Before we start, I take a moment to draw runes on each of our boots with a quill, enchanting them and tripling our walking speed. A recent update by the AI changed how my own magic worked. Instead of channeling mana into my items, I carve runes and then push the mana into them. It’s more limiting since I now have a list of runes to remember, but I can string multiple runes together for new effects.
My mana pool has grown a great deal over the past year as well, allowing me to have multiple enchantments running at the same time. While I push mana into enchantments I give to others, I’m able to power up some of my own enchantments by pushing more mana into them. It’s been a while since I have run out of mana, but as my pool has grown, so has the power behind some of my attacking enchantments. If a big battle were to occur, I could still conceivably run out.
Tracking down new adventurers has been no easy task. For the most part, we let them find their own way. Most villagers around the kingdom will usually point them in the direction of Carolton, since we have the largest population of adventurers. Still, some choose to strike a path of their own. I double-check the pack I brought and make sure it’s filled with both food and clothing in case we come upon any.
When new players spawn, they are as naked as the day they’re born. The experience is a bit overwhelming, showing up in a new world, every sense on high alert and nothing but your own two hands to protect you. Or at least it was for me. I still remember the frying pan that clocked me in the shoulder for trespassing on someone’s farm my first day in the game. When you expect your vision to flash red and instead feel shooting pain, it’s a quick wake-up call.
Still, we do our best to find the new players when we can. Some of them find their own way or take us up on the offer of clothes and a warm meal before they go off on their own. Others have spawned so far away I’ve never met them.
Kindra stops long enough for us to catch up. “Alright, where the hell are these damn weevils? And what are we supposed to do when we find them?”
“Oh, my!” yells Neil. “Is that it?” He points to a nearby cornfield, where two large antennae and a snout protrude above the top of the corn stalks. A loud crunching can be heard from the depths.
“I don’t know what else it would be,” I say.
We follow the path through the cornstalks and find a weevil grazing. Two long pincers chop the corn at the base while the long, tuberous snout shovels the stalks into its mouth.
Giant Weevil. With a tough outer shell, weevils have a greater resistance to magical attacks than most beasts. Their hides often fetch high prices for their usage in armor.
The creature moves slowly through the field, unaware or uncaring of our presence. It looks like a giant beetle with a luminescent green outer shell and black undershell. It continues to munch, leaving a steaming trail of dung in its wake. At the rate it’s moving, a single weevil could destroy an entire field over the course of a few days.
“It’s immune to magic, huh?” asks Margarita, hands on her hips. “How do you suppose we tackle this?”
“Like this!” yells Neil as he pulls his sword and takes off towards the weevil.
His sword clanks against the hide of the creature, dealing no damage. Neil attacks again, faring no better. The blade bounces off the tough exterior like it’s made of plastic.
The weevil turns its head to look at Neil and knocks him to the ground with a thrash of its hindquarters. Without so much as a second thought, the weevil returns to its meal.
“With a tough shell like that, weapons aren’t going to work either.” Titus scratches his chin in thought. “Maybe we could try to guide them somewhere else?”
“That won’t work.” Grayson’s gruff voice is commanding. “If there was only one, maybe, but from what we’ve heard, there are probably dozens of these creatures. I think we’d be best to find a way to dispose of them. They’re pests, nothing more.”
Titus frowns at Grayson but says nothing.
“Besides,” says Margarita, “we can take their hides and make some pretty good armor. Even sell what we don’t need.”
I can’t really argue with her logic, but that still leaves the question of how in the hell are we going to kill it.
“Kindra, can you get inside of its mind?” I ask.
She presses her fingers to her temples, channeling her magic. She winces, and then shakes her head. “It’s not working. It actually hurts when I try to get inside of its mind.”
Normally, the offending party would go slack, or a vacant look might run across its face. However, the weevil remains unaffected and continues chewing stalk after stalk. Another pile of steaming hot dung falls to the ground.
Substance. Giant Weevil Dung. This substance has been used in many potions for increased magical defenses.
Not a bad ingredient if you can get past the smell. I’m sure it would fetch a nice price at the market.
I pull my sword from its scabbard and focus my mana into the bottom-most rune along the blade. Maybe we just need a little more power.
Exploding Touch. Your next attack will explode for 500 damage, damaging all within a five-foot radius.
“Everyone, stand back.”
Once the others are out of the way, I slash with all my might at the giant weevil. A violent explosion erupts when the blade hits its metallic shell, and flames run up my arm, singeing my tunic and burning the hair from my arm. My health drops, and a burning pain flares along my arms.
“Oh, that was such a bad idea.” I gingerly press my finger to the burn that is radiating heat.
The weevil continues as if nothing happened. I take a bite of some of Carter’s enchanted fruit and step back as my health slowly recovers.
“Maybe we just need to think outside the box.” Neil ponders for a moment. “Everything has a weakness. Even dragons have a soft underbelly.”
“You know…” Margarita places her thumb and index finger on her chin. “I think I have an idea. Get your weapons ready.”
Neil and I both pull our swords. Kindra nocks her bow. Grayson and Titus both stand back. Grayson’s staff won’t do much, and Titus prefers not to carry weapons.
Margarita steps beside us and holds out her hands, palms open, toward the weevil. Air rushes around the weevil, swaying the corn like a summer storm until a miniature tornado springs up from underneath the creature, flipping it on its back.
Underneath, between the head and the body, a space of unarmored flesh is exposed. Kindra fires an arrow into the soft underbelly, and the weevil’s health drops. Neil follows up with several quick stabs while the creature rocks back and forth, attempting to right itself to no avail. The long, spindly legs reach out at the sky, but there is nothing for it to grab onto. A final strike of Exploding Touch drains the life from the creature, and we collect the loot.
Item. Giant Weevil Shell X4. Can be used to create magical armor.
The weevil’s shell, along with the armor, makes this a pretty good trip already and no sooner have we gathered the loot than another weevil appears in the distance.
It takes a while to track them down without Kindra’s psychic abilities to help locate the weevils, but over the next few hours, we eliminate twelve giant weevils until we are loaded down with so many weevil shells that we could outfit most of the city watch if we wanted.
Grayson and Titus mostly look on as Margarita flips the weevils, and Neil, Kindra, and I kill them. Grayson still doesn’t show me his magic, so I’m guessing it may be something non-battle related.
Stacking the new set of weevil shells beside the rest, I’m pretty proud of the day’s work.
“I think that’s a good starting point for today. A few more days like this and the weevil population should be in check. What do you say we get back in time for Carter’s big show?”
Chapter Three
Florian’s white flowers cast a glow against the night sky as I step out of the council room. The council has just finished discussing the new adventurers that arrived in town. Five new beta teste
rs from The Boxes.
Jacob steps up beside me, his head tilted back as he looks up at Florian. His grey hair has a silver sheen in the moonlight. “It’s something else, isn’t it? In all my years, I’ve never seen anything like this.” He turns toward me. “To be honest, I’ve seen a lot of things in the past year I never thought I’d see.”
I pat him on the shoulder. I know exactly what he means. Florian’s presence is both comforting and awe-inspiring. “I’m sure you’ll see many more before it’s over. Let’s go watch the show.”
The candles flicker inside the inns, but they are empty. Even the streets are barren. We are the last to arrive at the botanical garden located in the center of the town, where hundreds of people sit or stand around its edges. Carter’s shows are one of the main attractions of Carolton.
The garden is shaped like a massive circle, with stone pathways running throughout the many species of plants. There’s a stone stage in the middle. For the moment, all the plants are still. They look almost wilted as they collapse in on themselves, showcasing nothing of their magical power. It’s all part of the show, though. One big spectacle. During the day, the plants are vibrant and alive with movement.
A murmur snakes through the crowd as people chat among themselves. Jacob and I join the other council members on the outskirts of the garden. Buzz waves at me from the other side. I return the gesture, and Grayson nods in my direction. I’ll meet up with them after the show.
“Any idea what Carter has planned?” I ask Kindra.
She shrugs. “No idea. He’s been very secretive about this one.”
The crowd goes quiet as Carter takes the stage.
“Welcome!” He removes his straw hat and tips it to the crowd. His bushy brown hair dangles across his eyes. “I’m glad to have your company tonight. The plants are happy too. Isn’t that right, Florian?”
The massive tree shakes, and the glowing flowers pulse slightly.
Carter leans against his trident. He has such an easy way about him, like everyone he is talking to is an old friend. “For those of you who have witnessed our performance before, this one is going to be a little different. Sit back and enjoy the show.”
He lifts his trident in the air and a green aura surrounds the weapon. He slams the butt of the trident against the stage, and tendrils of green energy shoot out into the garden, dissipating into the plants. There’s a rustle as all the plants suddenly move. Leaves and branches unfurl, and the show begins.
Bushes erupt with purple and pink flowers and a fragrant aroma fills the air. The flowers glow with magical energy, giving their movement an ethereal quality. The short fruit trees near the stage juggle lemons and limes. Every so often, one will toss a fruit out into the crowd to a round of applause.
This is cool and all, but nothing we haven’t seen dozens of times before. I wonder what Carter has in store.
He kneels on the stage and presses a hand to the ground. His hand glows green and several dozen stems erupt from the earth in a circle surrounding the stage. The stems continue to grow until they’re about four feet high, then leaves peel off from the stems and flowers bloom. Long yellow flowers shaped like horns.
Carter whistles and the fruit trees quit juggling. A moment of silence passes before one of the new plants shudders. A long bellowing note erupts from the horn-shaped flower. It sounds like a trumpet as the note pierces through the night. A second flower joins in, then another, until they are playing a jazz symphony. The flowers sway back and forth in time with the music.
I can’t help but smile at how Carter has chosen to use his power. After the violent battle with the goblins, where he was forced to create plants capable of going to war, he has focused on entertainment and happiness. He finds joy in bringing happiness to others.
The Broken Lands is so much more than a game. The NPCs here are as real as anyone I’ve met in the real world, each one with their own hopes and dreams. If Carter wants a simple life without battle, he has every right to it.
The other plants join in, and the juggling resumes. The flower bushes sway back and forth as if dancing to the rhythm of the music. Their flowers open and close. The fruit that the trees juggle suddenly pulses with light, turning the performance into a glow-filled rave like I’ve watched in some of the cyberpunk worlds in Pangea. Yellow and green citruses streak through the air in a blur.
For the next half-hour, we’re entertained with music and light. The crowd oohs and ahhs as the lemon and lime trees interact with one another, juggling long distances but never losing a piece of fruit unless it’s being tossed to the crowd.
Eventually, the music fades to a dull hum, and Carter takes the center stage again. “I hope you enjoyed the show tonight. I will leave you with this.”
The trumpet flowers blow deep notes that resonate in my chest. Then, the flowers from the other plants detach and float into the air. One explodes above our heads like a firework, and streaks of pink light ignite the sky. Another explodes in purple light, another yellow, another blue. Each flower crackles as it explodes.
The townspeople watch with wonder, the light of the fireworks reflecting in their eyes. When the last one explodes in a burst of brilliant red, the music fades and we all stand in silence.
Jacob claps his hands together and the crowd roars in applause. I’ve gotta hand it to Carter, this was quite the show.
Carter takes a bow, and then disappears off the stage deeper into the garden.
Jacob beams, still clapping. “If the garden wasn’t a tourist attraction already, wait until word of this gets out.” He turns to the other council members. “We may even need a new inn to accommodate.”
If Carolton continues to grow, it might be smarter to start building taller buildings. We can’t exactly keep expanding outward with the new moat.
I excuse myself and make my way over to Buzz and Grayson. Buzz shakes his head, a massive grin on his face. “These just keep getting better and better.”
I embrace Buzz and Grayson, clasping my hand around their forearms in turn. “I know, right? It’s crazy how Carter thinks this stuff up. Especially since he’s spent his entire life living on a farm. How are things with the new recruits?”
Buzz shrugs. “Not too bad, they have lots of promise. We’ll have them whipped into shape in no time.”
Buzz has taken to training new recruits for the city watch. The extensive knowledge of fighting he’s learned in Pangea has made him a great teacher.
I squeeze Buzz’s shoulder. “It was good seeing you, but I need to get out of here. I have a busy day tomorrow.”
“Oh yeah!” Buzz presses his palm to his forehead. “I almost forgot it’s your big day at the orphanage tomorrow. I’ve been so busy between training the new recruits here and setting up my tournament in Asgard that it slipped my mind.” He scrunches his brow. “You’re still coming to the tournament, right?”
I laugh. “Buzz’s First Annual Chicken Cup Classic. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
His face returns to his normal cheery disposition. “Good, because I saved you a spot in the opening rounds.”
I nod. Just one more thing to add to my plate, but if it makes Buzz happy, there’s no way I could turn it down. “I’ll be there.”
Chapter Four
The buzzing of my alarm wakes me up. I wipe the sleep from my eyes as the dull drone continues to echo from the speakers hidden in the walls and ceiling of my apartment.
“Alarm, off,” I tell my robot overlord as I sit up in bed.
“Good morning, Esil,” a comforting female voice greets me. “You have one appointment today scheduled for two hours from now. A taxi pod will be arriving to pick you up at ten AM.”
The apartments at Pangea Headquarters have the most advanced AI integrated with each living quarters. Mine handles my scheduling and appointments and can order a pod for me. I can even order a delivery drone from the cafeteria without having to move a muscle, though I try not to do that. Now that I’m no longer having to power u
p my Box, I have to stay active somehow.
After eating breakfast and taking a shower, I go for a walk around the headquarters’ campus to clear my head. I don’t know why, but I’m incredibly nervous about speaking at the orphanage. Maybe it’s because these kids are just like I once was. Several of them were probably living at the orphanage at the same time as me, not that I made friends with them.
I know it’s important for them to have hopes and dreams, but my story is one in a million, and I don’t want to promise them something they will never have. More than anything, I don’t want to give them false hope.
I stroll through one of the pathways without a destination in mind. The mirrored surfaces of the main building reflect the bright blue skies, but I turn away and walk deeper into the park.
Birds chirp and squirrels race from tree to tree. As I let my thoughts wander, I follow the path until it leads to the Zen garden. A wooden bench overlooks a small pond filled with koi fish. The orange-and-black fish zoom through the water beneath a gurgling fountain.
I take a seat and listen to the splash of the water, trying to let the calmness of nature wash over me. Before I know it, my watch vibrates and the screen tells me my taxi pod is here.
I find it waiting for me out front of the headquarters’ entrance. Aleesia stands outside of the automatic doors to the building, her hands on her hips.
“Hurry up or you’re going to be late.” She smiles at me.
I give her a hug and the smell of her lavender shampoo enraptures me. “What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to wish you luck. I know this is important for you. You’re going to make those kids’ day.” She kisses me on the cheek. “I have to get back to the lab. Knock their socks off, Esil. I’ll see you later.”
I watch her go back inside before taking a deep breath and approaching the pod. The door unhinges with a suction of air and slides up, allowing me to enter.
Pangea Online: The Complete Trilogy Page 49
