I teleported into my house and went straight to my chamber. I was sleeping as soon as my body hit the bed.
***
I was rudely awakened by the sound of metallic banging. I got up to see two gofers unceremoniously dropping a pile of items on the floor – today’s equipment production for me to enchant.
Though all of my troops were armed, my scouts were mostly unarmored, as protecting the melee warriors had taken higher priority. Likewise, half the warriors were still using crude unenchanted weapons, so every little bit helped. This day’s production would outfit three more soldiers. I sat down in my armchair and got to work.
I finished enchanting the soldiers’ equipment in under an hour, then turned my attention to my own Pyrolith Gambeson. I carefully considered how to enchant it. The armor could hold up to five runes – six, with my skill level – so I had some room to maneuver. But after long deliberation, I couldn’t come up with an interesting idea for a new enchantment. It was armor. Its purpose was to protect the body. Increasing its defense and durability was a simple, two-rune combination. I could easily add fire protection, but the Pyrolith scale already provided that. I decided, for now, to only enhance defense and durability. The armor was too rare to enchant carelessly and waste rune slots. I could always add runes to it later, once I’d figured out the optimal combination.
I opened the design tool and sighed at the sight of dozens of dots I had to connect: 40 durability and 35 armor points. The schema might be simple, but enchanting it was going to be tedious. I decided to ignore the hundreds of red dots, those that related to the armor’s innate fire resistance. It was simply too much work for now. I braced myself for the arduous process and began enchanting.
It only took me about three hours to finish, much quicker than anticipated. Somehow, the connector rune seemed to almost glide on its own from dot to dot, guiding my hand.
I put down the finished armor and examined it carefully.
Pyrolith Scale Gambeson [Runecrafted]
Description: This well-crafted armor is made of durable leather embedded with hardened demon scales and enchanted by a goblin Dread Totem. It offers excellent protection without hindering the wearer’s mobility and is naturally resistant to fire.
Runecraft viability: 5 runes [2 used]
Type: Armor [torso]
Rank: Advanced
Durability: 155/155
Armor: 45
Resistance: Fire 50%
Base price: 800
The base attributes had all jumped up considerably; the armor value was increased by ten points and durability by 35.
Tika came back home from her daily hunt just as I finished admiring my handiwork. I looked up at her with a smile.
“What a nice surprise,” she said. “I usually find you too busy to notice me when I get home last. That is, when you’re not away playing with your hobs.”
“And when I get home last, I usually find you asleep. That is, when you’re not away, still hunting.”
“I guess we have more in common than we knew.” She sat on my lap and put her arms around my neck. She leaned over to kiss me, then playfully bit at my ear. “I want to come with you for the next oxsaurian hunt,” she whispered.
I was not expecting that. “Out of the question. It’s too dangerous; even the soldiers can’t stand up to those beasts.”
She frowned slightly. “But I am the hunters’ leader. I have the most experience, more than any goblin I have ever met. I can even lead the other hunters on a large-scale hunt. I should come with you to learn what I can about those oxsaurians.”
I shook my head. “I know you’re good, but I don’t want you getting hurt.” I stopped myself before adding ‘again.’ None of us needed to remember the details of our time in captivity.
“I know you want to protect me … Oren.” She whispered my name directly into my ears, sending shivers of pleasure down my spine. “But I have outgrown the prey in the valley, I feel … constricted. I need to go out, hunt something meaningful.”
I shook my head. “Not oxsaurian. Even Rhyno can’t stand up to those beasts yet.” I was having a hard time acting determined with the tingling sensation in my ears.
She pouted. It was very cute. And very sexy. “Please?” she breathed in my ear. Her warm breath nearly broke my resistance then. Her fingers caressed my back.
I refused to give in to her wily charms and didn’t budge.
“Pretty please?” she breathed again. Her hands reached my head and gently caressed my ears. My long, sensitive goblin ears. I couldn’t help it, I shivered, giving off a low moan.
She grinned triumphantly and leaned in for another kiss.
“That doesn’t mean you won!” I protested, as she took my hand and led me to our bed.
My protest sounded weak, even to my own ears.
An hour later, I couldn’t even remember what we were arguing over.
***
There was something encroaching my consciousness. A presence. An insistent wisp of information poking at the edge of my awareness.
“ … My lord …”
I woke up with a start to find Kaedric standing over my bed.
It was still late. We couldn’t have been sleeping for more than a couple of hours. The fact that he not only let himself in but also came into my bedchamber could only mean one thing.
“They’re here,” I said. It was not a question.
“Yes, my lord. It has begun.”
Interlude: GreenPiece Chatroom
NEO Chatroom: “GreenPiece fans”
Malkyr: Thank you guys, for accepting my invite.
Fox: Why in god’s name are you still using an ancient text-based chat?
Malkyr: The time discrepancy makes it difficult to schedule a proper vid-chat and I wanted to reach everyone. This way, if someone arrives late, he can catch up on the conversation.
Misa: Good thinking. What’s up, pal?
Malkyr: I wanted to discuss the future of the clan with you – mainly, our role in it.
Sullivan: It’s been fun, I love stirring up trouble … gets the blood pumping, you know? But that Totem player is way too intense. Have you heard he banished all the players?
Nero: He is under a lot of pressure, I think. He is a worthy player and cares for his clan. I can’t say I blame him for taking that sabotage hard. Heck, I probably would have killed you lot just to be on the safe side.
Hoshisu: chuckles I’d like to see you try!
Nero: grins Just say where and when.
Malkyr: That’s not why I asked you all to come. I, for one, am loving every second of this new gameplay.
Tenchi: I agree. For some reason, the whole dark and evil experience is very relaxing.
Sullivan: Tell me about it. Every time I log in for a few hours it feels like a week-long vacation from the symphony.
Riley: Wait, you’re a musician?
Sullivan: Yeah, so?
Riley: I never would have guessed.
Sullivan: How I chose to play my character and who I really am are two different things. I doubt you’re a dark goblin priest in real life.
Riley: Data scientist, actually.
– A new member has joined the chat. –
TreeLover4Life: Hey guys, is this the new protest group against the growing industry in the game at the expense of the rainforest?
Fox: Wrong group, slugger. It’s GreenPiece, not Green-peace.
– Member disconnected. –
Misa: What a nutter.
Malkyr: ANYWAY, the chief is a good guy. We went on a couple of raids together and he really knows his stuff. It sucks that he kicked all of us out, but I can’t really blame him. He’ll come around once he cools off a bit. What we need to do is show him that we can be trusted.
Sullivan: How do you suggest we do that?
Raystia: I’d like to help. I think what he’s doing is admirable, but he’ll never trust us as long as he thinks one of us is undermining his efforts. Did you see his expression when
he saw the Breeder’s Den on fire? It was like a man who’d just lost his home. I felt so bad for him …
Malkyr: I thought of that and I believe I have a solution, but I need to know you’re all on board and willing to do what it takes to flush out the saboteur.
Riley: grunt At least you’re not pointing a finger at me.
Fox: Let’s say we do, what do you propose?
Malkyr: Each of you send me your game logs, starting from when you first logged in with your new characters. I’ll scan them and find out who’s behind this.
Fox: You’re asking a lot. And before you start pointing fingers, I’m sure I’m not the only one who has a few things he’d rather keep to himself.
Raystia: He makes a good point … Some of the conversations I had were …*ahem* embarrassing.
Malkyr: I give you my word I won’t use your log for anything other than to pinpoint the guilty party. In fact, I won’t even read them myself – it’s too much data for a manual scan. I plan on running a recursive elastic search algorithm, cross-referencing the dates of the three attacks. Once I’m done, I’ll delete your files from the machine.
Riley: Heck, I got nothing to hide. In fact, it would be nice to clear my name. I’ll send you my logs.
Fox: What do you plan to do about players who refuse to send you their logs?
Hoshisu: If everyone present agrees, that would put pressure on the others to play ball. In the end, even if the logs won’t show us who’s the culprit, we’ll have a reduced suspect list. We can give that to the chief as a sign of good faith. Then he could keep those on the list banned and let the rest of us continue playing.
Fox: grunt If it’ll calm down Mr. Dark, Green, and Angry, I’ll play ball. Sending you my logs.
Yulli: Bloody hell. Alright, I’m in.
Tenchi: Yeah, me too.
Nero: Kudos for the initiative.
Malkyr: Thanks, guys. It shouldn’t take more than a few hours to scan through everyone’s logs. Send them through. I’ll be in touch.
33 – And So, It Begins
I was fully awake.
The mixture of adrenaline, excitement, and fear was like a shot of espresso straight to my veins.
My seneschal’s mandibles twitched as he delivered his report. “Our troops are mobilizing at the forest clearing, my lord.”
I kissed the still sleeping Tika, equipped my shining Pyrolith armor and placed the newly enchanted items in my inventory. It was heavy, but nothing that mana infusion couldn’t handle. I turned to the still-waiting hob. “When we leave for battle, get everyone down into the cave.”
Kaedric nodded. “I shall follow your instruction, my lord.”
“I trust you to keep them safe while I’m away.” I put a hand on his shoulder. “They are the lifeblood of the clan. If we lose them, even if the battle is won, we are in big trouble. We can no longer rely on the Breeder’s Den.”
“I understand, my lord. Should any of the travelers find their way to us, I will have hounds and foblins swarm over them. If it comes to that, I can even use my own abilities to hinder an enemy.”
“Good.” I let go of his shoulder. “I will see you once this is over.”
I teleported to the forest clearing.
All of my troops had gathered already, filling the open space almost completely. The well-trained hobs were standing in orderly rows, grouped in formations according to their roles: 24 scouts brandishing willow bows, 12 warriors clad in steel brigandine bearing axes and shields, and ten sword-wielding warriors clad in leather armor. The seven lieutenants were standing at attention behind Bob. Rhyno was clad in his thick, enchanted oxsaurian armor and leaning against a tree, the trunk groaning under his weight. The other six Ogres lumbered behind him, each wearing similar but lower-quality armor and carrying a huge spiked mace. Bek and the three goblin adepts, all clad in simple leather vests, were standing, grim-faced, behind Kuzai, their hands on the sacrificial daggers at their belts. Surprisingly, Guba was there as well.
I motioned for Bob to come to me. “Report.”
“I have divided the troops into small squads, each led by a lieutenant.” Bob gestured at the seven lieutenants. “Three of them will lead squads of scouts and provide ranged support, two will lead squads of six shield fighters, and the last two will each head a squad of five melee-hitters.”
I nodded in approval. “What about the scout sentries?”
“The scouts have all returned except the one who was watching the route you took to hunt oxsaurians.”
That was to be expected. The berserker woman, Rikush, and her party of players had come from the same direction.
“How long since the other scouts reported in?”
“Roughly 20 minutes.”
The scouts were spread out about an hour’s march from the valley. That meant the players would reach us very soon.
I looked at Guba. “What are you doing here?”
She came forward, carrying a large sack on her shoulder. “The missing liquid fire set me back a good while, but I be wanting to show ye younglings what a true alchemist can do with a proper lab.” She opened the sack. “I been experimenting with them poison mushrooms that grow around ‘ere. Added a bit of accelerant ‘an mixed ‘em with me special glue. Here ye go.” She placed a bulbous grenade twice as large as the goblin BoomBooms in my hand. “These work like glue bags, but they be poisonous too, see? They hamper movements ‘an spread poison when the binding breaks. An enemy who try to scrape off one of these will only be poisoning himself harder.”
“Thank you, clan chemist.” I bowed my head respectfully. With a nod, I directed Bob to distribute the grenades among the troops.
“Bah, it is too damn little,” she scoffed. “I been working on extra-strength BoomBooms when me liquid fire was stolen. A real shame what it did to that breeder building. That some of it remained at all is a surprise. I’d be expecting that amount of juice ter leave only a scorch’n hole. These backup grenades be a pale substitution.”
“These will help us immensely,” I assured her. “We are well-prepared for this fight. With your contribution, I have no doubt we’ll emerge victorious.”
“Hmph.” She turned to leave. “Make sure you do.”
I watched her go, then turned to face the soldiers, preparing myself mentally. Time to inspire the troops.
“Everyone listen up!” I said sharply, making them jump back to attention.
With my War Party Leader skill level at 25, I could only include half the soldiers. I formed a party with the four bosses, the lieutenants, and my veterans, then added 20 of the common soldiers. Everyone included would benefit from the effects of my skill, granting them a five percent bonus to attack, defense, and XP gain. I made sure to include Zuban; I needed my chief constructor to level up as quickly as possible if I ever hoped to bring the Breeder’s Den back into working order.
Then inspiration struck. I removed one of the scouts from the party and replaced him with Kaedric.
Kaedric, can you hear me? I sent my thoughts.
I could sense his surprise even before he answered.
I smiled smugly. With Kaedric’s psychic abilities coupled with the power of the Earring of the Warlord, I had just found a way to maintain a long-distance communication channel with the clan’s administrator. I no longer had to rely on him contacting me at predefined times.
From now on, I’m keeping you in my war party constantly so we can always be in touch. Keep me apprised of new developments and await further instructions.
The twisted dwarf priest watched me intently as I held the mental conversation. “It seeks to lead its warriors into combat, but it must remember that all must give glory to the dark lord. Each slain enemy shall be claimed by darkness, their essence converted, and their soul shall shriek in torment for all eternity.”
By now, Kuzai’s peculiar habit of spewing nonsense had become familiar, and I found I could easily ignore him.
I t
ook a good, hard look at my troops. “You all know why we’re here.” I paused, seeing the eagerness in their eyes. “The traveler army has reached us. We will move out shortly to engage them in battle.”
A loud cheer followed my words. The Ogres laughed maliciously.
I raised my hand. “This is what I brought you here for. This is your purpose. To defend our clan from our enemies. Fight well. Fight until the last drop of blood. Do not falter and do not hesitate. Remember, should any of you fall, as long as the battle is won, you will return to life again. This I vow to you, in Nihilator’s name.”
You have made a vow in the name of your deity, Nihilator
Condition: Resurrect your fallen troops within 24 hours of the battle.
Failure: Permanent reputation reduction with remaining soldiers, -1000 reputation with Nihilator.
Success: 5 Faith Points per resurrected soldier.
I took the Epic demonic staff from my inventory and struck the ground. “We will vanquish all those who seek to destroy us.” I took another item from my inventory. “And if they dare send their elites against us,” I said, fastening the Outrider Bracelet around my wrist, “they will perish too.”
“For the GreenPiece Clan!” Bob shouted, holding up his enchanted sword.
“For the GreenPiece Clan!” they all yelled, drawing their weapons. Rhyno roared enthusiastically, demolishing a small tree with his club for emphasis.
I jumped on Tempest’s back. “Follow me!”
We stormed out of the valley like a swarm of blood-hungry locusts.
***
We had only been marching for a few minutes when I became lightheaded, the telltale sign of nearby travelers.
Everyone, halt! I commanded mentally while raising a closed fist. Yulli, scout ahead, let us know what we’re facing. As the highest-level scout, and a boss besides, she was best-suited for this task.
While we waited, I delivered orders to my troops. Lieutenants, get your men ready. Bob, I trust you to direct the others during combat if I’m engaged or too distracted. Rhyno, you lead the Infernal Ogres, but wait until I assign you a target. Do not engage until then!
The hob lieutenants bowed their head in affirmation, and the hulking Ogre grunted his assent.
Life Reset_EvP_Environment vs. Player Page 56
