Hell to Pay (Ascend Online Book 2)
Page 20
“You never told us anything about how they resented us or were afraid of us,” Molly finally spoke up in a small voice, something I knew she did to hide the anger that she was feeling. “Why didn’t you tell us?”
“Because you didn’t need to know, and we didn’t want it in the back of your minds when we put you through the trials,” Isabella explained as she took a step back from me, blinking heavily. “Fairfax didn’t want to put any unnecessary pressure on you two and to let you two know that you were the first two Adventurers accepted into one of the Thieves Guilds.
“There was a reason why Quinn was kept as a contractor until recently,” Isabella continued, motioning to the quiet mage. “Why all of the other Adventurers in the Underworld were kept as contractors. You two were our test cases.”
“That ended up saving the day,” I stated, looking down towards the scar in Isabella’s armor from the Gnasher’s attack that had nearly killed her.
Following my glance, Isabella raised a hand to touch the exposed skin that her armor no longer covered and nodded at me curtly. “You three did save the day, along with me and the other Thief Lords. I saw you step before the creature’s tentacle to give Molly the time she needed to save me. Then saw you leap straight down the creature’s throat to find a way to kill it, something that none of us in our wildest dreams would have even dared to attempt.
“Those are the reasons why Fairfax and I wanted to recruit Adventurers we could trust.” Isabella looked between the three of us. “Times are changing, and we don’t want to be caught unprepared, like the rest of the Thief lords were today. I daresay by the end of the week there will hardly be a contractor left in the Eberia. They will all be offered positions within the other Thieves Guilds.”
“Is this how things really work between the Thief Lords, Isabella?” Quinn asked, chancing a glance over at me as he spoke. “I never knew him…but Lazarus is right, a pile of gold for one of our own seems…hollow.”
“As much as it pains me to admit it, what is happening here is no longer about Fairfax. It is now about the survival of the guild and the stability of Eberia.” Isabella swallowed hard as if it pained her to speak the words aloud. “If we cannot put an end to Dorian before the nobles catch wind that the Underworld was involved in the deaths of their heirs, we will face a purge that will make King Cyril’s look tame in comparison.”
“What’s our next step, then?” Molly asked after a moment, realizing that I wasn’t going to speak.
“I will fill in the Thief Lords of what you’ve told me about Edith.” Isabella motioned towards the two Thief Lords standing nearby, giving us some semblance of privacy. “Then we will return to the guild…and prepare for war.”
“The sooner I can hit something again, the better,” I muttered under my breath as I took a step forward to return to the two other Thief Lords, only to have Isabella raise a hand to stop me.
“I think you’ve said enough to the two of them for now, Lazarus,” Isabella told me as she indicated for all three of us to stay here. “I can handle this by myself.”
Walking away from the three of us, Isabella rejoined waiting Thief Lords and moved the conversation that the three of them were having to the far end of the platform.
“Well, you really went off on her, Lazarus,” Quinn grunted while pushing me in the shoulder. “Can’t say I blame you, but are you okay?”
“Not particularly,” I sighed as I rubbed my face. “I’m not use to this level of…”
“Pragmatism? Backstabbing?” Quinn supplied helpfully. “Betrayal? Greed?”
“Sure.” I waved a dismissive hand in the air. “Any of that works.”
“Money makes the world go around,” Molly stated softly as if she had something else on her mind, her eyes glazing over. “No different in this game than the real world.”
“I guess not,” I said as I looked around the platform and found myself staring at a large grey sack lying on the ground in the exact same spot I remembered the Gnasher being in. Perking up slightly, I pointed towards the bag. “Speaking of money, I think the Gnasher dropped loot.”
Eyes widening, my words were enough to break through whatever was on Molly’s mind and cause her to follow my finger.
“Loot?!” she asked excitedly as hey eyes focused on the bag. “I’d completely forgotten!”
“Speaking of forgotten,” I began, remembering that I had hit level thirteen after killing the Gnasher, “I gained a level!”
“Ah! I forgot to mention I did too!” Molly told me excitedly, her eyes widening as she saw something on her character sheet. “Neat! I learned a new spell! It’s a damage shield!”
“That’ll definitely be handy with the way our day’s been,” I replied with a smile, seeing Molly nod at me enthusiastically.
“We’ll have to try it out,” Molly said as she inclined her head towards the loot bag. “I don’t know what I like more, new abilities or new items.”
“Abilities, definitely, for me, though I can’t remember the last time I saw a loot sack,” Quinn commented thoughtfully as the three of us moved towards the bag. “I think I killed a snake outside the city on Launch Day and it dropped a fang for me. Then I decided to go back into the city and find a different way to level.”
“Yeah.” I nodded at Quinn in agreement as I assigned my five newly gained attribute points into constitution, immediately feeling my health and stamina improve. Taking a moment to check my character sheet, I scanned it to see what had changed with the new level.
Lazarus Cain – Level 13 Bruiser
Half-Giant/Half-Elf Male
Statistics:
HP: 800/800
Stamina: 800/800
Mana: 255/255
Experience to next level: 1232/25200
Attributes:
Strength: 79 (89)
Agility: 65 (70)
Constitution: 49 (54)
Intelligence: 10
Willpower: 10
Abilities:
Sneak Attack II (Passive) – Attacks made before the target is aware of you automatically deal weapon damage+35.
Bleeding Attack I (Passive) – Enemies who take sneak attack damage will continue to bleed for 5 seconds, taking 40% of the sneak attack damage dealt.
Power Attack II (Active: 50 Stamina) – You slash viciously at the target, putting extra strength behind the blow. Deal weapon damage+25.
Ambush I (Active: 60 Stamina) – You ambush your target, striking them in vulnerable location. Deals weapon damage+125. This ability can only be used on a target unaware of you.
Kick (Active: 20 Stamina) – You kick your enemy for 10-20 points of damage, and knock them back 1-2 yards. Depending on your Strength/Agility score, you may also knock down the target.
Shoulder Tackle (Active: 40 Stamina) – Stun enemy for 1-2 seconds with chance to knock enemy down based on Strength and/or Agility attribute.
Deadly Throw I (Active: 30 Stamina) – Throw a weapon with extra strength behind it. Deals weapon damage+15. This ability has a chance to interrupt spellcasting if thrown at the target’s head, force them to drop their weapon if thrown at target’s hands, or slow their movement if thrown at target’s legs.
Skills:
Weapons:
Unarmed Combat – Level 12 – 21% (Increases knowledge of Hand-to-Hand fighting and improves related Abilities.)
Swords – Level 12 – 89% (Increases knowledge of Sword fighting and improves related Abilities.)
Daggers – Level 11 – 43% (Increases knowledge of Dagger fighting and improves related Abilities.)
Crossbows – Level 12 – 22% (Increases knowledge of Crossbows and improves related Abilities.)
Throwing – Level 10 – 10% (Increases knowledge of Throwing Weapons and improves related Abilities.)
Other:
Stealth – Level 12 – 84% (Decreases chance of being detected while attempting to stay hidden. Improves related Abilities.)
Lockpicking – Level 12 – 89% (Increases knowledge of l
ock mechanics, allowing you to pick harder locks.)
Wordplay – Level 12 – 84% (Increases chance to persuade others, resolve differences, and/or get information.)
Perception - Level 13 - 3% (You are skilled in spotting hidden creatures and places. Depending on your skill level, hidden creatures and places will be highlighted in red.)
Tradeskills:
Blacksmithing – Level 11 – 12%
Cooking – Level 10 – 34%
Alchemy – Level 12 – 11%
Leatherworking – Level 12 – 17%
Racial Ability:
Titan’s Might (Giant) (Passive) – Your Giant ancestry has given you the ability to wield large weapons in with exceptional strength. All damage dealt by two-handed weapons is increased by 3%.
Keen Sight (Elf) (Passive) – Your elven ancestry has given you exceptional eyesight, granting you the ability to see twice as far as normal in all lighting conditions. This ability also grants you Darkvision.
Darkvision (Elf) (Passive) – You are able to see in daylight conditions up to 100ft in total darkness.
Traits:
Sigil of Rage – A magical sigil written in the Primal Tongue has been carved deep into your flesh, causing it to pulse with an unfathomable torrent of energy. When activated, Primeval Rage suffuses your body granting you +10 to Strength and Agility. While this ability is active, you are consumed by pure rage as your body is burned from within, dealing 10 points of damage per second. This ability scales per level.
Evolving Weapon:
Dormant Glass-Steel Greatsword
Total Experience Gained: 1699/50000
“You don’t see that many loot bags in the city.” I said while dismissing the sheet from my vision, silently noting just how far my relic was from awakening, and motioned towards the bag. “You just pretty much take what you see.”
“Open it, Lazarus,” Molly told me. “You killed it, it’s only fair.”
Seeing Quinn give me a thumbs-up in approval, I reached down to pick up the bag and saw a handful of items appear in my vision.
[Citrine] x3
[Tiger’s Eye] x2
[Garnet] x2
[Sapphire]
[Ring of the Mind]
[Necklace of Intellect]
[Ruined Relic Cuirass]
[Armguards of Arcane Potency]
[Ornate Hardened Steel Lockbox]
“Wow.” I sharply inhaled as the item list appeared in front of me. “Maybe we’re missing out on something, not fighting these sorts of creatures on a regular basis!”
“I think there’s a pretty big difference fighting a Rare Boss and regular run-of-the-mill creatures,” Quinn said dubiously as he indicated for me to hurry up. “Come on, slowpoke, what’s in the bag?”
“Gems, jewelry, and a strange lockbox,” I told the pair as I pulled out the assorted items and handed them over to both Molly and Quinn, taking a moment to call up the items’ stats as I held them. “Along with a cuirass of some sort, and a pair of armguards.”
Ring of the Mind
Slot: Ring
Item Class: Magical
Item Quality: Average (+0%)
Intelligence: +1 Will: +2
Durability: 0/0
Weight: 0 kg
Necklace of Intellect
Slot: Neck
Item Class: Magical
Item Quality: Average (+0%)
Intelligence: +3
Durability: 0/0
Weight: 0 kg
Ruined Relic Cuirass
Slot: Chest
Item Class: Relic
Item Quality: Mastercraft (+20%)
Armor: 0
Strength: +3 Agility: +3
Durability: 0/0
Weight: 5.5 kg
Note: A skilled smith might be able to re-forge this item.
Armguards of Arcane Potency
Slot: Arm
Item Class: Relic
Item Quality: Good (+15%)
Armor: 40
Spell Penetration: +10% Mana Regeneration: +10%
Durability: 80/80
Weight: 0.5 kg
Ornate Hardened Steel Lockbox
Special: This item appears to be locked by a complex mechanism.
This looks really intricate, and ancient, even, I thought to myself as I examined the etchings on the well-crafted lockbox, passing the jewelry and armguards to Molly and Quinn. Feeling like a solid brick of metal in my hands, I found the rectangular lockbox to be surprisingly heavy as I inspected it, the box making no sound at all when I shook it. Huh, I wonder if there’s anything inside here. Guess I’ll have to see if I can pick it open once things settle down.
“This is awesome!” Quinn exclaimed, catching my attention as he examined the armguards excitedly. “I could definitely use this!”
“Seems like it’s better suited for you than me,” Molly replied while trying the ring on her hand. “This ring is a pretty good boost for me.”
“Do you want the necklace, too?” Quinn asked, wasting no time in pulling his new armbands over his forearms.
“I just bought one with similar stats,” Molly answered, shaking her head. “Take it if you need it; Lazarus and I can split the gems between the two of us to even it out.”
“Sure, that works for me!” Quinn didn’t even hesitate in accepting Molly’s offer.
“Is the armor any good?” I saw Molly shift her attention towards me as Quinn began fumbling with the necklace. “Looks a bit worn out.”
“Yeah…” I said slowly, having since put the lockbox into my inventory and picked up the metallic cuirass in my hands, slowly realizing that it was just an empty shell of the armor that it once was. “It’s a Relic, but looks like it’s seen better days. I guess spending…well, however long it spent down here in the Gnasher’s stomach, all of the leather and other bits have been eaten away.”
“You should be able to repair it with the Re-Forge crafting trait,” Quinn spoke up helpfully as he appraised the armor. “I’ve seen a few similar pieces of armor and other items recovered from the caches still hidden around the city. Based on the style, my guess is that this piece is Nafarrian in origin.”
“Re-Forge?” I echoed as I raised an eyebrow at the mage. “I don’t have that trait.”
“Really?” Quinn looked at me with surprise. “I thought you crafted?”
“Only leatherworking and blacksmithing, and even then, I really haven’t had the time or money to get any rare materials,” I replied with a shrug. “I mostly just use it to repair my armor.”
“Hrm,” Quinn grunted while nodding his head towards the armor that I was wearing. “Well, I learned the trait from one of the instructors at the Mages Guild and it only took about an hour. I don’t know how much time we’ll have once we get back, but given the state of your gear, I think you’re due for an upgrade and some repairs. I can see if I can teach it to you once we get back to the hideout.”
“Uh, sure,” I told Quinn as I glanced down towards my armor and found it completely covered in filth, with multiple tears along the seams that held it together. “I’d really appreciate that. The last day has been pretty rough on my gear; hell, it’s been rough on everyone.”
“Something tells me that it’s going to get a hell of a lot worse before it starts getting better,” Molly said, cocking her to one side as Isabella broke away from the other Thief Lords and started making her way towards us with a grim expression on her face.
“Yeah,” Quinn agreed morbidly as he blew out a loud sigh. “I think you’re right.”
Chapter 18
“And so, based on his actions and the evidence that we have accumulated against him, the other Thief Lords and I have decided it is in the best interest of the Underworld to declare war against Thief Lord Dorian and his guild, The Damned,” Isabella’s voice rang loudly in the air as she addressed nearly the entirety of the guild, who had packed themselves into the common room, listening in rapt attention as she spoke while standing on a table. “But thi
s will not be a war of conquest, one for territory or for material gain; instead, this will be a brutal and savage purge as we cut out this rot from the Underworld.”
Isabella paused for a moment as she waited for her words to sink in for the assembled guild members.
“With the city in near chaos and the nobility at one another’s throats, we cannot afford to do anything other than make Dorian and his followers a bloody example and pray that they are satisfied with his head.” Isabella made a slicing motion across her neck as she spoke. “Because if they are not, they will be out for ours shortly after, and we will face a purge the likes of which we have not seen since the days of King Cyril.
“But be assured that this is not a burden that the Grim Shadows will bear alone! Each of the other three guilds stands firmly with us, and they have promised their full support in the war ahead,” Isabella soothed as she began to wrap up her speech. “I am confident that the Grim Shadows will persevere through this conflict and emerge stronger from the other side. We may all be a band of cutthroats, but each of us loves Eberia in our own way, and today she needs our help. I am counting on all of you to help me put an end to this war as soon as possible, so we can return to the things we do best and put all of this bloodshed behind us.
“Thank you all for listening,” Isabella finished as she made to leap down from the table. “Some of you have received your assignments already; for those who have not, I will be by shortly with your team and targets.”
“Good speech,” I told Isabella as she walked around the table and towards the spot where Quinn and I had been standing.
“Hopefully it’s enough,” Isabella said as her eyes watched me carefully.
We had barely exchanged a dozen words since our return from the sewers, both of us clearly carrying baggage from our earlier argument. I was still angry about how the other Thief Lords had blatantly lied to us, and frustrated by how quickly Isabella had accepted their bribe to let the issue drop.
How are we supposed to fight a war with allies that could be working against us behind our backs? I felt the familiar question cross my thoughts once more, still being unable to come up with a good answer.
All this time, I’d thought I had a good understanding of how the Underworld worked, but I was beginning to realize just how naïve I’d been. The Thief Lords operated on a level of misdirection and subtlety that far outclassed anything I had ever experienced before. Would I have been able to do the same thing Isabella had done with the other Thief Lords had it been Molly or even Quinn in Fairfax’s place? Better yet, would I have been able to live with myself if I did?