Viridian Gate Online: The Jade Lord: A litRPG Adventure (The Viridian Gate Archives Book 3)
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Belt of the Benevolent
Armor Type: Medium; Obsidian Belt
Class: Ancient Artifact; Set Item
Base Defense: 43
Primary Effects:
Strength Bonus = .75 x Character Level
Constitution Bonus = .75 x Character Level
20% Resistance to Slashing Damage
Secondary Set Effects:
+10 to all Resistances per set piece worn
All Spell Costs are reduced by 20% (2 pieces)
+1 to Class Specific Skills (3 pieces)
The Belt of the Benevolent, hand forged by the Jade Lord, Nangkri, and imbued with a small part of his soul, radiates authority and power.
∞∞∞
Amulet of the Benevolent
Armor Type: Medium; Obsidian Amulet
Class: Ancient Artifact; Set Item
Base Defense: N/A
Primary Effects:
Intelligence Bonus = .75 x Character Level
Spirit Bonus = .75 x Character Level
20% Resistance to Piercing Damage
Secondary Set Effects:
+10 to all Resistances per set piece worn
All Spell Costs are reduced by 20% (2 pieces)
+1 to Class Specific Skills (3 pieces)
The Amulet of the Benevolent, hand forged by the Jade Lord, Nangkri, and imbued with a small part of his soul, radiates authority and power.
∞∞∞
Wow. I closed out. These pieces were almost identical to the original set—just better and crafted from gleaming black obsidian instead of yellowed bone.
“I can see you’re pleased,” Nangkri said with a grin, “and rightfully so. But that is not all. I have one final gift to offer you as a token of my profound appreciation. The Horn of the Ancients belonged to Isra Spiritcaller, one of the greatest chieftains of the Maa-Tál to ever live. She was also my great granddaughter. I would like you to keep her horn. Inside the sacred glade, it can be used to open the gateways to a host of different realms. However, it can also be used outside of the sacred clearing. Blow on it when in trouble, and my brothers and I will answer the call, appearing to do battle on your behalf. Be warned, though, the horn will only do so once.”
Quickly, I pulled up my inventory and accessed the horn, rechecking its properties:
∞∞∞
Horn of the Ancients
Weapon Type: Relic; Horn
Class: Ancient Artifact
Primary Effects:
Blow on the horn to open the seven nexus stones located in the Sacred Glade of the Dark Conclave.
Secondary Effects:
Blow on the horn outside of the Sacred Glade of the Dark Conclave to summon the Jade Lord and his brothers into battle for (1) hour. This ability can only be used once!
The Horn of the Ancients, once wielded by the mighty Dokkalfar Chieftain, Isra Spiritcaller, is said to have been forged in the belly of Svartalfheim by none other than Eitri Spark-Sprayer, godling of the Forge. Legend holds that one of great worth may call the heroes of old from the Halls of the Dead to fight on their behalf …
∞∞∞
Sure enough, the two previously locked effects were now available to me. I closed out the screen, turning my attention back on Nangkri.
“Fare thee well, Grim Jack,” the spectral Jade Lord said, offering me a thin, tight-lipped smile full of regret. “Be a better man and a better leader than I was.” He turned away, then he and his brothers strutted toward the columned Acropolis, fading and vanishing as they walked. Disappearing from one blink to the next.
“Jack,” Abby called as everyone rushed toward me, their expressions flashing between bewildered and astonished in turns. “What in the world just happened? Seriously. I am so freaking lost right now …”
I was on the verge of answering when my personal inbox pinged with a new message. Without even looking, I knew exactly who it was—the only person it could be, really. Osmark.
∞∞∞
Personal Message:
Jack,
I genuinely hoped you could be reasoned with. Obviously, I was mistaken. You’ve made yourself a nuisance once too often, and now you’ve left me with no choice but to eradicate you from the face of the map and find a new puppet to head the Rebellion. Prepare yourself, Jack. You have ten days. I’ll see you on the battlefield.
Best Regards,
Robert Osmark, High Emperor of the Viridian Empire
∞∞∞
I closed the menu and exited out of my interface, deeply disturbed by Osmark’s message. We’d won the day, despite all the odds, but this was just one battle in a much bigger war. And now? Now that war would be marching toward us with the tech genius Robert Osmark at its head.
“What happened,” I replied to Abby’s question, breaking into a small grin, “is that we just rolled the dice and won big. Huge. But our win is only going to buy us a little time. We’ve got ten days to come up with a way to beat Osmark and an army twenty times larger than ours.” I rubbed my hands together in anticipation. “So, let’s get planning ...”
Books, Mailing List, and Reviews
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About the Author
Hey all, my name is James Hunter and I’m a writer, among other things. So just a little about me: I’m a former Marine Corps Sergeant, combat veteran, and pirate hunter (seriously). I’m also a member of The Royal Order of the Shellback—’cause that’s a real thing. I’ve also been a missionary and international aid worker in Bangkok, Thailand. And, a space-ship captain, can’t forget that.
Okay … the last one is only in my imagination.
Currently, I’m a stay at home Dad—taking care of my two kids—while also writing full time, making up absurd stories that I hope people will continue to buy. When I’m not working, writing, or spending time with family, I occasionally eat and sleep.
Dedication
Well, this one’s for me—for me and the future.
Special Thanks
I’d like to thank my wife, Jeanette, daughter, Lucy, and son, Samuel. A special thanks to my parents, Greg and Lori. A quick shout out to my brother Aron and his whole brood—Eve, Brook, Grace, and Collin. Brit, probably you’ll never read this, but I love you too. Here’s to the folks of Team Hunter, my awesome Alpha and Beta readers who helped make this book both possible and good:
Dan Goodale, eden Hudson, Heather Copeman, Megan Meyers, Amber McKee, Noah Sturdevant, Mark Robbins, and Bob “Gunslinger” Singer. They read the messy, early drafts so that no one else had to; thanks guys and gals. Another big thanks goes to my ironically-hipster writing buddies, Amanda Robinson, Kelsi Martin, Brian Howard, and Meagan—the best sounding board on the planet. And I can’t possibly forget all of the fantastic readers and writers hanging out at all the various litRPG groups out there. And of course a big thanks to my editor, Tamara Blain who, as always, rocked this book (if you need editing, go to her, she’s seriously awesome: www.acloserlookediting.com/).
—James A. Hunter, June 2017
Copyri
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Viridian Gate Online: The Jade Lord is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2017 by James A. Hunter and Shadow Alley Press, Inc.
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, email the publisher, subject line “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at the email address below.
JamesAHunter@outlook.com