Original Enchantment (True Calling LitRPG Book 1)

by Thad Ward

  “Oh, you two are just adorable. I ship it.” Dusty put her hand on Ike’s and pressed down so it was in more intimate contact with Ada’s. Ada and Ike both immediately blushed.

  Dusty Knees has joined your party.

  Chapter 16

  Night raid

  T he three finished their dinner and then sat beside the Weir Crest hearth, discussing plans into the evening. Ike found Dusty to be entertaining if occasionally risque company. He couldn’t help but smile when she made Ada laugh, though. Ada had a loud, uninhibited laugh that filled the room and left her in stitches, the sort you couldn’t help but laugh along with.

  Dusty had Ike stand in the firelight as she cast her color-changing spell on his equipment. At times, Ike felt more like a doll or a mannequin for the girls to dress up. Dusty had to stop to regenerate mana, so there was plenty of time to discuss the next revision. He let them have some fun with it but managed to gently steer them in a direction more to his liking.

  In the end, Dusty made the cloak a dark slate gray, which seemed like a nice complement to the rich browns of Ike’s pauldron, belt, pouch, and boots. She made the armor stitching black and the chausses a shade of navy. When Ike attempted to call it that, however, Dusty swiftly corrected him. "That is a shade of madison, not navy," she said. She opted to leave the shirt and pants alone since they weren't really visible beneath the armor anyway. The final result made the well-polished steel of his buckles, armor plates, and bracer studs practically shine. Even his topaz ring seemed to stand out more.

  “I have to say, Dusty, you do amazing work,” Ike said, looking down at his outfit. “I feel like a million bucks. Thank you.”

  “Any time, hun,” Dusty said, looking self-satisfied before bidding the others good night and sauntering off to her room.

  “I almost forgot,” Ada said, yawning herself. “You can have the hiking enchantment back. I thought about it and I’d rather save the mana for now. Maybe after I level again.”

  “Not at all,” Ike said. Ada removed her boots and Ike harvested the enchantment before handing them back.

  "Thanks,” Ada said, slipping the boots back on. “My traps may only cost mana, but I can never be sure they’ll pay off, you know? Hey, while I remember, learn the enchantments off this and let me see your pouch.” She handed Ike the map she’d gotten from Venin earlier in the day.

  Ike undid his belt and slid off the pouch, slightly embarrassed even though it just loosened his armor a bit. He used Harvest Enchantment twice, then immediately re-enchanted the map.

  You have learned the enchantment: Lesser Cartography.

  You have learned the enchantment: Blood Trail.

  “Thanks,” Ike said, handing it back. Ada passed him the pouch as he did so. “So what’d you do to it?”

  “Swiped all of your money,” Ada teased with a snicker. He gave a flat look in response and she waved it off. “Just kidding. I trapped it for you. I had a bunch of those bear traps, so I used one of those. Anyone who tries to pick your pocket should be in for a nasty surprise. You look… I don’t know, richer now. You stand out more, so it makes sense to be on guard against thieves.”

  Ike nodded as he slipped his pouch back onto his belt. “Good call. Thanks again.” Ike’s eyes felt heavy. He closed them and rolled his neck. “I think I’m going to hit the hay. See you tomorrow?”

  “That’s the plan,” Ada said conversationally, but her expression took on a shade of worry. “How early are you going to be on?”

  “Oh, you know,” Ike said, feeling the tension of the question, “I slept out in the open last night. The Weir Crest might be rickety, but it’s gotta be better than that, right?”

  “So you’re sleeping in-game again, then?” Ada said. Her voice had a serious undertone.

  “That’s the plan,” Ike started toward the stairs.

  Ada hesitated, then stood, talking to Ike as his foot hit the first step. “Ike, I know we only met yesterday, but… tell me if anything’s ever wrong, okay?” It seemed to Ike like it wasn’t quite the question she had wanted to ask.

  “Okay,” Ike said. He tried to smile, but it came out kind of sad. “Good night, Ada.” He left before she could muster up the courage to ask more.

  Ike entered his room at the end of the hall, locking the door behind him. He stood there with his hand on the door handle and his head resting against the back of the door for a minute, thinking back over the conversation.

  “It’s not like I don’t want to tell her,” Ike said, trying to make sense of things. “I can’t, legally speaking. And besides, she doesn’t know me that well. I want her to, but… this just isn’t the sort of thing you dump on someone you met yesterday. Is it?”

  Ike lit his stone and set it on the small table beside the bed. He looked around as he got undressed, gathering that his room was what amounted to the deluxe suite at the Weir Crest. It had a largish bed, probably meant for two but not wide enough for that by modern standards. The bed creaked but didn’t wobble as he lay down on a sheet covering what seemed like fresh straw. Between the added warmth of an actual blanket, the comfort of not sleeping on the ground, and the security of four walls, Ike barely had time to give it a passing grade before drifting off.

  Ike woke with a start. He bolted upright, straining his ears toward the window and breathing hard. “Did I just imagine it?” he whispered. Then he heard a scream. “Nope, definitely not a dream,” he said, jumping out of bed. He felt around for his stone, lit it, and hastily donned his gear. He could hear yells of exertion and pain mixed with crashing and clanging somewhere nearby.

  Ike wasn’t sure what to do. He knew he wanted to be ready but he realized his crucial mistake: He hadn’t put any new enchantments on his gear. “No time to fret over it,” he said to himself. “Let’s see what I’ve got.”

  Ike had only been harvesting enchantments lately, meaning his mana was maxed out at thirteen. He also had seven coins enchanted with Glow, for a total of twenty mana to work with. The only two items he still had enchanted were Stony and his Hiking Boots, and the latter wouldn’t do him any good in a fight.

  Ike enchanted as quickly as the interface would allow, adding Muffle to his cloak, Safety to his ring, and Blinding Break to his bracers. He removed Hiking from his boots and replaced it with Minor Biding; it probably wouldn’t have much time to charge, but it was better than nothing. He considered using Harvest Enchantment on the coins but thought better of it; he’d recover mana drain but spend available mana and probably wouldn’t have time to replenish the difference.

  Mana: 8 / 8 (-5)

  “Sorry, Maisy. I promise I’ll fix it tomorrow,” Ike said, drawing his sword and hacking off a piece of the side table. He cast Minor Reshape, creating a row of three rat figurines similar to the one he’d given to little Myra, then enchanted each with Summon Giant Rat.

  Mana: 2 / 3 (-10)

  Ike could hear yells from around the city now. He swept the rat figurines into his pouch and rushed out the door and down the stairs.

  “Oh, master Ike!” Maisy said as she saw him. The common room was empty except for her. She was wearing a nightgown and holding a candle. “What’s going on out there?” There was more than a little fear in her voice.

  “I’m going to go find out,” Ike said, stopping in front of her. “I may see people who need a safe place to hide from whatever’s out there. Can I send them to you? All you have to do is open the door for townsfolk and keep it locked for anything else.”

  Maisy nodded shakily and Ike rushed through the door, shutting it behind him. He did a quick scan of the street. It was mostly empty except for a few townsfolk who were carrying lanterns and had puzzled looks on their faces. Some carried weapons but most seemed unarmed.

  Ike wasn’t sure what to do. In any other game, nearby players would mob an event like this. Only this wasn’t like any other game. Playing at night meant the NPCs were in bed and adventuring was more difficult with less reward, so naturally most of the players were logged ou
t. For all Ike knew, he could be one of the only players nearby.

  “If you can fight, come with me,” Ike said as he jogged past a group talking in hushed tones. “The rest of you return to your homes and bar your doors until the town guard tells you it’s safe. If you don’t have anywhere else to go, head for the Weir Crest.”

  Ike didn’t stop to see if anyone was following his instructions. He’d never considered himself leadership material and didn’t expect compliance. Just the same, he looked over his shoulder to see that three people had joined him: A bald butcher with a leather apron and large cleaver, a young woman with a crossbow, and a heavyset man with a large spiked club.

  They followed the sounds of fighting, veering through back streets. When they rounded a corner, they caught sight of the commotion: A handful of guards were facing off with a band of monsters. The attackers were small, none taller than Ike's sternum. He might have mistaken them for children at a distance but, despite their stature, they were lean and muscular. In the light of the guards' torches, Ike made out pointy ears, bulbous noses, green skin, and the glint of weapons.

  “Goblins!” Ike hollered to the people with him. As his group closed the distance, he could see the problem; the guards were outnumbered two to one and were fighting defensively to protect wounded townsfolk behind them. “They’re stronger as a group, so try to split them up and pick off strays. Any pressure you can take off the guards will help.”

  Ike doused his stone before the group closed with the mob. As loud and disorganized as they were, the goblins failed to notice his muffled footsteps in time. He thrust his partisan with both hands, skewering the first goblin he could reach. It screamed as it fell in a spout of blood, pulling his polearm down with it.

  You have gained experience.

  Several of the goblins in the crowd turned their attention to Ike, leaping at him with knives and axes in hand. A crossbow bolt caught one midair, interrupting its attack and causing it to fall to the ground howling in pain. The butcher parried the axe of another goblin with his cleaver. The heavyset man rounded on it and ended its life with a meaty thwack of his club. Ike pushed the dead goblin off his polearm with a foot and stabbed it into the prone goblin who’d taken the crossbow bolt.

  You have gained experience.

  Ike felt a surge of triumph that his group had taken three down in such short order. He didn’t have time to savor the feeling as an axe fell on his left forearm. It glanced off the bracer, scraping the leather but leaving him unharmed. The impact was jarring, however, making him lose his grip on his partisan. As the goblin pressed its attack, he was forced to drop the weapon and backpedal. A second goblin joined the first, circling behind to flank Ike.

  Ike’s group had been too successful, drawing the attention of more goblins than they could handle. Ike drew his short sword and spared a glance at his companions, noting that they were also being pressed. The girl with the crossbow hadn’t had time to reload and was fleeing with two goblins on her heels. The heavyset man was holding his gut where he’d taken a spear. He wasn’t down but couldn’t swing his club one-handed. The butcher had gotten a lucky hit in on the goblin who’d done the deed but was facing three more himself.

  Ike's heart was pounding in his ears, every muscle tensed so hard it hurt. On the other side of the mob, he heard a guard yell in pain, falling with multiple goblins atop him. “What I wouldn’t give for a fireball,” Ike said through gritted teeth.

  The goblins facing him pounced, one with its axe and another with a rusty knife. Ike reacted on pure instinct, trying to shield against the axe with his bracer again while taking a wild swing at the knife-wielding goblin. His attack went high, giving the knife-wielding goblin an opening to slash the side of his ribcage. Ike’s block succeeded, however, catching the axe mid-swing. Instinctively, Ike closed his eyes as light exploded from the bracer.

  Health: 6 / 7

  Shouts erupted from all around him, friend and foe alike. The two goblins in front of him and another pressing the butcher were collapsed on the ground, while several others in a wide radius were shrieking and shielding their eyes. Ike took the opportunity to leap over the stunned goblins and retrieve his partisan, sheathing his short sword. He returned to help the butcher who had likewise been blinded by the burst of light. Ike ended the two goblins still standing with darting jabs to the back.

  You have gained experience.

  You have gained experience.

  “Thanks,” the butcher said, still squinting. Ike could see the heavyset man behind him limping away from the fight. The girl with the crossbow was nowhere to be seen; he hoped she had escaped okay.

  “Take a second to recover,” Ike said to the butcher, turning back toward the mob and taking on a defensive posture. With nine goblins at their feet, some stunned but most dead, they’d made a dent, but the crowd was still at least three times that size and he’d lost half of his party. On top of that, he was wounded. Ike felt the tear in his armor and came away with blood.

  The guards weren’t going to last. There was no time to think. Ike shook his head and took a deep breath, knowing what he was about to do was a bad idea. “Leeroy Jenkins!” he screamed the battle cry of his people.

  “Are you mad!?” he heard the butcher yell from behind him.

  Ike didn’t try to make his approach subtle this time. He wanted to get as much of the goblins’ attention as possible. Several at the back of the crowd turned toward him, showing cruel smiles filled with yellow, broken teeth. He overtook the closest goblin with the superior reach of his polearm, then dropped it and drew his short sword as the other goblins raised their weapons to meet him.

  You have gained experience.

  Then Ike activated his boots. He’d only had a few minutes since laying the enchantment, which meant he had a few seconds at the most. Just enough for a one-way trip right into the middle of the mob. The world went into slow motion and he darted around the goblins facing him, penetrating to the center of their ranks. He stopped suddenly as pain shot through his leg. He looked down to see that one of the goblins had been in the right place at the right time to catch his thigh with a spear despite Ike’s speed.

  Health: 5 / 7

  “Shield your eyes!” Ike called to the guards on the other side. He hadn’t heard the goblins talking but hoped they spoke another language.

  Time returned to normal. Ike was surrounded by goblins on all sides. Most gasped, stunned to have him in their presence so suddenly but delighted at his apparent recklessness. They turned their weapons inward. Ike raised his sword and sliced it as hard as he could across his bracer.

  Ike’s trick hadn’t worked out with the wailer, but it did this time. Screams erupted all around him, only this time they were all the high-pitched voices of goblins. He opened his eyes to see a dozen of them laying at his feet and another dozen beyond that blind and helpless. He didn’t waste any time pulling all three of the rat figurines out of his bag and casting them in a wide arc. They landed and immediately began tearing into unsuspecting goblins.

  What followed was just a matter of cleaning up. The guards had heeded Ike’s warning and avoided the blinding blast, giving them the decisive edge. Their line pressed forward against their dazzled opponents until they met Ike, who was busy dispatching helpless targets of his own. The goblins who had managed to avoid being blinded were too few to continue their attack. They scattered to flee the city or be picked off by patrols later in the night.

  Ike was panting from exertion. He found a wall and slid down until he was sitting, wincing painfully as he extracted the broken spearhead from his thigh. Dully, he noted that his new armor had done its job fairly well. With a wave of his hand and a mental command, all of his rats returned from chewing on goblin corpses and hopped into his pouch, returning to their figurine forms.

  “I thought I told you to keep your nose clean, Mr. Fennell,” came an old man’s voice. Ike looked up to see Adger standing over him. The guard’s spear and chainmail were covered in blood
and his expression was as stern as ever.

  “Huh? Was that illegal?” Ike said. He looked at the peace bond wringing his left hand. “This thing must be defective, then. Fine, take me to jail.”

  The two stared at each other for a long moment before they both started to smile, then snicker, then laugh out loud, unable to keep up the act. “I don’t think that will be necessary,” Adger said. “That was fine work you did. Foolhardy, though.” He sat down next to Ike, stiffness evident in his movements. “Reminds me of myself when I was younger.”

  Other guards were busy piling goblins onto carts and tending to the wounded. Ike and Adger watched them in silence for a few minutes. “Did we lose anyone?” Ike asked at last.

  “One or two,” Adger said. He sounded more tired than grim. “Trust me, it could’ve been far worse.”

  Ike nodded. “Anything else I can do to help right now?”

  Adger gave Ike an assessing look. Unlike the first time they’d met, there was far less judgment behind it. “Most folk like you would be asking for a reward or acting like vultures, picking through the goblins’ belongings. No one would gainsay you deserve it.”

  “Why Adger,” Ike said with a wry smile, “that almost sounded like a compliment. Keep talking like that and you’ll ruin your unyielding reputation.”

  Adger guffawed. “I’ve never yielded to a young pup like you yet and I never will.” He grinned. “You miss my meaning, though. That was hero’s work just now. And if you’re not interested in a reward, more work is what you’ll get.”

  Adger leaned on his spear to rise and pointed it over the blood-soaked scene. “You’re new to town, so I wouldn’t expect you to know, but goblin raids aren’t how we do business in Weir and I intend to keep it that way. Why not put that bravado of yours to some better use and cut the head off the viper for me? Do that and I’ll give you a real hero’s reward.”

  Ike’s eyes went wide as he accepted the quest. Suddenly full of energy, he rose and looked Adger in the eyes. “You’ve got it, old-timer.”