Awaken Online (Book 3): Evolution

by Bagwell, Travis

  “…know how to get started. Don’t worry! I’ve got you covered.” With that, the young man waved his hand and the game world around Eliza began to disintegrate. “Toodles!” He called out before the world went dark again.

  Chapter 3 - Enlisted

  “You lot need to keep moving,” a gruff voice shouted.

  Eliza was disoriented from the sudden change in scenery and observed the area around her cautiously. She was now standing in a small courtyard with a large group of other players. Each person wore a homespun cotton shirt and trousers. They also seemed equally dumbstruck at being suddenly dropped in a new location.

  “Are you all dumb or deaf?” the surly person shouted again. “Get your asses moving!”

  Eliza pushed at her glasses with her finger – the one item that she hadn’t lost upon entering the game – and looked toward the source of the yelling. A portly man wearing heavy leather armor was gesturing at the entrance to the courtyard while watching the players in irritation. A longsword dangled from his hip, the hilt gleaming in the sunlight.

  Not wanting to cause a scene, Eliza decided to listen to the surly man. She moved forward, slinking past the other milling players and guards without making eye contact. As soon as she stepped through the entrance to the courtyard, a multi-colored tear formed in the air behind her and another group of confused players appeared in the courtyard with a small popping sound.

  Is this a starting area? she wondered.

  Eliza soon found herself slowly moving along a cobblestone street behind a group of other new players. The milling throng of people all wearing the same clothing made for an odd sight, drawing looks from the local NPCs. She had been deposited by the Hippie in what appeared to be some sort of medieval town. The structures around her were made of wood and towered three and four stories into the air. They were all connected at various points by crisscrossing platforms and staircases.

  “So, what do we want to do first?” a young man ahead of her asked his group. “Maybe stop by the training grounds or should we go pick a profession?”

  “I’m planning to go get some combat training,” the girl beside him replied. “I’ve heard a bunch of horror stories about players just running out of the starting town and immediately getting owned by a group of monsters.”

  Another player snorted. “How hard could it be? It’s just another game. Besides, I hate tutorials. I say we skip it.”

  “I don’t know… I heard combat feels pretty realistic,” the first speaker added. “That’s why everyone here is heading to the training grounds.”

  Eliza didn’t exactly share their optimism about learning combat skills. And she definitely didn’t have any interest in becoming some sort of warrior – or in fighting monsters for that matter. At the next fork in the road, she turned away from the group, heading further into the interior of the city.

  A few minutes later, her wanderings found her on the far edge of town. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight that awaited her. The miniature city had been built on a cliff face overlooking a bay. Sunlight sparkled off the water far below her. Wooden ramps and makeshift lifts lead down the side of the cliff, terminating in a dock below where dozens of ships swayed gently in the water.

  “This is a port city?” Eliza murmured.

  “Aye lass,” a voice said from beside her. “This is Falcon’s Hook. Didn’t they explain that in the courtyard where you appeared.” She turned and found an old man resting against the railing, eyeing her clothing skeptically. He wore a coarse robe and a cane rested against his leg. “You are a traveler, aren’t you?”

  Eliza looked down at her hands as she replied, “The man in the beginning courtyard was a bit gruff. He didn’t explain much.”

  “Well, I can help you there,” the man replied happily, gesturing at the bay. “This here is one of the largest ports on the Silver Coast. We have a thriving market since we’re a stopping point for merchants traveling north and south along the coast.”

  He gestured back the way Eliza had come. “Most of the new travelers head to the training grounds near the city’s gate. They have you lot beat on some stuffed mannequins and such until you’re ready for bigger game.”

  “Is… is there somewhere else I could go?” Eliza asked.

  The man eyed her carefully. “Not looking forward to swinging a sword, huh? That’s not a problem. There’s room for all sorts here. Maybe you should consider checking out the market. Just head north – you can’t miss it.”

  He chuckled. “If you fall off the cliff, you’ve gone too far.”

  Eliza smiled slightly. “Thank you,” she said quietly before turning to head off along the ledge that circled the eastern part of the city.

  A few minutes later, Eliza found the market. Or she assumed it must be a market. There wasn’t exactly a sign, but the massive throng of people milling between brightly-colored booths was a dead giveaway. Uncertain what to do, she drifted between the stalls, inspecting the various goods people were selling as merchants shouted out information regarding their wares.

  Her brow wrinkled in concentration as she stopped in front of one booth. This merchant was selling various weapons, the equipment laid out on wooden tables and racks. As Eliza looked at one of the items, status information was displayed alongside the weapon.

  Common Longsword

  An ordinary, but effective weapon and a staple among adventurers. You notice some rust along the blade and nicks in the steel that indicates it has not been properly repaired. There may be a risk that the blade will crack or chip during battle.

  Quality: D

  Damage: 9-19 (Slash)

  Durability: 12/20

  “Looking for a sword, girl?” a brawny merchant asked from behind the counter. “We have the best quality goods on the Silver Coast.” He tapped his finger along the steel. “See the polish on this one.”

  “I’m okay,” Eliza said quietly, moving further down the booths. She was thinking about the prompt she had seen. She wasn’t the sort of person that knew much about swords, so how had she noticed the imperfections in the blade? She assumed it must have something to do with her Identification skill.

  Another few booths down, she came to a complete stop, her eyes widening in surprise. She approached this new stand slowly. The stall was filled with heaping crates and tables piled with dried herbs and plants she had never seen before.

  On one table, she noticed a potted plant with serpent-like tendrils and vines – some actually had serpent heads attached. She also saw an assortment of multi-colored fungi that she had never seen before. As she approached the plants, a vine lashed out at her. Before it touched her skin, an older woman whacked the tendril with a stick.

  “You should be careful,” the woman said, scowling at the offending plant. “Some of the specimens here, especially the live ones, are a little aggressive.”

  “What’s that plant?” Eliza asked, eyeing the shrub in shock.

  “That’s Lash Root. Good for making Stamina Potions. It’s just a bit difficult to harvest if you know what I mean.”

  “And this one here?” Eliza asked, pointing at a mushroom with a white stem and a bright red bulb. She could see faint yellow dots across the crown of the mushroom.

  “That’s Hog Stool. I know it’s not the most pleasant name, but, ironically, it’s quite useful for making Clarity Potions.” She tapped her forehead as she took a seat on a nearby stool. “It gives the user a bit of a boost to their brain power.”

  Eliza observed the fungi carefully and a notice appeared in the air beside it.

  Hog Stool

  This odd-looking mushroom has a number of useful applications. You are currently only aware of one use involving the creation of Clarity Potions.

  Quality: C

  Side Effects: Mild-to-moderate hallucinations. Other effects unknown.

  Eliza pushed her glasses further back on her nose as she read the notification. It was strange that she was able to detect possible side effects in the plant, b
ut she assumed it must be another aspect of her Identification skill. It seemed that the skill was going to be quite useful.

  “Are you interested in herbalism?” the woman asked, noting that Eliza had been eyeing her plants and herbs carefully.

  “I’m not certain what you mean, but I enjoy gardening,” Eliza replied in a soft voice. “I’ve just never seen any of these plants before. They’re interesting…”

  The old woman seemed to consider something for a moment before sticking out her hand toward Eliza. “My name’s Alma,” she said as Eliza tentatively took her hand. “I have a small garden and alchemy lab outside of town and I just so happen to be looking for a new apprentice.”

  Alma glanced aside for a moment, and Eliza could have sworn she grumbled something about poisons and comas. “Anyway, you seem like you might have an interest in the trade. What do you say, girl? Would you like to come work for me? It doesn’t pay well, but I could teach you a thing or two.”

  Eliza’s eyes widened. For some reason, the offer deeply appealed to her. She nodded her head. “I would love to,” she replied.

  “Good. Good,” Alma said, waving a hand absently before glancing up at the sun. Eliza noticed that it was starting to drift toward the horizon. “We’re almost done for the day, so why don’t you help me pack up and lug this stuff back to my house.”

  As Eliza moved to help the older woman, a blue notice appeared in front of her.

  New Quest: Green Thumb

  Alma has offered to teach you Alchemy and Herbalism in exchange for help around her lab and garden. This will give you an opportunity to learn more about these professions.

  Difficulty: F

  Success: Continue working for Alma.

  Failure: Quit.

  Reward: Training in Alchemy and Herbalism. Other rewards unknown.

  This hadn’t been what Eliza was expecting when she logged into Awaken Online, but somehow it felt fitting. If she were being honest with herself, she was actually a little excited to learn more from Alma. It was the first time she had felt that sensation in a long time.

  Chapter 4 - Constructive

  “This one here is called Rose Thistle,” Alma explained as she pointed to a plant that looked remarkably like rosemary. It was a bushy plant that rose to Eliza’s waist, and thick gray needles covered its limbs.

  The pair was kneeling in Alma’s garden. Her house was located just outside of Falcon’s Hook along the edge of a nearby forest. “House” might not have been precisely the right word, however. Alma owned a small isolated compound of cottages ringed by towering oaks. She used one of the buildings as her home. The other two were for storing and drying various plants and brewing potions. Between these structures was nearly an acre that Alma had turned into a gardener’s paradise. A tall stone wall circled a garden that contained all manner of exotic plants and herbs.

  “How do you harvest this one?” Eliza asked curiously, pointing at the Rose Thistle.

  Alma used a pair of shears to cut off a branch of needles. “You can just remove individual limbs and then strip the needles, but I suggest we wait until we get inside to remove the needles. They make a good catalyst for other potions – increasing their strength. You don’t want to lose any during the harvesting process.”

  Eliza tried this on her own, collecting multiple limbs and carefully placing them in a nearby basket. After a few minutes, she was rewarded with a notification.

  x1 Level Up!

  You have (10) undistributed stat points.

  x1 Skill Rank Up: Herbalism

  Skill Level: Beginner Level 2

  Effect: Allows the player to harvest more difficult or dangerous plants. 1% chance for double ingredients.

  She wiped at her forehead with her sleeve as she looked at the notifications. It had been a surprise that she could earn experience gardening. In fact, she was already a lofty level 3. She expected that wasn’t much progress compared to other players, but she was still proud of how she was improving.

  “That looks like it’s enough,” Alma said, noticing that Eliza had filled her basket. “Next, we can take these herbs inside and prepare them.” The older woman rose with a soft groan and headed to her lab.

  Eliza followed, and the pair soon stepped inside the small cottage, where an assortment of surprisingly modern-looking laboratory equipment lay across multiple tables. Alma had squeezed furniture into the tiny space and had hung racks along the walls, which held all manner of instruments and vials.

  “The process for distilling most herbs is relatively simple,” Alma explained, indicating that Eliza should place the basket beside her. She pulled a limb from the basket and stripped the needles with a small knife, the pile landing in a bowl she had set on the counter.

  “However, you do need to be careful you don’t include other remnants of the plant,” the older woman explained, plucking a tendril of the stem from the bowl that she had accidentally sliced off. She held up the sliver for Eliza. “Some parts can be quite poisonous. For example, the stem of the Rose Thistle can cause minor paralysis. It’s not fatal, mind you, but our customers would definitely not be happy if they suddenly had trouble moving.”

  Eliza’s eyes widened in alarm, as Alma continued, “In more benign cases, the extra material can dilute or weaken the mixture, resulting in less potent potions.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind,” Eliza replied, observing her carefully. “What’s the next step?”

  Alma nodded and grabbed another vial from the shelf, placing it over a burner. “We’ll distill the oil from the needles. It should turn a dark gray once it’s completed. Then we can add this oil to other potions to increase their potency.

  “This is really the role of a catalyst. They increase the strength of other potions and sometimes allow you to combine two or more ingredients that otherwise wouldn’t mix well. The interactions between ingredients are almost a separate field of study.”

  Eliza watched the process in fascination as Alma sped through the various steps with practiced hands. The woman was a font of knowledge when it came to Herbalism and Alchemy. Somehow she was able to recall every detail regarding the plants in her garden and the combinations of various ingredients.

  As Alma set the solution over the burner, Eliza’s gaze wandered to the books on the shelves around the lab. The older woman has assigned her quite a bit of reading over the last day. In contrast to her studies, however, she found this fascinating. The game’s programmers had developed an entirely new chemistry system centered around the in-game plants. She was a little in awe of how much work that must have taken.

  “And here we go,” Alma said, lifting a vial of a dark gray substance. “Not too hard, huh?”

  “I think I could probably handle this,” Eliza said confidently.

  “Well, then by all means gives it a try,” the older woman replied with a chuckle. “I’ll go out and finish tending to the garden.”

  Eliza spent the next hour stripping needles, preparing the distillation solution, and harvesting vials of the dark gray substance. She found herself swiftly getting into the rhythm and routine of the process, losing track of time. After she had made her way through the entire basket, another series of notifications appeared in her vision.

  x1 Level Up!

  You have (15) undistributed stat points.

  x1 Skill Rank Up: Alchemy

  Skill Level: Beginner Level 2

  Effect: Increases the success chance of crafting potions and potion potency by 2%.

  “Not too bad,” Alma said from behind Eliza as she surveyed the new potions.

  “Thank you,” Eliza said with a small smile. She was actually enjoying herself for the first time in a long time. It was a shame she would need to log off soon to work on her classwork.

  Alma watched her closely. “You have done well over the last day or two. I think perhaps you might be ready to claim a class for yourself.”

  “What do you mean?” Eliza asked in confusion. “Haven’t I already learned the He
rbalism and Alchemy skills?”

  “Of course. Of course. But those are just skills. You can also select a class for yourself. If you pull up your Character Status screen, your class should show up as a blank.”

  Eliza’s brow furrowed, and she fiddled with the menus on her in-game user interface. She had noticed the odd little bars indicating her health, mana, and stamina hovering at the corner of her vision, but she hadn’t spent much time digging through the menus. After an embarrassing moment, she eventually found the button that brought up her Character Status screen. She tapped it, and a large blue window appeared in the air before her.

  “Good. Now see how your class is currently blank? You can select one by going to see the trainers in Falcon’s Hook.”

  “Okay… but what type of class should I pick?” Eliza asked in concern. If her real-life experience and the Hippie’s garden had taught her anything, it was that she wasn’t great at making decisions.

  “If you want your focus to be on Alchemy and Herbalism, then there are several classes that provide a good synergy. If you want to focus on making money, a Merchant class would be useful. A more combat-oriented class might also be helpful if you plan to try to find rare plants and ingredients – I can’t grow everything in my garden, and we don’t always use plants in our potions.”

  Eliza pushed at her glasses as she considered these options. She was going to rule out the combat class immediately, and she was a bit skeptical that she would make a good merchant. “What class are you?” she finally asked.

  “I chose to become a water mage,” Alma said, placing her hand on her chest. “Most of the spells are useful for growing herbs and plants, and I don’t have much desire to go out adventuring.”

  The older woman paused and looked at Eliza closely. “The trouble with choosing a magic class is that you have to have the right affinity. You will also have to convince the mage guild in Falcon’s Hook to teach you Veridian – the language of mages. They tend to be a finicky bunch and put their apprentices through all sorts of hoops.”