by G. Akella
Naturally, I wasn't going to argue. Upgrading the armor pieces gifted by the dwarves, the two rings, the amulet and the shield dropped by General Korg, boosted my stats considerably, as well as my damage output. I took out the shield from my inventory and examined the monster scowling back at me. The cartoon-like wolf cub had grown, no doubt about it. Much like its owner. Upon analyzing my damage output more carefully, I sat there for a minute in silence. It wasn't long ago that I had thought that no player could ever rival an NPC in this respect, but I saw now how deeply wrong I had been. Now, sure, I was a unique case - there wasn't anyone else in Arkon with my gear and bonuses. And still, any level 400 player wearing rares should be able to dish out a quarter million damage per second, as long as you wore level-appropriate equipment and enjoyed some decent clan bonuses. I winked at the scowling beast, then put the shield back into my bag, and opened the character window.
Krian, Prince of Craedia, level 447
Race: Elder Demon III [human].
Agility: 1210.
Strength: 6244.
16,533 constitution [165,330 hit points].
Vigor: 787 [7,870 energy].
Intellect: 884 [8,840 mana].
Spirit: 884.
Achievements and Titles:
Godslayer
Friend of the Elves
Knight-Commander of the Order of Punishing Steel
Swordsman
Hero of Vaedarr
Legendary Warlord
Blood Brother of Trang an Kharg
Lord Yllial's Slayer
Archmage Altus' Apprentice
Liberator of Shackled Souls
Teiran's Slayer
Rgharg's Slayer
Nerghall's Slayer
Shaartakh's Slayer
Morgh Garng's Slayer
Saethdien Roa's Slayer
General Korg's Slayer
Schratt's Slayer
First in Erast the Great's Mausoleum
Ulrich the Zealot's Slayer
Marked by the Warrior God
Marked by Death
Marked by Hatred
First in Gal'verts Prison
First in Ghorazm Ruins
First in the West Wing
First in the Swamp Cave
Master Hunter of Iskhart
Atrylus' Slayer
Vanquishing Death
Master Kiyaret's Slayer
First in the Derelict Temple
Bonus to damage with swords: +2%
Bonus to heavy armor: +2%
Toughness: 70%.
Armor: 31,620 (95% physical damage absorption).
105% boost to physical and magic damage from achievements.
20% boost to physical and magic damage from titles.
44% boost to physical damage from equipment.
1248% boost to physical damage from strength.
57.60% chance to hit critically with physical attacks: 5% base, 6.05% agility bonus, 36.55% equipment bonus, 10% title bonus.
13.84% mana and energy regeneration in combat: 5% base + 8.84% spirit bonus.
13.84% mana and energy regeneration out of combat: 5% base + 8.84% spirit bonus.
8.84% HP regeneration out of combat: 0% base + 8.84% spirit bonus.
442% to spell power [except Chaos magic].
19.42% chance to hit critically with spells: 5% base, 4.42% intellect bonus, 10% rank bonus.
54.3% damage reduction from falling.
27,532 lbs carrying capacity.
Weapon damage: 4470-8940 [2682 Chaos multiplier].
Ice Blade ХXII - 1,918,036-3,116,810 physical damage.
Tongue of Flame ХXII - 1,920,746-3,121,212 physical damage.
Spear of Chaos VII - 166,800-211,200.
Blaze of the True Blood V - 21,340-38,720 per second.
If ever there was a time to seek professional psychiatric help, this would be it. All these millions... and this was before accounting for the bonuses from Max's party's titles and achievements or Ruination's hidden damage bonus. The formula remained the same: add the weapon damage to the ring damage, take that total and apply to it the cumulative percentage from the passive skills and achievements, then add the damage from the active skill to the new total, and finally, apply the bonus from the stat. After some quick calculations on my end to verify, I was happy to confirm that it all checked out. And considering that my every other attack would be a crit... On the other hand, no matter how strong you are, there'll always be somebody stronger. And in my case that somebody was my own wife. How's that for emasculation! Yet another reason to seek psychiatric help...
"I've been meaning to ask you..."
"Yes?" I quickly closed the menu and looked up at Lita, who had walked over soundlessly and was now standing over me. "What's up?"
A shade of doubt passed over the young woman's face. Then, with a shrug, she took a seat on the ground next to me and wrapped her hands around her knees. Gloom didn't even snort in response as per his usual self. Of course, if the razorback was half as tired as I was, Lita could dance a jig right on top of him for hours and he still wouldn't wake.
As my wife gathered her thoughts, I pulled on my pipe, exhaled, and reached for my flask. Bad habits die hard, especially when you've just escaped certain doom and had new and brighter horizons to look forward to.
"When we met, you didn't even hug me... Why?" Jaelitte sounded estranged as she stared at her nails. "Weren't you happy to see me?"
The new and brighter horizons suddenly grew overcast with storm clouds, and the cognac seemed to flow down the wrong throat hole. Shaken to my very core, I took another automatic pull on my pipe.
"What's wrong? Are you ill?" she asked with surprise.
"I'm fine," I said after coughing for a solid minute and wiping the tears from my eyes. "It's just not a question I expected from you."
Now how do you like that! The last thing my wife appeared to be was a woman wanting for male attention. No, she was as certain of her beauty as a thousand Hollywood stars put together, and that certainty was grounded on rock-solid foundation. But then what was this? Had I violated some hitherto unknown rules with my behavior? And at any rate, what was I supposed to answer her now? Well, when you don't know what to say, say the truth. This was a simple wisdom that I had learned early on in life. Lies can only do harm, and why bother lying to someone dear to you, anyway?
"I remember you telling me about how much you were waiting for me to-"
"Wait!" I stopped her. "Let me try to explain."
"Go on," she chuckled, sizing me up and down.
I paused for a few moments, then shrugged and proceeded.
"To be perfectly honest, I don't know how to act around you. I've only become a noble recently, and I've been way too busy to familiarize myself with all those rules and customs."
"What rules and customs?" she asked.
"Well, uh... We've known each other a long time now, but there was still no way for me to know how you would behave when you're free. You are a princess by birth, after all. It's not that I'm intimidated by that or anything, but when we're in public I assumed that some proper behavior would be in order. I just didn't want to offend you."
"Proper behavior is the last refuge of a fool," Lita sighed, shaking her head, then began to carefully examine her fingernails.
Argh! Women were the same in all realms. Oh, my manicure matters more to me than anything you have to say, but you had better tell me what I want to hear, or else...
"So that's what you think of me, eh?" my wife's tone became estranged again. "You thought I would behave like a lower one, disgracing myself and my husband? Well, I am disappointed!"
Her eyes are deep sky blue... I noted to myself, feeling slightly dizzy from the nearness of her lips and the subtle scent of her perfume. I felt a sudden aching in my chest, but the very next moment a tsunami of rage swept away any and all such absurd romantic notions. Yep, this is my life now.
"I never wanted to offend you! Forgive me..." I wrapped my
wife up in my arms, and before she could recover planted a hard kiss on her lips.
If her eyes wide with surprise were any indication, she hadn't expected this of me. I was breaking stereotypes left and right... Now, I was no expert in women's psychology, but I didn't need to be. When needing to change your woman's mood or even the subject from something unpleasant, you need only to pull something unexpected. And don't bother trying to act up to her expectations - that is always a grave mistake, as my behavior today clearly indicated.
"Easy!" Lita pressed her palms into my chest, pushing me back, then shook her head despite a smile playing on her lips. "This really isn't the best time, better wait till tomorrow. And I suppose your explanation is... accepted. At any rate, I wanted to you about something else."
"Oh? What about?" I arched my brow while returning her smile and thinking to myself that my demonic rage was truly a gift from above.
Any way you sliced it, having a trueblooded succubus for a wife made for one hell of a marriage. I reckoned this was what Robinson Crusoe might feel like if a production crew from Brazzers turned up on his deserted island and proceeded to do one of their shoots. Even back at my audience with Janam, I couldn't begin to imagine how men could stand being in her presence when she turned it "on." But with Lita, she wasn't even turning it on consciously - this was just her being her. Though her influence on me specifically was mitigated by my boundless reserves of rage, thanks to RP-17.
"I'll need head to my dominion the day after tomorrow to see my parents," Jaelitte continued in the meantime. "I hope that you'll allow me that?"
"Of course. Got to pay respects to mom and pop, how could you not..." I shrugged, and then the meaning of her words dawned on me. "Hold on a second... Did you just say 'TO MY DOMINION'?!?!"
"You know, dear..." Lita leaned back against the boar's heaving side, crossed her arms and looked at me with grave concern. "Though I do at times feel that you're my equal, at other times your stu... I mean, sometimes I wonder."
"Answer the question!" I literally roared at her.
Paying my feigned grimness no mind, Lita pursed her lips, gave a heavy sigh, and proceeded to explain in the tone of a teacher weary of dealing with a perennially underachieving student.
"You still haven't figured it out? The Netherworld now has eight Lords! Volcanic Ridge, Yssarean Swale, Lowlands of Temptation and Thousand Skull Coast - all that is my dominion. So don't you ever say that you got me without a dowry!"
"Wait, wait," I put up my palms, then rubbed my face with them as I tried to process what I was hearing. "Doesn't that mean you're going to have to be there? Because now you're the-"
She smiled. "My mother can keep the reins for a while without me, but I do need to visit with her first. And when I get back, we're going to start looking for the White Dragon."
"But why the day after tomorrow?"
"Because today won't work," she sighed. "I don't want to waste prana to travel to the Netherworld. And tomorrow..." Lita leaned in, wrapped her hands around my waist, put her head down on my shoulder and looked up into my eyes. "Tomorrow I will finally be able to commence with fulfilling my promise to you. I trust you won't mind that, dear?"
I flashed a big smile. "Mind? Not at all. But tell me something first."
"Yes?"
"Are you genuinely interested in physics?"
"Oh, that..." Jaelitte nestled her body closer to me, then nodded toward the crowd gathered around the campfire. "How else do you expect me to get them to like me?"
"You're serious?" I peered into her eyes. "Is that the only reason?"
She gave a light shrug. "Physics is kind of amusing, to be honest. And some of the laws actually work here. But to address your surprise, though I'm well aware of the abyss of differences between us, I was taught early on by my father about the importance of being a good and amiable ruler to our subjects. Think back to my last battle. Remember what I did before killing Shiekata? But you know I could have still escaped even with that mark on me. As for your friends..." Jaelitte gave another nod toward the campfire. "They're different from the men and women I knew before my initiation. They don't suffer from envy or obsequiousness. All they see in me is a friend and your wife. And that is a strange thing to me. Though it may be that I perceive them as such due to my closeness to you? Also, they remind me of my father's Throne Attendants. And seeing as Providence saw it to intertwine your fates as it had, both you and I will be needing to engage and deal with them for what I suspect might be many millennia. In light of that, why not be proactive in establishing good relations?"
I was quiet for about ten seconds, mulling over her thoughts. Then I smiled and shook my head.
"You're a little bit too perfect, you know that..."
"Don't rush to judgment just yet, dear," Jaelitte returned my smile. "And don't even think about relaxing."
"I wouldn't know where to start," I pressed my wife closer and kissed her gingerly on the cheek. "Even after everything works out perfectly, you'll never have to worry about me relaxing."
Chapter 6
"Dar, let’s ask your friend to give us some of those!" Reece suggested, nodding towards the two huge guardian trees watching over either side of the road. "They’re so cool! Plus, we wouldn’t even need to pick their apples. We could just hand them some sacks and they’d take care of it."
The trees were indeed impressive. Level 520 and nearly forty feet tall. Their greenish-brown, perfectly smooth trunks were covered with thick, slightly curved thorns. Both trees stared at the road with an empty gaze from their huge, unblinking eyes. But why the hell had they been planted here, three hundred yards from the southern gates of Ellorian? Did they serve some greater strategic purpose? Or had they taken up root here of their own accord? Perhaps the soil was unusually good?
But Reece’s fantasies were not destined to be. Without the magic of the Great Forest, these formidable guardians would be nothing but ordinary, relatively worthless hunks of wood. Then again, I didn’t know what wonders Max might be capable of these days. Could he bring a piece of the Forest to us? The seeds he had found - they had been transported before, after all.
"These trees don’t grow apples, and why the hell would we need trees with eyes, anyway?" Masyanya was quick to shoot Reece down. "To frighten poor unsuspecting folk? I almost soiled my pants when I saw them the first time."
Donut turned to give his wife a rebuke. "You’re an elfess, Masyanya. We’re friends with the trees. Or have you forgotten?"
"Those who are friends of the trees do not eat meat," the huntress shot back, then looked at Bonbon. "And they don’t eat in the middle of the night!"
"Masyanya..." the bald man joined the conversation. "What did you want a unicorn for, then? What unicorn would deign to be with a mistress who does not honor our traditions?"
"You wanted a unicorn?" Jaelitte addressed Masyanya, her voice showing a tinge of respect. "You can breed with unicorns?"
"Not that kind of want," Bonbon hurried to say. "She wanted one to ride. Just like she rides Do-"
Masyanya interrupted, fighting hard not to laugh. "Not that kind of ride. The kind where you saddle the unicorn and traverse terrain together."
The huntress glared at Bonbon, then shook her fist for good measure.
Bonbon let his eyes widen. "Does she use a saddle with you too, Donut?!"
"What else can I do?" Donut hung his head. "We don’t have a unicorn..."
From the side it was obvious how hard he was clenching just to keep himself from laughing. After what proved to be quite a stressful day yesterday, today we were all bantering as usual. And the prospects ahead of us were indeed bright, at least for the next few days.
"And I know somebody was going to get good and drunk tonight..." The huntress looked sideways at her husband. "Fat chance of that! Let this bald brat chase the dryads through the forest, all by himself!"
"We’re just kidding around, Masyanya!" Bonbon retreated. "It's just that you looked so sad, riding along like t
hat. So we tried to cheer you up. Maybe you're hangry and need a snack? If so, just let me know, I've got some to share..."
The huntress gave him a smile. "I’m sure you do. Your inventory has more food than the supermarket down the street ever had."
"Dryads? Where?" Reece butted in, unexpectedly.
Raena nodded at the city gates. "Once we reach the city, I’ll show you a dryad..."
"Ah, thank you," the mage nodded, returning to his thoughts.
I grunted. Ever since he had begun his new, unique profession, Reece had started slipping out of reality from time to time. These lapses were infrequent and brief, but noticeable. His personality hadn’t changed, and he hadn’t become that much more serious, but these new reveries... He had the soul of an artist, that much was certain. Thankfully, his skills hadn't suffered, so no one minded when he "froze up." The man had even started composing his own songs...
After the end of the performance, which, as always, involved general reconciliation and determination to capture some dryads, I slowed Gloom to a halt and turned to my wife, who was riding next to me.
"Lita, you should put on a disguise."
"No problem. But that trick won’t work on the guards at the gate. This city is under divine protection. Only Hart could get by, and I don't quite have his skills."
"Ugh, to hell with it, then." I shrugged and nodded at the line of about a dozen players waiting for entry at the gate. "We already look like the Mummers Parade, and when they see you..."
"I don’t know what a Mummers is, Roman," my wife replied in a private channel, "but I agree. If they recognize me, well, that’s their problem."
"Now, now, we agreed you wouldn’t cripple anyone on this trip, remember?"
"I wouldn’t think of it, darling! I’ll make sure my behavior in Ellorian is entirely appropriate."
Somehow, I wasn’t so sure.
Early in the morning, a half-legion of cavalry knights of Duke Kyarhat had ridden up to the destroyed Castle Rayne, along with a century of horsemen from Count d’Arysak. The duke and count had made the trip along with their troops. Yesterday, closer to noon, the prior of the Temple of Myrt had come running to the duke’s chambers to inform him that a huge army headed by one of the Ancient Gods had crossed the duchy’s southern border. An hour later - when the duke, stunned by the news, held an emergency military meeting with his no-less-stunned legates - the prior had come running and stunning again: apparently, Baron Ulrich Rayne had repulsed the attack on the castle and destroyed the titan, and one of the Lords of the Netherworld was involved in annihilating the invading army. The duke looked thoughtfully at the old monk (who on this day had likely broken every known world record for running distance), the monk looked at the duke, and the legates looked at them both. From Dylan an Kyarhat's own words, they stared at each other for three solid minutes, whereupon the duke drained three glasses of cognac, gave orders that his horse be saddled, and opened a portal to Tien Mahar, the main city in the southern part of the duchy.
