The Alchemist of Aetheria: A LitRPG Adventure
Page 9
He circled the flower and checked the little smudges left by dandelion jellyfish umbrellas, Demonseeds or whatever they were called.
Item Harvested: Feather X6 (2 gold)
Seems like we found the source of Feathers in Pandemonia, he thought. He had no idea why these Demonseed gossamer things would drop a bird feather, but this was a game after all. The flying umbrellas looked a bit feathery, indeed, so there was some logic behind it, and Zack was quite happy to find some more ingredients for his Poison Dart recipe.
Items Lost:
Iron Needle (X2)
Poison (X2)
Feather (X6)
Item Gained: Poison Dart X2
“Neat,” he said, placing both darts on his belt next to his remaining one. They looked cool, shimmering with acidic glow and sweating with tiny beads of green poison. With three of them at hand, Zack felt much stronger, if not invincible. Their damage combined, stacking over time, was pretty high, 30 HP drain in 10 seconds, enough to kill a medium-weight demonic thing singlehandedly, or at least chip its health down to a minimum he could hack away with his Orkish Tainted Scimitar +33.
Skill Improved: Alchemy +1
You earned 4 XP for using your Alchemy skill
LEVEL UP!
Congratulations!
Your Alchemist is now Level 5!
+1 to Perception
+1 to one of the skills:
Sneak - Short Blades >Alchemy<
Achievement Unlocked: Alchemist’s Apprentice
Reward: Crafting Recipe: Resurrect Ally
Craft Resurrect Ally
Alchemy Lvl 5 Recipe
Items Required:
Ectoplasm (X3)
Not Enough Ingredients!
A new idea struck him. Zack didn’t actually have to join a party of players. He could easily trail behind them, staying out of sight and looting whatever they discarded. It was scavenging of course, feeding off leftovers, and still, this party and location were high-level enough to guarantee him a steady flow of valuable loot.
He found the party camping around the Well of Light, in the middle of a small plaza made up of weathered hexagonal tiles. The well itself look majestic, a round pool of moonlight-colored liquid encased in white marble, with a tall statue of a Paladin in the center, his helmet-covered face distorted by a furious grimace, his silver broadsword raised up in triumph.
The statue, however, was dwarfed by the Shrine of Marduk looming right behind the pool; its gigantic entrance snarled like a predatory mouth, its pillar of light immense and blinding, making the shiny magical dome above it seem almost dark.
So this is the center of this whole dome thing, Zack thought, sneaking close enough to receive HP and Stamina regen from the Well. No volcano then. Kinda disappointing.
“…we can pull this off if we work together like we just did,” the Barbarian was saying to his party members as Zack crept up closer still. “We won’t trigger the boss, you got it? We just take out the Wraths, collect what we can, and pull out. Trust me, the fight will be hard enough. If we die here, we’re screwed.”
“I’m tired, man. Need to replenish my real-life Stamina,” the Paladin replied, his character idle and standing still. “I Alt-Tabbed for a while, ordered me some fried chicken to eat while you regen here. Be back in a minute.”
“So what are we up against?” the Ranger asked. She was the only female in the party, a golden-braided kawaii-faced Elf.
“Okay, so there are four high-level Wraths around this hell gate thing,” the Barbarian replied. “They have both Melee and Ranged, so make sure you’re prepared for both. Also, Mana Drain. Sammy, prepare as many Potions of Mana as you can, or they’ll drain you real fast, and you’ll be useless.”
“I’ll need you to tank for me,” Sammy the Mage said, sitting cross-legged, his emerald robe spread across the tiles, shimmering with some enchantment. “I could throw a couple buffs your way but my HPs won’t last too long without healing.”
“We’ll need your fireballs,” the Barbarian replied. “These things are ghosts, right, so they have Physical Resistance. If I hit them, they’ll only take Fire Damage from my axe, which is 3 to 7, not high enough to make a change. Alice, your bow also won’t work, so make sure you use that enchanted dagger.”
“I’ll try,” Alice the golden-braided Elf said. “To be honest, my Melee sucks. This makes Sam our damage dealer. Sam, give me those Health Potions, I’ll try and keep you healed while you cast.”
“I could also try Immolate,” the Mage said. “It’s high Mana cost but it’ll stack up, so they’ll go down even after I’m dead, if you can hold for a while.”
“Don’t worry,” the Barbarian said. “I’ll try to keep them targeting me and absorb as much damage as I can. If any of us go down, the others are to pick up the items, and we meet back at the spawn point. Leon!”
He turned to the idle Paladin, but the third party member remained still and silent.
“Probably still eating,” the Elf Ranger suggested.
“Fine, so the main trick,” the Barbarian went on. “Every time you hit a Wrath, it kinda breaks up into shadows and despawns, then reappears behind your back in a moment, too fast for you to turn around without taking health damage and Mana Drain combined. So what we do is make sure we always work in pairs, one hits a Wrath, another keeps his back covered, and his own back is covered by the third and the fourth one who also cover each other, then back to the first one, and so on, until the thing is dead. This is a key…”
“I’m back, you guys!” The Paladin suddenly came alive. “Alright, let’s do it! Everyone, follow Leoooon! Chaaaaarge!”
And then, before the three of his companions could stop him or even say a word, Leon the Paladin was at the gates of the Shrine. The next moment, he threw them open, and disappeared within.
“Oh damn it!” The Mage sprung to his feet. “Go go go! We must catch up with him before he triggers them!”
The trio rushed off into the dark snarling maw of the entrance, leaving Zack alone in his hideout. He scanned the surroundings, spotted no dangers, then got up and followed them into the Shrine of Marduk.
As he went through its open cyclopean doors, the interior darkness engulfed him. Zack passed through a winding corridor lit up by spiky metal braziers and stopped right at the last corner. He peeked around it carefully; the clashes of metal, the whooshes of fireballs, and the screams of party members filling his ears.
You encountered The Wrath Guardians!
Wrath Lvl 50 Wrath Lvl 50
Wrath Lvl 50 Wrath Lvl 50
Inside the dungeon, the battle was raging. Swirling shadows circled its walls as the semi-transparent skull-faced Wraths kept despawning, respawning, and attacking, constantly changing their positions amongst the members of the disorganized party.
The sky-high vaults of the Shrine glimmered every time a Fireball was launched, raising even more hell when it connected. Leon the Paladin was already down, his armored corpse prostrated next to an altar with a looming obsidian arch behind it, the decorative stone gargoyles on top of it snarling at the carnage beneath.
The game messages rained on Zack, replacing each other with such speed it was impossible to figure out what came first and what happened next.
-=Conan=- was hit by Wrath Lvl 50 and lost 16 hit points
Wrath Lvl 50 was CRITICALLY hit by SamTheHam and lost 25 hit points
Wrath Lvl 50 was hit by -=Conan=-
IMMUNE! Physical Resistance
Wrath Lvl 50 took 5 Fire Damage!
Wrath Lvl 50 took 3 Fire Damage!
Wrath Lvl 50 was hit by SamTheHam and lost 16 hit points
Wrath Lvl 50 was hit by AliceX and lost 5 hit points
AliceX was hit by Wrath Lvl 50 and lost 21 hit points
Wrath Lvl 50 took 3 Fire Damage!
Wrath Lvl 50 took 2 Fire Damage!
Wrath Lvl 50 was hit by -=Conan=-
IMMUNE! Physical Resistance
&
nbsp; Wrath Lvl 50 took 2 Fire Damage!
Wrath Lvl 50 took 4 Fire Damage!
AliceX was CRITICALLY hit by Wrath Lvl 50, lost 131 hit points, and was killed!
Wrath Lvl 50 was hit by SamTheHam and lost 18 hit points
Wrath Lvl 50 took 4 Fire Damage and was killed!
-=Conan=- was CRITICALLY hit by Wrath Lvl 50 and lost 54 hit points
Wrath Lvl 50 was hit by -=Conan=-
IMMUNE! Physical Resistance
Wrath Lvl 50 took 2 Fire Damage!
At first, it seemed the decimated party of the Mage and the Barbarian still stood a chance against the two remaining Wraths: one of them respawned right in front of Sam the Mage and took a Fireball right in its face. It took some more Fire Damage and died a second later, but not before its twin managed to flank the Mage and deal him a critical killing blow.
The Barbarian was left alone with the last remaining specter, his fire-enchanted battleaxe nearly useless against it. He dashed for the exit, but it was a mistake: the Wrath reappeared right in front of him, and the guy named Conan went down like a sack of potatoes, his axe and armor clattering against the marble floor.
The Wrath didn’t bother to guard his corpse or tea-bag it. It broke into a maelstrom of circling shadows, despawned, and reappeared behind the altar, idle and passive.
Zack was despairing. He could have looted the Barbarian and fled, but the altar, a big marble thing, all glittered with expensive loot, impossible to pick up without alerting the Wrath. The corpses of other killed party members were also in its vicinity. All these riches right next to him, and no way to defeat the surviving high-level mob.
An idea struck Zack all of a sudden. Ectoplasm, he remembered. The stuff he could Resurrect Ally with. Zack didn’t start any PvP with the Barbarian, so this Conan guy counted as an ally.
And these Wrath things, Zack thought. They’re supposed to be ghosts, right?
If anything in this world dropped Ectoplasm, it must have been some kind of a ghost. Any ghost.
Crouching as hard as he could, Zack Sneaked past the Barbarian’s corpse towards a glowing puddle left on the marble tiles by one of the killed Wraths.
Item Harvested: Ectoplasm (50 gold)
The stuff costs a small fortune, Zack thought. And still, he needed to collect two more of them. Carefully making his way around the dungeon, he reached another dead Wrath puddle. The kawaii corpse of AliceX, the golden-braided Elf Ranger, was actually within his reach, but Zack was determined now. He moved further, nearly tipping off the last remaining specter, making it shift and snarl in suspicion, but luckily remaining hidden. Zack harvested the last puddle of Ectoplasm and backtracked towards the fallen Conan guy.
“Okay, let’s hope it works,” he said. “Resurrect Ally!”
Craft Resurrect Ally
Alchemy Lvl 3 Recipe
Items Required:
Ectoplasm (X3)
The Barbarian’s corpse came alive. It rose above the floor a bit, emitting golden sunlight, white flashes of magic dancing across its metal armor. A second later, Conan the Barbarian sprung to his feet, controlled by the player once more.
-=Conan=- reveals Barbaric Leap!
Barbaric Leap: Death from above! Area-of-Effect. Critical Damage. Stun.
The Barbarian guy took a second to assess the situation, and then leaped across the dungeon in a wide arc, crashing right on top of the unaware surviving specter, his fire-infused battle axe flashing down with a critical blow.
Wrath Lvl 50 was hit by -=Conan=-
IMMUNE! Physical Resistance
Wrath Lvl 50 was Stunned!
Wrath Lvl 50 took 5 Fire Damage!
Wrath Lvl 50 was hit by -=Conan=-
IMMUNE! Physical Resistance
Wrath Lvl 50 took 2 Fire Damage!
Wrath Lvl 50 took 4 Fire Damage!
His crushing blow was lost on the Wrath, but the Barbarian kept hacking at the stunned thing left and right until it stacked up enough combined Fire Damage to burn down and die at his feet.
The Conan guy put his axe away and returned to Zack, saluting him with a thanking gesture. “Thanks, man,” he said. “Or madam. Whoever you are.”
“I’m glad I did it before you respawned,” Zack said.
“The timer was nearly out,” the Barbarian replied. He looked at the dead prostrated Paladin and said, “Damn Leon. I hope he enjoyed his fried chicken, because this was the last time he set us up. I’m kicking him out of the party. What level are you? This your only char? Want to take his place?”
“Sorry,” Zack said, his hand suddenly full. “I’m not into parties. I only revived you so you could kill this thing off for me.”
And he tossed his Poison Dart at the guy, and then another one.
-=Conan=- was CRITICALLY hit by Zack and lost 5 hit points
-=Conan=- took 7 Poison Damage!
-=Conan=- was hit by Zack and lost 1 hit point
-=Conan=- took 5 Poison Damage!
-=Conan=- took 6 Poison Damage!
No duel was required in this area. The poisoned Conan, realizing how he was set up, leaped at him, but Zack managed to equip a Potion of Dizziness and pop it in front of him before the Barbarian had landed.
WHOOSH! They both stood stunned now, Zack from the Barbaric Leap, and Conan because of the potion, locked in a stupid stalemate facing each other and unable to fight.
-=Conan=- took 4 Poison Damage!
-=Conan=- took 7 Poison Damage!
-=Conan=- took 5 Poison Damage!
-=Conan=- took 6 Poison Damage!
“I know you only respawned with a fraction of your health,” Zack said. “You’re dead, man. Owned by a noob.”
“Don’t touch the stone,” the Barbarian said. “Take what you want, man, but don’t touch the stone. You’ll regret it, noob.”
-=Conan=- took 6 Poison Damage!
-=Conan=- took 4 Poison Damage and was killed!
His hit points depleted, the Conan guy collapsed on the floor and was gone once again.
For defeating your opponents in PvP combat, you receive 115 XP!
LEVEL UP!
Congratulations!
Your Alchemist is now Level 6!
+1 to Strength
+1 to one of the skills:
>Short Blades< Acrobatics - Sneak
“Okay then,” Zack said, rubbing his hands. “Now let’s see what you guys have on you!”
After he picked the party corpses clean, Zack realized he had hit a jackpot. He hated counting, but that was A LOT of gold. Then he went straight for the altar and loaded up on more stuff, mostly gems and ingredients, also worth a fortune.
I’ll make it to college before July, he thought. I rule. Hey, what’s that?
Only up close he noticed the altar had a small angelic statue attached to it, hiding in the shadows, holding a hefty glittering crystal in its hands.
PICK UP: Legendary Aetherium Shard (1.5M gold)
At first he didn’t realize what it meant. One and a half million, it dawned on Zack a second later. He roughly multiplied it by the hard cash exchange rate. It was more than enough money for college. It was enough money for two colleges.
“This must be the stone he talked about,” Zack said. “You pick it up, and then demons, thousands of them appear. This is what this dungeon is really about.”
First he actually turned his back on the legendary crystal and wanted to just walk away. But then…
“Hey, what if I make it out?” Zack said, slowing down. “No one says I’ll have to fight. What if I actually manage to flee?”
Only one way to find out, he thought. Then he went straight for the altar and grabbed the legendary thing.
Item Found: Legendary Aetherium Shard (1.5M gold)
NEW QUEST: Seal the Infernal Gateway
Rewards: Stops demonic invasion
NEW QUEST: The Eater of Worlds
Rewards: Legendary Aetherium Shard X3
VROOO
M! The next instant, the obsidian arch in front of him wasn’t dead and silent anymore. Something resembling a big flaming eye slowly opened underneath it, filling the shrine interior with fiery hellish glow. The eye became a tear in reality, the flames of inferno billowing through it. A moment later, an armored horned figure, as tall as the gate itself, stepped out to confront Zack.
You encountered Marduk (EPIC BOSS)
Marduk Lvl 99
“I LIVE AGAIN!” the boss demon roared. “I LIVE, AND NOW THE WORLD SHALL BURN! THE GATES OF INFERNO ARE OPENING ONCE MORE, AND NO PLACE IN AETHERIA IS NOW FREE FROM DANGER!”
Zack wanted to flee straight off, but he was held in place by invisible forces. The demon towered right in front of him, regarding Zack from above, the slits of his demonic helmet filled with hellish flames. At least he doesn’t look like some bloated abomination, Zack thought. Despite his epic nature, Marduk looked more or less like your textbook demon, a Sauron on steroids, one of his long-clawed hands wrapped around a huge warhammer he used as a cane of sorts.
“Look, demon guy,” Zack said. “Move on with the cut scene. I really need to get out of here.”
“I THANK YOU FOR FREEING ME, MORTAL! I AM MARDUK, THE EATER OF WORLDS.”
“Yeah, I figured that out,” Zack replied. “So how do I skip this?”
“FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS I WAS ENTOMBED HERE, MY KINGDOM OF HELL SEALED OFF BY HUMAN MAGIC. I SWORE I SHALL REWARD THE ONE WHO WILL COME AND SET ME FREE.”
“Ah,” Zack said. “Now that’s cool. How about your warhammer? May I have it? Will I be able to equip it or sell it? It looks pretty cool.”
“THOUSANDS OF YEARS HAVE PASSED,” Marduk went on. “AND I DECIDED MY REWARD FOR THE HERO WHO SETS ME FREE WILL BE THE ULTIMATE REWARD A MORTAL MAY RECEIVE. A TERRIBLE AND PAINFUL DEATH.”
“Oh great.” Zack sighed. “I must have seen this coming. I mean you’re a boss. There has to be a bossfight, or has it? I mean is there some way to resolve this by talking? I mean I’m low level anyway, no match for your bossy thing. May I just, like, leave? Please?”
“YOU MAY RUN, BUT YOU MAY NEVER HIDE,” the Eater of Worlds replied. “FOR MY POWERS REACH FAR PAST THIS WORLD, AND THE THOUSANDS OF WORLDS THAT LAY BEYOND THIS ONE. AETHERIA WILL FALL, AND I SHALL DEVOUR IT ALONG WITH YOU.”