his hands, then extended one for payment.
Shit... He would’ve gone lower. I sighed and handed over the twenty gold. It was my staff now, though, and the item became available for equipping. I exchanged the old shaman staff for Embergrave, and the electric shock renewed in strength, radiating up my arms. Within seconds, it subsided to a mild tingle.
I pulled the Obsidian War Staff from my inventory. “What’ll you give me for this?”
Hasan grimaced. “Three silver.”
I huffed. “You’ll sell it for three gold—probably more. How about you trade me for an uncommon ring of my choice?”
He seesawed his head, then nodded agreement. I passed him the old staff, and he led me up front to a glass case of jewelry. There were some cool bracers too, which a quick glance at my own let me know they were now the lowest-value gear on me, but in the end, I picked a [Spellcaster’s Rose Gold Band]. It was a pretty thing with +5 Spell Strength, +5% Critical Hit Damage, and +5 Spirit.
“How about the rest of this stuff?” I laid a sample of my junk on the counter, and he raised his brows.
He riffled through what I’d set down. “How many pieces do you have?”
I panned through my inventory and got a rough count. “About twenty-five.”
“Hm...” He put his hand to his narrow chin, but Hasan was a businessman, he already knew how much he wanted to offer me and how much he’d accept in the end. “How about four gold?”
“How about eight?” I countered, knowing double was likely not a loss for him.
He tongued his cheek, then slapped eight gold on the counter. I dropped off the random gear from my inventory, thanked Hasan, and stepped out into the street. Just past 9 AM. I needed to grind uninterrupted, but only had one scroll left to get to the restricted area and couldn’t afford another one. Quests and local grinding would take too much time, as I’d have to walk and deal with having my kills stolen by random newbs in the area. No, there was only one option. It was time to head back to the secret dungeon.
I pulled the scroll, the original copy, from my inventory and thumbed the string holding it shut. I could do this without him, without any of them. I would do this. The string came away easily, and the glow
ing portal opened before me on the street outside Satin and Beech. I took a deep breath and stepped through.
Reunited
I WIPED SWEAT FROM my brow and rubbed my stinging eyes. The stench of burning Valdgeist was easier to stomach now, but the toxic smoke still burned my eyes and nostrils. I’d worked my way back behind the dungeon entrance in the hopes that there would be different mobs there, but I was disappointed. Corrupt, stinky, slow Valdgeist everywhere.
The area was much larger than I’d thought, and it seemed the farther I went from the entrance to the dungeon, the higher level the Valdgeist became, which meant more XP and more gold. With a few extra levels under my belt, I’d been able to put some additional points in my class tree, getting some great new bonuses.
It was just past 12 PM, and I was a few thousand XP away from hitting 25, so I buckled down and trudged further into the dark forest. I figured it’d taken me an hour to wind my way to where I was, and with the Valdgeist getting easier as I moved my way out, it wouldn’t be much of a problem to fight my way back with my new tier-four ability. I opened my skill tree and looked over the abilities one more time.
I wanted Blazing Weapon, badly, but knew I needed to get Phoenix Rising first, and then Rain of Fire after that. Inferno Blast was great, but the range was so limited. Rain of Fire would let me hit a swath of targets in a huge radius, from pretty far away. Leaching Flame was also pretty high on my wish list. It would give me that Spirit regen synergy I’d been so desperately needing.
The cracking of undergrowth snapped me out of the menus, and I scanned the dim clearing. Behind me, a distant war cry nothing like the Valdgeist’s hair-raising roar rang out. I checked the time again, 12:15. I’d told Jack 2 PM, but maybe he was early. I checked my messages, nothing new. I clicked my tongue on the roof of my mouth in frustration.
There was another option... Aleixo Carrera could be here.
I spun in place at the grumbling of a Valdgeist, and I launched two successive Fireballs at the first thing that moved. The monster cried out as Burning Affliction level 2 took hold, twice. It shambled toward me, but I’d become so in tune with the necessary damage to kill the mud lumps, I knew it would collapse before it got anywhere near me. On cue, the creature melted into a reeking pile of goo and died.
Another shout, closer this time, raised hairs on my arms. I crouched and moved toward the sound, stealing from bush to tree to boulder to conceal myself. It took me a few minutes and several “Stealth Failed” notifications, but I arrived at a clearing littered with three Valdgeist corpses and a huge, dark green Risi bent over the bodies to collect his gold. My heart leapt with joy. I wanted to hop out from behind the trees and give him a hug.
But I remembered why I’d sent him away in the first place and hardened my face. I straightened from my crouch and walked into the dark meadow. “I thought you went home.”
Otto’s grip tightened on his sword for a flash as he turned at the hips, then he relaxed as his gaze locked on me. He sheathed his weapon and returned to picking gold off the creatures. “I did.”
“Why didn’t you stay there?” I growled, my pulse pounding in my ears.
He brought himself up to full height. “I haven’t failed, and I won’t. I do not give up, especially not on my friends.”
The last word stabbed into my chest, but I maintained my outward cool. “I don’t want you here, Otto.”
“I know.” He nodded. “But not for the reason you want me to believe. You’re afraid.”
“I am not—”
“Yes, Abby, you are. You’re afraid I’ll die.”
We stared at one another for a long beat as my emotions raged under my calm facade. I wanted to scream, “Yes, I am! I’m afraid I’ll lose the only person left I feel I can call family!” But my mouth stayed shut tight. I could still save him. I could still send him back home.
Wait.
“How did you get here?” I asked, my voice laden with the curiosity I felt.
“I made the same deal as you.” He took a step toward me, then another, until we were standing face-to-face.
I crossed my arms. “Yeah, what was that?”
“A promise.”
I bit down on my cheek. He’d sold himself to Naitee for a scroll so he could come back to help me. It was, in the end, all I asked for: dependability, loyalty. I didn’t want to lose that, not now that we’d become friends.
I turned my head away. “I don’t want you here.”
“Too bad,” Otto retorted without missing a beat. I could see from the corner of my eye he was smirking. That jerk. Damn him.
“Fine,” I sighed, “but if you die, I won’t cry.”
“I wouldn’t want you to.” Otto put his hand out for a high five.
I grabbed his arm and pulled him in for a hug. He was tense at first, then wrapped me up in a tight squeeze.
He whispered above my head, “I won’t cry if you die either.”
I pushed back and scowled at him. “That’s because I’ll just respawn at the Boar’s Head eight hours later.”
He smirked. “Let’s get you to 25.”
We moved even deeper into the forest where we encountered [Greater Corrupt Valdgeist]. Significantly harder, and three times as rewarding, we cranked through the groaning, vaguely human-shaped monsters until the magical moment of leveling.
“Hold up.” I grinned. “I’ve got a point to spend.”
I opened my skill tree, looking at the 3 saved skill points I was so ready to drop.
<<<>>>
<<<>>>
WITHOUT BLINKING, I dropped a point each into Phoenix Rising, Leaching Smolder, and Rain of Fire. I wanted Blazing Weapon, but if I was going to be a team player, I needed to support the team, not go solo.
<<<>>>
Skill: Phoenix Rising
You may go down in flames, but you’ll rise again! When your Health drops below 10%, the roiling smolder in your chest will come alive, restoring 20% of your HP instantly.
Skill Type/Level: Passive, Level 1
Cost: None
Range: N/A
Cast Time: N/A
Cooldown: 3 hours
Effect 1: When your Health drops below 10%, instantly regain 20%.
<<<>>>
I wished the cooldown wasn’t so brutal, but this would definitely come in handy for what was to come. It didn’t make me less squishy, but at least made it harder for me to die.
<<<>>>
Skill: Leaching Smolder
Bend the fire to your command and steal Spirit from your enemy! For each Burning Affliction the enemy is encumbered with, steal .25 x character level in Spirit/sec for 30 seconds, as long as the enemy has Spirit to leach.
Skill Type/Level: Active, Level 1
Cost: 100 Spirit
Range: N/A
Cast Time: Instant
Cooldown: 30 seconds
Effect 1: For each Burning Affliction the enemy has, steal .25 x character level in Spirit per second for 30 seconds.
<<<>>>
Burning Affliction itself only lasted twenty seconds at level 2, but even if I only had one Burning Affliction on the enemy at level 25, Leaching Smolder would earn me 125 Spirit. But, if the enemy died early, I’d lose all that Spirit casting the spells for nothing. Leaching Smolder was good for bosses, the long-haul fights, and I knew without a doubt there was one of those in the dungeon.
The cooldown on it was a bit lame, but I supposed it was to prevent me from popping three quick Burning Afflictions on several targets in a row, hitting them all with Leaching Smolder, and going on Spirit regen OP Overdrive.
<<<>>>
Skill: Rain of Fire
There are few things in life more terrifying than being caught in a shower of a thousand tiny fireballs. Bring this terror to your enemies in a 20-meter radius from the target location for 20 seconds with each fireball hit having a 5% chance of setting your enemy ablaze!
Skill Type/Level: Active, Level 1
Cost: 500 Spirit
Range: 50 meters
Radius of Area Effect: 20 meters
Cast Time: 4 seconds
Cooldown: 10 minutes
Effect 1: Rain down fire on your enemies in a 20-meter radius for 20 seconds. Each fireball deals .2 x Spell Strength in fire Damage.
Effect 2: Each fireball has a 5% chance of adding Burning Affliction to the target.
<<<>>>
The price was high, but the effect was so cool. Not only that, but with my Spell Strength at 168, I would deal about 33 points of damage with each little fireball, and there were a thousand of them. I was stoked to use it, but the cooldown was a bit more punishing than I felt necessary. It did decrease at level 2, so I would just have to spend my next points wisely.
“Ready?” Otto prompted, and I closed out the menus.
“Ready to burn some face off.” I nodded.
We wandered a little deeper and realized to our dismay that the Greater Corrupt Valdgeist gave way to [Raving Greater Corrupt Valdgeist], and after tangoing with just one of those, we were ready to head back. The XP off it was insane—5,000—but it was also unnaturally fast, with more HP and armor than the other Valdgeist. This one took us six to seven minutes of dancing around, dodging, and downing potions. Just not worth it.
With the border of the higher-level zone identified, we moved back into the smaller fries that went down in a few hits. It still didn’t feel like enough. It was 1:40 PM, and I’d only just hit 26.
“Otto, we need to head back to the clearing.” I swiped up the last coins and checked my balance: a very pleasing 612. I was already wealthier in V.G.O. than I’d ever been IRL.
Otto’s eyes went vacant for a moment and he became still, probably checking his gold like I had, then he asked, “Has your friend messaged you?”
I popped into the PM screen. Nothing. “No, but it doesn’t matter. We’re running out of time on the quest. He might still show.” I shrugged.
“Let’s go find out.” He sheathed his sword and marched southwest toward the dungeon marker.
