“Stop her! My interrupt failed!” Jacoby yelled. Yendys looked over and could see that Tessel had used a spell like the one Yendys had just used against the mukok. This time, corrupted vines laden with thorns dug into Jacoby’s and Smashem’s legs.
With a roar, Smashem pointed his hammer toward the corrupted dryad. A pair of skeletal hands burst forth from the ground, grabbing each of the dryad’s legs and holding her fast. Tessel lost the spell she had been casting as the hands began to slowly crush her legs. Smashem pulled a second massive hammer from his back, his strength bolstered by the Hand of Caudill. Smashem ripped from his vines and charged Tessel, both hammers raised to strike.
Yendys turned back as another squeal of pain erupted from poor little Crunchy. The mukok had finally figured out what to do to get rid of the beetle that was chopping it to bits.
The great beast simply dropped to the ground.
Crunchy was now pinned beneath it and losing health quickly. The vines that had shot forth from the beast had finished off all the other beetles save for the three newest summons, which were already dying quickly.
Still, the summoned creatures and brave Crunchy had done their job, whittling the health of the giant beast to below half. Yendys flung a Nature’s Wrath spell that did only a tiny bit of damage to the huge health pool of the mukok. She followed up with a Nature’s Mending spell for Crunchy, adding healing to the beleaguered beetle.
A flaming bolt slammed into the corrupted mukok’s face, the beast squirming in pain as the flames slowly burned into it. The others were running to the rescue, having taken down Tessel with their combined firepower.
“Nooo, Crunch Crunch . . . Help is coming!” Yendys yelled as the mukok ground her poor animal companion into the ground. The last of her poor pet’s health vanished, but instead of dying, the Band of the Swarm Lord around Crunchy’s horn activated. Crunchy burst into dozens of fist-sized versions of himself. They were identical down to the dyed shell colors.
“They’re sooo cute!” Yendys squealed as she watched the cute, tiny Crunchies begin to dig into the mukok, burrowing into and chomping apart the creature. The last of its health depleted and the party received the welcome prompt.
You have defeated Tessel the Foul Spore Dryad and her corrupted companion.
“Well done, everyone. That went exactly to plan, except for the mukok thing,” Jacoby said while catching his breath.
“Yeah, that was new, but Yendys did a great job keeping it out of our hair so we could focus down Tessel,” Kathala added.
“Poor Crunchy did good, even if he didn’t make it,” Smashem said, watching as the little versions of crunchy scampered about before the ability ran out and they vanished.
“He’ll be back in an hour and we can get him something special to eat at the inn. Let me see if that item dropped,” Yendys said as she approached the dryad’s body to check out the loot she might have dropped.
The Heart of Tessel: This heart appears to be made of wood yet retains the texture of flesh. A foul sludge drips continuously from the heart, and occasionally, the thing pulses as if it were still beating in the chest of the creature it was once a part of.
Quest Updated: The Swarm Lord’s Legacy. You have acquired the heart of the corrupted dryad Tessel. Locate the Shell of the Honored Companion that was once possessed by Samnul the Despised. Seek knowledge of its whereabouts.
“Thank you all for helping! Now I only have to find out where this old abandoned dungeon is . . . and I have no idea where to look,” Yendys said as the rest of the group finished looting and everyone made their way to the exit portal.
The group spent the rest of the day in Hayden’s Knoll, shopping and upgrading the equipment they could afford to. Yendys asked around with the merchants, but even Phineas and Eyeball had no idea where to look for the mysterious item. Sitting in the inn and enjoying a good meal with her friends before she had to log off, Yendys spotted a familiar figure walking toward the party.
“Hey, guys. Look over there. It’s the weird gnome guy that left the present for Smashem,” Yendys said, watching the young gnome approach.
Deacon, Engineer, Level 9.
“Hi, Yendys,” Deacon said awkwardly.
“Howdy, Deacon. What’s up?” Yendys asked.
“I have another delivery. This time it’s for you,” the gnome said, dropping a small scroll onto the table.
“I just have to know the story of how a gnome engineer got tied up with the sphinx Query and how you were roped into becoming a messenger. Come on, kid. Spill it. I’ll make you famous,” Nitor said, his eyes practically beaming. He knew there was a good story to be had.
“Sorry, I’m kind of a private person. I owed a favor to Query, so he asked me to deliver these two messages. He gave me exact times and a rough description of what you looked like. I’ve done my job and have to go now,” Deacon said before walking back out of the inn.
“Congrats, Deacon!” Smashem said to the gnome who just turned and smiled before heading out. The rest of the party looked at Smashem, wondering why he was congratulating the gnome.
“What? He hit level 10 once he delivered the letter. Didn’t any of you notice that?” Smashem said.
“That guy is kind of weird, isn’t he?” Yendys asked, not sure what to make of Deacon.
“No, he’s like I was. He’s just shy around other people. I remember feeling the same way before I started playing the game. I hope he finds friends to play with,” Smashem said. Yendys felt bad now for saying Deacon was weird; he was just another person who was finding his way by playing the game.
“Wait a minute, guys,” Yendys said before running out of the inn to catch the gnome.
“Hey, Deacon. Hold up!” Yendys shouted. The gnome turned and waited for her to catch up.
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t even thinking when you came up to me the first time. Do you have a group to play with? If you don’t, we’d love to have you join us. They’re a great group of people and are fun to play with,” Yendys said.
“Thank you for offering. Really, it was nice for you guys to offer to let me join up. I have some things to do in-game that need to be done solo. Maybe in the future we can group up if the offer still stands,” Deacon said to the group; the others had followed Yendys out of the inn to make sure she didn’t get into trouble.
“Okay, keep in touch if you change your mind. I’ve shot you a friend request so you can message us if you ever need someone to help with something in-game,” Jacoby said, sending a friend request to Deacon. The gnome hesitated for a moment, then nodded before hitting accept. The gnome then turned and left, waving as he went.
“Okay, he’s not a weirdo, just a bit shy. The engineer class sounds kind of cool. I wonder what he does,” Yendys asked.
“He’s not just an engineer. When he leveled, I saw that he got a new prestige class called Combat Engineer. That’s what made me notice,” Smashem said.
“Okay, so what does your message say, Yendys?” Kathala asked. Yendys opened the note and shared the text with the rest of the group.
Yendys,
I apologize for this intrusion. You see, the young lad Deacon was bound to do three tasks for me, and I could only really think of two that I needed him to help complete. I created this quest to deliver my message to you in order to help him fulfill his obligation. To compensate you for the interruption to your day, I’ll pass on a bit of information I have seen regarding your quest to become a Swarm Lord.
Wait.
That’s it: wait. Another will bring you what you require. Your quest is but one of many moving parts that must resolve themselves in their own good time. Say hello to the others who accompany you . . . I suppose I just said hello to them directly as I can now see that they will read this note along with you.
Farewell and safe journeys.
Query
“That was . . . unusual. I have to log out for the night. Catch up with you all again tomorrow?” Jacoby asked.
“Yes, and you prom
ised to take me shopping and show me where you found the dyes for Crunchy,” Kathala said.
“Sure, I’ll be on tomorrow after chores. See you later, everyone,” Yendys said before logging off. Query had told her to wait. Didn’t he know she hated waiting? She thought it was fine and all for a bazillion-year-old sphinx to be patient, but she wanted to get the class so bad she could taste it.
Chapter 18
Trey walked into the VA Medical Center with a knot of worry in his chest. Doctor Greenway had phoned earlier to tell him there had been another complication with his father’s health and that she needed to see him as soon as he was able. The doctor assured him it wasn’t an immediate emergency, but she needed his authorization for further treatment. After the call a couple of days ago about his father suffering brief cardiac arrest, Trey was nearly in a panic.
He entered his dad’s room just as they finished loading the medicines into the medpod. The technician and nurse Fran left the room to allow him some privacy to talk to the doctor. Nurse Fran gave him a motherly pat on the shoulder as she left.
“Hello, Mr. Raytak. Thanks for seeing me so soon. I didn’t mean for you to miss work. This could have kept until later,” Greenway told him.
“I know, you were clear about that, but, well, when I think about it over and over and after dad’s heart attack, I figured it was better to come to the hospital now. I had to deal with this . . . before I drove myself crazy,” Trey sputtered.
“The situation is serious, but your father is not in any immediate danger. Earlier, as you know, your father suffered cardiac arrest. The medpod and Clio brought him back and are repairing the damage, but it is now apparent that there is a limit to what they can accomplish.
“Your father needs a new heart valve. The AI confirmed it could have one fabricated by the nanobots and not require any surgical intervention . . . Fascinating that is now possible,” Doctor Greenway said, drifting into what Trey could only imagine were visions of new medical breakthroughs.
“Sorry, as I was saying, the AI is confident the nanobots can fabricate a new heart valve. The artificial valve design that Clio wishes to build is well-tested, and patients generally do fine with it. The valves last for decades and function just like the regular heart valve does.
“Our concern is that we would have to load the raw materials to create the valve in the medpod. Concentrations of liquified plastic will be injected, which the nanobots will break down and use to build the valve,” Greenway advised.
“I know you’re the medical professional here, but won’t injecting plastic into a body do some pretty bad things?” Trey replied, the panic he had felt mounting again.
“Injecting liquified plastic into someone’s bloodstream would normally kill them, of course, but the AI assures me the nanobots can handle the task safely by using an extremely slow release into the body via the medpod.
“I felt this went beyond the scope of what you agreed to for treatment for your father and I wanted to have your blessing before we tried anything new,” Greenway told him. Trey sat in the chair near his father’s medpod. The design still kind of creeped him out; it resembled a coffin too much for Trey’s taste.
When did enough become enough? How many times should Trey keep using machinery to keep his dad alive a bit longer? The only reason Trey had signed him up in the first place was to give Dad a chance to recover. A chance to spend a little time with his family . . . A chance to get to know his granddaughter. Then there was the type of man his dad had always been; he would gladly sacrifice himself to save the life of another.
If dad being part of the experiment helped others—and Trey knew that it had—he would gladly take living in a medpod for a time. The fact that he was in the game and apparently enjoying himself was also a consideration. Lauren had finally met her granddad and had got to know the man, even if he didn’t know her.
“Doctor, I only have one question. Would subjecting dad to the heart valve treatment have the potential to help someone else?” Trey asked.
“Most certainly. We’ll be monitoring the whole process and will learn so much about interacting with an AI for this type of treatment. I will add that your father is fine for now and may live for a while without this treatment, should you decide not to proceed. However, he is at risk for complete heart failure at any time if the valve is not replaced. As you are well aware, there is a limit to what the medpod can accomplish for someone,” the doctor confirmed.
“Do it. Dad would never pass up the chance to help someone else. If trying the procedure will help even one person in the future, Dad would want us to do it,” Trey said. He fell silent for a moment.
“I do admit there is a little selfishness in my decision as well. There is nothing more I would wish to do than to sit down with my dad for a long talk on the porch. I miss him and I know it’s unrealistic to think he will be perfectly fine soon, but I just want him back even for a little while. I want the medpod to bring him back to me, back to his family.” Trey felt a tear slide down his cheek as he looked at the unconscious figure of his father in the medpod.
“You’re the one that helped create the medpod program. You know as well as I that there are no guarantees that your father will come out of that pod healed and back in his right mind, but I pray that your wish comes true. I’ll keep you updated. We’ll start the procedure in the next few days, as soon as we iron out the process for sterilizing the liquified plastic,” Doctor Greenway said before leaving him alone to spend time with his dad.
Watching dad play in-game was exciting, but it didn’t seem real in some way. Knowing his dad still was missing most of his memory ate at him. Only his visits to his mother in-game had calmed his fears. She was happy and excited, as if the virtual environment she was in was real.
“Sorry if I’m interrupting. I’ll come back later if you want to be alone,” a gruff voice said from behind Trey. He was so distracted by his own thoughts that he didn’t even hear the door open. Turning around, he spotted Mr. Ty in his wheelchair with one of his sons pushing him.
“Oh, it’s no problem. Welcome. I apologize for not hearing you come in. I was a little distracted,” Trey said, standing to shake hands with the two men.
“Good to see you again, Trey. Dad was here for a doctor’s appointment and wanted to stop in and see his friend,” Ty’s son Nathan said. Trey vaguely remembered Nathan from the time back when he had visited more regularly. He was the son that had taken the reins of the family business when his father fell ill.
“Good to see you, too, Nathan. How’s the restaurant business?” Trey asked.
“Great. We now have nine locations in the state and hope to open a tenth if my oldest would get off his duff and help run the place,” Nathan said as Ty wheeled himself over to Trey’s father. Trey and Nathan engaged in some small talk, catching up on everything that had happened since Ty left the hospital.
Ty was doing well, and the doctors said he had no residual side effects from his time in the medpod. For all intents and purposes, Ty was healthy for his age and just needed to build up his muscles in order to get around a little better. Trey excused himself and left for the day. Heading home, he was emotionally drained from his visit but hopeful that his dad was recovering.
***
“You old Army puke, get better soon so I can have someone to pick on,” Ty said to the unresponsive form of Raytak in the medpod. His son stayed quiet while he spent time with his friend. Ty had only been out of the medpod for a short time and missed his only living friend.
“You ready to wheel me out, son? I think I’m about ready to head home.”
“Sure, pops. You still want to drive by the site of the new restaurant?” Nathan asked. Ty nodded as they wheeled out. He was glad to see his son had carried on with the restaurant. Ty had only known war during his time in the Corps, and finding a love for cooking later in life had been a blessing. His mother’s old recipes were a hit, and the Heapin’ Helpin’ Restaurant took off.
Before he b
ecame sick, Ty had opened a second location that Nathan started to run, following in his father’s footsteps. The trouble was that his grandson Lamar didn’t want to open a restaurant; instead, he wanted to become a professional gamer. Nathan was having none of it, and the two were butting heads regularly. Ty loved them both and hoped they could work it out between them; if not, he wasn’t opposed to knocking some sense into the two of them.
Ty looked out the window as they passed the corner that Nathan wanted to open the tenth location on. The spot was good, near an interstate offramp and between a business district and a residential district. The restaurant still served the same menu that Ty had started all those years ago. They specialized in home-cooking dishes that everyone could appreciate . . . except for the stuck-up food critics.
“That spot’s a winner, son. You know how to pick ’em,” Ty said.
“Learned from the best, pops. Learned from the best,” Nathan said as they drove home. Ty was staying with his son’s family. He and his wife stayed in a small guest house on a property that they had to themselves, but they were also only a few steps from the others. It was a surprisingly difficult adjustment to live around people again, almost like coming home after a deployment in the Marines. He rarely spoke with Lamar, who usually shut himself in his room, playing games. After being essentially trapped in one recently, Ty was happy with the real world.
Though he didn’t really want to insert himself in their business, Ty felt a need to reach out to Lamar and get his side of the story. Nathan was intense at times—a trait he inherited from his father, no doubt—and seemed to have a hard time reaching his son.
Nathan helped him out of the car, Ty choosing to use his cane instead of the wheelchair this close to home. He took his time, slowly making his way up the walkway. It ground away at him that he lacked the strength to do things himself. Needing help from others wasn’t how he had lived most of his life. Instead of heading toward his place around back, Ty continued up to Nathan’s front door.
Limitless Lands Book 4: Opposition (A LitRPG Adventure) Page 18
