A glowing spot for the gem appeared on the corpse’s forehead, giving a brief window to add the optional component. I did so, and the gem crumbled to dust as the soul energy was absorbed.
Congratulations! You have created your first soul infused minion. Using a soul gem during the animation process will result in a stronger minion. Additionally, using the soul of the creature to animate its own shell is even more effective.
The zombie rose to its feet and awaited instructions. Its eyes glowed the same green as the soul gem instead of the purple I was accustomed to, and its movement seemed more… organic than that of my normal skeletons.
I wasn’t sure if that had to do with the fact that the zombie still had flesh and muscle, or if it was due to the soul gem’s influence, but I didn’t really care.
After equipping the zombie with the gear I’d purchased, I did some tests to see how the zombie performed in comparison to my skeletons. As I expected, the meat puppet was much slower, trading speed for heartiness.
Satisfied with my choice, I bound the zombie as my last available minion and named him Hoss.
Ready for the next phase of my plan, I returned Gimli to skull form and headed towards the underpassage.
The sun elf manning the underpassage was surprised at my choice of destination but didn’t turn me away.
The portal was as I remembered. Five silver pieces to travel to the closest portal to the mine. It was another five silver for a small potion that I could smash on the gate on the other side to allow me back through, since there was no attendant on the other side.
As I passed through, I looked back to see the attendant shaking his head sadly. With the NPCs all acting like I was going to die, I was starting to feel a bit anxious.
The portal spit me out in an abandoned cave with little sign of any recent usage. Even the carved runes that made up the portal were worn and looked ill-used.
My anxiety already high, I cast Dark Shield on myself and summoned my full minion contingent. Hoss took the lead, his tower shield forming a nice wall between me and whatever awaited us outside. The three stooges followed behind, bows ready to open fire on anything that might appear.
I directed the zombie forward and followed close behind as we exited the underpassage and towards the surface. Darr had provided the coordinates of Sunken Forge which, according my mini-map was a short distance to the north.
The tunnel snaked its way to the surface, opening eventually into a narrow valley cutting through the mountains from east to west.
I breathed in the crisp mountain air and let out a sigh. Soon I’d be able to get my mining operation moving.
The sound of some rocks trickling down the hill drew my attention to the side where a large orc stepped out from behind a boulder. Its skin was the color of red clay and its tusks and musculature were almost half again as big as its forest dwelling cousins.
I focused on the orc and cringed as I read its bright red tag.
< Mountain Orc Scout >
I tried to creep back into the cave but we had already been spotted.
Faster than I imagined such a large creature could move, it reached over its shoulder and pulled out a javelin and launched it directly at me.
I directed my minions to run and headed back towards the gate and turned to run but barely made it a step before a flash of pain erupted in my back and the sharp head of the javelin erupted from my chest.
I fell forward as my health dropped to zero and my vision faded to blackness.
Mountain Orc Scout critically hits you with his Iron-tipped Javelin for 110 damage!
You have been killed!
You have lost 693xp due to the death penalty!
Orc Skeleton (Larry) has been dismissed!
Orc Skeleton (Moe) has been dismissed!
Orc Skeleton (Curley) has been dismissed!
Orc Zombie (Hoss) has been dismissed!
Respawn Time: 55 minutes.
Well shit, I thought. Guess I should have listened to all of those NPCs. Ah well, nothing to do about it now.
I’d have to go collect my skulls and then get the hell out of dodge, level up, and then head back once I was strong enough to deal with the mobs myself. The mountain orc was red, so it could be level fifteen or sixteen. One-shotting my fragile self wasn’t any big feat, but it being able to do it at range before I could use the aggro system to keep it off my back was a definite problem.
I logged out and did a quick search for the Sunken Forge. According to the game’s forums it was a zone for level fifteen to twenty.
The zone was named after the mine itself, which was a small complex that opened up into a dungeon on the lower levels. The mine used to be a thriving dwarven city before the entire place was drowned when a mine shaft collapsed under a mountain lake above, causing the entire mine to fill with water.
A mine with a dungeon full of soggy undead sounded like my cup of tea, and might even be a good destination to bring Cedric, Leilani, and Kelikk to later on for some good loot and XP. But first I’d need to level a bit more.
Ah well, I thought as my respawn timer ticked by. Might as well get some work done.
An early lunch and a backlog of work emails were more than enough to occupy my attention until it was time to dive back in.
***
40
It was early afternoon by the time I was able to get back into the game, having gotten lost in the endless rabbit hole that was an unattended inbox.
I forked over another five silver to the portal attendant, ignoring their knowing smirk and went back through the portal. Being as stealthy as possible, I crept up the tunnel and collected my minion skulls from where they had fallen upon my death.
My corpse was still lying at the end of the tunnel, propped up on the mountain orc’s javelin. I tiptoed over and tapped it with my claw and smiled as it dissolved into a small cloud of light that rushed into my body.
You have recovered a portion of the experience lost due to death! You have recovered 349xp!
There was a shout from somewhere on the surface and I ran, smashing the return potion against the gateway and hopping through the portal as soon as it was wide enough to fit.
I had a tough road ahead of me. I would definitely need to gain a few levels before I’d be able to return to the Sunken Forge and the iron it contained, and that meant spending my time adventuring for the next few days.
With the gold I’d made so far I had enough to cover the rental fee for the VR hardware and the subscription for the first month of game access.
Since I’d hit level ten, there was a risk of losing money should I die, so I decided it was best to settle those bills while I could. I initiated the currency transfer, watching three hundred and twenty gold disappear from my inventory as its cash value was deposited into my back account.
Operating expenses paid, every coin I made from then on would be pure profit.
Time to grind out some levels, I thought and headed to the Inn. There was a short line of other players waiting their turn to talk to the innkeeper, but it wasn’t that long of a delay.
When it was my turn, I stepped up and greeted the Lupin, “Hello good sir, I am told that you are the man to speak to about tasks in the area that need to be accomplished. Are there any available that would be appropriate for me?”
The innkeeper looked me over and rummaged behind the bar for a few seconds, returning with a small stack of papers. I scanned through the listings provided, discarding a bunch of random delivery quests that I knew would drive me crazy. The experience wasn’t even worth the time.
There were a few dungeon quests as well, but those would require a party and since I was currently running solo, I’d have to pass.
Note to self, I thought. Make sure to get the contact info for Kelikk, Leilani, and Cedric. They might be game for some more dungeon crawls.
After eliminating most of the pile I was left with three standard hunt and kill type quests, which were perfect for my current goals.
Phil Hammelson has requested aid in ridding his fields of an insect infestation. A nest of giant ants has popped up in his most productive field and stripped the crops and he wants them gone.
Criteria: Destroy the Giant Ant Drones (0/30)
Reward: 200xp, 3 gold, Traveler’s Waybread
QUEST ACCEPTED: Something’s in There!
Adventurers have reported strange sounds coming from within a large cave in the woods to the west. A scout was sent in but never returned. Search the cave and remove any threats found within.
Criteria: Clear out the cave.
Reward: 400xp, Random Magical Trinket.
QUEST ACCEPTED: More Bandits!
A small band of bandits was spotted in the northern woods attacking travelers. Their latest attack was on a small caravan where they captured the daughter of Samel Herrington, a local jeweler. Master Herrington has offered a substantial reward for her return.
Criteria: Rescue the Jeweler’s daughter.
Reward: 400xp, 10 gold and a personal boon from Master Jeweler Samel Herrington.
I headed out of the inn and opened my map to view the newly added quest markers.
The bandits and mysterious cave were west of town while the farm was to the east. They were all about the same distance away, so I decided to start with the farm and then loop around. Plus, that route would give me a chance to grab the graveyard buff for my minions on the way.
But first I needed to stock up. My new Soul Mastery skill needed gems to work. I headed to the auction house first and did a small search for cut gems and cringed. They were damned expensive.
The lowest gemstone, Malachite, which usually sold for close to three gold a piece in the rough were nine gold when cut, and I only had about twenty gold left after settling my bills.
I searched for other listings, hoping there would be someone trying for a quick buck and underpricing their items, but the best I could find was a pair of Rough-cut Malachite for sixteen gold.
Grimacing, I bit the bullet and bought the gems, hoping it would be worth the expense in the long run, and then made my way out of town.
I made a slight detour to the graveyard and summoned Hoss and the Stooges for the graveyard buff before continuing on to the Hammelson farm.
When we arrived at the farmhouse, an older man was pacing in front of the house as if waiting for someone but as soon as he caught sight of us he ran back into the house and slammed the door behind him.
With a sigh, I approached the door and knocked. “Mr. Hammelson? I was told you needed some help with your fields.”
The door opened a crack and the man peered out at me with a wary look.
I gave him a toothy smile and continued, “Where are these ants?”
The door opened a little more and he pointed towards the fields to the northeast of the farmhouse, not saying a word, but the quest markings on my map updated to show several small areas off in that direction.
Giving a nod of thanks to the silent farmer, I followed the markings into the fields. A tall, corn-like crop that reached high above my head covered most of the area, limiting visibility.
I followed Hoss as he pushed his way through the stalks, emerging into a veritable wasteland.
Torn up crops littered the area. Corn stalks had been ripped from the ground and dragged towards a large mound of loose dirt where a large ant the size of a cow was currently stuffing a bundle of stalks into a hole at the top of the mound.
There was only one ant on the outside of the hill that I could see, but that was no guarantee that it was alone. Its nametag was white, so it would likely be an even fight. But I’d be surprised if there weren’t any more ants in the area just waiting for some new prey to come along.
Bugs typically had a tough carapace that would serve as pretty decent armor. Bows were probably useless against the hard carapace, but maces should do swimmingly.
I directed the stooges to arm their maces and get ready to attack. I ordered Hoss forward, having him bang his shield with his mace to draw the ant’s attention.
The insect dropped its bundle of plants and reared back, raising its forelimbs threateningly before charging at the zombie.
Hoss raised his shield and braced himself, catching the full force of the blow on his tower shield. He slid back through the loose soil and lost a small sliver out of his health bar.
In response he brought his spiked mace down on the ant’s thorax, crashing through the hardened chitin and taking off almost thirty percent of the insect’s health in one shot.
The bug let out a loud chittering screech and more ants swarmed out of the anthill in our direction.
The stooges rushed forward and met them halfway, laying into the horde with wide swings of their giant maces, bashing the giant ants’ carapaces with each blow.
I cast Cripple on the first ant and then followed up with Rot, prepping for my first casting of Miasma which turned out to be the easiest spell I’d encountered so far.
With three quick gestures of my primary hand the spell took hold. A pulse of purple light radiated from my target, spreading outwards and into the ants within arm’s reach of my target, afflicting them with the same debuffs as the first.
The debuffs did their work, giving my minions an even greater advantage as they went full murderhobo on the insects.
The skeletons didn’t get off completely unscathed. The giant ants were able to find the gaps in the skeletal minions’ armor without that much trouble. Larry suffered some serious damage before he was able to finish his target and Moe was almost torn in half by a pair of more aggressive drones. Only a timely intervention by Hoss saved me from having to replace the minion.
In the end, ten giant ant corpses littered the field, their chitinous bodies in various states of crushed.
You have killed 10x Giant Ant Drone! You have gained 500xp!
QUEST UPDATE - Destroy the Giant Ant Drones (10/30)
I rushed over to the last ant corpse, grabbing one of the gems from my bag as I triggered Dissection.
Dissection Options: Carapace, Acid, Pincer, Meat.
There was no soul option, which did make a certain kind of sense. Bugs weren’t exactly known for their soulful nature, after all.
With a shrug, I toggled the option to dissect everything and then repeated the process for all of the corpses, netting seven pieces of Ant Chitin, twelve doses of Minor Ant Acid, eight chunks of Ant Meat, and three Giant Ant Pincers, as well as the small XP gain for each Dissection.
When the last Dissection completed, there was a rumbling underfoot, putting me on guard.
I shifted nervously for a bit but nothing else arrived to attack. Instead, the mound sank back into the ground, leaving almost no trace of its existence and the marker on my map disappeared.
The nearest marker was two fields away, giving me time to recast my personal shield and repair my minions on route.
Mend Bone had no effect on the injured zombie, which worried me for a second before I remembered one of the bonus abilities of that form of undead: Cannibalistic Healing.
I grabbed a hunk of the ant meat from my bag and handed it to the zombie tank. As soon as he had the flesh in his hands he went to town, biting and swallowing mouthfuls of meat in a single gulp. The sounds were just… disturbing. I looked away, focusing on his health bar in the interface that was climbing with every gulp.
Three chunks of Ant Meat later and he was good as new.
For the next marker I approached more cautiously, unsure of the number of ants that would be present on the surface. This field had two drones stripping the field of its crops while another, larger ant stood nearby.
I scanned the new ant and its name popped up in yellow.
< Giant Ant Soldier >
I lined up my minions to attack, wanting to focus on the soldier first since we didn’t know what it could do.
Every so often the drones would disappear back into the anthill, draggi
ng their stolen crops below. As soon as the soldier was alone in the field I struck, using a Necromantic Bolt to pull.
The dark energy blasted into the soldier’s carapace, dropping its health by twenty-five percent. The ant charged towards me, mandibles double the size of the drones’ clicking in agitation.
As it got closer, I spotted another addition: a viscous green liquid was seeping from its maw to coat its mandibles.
Hoss collided with the ant’s flank as it rushed in, his mace soon joined by those of the skeletal minions.
Beset by on all sides by mace wielding undead, the ant ceased its efforts to get to me and focused on his attackers.
A snap of its mandibles clipped Larry’s arm off at the shoulder, rendering him unable to wield his two-handed mace for the rest of the fight.
Frowning, I ordered the disabled minion to retreat and blasted the soldier with another bolt, finishing it off just as the first drone exited the hill.
I pointed my staff at the soldier’s corpse and used one of my charges of Create Undead on the bug, trying to create another zombie. A dark purple pulse emerged from the staff and surrounded the corpse but then fizzled out with no effect.
Create Undead Failed! Insufficient Minion Pool to create: Zombie. Current Pool [9/11]
“Damn it!” I exclaimed. I’d wasted a charge. I’d have to raise my skill level if my plan for spontaneous minion creation was going to work out, especially when solo.
The drones poured out of the anthill and raced towards my minions, clicking and clacking their mandibles.
I got to work, casting Cripple and Rot on an ant in the middle of the swarm and then hitting it with Miasma just as the front ranks collided. The ants clustered up just as the wave of necromantic energy pulsed out from patient zero, spreading the afflictions to most of the troop.
Larry was standing off to the side, useless, just taking up pool points for no reason.
Duh, I thought to myself. I directed Larry to pick up his arm and then dismissed him, freeing up enough of my minion pool to raise a ghoul.
I used another of the stored Create Undead spells from my staff, watching as the magic transformed the soldier’s body into something out of a nightmare.
Extra Credit Page 29
