by Michael Ryan
The dragon, a beast presumably unfamiliar with technology, flew directly into the tether.
What happened next surprised everyone.
“Holy shit!” Dale exclaimed.
“Wow,” Amy added.
“Insane,” Smith contributed.
“I wonder what’s going to happen,” Kim mused.
“Probably nothing good,” Galina piped in.
“This can’t be in the regs,” the lieutenant concluded.
“I’ve seen worse,” Dyfrig voiced.
“Hmm,” Yingtai murmured.
“I think…” Emi whispered to herself.
“Kim, come and snuggle,” Tom proposed.
“I’m surprised,” Sanjay remarked.
“This is fucking ridiculous,” Rikuto cursed.
The dragon twisted and turned like a game fish on a line. It found itself caught and went mad. As it spun and tried to fly away, more of the tether wound around its body. Eventually, the counterweight in space dropped too low for centrifugal force to hold it up, and it fell like a missile right onto the enormous reptilian monster, and the whole mess plunged to the ground.
A fiery explosion followed.
Dale stood watching, stunned, while the remainder of the base camp burned down to ash and ruin.
“I can’t believe that happened,” Sergeant Dyfrig said.
Ërin: Dale, an important message just came in.
Dale: Got it, thanks.
System Message: Important! Read at once.
Nagant Wars Patch 145.7b:
The following glitch: Dragon, Level 100, has been corrected.
All adversely affected players and all equipment will be restored. Please allow 24 hours.
All non-world tech*, including chat and message functions, will now be unavailable except on orbiting ships.
All resurrection points must remain on orbiting ships.
All resurrections require a 4-hour cooldown.
*All players will have access to space-folding backpacks for gear, loot, pets, and any items obtained.
Dale read through the list twice.
“Shit,” he said.
Dale: Ërin?
Ërin: Yes?
Just making sure you’re still here.
Yes, I’m still available, but my capacity is limited. I can provide you with information obtained in guides, as of your last update. I can’t communicate with the base command or other members of your platoon. No more messaging or chat is allowed between players while they are on the planet. You’ll have to talk to them the old-fashioned way.
I have, however, been upgraded with your space-folding backpack. You pretty much have unlimited storage. Any items you gather can fit into it.
What happens if I die?
There will be damage to any items you’re currently using; however, all other items in your backpack will be available.
Any ideas about getting mounts or pets in this world?
No, I can only add things to my knowledge as you discover them or when someone offers you a quest or something for sale.
Dale looked across the plain towards the smoky remains of the dragon and the damage it had caused. A large ship landed. He assumed it was administrators showing up to fix things.
“Are we headed back?” he asked.
“I think…” The lieutenant started to speak, but stopped when a massive herd of beasts came into view and headed across the plain.
There were thousands of them, maybe tens of thousands. They appeared to be like wildebeest, but had thick manes similar to American buffalos and long dangerous-looking horns. Dale concentrated on one of the bulls.
Wildebai
Level 12
A large grazing mammal, a gnu-buffalo hybrid.
Peaceful if avoided.
“We aren’t heading back anytime soon,” Lieutenant Brinkmann said. “Besides, we probably have twenty-four hours before the base is up and we can get an assignment. I suggest we move out as a team into the forest and try to pick up a quest or find a dungeon. That’s not an order. As of right now, there are no orders. So everyone is free to explore as a loner if they’re feeling crazy, or we can team up and try to find some loot together. In any case, we’ll meet back at base camp tomorrow about this time.”
Tom and Kim, both hunters, announced they were going off to hunt together.
“Yeah, hunting…” Galina said.
“You’re welcome to join us,” Tom said. “Unicorn much?”
“Pig.”
The two Japanese soldiers, Emi and Rikuto, also paired up and left.
Eight members remained, and they agreed to head straight into the forest and see what they could find.
Dale walked alongside Amy.
“I hope I can pick up some herb skills soon,” Amy said. “There’s so much here, but we need to know what’s dangerous and what’s helpful.”
“Agreed,” Dale said.
He was feeling more at ease with her as more time passed.
After they’d shared dinner on their first date, they’d spent time together every day since. She had a fascinating history growing up in Seoul and then moving to San Francisco; and now here he was, on another planet, walking through a forest with her.
He noticed a clearing in the woods ahead of them and asked the lieutenant if they should check it out.
“Yeah, let’s see what’s there,” Brinkmann said.
As they approached, Dale saw two old men with staffs standing by an outcropping of stone.
Muschi Kuningas Dungeon Guards:
Friendly to the worthy.
The platoon approached the guards posted on opposite sides of a door carved into stone. A scorpion symbol, etched in its center, glowed in neon red.
Hello, travelers!
We offer you a quest.
The forest offers many medicinal plants and herbs. Potions, spells, and charms rely on the correct mixture of ingredients.
Upon the successful clearing of this dungeon, you may find spell and enchantment books, caches of herbs, gold, gems, and possibly a lore book.
It is rumored that the boss of this dungeon offers an epic drop to the fortunate.
We bless you with luck from our Master, Lord Noita, should you accept this dangerous mission.
Accept Muschi Kuningas Dungeon Quest: [Y/N]
Dale looked at the team and then spoke first. “I’m in if everyone else is ready for a quest. I’ve been hungry for loot since we landed.”
“Let’s do it,” Amy said.
“I’m in,” Smith added.
The rest of the eight soldiers accepted the quest, and the door began to vibrate. The edges glowed with a yellow light, and the passageway separated from the stone.
Enter travelers! May Lord Noita bless your efforts.
Dale went through the doorway and descended a stone stairway. There were torches mounted on the walls, and as they approached each flame, it grew brighter. The stairs were covered in moss watered by drips from the ceiling. After what seemed like a hundred steps, they reached a vestibule that held an altar with a bronze statue of a bizarre-looking deity.
Dale approached the altar. “I wonder if we can get a blessing from this god if we offer it food?”
He was joking, but Amy and Sanjay approached. They thought of doing the same thing, except not as a joke.
“Well?” Dale looked at Amy.
“It worked. I received a buff while in this dungeon.”
Dale looked into his inventory and found an apple. He placed it upon the altar.
Traveler! Your gift is accepted.
However, your lack of faith has been offensive.
While in this dungeon, a seven percent increase in damage has been added to your attacks; however, a five percent penalty has been added to magical attacks against you.
Hint: Faith is its own reward, and doubt causes downfall.
Dale took what he could get.
Next time he’d remember to be more careful about being cynical.
&
nbsp; The rest of the party offered the god various food items; fruit and herbs provided the highest bonuses, while an offering of meat from the lieutenant offended the god and cost him a loss in DPS effectiveness during the quest.
“Shit,” the lieutenant said. “I shouldn’t have tried to be different.”
“It’s a plant and herb god,” Sergeant Dyfrig said. “You should have known better, but it’s good you tried. Now we can add it to our knowledge base. Consider yourself our laboratory mouse.”
“Thanks, Sergeant,” the lieutenant said. “Next time you be the lab rat.”
“Look, a new door,” Yingtai said. “Let’s go.”
The short Chinese woman went through the doorway first.
Because she was a Mugron, she could see in the dark, and she led them down a long corridor.
When they reached the end of the hall, they entered a grand chamber lit by dozens of torches. The walls glowed in an eerie green color from the phosphorescent moss growing there, and pulsed as if alive with magic.
The assault on the platoon began with snakes dropping from the ceiling.
Cha
Level 3
A small snake that lives in trees and moss.
Attack style: Drops from heights. Tries to attack and blind its victims. Attacks in groups.
Dale heard a woman scream. “I hate snakes!”
He recognized Galina, who was a Nefyn. Because her professional guild was Elidar, she had spell-casting abilities already. She shot small bursts of fire from her hands, which burst on the snakes and turned them to ash.
“Round them up into the center of the room so I can concentrate on one spot,” she said.
Dale swatted at them with his shield and sword, and a few made it past his efforts. Some of them gave him a small, but painful bite. The damage was only dangerous if a mass of them attacked, but without healing, each bite increased in power.
Amy, Sanjay, and Yingtai had no problems healing the group, even without Rikuto. Galina continued to burn the worm snakes as they dropped from the ceiling.
Dale heard a buzzing noise and looked up to see a swarm of beelike birds flying into the chamber.
Shtriga
Level 4
An insect-bird hybrid.
Attack style: Flying Swarm. Stingers.
Magic: Poison from individual bites. Accumulative stings can make allies attack their own.
Dale was still fighting off worm-snakes when the Shtriga attacked. They were like hummingbirds, except their long beaks looked like stingers. He lifted his shield and felt a barrage of thumps as the swarm flew into it. He flung the shield down, throwing half a dozen of the flying attackers to the ground, and he stomped them.
+400XP
Killed: Shtriga
Dropped: 1/4-Carat Emerald
And so it went, through dozens of the little stinging creatures. He felt a painful sting on his left thigh, looked down, and saw the beelike bird jabbing its beak into his flesh. The attack felt like being burned with hot coal. Dale smashed the creature with the broad side of his sword, and it popped against his leg and oozed a greenish slime.
Dale: I need better armor.
Ërin: You do.
Dale: Are you reading all my thoughts?
Not all.
Good.
Just the juicy ones.
Fuck.
Dale! You rarely curse, what–
One of these things just stung me again–
Watch it!
Dale used his sword like a baseball bat and knocked a couple more of the flying threats to the ground. He felt a surge of magic as one of the healers brought him back up to full health.
Meanwhile, the swarm split up into several groups, and bird-bees attacked each soldier.
Dale swung his shield and sword around in a crazy fashion, just trying to hit as many of them as he could. He swatted dozens, stomped those on the ground, and they popped into little blobs of green slime.
+400XP
Killed: Shtriga
Dropped: 1/4-Carat Ruby
Congratulations! You’ve killed 20 Shtriga and earned a bonus! All mana will regenerate at double speed for two minutes.
There were still a few snakes dropping as well. He received several bites to the face, which annoyed him, but also pushed him to fight faster. He danced around like a drunk at a club, swinging his shield and sword and stomping the ground.
“Dale, look out!” Amy shouted.
He looked to his left.
Fezela
Level 5
An insect: Armored scorpion.
Attack style: Stinger. Claws.
Weapons: Plate armor with razor spikes.
Magic: Poison from its sting.
Tech: Armor.
Because the scorpion was at level five and well armored, Dale had to back up and plan a defensive tactic. He wasn’t ready to die this early in the day. He moved back fast enough to dodge the scorpion’s long stinger, which it whipped above itself and slammed into the ground in front of him.
A second scorpion followed the first, and then a third moved into the chamber.
It was eight against three, but they also had to deal with a few remaining snakes that continued to drop from the ceiling. At the same time, another swarm of hummingbird bees flew into the room and began dive-bombing them.
Dale tried, unsuccessfully, to hit one of the scorpions with his sword, but they were fast on defense and offense.
Yingtai used her fire magic and slammed fireballs into the scorpions, but their armor gave them protection against the flames, and the damage to the creatures was minimal.
Smith swung a club, which was seemingly the most effective attack. The healers concentrated on him because he was the main tank in the room, and two scorpions were attacking him at once.
Dyfrig had a healing enchantment that was working; it seemed apparent that earth magic was more powerful in the dungeon than fire magic.
Dale moved towards the lone scorpion and swung his sword at the beast.
It reached out with one of its claws, grabbed Dale’s sword, and they began a tug-of-war. He didn’t want to lose his only offensive weapon; he hadn’t even learned a single DPS spell yet.
His shield had a small level of attack ability, but it was weak and only useful on lower-level creatures, like the bees.
Galina moved behind Dale to mid-range DPS, and she fired arrows from her longbow into the scorpion.
“Keep it occupied on your sword, Dale,” she said.
Dale moved around to his left, tugged on his sword, but didn’t try to pull it completely loose. By moving the beast, he exposed its flank, and Galina’s arrows were doing real damage.
“It’s got a weak point on its side, down low,” Galina shouted to the group.
“Got it,” Brinkmann said as he moved towards Smith’s position.
Dale concentrated on the scorpion he was fighting. The beast tried to twist the sword from Dale’s hand, but he held fast. Then, in a blink of an eye, the scorpion fired its stinger at Dale, who barely got his shield up.
Bam!
The stinger penetrated the shield and stuck.
With his sword in the beast’s claw and his shield holding the stinger, he and the creature were going around in a circle like awkward dancers.
Galina moved behind the mob. “Keep it busy,” she shouted.
Dale twisted his shield and held his feet fast.
Galina fired a series of arrows into the rear of the beast, and as the fifth arrow hit, the monster dissolved, leaving greenish-brown fluid spreading on the floor.
“They’re weakest if you hit them in the rear, under the stinger,” Galina said to Brinkmann.
The lieutenant attacked the two scorpions that Smith was keeping busy, and the healers worked together to keep the tank’s health from dropping too low.
Galina moved next to Brinkmann, and between the two of them, they killed both scorpions, which dissolved into a thick puddle of muck, leaving a nasty, smelly stain
on the floor.
There was loot sitting there, but before Dale could see what he gained, he heard an evil laugh.
Hiisi
Level 6
A humanoid creature, a goblin-troll hybrid.
Attack style: Reckless. Semi-intelligent.
Weapons: Rapiers. Bow. Daggers. Spears.
Magic: Low-level earth.
Tech: Low-level, various.
The laughing creatures were short, dressed in green and brown tunics, and had low-level armor. There were six of them, so the situation became much more dangerous. At level six, they were two levels higher than Dale, so it was going to be a challenging fight.
Luckily, Yingtai and the lieutenant were level six as well.
Sanjay hurled a spear from a wooden handle that the weapon had rested in before it was flung.
“What’s that?” Dale asked.
“An atlatl spear thrower,” Sanjay said. “I just leveled up, and it became unlocked.”
The spear flew through the air and struck a Hiisi, which screamed, fell to the ground, and died in a one-hit kill.
“Awesome!” Dale shouted. “Do it again!”
“Ten-second cooldown. Look out!” Sanjay lifted his shield. A flight of arrows whizzed through the air, and Dale dropped to a knee. He raised his shield next to Sanjay’s, and together they formed a barrier that stopped the arrows. Dale looked to his left. Smith jumped up and landed with a massive stomp, and the room shook so violently that the Hiisi suffered damage.
Dale: Ërin?
Ërin: Yes, Dale?
Display my stats. I’m wondering why everyone is leveling, but I’m still–
You’re close. Keep your head in the game. Just hit something.
Dale circled Smith and Brinkmann so that he could flank the goblin creatures. One of them spotted him, and it moved toward him with its rapier. He met it with his shield up, his short sword flying in response to the creature’s attack, and landed a hit.
Ërin: Okay, you’ve leveled up, I’m suppressing non-vital pop-ups.
Dale: Good.
You’re doing great, by the way, stud.
Stop.
Keep paying attention to that damn ugly creature before you get hurt.
Dale swung again, but his sword flew through the air, missing the Hiisi, which had jumped out of the way and scored a strike on Dale’s side.
He fell to the ground in pain.
The creature jumped on top of him and raised a long curved dagger above his body. Dale thought he was about to die and desperately used his shield to slam the beast in the head. The mob flew to the ground. Dale felt a healing enchantment hit, sending his health back to one hundred percent.
