“Get her into the building,” Tailyn said, pulling himself together and grabbing the life-giving potion out of his inventory. What was he doing throwing up his hands? He had a regeneration potion that could bring his girl back. Valia was going to be okay.
The journey down into the basement was reprised, only that time the lix was the one doing the falling. He was still able to keep the girl from getting injured, however. Tailyn slipped down behind him, and as soon as they were all under the dome, he opened Valia’s mouth and poured the potion into it.
“Burned so much energy. Need to rest.” The lix laid down wearily, the two kilometers having taken quite a bit out of him.
“You saved her — thank you. If you hadn’t gotten her here in time, she might have died…”
“Can I consider saving your woman the same thing as saving you?” Ka-Do-Gir found the strength to pull himself up onto his elbows and look over at the boy.
“Yes, of course! Her life is my life.”
“Okay, so it’s seven to three. You keep running up the score, young master. But now there’s another person I can look out for, so I’ll be able to pay my debt and leave in peace. All right, time to rest.”
The lix’s paws buckled, and he fell back unconscious, leaving Tailyn more or less alone. The rest of the group was lying there motionless.
Tailyn went over to the terminal. He already had one, so he wasn’t sure what to do with yet another gift from the System. Exchange it for coins? That made sense, and Tailyn liked the idea. He was always short on coins, forever running out right when he needed them. Of course, there was always the option to give it to Valia, though Tailyn decided to take the principled road. He liked the girl. A lot, even. But he also remembered all too well the conversation they’d had in the City of the Dead. Friendship was one thing, but they each had their own knowledge and rewards, neither of which Valia was prepared to share without getting something for herself. And so Tailyn wasn’t going to start gifting her things, either. If she got used to them…
Access to remote terminal confirmed.
Verifying credentials and clearance…
Attention! Error detected…
Level 1 player Tailyn Vlashich already has a terminal with activated store functionality. The System forbids adding a second terminal.
Finding a solution…
Solution found!
***
As compensation for the canceled terminal, you were given named armor corresponding to your class.
Access unlocked for the named item upgrade section.
The terminal flashed and disappeared, leaving a stunningly beautiful cuirass in its place. Tailyn thought it was the type of thing only the emperor’s guard — or maybe the emperor himself — was allowed to wear, as it shimmered a gentle blue color, looked light as a feather, and felt as tough as a dragon’s scales. Although, he wasn’t sure where those associations were coming from. It could have been the romantic books he’d enjoyed reading ever since he was six. Holding out his hand, the boy touched the new piece of equipment, and a detailed description popped up.
Vargot. Universal adaptive tactical outfit belonging to player Tailyn Vlashich (cannot be stolen or used by anyone else). Current Vargot level (VL): 3. The built-in universal protection can withstand the impact of [10 * VL] strikes, keeping them from the wearer. Maintains a hermetic seal for [VL * magic attack] minutes. Fire resistant, cold resistant, with a built-in cleaning system, mimicry, an area scanner that reaches 100 meters, and a lamp. Integrates with magic cards and elixirs in quick access slots. When worn, restores [10 * VL] mana and shield per hour; has [VL] slots for expansions (can be purchased at the store). Additional parameters: shield level: +200 * (level + Enhancement + VL); mana level: +150 * (level + Enhancement + VL); magic attack: +20 * (level + Enhancement + VL). Requirements: Strength (5), Agility (5), Intellect (5), Mysticism (5), Armor (5).
Vargot didn’t offer anything like the +1 to intellect that his OGM-III came with, though that didn’t bother Tailyn. Sure, he was going to take a small step back in parameters, but with each additional level, his armor would get stronger and stronger. And since he already met all the requirements, he pulled off the suit he was wearing, tossed it into his inventory, and pulled on Vargot. He shivered. Miniature brushes ran up and down his body, cleaning off the dirt that had accumulated, and the unpleasant process at least resulted in a clean smell. Tailyn couldn’t remember the last time he’d bathed.
The worst part was that he couldn’t wear his rings. While his amulet still worked and even integrated with Vargot, he couldn’t have anything on his fingers. The rings were useless. Apparently, Valia was going to be getting a gift, after all. Tailyn modified his status table to show two new cells, his named item level and his current companion level, and that made the whole thing much more informative.
Status table
General character information
Tailyn Vlashich, betrothed to Valia Levor
Alchemist
Level
1
Age
11
Yearly tax (crystals)
1 (beginning at age 16)
Coins
2522
Gold
70163
Main parameters
Shield level
3691 (4931)
Mana level
2850 (5861)
Physical attack
375
Magic attack
835
Named item level
3
Companion level
2
Attributes
Enhancement
15
Mysticism
8
Intellect
6
Armor
6
Wisdom
7
Perception
6
Regeneration
6
Agility
5
Strength
5
Concealment
5
Cartographer
2
Integration
2
Resilience
5
Marauder
12
Alchemist
Points invested:
47
Herbalism
Points invested:
25
Linguist
Points invested:
1
Mining
Points invested:
2
The boy’s mana level dropped significantly without his rings — to the tune of more than 800, in fact. He was going to have to do something about that, only not right then. There was no way he was giving up on Vargot. Wearing it, his shield and, more importantly, mana levels were much higher.
The combat status was long since gone. Presumably, Griala had come to terms with the fact that the puny group had escaped its greedy clutches, and that let Tailyn recharge his cards. And even though that just about emptied his supply of mana, he wasn’t particularly worried — it regenerated quickly. After giving it some thought, he eventually activated Vargot’s mimicry and turned it into a simple hunter’s outfit. He’d been able to fool someone as experienced as Sloan, and that meant he was doing something right.
The group was still healing, so Tailyn decided to spend some time on himself. Heading over to the store and seeing a new display case, he sorted the goods in ascending order of price only to sigh heavily. The cheapest option cost a hundred thousand coins. An ordinary hermetic seal expansion that made it last twice as long cost an entire hundred thousand coins. Not looking to give himself a headache, he didn’t even bother looking at the rest of the items on display, resolving to come back when he had many millions of coins to spent. And that was certainly not right then…
The regeneration potion still hadn’t shown back up, and the boy started feeling nervous. An amilio, a phoenix feather, and two living waters cost a total of more than five thous
and coins. And judging by the fact that the regeneration flask cost four hundred and completely restored whoever took it, not just if they had more than half their tissue remaining, the group was in for some rough times. At least, Valia was. Everyone else already had regeneration. But that begged the question — was there a way to get it for her? For example, trading crystals for it?
“I have a question! I’d like to buy the regeneration attribute for Valia Levor. What do I need to do for that?” Tailyn said aloud, not sure if the System would hear him or deign to answer. Surprisingly, it did. Right there under the dome, the connection with the god was much better than anywhere else.
That attribute was removed from the general list and is unavailable to initiated and uninitiated creatures alike. It can only be received from a Crobar school master.
For a little while, Tailyn stared at the message in confusion, trying to figure out what struck him as strange. It was only when he waved the message aside and happened to meet Valanil’s gaze that it hit him. The herbalist had regeneration.
Group renamed. New name: Don’t say anything. We’ll talk later.
Group renamed. New name: Sirius.
Even without seeing the god’s answer, Valanil knew all too well what it had said — nobody was allowed to have regeneration outside Crobar. The herbalist didn’t doubt Tailyn’s ability to put two and two together, so she played it safe. They were going to have to come to terms, that much was for sure. And Valia couldn’t be involved, which was why Valanil had used the group name change functionality to communicate the message and then stick in the star she remembered from her training as a stand-in. Her timer told her she had another half an hour before she regained mobility. That was enough time for her to think up the right explanation, and it was a very good thing she knew what awaited Tailyn at the academy…
Valanil was the first to get mobility back. The lix was still sleeping, and Valia had caught enough of the poison to keep her out of it for the whole eight hours. Sitting up, the herbalist locked eyes with Tailyn, who looked older than his years.
“You’re from Crobar,” the boy said, laying out the conversation from the very beginning.
“I graduated from a school by Crobar,” Valanil replied. “From seven to twelve, I was taught how to fight the mages. Just think of Keran and how smug he was, how everybody had to listen to him, and how he put you down at the first opportunity. And he’s a teddy bear compared to some of the rest of them. Mages killed my parents just because a few of them were bored. And nothing happened to them! Who cares about a few peasants? So, I was taught, but then I grew up. When I turned twelve, I left and joined the academy looking to become one of them, though they kicked me out a year later.”
“Why?”
“They called it a ‘cleansing.’ Some Crobar spies broke into the academy library and made off with some rare books. Even though the mages knew I studied at a school connected to Crobar, they didn’t suspect me — I was too good of a student, always around other people. Still, my department dean gave in to the rest and kicked me out before I got to the second year. By the time I was thirteen, I was out on the street, and I got to Culmart a couple years later. They didn’t have an herbalist out there on the border with the Gray Lands, so the elder back then took me on. The next twelve years, I worked in the town, a true and faithful servant of the empire. Sure, I know a lot about Crobar, but could you call me a mage assassin? Not really.”
Tailyn thought to himself. For as long as he could remember, Valanil had always been in Culmart, and she was the only one who’d always helped him. What did it matter where she studied if she was one of them then?
“That’s why I have regeneration — one of the instructors gave it to me. He was definitely from Crobar. A magistrate if I’m not mistaken. It was a long time ago.”
“So, I don’t have anything to worry about?” the boy asked, and a weight was lifted off his shoulders. He’d already gotten himself worked up over the possibility that the herbalist could kill him one day if he joined the academy.
“You do, indeed, my boy,” Valanil replied with a sigh. “When you join the academy, they’ll make you swear you don’t work for Crobar, that you don’t know anyone from the school, don’t even know anyone connected to it. And I’m very well aware that if the god doesn’t approve even one of your oaths, the academy will be closed to you forever. Your life might even be over. It’s much simpler for the mages to kill an idiot kid than to dig into whether or not he’s a spy.”
“But I’m not working for Crobar!” the boy exclaimed indignantly.
“No. Still, you now know I studied at a school close to Crobar, and that will be enough for them not to let you in.”
Tailyn was shocked speechless. His dream of becoming a real mage had just been shattered on the rocks of reality, and all because of some stupid herbalist.
“Don’t take it out on me, Tailyn Vlashich.” Valanil knew exactly what the boy was feeling in that moment. “You have a problem, and you need a solution. That’s it.”
“But how? I can’t join the academy. And it’s all because of you!”
“So, you don’t need help?”
“What do you mean? You can help?”
“I can, but first I need to know how you made it into the Forest of Desire alive. A lot depends on that.”
Tailyn waited for the Search for Coordinates mission to update so he could share the details with Valanil the same as he could with the lix and Valia, but that didn’t happen.
“I…I can’t,” he finally said in surprise. “I’ll be punished if I tell you.”
“That’s all I need to know, my boy,” Valanil replied. She was annoyed that the System hadn’t deemed her worthy of the mission the boy had, but she’d found out what she needed to know — there was a mission in the first place. And it had something to do with the general’s tomb.
“New plan, Tailyn Vlashich. Before we head home, we need to find Isr Kale’s tomb, and then you’ll definitely know someone connected with Crobar. You’ll know the school’s founder! We’re going to be able to fool the system. Okay, show me the map so we can figure out where to go.”
There was a much more radical but far more effective way to get around the problem, but Valanil said nothing for the time being. There would be time enough later.
Chapter 14
“THE BOY IS growing up. Blink, and he’ll be a man,” Valanil teased, which brought even more color to Tailyn’s and Valia’s cheeks. The lix couldn’t have cared less about human relationships, so he got to work doing something much more useful for the group: exploring the basement.
“Stop it,” Tailyn said, though all that did was widen the grin on the herbalist’s face. She was having fun with the kids’ relationship. As soon as Valia had woken up and heard all about the valiant deeds of her boy, she’d thrown herself into his arms, forgotten where she was, and kissed him right on the lips. Not expecting that, Tailyn was so taken aback that he kissed her in response. The first real kiss of his young life. His head buzzed, the ground disappeared out from under him, and for just a moment the Forest of Desire faded away, leaving nothing but Valia, her soft lips, and her stunningly wonderful arms around the boy. In fact, it was only the herbalist’s cough that pulled the two away from each other, though they remained with foreheads touching, enjoying that simple connection.
“Thank you!” Valia whispered as she blushed. It was her first real kiss, as well. Bumbling and awkward, it was still heartfelt and passionate. A warm feeling grew in her chest, and for the first time since she was kidnapped, she felt happy. Urged on, she wanted to do something for Tailyn, show him how much she cared about him, how much she…loved him? Just the thought made her turn bright red and step back. She couldn’t think about that right then. Not when she was just eleven. In her head, her unpleasant aunt’s voice broke out to ruin the moment.
An awkward pause hung over the group, though the lix saved them. Shoving aside the remains of the shelf Valanil had dropped onto, he yelled
over.
“There’s a passageway here!”
Indeed, a door was hidden beautifully in the wall. If it hadn’t been for Valanil demolishing the old crockery with her fall, nobody would have even suspected that it was there. Ka-Do-Gir spent a while fiddling with the lock, finally yanking open the door to reveal a dark space. The group’s scanners automatically turned on to reveal a steep and narrow winding descent.
“What could that be?” Valanil asked rhetorically, not looking for an answer.
“Let’s find out.” Not sensing any danger, the lix braced his middle limbs against the walls and started down. The tiny stairs were poorly built for lixes, so Ka-Do-Gir kept slipping, his voice finally drifting up from the bottom.
“There’s nobody here. If you want, come on down. You’ll find out quite a bit about whoever owned this place.”
Forest of Desire (The Alchemist Book #2): LitRPG Series Page 19
