QUEST
Objective: Bring the stones to Witch Malghana and see what you can find out about them.
Rewards
+5000xp
Well, this quest isn’t going to go anywhere anytime soon.
The Black Witch being captured seemed to be becoming a massive roadblock in his adventures through the Underworld. Once Amy and Betsy were back and the Janitor left him alone, rescuing Malghana had to be one of the first things they had to do.
“What will happen to me now?” The old man asked in a low, hesitant voice.
“You are free to go as you please.” Zack took the rest of the stones and placed them into his Inventory.
“Free.” Codger looked around uncertainly.
“Where are you from?” Zack asked.
Codger signed. “I lived as a hermit aways north of here but goblins drove me from my home. I had lived there for many years, keeping to myself.”
The old man rubbed his back. “The whole Underworld seems to have become a bed of chaos in recent times. The men here told each other rumors of a strange type of creature out there somewhere, killing the Qui’irl, driving them from their homes. I heard some of the Chosen boasting of running off some the ratpeople, who were caught passing through this area as they fled from whatever is attacking their settlements.”
He shuddered. “The presence of Qui’irl out there in the tunnels, far from their homes, portends something bad looming just over the horizon.”
“Awe, shit.” Anita spat into the chest. “I just want to get back to the surface, not deal with this crap.” She glared at Zack. “Who cares about those stupid stones? We need to free Malghana so she can tell us how to get the fuck out of here and up to level 3.”
“We can talk about this later,” Zack said. He didn’t want to leave the Underworld just yet, not when he would be delivered right into the hands of the Oligarchy. The G Man said the resistance were working on freeing him, so he needn’t rush things until he had heard word they had his real world body in their hands.
He was going to get out of the Underworld, one way, or the other. Even if it took a little longer than he’d originally wanted.
Then again, the way things were going down here, it almost sounded like the whole place was coming down around his head. Maybe he should be looking to get the hell out of there or at least, close enough to the exit that if everything went to shit, he could quickly escape.
Was all this chaos designed by the developers? Or was it as the G Man had said? That the devs had lost control of the Underworld, meaning anything could happen.
Perhaps, all this conflict and factional warfare was purely organic. A sandbox, with little developer input.
Zack hadn’t truly grasped the full extent of what the G Man had meant. The Lower Underworld had felt more handcrafted than Middle. Anything could happen here.
That sounded damn terrifying. Things had already gone far off course since arriving here after killing the Guardian.
How much worse could things get?
Shoving those dark thoughts aside, Zack asked, “How good are you on your own?”
He didn’t like leaving the old man to his fate but then, what else could he do? They couldn’t port him back with them to the palace, and he sure as hell wasn’t going to spend two days getting back to the Drunken Fop when Amy or Betsy might be awake and wondering where he was.
“Well enough, if I have a weapon and some food. These men only caught me because I happened upon them as they were about to ambush a group of goblins. Knocked me out cold they did, then I woke up here.”
Zack handed the man ten meals. “Is that enough?”
The old man nodded. “I’ll find a weapon around here, no doubt.”
Codger waved goodbye to them then left.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Amy
Zack found Amy with Betsy’s head resting in her lap. She looked up as he raced over. “What’s wrong with her? I can’t get her to wake.”
In his excitement at seeing Amy again, he almost body slammed her as he wrapped his arms around her. “Thank god.”
She hugged him back. “Wow, you’re acting like it’s been ages since we’ve seen one another.”
He let go. “It’s been more than a week since I last saw you. You’ve been asleep.”
Amy blinked, then grinned. “Damn, you must have fucked my brains out or something and my body needed all that time to recover.”
“I wish it was something as simple as that.” He bit his lip. “Remember that man we went to meet at the Drunken Fop Tavern?”
She nodded. “Vaguely.”
“He did this to you and Betsy.” Zack filled her in on everything that had happened. Just as he was finishing up, Missy and Anita came into the room.
Amy frowned at Anita. “So, she’s on our side now?”
The orc woman snarled. “Not by choice.”
“Yes, she’s on our side.” Zack grinned at Anita. “Deep down, she loves us.”
Anita rolled her eyes. “Now what? Do we wait around for that asshole to send us on another mission?”
Zack hadn’t even thought of that. “I guess we rest up around here for tonight, then see what happens in the morning. I have some food to burn through anyway.”
She shrugged. “Whatever.”
After Zack had spent a moment with Betsy, trying to bring her comfort in her sleep, he decided it time he went and ordered more potions. Amy went with him as he went down to the apothecary station.
They were down to two health potions so he ordered eight of them (-96 food). Then he upgraded Margery so she could make stat food (-300 food) and then bought the Health Bread recipe (increases hit points by 50 for one hour) for a further 100 food. He ordered her to make ten of the Health Bread loafs that cost 20 food each (-200 food). There were other types of stat food, but all of them were more expensive.
And he still needed to upgrade the old woman so she could make armor and weapon kits!
Margery came down into the basement and looking down her nose at Zack, got to work. “I’m glad you’re awake, my lady,” she said to Amy.
“So am I.” Amy swooned against Zack. “I missed my dirty nights spent with this guy.”
The old woman shook her head. “I haven’t missed them. At least, I got some damn sleep with you women out of the picture and with him off gallivanting about, getting up to who knows what.”
“Hey, we’re not that noisy.” Amy grinned. “Well, sometimes maybe, but don’t blame us.” She grabbed Zack’s crotch. “Blame that thing.”
“Get out of here,” Margery snapped.
“Yes, Ma’am,” Amy said.
Zack took her away from the grumpy old woman and then found a secluded room in the palace where they could be alone a moment. Amy grinned when he shut the door to the kitchen. “I hope you don’t expect me to become the sexy palace scullion or something.”
“I’d rather you be the hot maid.” He took out the item upgrade he had found for her and equipped them on her using her character panel. She looked down at her new slippers and then her eyes shot back up to him, a mischievous grin on her face.
She raced over and kissed him, her tongue brushing against his. He spun her so she was against the wall and she lifted her legs and wrapped them around his waist.
Amy pulled her lips away and spoke in a low moan into his ear. “Make love to me. Just the two of us like we used to at the tavern.”
“Damn, I miss those days.” He unequipped their armor and put it into his Inventory.
She pressed her nipples against him. “I missed you.”
Zack took her right there, against the wall, her legs pulling him deeper inside her. Their mouths never separated, their eyes locked onto one another as they kissed.
Neither of them held back and soon they both came together, Amy’s nails digging into his back and drawing blood. The slight pain from the wound added to his pleasure and he let loose inside her, holding himself there until the gamey orgasmic
torrent forced him out of her.
When it was over, he carried Amy over to the sink and cleaned her up. As he rubbed her down, she watched him work. “I remember while I was asleep, I could still feel your love. Missy’s too. It was like it was part of my dream.”
“You were dreaming?”
How was that possible? Their AI was turned off, or at least that’s what the Janitor had said.
“I suppose I wouldn’t call it a dream.” She shuddered. “More like being trapped in a dark room, with no way out. Had I not been able to feel you and Missy out there…”
Zack hugged her. “It’s all right.” His heart ached as he thought of Betsy being trapped like that.
“You will get her back soon,” Amy said, as if she had read his thoughts. “I know you will.”
They reequipped their armor. “Let’s lighten this place up a bit.” Zack led her from the room and went out into the throneroom.
First, he bought three armor stands (-150 food) and erected them along the east wall of the throneroom. His inventory was filled with looted items they no longer needed, like all the excess mail stuff Anita had discarded. Once the armor stands appeared, he stacked them with the unused armor. Wasn’t like he’d get much for it if he sold it at the vendors, so it may as well decorate the place.
That out of the way, he turned his thoughts to other upgrades. Zack had a couple of trophy heads he had yet to use and the throneroom seemed like a good place to hang them. He sure as hell didn’t want the dead boss heads hanging in Missy’s bedroom, as having a giant fat demon and a giant human skull watching him as he made love to his harem was no way to turn a man on, he reckoned.
Opening the house upgrades menu, he selected ‘Decorations’ then ‘Trophies’. He had two trophies, the Guardian’s head and the head of Macbeth.
When he selected the Guardian head, the fluorescent green wire-frame image of it appeared before him. “Hey, what is that?” Amy asked.
“I am going to hang up the head.” When he walked near the wall, the wire-frame attached itself to the stone surface.
“That’s weird.” Amy watched as he confirmed the placement.
A second later, the Guardian’s head stared down at them from the wall, captured in all its ferocious glory, its tongue drooping from its mouth. “That sure will give Betsy a fright when she sees it.” Amy walked up and kissed the demon’s lower lip. “I killed you. And it felt good!”
Zack placed Macbeth’s head further along the wall. “Who was he?” Amy asked.
He told her about the fight. “Meh, sounds boring.” She took his hand. “You wanna go back into the kitchen for some fun?”
A confirmation message came up before him that Margery was done with the potions. “Damn it. We still have stuff to do around here.”
After collecting the potions from the apothecary station, Zack went back out into the throneroom and looked at something he had seen when he had placed the trophies. There was something called ‘Pet Pen’.
He selected it and a short note told him that if he spent three hundred meals, he could have an extension built at the back of the palace as a place he could store his pets. Margery would feed them and tend to their needs.
Zack rubbed his hands together, thinking of the miniature Guardian pet and the Miniature Greater Goblin and the Spirit of the Deep and how the old woman would have to look after them, including cleaning up their litter. She was sure to have a jolly good time of it too!
Margery walked up from the basement and gasped. “What the?” She glared at Zack. “I’m not dusting those things when I do the cleaning rounds. That will be your job, young man!”
Zack spent the 300 food and paid for the Pet Pen upgrade leaving him with only 223 meals in his Inventory.
Have fun, you old bat!
Chapter Thirty
Betrayal
Zack jolted awake, disentangling himself from Missy and Amy’s arms and sleepily getting to his feet. He equipped his armor, Anita and the two women doing the same.
They had all heard the boom outside Missy’s room. It had sounded like someone breaking down the palace door.
Zack moved to the edge of the bed, shield up. Anita moved to his left, Amy behind him to his right, and Missy remaining protectively near Betsy.
Heavy feet stomped through the throneroom. They sounded like they were heading toward the bedroom.
Giving hand signals, Zack instructed Anita to move to the left side of the door while he went to the right. When the intruders broke in, they would be attacked from three sides at once. Amy in front, Anita from the left and Zack from the right.
When Zack got into position, he held his breath, making eye contact with Anita. She had her faceguard down so he couldn’t see her face, but from the way she held herself, he knew she was ready for battle.
His heart raced his nerves on a razor’s edge. Never had he dreamed of being attacked in the palace.
Who could it be? The Janitor? The Chosen of Marius? The Guild of White knights? Had Sulfurion’s cult invaded this part of Lower Underworld?
Too many possibilities.
Suddenly, a Frostbolt struck him in the side. He cried out in surprise and pain.
-88 damage
His magical resistance had halved the damage but the slowing effects still took effect. Anita swore as she was frozen in place by Arctic Breath.
What the hell was happening?
He turned and found Amy pointing a finger at him. She fired another Frostbolt, then showered both him and Anita with Ice Storm.
Betsy rose to her feet, her eyes rolled back in her head. Her armor and weapon reequipped themselves as she shuffled toward him like a shambling undead.
“What are you doing?” He cried.
Missy buffed Amy and Betsy with Song of Fury, increasing their damage. Betsy charged forward, unleashing Blade Storm as she neared.
Zack cowered behind his shield as her whirlwind attack struck him in the side, though most of its damage was mitigated by his shield and physical damage reduction.
-94hp
While Betsy went to town on Zack, Amy blasted Anita with her magic, keeping the orc woman frozen and unable to attack.
Zack knocked aside Betsy’s weapon, then shoved her away with his foot. “Betsy, it’s me, Zack.” The Janitor had to be behind this. “Fight him, don’t let him do this to you. Fight him.” Zack’s heart ached as her face twisted with hate. “I love you. Please, stop.”
She charged him again, using Demon Strike and Gut Rip, the latter bypassing his shield and striking him in the belly.
-104hp
Did he dare fight back?
He blocked a blow on his shield, then took some AOE damage from Amy, her frost magic again slowing his movements. Amy had her summoned dragon out now, the little creature blasting Anita with its mini Frostbolts.
Anita’s health was down to a quarter and she used a health potion. Zack’s own health was near half and he hadn’t lifted a finger to attack.
He groaned under his breath. If he didn’t do something, his NPC harem women would kill him. Don’t make me do this!
Zack roared in grief, then struck Betsy with Demon Strike.
Inflicted 123 damage
The blow drove her back, blood running down her leg. “I’m sorry Betsy. Please, forgive me.”
She charged him and he popped Shield of Stone, waiting for her to run out of Stamina as she unleashed ability after ability on him.
-165 damage
He drank a health potion (+99hp), then smashed her in the chest with Shield Slam, sending her reeling back onto the bed.
Inflicted 91 damage
A thought struck him like an armored fist to the face.
Zack spun around, threw open the door, then used Rapid Advance. He charged out into the throneroom, seeing three figures standing near the center of the room.
The Janitor and his two dead-eyed henchmen.
With the rapid movement still in effect, Zack raced past the first giant thug, dod
ged the second and went right for the Janitor. The man nimbly leapt to the side as Zack swung at him.
Spinning around, Zack went after him again, but his Rapid Advance had expired and the man was too quick.
The Janitor was a Monk, with a Monk’s quick reflexes, plus the Janitor was max level. The black-clad man outclassed Zack in every way, except hit points and damage reduction.
If only I can get in a single hit! He dodged every one of Zack’s attacks, likely grinning behind his mask.
“Bored yet?” The Janitor asked, then knocked Zack to the ground with a Chi (temporary Monk DPS buff) powered Flying Kick.
-177hp
HP: 44/620
Zack tried to get to his feet, but one of the thugs pinned him to the tiled floor with his foot.
A moment later, Zack heard a piercing cry of pain and grief from back in the room. Heart hammering, he tried to see if one of the women had died but their health bars were all grayed out.
“Don’t worry,” the Janitor said. “I’m sure they are fine. Well, mostly fine.”
“I will kill you for this.”
“I’d probably kill me too, if I were in your shoes.”
Chapter Thirty-One
Threats
The Thug held Zack against the bedroom wall, the other held Anita. If one of them moved, the Janitor would order them killed.
Behind the black-clad man stood Amy, Betsy and Missy, their beautiful faces twisted with hatred. They had brought Anita an inch from death, but had stopped at the last moment.
Even now, Anita’s health teetered on the brink. Hers was visible to him now, though the rest of his harem’s remained blurred out.
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