Pangea Online 3
Vials and Tribulations
S.L. Rowland
Other Books by S.L. Rowland
Pangea Online: Death and Axes
Pangea Online 2: Magic and Mayhem
Pangea Online 3: Vials and Tribulations
Path to Villainy: An NPC Kobold’s Tale
Vestiges: Portal to the Apocalypse
Sentenced to Troll
Sentenced to Troll 2
Sentenced to Troll 3
Pangea Online 3: Vials and Tribulations Copyright © 2021 by S.L. Rowland
SLRowland.com
All Rights Reserved. This book may not be reproduced or used in any manner without the permission of the author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
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Created with Vellum
For Tim K, who has waited quite a while for this one.
Contents
Previously in Pangea Online
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
Other Books by S.L. Rowland
About the Author
Untitled
Previously in Pangea Online
Previously in Pangea Online:
After winning the first ever Pangea Online Developer’s Tournament, Esil uses his prize money to pay for treatment for Buzz’s mom, Maria. With his identity as the son of deceased developer Howard Allen confirmed, Esil moves into Pangea Online Headquarters, where he is offered the opportunity of a lifetime: to test out their full-immersion gaming technology.
The new technology is controlled completely by an AI that evolves and responds as the player base grows. The experience is more real than Esil ever imagined. The NPCs he meets in The Broken Lands feel and act like real people, and he finds himself on a quest to bring magic back to the world.
Esil eventually learns that there is more to the testing than just deeper immersion in gaming. The technology is designed to rewire the brain, to open new pathways with the potential to end degenerative diseases like dementia and Alzheimer’s.
As the world continues to expand and evolve in The Broken Lands, the small town of Carolton finds itself under attack by a goblin army, and Esil is forced to defend the town from their onslaught. With his new Enchanter class, and the help of friends old and new, the goblins are defeated, but at a great cost.
Chapter One
One year after the events of Magic and Mayhem.
A flaming arrow whizzes by my ear. There’s a warm pulse as my haptic suit attempts to mimic the sensation of the imbued arrow Aleesia just fired. The arrow lodges in the eye socket of the orc before me, cutting off his battle-cry mid-grunt as he falls forward and his HP drops to zero.
“Nice shot!” I tell Aleesia as I bury my axe into the skull of the nearest orc.
The broad-jawed, green-skinned barbarian’s eyes stay wide, even in death, as I pull my weapon free and kick the body to the ground. Another arrow sails by me. This one explodes upon impact and bolts of lightning arc from one orc to another, stunning four of them in place.
I take a step back and equip Staff of the Water Ancients, which boosts all my magical abilities. I cast Haunted Earth, and roots rip through the ground, rooting the stunned orcs in place for even longer. Next, I use Binding Thorns. Leaves and vines sprout from the roots, entangling the orcs further. Aleesia continues to barrage the orcs that funnel down the narrow pass with arrows imbued with fire and ice. The vines cinch tighter as thorns erupt, ripping into orc flesh and dropping their HP in chunks.
Using my last bit of mana, I cast Sunbeam, and a wave of light engulfs the orcs. They scream as they struggle against the vines, trying to escape the burning light.
“Finish them off!” I yell as I work my way up the pass, switching to my mace and smashing orcs off the narrow, snow-covered pass into the depths below.
Aleesia’s red eyes flare with intensity as she nocks her next arrow. Her dark, charcoal-colored fingers wrap around the bow string, and she pulls it back. Purple energy pulses through her ornately-carved ivory bow, working its way down the string and onto the arrow itself. The tip of the arrow glows purple, then black, and dark energy coils around the shaft.
She releases the arrow, and it soars toward the orcs as Sunbeam’s last ray fades away. The orcs turn to run, each one with only a sliver of health remaining. The arrow morphs into pure dark energy and separates into four smaller arrows. They track down the fleeing orcs like homing missiles.
Each arrow hits, and dark tendrils wrap around the orcs, sucking the last of their HP away. Tiny orbs of darkness fly back to Aleesia, dissipating into her body and healing her for the small amount of damage she took earlier. With her dark skin and purple cloak, she stands out prominently against the snowy landscape.
She tucks a stand of black hair behind her elven ears and winks at me. “Bring us home, Esil.”
The last of the orcs trudge down the pass carrying massive shields formed out of crude iron. The jagged edges function as bludgeoning weapons. Three orcs walk side by side, their shields pressed firmly together in a barricade.
I only have a few moments to make a decision. With their current formation, my mace is practically useless. I cycle through all my weapons, but none of them can pierce the shield wall. With my mana depleted, magical abilities are a no-go as well. I need to get behind them somehow.
“Aleesia, sweetheart, can you shoot a Gravity Arrow overhead.” There’s no shame in relying on my partner to finish the job.
“Sweetheart? Really, Esil? Are we that couple now?” She laughs, and the arrow clicks slightly as she nocks it.
There’s a thrum as she releases. The air shimmers slightly around the arrow as it soars overhead. An unlucky bird gets caught in its gravitational pull and is sucked in. It squawks as the arrow’s magical properties keep it pressed against the shaft at an awkward angle.
I equip Grappler, one of my most unique weapons that I bought on my first day in Steamworld. It has served me well over the years.
Item: The Grappler. Raygun. +7 strength. Ability: Grapple, fires a grappling hook and attaches to the first object it hits. 30 second cooldown. “You’ll not get away that easy, Bucko.”
It’s a beautiful weapon with a rotating barrel. One barrel shoots ray beams and the other fires a grappling hook. A small tube on the top swirls with lime green smoke.
The ray gun doesn’t work here in a fantasy world, but the grappling hook does. I fire the hook and it wraps around Aleesia’s arrow. The
arrow’s properties mean that my weight doesn’t pull the arrow off course. Instead, it jerks me forward. I activate the grappling ability, and the chord retracts, launching me into the air and over the three orcs.
I let go of Grappler and land with a thud in the packed snow behind the orcs. The orcs attempt to turn, but their shields are lodged together. Before they have a chance to disengage, I equip my Elvish Battle Spear. I have just enough mana to use Rapid Strike, allowing me to place three attacks in quick succession at the base of their necks. The critical strikes are enough to one-shot the three orcs.
They collapse underneath the weight of their shields, and I toss the bodies over the edge of the pass along with the shields. Nowadays, I don’t keep loot unless it’s particularly valuable or something I can use.
I don’t spend as much time in Pangea as I used to. I’ve leveled up nicely over the past year, but I don’t grind. I still honor my streaming contract, entertaining my fans several times a week. My partnership with VR Haptix is the only reason I was able to get out of The Boxes in the first place, so I feel I owe it to them even though I could buy my way out of the contract if I wanted.
I spend most of my time beta testing full-immersion in The Broken Lands with Buzz and Grayson, but this is where I get quality gaming time with Aleesia. Her busy schedule with school and her internship doesn’t leave her a lot of free time, but we come back to the Mortican Mountains when we can, back to where it all started.
My haptic suit is top of the line. It mimics smells, textures, and the weight of holding a weapon, but it’s nothing compared to full-immersion.
“Not bad, handsome.” Aleesia flashes me a smile.
I kiss her on the cheek. “Couldn’t have done it without you.”
She laughs, and then rolls her eyes. “Oh, come on! You’re Esil Allen, the kid from The Boxes who won the Developer’s Tournament. I’m sure you would have figured something out.” The sarcasm drips from her voice. She walks past me up the pass to where the orcs came from, and I follow.
The view from atop the pass is spectacular. Forests, rivers, and towns pepper the landscape in every direction. The town square where the main portal empties players into this world is nothing more than a tiny dot from our position.
Aleesia pulls a fur blanket from her satchel and spreads it on the snow. She takes a seat and uncorks a bottle filled with red liquid.
Substance: Fire Whiskey. Buff: +2% attack for the next hour.
She pours some in a cup and hands it to me before pouring herself one. She raises her glass. “To us.”
I clink my glass against hers. “To us,” I echo. I drink the fire whiskey and my haptic suit goes warm around my throat and slowly trails down to my stomach.
It’s more of a symbolic gesture than anything. We don’t need the two percent attack buff since we out-level most of the enemies in this part of the map, but it’s a reminder of our first adventure together, when she took a chance on me and we raided a dungeon.
“Are you excited about your trip?” She puts the fire whiskey away back into her bag and moves closer.
“I am.” I take her hand in mine. “But if I’m being honest, I’m also a bit nervous. This will be the first time I’ve been back to The Boxes since the Developer’s Tournament.”
“Yeah, but it will mean so much to them. To see that someone just like them made something of themselves.”
I’m supposed to give a talk to the kids at the orphanage where I grew up. I’ll also be making a donation to help with their schooling. There’s a lot of pressure in going back, mostly from myself. I want to tell these kids that they can do anything, to do my best to inspire them, but the truth is that I don’t feel like I made it out on my own.
“It’s not quite the same though. I had luck, and then I had you and Buzz and Grayson, and in the end, I had my dad. Without all of that, I wouldn’t have stood a chance.”
She squeezes my hand, and her fiery red eyes burn with passion. “That doesn’t make it any less special. Buzz and Grayson, you met them in the mines. That Developer’s Chest, you found it in the mines. Yes, your dad helped you in the end, but you had already made it out of The Boxes and were living in Civic City by the time that happened.”
I shake my head, but I can’t fight back the smile. “You’re right. You always are.”
We enjoy the view for a while longer, watching the sun set over the surrounding mountain peaks. It’s easy to see why people love Pangea Online so much. There’s so much more to it than just fighting and leveling.
Where else can you watch a watercolor sky this beautiful? Maybe at Pangea Headquarters, but there aren’t a lot of places in the real world with a view like this.
Aleesia’s eyes glaze over for a moment as she checks her notifications.
“Time to go. I have a bit of work to finish before bed tonight.” She gives my hand a gentle squeeze.
We gather our items and teleport back to the town square.
I should get some rest, too. Tomorrow is a big day in The Broken Lands, and then there’s my talk at the orphanage the next day. It’s going to be a busy week.
Chapter Two
As I approach Carolton, I can’t help but appreciate how much has changed in a year. Smoke wafts over the city walls at dawn, and two guardsmen wave at me from the guard tower.
Chains crank as the drawbridge slowly descends. Several farmers wait beside me, their wagons filled with produce and meats that they’ll sell at the market. The sweet aroma of freshly-picked peaches has me salivating. The guards stand sentry on the parapet above the bridge with their crossbows pointed to the side. Thorny vines run along the walls’ edges, a beautiful yet threatening warning to anyone foolish enough to try and sneak in.
All across The Broken Lands, society is evolving, and Carolton is at the forefront.
Over the past year, as more and more beta testers have entered the game, magic and technology have boomed in unison, creating new demands and ushering society into the next age. Adventurers sell their loot in the market. Stories and songs of great deeds and explorations travel from town to town. No longer do the townspeople talk about the drudgery of their jobs, but of the excitement that surrounds them.
With all the new adventurers and tourism, Carolton has been heavily populated. Many lives were lost in the great goblin battle, but the influx of new players has filled the void, and the town is now more prosperous than ever.
After I used my magic to explode the front wall of Carolton, the gate needed to be rebuilt. Grayson had the idea to expand the walls during the rebuild to prepare the town for the arrival of new players. That was such a wise decision. Not only have new players moved to Carolton, but new NPCs as well. There’s an energy in the air, and everyone wants in on the action.
In the aftermath of the goblin battle, a massive moat was constructed around the town’s edge. A large drawbridge now keeps intruders at bay and bars access to the town after sundown. The remainder of the old wooden wall was torn down and replaced with stone, further increasing our defenses. Several covered guard towers protect our scouts on each side. Storming these walls will be no easy task.
The guards nod to me as I pass, and I return the gesture as I cross the bridge into town. I was the first at the gate this morning, having bound my location to an outpost in the nearby forest before logging out last time. Several safe houses have been constructed throughout the kingdom so that adventurers can bind themselves in safe areas to store their belongings if need be before logging out.
Today’s agenda includes dealing with an outbreak of Giant Weevils that have been decimating local farms around the Cursed Forest. The annoying insects are even able to infiltrate Carter’s magical plants. We’ll be gearing up to care of them before the problem has a chance to spread too far. I’ve pinpointed the source of the infestation and plan to take a group out to deal with them later today.
The sun is just beginning to rise as I enter Carolton, but the town is already alive. Smiling faces greet me as I walk
through town, a far cry from my first day here.
People come from far and wide to visit Carolton. Once only a minor trade-post on the outskirts of the kingdom, it has become one of the most prosperous cities in The Broken Lands, due in large part to Carter and the botanical gardens he has created.
Once the defenses were set back in place, Carter found himself without a lot to do, so he began growing things. Odd little plants that have no real purpose in the world other than entertainment. They are truly a sight to behold. Fruit trees that juggle their fruit, dancing palm trees, an orchestra of flowers that put on a concert every night. It’s a veritable circus at times, and people can’t seem to get enough.
As part of my reward for completing the quest to save Carolton, I’m now a part of the town council that makes all decisions regarding Carolton’s well-being.
The inn is always full, and the taverns and restaurants boom with laughter and music every evening. Peace and prosperity have spread across the kingdom.
And of course, tourism has opened many other avenues for money-making. Gertle opened a restaurant, The Squawking Hen, and Clarence, the moneylender, decided to strike out for himself and opened a pub, The Elixir. One of his bartenders is an alchemist with the ability to make enchanted cocktails. Needless to say, business is booming for him. The request for permits to build and sell inside of Carolton overflows as soon as we make a dent in them. Everyone wants a piece of the action.
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