The Accidental Mage:
The Orb of Agner
Constantine Noble
Copyright © 2017 Herrin Enterprises LLC
All rights reserved.
The next book in The Accidental Mage series will be released in late January / early February 2017!
For updates and sneak peeks, feel free to subscribe to my email list at http://eepurl.com/cwEJbf
k12
Table of Contents
Chapter 15
Chapter 27
Chapter 310
Chapter 412
Chapter 514
Chapter 617
Chapter 720
Chapter 822
Chapter 926
Chapter 1028
Chapter 1
“Jacob watch out!” Lorcan screamed as the ogre’s hulking club began its quick descent.
At the last moment Jacob narrowly slid to the side of the club, smirking over at Lorcan who was hiding behind a boulder. This was not the first time Jacob had fought level 5 ogres and was just showing off to his best friend. Jacob was a level 10 Warrior and had cut his teeth in this hidden ogre spawn area. He had brought Lorcan here hoping for more of the same… but Lorcan seemed petrified of the task at hand.
“Lorcan, the point of this is for you to get experience fighting with little to no risk! If you keep hiding back there you’re not gonna gain any gold.”
Jacob jumped over a low swing.
They were currently in a large cave with a small fire flickering in the middle. Giant boulders were scattered around which helped them sneak up initially. Lorcan wanted to put a plan together but that wasn’t Jacob’s style. He had chosen a damage dealing Warrior so that he wouldn’t have to worry too much about planning. The only plan Jacob mentioned while they snuck up was for him to distract the ogre while Lorcan got the kill. Lorcan was still learning how to be a Mage, unfortunately.
“You know I hadn’t prepared for this! I was supposed to be a druid! Everything I focused on up to know was preparing for their move sets and stats!”
The ogre looked around confused expecting to see the Warrior’s dead body. Jacob stood behind him with a bored look on his face.
“Just spam firebolt or whatever it is you do. For the hundredth time, it’s not my fault that you screwed up. Do you want the gold or not?”
The ogre jumped in surprise at Jacob’s voice to his rear and brought his fist back to strike at him.
“Fine…” Lorcan groaned. Stepping to the side of the rock he pulled his right arm back and harnessed a small ball of flames into his hand. He threw the firebolt with all of his might, while pulling back his left arm to repeat the move. One, two, three times the ogre was hit with firebolts as Jacob danced around the giant creature.
79 of 100 HP remaining.
To their dismay the ogre did not appear to be bothered much by the Mage and continued swinging for Jacob.
Why does this class even exist, Jacob thought to himself as the ogre was hit a fourth and fifth time with fire. He could take out this ogre in two swings at full health, while the firebolts always took nearly five times that.
A couple of minutes later the ogre finally came crashing down as a green light encircled Lorcan and disappeared.
Clap.
Clap.
Clap.
Jacob slowly clapped and in the most deadpan tone he could muster declared “Level 7. Congratulations. The virtual world of Hyperion’s Keep just became a more dangerous place for monsters and enemy combatants.”
“Shut up Jacob.” Lorcan grumbled as he approached Jacob and the defeated ogre.
Jacob gave him a friendly punch on the shoulder.
“Go ahead and loot him. You did all the work with those fancy fireworks of yours, all I did was some serious cardio. Too bad that doesn’t boost my DEX…”
Lorcan leaned over the body and inspected the loot. “10 gold, so that will be 5 for each of us. The club is worthless as are the rags he was wearing.”
Lorcan blinked.
“Woah… what is that?!”
Chapter 2
1 month earlier.
“Come on, let’s get going already!” Lorcan whispered excitedly to himself. No one in the 30 person classroom paid him any mind as they were nervously talking among themselves.
They was finally of age to join Hyperion’s Keep. All young adults who completed the necessary schooling through the age of 18 were allowed to take a test and join the government sponsored virtual game, Hyperion’s Keep. The Game (as it was sometimes referred to as) was one of the easiest ways to make real money. Growing up, this was all Lorcan had dreamed of and talked about. His best friend Jacob had passed the test a few months earlier and was spending all of his time logged in. Lorcan has just passed the test and all that stood between these students and being given their login credentials was a final class.
The door opened, and in came Instructor Morrison.
“Settle down, settle down everyone. I know you are all excited to finally get into The Game, so I will try to make this quick. Unfortunately the state requires me to go through these details so that everyone is aware of the risks involved.”
Morrison looked down at his notes briefly.
Lorcan tried to sit still, but his leg wouldn’t stop shaking. He wasn’t sure if that was subconsciously excitement or nervousness. He been studying the classes and decided on druid, and couldn’t stop fantasizing about which specialization he would go down. He knew he wanted to focus on shapeshifting, but couldn’t decide on whether being a tank or DPS dealer would be better. Jacob chose a Warrior, so either way would probably be fine…
Looking up Morrison continued. “First of all, if you die in the game, you die in real life. Never forget that. Just because it is virtual and ‘fun’ does not mean that it is not dangerous. The government has yet to figure out a way to fix this yet, so until that happens -if it ever does- you must play conservatively.”
The Instructor looked around the room, giving this well known fact more time to sink in. This is the reason why the government requires people to be over the age of 18 to join, and only if they are able to pass the government’s written test. Lorcan did not let this scare tactic get to him. The only deaths that he heard of happening were in PvP areas or when people were doing something dumb.
“Other players can only attack you in PvP areas, aka Player versus Player, so stick the PvE areas, aka Player versus Environment. Nearly all of the major cities are PvE so stick near them to keep safe. Another common tip is to stay grouped with others. This will allow you to see where they are on your in game maps, and allow you to share in the experience, gold, and loot of defeated monsters and mobs. If for some reason you need to venture into a PvP area, absolutely make sure you are in a group. This will keep other players from viewing you as easy money.
“On that note, you can only log out when you are within an Out-Zone. These zones can be found within all major cities and many towns. A few are sprinkled about in the wilderness as well, but don’t count on bumping into one when needed. Always make sure you know where the nearest Out-Zone is, as that is the only way to safely get out of The Game. Don’t ask a friend to just unplug you. If someone managed to make it past the barrier in real life to your body and unplugged you, there is a very real risk of death.”
Morrison cleared his throat.
“Moving on. Our great country, the United Territories of the West, was the first of the Three World States to implement The Game. Hyperion’s Keep has been a major source of our economy for the past 73 years and has led to economic mobility for our citizens. When you are logged in, any gold you earn can be exchanged for UTW Credits at the going exchange rate, which fluctuates from day to day. This
also works in the opposite direction, as you can deposit your UTW Credits into the game to gain more gold. We all know people that have chosen the virtual world over the real one and put all of their Credits into the game. I hope you all know better than to do throw away your life like that.
“When you are given your login credentials, you are able to join the game from any publicly hosted jack or can do so from the comfort of your homes. The jacks will then form a barrier around you to protect your real body from any possible outside harm. While plugged in, all of your nutrients and needs will be taken care of for a nominal rate of 5 UTW Credits per day. No need to worry if you run out of Credits. The government’s bank will just keep charging you and continue to put you in a financial hole. While not ideal, this will at least keep you alive as compared to the earlier ideas…”
After pausing for a moment, he continued.
“Finally, to the character notes. As you gain levels your health and mana will be replenished, but any feeling of exhaustion you have will remain. In the current version of Hyperion’s Keep the maximum character level is 100. Most people never make it to that point as it requires constant work and becomes more dangerous the higher you go. However, the stronger the mobs, aka the monsters you fight, the better loot and gold you will find. Something to keep in mind.
“When you first log in, you will choose a character class. This is permanent, so make sure you think long and hard on what kind of class you want to play. There are nine class options: Arcane Fighter, Bard, Cleric, Druid, Mage, Paladin, Rogue, Tracker, and Warrior. I won’t spend any time on these as there are countless guides going into detail on the different classes.”
The Instructor took a heavy breath and stared back at the class with a grave face.
“You all have heard these very real risks before, but I want to repeat them yet again. While you can find much financial success in the game, you could become financially ruined. While you can thrive in the virtual world, you could die in this one. Many great students before you died far too young while playing The Game. Please stay away from the PvP zones. Don’t venture out further than you need to. Always stay in groups. Don’t fight enemies who far out level you.
“Now come up one at a time, and I’ll give out your logins after you sign the consent form. Best of luck.”
Chapter 3
Lorcan walked down the vacant streets towards the nearest public jack station. The streets downtown used to be packed with cars and people going to and from work. Lorcan’s city used to be an industrial hub, but that all changed within a few years of The Game being released. Crime had decreased as the average population outside became mostly government officials and the police force. Children with their parents would occasionally come out, but most of the shops closed down and anyone who made real money moved to other parts of the United Territories. For all of Lorcan’s life the streets were mostly barren like today.
As he walked he could not contain his excitement and would suddenly break into a skip. He had been studying character sheets for the past few months and was excited to choose the Druid class. If he chose a DPS build he would max out his DEX (dexterity) and if he was going the tank route he would choose CON (constitution). He would probably throw in some WIS (wisdom) or INT (intellect) to help with any occasional healing.
He came around the corner and finally the 1407th Public Jack Station came into view. This one used to be a large train station, but with the decrease in traffic was converted to something more with the times. All along the walls were what looked like telephone booths, most with people sitting inside with visors over their faces. Some of the people had probably been in here for weeks or months, while other more casual gamers would just be here for a handful of days. As he walked down the rows of jacks he found the one his buddy Jacob was in. Jacob was leaned back with the visor on, a stupid smile on his face. Just wait until I surpass you in Hyperion’s Keep and we’ll see who the one smiling is, Lorcan thought to himself. The jack next to Jacob was free so he sat down there. Looking down at his arm where he wrote his login info, he put on his visor and logged in.
Getting to the initial screen after typing in his login credentials, Lorcan found the character class selection. This was the last step before finally being logged in and beginning the rest of his life. In Hyperion’s Keep, the character looks just like you so there are not many customization options initially, although some can happen later on for some gold.
The gear and weapon you start with depends on the class you choose, and will come with slight boosts to the stats used most by the class. Cycling through a few he saw that the Warrior has him wearing blue chain mail with a blue shield, the Druid has him wearing a green robe of what looked like bird feathers, and the Mage a simple brown robe.
Hovering over the Mage he chuckled. Every study and forum he ever read all gave the Mage class the same grade: F. There were no records of Mages reaching level 20 in the past 50 years. The programmers seemed to have setup the Mage as a glass cannon, which in a game of life or death won’t get many players to begin with. Add to the fact that the Mage spells seem very underpowered compared to the other classes and hardly anyone ever plays the Mage class.
Lorcan’s leg started to shake again as he was ready to switch back to the Druid and log in. He tried to take a deep breath and calm down. His finger sliped as the controller moved ever so slightly, and he clicked the “Log In” button next to the select arrow.
His eyes widened under the visor and his face turned pale.
“Uh… wait-” Dread filled his voice as everything goes black.
Silence.
Chapter 4
“Hello. Welcome to Hyperion’s Keep.”
Lorcan opened his eyes.
He was inside of a giant room with ornate paintings on the walls. Each was a grayed out figure that represented the nine classes. Next to him was an elf named Marcus Straightarrow. Just like it said in the guides, the NPC’s, or Non-Playing Character, had names hover over their head. If the name was green that means they had a quest, and if they were gray they didn’t have one. Marcus had a green name.
“Hey Marcus, is there something I should help you with?”
“Yes. Please report to the Mage training center.”
“Mage…?”
Lorcan looked down. He was wearing brown robes.
“I forgot! My finger slipped! Can.. Can you switch my class Marcus?!”
“I’m sorry, once a class has been selected it can not be changed.” He said, in a serene voice.
“I-i-it was a mistake!”
“I’m sorry, once a class has been selected it can not be changed.” He said, in the same serene voice.
This was going nowhere. Lorcan looked down at his clothes again. They fit him pretty well and weren’t as plain looking as he initially thought, with a crest of a dragon over the heart. Well, it didn’t look like staying here will make a difference, might as well move forward, Lorcan thought.
Outside of the building, Lorcan was stunned. The city of Drax was on the major cities in Hyperion’s Keep, and Lorcan had never seen anything like it. Thousands of people were walking around him, all decked out in various gear. Horses, giant lizards, and other mounts mixed among the crowd. Above him were massive skyscrapers, several larger than any building he has seen in real life.
Jacob knew the day that Lorcan was going to log in, and had told him to find a tavern called the Lame Duck on the North side of Drax. Checking his map, Lorcan noticed that a flashing green marker was just a few blocks away from the Lame Duck. He decided that he could meet up with Jacob first, and then go and get some training afterward.
When Lorcan finally made it to the Lame Duck he was… confused. All of the buildings he had passed by on the way were beautiful, filled with color and of varying gothic architecture. The Lame Duck was the polar opposite of everything he had seen in Drax so far. It was gray and brown, dark, and looked like it was falling apart. Why would someone purposefully program this location into the
game? And why would Jacob choose this as their meeting place?
As Lorcan pushed open the door a loud creaking noise echoed into the relatively quiet bar. The inside was dusty and dark. Low lighting from a couple of overhead lamps was all there was, which wasn’t very helpful when most of the people inside of the tavern were wearing hoods anyway. No one bothered to look up when the door opened, except for Jacob. He was sitting at a table in the corner and waving obnoxiously over at Lorcan.
“Stop dude, that’s so embarrassing…” smirked Lorcan as he came up to the table.
Jacob was wearing red armor and had a large sword sheathed on his back.
“Not as embarrassing as you being a… Mage? I thought you were gonna choose Druid!” k'12
“I uh,” Lorcan stalled. “Changed my mind at the last second.”
“Don’t you know Mage is the worst class? I literally haven’t seen a Mage before you showed up in the whole time I’ve been playing.”
“Let’s talk about something else. have you found any cool spots to grind for experience and gold?”
“Actually I have…”
Chapter 5
The two ordered a round of drinks from the bartender, who Lorcan noted was not the friendliest, and went back to their table. As Jacob and Lorcan caught up, Jacob telling him about his adventures so far and Lorcan explaining how he accidentally became a Mage, a short figure entered the tavern loudly.
“Good day, fine gentlemen and fair ladies!”
Lorcan and Jacob looked over at the newcomer. He stood approximately 4 foot tall and appeared to be made of pure muscle. A giant red beard hanging from his jaw rested upon a glistening golden breastplate. Even in the dark room, the dwarf’s armor seemed to shine with a bright aura. Lorcan looked up to see what ridiculous name he had, but there wasn’t one. This dwarf didn’t have a name floating above his head? How could this be?
The Orb of Agner Page 1
