by Jamey Sultan
The smile faded from the innkeeper’s face, and he shook his head. “Please leave my establishment.”
“Wait, please, I’m sorry,” James said, still holding back a struggling Arik. “He’s never met an Orc before.”
The innkeeper shook his head. “If you don’t leave peacefully, I’ll have to call for the guard.”
Nidra stepped forward, holding her hands out. “Look, we’ll leave if you want us to, but we haven’t had a proper place to sleep in a long time, and my friend here… well, let’s just say I’m pretty sure he’d lose a battle of wits to a rock.”
While she was talking to the Orc, James had finally calmed Arik down. He turned to the innkeeper, who was smiling at Nidra’s joke. “Will you let us stay if he apologizes?”
The innkeeper thought for a second, then nodded. “I will, but if he causes any trouble, then I’m throwing you all out and calling the guard.”
“That’s more than fair,” James said, pushing Arik forward. “All right, apologize.”
“Sorry,” Arik mumbled.
The innkeeper gave him a hard look but didn’t say anything. It was then that James noticed the entire crowded common room was staring at them. He waved, trying to show them the show was over. “Sorry about that. My friend is an idiot.” He turned back to the innkeeper. “How much for a meal and a room for the night?”
The innkeeper thought for a second. “A gold will cover the room for the night, along with breakfast and dinner.” Arik pulled a gold from his bag and handed it to the innkeeper, who hesitated but took it. He gave them all keys. “Room 12. Dinner starts in an hour.”
As he turned to go, James called out, “Wait.”
The innkeeper stopped and turned slowly as if he half-expected James to attack him. “Yes?”
“I was wondering if you could tell me where Katherine’s Apothecary is,” James asked, pulling out the flyer.
“Oh yeah, she’s new to town. You can find her store by the hunter’s district.” He gave James a list of complicated directions.
James thanked the innkeeper and then asked his companions if they wanted to join him, but they didn’t. Both of them were tired and wanted to relax until dinner. He left with instructions to order him dinner if he did not return in time, then headed out toward the apothecary.
***
Katherine’s Apothecary was in a dingy, quiet part of town. There was a decorative archway with flowers woven through it outside the door. Through the windows, he could see stacks of dried plants along with a row of strange metal instruments that he’d never seen before. He arrived just in time to see a woman inside locking the door.
Name: Katherine Em
Race: Human
Level: 74
Class: Alchemical Engineer
Katherine looked to be about twenty-eight years old—younger than he’d thought someone of her level would be. Her brown hair was wound in a tight bun, and her green robe decorated with multicolored floral trim, but it was her class that had James interested. He wondered what an Alchemical Engineer was. Maybe she created potion recipes? Whatever it was, it sounded cool.
He knocked, but she shook her head and gestured to a closed sign visible through the glass door. He took out the flyer and gestured at it, trying to explain that he wasn’t there to buy anything.
She looked confused for a second, and then recognition lit up her eyes and she unlocked the door. The cat that had been sleeping on the counter jumped as the bell rang, then glared at them before padding over to a wooden crate and settling back into its nap with one eye open, its tail swishing lazily.
“Sorry about that. You don’t know how many adventures I have to deal with who try to get in as I’m closing.” She sighed. “You’re here about the flyer?”
“Yeah,” James said.
You have completed the quest: Help Wanted I
+ 2 experience
Ignoring the minuscule experience reward he’d gained from completing the quest, James continued. “The quest looked interesting, and—” He stopped speaking as she shook an alchemical globe to light the room. James stared wide-eyed at all of the newly revealed merchandise.
Half of the store was filled with what he expected, herbs, potions, and ingredients, but the other half was filled with strange constructs that looked like they belonged in a steampunk novel. Leaving his sentence unfinished, James picked up an item from the counter. It was a metal ball made from a fine steel mesh with a grinding mechanism in the center. The button at the top made it look like a Pokeball mixed with a pasta strainer.
Essence Extractor:
Rank: Rare
You have no idea what this does.
James blinked at the description. He had no idea why his notifications sometimes told him information he didn’t know, sometimes insulted him, and were sometimes utterly unhelpful. It was both amusing and annoying at the same time. Right now, it was annoying.
“What is this?”
Katherine sighed. “Look, if you’re not here for the quest, then you can come back tomorrow during business hours like everybody else.”
“No, sorry about that,” James said, putting down the Essence Extractor. “I’m listening.”
She laughed. “It’s all right. Truth be told, it’s nice to see someone so curious about my work. My shop is a bit out of the way, so I usually only get customers who already know what I do.”
“What do you do?” James asked, taking the hint.
“I’m an Alchemical Engineer,” she said proudly. “I create mechanical constructs to assist and automate certain steps in the potion-making process.”
“That sounds awesome.” James said. “So you—”
She shook her head, cutting him off. “I’ll tell you what. I’m busy tonight, but if you complete my quest, then I’ll answer all of your questions.”
“What can you tell me about the quest?” James asked. He’d already been excited about the quest because of the feeling he’d gotten when reading the quest flyer. He’d recognized the feeling as his Sixth Sense Skill at work, but now he was even more excited. The promise of cool alchemy techniques was enough of a quest reward on its own for the quest to probably be worth it.
“What level are you?” Katherine asked, seemingly out of the blue. It reminded James once again that most people didn’t have anything close to as comprehensive as his Death’s Stare Ability. Other observation-based skills were usually pretty specialized and didn’t show nearly as much information as his did. Once again, he wondered how he could upgrade the Ability. It had been greyed out ever since he arrived on Novis.
“I’m level 24,” James replied. “But I’ve got a pretty powerful class and a few friends to help me with whatever you need.” He hoped Arik and Nidra wouldn’t mind him volunteering them for this quest. If it sounded too dangerous, they could just decide not to do it.
Katherine thought for a moment, then sighed. “There is a grove nearby that belongs to an Elf named Tevar. I purchase most of my potion ingredients from him. He had been growing something special for me, an Enhanced Legendary variant of a beet.”
“A beet?” James asked, not sure if he’d heard right. “Like the food?”
She gave him a strange look. “I’m not sure we’re talking about the same ingredient. Beets are most certainly not edible… at least if you want to live. They are, however, potent sources of Eldritch energy.”
James didn’t think her explanation was particularly fair. Personally, he liked beets. Still, they were probably different in this world.
She continued, “As I was saying, he had been growing a special Enhanced Legendary variant of beet for me, but over the past month, he’s changed. He’s become more secluded, cutting off contact with me two weeks ago. This is worrisome, as Eldritch magic is strongly connected to the spiritual realm, and high concentrations can invite interference from powerful specters. So, I went to check on him. When I arrived at his grove, something was wrong. It had been corrupted by a malevolent force.”
&nbs
p; “So you want me to go and find your beet?” James asked.
She nodded. “And rescue Tevar if you can.”
“Why can’t you do it? You’re a much higher level than I am.”
“I haven’t specialized in any combat skills whatsoever,” she said. “Even with my level, you would be much stronger than me in a fight.”
James wondered how she’d gotten enough experience to level to 74 without combat but didn’t ask. Instead, he asked, “On the flyer, it says that I can have a dose of the potion? What is the potion?”
“I’ll be modifying an already existing potion called the Class Enhancement potion. Normally, the potion would increase your chances of gaining powerful classes by a small amount. But, with a few modifications, I think I’ll be able to create an even more powerful potion. Something that could even give you an Epic or Legendary class choice.”
James thought about that. His current class was already Legendary. Chances were, if he took an enhancement potion, he’d probably get offered something truly powerful.
She saw him debating this and added, “I wouldn’t ask someone of your level to do this if it weren’t an emergency. With all the adventurers around, though, I’m worried someone else might get to it first.”
You have been offered a quest: Help Wanted II
Help Wanted II: Retrieve THE BEET from Tevar’s Grove.
Suggested level: 24
Reward: A powerful potion.
Penalty for failure or refusal: Loss of reputation with Katherine Em.
James grinned, still lost in dreams of powerful magic. “I’ll do it,” he said, accepting the quest.
Chapter 33
“You’re an asshole,” Nidra grumbled as they fought their way through the tangled undergrowth.
It was the day after James had talked to Katherine. He’d returned to the inn just in time for dinner the previous evening and talked Nidra and Arik into staying at Cherryhall for an extra day to help him with his quest. They’d argued against it at first, but James had pointed out that Tyrfing was probably helping Lucien powerlevel, and that they’d need to work hard to keep up with him level-wise as they chased him.
They were following a map Katherine had given him that led to Tevar’s Grove. According to her, this should have been a hard-to-find but easy-to-follow trail. It wasn’t. Rather than a clear path, James could only see the remnants of packed earth hidden by a thick growth of thorny plants. He could see Nidra ahead of him covered in thorns.
After hacking their way through what felt like miles of plants, they reached a shadowy archway made from dark purple vines that slowly undulated around each other like a living thing. James could feel a presence somewhere beyond the archway and he shivered.
There was something there, and it knew they were coming.
You have gained 1 Skill Rank in Sixth Sense.
You are now Skill Rank 8.
A flare of orange light burst next to James, and all of the thorns stuck in Nidra turned to ash. His Mage Armor worked well against the thorns. Each one did such a small amount of damage, sending all the thorns off his skin without catching. Even Arik had managed to avoid most of the thorns, something about Dwarven skin being thicker than Human or Elf skin.
Before they could enter the dungeon, James had an idea. Because the entire dungeon was made from plants, Nidra could start a fire and burn it down. She shot down his idea quickly, explaining that dungeons were protected by ancient magics. They wouldn’t be able to destroy it. To demonstrate, she blasted a patch of plant with a stream of fire. When the glow faded, there wasn’t even a burn mark. “Besides,” she pointed out, “isn’t the whole point of this dungeon run to get you a plant?”
“Right,” James said. He hadn’t thought about that. That idea was off the table.
“You ready?” James asked.
“I’m ready.” Nidra grinned.
“Of course.” Arik nodded.
The three of them stepped over the threshold into the dungeon.
You have entered the dungeon, Dark Druid Grove.
Dungeon level 30
The pathway forward was a dirt trail with a thick layer of impassable trees growing on both sides. The trees stretched overhead, creating a dense canopy that blocked out the sun. Behind them, the vines twisted and curled in front of the entrance, blocking their escape and cutting off the last bit of sunlight.
They would have plunged into darkness except for the bioluminescent mushrooms growing at the base of the trees around them. Their light came out twisted and warped, with a spectral tint that was somehow both blue and green at the same time.
“Well, that’s not ominous,” James quipped, his voice cutting through the silence. Nidra smacked him, and he chuckled. “It’s not like they don’t know we’re here.”
She ignored him, and he took the lead. His Mage Armor provided a supplemental glow that made it easier to see the dungeon around him. As they walked, they could hear rustling in the trees. Shadows flitted from one branch to the next, and the creak of wood made it seem like the trees were talking to each other.
Most of the dungeons James had been to so far were challenging to navigate, reminding him of a maze. This dungeon was different. The path stretched ahead with no splits or forks and the trees were clustered tightly together with no room to pass through. It made James feel uneasy, as if he was missing something.
That was when he stepped on the tripwire.
He felt it before he saw it, an almost invisible thread against his shins, but by the time he felt the trap, it was too late. Six darts flew from the branches overhead and hit him before he could teleport out of the way. Each burst with a flash of blue light as they bounced off his Mage Armor.
James spun around, looking for enemies, then he realized that was it. He picked up one of the darts and examined it.
Tevar’s Poison Dart:
Rank: Rare
- 10% Maximum Health for 1 hour
These darts contain a unique mix of toxins concocted by the Druid Tevar to weaken intruders.
James slipped the darts into his pouch. He should have expected traps, but he hadn’t. There hadn’t been many in the dungeons he’d visited, mostly because they were artificial constructs. Still, that wasn’t an excuse for his lack of vigilance. He’d need to keep a sharp eye out for more traps.
As they progressed deeper into the dungeon, Arik spoke. “Something isn’t right here.” He gestured at the trees around them. To their left, there was a ten-foot section of trees that split off of the central passageway, but that ended at a dead end.
They’d noticed other oddities going through the dungeon, but none of them thought to call attention to them. Strange features like half-completed traps or spots in the canopy where the sunlight broke through.
“It almost looks half-finished,” Nidra said.
“… Yeah,” James said distractedly. “I guess I never wondered how long it took to form a dungeon. I always thought it was instantaneous.” Not for the first time, he wished he knew more about this world. The game mechanics fascinated him, and he wanted to learn as much as he could. But now wasn’t the time, there was a dungeon to run and a potion to brew.
***
As they wound their way through the dungeon, James kept a close eye out for traps. He found and disabled another two, raising his Rank in Traps to 4 before they reached the first clearing.
The circular clearing was about the size of a football field. In the center was a massive tree, with branches stretching the entire radius of the clearing. Thick purple vines draped over the branches, peeking out from between the leaves like lazy pythons covered in spines. When they stepped into the clearing, a sapling grew from the ground, blocking the way behind them. It seemed the dungeon liked to take away the option to leave.
The tree shuddered restlessly, its branches groaning and creaking with every movement. For a second, James thought it would step right out of the ground, but it soon settled back into immobility. It might have even lulled them i
nto a false sense of security if James hadn’t seen the text hovering among the branches.
Tamarael Sapling (Level 29)
If that’s a sapling, I’d hate to see the whole tree…
The vines quivered as if in anticipation as the exit closed off, and they entered the clearing. James took another step into the clearing, and a vine shot down toward him. He’d been expecting the attack, but the vine was much faster than he imagined. It wrapped around his arm and pulled, but the thorns weren’t able to gain purchase in his skin because of his Mage Armor. He tried to yank his arm free, but the vine was still strong even without the thorns. He hacked at it with his dagger. The blade cut deeply into the vine, and the tree let out an earsplitting shriek.
The vine tightened around James’ arm, and a warm, sticky red substance leaked onto his skin, burning where it touched.
Before James could strike the vine again, Arik stepped forward and sliced through it. His warhammers had joined to become a combination of a weed whacker and a sword. Fueled by his magic, they spun through the air, and cut through vines with ease. A fireball exploded against the tree, and James joined Nidra’s barrage, blasting a vine that had gotten too close to Arik with a flurry of Arcane Missiles.
Another vine whipped through the air towards James. He knew he wasn’t fast enough to dodge, so he cast Arcane Teleport and stepped out of the way. The vine passed through where he’d been harmlessly, and he blasted it with a missile. The arcane energy tore through the vine easily, but it was nothing compared to the havoc Nidra’s fire had caused. Wherever her spells hit, destruction followed.
James noticed that the glow from Nidra’s magic had died down, and he glanced back to see what was happening. She was surrounded by a column of orange Mana as she chanted, her hands weaving together in arcane gestures. As if the tree could sense the coming attack, vines shot from all directions, all of them headed toward Nidra, who was lost in a casting trance and couldn’t see them coming. Meanwhile, Arik was doing everything he could to stop the vines, mowing them down with his spinning blade, but there was only so much one person could do against so many.
