Vault of the Magi: A LitRPG Adventure (Stonehaven League Book 5)

by Carrie Summers

  But for now, she was tired of dealing with administration and worrying about an incoming newbie horde. A glance at her clock showed that she still had a good twelve hours of in-game play before it would be time to log out and have dinner—the time compression technology in her implants meant that each hour that passed outside worked out to three or so in game.

  Seeing as it was Christmas, maybe she owed it to herself to indulge. Test out the new gear a little. Already feeling lighter on her feet, she headed for the main gates.

  ***

  There might have been a party going on, but that didn’t mean Stonehaven’s security was slacking. Atop the wall walk, sentries held their positions, eyes on the savanna below. As Devon crossed the killing field at a brisk pace, she spotted Jarleck at his usual station near the exit through the curtain wall.

  “Do you ever take time off?” she asked as she reached him.

  The man leaned against the wall and shrugged, smiling crookedly. “Occasionally. But you know me. The way I figure, the only reason to attend a dwarven keg party is to gather blackmail, and seeing as most people in Stonehaven haven’t got more than a couple of coppers to their name, I don’t see much point.”

  “Like you’d ever bully someone like that.”

  He shrugged. “Well, I am occasionally tempted when it comes to Greel.”

  “Aren’t we all,” she said, laughing.

  “Anyway, I’m not much for tossing back mugs of ale.”

  That was right. Now Devon remembered that the man didn’t drink. He’d first come to the group as a prisoner—at that point, they’d been scarcely more than a dozen strong and had still called themselves the Tribe of Uruquat after the ogre who had once led them. He’d been hired as a thug by the strongmen who had sent the tribe—before Devon’s arrival—into the jungle in search of the first of Ishildar’s relics, the Greenscale Pendant. In the days after his capture, his surly manner and scarred face had led her to conclude he was a rough-and-tumble sort who would never be made into an ally. It turned out, the man was something of a softy, and straight-laced too.

  “And how about you, Mayor? Not indulging?”

  Devon snorted. “Not a chance. But seeing as most everyone else in town is enjoying the celebration…”

  “You figured you might actually get a chance to act like a regular starborn. Find a few monsters to hunt before they finish celebrating and come ask you for help on stuff.”

  She grinned. “Am I that predictable?”

  He shook his head. “Actually, it was just wishful thinking on my part.”

  Devon cocked her head. “What do you mean?”

  “Well, you put me in charge of handing out quests, and that’s been working out just fine. Especially with the type of starborn who have been drawn here. They don’t seem to mind that the only work I give them grants nothing but a little experience and the occasional skill up in Manual Labor.”

  Devon smirked, thinking of the number of man-hours that went into digging Stonehaven’s moat and hauling stone blocks from the quarry. “So have they finally wised up?” She asked. “Realized our quest offerings are a bigger scam than companies giving course credit and zero pay to their armies of interns?”

  “Course credit?”

  She shook her head. “Never mind. Just horror stories from a couple of people I know who actually made it to college.” For Devon, it had never even been a consideration, seeing as she didn’t have a bazillion dollars to fork over for tuition.

  “Anyway,” Jarleck said, moving past his confusion, “I haven’t had anything more interesting to offer would-be questers. And then, this morning, I finally heard of a mission that could really help Stonehaven, without all the drudgery. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to offer it to anyone.” His mouth twisted in consternation.

  “Any idea why not?”

  He shrugged as if baffled. “I can’t figure it out. It’s as if something has happened in the starborn realm to take everyone away. I saw just two players today, both too busy to talk—except for that Valious guy…I don’t think he’s ready for missions, if you know what I mean.” He made an awkward cringing face.

  “Yeah, I get it.”

  “So basically, I have what seems like an interesting quest, and I can’t find anyone to give it to. Is something wrong in the starborn realm?”

  She shook her head. “It’s just a starborn holiday. Should be back to normal soon. So what’s the quest objective? Are you allowed to give it to me?”

  He brightened. “I don’t see why not. You see, I heard rumors of a certain cave.”

  “Really? Like a real mini-dungeon?” This was sounding like a Christmas present she could get excited about.

  “I think you could call it that,” Jarleck said.

  A quest pop-up appeared.

  Jarleck is offering you a quest: Investigate the cave to the northeast.

  Not far from Stonehaven, caravaneers returning from the Argenthal mines recently spotted a faint trail that departs the wagon track and eventually reaches a small stone outcropping. The miners reported strange sounds and smells coming from within an opening in the rock, and they wisely turned around and headed back toward civilization.

  Objective: Clear the cave of any threat to innocent travelers

  Reward: 100,000 experience

  Accept? Y/N

  “Heck, yes,” Devon said as she accepted the quest. The prospect of a solo dungeon crawl was enough to make her start whistling Jingle Bells.

  “So what do you think of it?”

  “The quest, you mean?”

  “The whole offer. The wording especially. I composed it myself.”

  She reopened her quest log and examined the entry. So was he saying that he wrote the text, not Veia? But Veia created him, so… She fought the urge to scratch her head; the situation was rather confusing. Anyway, the text wasn’t bad, but the title was bland. After a moment’s thought, she decided it wasn’t the right time for constructive criticism.

  “It’s great,” she said with a smile.

  Jarleck stood taller and straightened his shoulders as she stepped past. As she walked out of range, she heard him mutter to himself, “Finally, my first real adventuring quest. And it’s a hit.”

  Sometimes, it could be weird to have NPCs for friends.

  Chapter Seventeen

  “SO, BOB,” DEVON said as her strides ate up the wagon track that now connected Stonehaven to the Argenthal mountains east of Ishildar, “seeing as I’m stuck with you until we find this last relic, maybe you could tell me what you know about the Stone Forest.”

  The wisp, still glommed to her shoulder, sighed. “Seeing as I’m stuck to you, I’d hope you could at least remember that you must ask precise questions if you wish to receive useful answers. It is tiresome to repeat myself on this.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Fine. Can you describe to me the best route to reach the Stone Forest for the purpose of searching for the fifth relic of Ishildar, once held in trust by the people of the Skevalli vassaldom?”

  “Ah. Hmm. Well, for a competent adventurer the path would cut straight through the heart of Ishildar. We are almost directly south of the city, whereas the Skevalli vassaldom was directly north.”

  Devon cringed, thinking of her most recent attempt to enter the city. She and Hazel, the cheerful NPC scout who had recently taken on the Tamer combat class with her companion war ostrich, had made it less than a quarter mile into the city before being stopped by the gargantuan Stone Guardians. Through an ability granted by the Greenscale Pendant, Devon had been able to command the massive golems to halt their attack, but only long enough for the women to flee. Seeing as the city had to be at least five or ten miles across, cutting through it didn’t sound like a feasible plan.

  “What about for totally incompetent adventurers who can barely walk and talk, much less avoid slicing off their own toes?”

  Bob made a weird shimmery kind of sound that might hav
e been a laugh. “Ah, good. You’re finally managing to remember my request for precise and accurate questions. For someone of your skill level, and considering the cursed state of the city, you’d be best served circling around. But that poses another problem.”

  “Great. So what is the problem with traveling around Ishildar to reach the northern edge?”

  “Well, to the west, it’s the Mud Pots of Vez. They’ve become completely impassible, I’ve heard, unless you can tolerate scalding-hot liquid clay, and you don’t need to breathe. During Ishildar’s heyday, the city’s elite used to take dips in the most shallow of the pots, but that was with a fire-resistance buff from one of the magi. Since then, the pots have grown hotter and deeper. A couple of centuries back, they sucked down a cohort of Galavir war elephants and their masters.”

  “Oh. And we can’t go around them?”

  “I suppose you could if you fancy a weeks-long journey.”

  “What about to the east?”

  “You’ve managed the first part of that route during your climb into the Argenthal Mountains. The problem comes where they meet the northern range. The Skargill Peaks are gouged by a series of rifts so sheer and so deep—”

  “So sheer and so deep they’re impossible to climb in and out of, and they web the region like a maze. Travelers in the depths of the gorges could walk for a month only to find themselves back where they started.”

  “I guess you’ve heard of the region.”

  “Brilliant deduction.”

  The wisp bounced slightly on her shoulder as if executing the eye roll move. “Anyway, what I’m saying is that you’re out of luck if you want to circle around the city in any reasonable amount of time.”

  “So the only way to get to the Stone Forest is through the city…”

  “Yeah, pretty much. But like I said, that’s only recommended for people who could survive the streets.”

  Quest updated: Venture to the Stone Forest

  You’ve learned that you’ll need to pass through Ishildar to get to the Stone Forest. Which is kinda sucky, seeing as the guardians can probably still kill you in one hit. But good luck anyway!

  With a sigh, Devon pushed the message away.

  On the right side of the wagon track, a parting in the grass looked like it might be the faint trail that was supposed to lead to this stone outcropping and suspicious cave. She stepped off the rut carved by the ore caravans and crouched, checking the track for suspicious footprints. Strangely, the trail seemed wider than she expected, but the grass was also less trampled than anticipated. Here and there, she spotted deep holes pressed into the savanna soil as if something had passed by that walked on tiny pointed feet. She stuck a finger in one of the holes, judging the depth. Her finger sank to the second knuckle.

  You have gained a skill point: +1 Tracking.

  You still don’t have a clue what it means, but good job noticing that the trail is kind of weird.

  “Yeah, so what do you think of it. Strange, huh?”

  Devon jerked at the sound of the voice, nearly falling over when she saw her guildmate, Hailey, standing on the wagon track a few feet away.

  “You scared the crap out of me!”

  “Sorry,” Hailey said. “I was just wandering and saw you.”

  Devon nodded and stood, not sure what to say. Her friend seemed a little…off. The way she was standing, shoulders drooped, along with the lack of her customary snark—put together, Hailey seemed…glum. Another case of the Christmas spirit, maybe.

  “I sent you a message yesterday, actually. Wanted to see if you’d be online and looking to group up.”

  Hailey raised an eyebrow, though even that expression lacked her usual energy. “You? Just out adventuring like a normal gamer?”

  Devon shrugged. “Gotta give myself something for Christmas, right?”

  “Yeah, I guess I’m the same,” Hailey said. “Just indulging in some directionless hunting. Sorry for not responding to the message. Guess I’ve been more into in-game interaction lately, so I forget to activate messenger.”

  Devon opened up her quest log and scrolled to the entry Jarleck had given her. “So, what about it? Up for a little mini-dungeon dive?” She selected Hailey and sent her a group invite.

  The woman hesitated for a really long time before accepting. Probably the whole Christmas thing again. But once Hailey’s health bar appeared in her interface, Devon shared the quest.

  Hailey nodded. “You know, I think this will be good. I could use a little mindless gaming right now.”

  Devon smiled. “You and me both.”

  ***

  When she spotted the rock outcropping, a heap of weathered boulders with heat shimmer rising off the surface, Devon stopped and let Hailey draw even with her.

  “Thanks for not commenting on the backpack, by the way. I know it’s hideous.”

  “Hmm?” Hailey said, then glanced at Devon’s back. “Oh”—she grimaced—“yeah. Ew.”

  Wait, so Devon’s friend had been walking behind her for a good fifteen minutes and hadn’t noticed the sequined growth jutting from her upper back?

  “Hey, is everything okay?” she asked, feeling a little weird about putting it out in the open. She and Hailey had been through a lot of different stages in their friendship. Even though they’d gotten a lot closer since Devon had forgiven Hailey for livestreaming things Devon wanted to be kept private, and Hailey had basically saved Stonehaven from destruction by recruiting the small army of players who now camped nearby and gave their allegiance to Devon’s cause, they hadn’t ever talked much about out-of-game issues. Especially feelings. Devon hadn’t developed the knack for those kind of discussions with anyone, really.

  Hailey kept her eyes on the hump of stone rising from the grasslands. The corners of her mouth drew down slightly, whether because she was considering her words or because Devon’s question had upset her, Devon couldn’t say. But her friend’s silence did reinforce Devon’s theory that talking about this sort of stuff carried too much of a risk of turning things weird.

  After a moment, Hailey’s chest rose and fell beneath her shimmery cloth robe, a knee-length garment with a faint blue hue. The robe was new, which gave Devon the excuse to distract herself by inspecting her friend’s gear.

  Item: Vestments of the Seeker

  Woven from fibers of skyflax, a rare plant found only in certain high meadows of the Argenthal Mountains, this robe conveys much of the essence of what it is to be a Seeker.

  5 Intelligence | +3 Focus | +5% chance to hit with class abilities

  For my purpose is truth, and my quest is to seek it. -Osh Renish, devotee of the search

  Flavor text on the item, huh? Devon never got something like that. The best she earned was a sarcastic comment from the game about her relative ineptitude.

  Well, at least someone had earned the game’s respect.

  “I’m sorry, Dev,” Hailey said, seeming to shake off whatever darkness had infected her mood. “Guess the holiday has put me out of sorts. I’m good, though. Glad you’re back from your little visit to hell.”

  The woman cast her a quick smile, easing Devon’s worry.

  “Yeah, I get that,” Devon said. “Christmas is a little too much caroling and Santa, and not enough leveling and treasure hunting.” She elbowed Hailey gently. “Nice robe, by the way.”

  Hailey’s eyes brightened a bit, though still not as much as Devon would expect. “Emmaree made it for me. Now that the Tailoring Workshop is almost done, I can’t see what she does for the rest of the set.”

  “You didn’t know?”

  “Know what?”

  “Prester finished it this morning. Half the town is dead drunk from celebrating.”

  Hailey didn’t laugh, but she did smile. “I’m glad Chen isn’t online then, for his sake.”

  “No shit, right?” Devon said. “Even if he tried to avoid the party, I bet the dwarves would lay a trap and pour their grog down
his throat. Poor guy.”

  Chen, of course, was never online for holidays. Any holiday, a situation that had caused all kinds of problems with their raiding schedule back in Avatharn Online. His family was really close, and they had some strict rules about when he could play games. He always complained, saying that when he turned eighteen he was going to flat-out refuse to have a big family celebration for President’s Day, or whichever other excuse his parents had come up with to bolster their quality time. Devon sincerely doubted he’d make good on the threat. It was just his version of a teenager’s rebelliousness.

  “You’re doing a good job with Stonehaven, Dev,” Hailey said, somewhat abruptly. “I know I don’t say it often, but I want you to know anyway.”

  Devon wasn’t sure what to say to the sudden compliment, and she stumbled over her words for a minute trying to put together a response. “Thanks. But you know there wouldn’t be a Stonehaven if you hadn’t helped bring in the players. I wish there were some way I could appoint you and Chen to be some sort of council or backup leaders. You deserve it.”

  “Not Jeremy?” Hailey said with a raised eyebrow.

  Devon groaned, thinking of the stupid practical jokes their guildmate was always playing. “I don’t think I’d live it down if I gave him any authority. If this were a kingdom, I’d make him court jester.”

  “Heh,” Hailey said. “Fitting.”

  “So…ready?” Devon said, nodding at the mound of stone.

  “Let’s do this.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  “YUCK,” HAILEY SAID as they stopped to prepare around a hundred yards from the dark hole in the mound of boulders.

  Devon had been focusing on the cave entrance while chewing a bite of Spiced Antelope Jerky. One of Tom’s invented recipes, the food gave a +2 Constitution buff, which would give her more health for a couple of hours. She swallowed and looked at her friend. “It’s actually pretty tasty,” she said.