ã€ŠFarming For Goldã€‹


 Prologue

    The conference room was an odd one for a modern business. The walls were made of blocks of grey stone covered with rich red tapestries. Red banners emblazoned with large black swords hung from the ceiling while wooden high-back chairs surrounded the conference table. The table itself was a work of art. The entire thing was made of heavy dark oak, stained black, then lacquered and polished to a mirror shine. Gold leaf in the shape of a large broadsword was inlaid into the center of the table turning it into something that bespoke both wealth and power.

    The whole room was more than a little overdone but that was to be expected. The place was mostly about showing off. It was the meeting room of the Swords of Solomon, one of America''s top Otherworld guilds. It was located within Sword''s Bastion the massive fortress the guild had built over the last three years.

    A tall human in dark-grey armor stood at the front of the table, looking at the the assembled group. It was quite the amalgamation, dwarves, orcs, elves, mermen and mermaids, and anthropomorphic races of seemingly endless variety. They all sat in the high-backed chairs looking at the man at the head of the table.

    "Alright¡­ You all know why you''re here, but let''s start with the basics to get everyone up to speed and get things rolling. Sari what do we know?" He asked a blue-skinned undine with elegant snow-white hair and thick glasses sitting on the left side of the table.

    Sarieal spoke in a soft voice with a bit of an east-coast accent. Her words were quiet but everyone listened attentively. When Sarieal spoke, it was best to listen. She was razor sharp and was in charge of the guilds information network. "It was as we''ve suspected for a while. Nexus announced Otherworld''s second expansion at World-con earlier today. They''ve titled it Cloud-Kingdom. The majority of the content will take place on a floating continent above the fire-wastes near the Eastern-Frontier and introduce other floating landmasses. They are also adding five new races and two-dozen classes, as well as their normal amount of new monsters, skills, and abilities. " She said calmly as she read from a screen in front of her. "It''s set to launch November 22nd, which gives us a little over six-months to prepare."

    "What''s our exploitation plan, Karnag?" The grey-armored human asked as he looked over to wolf-man with ebony furr. The wolfman''s eyes were burning red and his fur was criss-crossed with white scars. It looked like a monster and It''s voice came out as a low growl.

    "Last expansion we moved two brigades, that should suffice this time as well. Closest teleport to the Firelands would be Trika in the Yazra desert¡­. Sooooo that''s what... two weeks on mounts?" The wolf, who was commander of their forces, said.

    "Are you crazy?" a dark-skinned gnome said from the end of the table. He had dark purple hair, and nearly black skin, while large sparkling gems glittered from his ears and on his fingers. He was a deep gnome, or Svirfneblin. "Don''t you remember the mess last time? Three weeks might be enough to get all you knight-in-shining-armor types there, but what the hell are you gonna eat? They didn''t open the portal to Avalon until a year after the last expansion launched. What happens if they do that again? If we''re gonna avoid the fluster cluck we ran into last time we gotta move a ton of materials and personnel there with you."

    "That''s gonna make the trip take at least another two weeks. Then on top of that we''ve got an ass-load of food and other ingredients to buy, and most of the markets started shifting ten days ago. Which means other guilds have already started stocking up on this stuff. You boys better start lubing up because the merchants are gonna be bending us over." The gnome said, exasperated. "I''ve been warning you guys for a month but all you fighter types have swords for brains."

    The man at the head of the table frowned at the gnome. "Last expansion really was a mess." He said thoughtfully.It was clear no one in the room really liked the gnome, but they had to put up with him. He was greedy and crude but he had a nose for money and markets.

    "Of course it was!" The gnome shouted belligerently. "You all were out there swinging your swords, but you had no food, no potions, no support at all. We spent months trying to ship all the stuff you needed to you and the Crimson''s raided the hell outta our supply lines because you sent all our fighters ahead. You guys got the world-first for the Mists raid, but we LOST nearly a million gold over those six months. If it wasn''t for selling that legendary tree-sap from the ent-boss at the end we''d have gone bankrupt."

    The grey-armored man looked over to a small pixie woman on the other end of the table. "How are our finances?" He asked. The pixie looked at her own interface and started to scroll through some numbers. "Well, after the last auction and the rewards you gave out for the summer tournament. Then you have to understand that we''ve got a lot of long term investments that we can''t easily¡­.." She started, but the leader cut her off.

    "Just spit it out." He said resigned.

    "In ready money¡­. About 200,000 gold, before we start dipping into our long-term assets." She said, wearily. The room went silent. 200,000 gold wasn''t a large amount of money. For a single player it was a lot, but for one of the largest guilds in America? It was basically broke.

    "What!?" The grey-armored man yelled incredulously. "What the hell happened! Didn''t we just give you 2,000 dollars to convert into gold last month!" He shouted.

    "Yes sir, the pixie said but I told you we needed that to pay out the monthly bonuses. We''ve only managed nine successful raids this month and nothing above mystical dropped. I''ve been warning you for months that we needed to lower our expenses." The pixie said, with an ''I told you so'' expression.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    The gnome laughed riotously from a seat at the end of the table. "Hey tinkerbell, when the boss makes you auction your panties off to pay for his new armor, give me a call!" He said, while leering at her. The pixie turned to him and flipped him the bird with her small delicate hands.

    "You''re such a pig Simon." She said. Her cute face scrunched up in disgust. The gnome grinned back at her and winked, before adding.

    "Yes, but a useful pig, otherwise the boss woulda tossed my ass out along time ago." Simon replied, unruffled. "Well, I''d say that makes us pretty much screwed." He said to the room. "Our supplies for herbs, and crafting reagents are pretty good. In fact we might be able to sell some of them in a pitch. Food is the main problem, with metals and lumber not far behind." He said as he made a few hand-motions that ended in a flick of his wrist. A large display window appeared in the middle of the table showing the current prices of grain. They were very high in nearly every region, and rising quickly as all the other guilds hurriedly purchased everything they could get their hands on. "See that? 200,000 won''t even feed the horses at those prices."

    The grey-armored man sighed and ran a hand through his dark hair. "Well then, let''s hear some solutions instead of everyone piling on more problems. Lidrian?" He said turning to a muscular human woman with a blonde mohawk and a scarred face.

    "We could just grow our own couldn''t we? I mean we''ve still got six months until the expansion launches. So if we wanna take a month to head to the fire-wastes that still gives us a bit over five months" She said with a shrug of her broad shoulders. The grey-armoured leader turned back the gnome, who was in charge of their crafters and logistics. The gnome snorted derisively.

    "You know how many farmers we have in the guild? One, and he''s a cookie old man who doesn''t even play much. Farmers are rarer than unicorns in this game, and all the ones I know are independent operators, or they work for Gold and Steel, since they pay way better than we do." The gnome explained.

    "If the prices of grain are so high why aren''t there more farmers?" asked the muscular blonde.

    "Same reasons there aren''t many lumberjacks or miners. You only get one character, your skill points are limited, and mining, farming, and lumberjacking are damn hard work. The game is practically impossible to bot and there aren''t many people who are willing to pay 100 bucks a month to sweat their asses off swinging a axe. Sure they can make good money from a game perspective, but that''s on par with what you''d make working 40 hours a week at a gas station. AKA, it''s not worth it unless you get to a high rank, or get lucky." He explained.

    "Aren''t you a miner?" The pixie asked.

    "Yeah, which is why I''m rich." He said, flashing his heavy rings with their sparkling gems. "The reason I joined this guild is because I found a gold-mine and the boss gave me a seat on the council because he was too cheap to give me a good price for it."

    Everyone at the table sighed. "Well, why don''t we get ourselves some slaves then? The muscular blonde asked. Everyone looked at her stunned.

    "You can''t buy NPC salves." The gnome said with an eyeroll. "That''s one of the few rules this game has. Apparently the ESRB decided owning people set a bad example for the world''s youth. ."

    "Yeah, which is why we use real players." The blonde said, with a ''so there'' expression.

    "You mean you wanna buy actual slaves, like human trafficking." The grey-armored man said alarmed.

    "No you dolt¡­ Christ, how the hell did you end up as guild-leader anyway? Your brain is made of pasta. I mean you use the one thing we actually have to make them slave for us." The muscular blonde said, tapping the golden sword in the middle of the table.

    "You mean we offer people a chance to join the main clan if they farm for us." The pixie said.

    "That could work, we make them work for say¡­ three months, then we let them in as a probationary member.." The guild leader said, rubbing his chin.

    "And pick up their subscription." Simon shouted over-top of the guild leader. "It''ll make it seem like a better deal, even though they are still getting ripped off. Those prices are only going to keep going up, and even a newbie should be able to pay for their sub farming in a week or two. That''ll draw more people in, and we''ll still be making a profit." He said with a sly smirk.

    "And we pick up their subscription." Grey-armor added. "That should take care of that, in the meantime, all DKP payouts and bonuses are suspended until further notice.

    "What!" A beautiful dark-elf shot to her feet looking furious. She had blue-black hair that trailed down her back to her lovely hips. Sparkling blue eyes were set in a heart-shaped face. Her body was well developed all over and many male eyes lingered on her after her outburst. "I''ve been waiting WEEKS for my daggers and you''ve been putting me off. Now you wanna pull this crap on me?!" She shouted belligerently.

    "Jess, calm down." An orc in leather sighed. He said it in a way that made it sound like something he''d said a thousand times and planned to say a thousand more.

    "I will not calm down. I''ve been busting my ass for months saving points and now you''re just gonna pull the rug out from under me." She asked, furious.

    "Doesn''t look that busted to me." Simon said, as he leaned sideways in his chair, to get a look at said ass.

    "That''s my sister you perverted bastard." Said the orc. "And she''s not even eighteen yet, so roll your tongue back-up before you end up in jail."

    "SHUT UP!" The leader yelled. "We''ve got real problems here. You can beat up Simon later." He said before turning to the enraged elf. "Jess, I know you''re mad, but really don''t have the money."

    "Don''t have the money? How much did this gaudy ass table cost you. What about all those stupid banners? Now you''re telling me I can''t get daggers that I''ve spent the last three months earning because you guys have wasted all the guilds money." She said indignantly.

    The leader rolled his eyes. "You''re still 100 points short anyway, but if you can get five people for our new slave program, you can have your daggers." The leader said exasperated. Jess the drow scowled at him.

    "Fine, but I''m outta here." She said as she stomped off towards the door in a huff. The others around the table watched her go, while the leader sighed. "You know, you sister can be a brat." The leader said to the orc. The orc rolled his eyes.

    "She can be, when she wants to. Notice how she threw a temper tantrum and got what she wanted. If she''d have thought threatening to leave the guild would have worked, she''d have done that. If she''d have thought showing a little cleavage and hanging on your arm would have worked, she''d have done that. If she thought being rational and making a solid case for herself would have worked, she would have done that. Instead, she knew you were already annoyed and a soft-case, so she annoyed you further so you''d cave to get rid of her." The orc explained.

    The leader stared at him in silence for a few moments then shook his head. "Women¡­" he muttered darkly before turning back to the table. "Alright, now let''s get on to other things. Sari?" He asked turning back to the undine.

    "Well, We''ve got wind of a new raid-class dungeon opening near the Borean sea in the Northlands. It might be an underwater dungeon so we''ve had some water-breathing and cold-resist potions made. The Crimson''s are talking with a smaller guild¡­ the Chu-chu''s about buying a mine. Possibly a mithril mine if the rumors are true. They''ve currently got about 100 people guarding it while they negotiate.

    There are also rumors of an alliance forming among some of the second-class guilds to compete with the first rank guilds during the expansion, although it still seems to be in its early stages. We''ve got some spies among them, but none at a high-enough level in the guilds to get us useful intel. Gold and Steel is announcing they''ve obtained a dragon-heart and they are having Brodan, their top smith, craft it into a sword. They plan to auction it next month. Other than that all the chatter is about the new expansion, and the markets." Sarieal finished.

    "Hmmmmmm¡­ Karnag send some people to rough up the Crimson''s mine guards, maybe see if we can collapse it." The gray-armored leader said, before raising a hand and waving it. "We''ll call it here today. I''m sure you''ve all got preparations to start making."

 Chapter 1

    "Happy birthday dear Josh¡­. Happy birthday to you!" Winston sang half-heartedly along with his parents. His brother Josh sat across from him at the kitchen table, smiling his trademark smile. It had lead many a girl to his arms and more than a few to his bed, but Winston knew Josh did his best not to break their hearts. He was too handsome for anyone''s good but he was, at his core, good-natured. It was why women liked him so much. Hell, it was why Winston liked him. He was often jealous of his older brother but they''d always gotten along well.

    Josh sat at the end of the table in front of his football shaped cake. Eighteen candles were stuck into and Josh grinned as he took a deep breath and blew them all out. Winston and Josh''s father sat to Josh''s right. A tall athletic man in his late-thirties, while their mother, sat to Josh''s left.

    Josh took after their father in looks. He was blonde-haired, blue-eyed, tall and athletic, Winston took after their mother, short, dark-haired, olive skinned, and more than a little dumpy. As for how his rather unattractive mother had landed their more attractive father? It was likely because of all the money she inherited from her parents. Anyone who knew the couple was aware that Carlotta Stevenson ran the show, while John Stevenson was basically a trophy husband. Although, he now was the regional manager for a popular sporting goods chain, it was Carlotta''s influence that had landed him the position.

    The two''s relationship wasn''t really that good. Not that it bothered Winston that much. In fact he disliked his father quite a bit. It wasn''t the man was abusive or anything, he was just an ass and he favored Winston''s brother to a ridiculous degree. That was alright.

    The four of them sat around the table while Josh cut the cake and took the first piece. Then he pushed back his chair and hopped to his feet.

    "Where is my present! He said grinning, as he rubbed his hands together in anticipation. John smiled and lead them to the kitchen closet where he opened the door. A massive box, that was taller than Josh waited there, wrapped in red paper and tied with a light blue bow.

    Josh and his Father drug the massive box out into the living room where they pushed it into the middle of the floor. Josh smiled happily as he looked over at Wiston. "What''dda think Win? It''s gonna be something good if the box is this big right." He said as he started ripping off the wrapping paper. Inside the paper was a giant box and Winston froze in place when he saw what was written on it.

    Albion Mark V was printed on the box in Large block letters with the words Nexus Corp below it in smaller lettering. ''Created for Otherworld the number one game on Earth'', it said even lower down. Winston just looked at the box in a sort of stunned disbelief as anger started boiling in his gut.

    "You can''t be serious¡­" His mind said as he started at the obvious evidence in front of him. He''d been working his ass off for months to get a system to play Otherworld. They were expensive, Nearly five-grand for the newest Mark V''s and Winston had been begging his parents for months to get one for him. Now here one was, like he''d always dreamed. Only it was for his brother, who didn''t even play video games that much. Winston was so angry he wanted to spit up blood.

    The Albion Mark V entertainment system was the latest state-of-the-art model from Nexus Corp. They had been behind the creation of the first true full immersive VR hardware along with the launch of their flagship game Otherworld. The game had launched three years ago, and although there had been a large scandal at Nexus following the development and release of the game, the new CEO and board of directors had continued to operate the game. The game now boasted almost seventy million subscribers who all paid 100 USD a month for the privilege of playing. The systems had cost nearly five grand at launch, and the newest systems were still that much, although the older-model systems had come down in price.

    Winston had always taken his parents neglect as a matter of course. He''d never understood it, but it wasn''t like they abused him. They fed him and clothed him, his mom had even helped him with his homework and been kind to him when he was younger. It was only as he''d gotten older that she''d pulled away from him. That had always been fine to Winston. It wasn''t like he could do anything about it. So he''d decided long ago to take it as a challenge. If they didn''t want to help him he''d just do it himself. That had been his way since he was in fifth or sixth grade.

    He''d always known his brother was his parents favorite. It didn''t take a genius to figure out why. His brother was better looking, was more sociable, and was well on his way to a football scholarship. Everyone in town was in love with him. Winston on the other hand got decent grades but had no athletic ability to speak of. Instead he spent most of his time playing video games and hanging out with his equally odd friends.

    Once he''d started middle school his homelife had begun to deteriorate. His mother had started ignoring him and his father had turned from sullen silence to active harassment. It was never physical so Winston had just buried it all deep inside and plowed onward, waiting for the day he turned 18 so he could leave. There were lines though. Limits to what one could endure. WInston''s parents has just stepped across that line.

    "You guys really amaze me sometimes." Winston said calmly, even as his rage built. "Ignoring me? That I understand, after all I''m a kid, just a drain on your resources. That''s cold but it''s at least logical. However you KNEW that I''ve been wanting one of these for MONTHS. I''ve been working, I''ve been begging, I''ve offered payment, I''ve offered to get a real job, raise my grades, anything. And you shot me down every time."

    "Yet now, you give one to Josh? Who I know didn''t even ask for one. That''s just cruel. Neglect I can at least understand, but why cruelty? What did I do? It''s not like I got a vote for being born." Winston said both pissed and hurt. He was still a high-schooler. Even if he didn''t feel much love for his parents he still wanted to be accepted by them. The long years of burying his feelings were finally bubbling up.

    "Not everything is about you." Winston''s dad snapped. "Just because you feel like we owe you something doesn''t mean you can talk to use like that. We got this for josh because fighting in game is good exercise and it helps hone reflexes. This is to help Josh with his scholarship not so he can play games." His dad snapped.

    "Oh!, And the seventy-inch TV and Xbox you bought him last christmas? Those for training to? If you feel the need to lie to me about it, at least come up with something reasonable." Winston said. "Not that you really need to. Since your adults and are wise and all knowing. You can just play the ''sit down and shut up card'' to your heart''s content." Winston said, derisively.

    "I don''t need to explain myself to you? You''re just a damn kid who think because he has some brains he gets to be an adult." His father snapped. " Your brother got straight A''s last report card, and we wanted to reward him. I''ve noticed your grades have been slipping."

    "He gets straight A''s because he''s in WOODSHOP and like THREE PE''s!" Winston nearly screamed. Winston himself was in the advanced classes in Chem, Physics, and Math and they wanted to talk to him about grades, ridiculous. "But you''re right, you don''t need to explain yourself to me. You don''t need to care, you don''t need to worry, if that''s the way to want it that''s fine. I just hope you''ll stay the hell outta my way, because I''m done. I''m never asking you guys for anything again, and the moment I get enough money to move out I''m gone and never coming back." Winston shouted as he stormed out of the living room and towards his bedroom.

    He slumped onto his rickety old computer chair still seething. His computer screen was blinking with IM notifications from his friends but he ignored them while he tried to get his emotions back under control. Winston knew he had a temper. He worked hard to control it and he was embarrassed about the little fit he just threw. He was just so damn tired of having to work around his parents.

    He''d met parents who just didn''t care what their kids did, and he''d met parents that restricted their children for their own good. Winston''s parents however seemed to be actively trying to screw up his life. If they didn''t want to support him that was fine, he was old enough to do it himself, but they wouldn''t let him get a job to become independent. It was ridiculous. Most parents would be happy with their kids working, instead of mooching off them. Winston though was trapped. His parents refused to help him and actively prevented him from helping himself.

    He''d managed to save up a little money, by working odd jobs around town but it wasn''t enough to really move out on his own.

    He was staring absently in the direction of his scantily clad night-elf poster when someone knocked on the door. It was a firm knock, in the pattern of ''shave and a haircut'' Winston sighed and said, "Come in Josh." They''d started knocking like that years ago, so they''d know when it was each other, and when it was their parents. It was a bit silly, but they''d started doing it when they were only twelve and the habit had stuck.

    Josh opened the door and walked in, grinning as usual. His blonde-hair was cut close to his head and the front was spiked up with just a bit of gel. Honestly, he looked a bit like Captain America, with his blonde-hair, handsome face, and too white smile. Winston loved his brother but he had an urge to punch the too handsome bastard in the face sometimes.

    "So you just gonna stay in here brooding all night. Or you wanna come check out my new system?" Josh asked Winston as he sat down on his brother''s bed. "I''m getting ready to go pick-up Kate anyway, so I won''t be back most of the night." He said. That was the other problem with Josh. Not only was he handsome and easy-going he was also a good person. It was honestly, unfair.

    "I''m pretty good at brooding, but I think if I stay in here and practice some more tonight, I might be able to make the national team." Winston said. "It''s not like I can play your account anyway. So go have fun with your girl. And¡­ Josh." Winston said as his brother stood back up. "Sorry about what I said. I was pissed at mom and dad, but I shouldn''t have brought your classes into it."

    Josh laughed. "No problems man. I love seeing you when you''re on one of your rants.Besides You know I''ve never liked how they treat you. I doubt you''ll even get in trouble. It''s not like what you said wasn''t true. Just try to calm down a bit while I''m gone." He said as He pulled a key-ring from his pocket and spun the keys around his finger. "Alright little bro, I''m off to woo a lovely maiden." Winston snorted derisively as Josh left and closed the door. If Katie Trailman was a maiden Winston would eat his pillow.

    He watched his brother leave and before standing up again and starting to pace. The two had always been close. They''d only been born 11 months apart, and although Josh was a senior and Winston a junior they''d played together everyday as children. It wasn''t until they started middle school that the two had started to grow apart. Josh was a natural athlete and had gone out for all the sports teams, while Winston was more cerebral.Their diverging interests had lead them into different cliques, but they''d managed to stay close. Winston wasn''t sure how he''d react to Josh leaving for college next year.

    That was alright though. Winston had his own life and his own friends and he could be stubborn when needed. He just needed a way to make some more money. He had managed to save up about 1500 dollars from working odd jobs, but that wasn''t enough money to move out without a steady income. He also needed to find a way to afford a VR system. Most of his friends already played and he was NOT going to be left on the sidelines forever. Winston paced his small room as tried to come up with ideas. Things would be difficult, but that didn''t make them impossible.

    *****************************************************************

    Winston walked up to his locker at Ulysses S. Grant Memorial High School. It was about ten minutes before the homeroom bell rang and Winston felt like ass. He''d stayed up half the night listening to a cheesy fantasy novel on audiobook and three hours of sleep was going to make it a very long Wednesday.

    He blearily reached for his trig book and a notebook in a sort of glassy-eyed stupor, by the time he''d gotten the book, a pencil, and his notebook all ready, the bell was already-ringing and Winston zombie-walked himself to homeroom.

    Mrs. Funkelstein was an attractive woman in her mid-thirties. She acted more like an older sister than a teacher to most of the students but she was popular with both the boys and the girls. Winston gave her a vague nod as he slid into his seat a few rows from the back. It was a calculated choice. Too close to the front and you might catch the teacher''s eye. Too close to the back and you''d be in the line of fire when the teachers sought to pick out kids who weren''t paying attention. The key was to stay in the middle of the room, in the middle of the pack and pay attention without looking excited. It was a tough line to walk, but he''d been practicing since junior high and had it down to science.

    It wasn''t that Winston disliked school. He just found it all a waste of time. His grades were always near the top of the class but he never really found much to engage himself. He was taking multiple advanced classes, which was part of the reason he was so pissed when his parents had used grades as their excuse. In his opinion a B in advanced chemistry should net him more educational goodwill than an A in woodshop.

    Winston was trying his best not to fall asleep when his buddy Jason slid into the desk beside him, a good two-minutes late as usual. He was a tall gangly kid with wild hair and a devil-may-care attitude. He, like Winston, was near the top of the class in terms of grades, but where Winston''s main goal was to keep his head down and due his time, Jason loved to flaunt the fact that we was so smart he could get good grades while not paying attention, showing up to class on time, or really trying at all.

    "What the hell Stevenson, where were you last night? We needed you. I had to play support since you weren''t around and we ended up playing some crazy Korean clannies. How the hell am I supposed to carry Brad and Ruger against Koreans when I''m an F-ing support?" Jason said, looking put upon.

    "You can survive without me for one night and Brad and Ruger aren''t THAT bad." Winston defended.

    "They aren''t terrible, but they aren''t a match for those crazy rice-burners with 5000 APM either." Jason said, at least with you there I coulda played a real carry and tried to turn it. Besides you''re a plat-tier support at least. You wouldn''t be stuck in gold if you stopped playing with Ruger and Brad.

    "What''s the point of playing a game, if you have to ditch your friends to do it? So I can play with solo with a bunch of try-hards who freak out anytime I make a mistake. " Winston said. "Besides I wasn''t in the mood for games last night."

    "You get into one of your sulks again? You gotta find yourself a woman, or start drinking. You''re too broody." Jason said, giving winston a half-serious glare.

    "Yes because drowning your sorrows in booze and women is such a great coping mechanism."Winston said with an eye-roll. "And if I started drinking we really wouldn''t be able to win a game of League of the Ancients."

    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    "We can''t win a game now, and the population has gone to shit since Otherworld came out. First thing I''m doing this summer is getting a Job and saving up for a system." Jason said with zeal.

    "That''s why I didn''t get on last night. Mom and Dad bought Josh a system for his birthday." Winston said.

    "THEY DID WHAT!" Jason yelled, turning every head in the room towards them.

    "Mr. Masterson please don''t yell inside the building." Ms. Funkelstein said with the exasperated tone of someone who knows her statement will be disregarded, but is duty bound to say it anyway.

    "I apologise Mrs. F, but honestly you''d be yelling too if you heard what I just did." Jason said to the teacher before turning back to Winston and lowering his voice. "That''s some NTR level betrayal right there. I''m surprised you didn''t burn the place down, then dance around the flames until the cops showed up to take you away."

    "I''m not sure your using NTR properly.".

    "But you''ve been begging them for a year, picking up odd jobs around the neighborhood and working your ass off. If them getting one for your brother and not you isn''t a giant kick in the balls then I don''t know what is. You shoulda bitch-slapped them." Jason said, looking outraged on Winston''s behalf. Winston smiled at his friend. The kid really was insane but he was a good friend.

    "I''ll figure something out and I''m not asking them for shit ever again. I''ll get myself a system without them then they won''t be able to say anything to me." Winston said, his thoughts already whirling on how he might accomplish such a thing.

    "Preach brother!" Jason said holding out a fist. Winston dutifully bumped it, just as the bell for first period rang.

    The morning went by in a sort of fugue state for Wiston. He vaguely remembered turning in his Trig assignment, then listening to a lecture about the political situation in Central Europe leading up to the start of World War I. Then it was lunchtime and the smell of french-fries finally managed to wake Winston up. He grabbed a plate of what passed for school-food then plunked himself down at the table that he and his friends had claimed as their own.

    Winston was the first to the table and was already three fries in when Jason, Brad, and Ruger arrived and took their usual spots. Brad was the most stereotypical looking nerd of the bunch. Short, pale, and sporting a pair of thick glasses, he always resembled some small rodent. He was the most into computers and had already designed a couple of apps. None of his creations had sold huge numbers but he''d made decent money for a kid still in highschool. Ruger was the token black guy of their little group. He was built much like Winston, short and thick, but where Winston was mostly flab, Ruger carried around a great deal of muscle under his fat.

    "So your parents really bought a Mark V for Jason?" Ruger asked as soon as they sat down. He was looking at Winston seriously with his dark eyes. Ruger was an excitable guy, much like Jason but he was a little more down to earth than Winston''s skinny red-haired friend. Ruger wasn''t his actual name, but he''d gotten the nickname in grade-school and it had stuck.

    "Yep... " Winston said bitterly. "Josh has never played an MMO in his life, but he''s going to be firing up Otherworld tonight while I''m stuck playing LotA. That''s just so wrong." Winston said sadly.

    "That sucks man. I know how bad you''ve been wanting to get it. It''s an awesome game, although I wish our guild was a little more active." Ruger said with a sigh. Ruger''s parents were both big-shots, and Ruger had more than enough money to have joined the game. Honestly, Winston''s parents had more than enough money but they had been against it for other reasons, until they''d gotten a push from one of Josh''s coaches. Of their little four person group, only Winston and Jason were still on the outside. It made Winston crazy and he''d been doing what he could to remedy the problem.

    "That does seem to be a slap in the face for you." Brad added as he looked at his burger dubiously. Brad was a bit of a stoic and was a man of few words.

    "It''s bullshit that''s what it is." Jason said. "Don''t worry Stevenson, we''ll work something out. We just need to find some alternative options." That worried Winston. ''Alternative Options'' for Jason could mean anything from blackmail, to theft, to gun-running. It was best to head him off at the pass. Winston opened his mouth to prevent a felony when a goddess sat down at the table.

    Jessica Richards was blonde, stacked, and somewhere in the top three of the school''s hottest girls. Today she was wearing a tight blue v-neck blouse with an a white undershirt. The combination made her already impressive breasts look enormous without actually showing any skin.

    All the guys at the table started at her breasts for a moment before jerking their eyes up to her beautiful heart-shaped face and heartbreaking blue eyes. They all looked at her slack-jawed and stupefied. Jessica Richard''s should not be sitting at their table. It was like finding a flamingo in the middle of the Canadian tundra. It was something so out of place and alien it seemed to break the very nature of the universe.

    "So you guys were talking about Otherworld right, do you guys play?" She asked looking both curious and interested. The four men started at her as if she''d spoken in Russian. The silence stretched until before Brad finally spoke up.

    "Two of us do, Winston and Jason don''t though." He said, in his normal bland voice. Good old Brad, world was ending but he was chill as always. Luckily, his statement seemed to galvanize the rest of the table.

    "Yeah, we were just thinking of some ways to help good old Stevenson here get in the game." Jason said as he gave Winston a hearty slap on the back. Winston still had no idea what the hell was going on, but he would really prefer if his friends weren''t airing out all his dirty laundry to the hottest girl in school. Winston''s brain seemed to be having trouble processing information as his eyes ate up Jessica''s beauty like a starving wolf.

    "Well, I might be able to help." Jessica said with a smile that nearly had Winston drooling on the table. "My brother Marcus and I are in Swords of Solomon and We''ve been looking for some people to help out."

    "You guys are in Swords of Solomon?" Ruger said incredulously. "Damnnn, They are one of the top guilds in the country. That must kick ass." He said adding star-stuck to the already glazed expression he was wearing when he looked at her.

    She smiled again and the four men around the table seemed to all unravel a little. "We''re gearing up for the new Cloud-Kingdom expansion and the guild is looking for new recruits. All the top guilds are looking for manpower right now." Winston wasn''t sure why they''d need more manpower. They were one of the top guilds. Just a hint of needing people and there should be thousands willing to flock to their banner. However he was too entranced with Jessica''s beauty to let something like logic distract him.

    "So you''re saying you could get me into Swords?" Winston said incredulously. This was all WAY beyond his expectations. This would be an incredible deal if anyone was offering it, but Jessica Richards? It was too amazing to even fathom. Winston was nearly bouncing on his seat.

    "Well, not into swords itself. It would be into one of our feeder guilds to start, but you could definitely work your way in." She said, reassuringly.

    "How''s that gonna help with the system though?" Jason asked. He was as excited as the others but he''d seen to the heart of the matter. Winston''s happiness deflated a bit, as he saw his dreams flew away.

    "Well, that''s what I wanted to talk about. See the clan needs people who are really able to play and help, not just hangers on who wanna join the clan. It''s more of a job than a gift. You''d have to promise to help the clan with anything they ask and play for a required amount of time each day from three to six months depending on the contract, but they''d pay for your sub, and would pitch in with you for the system." She explained.

    "That seems fair." Winston said, "but what''s this about a contact?" He said, finally a little suspicious, putting his name on anything seemed like a bad idea to Winston.

    "Of course there''s a contact. Deals like this happen all the time in the big clans but the Clan needs a way to defend themselves. They are providing you with quite a bit of money, so they need insurance that you won''t just take their money and run off." Jessica said. "We can talk more after school. Give me your number. I''ll text you the address and we can go meet up with my brother to get things worked out." Winston acknowledged the point.

    Otherworld was big business, emphasis on the big. 100 dollars a month at seventy million players was 84 billion in gross annual revenue. Combine that with the cut they took of all real money transfers in game, as well as other character and guild services they sold for money and the amount of money they made each year was massive.

    The going rate of real money to gold was about 10 gold per dollar. However taking into account that a top guild could make upwards of one-hundred thousand gold on a cutting edge-raid, guilds were as much business as they were a gaming group. Some of the top guilds had annual budgets in the eight-figure range. Then again they were also the most likely to pour that money back into the game and Nexus was happy to take their cut on both sides of the transaction.

    Jessica rose from the table in a smooth motion as Winston rattled off his number in a daze. Jessica winked at him and sauntered away with a swish of her tight jeans. All four men watched her walk away with rapt interest.

    "Goddddddd damn, now that''s a woman." Ruger said. The four boys were still staring after her when another girl slid into the seat Jessica had just vacated. In contrast to Jessica''s stylish look, this girl wore a loose gray hoodie and old jeans. Instead of being blonde and built, this girl was pleasantly plump, with a round pretty face and more than her share of curves. Her hair was a common brown that hung down below her shoulders. She looked in the direction of the men''s gazes and sighed theatrically. "If you guys stare anymore your tongues are going to go rolling across the floor like that cartoon wolf."

    Winston smiled at the girl."Hey Trish¡­ What''s up?" He asked. Winston and Trisha had been friends since Junior high. She was one of the few girls who Winston wasn''t shy around. They''d been each other''s first kiss on a dare back in seventh grade but even though Winston had always been attracted to her, he treated her like one of the guys. She played Otherworld as well, and would even act as their 5th in LotA occasionally.

    "What was Jessica doing here?" She asked, in what appeared to Winston to be a bit of a forced nonchalance. Winston smiled.

    "She''d helping me get into Otherworld. It''s gonna be great Trish. You''ve been telling me forever how you wanted me to get a system so we could play. Now I''ll finally be able to" He said happily. The news just made Trish''s face darken.

    "You do realize what she''s doing don''t you?" Trish asked Winston, as her green eyes met his brown ones. Winston just looked at her confused.

    "Uhhh, her guild needs some people and she thought she''d help me out?" Winston said, questioningly. Trish looked at him like he was a huge idiot.

    "Have you ever seen her do anything for anyone?" She''s one of the single most manipulative people I''ve ever met." Winston frowned, he wasn''t really getting that vibe from Jessica but who knew. It''s not like he was an expert at reading women or reading anyone really.

    "So your saying she''d just using me for something?" Winston asked.

    "Of course she''s using you for something. You think a girl like that would talk to you guys unless she wanted something." Trish said. That was a little unnecessary and Winston looked at her sideways.

    "You saying I''m not good enough for her? I don''t care if she''s using me or not. If she can get me a system and in game, then it''s fine, but it''s not like I''m gonna sign anything until I read it. I''m not an idiot." Winston said, angry. It wasn''t enough for his dad to bash him all the time. Now Trish was doing it as well?

    Trish''s face flickered through a few emotions that Winston couldn''t follow before her face started to redden in anger as well. "If you wanna chase after her like some puppy then go do it. It''s not like I care." She said as he stood up from the seat and stomped off.

    Winston looked after her scowling. "What''s the hell''s wrong were her. She insulted me and then stomps off like I did something wrong?" Winston said as he turned back to his friends. They were all looking at him with various expressions of pity. Jason looked at him and shook his head.

    "You really don''t get it do you. I always thought you were just not interested, but you''re actually just this oblivious." He said. Winston scowled at him.

    "What do you mean¡­ and why are you taking her side?" She''s the one that insulted me." Winston said. Jason raised his hands defensively.

    "I''m not taking anyone''s side, I''m Switzerland over here. You can deal with your own girl problems." Jason said.

    "What do you mean my girl problems? We aren''t an item, never have been." Winston said.

    Jason rolled his eyes. "Good lord, you''re gonna be a virgin forever. Lemme know if you really do get magical powers when you hit thirty." Jason said. Winston looked from him to Ruger and Brad, who both shook their heads sadly.

    Winston stood up from the table and took his plate up to the wash lady. He really didn''t get his friends sometimes but he hated when people refused to tell him things.

    The afternoon went by in a blur as Winston''s thoughts were stuck on the evening''s meeting. He still couldn''t wrap his mind around the incongruity of Jessica Richards sitting down to talk with them at lunch. She played Otherworld? The pieces just didn''t seem to fit together. By the time he was finally free from school he was so excited he could hardly stand still.Winston''s phone buzzed in his pocket and he pulled it out, his hand trembling slightly with his excitement.

    Hey you''re outta school right? -Jessica

    yep, just walked out the front door. - Winston

    Great! My Car is out in the lot. Third row, come hop in and we''ll head over to my brothers. - Jessica

    ¡­.. Uhhhhh kk¡­ brt - Winston

    Winston walked out into the parking lot even more confused. He usually came to and from school with his brother. Who was a senior and had a car. He shot his brother a text to let him know he''d find his own ride home. Then headed off to ride home with the hottest girl in school.

    The ride was a cherry red mustang that no parent in their right mind would buy for their teenage daughter. Jessica was leaning against the car and was surrounded by her friends and suitors as usual. Winston approached cautiously. He was a bit shy around strangers and feeling more than a little awkward about the entire situation. He was way out of his depth. Jessica saw him approaching and gave him a warm smile that put down his guard. Her attention got the others attention and three heads turned towards him.

    Two guys, both football players, and Kelly Cavanaugh the cheerleader. They all looked at Winston with a rather puzzled expression, as if unable to understand why Jessica was smiling at him. To be fair Winston didn''t understand why either.

    "Who are you?" One of the guys said as he looked at Winston with a puzzled expression. He was a beefy dude, a lineman most likely by Winston''s guess, tall and broad with a short haircut. He looked more curious than angry. That was the good part about the real jocks, they usually didn''t pick on nerds too much. Not like they always do in stories and on TV. If they don''t see you as a threat to their social status or as competition for a mate they usually didn''t bother you.

    It''s was the hangers on that you needed to watch in Winston''s opinion. They were the ones that will try to drag others down in order to lift themselves up or to stand out. The ones already at the top don''t need to act out. The fact that the guy didn''t feel the need to even be hostile towards Winston made him both relieved and annoyed at the same time.

    "Uhh Winston Stevenson." Winston said with a half-hearted shrug. The guy looked at him with a cocked head for a moment, then a light seemed to come on.

    "Ohhh Stevenston, your Josh''s brother right?" The guy said, now more animated. Winston had to suppress an eyeroll. Everyone knew and loved Josh, and Winston was usually treated with kid-gloves by most people because of his brother. It was useful, if annoying. "Well if you two are headed out, I guess we better bail. I''ll tell your brother we ran into you when practice starts." He said as he and his large friend shambled away.

    "I didn''t know you were Josh''s brother." Jessica said as she turned back to Winston. Something flashed across her face for a moment but Winston couldn''t tell what it was. She and Josh had been on a couple dates but they had never gotten serious as far as Winston knew. Then again, keeping track of Josh''s love life would be a full time job.

    The two climbed in the car and pulled out of the lot. The turned out onto the road and Headed towards the outskirts of town. Winston did his best not to stare at the girl but it was difficult. She really was beautiful and watching her drive was oddly enjoyable. Still he did his best to keep his eyes in his head until they pulled up outside a modest two-story house on the edge of town.

    It looked a little run-down but not terribly. A fresh coat of paint would bring it back to being a decent little house. Still, Winston couldn''t imagine that Jessica''s brother lived here. Her family obviously had money, judging by Jessica''s clothes and car. Winston understood the situation even less but he dutifully got out of the car and headed towards the house.

    Jessica didn''t bother with knocking and just walked in. The house was a disaster. Pizza boxes, clothes, and empty energy drink cans were scattered around everywhere. Winston recoiled at the sight and smell but Jessica just sighed.

    "I swear to God, they are going to be single forever." She said with an eye-roll as they picked a path through the wreckage and into a small-side room. Unlike the rest of the house, the room was clean and looked like a meeting room in an office. A large rectangular table was surrounded by chairs. An IP phone sat in the middle of the table with what appeared to be a video camera and a projector both attached to the ceiling.

    Jessica sat in one of the office chairs around the table and Winston followed suit. They sat there in silence for a few seconds before Winston had to start asking questions.

    "What is this place?" He asked the girl. The house looked like some post-party frat-house, yet had a meeting room like an office.

    "It''s a gaming house. They were mostly a thing over in Asia before Otherworld but there were a few in the US for professional gaming teams. Since Otherworld came out more have been popping up.. Basically the guild bought the house for the players, and now they live here and play the game as a job. The guild has about five of these scattered around the county." "Jessica explained, getting into her topic.

    "They stay here and work, the guild pays them a small salary which they supplement as much as they can in game. They don''t make a ton of money but it''s enough to live. This place is basically like a giant frat-house, but they keep the conference room clean to talk to the other houses and the clan heads." She continued.

    The two sat in the room and chatted for a bit before a tall brown-haired guy walked in. He looked like he was on a bender. His hair and scraggly beard were a mess but his eyes were sharp and he smiled at Jessica who was apparently his sister. There was a resemblance but it was hard to tell how much with the state he was in. He slid onto a chair into a chair then bent back until his back popped before relaxing..

    "So you brought us another one." He said grinning at his sister. "This is number five isn''t it. You must really want those daggers." He said as he turned to examine Winston.

    Jessica snorted heavily. "Just get out the papers and give him the rundown. I''ve got stuff to do tonight."

    "Alright, alright.." he said waving a hand vaguely. He turned to Winston. "I''m Chuck, or Chu''kal in game. Who are you?" Winston recognized the name instantly. Chu''kal was an Orc Shaman and was one of the core members of the Swords of Solomon. He had a ton of fans and a Twitch channel with nearly 20,000 subscribers.

    "I''m Winston Stevenson. Jessica said you might have an offer for me." Winston said, looking at the man. He seemed to be the one in charge here and Winston wanted to make a good impression.

    "Yeah, well we are recruiting grunts for the upcoming expansion. It''s not exactly glamorous, but we''re willing to pick up your sub and help with a system as long as you work for us. Honestly, it would probably be easier on you just to get a part-time job and save up, but if you really wanna to get in game we''re willing." He said with a shrug.

    "What are the terms." Winston asked.

    "Basically we can offer you a old Mark III system for a thousand bucks. That''s about half of what it would cost online. Then you have to join one of our feeder clans, and do whatever tasks we assign you for three months. You have to play a minimum of 20 hours a week for the three months." Chuck explained.

    "So basically you''re paying me¡­. What eighty cents an hour to play soldier for you?" Winston asked, doing the mental math. That really was a terrible deal but he would get to play at least. Especially since his parents kept refusing to let him get a part-time job. This would let him kill at least 1.5 birds with one stone.

    "That about sums it up. I told you it''s not really a great deal. It would be easier just to grab a job stocking shelves or something then pay for it the normal way, but if you want in I''ll get the contract out." He said with a shrug. Winston respected the man more for laying things out truthfully to him, Jessica on the other hand he was feeling a little angry towards. He''d bet money that she got a bonus for finding people who signed on. Trisha had been right, which made Winston more mad, he''d have to grovel a bit for this one.

    "Alright, get out the contact. Although I''m still a minor." Winston said.

    "That doesn''t really matter. Being a minor just means we can''t lock you into it. You can void the contract whenever you want anyway it''s not like we''re trying to take your life away or anything. We''d just stop paying for your sub and take back the MK III." The older boy said with a shrug. He was around college age maybe 21 or 22, and definitely had the pale skin and unkempt appearance of a hardcore gamer. He rolled his chair over to an old-style file cabinet and grabbed a stack of papers out of it, before rolling back to the table and sliding them under Winston''s nose. "There ya go, sign if you want. I''d read it first though."

    Winston did just that searching for any hidden small print. There was some, He would be given a weekly quest by the guild which he had to complete for the contract to remain valid. He couldn''t sign any agreement with any clan other than the Swords of Solomon, or one of their feeder guilds for at least three months after his contract ended. In case the contract was voided his account would be deleted immediately, and he had to return the system to the Swords within 24 hours or face legal action. It was a giant headache but it wasn''t anything unexpected. Winston sighed internally and scribbled his name on the dotted line.

 Chapter 2

    It was nearly dark by the time Winston got home. Chuck had borrowed a pick-up from somewhere and Winston and some of the other guys in the house had helped them load it. A short trip across town and Chuck''s little gang of impromptu movers all unpiled from the truck like clowns from a clown car. They all grabbed the system and started moving the massive thing towards the house.

    The Mark III was an older version of the Mark V that his parents had bought for Josh. It had the same basic shape. It looked like one of those old Gyroscope exercise things that used to be in arcades with the big rings with straps for your arms and legs. That all sat on a large block stand that was chock full of sensors, network equipment, computer processors and all the other things that was needed to bring Otherworld to life in Full VR. Josh''s mark V, was a sleek work of art. Whereas the Mark III looked like a something that Winston''s friend Brad had built his his basement with a spool of nine-gage wire and a soldering iron.

    They picked the massive thing up and headed towards the house, however Winston winced as his father stepped out of the front door. He looked truly furious and Winston''s own anger, always close to the surface these days, rose up to match.

    "Where the hell have you been? It''s nearly sun-down and not a word to me or your mother." He started, his voice rising as he saw the people behind Winston. "What have you done? Who are they and why are they holding that thing? You couldn''t go one day without pulling some stunt could you. It''s always about you and you can never be happy for your brother." He ranted. Winston had never really gotten along with his dad but this was so ridiculous.

    "You guys can just sit it down there. I''ll have Josh help me carry it in later." Winston said, ignoring his father and turning back to the others. "Seems I''m about to get in an argument with dad. So feel free to get out of here before we really get started."

    Chuck nodded and he and his guildmates sat down the machine, then hopped back into their truck and pulled away. Only then did Winston turn back to his father. Who looked even more angry.

    "You think you can just ignore me now? Don''t have any respect for anyone. Get your ass in here and take that thing back where you found it. I''m not letting you keep it here." He said, glaring down at Winston.

    "What the hell is your problem. Every single thing I do, you''re always trying to upend? Why? Does it just make you feel like more of a man to yell at me. You don''t wanna help me? Fine. You don''t wanna be a father to me? FIne. I don''t need you. I just need you to stay the hell out of my way." Winston shouted back. "If you hate me so much, then stop screwing with my life. I promise I''ll leave if you give me a chance. Then you won''t have to deal with me anymore."

    He didn''t know what he''d ever done to poison his dad against him but he''d never been good enough. Didn''t matter if he got A''s or won the science project, nothing. With no talent in sports his father had never cared. That was always fine with Winston, but this was something else. It was like his dad was actively trying to sabotage his life.

    The front door banged open and Winston''s mom came out, apparently attracted by the shouting. "Would you to stop making a scene out here. Half the neighborhood is watching. Both of you get in the house¡­ NOW!" She snapped. Mom hardly ever got involved in their arguments but she had the money and made the rules in the house. Winston shrugged and headed inside while his dad stomped in after him.

    Both Winston and his father sat at the table glaring at each other as Winston''s mom stomped around the kitchen like a very short bull. She was looking pissed and she didn''t get pissed often.

    "Now what is the problem?" She snapped. Looking at both of them like a school teacher who''s caught two third-graders fighting on the playground.

    I have no idea." Winston said. "I know I sorta snapped last night but I was jealous, but tonight all I did was work out a deal with some guys to get myself system. Which I bought with MY money. No parental involvement necessary. And now I come back and he''s going off the deep end on me. For what? I didn''t use your money, I didn''t bring up Josh, I seriously have no idea why he''s so angry." Winston said.

    "Well John?" She asked with a raised eyebrow as she shot her husband a glare. The glare seemed to make him even more furious and his entire face seemed to redden.

    "So you''re taking his side, of course you would you''ve always¡­." He started, but she cut him off.

    "No I haven''t. I''ve given you free reign with Josh, who''s turned out to be a good person despite everything you''ve done to him. Winston on the other hand is just a normal boy so If he''s doing something on his own. Then let him. I didn''t want EITHER boy to get a VR system, but you insisted for Josh to help his training and I caved. Now we can hardly be mad at Winston when he managed to get his hands on one for himself." She turned to Winston who was staring at her wide-eyed. He''d NEVER seen his mother stand up for him. This was way out of his expectations.

    "Don''t look at me like that." She said, looking at Winton. "I''m not standing up for you. I''m just making sure your dad plays fair. I won''t let him cheat you with stuff you manage on your own but I''m not going to help you either, that was the deal." Winston just stared at her and had no idea what she was talking about. What deal? What the hell was going on with his parents.

    "Ok then, well thanks for not helping then." Winston said slowly looking up at his mother confused. "In that case I''m gonna go grab Josh to help me bring that thing inside before it rains or something." Winston said as he stood up from the table. He headed out of the kitchen and towards Josh''s room. He knocked then entered at a word from Josh. Josh''s room looked nothing like Winston''s. He had a 70 inch flat screen on one side of the room. One of those really fancy ones with the bend in it. Standing floor speakers sat in the corners of the room, all hooked up to a top of the line receiver. Then there the game consoles, movie posters, a top of the line PC, and posters of hot girls in bikinis. It was a sweet pad.

    Josh looked up at him from his desk, pencil in hand. His math book was open in front of him, along with a notebook. He looked puzzled at Winston''s entrance, but pulled the earbuds out that he was wearing.

    "Sup man-o." He said as he spun in his chair to face Winston.

    "I need your muscles. I''ve got heavy things that need carrying." Winston said as his brother stood up. Josh laughed closing his math book, while using his pencil to hold the page.

    "You know, usually it''s old women who tell me that." Josh said as he followed Winston out of the house and into the yard where the system was still sitting.He looked down at it then laughed. "So this is what you and dad were fighting about?" He asked as he bent down and got his hands under one side.

    "Sorta, but I''m pretty sure that''s not what it was really about." Winston replied as he picked up his side of the contraption. It was heavy, but not overly so. It was awkward though since it was so tall and top heavy. Winston grunted as they started to waddle towards the house. "I don''t know, him and mom were talking like they''d made some sort of deal about me. Dad honestly seemed to really hate me, but mom was acting like she was just following the deal. I can''t imagine what that was about though. Who makes a deal about one of their kids and why? It was just strange. Everything is strange lately." Winston tried to explain. He knew he wasn''t really making things clear for his brother but he was just as confused. The whole situation was odd.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    "Dad doesn''t hate you." Josh said as he stepped backward up onto the porch. He adjusted his grip until he held his side of the machine in one hand. Then reached behind himself with his other hand and opened the door. Winston just shook his head as he struggled to keep his end from falling. It really wasn''t fair.

    The two moved past the large sofa in the living room, then struggled upstairs and into Winston''s room before they dumped the thing in the middle of the room. Winston gasped for air as he let go and leaned against the wall while he tried to regain his breath. Sweat was streaming down his face and he was pretty sure he was going to collapse

    "Too much caffeine little bro, makes you sweat and you should really do some cardio. Your puffing like a bellows and that wasn''t even that heavy. At least playing is supposed to be good exercise.." He said with a grin, obviously not winded at all. Winston scowled at him.

    "I hear alotta house-wives and office workers play just for the workout. It''s supposed to be damn hard work, especially in the beginning." Josh said as he watched Winston.

    "Great¡­" Winston muttered darkly.

    ****************************************************************************

    "So Win¡­ Give us the scoop man. Did Jessica take you back to her lair and have her wicked way with you." Ruger asked as Winston plunked down his plate on the formica table-top and slid into his seat. Jason and Brad were both there and they looked up from their own lunch as he sat. It was lunch time once again and Winston finally had time to tell his friends what had happened.

    "Not really, It was pretty much just dumping me off at her brother''s and leaving. Trish was right, she was using me but I got what I wanted in the end as well. So it worked out, although dad threw a giant fit when I got home. It was strange... anyway. So yeah. Starting tonight, I''ll be a real boy." Winston said grinning.

    "Grats man.." Ruger said, smiling broadly. "So you''re just working for them or what?" He asked, as he stuffed a handful of chips in his mouth. Brad and Jason both looked curious so Winston responded.

    "I think so, Although they didn''t say exactly what I''d be doing. They gave me a promo code I''m supposed to use, and told me to log onto the game tonight at six. I''ll meet the other newbies there and be told what we''re supposed to be doing. Three months¡­ That was the deal. They sold me a old mark III for a thousand bucks, and their picking up my sub in the meantime." Winston explained.

    "That seems a damn good deal, what''s the catch." Jason asked. He was picking at the cheezy-mush that was supposed to be potatoes au gratin.

    "Basically I''m an indentured servant who''s being paid the equivalent of eighty cents an hour." Winston said with a shrug. "

    Eighty cents? Shit you could make that picking up cans." Jason snapped. "That''s seriously terrible. Why would you even agree to that. It''s not like you''re that hard up for money." Winston shrugged.

    "Honestly with the discount they gave me on the system? It''s not actually that bad. It''s basically a loan I''ve gotta pay off with work. Since my parents have always been against me getting a job it works out pretty nicely for me. I''ve just gotta slave for a few months, then I''m free to keep the system. It''s a bad deal, but it''ll solve most of my problems, by christmas break I''ll be home-free." Winston said with a shrug.

    Winston was about to continue when he saw Jason glance at someone standing behind him. Winston got no more warning than that when someone grabbed a fist full of his hair and smashed his head into the table-top. Light flashed behind his eyes as his head hit the table. He faintly heard Ruger and Jason shout but it was muffled and sounded distorted. The room swam as someone jerked his head back up then a voice growled in his ear.

    "Stay away from Jessica little nerd boy. She''s way too good for you and your little pack of freaks." Then the hand was gone and Winston was trying to figure out why the lunchroom was whirling around him. He heard distant shouting and saw people moving around him but he was having a hard time trying to understand what was going on.

    The world started to came back together as someone helped him to his feet. Winston saw Ruger step into someone''s face and start shouting. Another senior, who looked like someone from the popular crowd, pushed around tried to separate the two but Jason came in from the side and decked the kid trying to settle the situation down. Jason then caught a punch from another senior standing nearby which send Ruger into a fit. A haymaker that must have started from Ruger''s ankles, smashed into the jaw of the first senior and the older student went down like a toppling tree. Then the fight erupted in earnest. Soon half the cafeteria seemed to be brawling and Winston was still trying to figure out what was going on when a fist plowed into his nose and the lights went out.

    ***************************************************************

    The principal''s office was up in the administrative area and Winston hadn''t been here more than a handful of times. The office always had a sort of sacred air to him. It was a place that was in the school, yet totally apart from it. There was always some hint of mystery there. Where the high and mighty did things not for the eyes for the students. That was obviously ridiculous and he was sure that nothing actually interesting really went on there but he''d always wondered.

    It was like the girls locker room. It wasn''t that he wanted to peep on girls, hell he had the internet for that. Logically it would be the same as the boys locker room with lockers of smelly gym clothes. The fact that he wasn''t supposed to go someplace or see something automatically made him want to know what was there. He supposed that was human nature, always wondering what was beyond the next horizon.

    The secretary''s phone rang and she picked it up. Then she looked up at Winston while she talked briefly then hung up again. His entire face was a throbbing mass of pain. The school nurse had reset his nose and he was sure he had two black eyes. He''d never actually been knocked out before and he was feeling embarrassed. His first real fight and he hadn''t gotten a single punch off before getting KO''d.

    "Go on in. He''s ready for you." the secretary said, pointing towards the door labeled ''Principle''. Winston sighed then opened the door and stepped inside. The office was large but was sparsely furnished. Just a desk and a few bookcases with diplomas, certificates, and those odd plastic plants that adults feel the need to scatter everywhere to take up the empty wall space. Winston grabbed one of the chairs opposite Mr. Harvey''s desk and sat feeling guilty for some reason.

    "The nurse says you likely have a minor concussion, but I''d like to ask you a few things before sending you home. What actually happened?" The principal asked from behind his desk. "I''ve talked to a few of the others involved and they all say you were the one attacked first." He said looking stern.

    "I honestly have no idea. I was just sitting at the table then someone grabbed me from behind and slammed my head into the table. By the time I got my wits back half the lunch room was brawling." Winston said honestly.

    "Do you know what it was about?" The principle pressed.

    "What else, a woman." Winston said feeling more than a little bitter about the whole thing. It really was so damn typical. Hot girl paid nerdy guy some attention and someone kicks his ass for it. The worst part was that he was being screwed over by the girl too. He''d gotten beaten up because a girl had used him. It really just didn''t seem fair. "Jessica Richards to be more more specific. I had a conversation with her yesterday, and apparently Rich didn''t like it." Winston explained to the older man. He''d had to find out who''d started the fight from Jason once he''d woken up.

    The principal, Mr. Anderson stared at Winston looking more annoyed than angry.. "This isn''t the first time something like this has happened. I just wish you guys wouldn''t have your fights during school. I understand, I was your age once and understand that sometime boys just need to fight it out, but by doing it at school you''re forcing me to act. I''m gonna give both you and Mr. Brumley a week suspension for fighting."

    Winston just about lost it, luckily his brain was working slightly faster than his temper and he realized how much he wanted to be suspended. "That is.... fair." Winston said finally, doing his best to look chastised. He was sure he failed, he''d never been particularly good at hiding his emotions.

    "I swear, it seems that everytime I suspend someone they are always happy about it. They never realize how much strain it puts on their grades. Even smart students have a hard time with classes when they can''t hear the lectures and have to get everything out of their books." The principle said, stern again.

    Winson supposed that was likely true. He''d would have to keep up on all his homework but even so it would save him hours everyday and he wanted to get established in Otherworld as quickly as possible.

    "That''s probably true." Winston said. "But if there''s nothing else can I go home? My head is killing me." Winston said. The principle stared at him for a moment, obviously unconvinced but then he shook his head, washing his hands of the situation.

    Winston finally got home about 2:00, the school had let Josh out of class to take him home, but he had to return for class and practice. Winston''s parents were still at work so he had the entire house to himself. It didn''t happen often. Winston headed to the fridge, pulling out a pepsi, then parking himself on the couch. He propped his feet up on the coffee table and just stared at the blank TV in front of him. His silent contemplation only lasted a few seconds before he pushed power and flipped the channel to gaming news.

    An attractive college-aged girl with Asian features was sitting behind a news-style desk with a skinny white guy. Both of them looked towards the camera and the girl was in the middle of speaking.

    ".... have been talking about nothing but the next expansion for months. All the major guilds have been staying relatively quiet, all of them trying to hit new raids and gather supplies and resources for the big push. That however has opened up opportunities for smaller guilds who''s been taking this opportunity to make bold moves in an attempt to grab some of the spotlight.

    We''ve received news that at least eight guilds who live in the southern lands have formed what they are calling the Rebel Alliance. An interesting name choice. They seem to be implying that the top guilds are the evil empire and that they are trying to fight against them. That seems a bit melodramatic, doesn''t it Chad?" She said, before turning to her co-anchor.

    "That''s actually not too far from the truth in some cases. The large guilds are massive but their sheer size is also their biggest weakness. They need a ton of gold to keep operating and pay the taxes on their lands and castles, as well as any real life assets they might have. For a small guild completing a single ''raid'' class dungeon would set them up for months. However the large guilds need to compete multiple ''raid'' class dungeons a week just to keep operating. They are like massive beasts with high metabolisms, charging around and devouring everything in their paths just to keep themselves alive. However ''raid'' class dungeons are nearly always found by solo explorer players or smaller guilds. They then sell that information to the major guilds for a tiny fraction of their true value or the major guilds just take them over with force. Personally I think it''ll be fun to watch the fireworks." The male anchor answered.

    Winston sat sipping his Pepsi and listening with half an ear. He didn''t really care too much about the large guilds. It made for fairly interesting television but it didn''t affect his everyday gaming too much. Winston was sprawled out on the couch watching the TV and doing some some homework. He wanted to get it finished before he had to log on.

 Chapter 3

    Winston checked his phone and it read 4:57. He took a deep breath and climbed into the machine for the first time. It was difficult with one person, but he managed it after a few struggling attempts. Then he slid on the helmet, stuck his hands into the arm sensors and said in a clear voice.

    "Activate". The world flashed white in front of Winston then went black.

    [Please Set Up Your Account Information]

    Winston dutifully filled out his name, address, age, and entered his Credit-card info. The game accepted it dutifully then the screen changed to a bank blue Screen with two buttons. ''Create A New Character'' and ''Enter Promotional Code. Winston hit the enter code button and dutifully typed in the long string of random symbols, letters, and numbers that Chuck had given him.

    [Swords of Solomon Guild Package Activated!]

    [You have joined the Guild Seeds of Solomon!]

    [Your Starting Location has been changed to:]

    [Grimstone Keep, Brethen Plains, Lunari Continent]

    The Screen went back to the original blue one and Winston pushed the other button to create his character. When Otherworlded had launched they''d been praised for offering more than fifty starting races and 250 classes. Three years and one major expansion later that number was now 85 races and more than 500 classes. Players were able to choose from six at the start, but they also had the option of not selecting a class in the hope of unlocking a more powerful one.

    Winston did some final touch-ups then glanced at the tan-skinned man with too-thin limbs and an oddly triangular face. The character looked weird but no worse that a lot of other races. Still he was sad that his soon to be epic healer was short and dumpy like he was. He could change that but he felt that it was cheating. His characters appearance would improve as he improved his stats.

    Winston had been obsessed with Otherworld for a while and had long since planned out his first character. He would be a Zonastian Sun-Priest. Zonastian''s were an human sub-species with a few insectoid characteristics. They were a desert dwelling people who were highly religious. The species got heavy racial bonuses to faith-based classes. The Sun-Priest was a hidden class that was unlocked by reaching apprentice rank in light magic and healing magic, as well as worshipping a light-based god associated with the sun. Once those were done the player had to complete a quest chain. Once all that was done you unlocked a healer with powerful healing magic and some fire based offensive powers.

    Winston nearly always played support classes in RPG games. Healers were loved universally and it was always easy to find a group or guild to take you in if you were a talented healer. You didn''t have the offensive powers of other classes, but that mattered less in Otherworld than most games. Otherworld''s skill system allowed any class to learn any skill. A basic fighter could become a grandmaster at fire magic if they wanted, but it would just take more time and they wouldn''t be as good at it as a magic-based class. Most classes just offered passive buffs with a few active skills. The game rewarded planning builds around race and class choices but you were free to build anyway you wanted. There were more than a few players who''d found success with odd combinations.

    He finalized the creation of ''Lazin Thra''kar'' the soon to be Zonastian Sun-Priest and entered the game. His vision faded to black for a few seconds then he was suddenly standing in what appeared to be a courtyard.

    [Calibrating System¡­..]

    Winston tried to take a step but the world swam along with his vision and he suddenly wanted to hurl. His vision spun and he fell to a knee gasping as all his senses and movement seemed to be disconnected. This went on for a good twenty or thirty seconds before everything finally settled down.

    [Calibration Complete]

    Winston shook his head and staggered back to his feet just as someone shouted from in front of him.

    "Alright Ladies look alive!" Winston whipped his head that direction and saw human in shining silver armor carrying a big two handed sword. "I think this is all of you so listen up and let''s get this shit-show on the road." Winston took the opportunity to look around before the man started his speech.

    A keep made of blocks of grey stone stood off a few hundred yards to the west. It wasn''t a huge structure. It honestly looked like little more than a square warehouse with some crenellations on top. It was ugly and utilitarian. Greg stood along with ten other players in the middle of what would normally be the courtyard of most keeps. This one was full of thigh-high grass, weeds, large boulders, twisted looking trees, and other various debris. A five foot high wall surrounded the entire area, this too was made of stone, but smaller, less uniform pieces. Four wooden guard towers stood behind the short wall and NPC''s stood in the towers with bows, each of them gazing out over the rugged landscape around the keep.

    The group was a rather ragtag looking bunch. All of them stood around in their underwear, without any armor or weapons. There was a decent variety of races, in fact Winston was one of the most human looking, besides the elves of course but no one liked elves. It was so overplayed and with nearly 100 races to choose from it was just bad form.

    "If your here that means you signed up for our little guild Initiate program. That makes you all my bitches for the next few months. If you''re good then you''ve got a shot at making it into the Swords when your done. If you''re a screw-up, or a failure, or just lazy, then the contact is broken and you''re out on your ass. I''m Therion and I will be in charge."

    "Alright, Dwarf, Giant and, Wolfman are on mining duty." He continued with the same breath. Pointing to three of the newbies in turn."Cromm will be over in a bit and take you over to the mines. The elves and the Fox will be on lumber duty, and under the control of Leggeth she''s the one that looks like a creepy pixy." He said waving vaguely at a girl with gnarled fingers, sharp teeth, and beautiful butterfly wings . "The rest of you¡­" He said, scanning his eyes over the remaining players. "Are on farming duty."

    "Thank god." The frog guy said. "At least farming mobs will actually get us some action."

    Therion smiled at the frog nastily ". "Ahhh, you''re not going to be farming any mobs. You''re going to be farming grain. Ya know¡­ Like a farmer." Therion finished, with a gleeful smile.

    Winston just looked at him incredulously. They wanted him to grow turnips for three months. That was going to really suck. He knew that this was going to be pretty terrible but just farming? How was he even supposed to level or do anything with his character. Winston couldn''t believe he''d agreed to this.

    "You want us to do nothing but farm crops¡­. For three entire months." The frog guy said.

    "Nope, I don''t want you to. I''m ordering you to. So farm or leave. I don''t really care which." Therion said with a shrug, then he made a few motions and a blue screen appeared before Winston.

    (Ba-Ding!)

    [You Have Been Given A Guild Quest!]

    [Food for the Guild]

    [You are to deliver 25 bushels of Corn, Wheat, or Rice to the guild stores

    at Grimstone Keep within 7 days.]The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    [Time Remaining: 167:56]

    [Recommended Level: N/A]

    [Difficulty: N/A]

    [Rewards: N/A]

    [This quest is required]

    [Failure will result in the being kicked from the Guild Initiate program]

    "Look, I know you''re pissed but we need the food and you guys agreed to do whatever we requested. Think about it. The new expansion drops in about four months. As soon as it was announced the price of food tripled as all the major traders bought up all the food they could get their mitts on. That was two months ago." Therion explained as Winston looked over the quest details.

    "Do you know how many farmers there are in Otherworld? There are 20 million players. Most of those never use any skill points on a non-combat skill, even secondary ones. But even among the people who do use skills on crafting and gathering professions, farming is one of the least chosen ones. The number of players who''ve willingly chosen the farmer class is less than 1000 from what we''ve been able to find out. The number of players with a primary skill point in farming is less than 5000 Think about that for a moment. That''s less than one in every 10,000 players. Sure, tons of meat floods the markets from hunters and all those noobs out killing deer, or rabbits, or wolves, or whatever, but grains, vegetables, and fruit are always in high demand by chefs because hardly anyone ever commits to really growing them.

    The new expansion area is on the edge of the known world, and isn''t anywhere near a capital city. All the major guilds are going to have to travel overland for weeks with thousands of people. Think about how much food that''s going to take. Food put in a player''s bag stays fresh but few players are willing to haul provisions, but if it''s in a cart, or any bag that''s not a player''s primary bag, then it ages.

    How much dried grain is a trip like that going to take? Enough to empty the coffers of the entire guild." Therion explained.

    Winston just stared at him. Was he really going to farm for three entire months? That would be awful. Not to mention that he wouldn''t actually get to keep the money he made. Winston thought about it. He had a few options. He could just bail on everything. Honestly in three months he could probably scrounge up the money he needed. He could also just go with it, put in his time to deal with the contract then go on his way. That wasn''t what he wanted though. He''d been looking forward to Otherworld for a year. Now that he was here he didn''t want to be stuck in purgatory for three months before he could even play.

    He did some more thinking. He only had to fulfill his quota, once he did that he could do whatever he wanted. So¡­ he could try to grind it out, put in his time then he''d be able to actually play his char in the meantime, but how much time would that take? He had school and other responsibilities. Twenty hours a week would be pushing it for him anyway. He couldn''t put in more. Winston sighed heavily as the others with him stood around in a daze. There was one other option, to push all his chips into the middle of the table. Winston wavered for a moment then spoke up for the first time.

    "Can I remake my character?" Winston asked. "I mean, If I''ve got a farm there''s no real reason for this guy. I might as well pick a race that''s actually good at it." Winston said.

    Therion shrugged. "Like I care." then he spoke up so everyone could hear. "The tools and seeds are over there." He said pointing at a stone shed. "Anything you wanna turn in for the quest goes in that building." He said pointing to another shed. The rest is on you guys. So have fun!" Therion said before heading back to the keep and leaving them all their staring at each other.

    Winston sighed and sat down. He really could just be a farmer for a while. It could be relaxing honestly. It was like being a super support but instead of directly supporting the combat he was another step removed. He shrugged. He could always just delete his character and make the priest again when his time was up. Sighing he logged out to the main menu and deleted his character. It wasn''t that big of a deal, after all he''d had the character for all of about five minutes.

    Winston logged out of the game and walked over to his computer. It was a old frankenstein rig cobbled together from cast off parts from his friends and bargain bin components he''d found online. His brother had been given a monster gaming computer by his dad. Winston on the other hand had built his computer with his own hands. It was a point of pride for him.

    He fired up the machine and listened to the whining fans then pulled up an Otherworld character builder when the OS finally sputtered to life. He sorted the races by their bonuses then searched for farming bonus. There were only two, the Duogu were a servant caste of centaur who got a bonus to crop yield on harvest. The other was called a Yawnshu who were apparently some anthropomorphic mole race. They got a bonus to harvested crop quality. Winston quickly brought up both races full bio for comparison.

    Duogu

    Equine

    The great horse tribes used to be one people who lived on the Great plains of the Varnith continent. However war among the tribes drove them into isolation and over time the race was split. The Centaurs stayed on the plains to raid and war while the lapith were driven south towards orc held lands. The orcs enslaved them and forced them to work as laborers and crafters. Over the generations they learned agriculture and many craft skills gaining standing with the orcs and eventually gaining their freedom. Over time the race split farther, with the strongest males and females to fight with the orcs, while the rest of the race became craftsmen. This divided the Lapith and the Duogo into two separate races over time. With the Duogu being smaller, weaker, but more intelligent. While the Lapith are more hardy and warlike like their Centaur cousins. .

    Racial bonuses: +15% to run speed. +10% to crop yield while farming

    Yawnshu

    Anthropomorphic

    A peaceful folk who once lived in Great underground cities below the fertile river valleys of Yanth. They were driven to the surface by a war with the Dweemer, a proto-race to gnomes and dwarves, millennia ago. They generally make poor warriors but their clever hands makes them excellent craftsman. They are also exceptional farmers, the talent harking back to the great underground groves they used to feed their people.

    Racial bonuses: Retractable claws for attack or digging, +15% to crop quality while farming

    So Winston''s choices were a horseman or moleman. Neither really appealed to him but beggars could not be choosers . The Duogu was the obvious choice. He''d have to do 10% less work and would be getting free grain, but the moleman idea he liked more. One it would be more funny and two crop quality would be a better option if he actually planned to work himself out from under the guild. High-quality crops were sought out by all the top level chefs and were worth lots of gold. It was more of a long-term choice If he was actually considering going with the class. Not to mention the claws would help him with his work immediately. Winston thought over it for another few seconds then shrugged and hopped back into the machine. He re-entered his guild promo-code then re-made his character. He took some time on a new name. Usually he went with something epic sounding but this was a throwaway character, so he picked a stupid name.

    Then he was back in the courtyard outside the keep and looking down at himself. He looked ridiculous. He had short-stumpy legs, a long whisker covered nose, and a huge belly. Winston was fat in real life but now he was nearly round as a white fur covered belly bulged out from his torso. His arms hung nearly to the ground and ended in large shovel-like hands. They would be perfect for digging but looked ridiculous. Winston sighed and opened his character sheet.

    [ Name: Win Mills Level 1]

    [ Race: Yawnshu Class: N/A]

    [ Attributes Status]

    [Str: 7 End: 7 Hp: 8/8 Mana: 0/0]

    [Con: 8 Agi: 7 Stam:7/7 Panic: 1/10]

    [Cord: 11 Int: 12 Hunger: 99/100 Thirst: 97/100]

    [Wis 10 Faith: 10]

    [Res: 10 ]

    [Guild: Seeds Titles: 0]

    [Fame: 0 Friend List: 0/0]

    Winston groaned as he saw his stats. He knew the game gave you starting stats based off your own body but it was pretty sad to see them just laid out like that. He knew he''d been out of shape, but the game was saying he was WAY out of shape. The next few days really were going to be hell. He was going to have to stop for breaks all the time.

    How was he supposed to raise his stats anyway? Stats only increased in Otherworld when you leveled up, and they only increased based on what you did. There were no stat-points to allocate in this game. You wanna up your strength? Then lift heavy things, the more you do it, the more strength you''ll get when you level. Wanna up your stamina, go for run, or in Winston''s case start digging some fields.

    Winston waddle-walked his way over the shed where the other players were milling around looking uncertain. He felt utterly ridiculous as he moved but there was no real help for it. When he arrived at the shed he overheard the conversation the other players were having.

    "This is such shit. We''re not even employee, were not getting paid, were damn slaves." The frog said.

    "Stop whining froggy." the gnome said. "You''re not even close to a slave. You can leave whenever you want, you just won''t get your sub paid."

    "#*&!^& you. I don''t need your #*&!^&." The frog-man shouted back. The profanity was bleeped out to Winston''s ears. Winston frowned, then tried to figure out how to open his menu as the the two continued to argue.

    "Well, I DO need you to get the (#@$ out of the way. You''re blocking the door." The gnome said. Winston laughed as he finally found the profanity filter in the settings and deactivated it.

    "Fuck you both I''m out of here." The frog said, then he fell over onto the ground, as if someone had just cut the strings on his body. The gnome didn''t even react and just stepped over the body and into the shed where he grabbed a hoe. Winston stepped inside as well and picked up a scythe. He was going to need to clear out some of the grass and weeds before he started on the ground itself.

    "That guy was a dick-head." The little gnome said as he put the hoe over his shoulder. When he picked it up it the hoe seemed to re-size itself until it fit his small frame. The gnome waved it around a bit, then turned and walked out of the shed. Winston trailed after him.

    "I''m Ram¡­ Remmistizen." The gnome said, apparently catching himself from giving out his real name. " You''re not gonna bitch the whole time like that other guy are you?" He asked as they walked away from the keep to an area near the wall that was choked with weeds and rocks. There was at least a few acres of land inside the wall for them to use but it was all completely overgrown. The gnome bent over and started pulling out the weeds with his hands.

    "Nope." Winston said, as he started to pick the largest rocks out of the ground and toss them over the wall. "I even remade my char to get one good at farming." The Winston said. "I figure if I''m gonna be stuck here humping dirt I might as well be good at it." Winston replied.

    The gnome nodded and the two got back to work. Winston managed about twenty minutes of hard labor before he was gasping for air. The gnome looked over at his struggles and shook his head.

    "Ain''t you ever done any real work?" The gnome asked, looking a little disgusted.

    "Not really." Winston said. "Never really liked sports and spent more time on my computer than outside with the other kids." Winston shrugged. "Although If I''m supposed to do farm work for three months I don''t think it''ll be a problem anymore."

    "That''s for damn sure." The gnome said. Winston waited to get his breath back and the two contained working, both taking breaks to grab water from the pump near the keep and to regain stamina. They''d managed to clear themselves a decent little patch of earth by the time Winston had finally had enough. He''d also become something like co-workers with the gnome. They weren''t very close but the idle chatter had filled the four hours of work.

    When Winston came back to the real world his body seemed to go into meltdown. He almost cried out as all his muscles started complaining about the hours of hard physical labor he''s just put them through. His arms and legs felt like noodles someone had stuck onto his body. While his hips, back, and abs, were all burning from exertion. He was covered in sweat, but he barely had the strength to even pull himself free of the system.

    He collapsed in a heap on the floor when he finally managed to pull himself free. Winston just laid there for awhile. Wondering what the hell he gotten himself into. Was he really going to be able to do this for three months? He''d just have to log in tomorrow. That was the key. Just take it one day at a time. He staggered to his feet and hit the shower.

 Chapter 4

    Winston stretched languorously as he laid in his comfy bed. His body felt like hell but that was oddly satisfying. He wasn''t used to physical labor and was a little impressed with how good it felt to wake up sore, knowing that he''d done real work to earn the soreness. He wondered if this was what a proper ''morning after'' felt like but one without the hangover and awkward small talk. He felt alive in a way he hadn''t in a long time.

    Winston laughed aloud still staring at his ceiling then pried his sore body out of bed. He was starving. After a large breakfast, he decided to finish up his homework then do some more research. He needed to see what information he could find on farming in game. Soon he had his homework done and was flipping between a dozen browser tabs. His eyes scanned over data looking for anything that might be helpful to a newly budded farmer.

    He found a good deal of information but not what he was looking for exactly. He did find some things on items though that were interesting. Items in Otherworld had ten ranks based on their rarity and value: Common, Uncommon, Rare, Magical, Attuned, Potent, Mystical, Mighty, Unique, and Legendary. Those were the basic divisions of any item in the game and were a judge of how much magical power an object held.

    To add to that, all crafted and created items in the game also had a secondary set of divisions that designated the quality of the the object. This had less to do with the magical properties of the item and instead signified the skill and care with which it was created. These rankings were bad, poor, low-quality, standard quality, high-quality, superb, excellent, masterwork, and perfect.

    So a master smith that used only common iron to make a sword would likely produce a common item of superb, or excellent quality. The sword would have no magic in it at all, so would provide no stat boosts to the player, however it would contain bonuses that related to the weapon itself such as increased damage or durability. On the opposite end of the spectrum, if someone gave a complete novice a Dragon-heart and told him to make a sword with it, he might produce something that had high potential magical power, but it''s stats and overall rating would suffer a lot because of its low quality and poor construction.

    The system was complex and although lots of research had been done by players on the way the two mechanics combined, little that was concrete had been discovered, but in vague terms an item that was well crafted seemed to make better use of the ingredients it was created with. Even ingredients of low magical potential could be made into some impressive items with enough skill and care. For things like crops that were both a crafted item and an ingredient, the chefs and alchemists that used them would get better results from higher quality crops, even if they were common rarity.

    The other interesting thing about Otherworld was that monsters did not drop items. Winston had already been aware of this but not that he was taking up a production class it was good to get a refresher.

    A player would never get a sword, axe, or piece of armor from killing a orc, even if they were attacking you with one right before you killed it. All items in the game had to be created by players. So a player would never get a sword of 1000 truths from slaying a dragon or completing a quest. Instead the dragon would drop dragon skin, a dragon heart, bones, ect¡­ as well as various gems and magical curios. Those had to be taken back to a crafter, combined with other resources such as metal, wood, stone and then made into a weapon. Quest rewards were generally experience, reputation, money, or skill gains. Many players disliked the system but it made the crafting and production professions very valuable, and kept the economy from getting clogged up with thousands of junk goblin swords that no-one wanted.

    Winston read on and started looking into specific crops to grow. Wheat was the most common and could be grown pretty much anywhere. It matured in twelve hours and usually produced about 12 bushels an acre. So he could have the whole mess knocked out in about a day. Granted, it would take a single person three days to harvest an acre of crops in game, but he could grow it in twenty-four hours. Corn on the other hand produced about four times the grain per acre, but it was an a 48 hour growth cycle to balance it out. Rice wasn''t really an option as Grimstone Keep was in a temperate environment that was too dry.

    There weren''t any specific farming tips he could find and he looked. That was one area where a person could see how seriously players took the game. Information and tips on how to increase one''s combat skills were fairly common, especially at lower levels and skill ranks. However information on craftings skills were much more rare. In a lot of cases proprietary crafting knowledge was how players made a living. The top crafters kept their techniques and processes secret, sometimes even from their own guilds. Winston briefly thought about looking up some information on actual farming, but figured he could do that later.

    Winston was excited to get in game and get his first planting under his belt. He hopped in his machine at about 10:00. Without any school he''d be able to play until the game booted him out. Since he was still a minor his play time was restricted but he planned to make the most of it. He hopped back in game and found it was early morning at the keep. Rimmi was already back at work, sweating under the just rising sun. The in-game time ran at the same speed as the real world, and much like reality the time of day varied based on your location in game. Grimstone keep was a few hours behind Winston''s time zone in the real world. So at 10:00 his time it was 7:00 in game. Rimmi must have been up for a while, because he''d managed to get quite a bit of work done while Winston had been sleeping and doing research.

    "Damn You''ve put in some work." Winston said as he walked up to the gnome who was currently digging out a field. The small guy had managed dig things out pretty well and should be ready to start planting in a few hours. The gnome turned and looked up at him, scowling slightly as a bead of sweat ran down his narrow face.

    "Yeah, no shit us adults can''t dilly dally around all day in class and pretend we''re getting something done." He said over a bony shoulder as he continued to work. Winston wasn''t sure that was fare but he didn''t argue.

    "This your job then?" Winston asked. Lots of people did try to earn a living in game but only a few could make a good money that way. Although, you could make some money pretty easy but usually not enough to live on.

    "Yeah, for now. That''s what happens when you have to do a nickel in the pen and have no real job skills when you get out. Sure this deal sucks but it gets me in game and at least gives me a chance to make some money. This way I can self-employee and don''t have to worry about a bunch of bullshit managers refusing to hire me to stock-shelves. " The guy said. Winston just looked at him a little stunned and the gnome snorted and continued. "You gonna go run crying to mom now? Don''t wanna work with a con." The gnome said bitterly.

    "It''s not that at all." Winston said defensively. "Just surprising, I could honestly give a shit less. Sure if you''re a crazy pedo or a serial rapist that''s one thing, but those aren''t the kinds of crimes you get five years for. Everything else is whatever. People do things for all sorts of reasons. That might mean I wouldn''t wanna loan you money but it doesn''t mean you''re a bad person." Winston said with a shrug.

    The gnome looked thoughtful for a while as he worked then nodded, as if satisfied. "You''re alright for a weird mole thing." The gnome said nodding. "You need any help clearing out a space for yourself?" He asked. Winston looked over at the plot they''d managed to clear last night. The gnome had claimed half for himself, then expanded that bit today. Winston was left with an area about twenty-yards square with no trees, bushes, or rocks. Winston wanted a quarter acre for himself. He''d done the math this morning and needed to turn all the earth as well as expand it another 15 yards each direction. .

    "Sure, I figure I need about 15 years in each direction." Winston said as he started hacking down the weeds and tall grasses with his the his scythe. At first his motions were awkward. His pudgy mole body made swinging difficult. He had to work around his belly and get used to his disproportionate arms and legs but after ten minutes or so of work he started to get the hang of it.

    (Blip)

    (Blip)

    [You Have Unlocked A New Skill]

    [Two-Hand Weapons]

    [Current Rank: Novice I]

    [You have learned Scythe Sub-Skill]

    [Current Rank: Novice I]

    Winston raised an eyebrow at the message but kept swinging. He didn''t know scythe had its own sub-skill. Skills in otherworld didn''t work like most MMO''s. There were no talent-trees or initial selection menus. Instead you just unlocked and leveled up whatever you used, at least at the beginning. The full system was a little more complex as the skill ranks got higher. The game forced you to pick a smaller number of skills to focus on eventually but the catch was you had to unlock a skill first, and if you discovered a skill you wanted after choosing you were SOL. That would come later though. Winston was still weeks from having to worry about the skill system.

    It took about two hours to clear the patch that Winston had mentally designated as his wheat-field. The next part was actually turning the soil. This was the one of the parts he was looking forward to. Farming was, at its root, drudge work. That''s why so few players did it, even with the massive prices of grain. He had an advantage though.

    A mental command activated his racial ability and thick black claws shot out from his chubby but dexterous fingers and toes. The claws were heavy, flat on the inside, and slightly curved, almost perfect for digging. Picking a spot he bent over he started to dig. At first his posture was awkward until he gave up trying to just bend over and instead went to all fours. That made everything much easier and Winston was able dig like no tomorrow. His claws were perfect for breaking the soil, and his large shovel-like hands made dirt moving swift, even the claws on his feet made decent tools once he learned to start using them. Soon he was moving at nearly walking speed, turning the soil and he moved all all fours.

    He finished digging up the whole field in about an hour, which was way faster than the gnome was managing on his field with a hoe and shovel. By the end Winston was filthy, exhausted, and his brown fur was lathered up like a horse. The dirt he was covered in had turned to mud in his fur and it was caked on thick.

    "Damn boy, you can dig." The gnome said looking over at Winston''s field. Rimmi was trying to till a larger area than Winston had chosen and was still working. He looked over at the Yawnshu with a slightly incredulous expression. Winston didn''t know what to tell him. He had picked a mole-man race of course he would be able to dig well.

    "I''ll tell ya what. You start planting wheat on my field and I''ll finish digging yours. Just lay out the boundaries you want, and I want plant some of the wheat. The guides I''ve read online say you''ve actually got to till the earth then plant something to unlock the first level of farming." Winston said, offering the gnome a deal.

    Rimi looked happy so Winston got back to work. His body protested but he knew he''d earned this pain with his laziness. At least he''d get a big stat boost to strength and endurance if he ever managed to level up. That was something else he''d need to get working on but he had to get his crops in soon if he was going to make this week''s quota.

    Winston headed to the shed and grabbed a handful of wheat, then sprinkled some into the trench he''d made. After that it was a simple matter of covering the seeds back up.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    (Blip)

    (Blip)

    [You Have Unlocked A New Skill!]

    [Farming]

    [Current Rank: Novice 1]

    [You have learned Grain Sub-Skill]

    [Current Rank: Novice I]

    Winston smiled in satisfaction. His new life had begun. Now he just had to turn himself into the best farmer possible, make a bunch of a money, maybe pick up some chicks. He looked over his field with the smug satisfaction of someone who''d just taken his first step on the path to success. Then realized he was a overweight mole who was covered in mud while staring at a small garden. His fantasy shattered and he opened up his menus to distract himself with text.

    [Farming]

    [This skill is unlocked when a character manages to till and plant grain, fruits, vegetables, herbs, or any other plants or fungus. This skill improves the quality and yield of any crop planted by the player. It also increases the growth rate of crops, the quality of soil worked by the player, and many other related bonus.

    This skill will gain mastery as a player plants and harvests crops.

    [Current Skill Rank: Novice I]

    [Bonus Crop Yield: 2%

    Bonus Crop Quality:1.2% +15.0% (16.2%)]

    [Grain Sub-skill]

    [Current Skill Rank: Novice I]

    [Bonus Grain Crop Yield: 3%

    Bonus Grain Crop Quality: 1.5%]

    It took the Winston and Rimmi the gnome another hour to finish things up. Winston could barely lift his arms by the time he was done and crawled inside the shed to collapse in a heap before logging out. Otherworld wasn''t like other games. Your character didn''t leave the game when you logged out unless you were in a safe zone like a city. Grimstone keep was not a safe zone, and both monsters and other players could raid and attack if they thought they could get away with it. Winston''s body would would lay in the shed asleep until he logged back in.

    Winston was a mess when he got back to his body. He hadn''t recovered all the way from yesterday''s workout and now he felt completely awful. Running around on all fours in game had required muscles that normally didn''t get used and he was a giant ball of exhaustion. He wobbled on noodle-like legs over to the shower and washed off the sweat. The game really was a workout.

    Winston took a short break to let his muscles relax a bit and grab some lunch. Then it was back in the game to dig more fields. Winston didn''t really need to, The field he had going now should be enough to finish his weekly quota, but if he wanted to make money on the side, or just give himself some breathing room he''d need more. Besides, it would improve his skills, and help raise his attributes. So Winston and Rimmi spent the rest of the day clearing the keeps massive courtyard and digging fields.

    Winston was nearly insensate with fatigue by the time he he was finished expanding his field. He was laying on the ground gasping for air like a landed fish when Therion finally came out to check on them. His armor was shining under the early-afternoon sun, as a faint breeze ruffled his black-hair The wind was cold and with a hint of rain in it. Winston was glad he''d gotten his fields dug already. They''d turn into a muddy mess if the skys cut loose.

    "Looks like you guys have been working your asses off." Therion said as he examined the fields with a critical eye. "Most players spend their first few days bitching and moaning then either bail or end up having to play almost non-stop for the last few days to make the first quota. I''m pretty impressed actually." He looked over the fields with a distant expression for a while then nodded. "Anyway. Since you guys don''t have any real access to shops or basic services since we stole you out of the noobie cradle we''ve got some stuff to give you. He said pulling out two crumpled looking sacks. He tossed one each to Winston and Rimmi. Winston picked his up and examined it.

    [Harvest Pack]

    [Common, High-Quality]

    [A pack made with care specifically tailored to hold large quantities of crops, herbs, vegetables, fruits, seeds and tools. The pack was made from common cow leather, and buckled with the iron from an old hoe.]

    [Class: Pack]

    [Slot: Pack]

    [Durability: 120/135]

    [Effect: Holds 30 lbs of non-crop material. Holds 150 lbs. of crops and seeds]

    [Crafted by: Muric Peltman]

    It was a pretty good pack. Packs were expensive and specialized packs were even more expensive. This was actually a really nice gift, probably two or three-hundred gold. Winston was surprised. Therion had seemed not to really give a damn during their previous meeting.

    "These are yours as well he said, pulling a few clay jars and loaves of bread out of the pack. We didn''t really give you many supplies when you started and since you have no real way to earn money. These were the least we could do." He said as Rimmi and Winston took the food and tossed it into their new packs. Winston kept out one loaf and ate it instantly. His food counter was around 10 out of 100 after two days without food, and he was getting some wicked debuffs. He chewed while Therion continued to talk.

    "That''s the good news. Now for the not good news. It seems the Crimsons have been sniffing around. Now honestly, I can''t imagine what they''d possibly be doing out here. The closest real city is almost two days ride away. It would take twice that on foot. Still, We''ve heard a few reports and a few guildies have gotten PK''d. So it''s pretty safe to assume their only real objective is to cause trouble for us." He continued.

    The Crimson Suns or Crimsuns were another of America''s well known guilds. They and the Swords of Solomon had gotten into a fight over a boss when the game first came out. Now years later, both had risen to the top of the virtual heap but their animosity had never cooled. Although they weren''t actively at war, each took every opportunity to kill, harass,disrupt, and generally piss off the other whenever possible.

    "So I want you guys to be on the lookout. I doubt they''d put in the effort to steal your crops but they''d be plenty happy to burn them. We do have guards, but a raid could cause you guys a lot of trouble. If that happens we''ll waive your quest for the week but you''ll still be S.O.L¡­ Well That''s it for me. Have fun with the harvest." He said, before turning and heading back into the keep.

    "God damn it... " Rimmi muttered as Therion walked away. "I gotta spend all damn day out here clod-hopping, that''s bad enough. Now though, I gotta deal with Politics. This is such a shit-show." Winston raised an eyebrow at his smaller companion. Sure it sucked, but it was honestly whatever. Getting out of his weekly quota would save Winston tons of time. The skill gains were more important at this stage.

    "It''s not that big of a deal. We''d lose one crop and would get the whole week off. That''s a net gain of time." Winston said, non comprehending.

    "That''s all fine and good for you weekend warriors, but this is my job. I can''t be losing those man hours." Rimmi complained. Winston shrugged said his goodbye to the gnome and logged. His harvest wouldn''t be ready till nearly midnight and there was no reason to waste his play time.

    He was finishing up his homework from yesterday when his mom got home. Winston winced as he saw the expression on her face. She did not look happy. She looked at him for a moment with a raised eyebrow as she took off her shoes and put away her purse with a bit more drama than usual.

    "So Mr. Anderson called me at work today. It was quite a surprise. I mean I can''t image that my son would have gotten suspended for a fight, apparently gotten his nose broken. Then failed to tell me about it as he hid in his room all night." She said calmly as she turned her best glare on him.

    He rubbed his still bandaged nose as he smiled. "He attacked me first honest. There were witnesses and a security camera." He didn''t actually know if there was a camera but it was probably a safe bet. Most places were crawling with them now-a-days for insurance reasons.

    "Yes, he did mention that. He also said you were fighting over a girl. Which I find fairly hard to believe. You''ve never seemed that interested in girls." She continued and Winston shot her a scowl. She laughed. "I don''t mean like that. I''m sure you''re interested in girls. You''re just not the type to go into a fight over one. You are my son after all. Your a but more subtle than that."

    "It wasn''t so much over her as about her. She''s the one the came to me with the offer to get a system so she could earn points with her guild, figuring I''d melt for her and do whatever she wanted. Which I honestly might have." He admitted. "Fortunately it was also something I wanted. Anyway, the guy who started the fight thought he could make a name for himself by beating me up as some sort of social climbing technique." Winston explained. Then quickly recounted how he was ambushed, and what he remembered of the short fight.

    His mom sat on the couch and listened to his short story. Shaking her head with a slightly disgusted look. "Ugh, I don''t miss high school drama. All the stupid posturing and lying. Although, the business world isn''t much different." She said, sounding wry.

    There was a knock on the front door and Winston got up to answer it. Trish stood on the other side of the door in her normal sweatshirt and jeans looking a bit awkward, but all the cuter because of it. That thought made him frown but he held his tongue as she spoke.

    "Hey Winn what''s up? They sent me your homework so you could catch up." She said handing over a few papers. Winston smiled at her and waved her inside.

    "Thanks Trish, you wanna come in?" He asked her. Trish looked a bit unsure for a moment before nodding and heading inside. She parked herself on an armchair across from Winston''s mom and nodded to her. "Hey Mrs. Stevenson. I was just dropping off Winston''s homework. Just so you know it wasn''t his fault. I saw the whole thing and he was attacked completely unprovoked." Winton tried to both smile and grimace, one that she was defending him and the other because she''d seen him flattened.

    "Although he needs to learn to keep his hands up. He''s not much of boxer." Trish said, giving Winston a grin. Winston scowled at her, although she was right. He really wasn''t much of a fighter. Hopefully Otherworld would change some of that for him. That was part of the draw of the game. Skills translated both directions. A master martial artist would be able to level their skills in game very rapidly. While someone who''d raised up their skill in game would eventually get better at it in the real world.

    "I don''t doubt that. My son isn''t the sort to engage in fisticuffs. That''s more Josh''s style, throw a few punches then buy the guy a drink. Winston on the other hand holds grudges." She said with a smile that seemed almost proud. Which was very strange. He couldn''t think of anytime when his mom has acted particularly proud.

    "Well, I better get back home." Trish said, getting up from her chair. "Mom will be wondering where I ran off to. You''ll be back at school monday right?" She asked as she headed towards the door.

    "Nope got a five day suspension. Won''t be back till Friday." Winston said with a shrug. "Not that I''m really torn up about it. I can do the work without real problems. Although, reading all the history i''ll have to catch up on after missing that many days of class will be unfortunate." Winston got up and walked over to her. "Thanks again, Trish. I''ll have to look you up in Otherworld if I ever make it out of the stupid keep i''m stuck in. It''s in the middle of nowhere in the Brethren plans."

    "That''s in Lunari right? I''m based out of the Red-Sands so we''re on opposite ends of the world." She said with a shrug. Maybe I''ll teleport over near you though If I get some time. Ruger and Jason said all you''re doing is just farming, might be fun watching you slave away for a while. Anyway, I''ve gotta get going. See ya Monday." She said then headed out the door.

    "That girl has the biggest crush on you."Winston''s mom sighed as the door closed. "It almost hurts to watch you two. She doesn''t know what to do and you''re just oblivious." Winston frowned. Why did everyone keep telling him Trish liked him. Well, he was sure Trish liked him, they were friends, but he didn''t think Trish liked him liked him. Trish was just Trish. Sure she had some large¡­. assets, but she was Trish. He''d never really thought about her that way and wasn''t really sure he wanted to start. He had too much to deal with anyway.

    After enduring a bit of yelling from his dad at dinner Winston had slunk back off to his room. He played a few games of LotA with Jason, Brad, and Ruger, before they logged off to do some homework and Winston logged back into Otherworld. He''d finished planting at about 10:30 am, so his wheat should almost be ready to harvest.

    The sun was setting over Grimstone keep when Winston woke up on the ground in the shed. Rimmi was finally gone and Winston had the entire place to himself as he looked around the dour stone structure. Green sprouts of corn pushed up through Rimmi''s field while golden stalks of wheat waved in the light breeze at Winston''s. Winston nodded smugly at the wheat. This was his life now and he''d make the most of it.

    Luckily for Winston harvesting in this game used video game logic, instead of actual techniques. Normally he''d have to reap, dry, thresh, and winnow the wheat. However this was game so all he really required was to reap the wheat down then shove it all into his pack. There it would be collected and sorted and he could pull out just the grain to turn in for his quest.

    The harvesting itself was pretty anticlimactic, even with it being his first harvest and everything. There really wasn''t much to say about. Swing scythe, step forward, repeat ad nauseam. Winston cut the stalks off near the ground and just let everything pile up. It took him about forty minutes to work through. Then all that was left was to pick everything up. Winston would fill his bag until it was full then simply pour everything that wasn''t the wheat seeds back onto the ground. Once his bag was full of seeds it was back to the shed to dump them in the receptacle marked by Therion. Another hour and he finally managed the whole field.

    (Blurp)

    [Quest Updated!]

    [Food for the Guild]

    [You are to deliver 25 bushels of Corn, Wheat, or Rice to the guild stores at Grimstone Keep within 7 days.]

    [Time Remaining: 142:33]

    [Progress: 3.2/25 bu]

    [Recommended Level: N/A]

    [Difficulty: N/A]

    [Rewards: N/A]

    Wiston acknowledged and cleared the popup. It was a start, although at this rate it would take him eight more cycles to clear the task. Then he''d need to actually try to make some money and get some gear, level up and do the whole MMO thing. Raising his farming skill was only one thing his character needed. He needed to secure transportation if he really wanted to do the farming thing full time. Then maybe get some fertilizer or something? Maybe he could try to infuse magic crystals into the field or something? It would be something to look into. It was a fantasy game after all.

    Winston stared down at all the straw and chaff left ever. Straw was useful for raising animals but they didn''t eat it normally. Winston wasn''t sure if it had any actual value or use in this world. He supposed he could try to weave it into something, or he could just just farm it under. That would re-fertilize the field to some extent. Then again, he didn''t know if would rot, or how long that would take. The game might just disappear it all as it seemed to have done with the weeds.

    Shrugging Wiston started re-digging his little garden while turning the leftover straw-stalks under. They seemed to dissolve as he did it. Not in the normal way for Otherworld, which was to sort of explode into black vapor like enemies did when they died or when an item was destroyed. These just sort of melted into the dirt, like some weird Dali painting. Winston took that as a good sign and soon finished his second digging. Then more seeds, and finally his second planting was growing. It was well past dark when he finished and he was sore all over.

    (Bliiiiiip)

    [Farming Skill has Ranked Up!]

    [Current Rank: Novice Rank II]

    [Bonus Crop Yield: 4%

    Bonus Crop Quality: 2.5% +15.0% (17.6%)]

    [Grain Sub-Skill has Ranked Up!]

    [Grain Sub-skill]

    [Grain Sub-skill: Novice Rank II]

    [Bonus Grain Crop Yield: 4.5%

    Bonus Grain Crop Quality: 6.0%]

    (WURP!)

    [You have been playing for more than eight of the last twelve hours. As you are a minor, you must log out now or face log-in penalties.]

    Winston sighed at the message. Minors got screwed in this game. Couldn''t sleep with barmaids, couldn''t get drunk. You couldn''t stay in game until your IRL body crapped itself. It just wasn''t right.

    It was one of the things that Nexus had been forced to add into the game after launch. Any under-aged players had limits on their play time. They could only play so many hours a day during the week with a bit more leeway on the weekends. You could ignore the prompts for a while, but the then the game would suspend your account based on how long you went over. Playing twelve hours straight would usually earn you a day a non-play time. Eight hours straight would cost Winston about 12 hours on a weekday.

    That was fine though. His wheat would be done by then and he''d have his homework from today to makeup. Winston sighed and logged for the night. He was both physically and mentally exhausted. He was sure he''d sleep for at least ten hours.

 Chapter 5

    Winston awoke on Saturday morning to his face hitting the short-carpet of his room. He panicked slightly as his consciousness came back to him. He didn''t know where he was or why his body was in such a weird position. Morning light was streaming into his room through the window on the east side of his room. While someone large stood over his prone form. His panic grew for one fraction of second before he recognized Josh and he finally woke up enough to figure out was going on.

    "Wake up little bro!" Josh called cheerfully. "The sun is up and adventure awaits!"

    "Common seriously?" Winston groaned. He felt like shit and did not have the mental constitution necessary to deal with his brother this morning. His muscles all seemed to have turned into old knotted wood and he was wondering if he was physically capable of getting up.

    "Get up, seriously. I''ve seen you shuffling around like an old man since you started playing. You''re not used to real exercise and you''re sending your body into a tailspin. Exercise is good and I''m glad you''re finally doing some real work, but the exercise itself is only a part of an exercise program. You''re pounding the hell outta your body but you gotta take care of it too. So get your ass up." He said, giving Winston a soft kick.

    Winston gave a half-hearted swat at his obnoxious brother but 15 minutes later he was standing on the front porch in jogging clothes and shivering slightly in the cool morning air. Josh stood beside him in a tight under armor long-sleeve shirt that showed his rippling muscles to good advantage. He would probably cause car crashes for the old ladies heading to the post office this morning.

    "Step one; stretching." Josh said, bending over and grabbing both his feet with almost no effort. Winston rolled his eyes. "Get your ass stretching, you need to unknot your muscles." Josh said without even glancing up at his brother. .

    "I''m not really down for ass stretching. I mean that''s cool if you''re into that but I''ll take a pass ." Winston said, sounding mock horrified.

    "Stop stalling and stretch." Josh snapped. Winston looked down at him for another moment, then sighed and tried to touch his own toes. It did not go well. His hands barely made it down past his knees. "Oh for the love of God you can do better than that. Push yourself it''ll make your muscles feel better."

    Winston scowled but obeyed. His muscles pulling and heating up as he tried to bend over farther. He stayed like that for a thirty count before changing to a new stretch and then another. He and Josh stayed like that for a few minutes, both standing on the porch in the morning chill as the sleepy little town came awake around them. Then Josh put them into a light jog.

    "So what have you been doing that you look like such a mess. I mean I''ve started playing some with some guys on the football team, and it''s a bit of a workout when you''re in combat but nothing like what you''ve been doing apparently." Josh asked curiously, having no trouble holding a conversation while jogging. Winston wasn''t doing nearly as well but he managed to at least keep us his end through his puffing lungs.

    "Farming." Winston gasped out. He was already breathing hard and his legs were hurting, but the slow speed seemed to be loosening up his body.

    "Farming? I''ve been farming with the guys that''s mostly a few seconds of chaos followed by minutes of wandering around not doing much." Josh said. "So why do you look like you''ve run a marathon carrying a baby rhino on your back."

    "I don''t mean¡­. Farming mobs¡­ I mean farming, farming... as in amber waves of grain." Winston panted as they jogged up a nearby hill. A few people were already out and about, watering flowers or doing other yard work.

    "And that''s somehow turned you into such a mess." Josh asked incredulously. "I mean I knew you were pretty outta shape but damn man."

    "Have you ever tried to farm? Without modern machines.... No rototiller, no combines, or even modern tools. I had to clear nearly an acre of weeds and tall grasses with a scythe and my bare hands, I had to dig nearly an acre of ground with a hoe and my f-ing claws. I had to pull weeds, pick up and carry stones and dig. It was terrible and I''m going to have to log back in after breakfast and do it all over again." Winston snapped.

    "Alright, dude simmer down." Josh laughed good naturedly as he plodded along without effort. "So why are playing dirt farmer instead of kicking goblin ass." Josh asked his brother.

    "It''s my job. Mom and Dad still won''t let me get a real job in the RL. I''ve been asking since I turned sixteen, so I sorta did an end-around, to use one of your meat-head football analogies." Winston said as he plodded along. His breath actually seemed to be coming easier now. They were only jogging a little faster than a walk and this really did seem to be helping his body. That didn''t make him feel any better about being yanked outta bed though.

    Josh gave one of his hearty laughs. "That''s why I always envied you a little Winston. Dad always spoiled me. Hell I always knew that but you always managed without them. I''d get bought a new computer, than you''d managed to build one of your own by yourself. Dad buys me a bike when were kids, and you manage to get one from a yard-sale with your own money. You''ve always been like that. Self-reliant in a way I''ve never been." Winston just shrugged at his older brother.

    "Ya do whatcha gotta do." He said with an uncomfortable shrug. "This is getting a little to Kumbaya for me." He said as he slapped his brothers chest with the back of a hand. The two rounded the corner on the way back to their house. "Let''s get inside before Mrs. Winkler has a heart attack ogling you." Winston said. The boys turned to see their sixty-year old neighbor watching them from across the street. Josh gave a smile and waved at the older woman and Winston was pretty sure he could hear her heart palpitating from from the middle of the street. Josh laughed as they jogged into their front yard.

    Josh cooked breakfast for them both, watching Winston like a hawk as he forced his brother to eat, eggs, sausage, and milk, along with some onions, peppers, and other green things Winston didn''t know the name of. Winston drank Orange juice as Josh waxed poetic about protein and Omega 3''s or some crap. Winston argued briefly about all the meat, but his brother just waved him off.

    It was nearly ten before Winston actually got to logged into Otherworld again. In game it was overcast and misting slightly at the keep, not a true rain but just enough to make the day miserable. The dark grey clouds above the gray keep, and miserable rocky wasteland surrounding the keep made everything look even more miserable. Rimmi was already working as usual, and Winston quickly joined him They nodded to each other as they both toiled in their own fields.

    Winston cycled his field once more. He harvested the wheat that had grown over the last 12 hours, then turned the soil and replanted, adding another few bushels of grain to the chest in the shed and updating his quest. Now he had all day to waste and Winston was excited to finally get things done. Although he hadn''t quite decided what those things were. Getting levels would be a good option but this wasn''t a noob zone. Noob zones had level caps for mobs and had high concentrations of low level mobs to help users level up. Normal zones spawned monsters based mostly on the level of the players in the zone.

    A zone like this one, so far from for denser players populations would be a wild west. Winston might climb over the walls of the keep and find a level four badger ten steps from the walls or he might find a level forty ogre. Levels weren''t the be-all end-all in Otherworld and leveling was much slower than in most games.

    Even three years after launch the top players were only around level seventy. Skills ranks played as much as, or an even bigger role in the game than levels. The highest skill rank belonged to a dwarven blacksmith that had apparently been playing since launch day. He''d made it to Renowned IV. That meant he still had 11 ranks to max out the skill and at high levels the last 11 ranks would take another couple years at least.

    Winston absently rubbed his whiskers. It was a habit he''d picked up the last couple of days without really noticing when he''d started. He decided to focus on upping his stats and unlocking a few basic skills. He decided to start with magic. Magic was primarily handled by the resonance stat, which dictated a player''s mana pool. Players started with 0 mana and could only get mana by unlocking the meditation skill. Apparently, the game company never told players how to do it and only a handful of people figured it on their own before someone finally posted it on a wiki.

    Lucky, now all you had to do was sit on the ground and blank your mind a bit. Sitting was actually fairly awkward for Winston. His body was not made for sitting. He started in sort of a weird lean as he tried to balance himself around his short legs and massive stomach. That failed as he kept having to re-right himself. Eventually he gave up and just ended up flat on his back with his eyes closed as he concentrated on his breathing and felt the world around him.

    [Blip]

    [You Have Unlocked Meditation!]

    [You Have Gained + 10 Maximum Mana!]

    [Current Rank: Novice I]

    [Meditation]

    [This skill is unlocked when a character makes a mental effort to clear their mind and connect with the world around them. Increases a character''s mana regeneration when meditating. This skill will gain mastery as a player meditates.]

    Winston had to roll over onto his stomach to stand back up. His fat belly made him feel oddly like a turtle. He really, really needed to get some stats and trim down a bit. He rolled back to his feet and turned his senses inward. He''d done enough reading online to know what to expect but the sensation of gaining mana was an odd one. He could feel it in his chest, like a pool of warmth and took a few seconds to manipulate it based on what he''d read. Pushing it out of himself, then turning it into fire, water, earth and air. Unlocking elemental magic, mana manipulation and all four elements in about two minutes.

    Winston waved away all messages. In Otherworld there was no limit to the number of skills someone could learn. Someone could learn every single skill in the game if they wanted. The key was the skill system. Winston was pretty sure he had it down, but decided to bring up the game''s actual help and double-check everything.

    [Skills System]

    [The skill system in Otherworld offers an unmatched level of customization and depth. A player unlocks a skill by completing a hidden objective through combat, crafting, diplomacy, or exploration. These skills fall into one of five basic categories, combat, magic, faith, general, and crafting. After a skill is unlocked a player will gain experience in a skill through use. Finding new and creative uses for a skill will give you a large skill experience boost. There are ten skill ranks ranging from Novice to Legend. These ranks are then subdivided into five sub-ranks.

    At level 10 a player will receive one primary and three secondary skill points. A primary skill unlocks a skill to rise as high as a player wishes. A secondary skill allows a skill to rise, but to a maximum value of 3/4 the rank of any primary skills in that grouping. If there are no Primary skills in a particular group, then a secondary skill is capped at 3/4 of your lowest primary skill. Secondary skill caps will only become active once a skill advances to Apprentice I. For example If a player was to select One Hand Weapons as a Primary Skill and Heavy Armor as a Secondary skill. When One Hand Weapons reaches Apprentice I that would cap Heavy Armor at Beginner III.

    A player may receive additional skill points as quest rewards, achievements, class bonuses, or in other ways. If a secondary skill is made into a primary skill the secondary skill point will be refunded. Be careful. All skill choices become permanent once confirmed.]The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    [Sub-Skill Specialization]

    [Some skills have a number of sub-skills. These sub-skills have levels independent from the main skill, but large amounts of the XP gained in a sub-skill will be shared with it''s parent skill.

    A player may, if he or she chooses, select a specialization. This gives the player a bonus to a particular sub-skill but will limit a player''s advancement in the other aspects of the parent skill.

    For example a player who chooses to specialize in fire magic, will suffer penalties in water magic in exchange for bonuses in fire. ]

    Winston read quickly, taking it all in and nodding. It was pretty much what he''d suspected although the specialization options were interesting. He wondered briefly what bonuses a person might gain from specializing in a particular sub-skill of farming. He sorted through his menu until get got a virtual web-page to open. It was a premium feature to access a web-page in game, but the Swords had already picked up that bill.

    Winston sorted through information and found none about farming, not really surprising. There were very few people who''d ever messed with farming, and those who had weren''t telling. On the other hand information about magic and weapons was everywhere, especially the basic and mid level stuff. Only the top level players really hid things.. Winston was going to bring up the gods page and starting looking for a god of agriculture but he was board. He''d been playing for days and had done nothing at all interesting. Winston considered options for about two seconds, then picked up his scythe, shoved it in his pack, walked over to the wall surrounding the keep and climbed over it.

    Otherworld punished death in two ways. A player who died dropped a percentage of their gold and resources and lost a level if they were over 10. Winston had no levels, no gold, and no resources, he wasn''t particularly worried, even horrible death would cost him little since he''d respawn inside the keep.

    The wall was uneven and rough, making climbing easy. He managed to hoist his bulk up over the wall. The land surrounding the keep was as bleak. The land and soil was rocky with small twisted trees and thick dry grasses. A cool breeze blew down from the nearby mountains. The land was split by a river that ran west down from the mountains and passed by the keep about a mile from where he stood. The entire zone was cold, dry, and not terribly hospitable.

    Winston waddled forward crunching the dry grasses under his feet as he walked over uneven rocks and dry soil. This whole area was dry even with the falling mist and Winston realized he''d need to do some irrigation if he was going to keep farming here. He might need to look into water magic. He couldn''t really imagine how a large-scale irrigation project would work without magic, maybe some sort of enchanted object that would keep drawing water until it''s charge ran out?

    Winston leaned over and scooped up a handful of the dry dirt, kicking a rock out of the way with one of his stubby legs. He concentrated on his newly unlocked mana and tried to summon up some water. Magic in Otherworld was a bit of a process. There was a lot of concentration and visualization involved. You had to take your mana and pull it out of your personal store then flavor it. There were many such flavors. You could push it into wizard runes, witch circles, form it into elemental mana, infuse it into music, use it to bind spirits or souls, all sorts of things. Each of these methods had its own skill that a player could focus on. Most of those skills players had already discovered and posted the process online, but Nexus swore there were branches of magic that no user had yet discovered.

    Winston used the simplest application of water magic. A small stream of water dripped from his finger with the force of a half-clogged kitchen tap. A bead of sweat ran down his face even as water poured over the small chunk of soil. Winston was staring at the soil in his hand as he walked, which is why he didn''t notice the danger until he literally walked into it.

    Winston hit something hard and fell backwards onto his well padded butt. He blinked up at the figure looming over him in a truly mole-like fashion, eyes blinking at the sun behind the large shape. The creature was large, muscular, green, and looking very pissed off. It had a flattened ugly face, with large tusks pushing up out of it''s lower jaw. It wore a rough-leather cuirass and gripped a massive two-handed axe. It wasn''t just some rough-made wild orc weapon either. It was awesome, polished to perfection,and inlaid with engravings and runes. That meant this wasn''t some chump orc, this was an elite, or even a war-leader and it''s level had to be way larger than Winston''s level 1.

    The orc reached out a huge hand and grabbed ahold of Winston''s head. It shook Winston hard, making his teeth rattle as it spoke in a guttural and heavily accented voice. "Little mole... left wall, unwise." He said said shaking Winston again. Great, he''d been gone all of two minuets and he was already about to die. Winston looked up at the orc and ideas flashed through his mind. He could fight, that would be death. He could run, with his terrible speed that would also be death. He searched frantically for something that might help, found nothing, then decided to try something stupid.

    "That''s what I kept telling her!" Winston said angrily. "She''s the one that wanted to make a deal and I TOLD her that she had to come to me but no!!!!! She makes me come out here and I get picked up not a quarter mile from the keep." Winston ranted angrily. He had no idea what he was saying but he was turning up his bullshit meter to 11. He just knew that he had to keep talking or he was going to die. The more outrageous the lie, the more people believed it.

    The orc looked confused but Winston had to clamp down on his terror as a few more orcs moved to encircle him. "Who she? What deal?" The orc asked looking confused. Winston''s mind frantically tried to come up with an adequate lie but the orc shook him again. Winston almost passed out from fear but then he remembered this was a game. His face instantly turned hard and he looked up at the orc unimpressed.

    "Easy¡­.." He said trying to break the orcs hold with a disdainful look. "You guys are the ones that invited me¡­ If you didn''t wanna trade then tell Helga the deal''s off." Winston said, frantically trying to manufacture some sort of bull shit story as he tried to keep a look of righteous outrage on his face.

    "Helga?" The orc said looking confused but more angry now. Winston waved his arms as if was too impatient to bother with names.

    "Helga, Olga, something like that." Winston said waving his arms and more than a little surprised he wasn''t dead yet. The key to telling a good lie was to provide a framework and let your mark fill in the details themselves. He''d once been caught in possession of a particular book of cartoons that was not appropriate for young readers. After his terrible lie and the resulting grounding he''d done some reading online on how to lie better. It wasn''t a skill he really used all the much. He wasn''t a good liar, especially in real life but here¡­ what did it really matter anyway?

    "Ol''gar? Know Ol''gar?" The orc asked again his anger bleeding away into incredulity. Winston nearly broke into laughter then but kept it lodged in his throat as he kept his face stern.

    [Blip]

    [You Have Learned Deception]

    [Current Rank: Novice I]

    Winston pointed at the orc. "Ol''gar that''s the one." Winston said nodding, as if his brain had just been jogged. "She said she wanted to talk to me but if not that''s cool. I can just walk on back to the keep." Winston said, turning around and walking back towards safety. He made it about one step before the blade of the orc''s axe was resting against his neck.

    "You stay. See Ol''gar. Talk deal." The orc said calmly. Winston swallowed heavily as he pondered options. Going with the orc had about a 99% chance of him dying, then again not going had a 100% chance of him dying. He had wanted an adventure.

    "Alright, if you insist." Winston said, trying to seem nonchalant. The orc grabbed a fistful of his short fur and jerked him around, before pushing him forward to the south-west away from the keep. Winston walked. The brush thickened as they moved farther from civilization and into the wilds. Winston tried to strike up another conversation but the orcs weren''t having it. They just prodded his body with their weapons and kept driving him forward.

    Winston went along with them, not seeing any other feasible option. He''d heard stories about how life-like NPC''s were in Otherworld but it was something you couldn''t understand until you''d seen it. These orcs were ridiculously expressive in all their movements and Winston tried to study them as they walked. Their gear was good and they moved like they knew what they were doing. All at least level thirty if Winston had a guess.

    As they walked, Winston started to get worried. They''d been walking for a while and Winston was on a bit of a schedule. He''d need to eat dinner at some point. Besides, he still needed to get back to the keep, although he should still have another five hours or so before the wheat was ready. He''d need a couple hours at least to get back.

    They finally reached the orc village a good three hours after Winston had left. The village was a scattered grouping of squat hovels made of animal furs stretched out over short stone walls. A few orcs seemed to be milling around but there were only a dozen or so, including a few children and a few older and stoop-backed orcs. Their little procession gathered a great deal of attention and the entire village seemed to watching them as Winston was frog-marched up to the largest house in the village.

    They stepped through a deerskin flap and into the building. It was actually fairly cozy. There was a large fireplace in one corner with some very rough stone and wood furniture covered in lush looking furs. To Winston it seemed like some ritzy caveman themed suite. It was all very interesting, but most interesting what an older orc-woman looking at them with an curious expression. She wasn''t super old, maybe early-fifties and she was actually a fairly handsome woman although not what Winston would consider attractive.

    It was the lead orc that spoke up first. "Mole say deal with Ol''gar. Bring Mole, say kill mole or no." The orc said, shaking Winston like some bear with a racoon in its mouth. The orc-woman looked at Winston with a rather amused expression, then said something to the larger orc in a language Winston didn''t understand and waved a hand in dismissal.

    The big orc scowled then made some hand-signal to his men and they walked out, leaving Winston alone with the orc-woman. She examined him like he was some interesting bug. It made Winston more than a little uncomfortable. He felt in more danger here than he had with an axe at his neck.

    "It''s been a very long time since I''ve seen one of the wandering folk. I did not know any of you had made it this far from the river kingdoms.This is not a forgiving or fertile land, why have you come to these wastes?" She asked. Whereas the orc boss had been nearly unintelligible. The she-orc was very articulate and well spoken. Winston got the impression she was some kind of shaman or spiritual leader for the tribe, while the orc was the war-leader or chief hunter or something. Winston also had no idea what a wandering folk was, maybe that was what others called his race? He supposed it didn''t really matter.

    "Honestly, work." Winston said. Realizing his feeble deception no longer had purpose. This lady wouldn''t buy what he was selling so trying to dupe her would only make things worse. "I''ve been hired as a laborer at the nearby keep. They''ve got me growing food for them." Winston said.

    The she-orc seemed to think about for a while, her dark eyes looking thoughtful. "I''d always heard the wandering folk were deft at growing things, so unlike my own people. We have always followed the hunters path." She smiled, but it wasn''t very friendly. "What was it that you told Or''grom to keep him from killing and spitting you?" She asked casually as if it was of little concern.

    "Whatever I thought he wanted to hear." Winston said with a shrug. "I told him was coming to see the orcs to talk business when he caught me. I figured it might at least buy me a chance to live long enough to escape but instead he captured me and lead me to you at axe-point."

    "And what If I killed you instead? My people are hungry." She said with a slightly feral gleam in her eye. Winston honestly didn''t care at this point. This had been interesting and all but he wanted to get back more than he wanted to stay alive.

    "That would be your choice, I could do little to stop you. I''m a farmer not a fighter afterall." Winston said with a shrug. Then he was hit with sudden inspiration. "Although it seems I may be of more use to alive than as dinner. As meat I could only feed your people for a day or two but as I farmer we could reach a longer term agreement. I can''t imagine there are many game animals in this waste." Winston offered.

    The she-orc looked at him with an amused expression but Winston thought he could detect a bit of thoughtfulness behind her gaze. "A merchant to the end are you?" She asked with a wry smile. "You are right though, the is little game and even less forage in this cursed place. Our tribe was driven here from the valleys beyond the far mountains by another tribe. We''ve done our best but this is a harsh land even for my people. So what is it you offer little wanderer?"

    Winston thought about that. His quota was already going to be tight for the week. He really couldn''t afford to raise it any, but he supposed he could break open some new land and plant something else. There weren''t very many orcs in the village after all. Maybe he''d plant corn since he wouldn''t have to harvest it as often.

    "Say¡­ three bushels of corn a week in exchange for a quality animal hide?" He said, having no idea about the value of such things. He had no idea what he was even doing. He just wanted to get out here, but he was honestly a little curious what would happen. Maybe he''d unlock some super-secret chain quest or something.

    "The she-orc raised a questioning eyebrow. You''re not much of a merchant after all. An animal hide is hardly worth a hundred eighty pounds of corn." The wise-woman said cynically.

    "Ahhh, but if you wish to pay me more I''ll be more than happy to accept, but being wealthy will be of little use if you kill and roast me." Winston said. The she-orc laughed, which did not really make Winston feel better.

    "I suppose that is true but we can strike a better bargain than that with you. We have little in the way of coin but many things to trade. We will not take advantage of you young wanderer. Do we have a deal?"

    Blurp

    [You Have Received A Quest]

    [Food For the Village]

    [You are to deliver 3 bushels of Corn, Wheat, or Rice to the orcs at Fire-Tooth village by this time next week.]

    [Time Remaining: 168:00]

    [Recommended Level: N/A]

    [Difficulty: Normal]

    [Rewards: ??]

    [WARNING: Orcs are considered a monster race by many civilized peoples. Trading with them will likely lower your reputation with other NPC''s if they find out.]

    "It''s a deal¡­." Winston said honestly excited. Now all his grain wouldn''t be going to the Swords. He should be able to make some money or at least pick up some interesting items from the orcs. He''d no sooner spoken when a billion pop-ups flashed up on his screen.

    [Ba-Ding]

    [Blip]

    [Blip]

    [Ba-Ding Blip!]

    [Quest Accepted]

    [You Have Unlocked the Diplomacy Skill!]

    [Rank: Novice I]

    [You Have unlocked the Bartering Sub-Skill]

    [Rank: Novice I]

    [You Have Unlocked the Hidden Class Merchant]

    Winston mentally closed all the popups. They were interesting but not particularly useful for the moment. The she-orc nodded at him then pulled a bone-ring off one of her fingers. Show this ring to any of my people and they will leave you unharmed." She said as she handed over the ring. Then she stood and headed towards the door-flap. She called something out in what Winston figured was orcish, then Or''grom came back inside and gestured to Winston.

    "Come." He said, so Wiston did, looking down at the ring and sliding it onto his finger as he stepped out of the hut.

    [Ol''gar''s Seal]

    [Uncommon]

    [A ring made from a human rib-bone. It''s marked with the symbol of Ol''gar.

    [Armor: N/A]

    [Class: Accessory]

    [Slot: Ring]

    [Durability: 70/70]

    [Effect: +2 wis, +2 faith]

    [Special: Showing this to any orc from the Fire-Tooth tribe will prevent them from attacking you.]

    Or''grom pushed him forward with the butt of his axe but didn''t speak. Winston didn''t bother walked dutifully ahead of him and his band of orcs. The trip back was equally as long as the trip out, but things got interesting about three-fourths of the way back. There was a rustle from the left, then a flash of light and dark brown patterned scales that blended amazingly well with the dry grasses and stones. One of the orcs screamed as long fangs from a huge snake pierced his body. The orcs reacted almost instantly but Winston was still trying to figure out what the hell was going on, and the snake trashed it''s muscular body and slammed one of the orcs back and away from the fight as it darted forward until it was in and among all the orc fighters.

    The snake snapped at another orc but Or''grom blocked the motion with his massive axe, before reversing the weapon in the circle and slamming it down onto the snakes hard scales. Blood poured from the wound and the snake went crazy. Lashing out at everything and everyone. Winston finally got with the program and pulled out his scythe with a thought. It was really a terribly awkward weapon, but he did manage to poke the snake a bit with the point of the blade.

    Then the orcs were all chopping and slicing and soon the snake collapsed. The orcs seemed to be ecstatic, even with one of their allies dead. One pulled a skinning knife from his belt and started to work at the skin with it for about thirty seconds. Then the snake dissolved into black mist, leaving behind a rolled up snakeskin and a neat pile of snake meat, along with a large fang. Winston snorted as he looked down at the items. It seemed even the NPC''s got the benefits of video-game logic.

    [Bleep-be-deep-Bleep]

    Blue light flashed around Winston and he grinned like an idiot. Apparently his single attack with his scythe had let him mooch some XP for the snake. Even if he only got a tiny fraction of the snakes XP value he was only level one and the snake had to be at least level 20. The best XP was XP that someone else earned for you. He quickly opened up his sheet to check up his sweet new level.

    [ Name: Win Mills Level 2]

    [ Race: Yawnshu Class: N/A]

    [ Attributes Status]

    [Str: 11 End: 11 Hp: 13/13 Mana: 15/15]

    [Con: 11 Agi: 9 Stam:12/12 Panic: 3/10]

    [Cord: 14 Int: 14 Hunger: 68/100 Thirst: 35/100]

    [Wis 13(+2)15 Faith: 10(+2)12]

    [Res: 11 ]

    [Guild: Seeds Titles: 0]

    [Fame: 0 Friend List: 0/0]

    Winston whistled all the way back to the keep, happy his gaming career was finally on the right path.

 Chapter 6

    Rich looked around as casually as he could as he headed towards the town grocery store down on main. The evening was cold for September but he an errand to run before he could relax. Getting suspended wasn''t any big problem for him. In fact it had let him get away from his asshole English teacher for a few days.The look on the idiot Stevenson kids face when he''d been KO''d had been totally worth it.

    Rich walked into the alley behind the store when Jerry was taking his smoke break. He was in his thirties and Rich hated the bastard but he had to best product in town and after his week he was happy to patronize. The man was wearing the store uniform but his shirt was rumpled and he needed to cut his thinning brown hair.

    "Ahhhh, if it isn''t Rich." Jerry said as he sucked on his cigarette. "I was expecting you. I can nearly set my watch. Saturday night at 6:45." He said, showing his yellow teeth with a smile. Rich rolled his eyes. The guy was a small time pot dealer and acted like he was some sort of mobster. It was ridiculous. Hell, pot was barley even illegal anymore. In five more years Rich would be be buying the stuff in the store and idiots like Jerry would have to stop ripping off high-school kids.

    "Yeah, whatever." Rich said as he passed over a few bills and pocketed the small plastic bag. He turned and headed back the way he''d came. He''d just hit the street when A heavy hand came down on his shoulder. He turned his head and saw Mike from the football team holding onto him.

    "What the hell man!" He yelled but Mike just squeezed harder. Then someone else had moved in and grabbed his other shoulder. The two large boys started to drag Rich down the street as he struggled.

    "Just stop struggling before you make us hurt you." Mike said from his left side. The three of them walked like that for half a block before they headed down an alley and came out in a small parking lot behind the old Tasty-Freeze. Josh Stevenson leaned comfortably against his blue GTO. His blonde hair caught a streetlight lighting up his head in gold. The look on his face however was far from angelic.

    Rich gulped. He''d honestly been expecting something like this but he''d been so damn mad that day. What the hell was a little shit like Winston Stevenson doing with Jessica Richards. He started struggling more but the two football players holding him both outweighed and out-muscled him.

    "Evening Rich." Josh said as he pushed himself away from the car. He walked towards the trio with unhurried steps.

    "Look Josh. It was just a fight. He got his nose broken and he''ll be outta school a few days. It happens, we''re guys." Rich said, his voice shaking as he tried to explain himself.

    "I agree, which is why I''m not mad at you for getting into a fight with him. A man should fight his own battles especially when it''s over a woman." Josh said, walking closer. "Ya see Rich, the problem is you weren''t fighting over a woman. Jessica Richards doesn''t give a shit about my brother because Jessica Richards doesn''t give a shit about anyone but Jessica Richards. I''d know, I used to date her." Josh said as he took another step closer.

    "That makes you an idiot for getting into a fight with him but again, that''s something I''d let Win handle on his own. No Rich, the real problem is how you started the fight. It was a cheap-shot against someone you could have beaten in a fair fight anyway. That I can''t let go." Josh said.

    Josh lunged forward and punched Rich in the stomach as hard as he could. The air wooshed out of Rich''s lungs and he started to bend over but the two goons holding him didn''t let him. The second and third punches came soon after and the two thugs let go leaving Rich on the ground coughing and gagging. He hard the doors to the car open as Rich lay on the ground trying not to vomit on himself.

    "I''d watch out Rich. I''m the nice Stevenson brother. When Win decides to get even with you. It won''t be a few punches." Rich continued to whimper on the ground as the car started up and drove away.

    ***************************************************

    Winston got back to the keep after leaving the orc village about three hours before his crop was ready. He decided to hop out of the game. He''d been playing all day, and although he''d gotten a lot done he still needed to take care of some stuff IRL. It would also give him a chance to do some more research. Winston logged out and stretched. His body felt pretty good. The morning stretching and run and loosened him up, and the long walk he''d taken in game had his legs sore but still manageable. He wasn''t looking forward to harvesting, re-digging, and replanting the whole field again in a few hours, but it he''d have to get used to it eventually.

    He came out of his room into a mostly silent house. It was after nine and Winston''s mom and dad were in the living room watching the big TV. He tried to sneak past them into the kitchen but failed. He hit one of the noisy floorboards below the carpet, and the heavy squeak had them both turning. Of course, his dad was the first to say anything.

    "Well, look here been playing games all day and now he''s sneaking off to get more food. No wonder he''s so damn fat." His dad said with a sneer on his face. Winston chose to take the moral high-ground and ignored him. Walking into the kitchen and fixing himself a sandwich with some cold-cut ham, along with some lettuce, pickle, and Gouda cheese.

    "So that''s how it is, no respect for his parents." His dad muttered. "I don''t even know why you let him live here. He''d be out on his ass in an hour if you let me have my way." Winston heard him say to his mother. Winston kept his silence but his father''s threat wasn''t really much of a threat, if Winston could rustle up the money there''s no way in hell he''d still be here.

    Winston opened the fridge and bent down to grab a Pepsi. In the dim illumination form the fridge light he could see a yellow sticky note stuck to the top can. It read simply ''no'' with an arrow pointing to one of those stupid sports waters that people pay too much for. Winston scowled at the note then sighed heavily and grabbed the water with a muttered curse for his too helpful brother.

    Back in his room he slid into his computer chair and booted up his old rig. It was getting a bit dated but still started gamely enough. The CPU and mobo were at least six years old. Winston had managed to buy an old Graphics card off Ruger so that was only three years out. The rest was mostly cobbled together stuff. The power-supply was the only non-used piece. Winston had learned early that you can jury rig a lot in a computer but the PSU should never be skimped on.

    He opened up the Otherworld news sight and started to digest it. News in Otherworld was extremely popular. It was after all a world that was run by multiple large groups of humans who were in never-ending wars for resources and wealth. Combine that with espionage, magic, and treasure and it made for an incredibly interesting place.

    Most of the news was about the preparations guilds were making for the upcoming expansion. Heavy recruitment, scouting, logistics stuff, and several bloody conflicts over high-level dungeons. A small guild had apparently discovered a large mithril mine and sold it to the Crimson Suns for 50,000 gold. The Swords of Solomon had countered by mobilizing a full battalion to smash their guards and steal the first load of mithril out of the mine. Then they''d sent in sappers to attempt to destroy all the tunnels but the Crimson''s counter attacked and chased them out before they could manage it.

    Winston opened another browser tab got down to business. He needed to find a god or goddess of agriculture to worship. He changed sites to a wiki on collected Otherworld information, and searched the page with all the known gods and goddess.

    Winston scanned through the choices unimpressed. There were a silly amount of gods in Otherworld. Most races had their own pantheon as well as many different nations and Empires of NPC''s and monsters. Players could worship any of them they chose and get benefits from them in accordance with that gods domains and wishes. Winston saw a few but they were all fairly mundane. Human goddess of harvest and fertility, Goblin Goddess of witchcraft and the harvest, Dwarven god of food and debauchery, Nymph Goddess of Spring and sex, Winston sighed and kept flipping. Rolling his eyes about how similar all the gods were. Yes he knew there were reasons why most human gods of harvest were women and were usually associated with fertility. He just found it silly the game hadn''t branched out more. What was the point of having hundreds of gods if they were all the same. He was just losing hope when he found something a little different. Runa, Ogre Goddess of Agriculture and Civilization.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    Winston wasn''t even aware that ogres had civilization. They usually just lived in caves and killed everything living around them to eat it. Even NPC orcs and goblins weren''t as bad as ogre''s. Ogre''s were a scourge on any area they lived in and players would always be granted quests to kill them on site. They destroyed the local wildlife and environment by just being around. They were giant dumb locusts with unending hunger.

    Winston kept reading. Apparently, a player had stumbled onto a quest-chain that delved into the origins of the Ogre race and that''s where they''d found the reference to Runa. Ogres had once been a mostly benevolent race of farmers and architects. However, as their civilization grew they turned away from their gods. Then things became pretty fantasy standard. A greedy ruler, a dark deal with a demon, an evil artifact that cursed and twisted the entire race.

    Still, it would at least be an interesting choice and WInston doubted too many people in game would choose her. Maybe he''d get some quests. Winston still had about an hour before his crops were ready for the next round so he hopped back in his machine and logged in. Rimmi was actually logged out for once, which surprised Winston. The gnome had been playing nearly non-stop as far as Winston could tell. He had to admire the guy''s dedication but Winston had always been of the mind that one should work smarter not harder. Otherworld rewarded ingenuity and creative solutions more than grinding. You could grind out skills but it would take a LONG time. However, trying new things and experimenting with skills could earn a player large boosts of skill experience that would cut days or weeks off leveling time.

    Winston spent the next hour clearing more land for planting. He''d need to make a second field for the orcs corn and he should use all the time he could before his next planting. Winston was still working when his next harvest was ready and he stopped what he was doing to start the harvest. This round didn''t take him as long. He was getting the hand of the repetitive process, but his level up had also boosted up his strength and stamina, making everything a lot easier for him. Even with the boost it was still nearly midnight back in the real-world by the time he finished, but he harvested his wheat, turned the field and replanted. Then it was time to add a bit of spice to the procedure.

    Winston stood before his freshly planted field and gripped a large handful of freshly harvested wheat in his paw. He''d always had a bit of flair for the dramatic and he wanted to make this good. He lifted his head to the sky and spoke in a ringing voice.

    "I dedicate this field to Runa, long forgotten Goddess of a broken people. Hear my prayer and let your light shine upon the world once again. Accept this meager offering, grown by my own hand and please bless this field with your bounty and grace."

    Winston had done a lot of research on religion and gods in game. He was a priest player at heart and had read everything he could find on the subject. In order to wield the power of the divine a player must first gain favor with a god or goddess, by using prayer or a favored ritual. Some gods wanted sacrifice, some gods wanted coins, some wanted players to help the poor, some wanted blood and battle, but if you gave them what they wanted you could gain their favor and unlock a corresponding skill. That would grant a player access to faith points, similar to mana but it was an external power source instead of an internal one. Players generally didn''t have much use for faith initially but if you gained enough favor with a god they would grant you a skill you could use. Of course taking a faith based class would give you abilities as well, which is how most priests and clerics got started in game. If you wanted to tac-on some faith based powers without a faith class it was a complicated process. After reading the article on Runa he''d found mention that orge farmers would toss a handful of grain to the wind in sacrifice each time they planted a new field.

    Winston cast the seeds up into the air and a sudden gust of wind seemed to grab them before blowing them away out of sight.

    [Ba-Ding Blip]

    [Blip]

    [Blip]

    [You Have Gained The Approval of Goddess Runa!]

    [You Have Unlocked The Skill: Goddess Runa]

    [Current Skill: Novice I]

    [You Have Unlocked Faith Points]

    [You Have Received A Title!]

    [Promulgator of the Lost]

    [You Have Brought A god or Goddess Back into the World. As first of the faithful you gain status with your god more easily than others.

    +15% Skill Gain Rate for Runa]

    [You Have Received A Divine Mandate ]

    [The Goddess Runa has long been forgotten by the Ogre people and other races of the world. To let Runa''s guiding light back into the world she needs to be worshipped and to be worshiped she requires a shrine. It falls on you, as her only follower, to build one.]

    [Task: Build a worthy Shrine for the Goddess Runa within three days.]

    [Reward for Success: Improved Relations with the Goddess Runa, A Divine Power, Experience]

    [Warning: Divine Mandates are not like quests. They are not optional and failure to complete them will result in a complete loss of skill ranks with the applicable God or Goddess.]

    Winston groaned at the message. How in the hell was he going to find time for all this? He still had more than eighteen bushels of wheat left to farm for the Guild, another three of corn for the Orcs, and now he had a Goddess to appease. His plate was getting way too full and he still had to try and get some more levels. He was not going to be getting much sleep the next few days.

    ***************************************

    "What did you do?!" Remmi yelled as he looked at my wheat field. It was mid-morning on Earth and a hour or so after sunrise in game. The mists from the day before had finally cleared up and the air smelled fresh and clean. Winston was standing near his field listening to Rimmi rant. The field shouldn''t have been ready to harvest for another six hours or so but from the look of it his little ritual had worked a bit better than expected.

    Winston had to admit it was pretty damn impressive looking. The wheat was nearly as tall as Winston and seemed to glow with a golden light. The heads of the wheat were the size of corn-cobs and the stalks were bending under the weight of all the grain on them. It was pretty hilarious looking really. Rimmi was still looking red-faced and more than a little angry. "I called upon a goddess to bless the field." Winston said with a shrug. "Seems she went a bit overboard though." Winston said as he looked at his newest crop.

    "Why didn''t you do mine too!" Rimmi said, gesticulating wildly with his short arms. "I''ve been working my ass off!" He said angrily.

    "There''s your problem." Winston replied heartlessly. "Working never got anyone anywhere or the world would be run by farmers and coal miners instead of bankers and politicians." Winston said with a shrug. "Honestly though man, I was just trying to unlock my faith points, but Runa handed down a super-blessing of some sort." Winston defended.

    Rimmi continued to rant for a while but Winston ignored him and harvested the grain. It took quite a while but the payoff was pretty spectacular. The yield of the field had tripled, and Winston was reaping the rewards.

    [Bliiiiiip]

    [Bliiiiiip]

    [Farming Skill has Ranked Up!]

    [Current Rank: Novice Rank II]

    [Bonus Crop Yield: 8%

    Bonus Crop Quality: 5.6% +15.0% (20.6%)]

    [Grain Sub-Skill has Ranked Up!]

    [Grain Sub-skill]

    [Grain Subskill: Novice Rank II]

    [Bonus Grain Crop Yield: 12%

    Bonus Grain Crop Quality: 7.5%]

    He''d skipped over Novice III completely. He might be able to reach Beginner rank by the end of the week. That would let him unlock some actual abilities. In Otherworld. Reaching each new major skill rank granted the user a passive or active ability. He wasn''t sure what he''d get when farming hit beginner rank but it should be fairly useful. Most of the wheat was just a higher quality than normal, but some of it seemed to have mutated into a completely new item. He picked up a handful of golden grain and examined it.

    [Divine Grain]

    [Reagent, Food]

    [Uncommon, Standard-Quality]

    [Grain Blessed by the forgotten Goddess Runa. This grain has been infused with her divine power.]

    [Produced by: Win Mills]

    He was digging up the field again when Therion came out of the keep and walked over. Winston still wasn''t sure what Therion actually did. He couldn''t imagine just hanging out in the keep all day was very interesting.

    "Morning boys! Back to work already. You guys are really making the others look bad." He said as he walked up to Winston and Rimmi. Rimmi snorted, apparently still a bit angry about Winston''s super crop. Winston continued to ignore him. "I heard from Cromm, he had to fire two of his guys at the mine already."

    "Morning boss man." Winston said grimly. "Impressive raid on the mine, you guys roughed them up." Winston said, trying to make some conversation as he worked. Theron was looking the same as ever in his shining silver armor, with a large bastard sword strapped on his back. Therion snorted derisively at Winston''s comment.

    "It was a stupid PR stunt. They lost more porting and moving the troops over there than they got from that one load of mithril. If they would have managed to hold the mine long enough to get out a dozen loads, or if they managed to actually collapse the damn thing then maybe it woulda been alright. But they didn''t do any of that, they''re just pissing away more gold they don''t have." He shook his head disgusted.

    "They are like a bunch fat board members sitting at their table and lambasting their interns about all the free coffee they drink. Then they proceed to waste millions on stupid projects and bad investments." He said bitterly.

    "The Talon''s and Legion are nipping at our heels yet those idiots are still playing with the Crimsuns when they should be stomping on the up and comers. Then there''s news of some new mega-alliance with a bunch of smaller guilds teaming up for the expansion. All the while they''ve got me out here watching a bunch of slaves farming dirt for them." He continued.

    "To be fair." Winston said, bent over and churning up dirt with his claws. "We''re getting pretty good at it. By the way, you got anyway we could move some product to the markets?"

    Therion looked mildly curious so Winston stood up from his digging and walked over. "I''d like to sell about a bushel of this, unless the guild would like to buy it." Winston said pulling out a handful of his divine grain and showing to the their supervisor. The seeds seemed to almost glow in his paw but Therion only looked mildly interested, which made Winston feel a little let down.

    "And what would you do with the money if I did hand you gold?" Therion asked. "It''s not as though there is anywhere around here to buy anything." He asked, but looked curious rather than condescending.

    "Well, I figured you guys have to order supplies for the keep sometimes. I could just order stuff and have it brought out here, but for now I really just want to get Auctioneer. So I can keep up with the markets and do some planning." Winston replied.

    Auctioneer was a premium app that cost an extra twenty dollars a month. It let players access the auction house interface from anywhere, and view the markets in multiple zones. Originally the company hadn''t wanted such a feature, but the players , as usual, had just worked around them. A few players had just spent all their time in the Auction house, and sent PM''s to players with the information they wanted for a fee. The practice became so widespread that eventually Nexus caved and created a premium add-on app so any player could get the market info from anywhere.

    "I see¡­. Not a bad plan. Tell ya what, you give me the wheat and you can buy the app. We''ll pick up the tab." He said. Just dump the stuff in the shed with the other wheat. Winston did so and his quest updated again.

    [Quest Updated!]

    [Food for the Guild]

    [You are to deliver 25 bushels of Corn, Wheat, or Rice to the guild stores at Grimstone Keep within 7 days.]

    [Time Remaining: 74:36]

    [Progress: 18.4/25 bu]

    [Recommended Level: N/A]

    [Difficulty: N/A]

    [Rewards: N/A]

    That took a load off his mind. It should only take about two more harvests to finish now and he should have some extra time before the quest refreshed on Wednesday to finish the rest of it. Today though, he had more drudgery to do before he could work on the shrine. So he got too it, clearing and finishing another small field. It was more ground than he needed for his corn for the orcs but extra would help him on next week''s quota, or he could just sell it.

    He worked for an hour or so on the field. Then logged out around lunch time. He had homework he''d been putting off and figured he should go outside and get some sun.

 Chapter 7

    FlameMagnet pushed his shoulders up off the ground as he tired to see down into the courtyard below. He didn''t have the vision skills of his two allies but this low hill was a good position to spy form. He still didn''t know why he was all the way out here. Brethren plains was basically a dead zone in the game.

    The game map was generated by Nexus Corp''s super AI''s as players headed farther and farther outward. That meant most of the players were concentrated on the games frontiers or in the major cities near the center of the world. That left an ever expanding belt of places in the middle where the player population was fairly sparse. Brethren Plains was one of those areas.

    Still, the guild had ordered him out here to destroy the Sword''s grain storehouse so that''s what he was going to do. He didn''t really see the point since there only seemed to be two low-skill farmers, but orders were orders.

    "You guys don''t see any player guards" FlameMagnet asked the others skeptically.

    "Nope, There''s four towers with NPC archers, but they don''t looked higher than level 20 or 25. I"ll just stealth in and kill them. " The assassin replied from his left.

    "Can''t you just kill those two as well?" FlameMagnet asked.

    "I could but if your going to burn the fields and trash the storage shed, they''ll be in your AOE anyway."

    That was a point. He supposed it didn''t really matter. They''d wait another hour then get things started.

    ********************************************************

    The courtyard was just as Winston had left it after a day of homework and errand running. Rimmi was making his fields even larger. The little gnome was trying to manage a huge field now and Winston thought he was probably getting in over his head. Winston was falling behind in acreage but he just didn''t have the time to manage more fields until his stats and skill levels improved.

    "How are you gonna manage all that Rimmi?" Winston asked. "My small patch is more than enough work. How are you gonna harvest all that corn when it''s ready?" Winston asked him. Rimmi grunted as he toiled under the afternoon sun of Otherworld. He was working the earth with his tiny gnome-sized hoe and he did not look very happy.

    "I figure it''ll take me about twelve hours to harvest. That''s actually not that bad for a four day maturity crop. I''ll basically be harvesting a ten or eleven days worth of crops every five days." Rimmi defended.

    "What are you gonna do the rest of the time?" Winston asked curiously. He was usually busy in game since wheat crop cycles were so much faster but Rimmi would have a lot of down time. Winston on the other hand was nearly always working when he was in game, since he had to flip his field so often.

    "I thought I''d take up a side project. Something smaller scale. I figured I''d try growing a few alchemy herbs of something. I''ve read online they are pretty finicky to get to grow but they are constant demand and it''ll help my farming skill raise." He said. "Eventually I''d like to take up alchemy myself but I figure that''ll be hard. It''s a popular profession and although low-tier potions are popular alchemists usually make them at a loss starting out." He said.

    That made sense to Winston. Rimmi was just farming as a side-project while he worked on alchemy. Winston however, had decided to go all in on farming. It was a silly resolution but he wanted to see how powerful he could really become by trying to master one obscure skill.

    He was pondering what he should do with his time before his next harvest was ready when a trio of fireballs came streaking out of the sky like meteors. Neither Winston nor Rimmi were expecting anything of the sort and neither moved at all until the fireballs hit, blasting huge chunks of earth out of the ground and setting the fields on fire.

    Rimmi let out a scream of rage and horror as the field he''d been nurturing for days went up in flames. Winston just blinked stupidly as burning glyphs of magic appeared in the sky above the keep. Winston knew a little about magic from reading online. Winston had learned elemental magic, or sorcerer magic since it had the lowest entry requirements. The runes in the sky were a completely different system used by wizards and enchanters.

    Winston finally realized what was happening and started sprinting for the keep. The sky throbbed with power like the moment before a storm hit and fire started raining from the heavens. The smell of brimstone was strong on the wind as Winston pumped his short stubby legs. Comets of fire screamed down from above and smashed apart everything in the courtyard. A comet hit just to Winston''s right and blasted him off his small feet. He flipped through the air before slamming into the ground.

    Pain arched across his back and even with the 10% pain threshold the game defaulted to it hurt a lot. Winston''s body rolled across the grass of the courtyard before he ended in a heap of half-roasted flesh. He groaned feebly and just laid where he was. Time passed then someone prodded him with steel boot.

    "Heh, look at this stupid noob. What is he? Never seen a mole race before." Someone said and the boot flipped Winston over with little effort. Winston blinked up into the now clear sky and saw a rather skinny looking warrior in well-made steel armor looking down at him with derision. Winston still had no idea what was going on and just blinked up at the man stupidly.

    "Hahah, Look at this dumb little noob. Looks like you picked the wrong guild little mole. The fighter said as he raised a long-sword and prepared to bring it down. Winston''s confusion burned away in a surge of anger. He HATED being dismissed. He hated being trod on. He knew he had no chance against this player but he didn''t care. He was furious so he attacked.

    His claws slid out of his fingers even and he leapt back to his feet, or tried to anyway. Instead all he managed was a sort of lurching stumble but the warrior was obviously not expecting it. Winston raked his thick-digging claws at the man''s eyes in a desperate fury. The claws dig in and the man screamed as he stumbled away from Winston''s crazed attack covering his eyes but he soon realized that Winston couldn''t really hurt him. The level difference was just too large.

    The man drove a steel gauntleted fist into Winston''s face. The blow sent Winston spinning to the ground again clutching his broken jaw.

    "You think that''s funny you little shit?" The man shouted. Winston saw him raise his sword again, then he just sort of blew apart. All Winston saw was a flash of blue light then the warrior was disintegrating into black mist.

    [Bleep-be-deep-Bleep!]

    Blue light flashed around Winston and his HP and Stamina went back up to full. He struggled to sit up while his broken jaw throbbed in agony. That was another of Otherworld''sFind this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    ''features''. Leveling up fixed your HP, mana, and stamina, but any wounds you had stuck around until you were healed completely. Winston was now at full HP but his jaw was still broken and he was still covered in burns.

    Winston finally managed to sit and looked out at the destruction. He didn''t know what spell that wizard had cast but it had been a doozy. He blinked hard, then opened his eyes again. Where had that light come from? What had happened to that warrior about to kill him. Then he saw Therion walking past him. The man was in his shining armor and had his massive sword resting on one pauldron. He didn''t move quickly, but instead he walked calmly towards the raiders who were busy firing off attacks in every direction as they destroyed the courtyard.

    "Ahhhhh, if it isn''t a bunch of Crimsun''s. You guys have done me quite the favor. The guild stuck me out here in BFE for mouthing off and I thought I''d go crazy from boredom, but here you are and you''ve brought yourselves right to my doorstep." Therion said as he continued to walk forward.

    The attackers stopped demolishing the walls and out buildings as they turned towards the new threat."That''s¡­ That''s¡­. Silver Sword Therion." One of the attackers said in a panic. The rest of them all gasped then all looked at each other, hoping someone would come up with a plan. The wizard decided to act rather than wait. He raised his staff and started to summon magical glyphs in the air.

    "Wa, Nog, Saa, Yon, Ta, ..." He didn''t get a chance to finish his spell. Therion pulled his sword off his shoulder and swung that massive blade faster than Winston could even see. There was a crescent shaped flash that crossed the distance in an instant and then the wizard was disintegrating into black-mist as coins, potions, and items rained to the ground in the spot he used to be standing.

    "Tut, tut, tut¡­." Therion said, with false sadness. "And after attacking a couple level 1 players. What''s that a forty level difference? The griefer penalty for that has to be what¡­ eighty or ninety percent gold and item loss at least right?"

    The two remaining Crimson''s looked horrified. "Please¡­. We didn''t... " One of them started but there was another slash, and then there was one player left. He decided not to stick around and made a break for it but he hadn''t gone more than three steps before there one last slash and he too was dissolving into mist as his items rained down on the ground.

    Therion took a deep breath a smile on his normally dour face. Then he turned around and started to walk back towards the keep. As he passed the place Winson was still sitting he spoke.

    "Go ahead and pick all that up." He said, gesturing to all the gold and items on the ground. "You and the gnome can take half. I''m gonna need to rest to summon someone from the guild who can fix all this crap. Oh, and I suppose your quest for this week is canceled." He waved a hand.

    [Guild Quest Rescinded]

    Winston sighed and pushed himself back to his feet. He walked around the torn-up courtyard and started shoving all the gear and coins into his pack. There was a lot. All the players from the Crimson Sun guild had attacked first, flagging them for PVP. Normally that would only lose them about half their money and 20% of gear, but the penalty had been increased to a ridiculous level since he and Rimmi were still huge noobs. The players had lost pretty much everything they were carrying. There was at least 500 gold in loose coins, and likely 10 times that in items. He felt a little bad for them. They''d just lost enough gold to buy a decent laptop.

    Winston shoveled all the loot into his pack. Then found he couldn''t actually pick the thing up. He''d been working hard but he needed more levels to increase his stats. He''d have to start hunting or finish some quests. Still, it was still early in the afternoon back in the RL and he had plenty of time to waste.

    The courtyard was a wreck. The crops had all been burnt up, the storehouses had been flattened and the ground had massive holes blown into it by the fireballs. The game would fix the holes in a few hours but for now there was no way Winston could even start rebuilding. He''d have to wait until the ground at least flattened out again.

    Otherworld had a robust magic system and the game allowed powerful mages to re-shape the land. It just didn''t allow the land to stay that way. A top-level earth mage was capable of collapsing a mountain pass but once it was done the game would start undoing the landscape changes until they went back to normal. It kept high level players from blocking off entire cities or zones. Players still could perform massive permanent alterations but they had to be done by hand. So for now everything he''d been working on was ruined but in two or three hours the land of the court-yard would go back to being flat farmable ground. They just had to clean up all the debris.

    He look around at all the broken and scattered bricks and had an idea. He''d been thinking about how he should make Runa''s shrine. These brinks would do nicely. The question still remained about what he should make though. Shrines were the physical representation of a god. How were you supposed to convey that? Especially when you had no idea what the god in question looked like or enjoyed. All he had to go on was a few rituals and general information he''d found online.

    Shrines were usually put in natural settings around trees or flowers or something but that didn''t really fit Runa. She was a goddess of civilization. That was the opposite of nature. She was a goddess of a once magnificent culture, a goddess that had lead her people away from their barbaric ways. No, her shrine shouldn''t be a natural setting. It should be something man made of brick and metal.

    An image formed in his mind. A stone tower, a symbol of protection and development. A bastion against weather and danger. Something to watch over the people as they toiled in the fields. It was simple but powerful. That sounded right.

    He looked around at all the shattered stone bricks scattered around the courtyard. They weren''t exactly the best material but they would have to do. He started walking around and picking up the least-broken bricks, while tossing the others away from where his new field would be. He didn''t have room in his pack for them so he had to carry them by hand. It was boring, gruelling work and he wasn''t even half done collecting when Rimmi appeared in the courtyard and immediately started swearing.

    He usually looked angry but now as he was inspecting his ruined fields he looked truly furious. Winston walked over to him carefully. "Uhh, hey man." He said.

    Rimmi turned on Winston and glared at him. "What the hell do you want?" He asked bitterly. "I just lost an entire week''s worth of work. I needed that gold."

    "Well you can have this gold instead." Winston said as he opened his pack and handed over Rimmi''s share of the gold and equipment. The gnomes face seemed to soften a bit but he still looked angry.

    "Cheer up man, you''ve got what¡­ ten days to grow your crops from the guild. It shouldn''t be a problem and those items are worth more than your first couple weeks of work would have netted. Getting our skill levels up is the most important thing for now."

    Rimmi grumbled for a while then blinked at the bricks Winston was holding. "What are you doing with those?" He asked as he got out his hoe and started re-making his field, working around the slowly shrinking pits.

    "Trying to make a shrine I guess. Although I don''t exactly know what a shrine is supposed to be, or how to really make one. I''ve got an idea of what I want to make but how do I turn it into a shrine after that? I''ve gotta make one in three days for the goddess I worship." Winston said as he looked down at the pile of bricks he''d been collecting.

    "What are you using for mortar?" Rimmi asked as he continued to work. Winston paused. He hadn''t thought that far ahead. What did you make mortar out of? He thought it was lime but what he he know? He was a computer geek not a mason.

    "Errrrr¡­." Winston said, stupidly.

    Rimmi sighed. "You need lime and sand for basic motor. They should have some in the keep for small repairs to the keep and wall. Go get some." Rimmi said, pointing towards the keep.

    Winston lowered his head and did what he was told. Rimmi seemed like he knew what he was doing so Winston just went along with it. It took some time for him to find what he was looking for. He''d never been in the actual keep before. He had to wander around for quite a while before he found the basement and the supplies he needed.

    It took him three trips to lug a bucket of lime power and two buckets of sand up out of the basement. Even with his improved stats for level three he was still exhausted when he made it back outside.

    Rimmi gave the buckets a gimlet eye but pointed over to an area between their two fields. I suppose you want to put it up there?" Winston nodded. "And what is it you want to build."

    "A tower." Winston replied instantly. "Not like a huge or fancy one. I was thinking something maybe four or five feet tall, make it look like a the most stereotypical guard tower you''ve ever seen. Sturdy and with crenellations and stuff." Winston said excitedly, as he made sweeping gestures with his paws. Rimmi rolled his eyes.

    "Fine, I''ll make the tower. You dig the fields." Rimmi said. Winston scowled but shrugged. Digging was his specialty, there wasn''t much reason to get mad about it. So Winston shrugged and started to dig.

    It took hours for Winston to finish re-digging Rimmi''s field and by the time he got done he was even more exhausted. He''d save his field for tomorrow. He found a soft spot to curl up in the courtyard and logged out.

    Winston''s body seemed to deflate as he exited the machine. He limped a few steps then bent over to rub his aching thighs. He was always so sore when he got out of his machine. He knew the exercise was good for him but he hurt all over.

    He wobbled over to his computer chair and slumped down it, wiggling his mouse to turn off his screensaver. His instant messenger popped up and started flashing with notifications. He had 54 unread messages. Winston groaned and opened it up. All fifty-four messages were from Jason. Winston sighed and typed a swift reply¡­.

    Winston: What?

    It took Jason only a second to respond.

    Jason: DOOOOOOOOOOOOD. Where you been? Ain''t talked to you for days. The whole school''s gone nutso about the fight. Things have been CRAZYYYYY.

    Winston: Been living the farming life. What happened at school?

    Jason: Your GF got in a fight with Jessica Richards. Something about keeping her cheap hair-dye and too tight jeans away from her man.

    Winston, who was drinking from half-finished water bottle on his desk sprayed water all over his keyboard and monitor as he coughed violently.

    Jason: JK man, they did get into it about something though. Not sure what. I couldn''t understand what they were saying. I wish I could see your face. LOL

    Winston ground his teeth as he shot back his replay.

    Winston: Asshole. Anything else at school?

    Jason: Not really, I''m kinda jealous. Now I''m the only one in the group let without a machine. Gonna have to get creative¡­.

    Winston: Oh god. I''m not bailing you out of jail . Remember that.

    Jason: You know me too well? You wanna LoTa?

    Wiston: Sure.

    Winston fired up League of the Ancients and prepared to lose horribly.

 Chapter 8

    After a good night''s rest Winston had gotten up early Monday morning. The sun hadn''t even risen in game yet when he logged in. The wind had picked up and was blowing over the burnt grass and naked earth that now made up his half of the courtyard. The place was a wreck and the weak light of sun-rise made it all the more evident. Giant holes had been blasted in the chest-high wall around the keep. The little shed with the tools and seeds in it had been smashed and chunks of the keep itself had been blown off.

    Rimmi had apparently been busy and a half finished tower sat in the middle of the courtyard. Winston stood their just taking it all in as the sun rose. He supposed he should re-dig his fields but he wanted to get some other things first. He brought up the In-game web browser and opened it into a transparent window in front of him. Then he used his auctioneer addon for the first time to start looking at the game''s markets. If he was going to start being a real player instead of just a peon he needed more information.

    He started sorting through prices, looking at both grains and produce and blinked in astonishment. The prices for these things was truly ridiculous. One gold per normal grade turnip? He almost laughed aloud. He was going to be rich.

    He scanned through some other things he could buy. It was cold here and the soil was pretty poor. He popped open a web-browser window and started doing some google searching on what plants grew in cold dry environments. Beets would probably grow. Potatoes were cold weather crops. Cabbage, Broccoli, maybe some peas or something? The grain prices were ridiculously high right now, but high-quality vegetables were where the real money was at. Grain was a decent staple crop but unless he got some kind of accelerated harvesting or planting skill there was a limit on how much he could realistically grow.

    No, if he wanted to be serious about farming he needed to pick higher priced crops. Chef''s would pay ridiculous money for top quality fruits and vegetables for their dishes. A master Chef could make food that gave huge bonuses that guilds would pay hundreds or thousands of gold for but they required top quality ingredients. Things like fire-mana infused truffles and golden apples could go for dozens of gold each.

    The thought of apples brought up more possibilities. Apples would probably grow in the cold weather, but he wasn''t sure about how much moisture they needed, maybe pears or cherries? . Cranberries grew in Maine but you needed water for those and this place was too dry. The sun was peeking over the horizon when he finished his searching.

    He pulled up the Otherworld forums and looked for a courier willing to run some items out here from the closest auction house. With money and items to trade he was in a much better position to get things done. It would likely be expensive but he should be able to find someone to come out here for enough gold.

    He opened up another window and brought up the trade forums. The Otherworld trade forums were were massive and well organized. Brethen Plains was a pretty remote location and a city with an auction house was over two days ride away by normal horse. Couriers normally had very fast mounts but getting someone to make a special trip out here would be really pricey and he didn''t have THAT much money.

    He started messing with the filters until he had it narrowed down all the options to Verith, the city closest to the keep. There were only four couriers in the city. One had a wagon and only did bulk orders. One wasn''t leaving for four days. One only did special orders and wanted a 500 gold down payment and 100 gold an hour after that. The other was apparently a lowbie who was willing to negotiate. Winston chose him and brought up the messaging system.

    *************************************************************

    Trollogisics sat in the sullenly in the courtyard of the Verith Wagoner''s guild. He used to be Norgil Buttertong a level 35 gnome fencer but when he''d turned thirty he decided to shelf his adventuring. His girlfriend had left him for some damn orc and he''d decided to try and do something more useful with his video gaming time.

    He''d deleted his character and decided to go into business. It had started alright. He''d had a plan and his idea for a cheap and fast mount had paid off. He''d unlocked the Wagon Driver class pretty early and had gotten his set-up going in a surprisingly short amount of time. The good times hadn''t lasted.

    The problem was that he had no work. His mount and wagon were only good for short-jaunts not long journeys through multiple zones. What he needed was to haul high value items and charge a premium for his raw speed. The problem was that he was new to the business and no-one trusted him to haul such cargo. His only real option was to do quests for NPC''s but those paid next to nothing. He''d solved part of that problem by heading to one of the more remote areas in the game. Brethen plains had few players so the game increased the NPC quest rewards to draw more people to the area. It didn''t really work but it did let him keep cashing in on the bonus money and xp.

    Trollogistics had managed to corner the market on NPC hauling quests and was leveling up pretty quickly. The problem was needed money to really expand his business. Not to mention he had to make a living in the real world.

    The problem was there just weren''t many opportunities for player business out here. His ears picked up the sound of boots on the street and he sighed.It didn''t help that those ass-holes hung out here too. Three men walked past the gate to the guild courtyard.

    "Ohhhh, no business today again I see? No wonder your woman left you." Tollogistics gritted his teeth in rage. This was his punishment for getting drunk in game. He needed to learn to keep his damn mouth shut. Two ale''s and he''d started telling those idiots his life story while crying into his beer.

    "Screw off Freeze." He said to the brawny fighter. The fighter paused then held up his hands as if to defend himself.

    "Ohhhh¡­ Noooo, The little gnome wants me to screw off¡­.. What shall I do?" he said in high falsetto voice that was full of scorn. The motion looked ridiculous with his large body and scarred face. "Just leave already." The fighter told the gnome in a normal voice. "There''s nothing here for you and seeing your face around town all the time pisses me off."

    "Why don''t you leave. Your face makes me nauseous." He snapped back at the larger player.

    "Well, if that''s how you feel then why don''t you put your money where your mouth is little man." Freeze sneered. "Tell you what." he said, puffing his chest out as he walked over. "If you can make a thousand gold this month. With your stupid cart and your stupid troll. I''ll pay you another 500 gold and leave. If you can''t, which I''m pretty sure you can''t. Then you pay me 500 gold and you get your stupid gnome ass outta my city." He said.

    [You Have Been Challenged!]

    [The Player Freezepop has Challenged to you!]

    [The Game Has deemed this as a worthy challenge and will enforce the rules of the bet.]

    [Goal: Earn 1000 gold in 1 month with only hauling fees]

    [If you win: gain +500 gold from player Freezepop. Freezepop must leave Verith. Fame Increased by 10. +2000 xp]

    [If you Lose: Pay +500 gold to player Freezepop. You must leave Verith. Fame Decreased by 10]

    [If you refuse the challenge: Fame Decreased by 15]

    Trollogistcs hardly even saw the popup as his body was suffused with rage. He''d had enough of this prick.

    "Fine asshole! I hope the drawbridge won''t hit you in the ass on the way out of the city!" He snarled.

    [Challenge Accepted!]

    An hour later Trollogistics lay with his head against an uneven table in the Orcish Handmaiden. He wanted to get drunk but he knew he needed to save all the gold he could. He was about to lose every coin he had. He was an idiot. That muscle brained moron had goaded him into accepting the challenge. -15 fame hardly mattered to him. He could make that up just doing NPC quests, but 500 gold. He didn''t even want to think about it. Most of the NPC quests he did paid one or two gold each.

    He raised his head to order a drink anyway when his communicator buzzed with an incoming text message. He frowned at it but accepted.

    Win Mills: Hey man, what would it cost me to get you to come out to Grimstone keep?

    Trollogistics''s mind came to a screeching halt, but he nervously tapped on the keyboard with shaking hands. Was this actual work? Was he saved? He tried to calm his breathing but it was hard, so hard. He took a deep breath then responded.

    Trollogistics: Where''s that?

    Win Mills: Brethan Plains¡­ East side¡­.. There''s a road¡­. I think it runs this way from Haden''s Village.

    He frantically pulled up a map from a wiki and started pouring over it. He finally found what he was looking for and measured the distance. It wasn''t a bad run, a little farther than he''d prefer under normal circumstances but who the hell was he to argue. It''s not like he was spoiled for choice.

    Trollogistics: Hmmmm, that''s what 14 hours or so on ol'' Betsy. 300 Gold.

    Win Mills: I''ve got about 125, with a thousand worth of items. Can we deal?

    He winced. He needed coin not items. Still he could just action them. Although the market out here was a mess he should still be able to move decent gear. He decided to play coy.

    Trollogistics: Hmmmmm, that''s not very reassuring.

    Win Mills: Common. I''m gonna be in this area for a while. Work with me and I''ll have lots of goods for you to move. I''ll give you all my gold and all the items. They are all level 40+ and you should get good money for them. I just need a dozen apples, some pears, potatoes, beet seeds, cabbage seeds, and a silver brazer."The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Tollogistics frowned. What kind of list was that? Still, the only thing he needed more than a job was a job with a potential for more jobs. He decided to play up the humor a bit.

    Trollogistics:..... Making a virgin sacrifice to a gardening demon?

    Win Mills: Sorta¡­ I''m a farmer just starting out, working for one of the Swords feeder guilds. I''ll have lots of produce for you to move. Besides even with all that you''ll still clear what¡­ 800 gold at least?

    That was interesting, A farmer and one working for the swords. He reeled in his excitement. This was his chance. If he played it straight with this guy he might really get his company off the ground.

    Trollogistics: Fine but that''s too much. Let''s do 500 for the whole trip.

    Win Mills: Deal </img>

    ***************************************************************

    Winston waved away the messages and stared into the courtyard again. It was still early and he had a lot of work to get done. He looked down at the patch of earth where his field had been before. He needed to try something. Leveling skills in Otherworld could be done by simple grinding but that would take forever it would be months until he got into the Apprentice ranks if all he did was farm his fields. To quickly level skills you had to innovate, try new things, experiment. He''d managed to get his farming skill to level four extremely fast but getting to Beginner rank would take at least another five or six days unless he came up with some new ideas.

    "What are some things farmers do¡­?" He asked himself as he paced around. Irrigation? That would be difficult. He''d have to look into eventually if he planned to expand his crop selection not that he knew where he''d get that much water from. Winston looked around for inspiration until his eyes landed on the stables at the side of the keep. One side was pretty badly charred from the fire-storm but they still stood and all of the animals inside had survived. Winston grimaced but walked over and picked up the bucket Rimmi had been using to carry sand in.

    "What is that smell?" Rimmi said when he got into the game two hours later. Winston''s fur was lathered up as he lugged another heavy bucket over and dumped it on the ground with a wet splat. He picked up the nearby shovel and started working the ground with it.

    "Dire tiger manure" Winston said as he dug up the earth and mixed in the foul smelling crap from the keep''s stables. He''d never thought the process would be so much work, but he had to really work the stuff into the soil so it would mix. He was ten buckets in and hadn''t even got half his field done.

    Rimmi shook his head as he got back to brick laying and the two worked in companionable silence until Winston was so exhausted that his stamina zeroed out and his character literally passed out. He woke up ten minutes later with his face in a pile of dire-tiger poo. He wiped the filth out of his face and raised his noodly arms up enough to summon a stream of water to wash his face off.

    [Farming Skill has Ranked Up!]

    [Current Rank: Novice Rank V]

    [Bonus Crop Yield: 10%

    Bonus Crop Quality: 7.5% +15.0% (22.5%)]

    [Grain Sub-Skill has Ranked Up!]

    [Grain Sub-skill]

    [Grain Subskill: Novice Rank V]

    [Bonus Grain Crop Yield: 15%

    Bonus Grain Crop Quality: 12.5%]

    [Your Farming Skill Has reached the Skill Cap.As you are not yet level 10 you do not have access to the full skill system, You are allowed to increase one skill beyond beginner rank. Do you Wish to Pre-Spend your primary skill point?]

    [Yes/No]

    Winston sighed as he tried to wipe the muck out of his fur as he heard Rimmi laughing. Winston growled and hit yes on his pop-up. Green light flashed around him as his farming skill reached the next level.

    [Your Farming Skill Has Reached Beginner Rank! New Ability Unlocked!]

    [Soil Sense]

    [User is able to feel the general quality, pH levels, and any special characteristics of soil. While holding a seed the user is able to ascertain if the soil he''s standing on is suitable for growing it.]

    [Rank: N/A]

    [Activation: Passive]

    [[Your Grain Sub-Skill Has Reached Beginner Rank! New Ability Unlocked!]

    [Hearty-Grains]

    [Grains farmed by the user recover 25% more hunger points.]

    [Rank: N/A]

    [Activation: Passive]

    [Current Rank: Beginner Rank I]

    [Grain Subskill: Beginner Rank I]

    [Bonus Crop Yield: 13%

    Bonus Crop Quality: 9.5 + 15 (24.5%)]

    [Grain Subskill]

    [Bonus Grain Crop Yield: 19%

    Bonus Grain Crop Quality: 15.5%]

    [You Have Unlocked The Hidden Class: Farmer]

    [Unlocked by reaching Beginner rank in Farming]

    [A production class based around the raising and harvesting of grains, fruits, and vegetables. They are able to increase the productivity of land, and feed the masses with fields of golden grains.]

    Winston started to rub his chin before realizing how filthy his hands were and stopping. His gains this time were pretty good. The skill from farming would be useful although not spectacular. The skill from grains was the same good but not earth shattering. The class would likely have a better skill but he hesitated about taking it.

    Once you had a class it was impossible to change it. You had a bit of wiggle-room with class promotions but once you started down the road you were stuck on it. Winston wanted to be a farmer but he wasn''t sure about taking the farmer class yet. There were likely more powerful farming classes out there but he had no idea how to get them and he doubted the wiki would either. People with a secret production class weren''t the type to share.

    That left him staring at the courtyard again and all the mixed up manure he''d been digging. He knew you weren''t supposed to plant in it. Normally you''d need to leave it for a few weeks/months to let it break down into the soil otherwise it would be too concentrated. Winston figured he''d just wait the ten or twelve hours until Trollogistics showed up with his new seeds. That should be enough of a wait in video game logic time. He burnt all his mana summoning water to wash himself off then logged out.

    Winston spend the day catching up on his homework, surfing the Otherworld markets, and trying to keep his legs and shoulders from cramping up. He took the day to relax and enjoy his truancy. When his mom came home at 4:30 he was on the couch watching the Otherworld news.

    "The Otherworld markets are still surging as all the major guilds are buying up all the commodities and reagents they can get their hands on. Food, potions, scrolls, and other consumables are up nearly 500 percent since the expansion was announced. With metals, lumbers, and stone close behind.

    This has kicked off a golden age for many crafters and producers, while guilds are having to open their wallets to buy supplies as well as fend off other guilds looking to gain control of territorial resources.

    Here we have a video of a battle between two smaller guilds over a granite quarry located in a mana saturated area. Supposedly it produces special stone used for high-level defensive constructions. "

    The screen shifted and showed an intense battle between about a hundred players. Winston drank a Mt.Dew and ate popcorn as he watched the players slaughter each other. He was glad he didn''t have to deal with things like that. Farming was hard work but relaxing.

    "Have you done anything today?" His mom snapped, as she walked in the door. "Got yourself kicked out of school and you''re just here lounging."

    "Did my homework, Made about two-hundred dollars¡­. Spent most of it . Now I''m relaxing." Winston said as he put more popcorn in his mouth. His mother snorted and headed into her bedroom to change.

    "Be at dinner tonight." She said before closing her door.

    Winston enjoyed his work free evening and played a few games of Lota with Jason, Brad, and Ruger before he had to eat dinner. He didn''t log back onto Otherworld until around ten and the first thing he did was message his deliveryman.

    Trollogistics: Thank god, almost there. About thirty minutes out I think. Meet me at the gate.

    Winston: Can do man. I''ll have the money you have the product.

    Trollogistics: I''m bringing you garden seeds not cocaine.

    Winston: Are their cocaine seeds?

    Trollogistics: I think you can grow moonsugar. Although, it''s contraband in most cities.

    Winston: Alright, I''ll meet you.

    Winston started digging his field for bit before heading to the front gate of the keep. He was just in time, as giant troll pulling a halfling in a rickshaw came barrelling down the road. The troll was sprinting at an unbelievable speed and the cart was leaving a dust cloud behind it.

    Winston burst out laughing as the troll stopped in front of the keep and the halfling jumped out and rummaged around in the rickshaw until he held a canvas sack. The halfling drug it over to Winston who was only about about six inches taller than the halfling.

    Winston poured his gold and items out on the ground. They made some solid clinking sounds as they landed in a pile. The halfling picked through them for a while then nodded. Handing over the sack he was holding to Winston while shoving the gear and gold into his own sack.

    "So why the troll." Winston asked finally. The halfling grinned up at him, obviously hoping for Winston to ask the question.

    "I played this game for quite a while doing the adventure thing, but after doing that for a couple years I decided to reroll and start a business. I started with a cart and a boar but then I found some interesting theorycraft on trolls and decided I''d try something out.

    See you level up your tamer skill until you can get yourself a troll. That''s not that hard, since trolls are really stupid and just want to be fed. You level them up a bit and dump all their stats into constitution. Then you buy these little haste potions. They are pretty terrible for real players since they only increase run speed by about 15% but drain a bunch of hp/sec. The thing is the potions stack multiplicatively. So if you feed someone say¡­ 10 of them. You get about 400% bonus move-speed at the cost of around 1000 hp/sec in damage. Even the highest level tanks would only last a second or two with that much raw HP drain on them. However it counts as poison damage and trolls have 90% innate poison resist. Combine that with their massive HP regen and you can give them move speed on par with some of the top mounts in the game at a tiny fraction of the price and required skills. Hence the Troll Logistics shipping company was born." The halfling explained as he beamed. He was apparently expecting Winston to be terribly impressed with his cleverness and Winston had to admit he kinda was.

    "Very nice." Winston said grinning. "How fast can you get him going."

    "Last troll I got 14 pots in once. I figured I had him running about 80 miles and hour, but he stepped on a sharp rock and just kinda exploded. Was a damn shame, wasted weeks of training. I don''t take Betsy here up above 10." He said, slapping the troll''s leg as he walked past and climbed up into the rickshaw again. "Look me up if you need another delivery." The gnome said as he climbed into the rickshaw and the troll took off at a sprint.

    Winston looked down at all the seeds he had and slogged back into the keep. He had one last thing to do before he could get back to work. He walked back to his field and stood before the small tower Rimmi had finally finished before he pulled out the large silver brazier the gnome had bought for him. He had to get a rock to stand on before he could get up high enough to place the brazier on the tower. He descended from his rock and looked at the tower satisfied. It was done pretty well, simple but better than a simple roadside shrine like was used in some places in game. Rimmi had got it looking almost exactly how Winston had imagined it.

    Now he just needed a dedication speech. Words were important after all and a shrine dedication needed something profound or at least epic sounding. Winston cleared his throat then then spread his arms wide and called to the heavens and his new goddess.

    "O'' Runa, spurned guardian of a fallen people. I dedicate this shrine unto thee. May your light shine again in mortal hearts. May your ears once more hear the prayers of your followers. May your blessings once again enrich the land and its people. May your flame burn eternal and may the walls of the faithful always stand."

    There was a brilliant flash of blinding golden light then a boom of thunder so loud Winston was sure the sound alone had nearly killed him. He landed flat on his back as his vision filled with yet more messages. He was really getting tired of all the pop ups. He wondered if he could turn some of them off.

    [Bong!]

    [A Divine Mandate Has been Fulfilled!]

    [You Have Completed A Shrine to Runa]

    [Completion Level: Above Average]

    [Rewards]

    [Runa Skill Rank Increased to Novice IV

    Shine has a passive 500ft Aura: Decreases crop maturation time by 10% Increases HP of all walls and fortifications by 10%

    You Have gained 1000 Xp

    You Have Gained Divine Skill: Clear the Land]

    [You Have Gained A Divine Skill]

    [Clear The Land]

    [Use Divine Power to Ready Land for Planting]

    [Rank: Novice I]

    [Duration: N/A]

    [Cooldown: N/A]

    [Cost: 10 FP per 200ft2]

    [Effect: Clears trees, rocks, shrubs, and other obstructions from a patch of earth to ready it for planting. Levels land and fills holes. Unlike most magical alterations these changes are permanent. Can only be used on land owned by the player or his guild.]

    [You Have Unlocked Racial Hidden Class: Grove Tender]

    [Unlocked by reaching beginner rank in farming, Completing a Divine Mandate, and being a member of the Yawnshu race.]

    [The great underground kingdom of the Yawnshu race was one of the largest and most prosperous civilizations of the ancient world. Great groves were created and farmed in their caverns using massive crystals to refract sunlight down from the surface. These groves were incredible feats of engineering and art providing both food and recreational space for the Yawnshu people. The great groves were overseen by the Grove Tenders. A caste of farmer-priests that were renowned for their skill with growing things and their piety to the Yawnshu gods.]

    Winston struggled back to his feet then grinned at the now flaming brazier. Rimmi was glaring at him from his field but Winston ignored him. He hadn''t really minded Rimmi to start with but the gnome was just plain bitter. It wasn''t like he wouldn''t get the shrine bonuses as well.

    This new class was exactly what he needed. A powerful farming based class, and a racial class too boot. Classes with race restrictions were usually a notch above normal classes and one that required a Divine Mandate completion should be an excellent class indeed. Winston didn''t hesitate.

    "Select Class, Grove Tender" He said aloud.

    [Warning This Choice is Permanent and Cannot be Changed]

    [Production based classes significantly alter the core gameplay of Otherworld.

    Do you wish to Continue?]

    Winston clicked ''yes''.

    [Warning This Choice is Permanent and Cannot be Changed]

    [Five Hundred Twenty-Two Classes Remain Locked. Do you wish to Continue?]

    Winston rolled his eyes and clicked ''yes'' again.

    [You have Selected Class Grove Tender!]

    [Attribute Bonuses]

    [+ 1 bonus to End on level-up

    + 1 bonus to Wis on level-up

    + 1 bonus to Faith on level-up

    User Farming Skill increases the Faith points of user. Current Increase 10%]

    [Skill Bonuses]

    [Farming is now a Primary skill(If already selected skill point will be refunded)

    Users top Faith Skill is now a Primary Skill(Current: Runa) (If already selected skill point will be refunded)

    Farming Skill experience gain is increased by 25%]

    [Experience Changes]

    [User no longer gains experience from killing monsters

    User now gains experience from harvesting crops]

    [Abilities]

    [Nourish The Land(Active)]

    [Casts a Blessing upon the Earth Increasing Crop Yield]

    [Rank: Novice I]

    [Duration: Three Days]

    [Cooldown: Seven Days]

    [Cost: 10 FP per 1000ft2]

    [Effect: Increases crop yield in area by 15% while active]

    [Restriction: Only one Blessing may be active at once. ]

    Winston read over all his bonuses then checked his character sheet.

    [ Name: Win Mills Level 3]

    [ Race: Yawnshu Class: Grove tender]

    [ Attributes Status]

    [Str: 13 End: 14 Hp: 24/24 Mana: 20/20]

    [Con: 14 Agi: 10 Stam:17/17 Panic: 2/10]

    [Cord: 16 Int: 14 Hunger: 54/100 Thirst: 23/100]

    [Wis 14(+2)16 Faith: 13(+2)15 FP:16/16]

    [Res: 12 ]

    [Guild: Seeds Titles: 1]

    [Fame: 0 Friend List: 0/0]

 Chapter 9

    Winston slid into Friday homeroom with a smile on his face. His mornings harvest had netted him nearly 4.8 bushels of wheat. That meant that with his new skill level and new blessing he was now down to 6 harvests to make his quota. That took a lot of the pressure off. He''d be able to finish his quota in just a few days and have the rest of the week to make money.

    "Well look who''s back?" Said a sneering voice from a few rows up. Winston looked up to see Matt looking at him from a few rows up. Matt was a snot. He wasn''t really a popular kid but was more of a hanger-on. His parents were well-off but had more ambition than real money or power. Matt and his parents were all ladder climbers and Matt was a grade A asshole. "I heard you got punched out at lunch because someone thought you were hitting on Jessica Richards." He snorted derisively. "Like that would ever happen."

    Winston didn''t even know what to say to that. Of course Matt was right but what was there to tease him about? The entire thing was a stupid misunderstanding but he wouldn''t date Jessica even if he had the chance. She was hot but too damn sneaky for his tastes. Not to mention he was pretty sure she''d already slept with Josh. That was just weird and icky.

    "Shut up Matt." Jason said as he walked by Matt''s desk to slide into his own seat. He gave the words such a level of annoyed contempt that Matt snapped his mouth shut. Winston laughed and got a glare in return.

    "Mr. Masterson late again I see please try to be more polite to your classmates." Miss Funklestein said from behind her desk.

    "Sorry Miss F. I just felt that it was my civic duty to stop him from continuing to speak. His childish attempts to bully others in order to bolster his own poor self-image is ultimately a path of self destruction. I felt that by intervening I could both save a student from bullying as well as give another student a chance at self-improvement." Jason said as he looked at the teacher with righteous dignity.

    "Both eloquent and well-reasoned. Unfortunately, we both know it''s a bunch of crap." The teacher said sternly, but her eyes were smiling. "You were just defending your friend, which, although admirable, doesn''t get you off the hook for being late. It''s not even October yet and you''ve been late eleven times. So¡­ you can see me after school. "

    Jason let out a long exaggerated sigh. "Although this is clearly an abuse of authority, I, as a humble student, can only comply." Jason turned back towards Winston as the teacher started to rub her temples. He had a wide grin.

    "Well, look who''s finally back in school¡­ Have fun lounging around at home and playing Otherworld?" He asked.

    "I guess¡­ playing isn''t really the right word though. It''s more like working." Winston said honestly. Other world had been 99 percent back-breaking work and 1% fun so far. Still his body was feeling better and he had more energy so he''d obviously needed the workout.

    Jason looked a bit jealous. "Man I wish I could play¡­ Everyone else is."

    "Well, you could talk to Jessica''s brother and sign yourself into slavery like I did. He''s a pretty good guy he could probably deal. Although if your wanting to actually play you''d be out of luck. It''s a lot of work." Winston said.

    "I''ll think about it I guess." Jason said, sounding unconvinced.

    "If I start making good money, I''ll hire you." Winston said with a grin. Jason rolled his eyes. Winston felt for his friend but he''d been in the same boat previously. Jason would have to make his own choices and solve his own problems.

    The morning passed swiftly and Winston realized he was happy to be back. School was boring and in his mind, mostly useless, but it was familiar and his friends were here. His friends found him at his normal spot during lunch, but Winston was staring at the table with rapt attention.

    "What are you doing?" Brad asked as he sat down across from Winston.

    "Seeing if my head left a dent. I think it did¡­. That''s¡­ messed up." Winston said as he looked down at the table. There was a tiny concave dimple in the formica tabletop. It was nearly invisible but it was definitely there.

    Brad looked at him sadly as his friend stared down at the table. "Did they really hit your head that hard?" Brad said in his normal dry tones

    Winston looked up and scowled at him. "Har har¡­." Brad smiled.

    The others quickly joined them and soon the table was filled with the clinking of silverware and the chatter of high schoolers. Trish slid onto the bench next to him and bumped him with an elbow. He frowned at her and rubbed the spot.

    "Finally back from the dead." She said with a dimpled grin. It was a good look for her and Vincent couldn''t help but smile back. Their smiles lingered as their eyes met and the moment stretched out. Then Jason started to hum the start of Let''s Get It On while Ruger picked up the vocals in his deep rumbling voice.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    The moment broke and Winston scowled while Trish flipped Jason and Ruger the bird. Trish glared at them for a moment then turned her attention back to Winston.

    "So Mr. ''I spend all my time in Otherworld and don''t talk to my friends'' How''s the gaming been going?" Trish asked as he stuck a fork of green beans in her mouth.

    "Unlocked a race-locked farming class, got kidnapped by orcs, resurrected a lost goddess, got ganked by the Crimsun''s, got to watch the Silver Sword paste them, met a gnome who uses trained trolls for a trucking company..." Winston shrugged. "Normal game stuff I guess." Keeping his face straight was hard but he managed.

    The table went silent for three long breaths then everyone spoke at once.

    "WHAT THE HELL!"

    "COMMON!"

    "THE SILVER F-ING SWORD"

    "HOW IS THAT FARMING?!"

    "Wait¡­ wait¡­ WAIT! Shut up you guys!" Jason finally managed to shout the others down. He turned wild eyes on Winston. "You got to see Silver Sword Therion fight?" Jason asked incredulously. "I thought the swords kicked him out after his big social media blow-up."

    "I think they did. He''s babysitting the farmers and gathers for one of their feeder guilds now." Winston said. "He always just hid in the keep and didn''t say much. I didn''t put it together until the shit hit the fan and he killed the first Crimsun.." Winston said. "He just waved his sword and they all died. I didn''t know Therion was the Silver Sword."

    Trish spoke up. "Yeah, even the experts have never figured out what skill he actually uses for that. Apparently it''s some sword-fighting style but no-one knows if he made it up himself or learned it from some secret quest or NPC¡­. But you got a race-locked class? Those are rare and a race locked farming class? There are likely less than 5 players with one of those. You''d make a pretty hot commodity to a guild. What class are you?"

    "A Yawnshu GroveTender. It''s a production class so I get XP from farming now instead of monsters like most of the production classes but I get big bonuses to faith as well. First active skill is a AOE blessing that increases crop yield." Winston said.

    Brad''s eyes widened. "Is that level 1? Good lord. My guild would pay you just to cast that over the alchemy plants we''re growing. "You could make bank."

    "Can''t actually. Contractual obligation. I can''t enter any agreement with any guild for three months after my contract expires with the swords. Which means I''m basically required to sell everything I grow on the open market until then. I suppose I could give the blessing away for free, but that would be stupid." Winston mused.

    "You got ripped off." Ruger said.

    "I tried to tell him." Trish said. "But he was too distracted by tight jeans." Winston rolled his eyes.

    "I''m not a moron. I know she was using me. Hell, her brother basically told me it was a crap deal and I shouldn''t take it. It just fit my needs." Winston said. "Besides if you ever took that sweatshirt off you could complete." Winston said absently as he took another bite of his lunch.

    He turned and saw everyone at the table looking at him. Jason and the guys were grinning while Trish was blushing. Winston started to blush too but decided to brazen it out. "I mean, alright, Jessica is basically the stereotypical American cheerleader. She''s blonde, athletic, and has an incredible body. She''s also also manipulative, haughey, and thinks her looks will let her skate through any trouble her scheming gets her into. You on the other hand are more girl next door. You''re way more approachable, a better person and have better curves than she does if you''d stop covering yourself up so much." Winston said honestly. His face turned crimson as he finished but he forced himself to meet Trish''s eyes.

    She had a lopsided grin and was shaking her head. "Maybe your not such a moron." She leaned over and gave him a peck on the cheek before she scooped up her lunch-tray and fled. Winston rubbed his cheek absently as he looked after her. He turned his head back to his friends. Jason was clapping softly, Ruger gave him a thumbs up, Brad, as usual, looked faintly amused. Winston flipped them off again but couldn''t stop smiling.

    After spending the week repairing his fields and farming. Winston had leveled up again to four and gotten his farm situation under control. When he got home from school friday he found himself in the enviable position of not having much to do. He''d already farmed nearly 24 bushels of crops and he still had 6 full days to complete his guild quest. He needed to give three to the orcs tomorrow but that left him more than enough room to sell some off.

    He still had all the seeds he''d brought from town and Troll-logistics still owed him 1,000 coins from the sale of his items. Mind made up he went to the newly rebuild storage shed and stuffed three bushels of wheat into his pack. It made the thing so heavy he could harley carry it but he managed as he climbed over the fence and headed towards the orc camp.

    He had to go the long way around when he saw a grass-lion lounging beneath a gnarled tree but luckily he ran into an orc patrol who grudgingly escorted him to the village once he showed his ring.

    Ol''gar was once more in her hut when Winston was escouted inside. She looked old but power still radiated from her in waves. Winston took a seat on a woven mat and waited as she turned the pages of an old book made from bound animal hide.

    "So he of the wandering folk has returned." the she-orc turned another page but didn''t turn to face him. "I was wondering if you''d hold to your end of the pact."

    "A merchant''s word is his life, good lady." Winston replied. She finally turned and gave him a smile with a great many teeth. He had to admit he was intimidated.

    "In more ways than one. Although, I doubt you are a merchant. I can feel the divine on you. It''s still weak but growing. Which god do you speak for little wanderer."

    "I worship Runa, lost goddess of the Ogre people. Goddess of the harvest and watcher of the walls." He replied seriously. Ol''gar let out a rich laugh that filled the small hut. The sound cheered him.

    "Now there is a name that time itself has forgotten. The Orcs and the Ogre have ever been at war. However in ages past they were worthy foes. There are even stories that she and Krom''lar God of the Hunt were lovers. Although, Gods and Goddess are always carrying on with one another. Now the Ogre are worse than beasts. They are a plague upon the land. You have set yourself on a difficult road wanderer. Still, let us see your grain. This is a business deal not a lecture on faith." She got up from her seat and waved for him to follow as they headed outside into the village.

    She brought him to a store-house and he winced inside when he saw how barren it was. The orcs here must be starving. Ol''gar pointed to a empty corner and Winston up-ended his pack, pouring out a golden stream of grain onto the stone floor. Ol''har reached down into the stream and inspected and handful before nodding.

    "A deal made and a promise upheld. I suppose it''s time for my end of the bargain." She said as she pulled out a hand-full of coins and a few semi-precious stones.

    [You Have Completed A Quest!]

    [Food for the Village]

    [You are to deliver 3 bushels of Corn, Wheat, or Rice to the orcs at Fire-Tooth village by this time next week.]

    [You Have Received:]

    [1000 xp

    3 gold, 8 silver

    4 semi precious stones

    30 fame with the Fire-tooth Orcs]

    [Bleep-be-deep-Bleep]

    Blue Light flashed around him as he hit level five but the she-orc was oblivious to both his level up and quest completion as she continued to speak. "Thank you wanderer. This will be a great help to my people. The hunting has been scare and the orclings need food other than meat and roots." Ol''gar said, bowing her head to him slightly in thanks. "Would it be possible for you to bring us more diverse fare? We are very short on much but we do have a few things you may find of value.

    [You Have Received A Quest]

    [Food for the Village II]

    [You are to deliver two bushels of three different types of vegetables to the Orc Village]

    [Time Remaining: 192:00]

    [Recommended Level: N/A]

    [Difficulty: Normal]

    [Rewards: ??]

    [WARNING: Orcs are considered a monster race by many civilized peoples. Trading with them will likely lower your reputation with other NPC''s if they find out.]

    Winston smiled at the orc. A chain quest, and a farming chain quest from monster NPC''s. He bet he''d get something really interesting when he finished it.

    "I shall do my best lady orc. I''ll be back next week with your delivery." He said, bowing to Ol''gar. The orcs soon lead him back to base and he logged out. The long walk to the orcs and back had taken hours and it was well after midnight. Luckily. the weekend had started or he would have been dinged for going over his time allotment.

 Chapter 10

    Trollogistics sat in his normal place in the Wagoner''s guild courtyard waiting for some new NPC''s to drop by with hauling quests. He still couldn''t believe his luck. Only a week into his bet and he was already half done. He couldn''t wait to shove his gold up that moron Freeze''s ass. The thought of it brought a smile to his face.

    The sky was cloudy but it hadn''t yet started to rain. It hardly ever really rained in Brethren Plains, they often gots mists, and the occasional drizzle, but rarely a real rain. It made him wonder about that mole-farmer. Why would his guild send him out here to farm dirt. The yields must be terrible and they have to move it to another hub to get a decent price.

    While he was pondering the question a sturdy townswoman in an ugly flower print dress pushed a wheelbarrow full of turnips into the courtyard. Trollogistics grimaced.

    Otherworld was an incredible game. The best one ever created and in many ways the ultimate MMORPG. NPCs had real lives and were real people. They could fall in love, have children, and die. You could talk to them for hours and they''d never repeat themselves.

    The quest system was equally as interesting. There were multiple areas in every-zone where a group of monsters might form. What monsters and what strength they were was decided by an incredibly complex system of AI''s. Quests would then be generated in accordance to those monster''s actions and scattered about to various NPC''s in the area. For all of the systems vaunted complexity though there were gaps. For instance, in Verith a new Wagoner''s Guild quest was generated about twice a day.

    There were exactly 26 NPC''s that came with cargo to be shipped and so far he''d seen exactly eight possible cargo''s. Each of which usually went to somewhere new and at least marginally interesting. Turnips however always went to Old Boris''s pig farm about two miles from town. The road out there was hell on his rickshaw and the payment for the quest was only 24 coppers, a little over a silver coin, since unlike most MMO''s this game didn''t user simple 10 or 100 increments for it''s money.

    He really didn''t want to do this quest but XP was XP. A few more levels and he could try to upgrade his class to tier two. He was just about to open his mouth to accept yet another pointless NPC quest when his interface pinged. He nearly wept in relief.

    Win Mills: You up for another run?

    Trollogitics: You got more coin?

    Win Mills: Pretty sure you still owe me at least 500. That alone should cover the trip.

    Trollogistics: That''s already been put in the Verith bank under your name. You don''t screw around with trades and agreements in Otherworld. You can get real fines and Jailtime in RL for that. Giving you the money then killing you and taking it is fine but just holding onto the money after our deal is against the rules.

    This kid was a total noob. Trollogistics had figured he was but he obviously knew little about the game. It made him even more curious.

    Win Mills: I''ve got twenty-bushels of wheat. At current prices in Vereth that''s about 1600 gold.

    Trollogistics: That works. When do you want me to come pick it up?

    Win Mills: As soon as possible,and I want you to pick me up as well. I''ve got some stuff I want in the city.

    Trollogistics: ¡­. Can''t you just tell me what you want? That means I''ll have to make two trips. That''ll take all weekend.

    Win Mills: What''s it matter to you? It''s more money¡­. Besides I''ve never been to a city in game before. Oh, wheat also weighs around 60 pounds a bushel. So your looking at at least 1400 pounds with it and me in your rickshaw.

    Trollogistics Grimaced. He hadn''t actually thought of that. He''d never had to haul that much stuff at once before. He didn''t even have enough bag space for that. He did have 500 gold from his last trip and would be making more in the future. He''d have to do some thinking.

    Trollogistics: I''ll work something out. 500g each way.

    Win Mills: 300.

    Trollogistics frowned. What a little bastard trying to cheap out on him. That wouldn''t do.

    Trollogistics: 500 or I wont come.

    He shot back. It was a lie but it was best to be firm in business dealings.

    Win Mills: 300 each trip. That''s 600 gold for one weekend of work. We''ll set our base price for a trip there AND you get 5% of the value of anything you haul.

    Trollogistics smiled ruefully. Here he was getting bullied by some kid probably half his age. Still it was a real transport contact with decent terms. Just the kind of thing he''d been really needing. Not to mention the 600 gold would finish his bet earning him another 500 and pissing off Freeze. That alone was worth it.

    Trollogistics: Fine. I leave in a couple of hours. I''ve got a few things to take care of on my end.

    *******************************************************

    Winston got up early the next morning forgoing sleep to get more work done. Trollogistics would be at the keep in another six or so hours and he had a lot to get done in that time. Most of it was basic harvesting but he had some new prep work to do for his new crops. He could easily keep up with his grain needs but he needed to start adding some variety if he wanted to move his skills forward.

    While he pondered he went through the rote motions and harvested his wheat adding another four bushel to his total then planted corn in its place. He would be gone for at least a day and a half so it was best to use a higher yield, slower growing crop. That way he''d lose less time.

    When he was finally finished finished he looked around for a place to start a few new plots for his vegetables The courtyard still had some room to expand but it was getting pretty full with both his an Rimmi''s fields. The best option would probably be somewhere between the two. He didn''t have enough seeds to really plant too much so instead he decided on a few small patches around the shrine.

    The beets would be first. He had the most hope for them but that went down the drain as soon as he picked up the seed.

    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    [Beet Seed]

    [Common, Seed]

    [Beets are a popular and nutritious plant. Usually grown in colder environments they are either eaten raw, pickled, stewed, or distilled into sugar

    36 hour maturation time]

    He knew as soon as he held the seed this soil was no good. It was the first time he''d really used his new skill. The ground seemed to speak to him and he knew the problem, not enough phosphorus. His dire-tiger manure probably had some but it was likely more nitrogen based, which he knew would cause it''s own problems. He''d have to do some googling to find out how to balance out the soil properly.

    He tired the potato next and ran into somewhat similar issues. It''s requirements allowed for more nitrogen though, so he thought he could get away with his manure fertilizer. Moisture was a problem but he could use magic for that. He didn''t have the mana pool to do much but any little bit helped. The cabbage had the most problems with the water but Winston thought he could still grow it, it would just have worse yields. Information collected, Winston got to digging.

    He worked in silence as the hours passed by. Today was a hot one but he was finally getting used to the work. At level five and with more endurance in his physical body he was actually started to enjoy himself. The feeling of sweat on his brow and the burn of his muscles gave him a sense of peace. Now that he wasn''t gasping for breath every few minutes.

    He planted the cabbage and the potatoes but held onto the beats. There wasn''t any use planting them until he found something to add to the soil. That left him with only the fruit to worry about. He picked up an apple seed and frowned.

    [Apple Seed]

    [Common, Seed]

    [Apples are one of the most common fruits in existence. They grow in a wide variety of soils and are a popular food crop for almost every culture.

    14 day maturation

    Will produce harvest every 7 days after]

    Winston used his long digging claws to scratch at his nose. The ground below him would grow the apples, just not well. Again, the ground here was just too dry and lacked a lot of the essential nutrients. He thought it over for a bit then shrugged. Something was better than nothing. He didn''t really want the tree taking up the rest of the area he had left. It''s roots would take out a big chunk of space so he headed towards the keep walls to find somewhere suitable to put a few trees.

    He was headed towards the North-West corner when he paused as his soil sense picked up something strange. There was something else here. Normally he''d get an idea of the soil chemical composition, ph levels, moisture, amounts of various elements. There was something else in the ground over here though. He tried to get a feel for it but couldn''t pin anything down. He supposed it was probably magic of some sort. Otherworld was a fantasy game. There were ley lines that players could tap and had various effects on the flora and fauna of same areas in the game. This didn''t feel too strong but Winston had nothing to compare it to.

    Winston shrugged and planted the tree over the magic saturated ground. He didn''t know what it would do but it should do something.

    It was a good four hours later when Trollogsitics finally showed up at the keep. The sun was now high over-head and it was ever hotter than it had been that morning. Sweat lathered Winston''s furr as he headed towards the keep''s gate to meet the halfling and his troll.

    "Ya know, Your kind of ripping me off here." The halfling said as he jumped down from his conveyance. "Drop it betsy and grab the big bag." The troll set down the arms of the rickshaw then reached into the back and pulled out a large canvas sack. Then the halfling turned back to Winston. "Well, show us where this grain is. We need to get moving."

    "It''s not that bad of a deal." Winston said with an eye roll. "Hell, it''s a pretty decent deal honestly." Winston said as he lead the two towards the rebuilt storage shed. "Take all the wheat out of that chest there." he said pointing to a chest on the East wall. They filled the troll''s bag first. Then they sent her back to the wagon as they filled they filled their smaller bags.

    "So what are you doing out here?" Winston asked the halfling as they poured wheat into the sacks. "I mean, I know why you''re here but why Brethren Plains? This place is a barren hellhole."

    "Quest rewards."

    Winston raised an eyebrow.

    "The fewer quests get completed in an area the higher the game raises the quests rewards. It also adds more quest chains, valuable resources and other things. The game tries to entice players into spreading out, although it doesn''t really work that well. Still, I''ve been able to get 10 levels just completing NPC hauling quests. The bonuses are like 500% of normal in Brethren Plains." Trollogistics said happily.

    "So your plan was to pump up your levels before moving to more populated areas to get clients." Winston said with a nod. "Are you close to your class promotion?"

    "Two more levels to twenty. That''s when I can choose between the Courier Class, and the Teamster class. One is better at speed and the other is better at heavy loads." He said. "What class are you anyway? Farmer?" The halfing asked as they finished filling their bags and heading towards the rickshaw.

    "I''m a Yawnshu Grove Tender. It''s a racial class. Half famer, half priest." Winston said, as they reached the cart and dumped out bags into the heavy bag. "Basically I use faith to boost yields and for other bonuses."

    The halfing looked slightly impressed as they made one more trip. Once loaded Winston hopped up onto the cart and the odd vehicle took off down the road.

    **********************************

    Five hours later Winston sat in a booth at Marnie''s the a local burger shop. The place was classic American diner and didn''t look like it had been updated since the 50''s. They even had a working soda fountain in the back and real hand-dipped milkshakes. It was the unofficial hangout for high schoolers looking for greasy food and the place was usually at least half-full of students on the weekends.

    This Saturday was no different and the dinner crowd was in full swing. Winston sat in a booth with Ruger, Brad, Trish, and Jason sat on a chair at the end of the booth. Heaps of french-fries took up the middle of the table and the remnants of mostly eaten burgers were scattered on everyone plates.

    "I can''t believe you actually stopped playing Otherworld long enough to come out with everyone." Trish said with a smirk. "I thought you''d gone full-dive on us and just decided to let the real world fall away."

    "Well, for one I don''t really have much to do right now. We won''t hit town until around 2am our time tonight. Which means I won''t be able to do much till tomorrow anyway. Besides all that I just wanted to see you guys. I''m having fun in game but my job is so damn boring. Getting in game was always about being able to play with you guys. Now I''ve managed in but we''re still stuck apart, and Jason isn''t even in yet. So really not much has changed."

    "It doesn''t help that farming is just so monotonous. I mean, it''s dig field, plant field, harvest field, over and over and over again. That''s pretty much it. It''s not really very riveting. Even if it is profitable." Winston explained.

    "Yeah, I wish I''d have known what you were in for. You could have joined out guild for that. I''m sure the leader could have scrounge up a system for you. It sounds like you could have already paid for you sub yourself. The Swords really screwed you." Brad said.

    "Yeah, pretty much." Winston agreed. "It''s only for three months though."

    "Well, we should wait for your contract to end then drag their asses down." Jason said from the end of the table.

    "I honestly don''t think we''ll have to worry about it. From what I''ve seen of the place they are tearing themselves apart. I doubt they''ll last past this expansion if they keep f-ing up all the time like they seem to be." Winston replied as he popped another fry into his mouth.

    "You really hate them don''t you?" Ruger asked, around his own mouthful of burger.

    "I don''t really hate them. I just don''t care. They are getting what they want and I''m getting what I want. I''m their employee and not a particularly well treated one. They didn''t even give me any gear. I mean, I didn''t expect to get my hand held but they just shoved me outta the nest without even looking over the side to see if I flew or not." Winston said bitterly.

    The bell on the door rang and Jessica Richard''s walked into the diner with her latest boyfriend. She was wearing a long sleeved t shirt and tight jeans. It was casual but she still looked damn good. Trish turned her head to see the door and Winston swore he heard her growl as she saw Jessica. She whipped her head back to Winston and frowned.

    "Aren''t you pissed off at her at all. You got beaten up and kicked out of school because of her." Trish said, searching his face for some hint of anger. Winston just shrugged at her.

    "I''m really not mad. I mean. I''d like to talk about how she''s heartless or some crazy girl but I don''t really know her. She''s self-centered but that''s most high-schoolers. I know her and Josh had a big blow-up when they broke up and if you manage to piss Josh off you''ve really done something to deserve it." Winston shrugged again. "I wouldn''t date her but she''s not like my arch-nemesis or something. My arch-nemesis needs to be more evil, and more hot, and wearing more spiked leather. Preferably some that shows off ample cleavage."

    Jason and Ruger laughed but Trish just looked slightly disgusted. Brad smiled but as usual he was much more reserved in his mirth than the others. Ruger caught my eyes across the table and looked slightly embarrassed before he spoke.

    "Soooo¡­. I kinda need a favor." He said, after working up his courage a bit. Winston raised an eyebrow. He and Ruger were friends but not nearly as close as he and Jason. Ruger was closer to Brad. Winston couldn''t remember Ruger having ever asked him for a favor.

    "I''m kinda seeing this girl in game." He started. Winston''s eyebrow rose but Ruger plowed on his face flushing enough to show even with his dark skin. "Not like seriously or anything, hell she lives like three states away but she got this magical swan pet and needs to find some special food for it. Have you ever heard of cloudberries?" Winston shook his head.

    "Yeah, well I hadn''t either. Point being that she needs some for her pet and they are SUPER expensive. So i did some digging on line and found out they only grow on Lunari for some reason. That''s when I thought of you." Winston nodded, seeing where this was going.

    "Well, I could look into it. Honestly Brethren Plains is a really shitty place for growing anything. I could definitely see through. How expensive are we talking?" Winston asked.

    "About 600 gold a bushel." Ruger said wryly. Winston''s soda nearly came out his nose. That was about 6 times more than his wheat. If he could get a large field of those berries going he could move out and afford his own apartment.

    "Well, I can''t say I''m not onboard with the idea but even if I manage to grow them how am I going to get them to you?" Winston asked. Teleporting was EXPENSIVE. Not a normal level of expensive either. Someone could buy a beat-up car for the price of opening a portal in otherworld.

    "That''s actually the easiest part. See the Swords are going to be shipping out all the grain, ore, and lumber you guys have been collecting in two weeks. They''ve contacted a few merchants to go with them to offset the costs of the portal and one of them is my friends uncle. We can get you some room on his wagon for anything you wanna ship. You just need to supply the product." Ruger explained.

    "Works for me, not sure how much I''ll be able to grow in two weeks but I''m definitely on board." Winston said.

    "Thanks again man. I only want a bushel or two. Anything more than that you can send through the portal with the merchant. I''ll sell it in the AH''s over in the Empire and give you the money for them in RL." Ruger said. Winston smiled and reached his hand across the table to so the two could shake. He could finally start making back some of the money he spent on a system.

 Chapter 11

    When Winston logged into the game Sunday morning he found himself in a small courtyard outside a long squat building. It was nothing like the keeps courtyard. This one was completely covered in well-maintained cobblestone. A large carriage house with multiple stalls set against one side with the other leading to an open gate that lead out onto a busy street. Winston saw Trollogistics¡¯s rickshaw sitting in one of the stalls with other wagons and carriages lined up in a neat row.

    Winston took a moment to listen to the bustle of the city. It was very different from the silence of the keep. Here he could hear the movement of people. The clop of hooves on cobblestone, the cries of hawkers and merchants. He¡¯d love to just spend the day exploring the city but he was on the clock. He had just walked out onto the street when he noticed a message blinking at him from his interface. He had mail.

    Winston picked up his feet and headed onward, taking in the scenes around him as he walked. The city seemed to be in the classic european style but it had a bit of extra flair. The architecture held a hint of some other influence but Winston couldn¡¯t really pin down what. He knew jack about architecture, and it might have been something the AI¡¯s that ran the game had just made up. Regardless, the buildings and colors cheered him as he moved through the street. The place where he¡¯d logged in seemed to be in a industrial quarter. The buildings looked mostly utilitarian and he could smell the manure and animal smell from what he imagined was a stockyard a few buildings over.

    He finally spotted a mailbox as he made it to the corner. He reached out a paw and touched it. His interface beeped and a massage appeared in front of him.

    Hey,

    I dumped all of your grain in the auction house under your name so you can get rid of it. Sell it however you want, but you still owe me 300 gold and 5% of the sale. I probably won¡¯t be on until tonight so just put my gold in the bank and under my name. Make sure to log out in my rickshaw if you aren''t going to be around so I can take you back.

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Trollogistics</li>

    </ul>

    Well that was fine but Winston had no idea where the auction house was. So he picked a direction towards the middle of the city and started walking. The buildings of the city become larger and more ornate as he walked West towards to middle of town. Stalls selling vegetables or cooked meat started to appear and soon the air was filled with the smell of coal-smoke, cooking meat, mud, and horse manure. It was strong but not completely unpleasant. He finally found a single town guard and was pointed to a large wooden building with a wide overhang and a sign board with golden scales on it. Winston walked inside. An attractive middle aged woman sat behind a desk near the door. The rest of the building was taken up by curtained alcoves. He nodded to the woman at the desk and headed towards the first one. The alcove was small and held only a chest and a comfortable bench. He sat down on the bench and a screen popped up before him.

    Verith Auction House

    Region: Brethren Plains

    Player: Win Mills

    Available Items:

    Wheat

    Common, Standard

    Amount: 20 bu

    Winston quickly flipped the auction screens to wheat. There were a few buy orders already open. The most expensive was for 80 gold but was only for 8 bu. He quickly filled it smiling as 544 gold was deposited into his account. The fifteen percent cut was not making him happy but it was something every player had to deal with.The next highest price was 60 gold and 100 bu. That made him scowl. In the capital cities wheat was easily worth three times that. 60 gold was basically robbery. His options were limited at the moment so he had to make due. He sold off another 5 bu, pocketing another 255 gold.

    The last 7 bu he put up for 90 gold with a 120 gold buyout and set the auction duration for 1 week. That cost him 20 gold, taking his total down to 779 gold. Now he just needed to find some gear. It was a basic part of the MMO experience and he had nothing.

    He brought up the search filters and looked for any item that gave any farming bonuses. There weren''t any. Not that it surprised him. Farmers were rare and since there were no gear drops in otherworld that meant that a player would have to make gear with a farming bonus. It could happen accidently but it wasn¡¯t likely he¡¯d find something like that in the auction house way out here in no-man¡¯s land.

    Faith was his next best skill. So he switched to bonuses to the faith stat or faith based skills. He got some hits this time. There were a few rings with simple plus to faith, a few symbols of faith for a couple of the more popular gods and goddesses.

    ¡°Robes, No. Hats¡­. Actually have an idea for that, so no. Staff.¡± Winston muttered as he finally some decent options.

    [White Staff]

    [Magical, High-Quality, Staff]

    [A staff created from white birch and topped with an orb of blessed white marble this staff is used the channel the essence of purity.]

    [+10 Faith]

    [+15 Wis]

    [Effect of faith based healing increased by 20%]

    [Cost of faith based healing decreased by 15%]

    [Made by: StaffMaster43]

    The stat bonuses were pretty good but the skill bonuses were completely useless to him. It was also seven-hundred gold, which was a decent price for a magical rarity item but more than he could afford. Especially for a staff that would help him so little. The raw Faith bonus would give him more faith points but he didn¡¯t really have anything to use them on. A great-sword with bonuses to endurance and strength would be more useful than the staff. He kept searching.

    [Gnarled Cherry Staff]

    [Rare, Low-Quality, Staff]

    [Created from a single branch of a cherry tree and subjected to an experimental shaping process this staff was the result. Although poorly made it still contained powerful magic..]

    [+3 Faith]

    [+3 End]

    [+3 Cord]

    [Duration of Blessings Increased by 10%]

    [Made by: StaffMaster43]

    Well, that was more what he was looking for but it was obviously a failed product. The low quality and bizarre stats must have been because of somed failed process while crafting. At only 100 gold though it was a steal even for a low-quality rare staff. Winston happily purchased it. Then picked up a couple of basic plus endurance and strength rings for another 70 gold. He didn¡¯t see much else here that interested him so he completed the transactions. Then reached into the box in the small alcove and took out his new rings, staff, and gold.Smiling he put them on then opened up his character sheet.

    [ Name: Win Mills   Level 5]

    [ Race: Yawnshu       Class: Grove Tender]

    [            Attributes             Status]

    [Str:     20       End: 23(+4)27     Hp: 37/37 Mana: 32/32]

    [Con:    19       Agi: 14  Stam:39/39 Panic:  1/10]

    [Cord: 22(+3)25     Int: 19 Hunger: 35/100 Thirst:  34/100]

    [Wis  23(+2)25       Faith: 23(+5)28                 FP:48/48]

    [Res:  17 ]

    [Guild: Seeds    Titles: 1]

    [Fame: 5         Friend List: 0/0]

    He glanced over it and nodded. Things looked much better now. The only problem was his hunger and thirst values. Now that he thought about it he was hungry. He strolled out into the street and followed his nose to a stand selling meat pies. He was so glad he¡¯d be able to eat something other than stew and bread. The stand was run by an older man with a face gone leathery from sun and wind. He had a scattering of wispy white hair but his hands moved deftly as he made pie-crusts and sat them in the small stone oven he was using.

    ¡°Morning sir.¡± Winston said as he walked up to the stand. ¡°I¡¯ll take a pie if you don¡¯t mind.¡± The man nodded and pulled a rough wood covering off his stand, uncovering three pies. The smell hit Winston and his stomach grumbled loudly. The man chuckled.

    ¡°Heh, sounds like you be needin¡¯ this lad.¡± He said as he pulled out one of the pies and handed it to Winston. Winston in turn handed him over a gold piece. The older man paused. It was way more than the pie was worth. Winston waved him off when he tried to find change. The man seemed flustered for a moment before he nodded to himself and took out a wooden mug and tapped a small keg he had setting on a table to the side. He filled the mug and handed it over. It was cider and still cool. As soon as Winston tasted it he was in heaven. It was sweet and spiced lightly with something like cinnamon but with a slightly smokier flavor.

    [Stamina Regeneration Increased by 2/min]

    ¡°This is amazing.¡± Winston said as he bit off another chunk of the pie and washed it down with the cider.

    ¡°Yep, my own recipe. It¡¯s hard to get the apples for it though. Secret is to add in some Ghost-willow bark. Gives it that smoky flavor.¡± He said happily as he folded the crust on another meat pie.

    ¡°I¡¯m trying to grow some apples back at my place. I¡¯ll have to try out your recipe if they come out alright.¡± Winston said as he stuffed another bite of pie into his face.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°You got an orchard?¡±

    ¡°No, just one tree. We¡¯ll have to see how it does. I¡¯ve never tried fruit before. Mostly grow grain.¡± Winston explained, making small talk with the old man.

    ¡°If it works you should bring the cider to the Harvest festival in a month. It¡¯s a big deal here in the city. People from all the villages come to town to drink and dance. It¡¯s a good time, but they¡¯ve got a bunch of different competitions for the farmers to compete in. Pumpkin growing, cider brewing, ale brewing, pie making, all sorts of stuff.¡± The old man kept talking as he filled more dough. A line had started to form for his little stall and his hands were moving with the deft surety of experience as he traded meat pie and cider for coins.

    ¡°Hey, you know anywhere around here I could get a straw hat made?¡± Winston asked polished off the last of his pie. The man looked at him oddly.

    ¡°You could get that done almost anywhere. I spose thou if your looking for something special you could go see lala. She likes to pretend she¡¯s a milliner, making fancy ladies hats but it aint like there¡¯s any fancy noble¡¯s or merchants around here to sell to. Verith¡¯s a loggin¡¯ and minin¡¯ town. Getting her to make a simple straw hat aint gonna be easy.¡± The cook grumbled as he finished his latest pie and looked around for another sale.

    Winston handed back his mug then brushed off his hands before nodding to the man and heading back off down the street. With his belly full and the cider buff now on him he felt great. He started to whistle as he headed off into town. He had to find himself a hat.

    He had to ask for directions twice before he found the hat-shop tucked into an alley next to a magic shop. A signboard hung above the door with Lala¡¯s hats written on the board in a script with so many extra curls and embellishes it was nearly illegible. Winston walked in the door and immediately felt dirty and out of place. Racks of silk and fancy cloth covered display tables while the corners of the room held high quality hats of seemingly endless variety.

    The proprietress was behind a large wooden counter and Winston paused when he saw her. She was wearing a lovely red dress but it seemed odd on her rather bulbous frame. It was the first time in his life that he¡¯d ever seen a fat elf. She was obviously a full elf and even had their ethereal beauty. Her face had the haughty disdain of other elves but her rounded belly and large fleshy chest clashed with his mental picture of an elven woman. Elves always seemed a bit too beautiful to Winston as they were portrayed in games and media. They were always too lithe, too beautiful, their perfection was intimidating. This one¡¯s imperfections seemed to make her more real. She wasn¡¯t beautiful by any means but she was something.  It was a rather bizarre overall effect and Winston had the feeling this was a rather bizarre NPC.

    Winston walked up to the counter and the elf paused when she noticed him. She raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow. ¡°It¡¯s been many generations since even the elves have seen one of the Yaunithal Shuneanifel.¡±

    Winston just blinked at her. She rolled her forest green eyes. ¡°It¡¯s elvish for ¡®they who wander¡¯. The true name of your race has been lost to time but the other races shortened the elvish to Yawn Shu, or they just call you the wandering folk. Still, that does not explain what one such is doing in my humble shop.¡± She said.

    ¡°Well, I need someone to make me a hat.¡± Winston said simply. ¡°I¡¯ve heard your the best in town although I also heard you may not be interested in the commision. See, I need someone to make me a straw hat.¡±

    Her round face reddened in anger. ¡°STRAW! You wish Latherinal Landedin, the greatest milliner in the world to make you a hat of STRAW!?¡± her already large body seemed to inflate and Winston took a step back away from the enraged she-elf.

    ¡°Well, its divine infused straw.¡± Winston said holding up his hands in a half-placating half defensive manner.  ¡°My Goddess blessed this straw and I wish to honor her by having it made into a hat.¡± Winston lied. ¡°I understand that such things would normally be beneath you but I wanted the best so I came here.¡± It was obviously flattery and the elf saw through it but it diffused the situation anyway.

    The elf frowned at the moleman but didn¡¯t continue yelling so Winston pulled out some of the straw he¡¯d harvested from the divine grain.

    [Divine Staw]

    [Uncommon, Standard- Quality, Crafting Reagent]

    A By Product Harvested from Divine Infused Grain this Straw is infused with the essence of the Goddess Runa.]

    The elf leaned forward and examined the straw grimacing slightly. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not a horrible component but if you really want me make a hat for you it¡¯ll cost you.¡± Winston smiled and pulled out his giant sack of gold.

    ¡°Five-hundred.¡± she said proudly.

    ¡°Five Hundred! I could buy a house for that much.¡± Winston shouted.

    ¡°Then go buy a house. You asked for a hat and that¡¯s how much it¡¯ll cost you.¡± She said. ¡°I¡¯ll create a hat to make kings weep.¡± Winston was pretty sure he didn¡¯t need a hat to make kings weep. It was basically just starter gear. Even if she make something masterwork it would still only be uncommon rarity.

    ¡°Three hundred or I¡¯ll pay a farm wife to do it.¡± Winston countered.

    ¡°Four hundred or you can take your mole behind out of my store.¡± She said, raising her nose in the air.

    Winston shook his head and swiped his wheat off the counter before heading for the door.  400 might be a decent price for a rare item but just uncommon? That was a damn ripoff. He didn¡¯t need his hat that badly.

    He¡¯d only made it a few steps when the elf growled. ¡°Three-Fifty or keep walking.¡± Winston paused then sighed. It was still a rip-off but he wanted his divine straw hat. A straw hat was a perfect farmer item.

    He scowled at the elf but handed over the coin and the straw before heading out again. He still had things he needed to do.

    ¡°Come back this evening for your hat.¡± The elf yelled after him.

    [Barter Sub-Skill Increased!]

    **************************************************

    FlameMagnet walked the streets of Verith happily testing his new staff. Although he¡¯d kicked an iron plate when he ran into the silver sword. His guild had been quite happy with the raid other wise. They¡¯d even replaced his staff with a better one than he had before. All his other gear he¡¯d had to re-buy and it wasn¡¯t nearly as good as what he used to have. He would replace it all eventually.  That was the good part about Otherworld, Hard word was always rewarded. Even if you just spent years mining. Eventually you¡¯d be able to topple the whole mountain with a single swing.

    He stopped at a stall where an old man was selling meat but and happy traded what little coin he had left for a meal. He heard footsteps behind him and his assassin friend handed the old man a few more coins and they soon they were both enjoying the food.They ate in silence for a while before the assassin spoke.

    ¡°So what¡¯s the plan boss.¡± He asked around a mouthful of crunchy pastry crust.

    ¡°There isn''t one for now. The brass was pretty happy with out little raid but they want us to keep our heads down for a week or so. Our spies in the Swords say they¡¯ll be porting out their goods in two weeks. We¡¯re gonna hit the caravan and they don¡¯t want us to spook them before that.¡±

    ¡°That works. The quests out here are solid and we don¡¯t have to deal with all the bullshit politics around the guildhall.¡± The assassin said as he crunched into the meat pie. He was a scrawny looking youth who FlameMagnet  didn¡¯t think was out of high-school yet, not that it mattered to the mage. He was a good ally and a reliable fighter.

    FlameMagnet was just about to answer when he saw a mole-man holding a staff walking down the street a few feet away. FlameMagnet blinked, that was¡­ that was one of the noobs who worked for the swords. That bastard had cost him nearly two hundred dollars worth of gear.

    He wasn¡¯t so immature that he didn¡¯t realize the entire situation had been his fault. The game had pretty lax pvp rules if you fought people around your own level but things quickly went bad for you if you were a lot stronger than someone you picked a fight with. Your name would turn red, you couldn¡¯t go into town,you¡¯d have a higher chance of dropping your own gear for a day or so. That however, was only with people around your own level. Attacking a low level player would earn you nothing and the penalties were much harsher.

    Even if it had been his fault he wasn¡¯t above a little petty revenge. It was just a game and it wasn¡¯t like the kid would lose a level. If you couldn¡¯t kill some random idiot because he made you mad then it might as well be the real world.

    FlameMagnet watched until the mole-man rounded a corner then finished off his meat-pie and headed to the gate. This would be fun.

    *******************************************************

    The ground whizzed by as Winston sat in the back of Trollogistics¡¯s rickshaw. He¡¯d had spent all day wandering around town and had returned to the elf around sun-set for his new hat.  He didn¡¯t find much of what he was looking for but he did find a feed store willing to sell him 30 pounds of bone-meal for his beets. That cost him another 10 gold.

    He had so many problems he had to figure out how to solve. Most of those revolved around the fact this location was crap. He was sure his yields would be at least 15-20% higher if he was in a more fertile zone. That was only the simplest of his problems though. He¡¯d already knocked off the top buy-order in the zone and had dropped the price of wheat 25% with a single weekly sale. That was already at a price point nearly 50% lower than the most populous cities. There was no way the markets here could support him.

    That left with with 3 basic options. He either needed to find a merchant willing to come here to buy it. Find a way to move the goods to a better market himself, or work something out with the guild. The guild was going to rip him off. That was the whole reason they¡¯d ¡®hired¡¯ him. They needed to get grain at a price way below market value. They might pay him 25% of what the capital was charging, which would be about 40 gold a bushel. That was still lower than the auction house here but it wouldn¡¯t be for more than few weeks if he kept dumping all his grain on the market.

    That was just the basic grain. Once his vegetables were ready he¡¯d have an ever harder time getting rid of those. They wouldn¡¯t store as well as grains and he was even less likely to find a buyer for any real quantity out here. If he managed to get some really high-grade or rare stuff he¡¯d never be able to sell those.

    It might be a better idea just to drop the vegetables for now. Instead he could stockpile as much grain as he could until he had enough to complete the weekly quests every week for three months. Then he could just leave for greener pastures, in both the literal and figurative sense.

    He¡¯d only need 275 bushel. He could likely knock that out in a month if he just stayed in the keep and farmed. It was the most pessimistic and logical choice.  He was also fairly sure it was the wrong choice. The only reason he¡¯d leveled his farming so quickly was because he hadn¡¯t just ground the skill. There were alot of farming quests here and he was sure he¡¯d reap some rewards if he stuck it out. The orc quest chain he had the most hopes for but the xp from the smaller single quests was still nice.

    His eyes flicked over the the halfling next to him. Maybe Troll knew someone? ¡°Hey, you don¡¯t have any connections for portal convoy¡¯s do you?¡± Winston asked. Trollogistics turned his head and looked at him incredulously.

    ¡°Me? I¡¯m just a small time wagoner. Portal merchants are the big shots. Those guys make thousands of IRL dollars every trip. You¡¯ve gotta have a lot of capital or a lot of rich friends to wiggle into those circles.¡± Trollogistics said.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make sense. Sure it¡¯s expensive to pop a portal but it¡¯s not THAT expensive. Sure, 10,000 gold is alot but you can spread that over the whole group. Spending 500 or 1000 gold for a slot shouldn¡¯t be out of the question.¡±  Winston said.

    ¡°That¡¯s just the material cost and it¡¯s closer to 15,000 now with everyone is a tizzy over the expansion. That¡¯s just the baseline. You¡¯ve still gotta pay the wizard and the portal runes are pretty obscure, so their build is basically crap for anything BUT making portals. They get their pound of flesh as well.¡± the halfling explained.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t that make it easier to get in at the low level? You¡¯d think they¡¯d be trying to defer costs. Getting a bunch of lowbie merchants to fork over 1000 gold for a place would be a good way to makeup the overhead of the trip.¡± Winston argued.

    ¡°Well, if you can find them I¡¯ll be more than happy to go along.¡± Trollogistics muttered darkly.

    ¡°I was hoping you¡¯d find them for me. I¡¯ve still for quota¡¯s to fill and school work to finish.¡± Winston said. He honestly didn¡¯t have time to look after the markets, keep his crops rotating, open up new plots, and try to think of new ways to improve his farming skill. Even if he wanted to forgo sleep he wasn¡¯t eighteen and could only play so many hours a day.

    ¡°Even if you can find someone willing to rent you some space then what? You¡¯d be better off just selling to them and making them deal with the logistics problems. Otherwise your going to spend a ton of money. If you could whistle up ten times what you had to sell today it might be cost effective but without that it¡¯ll still likely be better just to let your guild shaft you and not bother with all of it.¡± Troll explained.

    Winston couldn¡¯t really argue. Well, he was still starting out. He¡¯d work hard but until he really screwed up the markets here there was no reason to obsess. Getting his farming skill leveled up was still the most important. An Apprentice level farmer could more than make his way after his masters took the leash off. For now he just needed to keep his head down.

    It must have been the universes idea of a joke, because he¡¯d no sooner had the thought when a fire-ball came flying from the side of the road and exploded right next to their cart. The troll panicked and the entire cart slalomed back and forth along the narrow dirt path that passed for a road in Brethen Plains.

    Winston spun around to see the two Crimsuns from last weeks fluster cluck standing on the side of the road. One raised a wizard staff and Winston panicked as a ball of fire formed in the air. Winston had little doubt that this one would find its mark. He didn¡¯t have many options but he wasn¡¯t level two anymore either.

    His hands seemed to move in slow motion as he reached into his pack and grabbed his new staff. Faith and magic worked on completely different principles in Otherworld. Magic was about imagination, about creating the incredible from the mundane, harnessing the forces of nature to do one''s bidding. Faith on the other hand was about will. It was much less flexible than magic but it was more absolute.

    What was true for both magic and faith was that new abilities could be created. The game gave you abilities for leveling your class, as well as increasing skill levels but you could just make them. It was hard but desperate times called for desperate measures. With Runa as his goddess healing would likely be out of her power but protection? That might be doable. No, it was doable, he scolded himself. Faith was about belief. He could just think it would work. He had to KNOW it would work.

    ¡°Oh Runa! Protect your humble servant!¡± Winston cried as he raised his staff. Silver light blazed from his eyes and his staff as the fireball flew towards them from the wizard. ¡°Shield Of Faith!¡± Winston cried and his faith was made manifest. A large silver translucent shield appeared in the air before him.

    It was shaped like a kite shield ten feet across with a watchtower of blazing silver light in the center. Winston didn¡¯t try to block the fireball completely. Faith was all well and good but common sense dictated that 30 or 35 levels of power was too much to overcome with a single skill. The shield was at an angle at it shattered the moment the fireball hit it, but it did its job.

    The fireball deflected slightly and instead of smashing into the rickshaw it hit the road three feet away. The cart nearly toppled over as the blast-wave hit them and fire raced over one wheel and up-one side of the cart but they were still moving. Trollogistics screamed in terror but then they were past and barreling away from the two players as fast as a juiced up troll could sprint.

    [You Have learned a new Skill!]

    [Shield of Faith]

    [Creates a Shield of pure faith to protect the caster]

    [Rank: Novice II]

    [Duration: 30 Seconds]

    [Cooldown: 5 mins]

    [Cost: 30 FP]

    [Effect: Creates a Shield of Faith in Front of the user]

    [Runa Skill has Ranked up!]

    [Rank: Novice V]

 Chapter 12

    Winston stumbled out of his machine into the living room. It was late, nearing 9:00 but Winston¡¯s mom and dad were still out. Josh was probably on a date so Winston had the big TV in the living room to himself. Winston flipped it on to Otherworld news. He felt exhausted. He¡¯d been pretty hard on his body the last the last week. He could tell he was getting into shape but it was a slow process to undo a half-decade of too little physical activity and too much high fructose corn syrup.

    ¡°..... reports he¡¯s found a chain quest leading to the new floating continent. A massive manhunt is underway for the player with many guilds seeking him in an attempt to recruit him or prevent him from completing the quest. The entire game world seems to be in a frenzy hoping to get a leg up on the competition before the new expansion begins.¡± One of the anchors on the tv read.

    Winston laughed. ¡°Sucks for that guy.¡± He didn¡¯t envy that guy at all, being a farmer was better. There was much less drama and he just had to till the land. Then again he hadn¡¯t exactly been living the iddlic life.

    The report ended and the news program changed displaying a black sword and a crimson sun. The two slammed together on the screen along with some cool special effects. ¡°In other news tensions are running higher than ever between the two US juggernauts. The Crimson Suns have been raiding the Swords of Solomon¡¯s industry, racking up tens of thousands of gold in losses. This has sparked a number of retaliatory strikes and both sides seem to be gearing up to kick off a full blown guild war. The market has seen a spike in both portal regents and potions. That¡¯s one of the major indicators of an upcoming conflict as both side stockpile.¡±

    ¡°This comes at a time that seems perfect for the smaller guilds to try and step onto the big stage. With both of the behemoths distracted the smaller guilds have been building up their numbers and recruiting heavily. Things are heating up and it¡¯s still months until the expansion hits.¡± The anchor continued.

    Winston sighed as he listened to the TV drone. This was was just want he needed, open war between two of the largest guilds in the game. The Crimsun¡¯s had already taken a swing at him twice. Grumbling he did a few stretches then decided to play few games of LotA. He was done with Otherworld for the day. He¡¯d sort everything else out tomorrow.

    *************************************

    It was raining in game when Winston finally logged back Sunday morning. It wasn¡¯t the normal drizzle or mist either but real rain falling out of a iron gray sky in fat cold drops. Cold water splattered on his new straw hat, seems he¡¯s gotten it just in time. He examined the stats again.

    [Divine Farmer¡¯s Hat]

    [Uncommon, Superb]

    [A simple straw hat made in the classic style of the Shin-ta. The hat was woven with straw blessed by a goddess of agriculture and was made by the hand of a master.]

    [+2 End]

    [+1 Faith]

    [+10% crop yield]

    [Farming based blessings cost 15% less faith]

    [Made by: Latherinal Landedin]

    The hat was a simple cone. It looked exactly like every rice farmer hat Winston had ever seen online or in anime. Then again, a more western style hat would have never fit on his oddly shaped mole head. He liked the effect. Now if only his staff was a Khakkhara instead of a simple wooden one he¡¯d have nailed the look perfectly.

    Winston adjusted his new hat as he looked over his empire. The main field was now filled with growing corn. It wouldn¡¯t be ready for harvest until later in the evening and he¡¯d likely spend all his time until bed trying to harvest it once it was ready. That gave him a few hours this afternoon  to work.

    The potatoes and cabbage were ready for harvest but they looked a bit wilted. He could feel the soil soaking in the rain and figured it would help them a little so he left them for now.  Hopefully the rain would perk them up a bit before he harvested. They wouldn¡¯t be top quality but hopefully he could get them close to standard.

    He moved over to the patch of ground he¡¯d dug for his beets. The patch of dirt was empty and waiting. It was in a prime spot right next to Runa¡¯s shrine. Beets meant sugar and he knew that would fetch a fairly high price. He took out the package of bone meal he¡¯d bought in town and wondered how much he should use. He decided to start with a little then wait to see how the soil quality changed. It didn¡¯t take to long since the garden he¡¯d prepared wasn¡¯t very large. A couple a shovel fulls and his interface beeped at him.

    [You Have Used A Fertilizer]

    [Soil Composition Changed]

    [Duration: 72 hours]

    Winston paused as the fertilizer melted into the soil and he felt it¡¯s composition change. Why hadn¡¯t he gotten a notification before when he¡¯d been using manure? Was it because the manure needed to be processed further? The game had bumped his farming skill when he¡¯d first used it. So it must have recognized what he was trying to do and thought it was a good idea. So then why hadn¡¯t he received a similar message before? It was one of the hundred things he still had to look into. He never knew farming would be so complicated.

    Winston took a few minutes to plant his beets. Happy with the way the soil now ¡®felt¡¯ to him. With the rain he was expecting a pretty good harvest this time around. When he finished he wondered what he should do now. He thought about it for a moment, then decided to check out his skill sheet since he hadn¡¯t done it in a while.

    [Skills]

    [Weapon Skills]

    [Two Handed Weapons - Novice II]

    [ o Scythe - Novice II]

    [ o Unarmed - Novice I]

    [Faith]

    [ o Runa - Novice V]

    [Magic]

    [Elemental - Novice I]

    [ o  Fire - Novice I]

    [ o  Earth - Novice I]

    [ o  Air - Novice I]

    [ o  Water - Novice I]

    [Crafting]

    [Farming - Beginner I]

    [ o Grain - Beginner I]

    [General]

    [Deception - Novice I]

    [Diplomacy - Novice I]

    [ o Barter - Novice II]

    Winston looked over the information and tried to decide on some priorities. He needed to raise all of his skills but farming was the most important. Farming had already hit beginner rank and leveling it would be much slower now. Faith was likely where he should focus for an immediate gain. If he got it to beginner rank he should unlock a new ability.

    Winston nodded to himself then walked over to the shine to Runa, knelt down, and began to pray. He knelt at the foot of the shine and tried his best to be sincere in his belief as it rained on him. The game monitored the players thoughts and the faith of the player mattered. Winston wasn¡¯t sure how he felt about that on a personal level. The fact the game was watching all his thoughts and emotions was a bit disturbing, that had caused a big scandal when the game first started but Nexus had survived all the lawsuits and the corporation had dealt with all the government mandated regulations.

    Winston hauled himself back to his feet a few minutes later and decided it was time to get out of the keep again. He was hoping his prayer would have bumped him into beginner ranks but it hadn¡¯t. He was board anyway and decided to go exploring. He needed to find the cloudberries for Ruger, hopefully he would have a minor adventure without being abducted by orcs or PKed. He did some quick googling on cloudberries to find out where they grew and what they looked like then hopped the rain-slick wall before heading out into the rolling plains that surrounded Grimstone keep. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    The orcs were to the West but this time Winston headed North towards the river in the distance. It wasn¡¯t much a river but it was lined with bushes and Winston figured it was a good place to start looking for cloudberries. They supposedly grew in high places and on cliffs most often but Winston had never seen anything resembling a cliff in the area so he¡¯d just had to hunt around and hope. There were some hills farther to East where the miners had gone but none of them were very high and it would take all day to walk over there.

    That left the river and Winston walked that direction shivering slightly in the cold rain. The ground was soft and the grass wet making the mile walk to the river a pain. The river ran in a meandering line across the zone from east to west. He could see it from the keep only as a trail of stubby trees and thicker brush among a wide open grassland.

    Things seemed to be going well when a large rabbit thrashed it¡¯s way out of the knee-high grass and glared at him with it¡¯s beady black eyes. The creature was large with white splotches on its back fur. Two large lop ears hung down on the sides of it¡¯s head. It had to be the single cutest creature he¡¯d ever seen. It was a shame it had a massive horn jutting up from it¡¯s head and seemed to be ready to gore him.

    ¡°Horned rabbits are such a stupid trope.¡± Winston muttered as he pulled his scythe out of his pack. ¡°I mean really, how is a creature supposed to move swiftly through a rabbit burrow with a huge horn on its head. It would get caught on and tangled in everything.¡±

    The rabbit seemed to have heard him because it lowered it¡¯s head and charged. Winston honestly wasn¡¯t sure how to handle this. He¡¯d never fought a monster before. The bunny hopped forward at a startling speed. Winston nearly lost the creature in the tall grass before it leap at him from eight feet away. Winston panicked slightly as the point of the bone horn came flying towards his body. He acted instinctively, bending his knees and swinging his scythe with the mechanical precision he always used while harvesting.

    The slash was slow and economical but Winston had managed some accuracy at least. There was a loud ping as the scythe hit the rabbits horn and knocked the creature away. The rabbit whirled around making that odd screaming sound rabbits do when they are mad or hurt. The rabbit looked up at Winston and began to circle. Winston matched it¡¯s movement and the duel began in earnest.

    The rabbit dashed forward again and Winston swung his scythe. The rabbit dodged and rammed into horn into Winston leg. Pain flashed up his leg and Winston grunted as the horn pierced into the muscle and fat of his calf. In the real world he¡¯d be rolling around and screaming but with the games pain reduction it felt a stubbed toe, painful but bearable.

    Winston tried to stomp the rabbit but it jumped aside and Winston growled in frustration. He was just too slow. When the rabbit came in again Winston waited for it to commit to it¡¯s strike. He swung once the creature had left the ground. The scythe was an awkward weapon for fighting and was dull from harvesting crops but it did split the rabbits side open when he finally landed a strike.

    The rabbit tumbled away with a squeak and Winston pounced on it like an overweight lion. His scythe flashed out at the wounded rodent and slammed into its body cutting it deep and finally doing some real damage. Winston looked down at the small creature and grimaced as the creature died. The game was a bit too realistic for his tastes. Now what we he supposed to do with it? He didn¡¯t really have any use for the rabbit but at least it¡¯s meat would be something. He was tired of eating the bread the guild offered him.

    Winston bent down at made a few desaltery attempts to skin the rabbit before the corpse vanished into black mist, leaving behind a few chunks of meat and a ragged fur.

    Bliiiiiip

    Blip

    [Two-Hand Weapon Skill increased to Novice III]

    [Sythe Sub-Skill increased to Novice III]

    [You Have Learned a New Skill!]

    [You Have Learned the Skill Butchery]

    [Rank: Novice I]

    [Butchery is the harvesting of animal products from a animal corpse. Unlocked by attempting to butcher an animal. Skill increases with use. Will improve the quality and rarity of items gained through butchery]

    Winston tossed the chunks of meat into his pack then kept heading towards the river. He moved more carefully after his run-in with the rabbit. His leg was still bleeding and injuries and HP did not heal quickly in Otherworld. When he made it to the river he started to inspect the bushes and shrubs on the bank.

    The leaves of the plant should be small, nearly round, and Bipinnately compounded. The berries would be white but they gained splotches of light-blue when they were ripe. Winston didn¡¯t see a similar looking bush anywhere. The river itself was only a foot deep even with the heavy rain still coming down. Without the rain it would only be a trickle. He crept along the bank keeping his eyes and ears open for anything. He¡¯d managed to kill a rabbit but he had no illusions about his fighting ability. Most of the monsters out here would kill him easily.

    He found nothing as he continued to walk farther and farther from the keep. The rain seemed to have driven most of the dangerous animals into shelter and he saw nothing except the sorry excuse of a river and plains of grass. He sighed as more rain rain down off his hat and onto his fur. He should have just waited till it was nicer. Now he was soaked and was just wandering around aimlessly. He was sure he¡¯d stumble on something that would kill him soon.

    The river eventually forked and a small island formed between the two sides until they met up again further downstream. The whole island was only a few hundred yards long and only fifty of sixty feet wide in the middle. Bored and not sure what else to do, Winston waded across the deepening water an out onto the small island.

    The island had little to recommend it. A pile of large rocks stood on the up-river side of the island. They were likely what had caused the river to split in the first place and as the water had flowed around the rocks the island had formed. As Winston looked around he froze as he saw a massive bird happily munching on a large bush while ignoring the rain.

    The bird was the size of a small cow and was shaped like nothing he¡¯d ever seen in real life. It¡¯s wings were undersized but unlike an ostrich it¡¯s legs were stout like tree-trunks. It¡¯s entire body seemed to be built short and powerful rather than for speed or endurance.  It¡¯s gray feathers were matted down by the rain and it¡¯s thick neck tilted as it glared across thirty-yards between them.

    Winston just stood there not sure what to do. It was then he saw the bush the bird was eating from. The bird turned away from him and pulled another small white berry off the bush. Winston growled. That bastard bird was eating the berries he needed.

    Winston tried to think of a plan to get at least one berry he could plant but the bird kept happily devouring berries as Winston tried to sort through his options. The bird was huge and looked ridiculously strong. There was no way he could get by it. He winced as the bird pulled off a whole cluster then raised its head so the food could slide down it¡¯s throat.

    Winston picked up a rock and threw it at the bird. It was a terrible idea and the throw didn¡¯t come anywhere near the monster. The rock rolled to a stop at least twelve feet from the bird. The creature looked at Winston then at the rock on the ground before turning back to it¡¯s meal. Winston grabbed another rock and chucked it. This one hit the bird in it¡¯s large body and it grunted and turned in time to catch a third rock right in the neck. It was pure luck but the bird let out a choking squawk and took a stumbled back a step. Winston didn¡¯t try to wait anymore.

    He pumped his short legs for all they were worth as he tried to dash past the bird and grab a few berries. Even if he died afterwards he¡¯d still respawn with them. A single handful of berries found its way into his pack before the giant bird plowed into him at full speed, it was like getting hit but a car. Winston flew through the air and slammed into the ground rolling in muddy rain-soaked dirt of the island.

    A large taloned foot came down on his back pinning him to the ground. He tried to struggle but the beasts weight and strength were simply too strong compared to his own. Winston closed his eyes and waited for death but nothing happened. Then something started to tug at his pack.

    ¡°Stupid bird just kill me already!¡± Winston shouted as he tried to get away. After a few more seconds of struggling he managed to get back to his feet but the bird simply plowed into him again. This time he landed face up so he pulled out his scythe and tried to attack but the bird simply stepped on the weapon. That pinned it to the ground and trapped Winston underneath.

    Winston blew his top completely after that, flailing wildly at the bird and screaming profanity. The bird ignored him as it kept trying to tear up his pack and get back the berries. It wouldn¡¯t kill him but anytime he did manage to struggle free he¡¯d quickly be pinned again.

    Over the next hour Winston was kicked, scratched, knocked-down, and stepped on dozens of times. The bird never really attacked him. Instead it ran into him, battered him with its stubby wings, or used it¡¯s legs to hold him down as it tried to get at the berries in his pack. He¡¯d even tried to kill himself a few times but the bird had just pinned down his limbs until he stopped. Exhausted, he was just about ready just to give the berries back but he thought he¡¯d try reasoning with the monster first.

    ¡°You can have the berries, but I need to keep at least one.¡± Winston said to the bird. He fished around in his pack and took out all the berries but one holding them up to the bird from his spot on the ground. The bird snatched them immediately. Shaking its head and neck as it gulped them down. When it was done to bird stared at him as if waiting for something.

    [Giant Grassland Cassowary Has Been Tamed]

    [Do you Wish to make it an Animal Companion? Y/N]

    Winston blinked at the prompt. How the hell did this count as tamed? Even if it was tamed would the bird even listen to him? He thought about it for a moment then clicked yes. He hadn¡¯t looked into the Animal taming skill much but he¡¯d have to do some wiki surfing later.

    [You Have Learned The Skill Taming]

    [You are able to tame and command beats to fight for you. As the skill level raises you will be able to increase the strength of your beasts. Train them in various skills and even user their heightened senses as your own.  Skill is unlocked by gaining an animal companion]

    [Taming]

    [Rank Novice I]

    [Effect: User can view monsters Status Screen

    Beast can level up

    Beast level capped at ? user level

    User cannot allocate points

    User cannot choose specializations

    Beast will not fight for user]

    Winston frowned at the message and thought about the implications. So the taming tree was mostly about unlocking different aspects of the beasts character sheet and customization. He supposed that made since. Rather than directly improving the beast with bonuses instead the tamer gained the ability to adjust the beasts growth so it could gain it¡¯s own bonuses. The only problem was the level cap. This bird was way higher leveled than him to start with. So did it unlevel or was it¡¯s level just locked until he leveled up more? He brought up the birds information.

    [Name: N/A   Species:  Giant Grassland Cassowary]

    [Level: 24    Type: Beast]

    [Sex: Female   Loyalty: 23]

    [Strength: 32     Agility: 15]

    [Intellect: 35     Constitution: 41]

    Endurance: 34    Willpower: 18]

    [Specializations:

    Vitality 1

    Mental 1]

    [Abilities: Fowl Charge]

    ¡°Not much of a bird are you?¡± Winston said to the creature. ¡°Your built more like an ox than a bird. Still, you need a name. You can be¡­. Bogdana, or Bog for short.¡± The sheet updated and Winston sighed as he looked down at his new pet. It¡¯s loyalty wasn¡¯t very high but since he hadn¡¯t really done anything to make it loyal that was expected. The pair turned and headed back towards the keep.

    Rimmi wasn¡¯t in the courtyard when Winston and Bog made it back. The rain was still falling and the courtyard had changed into a muddy mess. Bog gave a indignant squawk and headed towards the stables without any prompting. She was in a bad mood. Her heavy body sunk in the wet earth and she had mud all the way up to her knees.  Winston wasn¡¯t doing much better but he still had work to do.

    Winston took the time to harvest his garden crops. It was a lot slower than just swinging his scythe like with his grain since he had to pick them all individually. By the time he finished he was covered in mud and had started to shiver from the rain and cold. The worst part was the low quality of the vegetables. Without his Racial passive to boost them up they¡¯d likely be junk.

    He got less than a bushel of cabbage but a little more than a bushel of potatoes.

    [You Have learned the Vegetable Sub-skill]

    [Rank: Novice I

    [Effect:Bonus Vegetable Crop Yield:1%

    Bonus Vegetable Crop Quality: 4%]

    Winston was so disgusted he didn¡¯t even both to replant before he logged out of the game. He¡¯d deal with it all later.

 Chapter 13

    Winston slid into the lunch table on Monday feeling good about himself. The food today was even decent and that alone would have been cause for celebration. Chicken salad wasn¡¯t a delicacy but at least it was hard to screw up. He opened his mouth and bit down on  his sandwich just as Jason, Ruger, Brad, and Trish all plopped down beside him.

    ¡°That test in US History was f-ing terrible.¡± Jason complained as he took a bite out of his own sandwich. ¡°It¡¯s not like memorizing the stupid chapter is hard. Why does that old hag feel the need to add so many trick questions? She twists the wording around so much even if you know the right answer you can¡¯t get it right.¡±

    Trish laughed. ¡°She does that just to make you mad. You know all the answers but haven¡¯t actually read the book. Those questions are to get back at you for sleeping through her class.¡± She said with a smile. She seemed to be setting a bit closer to Winston than was really necessary but he wasn¡¯t going to complain. Her leg felt quite nice as it pressed against his.

    ¡°Whatever, you guys all suck by the way. With no one left to lose Lota games with me I¡¯m getting a job.¡± Jason griped around his mouthful of chicken salad.

    ¡°You buying a system then?¡± Ruger asked. ¡°We could use you man. Our guild got challenged to a territory battle yesterday. We almost lost our Guild HQ. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for Brad and all those heavy wards he¡¯s always tinkering with we would have been screwed.¡±

    ¡°A good defense is the best offense.¡± Brad said. His face remained mostly impassive as usual but there was a hint of smugness in his voice.  ¡°All you guys are too busy fighting. I¡¯ve been working on those wards for months.¡±

    ¡°Wish I would have had some of those when those bastards blew up my fields.¡± Winston said sourly. ¡°Did I tell you they attacked me again on Saturday? No taunting, no warnings, just bam flinging fireballs everywhere. I don¡¯t get it. He wouldn¡¯t even get any gold if he killed me.¡±

    ¡°I know what you mean man. It¡¯s like the game has gone crazy. Why would anyone want to pick a fight with our tiny guild? Other than a small grove of iron-wood trees on our land we don¡¯t even have anything valuable. I don¡¯t know who would even want our lands. They could find better ones for free. Our base is right in the middle of the dead-ring. Besides our guild hardly anyone ever comes to our zone.¡± Ruger complained.

    ¡°Where are you working at Jason?¡± Trish asked, pulling the conversation away from Otherworld for a moment.

    ¡°The multi-plex just outside of town. I¡¯m sure i¡¯ll spend most of my time picking up popcorn and cleaning the bathrooms but it¡¯s job and money always spends.¡± He said. ¡°I figured if Winston was getting his act together I should. I figure I¡¯ll save up enough to buy a system then do what he did. I¡¯ll work in-game to pay for the sub. Maybe I¡¯ll take up lumberjacking or something. If he¡¯s going to be a farmer I¡¯ll have to come up with an ever more pointless and demeaning job to specialize in.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s the greatest plan. Your going to kill your character growth once you decide to stop chopping trees or whatever. The raw materials prices are high enough now to get by with it, but you¡¯d make more just working part-time at the theater.¡± Winston argued.

    ¡°Not the point. Like you always say. What¡¯s the point of playing if you can¡¯t do it with your friends. What¡¯s the point of working and making money if I¡¯m isolating myself. Besides, since I¡¯m more intelligent and more handsome than you it¡¯s only logical my plan would be better than your¡¯s.¡± Jason turned in his seat towards Trish.

    ¡°So you¡¯re part of a big guild right? If I got my own system and paid for my own sub do you think I could join you guys? You¡¯d give me a decent place to work and let me sell my goods to you for a reasonable price without screwing me over, right?¡± Jason asked.

    Trish smiled. ¡°I think we could arrange something.¡± Jason turned back to Winston.

    ¡°See smarter¡­..¡± He said pointing a finger at his temple as he turned back to Winston. ¡°Now not only do I get to work without all the BS you had to go through. I¡¯ll be spending time with your woman while your on the other-side of the game world.¡±

    Winston smiled sarcastically at Jason and flipped him off while the others laughed. He wasn¡¯t really sure Trish was his girl but he wasn¡¯t really sure she wasn¡¯t either. They¡¯d both been acting increasingly flirty towards one another since that lunch last week when he¡¯d called her hot. He would have to do something about it soon but he had to admit he liked this sort of warm fuzzy flirting without the drama of a real relationship. Still, time and tide waited for no man.

    ¡°Speaking of¡­¡­¡± Winston started awkwardly as he screwed up his courage and turned towards Trish. ¡°Would you wanna go to the homecoming dance with me?¡± Trish¡¯s face blushed slightly as she looked into his eyes.

    ¡°Nope.¡± She said with a smile.  Winston¡¯s face froze. Had he totally misjudged the situation? What the hell was he supposed to say now? Luckily Trish continued to talk as his face started to flame in embarrassment and shame.

    ¡°There¡¯s a big guild meeting that night so I can¡¯t make it to the dance. Also, I¡¯m not 100% sure I¡¯m ready to get into a relationship. I¡¯ve liked you since Junior High but High-school relationships hardly ever work out. So, how about you just take me out on a not-quite-a-date the saturday after the dance and we¡¯ll see what happens?¡±  She explained, making Winston feel a wave of relief wash over him.

    ¡°I can work with that.¡± Winston said, his smile appearing once more. He was glad. He wasn¡¯t sure he was really ready for a relationship either. This seemed like an excellent compromise. Then again he wasn¡¯t sure you could call meeting up with someone you liked for social outing anything but a date, but self delusion was a powerful force.

    ¡°Well, now that you two lovebirds are done making the rest of us feel uncomfortable. Did you ever get any of those berries I need Win?¡± Ruger asked.

    ¡°One... ¡° Winson replied sourly. ¡°Not sure how many I¡¯ll be able to grow before that portal convoy leaves though.¡± He went on to tell everyone about his misadventure with the berries and the bird.

    ¡°I swear. You¡¯ve gotten into more trouble than half the players I know and your a farmer.¡± Trish said, amused. ¡°You¡¯ve got a real talent for getting in over your head.¡±

    ¡°Technically I¡¯m a Grove Tender.¡±

    ¡°Well, just grow as much as you can. I¡¯ll pay you in cash for whatever you manage to grow.¡± Ruger said. ¡°The Caravan will leave the saturday after next. Which is another reason not to go to the dance.¡±

    ¡°Your the boss.¡± Winston said cheerily.

    *********************************************The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    The rain had stopped and the dry winds once more blew over the Brethren Plains. Winston looked down at the berry in his hand with a frown on his face. The skin was quite firm and although there were a few blue splotches on its white surface the berry wasn¡¯t quite ripe. He really hoped it would still grown when he planted it.

    [Cloud Berry]

    [Low-Quality, Uncommon]

    [A berry native to Lunari it collects small amounts of air mana from the wind and deposits it into its fruit. It¡¯s taste is bitter to humans but the air mana in the berries makes them a sought after food for birds or other beasts attracted to air mana as it strengthens their magic and will occasionally allow normal beats to evolve into magical beasts.]

    He¡¯d had to pick a spot as far from his apple tree as possible. Whatever was making the soil under the tree odd the berry seed seemed to hate it. Winston guessed it was an Earth ley-line or something since that would be a bane to a air-type berry. He chose a spot on the opposite side of the courtyard from the tree behind Rimmi¡¯s main field then bent down and poked the berry a few inches into the dirt he¡¯d readied for it.

    With that done he was ready for his vegetables. He walked over to his patch of beets and looked at the carpet of large verdant leaves. He had a good feeling about these. The soil was starting to dry out again but this batch of beets would likely be the best quality crop he¡¯d ever grown. Excited, he plucked out the first beet out of the soil. It was large maroon, and nearly round.

    [Beet]

    [High-Quality, Common]

    [Food, Reagent]

    [A taproot vegetable. It¡¯s usually served pickled or boiled but contains high amounts of natural sugar and is often processed into a crystalized form.]

    Winston did a little dance as he plucked out the rest of the beets. He made sure not to damage them as he stuck them into his pack. When he pulled out the last beet in triumph light flashed around him.

    (Bleep-be-deep-Bleep)

    (Bliiiiiip)

    [You Have Reached Level Six!]

    [Vegetable Sub-Skill Increased to Novice III]

    [Effect:Bonus Vegetable Crop Yield:3%

    Bonus Vegetable Crop Quality: 12%]

    Those beets had to be worth a crap ton of XP. He¡¯d just hit player level five a few days ago. He¡¯d jumped two skill ranks in Vegetables but still hadn¡¯t hit Beginner II in farming. It seemed his goal of hitting apprentice rank farming by November wasn¡¯t going to happen. Even that huge amount of skill XP hadn¡¯t budged his rank.  The thought of what ability he¡¯d at Apprentice made him giddy. Skill increases always alternated passive and active abilities and every third rank was a major improvement. Since he¡¯d gotten a passive ability at beginner his Apprentice skill should be an active one and something pretty powerful.

    He shook off the thought and looked down at the beet in his hand. It really was a good looking vegetable. It was nearly perfectly round and was as large as his clenched paw. The leaves on top were large and green. It should be worth a good bit. Sugar would keep better but the beets were high-quality and he didn¡¯t want to screw anything up. Was turning beets into sugar considered cooking or alchemy?

    Winston didn¡¯t know. Should he try it out? He still had his skill points to spend. He had so many things he needed to do and try. He looked over towards Rimmi¡¯s side of the courtyard and saw him looking at one of his own side-projects. It was a small garden of blue flowers arranged in neat rows.

    ¡°Where¡¯d you get those at?¡± Winston asked as he approached the gnome. ¡°I thought I was the only one who made it out of the keep.¡± Rimmi glanced over at Winston for a second then back at his flowers.

    ¡°I asked Therion. They had some seeds for some of the most basic alchemy herbs. These are just mana lilies and are used in the lowest grade mana potions. It¡¯s usually too dry to grow them here but with the rain I thought I¡¯d give it a shot. Bastard still charged me a fortune but the crop came out pretty good. I should be able to finally learn alchemy with these.¡± He said happily. Winston couldn¡¯t remember Rimmi ever being happy. Even after he¡¯d made a ton of money when those Crimsun¡¯s had died he wasn¡¯t happy.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got a request for you then. Since your going into alchemy I was wondering if you could process these beets into sugar for me?¡± Winston asked as he pulled one of the beets out of his pack and showed it to the gnome. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s going to count as alchemy or cooking but I¡¯m thinking since your just processing an ingredient into a crystalline form it should be alchemy.¡±

    Rimmi frowned at him for a moment before he shrugged. ¡°Alright, but I want something from you in return.¡± The gnome pointed towards the patch of earth with the flowers. ¡°Use your priest power on these.  I know you¡¯ve got one that increases yield.¡±

    ¡°That has a week long cooldown! I¡¯ve only gotten to use it one time.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s my price. It¡¯s only a spell.¡± Rimmi said rolling his eyes. Winston scowled at him but he had a point. Besides 15% yield for three days wasn¡¯t the end of the world. He was ahead of schedule for his quotas.

    Winston reached into his pack and pulled out his new priest staff.  He gripped the dark wood as he tired to focus his mind. Faith magic was about belief. He tried to visualize divine might coming down through the sky to cover the small garden. He raised his staff and activated his ability.

    ¡°Nourish the Land!¡± He yelled as he raised his staff. Silver light surrounded him before it flew out from him and began to rain down the the field and soak into the soil.

    (Bliiiiip)

    [Nourish the Land has reached Novice II]

    [Duration: Three Days

    Cooldown: 160 Hours

    Cost: 10 FP per 1000ft2

    Effect: Increases crop yield in area by 17% while active]

    Winston frowned at the notification. He¡¯d gained a single skill rank. He looked over the notification and did some math. The cooldown had decreased by eight hours. Which was good but how was he even supposed to level that skill? The cooldown was seven days. It had taken him two casts just to go up one level. It was take years to get it to even a middle rank.

    He had to be doing something wrong. He knew you gained bonus XP for experimenting with your skills but how would that even work with something like his blessing? He didn¡¯t know. It was one more thing to add to his list of stuff he had to figure out

    Winston looked away from his screens and back to the gnome. ¡°One blessing cast as ordered. Now where do you want me to put all these beets?¡± Rimmi pointed to a empty patch of ground nearby and Winston dumped out ? of his beets in a big pile before leaving Rimmi to his flowers.

    Increasing his Skill rank with Runa was still his priority so he pushed everything else away. He couldn¡¯t use his blessing for another seven days but he could use his other skill. It didn¡¯t have a cool down. He wanted to try and experiment with it to see what he could learn about his other faith skills.

    He hopped the wall and found an empty patch of earth. He cast clear the land on a very small patch of ground and tried to feel how the process happened. Unlike using mana or stamina based skills he didn¡¯t have a pool of internal power to draw upon. Instead he was merely a conduit for the power of the divine. When you were out, you were just out. Unlike having your mana or stamina drained you couldn¡¯t feel it at all.

    Winston could feel as his willpower triggered the effect and the ground trembled slightly as it  leveled itself and the few rocks in the area were pushed out of the area leaving the plot clear accept for the grass.

    The entire process cost him nearly nothing. It didn¡¯t sap his reserves at all. The only thing spent were faith points and those didn¡¯t really belong to him anyway. Instead it seemed to act as a sort of currency that represented how much good-will he had with his goddess. He traded those to let Runa maniest her Divine power in the this realm. Instead it was his will that acted as the bridge. That must be the key. He needed to hone his willpower. That must be why willpower was a priest stat and intellect was a mage stat. With mana it was mages mana and imagination that allowed them to become strong. With priests it was their ability to will the world to be shaped by the gods.

    He gave himself a few minutes to center himself then took out his staff again. He raised the staff in one hand and face into the setting sun. ¡°Oh Runa Goddes off the walls and fields, Let your power pour into this realm. Let the land be tamed and trees be felled. Let the land be CLEAR!¡± He shouted as he bent ever ounce of his will into visualizing what he wanted. He wanted to ground to be flat, for the trees and rocks to be removed. He wanted to go further though to try and push the skill into something it wasn¡¯t meant to do originally. He wanted the grass cut down. That wasn¡¯t part of the ability as written but it was still clearing the land. Winston made his will like iron as he tried to force the world to shift through the power of his faith.

    Silverlight erupted from him like a supernova and the ground rumbled. A second later he staggered to his knees as he was hit with a wave of exhaustion. He didn¡¯t realize his nose was bleeding until he tasted the coppery tang in his mouth. His thoughts seemed fuzzy and his head hurt like hell. So much for burning faith points not putting a strain on the body, he thought grimly.

    [Bliiiiiip]

    [Bliiiiiip]

    [Skill Clear the Land increased to Beginner I]

    [Duration: N/A]

    [Cooldown: N/A]

    [Cost: 10 FP per 200ft2]

    [Effect: Clears trees, rocks, shrubs, and other obstructions from a patch of earth to ready it for planting. Levels land and fills holes. Unlike most magical alterations these changes are permanent. Can only be used on land owned by the player or his guild.]

    [Beginner Effect: Can also be used to clear weeds and grasses for 100% increased Faith Cost]

    [Skill Runa Increased to Beginner I]

    [New Skill Unlocked!]

    [Channel Divinity - Novice I]

    [Allows users to use his faith points to call unshaped divine power into the world. This power will have various effects based on your deity.]

    [Channel Divinity Runa: Heals damaged or sickly plants and repairs damaged walls assuming raw materials are available. As Runa¡¯s alignment is Neutral Good This ability will also damage undead or extra-dimensional creatures from the lower planes such as devils or demons.]

    Winston read over the messages with relief. He¡¯s whole body hurt so he logged off to escape the virtual pain. He had two weeks until payday and he needed to be ready.

 Chapter 14

    Winston walked towards the orc camp with a giant grey bird following him. The week had gone by quickly as Winston attended school and watched over his crops in game. He¡¯d spent most of his in-game week watering his vegetables in an attempt to improve their quality. He¡¯d managed two more harvests and had managed to grow enough of everything to fulfill the orcs quest, if only barely.

    His skill level for farming still hadn¡¯t gone up but he should be getting close. Level seven should be coming up soon as well and he was excited for the new stats. Now that he was free of school for the week he should be able to get something done.

    The two reached the orc village without many problems. Although Bogdonna wouldn¡¯t fight ¡®for¡¯ him she¡¯d still defend herself so she chased off the lower level beats they¡¯d run into. Bog was an interesting pet companion. She seemed content to just sit in the stables and be fed with the crops he grew. He¡¯d had to bribe her with extra feed just to get her to come with him on this trip.

    The orcs guarding the village didn¡¯t bother to stop him this time. It was his third time in the village and he¡¯d earned enough fame with them not to be manhandled.  Winston noticed something different about the village as soon as he saw it but It wasn¡¯t until a group of young orc-lings ran by laughing and play-fighting that he figured it out. The village seemed happy..

    Orcs moved through the street with purpose and there were even a couple of hawkers selling animal pelts or interesting trinkets. The entire village seemed to have transformed in the seven days he¡¯d been gone. It was like the place had changed from a desolate ghost-town to a bustling small village. Every time he¡¯d seen it before it had been full of grim-faced orcs going from place to place with their shoulders hunched and gripping their weapons tightly.

    Winston walked into Ol¡¯gar¡¯s hut with some spring in his step.. The old she orc seemed to be paining something this time. She was was using a wide animal-hair brush as she swirled paint into tribal symbols onto a deer-hide in black, white, and red. As Winston looked at the marks his vision went hazy. Sounds of battle and blood seemed to pour into his mind from every direction.

    He was reaching into his pack to draw his scythe when the old She-orc finally noticed him and covered the painting. Winston blinked a few times and looked confusedly down at his weapon.

    ¡°Planning on gutting me with that?¡±

    Winston snorted.  ¡°Yeah right¡­ You could tear me apart with your bare hands, not to mention whatever magical powers you have. What¡¯s up with that painting anyway?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a painting, only elves have time for such useless pursuits. As if a landscape of a waterfall or a vase of flowers magically contains the wisdom of ages just because one of the made a picture of it.. This is an orcish warbanner. A thing of our people. Your food has helped stabilize the village we¡¯ve begun preparing for war.¡± Ol¡¯gar explained.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit too soon? You guys just recovered. Shouldn¡¯t you build up a bit more first?¡± Winston asked. He didn¡¯t know how he felt about the orcs going to war. It was what orcs did but he felt responsible for them somehow.

    ¡°We¡¯ll that¡¯s why you¡¯re here isn¡¯t it. A horde marches on its stomach. What did you bring us this time?¡± She asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to have to make two tips. Six bushel of vegetables is too much for my small pack.¡± Winston said.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± The she-orc waved him off as she stood and they headed towards the warehouse. The warehouse was once again empty but Winston poured out half the vegetables he owed filling the warehouse with Potatoes and Cabbages. They weren¡¯t really up to quality standards but they should be decent enough for orcs. Winston just didn¡¯t have enough time to really care for them. Vegetables seemed more picky than grains and he didn¡¯t have the hours to baby them they needed. If he wanted to higher quality he¡¯d need to water them every few hours, as well as trim and weed them.

    Ol¡¯gar would just have to deal with low-quality crops. It was just too dry here. He hoped this stupid quest took that into account when it started handing out rewards.

    ¡°Well, not up to last weeks standards but they¡¯ll give the orclings some variety at least. That¡¯s the most important. Now hurry back with the other-half.¡± She said, waving the mole-man off. Winston Grumbled but glumly headed back to camp. It was nearly two in the afternoon when he finally dumped off the second sack of vegetables.

    [Quest Completed!]

    [Food For The Village II]

    [You Have Received:

    3000 xp

    1 Divinite Stone

    100 fame with the Fire-tooth Orcs]

    Ol¡¯gar was waiting for him with a small white stone once he dumped his second sack of vegetables onto the warehouse floor.. Winston looked at the small oddly shaped object. It looked like a uncut gem but was various shades of off-white.

    [Divinite]

    [Reagent]

    [Rare, Standard quality]

    [A chunk of crystallized faith.]

    ¡°What¡¯s is it?¡± Winston asked. The game told him what it was but it didn¡¯t really explain anything.

    ¡°Divinite. It¡¯s not good for much usually but to you it should be quite valuable. When someone prays to a god or makes devotions at a shrine they empower the god, more faith, bigger god. However, during large gatherings it¡¯s possible to siphon off a bit of that faith, especially from people who aren''t very faithful.¡± Ol¡¯gar explained.

    Winston just looked confused.

    ¡°A faithful person gets a direct line to their god. A two way link from the moral to the divine. People who believe in something but don¡¯t really know what they believe? Well, their faith just floats around. Since there¡¯s no clear direction for that faith to go someone who knows what they are doing can direct it. Usually a priest or shaman will just send it to whatever god they feel should have it but they can also store it. Get enough of it together and you end up with a stone like that.¡± She said, pointing to the small rock.

    ¡°To a mortal it¡¯s practically useless. However, it¡¯s food for the gods. That there is only a few hundred people worth of prayers. To a normal god it wouldn¡¯t even make a snack but to say¡­ A goddess who only has a single follower it should make her rather happy with you.¡± The she-orc said with a wry smile.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Winston said honestly. It wasn¡¯t exactly what he¡¯d been hoping for but it would at least be useful.

    ¡°No, thank you. My people have enough food again. Which brings me to this weeks order. We need more grain, what you have us is almost gone but this time we need even more.¡±

    [You Have Received A Quest]

    [Food For the Village III]

    [You are to deliver 10 bushels of Corn, Wheat, or Rice to the orcs at Fire-Tooth village by this time next week.]

    [Time Remaining: 168:00]

    [Recommended Level: N/A]

    [Difficulty: Normal]

    [Rewards: ??]

    [WARNING: Orcs are considered a monster race by many civilized peoples. Trading with them will likely lower your reputation with other NPC¡¯s if they find out.]

    Winston blinked at her. 10 bushel, that was a lot. That was a hundred dollars even more at actual market prices. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a lot.¡± Winston said slowly. Yes Divinte was a good quest reward and would likely help him out quite a bit. Logically the next quest would offer even better rewards but¡­ 100 dollars worth of rewards? He could buy a decent used graphics card for that.  The problem was that once he started a quest chain it was hard to just walk away. The last quest always had a much larger reward and Winston was already getting rare items. What would the final quest reward be like?Stolen novel; please report.

    ¡°I¡¯ll bring it but it¡¯ll be hard. My pack can only carry three bushel. Could you send some of your people closer to the keep to help carry?¡± Winston asked. The old orc looked at him and smiled.

    ¡°We could do that but less work for you also means less pay for you.¡± She said smiling.

    Winston scowled as he looked up at the orc. That was fair he supposed, he didn¡¯t have to like it but fairness was like that. If nobody was happy with the arrangement than the deal was probably a good one. Winston¡¯s scowl turned to a smile and he nodded in acknowledgement.

    [Quest Accepted!]

    Winston walked out of the storehouse and into the orc village followed by Bog. The bird crunched happily on a raw potato as the two moved. She liked potatoes.  She couldn¡¯t really chew them and she didn¡¯t eat them. She just seemed to like chomping them with her beak before spitting them out on the ground. It was weird but then Bog was a weird bird.

    His loyalty stat wasn¡¯t going up very fast but it was going up. Just feeding the overgrown pidgen seemed to be enough. His taming skill hadn¡¯t leveled at all but he likely needed to actually try to train the beast as opposed to just feeding it and letting it follow him around.

    He walked down the street of the orc town and stopped at a market stall. The orc selling was old trinkets and various junk. Winston paused as he started to move past him. He turned back to the orc and examined the objects on the table. People were always finding treasures in old beggars merchants stalls right?

    Winston picked through the pile, finding it to be mostly crafting reagents and none were above uncommon rank.. He had hopes for a silver knife until he found out it was a tool for witchcraft and ritual casting. The only thing he found of interest was a chunk of raw ore with the rare rank but his mining skill wasn¡¯t high enough to tell what it was or any of its properties. Even if he bought it what would he do with it?

    No ancient magical seeds or powerful weapons for him, apparently. Winston grunted and turned away from the stall before he stopped once more and turned back. Now that his fame had risen he wondered if he could pick up some cheap quests.

    ¡°You need anything? I¡¯ve been bringing in food for the tribe but if there¡¯s something else I might be able to get ahold of in the human cities let me know.¡± Winston offered the wizened old orc. His tusks were broken off and his face was so wrinkled it was hard to even see his eyes.

    A wizened green hand came up to rub at the orc¡¯s boney chin. ¡°Yessss¡­. And I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll charge us all ten times it worth. I¡¯ve seen your type before mole. Just because the humans don¡¯t kill you on site makes you think you can come and rip off the tribes.¡± The old orc said with a scowl.

    Winston scowled back. ¡°I take a loss on the grain I bring here old man. I got furs from you guys. I could have bought two nice horses in the city with that grain but I brought it out here.¡±

    The old man could have just said no. The last thing Winston was doing all this for was money. He could make that by just staying in the keep and mass farming wheat. Winston didn¡¯t say anything else and just turned and started back towards the keep. He¡¯d already wasted most of the day hauling his crops. He still had work to do.

    Bog ran off as soon as the two made it back to the keep. Walking must have worn her out and she¡¯d run off to fatten herself up again. Winston laughed to himself as he climbed up over the wall. When he landed he saw Rimmi standing over a large wooden vat while stirring it with a long spoon.

    To the side was a roughly shaped stone tub. The gnome was sweating but he looked rather pleased.

    ¡°How¡¯s the sugar coming?¡± Winston asked.

    ¡°Could use some more beets actually. I¡¯ve already gained two levels in alchemy. That¡¯ll be a big help since my mana flowers should finally be done by Monday or Tuesday next week. Then I can try my hands at making real potions.: Rimmi said. ¡°It¡¯s just nice to be able to stop farming for a while.¡±

    ¡°I know the feeling. I actually like the farming but even so it¡¯s nice to grab a break now and then. Even if you enjoy a job, at the end of the day it¡¯s still a job.¡± Winston said sagely as he headed towards the shrine in the middle of the courtyard.

    The brazier on top was still burning with red fire even though no-one had ever replaced the coals. Winston reached into his pack and pulled out the chunk of divinite. Was he just supposed to toss it into the fire?  He thought about it and shrugged. Ceremony always seemed appropriate at times like this. He cleared his throat and prepared another of his pompous speeches.

    ¡°Runa, Lady of the walls and fields, Accept this offering of your humble servant. May your power grow greater and your flame grow brighter. My your name resound once more in this land.¡± Winston called out as he tossed the stone into the fire.

    The ground started to rumble as the stone melted in the flames. Then the ground jerked sharply as the shrine started to grow. It didn¡¯t grow far, only about six inches but it had more of a presence now. The red flames had started to show hints of silver and the shine radiated a low-level holy aura.

    [Shrine level increased]

    [Shrine aura increased to 550 ft radius]

    [Crop maturation time improved to 12% decrease]

    [Wall Hp increase improved to 12%]

    [You Have received A Divine Mandate!]

    [A Farmer¡¯s Quest]

    [The Goddess Runa has regained a small bit of her divine power and wishes to reclaim one of her lost artifacts. The first is in possession of the Shattered-Stump Ogre Tribe. Eliminate the Tribe and regain the Trowel of Tarvinth]

    [Time Remaining: 30 days]

    [Recommended Level: 15]

    [Difficulty: Lair]

    [Rewards: 6000 XP, Runa Skill XP, A Divine Ability]

    Winston gaped at the information. He had to kill a tribe of Ogre¡¯s? How in the hell was he supposed to do that? Winston had been disappointed with the effect of the divinite but now he had yet another quest and this one he was supposed to fight in. He couldn¡¯t even imagine how that was supposed to happen. He only had a single skill that was even a moderate use in a fight. He¡¯s just have to figure something out. He¡¯d ask Ruger, Brad, and Trish to help him out if everything else failed. He just had to convince them to cross half the world for a level 15 quest.

    He shook off his thoughts and strolled around the courtyard checking on his crops. This was his favorite part of farming. He didn¡¯t really mind the other work but he liked to walk the fields and see his crops growing. It gave him a sense of peace he didn¡¯t often get at home or at school. He wished he could bring Trish out here to walk with him. He blushed at the thought, then laughed. Love really did make men into idiots.

    He¡¯d switched his main field back to wheat while leaving his second smaller field as corn. The two seemed to be growing well. His skill levels in grains were propping the crops up even with the lack of water and proper fertilization. His vegetables were doing worse. He didn¡¯t have the skill ranks in vegetables that he did in grains and it was showing.

    Most of them were slightly wilted so he poured his megar mana into producing water for them. It wouldn¡¯t fix the issue but every little bit would help. Then he came to cabbage patch and winced. They were the worst off. Cabbage seemed to need more water than the beans and he had no real way of helping them.

    He checked his cloudberries next. They had finally grown into a decent sized bush and small buds had started to appear on the stems. In another few days they finally start to fruit. He could see his apple tree from here as well. It was growing rapidly and would be ready to start producing apples in another week or so. Everything on the farm was coming together but that left Winston in an awkward place. Without a significant upgrade to his skill he had no real way to move forward from here. He was already managing as large of a farm as it was currently possible for him. He just didn¡¯t have enough time to expand more since all the planting and harvesting had to be done by hand.

    He needed a farm hand, or he needed some magical farming based skill to help him harvest and plant faster. There had to be farming based active skills that would help him. At higher levels he should be managing huge fields by himself but to do that the game was going to have to throw him a bone.

    That left him with only one path. If he was unable to increase the quantity of his farming he had to improve the quality and yield of what he did have.

    He had a vague plan so he started by digging three large pits near the North wall of the keep. The west wall had his apple tree and the east was where his berries were so he chose the North wall for his latest project.  He made the pits large, nearly ten feet across and nearly five foot deep. The ground was hard and rocky and digging it up with his claws took hours.

    Winston logged and went to bed before coming back Sunday to keep digging. It was nearly mid-morning when he finally finished. The early morning sun was shining down on his sweat soaked head as he looked down at the three pits he¡¯d dug.

    (Blip)

    [You Have Unlocked A New Skill]

    [Mining]

    [Current Rank: Novice I]

    ¡°So what¡¯s your master plan for these? Rimmi asked. As he looked down into the pits. His mood had improved once he¡¯d started to actually do alchemy which seemed to be his real goal for his character. He still complained about farming and it was obvious that farming was just a sideshow for him.

    ¡°Fill them with poop, and rotting bodies.¡± Winston replied. Rimmi turned his head away from the pits very slowly as he turned to look at the mole-man next to him with an incredulous expression. Winston continued to explain himself. ¡°See there¡¯s no real way for me to continue to keep advancing my farming ranks right now. I¡¯ve already exhausted most of the basic ideas I could think of. It¡¯ll take weeks or months to reach the apprentice ranks at this rate. So, I¡¯ve deciding to start working with fertilizers. Organic fertilizers are easy to make, you just let stuff rot. However, after some online research I realized that the chemical composition of Organic fertilizers won''t necessarily be what a specific plant will need. Hence the three pits.¡±

    Winston waved grandly at the large holes in the ground. ¡°This gives me three separate fertilizers to test. The first will be mostly manure, with straw and corn stalks. The Second will be less manure but all the leaves and plants from my vegetable gardens. The third will be the least amount of manure,  bones from animals crushed into bone-meal, along with their blood and some regular dirt. That will give me three different fertilizers to test out on my various crops.¡±

    Winston was excited about his new tests. More excited about them than anything else he¡¯d done in game so far. Farming was mainly just labor but this. This was science, experimentation. He could see himself in the future standing over a hundred such holes, making small adjustments to each one, adding magical plants and animal bones to each one to bring out the perfect soil to nurture plants worth thousands of gold. He let out a laugh worthy of any mad scientist.

    Then realized he¡¯d be spending the next few hours carrying poop. He sighed, slapped Rimmi on the back with a dirty paw then got back to work.

    The hours ran by as Winston carried bucket after bucket from the stables to the pits he¡¯d dug.

    By the time he was finished he¡¯d cleaned out all the dung in the stables and the bottoms of the three pits were now filled. The first pit had the most and the third the least. He went to the first pit and made three more trips to the storage shed dumping in two harvests worth of straw and one of corn stalks. He dumped the beet leaves, wilted cabbages, as well as grass and leaves from the courtyard into the second pit. He tossed the scraps of fur and meat from the rabbit into the third pit then dumped some of the loose dirt on top of it. He needed to get more bones and blood to make blood meal for the third but he¡¯d have to hunt for that.

    He watched as everything in the pits started to decay at a rate visible to the naked eye. Winston grabbed a withered stick from the side of the court-yard and used it to start stirring the nasty-smelling slurry.

    [Blip]

    [Farming has Ranked Up!]

    [Current Rank: Beginner Rank II]

    [Bonus Crop Yield: 16%]

    [Bonus Crop Quality: 27.7%]

    Winston smiled apparently making fertilizer was counted as farming although he hadn¡¯t gotten a sub-skill for it. The beginner ranks of farming also seemed to be boosting his farming abilities by more than they did as a novice. His farming combined with his grain yield boost was getting near 40% even without his blessing. He was going to need it. With thirty-five bushels in quest requirements this week he would need all of those bonuses and more.

    He turned to the rather empty third pit and scratched at his whiskers. It was time to go a hunting.

 Chapter 15

    ¡°......And then the lions ate me.¡± Winston explained lamely as he shoved the mushy bun into his mouth along with the over-cooked hamburger it contained. The cafeteria was as noisy as ever but it was a cheerful noise. Winston wasn¡¯t generally a fan of crowds but the cafeteria he liked. It wasn¡¯t that the food was particularly good but all the students packed together and all complaining about their classes gave it a jovial air.

    The four people at the table around him had varying degrees of pity on their faces. ¡°You ran away from rabbits,¡±

    ¡°There were three of them.¡± Winston defended but Jason rolled over him as usual.

    ¡°Then wandered around the plains for four hours trying to kill various small woodland creatures. Before being eaten by lions.¡± He finished.

    ¡°I have no good attacks.¡±

    ¡°You could just learn some.¡± Trish said as she ate a fry. ¡°Even without a bonus from your race or class you could still learn some basic self-defense. Even some crappy weapons and armor would give you a major advantage over wildlife.¡± She seemed amused by his antics and he was more than willing to put up with mocking from his friends for the sake of her good mood.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have time, like really honestly have no time.¡±  Winston explained. ¡°I¡¯ve got this chain quest I¡¯m doing for a village or orcs. I¡¯ve got berries I¡¯m trying to grow for Ruger and I¡¯m supposed to grow 25 bushels of corn every week for the guild. I¡¯ve got like 4 hours a week in game of free-time and that¡¯s If I spend all weekend cooped up in my room.¡±

    ¡°Easy there killer.¡± Ruger said, waving his hands placatingly. ¡°Seems you might have a bit too much on your plate. Even top raiders only work a few days a week.¡±

    ¡°Well, top raiders don¡¯t have to make dirt into money.¡± Winston replied grimly. ¡°It won¡¯t be so bad after this weekend. Once I¡¯ve got this stupid shipment and the berries off my plate for a while I should be able to get a handle on it. It¡¯s just been such a nightmare getting everything up and running decently. Once it¡¯s moving I¡¯ll be able to relax for a while at least.¡±

    Lunch broke up a few minutes later and Winston headed off to Economics with Mr. Fisher. It was a pretty small class since it was an elective only available to Juniors and Seniors. Most of the serious students took extra AP classes like Biology or Calculus. The not-so-serious students took PE based classes like weightlifting or something like shop or home ec. Economics was somewhere in the middle for people who wanted an interesting class but weren¡¯t trying to impress a college admission board.

    ¡°Today we¡¯ll start on your projects for this semester. We¡¯ll be doing one next semester as well but we¡¯ll be separating you into groups today and giving you the basics. As a group you¡¯ll want to decide both the specific topic of your report as well as what research material you¡¯ll be needing.¡± The class began to talk and the room filled with chattering voices before the teacher waved everyone back to silence.

    ¡°Now, as teachers we always try to give student opportunities for learning on topics they¡¯ll relate to. As such your project will be on Otherworld.¡± The class erupted again but Mr. Fisher talked over them. ¡°Yes, I know not all of you play, only about 70% of the nation high-school students do. Playing isn¡¯t necessary. Let me explain before you all throw a fit.¡± He cleared his throat and than began to speak in his normal calm and slightly nasally voice. Mr. Fisher was a good teacher but he didn¡¯t have the voice for lectures. Luckily, he didn¡¯t do it too often in class.

    ¡°Now video games have always made for interesting economic studies. Being allowed to see a virtual economy with thousands or millions of actual players attempting to exploit it has giving us economists a lot to think about and work with over the last decade. Some of the larger games even hired economists to help design and attempt to stabilize their in-game economies. Once otherworld came out though, it''s become the juggernaut of the industry.

    Nexus has given out all of their historical market data, resource harvest data, resource consumption data, skill data, and fighting locations to all of the educational institutes in the world. All we have to do is ask them for it and they¡¯ll send us over five terabytes of raw data. It doesn¡¯t have anything newer than last January but it¡¯s still a lot of really interesting information. What I want you guys to do is to dig through it and make an interesting report.

    If it¡¯s how the spawn rates of goblins in Wessir, affected the price of copper ore in the Ten dutchies or how various resources drive guild vs. guild combat. I don¡¯t really care, do the work and come up with something interesting. There¡¯s eighteen of you so I¡¯m going to split you into nine groups of two. I¡¯ll pair you alphabetically and inversely by your first names just to make things interesting. So that¡¯ll put Abby with Winston and Adam with Wes, and so on¡­.¡±  the teacher explained as he started to write the group names down on the board.

    Winston watched as people started to get up and move around. Abby stood up from her seat and came back to grab a chair by Winston. She was cute in a mousy sort of way. She had short brown hair and wore thick glasses. She spent a lot of her time in school reading Japanese manga and was normally quiet but had a few good friends from the drama club she normally hung out with. Winston had to admit he¡¯d had a bit of a crush on her back in middle-school. He¡¯d seen her a few times at Josh¡¯s Football and Baseball games and he¡¯d thought she was cute without being as intimidating as the more popular girls. Still, he was a taken man now and they¡¯d never exchanged more than the smallest of smalltalk.

    ¡°Do you play Otherworld?¡± Winston asked once she was seated and he¡¯d turned to face her.

    ¡°Level 52 Aeromancer. One of the top DPS in my guild.¡± She said proudly. ¡°What about you?¡±  Winston grimaced

    ¡°I work for the swords. Currently I¡¯m a level seven Grove Tender. It¡¯s a production class that does farming.¡±

    ¡°A production class? You must be pretty hard-core. I took tailoring as a secondary skill but only made it to the intermediate ranks. It¡¯s just way too big of a time sink if you wanna get good at it.¡± She said ruefully. ¡°How do you like it?¡±

    ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s kinda fun. I always played healers in other games. Being a farmer is like being a super support I¡¯m just really, really far back.¡± Abby laughed politely and the conversation fell into an awkward silence. Winston cleared his throat a bit lamely.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    ¡°Well, got any ideas? I was thinking something like seeing the amount of money players convert into dollars vs the amount of dollars that get converted into gold would be interesting.¡± Winston said, as he tried to get the ball rolling. Abby thought for a while before she gave her own idea.

    ¡°I guess i¡¯m just partial to the tailoring aspect of things. When I was doing it cloth was so expensive. It would be interesting to see how many people have the tailoring profession vs how many people have professions that actually make the base materials for it. In older MMO¡¯s tailoring was one of the most common professions like blacksmithing. We could do a presentation on how the expectations of players have impacted the economy because of the games increased realism.¡±

    Wiston frowned as he thought about it. It wasn¡¯t a bad idea by any means, he just liked his idea better. Honestly, the project sounded cool regardless. The research would be really boring though.

    ¡°Flip for it?¡± Winston asked as he dug into his pocket for a quarter.

    ¡°Rock, paper, scissors.¡± She countered.

    ¡°One, Two, Three, Shoot.¡± They said in unison.

    He picked paper. She picked scissors.

    *******************************************************

    A strong wind blew across the keeps courtyard. The weather was starting to turn and cold wind pushed at him as he inspected his cloudberry bush. The bush had started to flower now and small green berries were beginning to grow. He wondered if he had to prune it in some way. He knew people pruned berry bushes but he thought it needed to be done before it started to flower. He shrugged, he¡¯d have to do more google searching later. He was honestly a little amazing by how much he didn¡¯t know about farming. Until he¡¯d tried it for himself it had always seemed a fairly simple profession.

    Winston bent down and looked over the plant¡¯s stems before poking his finger into the soil at the bushes base. It was dry and was lacking in nutrition but the cloudberry bush didn¡¯t seem to care much. It was native to this area and was used to the bad soil and dry climate. The plant also seemed happy about something else too but Winston wasn¡¯t sure what until he thought about it for a while. It was the wind. Cloudberries absorbed air magic and the wind today was howling out of the east.

    That made since. Hopefully it would let the crop develop well he needed to make a good impression on Ruger if he was going to start getting actually paid. He left the berry bush and headed towards his fertilizer pits.

    The game had taken it upon itself to let everything he tossed into the pits rot extremely fast. Winston was glad because it meant he wouldn¡¯t have to wait weeks to use any of it. He bent down and inspected his first pit.

    [Organic Fertilizer]

    [Common, Low-Quality]

    [Fertilizer made from animal dung and grain chaff. Although it¡¯s been processed into fertilizer the grain chaff lacks the nutrients to create a more powerful blend.]

    [Created by: Win mills]

    The first batch hadn¡¯t turned out well but Winston had basically used the lowest quality stuff for it. He stood up and moved over to the second pit to inspect it.

    [Organic Fertilizer]

    [Common, High-Quality]

    [Fertilizer made from animal dung and vegetable matter. Better ingredients have improved the quality of this fertilizer a great deal.]

    [Created by: Win Mills]

    This was closer to what he was expecting and needed if he was going to keep advancing his farming rank.

    He was just getting ready to start on his normal evening routine when he heard shouts and comotion from the front of the keep. A group of riders came into the courtyard. Each sat atop a black horse with golden cloaks embroidered with black swords flapping behind them. There were six of them and they must have been low ranking members of the main guild. They had solid gear but it wasn''t top of the line stuff. The best gear wouldn¡¯t match like that. These were underlings but part of the main guild. Which probably meant they were going to be assholes.

    It didn¡¯t take long to confirm Winston¡¯s thoughts. The riders dismounted and headed into the stables when there was a squawk and Bog came out, glaring and hissing at something inside. One of the riders came out a few seconds later and sent at kick at his bird. Bog let out a hiss like an angry goose but one that matched her size. She sounded like a pissed off alligator. Winston was intimidated and he was still thirty yards away.

    The rider took a half-step back before he realized what he¡¯d done and his face mottled with rage. He drew the long-sword at his waist and Winston ran forward with his hands raised to try and stop him.

    ¡°What the hell!? That¡¯s my pet!¡± Winston yelled as he ran into the middle of the soon-to-be fight. The man was advancing but his flash of rage seemed to have subsided. He still looked pissed and annoyed but no longer murderous.

    ¡°Stables are to be held in preparation for any visiting Swords members. You little pukes aren''t allowed to use them.¡± He snarled.  Winston really wanted to just punch the idiot but knew that would only cause more trouble.

    ¡°Alright, she can stay somewhere else.¡± Winston conceded. He was pissed but telling this ass-hat to go screw himself and to stay away from his bird would only escalate the situation. The guy was on a power-trip and it was best to bow and scrape until he went away.

    The guy scowled, apparently upset that Winston didn¡¯t fire back and let him show off his minor authority. Winston put a hand on Bogs neck and spoke in a calm voice. ¡°Common Bog, I¡¯ll get you some wheat. Those berries should be ready in another day or two as well. You can have a couple then.¡± Winston coaxed.

    [Blip!]

    [Your Taming Skill Has Reached Novice II]

    The bird gave the man one last glare before the two moved back towards WInston¡¯s side of the court-yard. The hustle and bustle near the stables continued as everyone stabled the mounts and the wagon horses.Winston patted the big bird again before it gave a huff and stomped off like a sulking three-year old.Winston rolled his eyes at the beast and started harvesting his wheat for the night. He was interested in what was going on with everyone here but he didn¡¯t have time to waste.

    It was Therion that finally came to see him. Winston had just finished replanting and was getting ready to log for the night. He had a quiz in history tomorrow and still needed to memorize a bunch of stuff about the War of 1812.

    ¡°I heard you butted heads with Herston.¡± The older man said, serious for once. Winston frowned but couldn¡¯t do much more than shrug.

    ¡°He kicked my bird. I didn¡¯t see it but I know that¡¯s what happened then he tried to kick her again before he pulled out his sword . I mean really. Who does that? It¡¯s like kicking a dog. That¡¯s just messed up.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well Herston isn¡¯t exactly prince charming. He¡¯s a tool, hell all the troops under him are tools. You¡¯ll just have to deal with him. They were sent from the guild to help move all the goods for our monthly portal. The crimson¡¯s have been sniffing around so we got sent a few guards. Mostly useless guards but even having them standing around should help to keep the riff raff away.

    ¡°That¡¯s only if the Crimsun¡¯s don¡¯t really care that much.¡± Winston said. Therion raised an eyebrow, so Winston continued. ¡°Its basic game theory. We¡¯ve summoned reinforcements to guard a caravan.  That gives the Crimsons two options. Either they don¡¯t attack or they attack anyway. If they don¡¯t attack, then everything''s fine, but if they do attack. Then, assuming they saw the renforments come in¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Then all the guild has accomplished is to escalate a raid into a real battle.¡± Therion said with a grimace. ¡°You think that¡¯s what¡¯s going to happen?¡± Winston raised his own eyebrow this time.

    ¡°I¡¯m just a noob and a farmer. I¡¯ve got no idea what they are likely to do. I¡¯m just telling you their logical options.¡± Winston said. ¡°I¡¯d learn towards the full on attack though.  Mostly because that would be the worst possible thing that could happen for me.¡±

    Therion laughed. ¡°Alright, I just came out here to give you a heads up. Those guys from the Swords are dicks but they shouldn¡¯t bother you too much. They¡¯ll probably spend most of the week logged out until friday night when the move is going down. We¡¯ll store the goods in the city in the safe zone before popping a portal on saturday afternoon.¡±

    Winston nodded. It was a decent plan as plans went. He just didn¡¯t think it would go smoothly. Nothing ever went smoothly. It was a fact of life. The problem was that he had a stake in this show. He had to get his berries to the city and the caravan would be the best option. The Crimsun¡¯s had already seen Trollogistic¡¯s cart so it would be best to piggyback onto the guilds caravan, especially if it was going to have guards.

    Winston needed gold to keep his little farming empire improving. It wouldn¡¯t be a great week with what he owed the orcs on top of his quota but he was banking on whatever he¡¯d get from their quest reward. For ten bushels of grain the reward better be pretty damn nice.

 Chapter 16

    Sword Sergeant Herston Kratz stood on top of Grimstone keep and surveyed his domain. The keep wasn¡¯t technically his, but it was part of the Seeds of Solomon guild. There was a strict hierarchy to the guild. Even the lowest member of the Swords was higher-ranked than anyone but the guild leader of the Seeds, even Silver Sword Therion was lower-ranked than he was now. He was a Sword Sergeant, a Squad commander, and only a few levels away from making one of the raid teams. That made him as close to the owner as anyone in this backwater.

    He inhaled the cool air of the night. Friday night and here he was in the back-end of nowhere. The grasslands of the Brethren Plains stretched out below him in all directions, broken only the a river that cut the scenery in half as it meandered through the land. Granted he¡¯d likely just be hanging out in one of the capitals screwing around or doing something for the guild but at least there¡¯d be something to entertain himself with.

    Outhere there was nothing but grass, miles and miles of it. He watched as one of the new workers hopped over the keeps fence and headed towards the tiber a few miles out in the distance. He had a heavy a pack that he seemed to be struggling with. He walked a few hundred yards and a group of orcs melted out of the tall grasses.

    DemonzSlay93 watched as the two groups came together and the mole-man poured something out of his pack and into the pack one of the orcs was carrying. What were they doing, some sort of trade? It was hard to tell from this distance. Where those NPC¡¯s or players? As he watched the mole-man headed back to the storage shed, filled his pack and headed back to the orcs.  DemonzSlay93 decided it would be worth looking into, maybe the little bastard was stealing from the guild. If nothing else, it would be something to do.

    **********************************************

    Winston sat bleary eyed in the back of the ore wagon as it rumbled down the road. He felt like hell. He¡¯d sat out all night in the rainstorm to watch the Friday night homecoming football game. He¡¯d woken up with a nasty head cold and even in Otherworld he felt drained. His real body didn¡¯t feel anything happening to him in game but there was some transference the other way. It kept people from bathroom problems and to remind them of hunger and thirst if they stayed in game too long.

    Winston would have written off the whole day as a bad job and gone back to bed if he didn¡¯t have so much to do. Therion sat next to him in his shining silver armor but with a hat pulled low over his eyes as droused.

    The rest of the Swords were riding next to the wagon in formation. They looked formidable but Winston couldn¡¯t help but think they¡¯d be a bit too vulnerable to ambush. That was one of the problems with a convoy guard. A caravan was always susceptible to an ambush. The enemy knew exactly where you were going to be and had a good idea of when you were going to be there.

    ¡°Why are you in game?¡± Therion asked. Winston looked over at him but the man hadn¡¯t moved or even taken the hat off his face. ¡°I mean, there¡¯s nothing for you to do here and if there¡¯s a fight you¡¯ll be useless.¡±

    ¡°Ya know, I thought about that¡­.¡± Winston said. ¡°Problem is I REALLY need to get to the city and the caravan seemed the best way.¡±

    ¡°That fine¡­.. But it doesn¡¯t answer the question. You could just be off-line and wait to see what happens.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯ve got the best chance of survival if I¡¯m actually awake an in-game when the attack happens. Which should be in the next few hours by my calculations.¡± Winston said.

    ¡°Your calculations?¡± Therion asked skeptically.

    ¡°The Crimsun¡¯s had three people in this zone. With their main goal to be pissing off the Swords.¡±Winston explained. ¡°The caravan would be a prime target, and the three Crimsun¡¯s could have probably managed it if they hadn¡¯t attacked the keep, or me in town. But the did so the swords sent troops to protect the caravan. That leaves the Crimsun¡¯s with two basic options.¡±

    ¡°They can either not attack, or attack anyway. If they don¡¯t attack, obviously everything is fine. If they do attack¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Then they¡¯ll send their own reinforcements. You said that yesterday.¡± Therion said.

    ¡°And if your going to attack a convoy with a bunch of heavy slow-moving cargo. Then you need to do it far enough away from the enemy spawn so they can¡¯t catch you after you kill them. That means any time now should be just about right.¡± Winston finished.

    ¡°Ya know, you¡¯ve got a dour outlook on life.¡± Therion said, as he adjusted the hat on his head. Winston shrugged.

    ¡°I¡¯m just telling it like I see it. I just don¡¯t understand why you guys go to such length to screw each other over. I mean, this caravan isn¡¯t carrying that much stuff. Even if they manage to steal all of it it¡¯ll be more trouble than it¡¯s worth. They would have had to teleport people over here. That¡¯s not cheap. Both guilds just seem to not care about anything but pride.¡± Winston said, honestly confused.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ complicated.¡± Therion said, sounding tired.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem that complicated.¡± Winston said.

    ¡°That¡¯s because you only see it from your perspective. You¡¯re just starting out. You¡¯re poor, gold is very precious to you. You need it both for your in game activities and for things in real life. To you wasting 20,000 gold just to spite someone is idiotic, but you¡¯ve gotta realize that the people making the calls are rich. They run the whole guild. They get money from streams and sponsorships that¡¯s more than enough to live comfortably on. To them this is still a game. The swords have some of the best MMO gamers in the world, but they aren¡¯t good managers. They aren''t trying to get the same thing out of the game that you are. They aren''t trying to build their empire. They are just having fun.¡±

    Winston thought about that. He couldn¡¯t really argue with it but he still thought they were idiots. Then again they ran the most powerful guild in otherworld and he was just a punk kid trying to make some gold by farming.

    ¡°Still, you might be right about the ambush.¡± Therion said as he laid a hand on the hilt of his sword. The blade was laying on the seat next to him and it gleamed in the morning sun.

    Nothing happened for nearly an hour as the convoy continued it¡¯s plodding way towards Verith. That was when the ambushed happened. There was no warning but Therion apparently didn¡¯t need one. He moved faster than Winston could see. There was a loud ¡®ping¡¯ and chips of wood hit Winston¡¯s face as Therion blocked an arrow that would have hit him right in his eye.

    Winston gaped for a moment before Therion twisted in his seat to looked out across the grasslands. A female elf with a bow stood about sixty yards from the road as she raised her bow for another shot.

    ¡°Shit.¡± Therion swore as a dozen dozen horsemen charged down the road in front of the wagon. The scene dissolved into confusion as the sword¡¯s wheeled their horses and charged out to meet them. The archer was still there and power started to radiate from her as she pulled back her bow to fire another arrow..

    The arrow on her bow started to glow. First an off gray color, then it darkened to black and the grass around her started to wither and die. Therion swung his sword in her direction as she released her arrow. Light flashed for a moment before the two attacks collided in the air. The explosion of energies smashed apart the wagon and sent Winston flying sideways until he hit the packed dirt of the road and rolled in a bouncing heap of flailing limb until he came to a stop.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    He raised his head in time to see the battle had descended into general chaos. Spells flew back and forth, while swords clashed against shields. Winston saw a horse go down as a flail smashed into the animals knee, sending the rider flipping onto the ground. A lightning bolt from somewhere cut down another fighter as he was battling two others.It was general mayhem and Winston couldn¡¯t even tell who was on who¡¯s team .

    Winston army-crawled into the tall grass at the edge of the road and tired to think inconspicuous thoughts. This battle was way out of his weight-class. He was a farmer. He didn¡¯t even have a weight class.

    Winston watched as the battle gained in ferocity. The guards from the swords fought well but they were outnumbered over overmatched. Therion seemed to have his hands full with the archer, but still managed to kill three of the Crimsun¡¯s on his own. The problem was he just didn¡¯t have enough stamina. That sword beam attack he used consumed a lot of stamina and they were wearing him down.

    Winston thought about his options. He couldn¡¯t really impact the fight. Then again, they were likely closer to the city than the keep. If he died he¡¯d probably end up in town anyway. Maybe he should have just stayed in bed. He felt like hell anyway and the tumble off the wagon hadn¡¯t helped.

    Therion dodged another black life-snatching arrow and fired off two more of his sword-qi attacks, or whatever the hell he used. The archer dodged one and fired off another arrow to explode the second. The last two Sword¡¯s guards were fighting back to back against six Crimsun¡¯s and Winston decided to take the better part of valor and get out.

    He got up to a crouch then started to move away from the fight keeping his head down and moving between the sparse shrubs to try and hide the best he could. He made it to a copse of scraggly trees before he felt safe enough to stop.

    That left him in the middle of nowhere with no mount or wheels and a group of hostiles on the only road between him and civilization. He rubbed his aching head. It would be a long walk to the city and he had to get to Ruger¡¯s contact to have his berries teleported to the starter continent.

    He was getting readying to start walking when something cold touched his neck. Winston froze as a feminine voice spoke into his ear.

    ¡°Don¡¯t move or I¡¯ll open your throat.¡±

    Winston blinked a few times, recognizing the voice.  Then he asked in a confused voice. ¡°Jessica?¡±

    The figure behind him paused and moved around him until Winston was looking at an attractive dark elf with Jessica¡¯s face. She was dressed in tight black leather and wore it well. A faint smell of orchids and cinnamon came from her as she stood close to Winston with her knife still at his neck. He did his best to remind himself he had a sort of girl friend and that he didn¡¯t particularly like Jessica. Still, with her standing right next to him his hormones were trying to by-pass his common sense.

    ¡°Who are you and how do you know me.¡± She asked, her hand was steady but her eyes were already slicing him into pieces.

    ¡°Because your the one that got me this crappy job. And why are you here interrogating me instead of helping Therion with those Crimsun¡¯s.¡± Winston snapped back at her.

    Her face scrunched up a bit in thought before her eyes widened slightly.¡±Winston? What the hell are you doing out here?¡±

    ¡°I was gonna ask you that. I got stuck out here by the guild. I was riding the caravan into the city to sell some goods.¡± Winston said. ¡°That doesn¡¯t explain why your out here, or why your still holding a knife to my neck.¡±

    Jessica blinked at him the put away the knife and took a step back. A scowl made its way onto her pretty face. ¡°The guild put up a mission to come watch the fight and see how the caravan guards did. They got crushed in less than three minutes,  it¡¯s was sad.¡± She said heartlessly.

    ¡°If you¡¯d have taken that archer with your sneaky assassin powers you Therion would have pasted the rest of them.¡± Winston said. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you step in?¡±

    ¡°I could have but that would have saved both the guards and Therion, neither of which the guild officers are too happy with at the moment or they¡¯d be raiding dungeons instead of stuck out here. Also, Therion we can stick out here in the hinterland without too much consequence because everyone knows the guild is mad at him. If I step it¡¯ll be another guild officer out here in the middle of nowhere and then the Crimsun¡¯s will wonder why we care so much about this outpost. They¡¯ll send even more people out here just to find out what we are doing.¡± Jessica explained.

    Winston tried to wrap his head around the logic and came up with nothing. The guilds actions were totally crazy. ¡°That¡¯s not logical. If your willing to sacrifice a months worth of a goods just for a smoke screen and a test that¡¯s one thing, but then why would you have sent reinforcements to begin with? That¡¯s like saying the goods are important but aren¡¯t important.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s saying that the program is important but this shipment isn¡¯t. This is only the first load. Now that the harvesters have gained more skill levels the next one will be bigger and we¡¯ll have already established were willing to defend the shipments with man power from the main guild but not too seriously. They lost more money to portal in raiders than we did by losing the shipment. We can protect it best by showing we don¡¯t care about it.¡±

    ¡°The guards will hang around on Lunari until next month then they¡¯ll come back to the keep and we¡¯ll do it over again. Next time the Crimsun¡¯s likely won¡¯t bother and the guild will get their goods.¡± Jessica said.

    ¡°Politics¡­.¡± Winston muttered darkly. He still didn¡¯t get it but it didn¡¯t really matter to him. If the guild wanted to piss away their money and do stupid things. Winston didn¡¯t care, his quota would stay the same regardless. It wasn¡¯t his money. He just had to hand over the crops. It didn¡¯t matter to him if the guild threw them away afterwards.

    ¡°Common, my mount is over here in the trees.¡± Jessica said as she turned and headed into the trees.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You need a ride to Verith and my work here is done. I¡¯ll catch the merchant portal to Sword¡¯s Bastion. There are no guild goods to ship but the mage will still pop the portal. The guild already signed the contract with the merchants. So you might as well come with me. I¡¯ll drop you off in town.¡± She said.

    The two moved through the woods until we came to Jessica¡¯s mount. It was a black tricorn with scales along its neck and teeth that did not look like they belonged on an horse. It¡¯s three horns were all slightly twisted giving the horse-creature a sinister appearance.

    ¡°Classy.¡± Winston said as he eyed the creature warily.

    Jessica smiled and it was a killer look. She did have a great smile. ¡°Shela won''t hurt you. She doesn¡¯t really like men, but it¡¯s only a few hours ride to the city. Now get on.¡±

    Jessica had to help him up onto the creatures back. His legs were too short to get up myself. He wrapped my arms around Jessica¡¯s waist and tried to ignore the feel of her body under the leather. He felt vaguely guilty and didn¡¯t even know why.

    The two rode in silence over the rolling plains until Jessica spoke some time later. ¡°Sooo, how¡¯s Josh doing?¡± She asked, her voice small and tentative.

    Winston took one arm away from Jessica¡¯s waist and rubbed his forehead. It wasn¡¯t like no-one had ever tried to get to Josh through him before but seeing Jessica do it?  It was just weird. He wasn¡¯t sure what had really happened between the two. They were the king and queen of the school and they¡¯d dated for about two months last year year. He¡¯d never heard the whole story but they¡¯d had some sort of big blow up.

    ¡°Pretty well honestly. The football team is doing well and he¡¯s already got offers from quite a few schools. I doubt he could start at a division one school but he could be a back-up. There¡¯s also a bunch of smaller schools chasing after him so it¡¯s basically just down to where he wants to go. Assuming he doesn¡¯t tear out his throwing shoulder or something before the seasons over.¡± Winston said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mean that. I mean¡­.¡± She paused for a breath. ¡°How¡¯s he doing, personally?¡± She asked, her voice not sounding like it¡¯s normal confidant self. Winston rolled his eyes so hard he thought they might stick.

    ¡°You mean, does he ever talk about you?¡± Winston said.

    ¡°No, well, kinda¡­¡­.. I just miss him alright.¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Winston said honestly. ¡°He doesn¡¯t talk about you.¡±  He felt her stiffen with the arm still around her. ¡°Before you get super depressed. The fact he never talks about you says something. He always talks about the girls he dates. Not like graphic details but he talks about them. You he never mentions. That means something. I don¡¯t know what. He never talked about what happened between you two. If you managed to piss him off as much as you did though it must have been something epic.¡±

    Her body was rigid for a moment before she seemed to deflate. It was an odd look for her. She was always so in command and when she wasn¡¯t it was generally an act. Now she seemed truly vulnerable. Maybe she¡¯d really loved Josh. Most high-school relationships were infatuation and hormones as far as he could tell but there were exceptions. He thought of Trish and a a stupid smile crept onto his face. He pushed away the thought and sighed. This wasn¡¯t his problem.

    ¡°Do you think you might¡­.¡± She started.

    ¡°No.¡± Winston said firmly. ¡°If you want to talk to him. Do it yourself. I¡¯m not going to run notes between you two like it¡¯s middle-school.¡± Winston said. Jessica fell into a sullen silence as Winston shook his head in exasperation.  Then he spoke up again, against his better judgement.

    ¡°If you want to talk to him, be sincere. Like you are now. Don¡¯t try and BS him. He hates that.¡±

    It was only mid-morning in game when Jessica¡¯s mount galloped into the city. Winston felt

    miserable. The fast gallop of her mount hadn¡¯t helped his head and now his stomach seemed to be rebelling as well. Jessica reigned the horse to a stop and Winston stumbled to the ground, wobbling on his unsteady legs. He waved to Jessica who didn¡¯t even say goodbye before she rode off.

    That left Winston in town needing to meet up with a merchant to ship his berries. He¡¯d gotten the meeting location from Ruger, so Winston walked to one of the local taverns, wishing he could just go back to bed.

    The tavern was bustling when Winston finally found it. It was Saturday and the place was full of NPC¡¯s eating lunch and a few players sitting at the tables in their armor. The merchant was an older dwarf with shoulders about a meter wide.. He had a round ruddy face and gray at his temples and streaking his long braided beard.

    He sat at a lopsided table and sipped at a ale in a large wooden mug. Winston slid into the table and the man looked up from his drink. So, your the kid I¡¯m supposed to be getting something from. Winston shrugged at him.

    ¡°I think so. Your AleHeart right? Ruger wanted me to send some berries back to the starter continent.¡± Winston explained.

    ¡°Well, as long as it¡¯s not too much it shouldn¡¯t be a problem. Wagon is out back, just go put them in one of the bags tied on the side.¡± He said, not really paying attention to Winston. It was clear he was just doing this as a favor and didn¡¯t really care about Winston one way or the other. That was fine with Winston. He couldn¡¯t say he really cared much about the merchant but that could just be his antisocial tendencies talking.

    Winston did as the man told him then logged out. He felt like crap and just wanted to go back to bed.

 Chapter 17

    ¡°Man you look like hell.¡± Josh said as Winston stumbled out of his room. Winston¡¯s eyes were bloodshot and he moved like an old man as he walked slowly towards the kitchen.

    ¡°I feel like hell. I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re not sick, you had to play in that mess.¡± Winston grumbled as he walked by his brother and poured himself some orange juice.  He downed it, then grimaced as the acid mixed with his already sour stomach.

    ¡°It¡¯s actually not that bad with your pads on as long as you¡¯re moving around. It¡¯s a lot worse on the bleachers when your just sitting there. Besides that, I¡¯m just awesome.¡± Josh said with a straight face. He flexed a bicep and nodded smugly as he looked at it. Winston grumbled something unkind at him as he walked back to his room.

    He slept right through the meeting he was supposed to have with Abby about their econ project and didn¡¯t wake up until nearly eight at night. That left him wide awake on Saturday night with nowhere to go and nothing to really do.

    He decided to get back in game. He needed to get back to the keep and get working. After paying Trollogistics to take him back to the keep he¡¯d be hurting for money again and he needed to get a stock-pile of grain built up. That would take the pressure off of his daily grind and give him more options for dealing with everything.

    He logged into the game still near the inn from the night before and headed back inside to wait for his troll based transportation to show up and take him back to the keep. The tavern was oddly full. A few were NPC¡¯s who were probably the taverns regulars but there were over a dozen players.  That was odd, very odd. It made Winston nervous. He knew he was safe. This was a safe zone so it¡¯s like like he could get mugged or attacked but Verith was in the back-end of nowhere. There shouldn¡¯t be this many players in town.

    ¡°Hey handsome, you from around here?¡± Said a feminine voice. The voice was low for a girl was filled with enough smoke and promise to short circuit his teenage brain. Winston looked up into the eyes of a Dryad. Her skin had the texture of bark and her hair was an odd light-blue color. She was short but with curves in all the best places. She¡¯d changed her face but it was the eyes that gave her away.

    ¡°What the hell are you doing here?¡± Winston asked Trish. She grinned widely. He was running into all kinds of people he recognized this weekend. What was going on?

    ¡°That didn¡¯t take long. Figured I¡¯d have to be more blatant for you to figure it out.¡± She said.

    ¡°I thought your guild base was on Kishik. That¡¯s like three continents and 10,000 miles from here.¡± Winston said, still stunned.

    ¡°Closer to 12. We¡¯re on the South coast, headquarters is right on the beach.¡± Trish said with a grin. Winston shook his head and tried to understand what was happening. It was then he noticed the name displayed above her head. He blinked, then his mouth gaped open.

    The digital green text read. ¡®Trishka Treesinger level 58¡¯.

    ¡°You¡¯re the Mad Witch?¡± Winston asked incredulously.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I ever tell you?¡± She asked innocently. Winston sighed.

    ¡°No¡­. You hardly ever talk about your character, just your guild and the game and even then it¡¯s usually something vague.¡± Now that he thought about it. That should have been a bit of a give away. Trish was so open about everything else. The fact that she¡¯d never really talked about her character should have been more of a tip off.

    The Mad Witch wasn¡¯t a popular streamer but she was considered one of the better casters in the game. Not one of the true elites but good enough to make a name for herself. She was young, pretty, and talented so she had quite a few fans. She was a shaman who had an odd nuking build where she summoned elemental spirits then possessed them to gain elemental powers. Winston had never imagined it was Trish. He was running into all sorts of his classmates in game lately. At least he knew Ruger and Brad were just average players.

    ¡°Your going to steal the wagons back from the Crimsun¡¯s aren''t you.¡± Winston said, finally understanding why she as here. He laughed incredulously. ¡°What the hell is wrong with you people? It¡¯s just one crappy convoy. That¡¯s three different guilds going to war over what 6000 gold worth of materials? That¡¯s ridiculous.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not about the convoy. Neither the Swords, the Crimsun¡¯s, or us for that matter ever cared about the convoy. For us, it¡¯s about the reputation. The Crimsuns and the Swords are gearing up for a full scale war. It¡¯s the perfect time to throw our hat into the ring and prove we can play with the big boys. We¡¯ll kill the Crimsun¡¯s and slap the video up online. We¡¯ll have recruits coming in from all over to get a piece of the two juggernauts.¡± She explained.

    Winston thought that over then shook his head. ¡°You guys are all idiots.¡±

    ¡°No, think about it. The Crimson Sun¡¯s and the Swords of Solomon are like two professional sports teams. They fight all the time and although their power waxes and wanes at the end of the day it doesn¡¯t really matter which one is better. It¡¯s still the two big-boys just whacking away at each other, but what would happen if they lost to a college team. Even just one game. For the two pro teams, not much, but for the college team? They¡¯d have all kinds of bragging rights. They¡¯d get better recruits, more money, more publicity, maybe even enough to push them up into the next league.¡± She tried to explain.

    ¡°Your really butchering your sports metaphors. College teams can¡¯t move leagues.¡±

    ¡°Now your just being contrary.¡± Trish said with a frown. Winston rubbed his face, then laughed.

    ¡°if your going out to fight can you at least take me back to Grimstone keep? I sorta need a ride and don¡¯t wanna waste another 300 gold.¡± Winston asked. Trish snorted.

    ¡°I¡¯m the girl, your supposed to be driving me around in your sweet ride. Figgures¡­.¡± She muttered darkly, shooting him a scowl before laughing again.

    ¡°Well, Bog¡¯s gonna need a bit of training up before she¡¯d ready for riders. Even then she¡¯s not exactly a hot-rod. She¡¯s more of a half-ton pickup.

    ¡°You¡¯ll never get a girl to like you if you call them fat.¡±

    Winston rolled his eyes. ¡°She¡¯s a bird.¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter, but sure I¡¯ll take you.¡± Her eyes looked off to the side, like she was looking at something he couldn¡¯t see. ¡°We¡¯ve got about twenty minutes until it¡¯s time to go. You hungry?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Our date isn¡¯t until next week. No cheating.¡± He said, smiling. Trish laughed and the two descended into small talk while they ate and chatted. It was then Winston remembered he actually had something he needed done.

    ¡°Oh, your heading back to your guild once your done tonight right? I need you to sell something for me.¡± He said as he dug around in his pack. He¡¯d finally gotten a quest reward from the orcs that was worth something but he couldn¡¯t sell it in Verith without getting ripped off.

    He reached into his pack and pulled out two metal ingots. They were dark green and seemed to absorb the lamplight of the tavern.

    [Orix]

    [Rare, Regent]

    [Orix is one of the primary ingredients of the legendary metal Adamantium. In its base form it acts as a high-quality metal with extreme anti-magical properties. The orcs see the metal as sacred, a remnant from their ancient wars against the high-elves where the metal allowed their warriors to counter the elves¡¯ sorcery.]If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    Trish whistled. ¡°Where did you find that?¡±

    ¡°Chain quest reward.¡± Winston said. ¡°So can you take it back with you? They should get at least 1000 gold each I figure.¡±

    ¡°I can do that. I¡¯ll mail you the gold when the auction is over.  Now let¡¯s move.¡± She said as she stood up form the table and headed out.

    Winston soon found himself on yet another strange mount. This one was a massive red boar. Trish hopped up easily with her level 50+ stats but Winston had to struggle to heave his bulk up on the creature¡¯s back. He sat between the creatures shoulder blades and Trish sat in front of him. That made things a bit awkward for Winston. When he¡¯d ridden behind Jessica he¡¯d enjoyed it but although she was attractive he didn¡¯t have feelings for her. With Trish everything was magnified and his stomach flopped with an odd fluttery feeling. He sighed at himself. Trish snorted from in front of him and wiggled in a matter that didn¡¯t help his stomach.

    ¡°Now your just being mean.¡± Winston said flatly.Trish laughed as she flicked the reigns and they headed out of the city.

    The battle between Trish¡¯s Blood Hounds and the Crimson Sun¡¯s wasn¡¯t nearly as interesting as the one between the Swords and the Crimsun¡¯s. It¡¯s was just a slaughter. The whole thing lasted maybe thirty seconds before the Crimsun¡¯s were all dead. Trish hadn¡¯t even participated. She and Winston had just watched the carnage.

    ¡°And this is supposed to help your recruiting?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Everyone loves a winner. The fact we out numbered them 2-1 and brought all our highest level players doesn¡¯t really come into it.¡±

    Winston just shook his head.¡±You are all insane. It¡¯s like every time I see one of the guilds do anything it¡¯s in the most illogical and round about way possible.¡±

    Trish shrugged. ¡°You get used to it I guess. Besides it¡¯s just a game. If we wanna teleport three continents over just to smash a bunch of Crimsun¡¯s what¡¯s it really matter? It¡¯s not like they don''t deserve it. You know how many small guilds and players they¡¯ve crushed just to steal a raid or a iron mine.I can see why you like your character though. You just have to farm.¡±

    Winston thought about all the things he had going and needed to work on and just shook his head. The grass always looks greener from the other side. He had plenty of problems of his own.

    Trish¡¯s boar could really move but the trip was still hours long. They finally got back to Grimstone sometime around three in the morning and Trish unceremoniously booted him off her mount before turning to head back to Verth. Winston on the other hand went to bed. He¡¯d spent all day riding around with various people and hadn¡¯t actually accomplished anything.

    ******************************************************************

    Winston looked up at his tree Sunday morning with a puzzled look on his face. His apples were finally ready to pick. It had taken two weeks since he planted them and the results had been¡­.. mixed. Half the tree was covered with apples, they were small and didn¡¯t look very high quality but they were at least within Winston¡¯s expectations. The other half of the tree only held a single apple. It was an odd brown-red color and was the size of a cantaloupe.

    When he¡¯d planted the tree he¡¯d known there¡¯s been something odd about the soil but he hadn¡¯t expected the results to be so obvious.

    He reached up and picked the apple and light flashed around him in blue and green.

    [You Have reached Level 8!]

    [Your Farming Skill Has Increased]

    [Current Rank: Beginner Rank III]

    [Bonus Crop Yield: 19%]

    [Bonus Crop Quality: 30.9%]

    [Fruit Sub Skill Has Increased]

    [Current rank: Novice III]

    [Bonus Fruit Crop Yield: 6%]

    [Bonus Fruit Quality: 6%]

    Winston smiled happily as he looked down at the apple in his hands. Just two more skill ranks in farming and two more player levels and he¡¯d get two more powerful skills, three when he ranked up his Grain Sub-skill. That should put him well on his way to being a powerful and hopefully rich farmer.

    That was for the future though for now he had to do something with the giant apple he was holding.

    [Apple of the Earth]

    [High-Quality, Reagent]

    [An Apple of the Earth is a uncommon mutation that sometimes happens with a large amount of Earth mana is absorbed by an apple tree while its fruiting. This process makes the fruit poison to most creatures but also turns it into a powerful alchemy ingredient.]

    More items he had no real market for. Still, a quick search of the markets let him know this little gem should be worth a good 300 gold at least. That wasn¡¯t bad.

    He picked the rest of normal apples grimacing slightly at their poor quality and small size. He really needed to figure out some form of irrigation. Water was the biggest problem his crops were having and discovering a way to fix that would help out all his crops and increase yields.

    He pondered the problem while he harvested and planted his crops. When Trish sent him the money from those ingots he¡¯d be pretty financially sound. That would at least give him a few options. A mundane solution would be some sort of water holding tank or pond. He might be able to fill it from the river, although it would take a long time. Still, he was going to be here for months so it wasn¡¯t out of the question.

    The second option would be to buy a magical scroll or magical device to create water. Those would be pricey and he might even have to have one special made which would cost thousands of gold. The problem with both options was that they were based in magic so unless he could create a perpetual system the water would disappear quickly as a victim of the games rules for magic. It wouldn¡¯t be impossible to work around but it would likely be expensive.

    Because of how he¡¯d completed the last quest for the orcs he hadn¡¯t received a new one. That was a load off his plate. It would let him work for himself this week and stockpile both grain and money. He popped open a market window and started to search for a solution to his water problems as his body stayed on autopilot.

    He found some scrolls that might work first. The scroll was call ¡®Simple Rain Cloud¡¯ and wound douse a circle 50 yards in diameter with rain for 30 minutes. The scroll was only about 200 gold since it had no real combat utility but he¡¯d have to use at least three or four of them a day to really be worth it. That would make the cost prohibitive unless he really needed a crop to come out high-quality.

    There were some more powerful scrolls like ¡®Localized Rainstorm¡¯ but that scroll was 10,000 gold. It was also too much rain at once. In a place as dry as Brethren Plains it would just flash flood and drown all of his plants .No, he was going to need to find someone to make him a magical tool. Talented Artificers and Enchanters were rare but he really didn¡¯t need anything complicated. He just needed a magical sprinkler.

    He opened up the forums and started to look through advertisements. As usual the trade section for the forums was overflowing. Winston started chopping down the 100,000¡¯s of thousands of options into something useful. Firstly he cut out everything that wasn¡¯t an enchanter or magical artifact maker. Then he limited it to the Lunari Continent. It wasn¡¯t too populated but some of the larger cities had decent populations of crafters

    He started to pareuse his options. There were three enchanters, two Artificers, and a Rune-Crafter on Lunari who were actively seeking customers on the forums.

    He started going down the list. Two of the enchanters weren¡¯t online, the third wanted 5000 gold minimum so Winston just hung up on him. One of the artificers was a bit too eager and Winston didn¡¯t trust him. The other seemed completely uninterested. That left Winston with Gregson Thunderfist, Hill-Dwarf Rune-Crafter.

    Winston shot him a message.

    Win mills: ¡°Hey man, you looking for a commission?¡±

    Gregson Thunderfist: ¡°I suppose that depends on what you need done, and what your willing to pay for it.¡±

    Win mills: ¡°I need a magical sprinkler, or more likely multiple sprinklers, depending on the area they cover.¡±

    Gregson Thunderfist: ¡°........ I think I¡¯m going to need you to describe the problem.¡±

    Win mills: ¡°Well, I¡¯m a farmer but my guild stuck me in a zone where it¡¯s too dry. So I need a water solution. I was thinking a few sprinklers would be the best. Although I¡¯m not sure how you¡¯d power them.¡±

    Gregson Thunderfist: ¡°That¡¯s¡­.. Not exactly what I do. I¡¯m a Rune Crafter I upgrade weapons and armor with runes.¡±

    Win mills: ¡°Why can¡¯t you just upgrade a sprinkler with runes. That should be way easier. I mean water is pretty easy to create with magic. I just need something that will do it at a stable volume with some time release options.¡±

    Gregson Thunderfist: ¡°That not what I do.¡±

    Win mills: ¡°But you could do it. Look man, do you want my money or not?¡±

    The reply took a while in coming and Winston thought the dwarf wasn¡¯t going to answer him.

    Gregson Thunderfist: ¡°Fine, it¡¯s been slow here anyway.  So a water rune, a projection rune, a durability rune, and probably three for the time aspect, although a remote control option might be easier.¡±

    Win mills: ¡°No good, I need it to run while I¡¯m not online.¡±

    Gregson Thunderfist: ¡°Alright, then probably three runes for your basic automation. That¡¯s six runes at 100 gold each. Now how much area did you say you needed to cover?¡±

    Win mills: ¡°About a half-acre in total. It¡¯s one quarter acre field and a few smallers ones. Although I¡¯ll likely be expanding in a few weeks.¡±

    Gregson Thunderfist: ¡°I¡¯ll have to do some actual work before I know what the coverage area will be, but I¡¯d guess you¡¯ll need at least four of the devices, that would be 2400 gold, and that doesn¡¯t even count the magical gems you¡¯ll need to power them. Those won¡¯t be too expensive, but it¡¯ll still cost.¡±

    Winston grimaced. He didn¡¯t have that kind of money. When Trish sent him the money from his metal bars that would take him up to 2 grand or so, with the money he had left in the bank that would cover the sprinklers themselves, but he¡¯d have to pay Trollogistics a pretty penny to make it to Grenville to pick them up. That would cost him at least 1500 gold, and then more for the magical gemstones to power the sprinklers them.

    He popped open his action menu and looked for magic-charged gems. They were the most common way to store magic. If you cut the gem right you could use it to hold magic like a battery the larger the gem, the more magic it could store.  He did a few quick searches and sighed. Yeah, it would be at least another four or five hundred gold for the gems and he had no idea how long they would last.

    So, he needed around 4500 gold to even get his plan off the ground. He only had half that. The other problem was time. It was already October 6th. The trip to Grenville and back would take probably two weeks. If he waited a week to send Trollogistics it would be damn near November by time he got back and Winston¡¯s contract would be ? over by then. Was it really worth it for four weeks? After that he¡¯d be leaving this hell-hole for greener pastures.

    He supposed he could use the sprinklers even after he left. He¡¯d just take them with him. That gave him around a week to raise something like 2000 gold. It was theoretically possible. If he could bump his grain skill up a rank he¡¯d have something like 42% bonus yield. Combine that with his blessing and it would be close to 60%. That was nearly 5 bushels of wheat per harvest. If he managed two harvests a day that would be 14 harvests. Granted he could only use his blessing once a week, and he¡¯d have to send Troll before next Sunday. If he scrapped all his vegetable gardens and changed them over to corn or wheat he¡¯d be able to accumulate a pretty impressive amount of grain.

    The vegetables had been a good idea but without more water they¡¯d be stuck at low-quality and it just wasn¡¯t worth the extra hassle. He might as well just flip them back to grains until he had his sprinklers. Nodding at his new plan, it was time to get to work. He was going to have to work his tail off this week.

 Chapter 18

    Winston lifted his pack and dumped a load of wilted cabbage into the pit at his feet. They piled up on top of the other plant matter and he shook his head as he sat his pack down then dumped another bucket of manure on top of the whole mess. The smell of rotting vegetables and poop was strong and he gagged as he finished. He took a few steps away from it all before he summoned some water to clean out the bucket he was using.

    The last batch of vegetables hadn¡¯t come out well. The beans had at least scraped a low-quality rating but the cabbage had come out with a ¡®poor¡¯ rating so Winston had decided to just toss it all into the fertilizer pits. It wasn¡¯t the best solution but it would at least let him get something out of them.

    It was Monday and he needed to clear at least 50 bushels of grain in the next five days. He¡¯d spent the rest of Sunday switching all his fields over to grain but had run out of logon time. Now it was Monday night and he was already behind schedule. He¡¯d stored around 9 bushel so far but that wasn¡¯t even half of what he owed the guild for this week. He was going to have to up his game. Luckily his single trump card was now off cool-down.

    He pulled out his priest staff as he headed towards his main wheat field. He needed a boost and he had the spell to do it. The problem was how to use it. He¡¯d done well with his other priest spell, and even managed to create an extra one. That had been an act of desperation but it was effective at the time. Right now he needed to get a handle on ¡®Norish the Land¡¯. It was a class skill, and Grove Tender was a rare class so it should be a powerful skill. Winston had to admit it had potential but in its current state it didn¡¯t offer much more than a minor yield boost. That was useful but he had to do better.

    If he was going to start really moving forward he needed more tools. He needed to get his blessing to at least beginner rank and he had some ideas. The spell infused the land with divine power that let the crops grow faster. The first thing he¡¯d try would be to use the power to change the soil composition to something closer to what the crop needed. The wheat and corn grew alright in Brethren Plains but if he could give the soil composition a nudge it should make a solid impact on both the quality and yield. That would be on top of the purely numerical boost the skill would get from leveling up.

    He pulled a wheat seed out of his pack and held it. The ground here was decent for wheat but even with the fertilizer he was still draining the soil of essential nutrients because he wasn¡¯t rotating crops and didn¡¯t have the right fertilizers. That was something he should probably fix in the long term, but he didn¡¯t have a good rotation crop and he had a schedule to keep. He couldn¡¯t keep two fields going. At least not with his current skills and time commitments. If the courtyard had more space he could at least leave one field to fallow and switch between them but for now he was stuck.

    The best solution for now would be a better fertilizer and his Nourish The Land spell. He focused his mind on what the ground here was missing. It was hard to translate the feelings he got into words, but he figured it would probably work better if he just used the feelings his soil sense skill was feeding to him and sent those in turn back into the blessing.

    He raised his staff, and willed the land to change. His staff lit up with silverlight and divine power poured out of him and into the soil. He couldn¡¯t cover the whole field but with his level ups and bonus FP from his farmer skill he now had over 110 FP. That was just enough for a quarter acre field. Since he¡¯d converted all the smaller plots over he still wouldn¡¯t get full coverage but he could at least cover his main field.

    [Your Runa Skill Level Has Increased!]

    [Runa Skill level is now Beginner II]

    [Your Nourish The Land Skill Has Increased!]

    [Nourish the Land has reached Novice V!]

    [Duration: Three Days

    Cooldown: 124 Hours

    Cost: 10 FP per 1000ft2

    Effect: Increases crop yield in area by 26% while active]

    Winston felt a bit disappointed. He¡¯d done something wrong. He hadn¡¯t made it over the beginner hump and his attempt hadn¡¯t worked. The soil composition hadn¡¯t changed.On the other hand, his focus had leveled the skill up three times and 26% was a damn big bonus. Eventually that skill would make his career but for now it was just helpful. Once he was getting say a 90% bonus from his farming skills, then could drop another 150% boost from his blessing he could do the work of three farmers without any other skills at all.

    Those thoughts had to wait for another day. At least with the boost he¡¯d get a good harvest out of his field for the next few days.

    ¡°I thought you usually used that on your vegetables or those berries you are growing.¡± Rimmi asked as he walked to where Winston was looking at his field.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve only gotten to use it twice and that was the plan. Unfortunately I need to make a crap ton of money this week. If I can stockpile enough grain I can use that to buy off the guy I need to haul all this for me.¡± Winston asked.

    ¡°Why? What are you doing?¡± The gnome asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ve ordered some magical sprinklers from a city a few zones away. I¡¯ve got the money to pay for them, but I¡¯ve gotta make enough money for the courier. It¡¯s gonna cost a fortune to send him on a journey that¡¯ll take weeks. I¡¯m gonna pay him off with grain. Then he can sell it when he gets there.¡± Winston explained.

    Rimmi looked at him. ¡°We¡¯ll I¡¯ve got some grain saved up, as well as the potions I just made. Think I could get in on that? I¡¯ve been looking for someplace to sell them.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t see why not. Plus with you getting on board it¡¯ll offset some of the costs. I¡¯ll contact Troll. I¡¯m guessing he¡¯s not gonna be happy to be send halfway across the continent.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s Troll?¡±Rimmi asked.

    ¡°Trollogistics. He¡¯s the courier I use to buy stuff in the city or to take my stuff there to sell.¡± He¡¯s the only courier in the area I could get to come out this far.¡± WInston explained.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    ¡°Guess I better start getting ready then. It¡¯s gonna be a short week.¡± Rimmi said as he headed back towards his own fields.

    ***********************************************************

    Trollogistics sat up abruptly when his interface chimed. He¡¯d been getting worried. His mole client hadn''t messaged him in a while and he was worried something had happened to him. There were alot of people he didn¡¯t recognize around town and the player population of the city seemed to have swelled over the past few weeks.

    There were at least three separate guilds hanging around and the whole city seemed to be boiling. There were a steady stream of people spawning in the city graveyard as they died in small skirmishes in the area around the city. There¡¯d been a few larger guild battles as well and he wanted no part of any of it.

    A guild war was both a blessing and a curse for small timers like him. There were many lucrative contracts to be had, but you ran the risk of getting stomped on by some level 60 who was bored or who wanted to stop a rival guilds goods from moving..

    Trollogistics was considering just packing up and heading for some other dead-zone. That would be the most pragmatic decision. The only problem was he¡¯d be abandoning his only client and any possible work he had. He checked the message and sighed with both relief and trepidation.

    Trollogistics: Yes?

    Win Mills: How would you feel about a run to Grenville?

    Trollogistics froze as he absently popped open a map. The name sounded familiar but that place was¡­..

    Trollogistics: That¡¯s on the other-side of the damn continent. I¡¯ll take weeks to make a trip there and back and this whole cities getting ready to boil over.

    Win Mills: True, but the pay will also be good and you¡¯ll be getting out of town for a while. I need you to pick up some magical items I¡¯m having made there. I can pay you in grain, then you can sell it in the better markets there to make your money. The other farmer here also wants in the on the deal. He should have a couple dozen bushels of grain as well as some alchemy potions I¡¯ve got nearly that much grain and a bunch of other stuff. I figured you wouldn¡¯t do it for less than two grand or so.

    Trollogisitics: Three thousand would be better for two weeks work but I¡¯ll take two if you throw on 5% of what I carry.

    The conversation paused for a moment as the client thought it over.

    Win Mills: Deal, come pick everything up Friday night and we¡¯ll be ready. Oh, and bring me some buckwheat or peanuts.

    Trollogistis sighed as he ended the call. He needed the work but it left him in a bit of a pickle. He¡¯d have to carry a lot of grain and his rickshaw simply wasn¡¯t big enough. The other issue was he¡¯d finally hit level 20 in Wagon Driver and it was time to decide how he wanted to advance his class.

    He wanted to select courier to fly along the roads like the wind, however his business, such as it was, was hauling grain. He¡¯d need extra capacity for the trip and if he decided to stick with Win then he¡¯d need to choose teamster instead. He didn¡¯t really want to but the mole-man was leaving his skills quickly and was already dealing in legitimate size trade. Once the mole hit Apprentice ranks he could probably keep his wagon in work all by himself. That bore thinking about.

    Once he committed he could also start trading in ore and lumber. It wasn¡¯t the business he¡¯d imagined but if he trained another troll and used the two as a team¡­.. It was doable he decided, maybe even prudent. With a month until the expansion this was the perfect time to get into commodities market. There¡¯d be plenty of work for a teamster with a decent wagon and solid speed.

    The question was if he was willing to stake his characters build on a single odd mole-man. His brain said no, but his gut said yes. There was something about him that made Trollogistics think that sticking around would be a good decision in the long run. Sighing he opened his character sheet and selected his class options before selecting teamster.

    [You Have Selected the Teamster Job Advancement!]

    [You Have Gained the Skill Advanced Packing!]

    [You Have Gained the Skill Increased Mount Endurance!]

    Trollogistics sighed as the light finished flashing. He had to go buy a new wagon.

    ****************************************************************

    Winston did his best to weather the glare that Abby was shooting in his direction. ¡°You just bailed. We were supposed to be working. It¡¯s not a group project if I have to do everything by myself.¡± Winston rolled his eyes.

    Missing the first meeting of a project they hadn¡¯t started wasn¡¯t the end of the world. In fact Winston had argued there wasn¡¯t much reason to even meet yet. That hadn¡¯t stopped her from pressing the issue and missing the meeting hadn¡¯t helped. In fact she probably though he¡¯d just blown her off because he didn¡¯t want to meet in the first place.

    Winston looked into the girl¡¯s furious eyes. Yep, that was probably it.

    ¡°I was really sick. I didn¡¯t just blow you off.¡± He said. ¡°I had to sit through the damn rain during the homecoming game. I felt like crap all Saturday. I¡¯m sorry but I was sick.¡±

    Abby just kept glaring and Winston raised his hands in defeat before walking to his seat in Econ and sitting down. Abby kept glaring but sat beside him so they could work on their project. She pulled out an ancient laptop and sat it heavily on the table.

    Winston had borrowed Josh¡¯s laptop for this as he pulled the much sleeker model out and sat it across from Abby¡¯s.

    ¡°So we¡¯ve got all the player skill data, the auction info from tailoring items and ingredients. Now what do we do with it?¡± Abby asked.

    ¡°Well we need to import it into a spreadsheet so we can start filtering all of it. Although that much data will probably make my PC explode.¡± Winston said as he tapped away on his keyboard.

    ¡°How do we do that?¡± She asked.

    ¡°I can do it. What you need to decide is what we¡¯re actually looking for. Having a great big blob of data doesn¡¯t really do much for us.¡± Winston said. That was the problem with big data. It was a powerful tool but having a billion facts didn¡¯t really do much for you unless you had some idea of what you were hoping to see.

    ¡°Well, I think we should start with Skill Point distribution. Pull up how many people have a skill point in tailoring and how many people have a skill point in any non-combat skill.¡± Abby said, after thinking about it for a moment.

    Winston ran a few simple filters and winced as his computer chugged on the massive spreadsheet, eventually it spit out what he was looking for. ¡°There are 7.1 million players who have a non-combat skill over Novice rank V. Of those, 467,468 are tailors. That¡¯s around 1 in 15 of players with non-combat skills.¡± He told her as he looked down at the screen.

    ¡°I honestly thought it be higher. Abby said with a frown on her face.

    ¡°Well, a non-combat skill isn¡¯t just crafting or gatherings skills. That includes things like Outdoorsman, Dungeoneering, Swimming, and a bunch of other stuff.¡± Winston explained. ¡°That¡¯s honestly pretty high when you think about it.¡±

    ¡°What if we just look at Crafting and Gathering Skills.¡±

    ¡°Then it¡¯s around 1 out of 8, it¡¯s the fourth most popular crafting profession after Blacksmithing, Alchemy, and Cooking.¡± Winston replied.

    ¡°Alright, then I suppose the next question is, are those numbers statistically significant and how can we prove it enough to write a paper.¡± Abby said thoughtfully. ¡°I suppose we¡¯d have to look at supply and demand. How many clothing items are actually produced in game, and how is that divided among the people with the tailoring skill.¡±

    That actually sounded reasonable. Abby was smart, Winston would give her that. ¡°Alright, but that¡¯s in a totally different file so it¡¯ll take a bit.¡± He said as he pulled up yet another massive data file and started to filter it down.

    The two worked steadily through class and headed out of the room together when the bell rang.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s so important in game that you blew off our meeting?¡± She asked as the two headed out the door and across the building towards the Junior lockers.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t blow off the meeting. Although, I am ridiculously busy this week.¡± Winston said with a sigh. ¡°I¡¯ve gotta harvest 2000 gold worth of crops before friday night. I¡¯m on pace, but it¡¯s damn annoying. I¡¯ll be glad when Friday comes and I can relax. I might not play at all this weekend. I¡¯m tired of looking at the same stupid dirt.¡±

    ¡°Well, do you wanna meet up this weekend to work on our project? Say, saturday night?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Can¡¯t¡± Winston said, grinning. ¡°Got a date.¡±  That seemed to give the girl pause for a moment and Winston wondered vaguely if abby had a thing for him. That didn¡¯t seem likely but what the hell did he know. Then again, that might just be her upset from getting turned down. Any rejection was still a rejection of sorts. It would sting a little even if she didn¡¯t have a crush on him or anything.

    ¡°With Trish, or someone else?¡± She asked, her moment of hesitation gone.

    ¡°It¡¯s with Trish, apparently I was the only who didn¡¯t know she¡¯d had a crush on me.¡± Winston said with a laugh.

    ¡°It was pretty obvious.¡± Abby said. ¡°Well, good luck then.¡± She said as split up to head to their lockers.

 Chapter 19

    ¡°Yay¡± Winston cheered sourly as he chopped down the last bit of wheat still standing in his field. It had been a long week and this wheat had been the last of it. As he shoved the wheat into his pack blue light flashed around him and his half-hearted cheer turned into a real one.

    [You Have reached Level Nine]

    [ Name: Win Mills   Level 9]

    [ Race: Yawnshu       Class: Grove tender]

    [            Attributes             Status]

    [Str:     32       End: 38(+4)42    Hp: 83/83 Mana: 77/77]

    [Con:    29       Agi: 22            Stam: 105/105 Panic: 2/10]

    [Cord: 32(+3)35      Int: 24      Hunger: 35/100 Thirst: 34/100]

    [Wis  34(+2)36       Faith: 34(+5)39                     FP:104/104(120/120)]

    [Res:  23 ]

    [Guild: Seeds    Titles: 1]

    [Fame: 5         Friend List: 3/5]

    The weather was excellent for once in Brethren Plains. The air was warm and the wind was cool against Winston¡¯s sweating fur. The sun was just setting in the West and the school week was finally over. Trollogistics should be here in a few minutes to pick up all of Winston¡¯s grain and his date with Trish was tomorrow night. All in all, his life was pretty good.

    He hadn¡¯t made his 50 bushel goal but he had hit 48. That gave him a little less than a ton of grain to ship, well a short ton anyway. He supposed it was only about ? of a metric ton. Damn British, after going to all the trouble of forcing their system of measurement on their colonies they least they could have done was stick with their own system afterwards. Then again, he was pretty sure the only reason America hadn¡¯t switched over to SI units yet was just to be contrary.

    Winston stood up and stretched, popping his back as he shoved his well-worn scythe into his pack. He¡¯d need to get a new one soon. He¡¯d practically worn the durability on the one he had down to 0. Hopefully he¡¯d be able to get one custom ordered soon.

    He was heading towards the storage shed to drop off the last of his harvest when the clatter of wagon wheels caught his ears. A large wagon pulled by a team a trolls trundled into the yard. It was at least six times as big as the old rickshaw with large spoked wheels and long flat bed. Wooden slats acted as the sides of the wagon and the back with filled with heavy crates just waiting to have grain dumped into them.

    Trollogistics drove the wagon right up next to the storehouse before he reigned in the trolls and brought the wagon to stop with a barked command. He hopped down as Rimmi and Winston walked over to him.

    ¡°So, what ca boys got for me?¡± He asked as the two got to him.

    ¡°Lots of stuff.¡± Winston said. ¡°I see you¡¯ve upgraded.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­. Sorta had to. No way I¡¯d fit all the stuff you guys want me to haul into my old rig. The halfling said as he stuck out a hand towards Rimmi. ¡°I¡¯m Trollogistics. You must Rimmi.¡±

    Rimmi nodded as he shook back. ¡°Yep, so your our hauler.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the plan.¡± Trollogitics as he walked over and pulled up the wooden slat on the side of the wagon so they could get at the crates. He started to wave his hand in the air as if he was playing with his interface. ¡°Alright, Lemme know what each of you have as you load so I can put it down in a spreadsheet. I don¡¯t wanna miss anything.¡±

    The three started to load. Rimmi had over thirty bushel of corn he¡¯d been saving up, as well as a dozen low-grade health potions and some neon purple concoction he¡¯d made while experimenting with his alchemy.  Winston had twenty-three bushel of wheat, 12 pounds of sugar, 2 bushel of beets, 4 bushel of beans, 2 of cabbage, and two of apples with this week''s harvest. He also had two Apples of the Earth, for whatever those were worth.

    ¡°You got the gold out of my bank right?¡± Winston asked as he finished pouring out his pack into a crate. Trish had finally sent him his gold on Thursday. The bars had earned him 2150 gold. That meant that after Troll pulled all the gold out of the bank for the sprinklers, Winston would be broke again,  At least until Troll got back.

    ¡°You guys do realize there¡¯s like 7 or 8 thousand gold worth of stuff here right?¡± Trollogistics asked.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the point?¡± Rimmi asked.

    ¡°I suppose, but this wagon makes one hell of a target.¡± Troll said, sounding worried.

    ¡°Not much we can do about it. We can¡¯t afford guards and even if we could that would just draw more attention to it. Just pile some of the lower quality stuff on top and don¡¯t try and hide. Being boring will be your best shield. Once you the  get out of this zone you should be alright. Lunari is pretty much empty aside from a few of larger capitals.¡± Winston said.

    ¡°If you say so.¡± Troll said as we finished loading the wagon. He hopped back up onto the cart and looked around nervously.

    ¡°Just go, you¡¯re heading away from Verith anyway. Even if someone was going to ambush you it¡¯s in the wrong direction. Just keep heading east and take the main roads.¡± Winston said.

    ¡°Alright, well I guess I¡¯ll be back in a week or two, or in a few days, depending on if anyone kills me or not.¡± He said with a laugh he picked up his reigns then stopped right before he headed out. ¡°Crap, I forgot your seeds. He said, reaching under the seat and pulling out a leather sack filled with seeds. He tossed it to Winston. ¡°I¡¯ll just put it on your tab. We can settle up when I get back with everyone¡¯s stuff.¡±

    With that he flicked the reigns and the trolls started to move. It took a while to build up speed now that the wagon was so loaded down. Winston watched him go with a smile on his face. Once Troll got back he¡¯d hopefully be Apprentice ranked in farming as well as level 10. He looked to his now barren field and shook his head. He¡¯d been playing all week. It was time to log out and get back to the real world.

    *******************************************************************************************

    ¡°Well, looks like someone finally made it out of his room.¡± Winston¡¯s mom said from her seat on the front porch. Sweat ran down Winston¡¯s face and his matted hair was getting in his eyes. ¡°And you need a haircut.¡±

    ¡°Morning mom.¡± Winston said, as he used the edge of his tee-shirt to mop at his brow. He¡¯d stayed up late playing Lota, then he¡¯d slept in till nearly 11. He hadn¡¯t realized how tired he¡¯d been until he¡¯d woken up. He¡¯d been pushing himself for weeks and apparently he¡¯d needed the extra sleep.

    ¡°Good to see you outside and exercising. I thought you¡¯d been spending all your time playing that dumb game. Still, it does seem to be doing you some good. You¡¯ve lost weight, and your arms even have some definition.¡± She said as she sipped at her latte.

    ¡°I¡¯m working in game. It¡¯s not like i¡¯m out adventuring or spending my time in the tavern.¡± Winston said bitterly.

    ¡°Have you made any money? You keep telling me your working but I don¡¯t see you with any more money¡± His wow asked with a raised eyebrow. Winston blushed a little. He really hadn¡¯t made any money. Hell, he¡¯d basically re-invested every gold he¡¯d made so far. Well, if Troll¡¯s wagon actually made it to Grenville he might have some money.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    ¡°I made around 300 dollars this week I think. Depends on how much of a cut the merchant will take.¡± He said honestly.¡±I¡¯ve had to spend a lot to get my business up and moving though. There is always stuff I need and it¡¯s expensive.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s business for you. You¡¯ve gotta have money to make money. It¡¯s good to see you so motivated, though. I just wish you spend more time with your friends instead of cooped up in your room.¡± She said, with a bit of worry in her voice.

    Winston looked at her askance. Since when did she care? Then again, she hadn¡¯t always been cold to him. He ran a hand through his sweaty-hair and sighed.¡±Well, You¡¯ll be happy to know I have a date tonight then.¡±

    ¡°Oh really? With Trisha?¡± His mom asked. Winston nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll congratulations, you really should go get your haircut though. You wanna look nice don¡¯t you?¡± Winston rolled his eyes as he walked passed his mom and into the house.

    He was about to head back to his room but he stopped and rerouted his path towards his brothers room. The door was open and he could hear Josh playing his X-box. Winston knocked on the edge of the doorframe and waited until his brother looked up from his game.

    The older boy pulled his headset off as he asked. ¡°Hey man, what¡¯s up? Finally dragged yourself out of the game I see.¡± Winston smiled sheepishly at his older brother.

    ¡°Soooo¡­. You doing anything tonight?¡± Winston asked. Joshed raised a golden eyebrow.

    ¡°I was planning on hanging out with Katie¡­. Why.¡± He asked.

    ¡°I sorta wanted to borrow your car. I¡¯ve kinda got a date, and I¡¯m sure mom would take me but¡­..¡± He shuddered and trailed off.

    ¡°HA!¡± Joshed laughed. ¡°Congrats little bro. Normally, I¡¯d tell you to buy your own damn car but it¡¯s about time you found yourself a girl. Besides, Katie can always come over here. Just lemme know when you need it. The keys are on my desk.¡± He said, pointing to his computer desk where the keys sat on the corner.

    ¡°Thanks, man. I really appreciate it. I¡¯ll fill your tank.¡± Winston said gratefully.

    Josh just laughed and put his headset back on. Winston headed back to his own room. He had some things he wanted to do in game before his date.

    The keep¡¯s courtyard was empty and Winston wasted no time in redigging his fields when he logged back in. They been left alone all night and it was making him itchy. Fields were meant to be planted and even if he had needed a night off it still made him uncomfortable. Winston pulled out the small sack of buckwheat seeds and pulled one out. He let his senses reach down into the soil.

    The seed actually seemed to like it here. In fact the ground here was nearly perfect for it. That was odd, but he knew from all his reading on various crops that buckwheat was a crop that did well in poor soil. Still, it was surprising. It was a shame he couldn¡¯t use this as his main crop. His yield should be pretty good. That was only a side benefit though. Buckwheat was an excellent soil builder. It put nitrogen back into the soil and it was a cover crop that would add biomass.

    Now that he had a solid off crop he could start a real crop rotation for increased yields, not to mention his farming should get a decent boost once he harvested this and replanted wheat. It might even be enough to push him into Apprentice rank.

    He planted the buckwheat then went over to check on his cloudberries. He now had three bushes instead of one but they didn¡¯t seem to be doing as well. He didn¡¯t know if that was due to a lack of wind or if they were stealing each others air mana because they were too close together. He sighed, it was something else he¡¯d have to experiment with. He¡¯d plant two more bushes out on the plains and see if they grew better. That could wait for another day though. For now he had something else to try.

    Winston pulled out his priest staff and looked down at his berry bushes. Since he¡¯s idea to alter the soil had failed that left him with some other options. If he couldn''t not alter the scope of the spell. Then he¡¯d have to mess with the spells other aspects. That basically left him with trying to make the spell more powerful, or trying to make it last longer. Duration seemed the simplest. So Winston focused his mind on what he wanted and cast his spell. ¡°Norish the Land!¡± He cried as he poured his faith points into the skill, focusing the spell into a smaller area and trying to make it last longer.

    [Your Norish The Land Skill Has Increased!]

    [Norish the Land has Reached Beginner I]

    [Duration: Three Days

    Cooldown: 116 Hours

    Cost: 10 FP per 1000ft2

    Effect: Increases crop yield in area by 30% while active]

    [Beginner Effect: User can increase Duration by x3 by increasing the FP cost by x5]

    Winston nodded with satisfaction. That was what he¡¯d been missing. It was a shame he could only have one blessing active at a time. With the boost, the duration was now longer than the cooldown. He¡¯d have been able to cover his whole field eventually. Then again, that was probably why they¡¯d added the stipulation.

    Winston tossed Bog a handful of cloudberries before logging off. He had a date to get ready for.

    *****************************************************************************

    Trish sat across from Winston in the booth at Marnie¡¯s. She was still in jeans but she¡¯d put on a nice blouse and had finally taken off her sweatshirt. She hadn¡¯t dressed up much but he could tell she¡¯d put on makeup that drew attention to her eyes.

    ¡°You¡¯re beautiful.¡± Winston said honestly. She was too, not in the traditional sense but she glowed with happiness and good health.  Winston also had to force himself to keep looking at her face. It was obvious now why she always wore something baggy. Without it high-school would have been impossible with all the guys gaping at her massive chest all day. Winston had to remind himself that they¡¯d been friends for years and drooling all over himself wasn¡¯t a good way to conduct a first date.

    ¡°It took you long enough to notice.¡± She said with a laugh. The motion did interesting thing to her shirt and Winston used all of his willpower not to look down.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t notice. It¡¯s just¡­..¡± Winston struggled for a way to explain himself.  ¡°Let¡¯s say you have a painting. Maybe you picked it up at a yard-sale or bought it off some starving artist at a flea-market or something. It¡¯s an incredible painting so you stick it up in your living room. How long before it¡¯s just another decoration. Something you walk by a dozen times a day without ever glancing at.¡±

    ¡°So I¡¯m a wall decoration now.¡± Trish said, sounding amused. Winston rubbed at his forehead.

    ¡°No¡­. It¡¯s just that your looks were never what was important. You were my friend. You¡¯ve always been my friend. You always put up with me and the guys regardless of how nerdy and stupid we were, well we still are. The fact you were a girl, and an attractive one at that, never came into it. Until it did.¡± Winston said, as he looked into her eyes.

    Trish blushed a little before grinning at him. ¡°That¡¯s both flattering and annoying. It drives a girl crazy when guys just think of them as one of the guys.¡±

    Winston shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s 100 percent fair. You can¡¯t spend all the time covering yourself up and acting like one of the guys then complain because your plan worked too well.¡±

    Trish shrugged this time.¡± I didn¡¯t say it was fair, it just drove me crazy. I don¡¯t know how many times you and the guys were going on about which girls you thought were hot, or talking about how if you moved your LotA character the right way you could see up her skirt. I really just wanted to slap you, or maybe shove your head into my boobs just so you¡¯d realize I wasn¡¯t just one of the guys.¡±

    Winston choked on his sip of pepsi and then started to cough as the burning carbonation started to come out his nose. Trish started to laugh and Winston grabbed a napkin and started to wipe his nose with as much dignity as he could muster.He coughed, then tried to clear his throat as he got his breathing back under control.

    ¡°Well¡­.:¡± He said slowly as he finally got his air back. ¡°I can say with total honestly it would have worked. In fact if you ever feel the need in the future I give you permission in advance.¡±

    Trish snorted, then let out something close to a giggle. Her face turned red in embarrassment and soon both of them were laughing as the waitress came and dropped off their food.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you brought me here for our first date. It¡¯s a burger joint¡± Trish scolded him lightly as she bit into her burger. Winston had debated his choice but it wasn¡¯t like there was any place in town that were very nice. There was a sorta of Italian place but it wasn¡¯t like it was high class either. There was something that felt right about this place. It was where they¡¯d had so many good times together with the guys. They were already Juniors. How many more times would they get to come hang out here?  No, Winston stood by his choice.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t like we had many options, unless we wanted to drive a town or two over. Then we¡¯d have just had to come back for the movie. Besides I like it here. There¡¯s something about it that says high-school romance.¡± Winston said as he tossed a fry into his mouth.

    The two kept laughing and chatting as they ate and they were just getting ready to head towards the theater when someone slipped into the booth next to Trish. He was a year or two older than they were. He had dark-hair and was wearing a tee-shirt that showed off his muscular chest and arms. He wasn¡¯t exactly handsome but he was in good shape and moved with the confidence of an athlete.

    Trish¡¯s eye¡¯s widend for a moment when she saw him before they went cold and flat. ¡°Greg, what are you doing here?¡± She asked coldly.

    The boy laughed as he slid into the booth. ¡°I just came over to say hi. No need to be so hostile.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re trying to eat dinner here. You¡¯ve said hi, now please leave.¡± Trish said, in the same flat voice.

    The guy finally took a moment to really look at her. Then he looked across the table towards Winston and his eyes widened. ¡°Are you on a date? With this little runt are you kidding me?¡± Greg said incredulously.

    Trish rolled her eyes. ¡°Would you stop acting like every cliche ex-boyfriend ever and just leave already. You didn¡¯t seem to have much trouble walking away from me or the guild last time.¡±

    Greg¡¯s face darkened. ¡°We both were invited we could have left together but you chose to be stubborn.¡±

    ¡°I chose to be loyal.¡± She snapped back. ¡°You¡¯re the one that decided to bail the moment Jessica batted her eyes at you. Well, now I¡¯m head of the mage division in Blood Hounds and your just a grunt in the Swords.¡± Winston really wished he had some popcorn. He knew he should probably be jealous or something but he trusted Trish. He always had. Even if their relationship didn¡¯t pan out he didn¡¯t think it would affect their friendship. Maybe that was just wishful thinking but right now this was great entertainment.

    It also seemed to explain why Jessica and Trish always seemed to be butting heads. Apparently Jessica had seduced away her boyfriend before. Now that he thought about it that was also around the time the Jessica and his brother had there falling out. The plot was thickening.

    ¡°Oh yeah, you¡¯re queen of a little 2-bit guild, congratulations.¡± Greg said sarcastically. ¡°You can¡¯t even play with the big-boys let alone win.¡±

    Trish just stared at him for a while before she spoke. ¡°We¡¯re all playing the same game Greg. It doesn¡¯t matter if the guild has 12 players, 1200, or 12,000. It¡¯s all the same bullshit, petty politics, and pointless squabbling. You just traded on one master for another.¡± She said with a sad sigh. ¡°Go home Greg.¡±

    His face started to redden and he pushed himself up from the table. ¡°Fine, bitch. Just sit there and date that fat little dip-shit. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be happy in your piss-pot little guild.¡± He shouted over his shoulder as he headed for the door.

    The table fell into an awkward silence as he left and Winston and Trish just looked at each other from across the booth. Finally Winston spoke up.

    ¡°Well, he¡¯s a charmer.¡±

 Chapter 20

    Winston looked down at his field of buckwheat with a complicated expression. Normally when a field was ready for harvest one could see various issue with the grain. Some plants would be larger or smaller, there might be some patches where the plants hadn¡¯t matured as quickly, or had wilted slightly. His buckwheat field had none of that. Idyllic was the best word he could think of to describe it. The whole field looked like something out of a painting.

    He¡¯d known that buckwheat grew well in poor soils and he¡¯d known that the soil here had been nearly perfect for it but this seemed extreme. He quickly harvested the first couple of plants and inspected the result.

    [Buckwheat]

    [Superb, Regent, Food]

    [A  pseudo-cereal in the knottwheat family, buckwheat is usually grown as a cover-crop in crop-rotation cycles. It thrives in well-drained, acidic soil. Although edible, it¡¯s not a widely cultivated crop. This buckwheat has been grown by a talented farmer in a good environment and is of superb quality.]

    Winston snorted. His first superb quality crop and it was one he had no real use for. It wasn¡¯t nearly as in demand as the more common grains and its prices would be much lower. He also couldn¡¯t use it to fill the guilds quota. He sighed and harvested the rest of the field. As he finished green light flashed around him.

    [Your Farming Skill Has Increased]

    [Current Rank: Beginner Rank IV]

    [Bonus Crop Yield: 19%]

    [Bonus Crop Quality: (17% + 15%) 32%]

    [Grain Sub-Skill has Ranked Up!]

    [Grain Sub-skill]

    [Grain Subskill: Beginner Rank III]

    [Bonus Grain Crop Yield: 30%

    Bonus Grain Crop Quality: 12.5%]

    Winston¡¯s eyes widened. He must''ve gotten a monstrous amount of skill xp from that.  He¡¯d just hit beginner III in farming a few days ago. Higher quality crops must give exponentially more skill xp. Maybe he would hit Apprentice by November. He still had almost 20 days.

    He stored the buckwheat kernels then made sure to mix the plants and roots back into the dirt as he replanted regular wheat in all of his fields. He could feel the shift in the soil as he did so. It was as he¡¯d hoped the buckwheat had improve

    d the soil quality significantly. Tomorrow when the wheat was ready to harvest he¡¯d see how much.

    The answer it turned out, it was quite a bit. The result wasn¡¯t quite as obvious as the buckwheat had been but Winston had to admit it was a good looking field of wheat. The sun was just coming up over the horizon and was bathing the golden field with morning light. Winston was about to start harvesting when Rimmi logged in and wandered over.

    ¡°Sooo how¡¯d your date go?¡±

    Winton had to think about that one. Honestly, things could have gone worse. Having your date¡¯s ex show up and start causing problems is one of those things first date horror stories are made of. It hadn¡¯t been that bad though. It had been more funny than anything. Trish had also spent the rest of the evening apologizing and the kiss she¡¯d given him when he¡¯d dropped her off had more than made up for the whole thing in Winston¡¯s view.

    ¡°Pretty good.¡± He said honestly. ¡°Was just dinner and a movie but we had a good time and I didn¡¯t crash my brother¡¯s car, so that¡¯s always a bonus.¡±

    ¡°Were you expecting to crash?¡± Rimmi asked with a raised eyebrow.

    ¡°Not really but ya never know. Things like that do happen.¡± Winston replied. ¡°Also, I¡¯m not exactly the greatest driver ever.¡±

    Rimmi laughed. ¡°To be young again.¡± He said shaking his head. ¡°Alright man, I gotta get to work anyway.¡±  He wandered back to his side of the courtyard and Winston was left with his wheat.

    When he finished the harvest blue-light exploded from him in a torrent that covered half the courtyard.

    [You Have Reached Level 10]

    [You Have Unlocked the Skill System]

    [You Have Received 1 Primary Skill Point]

    [You Have Received 1 Secondary Skill Point]

    [You Have Gained a New Class Ability]

    [You Have Gained the Ability Nurture]

    [Nurture]

    [Active]

    [Rank: N/A]

    [Duration: Variable

    Cooldown: N/A

    Cost: N/A

    Effect: User selects a single plant to Nurture. Nurtured plant gains three times the benefit of any positive action done by user. This includes fertilization, watering, weeding, pruning, hybridization, mana infusion, or any other such actions. Effect ends when plant is ready for harvest.]

    [Restriction: User many only nurture a single plant at a time.]

    Now that was a solid skill. Nothing earth shattering, but it would let him easily make any plant he used it on of good-quality. He could usually reach high-quality with a bit of luck and decent fertilizer, like this he should easily be able to hit superb or higher. It was the opposite of his first skill. Instead of improving all the crops in a large area it concentrated on making a single plant exceptional.

    Luckly, he had the perfect plant to try it out on. His cloudberries had just been harvested on friday, so he had all week to nurture one and see how it turned out. He headed over towards the spot he¡¯d planted all three cloudberry bushes.

    They weren¡¯t doing very well. It wasn¡¯t that they were wilted or anything the berries just weren¡¯t maturing properly. It reaffirmed his guess that they were stealing from each other. There was nothing else for it. He reached down and prepared to rip two of the bushes out before he paused. Pulling out the other two bushes would be like thinning a vegetable patch wouldn¡¯t it? That should count for his nurture skill and if he used it first he should get three times the benefit.

    He reached towards the middle plant and activated his new spell. Soft green light started to radiate from his body and as he touched the berry bush and it too started to glow. Winston nodded then ripped the other two bushes out by the roots. He supposed he could have tried to transplant them but they only took a week to mature. He¡¯d just have to plant new bushes further away.

    Once that was done he tossed the two bushes into the first fertilizer pit and went back to his glowing berry bush. If he was supposed to take care of it. He supposed he should feed it air magic. All his magic skills were still at rank one but now that he¡¯d leveled nine times he had a respectable, if small, mana pool. He held out his hand and summoned up a light breeze. He let it wash over the bush and held the wind for as long as he could. That wasn¡¯t too long, he did have nearly 90 mana now, but that was only enough to hold the light wind for a few minutes.

    [You Fruit Sub-Skill has Increased]

    [Current rank: Novice IV]

    [Bonus Fruit Crop Yield: 8%]

    [Bonus Fruit Quality: 8%]

    Winston panted with exhaustion as he cut off the flow of magic and the headache from magic overused slammed down on him. He really have to start trying harder to raise his magic skill ranks. He wouldn¡¯t spend a skill point on them but even a few skill ranks would make him more efficient. He¡¯s just add it to his list. It seemed every time he managed to cross something off there were always three more things to put on it.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    He¡¯d finally unlocked his skill points too and needed to find something to spend them on. He was interesting in animal taming. Bog would make a good companion and she had the build of an excellent farm animal. With some work he could use her to pull a wagon or a plow. He wouldn¡¯t need that until he expanded to more fields but he hoped to work up to it eventually. That was only a single point and probably didn¡¯t need the primary one.

    Brewing or cooking would be the most logical picks but he couldn¡¯t drink in game until he turned 18 and that would be at least another 9 months. Cooking was probably the most common non combat skill in the game. Other than that, he had no ideas. Buckwheat was supposed to be a good honey crop. Maybe he should take up beekeeping. He wondered what abilities that would unlock at higher levels.

    He could also pick up mining. He¡¯s claws were pretty good at digging but then he¡¯d need to be moving around all the time and exploring to find new ore and veins. That was pretty much exactly the opposite of what he¡¯d been doing as a farmer, which was staying in one place and building it up.

    No, he needed a skill he could use in combination with his farming but let him stay in place. Maybe he should go with brewing. He couldn¡¯t taste any of his creations which would be a pretty big problem when it came to testing but it could be worse. Well. he didn¡¯t have to make up his mind now. He could try a few things out. It wouldn¡¯t matter until he got the skill to beginner rank anyway.

    He¡¯d have Troll pick up some barrels and yeast next time he was out. Maybe he could make a Buckwheat beer. He¡¯d have to grow his own hops to. Winston smiled. This could be fun, even if he didn¡¯t spend a skill point.

    Winston finished redigging his field then went to the stables to get Bog. It was time to visit the orcs.

    *****************************************************************************

    ¡°You¡¯re just going to let him go?¡± Herston asked Therion from his spot on top of the keep.

    ¡°He¡¯s not a slave. He can go wherever he wants.¡± Therion said with a shrug.

    ¡°He¡¯s doing monster quests.¡±

    ¡°Lots of people do monster quests. Hell, some people only do monster quests. They have good rewards and there¡¯s a lot of hidden quest chains and storyline you never get doing regular quests.¡± Therion countered.

    ¡°He could bomb the Swords reputation if the human NPC¡¯s find out.¡±  Herston complained.

    ¡°He¡¯s not in the Swords he¡¯s in a feeder guild. That¡¯s half the point of a feeder guild. The seeds have hatred with like 10 cities because of people doing the exact same thing. It¡¯s not going to be the end of the world if we have some backwater city in a backwater province pissed off at a back-up guild.¡± Therion said, exasperated.

    ¡°Why are you defending him.¡± Herston

    ¡°Why are you attacking him? What is making his life difficult going to accomplish? Are you going to earn some guild points out of it? Make some gold?¡± Therion asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m looking out for the guild.¡±

    ¡°No, your not. If you were you¡¯d be trying to recruit that kid instead of making trouble for him. Do you realize what that kid is? A gold mine. You saw that level up lightshow that¡¯s level 10. He¡¯s taken a production class to level 10 already. If we weren¡¯t taking half his earnings he¡¯d be making nearly two-grand a month and he¡¯s still in the beginner ranks. Look at this place?¡± Therion said, gesturing around at all the fields, bushes, trees, and fertilizer pits scattered around the courtyard.

    ¡°He¡¯s taken a place that was a dump and turned it into a real farm without any help from us at all. If we¡¯d have given him proper equipment and a decent place to work from he would have been a great asset to the Swords. Instead we gave him nothing, which is exactly what we¡¯re going to get in return. This is exactly why I got kicked out of the Swords. Instead of nurturing talents everyone is to busy patting themselves on the back and feeling smug.¡± He finished, with a sigh.

    ¡°I¡¯m not letting it go.¡±

    ¡°Of course your not. That would be the reasonable and mature thing to do. Which means you¡¯ll do exactly the opposite.¡± Therion shook his head.

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to try and stop me?¡±

    Therion laughed. ¡°Why would I? I¡¯m not your dad and you outrank me as you like to remind me. It¡¯s not my job to stop you from being an idiot, just be careful. It¡¯s the quiet ones you have to watch.¡±

    ******************************************************************************

    The orc village was larger than ever. Orcs were everywhere and they¡¯d even started a rough earth-works around the village for defense. More houses were being built on one side and there were a few goblins milling around as well as at least three distinct groups of orcs. Winston and Bog walked through it all. Ignoring all the hawkers and pedestrians clogging up the roads.

    Ol¡¯gar¡¯s hut was still the same as ever and Winston knocked on the door post and waited until she called. Her voice sounded annoyed but her face looked relieved when Winston walked in through the door flap.

    ¡°Thank Krom¡¯lar you¡¯re here. The damn village is overflowing and we need more food.¡± The old she-orc said as soon as he walked in. Winston smiled.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m here. Although I do have some things I need as well.¡± He said. Ol¡¯gar looked a bit wary.

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to stick it to us now that we really need the grain are you?¡±

    ¡°Yes, let me just rip-off a bunch of angry orcs. That sounds like a great idea. Beside like I said I need something from you guys too. It¡¯s better if everyone keeps things civil.¡± Winston said.

    ¡°Well, we need at least twenty bushel of grain. We¡¯ve absorbed two more orc tribes and one goblin tribe in the area. The hunter¡¯s can¡¯t keep up. What is it you need from us?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Two things. The first one is easy enough. The second is a bit trickier. Firstly I need animal corpses. With their meat, guts, and bones intact. Blood would be good to, but that¡¯s more messy.¡±

    ¡°How many are we talking?¡± Ol¡¯gar asked.

    ¡°Just three or four, depending on the size obviously. If your just getting me squirrel''s or something make it more like a dozen.¡± Winston said.

    ¡°Easy enough.¡±

    ¡°As for the second thing. Do you guys know where the Shattered-Stump Ogre Tribe is?¡± Winston asked.

    He¡¯d done some thinking on it and it had occurred to him that he wasn¡¯t an adventurer so he should stop thinking like one. He should do what he does best and let other people do what they do best. In a word, he was going to sub-contract. If the orcs wouldn¡¯t do it, he¡¯d just post on the forums and hire some players to do it. Going through NPC¡¯s would be preferable since they were less likely to screw him over but if he made a good enough contact players would be ok too.

    Ol¡¯gar scowled. ¡°Yes, we¡¯ve been meaning to drive them out of the area but we never had the numbers.¡±

    ¡°That works out nicely then. I want you to go kill them all and bring back an item they have. It¡¯s a trowel, for smearing on mortar.¡± Winston said simply.

    ¡°That¡¯s a pretty big favor.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a favor. It¡¯s a transaction. The question is how much how it¡¯s worth. Since it sounds like you were going to do it eventually anyway.¡± Winston said with a shug.

    [You Have Received a new quest!]

    [Food For the Village IV]

    [You are to deliver 20 bushels of corn, wheat, or rice to the orcs at Fire-Tooth village by this time next week.]

    [Time Remaining: 168:00]

    [Recommended Level: N/A]

    [Difficulty: Normal]

    [Rewards: 4 animal corpses, An orc raid on the Shattered-Stump Orge Tribe]

    [WARNING: Orcs are considered a monster race by many civilized peoples. Trading with them will likely lower your reputation with other NPC¡¯s if they find out.]

    Winston looked at the quest and paused. Then had an idea. He reached into a pack and pulled out a few seeds of buckwheat. ¡°Would you guys take this instead of corn or wheat. You can still grind it into flower or even brew with it.¡± He asked hopefully.

    The she-orc looked down at the kernels and popped one into her mouth.

    ¡°Kinda weird, but orcs prefer meat anyway. We¡¯ll take it but only at 2 to 1 for normal grain.¡± She bartered.

    Winston sighed but accepted.

    [Quest Updated!]

    [Barter Skill Increased]

    ***************************************************************************************************

    ¡°So how¡¯s the farming going?¡± Jason asked as he slumped down into his seat at the lunch table next to Winston.  Winston¡¯s stomach was finally feeling alright again, which was good because the cafeteria had tried chinese food today and he¡¯d need all the intestinal fortitude he could muster to choke down the school¡¯s version of sweet and sour chicken.

    ¡°Boring this week. I finally hit level 10 and got my skill but until my courier gets back with my magical sprinklers, or I get Apprentice rank I¡¯m kinda stuck.¡± Winston said dully. The orcs were the ones that were sticking their necks out. Winston just had to wait until they finished killing off the ogres and brought him his trowel. That means I¡¯m stuck in the keep farming dirt as usual.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that basically what your always doing?¡± Ruger asked. From his own seat. ¡°I mean, you are a farmer¡­..¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­. bit there¡¯s a lot to do besides just stay in the keep. I¡¯ve got quests to do for the orcs, stuff to buy and sell in town. I¡¯ve gotta keep dumping off your berries I¡¯m growing, and about a half-dozen other things.¡± Winston explained.

    ¡°Oh bitch and moan.¡± Jason said sourly. ¡°You should see what I¡¯ve gotta put up with at work. I¡¯ll trade you for your farming problems any day. I¡¯m the newest hire so I¡¯m the one that has to clean the bathrooms.¡± He shuddered visibly. ¡°Co-workers in there doing the nasty, little kids smearing poo and vomit everywhere, these have been the worst weeks of my life.¡±

    Winston looked down at his vaguely orange chicken and pushed the tray away before turning a glare on Jason. ¡°Thanks for that metal picture. I was trying to eat.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Jason said as he looked down at his own plate in disgust. ¡°You think you¡¯d know better than to eat this crap by now.¡± Winston scowled at him but Ruger interrupted before they could start bickering again.

    ¡°Where¡¯s your girl, Win? Didn¡¯t you guys go on your first date? I figured you¡¯d be all over each other at school. Most couples are.¡± Ruger asked.

    Winston shrugged. ¡°No idea and yes we did go on a date but that doesn¡¯t mean we¡¯re going to be all clingy and weird about it. I mean, we¡¯ve been friends forever and if I got clingy with her I¡¯m pretty sure Trish would just beat me up.¡±

    ¡°How did the date go?¡± Jason asked.

    ¡°Pretty well I think. Why are you guys so interested in my love life anyway?¡± Winston asked.

    ¡°We¡¯re single. We¡¯ve gotta live vicariously through you.¡± Jason replied smoothly.

    ¡°Ruger¡¯s got a girl. That¡¯s why he wanted to grow those stupid berries for him anyway.¡± Winston replied, looking over at Ruger who was looking a bit awkward.

    ¡°Actually¡­. We¡¯re not really dating anymore. We sorta had a falling out. Now i¡¯m just selling the berries to her.¡± Ruger said a bit sheepishly.

    ¡°It¡¯s ok man.¡± Jason said, patting Ruger on the shoulder. ¡°I hear most of your relationships have money involved.¡±

    Winston¡¯s soda nearly came out his nose as he cracked up and Jason burst into laughter as Ruger knocked his arm away and scowled.

    ¡°You guys are being assholes today. I knew I shoulda went to the library with Brad.¡± Ruger said sullenly.

    ¡°Sorry man¡­. ¡° Winston said around his laughter. ¡°You gotta admit that was a pretty good shot though.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah. Next time someone bounces your head off that table I¡¯m not standing up for you.¡± ruger said, but Winston could tell he didn¡¯t mean it.

    ¡°Awwww common. Next time I might be able to do something other than flail about uselessly.¡± Winston said, raising his arm and flexing. It wasn¡¯t a very impressive display but there was some real muscle under there now. ¡°All that work in game is getting me into shape.¡±

    Ruger shook his head, then laughed. ¡°Fine, fine. Gonna need more of those berries though, you¡¯ll have to buy me off.¡±

    I can do that. Winston laughed.

 Chapter 21

    ¡°Left!¡± Winston said is his best commanding voice. Bog ran across the courtyard following his orders. It was Tuesday night and one of the common wet mists had settled over the keep dragging the whole area into gloom. With no real missions this week Winston just had to grow grain. That left him with some time to pay attention to Bog. She¡¯d been doing nothing but staying in the stables and eating lately and she was getting fat, so Winston had decided to try some training. He wanted to get his skill level up and she needed the exercise.

    ¡°Right!¡± He called and the bird stopped and changed direction.She was moving quickly but it was obvious her heart wasn¡¯t really in it.

    ¡°Common, I already told you you could have some more cloudberries. I¡¯ll even give you three of my special ones when they ripen up this week.¡± He shouted at the lazy bird.

    Bog seemed to be spurred on his words and her pace increased. She rumbled over the ground with little grace but lots of momentum. She had to be one of the silliest looking creatures he¡¯d ever seen but she had plenty of raw power. He really hoped to get his taming up to Beginner rank. Then he could use her in battle. With her at her side he¡¯d at least have some basic defense.

    ¡°Use Fowl Charge!¡± He called. He wasn¡¯t sure if that''s how you were actually supposed to command beasts to use abilities but it worked in Pokemon so it was worth a shot. Bog slowed for a moment before green energy started to pour from her. The air began to distort then she blasted forward at least three times as fast as before.

    She flew across the courtyard in a few seconds, then flew by the supply shed completely out of control. She narrowly missed Rimmi who was over by his vats messing with alchemy and headed towards the edge of the courtyard

    ¡°STOP!¡± Winston shouted but she was moving too fast and out of control. She smashed into the courtyard wall with the power of a rampaging rhinoceros and the stone didn¡¯t even slow her as she plowed through. Bricks and morton flew in every direction and Winston could hear Rimmi screaming profanities.

    Winston just stood there gaping at the massive hole in the wall.

    [Taming skill Increased!]

    [Current Rank: Novice IV]

    [You Have Learned a New Skill]

    [You Have Learned the Skill Siege]

    [Siege improves the players ability to dismantle or destroy walls and fortifications. This skill is unlocked by destroying a wall or fortification.]

    [Skill Rank: Novice I]

    [Effect: 5% bonus dmg to walls and fortifications]

    Winston heard someone laughing and turned to see Therion wiping tears from his eyes as he looked at the hole in the wall. Winston started to smile as well as Bog finally trotted back through the hole in the wall preening her feathers and looking rather smug. That made Therion laugh harder.

    ¡°Oh man¡­.. That was awesome.¡± Therion laughed. ¡°Rimmi about crapped himself, then BAM!, HAH!.... Oh god, this place is so much better now that you guys are here.¡± He finally got his laughed under control as Bog headed back over and rubbed her head against Winston, nearly bowling him over.

    ¡°You do realize you¡¯re going to have to pay for that. Funny or not, we can¡¯t have a giant hole in the wall.¡± Therion said more seriously.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like the wall actually keeps anything out.¡± Winston grumbled.

    ¡°True, but your still paying for it.¡±

    Winston sighed then remembered he¡¯d never actually tried to use his channel divinity spell to fix something. This seemed as good a time as any.

    ¡°Lemme try something first.¡± He said as he hurried into the keep. He headed down into the basement and grabbed a bucket of lime and sand, then headed back out side with them.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to try and fix it yourself?¡± Therion said skeptically. Winston didn¡¯t answer. Instead he started gathering up all the stones that had been blown out of the wall. He quickly piled them up next to the buckets of sand and lime. Then he took out his staff and took a few steps back.

    ¡°Rise!¡± He cried as he started to channel divinity through his staff. The wall started to shake and the rocks, sand, and lime, rose into the air and started to swirl but the wall didn¡¯t start assembling itself. Winston frowned for a second then did a mental facepalm. He thought the game would have cut him a break on the water he needed for the mortar but apparently not. He kept up the stream of faith-points as he tried to shift mental gears.

    It took him a good thirty seconds to start summoning the water. It took a good deal of mental focus to use magic and trying to do it at the same time he was using his priest powers was like trying to recite the periodic table at the same time he was doing a multiplication problem in his head. Lucky summoning water was a pretty simple multiplication problem. He also had more than enough faith points to burn while he struggled with the mental gymnastics.

    He didn¡¯t have many useful skills outside of farming but in terms of the raw number of faith points, Winston had the equivalent of a level 15 or 16 priest. Water started to spill from his staff and when it hit the silver light of his faith it shot into the sand and lime and they began to mix.

    Bricks and mortar floated back down and they began to layer themselves as the large hole was slowly patched back together. Winston cut off the water and kept up his faith as the wall reassembled itself over the next couple of minutes. It was nearly done when his faith finally ran out. The remaining stones and mortar fell to the ground with a wet splat, leaving a jagged hole the size of a bowling ball in the top of the wall.

    ¡°Well damn, almost had it.¡± Winston said and green light started to pour from him as his screen filled with pop-ups.

    [Blip]

    [Blip]

    [Blip]

    [Blip]

    [Ba-Ding]

    [Runa Skill Has Ranked Up!]

    [Current Rank: Beginner III]

    [Channel Divinity: Runa ability has Increased]

    [Current Rank: Novice IV]

    [Elemental Magic has Ranked Up!]

    [Current Rank: Novice II]

    [Water Sub-Skill has Ranked Up!]

    [Current Rank: Novice II]

    [You Have Received A Title!]

    [Theurge]

    [You seek the mysteries of the creation and care not if the answers are divine or arcane. Unlocked by using mana and faith at the same time for the same goal.]

    [Effect: +5% bonus to both Faith and Resonance stats while title is active]

    Winston read over all the pop-ups and laughed before he turned back to Therion who was looking slightly impressed.

    ¡°You¡¯re an odd duck you know that?.¡± Therion said as he looked at the mostly repaired wall. ¡°But your still going to have to fix the rest of that.¡±

    Winston grinned and walked over the the stone and mortar scattered over the ground. Shame he didn¡¯t have his magical divine mortar trowel yet. He could have used it about now. Instead he used one of the stones to smear on the mortar as he put the rest of the stones back into place. It was a much worse job than his spell had done but it didn¡¯t take long. His spell had already done 95% of the work.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    When he was done the wall was repaired although the place he¡¯d done by hand had ended up rather poor. Still, he¡¯d picked up the masonry skill which was useless but at least interesting. He logged for the night feeling he¡¯d accomplished something.

    ************************************************************************

    Herston crouched in a copse of trees and watched the battle going on at the mouth of a cave. The cave was set into the side of a cliff and seemed to be occupied by a tribe of ogres. What was interesting was that a tribe of orcs was fighting them and seemed intent on extermination rather than a usual orcish raid.

    ¡°Why did we follow these orcs again?¡± Complained one of the Sword¡¯s guards. ¡°Common man, you could have at least let us stay in the city. Why drag us out here just to watch some NPC¡¯s fight?¡±

    Herston glared at his subordinate. He was out here on a mission of guild security. Just because these orcs didn¡¯t seem to be up to anything suspicious didn¡¯t mean they weren''t. He was going to find out what. Then he¡¯d have that little mole bastard kicked out of the guild.

    A massive ogre covered in red and black war paint charged out of the cave and was immediately sat upon my a half-dozen orcs.

    ¡°Holy crap that¡¯s the lair boss. We should totally go kill steal that.¡± The guard said as he watched the fierce battle.

    Herston weighed his options for a moment then shrugged. They were just NPC¡¯s. He could always try spying again later. Besides, a lair boss should be worth a couple hundred gold at least. More, if he got lucky on the loot.

    ¡°Alright, on three¡­.¡±

    The two popped up and charged towards the fight but they hadn¡¯t gone more than three steps when a half-dozen arrows slammed into their backs. The two fell, crying out in pain before more arrows hit their bodies. A pair of green feet came into Herston¡¯s site and he heard an orc mutter ¡°Human¡¯s¡­..¡± in a mocking voice before his vision went black.

    [You Have Died]

    [You Have lost one Level]

    [You Have Lost 25 gold, 11 silver]

    [You Will Respawn in 11 hours 59 minutes]

    *********************************************************************************

    The week went by quickly for Winston. He kept training with Bog after his nightly farming chores but he didn¡¯t manage to get his taming skill up any more. His farming skill hadn¡¯t improved either but his massive output of both buckwheat and regular wheat had bumped his grain sub-skill up to Beginner IV.  With his crop rotation boosting yields his wheat output was down slightly but his total production had improved by nearly a third. He¡¯d nearly harvested 33 bushels of wheat and 40 of buckwheat since Sunday.

    Winston looked across his growing fields and felt satisfaction. The sun was setting and the breeze was warm and out of the South. His weekly quota hardly bothered him at all anymore. It was a shame he couldn¡¯t use buckwheat for his guild quota. He could just save up for two or three weeks and just buy his way out of his contract by turning in the last two months of quota.

    He was about to check on his fertilizer pits when he heard a shout and three of the Swords guards rushed towards the wall as they drew their weapons. Winston blinked and turned that direction only to see a half-dozen orcs approaching the keep carrying empty sacks and two deer carcuses carried on sticks across their shoulders.

    Winston swore and charged after them. He didn¡¯t know what would happen to his quest if those idiot guards killed the orcs but it probably wouldn¡¯t be good. Luckly, they hadn¡¯t just started attacking each other. The two groups were glaring at each other when Winston finally reached them. He had plenty of endurance now but his poor agility and short legs made him quite slow.

    ¡°You green bastards!¡± He heard one of the swordsmen shout. The orcs on the other-hand didn¡¯t seem too concerned. Winston could recognize the orc commander with the nice axe from the village and he was pretty sure he could slaughter at least two of the three by himself. It was probably why the swordsmen hadn¡¯t attacked yet.

    ¡°What are you guys doing?¡± Winston asked as he arrived on the scene.

    ¡°Here for grain. Give deer.¡± Said the orc leader as he looked over at Winston.

    Winton nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll go get it. Just hold on a sec.¡± Winston said, as he turned. He wanted to get this over with quickly before those idiots did something to mess it up.

    ¡°You¡¯re not trading with them. They¡¯re orcs.¡± Shouted Herston.

    Winston ignored him and headed towards the keep but he only got a few steps before a hand clamped on his shoulder and stopped him.

    ¡°I said your not going!¡± Shouted Herston and Winston rounded on him.

    ¡°What is your deal!¡± Winston yelled back. ¡°You¡¯ve no stake in this. Why are you getting in the way?¡± Winston asked as he whirled around and tried to break the grip on his shoulder. He couldn¡¯t manage it. Herston had too many levels and too much strength advantage on him.

    The orcs growled and moved forward to come to Winston¡¯s defence when Therion finally showed up. He moved into the middle of everyone and pulled Herston¡¯s hand off Winston¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Knock it off already¡­.¡± Therion sighed.

    ¡°I¡¯m not letting him. I¡¯m a fully fledged member of the guild. Sergeant ranked. I¡¯m the highest ranking member here. It¡¯s my call!¡± Herston shouted.

    ¡°Oh go blow.¡± Therion said, with an eye roll.

    ¡°What is it you want?¡± Winston asked calmly, forcing himself to be reasonable. Flying off the handle wouldn¡¯t help him here.  ¡°I can¡¯t understand why your doing this. Do you want me to pay you off like some mafia thug. I¡¯ve got a few thousand gold coming in. We could deal.¡± Winston offered. The thought was infuriating, but sometimes wheels needed to be greased so people could do business. Paying a bribe so this moron would leave him alone would be the least annoying option.

    The two beside Herston looked interested at the new line of thought but Herstion started shouting.¡°This isn¡¯t about money!¡±

    ¡°Then what IS it about?¡± Winston asked. ¡°Like I said before. This doesn¡¯t affect you in any way. Why are you so dead set against it? If you¡¯re not looking for a cut of the action then I have no idea what you¡¯re doing.¡± He didn¡¯t add he was pretty sure Herstion was just being an asshole for the purpose of being an asshole.

    ¡°He¡¯s just being an asshole.¡± Therion said bluntly, mirroring Winston¡¯s own thoughts. ¡°But go ahead and get your grain I¡¯ll handle him.¡±

    Winston sighed in relief and turned back towards the storage shed.

    ¡°You won¡¯t get away with this Therion. I outrank you. I¡¯ll go to the officers.¡± Herston ranted as Winston went and got the first load of buckwheat. If Herstion really wanted to make a stink Winston would just go talk to Jessica about it. She wasn¡¯t an officer but she was higher ranked than this moron and her brother was an officer. They weren¡¯t exactly close but he was pretty sure she¡¯d want to stay on his good side for Josh¡¯s sake if for no other reason. She might not go too far out of her way but he could probably get her to step on this little toad for him.

    Besides he was nearly an apprentice ranked farmer. If he agreed to increase his quota a bit or lengthen his contact he could probably get quite a few concessions from the guild if he really needed to. He¡¯d looked pretty closely at the skill and class data in econ and even beginner farmers were really rare.

    When he made it back to the orcs. Herstion was storming off in a huff. That made the whole process go a lot more smoothly. Winston pointed to his third fertilizer pit and had the orcs drop off the carcasses there as he continued to haul out buckwheat from the shed. It wasn¡¯t until he was finally done that the lead orc approved him.

    ¡°Here take.¡± The orc said in his rough common as he reached into his pack and pulled out a massive trowel. Winston has expected something normal sized but of course it wasn¡¯t. Runa had been a goddess of Ogre¡¯s. The trowel would logically be ogre sized. It was as big as a couch cushion as was made of a reflective silver metal. The handle was made of a sort of crystal and the whole thing glowed with a silver light.

    [Trowel of Tarvinth]

    [Mystical, Relic, Quest Item]

    [The Trowel of Tarvinth was given to Tarvinth the builder during the construction of the great city of Quashun during the second age.  Upon his death it was reclaimed but the Temple of Runa where it was given out during times of war to assist with rebuilding. It was lost after the fall of the Ogre race.]

    [Effects: Increases the Construction skill of the user by 5 ranks]

    [Increases the rate of Construction skill grain by 50%]

    [When used to spread mortar it will increase the armor rating and hit points of any construction by 250%]

    [Restrictions: Ogre Race Only, Must have at least Apprentice rank Runa Skill]

    ¡°What the hell is that?¡± Therion asked he he peered over Winston shoulder. Winston just blinked at the trowel. It was Mystical rated, that was the third highest of the ten item ranks. The thing had to be worth at least 5000 gold. It was a shame he couldn¡¯t use it. Since he was Runa¡¯s only follower and you had to be at least apprentice rank there was no one in the game who could use it.

    ¡°A lost relic of a forgotten age.¡± Winston replied in awe. Therion just shook his head.

    ¡°You really are more trouble than you¡¯re worth sometimes.¡± He said before walking back to the keep.

    [You Have Completed a Quest]

    [Food for the Orcs IV]

    [Rewards: 2000 Xp, Four animal carcases, A raid on the orc lair]

    Winston thanked the orcs and headed towards Runa¡¯s shrine. He¡¯s given up a pretty major quest reward for this. He just hoped it would be worthwhile. Winston had to use a rock to climb up towards the faintly silver flame. Then he cleared his throat and spoke in his best epic priest voice.

    ¡°Runa, I return to thee that which has been lost. May your flames burn ever brighter.¡± Winston said as he tossed the large relic into the flames, it was too big for the braizer but Winston was pretty sure that wouldn¡¯t matter. The trowel dissapped with a sharp crack and then the ground started to rumble as the shrine grew once again.

    [A Divine Mandate Has been Fulfilled!]

    [The Trowel of Tarvinth has been returned]

    [Completion Level: Average]

    [Rewards]

    [6000 xp]

    [Runa Skill Rank Increased to Beginner V]

    [Shrine Level Increased]

    [You Have Leveled up!]

    [You Have Reached Level 11]

    Last time the shrine had only added a few inches but this time it pushed out of the ground a full two-feet. Then the tower started to shift as steps appeared along one side. Flower beds pushed out of the ground around the shrine and flowers of silver and blue grew out of them as Winston looked on in astonishment.

    When it finally stopped the shrine was over ten-feet tall and was now surrounded in colorful flowers. The flames now burned blue and silver in the massive silver brazier on top that had replaced the smaller one he¡¯d stuck up there initially..

    [Shrine aura increased to 700 ft radius]

    [Crop maturation time improved to 15% decrease]

    [Wall Hp increase improved to 15%]

    [Shrine now produces flowers useful for alchemy]

    [Warning: Excessive picking will anger the Goddess]

    Winston nodded in appreciation. A 3% boost to growth time was pretty good, the boost in radius would be the most helpful. Now the buff from the shrine covered pretty much all of the courtyard.  Maybe it wasn¡¯t worth his whole quest reward but he had gotten a pretty good chunk of xp as well.

    Winston headed over to his Cloudberry bush next. He¡¯d gotten a lot done today but still had one more thing to do. He¡¯d been babying the bush all week. Any time he logged in, he¡¯d pour all his mana into making wind for it. With his Nurture skill he was hoping for something spectacular.

    The bush had grown more lush over the last week. It had filled in more and was now a healthy dark green color. The berries themselves were large and the splotches of white color took up nearly a third of each berry. They were so heavy they seemed to be weighing down the whole bush.  Winston reached down and picked one.

    [Cloud Berry]

    [Superior, Food, Regent]

    [A berry native to Lunari it collects small amounts of air mana from the wind and deposits it into its fruit. It¡¯s taste is bitter to humans but the air mana in the berries makes them a sought after food for birds or other beasts attracted to air mana as it strengthens their magic and will occasionally allow normal beats to evolve into magical beasts. This plant has been nurtured by a talented farmer and is of Superior quality.]

    Winston smiled and quickly picked the rest. It came out to nearly a half-bushel off a single plant. Winston just wished he had about 10 more bushes of them.

    [Your Farming Skill Has Increased]

    [Current Rank: Beginner Rank V]

    [Bonus Crop Yield: 25%]

    [Bonus Crop Quality: (19.5% + 15%) 34.5%]

    [Fruit Sub-Skill has Increased!]

    [Current Rank: Beginner Rank I]

    [Bonus Crop Yield: 13%]

    [Bonus Crop Quality: 13%]

    [You Have Unlocked a New Skill]

    [Juicy Fruit]

    [Fruits grown by you have 15% more juice than normal]

    Winston grinned as he read the messages. He¡¯d finally gotten his farm in order. Now he just had to wait for Troll to get back and he¡¯d have everything he needed to get his skills to Apprentice rank and start really pumping out some product.

 Chapter 22

    Trollogics sighed with relief as his wagon rolled forward. He was in line waiting to get into the city gates of Grenville. He was stuck between a dozen NPC¡¯s with their own wagons filled with turnips, raw wool, and other farm products.

    It had taken seven entire days of travel but he¡¯d finally made it. He hadn¡¯t been robbed and his wagon hadn¡¯t broken. Even his trolls were feeling fatigued but he was finally here. Guards came forward and inspected what goods he carried. They seemed mostly distracted and only gave the grain and vegetables a cursory glance before waving him through the gate. He flicked his reigns and the trolls walked forward through the city gates.

    [You Have Reached The City of Grenville]

    [New Wagon Driver Quests Available]

    [Wagon Driver Skill has Increased]

    [Current Rank: Apprentice IV]

    Trollogistics pulled up the rough map he¡¯d been sent. The rune-crafters shop was in a trade-district on the west of town. Before he went there he had to unload most of this grain at the auction house. He¡¯d need to free up to space before he went to pick up the sprinklers. He wasn¡¯t sure how much space they¡¯d take up.

    The auction house was between the center of town and the harbor. Trollogistics pointed his wagon that direction and headed further into the city. The weather here was warmer than in Brethren plains and the smell of the sea seemed to permeate the whole city. People here moved with purpose as they headed too and fro. Trollogistics could also see a number of players milling with the NPC¡¯s. That surprised him. He¡¯d expected the city to have more players but he¡¯d expected maybe twice as many as Verith but this place seemed to have hundreds of players at least.

    That was a good sign. He needed players to get the best prices. When he finally made it to the auction house it was already midday and he pulled around to the back where the bulk unloading chute was. He quickly unhooked his trolls and had them dump the crates of grain into the chute where it would be sorted and displayed for auction.

    Trollogistics checked the interface and whistled. Then he shrugged and used the auction house interface to dump it all onto the markets. The prices were all decent. Not what the grain and vegetables would get in one of the capitals but much better than Verith. The price of grain was also still going up as the expansion loomed nearer so he felt pretty happy with the prices. The only thing he couldn¡¯t find a buyer for was the sugar but he¡¯d look around town. With all the players he might find someone who needed it.

    He pulled up his message center and sent a PM to Win Mills.

    Trollogistics: Hey man. I¡¯m at the auction house. Anything you want me to buy?

    Win Mills: Yes, I need a few half-kegs and a cider press. Also, bring me some pumpkin seeds. It is almost halloween. Gotta have Pumpkins. Hmmmmm, What else. Oh yeah, gear. How much did I earn?

    Trollogistics popped open a web-browser and the auction interface and brought up an online spreadsheet. He started to make some notes while he tried to figure up what Win Mills and Remistizen had earned.

    [Win Mills]

    [Wheat]

    [High Quality:  5.2 bushel at 160 gp = 832 gp]

    [Standard Quality: 16.1 at 130.4 gp = 2099 Gp 4 Sp 3 cp]

    [Low Quality: 1.7 bu at 95 gp = 161 gp 6 sp]

    [Cabbage]

    [Low Quality: 2 bu at 75 gp = 150 gp]

    [Beans]

    [Low Quality: 1.4 bu at 80 gp = 112 gp]

    [Standard Quality: .8 bu at 95gp = 76 gp]

    [Beets]

    [Standard Quality: 1.8 bu at 85 gp = 153 gp]

    [High Quality: .6 bu at 120 gp = 72 gp]

    [Apples]

    [Low Quality: 2.2 bu at 75 gp = 165 gp]

    [Apples of the Earth]

    [High-Quality: 2 at 243 gp each = 486 gp]

    [Total:  4306 gp, 9 sp 3 cp]

    [Auction House Cut: 645 1sp 5cp ]

    [Tologistics cut: 1000 gp + 215 gp 5 sp]

    [Profit: 2446 gp 2 sp 13 cp]

    He nodded at the figgures then flipped back to the message window.

    Trollogistics:  Sending you the figgures now. You did pretty well, and I still don¡¯t have a buyer for the sugar.

    Win Mills: Nice¡­. I¡¯m not too worried about the sugar. It should be worth a decent bit but raw sugar keeps pretty much forever if you don¡¯t get it wet. Just bring it back if you can¡¯t sell it. As for gear. I¡¯ve got access to the auctions. Lemme take a look.

    Trollogistics rolled his eyes. He¡¯d been on the road for a week. Couldn¡¯t the kid have done his shopping before hand? Trollogistics bought a few small casks and a cider press from the auction house while his client browsed for more gear.

    The trolls pulled the purchases from the chest where they¡¯d appeared and stacked them in the wagon. Five small casks and the press had only cost 53 gold. Then Win Mills messaged him again.

    Win Mills: There¡¯s a bracelet with +4 faith for 200 gold, pick that up. There¡¯s also a ring with +3 resonance for 235. Grab that as well.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    Trollogistics: No farming boosts?

    Win Mills: There actually was. It was a pair of bib overalls with +4% farming yield but they want 800 gold for it. That¡¯s too much right now. Maybe if I¡¯d made more but that 15% cut from the AH really hurt. For now I¡¯d rather have the gold. I can always get something custom made later.

    Trollogistics bought the two rings, leaving around 1950 gold for Win. Then he figured up the sales for the alchemist gnome. He¡¯d made even more than the mole had but wanted most of it spent of alchemy gear and reagents.

    Trollogstics finished up at the auction house then headed out into the city again. He still had to pick up those stupid sprinklers, then drop the extra gold off at the bank before hitting up an inn. He wanted a night in a real bed before he headed back to Brethren Plains.

    ********************************************************************

    Marnie¡¯s was bustling as usual but things felt more forced than they normally did. Last night had been the last home football game of the year. The seniors who usually filled the place talking and flirting seemed to finally be realizing they were going to have to leave high school and do something with their lives soon.

    Winston could feel a bit of that himself, and although he was mature enough to sense the tension and realize what drove it. He was also young enough to be able to ignore it. After all, he was only a junior. He still had a whole year left to procrastinate.

    The thought brought a grin to his face and he slipped and arm behind Trish and gave her waist a quick hug.  Trish turned her head with a raised eyebrow but Winston just shook his head and winked at her. The whole gang was once again sitting in a booth. With Jason taking his normal spot at a table on the end.

    ¡°Thought you¡¯d be working tonight.¡± Ruger said to Jason around a mouthful of burger.

    ¡°Used up all my hours working after school. God knows they wouldn¡¯t want me to work too much or they¡¯d actually have to give me benefits.¡± He said bitterly. ¡°Still though, only a few weeks left to go before I make enough for a system and the subscription. Then I can bail and start menial work in a magical land of opportunity instead of menial work in the bathrooms of a run-down theater.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m enjoying the menial work.¡± Winston said truthfully. ¡°It¡¯s fun to build something up with my own hands you know. It¡¯s like I¡¯m building my own business. Just made my first major sale earlier today. Only about 4000 gold worth but still, it¡¯s a decent start.¡±

    ¡°Not bad.¡± Trish said. ¡°That¡¯s a haul from a decent sized dungeon. Soon I¡¯ll be bumming money off you to buy jewelry and those really tiny purses like a proper girlfriend.¡±

    Winston snorted. ¡°I¡¯d like to tell you your feminine wiles won¡¯t work on me, but that would be a total lie.¡±

    ¡°You two are so happy together it¡¯s disgusting.¡± Jason said.

    ¡°Could be worse.¡± Brad said with a shrug.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to think we were always happy together. Now we¡¯re just more coupley.¡± Winston said.

    ¡°That¡¯s not a word.¡± Ruger said, then he changed the subject. ¡°You got more of those berries for me? The last batch didn¡¯t last long.¡±

    ¡°Maybe not a lot more, but more. I had some trouble getting them growing. Then I screwed up again by putting the bushes too close together. My level 10 ability is helping out but it¡¯ll still only be about a bushel and a half when the next convoy is ready.¡± Winston explained. Ruger frowned so Winston continued.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look too glum. The quality had gone up by a lot. I should have nearly a bushel of Superior quality berries.¡±

    Ruger raised an eyebrow. ¡°Didn¡¯t think you were at that level yet? Those should tied Rebecca over.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s my new ability. It lets me focus my attention on a single plant to super-boost it¡¯s quality and yield. Obviously that limits how much I can produce but it means I can pretty much guarantee a high or superior quality harvest when I need one.¡± Winston said.

    ¡°You know what you get for apprentice rank?¡± Brad asked.

    ¡°No idea. Haven¡¯t been able to find anything anywhere about it.¡± Winston said. ¡°I¡¯d guess something to help save time planting or harvesting. Maybe an magical harvesting skill or mass planting skill or something?¡± Winston shrugged. ¡°I know it¡¯s not always the same but usually the apprentice skills are. Like apprentice air magic is always lighting, or apprentice water magic is always ice, but with two handed weapons you can get heavy-blow, or cleave, or a few other things.¡±

    ¡°Air and Water magic are sub-skills those don¡¯t count, but I know that Apprentice level in the Fury skill, is always Frenzied Regeneration.¡± Ruger corrected.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t really matter that much now anyway. I can make my weekly quota without issue and I¡¯ve even been able to start taking some time off just to relax. I¡¯ve been nothing but, harvest, plow, plant, homework, bed, for weeks. It¡¯s nice to have to pressure off for a change. Even snuck a game of Lota With Jason on Wednesday night.¡± Winston replied.

    ¡°Damn¡­ you guys are really making me wanna play.¡± Jason grumbled.

    ¡°Decided what your character is gonna be?¡± Trish asked Jason.

    ¡°I think so. I¡¯ve been messing around with a few character builders. I think I¡¯ll be a lizardfolk Axe-thrower. Lizardfolk get a +1 bonus to coordination every level as well as a bunch of minor resistances to poisons, dieses, and other stuff. And I¡¯ll be able to raise my axe proficiency while I chop down trees.¡± Jason said.

    ¡°A thrown weapons class? Those are pretty rare.¡± Brad said, his curiosity peaked.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m doing it. Gotta stand out from the pack somehow.¡± Jason said. ¡°I just so psyched about finally getting to play.

    ¡°Well be happy to have you. Just remember to set your initial spawn to Kishik. It would take you a month to walk over from the starter continent.¡± Trish said.

    The five of them continued to chat as the evening wore on and the plates of fries and appetizers piled up.  Finally they headed home and Winston shamelessly bummed a ride from Trish.

    ¡°So where have to been all week. I missed you at lunch.¡± Winston said.

    ¡°Oh, and here I thought you¡¯d been cooped up with that senior girl Abby all week working on your project.¡± Trish said, as they drove through town. Winston turned his head and gave her the side-eye.

    ¡°Is that jealousy I hear?¡± Winston asked, grinning at her. ¡°I promise your the only one for me babe.¡±

    Trish shook her head. ¡°Yeah right, who¡¯d be jealous of you?¡± She said with a pout that made me smile..

    ¡°Hey I¡¯m a successful businessman now. I just made like 200 whole dollars earlier today. No wait, I¡¯ve still gotta buy the magic gems¡­ more like 100 dollars.¡± Winston said.

    Trish snorted. Things had been going well after their date. They seemed to have slipped into a more intimate sort of friendship. Neither had made any grand declarations or thrown around the ¡®L¡¯ word.

    That had been a great weight off Winston shoulders. Being with Trish just felt right, there was no reason to go getting all excited about it when they¡¯d be leaving for different colleges in year. It was best to just take things slow and see how they went.

    **********************************************************************************

    Winston logged back into the game sunday morning and harvested his fields. They were gorgeous as usual. His new crop rotation and large bonuses to crop quality we''re really making things easy for him. The mists from yesterday had cleared and the dawn was crisp and clear.

    The only thing on the agenda for today was picking his apples and visiting the orc village. He needed to get his next quest. This time the reward should be epic. He quickly harvested the apple tree, pocketing another apple of the earth and a half-bushel of low-quality apples then sat off for the orc village with Bog.

    The walk was uneventful and Winston found himself once more standing outside Ol¡¯gar¡¯s hut. She¡¯d apparently done some renovations. She now had a real door instead of just a leather flap and the house looked bigger. Winston knocked politely and waited to be let in.

    The door was jerked open a few seconds later and the glaring face of an old she orc stare balefully at him. Then she recognized who it was and smiled. The smile didn¡¯t make Winston feel better.

    ¡°Ahhhhh, it¡¯s you. I should be thanking you. That raid on the ogres really earned us some nice loot. Ogre¡¯s are terrible craftsmen but since they can¡¯t use any normal sized gear they usually just toss it into a corner somewhere. We got a pretty good pile this time.¡± She said happily.

    ¡°Good to hear. Things worked out on my end as well.¡± Winston said.

    ¡°Your food has really helped us expand but this time we¡¯ve got something big planned. We need a great deal of food but we can give you a few weeks this time.¡±

    [You Have Received A Quest]

    [Food For the Village V]

    [You are to deliver 250 bushels of grain, and 25 bushel of fruits and vegetables  to the orcs at Fire-Tooth village in one month]

    [Time Remaining: 720:00]

    [Recommended Level: N/A]

    [Difficulty: Normal]

    [Rewards: 40000xp, 20,000 gold, +5000 fame with the fire-tooth orcs, Special reward]

    [WARNING: Orcs are considered a monster race by many civilized peoples. Trading with them will likely lower your reputation with other NPC¡¯s if they find out.]

    Winston nearly fainted when he saw the quest. 250 bushels of grain and twenty more of fruit and vegetables. He could by a car for that much money. He could move out, let alone an apartment he could make a down payment on a house with all the money he¡¯d be wasting on this stupid quest.

    Still, things like ¡®special rewards¡¯ didn¡¯t some along every day. Truth be told he didn¡¯t really need the money right now. His home life had somewhat stabilized and he now had the means to make decent money if he needed it. Granted, the current crazy grain prices wouldn¡¯t continue indefinitely. In fact the expansion would be launching about the time he finished this quest.

    The prices would probably start to decline fairly rapidly after that. He could still make good money but it wouldn¡¯t be nearly as exaggerated as it was now with a single bushel of wheat or corn going for nearly 200 gold. In a few months the prices would likely be only a quarter or eighth of that.

    In normal times this would be a good quest. Even a great quest. Right now it was throwing away buckets of money. Winston didn¡¯t care though. He¡¯d already ridden this horse for 4 quests. This was obviously the finale so he might as well finish it.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± He said firmly.

    [You Have Accepted a Quest]

 Chapter 23

    ¡°You were right.¡± Winston said as he frowned down at the spreadsheet. The prices for cloth and raw fiber were way out of proportion, almost ridiculously so. Right now the prices for grain were very high but the prices for wool and cotton were nearly that high all the time, at least from what the two students could find out. They¡¯d had to make a few guesses on how much a players with a decent level in a production skill could actually produce. By digging through the data they¡¯d come up with a statistic to measure the relative ¡®correctness¡¯ of the market prices for a raw material. It was mostly a measurement of time vs. profit.

    Obviously it wasn¡¯t a very exact number but it didn¡¯t need to be. They just needed a rough measuring stick. They¡¯d found that anything between -1 and 2 of their ¡°effort index¡± was considered reasonable.  Grain prices currently were at 8.3, or nearly four times what would be considered a ¡®fair¡¯ price. Meat prices on the other hand were holding pretty steady at -4. Meat was one of the most harvested and consumed resources in the game. It was because of all the hunting and monster killing players did, meat was always over-supplied and the prices were in the tank, even for high-level or rare meats.

    For cloth though, the current rate was around 7.5 but from the data they had it was nearly always that high, usually bouncing between 6 and 7 with the markets. That gave Winston some food for thought. When grain prices went back down he might want to start growing textiles. He¡¯d likely have to level a new sub-skill but it seemed to be a solid option for his future employment.

    ¡°Of course I was right.¡± Abby said, smugly. ¡°You have no idea how much gold I had to dump just to reach apprentice rank in tailoring. The prices are out of control.¡±

    Winton just shrugged at her. ¡°That gives us our interesting fact, but how do we make it into a coherent paper. What are we trying to prove or disprove? What are we trying to communicate?¡± Winston asked.

    ¡°We frame it like this. We compare the ¡®normal¡¯ gathering and production professions with the ones that are only available because Otherworld is so much more realistic than older games. So look at blacksmithing and mining. Mining is a pretty unpopular skill choice as well, because it¡¯s such hard work but there are 8 times more people with skill points in mining than farming.¡±

    ¡°Alright, but there¡¯s also more demand for ore than there is for grain.¡± Winston countered as he ran a few quick queries.  ¡°About three times as much.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s still a large discrepancy. Large enough to make our point.¡± Abby said.

    ¡°Large enough to show something interesting going on but that doesn¡¯t necessarily mean the bias is because of what players consider ¡®normal¡¯ in mmo¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a high-school paper not a college thesis. As long as we make a decent argument and show how we got our figures it should be more than enough..¡±  Abby said.

    Winston had to admit she had a point. There wasn¡¯t much use in going over the top with research when they¡¯d likely get an A with what they already had if they framed it well.

    ¡°Fine.¡± He said finally. ¡°That leaves us with two solid months to write a 10 page paper.¡±

    ¡°Well, we can start on it in a couple of weeks. No use doing it now.¡± Abby said. ¡°Besides, I should get home. I¡¯ve still got homework to do.¡± She said as she gathered up her stuff and headed for the door. They¡¯d decided to meet at Winston¡¯s after school since he had more room at his house.

    When she left Winston was left in the kitchen with his laptop and school work. He did homework for a while before his mom wandered over from the family room.

    ¡°Good to see you doing something besides playing that damn game. A Study session with a cute girl, you¡¯re coming up in the world.¡± She said with a wink at him.

    ¡°That damn game is my job.¡± Winston said. ¡°I¡¯m with Trish now anyway. We¡¯ve got another date next weekend.¡±

    His mom smiled. ¡°About time you got your act together. That girl wouldn¡¯t have waited forever. And have you made any money yet?¡±

    ¡°Well, if I actually got to keep what I produced I¡¯d have made around¡­. Three grand so far.¡± Winston said doing some quick math. ¡°The problem is I¡¯ve gotta do everything myself as usual. It takes money to make money. I¡¯m finally getting things to a point where I can support myself but it¡¯s still hard.¡± His mom leaned closer to him and her face softened.

    She gave him a rare hug and spoke to him in a soft voice. ¡°That¡¯s good, the only one who will ever look out for you first is yourself. Remembered that and you can do anything.¡± Then she let out a bitter sounding laugh. ¡°Well maybe your brother might look out for you first but he¡¯s too nice for his own good. Don¡¯t know where he gets that from, it¡¯s not from me or John.¡±

    ¡°Now go to your room. I¡¯ve gotta make dinner and John will be home in a few minutes.¡± She said as she waved him away from the table. Winston gathered up his things and headed back into his bedroom. He had to get back to his farm.

    ****************************************************************************************************

    It was Thursday night when Winston finally got his break.  He¡¯s been churning out wheat and buckwheat all week like clockwork. Nearly 25% of his wheat was now coming out high-grade with ? of his buckwheat coming out superior grade. He swung his scythe as he stepped forward letting his brain plan his next moves as his body moved with the repetition of long practice.

    He had found one problem with his new skill levels. His grain was nearly overflowing the store house. There was a single chest full of seed grain, and two large chests used to store the harvested grain. When Winston was harvesting less than fifty bushel a week everything had been fine but now he had way more than that.

    He¡¯d had to dump some of the overflow into Rimmi¡¯s chest but now he was using all of that space as well. He really needed more storage. Which meant he¡¯d have to buy even more stuff or just start pouring the grain out on the ground.

    Maybe he should try is hand at some simple construction. He really just needed a simple silo to store some grain. It shouldn¡¯t be THAT hard. Then again maybe he was just deluding himself. He knew nothing about building or construction.

    He¡¯d just shoved the last swath of wheat into his pack to separate out the chaff when green light exploded around him. The light nova was twice as big as usual and pop-ups filled the screen.

    [Your Farming Skill Has Increased!]

    [Current Rank: Apprentice Rank I]

    [Bonus Crop Yield: 29%]

    [Bonus Crop Quality: (21.5% + 15%) 36.5%]

    [You¡¯re Farming Has Reached Apprentice Rank]

    [You¡¯ve Learned a New Skill]

    [Summon Farmhand]

    [Rank: NA

    Duration: NA

    Cooldown: NA

    Cost: Variable]

    [Effect: User Summons a Farmhand to work for them. When Summoned, player can add as much Stamina, Mana, and Faith Points as they wish. Farmhand¡¯s physical attributes will be based on the amount of Stamina invested. It¡¯s Intellect will be based on the amount of mana invested, and it¡¯s Willpower will be based on the amount of faith points invested. Additional abilities may be gained with a sufficient amount of energy.]

    [Restriction: Only one Farmhand can exist at a time. The Farmhand will only receive 50% of the users bonuses to crop quality and yield. The user will receive only 25% of the experience and skill experience for crops harvested by the Farmhand.]

    Winston threw his hands into the air and cheered. Finally, his first major hurdle was over. Now he should be in a whole new realm of farming power. The thought made him laugh and his cheer turned into a cackle worthy of any mad scientist.

    This was exactly what he needed. He was expecting a mass harvest ability but a magical robot he could split the work with and would be online and working while he was at school was excellent. He could harvest twice as much grain now.

    He checked his character sheet to see how much energy he could pour into his summon.

    [ Name: Win Mills   Level 11]

    [ Race: Yawnshu       Class: Grove tender]

    [            Attributes             Status]

    [Str:     38      End: 48(+4)52   Hp: 113/113 Mana: 113/113]

    [Con:    35       Agi: 26            Stam: 128/147 Panic: 1/11]

    [Cord: 37(+3)40      Int: 29    Hunger: 37/100 Thirst: 43/100]

    [Wis  40(+2)42       Faith: 43(+7)50                   FP:145/145(178/178)]If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    [Res:  29(+1) 30 ]

    [Guild: Seeds    Titles: 1]

    [Fame: 5         Friend List: 1/5]

    Winston looked at the numbers with satisfaction. He was still low level but his stats were pretty high. The only really bad stats he had were his agility and intellect. The rest of his stats were all decent and his Faith and Endurance were very high for his level. It was because he spent so much of his time doing physical labor. It was hard, but it was a very good way to boost his base stats.

    Unlike most games, Other world didn¡¯t prevent players from power leveling. However because of the way the games level up¡¯s worked leveling too quickly could cripple a character. People who leveled too fast might only get one or two points in any stat when they leveled. Two and three were basically the average with 2 being for most non-core stats and three for the stats a player used the most. Winston was getting three most of the time and his bonuses to End and Faith boosted that to four which was quite good. He¡¯d even managed to get 5 a few times in endurace. That was about as good as it was possible to do without stacking class and race bonuses or suppressing your level to train.

    It wouldn¡¯t make much difference for the first few levels but getting an extra point or two every level for 30 levels would make a large difference in characters later in the game. Winston didn¡¯t even want to think about how high his faith points might get. He might have 1000 FP by level 30 the way he was going. He¡¯d be able to summon one hell of a farmhand then.

    He waved away the pop-up and raised his staff. ¡°Summon Farmhand!¡± He called. Green, blue, and white light started to pour from him and he did his best to help them along. He started to get dizzy and light-headed as he energy poured out. His faith points could be emptied without problems but his stamina and mana would both cause him to faint if he used all of them. Still he needed to use as much as possible. In the end he used 100 mana, 120 stamina, and all 170 of his faith points.

    There was a loud pop of displaced air and a scarecrow appeared in the space in front of Winston. The scarecrow was thin, and wore blue overalls with a red and white flannel shirt. It¡¯s face was a burlap sack with crude buttons for eyes and a poorly sewn mouth but it seemed to radiate a sort of holy aura. Winston guessed it was because of how many faith points he¡¯d poured in.

    Winston walked in a circle around the scarecrow as it stood completely still. When he tried to inspect it a screen popped up.

    [Name: N/A   Species:  Scarecrow Farmhand]

    [Level: N/A    Type: Golem]

    [Sex: N/A   Loyalty: N/A]

    [Strength: 12     Agility: 12]

    [Intellect: 10     Constitution: 12]

    Endurance: 12    Willpower: 17]

    [Specializations:  None]

    [Abilities: None]

    Winston inspected the stats and nodded. Not very good, but it seemed like the creature got 1/10 of the points he poured into it as various stats. That meant it would improve as he did. Winston was about to order it to plow the field the realized the thing didn¡¯t even have a hoe. Winston sighed as he quickly walked over the storage shed and pulled out a battered old hoe. He always used his mole-claws so he never bothered with one. He held out the hoe to the golem but it just stood there blankly.

    ¡°Take this!¡± He ordered. The scarecrow held out a hand and grabbed it, but didn¡¯t move. Winston pointed towards the field he¡¯d just finished harvesting. ¡°Hoe this field, make sure to mix the left over straw and roots into the soil.¡±

    The scarecrow looked at him blankly for a moment. Then moved over the the field and started to hoe. Winston watched it work with a smug look on his face. There was nothing quite so relaxing as watching other people work.

    Winston watched the scarecrow doggedly hoeing rows into the field and headed over to the shrine to pray. Now that he had an extra worker it was finally time to expand his fields. He stayed on his knees praying until his faith points restored. Then he climbed over the wall. There wasn¡¯t enough room for him in the courtyard anymore so he¡¯d need to create a field outside.

    Winston chose a spot on the East side of the keep. That side had a hill, but there was a pretty good open patch of ground between the wall and the hill which should make a decent sized field. Winston pulled out his staff and raised it. He¡¯d only used his clear the land spell a few times but he had quite a bit of faith so size shouldn¡¯t be a problem.

    He raised his staff, focused his will, then smote it down with his best Gandalf impersonation. ¡°Clear the Land!¡± The land rippled like some giant had grabbed onto it, then snapped it like a rug to be cleaned. When the ripple reached the edge of the skills range the ground bucked and the grass and rocks were flug off as the rises and dips leveled out into a flat area.

    Winston looked over at the scarecrow and sighed. It was standing still not moving at all it. He watched for a while and thankfully the scarecrow started hoeing again a few minutes later. With only twelve endurance it must have to rest a lot. Then again, it was a golem so it¡¯s not like it needed to eat or sleep. It would just rest until it had energy again then keep working. He might have to create a few more fields just so it had work to do.

    Winston did some planning as he extended his claws and started to dig his own field. The scarecrow seed to need about two hours to fully hoe his main quarter-acre field. This field was larger, about three/fourths of an acre, so that was six hours. That still left a lot of time. The problem was Winston wasn¡¯t sure how well the golem would actually follow commands.

    It seemed to follow basic commands but he doubted it would understand complex instructions. He¡¯d have to do some testing. In the meantime he needed to open up at least one more similarly sized field for all the vegetables he needed for his quest. Although, it might be easier just to plant the grain outside the keep, and all the vegetables inside. Then he could keep all his sprinklers there when Trollogistics finally got back.

    He checked the in game clock and winced. He¡¯d wasted too much time messing around. He¡¯d have to wait till tomorrow to open a third major field. His new farmhand should be able to manage that. He¡¯d have to do a little more work, but he could just make his Farmhand do most of the tedious stuff. He needed to log out soon either way, otherwise his account would be penalized

    It took him the better part of two hours to finish digging the field simself and by the time he finished it was after 10 and his game time had run over. Now he¡¯d have to miss the next mornings harvest. Winston sighed and went to bed. He had a lot to prepare before Troll got back.

    *************************************************************************************

    Friday night once more found Winston back in game and working on his fields. He¡¯d left things half finished and his farm was in disarray. His new farm hand was standing at the end of the field it had been hoeing the night before. It stood completely frozen, the hoe still in it¡¯s hand.

    Winston sighed and moved over towards it. ¡°Hey scarecrow!¡± He pointed towards the field outside the walls he¡¯d dug last night. ¡°Sow buckwheat in that field.¡± The scarecrow stared at him blankly for a moment, then moved off towards the shed where the seeds were stored.

    Winston smiled. Having minions was great. He was afraid for a moment it wouldn¡¯t be able to tell the different types of seeds apart but maybe it¡¯s knowledge was based off his farming skill or something.Then again, 10 int was human average so maybe he was underestimating it. He watched it for a while to make sure he¡¯d gotten the right seeds then climbed back over the wall. His current plan was to make another large field he could rotate them for his grains.

    He¡¯d plant them both with buckwheat first to boost the soil. Harvest them all day tomorrow. Then have his robo-farmer plant the first field  with corn Saturday night while he was in bed. Then he¡¯d plan the second field of corn on Sunday to stagger the harvests.

    The important thing now was to get his second field ready. He grabbed his priest staff and hopped over the North wall. The north side of the keep was a plain of low rolling hills. He hoped he could level them out a bit with his spell. His ¡®Clear the Land¡¯ skill wasn¡¯t really all that useful. It saved him hours of work but it wasn¡¯t like he really needed to open new fields all that often. So he decided to experiment a bit.

    He needed some more material for his fertilizer pits, and ¡°Clear the Land¡± could cut down grass now. So, why didn¡¯t he just use the spell as a giant lawn mower. That would be a useless spell for most people but it gave Winston at least some use. He raised his staff, then planted it down into the ground as he cast his spell. The earth rippled as divine power washed out in a wave and Winston tried to put some english on the spell to make all the grass pile up in one place. It sorta worked, the grass concentrated towards one side of the field but it was still scattered everywhere.

    [Clear the Land has ranked up!]

    [Current Rank: Beginner III]

    Winston sighed and started clearing up all the grass. He dumped it into his first fertilizer pit by the arm full. His second and third pit were doing well, but the first needed something and he hoped the grass would be a cheap filler. He piled it all in and started to stir the whole mess with a shovel.

    It took awhile but he smiled when the fertilizer changed from ¡®low-quality¡¯ to ¡®standard-quality¡¯. He didn¡¯t know what he was going to use it for yet, but he¡¯d find somewhere to put it. That left Winston with his original fields to harvest, the new one to dig, while his new golem farm hand planted a third.

    He let his claws slide out of his fingers and got digging. He let the world fall away as he dug. There was something soothing about the work. It had been a rough week at school. Two tests and bucket load of math homework. Otherworld and Trish had been the only things to keep him sane. It felt good just to move and turn his brain off for a while.

    He was about half done with the field when Winston heard the rumble of a wagon. He stood back up smiling. He left the field how it was and off towards the courtyard at a jog.

    Trollogistics was sitting in his wagon looking smug. He must have had quite the harvest. Winston wasn¡¯t sure how Wagon drivers gained skill XP but he imagined the trip had been pretty lucrative both monetarily and in experience. That was good. Trollogistics was a good resource and Winston would need someone to haul as he produced more and more crops.

    ¡°Ahhhhh! There are my favorite customers!¡± Trollogistics laughed happily as he hopped off his wagon. He stumbled as he landed and groaned. ¡°Been sitting on the damn thing for half a month. I think my ass has callouses.¡± He grumbled as he stood upright.

    Winston turned to see Rimmi heading over from the other side of the courtyard. He looked equally as excited as they both descended on the halfling. Rimmi waved a hand and a screen appeared before Winston detailing the sales. He grimaced slightly as he saw all the expenses that had been added in.

    ¡°Win, I took an extra 5% from your sugar. The Auction house prices were crap so I went around to a few bakeries. Found one that would pay nearly twice what the AH was, so I didn¡¯t feel too bad skimming a bit.¡± Trollogistics explained.

    Winstion shrugged. ¡°Works for me. You put my gold in the bank?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Yep, all 2220 gold.¡± Troll replied. ¡°Here are the rings you ordered. And your barrels and cider press are in the back. I¡¯ve got the gems as well. They came to 600, about a hundred each. The dwarf who made them said they should last about two weeks.¡± He said pointing over his shoulder and into the wagon. Winston hopped up into the wagon and looked at the barrels. There were a half dozen with three smaller half-kegs and three normal size casks. He started to haul them off the wagon and into the storage shed.

    ¡°Time for the good stuff.¡± Troll said as Winston finally finished unloading the casks and cider press. He pulled down one of the crates and waved Winston over before reaching into the box and billing out a circular metal plate. It had two metal objects poking out of it¡¯s top. One looked like an egg stand, which Winston guessed was for holding the magic charged gemstones The other was a nozzle. It wasn¡¯t exactly a work of art but it looked sturdy and the norse looking runes etched into it¡¯s top seemed to be in good shape.

    [Arcane Area Hydro-Dispersal Device]

    [High-Quality, Magical Tool]

    [The Arcane Area Hydri-Dispersal Device was created to spread water over a large area for purposes of irrigation in a dry area. Although not it¡¯s creators best work it¡¯s still of good quality.]

    [Created by: Gregson Thunderfist]

    Winston rolled his eyes. The runecrafter could have just called it a sprinkler but he¡¯d had to try and sound cooler than he was. Winston looked up to get the gems he needed from Troll but the halfling was already ahead of him and was holding out a small coin pouch towards Winston.

    ¡°Don¡¯t start that damn thing here. I don¡¯t wanna get soaked.¡± Troll said as he waved Winston away from his cart. Hurry it up. I wanna get back to the city. I¡¯ve been gone forever and I need a bath and some dwarven whisky.¡± He griped as he waved Winston and Rimmi away form his wagon with their purchases.

    Rimmi had a sack of his own purchases but Winston was too distracted by the four metal plates to ask what he¡¯d bought. Winston slipped his new rings onto his fingers as he took his plates over the his field in the courtyard.

    He placed the first in of the smaller gardens he¡¯d made and dug out one of the charged mana gems. It was a nice saphire the size of a pinky nail and he stuck it into the gem holder. The device glowed with blue power then a fine mist of water sprayed into the air. It was a more powerful jet than he was expecting, covering a circle nearly a eighty feet in diameter. He quickly popped out the gem as the mist rained down on him soaking his fur. The coverage left him a bit of a problem. It was too large for his smaller gardens and too small for his larger patch. Seems he¡¯d have to do some rearranging to make everything fit.

    He stuck the sprinkler into his pack and headed back towards his field. He¡¯d have to do some mental calculations while he dug. He¡¯s have to move one of the smaller patches next to the other. That would let him cover both with a single sprinkler. Then if he scrapped the third smaller garden, and expanded his old main field slightly he could use two sprinklers to cover it. That would leave him a single sprinkler. He was thinking he¡¯d use it on his apple tree. Maybe he¡¯d plant another two or three nearby so it would cover all of them.

    With his plan in place he quickly finished digging his field. It took awhile. It was nearly three times as large as his old one. Both his new fields were nearly ? of an acre. It would be alot to manage but he hoped with his robot working all day he¡¯d be able to work all of it. He might only get to harvests a week if he planted both in corn but that would be¡­ He didn¡¯t some quick mental math. He got nearly 8 bushel on his quarter acre when all his buffs and his blessing. He wouldn¡¯t be able to use his blessing on the big field, so that would take out a decent chunk, then his golem only got 50% of his yield bonuses, so that would be another sizable chunk. He¡¯d use 5 bushel as the base then. His fields were three times as large, so 5 x 3. Then corn was four times the yield of wheat, so that would be 60 bushel a harvest. If he got two harvests a week on two fields that would come to¡­. 240 bushel a week? WInston gaped for a moment. That was a lot.

    Well, a lot or not, Winston still had to finish getting it all ready so he set to digging with a will. It took nearly all day but by the time he left his room for some supper he¡¯d finished digging his fields, rearranged the gardens, and gotten his sprinklers in place. He¡¯d have to log back in after dinner to plant all his vegetables but then it should be smooth sailing.

 Chapter 24

    It took nearly five hours for Winston to harvest the first field of buckwheat Sunday morning. It was a endless slog but a rewarding one. When he dumped nearly thirty bushel of high-quality buckwheat into the chest in the storage shed he knew he¡¯d finally graduated from a noobie farmer.. He used to have to struggle an entire week for thirty bushel of grain. Now it was a single harvest.

    Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t have time to celebrate. He had a great deal of work to do. His golem was planting his second field which meant he was left with replanting the first one with corn. That took him another three hours, which meant he only had a few hours of down time he could use to try some things out before school tomorrow.

    He picked up his feet and headed for his cloudberry bush. It looked different from last time he¡¯d inspected it. With a week of nourishment under his nurture skill the leaves had expanded and the entire bush had grown and thickened. Winston hadn¡¯t expected that but he took it as a bonus aside from the fruits. Hopefully it would up the quality and yield of all his future harvests even without using his skill.

    He quickly picked the fat white-blue berries. Each was the size of a large radish and he could feel the tingle of air magic contained in each. There were all superior ranked and each had to be worth a gold piece at least. The harvest bumped him to beginner II in fruit but he wasn¡¯t too concerned with his fruit skill. Not because he didn¡¯t think it would be useful but he had other things to focus on for now. He planned to focus more on fruit once he left this wasteland and headed towards Trish¡¯s guild. He couldn¡¯t actually join her guild for months and he wasn¡¯t sure he wanted to even if he could, but he¡¯d at least like to be on the same continent.

    With his new influx of grain he had some decisions to make. In a week he could produce every bushel of grain he owned to the guild and buy his freedom. The question was what he would do after wards. He sure as hell wasn¡¯t going to stay here. This place sucked at growing everything but buckwheat and he wasn¡¯t going to build an empire on that.

    No, he needed to move. The easiest way would be to try and buy a ride when guild teleported the next batch of mats out. He wasn¡¯t sure where that would take him, but most likely to the 10 Kingdoms. That was the games central and oldest continent where all the first players had spawned. That wouldn¡¯t get him geographically closer but it would be much easier to find a teleport to Kishik from there.

    The weather in Kishik was mostly tropical and although he¡¯d prefer somewhere more temperate it would give him more options than Brethren Plains did. There he could grow bananas, oranges, sugarcane, rice,  black pepper, coffee, jute, cacao, and a bunch of other stuff. Being a midwesterner, he¡¯d prefer growing fields of wheat and corn but he had no doubt he could do well from himself selling sugar and chocolate to players who couldn¡¯t gain weight.

    Winston thought on that as he re-cast his nurture spell on the berries and moved across the courtyard towards the storage shed. He¡¯d planned on planting another apple tree or two but with his new yields he just wouldn''t have time. It should only take a week to get the grain for the guild and another week for the grain for the orcs. He might have to stay one week after that just to wrap up everything and harvest the vegetables he needed but he wasn¡¯t staying an hour longer than that even if he had to swim to Kishik

    Winson now regretted buying the cider press and all the casks as it seemed he wouldn¡¯t have time to use them. He did have some time tonight though so he might as well try it out. Besides he was worn out from working all day and some cool cider sounded good.

    He drug the complicated contraption out of the shed along with one of the half-casks. The cider press was a large rectangular frame with a metal grinder on top. It looked a bit like a sausage grinder to Winston with a large opening on top to dump in apples and a large crank.  Below that was a slatted square bin that sat on top of a shallow wooden tub with more slats covering it.

    The machine seemed pretty simple to Winston. The apples went in the top and were then crushed into a sort of pulp or slurry. From there they¡¯d slide down into the bin that sat on top of the tub. There was a wooden plunger looking thing that would press down into the bin and squeeze everything down against the slatted boards covering the tub. That would let the cider run down into the tub while the boards kept out most of the pulp.

    Winston pulled up the wikipedia article and stuck it on half of his interface while he happily tossed apples into the grinder. It was quite satisfying to crush them all into pulp as he turned the big handle and pressing down on the big lever was fun. It took all the apples he¡¯d harvested over two weeks just to fill the small half-cask with the juice but they were all low-quality apples so he didn¡¯t feel too heartbroken.

    It was only as he was sealing up the cask that he realized it wasn¡¯t true cider. As he read the wikipedia article he found out only Americans like him called non-fermented juice cider. Winston shrugged. He supposed it would ferment eventually. Realistically he should have probably added a specific yeast to it to make sure it didn¡¯t end up as vinegar or something but he figured the game would smooth most of that over, or at least he hoped it would.

    He pulled out a water-skin, emptied it, then filled it with the cider left in the tub before taking a swig. It was crisp and the pulp added something to the flavor. It wasn¡¯t as sweet as what his parents usually bought in the store this time of year but he guessed that had a bunch of extra sugar added in. Still, it wasn¡¯t half bad and the half-cask of cider was likely worth more than the four bushel of low-quality apples that had gone into it.

    [You Have Learned a New skill!]

    [You Have Learned Brewing]

    [Brewing]

    [Brewing is the art of making drinks. This can be as simple as squeezing the juice from an orange or a complex multi-year process of fermenting, ageing, and distilling. Skill will increase with the creation of high-quality brews.]

    [Current Rank = Novice I]

    Satisfied with his new skill Winston hefted the cask of cider over one shoulder and put it in the storage shed. As he came back out Therion was there waiting for him.

    ¡°Anything good?¡± The older man asked hopefully. He looked a bit like a puppy hoping for a treat and Winston laughed as he figured out the man¡¯s game. Therion must have seen Winston carrying the cask in and hoped for some booze.

    ¡°It¡¯s just cider and not even fermented yet.¡± Winston said, letting him down easy. Therion looked a bit crestfallen but Winston continued. ¡°I wanted to talk to you anyway. Now that I¡¯ve gotten to Apprentice rank I¡¯ve been able to expand quite a bit.¡± Winston started, waving towards the huge fields and his toiling scarecrow golem. ¡° I was wondering if you¡¯d let me buy out the end of my contract? It¡¯s the 22nd of October. The last weekly quest will come due on December 14th. That means I owe you for eight weeks of grain at 25 bushel a week or 200 bushel of grain. If I just hand you 200 bushel of grain will you let me off the hook?¡± Winston asked.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    Therion looked thoughtful and rubbed his chin. Then he shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t see why not. It all comes to the same and the guild just wants their grain. Not a problem from my end but the higher ups in the guild will probably try to rope you in. Although, because of that moron Herston they¡¯ve already f-ed that up.¡± He sighed.

    ¡°Just let me know when you¡¯ve got the grain. I¡¯m your supervisor for this so I¡¯ve got enough pull to let you complete your contact. I¡¯ll do it on one condition.¡± Therion said, his face stern.

    Winston blinked at him.¡± What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve gotta make me some beer before you leave.¡± He said with a straight face.

    Winston laughed. ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡± He said before he started to clean up the mess he¡¯d made with the cider press. He wasn¡¯t really planning on brewing beer but it¡¯s not like her didn¡¯t have enough grain. If Silver Sword Therion wanted beer than Win Mills would brew some beer. Before that though, he had to log out and get some homework done. He had a math quiz tomorrow and he was not ready for it.

    *************************************************************************************

    Jason Masterson wrung his hands nervously as he paced back and forth in the Best Price parking lot. He check his phone again, unlike his friends he didn¡¯t have a current gen smartphone. Like most things he owned it was old and decrepit. It could still tell time though. It was already 7:35 and Winston was running late.

    Jason kept pacing. That bastard better not be at home playing Otherworld or making out with Trish. He snorted at that thought. It was about time those two idiots ended up together. He was honestly happy for them, although he wanted to slap them both sometimes when they gazed at each other longingly. Trish was hot, if not exactly his type. Winston, well Winston was mostly an idiot. A sneaky idiot when necessary and a good friend but not exactly a go-getter.

    At least he¡¯s supposed to be a good friend. Jason growled as he looked down at his phone again. The rumble of an engine caught his ear and Jason turned to see a beat up old Chevy pick-up heading into the lot. Winston¡¯s brother Josh was driving, and Winston was in the passenger seat.

    A weight came off Jason¡¯s shoulder¡¯s. He¡¯d had to take the bus up here because he didn¡¯t have car. Now at least he had some transportation back. Winston hadn¡¯t let him down after all. He hadn¡¯t really expected him to but he couldn¡¯t say he wasn¡¯t worried.

    The truck rolled into a nearby parking spot and the two brothers hopped out. ¡°Big day. Finally decided to join the real world.¡± Winston said with a laugh. Josh came around the truck and stuck out his hand.

    ¡°Hey Jason.¡± He said as they shook. ¡°Had to cash in some favors for this one.¡± He said wryly as he slapped the side panel of the truck. ¡°Grant made me get him a date with Kylee so we could borrow his truck for a couple hours.. Took me three days of begging and all of my charm to get her to agree.¡±

    Jason laughed. He knew that Winston must have had to bribe Josh with something to get to him to borrow the truck. He¡¯d have to ask Winston about it later. ¡°Thanks for doing this guys.¡±

    Josh and Winston waved his thanks away. ¡°Well, get inside and get to buying. We¡¯ll stay out here and bring the truck around to the loading area in back.¡± Josh said. Jason nodded and headed into the big electronics store.

    It was obvious the the place was going under. Many of the shelves were half empty and Tv¡¯s and stereo equipment sat around on pallets still in their wrapping. The age of the big box stores had gone and most people bought their electronics online now. Places like this were a dying breed.

    That was of little concern to Jason. The decline of America¡¯s retail stores and the growing collapse of the middle class wasn¡¯t really his problem. He just wanted to buy his system. After a few weeks of working part-time he¡¯d saved up enough. So he walked through the desolate aisles and headed straight for the middle of the stone.

    Unlike the rest of the store, the area for Nexus equipment was well maintained. Large screens hung from the ceiling showing epic battles in Otherworld. Shelves were full of various system add-ons as well as cards that contained codes for game time and other services like races changes, premium starter packages, special pets, and other things.

    Jason snagged a three-month time card and winced at the price but held onto it as he walked over to the systems. They were lined up on one side all shiny and new. He knew he couldn¡¯t afford one of the newest Mk V¡¯s, but a Mark IV should be in his price range.He moved to a back corner and found a boxed Mk IV. He grimaced as the price but this too was needed. It would wipe out his savings but sacrifices must be made. His plan was to work at the theater for one more week so he had something left in his account. Then he¡¯d seek his fortune in game.

    He waved down a sales associate and made his purchases. Then helped Winston and Josh load it up in the borrowed truck. Jason ended up squashed between the two in the front seat of the truck.

    ¡°So we heading to your house?¡± Winston asked as they left the store. Jason grimaced as he thought about it. There was no way he could take the system to his house. His family situation would be poor by anyone¡¯s standards. Even if his older sister didn¡¯t end up selling it to buy drugs while he was at school he¡¯d still have to deal with his mom and dad¡¯s bullshit. No, there was only one real option for him.

    ¡°No, we¡¯ll have to take it to my grandma¡¯s.¡± He said, making up his mind.

    It took the three of them only a few minutes to get the system installed in Jason¡¯s Grandma¡¯s basement once they made it to her house. Jason wasn¡¯t too happy that he was living out all the worst stereotypes of a highschool gamer but there was nothing to be done about it. Hanging out in his grandma¡¯s basement was his only real option until he could afford his own place. It was nearly an hour later when he finally climbed into his new machine for the first time.

    ********************************************************

    Tuesday was the first big day for Winston with his newly expanded farm. His cornfield should have matured some time that afternoon and all his vegetables would be ready for harvest. He wasn¡¯t sure how long it would take to get everything done but he was glad he¡¯d had all his major tests last week.

    Rimmi was scowling at a patch of weird grey vines on his side of the courtyard but Winston ignored him as he walked over to see how things were going with his own projects. He¡¯d told his golem to ¡°Wait until this field matures and then harvest it¡± but he wasn¡¯t sure if the creature had understood him completely.

    As he looked over to his corn field he figured things could have been worse. The scarecrow had finished about a quarter of the field during the school day but without a bag of it¡¯s own it had just piled all the ears on one end of the field. The pile was already up to Winston¡¯s knees and it grew more as the golem dumped an armload of ears onto the pile.

    Winston left it to it¡¯s work as he moved over to his original field. It was larger than before and he¡¯d divided it in two with navy beans on half and cabbage on the other half. The sprinklers seemed to have done their work. They weren¡¯t on now but the crop was doing much better than it had been without the extra water. He disabled the two sprinklers by popping out the gems. Afterwards, he started his harvest.

    It was obvious that his skill with vegetables was lower than it was with grain. Even with the extra water only about a third of the vegetables had made it to high quality. The rest were only standard. That was a huge improvement but he was a ways off from his dreams. It took him nearly two hours to harvest the field but he ended up with nearly three bushel of beans and another three of cabbage. He logged out for supper before logging back in to harvest his other smaller fields of beets.

    Pop-ups filled his screen when he logged back on.

    [Grain Sub-Skill has Increased!]

    [Current Rank: Beginner V]

    [Bonus Grain Crop Yield: 35%

    Bonus Grain Crop Quality: 14.5%]

    [You Have Reached Level 12!]

    Winston smiled, having someone else earning xp for him was a good feeling. He thought about re-summoning his farmhand now that he¡¯d leveled up but he honestly just didn¡¯t have time. It was take all his stamina and he had too much work to do to wait for it to regenerate. He¡¯d wait until he wait until the weekend when he had the time to spare. Winston harvested the beets as quickly as possible. His skill in vegetables went up to Novice IV, which was nice but he¡¯d burned through most of his time. It seemed he wouldn¡¯t have time to replant tonight.

    He¡¯d harvested 3 bushel of beets which brought him about 1/3 of what he needed for the orcs quest in a single harvest. Things were going to be much easier than he¡¯d thought. He¡¯d really underestimated how much more he¡¯d be able to accomplish once he expanded his fields.

    The last problem he had to deal with tonight was what to do with all the corn. It wasn¡¯t going to fit in the storage shed. The pile was now chest high on Winston. He headed over to the scarecrow who was finishing up the last couple of rows.

    The only place he could think of to store it all was the keeps basement. They¡¯d at least be out of the rain down there. Winston left his scarecrow to it and started hauling down pack loads of corn. It took nearly an hour but he was just dropping off the last load of corn when the scarecrow finally finished the field. Winston told it to hoe the field again and went to bed. He was tired.

 Chapter 25

    ¡°What¡¯ca dooooin.¡± Trish asked with a simper as she plopped onto the seat next to Winston at lunch and leaned against him. Winston was immediately suspicious. Trish was not the simpering type. His instincts were warning him against rash action so he gave her the side eye and answered slowly.

    ¡°Eating lunch?¡± He said carefully.

    ¡°I mean what are you doing this weekend?¡± She asked. He thought about telling her that wasn¡¯t what she¡¯d asked but he knew better than to fall into that trap.

    ¡°Farming?¡± He answered instead.

    ¡°Good!¡± She said happily as she sat up and grabbed her fork. ¡°You can come to a halloween party with me then.¡±

    Winston grimaced. He wasn¡¯t really one for parties. That was more his brother¡¯s scene. It wasn¡¯t that he had no social skills, he just didn¡¯t particularly like people. His brother could walk up to a group of complete strangers and be laughing and joking with them in minutes. Winston was too suspicious for that. Not to mention he just didn¡¯t like large groups of people. Usually he just hung out in a corner or maybe on a couch in a back room and talked to all the other misfits and outcasts.

    He knew logically that meeting new people and expanding his circle of acquaintances was a good thing but he saw it like eating broccoli. Just because it was probably good for him didn¡¯t mean he wanted to do it.Then again Trish hadn¡¯t ever really asked him for anything before so he should go and pretend to have fun if only for her sake.

    ¡°Where is it?¡± He asked, defeated.

    ¡°Awwwww, don¡¯t look like that. It¡¯s in Otherworld at out guild hall. We¡¯ll invite you over with one of our summons.¡± She said.

    ¡°What¡¯s a summon?¡± Winston asked. He¡¯d never heard of such a thing. He knew people could fast travel with portals but he¡¯d never heard of being able to summon people. Then again, the longer he played otherworld the more he realized there were a lot of things he didn¡¯t know.

    ¡°It¡¯s a guild mechanic. It¡¯s mostly for defending the guild headquarters. A guild can summon a number of fighters back from wherever they are to defend their base if it comes under attack. A guild saves them up over time but they are pretty rare and they are one of the guilds final trump cards so they try not to waste them for silly stuff like this. I¡¯ll have to cough up a bunch of contribution potions to use one for a party but I want you to come.¡± Trish explained.

    Winston had never heard of anything like that, but he imagined there were a bunch of restrictions. Other wise people would use them instead of portals and wagon drivers to move goods around. He¡¯d look into it later.

    ¡°Fine, just lemme know when.¡± Winston said.

    Trish smiled and gave him a peck on the cheek before digging into her ham and cheese potatoes.

    ¡°How¡¯s Jason doing? I haven¡¯t not talked to him since I helped him hook up his system.¡± Winston asked Trish as he looked into the spot where Jason usually sat. He wasn¡¯t sure where Jason had gone after trig.

    Trish laughed. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anyway so excited to chop down trees. He¡¯s this giant crocodile monster and gave himself a bunch of bizarre bright blue tribal tattoos. His character looks ridiculous. We gave him a few axes and a beast and cart to help him move the lumber and he just spends hours hacking at trees.¡± She shook her head. ¡°I have no idea how the two of you can do such grunt work.¡±

    Winston shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s because it¡¯s ours.¡± Winston made some vague hand gestures as he tried to explain himself. ¡°If I went and got a job flipping burgers or stocking shelves or something I¡¯m sure I¡¯d be there slacking off but in Otherworld I¡¯m right there. I¡¯m not disconnected from the process because I own everything. I know that whatever I managed to grow out of the ground I get to keep. The only thing holding me back is my own effort.¡± He shrugged.

    It was one of the reasons he was so ready to leave Brethren Plains and the guild. He hated the chain they had on him. It wasn¡¯t even a very short or heavy chain but the fact it was there at all irked him.

    ¡°Speaking of which, is there anywhere around your guild I could set-up shop? I¡¯ll be able to buy my way out of my contact in a week or two and I¡¯m gonna need a new place to start my new farm.¡±

    Trish bit her lip as she thought and Winston was fascinated by the motion.

    ¡°You¡¯re drooling.¡± Trish said and Winston raised a hand to wipe it away before he caught himself. Then he coughed awkwardly to cover the motion. Trish snorted but continued.

    ¡°Well, there''s a few places. Do you just wanna join the guild?¡± Trish asked.

    ¡°I can¡¯t for moths because of my contract with the swords. I can¡¯t even enter a trade agreement with you guys.¡± He said. ¡°A land-lease would probably be the easiest if it was the option if I could.¡±  What he didn¡¯t say was that he wouldn¡¯t join the guild even if it was allowed. Joining a guild when your girlfriend was someone at the top? That would just be weird. Not because he felt some masculine need to outrank her but it would be a massive conflict of interest.

    He could picture a dozen scenarios that might pit him against the guild or the guild against him and his and Trish¡¯s relationship could be caught in the middle of all of it. He couldn¡¯t think of anything he¡¯d gain by joining and he could think of a lot of things he might potentially lose.

    She took in his words with a frown and thought about it for a while. ¡°We own most of the area around the keep but it¡¯s right on the beach and I don¡¯t think you¡¯d want to try and farm there. You¡¯d have to be at least a few hours ride inland and that¡¯s a pretty high level area because of all the high-level players going in and out of it. We¡¯ve got a smaller outpost in the next zone over. That would probably be your best bet. You couldn¡¯t stay in the outpost if you¡¯re not part of the guild but you could settle nearby. Then you¡¯d only be a few days ride away.¡± She said.

    ¡°I¡¯m down.¡± Winston said. ¡°I won¡¯t be ready to move for a couple of weeks anyway. It¡¯ll take me at least the rest of this week and next week.¡± He said. The two lapsed into happy chatter before heading for their afternoon classes.

    ************************************************************************************

    Winston found himself harvesting yet another giant field of corn on Friday afternoon. He found that he¡¯d miscalculated quite a bit with his latest farm upgrade. He¡¯d bitten off more than he could chew, or he¡¯d at least been a bit too optimistic on how long it would take to cycle everything. His golem could handle a lot during the day but something small always seemed to go wrong with the transitions. He¡¯d only gotten three harvests instead of the four he was expecting. His Vegetables didn¡¯t get planted until Wednesday afternoon, and everything felt out of sync. He was used to everything taking only a single day and balancing all the various crops and growth times was driving him crazy.

    On the other hand he was only about half done with this field and he already had about 170 bushel of corn stocked up for this week.. The whole thing was going to screw up his two week schedule. That wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing. More time would mean more crops and he¡¯d be able to cash in on some of that. He was letting his mind wander as he hands moved but was pulled back into the world when he heard the sound of boots against soil coming closer. He turned to see Therion walking towards him.

    ¡°Are you going to tell me why the basement is full of corn?¡± Therion asked in a sour look on his face. Winston stood up straight for the first time in nearly a quarter hour and stretched out his aching back as he answered.

    ¡°Your shed is too small. It can¡¯t even handle ? of the crops I¡¯m growing now. You get me a bigger shed. I¡¯ll stop filling the basement with corn.¡± Winston said as he bent over and stayed there for a few breaths to let his legs stretch out before he stood back up. He looked up at Therion. The man sighed.

    ¡°So, you leaving this week?¡± He asked, changing to subject.  ¡°I¡¯m really not gonna be happy with you leaving me here with the gnome and Herston.¡± He said.

    ¡°Well, you could extend my contact. I¡¯d do it for say¡­. Five thousand a month with a full set of high level crafting gear and the right to use the guild teleportation portals to move my own products to market.¡± Winston said deadpan.

    Therion snorted so hard Winston thought he might have hurt himself. ¡°If they had that much money they¡¯d have just hired a real farmer instead of drafting a bunch of noobs like you guys.¡± He said.

    Winston shrugged. ¡°Then I¡¯m out of here. This is like the crappiest growing area in the entire game, even a a desert I could probably grow some magical cacti or something. I¡¯ve got one more quest to finish then I¡¯m bailing.¡±Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    Therion nodded. ¡°Well then I better let you get back to work. Time is money.¡± Winston agreed with that. He was already going to lose some time this weekend to go to a damn halloween party. At least it was in Otherworld and not the RL. The thought made him pause. Maybe he should bring something. He did have a half-cask of cider. It was only then he remembered the pumpkin seeds in his pack he¡¯d never actually planted. He sighed, it was too late now.

    He thought about the cider again. It had come our standard quality but had been made with poor quality apples. The new apples should be done tonight and they had actually gotten water. He¡¯d go over and see when he was done with this field. If they weren¡¯t at least high quality he wouldn¡¯t bother, if they were high or superior then he¡¯d break out the press again and see if he could make another batch of higher quality.

    With him and the farmhand working on the same field took only another hour to clean it up and when he finished he got a pleasant surprise.

    [Grain Sub-Skill has leveled up!]

    [Current Rank: Apprentice I]

    [Bonus Grain Crop Yield: 40%

    Bonus Grain Crop Quality: 16.5%]

    [You Have Gained A New Skill]

    [You Have Learned Empower Hoe/Plow]

    [Empower Hoe/Plow]

    [User Empowers their Farming Implement to increase the speed of field work.]

    [Rank: Novice I]

    [Duration: 1 Hour]

    [Cooldown: None]

    [Cost: 100 Stamina]

    [Effect: Adds an Area of Effect to users Hoe or plow. Also increases the aeration of the soil. Increases melee damage of implement by 200%]

    [Restriction: Can only be used on a hoe or plow.]

    Winston looked at the pop-up with interest. Empower hoe could be really useful. Hoeing fields was another of his biggest time sinks. He had a helper now but it still took hours to harvest, hoe, and replant each field now that he¡¯d made them so much bigger. The problem was his claws weren¡¯t a hoe or plow. Then again he was from a farming race. It might be worth a shot. The problem was he didn¡¯t have the stamina to test it out right now. He¡¯d have to wait until later when he finished up the field and got a change to regenerate.

    He and his robot helper spend another twenty minutes hauling another giant pile of corn down into the basement of the keep. He really hoped the guild wound do something with them. He didn¡¯t wanna think about the size of the rats they¡¯d get down there otherwise. A direrat was nothing to screw around with.

    Still, none of that was his problem. He left his golem to hoe the field again and headed over to pick this weeks berries and apples. The process with the berry bush was quite fast but the apple tree was much longer. The apple tree was covered in apples. It had at least twice as many as usual and the Apple of the Earth was Huge and glowed with brown Earth mana.

    It took him a while to pick all the fruit off the tree. He had to climb all over it and managed to get nearly two bushel of high quality apples and a single superior quality apple of the earth. That boosted up his Fruit Sub-skill another level, but he wasn¡¯t too excited. It would take forever to level up to apprentice with the small amount of fruit farming he did.

    Winston was more familiar with the press and cider making the second time he tried. He also had much better apples to deal with. Things went fairly smoothly and he wondered if he should try and add anything. The old man told him ghost willow bark was what he used but Winston didn¡¯t have any. He also had no idea what would even be good.

    He decided he¡¯d have time to mess around later. He was planning on taking this batch to the party. He should keep things simple so he didn¡¯t screw it up. The new batch came out well and his brewing skill went up another rank. He gave his golem so more instructions and logged it was nearly midnight back in the RL and he had a party to go to tomorrow.

    *****************************

    Saturday was a vegetable day. So Winston spent most of the morning picking vegetables while his golem worked on planting buckwheat and harvesting the other corn field. It was nearly noon when they finished but Winston was cheerful. He¡¯d finally hit level 12. Leveling had really slowed down after 10. He thought with how many high-quality crops he was harvesting he¡¯d be leveling up two or three times a week but that wasn¡¯t the case. He¡¯d just have to keep plodding along. He¡¯d be powerful sooner or later. Well, maybe not powerful but at least with some cool abilities. Speaking of which. He still needed to try out his new claws before the party.

    He headed over to the already harvested field of buckwheat and unsheathed his claws. Then he tried to use his new ability.

    ¡°Empower Hoe¡± He said aloud. He felt a bit silly since his claws weren¡¯t a hoe and he wasn¡¯t sure it would work. A wave of exhaustion smashed down on him like a fallen tree as most of his stamina was drawn out in a single instant. Winston staggered but his eyes lit up as his claws started to glow with yellow light.

    He bent down and stabbed a claw into the dirt. A ripple spread out from his claw and the earth started to churn. The buckwheat plants were rolled into the soil and disintegrated before the area turned into a patch of well-worked earth a foot and a half in diameter. The entire process took only a few seconds and Winston gaped at the ground. He¡¯d never been able to turn the dirt that well. He shook off the thought and stabbed his other claw into the ground a few feet away. The same thing happened and Winston smiled.

    He let out his foot claws and they too glowed. He happily started to stomp around jabbing his foot claws into the dirt and watching as the soil transformed with ripples of magic. Then he started to walk the field. His gait was awkward because of the way he had to bend his ankles and knees to get his claws at the right angle. He had to do a sort of kick every time he moved but he could now hoe his entire field just by walking around. That would save him hours each week and if he got more stamina he could cast it on his golem¡¯s hoe as well.

    Wiston was lounging in the afternoon sunshine watching his golem replant all his vegetables when his interface chimed.

    [You Have Been Summoned By Triska Treesinger]

    [Summon Location: Hound¡¯s Hold, Wakewater Cove, Kishik]

    [Summoning Restrictions: User will be returned to this location 4 hours after being summoned. User cannot remove any gear they are wearing while summoned.  User can only bring 50 lbs worth of non equipped items. User cannot bring more than 1000 gold worth of non-equipped items.]

    [Please Choose Accept When User is Ready to be Summoned.]

    Winston frowned at the message as he read the blue pop-up. Then he laughed. Of course, the game wouldn¡¯t want guilds exploiting the summon system to move goods. It wanted to force them to pay the higher rates needed for teleportation. Sneaky but it did suck lots of gold out of the game which was good. It was hard to keep down inflation in an online game, when gold just appeared magically anytime someone punched a goblin to death.

    Winston took off his pack and set it in the storage shed, then hefted his cask of cider and accepted the summons.

    The first thing he noticed was the change in the air. In Brethren plains it was late afternoon and the air had been cool and dry. Now he felt like he¡¯d been transported to Florida or maybe the Yucatan or something. The air was heavy and Winston immediately started to sweat. The heat wasn¡¯t that bad with dusk approaching but it was much hotter than he was used to. He could smell the sea on the air and could even hear the distant sound of the surf.

    He was still getting his bearings when he felt arms wrap around him. They were soft but they had the vague texture of bark which made the sensation rather bizarre. Then again, he was a mole-man so he knew he couldn¡¯t really complain.

    ¡°You came!¡± Trish said happily as she released him from the hug.Her smiled turned into a frown though as she saw him carrying the cask.  ¡°Why are you carrying a keg?¡±Winston was about to reply when a voice boomed from a few feet away.

    ¡°HA!, I like him already every party needs more booze.¡± Winston turned and blinked as he saw the massive form heading towards him. The man had to be over nine feet tall and was covered in thick slabs of muscle. He had to be some sort of ogre or giant hybrid. His skin was green and he had a brow that was almost comically heavy. He was shirtless but his upper body was covered in tattoos that glowed with magical power.

    Runic Tattooing was another obscure skill. Someone with high enough ranks in Runic magic could brand them directly on people, granting them various powers and opening up another skill all together. Winston got the feeling Trish¡¯s guild was made up of weirdo¡¯s. Trisha had taken the Spirit Shaman, which was basically a back-line support class and twisted it into a magical nuker.

    This guy had forgone armor and instead covered himself with magical tattoos. Winston knew there were skills that could grant you bonuses if you went without armor but he didn¡¯t think you could make up the difference with just tattoos. You were basically forgoing six entire item slots. Maybe at lower levels and item rarities you¡¯d be able to compete but top gear gave a ton of bonuses and this guy was missing six slots worth. Then again, maybe he had some bizzare skill or class synergy to make up for it.

    ¡°So, this your man Trish.¡± Asked the man as he headed over with a wide grin on his homely green face. Trish rolled her eyes as he turned to the man.

    ¡°Jerry, can you go ten minutes without yelling?¡± Trish asked with a sigh.

    The man scratched his head as he furrowed his brows. ¡°I might be able to¡­..¡± He said thoughtfully with a serious look on his face. ¡°BUT WHAT WOULD BE THE POINT!¡± He boomed, a smile coming back to his face.

    Trish hit him but Winston doubted the guy even felt it. The man stuck out his massive hand to Winston.

    ¡°I¡¯m Jerry or Jercrusher. You must be Triska¡¯s new beau.¡± He said giving Winston¡¯s hand a firm shake but not trying to crush it like Winston was expecting.

    ¡°I¡¯m Winston or Win Mills.¡± Winston said. ¡°Nice to meet you. Trish never talked about her guild much so I wasn¡¯t sure what to really expect.¡± Winston said looking up at the man.

    ¡°Well, if my girl wasn¡¯t already part of the guild I wouldn¡¯t want to bring her to meet this lot. HA!¡± He said, letting out another booming laugh. ¡°Most of them are alright, except maybe for Elsia. She can be a b¡­.. eautiful woman.¡± The man said, his voice going high pitched and a bit strange at the end.

    Winston saw Jerry was looking past him so he turned to see an attractive blonde with fish scales covering her shapley body. She was wearing a light blue dress that clung to her just enough to draw the eye. Winston gave her only a glace before prying his eyes away. He gave the large man next to him a smirk. Winston wondered why no-one was wearing a costume. Then realized how stupid it would be to wear costumes in a game. They were all wearing costumes already.

    ¡°Hey Elsia.¡± Trish said as she moved forward and gave the older girl a hug. Elsia returned the hug and gave Trish a smile before glaring at Jerry.

    The bigger man gave her a rather sickly smile. ¡°Hey babe! You look lovely tonight.¡± He said as he bent down and gave the fish woman a peck on her cheek.¡±

    Winston looked up at him incredulously. ¡°That¡¯s your girlfriend?¡±  The man nodded his head awkwardly. Winston laughed and slapped the man on one of his massive arms. ¡°You sir are a braver man than I.¡±

    You two are so dysfunctional.¡± Trish laughed while Elsia scowled.  Trish turned back to Winston. ¡°Why did you bring that?¡± Winston glanced at the half-cask he was still carrying on one shoulder and shrugged.

    ¡°It¡¯s a party so I thought I should bring something. Besides it came out high-quality so I needed some taste testers.¡± Winston said.

    ¡°HAHAH!  Sounds great. I could use a pick me up.¡± Jerry said, as he leaned over and took the cask out of Winston hands.

    ¡°You could use a boot up your ass.¡± Elsia grumbled.

    ¡°Lets get inside before these two start brawling, or making out. I can never tell which.¡± Trish said, as she turned and headed towards the front door of the keep. Unlike Grimstone this keep seemed to be made mostly out of trees. It was only a single story but open and sprawling. The walls were made of vines and trees woven together. While the roof seems to be made of bamboo but with large flowers poking out through it to soak up the sun. It was beautiful but not very defensible by the look of it.

    They headed in through a pair of grand front doors made of a light colored wood. Then they were inside the sprawling keep. The inside was open and airy, likely because of the tropical temperatures here. Dozens of unfamiliar people were milling around chatting or eating off the large tables that had been laid with finger foods. Winston felt a nervous but sometimes a man needed to do things he found uncomfortable. He straightened his back, and pulled Trish over and gave her a hug.

    ¡°Evening Beautiful.¡± He said as he inspected the partygoers like a man preparing for war.

    Trish laughed. ¡°Relax¡­.... You look like your about to charge into artillery fire. It¡¯s just a party. They won¡¯t attack you.¡± Winston gave her a bitter smile as they walked through a few rooms with Trish stopping to greet people along the way.

    Winston did a lot of nodding and smiling as he and Trish walked through the people with linked arms. He waited until they were mostly alone again before he replied. ¡°They won¡¯t attack me with their fists. They¡¯ll just use barbed words and passive aggressive insults. Better to trade punches and be done with it.¡± Winston grumbled.

    Trish snorted. ¡°Yes, because sooooo many people get the advantage of you in an argument. Stop acting so anti-social. You¡¯re just  shy.¡± Winston started to blush and was glad he had fur to cover the reaction. Trish saw through him anyway and laughed. ¡°You¡¯re such a cute little mole.¡± She said as she grabbed his cheeks and leaned forward.It offered a rather nice view down her shirt, and bark textured skin or not, it was still impressive. ¡°And stop looking down my shirt.¡±

    ¡°Yes dear ¡° Winston said as they started moving again.

 Chapter 26

    ¡°Casey, try this.¡± Jercrusher said as he poured a light amber liquid out of the cask he¡¯d taken off that mole guy. He filled half a tankard with it and held it out to his approaching friend. Casey had the tall lithe form of an elf but was somewhat lacking their normal ethereal dignity. His light blonde hair was plastered to his forehead with sweat and his white chef¡¯s clothes were rumpled. He slid a plate of roasted meat onto the table next to the line of casks and turned back towards the kitchen.

    ¡°I¡¯m already behind. You idiots can¡¯t stop eating for three seconds and I¡¯m cooking my ass off here.¡± He said over his shoulder.

    ¡°Just hold on a sec, seriously.¡± Jerry said, takin a few steps and waving the mug under the elfs nose. The elf snatched the mug and downed it in one pull. Then he looked up at Jerry confused.

    ¡°It¡¯s just cider, hell the guy didn¡¯t even put spices in it. It¡¯s just apple juice.¡± Casey said with a bit of disdain.

    ¡°It¡¯s high-quality apple juice.¡± The giant said. The elf continued to scowl at him for a moment then his face turned more thoughtful.

    ¡°If he didn¡¯t put more spices in it then his brewing skill couldn¡¯t have improved the quality any. Well maybe from poor to standard but that¡¯s mostly because cider is usually made from bad apples in the RL. The good ones are eaten normally or made into pies or tarts or whatever. That means the apples themselves must have been high-quality. Who the hell would waste so many high quality apples on apple juice?¡± The elf asked.

    ¡°Exactly.¡± The giant said sounding smug. ¡°I figured with the thanksgiving cook-off coming up¡­¡­.¡±  The elf scowled at the large man.

    ¡°Fine, who brought it? I¡¯m still running behind.¡± The elf snapped.

    ¡°Trish¡¯s boyfriend ¡° Jerry said.

    ¡°Trish has a boyfriend? Since When?¡±  Casey asked. Then he waved the question away. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter lets go track them down.

    **********************

    The party wasn¡¯t as bad as Winston expected. The people all seemed friendly and Trish¡¯s guild had put a lot of effort into the decorations and food. The guild hall was crowded but not packed and there was even some music.

    He¡¯d met a few interesting people and they¡¯d all been pleasant. Although whether that was because of him or Trish he didn¡¯t know. He¡¯d guess the later but he smiled and even cracked a few jokes. Trish seemed happy so that was really all that mattered. His summon would run out in less than an hour and he could go to bed.

    Trish and Winston were chatting with two of the guild¡¯s mages when Winston saw a tall green form parting the crowd as it moved towards them. Winston smiled. He like Jerry although Jercrusher was a terrible character name. A disheveled looking elf was following the giant and Winston¡¯s eyebrow went up as the two bee-lined towards him.

    ¡°Are you the one who brought the cider?¡± The elf asked as soon as he approached. He talked right over Trish¡¯s conversation and without even greeting anyone. Trish turned with a frown on her face then sighed when she saw the elf.

    ¡°Casey, shouldn¡¯t you be in the kitchen?¡± She asked. Winston took a step back. Trish was using her dangerous tone.

    The elf waved a hand with impatience. ¡°I SHOULD be, but then I found out someone used high-quality apples for JUICE! I¡¯m already running late but some things have priority.¡± He said.

    ¡°I¡¯m talking to people Casey.¡± Trish said through gritted teeth.

    ¡°Good for you. I didn¡¯t want to talk to you anyway.¡±

    Winston tried but he couldn¡¯t hold back his snort. Trish rounded on him and shot him a glare. Winston didn¡¯t get a chance to say anything before the elf and Jerry dragged him off.

    They moved to another room that was much less crowded. ¡°Your the one that brought the apple juice right?¡± The elf asked with a manic gleam in his eye. Winston was curious but not worried. Judging by the apon the elf was a chef so he was a natural ally, or at least business partner.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Winston replied.

    ¡°And you used all those high quality apples for JUICE? Are you Crazy?¡± The elf snapped. Winston shrugged.

    ¡°It was just some apples man.¡± Winston said.

    The elf growed, which would have been comical if the man didn¡¯t look like he was about to throttle Winston. ¡°Do you know how hard it is to get high-quality fruits and vegetables? Even if you can find them there¡¯s never enough supply. Where did you get them?!¡± The elf shouted.

    ¡°I grew them. I¡¯m a farmer.¡± Winston replied.

    The elf stared at him for a moment then turned to Jerry. ¡°Hire him.¡±

    ¡°He can¡¯t hire me. I¡¯m contracted with the Swords.¡± Winston explained. The elf rounded on him and started to glow with magical power. Winston raised his hands in surrender. ¡°Easy¡­. I¡¯m done this week, but I still can¡¯t join your guild. I can¡¯t join a guild or enter into any contracts with one for three months after my contract ends. Still, if you want to do some business on an individual basis i¡¯m more than willing to hear you out. ¡±

    After all, he was businessman and having a ready buyer could make things a lot easier. He¡¯d likely get higher prices for most of his normal crops on the auction house but things at high rank or even higher didn¡¯t usually have many open buy orders so the price could fluctuate pretty wildly. Not to mention the AH took a huge cut. If a player offered him 10% less than the AH he¡¯d still be making 5% extra profit.

    The elf snarled but seemed to get ahold of himself. ¡°Alright, fine. You can get high-grade apples. How much would they cost me.¡± Winston thought about that then brought up the markets in his interface. The top buy order was for 175 but most of the sales were looking for at least 300 or 350.

    ¡°200 a bushel.¡±  Winston said. ¡°But you¡¯ve gotta figure out a way to get them. I¡¯m not carrying 200 pounds of apples halfway across the known game map. It¡¯ll cost you at least 500 if you want superior.¡± Winston checked the prices for superior grade apples and saw there were no bushels for sale at all. Although there were individual apples for sale for five gold each. Winston had to do some more digging but that came to like 620 gold a bushel.

    The elfs eyes widened. ¡°You can make superior grade crops?¡± He asked incredulously. The elf was trembling so hard he seemed to be having some sort of apoplectic fit.

    ¡°For fruit, easily. Vegetables I¡¯m less certain about. My Sub-Skill isn¡¯t as high. Not to mention my hands are tied for location for a few weeks. It¡¯s not a great time to be taking on more clients unless you want something I¡¯m already producing.¡±

    The elf¡¯s face split into a wide grin when he heard Winston¡¯s words and he began to laugh. It was a dark laugh. ¡°OH YES. I¡¯d like to see you bastards mock me again this year. My glorious feast will trample on all your dreams and dignity this time!¡±

    Winston looked over to giant who caught Winston¡¯s eye and shook his head. They both watched the elf as he ranted and crackled in a monologue worthy of any comic book villain. The elf stopped then whirled back to Winston.

    ¡°This year¡¯s thanksgiving cook off is in three weeks. All the guilds were be sending representatives to Westriver in the 10 Kingdoms to complete. The top prize is 100,000 gold as well as a magical spatula. I need you ingredients!¡± The elf said.

    ¡°Alright, alright, calm down. I already said I¡¯d sell to you. Just get me a list of what want.¡± Winston said. This elf was crazy but he seemed like he had a lot of money. Winston was more than willing to put up with an eccentric elf to line his pockets.

    ¡°I can¡¯t right now, need to get back to work. I¡¯ll send you a message with the list of ingredients I want. You¡¯ll be compensated well for anything high-quality or better.¡± The elf said as he turned around and stomped off. Winston just blinked after him. He was so abrupt. Still, Winston was excited. He now had his first non-NPC customer.

    Selling high quality fruits and vegetables to players was where the real money was at. At least some of it. He still thought mass producing cotton could make him really rich. He¡¯d have to table that idea for a while. The first priority was to finish his orc quest, pay off the guild, and move. Then he could start slowly setting up his new farm.

    Jerry walked over and gave me a slap on the back. ¡°Looks like someone''s gonna be rolling in the dough soon.  Casey is crazy about his cooking. He¡¯d give you his entire life savings if it would let him win that competition. Some of the best chefs in the game compete and he can never crack the top 50 even though he¡¯s at Professional III in cooking.¡±

    Winston whistled. Professional III was an elite in the crafting scene. There were only a handful of people who had made it to Renowned the next rank. Professional III didn¡¯t make him the best cook in the game but definitely put him in the top 1%. Still though, cooking was a popular profession. Even the top 1% would have thousands of players.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°How can he place so well in such a huge contest with only Professional III? I mean, yeah that¡¯s really high but it¡¯s not top 50 in the game high.¡± Winston said.

    ¡°High level crafting doesn¡¯t really work like that. Think about it, There¡¯s only five skill ranks between Professional III and Renown III. That¡¯s a significant handicap but not an absolute one, even with the Renown rank ability. Then there¡¯s the participants actual skill, not skill rank but actual ability. Finally you have to take into account the quality of the ingredients the chefs are using.¡±

    ¡°Each participant has to bring their own ingredients with the goal being the make the best dish possible. Think about that. Each dish is going to cost hundreds of dollars to even make. Not hundreds of gold, hundreds of dollars. How many chefs are going to be willing to throw that kind of money into a contest they knew they have no chance of winning or even winning one of the lower prizes. Not that many. So no, based on his rank alone Casey has no real hope of winning but I¡¯d give him even odds of making the top 50 this year and if you can get him some superior ranked ingredients¡­ He might even break into the top 25 with a bit of luck. God knows he¡¯d been insufferable if he did mange it but even I¡¯ve gotta admire his work ethic.¡± The giant explained.

    Winston thought about that for a while. Then he shrugged. It didn¡¯t really matter to him. Although, it might be a good place to do some advertising. If there were alot of high level chefs around someone capable of supplying high quality ingredients might be able to do some networking and make some business connections.

    Winston stuck out his hand. ¡°Thanks for introducing us. I¡¯m guessing it was you who brought him over to me.¡± The larger man laughed.

    ¡°I did it mostly for him. He¡¯s insufferable but a good friend. You just get to reap the rewards.¡± Jercrusher said honestly.

    ¡°A rising tide lifts all ships.¡± Winston said smiling as the giant shook his hand. ¡°Now I better go find Trish before she starts setting things on fire.¡±

    ¡°Done with all your business talk?¡± Trish asked when Winston finally caught up with her. She was talking to three people who looked like guild officers.

    ¡°I think so. Looks like I¡¯ve got a new, if bizarre customer.¡± Winston told her as he took a spot next to her.

    This is Alex and Vera, Leaders of the Warrior and Support divisions of the guild. Alex, Vera, this is Win Mills. My boyfriend.¡± Trish said as she made the introductions. Winston shook hands with them as he took in their appearance.

    Alex was a thin and reedy looking man. He looked to be in his middle college years but it was tough to tell in game. Vera was in little black dress that showed off her over-muscled figure. She looked like an amazon out of manga or anime with a bronze circlet holding her wheat-colored hair in place. She still was obviously female but her ultra-defined leg and arm muscles and pecks that showed through her modest breasts were a bit over the top in Winston¡¯s opinion.

    ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re the mysterious childhood friend that Trish is always talking about.¡± Vera said as she released Winston¡¯s hand and gave him a once over. ¡°Never seen a mole race before, doesn¡¯t look like much of a fighter.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a fighter, I have a production class.¡± Winston said.

    Vera¡¯s face twisted slightly and she opened her mouth to say something when Alex spoke over her. ¡°Let it go Vera¡­..¡± He said calmly, turning a understanding gaze to Winston.

    ¡°Our Vera is a bit of a combat bigot. Anyone who¡¯s not out there fighting dragons and bathing in monster blood is a coward or a failure.¡± Alex said.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never said that.¡± Vera snapped.

    ¡°Actions are louder than words. You were just about to berate someone you¡¯d never met over a life choice that has nothing to do with you.¡± Alex said. The entire little drama was a bit too smooth. These two had obviously done this before and having Alex play the ¡®good cop¡¯ to Vera¡¯s social gaffs was likely a tactic they¡¯d used hundreds of times. That or Winston was just being paranoid. Either way, he didn¡¯t trust either of them as far as he could kick them, but he did have some trust issues.

    ¡°I was just here to say goodbye to Trish. My summon will run out in a few minutes and I wanted to see her before I got sucked back to where I came from.¡± Winston said to the pair, as Trish pulled him in for a quick hug. Trish smiled at him and gave him a peck on his mole snout.

    ¡°Thanks for coming Win. I know you don¡¯t usually go in for parties.¡± Trish said.

    ¡°No, it was fine. I had fun and hopefully picked up some business so a good night all around. Not to mention I got to walk around with the prettiest girl here all night.¡± Winston said with an exaggerated wink.

    Trish snorted. ¡°See you at school on Monday.¡± She said. Winston was teleported back to Brethren Plains a few minutes later.

    **********************************************************************************

    Sunday was a day of decisions for Winston. The sky was bright but cold and the cold wind bit though his fur. He really did need to get some real clothes at some point. It was just one more thing. His current problems as he saw the situation were 2 fold. He had enough grain to pay off his debt to the guild but once he did that he¡¯d lose his base of operations. The solution to that was obvious. He¡¯d just do the orc¡¯s quest first. The second problem was the shrine. He¡¯d been ignoring it for a while but he didn¡¯t just want to leave it here for those idiot swords. Tearing it down didn¡¯t seem to be a good option.

    He didn¡¯t want to lose all the work he¡¯d put into it not to mention destroying a shrine might piss off Runa and he didn¡¯t need an angry goddess trying to smite me on top of all his other problems. Well, that was a problem with less of a straightforward solution. He supposed he¡¯d just have to beg Runa to do something. She¡¯d likely make him complete a quest or sacrifice something but that wouldn¡¯t be so bad.

    He headed over to the shrine and knelt. This time he didn¡¯t use any fancy words or overacted speeches. He just explained his problem to the Goddess and tried to push his faith into his request.

    [You Have Received A New Quest!]

    [Moving A Shrine]

    [The Goddess Runa will fulfill your request if you Fulfill her¡¯s.]

    [Objective:

    Option 1: Gather 10 more followers for Runa

    Option 2: Sacrifice 1000 prayers with of divinite to the shrine.]

    [Rewards: Runa will move the shrine]

    Winston snorted when he saw the message. Get 10 followers? There was no way that was happening. He didn¡¯t even know that many players. Luckly, like most problems he could solve this one by throwing money at it. He popped open the auction interface and searched for divinite.

    He was surprised at the results. He¡¯d expected divinite to be rare, they apparently weren¡¯t. Not only did Verith have some for sale they weren¡¯t even that expensive. The old orc must have been right about them not being that useful. Each was only about 10 gold each. Winton called Troll and told him to buy all of them along with some hops and brewing yeast.

    With that done it was time to get back to work. He had to replant his vegetables, Harvest the buckwheat his golem had planted last night, harvest the corn in his other field, then re-dig and replant both. It was gonna be a busy day.

    He was about to order his Golem to work when he remembered he¡¯d never  resummoned it. Now he had better items, and another level. He pulled up his info.

    [ Name: Win Mills   Level 12]

    [ Race: Yawnshu       Class: Grove tender]

    [            Attributes             Status]

    [Str:     41     End: 52(+4)56   Hp: 130/130 Mana: 129/129]

    [Con:    38       Agi: 28            Stam: 173/173 Panic: 1/11]

    [Cord: 40(+3)43      Int: 31   Hunger: 76/100 Thirst: 87/100]

    [Wis  40(+2)42       Faith: 43(+11)54                   FP:172/172(211/211)]

    [Res:  29(+4) 33 ]

    [Guild: Seeds    Titles: 2]

    [Fame: 5         Friend List: 1/5]

    It should be a solid upgrade for his worker. He pulled out his staff and raised it. ¡°Summon Farmhand.¡±

    Light poured from him and a scarecrow appeared. This one was taller and a bit better put together. Its holy aura also seemed to have increased which made its appearance a bit bizarre over-all.

    Winston sent the improved golem off to harvest the buckwheat while he started planting the vegetables. The day passed in a blur as Winston and his Golem worked his farm.

    **********************************************************

    The following week was a boring one. Winston had only two real goals for the week. Grow more grain and make Therion some beer. The first was easy but the second needed some research. Winston knew nothing about brewing. So he pulled up some youtube videos and started watching. Troll had dropped off the divinite as well as yeast, hops, a large pot, some cloth bags,  and a special brewing cask with a hole in one end and a long curved metal tube. It was all fairly rudimentary, without plastics or fancy air-locks he was going to have to hope the game would throw him bone. Then again, he wasn¡¯t drinking it.

    Winston started his brewing bonanza on Tuesday. He¡¯s done a lot of reading online and had learned more about the history of brewing than he ever really wanted to know. He did figure out the basics from the often contradictory information online.

    The first step was of course choosing a grain. Beer was usually done with barley but Winston had found that was mostly due to convince and tradition. Barley¡¯s shell made extracting the sugars during brewing more convenient. It was the same with the hops. Hops had antibacterial properties that improved the quality of the brew so people began using it instead of gruit, which was a mix of herbs used for bittering in the pre-hops brewing world. Winston thought there were some possibilities there. In a magical world full of magical herbs there would be ample things to experiment with.

    The second step was malting. The site winston found was in SI measurements so he had to convert .25 kg¡¯s of malt per liter back into british imperial. After some quick work with an online unit conversion tool and estimating the size of his half casks at about 7 gallons. He needed around 12-13 pounds of gain or about a quarter of a bushel.

    He also didn¡¯t have any scales to weigh the grain so that would have to be another guess. That would have bothered him more but he didn¡¯t have anything to act as a thermometer either and getting the temperatures right during brewing was extremely important. The whole exercise was doomed to be slapdash from the beginning.

    Winston decided to use mostly buckwheat for the brew. He had no other real use for it and it had the best quality at superior. He then added in about 20% high-quality wheat and 20% high-quality corn. He tossed what he thought was about 12 pounds of the grains into a cask and submerged them in water before sticking the cask in the keeps basement.

    When he logged in Wednesday morning before school he dumped the water out of the cask and checked over the grain. All of it had started to germinate. Usually it took 2 or 3 rounds of soaking but in true video game fashion Otherworld had streamlined the process. Winston dumped all the grain into his pack and then poured it all out again without the roots that had sprouted.

    ¡°I love video game logic.¡± He said as he did in moments what was supposed to be an hours long project. Then he divided the grain into smaller piles and sat them outside in the sun to dry. He waited until after school to start the actual brewing.

    Winton figured that with his farming skills he¡¯d be able to become at least a decent brewer. Now that his farming was in the Apprentice ranks it would be weeks between skill ups and months before he hit higher ranks. He had more time to focus on other skills and brewing was one that went hand-in-hand with farming.

    He started a fire with some wood he¡¯d gathered before plopping down his big pot filled with water. He dumped his malted grain into one of the cloth-sacks he¡¯d bought then crushed it with the end of his staff before he dropped the bag into the pot like a giant tea-bag. He supposed that¡¯s basically what it was.

    This would be trickiest part of the process. He knew he was supposed to keep the brew at around 150o fahrenheit but he had no way to know how hot that really was. It was less than boiling but that didn¡¯t really narrow it down. Thinking of an idea he started releasing some fire mana down into the mixture. Most fire mana was used as fuel to make fire then toss it around but that was only one use for it. At its root it was meant to manipulate temperature. Winston knew he wasn¡¯t skilled enough for anything complex but he might at least be able to use it as a rough measuring stick for the temperature.

    As he mana seeped into the brew he started to get a feel for the liquid. It wasn¡¯t that close to boiling. He did some mental math as he tried to keep connection to the mana. 150o was around 70% of boiling. The current temperature was¡­..a little less than that maybe? It was hard translating what he was getting out of his half-ass spell into real words but he tossed another chunk of wood on the fire and and called it good enough.

    [Sub Skill has Increased]

    [Fire Magic]

    [Current Rank: Novice II]

    As the time ticked by and the temperature of the brew bounced between too cold and too hot Winston swore to himself he wouldn¡¯t brew anything again until he had some proper tools. He finished steeping his grains and pulled them out, before summoning some water to wash over them before he pulled the mess out and tossed the sodden bag off the the side. The he put a big iron lid over the whole mess and added more wood until the fire was good and roaring.

    He left it to brew and started gathering his ingredients for the hop stage. He planned to have some fun with this. It would likely ruin the brew but he wasn¡¯t old enough to drink it anyway, he was still 17 for eight more months.

    Winston grimaced at the smell of the hot wort as he took off the lid but he happily started tossing in ingredients. He started with about two cups of his apple cider. He was sure that violated a ton of brewing rules about sanitation and not adding other sources of bacteria and yeasts but he didn¡¯t really care. Then he tossed in a handful of beet sugar that would hopefully be a marginal substitute for all the malt extracts he didn¡¯t have.

    To top the whole mess off he pulled out a second cloth bag and dipped it into the pot. Inside were the hops he¡¯d bought from Trollogistics, 4 mana violets Rimmi had grown, a cup of Superior grade cloudberries, and one of the odd silver flowers growing around Runa¡¯s shrine. His herbalism skill was too low to even find out it¡¯s name, let alone what it would do but he couldn¡¯t resist. He put the lid back on the pot with a smug smile.

    He let the hops brew for a good hour and a half before he pulled out the hop bag and summoned more water to douse the fire and cool the pot. Then he dumped the whole thing into his special cask. That was a chore and he was glad he was in a game and had superhuman strength as he wrestled the four smelling pot into place. Once that was done he pulled out the tiny sack of yeast he had, dumped it in the cask and stuck the curved metal pipe into the hole prepared for it. It was supposed to let out the Co2 while it fermented but Winston wasn¡¯t convinced it was going to work as advertised. He stuck the whole mess into the storage shed to wait until the weekend.

 Chapter 27

    ¡°I thought you were leaving this weekend.¡±  Therion asked Winston as Winston sat near the shrine watching his golem work. The sun was shining and and a light breeze was playing through the apple tree. The sound of the leaves was making Winston sleepy and he was happily soaking in the drowsiness.

    ¡°I planned to but I don¡¯t really have any-way to get anywhere.¡± Winston said around a yawn.

    ¡°Is that why you¡¯re lazing around for once?¡± Therion asked.

    ¡°Pretty much, I mean, I could farm another two hundred bushel of grain this week but what would I even do with it? That much grain would completely crush the markets in Verith. I could have Troll drive it all the way Grenville again but I don¡¯t think he would unless I paid him a massive amount of money. So there¡¯s really no point. Besides taking a week off to just piddle around in game should be fine.¡± Winston said. He could admit to himself that he¡¯d been working himself hard for months. Taking a week to just screw around in game sounded good.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve got something I wanted to ask you about anyway.¡± Therion said. ¡°Can you give me the name of that halfling you use to move you¡¯re grain. We¡¯ve got a lot more grain than we were planning to have and we don¡¯t have the wagons to move it. I was going to call and see if he¡¯d be willing to take the portal to Valor¡¯s Crossing and dump off the grain in one of our warehouses. It would be a one-way trip but we¡¯d pay him pretty well for it.¡± He explained.

    ¡°Troll? Yeah, his full name is Trollogistics, and I imagine he¡¯d be happy to. It¡¯s basically his job and he¡¯d probably love a guild gig.Working for the swords, even indirectly should be a pretty big feather in his cap.¡± Winston said. That would also make things easier for Winston as well. He¡¯d been wondering how he¡¯d be able to hitch a ride with one of the wagons. With Troll going he¡¯d just ride with him, he might need to pay but money shouldn¡¯t be too much of a problem as soon as he went to see the orcs. He did have a 20,000 gold quest to complete.

    Therion said his goodbyes and walked off while Winston decided he better get up and do something. He roused himself a half hour later and went to get Bog. It was time to see the orcs.

    Winston and Bog moved through the forest without fear. They¡¯d explored the forest off and on for a month and never had any major problems. The sun was shining and Winston whistled softly as the two traveled enjoying the weather. His gamer senses had apparently dulled because the first indication he got that something was amiss was a black-fletched arrow slamming into Bog. She squacked like an enraged goose and Winston whirled to see a half dozen goblins shoot more arrows in their direction, another hit Bog and Winston cried out as one hit him in the leg and nearly sent him falling to the ground.

    What the hell were goblins doing out here? Winston thought the orcs had pretty much cowed everything else into submission but it was a video game. New monsters were spawning all the time. Hell, looking back he¡¯d been lucky his field hadn¡¯t been overrun with giant mutant prairie dogs or burnt down by a pissed off salamander. He¡¯d been so removed from normal gameplay he¡¯d forgotten that most of this world was overrun by monsters or idiot adventurers.

    Bog let out another angry cry and started to charge but Winston cried out ¡°Stop!¡±.

    She¡¯d be pelted with all the arrows if she tired to charge across an open field when they were ready for her. Winston definitely couldn¡¯t keep up with her. The goblins knocked more arrows and Winston scrabbled at his pack to get his staff. Luckily, Bog listened to him and stood around looking angry and confused.Winston channeled faith into the staff and it glowed silver and he shoved it out in front of him.

    ¡°Shield of Faith!¡± He cried and summoned a glowing transparent shield that covered him and Bog.The arrows bounced off the spell and Winston started to walk towards the goblins channeling his faith into holding the shield in front of him.

    The goblins started to fan out so they could fire around his shield but that also made them get closer. What¡¯s what Winston was waiting for. Winston let bog off her leash. ¡°Now Bog, Fowl Charge!¡± Green light flared around her and she took off like a rocket towards the nearest archers. One of the smarter ones abandoned his bow and dove to the side to avoid her, but the the one next to it was braver or dumber. Bog slammed into him and the goblin flipped up and over her, like a child hit by a sedan on a neighborhood street.

    The goblins were short, maybe three or four feet tall with black leathery skin and large pointed ears that stuck out to the sides of their oddly oval heads. Their eyes were huge and yellow and when they opened their mouths Winston could make out long needle-sharp teeth. They were Otherworld¡¯s universal fodder monster but to a level 12 Grove Tender they might as well have been a platoon of hobgoblin elites

    Then Bog was among them, stomping and bashing anything she could chase down as she flapped her stubby wings. Winston dropped the shield and limped towards them. He couldn¡¯t offer much in a fight but he owed it to Bog to try and do something. With five goblins still in the fight they could just spread out and pepper her with arrows. Winston wasn¡¯t exactly sure he could stop them from doing it anyway but he had to try at least.

    Bog had killed at least two of them already when Winston finally got to the fight. Winston approached a goblin who was facing the other way. It was aiming another arrow towards Bog and Winston let out his claws. Tiredness washed over him and he used [Empower Hoe] and 100 stamina was pulled out of him. He leaned forward  jammed his claws into the monsters back. The goblin screamed and blood spurted out over Winston¡¯s thick digging claws. He felt like a badass for all of two seconds before a goblin he hadn¡¯t seen approaching stabbed him with a stone dagger. The attack was a good one and the dagger had gone up under his ribs and into his lung.

    Even with the low pain settings in the game it still F-ing hurt. It also didn¡¯t help that Winston could feel his lung filling with blood. The game apparently didn¡¯t classify that feeling as pain and it didn¡¯t get reduced. The slowly increasing pressure and half-drowning sensation was way more disturbing than pain would have been.

    He punched the goblin in reflex and his claws bit into the creatures face and neck. Although Winston had no combat skills at all he was a level 12 who¡¯d been doing hard physical labor every single day he¡¯d been in game. His physical stats were no joke, especially to something like a goblin.

    The creature collapsed and Winston took a deep breath in relief only to realize what a bad idea that was. He coughed up a mouth full of blood and collapsed on top of the bleeding goblin. Things got a bit fuzzy after that for him. He could hear Bog still screeching and fighting but the world sort of went away.

    [You Have Been Knocked Unconscious]

    [Estimated time to awaken 2 Hours 57 Minutes]

    [Would you like to log-out?]

    When Winston logged back in after a few therapeutic hours of blowing up aliens on his PC he found himself on a bed in a wooden hut. There was a young she-orc inside with him reading a book in one corner. She was a few years younger than Winston, maybe 12 or 13 but then again Winston had no idea how fast orcs matured. She could be six for all he knew.

    ¡°Are you finally awake?¡± Asked the girl. Winston looked over to her to she she¡¯d closed her book and was looking at him. She had light-blue hair and was completely adorable, even with the tusks.

    ¡°Ol¡¯gar wants to see you but you should go check on your bird. It was injured and was not happy when the patrol found you and carried you here.¡± Winston¡¯s eyes widened and he tried to jump up out of bed but he cried out when his side sent a flash of pain through his body.

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t very smart.¡± The girl said sweetly. ¡°You just woke up from nearly dying, you should take things a bit slower I think.¡± Winston turned to the smiling girl and shot her a scowl before he sat up more carefully and climbed out of bed. His side twinged a bit but he could move.

    ¡°Can you tell me where she¡¯s at?¡± Winston asked. He was worried about her. She¡¯d taken more than one arrow and likely some other wounds. She had a lot of heath and strength but he was worried.

    ¡°Head outside and follow the road west. She¡¯d tied to a tree near the edge of town.¡± The girl said.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure she loved that.¡± Winston said sarcastically.

    ¡°She broke both the arms of the orc who managed to lasso her.¡± The girl said as Winston headed for the door. ¡°Wait a moment. Your pack is over there.¡± She said, pointing towards one corner of the small room. We also put the coins and trinkets the goblins dropped inside it as well. It was only a few coppers though.¡±

    Winston grabbed his pack and headed outside. When he got there he brought up his combat log to see what had happened.

    [You Are Hit by Arrow]

    [You Take 15 damage]

    [You Have Received Wound (Minor Cripple: Left Leg)]

    [You Cast Shield of Faith]

    [- 50 Faith Points]

    [Channeling: - 50 Faith Points]

    [You Have Cast Empower Hoe/Plow]

    [-100 Stamina]

    [You Have Dealt 52.5 Damage ((17x2) x 1.5 Backstab) to Goblin]

    [Goblin Dies: User gains 0 xp]

    [You Are Hit by Stone Knife]

    [You Take 63 Damage (Critical)]

    [You Have Received Wound (Punctured Lung: Torso)]

    [You Have Received Wound (Major Bleeding: Torso)]

    [You Have Dealt 40 Damage ((10x2) x 2 Critical) to Goblin]

    [You Have Inflicted Wound (Critical Bleeding: Neck)]Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    [-25 Health (Major Bleeding)]

    [-40 Stamina (Punctured Lung)]

    [You Are Unconscious]

    [Goblin Dies: User gains 0 xp]

    [-25 Health (Major Bleeding)]

    [-25 Health (Major Bleeding)]

    [Battle Ends]

    [Orc Tracker Users Light Healing Potion: Wound (Major Bleeding: Torso) reduced to (Minor Bleeding: Torso)]

    [+20 Health (Healing Potion)]

    [You Have Learned A New Skill]

    [Stealth]

    [This skill is unlocked by successfully hiding one¡¯s presence to follow a foe, attack a player or monster, or steal something. Stealth represents one¡¯s ability to hide and move unnoticed. The skill encompases any attempts to conceal ones presence whether magical or mundane. This skill will increase by hiding oneself from observers.]

    [You Have Unlocked a new Sub-Skill!]

    [Assassination]

    [This skill is unlocked by attacking and incapacitating or killing an unaware opponent. This skill increases the amount of damage, as well as the success rates of surprise attacks. This skill increases with use.]

    [You Have Learned A New Skill]

    [Hand-To-Hand]

    [This skill is the art of using punches, kicks, locks, and holds to defeat an opponent. Unlocked by fighting with no weapon. Increases with use.]

    [You Have Learned A New Sub-Skill]

    [Natural Weapons]

    [Some races are better suited to combat than others. Whether it¡¯s fighting with claws, teeth, or poisoned spines, this skill focuses on improving your ability to battle with your races natural weapons.]

    [You Taming Skill Has Reached The Skill Cap]

    [Do you Wish to Spend A Skill Point to Raise It Further?]

    Winston hadn¡¯t ever gotten that many messages at once. He¡¯d have deal with it all later. He didn¡¯t exactly have a ton of use for combat skills and although unlocking them was nice he wouldn¡¯t get much mileage out of them. The orcs must have been really close when he¡¯d gone down. After that last bleed damage he would have had less than 20 hp left.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re just a mess aren''t ya girl.¡± Winston said as he found bog. He started rubbing his fingers into her feathers in the way she liked. ¡°You saved my bacon during that fight. I¡¯ll give you a big bribe when we get back.¡± His words seemed to perk her up a bit but she was hurt pretty badly and didn¡¯t have much fire left. He hugged her gently before standing up.

    ¡°I¡¯ve gotta go talk to the orcs. Stay here for a bit and we¡¯ll head back to the keep.¡± He said as he stood up and headed for Ol¡¯gar¡¯s hut. He found the old she-orc in her normal seat and he sat down on one of the furs that covered her floor. The motion pained him but he gritted his teeth through it.

    ¡°You¡¯re alive¡­¡± The old orc said. ¡°That¡¯s good, thought we were going to have to find another farmer.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for hauling me out of there. I¡¯m not much of a fighter. Got two of the little bastards but they stuck a dagger in me.¡± Winston said.

    ¡°Defeated by two goblins¡­. Gonna be tough on you, even just moving through the world. You¡¯re going to need to increase you¡¯re fighting power if you don¡¯t want to be hiring people to escort you around everywhere. What did ya come to the village for anyway?¡± She asked.

    Winston thought over her words. She was right in a way but he wasn¡¯t too worried. Money solved all problems and he should have plenty once he got set-up in his new location.

    ¡°Your corn and vegetables are ready. I just need you guys to move it. Right now I¡¯ve got the Keep¡¯s basement stocked to the rafters.¡± Winston told her.

    ¡°Already¡­ Excellent.¡± She said with a feral grin. ¡°We¡¯ve made some hand carts. I¡¯ll have a few workers and a half-dozen guards go with you. You and you¡¯re wounded bird can ride in the wagons. In fact I think I¡¯ll come too. I¡¯ve got to give out your reward after all.¡±

    Winston nodded and the two headed outside. It was already late in the afternoon and Winston wondered if they¡¯d even get to the keep before dark. He untied Bog and two hopped into one of the wagons the orcs had built. They weren¡¯t well made but they got the job done and the two rode in semi-comfort as they headed towards the keep.

    Luckily for Winston it was Saturday night and everyone at the keep was offline. When they arrived everything was dark and the orcs drove the wagons around to the front and right into the courtyard. Then the great loading started. With all the hands it didn¡¯t take more than an hour. The orcs had brought three wagons and they piled two of the full of corn before leading the third closer to the storage shed to grab the vegetables. Those went onto the third wagon until it too was packed full.

    When it was done Ol¡¯gar came over to see him.

    ¡°I suppose it¡¯s time for my part.¡± She said as she handed over a sack of coins. It was a big sack and Winston could barely lift it even with both arms.

    [You Have Completed a Quest Chain!]

    [Food For The Village]

    [You Have Received: 40,000xp, 20,000 gold, +5,000 fame with the fire-tooth orcs]

    [As A Bonus Reward You¡¯ve Gained +1 Secondary Skill Point]

    [You Have Gained A New Title!]

    [Friend Of Monsters]

    [You Have Proven to be an ally of those peoples less civilized. Those of the wilds will be more likely to see you as an ally. While the civilized races will see you as a traitor.

    Effect: +500 base fame with any races classified as Monsters, -500 fame with normal NPC¡¯s while title is active.]

    [You Have Reached Level 13]

    ¡°Is this all gold?¡± Winston asked incredulously as he opened the sack and looked down at all the small golden coins.

    ¡°That¡¯s a third.¡± Ol¡¯gar said as she handed him another similar sized sack. Winston just blinked at her.

    ¡°That is like 500 POUNDS of gold. Where the hell am I supposed to put it.¡± Winston asked incredulously.

    ¡°That¡¯s your problem wanderer.¡± Ol¡¯gar said heartlessly. ¡°And it¡¯s more than that. All golden coins are always made the same size and it¡¯s 16 to a pound. It¡¯s a hold over from the first great elven empire. Even your people¡¯s kingdom was young back then. It¡¯s said the, orcs and dwemer raised an army a million strong to drag the Golden Tyrant off his white throne.¡± She looked wistful while Winston goggled. 16 to a pound? Well, that was obviously an ounce a coin but that meant 20,000 coins was over 1200 pounds of gold. Couldn¡¯t she have brought in bar form or something?

    Winston sent off the orcs as they pulled their loaded wagons out of the courtyard before he followed his mole instincts and buried all the gold, like a golden retriever with a bone.

    ********************************************************************************************

    The next day Winston finally went to check on his beer. The cask sat where he¡¯d left it in a forgotten corner of the storage shed. He pulled out the metal air pipe and hammered a cork in its place. Then he stared at the cask waiting for a pop-up.

    [You Have Created A New Brew!]

    [Would you Like to Name It?]

    Winston thought about it for a moment then said. ¡°Brethren Plain¡¯s Harvest Medley¡±

    [Brethren Plain¡¯s Harvest Medley]

    [Uncommon, Poor-Quality]

    [A brew created by a Novice brewer with poor-tools and no practical experience. Instead of attempting something simple as his first creation he added in a number of high-quality and magical ingredients, some of which aren''t meant to be consumed. The terrible brewing was somewhat off-set by the quality of the ingredients.]

    [Grants: +1 mana regeneration per 5 seconds and slightly increased air affinity for 30 minutes after consumption.]

    [Created by: Win Mills]

    [Brewing skill has reached Novice II]

    Winston picked up the cask and went to find Therion.

    ¡°One cask of beer as promised.¡± Winston said with a smile as he handed over the cask. Therion grinned in delight before his face froze as he read the description.

    ¡°What the hell did you put in this?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Lots of stuff, that¡¯s why it¡¯s a medley.¡± Winston said with a shit-eating grin.

    Therion let out a sigh but he dug into his pack and pulled out a wooden mug, pulled out the cork and poured some inside. It at least looked like beer, with a rich brown color. Winston knew that meant he¡¯d over-cooked it a bit but he was more concerned with the odd silver sheen the foam on top had.

    Therion looked at the foam askance as well but he gamely took a small sip. His face scrunched up, then looked thoughtful then he nodded and shrugged as he drank more. ¡°It¡¯s not great but beats the cheap crap I used to drink back in college. Improving affinities is pretty rare too. This might be worth a decent amount of money to a sorcerer or aeromancer.¡±

    Winston shrugged. ¡°It was a gift, and a pretty  poor one at that.¡± He said, a little embarrassed. He¡¯d just done the brewing equivalent of handing Therion a paper-plate with macaroni glued on it.

    Therion slapped him on the back. ¡°Beer is always the best present.¡± He said as he turned and headed back towards the keep. Winston wasn¡¯t so sure about that be he had other things to work on.

    Winston pulled up his messages and used one of his secondary skill points for taming as he headed for the stables.

    [You¡¯re Taming skill has ranked up!

    [Current Rank: Beginner I]

    [Effect: User can view monsters Status Screen

    Beast can level up

    Beast level capped at 3/5 user level

    User can allocate stat points

    User cannot choose specializations

    Beast will fight for user]

    The fact that Bog would now accept his orders to attack was good, but she¡¯d honestly been doing that for a while. He wasn¡¯t sure if the game was referring to the fact that he hadn¡¯t actually ever ordered her to attack or if it was something else. That was the problem with a game as alive and real as Otherworld. It was hard to enforce absolutes.

    Winston shrugged it off as he found Bog still bandaged but moving a lot better. He took her bandages off and hoped another night in the stables would put her back to rights. Then he pulled out his surprise. He poured five full handfuls of Superior Cloudberries into her trough with the other grains she usually ate. It was probably worth at least 800 gold but she¡¯d earned it. He still had nearly three bushel of the things to send to Ruger. Winston figured those three bushel were likely worth around 5000 gold. He was definitely going to stick it to Ruger when it was time to pay up.

    That left Winston with just two more things to accomplish before next weekend''s big move. One was moving his shine. That would wait until the last day but the second was to dig up whatever source of earth magic was messing with his apple tree. It was powerful and likely valuable.

    *****************************************************

    Winston sighed with happiness as he parked at the lunch table. He felt relaxed for the first time in a while. All the pressure of his in-game job was finally off his shoulders and he was feeling it in the real world as well. As his friends piled into the table around him he smiled and dug into the cheeseburger he¡¯d gotten for lunch.

    ¡°You¡¯re looking jovial.¡± Jason said around a bite of his own burger.

    ¡°Just feeling relaxed, been taking the week off from farming. It¡¯s nice to just BE once in a while ya know?¡±  Winston explained, philosophically.

    ¡°Not really.¡± Jason said. ¡°I¡¯m having a blast, maybe you¡¯re just doing it wrong. I¡¯ve gotten my lumberjack skill and my thrown weapons skill to Novice IV already. Made some gold selling the wood to Trish¡¯s guild and I think I¡¯m gonna try and hit up a goblin lair I found out in the woods this weekend.¡± Jason said happily.

    Winston frowned but looked to Brad. ¡°I got my Defensive Warding Sub-Skill to Journeyman III and I think the Black Reaper guild is gonna pay me 5000 gold to ward one of their outposts.¡± The normally quiet Brad added on.

    Winston looked to Ruger, who just shrugged.

    ¡°You guys are not helping.¡± Winston said sourly.

    ¡°Who said we were supposed to.¡± Trish said, as she slapped down her own plate and slid into the seat next to Winston. ¡°Pretty sure our job is to make fun of you as much as possible.¡± She said as she leaned over and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

    ¡°I can just feel the tender affection in the air.¡± Winston said, wiping away a fake tear.¡°So, I need some input. What should I spend my skill points on? I¡¯m level 13 now and Still have no clue what I should be doing.¡±Winston said, changing the subject somewhat.

    ¡°Well, You only get 2. It¡¯s not that complicated.¡± Ruger said. That wasn¡¯t quite true but Winston had spent one point and gotten one point so it evened out.

    ¡°I guess, but there are so many skills. And with the expansion coming out they¡¯ll be even more.¡± Winston whined.

    ¡°Well, brewing or cooking would be the most logical choices for you.¡± Brad said.

    ¡°Yeah, I think brewing will get one point.¡± That still leaves me with at least one. ¡°Or I can break my primary point into 2 secondary points.¡±

    ¡°Never spend your last skill point.¡± Trish said firmly. ¡°There are tons of awesome skills in the game people stumble on accidently and not being able to level a skill for months until you get more points can really cripple a character.¡±

    ¡°Fine¡­.¡± Winston grumbled. He wasn¡¯t convinced though, he thought his next skill was going to go into construction. He needed to build up his new farm and the thought of doing it himself appealed to him. Winston had all the money from the orcs he should be able to buy supplies easily enough. He imagined he¡¯d need to do a great deal of googling to figure out how to build things but it would be an adventure like everything else. That might also earn him some points with Runa.

    ¡°You still want me handing the berries off the the same merchant.¡± Winston asked Ruger as lunch was ending.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯ll be the same guy.¡± Ruger said.

    ¡°Good, well you better get your wallet ready. I¡¯ve got three bushel of Superior quality cloudberries. ¡°That should be worth¡­. Well they honestly don¡¯t have a real price. There¡¯s no supply. The normal grade ones go for 600 gold a bushel though. I¡¯d guess the effect they have on bird-type monsters is even stronger now. They¡¯d likely go for 5000 gold or more.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not paying that much.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to. One you¡¯re my friend and two the AH would take a 15% cut and I think they charge another 5% to turn gold into real money.¡± Winston said as he did some math in his head.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you 300.¡± Ruger said as he stood up pulled out his money clip. He slapped three hundred dollars onto the table.

    ¡°I love capitalism.¡± Winston said as he put the portraits of Ben Franklin into his wallet.

    ¡°That mean you¡¯re taking me out this weekend?¡± Trish asked sweetly. Winston¡¯s smile faded.

 Chapter 28

    The convoy of carts rattled down the dirt road that lead across Brethren Plains. It was clear and cold, the normal weather for the zone but that didn¡¯t bother Winston, he was too excited. He was finally leaving this Runa-forsaken wasteland. He was not going to miss it at all. He might concede the land had a sort of stark beauty, maybe like the Mongolian steppes, or a colder serengeti, but other than the open plains and wild grass there wasn¡¯t much to recommend it, just a few twisted trees and poor farmers trying to turn rocks into grain.

    ¡°You gonna miss it?¡± Tollogistics asked, mirroring Winston¡¯s own thoughts. The halfing was lounging in the driver''s seat of the wagon and seemed to give off an aura of serenity as he held the reigns loosely in one hand. It was a rather interesting impression and Winston wandered if it was because of his high wagon-driver level. Winston hoped he looked as cool while farming.

    It had been a busy few days for Winston. Digging up that source of Earth mana had taken nearly two entire days. He¡¯d gotten a large gemstone and three skill ranks in mining out of the deal but he wasn¡¯t sure it had been worth it. Then again, he hadn¡¯t done any farming either, so it wasn¡¯t as if his plate had been overflowing.

    Finishing up Runa¡¯s quest for the shrine had been more straightforward. He¡¯d just tossed in the divinite and the shrine had shrunk down to the size of a large paperweight. He now wore it around his neck as a rather odd looking amulet.

    ¡°Not at all. What about you? You were here before I was.¡± Winston returned.

    ¡°Hell no, I was only here because I couldn¡¯t get any real work and wanted the high-value quests. I¡¯ve got real work now, so leaving makes the most sense anyway.¡± Troll said.

    ¡°You wanna come with me? I¡¯ll likely spend a week or two in the 10 kingdoms tooling around the cities and looking for some business before I head to Kishik near my girlfriends guild. After that I¡¯ll be needing a lot of product moved.¡± Winston said. He didn¡¯t doubt he could find another driver to haul his crops but he liked Troll and a long term agreement would likely be beneficial to both parties.

    Troll stayed silent for a while while he pondered the question. ¡°I don¡¯t see why not. I¡¯ll sniff around a bit once I get into the city but unless something really lucrative comes up I¡¯ll likely come with you.¡± He said finally. ¡°I mean, you¡¯ll likely need at least one massive loads of goods moved every week right?¡±

    ¡°Most likely. I¡¯ve got some ideas for long-term storage but at the end of the day everything will need moved eventually. The problem is dealing with the market. I¡¯ve got no doubt I can find buyers but I¡¯ll flood the markets anywhere I go eventually. We¡¯ll need portal access.¡± Winston said thoughtfully.

    He¡¯d put quite a bit of thought into what to grow and do once he moved but the problem was he was honestly a bit too good at his job. Anywhere he went he¡¯d destroy the markets for whatever he was growing. His best idea had been to come up with a way to store huge amounts of grain then pay to open his own portals. It would be expensive but money shouldn¡¯t really be too much of a problem once he got going.

    His other option would be to find a group of merchants working out of whatever the closest city to his was and try to work with them to open portals. That would be a mess of politics and one-upmanship but if he kept making money at the rate he was he was going to have to get involved in that sort of thing eventually.

    That was a problem for down the road though. He still needed to get his farm built and that alone would take a lot of time and money. Luckily he had plenty of both. He smiled at the memory of Troll¡¯s face when Winston had dug up his gold and started loading it into the wagon.

    No, money wasn¡¯t really a problem for Winston at the moment but he¡¯d have to buy a lot of supplies when he moved. He¡¯d need stone, lumber, nails, mortar, and a lot of other basic supplies. He also needed to buy some real gear now that he had money.  Maybe a plow and wagon for Bog to pull? She wouldn¡¯t be happy being used as a tractor but he could probably bribe her with food.

    Winston lost himself in plans and idle small-talk as the Wagon¡¯s rolled onward. They¡¯d been running all day and Winston had only logged in a few hours ago so he¡¯d be there when they reached the city. It wasn¡¯t until the horses pulling the other wagon¡¯s started to spook that Winston realized something was wrong.

    The guards that were escorting the little convoy sat up in their saddles and although the wagon¡¯s didn¡¯t stop, everyone got a good deal more nervous. Then Wiston heard it. The dull beating of hundreds of drums in the distance.

    Winston got a very bad feeling. He was pretty sure he knew what was happening but he¡¯d honestly thought things wouldn¡¯t progress this far quite so quickly. Then they came up over a small rise in the road and saw the thousands of orcs camped out and surrounding the city of Verith.

    The camps surrounded the city in a wide arc and Winston saw at least four different tribes of orcs as well as camps of goblins and even some hobgoblins. The last surprised him since usually hobgoblins and orcs would fight to the death as soon as they saw each other. The more immediate problem was right in front of the caravan. A platoon of orc fighters was blocking the road. There were at least three dozen and they didn¡¯t look very friendly.

    Winston had no doubt his group could win. While the orcs had the numbers most orcs were only around level 20 or thirty. Their group on the other hand had a bunch of high-level and well geared fighters. Winning wouldn¡¯t save them though. There¡¯d be no way they could escape the rest of the army with the wagons.

    Winston decided he better do something before that moron Herston got them all killed. Winston hopped off the wagon and hurried forward as both sides drew their weapons.

    ¡°Stop! hell, how many times do we have to do this?¡± Winston shouted as he rushed to the front of the wagon train. Troll¡¯s wagon was in the back and he had a good ways to run as both sides prepared for the slaughter.

    It was Therion who saw him and got the guards calmed down. He and Herston were arguing when Winston finally got close enough to participate in the conversation.

    ¡°Yes, and he¡¯s exactly the one that caused the problem. We should just killed him and be done with it.¡± Herston snapped.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    ¡°I know I left the guild already but that¡¯s a bit rude.¡± Winston said as he moved into the middle of the group.

    ¡°You¡­. This is what happens when people do quests for monsters. You¡¯ve doomed this entire city!¡± Herston shouted.

    Winston shrugged. ¡°What do you care? If the sword¡¯s hadn¡¯t been trying to save a few bucks you¡¯d have just popped the portal in the keep and saved everyone the trip. Then it wouldn¡¯t matter if the city was here or not.¡± He hadn¡¯t actually meant to get the city destroyed and it was a bit callos of him but there was no use crying over spilt milk. It was just a game.

    The orcs started to get a bit restless but Winston walked towards them and held up his hand with Ol¡¯gar¡¯s ring on it. That calmed them down instantly and one ran off, apparently to go get someone higher up the chain of command.

    ¡°That¡¯s not the point!¡± Herston yelled and Winston really thought the man was going to attack him.

    ¡°Calm down Herston.¡± Therion said with a sigh. Then he turned to Winston. ¡°Can you have them let us into the city?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be too much of a problem. I¡¯ve got like 10,000 fame with them. They might decide to burn the city down once we¡¯re inside but as long as long as everyone portals out it shouldn¡¯t be too much of a problem.¡± Winston said.

    Therion laughed. ¡°Why would we leave? Once the orcs attack the city the entire zone will turn into contested territory. High-level monsters and dungeons will start spawning like crazy and the Swords will be the only group with any strength left in the area. The guild will be ecstatic. It might even be enough to get me off their shit-list.¡± Thertion explained happily.

    Herstion looked like he was going to burst a blood-vessel, but he turned and stomped back to his men.

    *************************************************************************************

    It took a bit to get everything worked out with the orcs. Ol¡¯gar was apparently too busy to come see him personally but the orc commander that lead the village warriors did. Once we explained that we wanted inside but that we were just going to teleport away he seemed more than happy to get rid of us. He ordered some of the orcs to escort the caravan into the city.

    That got things moving and things went well until they got to the city gate. The orcs had stayed back but it was obvious to the guards that we had made some sort of deal with them.

    ¡°Ahoy the gate!¡± Therion called as the caravan stopped outside.

    ¡°Go die orc lovers!¡± The guard called back.

    [You Have Lost -1000 reputation with the City of Verith]

    ¡°Is there really a need for that?¡± Therion asked. ¡°It¡¯s not like letting us in is gonna make things worse.¡±

    This time the reply came as an arrow and the missile pinged off Therion¡¯s shining silver armor. He frowned and Winston winced. He could understand the guard¡¯s outrage but pissing off Silver Sword Therion was a great way to get killed.Therion reached into the pack on his back and pulled out his massive sword. The motion looked ridiculous since his sword was nearly as large as his body and there was no way it would fit into the pack normally.

    ¡°Look, I¡¯m not trying to make things difficult for you here. Just let us in and we¡¯ll be out of you¡¯re hair and someone else''s problem.¡± Therion said, his voice now more firm but still reasonable.

    This time there were more arrows but Therion knocked them all away with a flick of his massive sword.

    ¡°Now that was just rude.¡± He said with a scowl. ¡°Fine then¡­. You¡¯ve made your bed. You can lie in it.¡± Therion raised his sword and swung, a crescent of silver energy shot forward and the gate blew into pieces as it struck. The guards screamed in terror and the orcs behind them let out a war cry as they charged forward.

    The tempo of the drums changed and thousands of orcs started steaming towards the now open gates. Winston looked at Therion with his mouth hanging open. Did he really just blast down the gates?

    ¡°Welp, looks like we¡¯re gonna have to hurry.¡± Therion said cheerfully as he jogged back to his wagon and hopped in. The wagon drivers gave the horses their heads and the carts rumbled forward as the angry guards started firing arrows and the occasional spell at them.

    The fire was mostly desaltery as most were focused on the horde of green warriors charging at the city. The battle was already over. There was no way the few guards could hold against all the orcs and Winston felt a pang of guilt. He hadn¡¯t really done anything wrong but he still felt responsible. The wagons and horseman rushed through the city to the sound of war drums, screams, and the roar of flames.

    They passed the last block and made it to the middle of the city where five more wagons and a middle aged woman in mage robes was waiting for them. The merchants and the portal mage looked a bit panicked as dark smoke billowed into the sky and orcs poured into the streets cutting down anyone they saw.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening!¡± The mage screamed as Therion hopped off his wagon and ran over to her. Winston jumped off his wagon as well, although he was much less graceful than the swordsman. He ran passed one wagon after another looking for the old merchant he was supposed to give Ruger¡¯s stupid berries to.

    He found the man looking around with wide eyes as he tried to keep his mount from bolting. Winston didn¡¯t bother to say anything. He just went to the back of the wagon, pulled open the first box and dumped all of his berries in before slamming the lid shut again.

    ¡°Hey what are you doing?¡± The merchant cried but Winston ignored him and ran back to Troll¡¯s wagon. Winston was pretty sure the orcs wouldn¡¯t kill him, but they would probably kill everyone else. That would leave him stuck here for god knew how long. He¡¯d likely have to walk all the way to Grenville and take a boat to Kishik. That would take a month at least.

    Troll was at the back of the line and Winston got more nervous as the situation in the city fell apart. Therion was waving his arms wildly in the air and shouting at the mage but she seemed too scared to do anything. Winston watched the argument and grew more and more convinced that they were screwed. Finally the woman seemed to get ahold of herself and waves of mana poured out of her and into the air, forming into complicated runes that Winston couldn¡¯t make any sense of.

    Then the portal was open and the wagons started to pour through with more panic than order. Troll¡¯s wagon finally started forward as a blue message appeared in front of Winston.

    [Zone Alert]

    [Verith Has Fallen]

    [Brethren Plains is now Contested Territory]

    [Monster Spawns Increased by 100%]

    [Monster Levels Increased]

    [Quests will be issued in neighboring zones to reclaim the territory]

    [All spawn-points have been removed from zone]

    Winston waved the message away as Troll¡¯s wagon moved through the portal and into a new world.

    The game lagged for just a moment when Winston crossed the event horizon of the portal. Winston flopped in his seat as his perception of his body and the world was put out of sync for a fraction of a second. Most of the time everything in Otherworld was so real Winston forgot he was in a game at all, but not even Nexus could make things 100% perfect, or maybe it was just a consequence of his older machine, the new ones had more processing power and that would make similar transitions more smooth.

    [Valor¡¯s Crossing]

    [Northwind Dutchy]

    [Ten Kingdoms]

    The first thing Winston really noticed about his new surrounding was that it was F-ing cold. His breath came out in puffs of mist and he shivered even though his fur. Winston looked around in wide-eyed astonishment even as he breathed on his hands to try and stay warm. There were players everywhere. The square they¡¯d dropped out in was huge and there were at least three active portals open as lines of players streamed into and out of the city.

    Tall mountains loomed above the buildings around him in three directions and a light snow fell from an iron sky. Valor¡¯s crossing sat in the North of the Ten Kingdoms continent at the intersection of two mountain ranges. The mountains were full of monster lairs and mines which had made the area popular for players. It was also one of the starting capitals which had swelled the population even more.

    It was likely the fifteenth or so most populated city in the game but in a game as huge as Otherworld that meant hundreds of thousands of players. Players in rags sprinted from building to building alongside players wearing armor glowing with so many enchantments it was hard to look at them.

    Winston realized he¡¯d finally made it to civilization. He wanted a hot bath, a warm meal, and some heavy clothes in that order. He turned to Troll as the wagon moved forward behind the others towards the town¡¯s warehouse district.

    ¡°You mind dropping off my gold in the bank when you finish up?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Oh course I don¡¯t¡­. For a small fee.¡± Troll said with a grin.

    ¡°Whatever.¡± Winston said with a laugh as he leaned into the back of the wagon and pulled out a few hundred gold coins. Winston stuffed the gold into his pack and hopped down from the wagon to go find himself some clothes and an inn. Bog jumped down next to him and the two wandered the streets for a while before he found a decent little inn on a street in the craftsman district with a stable for Bog. Winston bought himself a room and a meal at the Kunning Kobold before he logged out for the night. It had been a long day.

    {End Of Arc One}

 Chapter 29

    When Winston had logged off Sunday evening the inn had been nearly empty, After school on Monday things were not so peaceful. The rush of people getting out of school, or work, had swelled the cities population to ridiculous heights. Winston had done a bit of forum searching on his phone during homeroom and had found a player-run tailor shop near his inn but he practically had to swim though the mass of bodies clogging the streets to get there.

    It was a nice shop in a good area but Winston was just glad to be off the streets as he managed to squeeze through the doorway. The store was full or spools of fabrics as well as a few mannequins wearing embroidered mage robes, dresses, and other clothing. A rather cute girl with short-blonde hair stood behind the counter looking cheerful.

    ¡°Can I help you today sir?¡± She asked as she turned a 1000 watt smile on Winston. Winston blinked at her too cheerful attitude.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m looking to get a couple sets of clothes. A cheap set of warm clothes, and a second high-quality set for warmer climates.¡± Winston said.

    ¡°Are these armor or decoration?¡± The girl asked as she started moving her hands as if typing on an invisible keyboard. Winston realized she was using her interface to take notes.

    ¡°Neither?¡± Winston said, a bit hesitant.

    ¡°I mean are you gonna be using these for combat, or just to wear around town.¡± The girl rephrased her question.

    ¡°Neither.¡± Winston said and the girl started to look annoyed so he continued. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m not trying to be difficult. I¡¯m a crafting class. I need durable fabrics to do strenuous labor in but they aren''t for combat. I¡¯d also like them to have some decent stat bonus and maybe some profession boosts if possible.¡±

    The girl looked slightly mollified as her fingers started typing again. ¡°So, something that functions as light armor, but bent more towards work than combat.¡± She said as she added more notes. ¡°What¡¯s your price range?¡±

    ¡°Depends, a few gold for the cheap set, I don¡¯t plan to stay in this city for more than a few days and winter clothes won¡¯t do me much good once I teleport. As for the others¡­ it depends honestly. If it¡¯s a pure stat gain than 1000 gold or so, if you can get some farming bonuses on it, like yield, or crop maturity, or honestly I¡¯m not even sure what stats are available for famers on items. If you guys can make something with good bonuses I¡¯d be willing to go as high as 5000.¡± Winston told her after giving it some thought.

    ¡°We should be able to come up with something to suit.¡± The girl said as she finished taking notes. Keep in mind, cloth is expensive so you usually get less bang for your buck than you do with metal, or especially leather armor.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of, how do you guys get your cloth? What kind of cloth do you use normally?¡± Winston asked. He didn¡¯t know how much he could wring out of the girl but if he was going to get into the cloth business it might be good to gather some information.

    The girl looked at him a bit oddly. ¡°Why?¡± She said.

    Winston¡¯s eyebrows went up. ¡°Because I¡¯m a farmer? I know cloth is expensive so it¡¯s a good product to grow, but it would be good to know what you guys use specifically. Do you guys use cotton? Or mostly animal based textiles?¡±

    The girl blinked at him a few times. ¡°Look, I just take orders and run the front. I¡¯m not even a tailor.¡± An awkward silence descended on the room for a long moment.

    Winston sighed, then laughed. ¡°Alright. We¡¯ll let me know when my order is ready. Do you need a deposit?¡±

    ¡°A thousand upfront for a custom order.¡± The girl said on more sure footing. Winston dug out his gold and handed over 1010. That got him a fancy digital receipt as well as a large brown cloak with no stats and a scratchy wool shirt that only kinda fit.

    He threw the cloak over his shoulders then headed out of the store and into the city as he checked the mental box for ¡®buy new clothes¡¯ on his to-do list. He was heading towards the temple district when his interface beeped at him. He saw the flashing mail icon and walked over the nearest mailbox to read it.

    [To: Win Mills]

    [From: Casey Springwater]

    [Topic: INGREDIENTS!

    Hey Mr. Mole. I¡¯ve included a list of the ingredients I¡¯d like you to produce with the quantities I expect to need them in. I don¡¯t expect you to be able to provide all of them. So I¡¯ve order the list based on which crops I feel need the highest quality. I need them by the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

    <ol>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Wheat (mostly for flour, various breads and rolls and pie crusts)    20 lbs</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Potatoes (For potatoes obviously)   10 lbs</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Pumpkin                                  1-3 pumpkins depending on size.</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Yellow Onion (For Stuffing)  2 lbs</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Carrots (Various Dishes)   1 lbs</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Sweet Potatoes                 3 lbs </li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Garlic                                 .5 lbs</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Parsley                              .25</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Corn                                   3 lbs</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Cranberries                         2 lbs</li>

    </ol>

    Don¡¯t screw this up. Cooking is power.]

    Winson grimaced slightly at the list. Casey really did like making things hard on him. He had no doubt he could make lots of high-quality wheat but if he used [Nurture] on the wheat to guarantee Superior quality it would only be on a single stalk. That would give him superior wheat but not in the quantities needed.

    Winston thought about his options for a while. He might have to get creative. He¡¯d gotten superior quality buckwheat without needing his spell so it should be possible with wheat. He just needed to find or make some dirt with the right conditions and composition.

    The vegetables he had less hope for. The vegetable sub-skill had the best boosts to quality per rank but he wasn¡¯t even beginner yet. He figured he was pretty close, but even at beginner 1 things would still be difficult. That made using his [Nurture] skill on a vegetable the best option. A superior quality vegetable would likely significantly boost his skill level.

    He let that thought percolate around his brain. He needed to get growing. It was only 13, no it was Monday so that would be 12 days until the contest. He needed to find a greenhouse or something in the city he could rent space from. He changed his direction immediately ad headed towards the center of the city as he did some forum searching and an hour later he was standing outside the Valor¡¯s Crossing Farmer¡¯s Guild.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    ******************************************

    The farmers guild in Valor¡¯s Crossing was a large but run-down building in the guild quarter.  The paint on the front of the building was peeling and a large window near the front had been broken and boarded up. The smaller window was at least clean but the place looked like a wreck compared to all the other large and well-maintained guilds on the street. Signs denoting the taloring, blacksmithing, woodworking, enchanting, mining, alchemists, and a half-dozen other guilds were all showing and NPC¡¯s and players streamed in and out of them all the time.

    Winston looked around at the complete lack of other people at the farming guild, laughed, then stepped inside. The desk was manned by a fat old human in over-halls. He was reading an old battered book and drinking something dark out of a steaming mug. He didn¡¯t even look up as Winston walked in.

    ¡°You lost boy?¡± He asked in a thick accent. It accent wasn¡¯t anything Winston recognized but it sounded familiar, or maybe a weird combination of familiar accents? That sent Winston¡¯s thoughts off on a tangent about how the game creates enough accents for all the various zones, kingdoms, and continents in the game but the man shifted slightly in his seat and the sound drug his attention back to the old man.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I wanted to see if you had any greenhouse, or hothouse space I could rent.¡± Winston asked.

    ¡°Be better off askin¡¯ the herbalist guild.¡± The old man said sourly.

    ¡°Well, that was my backup plan. I thought I¡¯d try here first though since my skills are in farming not herbalism.¡± Winston said.

    ¡°Someone with actual farming skill?¡± The man finally bothered to look up at Winston and he blinked in surprise when he saw him. ¡°I can¡¯t even remember the last time a real farmer walked here.¡± He seemed to weigh me for a moment before he shrugged.

    ¡°We might have somewhere you can grow some crops¡­ but it¡¯s only for members.¡± The old farmer said.

    ¡°What do I have to do to join? And what do I have to give up?¡± Winston asked. Winston knew the NPC profession guilds were mostly just places to get quests and equipment for the various crafting and gathering professions, but the game did have a tendency to throw a few curveballs at players who didn¡¯t listen to quests properly and just went running off to wave their swords around.

    ¡°Nothing much, it¡¯s 5 gold to join but you have to pass the initiate test.¡± The man behind the counter said. ¡°That earns you a 5% discount for anything you buy from the guild as well as bronze initiate pin that will earn you the same treatment at any other farmer¡¯s guild headquarters.¡±

    ¡°Any restrictions?¡± Winston asked, still wary.

    ¡°Nope.¡±

    [You Have Received A New Quest!]

    [Initiate Farmer]

    [You Have Decided to Take the Farmers Guild Initiate Quest. Follow the rules of the test and meet the guild¡¯s requirements.

    Rewards: 5% Off Farmers Guild Products, Entry to Farmers Guild, Bronze Farmers Guild Badge, 500xp]

    ¡°Alright then, lets see this test.¡± Winston said.

    [You Have Accepted A Quest!]

    Winston was lead through the back down a narrow hallway before the building opened up again.There was junk piled everywhere, from half-used up bags of seeds to rusted farm equipment, to broken crates, and other things that should have been thrown at a while ago. Then the farmer opened another door and Winston blinked at the sunshine. The building just ended and Winston looked around in confusion.

    The guild building was only a small shell around a large courtyard and the entire ceiling had been covered in a glass dome. Winston could see runes covering the glass, apparently to reinforce it and do something with the temperature. It was warm inside, not too hot but like a balmy summer afternoon.

    ¡°This must have cost a fortune.¡± Winston said amazed.

    ¡°The farmers guild wasn¡¯t always broke. In fact we were one of the largest and most prosperous guilds for a long time.¡± The man said wistfully. Winston could smell another long chain quest in the works if he bothered to dig for it but he didn¡¯t have time to take on something like that right now so he ignored it and didn¡¯t ask.

    The courtyard was covered in gardens and planters growing all sorts of different crops but Winston was lead to an area near the middle where four empty planters stood. The man dug into his pocket and pulled out four seeds, One of wheat, corn, rice, and oats.

    ¡°You¡¯re job is to pick what planter to plant each of these in.¡± The man said, waving towards the four planters. Winston shrugged and took the seeds. This should be pretty easy with his beginner ability to sense soils. It must be a test to make sure the person had reached the beginner ranks.

    Winston grabbed the corn kernel and touched the dirt of the first planter. The soil wasn¡¯t bad but too sandy for the corn and the ph of the solid wasn¡¯t quite right. The next soil was nearly perfect for the corn but as he was about to make his choice he found the trap. The soil was too dry and corn needed plenty of moisture. Even with the good soil composition the corn would have a lot of trouble growing. Winston checked the other two boxes and switched through his seeds. His face darkened.

    Each of the boxes had different qualities of soils, different Ph levels, and different levels of moisture. They were also spread out far enough that they¡¯d get different levels of sunlight as it was refracted down the the ceiling. None of the planters were right for any of the seeds. The problem wasn¡¯t just finding the right seed for each box it was knowing what plants could deal with different deficiencies the best.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way in hell this is the initiate trial.¡± Winston snapped about ten minutes later, still unable to find the proper choices.

    ¡°That¡¯s because there isn¡¯t an initiate trial.¡± The old man said smiling.

    [Quest Update!]

    [Advanced Farmer]

    [The old man at the Farmer¡¯s Guild hasn¡¯t given you the initiate trail. He¡¯s given you the advanced trial.

    Rewards: 15% Off Farmers Guild Products, Entry to Farmers Guild as a Full Member, Silver Farmers Guild Badge, 2500xp, 100 fame]

    Winston growled but turned back to the planters. Well the rice had to go into the fourth planter. That was so wet it was mostly mud and rice was the only thing that wouldn¡¯t die if he planted it in there. He put the corn in the next most wet, even though the soil composition wasn¡¯t great for it. That only left the wheat and oats. He done enough reading to know what oats could survive quite a bit of over-watering but the third pot had better Ph levels for it. Wheat he stuck in the last and driest pot.

    ¡°There¡­. How¡¯s that.¡± Winston said, still a little angry.

    [You Have completed a quest!]

    [You Have Leveled up!]

    Blue-light flashed around Winston as he hit level 14. That orc quest must have given him nearly two entire levels.

    ¡°I knew you had it in you.¡± The old man said as he gave Winston a clap on the back. Winston¡¯s eyes narrowed but he followed the fat old farmer out of the courtyard and back to the front desk. There the farmer dug around in a box and pulled out a small silver pin. It was in the shape of a cornucopia and a screen popped up as Winston grabbed it.

    [Advanced Farmer Cornucopia Badge]

    [Uncommon, Accessory]

    [A Silver pin. It acts as a badge to show one¡¯s membership to the farmers guild. This pin means one is a full member. Grants 15% discount on all farmer¡¯s guild goods and services.

    +5% Crop quality

    +5% Crop yield]

    Winston pinned the badge to his chest and turned back the old man. ¡°Excellent, now can I rent some of your courtyard?¡±

    ¡°Sure, take the four testing planters, as well as the big flower-bed next to it on the left. That¡¯ll be 100 gold, minus 15% of course.¡± The fat farmer said with a smile. Winston sighed but handed over 85 gold.

    ¡°Now, do you guys have any rare fertilizers or anything for sale? Different types of dirt? Lime, or sulphur?¡± Winston asked. If the guild had that sorta thing for sale he¡¯d have a much easier time growing the crops he needed.

    ¡°Of course we do. That¡¯s our job. What did you think we did?¡± The old farmer asked.

    ¡°Well, lemme see your wares then.¡± Winston said impatiently. He really did not have time for this. It was already after six and he¡¯d have to log off soon. The old man took on a put upon expression as he waved Winston in another direction. This time they entered the building around the side and found a large but narrow storage area filled with dirt, sand, at least five types of manure, dozens of types of seeds, lime, compost, and all the stuff a farmer could ever need to get moving.

    ¡°This is perfect.¡± Winston said happily.

    ***************************

    Winston didn¡¯t get to start farming until Tuesday and he didn¡¯t get logged on until after supper. He¡¯d put off working on his Econ project for a month and decided he better get at least a few pages of a rough draft done or Abby would have his head. That had taken up a good chunk of the evening so Winston was excited to get to work when he got back online.

    The farmer¡¯s guild was closed, but luckily he¡¯d logged out while inside. Unlike the Sword¡¯s keep the city was a safe-zone so his body disappeared when he logged out instead of just laying down. He re-appeared in the court-yard and got to work.

    He started with wheat since he needed the most of it. He picked one of the larger planters and tested the soil. It wasn¡¯t really great for growing wheat, so Winston just dug most of it out. Then used dirt from other planters and two-or-three types of different fertilizers until the soil was just how he wanted it.

    This had to be the best place to grow crops he¡¯d ever found. He had access to all the resources he need to change soil types and a well with real water he could use to get the soil to the perfect moisture levels. He knew trying to do something similar on a large scale would be almost impossible.

    Winston had a lot of fun planting the onions, carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and all the other things. Each needed slightly different types of soil, moisture levels, a other minor things.It was much smaller scale than he was used to but rewarding in it¡¯s own way.

    He didn¡¯t bother with the cranberries or the parsley. He didn¡¯t have seeds for them and the amounts Casey wanted weren¡¯t large anyway. Everything else on the list he planted at least a little of. He decided to use his [Nurture] skill on the pumpkins. A single plant would likely grow at least two or three pumpkins and he¡¯d get a pretty good return from that. Then he cast [Norish The Land] over the whole area. If he had extras he¡¯s just sell them.

    He blinked, then laughed at his own idea. He should go to Casey¡¯s competition and set up a stand selling high and superior grade vegetables right next to the stage. He¡¯d be able to gouge the competitors looking for last minute ingredients. He could make a fortune. An evil smile played on his face as he finished up and logged off to get some sleep.

 Chapter 30

    ¡°What did you do!¡± Josh shouted as he burst into Winston¡¯s room. Winston looked up from his math book and blinked in confusion. His brother was breathing hard and he looked a bit wild around the eyes.

    ¡°You¡¯re gonna have to narrow it down for me. There¡¯s a lot of answers to that question.¡± Winston replied as he looked back down at his math book. It was Tuesday night and he had some vegetables to harvest but he needed to get this math done first. The sight of his unflappable brother so worked up was rather amusing but he had things to do.

    ¡°Don¡¯t ignore me¡­.. What did you say to Jessica?¡± Josh snapped. Winston had to think about that for a while. He hadn¡¯t talked to Jessica in weeks. Then he remembered.

    ¡°Oh that¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean ¡®Oh That¡¯!?¡± He snapped.

    ¡°That was like a month ago. I forgot about it.¡± Winston said.

    ¡°Apparently she didn¡¯t. She came up to me and homeroom and was all nice and polite and honest. It was bizarre.¡± Josh said. ¡°Now Katie won¡¯t talk to me because she thinks I¡¯m getting back together with Jessica and you did this!¡±

    ¡°What!? Don¡¯t put your girl problems on me. If you didn¡¯t have a reputation for switching women so often this wouldn¡¯t have happened.¡± Winston said with a laugh. ¡°All I said to her was if she really wanted to give it another shot with you is she should stop with the drama and be genuine for once. The whole super hot and super manipulative thing is sexy and all but it¡¯s not exactly the sorta girl you want to get into a relationship with.¡± Josh¡¯s eyes narrowed at his younger brother and his face darkened.

    ¡°What..?¡± Winston asked, taken aback at his brothers reaction. Then his eyes widened. ¡°God, you actually like her don¡¯t you? That¡¯s so screwed up.¡± Winston said before he really saw his brothers face and raised his hands in surrender.  ¡°Ok Ok, I¡¯ll stop. You haven¡¯t beaten me up since we were kids and I rather not start back up again.¡±

    Winston tried to stay calm but he just couldn¡¯t understand.Yes, Jessica was very physically attractive and smart, but she had ¡®Drama¡¯ written all over her. The fact his too handsome, to popular, golden boy of a brother had a crush on her was ridiculous. Although, it did explain a lot about his behavior after they¡¯d broken up.

    Josh continued to scowl at Winston, but the fight seemed to flow out of him and he collapsed onto Winston¡¯s bed and let out a world weary sigh. Winston laughed.

    He was feeling very smug. After so long having to put up with his older brother hooking up with all the hottest girls in school, now Winston was in a blossoming relationship with a great girl and his brother was the one with girl problems.

    ¡°Shut up.¡± Josh said as he laid back and tossed an arm over his eyes.

    ¡°Sorry, but you have no idea how gratifying this is.¡± Winston said, still smiling. ¡°Besides why are you so upset? You¡¯ve probably got the hottest girl in school chasing you. If you like her than what¡¯s the problem?¡± Winston asked.

    ¡°The problem is she already cheated on me once and I¡¯m already dating someone else.¡± Josh said without taking his arm away from his face. Winston raised his eyebrows. Seemed the truth was finally coming out. Josh must be really upset.

    ¡°Really? She never seemed the type.¡± Winston said thoughtfully. She was definitely the type to tease but to cheat on someone, especially Josh?  It just didn¡¯t seem like her.

    Josh growled. ¡°I know¡­.but she only sort of cheated. That¡¯s what makes it all so complicated.¡±

    ¡°How do you sorta cheat?¡±  Winston asked with a laugh. ¡°I mean, I understand that there¡¯s more than one way to siege the proverbial caste, but at the end of the day either the troops make it past the walls or they don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°She did it in game.¡± Josh sighed. Winston snapped his mouth shut. Maybe that really did count as only sorta cheating. In some ways it was just as bad, but in others it might not count as much. He knew lots of people that fooled around in game. It was one of the game main selling points. It was especially popular with college kids. You could hop into the game, drink as much as you wanted and sleep with whomever you wanted, without any of the real life consequences.

    Winston looked over at his depressed brother. Well, without most of the real life consequences. The drama and relationship problems sill carried over. Winston wasn¡¯t sure how he¡¯d feel about it. Definitely not happy but he honestly didn¡¯t how he¡¯d react if he found out Trish was sleeping around in game with someone.

    ¡°Well, Ruger would tell you just not to bother with her. Brad would just shrug. Jason would probably  tell you to try and get her into a three-way with Katie so she could prove her sincerity. Trish¡­. Well, Trish would probably tell you to slap her around a little, but she REALLY hates Jessica.¡± Winston said thoughtfully.

    ¡°And what do you think I should do?¡± Josh asked.

    ¡°How should I know? I don¡¯t know how much you like her. I don¡¯t know how much you like Katie. I don¡¯t know how much Jessica hurt you. Is it fair of you to hold one mistake against her? Was it fair of her to do something like that, even if it was in game? You both are leaving for college in a few months anyway. Do you really want to break up with your current girlfriend and start something new?¡± Winston explained. The he paused for a moment before he continued.

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty new to the whole relationship thing but it seems to me that things like this are never as simple as black and white.¡± He finished.

    ¡°That¡­. Is not helpful.¡± Josh said.

    ¡°It¡¯s not supposed to be. You gotta figure this crap out for yourself. Besides, I¡¯ve gotta go check on my carrots and I still don¡¯t have my Math done.¡± Winston complained.

    ¡°You still haven¡¯t given up on your stupid farming?¡±

    ¡°Given up? I¡¯m just getting ready to shift into high-gear. Things are going better than ever.¡± Winston replied.

    ¡°Fine, Fine. I guess I just go back to my room and sulk. By myself, all alone. I¡¯ve been abandoned by my uncaring brother for common vegetables.¡± Josh sighed dramatically.

    Winston threw a pencil at him.

    ***********************

    The carrots were fine. Winston hopped in game a few minutes after Josh left. The greenhouse inside the farmers guild was just how he¡¯d left it. The carrots, wheat, and garlic were ready to harvest. The wheat was only a 12 hour crop, with the carrots and garlic being 24 hours. Everything else was 72 hours so he wouldn¡¯t have much to do until Thursday.

    He harvested the wheat first. It was superior grade, but there was only about 2 pounds of it, which was as shame. An acre of superior quality wheat would have earned him thousands of XP, and skill XP. The garlic and carrots only made it to high-quality but Winston did get a pleasant surprise as he pulled out the last carrot.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    [Vegetable Sub-Skill has Increased!]

    [Current Rank: Beginner I]

    [Effect:Bonus Vegetable Crop Yield:6.5%

    Bonus Vegetable Crop Quality: 25%]

    [You Have Learned A New Passive Skill]

    [Size Does Matter]

    [The size of all vegetables grown by user is increased by 15%]

    It wasn¡¯t a great skill bonus, but it was in line with the other beginner sub-skill rewards. Grain was 15% more filling, fruit produced 15% more juice, and vegetables were 15% larger. Nothing game changing but all decent upgrades. He was curious what he¡¯d get at apprentice rank. The grain skill was extremely useful, but he was likely still at least a month from getting his other skills that high, maybe even longer.  He set year-end as the goal to have all this farming-subskills at apprentice rank. He¡¯d likely need at least two or three weeks to even get his new farm up and producing.

    Winston thought about the future while he replanted the carrots and garlic. He made a few minor changes to the fertilizer composition. He didn¡¯t think his 5% boost in crop quality would lift them up into superior ranked, so he¡¯d have to experiment the old-fashion way.

    Winston kept working, ignoring the mud covering his hands and fur as he tried to create a new list of things to do for himself. He¡¯d mostly cleared the old-one off. So it was time for new goals. First he needed to find transport. He tried to remember what city the cooking contest was supposed to be in. He was sure Casey had told him at the party but he didn¡¯t remember.

    It took only a few minutes of forum searching to find it. The contest was in Westriver, which wasn¡¯t one of the 10 capitals surprisingly. It was instead a massive port city to the south-west. It actually was only a few hundred miles from Valor¡¯s Crossing, but with all the mountains in the way the trip would take at least a month on foot.

    He changed forum filters and started searching for a teleport. From all the horror stories about massive teleportation conglomerates and the extreme competition for portals Troll had told him it was much simpler than Winston thought to find a teleport. It wasn¡¯t even really that expensive.

    Paladin Portal¡¯s had an portal opening friday night at 8:00. It cost 750 gold for a single person, or 1500 for a wagon. Extra baggage weight cost extra but Winston should be able to fit everything he was taking in his pack.

    With his transportation taken care of. Winston was back with nothing to do till tomorrow and at least three hours to blow. He needed to buy a bunch of things, but there wasn¡¯t much use doing any of that until he got to Westriver.

    He decided to go see if the Farmer¡¯s guild had any requests. Guild¡¯s should have requests but he hadn¡¯t seen a board or anything. He¡¯d have to go talk to the old farmer. He might be able to knock out a cheap quest or two before he left the city.

    The old man was in his usual spot behind the desk and Winston  didn¡¯t bother with pleasantries. He was still a little miffed about the test that had been forced on him.

    ¡°Old man, are there any guild requests for grains or vegetables I might be able to fill?¡± Winston asked, bluntly. The old man look at him for a moment then seemed to be weighing something mentally.

    ¡°It ain¡¯t quite that simple.¡± The fat old farmer said. ¡±We¡¯ve got plenty of requests but where are you going to grow them? The courtyard is mostly full already, so you¡¯d somewhere else to grow the crops. Because of that we only take the highest profit jobs so we can keep a roof over our heads here. That means we¡¯ve lost a lot of contracts too.¡±

    ¡°So basically. We¡¯ve you¡¯re already taking all the contacts the guild can handle, but you¡¯ve got a flood of crappy requests you can¡¯t fulfil anyway and you¡¯ve lost some of the good contracts because of that.¡± Winston paraphrased.

    ¡°Something like that.¡±

    ¡°Well, just give me one of the crappy requests,  I¡¯ve gonna leave in a few days anyway.¡± Winston said. He didn¡¯t really care that much. He just wanted to pick up some cheap XP and fame. he didn¡¯t really need the money at the moment. At least until the massive shopping spree he was planning. After that¡­. Well he didn¡¯t really want to think about it. The fact he¡¯d likely be blowing all his money on building supplies right after he earned it didn¡¯t make him too happy.

    The old man dug around under his desk and pulled out a roll of parchment, before handing it over. Winston unrolled it and started reading. It was a list of farming jobs. It listed the requester, the required crops and their amounts, as well as the payment.

    Winston frowned as he read it over. There were over forty of them, but they were all crappy. Most only paid in silver. ¡°Onions¡­ no, takes too long to grow. Same with radishes, Turnips¡­. Does anyone actually eat turnips? Poppy seeds?... Maybe I should start my rise to the top as an opium grower.¡±Winston muttered as he read the list aloud.

    In the end he chose 5 different requests for flour. They all totaled up to about 3 bushel of flower, so around 4 bushel of wheat.

    ¡°Really you want five requests and all for wheat?¡± The old man said snidely. ¡°You¡¯re really pushing yourself I see.¡±

    ¡°Wheat grows the fastest. I can produce a lot of it in a small area. It¡¯s more efficient.¡± Winston snapped as he slapped some gold down on the desk. ¡°I need to steal a corner of your courtyard. About¡­. ¡° Winston did some mental math. A quarter acre would get him around 6 bushel bushel judging by his yields in Brethren, but he should be able to squeeze in four harvests.  So he¡¯d need basically a quarter of ? of a quarter acre. So the square root of around 11,000 square feet, divided by¡­ Winston¡¯s brain started to hurt so he popped open a calculator in his interface. ¡°Forty feet... squared.¡± Winston fished after a good minute of silence.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I just tell you we didn¡¯t have enough room.¡± The old farmer said. Winston just pulled out another hand-full of gold and piled it on top of what was already there.

    The old farmer rolled his eyes but slid the coins off the counter and waved Winston away. Winston nodded and headed back into the courtyard. He took out his staff, summoned his farmhand, and got back to work.

    *********************

    ¡°Pumpkin, Pumpkin¡­. so large and orange¡± Winton sang off-key as he rubbed the large squash. His pumpkins had worked out better than he¡¯d imagined. The vine he¡¯d planted had produced five large pumpkins the size of beach-balls. Each was perfectly shaped and seemed to glow with luster. Even Winston was impressed. He smiled as he plucked the first off his vine.

    [Pumpkin]

    [Food, Superior-Quality]

    [One of the oldest domesticated plants, the pumpkin is a large round squash. It is often hybridized for larger size or color, but this plant has not been. Having been raised in good conditions by a talented farmer it is a prime specimen.]

    Winston smiled at the message then stuffed all five pumpkins into his backpack. The rest of the crops soon followed and Winston was surprised when his vegetable sub-skill hit Beginner II. The other vegetables had only been high-quality, aside from a single random clove of garlic. Winston wasn¡¯t sure how that had happened but he wasn¡¯t going to argue. The vegetables  shouldn¡¯t have given him that much xp though. Maybe growing a bunch of different crops gave farmers more skill experience than growing a single crop? That made some sense. It would be something to look into to.

    It was a shame he couldn¡¯t stay here. Farming here was just too easy. He¡¯d spent the last two days planting and harvesting wheat. Well, he¡¯d only really been working on the special wheat he was growing for Casey. He had nearly a bushel of the stuff at superior quality. That was twice as much as Casey had ordered and Winston was looking forward to selling it for exorbitant prices.

    He¡¯d let his golem do all the actual work on his ¡®quest patch¡¯ as he¡¯d started calling it. He¡¯d taken a hit on the yield but it was all small-time stuff anyway. He double checked his pack then headed outside where Troll was blocking the street with his cart.

    ¡°Hurry up! I¡¯m pretty sure that half-orc is about to gut me.¡± Troll cried as Winston hopped onto the wagon. Troll flicked his reigns and the two took off down the street, finally unblocking the road. ¡°Now where¡¯s this mill supposed to be at?¡± He asked, looking over at Winston.

    ¡°Head for the East gate, it¡¯s supposed to be about a half-mile down the road.¡± Winston said.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you talked me into this.¡± Troll complained. ¡°This has to be the biggest waste of time mission I¡¯ve ever heard of. We¡¯re only carrying ten bushel of grain, and we''re only going a mile. Why didn¡¯t you just have someone in the city do it?¡±

    ¡°Because, I need the best. I asked some alchemists to do it initially, but everyone I talked to either laughed in my face or asked for way too much money so I¡¯d just go away. So I had to find an NPC who¡¯d do it, and she¡¯s outside the city in Fisher¡¯s Mill and although 10 bushel isn¡¯t much for you it¡¯s still 600 pounds of wheat. That¡¯s at least three trips for me, so it¡¯s one mile of driving for you or six miles of walking for me.¡± Winston said as they took a left and picked up speed slightly.

    The two continued to argue as they passed under the city gates and headed out into the countryside. The mill was visible right away as soon as they got beyond the wall.

    ¡°There ya go.¡± Winston said pointing. ¡°I knew we¡¯d find it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a giant windmill right outside it city. It¡¯s not exactly hard to find.¡± Trollogistics snapped back at him.

    ¡°Anyway¡­ You coming to Westriver with me? I¡¯m planning on buying most of my supplies there. So I¡¯m gonna need a ton of stuff moved. If not you can meet me in Wraith Harbor. It¡¯s apparently the closest town with a bank and auction house to where we¡¯re headed.¡± Winston asked.

    ¡°Well, if you¡¯ve got work I don¡¯t see why not. Although the portal fees going to sting.¡± Troll said, a but sourly.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s pretty cheap from here to Westriver,1500 for a wagon. The portal leaves tomorrow. I was planning on going solo, but now that I think about it we should take your wagon. Otherwise they¡¯ll prolly charge me double for taking Bog along and I¡¯ll end up paying the same amount anyway. Winston said. He¡¯d totally forgotten about Bog when he¡¯d booked his trip. There was no way they¡¯d let her through for free.

    Troll turned the wagon off the road and up the small dirt path that lead to the mill. As soon as the stopped a stout looking woman came out and scowled at them.

    ¡°You lost?¡± She asked rudely. Winston blinked at her tone but ignored it. Usually people running business were much nicer, at least the people who had to deal with customers.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think so. We¡¯ve got wheat we need to turn into flower.¡± Winston said, waving at the crate in the wagon holding the wheat.

    The woman scowled but picked up the crate and sat it against one hip. Winston blinked at her. That crate weighed 600 pounds. What the hell was the ladies strength score?

    ¡°Just the one?¡± She asked as she walked up the store steps and into the mill.

    ¡°Uhhh, sorta. We need that 10 bushel turned into flower. Then I¡¯ve got about another thirty pounds of real high-quality stuff I¡¯d like you to really take your time with. I¡¯ll pay extra.¡± Winston said as he jogged to keep up with her much longer stride.

    ¡°Fine, just put the ¡®special¡¯ stuff there.¡± She said flatly, pointing towards a large table. Winston just shrugged and dumped out most the superior-wheat he¡¯d grown. Casey still wanted twenty-pounds in wheat form but Winston would turn the rest into flower. That way when he set-up shop outside the contest the chef would be able to use it directly. Winston put ten gold coins on the table next to it. It was a ridiculous price to have flower milled, but Winston fully intended to charge hundreds of gold per pound when he sold it.

    The process didn¡¯t actually take that long. Less than a half-hour after they¡¯d arrived they were headed back towards town, the wagon now holding sacks of flour rather than a crate of grain.

    ¡°Where to know?¡± Troll asked.

    ¡°I gotta turn my quests in. We¡¯ve got two bakeries and three inn¡¯s to hit up. Then you¡¯re free. The portal opens at 8:00 tomorrow don¡¯t be late.¡± Winston said. An hour later Winston had turned his flour into 2500 xp, 2 gold pieces, and 20 fame.

 Chapter 31

    Winston walked into the tailor¡¯s shop brimming with curiosity. H¡¯d received the message earlier but it had taken a while to tie up everything and get ready to head to another city. He was starting to feel a bit like that¡¯s all he was doing lately, just running errands as he prepared to leave one place or another. At least this errand was a welcome distraction. His new clothes were finally ready.

    This time it wasn¡¯t the girl with the too bright smile at the counter but a rather tried looking woman in her mid-thirties. She was pretty, with dark hair and a heart shaped face but had the worn look of a woman raising a small child. It was the built up pressure of months of short-sleep and extra stress, along with the bone deep certainly that it would be years until things eased up. Although her face and shoulders sagged a bit her eyes were bright and her clothing was impeccable.

    ¡°Can I help you?¡± She asked as Winston walked in.

    ¡°Here to pick up my order.¡±

    The woman smiled and dug behind the counter until she brought up two clothing items on wooden hangers.

    ¡°I was waiting for you to come. Only had about 20 real orders this month so I was happy for this business. It was also nice to make something besides mage robes, even got a skill rank from these so I tossed in some extra value for you.¡± The woman said as she handed over the hangers.

    Winston inspected them his eyes widening when he saw them. The shirt was pretty standard, but the second item made him both excited and wary. He had a feeling his wallet was going to be taking another one for the team.

    [Farmer¡¯s Embroidered Flannel Shirt]

    [Uncommon, Light-Armor, Superior-Quality]

    [A flannel shirt made in the classic style. Although the design is simple it was made with care, creating an item of surpassing quality. After completion, the creator added on some simple embroidery with ice-worm silk. This allows the user to stay cool and work harder and longer.]

    [Armor: 1]

    [+3 Endurance]

    [-2% Stamina Drain while Working]

    [Shirt is naturally cool, even in hot temperatures]

    [Created by: Fiona Longshadow]

    [Farmer¡¯s Denim Overalls]

    [Rare, Light-Armor, Masterwork]

    [Made from high-quality cotton by a Journeyman tailor. These overalls were made with exacting precision along with some decent innovations. Minotaur hide has been added to the knees for extra durability, along with dryad hair to strengthen the seams and increase the users affinity for plants and growing things. The result is a masterwork.]

    [Armor: 10]

    [+5 Endurance]

    [+7 Constitution]

    [+3 Strength]

    [Increases growth rate of all plants, planted by user by 3%]

    [Trees planted by user grow 15% faster and produce 10% more fruit.]

    [Improves sensitivity of [Soil Sence] when kneeling by 300%]

    [Created by: Fiona Longshadow]

    It wasn¡¯t exactly what he¡¯d been expecting, but he couldn¡¯t say it wouldn¡¯t be useful. He¡¯d been planning to switch over to a mostly fruit based farm anyway. The tree growth likely wouldn¡¯t be that useful but 10% extra fruit from all trees was a huge boost. The smaller 3% boost to growth was also useful but less so. The problem was the last boost.

    The difference in quality between low-quality, standard-quality, and high-quality wasn¡¯t really that great. The vast majority of items players produced fell into those three grades.You had to really screw-up to get a poor-quality. On the the flip side of that, you had to put up some decent effort and have good skill ranks to get to superior. The difference between superior and excellent was another similar step-up. However, masterwork was a fundamental transformation. You had to both go above and beyond, as well as have high skill levels and more than a bit of inspiration or blind luck to reach it. Masterwork gear improved skill or class abilities directly. Even a common Iron sword that reached masterwork was worth a decent chunk of money.

    He didn¡¯t even what to think about what this was going to cost him, especially for such a mediocre ability. He had no doubt the skill would be useful, but it might not be worth the price.

    ¡°Excellent work.¡± Winston praised. ¡°What¡¯s it going to cost me though?¡±

    ¡°4700.¡± She said bluntly. Winston winced slightly, but it was honestly less than he was expecting. It was still overpriced for the bonuses it gave. Then again, custom gear with crafting bonuses was expensive. He could buy a next-gen console with the money these clothes had cost him.

    Winston popped open a trade window and they made the transfer. Things were much easier when trading directly with other players. Both parties could just send money directly from their banks to each other as a digital transfer as long as they were in the same safe-zone.

    ¡°Do you have a few minutes?¡± He asked once the clothes had been paid for. The older woman looked at him a bit oddly but shrugged. Winston didn¡¯t stand on ceremony. He felt a bit awkward but that was fine. It was just a conversation.

    ¡°You know form my order that I¡¯m a farmer. I was just wondering how much cloth you guys usually go through. Do you guys buy the cloth directly, or do you process it from cotton, or wool, or whatever your selves?¡±

    The woman seemed surprised at the question but was more than happy to answer. ¡°It depends really. We do have to do our own weaving sometimes, the prices for cotton are high, but it¡¯s usually the best all-around material and not horribly overpriced. The problem is there¡¯s no real high-level equivalent. Everything the shop uses to make powerful high-level items comes from animals. Either, wool, silk, hair, or fur.¡±

    Winston pondered that for a while. Then realized it was likely true. Any plant sufficiently rare or magical to be made into high level cloth would probably get used for alchemy instead and growing something like in enough quantity to use for tailoring would be very difficult. It might also be an extremely good money maker. He didn¡¯t think he was quite at that level yet as a farmer, but he should be getting close, or at least within a few months. It would be something to look into after he got his orchard started and got some consistent money coming in again.

    ¡°How much cloth do you guys normally go through?¡± Winston asked.

    ¡±It depends on business and the orders obviously. Used quite a bit for your stuff and all cotton. Your¡¯s took around four pounds?¡±

    Winston did some quick mental math she¡¯d said earlier that she only had 20 orders this month, even if she¡¯d used a bit more than that for just regular clothes, that mean she¡¯d used less than 100 pounds. That was for a decently successful store in a capital city. How much cotton would he be able to grow? How many shops like this one were in the city?If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    He ran some guesstimates and realized he could likely supply the entire city with cotton without a huge amount of trouble. Moving that much would crash the markets. It didn¡¯t seem worth it unless he was really off on his numbers. He¡¯d have to look into it more. The plan for the time being was still growing crap loads of fruit to get things moving again.

    He couldn¡¯t even imagine the amount of players that ate breakfast in game every day and wanted a glass of coffee or OJ. He had no doubt he could make an orchard the size of the city and wouldn¡¯t even make a dent in the games demand. That was the sort of long-term limitless demand products he was looking to cash in on.

    ¡°Thanks¡­ for the information and the clothes.  I¡¯ll send my buddies here if they are ever in the area.¡± Winston told the woman as he headed for the door.

    *******************************************

    ¡°Now what?¡± Troll asked as his wagon appeared in Westriver. It was already dark but the area was busy, it was 8:00 on friday night and it was one of the games busiest times. Winston didn¡¯t answer right away, too busy goggling at the size of the city. Westriver was HUGE, the population seemed significantly smaller than Valor¡¯s Crossing, but it was hard to tell because everything was so spread out.

    Valor¡¯s Crossing had been a bustling city packed full of players but Westriver was a sprawling mess of docks, warehouses, shops, and slums. The city was on the fork of two large rivers, where they joined into a even bigger river. He tried to get his bearings but then the smell hit his nose and he nearly gagged. It was dead-fish, mud, and human excrement.

    ¡°Well, this is a nice place.¡± Winston said sarcastically as he tried to get his rebelling stomach under control.

    ¡°Yeah, I did some reading up on this place before we came here. The rivers are deep and connect the with sea. The land outside the city is some of the most fertile in the 10 Kingdoms and the mountains to the east are also full or iron and coal. This place is the largest trading hub on the continent, but the entire place is run by the great trading families and the gangs. Only about half the city is a safe-zone.¡± Troll explained.

    ¡°Great.¡± Winston muttered. ¡°Well, we¡¯ve got a few days. I¡¯ve gotta find out what it takes to open a stall, then get one made. After that it¡¯s mostly just shopping and finding a portal to Kishik. Although we¡¯ve got a week to waste. First though it¡¯s an inn for Bog and I.¡± Winston said.

    ¡°Have fun! I¡¯m gonna have a look around try to find some deals.¡± Troll said as Winston and Bog hopped off the wagon and went to find a inn.

    It was Friday night and the weather in the city miserable. It was raining exactly but instead fog was rolling up off the river and the whole town was damp and dreary. It reminded Winston of crappy TV shows that took place in old London. Everything was old brick buildings, wet cobblestones, and foggy alleys. Winston wandered around a bit aimlessly. Until he took a wrong turn.

    [You Have Entered The East Docks]

    [You are no longer in a safe area]

    Shapes appeared out of the fog, converging on Winston and Bog. Winston grabbed Bog around the neck and dragged her back a step.

    [You Have Entered the East Square]

    [You Are In a Safe Zone]

    Winston only got a few glimpses of blood red name-plates before they disappeared into the fog again.

    ¡°You guys are classy. Do you really just wait over there and gank anyone who steps over the line?¡± Winston said to the fog.

    ¡°Screw you!¡± said a voice from the darkness. ¡°We don¡¯t tell you how to play the game.¡±

    ¡°Stay classy guys!¡± Winston called as he got Bog turned around and headed back the way he¡¯d come. ¡°Wow¡­ What jerks.¡± Winston told his bird as they looked for a decent inn. ¡°I mean, how bored do you really have to be to just stand there and gank noobs all night.¡±

    It took quite a while to find somewhere with a stable that had decent prices and wasn¡¯t a rat hole, but eventually Winston found a quaint little inn called the Rusty Shiv. It¡¯s atmosphere didn¡¯t match its name. It was mostly filled with craftsmen and tradesmen. It wasn¡¯t great, but at least it was clean and after he got Bog settled he found out the food wasn¡¯t half bad.

    Winston worked while he ate. He popped open a browser and brought up a map of the city, quickly locating where he currently was. Then it was just a matter for doing some digging to find out where the competition was supposed to be located.

    It was in the Crier¡¯s district. One of the oldest parts of the city and where most of the powerful merchant families had their estates. Apparently there was some sort of outdoor combination arena/pavilion thing that one of the more extravagant families had build a few centuries ago. The yearly cooking competition was held there, alongside various fighting tournaments, alchemy contests, and other such things.

    Getting a spot to set-up a stand outside wouldn¡¯t be easy and in a city like this he didn¡¯t doubt he¡¯d have to make more than a few bribes. Still, his cash reserves were in good shape, so tossing some gold around shouldn¡¯t be an issue, as long at it wasn¡¯t too much. He planned to gouge the competitors but he only had so much product. So if the costs to set up his stand got too high it wouldn¡¯t be worth bothering with anymore. Winston would deal with it all tomorrow. He logged out.

    **************************

    The next day flew by as Winston went to talk to a few people who already had stands up on the street around the arena. That took a small bribe, mostly in silver, to get through. Then it was the city guard, that bribe took gold. Then it was an NPC from the city planning office, which charged him 50 gold for a permit. Winston knew he was getting ripped off but arguing about it would have taken too much time and it was still less than he was willing to spend.

    That left him with the stand and his sign. That was easier. Since the inn he was staying out was in the craftsmen district it didn¡¯t take long to find a small woodshop. It was run by a aging half-elf with gold streaks in his brown-hair. He looked like he was in his early forties but had to be twice that. The man looked down at Winston with a puzzled expression.

    ¡°Can I help you?¡± He asked, his voice was oddly sweet for a male. Which would have been odd, if he wasn¡¯t part elf.

    ¡°Yeah, I need a cheap stand and a sign. Something I can put up and take down fairly easily, and it all needs to fit in my pack. So no more than say¡­ a hundred pounds.¡± Winston said. He would have to buy a new pack, but as long as he didn¡¯t go overboard it would be pretty cheap. ¡°Also do you have any paint?¡±

    Hours later Winston sat in the upstairs of a fairly classy restaurant across from Trish. She was even more dressed up than usual in a dazzling green dress while Winston was about as dressed up as he ever got in black dress slacks and a dark-blue dress shirt.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you dove an hour to take me to a dinner theater.¡± Trish said with a laugh. Winston scowled at her, but there wasn¡¯t much heat in it. The drive had been a long one, but they¡¯d had to go three towns over to find something interesting to do.

    ¡°It seemed interesting and the reviews were pretty good. Besides we¡¯ve been dating for a month now. Did you really wanna go eat at Marnie''s and then catch a movie again? That¡¯s been every single date so far. Thought we¡¯d do something a little different tonight.¡± Winston said defensively.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t complaining. You just don¡¯t seem the theater going type.¡± Trish said. ¡°It¡¯s actually kinda fun. I¡¯ve never seen a play before that wasn¡¯t put on by the high-school.¡±

    ¡°At least it¡¯s not a musical¡­. I¡¯m not sure I could handle that, but I was looking around for date ideas and found this place. It was this or an an indie-band playing at a bar downtown and after I listened to their music on youtube I had no desire to see them live.¡± Winston explained.

    ¡°Besides, if we¡¯d have gone to a concert you¡¯d have just worn jeans and a sweatshirt. Then I¡¯d have missed out on you in that dress.¡± Winston said as he reached across the table and took her hand. Her face pinkend, and Winston smiled wider.

    ¡°Very smooth.¡± Trish said, still blushing but having regained her composure somewhat.

    ¡°Josh taught me that one actually. The sincere completement with the eye contact and the hand-hold.¡± Winston said.

    Trish snorted and laughed. ¡°He¡¯s really is a monster.¡±

    ¡°He really is.¡± Winston said with a laugh, releasing her hand and breaking the eye contact. ¡°All the girls know he¡¯s a womanizer, but he¡¯s always so straightforward and polite about it that none of them seem to care. He¡¯d never cheat on any of them but he has no real problem just swapping every few weeks. He still talks to all of them, and they all know he¡¯d go help if they ever needed him for something. He¡¯s been dating Katie for like two months now and that¡¯s the longest relationship he¡¯s been in ever I think. He¡¯s the only person I¡¯ve ever met that might be able to make a harem work for him.¡±  Winston also knew he¡¯d probably be breaking up with Katie to get back with Jessica soon but he didn¡¯t say that.

    ¡°What, no harem for you?¡± Trish asked with a raised eyebrow.

    ¡°God, no.¡± Winston said immediately. ¡°I mean, as a man I can¡¯t say the idea doesn¡¯t have some appeal but I look at the whole thing pragmatically.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Trish asked.

    ¡°I mean, look at the divorce rate? Look at all the fail relationships going on all the time.¡± Winston said. ¡°The vast majority of those aren''t because of incompatible personalities. It¡¯s because one or both sides aren''t willing to put in the work and time. A real functioning relationship is hard work. Trying to balance more than one of those at a time seems nearly impossible to me. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t think someone could do it, but how would you have time for anything else? You know how many text-messages Josh gets a day? No, thank you.¡± Winston said, shuddering theatrically.

    Trish¡¯s smile this time seemed to light up the room and she reached over and took his hand.  ¡°What have you been up to in game?¡± She asked, changing the subject. ¡°I¡¯ve been busy with student council stuff, and haven¡¯t been at the lunch table much. Expansion comes out this Tuesday you know?

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t affect me much, assuming I don¡¯t run into any of the new skills they are adding, but who would even know? There¡¯s so many skills in the game no-one has ever unlocked. Apparently there are three entire branches of magic no-one has ever touched in the three years since launch. That¡¯s not sub-skills but complete magical disciples.¡±

    ¡°But what have I been doing? Just wasting time mostly before I move to Kishik. I¡¯m gonna set-up a vegetables stand during next weekend¡¯s cooking competition and sell some high-quality vegetables. Then after that, it¡¯s time to head your way and get started on my new farm. I¡¯m planning a massive shopping spree on Friday that should be fun.¡± Winston said.

    ¡°Be careful when you¡¯re selling those vegetables. Some of those cooks are the darlings of their guilds. If you push them too hard you might make enemies.¡± Trish said.

    Winston shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m starting my own business. It¡¯s pretty inevitable i¡¯m going to make enemies. Then again, I¡¯m willing to back down if pushed. Taking a hard-line stance is for novel protagonists not businessmen.¡±

    Trish laughed but their conversation ended as the lights dimmed and the play started.

 Chapter 32

    Friday morning found Winston sitting on a stool behind his new stand. The half-elf had gouged him a bit on the price but he was happy with the work. It was in eight big pieces and could be disassembled and reassembled in seconds. It was basically just a table with two upright boards slotted in that held up the sign. He¡¯d done the sign himself and although it wasn¡¯t professional work he¡¯d done a decent job on it.

    The top read ¡®Quality Vegetables¡¯ In big letters, while a smaller signboard was off to the side with the price list. He¡¯d set out two of his superior pumpkins for display pieces and more than a few NPC¡¯s had come over to buy until they¡¯d seen the prices.

    [Pumpkins: 1000g]

    [Flour: 150g/lb]

    [Onions: 30g/lb]

    [Carrots: 30g/lb]

    The NPC¡¯s had yelled at him for quite a while before they got board and wandered off, but most NPC¡¯s might only make thirty of forty gold a year.They couldn¡¯t imagine why someone would pay 1000 gold for a pumpkin but a player would. Winston had thrown out the bait. He just had to wait for the right fish to show up.

    He was feeling glad to be in game. Yesterday had been Thanksgiving and he¡¯d been trapped at his grandma¡¯s all day with all his idiot cousins. It hadn¡¯t been pleasant. Luckily he didn¡¯t have school today, so he¡¯d decided to set up his stand. Winston didn¡¯t expect to make any sales until tomorrow but he was more than happy to just set in the sun-shine. He had a browser window in his interface open and was reading a web novel as people wandered by.

    There were quite a few players milling around. It was Thanksgiving vacation, at least in the US, so lots of students who¡¯d normally be in school were free to waste the day online. It was nearly 10:00 when the first player noticed his shop and came over to mock him.

    ¡°1000 gold for a pumpkin are you a retard?¡± Shouted a high-elf in fancy scale-covered armor. It was probably wyvern hide or some dragon-knock off but it likely still cost of fortune. Winston hated elves. Not because of any racial type bigotry but because it was such an unoriginal character design. The silver-wood bow on the elf¡¯s shoulders didn¡¯t improve Winston¡¯s opinion of the idiot.

    In a game with such open character design anyone who picked an elven archer needed punched, or at the very least made fun of. Winston could understand wanting to stack class and race bonuses but High Elves got bonuses to magic. The guy could have at least picked a Wood Elf, but he¡¯d chosen a weaker option just to feed the stereotype. In a game with 500+ unlockable classes a player should at least do something interesting.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t want a pumpkin, then don¡¯t buy one. It¡¯s not like i¡¯m forcing you to.¡± Winston said, without closing his novel.

    ¡°You''re never gonna sell these to anyone. 1000 gold, that''s a hundred dollars, you want someone to pay 100 dollars for a pumpkin? Who would even buy that?¡± The belligerent elf continued to mock.

    Winston closed the window on his interface and sat-up on his stool, finally meeting the elf¡¯s too-blue eyes. ¡°Look man, Are you getting something out of this? Don¡¯t you have someplace to be? Or something better to do than stand here and yell at a complete stranger over something so stupid?¡± Winston said seriously.

    That comment seemed to piss the elf off even more, lucky his return shot was cut off as Casey walked up to the stall.  The two high-elves looked almost identical in terms of build and coloring, but Casey was wearing simple clothing, his hair was wild, and he looked like he needed a bath. It was a stark contrast to the other elf in his expensive immaculate armor.

    ¡°There you are. I¡¯ve been looking all over this god-forsaken city.¡± Casey said. ¡°You got the goods.¡±

    Winston waved to the pumpkins on the table. Casey smiled.

    ¡°Excellent, but there¡¯s not way in hell i¡¯m paying those prices.¡± Casey said.

    ¡°We already had an agreement. These are the last minute prices.¡± Winston said. He reached into his pack and started handing over all the vegetables he¡¯d grown for Casey. The process took a while but Casey was cheerful and Winston was happy since he was finally getting paid.

    ¡°We¡¯ll call it¡­ 3k?¡± Winston offered.

    ¡°Sold.¡± Casey said. The elf waved at his interface and Winston¡¯s message box chimed as the funds were deposited in his bank.

    ¡°Please doing business with you.¡± Winston said as he sat back down on his stool. Casey snorted and turned, bumping into the archer still standing there watching the trade play out.

    ¡°Move plebeian!¡± Casey shouted as he walked around the elf.

    ¡°You¡¯re right¡­¡± Wiston said to the elf. ¡°No one is going to buy these.¡±

    Winston ignored the elf as he spluttered and popped back open the web novel he was reading. It was a odd military sci-fi novel about a soldier with super mining powers. It was odd but not bad and Winston had been working through it for a few weeks.

    ¡°Are you just going to ignore me?¡± Winston heard the elf ask..

    ¡°That¡¯s the plan.¡± Winston said without looking up. Winston heard the elf growl but the sound of too light footsteps let him know he¡¯d at least won this round. The day heated up as the sun climbed over-head burning off the morning mist and amplifying the dead fish smell that permeated the city.

    ¡°Why are we even out here Trist?¡± Said a female but oddly deep voice.

    ¡°Because, I need to feel the ambiance.¡± Said a male, but much higher pitched voice. Winston didn¡¯t bother too look up.

    ¡°That¡¯s stupid, all I smell is dead fish. How is this ambiance?¡± The female voice said.

    ¡°The world does not arrange it self to the whims of man. That is why you¡¯ll never surpass me as a chef. You do not understand the essence of cooking.¡± The male voice said righteously.

    ¡°Not this idiotic rant again¡­.¡± The female voice whined, but the male raised his voice to talk over her.

    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°THE FIRST STEP¡­. Is to harmonize with nature. When you food complements itself, complements its surroundings, and is complemented in return. Only then can it reach the next level. When the food and the world became one. Only then can you see the true height of the craft.¡± The male voice said. Winston finally closed his web window and looked up. He had a feeling he had to see this.

    A female minotaur was standing next to a male halfling while the much smaller man waved his arms around in dramatic gestures.

    ¡°Once your food has became the world and the world has become your food can you truely be called a master.¡±  He said as he continued his monologue.

    ¡°Please just stop.¡± Said the female. She was wearing a mage robe so large it could have acted as a five person tent but she looked like she¡¯d like nothing better than to pull it over her head and hide. The halfling ignored her and continued.

    ¡°Your food then has to transcend the world. It must break free of worldly shackles. Fire must beget water and the air much beget earth. All things must be spawned from nothing. Then your food will shake the very heavens. The earth will tremble and the skies will fall. I will surpass legendary! I WILL CREATE A DISH SO DELICIOUS IT WILL DESTROY THIS WORLD!¡± The halfling shouted, making everyone in the square stop walking and turn to look at him.

    The minotauress walked away from the halfling as if pretending she didn¡¯t know him. Her retreat brought her closer to Winston stand so he called out to her. Looks like he had some crazy chefs inbound. It was time to wiggle the bait a bit.

    ¡°You guys are chefs? Are you here for the big contest. I¡¯ve got some last minute ingredients here.¡± Winston called to her. She didn¡¯t have the human-face or exaggerated female proportions of most manga or light novels. Instead she looked almost completely bovine, albeit with a slightly more human face and a patch of hairless human-looking skin around her stomach. Other than that, she just looked like a big upright cow but with arms and thumbs.

    The minotauress walked over and looked at the two pumpkins then at the price list. Then she picked up one of the pumpkins and looked closer. Her bovine face wasn¡¯t really great for making human expressions but Winston got the feeling she was at least paying attention now.

    She bent down to look at the price list again then made a a sound between a low and growl. ¡°Well. This is interesting.¡± Said the minotaur.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have the money for a pumpkin but it¡¯s tempting. Is the flour superior as well?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Yeah, although the onions and carrots are only high-quality. My vegetable skill isn¡¯t as high as my grains.¡± Winston said.

    ¡°Give me three pounds of flower.¡± She said finally. Winston smiled and took out his pack. He pulled out the scale he¡¯d bought especially for this and the sacks of flour he¡¯d gotten form the mill. He measured out three pounds and handed it over.

    ¡°That¡¯ll be 450 gold.¡± Winston said.

    The minotaur waved her hands at her interface and Winston¡¯s message box pinged again.

    ¡°Gretchen what are you doing?¡± The halfling said as he jogged over.

    ¡°You should buy one of these pumpkins Trist. It¡¯s just what you need for your pumpkin-pie milkshakes. Shame he doesn¡¯t have any cinnamon.¡± The she-minotaur said and Winston gaped at her. He should plant some cinnamon trees. He didn¡¯t know how he¡¯d harvest them but the bark should grow back eventually. He could also plant some tea trees or almond trees. He had so many tree-based options he hadn¡¯t considered. He wondered if nuts would be a seperate sub-skill. Probably not¡­ most nuts were part of the fruit after all.

    The halfling walked over but his steps slowed as he looked at the pumpkin then his eyes widened comically. ¡°You¡¯re just selling these on the street are you crazy?¡± He shouted.

    ¡°You buying or not?¡± Winston asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m buying, I¡¯m buying, but hell. I thought this was just a vegetable stand. You should probably just close this up before tomorrow. You¡¯ve got the right idea but you¡¯re going about it the wrong way. You should have just slapped them up on the auction house here in the city and bought a advertisement on the forums.¡± The halfling said.

    ¡°Why, it¡¯s just vegetables.¡± Winston said, honestly puzzled. ¡°And I wanted to meet some of my customers do some networking.¡±

    ¡°Do players ever need a reason for being assholes to one another? You¡¯re old enough to know better than that. All you¡¯re doing here is sticking your neck out.¡± Winston could see the logic but he wasn¡¯t sure he agreed. Yes, players didn¡¯t really need a reason to be assholes to one another but it wasn¡¯t like he was a strategic resource or anything. Maybe once he reached journeyman, or hit level 20 and upgraded his class but for now he was just a solid farmer.

    ¡°Lemme guess, you¡¯ll buy all my stock now and worry about selling it tomorrow?¡± Winston said dryly.

    ¡°Well, that might be better for everyone.¡± The halfling said. Winston rolled his eyes at the small man.

    ¡° I¡¯m not really opposed to you buying out my whole store but I¡¯m not giving you that much of a discount.¡± Winston said. He did some math. He still had four pumpkins and 12 pounds of flower. That was 5800 gold.  ¡°You can have it all for 5k.¡± Winston said.

    ¡°Five? Are you kidding me?¡± The halfling complained.

    ¡°Five.¡± Winston responded.

    ¡°How about four.¡± The halfling offered. Winston was actually a bit tempted by that but he stayed firm. He did have some shopping to do.

    ¡°Five.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that, I¡¯m saving you from an entire day of setting out here doing nothing.¡± The small man countered.

    ¡°Yeah, I know. That¡¯s why I gave you an 800 gold discount.¡± Winston said.

    The halfling chef had to reign in his temper but he gritted his teeth and said. ¡°Four and a half then and if not you can stay out here.¡±

    ¡°Sold!¡± Winston said smiling. His plan to meet and greet with the chefs of the world seemed to have fallen though, but he had saved himself time and sold all his product. That was good enough. Now he could get to shopping and as his interface beeped again with the exchange of gold Winston¡¯s spirits improved. It was time for a shopping spree.

    Winston headed towards the center of town where the auction house was as he opened up his interface and messaged Troll.

    Win Mills: Hey man you alive?

    Trollogistics: Yes¡­.

    Win Mills: You find us a ride out of here yet? I sold out of everything already so we can leave early. Heading the the AH now for my big shopping spree.

    Trollogistics: Hmmm, well that actually makes things easier. There¡¯s a portal heading out tomorrow at noon, but I wasn¡¯t sure you¡¯d be done fooling around yet. I¡¯m guessing you¡¯ll need me to pick up everything from the auction house when you¡¯re done?

    Win Mills: That would be the plan. What¡¯s the portal going to cost me?

    Trolloistiics: 3k

    Winston grimaced but the price but it wasn''t too far outside of his expectations. Unlike the trip from Valor¡¯s Crossing to West River it was a much less traveled route.

    Win Mills: Alright, sign us up and I¡¯ll be there.

    Winston closed the message window, and took the next left bringing him into a street with tightly packed brick shops. The place was overflowing with NPCs and players, especially as he made it to the auction house. Groups of players walked into and out of the massive building and Winston queued up and slipped inside. The inside looked nearly identical to the one in Verith, but it was at least five times as big and instead of being empty the place was packed. Winston found himself a free cubical and slipped inside.

    His UI came to life and brought up the AH search window as well as his current bank balance. He had 22354 gold. Wiston switched to the shop window and started to buy. First he needed supplies for building and clearing.

    He bought 4 shovels, two lumber axe¡¯s, two pickaxes, some basic hoes, a grindstone, 6 different sizes of hammers, saws, a hundred pounds of nails, some iron brackets and braces, 1000 feet of rope, and two tones of good dried and seasoned wood planks.

    All of it was fairly cheap and Winston would have liked to buy more but space on Troll¡¯s wagon was limited. He was sure he could get more wood once he got there. He¡¯d been planning out his new farm in his head for a while but he knew his plan would require a lot more lumber than just one wagon load. He¡¯d have to talk to Jason about some temp work when he got back to school on Monday. He moved onto seeds and farm supplies next.

    He knew the land he¡¯d be on was tropical but he didn¡¯t think it would be thick jungle. The problem was until he got there he didn¡¯t know exactly what would grow. So, he tired to cover most of the bases, he brought two bushel of oranges, apples, pears, bananas, coffee cherries, and cacao beans. Then he tossed on some tea tree seeds, black pepper corn, and sugar cane before grabbing a couple papaya and coconuts. He brought some almonds, and pistachios as well, but he was pretty sure those grew in the middle east and not the tropics so he didn¡¯t have much hope for them.

    Winston checked his bank balance and still had over 17,000 gold. All of that had only cost him around 4500 gold. What else did he really need? Winston tried to wrack his brain. What did one need in an orchard? He flipped through some basic tools as he thought about it. He added two wooden ladders and two wheelbarrows to his order. Those he didn¡¯t really need, but would make things a lot easier. Having to carry everything around by hand had really annoyed him at his old farm. He¡¯d like a wagon of his own and he might try to pick one up once they teleported. Bog would have to pull it so he¡¯d need a harness for her.

    Then he picked up two dozen barrels and casks in a few sizes as well as some massive storage crates to store harvested crops in. Next was a few real brewing supplies including a glass tube with a true one-way valve for managing CO2, A few air tight casks, and a magical thermometer with a real dial a player had whipped up.

    Then it came to him. Bog. He was out of cloudberries. They were only supposed to grow on Lunari, but he might be able to get passed that with a high enough farming rank. Winston decided to buy three bushel. He¡¯d try to plant them but if they didn¡¯t grow he¡¯d just feed them to Bog as snacks. That cost him nearly 2000 gold but Bog was worth it.

    Winston couldn¡¯t think of anything else. He was sure he was forgetting things but he wouldn¡¯t know what until he really needed them. He had his sprinklers still, but he doubted rain would be a problem where he was going. Then it hit him, rain. He swapped changed sections of the AH menu and brought two-tons of clay roofing tiles.

    Winston called that good enough for now. He still had most of day and tomorrow morning to think of more things to buy. Then he looked at his gold again and decided to sell some of it for cash. He¡¯d keep 10,000 gold in game as his emergency funds but having 500 more dollars in the RL seemed more useful than just setting on a giant pile of gold in game. Winston got up from the bench he was sitting on and headed back out to the street.

 Chapter 33

    [You Have Entered A New Zone]

    [Wraith Harbor]

    [Haunted Coast]

    [Kishik]

    The world shifted as Winston headed through his third portal. The smell of the river vanished and was replaced with the smell of salt and damp air. The sound of the surf and the cry of gulls surrounded him. Winston turned to see a wide harbor filled with ships, and a long wharf along a sandy beach. The harbor was filled with galleons from the 10 kingdoms, as well as junk-rigged merchant ships from the Serpent Isles or the Mistlands. There were smaller fishing boats and pleasure craft as well and although the city was smaller than others Winston had been to, it was lively.

    The temperature was the only thing bugging him but his new shit seemed to be combating the heat. It at least made things bearable.

    ¡°Now where do we go?¡± Troll asked as he looked around at the small harbor town.

    ¡°Well, that way is West.¡± Winston said pointing towards the bay. We need to head East across the zone to Jogdwa. That¡¯s the next zone. It¡¯s mostly empty jungle aside from monsters and a few lizard people NPC villages. The Bloodhounds, that¡¯s my girlfriend''s guild, use it as a noobie training zone so the monsters are usual fairly manageable unless a big dungeon or something spawns. They¡¯ve got an outpost there and I¡¯m supposed to set up my farm nearby. I checked out the maps last night and the roads are pretty good. Unless we get ganked by players it shouldn¡¯t be too dangerous.¡±

    ¡°East it is.¡± Troll said as he flicked the reigns and his trolls took off at a brisk walk.

    ***************************************************

    Jason Masterson, or Orinoco as his new character was called, swung his massive battle-axe at the small tree in front of him. He¡¯d debated on the name for a while. At first he¡¯d wanted to go with a sexual pun using Big Croc but hadn¡¯t been able to frame it well enough. So he¡¯d decided on Orinoco instead. It sounded cool, was a river, and a reference to a nearly extinct species of crocodile only a few people would get. It suited him better all around.

    Sparks flew as the steel of his axe impacted the bark and Jason frowned. The tree was an odd charcoal color but was only maybe nine inches in diameter. The coloring had caught his eye as he¡¯d been looking for trees to chop. He¡¯d thought at first the tree had been petrified or something, but the bark felt like bark and not like stone. It was apparently just really REALLY hard.

    Rain poured down on his head but he¡¯s gotten used to it. It rained at least twice a day in this zone, if only for ten or fifteen minutes. It made everything wet and the humidity had to be at at least 90%. It felt good on Jason¡¯s scales. They got itchy if they dried out too much.

    Jason paused and set the axehead on the ground for a moment as he looked at the tree. He didn¡¯t really need to chop this-one down but he was expecting a solid skill boost if he managed it. It had to be rare so it should be worth decent money as well. He debated a few more seconds if it would be worth the hassle then reached into his pack and pulled out a whet stone. He let the rain wet it before running it over the edge of the axe.

    [You Have Used: [Sharpening]

    The axe gleamed in the wan sunlight shining through the rain clouds. Jason put the stone back in his pack and then spit on both his hands and rubbed them together.

    [You Have Used: [Spit and Polish]

    It was one of the more ridiculous skills he¡¯d gotten so far in game but he¡¯d need to pull out all the stops for this one. It was time to take this tree down.

    ¡°Heavy Blow¡± He said aloud and the axe started to glow with amber light. Then he raised the axe and swung. The axe crashed into the tree with the force of a slow-moving vehicle. The axe blade notched but the tree made a cracking sound as loud as a gunshot before it fell with a surprisingly heavy thud.

    [Your Lumberjack Skill has Increased]

    [Current Rank: Beginner II]

    A small glowing figure flew out of the tree and hovered in the air in front of Jason¡¯s face.

    ¡°Hey, Listen!¡± the tiny ball of light called.

    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious.¡± Jason said in disgust. ¡°That joke is so twenty years ago. Don¡¯t developers have better things to do?¡±

    ¡°Please, you have to help us. Please Help my people. We¡¯ve been trapped for so long. You Have to free us!¡±  It begged.

    [You Have received a Quest!]

    [A Fairy Trap]

    [Help the smallfolk escape their tree prisons]

    [Trapped Fairies: ?]

    [Rewards: 5000xp, ???]

    Jason frowned at the quest but he didn¡¯t have anything better to do. Then again, he needed to cut up this tree into usable chunks. His skill wasn¡¯t a high enough level to even tell what the wood was, but it had to be something decent.

    Jason looked down at his axe and sighed. He stuck the damaged axe into his pack and pulled out a saw. ¡°Fine I¡¯ll do it.¡± Jason said to the small fairy as it circled his head. He got to work on the tree and ignored the fairy¡¯s antics until it flew away. It took him nearly an hour to cut the tree into a usable shape. It would still need some more processing but he could at least move it now. He lifted the tree onto the hand-cart he was using and set off into the jungle. It was going to be a long weekend.

    *******************

    Winston picked through his lunch with a gimlet eye as the cafeteria filled up with students. It had been a boring weekend. He¡¯d been trapped on Troll¡¯s wagon and hadn¡¯t gotten to do anything. The long trip and the rain had chased him out of the game and he¡¯d managed to get most of his econ paper done, as well as all his chem homework. It had been very productive and very boring.

    Brad was already at the table fiddling with his phone as he spooned the odd mushy vegetables into his mouth. Ruger and Jason showed up a moment later plopping down with dramatic sighs.

    ¡°You guys look full of life.¡± Winston said.

    ¡°Late¡­¡­ Night.¡± Jason said around a yawn. ¡°Stupid quest, spent all weekend wandering around the damn jungle and cutting down these super-trees.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just getting in tonight. Speaking of which. How would you feel about some paid work. I need you to help me cut down some trees and build a palisade. It should only take¡­. a thousand trees.¡± Winston said. He¡¯d actually done the math. The two acre farm patch he was planning should have a perimeter of 1180 feet. Which would be 1180 trees that had a 12 inch diameter.

    ¡°A thousand trees? You have any idea how long that would take?¡± Jason said.

    ¡°Like.. two days?¡± Winston said.

    ¡°More like twenty days.¡± Jason said. ¡°It¡¯ll take weeks to even cut down that many trees let alone, move, haul, and build a wall out of them.¡± He was whining and didn¡¯t seem very excited. Winston would need to sweeten the pot.

    ¡°I¡¯ll pay you 5000 gold.¡± Winston said.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be there tonight.¡± Jason replied instantly, his demeanor completely changing. ¡°I¡¯ll bring my log cart and we¡¯ll get to chopping.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re getting the band back together.¡± Winston cheered. It had been months, but he¡¯d finally get to play Otherworld with his friends. ¡°I¡¯ll bring the hot dogs and the banjo¡¯s. Ruger you bring the buns and the mandolin. Jason, you take the potato salad and the dobro¡±

    ¡°I always saw myself as more of a fiddle player. ¡° Jason said.

    ¡°Jew Harp.¡± Brad added.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    ¡°If we¡¯re suddenly part of a made-up band why does it have to be bluegrass? Couldn''t we have a rock band? Or at least blues?¡± Ruger asked, in the tone of someone who knows he¡¯s going to get a stupid answer.

    ¡°If we made a rockband someone would have to play bass. Which none of us would want to do. If we make a bluegrass band we can all have cool instruments.¡± Jason said.

    ¡°Well, Brad and I aren''t gonna be there anyway. So you and Win can make whatever kinda band you want.¡± Ruger sighed.

    ¡°That¡¯s not very sporting of you.¡± Winston told Ruger, than turned to Brad. ¡°What do you charge for you¡¯re wards by the way?¡± He asked his quiet friend.

    ¡°Depends on the size and complexity of the wards.¡± Brad replied.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯ll be two acres but it doesn¡¯t need to be that powerful. The area is mostly sub-twenty monsters from what I hear and I doubt I¡¯d be able to fend of any sort of determined attack anyway. So basically just a big arcane keep-away sign should be fine. Bonus money for anti bug and pest wards. Double bonus if you can add on any sort of stamina buff.¡± Winston said.

    ¡°Can¡¯t do buffs or debuffs, that¡¯s Witchcraft. It¡¯s a whole other branch of magic. Uses pentagrams and symbolic circles instead of wizard runes.¡± Brad said.

    ¡°A witch actually might be better for your needs anyway. They are better at subtle stuff. Wizard warding is all about impenetrable bastions for force, or calling down lighting or fire on anyone that tries to break in. Witches are better at more mental effects like obfuscation or fear.¡± Brad said, in one of the longest sentences Winston had ever heard from him.

    ¡°Well, that would be all fine and good but I don¡¯t know any witches. So i¡¯ll take a friend specialized in defensive wards over some random witch. Unless she¡¯s hot, then you¡¯re out.¡± Winston said to Brad. Then he looked around nervously to make sure Trish was in the library again. ¡°After paying Jason, I¡¯ll have 5,000 gold left. Will that cover it?¡±

    Brad nodded and went back to his lunch, while Winston did the same. He had a plan now. It was time to get this project started.

    **************************

    Troll¡¯s cart rumbled past the Bloodhounds base a little after seven. Winston waved to a few of the guards but didn¡¯t stop to chat. He wasn¡¯t a bloodhound. He didn¡¯t work for the bloodhounds. They weren¡¯t even his landlords. They were the decato rulers of the zone but Winston¡¯s land would be his own once he claimed it. Then again, it might be in his best interest to pay a few bribes in the form of rent to keep the relationship civil. Winston knew the guild could just come and take his land if they really wanted to.

    The cart rolled down the road a bit further, pastthe wall of the Hound¡¯s base and Winston looked around for a likely place to hang his hat. The land wasn¡¯t quite a jungle. It was more of a secondary jungle. The plants were mostly thick ground cover with a few mid-sized trees poking up. Deeper in the zone was the true multi-canopy jungle but the Hound¡¯s had made their base in a less forested area.

    Winston picked an area around a mile from the Hounds base. It was mostly flat, but with a largish rock formation on one side. It was full of thick undergrowth made of green vines and large fronded plants in a half dozen varieties, two dozen trees broke through and reached for the sky. Winston sighed. Trying to clean all this up into a real farm would take forever. Burning it all down seemed the fastest way but he¡¯d need to dig a fire trench or risk it spreading wildly out of control.

    ¡°So here? Cause I¡¯ve got other crap to do and if I¡¯m not out of here in an hour I¡¯m charging you another 1000 for this.¡± Troll said. He sounded snippy but they¡¯d been stuck together for nearly a week now. Winston didn¡¯t blame the guy. He was ready to be out on his own again too.

    ¡°Well. I don¡¯t have anywhere to store all this crap. So I¡¯ll have to whip something up. For now Let¡¯s just get it all unloaded. I¡¯ll get some planks down and we can pile it all up ontop. Then I¡¯ll have to try and make a pavilion to at least keep the rain off everything.¡± Winston said.

    The two started working and Troll unhooked his trolls to help with the heavy lifting. In the end they ended up with everything in a big pile on the timbers Winston had bought. That would keep it all off the wet ground. Troll headed out, leaving Winston and Bog standing in the fading light with a pile of goods and no roof over their heads to speak of.

    He needed a roof. He had the planks and the tiles. That would get him something waterproof. He just needed posts and beams to prop it all up. The problem was that the tiles were heavy. He¡¯d need some pretty solid foundation to hold them up.It might be easier to dig down. Then he could just use the poles to make a roof with the tiles without needing to build everything up.

    The problem with that plan would be keeping the ground out. As much as it rained here and as wet as the ground was any hole in the ground would likely collapse. It would also be a wet muddy mess. Winston popped open a browser and started reading up on building in the tropics. The results surprised him. Apparently the goto building material was dirt, he figured with all the wetness it wouldn¡¯t work that well. Then again, he was just a high-school kid. He¡¯d been wrong before.

    Winston decided he¡¯d dig down two or three feet to start with.That would give him a good deal of dirt to build with as well as bring everything down a bit. That and he was a mole. He might as well embrace it. His supplies should be alright for a day or two even with the rain. Everything was inside of barrels or crates accept the wood, the heat and humidity might warp it a bit but Winston wasn¡¯t even sure the game would work like that. It might not bother with wood warping or rotting boards. Likely the wood would just take a few points of durability damage.

    Winston summoned his farmhand, handed it a shovel and the two got digging. The digging went fairly quickly. Winston had five ranks in mining and with his digging claws he made excellent time. He kept looking at building options as he dug and finally found a plan he liked. He stuck it to the side of his interface as he worked. It was called an earth lodge and seemed to be a hexagonal earth building built around six internal pillars. Once the initial digging was done Winston started working on the walls.

    That was harder work. It was difficult to keep the dirt propped up and compact enough. Then he decided to try a bit of magic. Magic wasn¡¯t supposed to work for things like building because the game would undo any magical earth moving, but what if he only used magic to assist and reinforced the change by hand. Winston didn¡¯t know, but this seemed a decent time to find out. Worst case he¡¯d be out a few hours of work and he could fix it all tomorrow if it collapsed.

    Winston started to compact the dirt with his claws and a shovel as he started to pile it upwards.. The building plan called for the outside to be a sloped wall that would eventually cover the entire building. The roof would start out as beams, get covered up with more dirt, then have plants grown on top so the roots would help hold everything together. Winston would then have himself an environmentally friendly house with a negligible carbon footprint according to the website. At least until Winston decided to burn down two acres of jungle so he could plant an orchard

    Winston fought with the retaining wall for a while. Then started pouring out some magic. He only had one rank in earth magic so his control was clumsy and his power was lacking. Earth magic was one of the simpler types. Unlike water and air it didn¡¯t take as much control. Instead Earth magic was mostly about stubbornness. The Earth didn¡¯t like to move. So using magic on it was a constant fight. You also had to pour in a decent bit of magic to get things moving.

    Winston logged off two hours later, tired, wet, and filthy. His base now considered of a hole in the ground with a rough wall about two feet high. It was a start.

    ***********8

    The first thing Winston did on Tuesday when he logged in again was realize what an idiot he¡¯d been being. He only had four real abilities and he¡¯d forgotten about one.

    ¡°Burn down the jungle indeed.¡± Winston muttered as he shook his head. What an idiotic plan. It would have taken two days to even dig a fire ditch big enough to keep it from spreading. Instead he took out his staff, raised it, and shouted, ¡°Clear the Land!¡± as he thumped it on the ground. The earth rippled and then snapped as silver light washed over it. Trees toppled and stumps popped out of the ground. Plants flew widely in every direction as they were ripped up. Holes were filled in while small rises leveled out.

    Winston was now level 14 and had 285 faith points. That was a lot, so he could know wipe out all the plant life in a half acre swath with one cast. He could only do it once every 12 hours or so but it would still save him a great deal of time. He¡¯d just cast it once a day until everything was done.

    Winston pointed towards all the scattered plants and trees. ¡°Clear all that off.¡± Winston shouted at his golem. ¡°No wait.¡±

    He was going to have a lot of plants to dispose of. What he really needed was some compost pits. He hadn¡¯t thought this out very well. He was doing everything in the wrong order. He¡¯d never worked on this large of a project by himself before and he seemed to have planned for all the wrong things.

    ¡°Dig three holes five feet wide and two feet deep over there.¡± Winston pointed off towards the East corner of his new claim.  Winston walked that direction as well. While the robot dug Winston made the extracted dirt into a short walls on three sides of the pit. They wouldn¡¯t need to be as good the building he was working on, but they¡¯d at least give a little structure and maybe he could snag a point of construction before he went back to his new house/storage.

    When the pits were dug he¡¯d have a place for all the plant debris. Then he¡¯d be able to really clear the land. That would let him get his first trees planted and he¡¯d be able to concentrate on his building while the trees grew.

    His new plan made, Winston went to help his Golem dig.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± A growling voice said from behind him an hour later. Winston turned to see a giant crocodile man standing over him. Where Winston¡¯s character was only a little over five feet the crocodile man was closer to 7 feet tall. He wasn¡¯t wearing armor but a series of belts and straps criss crossed his body. A half-dozen axes in various sizes hung from the straps and a single larger axe was strapped to his back.

    ¡°JASON!¡± Winston shouted in relief. ¡°Thank Runa you¡¯re here. Everything has gone to hell.¡± Winston said as he wiped at his sweating face, smearing even more mud into his already cacked fur.

    Jason looked around at the mess of dead plants laying in piles, the pits of dirt, and mud,the unfinished house foundation, and the stack of supplies. ¡°Maybe you should just work on one thing at a time. It seems you¡¯ve got three projects started and none finished.¡±

    ¡°I tried that first, but every time I got started I realized I needed to work on other stuff as well. Just help me with these real quick.¡± Winston said.

    He¡¯d gotten most of the pits dug and the short walls built by working with his golem. He hadn¡¯t done a great job but they were just pits. It wasn¡¯t like he needed expert craftsmanship for a hole to hold rotted plants.

    ¡°Whatever, you¡¯re the boss. As long as your paying I can chop trees, dig holes, or battle monsters.¡± Jason said virtuously.

    ¡°For now, just hold this up for a second.¡± Winston said. The two worked for a quarter hour before they finally finished off the rough walls for the pits.

    [You Have Learned A New Skill]

    [Construction: Novice I]

    [Construction is the skill to build lasting structures, from walls, to towers, to houses, or palaces. It all begins with this skill. Unlocked by creating a basic structure. Ability to create more stable and complex structures will increase with skill rank.]

    ¡°Finally¡­¡± Winston muttered as he cleared away the message. He was hoping for Novice II in construction but Novice I was at least a start. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s fine for now.¡± Winston said to Jason.

    ¡°So man, what have you been up to? I love the croc by the way.¡± Winston asked his friend as they moved away from the pits.

    ¡°Not much man, just chopping down trees, hunting a few low-level mobs. Made a few thousand gold already from all the wood I sold to the Hounds.¡± Jason said.

    ¡°Very nice¡­¡± Winston said. ¡°You ready to get chopping? Cause I need a ton of trees. I¡¯m gonna need six standing poles for the floor around seven feet tall. Then I¡¯ll likely need around ten to twelve for the roof.¡±

    ¡°Yes boss.¡± Jason said with an exaggerated salute. ¡°I¡¯ll start tomorrow. It¡¯s already like 8:30 and I¡¯ve got homework.¡±

    ¡°Alright, have fun. I¡¯ll be here where you get back.¡± Winston said.

    Jason¡¯s character collapsed to the ground as he logged out and Winston shook his head and pointed at his golem again. At least with Jason here he had an extra set of hands. Maybe he should have hired someone to do the building. It would have been more expensive but possibly a better option. He shook his head. It was too late now.

    ¡°Alright, start moving all the loose plants over and toss them into the new pits.¡± Winston told his golem as he walked over to his supplies. He grabbed one of each of the fruits and nuts he¡¯d bought and started to wander around.

    The soil here was odd. It was inconsistent. Some areas had good nutrients and other has poor nutrients and were too acidic. It was likely all the rain. It leeched the soil of nutrients but all the plants growing and dying revitalized it places. Winston would have to keep adding compost to cancel that out. It was a long term issue but one he¡¯d have to keep an eye on. At least the jungle was full of plants he could use for compost. Other than that things weren¡¯t too bad. The soil here was basically the opposite of what it was in Brethren Plains, but it was at least a minor step in the right direction.

    The second problem he found was that the soil wasn¡¯t great for any crops he tried. Maybe the pears, since they seemed to be able to handle the high acid better. Everything else would grow, they just wouldn¡¯t be optimal. He¡¯d have to get some lime and start messing with soil composition if he wanted to get any crops above high-quality. He might be rocking standard quality again for a while. At least until he got a few harvests under his belt and bumped up his fruit skill a few more ranks.

    Winston started planting. He only had about 3/5 of an acre and he started with coffee trees. He used a rope to mark off forty feet and placed a seed at each end. It didn¡¯t take long and twenty minutes later he had 16 coffee trees planted.

    With his first trees planted Winston went back to working on his hut. He¡¯d only have an hour or so to work on it tonight, but some time was better than none. At least Bog was enjoying herself. She seemed to like chasing the small animals around. There was a weird sort of frog/rat hybrid thing she loved to charge at as they hopped away from her. Winston got back to work.

 Chapter 34

    ¡°Left¡­¡­¡± Winston said slowly around the nail in his mouth.. He was perched on a wooden beam holding one end of another beam as Jason carefully moved the other-end. Winston had to keep his end secured to one of the support poles as Jason moved it along the outside wall. The beam rotated a few inches to Winston¡¯s right. ¡°A little more left¡­.. Nope too far¡­. Right there¡± Winston said. Jason let the timber fall slowly and it slotted nicely into the place on top of earthen wall Winston had managed to construct. Winston started hammering on his end, using the nails and brackets he¡¯d brought to bind everything together.

    Making the mud-wall hadn¡¯t taken long. Since one side could be as thick as needed Winston had only needed to worry about things collapsing in one direction. With his claws and a bit of earth magic Winston had managed to build the wall nearly four-feet high without too much difficulty. With how far down he¡¯d dug the floor it made for a decent, if low-ceilinged building.

    ¡°Thanks man¡­..¡± Winston said as he clambered off the roof.. ¡°I have no idea how I would have done that myself.¡±

    The large crocodile man shrugged as he dusted off his scaled hands.

    ¡°What are friends for? But it still pisses me off you¡¯re stronger than I am.¡± Jason complined.

    ¡°I do physical labor all the time and I level slowly. It means I get a lot of strength each level.¡± Winston explained, for at least the sixth time that day. ¡°It¡¯s not like you couldn¡¯t beat me up in a few seconds.¡±

    ¡°I know, I know, but it¡¯s stupid. I¡¯m this giant crocodile guy and you can still out arm wrestle me.¡±

    Winston ignored Jason¡¯s whining and looked over his creation. It wasn¡¯t exactly hexagonal like it was supposed to be, two edges had come out more than a bit rounded than the plans had called for but all that would get covered up anyway.The more worrying part was the roof. The slope was not quite right. It wasn¡¯t off by a lot but it was off. It was sub-par work overall.

    Then again it was his first project. Winston hadn¡¯t been expecting a masterpiece. The house was mostly for storage and so he didn¡¯t get eaten by a tiger or something when he was logged out. As long as it didn¡¯t fall down Winston was happy enough. He¡¯d already survived a week outdoors but he didn¡¯t want to keep betting on the forbearance of the zone¡¯s wildlife.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m heading deeper into the jungle. Gonna chop some more trees and I¡¯ve also got a quest I¡¯m working on.¡± Jason said as he picked up his axes and headed out. Winston waved, and looked over his land. It was Friday, and Winston had spent the week clearing land and planting trees.

    His new farm was a rough square and Winston had separated it into four main sections. Coffee tree¡¯s to the north-east, orange trees to the north-west, pears and apples split evenly to the south west, and chocolate trees to the south-east. 16 trees in each section. The rock formation was on the north side of his land and the Hound¡¯s base was off the West. The land didn¡¯t have many landmarks, other than the road, which was along the South edge of the property and the deeper jungle off farther north. Winston was happy with it overall. He¡¯d probably go bigger eventually, but he wanted to get a feel for how much work he already had on his hands before he made changes.

    Winston grabbed a ladder and some boards and climbed back up to the roof. It was the last thing he needed to finish. They¡¯d flatted the beams on top side so Winston was easily able to nail down wooden planks over them. Once he had a decent base, the clay tiles would go on top to make the thing waterproof.

    Winston spent the next two hours hammering nails and carrying boards. The tiles took another two hours and the night was coming on when Winston finally finished up. It was Friday, so he could stay up if needed but he wanted to get this done. He worked another hour before he placed the last tile. The building was slightly off, but stable and Winston was happy he¡¯d finally have a roof over his head.

    Winston smiled as his screen flashed with a notification.

    [Your Construction Skill Has Ranked Up!]

    [Current Rank: Novice III]

    He was finally done. His new farm was up, his house, or at least the mud hut he¡¯d just made was built and two acres of trees were planted. It felt good. Now he hat least had a functioning farm. Now he just needed to finish up the 1000 other things he needed to do to get this place off the ground.

    Winston climbed down and walked towards the middle of the farm. While he¡¯d been working on his house he¡¯d had his golem working on everything else. First it was clearing all the trees and foliage. Then it was making paths between the sections of his orchard. Although not true roads, they were at least decent footpaths and places he could use the wheelbarrows he¡¯d bought. It looked decent, if not great. Once he got more established he¡¯d buy some gravel and make some better paths.

    Once Winston reached the the exact center of the farm he stopped and reached for the amulet hanging from his neck. He pulled it out reverently and sat it on the ground.  Then reached into his pack and pulled out his last divinite crystals.

    He didn¡¯t try any fancy speeches. Instead he placed the crystals on each side of the altar and knelt. He poured out his faith into shrine as he spoke a simple prayer.

    ¡°Oh, Runa, Goddess of the Harvest. I dedicate this farm unto thee.¡±

    There was a crack of thunder and the earth shook. Winston kept pouring out his faith but didn¡¯t raise his head to look at the shrine. His UI flashed.

    [Your Runa Skill Has Increased]

    [Current Skill: Apprentice I]

    [You Have Learned A New Skill]

    [Stable Foundations]

    [Followers of Runa seek stability in all things. A firm foundation is the method by which one can reach forward. As such, priests of Runa seek stability more than efficacy.]

    [Activation: Passive/Always Active]

    [Cost: N/A]

    [Rank: N/A]

    [Effect: Increase the duration of all blessings by 50%]

    ¡°Rise¡­.¡±If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    The voice was deep, commanding, but with an oddly feminine warmth. Winston jerked in surprise and raised his head. A woman stood over him, or a female anyway. She was huge, nearly nine feet tall and with heavy muscular limbs. She wore silver robe covered in light blue sigils, that matched her long blue hair, but the clothing did little to hide her extremely female proportions. She wasn¡¯t exactly attractive but Winston couldn¡¯t deny the creature had a bizarre sort of appeal.

    Her face was symmetrical but blunt and strong with only a touch of female delicacy. Her brow and cheekbones were heavy and a large third eye sat in the middle of her forehead.

    ¡°You have done well. You have grown in wealth and power. You have used your skills to feed the people and have even brought my name to another continent, but if you wish to wield more of my power you must do more.¡± The Goddess¡¯s Avatar said. Winston was smart enough to figure out who she was without help.

    ¡°God¡¯s need faith and I have but one follower. Still, there are ways. The old ways. Before any you upright races appeared. Back when it was only the beasts, the dragons, and the gods. If I cannot have people. I must have land.¡±

    ¡°Well, I did dedicate this farm to you.¡± Winston said. He wasn¡¯t exactly sure what was going on. The divine had rather bizarre rules in Otherworld. He¡¯d heard of gods and goddess appearing to players, in fact it happened all the time for anyone who was focusing on faith but he¡¯d never heard of any sort of land claiming system.

    ¡°Yes, that is why I was able to manifest an avatar. You¡¯re task though is a more difficult one. The ancient covenants must be fulfilled. A sanctum requires a great deal of work to set-up and you are my only agent.¡± Runa explained.

    ¡°What kind of set-up.¡± Winston said suspiciously. He did need a side-project until his trees grew and that would take another week at least. He just wasn¡¯t sure how much he wanted to commit to.

    ¡°A divine sanctum requires three things. The god or goddess must have a shrine in each village in an area, if there are any. The champion of the former ruling god must be killed, and the boss of the highest level dungeon much be slain and it¡¯s treasure sacrificed in my name.¡± Runa said.

    Winston goggled at her. ¡°You want me to do what?¡± He asked incredulously.

    ¡°You must conquer the nearby dungeon, kill the champion of Grisith, and convince the three closest villages to build a shrine to me.¡± Runa elaborated.

    ¡°That does not help at all.¡± Winston said. ¡°Let along killing some sort divine champion, I also need to conquer a dungeon? How is that even possible? I¡¯m a farmer.¡±

    Runa didn¡¯t say anything. Instead she just faded away. Leaving Winston looking at the re-grown shrine. It stood out quite sharply from the landscape around it. It was the only thing made of brick in nearly a mile. The flowers in the beds surrounding it had begun to sprout once again and blue and silver fire blazed from the braiser on top.

    [You Have Received A Divine Mandate]

    [The Goddess Runa has tasked you with helping her claim Jogda has a sanctum. To do so you must complete a series of tasks.]

    [Task: Convince three villages to build a shrine to Runa 0/3]

    [Kill the divine champion of Grisith 0/1]

    [Sacrifice the boss loot form Jugda Caverns 0/1]

    [Reward for Success: Improved Relations with the Goddess Runa, A Divine Power, Experience]

    [Warning:  Divine Mandates are not like quests. They are not optional and failure to complete them will result in a complete loss of skill ranks with the applicable God or Goddess.]

    Winston frowned at the message. The villages he at least had a plan for. He could try to bribe them with food, or do quests for them to raise his fame. The problem was the other options. He could likely bribe someone to kill the champion. Jason would be the first pick but a dungeon took a full team. Maybe Trish would help him? She could likely slaughter the whole place without much trouble.

    Well, that was a project for later in the weekend. Jason wasn¡¯t even here right now. Maybe when Brad got arrived to work on the wards they might be able to take a swing at the dungeon. Winston was pretty sure he¡¯d just be getting carried, but it would at least give him some options.

    Winston waved down his golem. Then he commanded it to start moving all his supplies into the hut and out of the rain. Then he went inside and logged off.

    **************************************

    Scalding hot winds howled outside the massive tent the Swords of Solomon had constructed as their forward base in the Firelands. The tent was sutur-hide, a type of fire giant so it kept out the worst of the burning heat, but the wind was still a nuisance, as the cloth of the tent snapped and fluttered with the raging winds.

    The firelands were huge plain of cracked earth and jutting block rock. Magma bubbled up to the surface all over making travel into a winding slog across a burning landscape filled with monsters made of stone and fire. The only plants were twisted gnarled vines of jagged thorns. It was hell, and the reason most players never bothered stopping by. The only reason to come was the occasional raid dungeon or wandering boss spawning. That was true until the new expansion had dropped. Now a massive floating island hung above the firelands and all the top guilds in the game were rushing to get up there and explore the new territory.

    ¡°Gods this place is awful.¡± Growled a massive dark-furred wolfman as he found an empty spot on the floor and sat. The test was already full as the other guild officers found seats. Even though the surtr-hair tent blocked most of the heat from outside all the bodies inside were still raising the temperature.

    A man in slate-gray armor stood in front of a short table looking down at everyone in the room. He looked haggard and the scowl on his face matched the expressions of most people in the room.

    ¡°Now that Karnag is here we can get started. Sariel, what do we know?¡± The leader of the Swords of Solomon asked his spymaster.

    ¡°The cloud kingdom has been open since the expansion dropped. That was nine days ago. We had two members with connecting quests that would have allowed us a way up but both were sabotaged. One by the Crimson Sun¡¯s and one the by Rebel Alliance, as they are calling themselves. The Crimson¡¯s burned down an entire block in Trith Ma¡¯hai to make sure they killed the quest giver before our guy could turn it in. The Rebel''s on the other-hand just bought our guild member a Camaro and a trunk full of beer so he¡¯d jump ship and join them.

    The Crimsun¡¯s tried to use some burner accounts but apparently the dev¡¯s weren¡¯t having it. The entire guild is now KOS anywhere on Freedsmarch to any player not in the guild. That¡¯ll give us a huge advantage in the long run but they did accomplish their goal. We¡¯ve got no path to the new floating continent. There are five guilds that did succeeded and they are selling passage for a premium.¡± The undine said in her east-coast accent.

    ¡°I understand that part, the part I don¡¯t understand is why if they are selling we haven¡¯t been buying.¡± The guild leader said. His voice was tense and flat. It was clear to everyone he was pissed. ¡°Everyday were burning more money and time out here and we¡¯ve got nothing to show for it.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve approached all five guilds and offered each of them 100,000 gold. They all refused.¡± Sarial replied. ¡°We could offer more but we don¡¯t really have the money to offer much more.¡±

    ¡°They didn''t it just refuse. They told us to blow it out our ass.¡±Simon, the Snifirblin said some his seat. He waved dark skinned hand, weighed down with heavy rings. ¡°Apparently you can only be an asshole to everyone for so long before it comes back on you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like we¡¯re the only guild that throws our weight around, we aren''t even the worst ones.¡± Lidrian a human woman with a mohawk complained.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter why they are doing it.¡± Said the leader. ¡°It just matters that they are. We need solutions not complaints and excuses.¡± The room fell silent and the conversation lapsed for at least a minute before the leader snapped.

    ¡°NOTHING!, We¡¯re the top guild in the United States and we don¡¯t have one damn solution!¡± The leader snapped.

    ¡°I¡¯d say closer to second or third at this point.¡± Simon said. Everyone in the room glared at him but he just shrugged. ¡°What? You were all thinking it. Just because you don¡¯t want something to be true doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s not true. We¡¯ve been sliding for months, maybe a year. This is just one more failure in a long line of failures. Still, there might be one solution, but I was really hoping to hold onto it.¡± The people in the room muttered but no-one contradicted him.

    ¡°Just¡­ Tell us¡­¡± The guild leader said through gritted teeth.

    ¡°The Gaia seed.¡± Simon said. Unlike what he was expecting the room didn¡¯t erupt. In fact everyone inside just started at Simon in confusion.

    ¡°Really? I mean, I know I wasn¡¯t part of the guild back then but I figured at least a few of you would know about it. It was one of the first raid loots that the guild ever got.¡± Simon said. ¡°I saw it the other-day when I was rummaging around the guild¡¯s vault.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re going to need some more explanation.¡± The guild leader said.

    ¡°The Gaia seed is a mythical drop, although it should probably be legendary. The guild got it back when the game first launched when the AI¡¯s gave out some pretty bizarre loot. It will grow into any single plant. Which is really broken. I was hoping to use it to grow a massive tree and wipe out a kingdom somewhere eventually, but we could just grow it here and Jack and the Beanstalk it.¡± Simon said. ¡°It¡¯s the traditional way of getting to a new land in the sky. Hell, it might even be what the stupid seed was meant to do in the first place.¡±

    ¡°Alright then. Let¡¯s do it.¡± The guild-leader said. ¡°I do remember getting it, now that you mention it. Honestly though, It never seemed good for much. ¡± Simon just shook his head.

    ¡°One problem. It can only be planted and grown by someone with at least 10 levels in class that grants herbalism or farming as a primary skill. We don¡¯t have anyone like that. All the famers we hired on to slave for us are still around level six or seven. We could raise someone from 0 pretty fast them have them chose a class once they get to ten 10, but it would still take at least five days and the character would be junk afterwards.¡± Simon explained.

    There was a soft cough from the corner of the tent. Therion sat there on a three legged stool in his shining silver armor. His achievements in Brethren Plains had gotten him off the guild¡¯s shitlist and this was the first officers meeting he¡¯d been to in half a year. ¡°I actually might know someone, but it will cost you.¡±

 Chapter 35

    When Winston logged onto Otherworld Saturday morning he had a game plan. Jason had managed to bring down a dozen trees and Winston planned to start on his farm¡¯s external wall. He¡¯d do that until he ran out of trees then start working on some of his side-projects.

    If he was going to make the area into a real farm he¡¯d need more than a single storage building and a few trees. First was more compost and fertilizer. That would be fairly easy with all the plants around, next was lime. The soil here was too acidic and he needed lime to fix that. Aside from soil problems he needed a well. The last would be a lot of hard work but Winston was pretty sure he could do it. With how much it rained here the water-table should be fairly high, at least he hoped so. Digging down far enough for a decent well would take days. There would be alot of surface contamination but it was a video game and he was using it for watering plants anyway. He could summon his own drinking water. Brewing might be a problem later when he started that back up, but that was at least a week or two down the road.

    Once those were done he¡¯d have decent starting point. Once he got some money coming in he¡¯d be able to start working on things like furniture, more farm buildings, more farmland, Silos, maybe even an elevator or a mill eventually. Then he¡¯d be able to start messing with brewing, and finding more suitable crops. Now that he wasn¡¯t under the Sword¡¯s thumb he could make things how he wanted them instead of just having to deal with what cards he was dealt.

    Winston brought up his UI and sent Troll a quick message.

    [Troll,

    First load of goods should be ready by next Saturday. Guessing it¡¯ll be around 80-100 bu of various fruits. I need lime though, so pile your cart full of it. That¡¯s agricultural lime, not quicklime for mortar. That craps is way too causic. If you can¡¯t find any just get raw limestone I can crush it here.

    I¡¯ll have everything in barrels and crates for you when you show up.

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Win Mills]</li>

    </ul>

    Winston fed Bog some berries and drug out one of his new wheelbarrows. He¡¯d need to get bog some more food soon. She was running low and he¡¯d stopped farming grains for the moment. It wasn¡¯t until Winston was loading up the logs that he realized how strong he really was now. He could move three logs at once with no problem. Trying to balance them over the wheelbarrow was a process but Winston didn¡¯t have too far to truck them.

    Winston wheeled his barrow over to the edge of his farm nearest the deeper jungle.  Then he made a trench around a meter deep and ten long then stuffed logs into it. He lashed them together with all the rope he¡¯d bought. Then dug another ten feet. It was long, hard, and sweaty work, but Winston ran out of logs before lunch time. He had a long way to go but it was a start.

    He logged to get some lunch in the RL then came back online. When he got back on Jason was back at base, unloading his logcart.

    ¡°Hey man.¡± Winston said in greeting. ¡°You know where the nearest NPC village is? You¡¯ve been out here longer.¡±

    ¡°About three miles that way.¡± Jason said, pointing North-West. ¡°There¡¯s a small stream you¡¯ll have to cross but it¡¯s only a few feet wide. You can jump it, or wade across. Why? It¡¯s a monster village anyway. Didn¡¯t you burn down a city last time you messed with monster quests?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t burn down a city. The orcs burned down the city, at best I was just a facilitator. The germanic tribes didn¡¯t blame the roman farmers for feeding the legions did they?¡± Winston said.

    ¡°It didn¡¯t stop them from raping and killing them on raids, or when Rome fell.¡± Jason said deadpan. ¡°Still, the orcs would be closer to the germanic tribes in that analogy.

    ¡°Ok, bad example.¡±  Winston conceded.

    ¡°Still, I¡¯ve got a quest, and this time there aren''t any cities around to be sacked.¡± Winston said.

    Jason still looked sceptical. ¡°You want me to come with? Might be fun to party together for once.¡±

    Winston shrugged. ¡°Sure, if you wanna come. Now sure how things will go though.¡± Winston said. He called Bog and rounded up what little adventuring gear he had. Without any armor or weapons it mostly consisted of a water-skin and a bit of dried meat.

    When he was done, the two set-off into the jungle. Winston had to move at a slow jog just to keep up with Jason¡¯s longer steps. The three passed under the growing orange trees and out into the jungle. The trees thickened up and the canopy blocked out the sun. Soon Winston and Jason were stalking through dim light at a slow walking pace as they tried to move through all the thick vegetation..

    A large monkey came sniffing around but Jason threw an axe at it and scared it off. The two crossed the small river but Winston waved them to a stop on the other side. An odd blue flower was poking up out of the bank on the opposite shore. It was low to the ground with large leaves but a ball of small bright blue berries on a central stem.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Jason asked.

    ¡°Not sure, a ginseng I think.¡± Winston said. He¡¯d done a lot of research on various plants but ginseng was more in the herbalism department than stuff he dealt with.

    ¡°I thought you were a farmer not an alchemist in a Xianxia novel.¡± Jason laughed. Winston shrugged.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s not valuable.¡± Winston said. ¡°It¡¯s probably good for quite a few different potions or even a magical reagent for druids or witches or something. It also doesn¡¯t mean I couldn¡¯t grow it.¡±

    ¡°But what if it¡¯s been here for 2,000 years and gained sentience and bending down to pick it will result in an epic martial arts battle.¡±  Jason asked.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll obviously subdue it with an epic saber technique that just reached perfection realm three chapters ago.¡± Winston said as he bent down and started to dig around the plant. The roots were the important part, at least in martial arts novels.

    Winston dug down further, loosening everything up before he tugged the whole plant by the roots.

    [You Have Learned A new Skill]This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    [Herbalism]

    [Herbalism is the knowledge about identifying and harvesting wild plants. Skill increases with the study of various types of herbs or harvesting of wild plants.]

    [Current Rank: Novice I]

    Winston held up the herb to inspect it but his interface made a buzzing sound, like he¡¯d answered a question wrong in a 80¡¯s game show.

    [Herbalism level too low to identify]

    Winston heard a swack and dove to cover the herb with his body before Bog hit him from behind. ¡°No, You¡¯re not getting it, you mangy bird.¡± Winston scolded and he rose to his feet and swatted at Bog. She dodged easily but backed off. ¡°Just because I¡¯m running low on cloud berries doesn¡¯t mean you get to eat whatever you want. I¡¯ll have to have Troll pick some more up this week, but you¡¯re not getting this.¡± Winston told his bird as he dusted himself off. He was going to have to find Bog a new treat soon. He couldn¡¯t afford to keep feeding her cloudberries now that he couldn¡¯t grow them.

    Winston stuffed the herb into his pack and stood back up. ¡°Onward!¡± Winston called as he pointed forwards. Jason sighed and the two headed off again, they reached the village a few minutes later. The village was a series of huts built around the bottoms of a few large trees. They seemed to be made mostly of sticks with leaves acting as the roof and walls.

    It wasn¡¯t much of a village. It only contained about six huts and a few lizard people milled around doing chores or looking imposing with their painted scales and long spears. The creatures were about as tall as Jason but less imposing. They were thinner and more lean. They had green scales on their back and white ones on the front of their bodies.

    ¡°What now?¡± Jason asked.

    ¡°Now I test my Diplomacy Skills.¡±  Winston said as he popped open his interface and turned on his friend of monsters title.

    Winston walked up to the closest lizard person and said in his best insurance salesmen voice. ¡°Greetings¡­. Madam.¡± Winston decided after a sort pause. The lizard people were almost completely androgynous as far as Winston could tell. There were obviously no breasts on the females and in terms of size and coloring they seemed to be almost the same. A few of the lizard people did seem a touch more hourglass shaped than others, so Winston assumed those were the girls.

    ¡°I just moved into the area and was wondering if there was anything you fine folks needed? Food maybe? Coffee, grains, vegetables ¡° Winston asked hopefully.

    The lizard-woman looked at Winston and her nictitating membranes flicked down over her large eyes. ¡°Why would anyone need that? There is food all around us. I could walk twenty steps and any direction and find plenty of fruit to eat.¡± She said, a hint of disdain in her voice. Her english was good, or at least whatever translation process the game was running. Unlike a lot of the orcs she was perfectly understandable. Then again, it might have just been his title.

    ¡°What about any jungle creatures that need killing? Maybe a massive tiger, a fire ape, or maybe a well of ancient evil is bubbling up somewhere nearby and you need someone to cleanse it before it turns into a giant tentacle monster that rips out the sanity of anyone who sees it?¡± Jason said hopefully from beside Winston.

    The lizard woman blinked at both of them then sighed. ¡°You guys now how often people come here asking for jobs. All the time. At least twice a week. It got to the point where we started making things up. Asking people to bring us special plants that didn¡¯t exist, or giving them jobs so ridiculous we thought no-one would do it. We offered one guy a silver coin to make 10,000 mud and straw bricks. 10,000!¡± She hissed, and it was a hiss. ¡°Six days later he wheeled up a cart full of them. I¡¯ve never seen anyone looking so smug. What the hell are we supposed to do with 10,000 mud bricks?¡± She asked, her voice rising.

    Winston blinked at her. She did bring up a point. This was a training zone for a major guild. Players probably were asking them for quests all the time at least when they didn¡¯t try to kill them all for a few coppers first. Winston wondered how the game allocated quests to various zones. Was there some sort of quest spawning queue based on the zone population. Either way it seemed this particular village was not in the mood for quest giving.

    ¡°Ok¡­.¡± Winston said, trying to think on the fly as he ran his hand through his fur. ¡°Let¡¯s reverse the problem then. I¡¯ll start with what I need and we¡¯ll work backwards from there.  I want to set-up a shrine to Runa, Goddess of agriculture and civilization, in your village. What would you need from me in order to facilitate such a trade?¡± Winston asked.

    That seemed to stymy the lizard woman for a minute. ¡°You want us to put up a shrine in our village?¡± The lizard woman asked slowly.

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    ¡°Fine¡­¡± She said with a toothy smile. ¡°But that¡¯s a pretty big ask and you¡¯d have to give us something the entire village would agree on.¡± Had Winston been a more socially intelligent person the last comment would have set of a warning bell or two, but it didn¡¯t.

    ¡°That¡¯s only reasonable.¡± Winston replied.

    ¡°Good then, in exchange for your shrine you¡¯ve got to take a problem off my hands.¡± She said, smiling a bit too widely, even for a lizard woman.

    ¡°What is it you do by the way? Adventurer? Merchant¡­ You look like a merchant. Pudgey but with a bit of steel in your spine.¡± The lizard woman said. That made Winston laugh. Even after all his exercise his mole avatar was still quite pudgey. He was superhumanly strong and had enough stamina to run for miles but his avatar was still chunky.

    ¡°I¡¯m actually a farmer, well and a priest. It¡¯s sorta complicated.¡± Winston said.

    ¡°Kishia get out here!¡± The lizard woman yelled. A few seconds later a slightly smaller lizard-person with a sulky expression came out of one of the tents. Wiston pegged this one as a female as well, but the differences were even less noticeable than with the adults. He might be wrong. Kishia did sound more female than male though. Winston guessed this one was an adolescent, likely around his own age or a year or two younger.

    ¡°What¡­¡­?¡± The lizard teenager whined. Then she saw Winston and Jason. ¡°You¡¯re not going to make me try to fight them are you? We tried that last time and I got knocked out in one punch.¡± The lizard person complained.

    The lizard-woman sighed but snapped. ¡°Stop making a scene. Kishia this man is your new master.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s what!?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m What!?¡±

    Winston and the girl shouted at the same time. The lizard woman smiled wider.

    ¡°You wanted to know what you needed to do to help the village? Well you can take her off our hands. She won¡¯t hunt, she can¡¯t cook, she¡¯s too weak to do manual labor, and refuses to weave or do other women¡¯s chores.  So you can deal with her. Kishia is your new apprentice.¡± The lizard woman said heartlessly.

    ¡°But aunty Jezza¡­.¡± The girl whined.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it. You¡¯ve been moping around long enough.¡± The older woman said before turning back to Winston and Jason. ¡°She¡¯s smart but lazy, but she does seem to like animals it¡¯s why she refuses to hunt them. Maybe you can get some work out of her.¡±

    [Quest Update!]

    [You¡¯ve been given permission to build a Shine to Runa in Green Scale Village.]

    [You Have Gained An Apprentice!]

    Winston sighed at the messages. He knew enough about the game to know what an apprentice was. It was basically a way to encourage high-level players to help lower level players. Any player over level 10, could take on any player under level 10 as an apprentice. Then when the apprentice hit level 10, the apprenticeship would end and the higher level player would be rewarded based on how much effort he put into teaching and guiding the lower-level player. The rewards were pretty good if you got a high ranking, but he had no idea players could take NPC apprentices.

    A human parent foisting a young female family-member off on a complete stranger would have been ridiculous, but lizards ate their young. Winston got the impression their family bonds weren¡¯t nearly as strong. The girl wasn¡¯t helping the village so she needed to go. It was a cold, if pragmatic approach.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take her.¡± Winston said. He didn¡¯t have much choice if he wanted to build a shrine. He wasn¡¯t sure what he¡¯d do with her yet, but there was always work on a farm.

    The girl then started shouting at her aunt but the argument lasted only a few minutes before the girl was defeated and came along with Jason and Winston when they left.

    ¡°So what are you guys gonna make me do?¡± The girl asked as the three of them, and Bog walked back through the jungle. She sounded a bit nervous.

    ¡°I¡¯m not gonna make you do anything. That would be stupid and you¡¯d just run away anyway. I¡¯m way too lazy to try and track you down. I¡¯m not your family, or your tribe. So i¡¯ll just ask. What do you want to learn?¡± Winston said to the girl as he crawled over a patch of thony flowers and ducked under a vine that looked a bit too much like a snake.

    ¡°Well, I donno. I never really thought about it much.¡± The lizard-girl said.

    ¡°Everyone wants to do something. It¡¯s just a matter of finding something productive that you can also enjoy.¡± Jason said. ¡°Your aunt said you were much of a fighter but that¡¯s only one option. You could farm like Win over there. You could take up music, or pottery, or a hundred other things.¡± He continued. ¡°People are always trying to force me to do stupid crap as well. I know how you feel.¡±

    Jason would know all about that. The kid was honestly way too smart for high-school. Besides a few AP classes he just wasn¡¯t getting much out of it and forcing him to sit around in class for eight hours a day not learning anything drove him crazy.

    The lizard-girl, Kishia looked up at Jason¡¯s hulking scaled form and her cheeks turned a darker green color. Winston had to stifle a belly laugh. He was going to tease Jason mercilessly at lunch tomorrow.

    ¡°Jezza said you liked animals. You could trying your hand a beast taming, or if that¡¯s out you could trying raising animals. If you don¡¯t like hunting raising animals for meat is likely out, but we could get you some goats or something to milk and take care of.¡± Winston said.

    He¡¯d never really planned on going into the livestock side of farming but it might be interesting. Buy a few dairy cows, start making some butter and cheese. His plate was too full to start any major projects like that, but if he had someone else doing to work it might be worth looking into.

    The girl thought about it for a while as they walked along in silence before Winston UI chimed. Winston saw who it was an his eyebrows went up. Why was Silver Sword Therion messaging him. It was a voice chat instead of text and Winston opened the connection.

    ¡°So Win, I might have a job for you¡­.¡±

 Chapter 36

    ¡°You want me to plant one seed for you. Then you¡¯re going to pay me 75,000 gold.¡± Winston asked again.

    ¡°I just said that.¡± Therion said.

    ¡°What¡¯s the catch.¡± Winston asked. ¡°The Sword¡¯s are cheap asses. I know, I used to work for them. So what¡¯s the deal. Why are they throwing so much green around.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve had some difficulties getting to the new area for the expansion. We had two people we were counting on, but one had his quest giver killed and the other was bribed away from us. You¡¯re technically plan C. Although you¡¯re not really our last option. You¡¯ll just shave a few days off for us.¡± Therion said honestly.

    Winston weighed his words. Then replied. ¡°So if I do this I¡¯m gonna really piss off all the people who¡¯ve been suppressing you.¡± Winston mulled that over. ¡°On the other-hand you¡¯ve probably got a plan D anyway, so at best I¡¯m only shaving a few days off. That means they¡¯ll be mad at me, but not camping my spawn unil I have to delete my character.¡± Winston reasoned.

    ¡°Well, what are you offering for the pleasure of being killed over and over again.¡± He asked finally.

    ¡°I doubt it¡¯ll come to that. They might send someone out to cause some trouble for you if they find out it was you.¡± Therion said.

    ¡°They¡¯ll find out.¡± Winston said, with no hint of doubt. ¡°It¡¯ll take about five minutes after I show up for one of your guildies to squeal on me for a fat purse of gold. I¡¯m a nobody and not even part of the guild. They aren¡¯t even really betraying anyone. That still leaves me with your offer. Cause you¡¯re going to have to throw in something more than a lump sum of gold, unless you plan on tripling your offer. I can make money easily but not if I¡¯m dealing with the fall out of this. ¡±

    Winston was inclined to blow the whole thing off. That was likely the easiest, most rational choice. The only thing stopping him was the chance to plant and harvest a plant from a mythical seed. Doing so would likely gain him at least 1, probably more than one skill rank rank. At apprentice level he was looking at two or more months of daily work to make it to the next tier of skills, but doing this could knock weeks off of that. The question was if the Swords would make an offer to sway him or not.

    ¡°Well, what is it you want? We can¡¯t really go much higher than 75,000.¡± Therion said cautiously.

    ¡°It¡¯s not about the gold. Unless you were going to go way way up, a lump sum payment isn¡¯t going to cut it. I need something to help grow my business.¡± Winston thought quickly and came up with his conditions.

    ¡°First, The 75,000. It¡¯s not enough really, but it¡¯s a start. I could make that much in a few weeks if people would just leave me alone which obviously won¡¯t be happening now. Second, I can piggyback on any of your guild teleports for free, for one year. Obviously, you guys won¡¯t have a teleporter everywhere I might wanna go, but I can message you and find out if you got one available and send of load of my goods through if you do.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s gonna be a bit hard to get the officers to swallow.¡± Therion said.

    ¡°Why, it doesn¡¯t cost them anything. It¡¯s practically a string-free favor. Doesn¡¯t matter, they can take it or leave it. Last, I get one smallish favor I can call in anytime. So if I want someone killed a few times, or if I want a teleport delayed, or if I need a few bodies to protect some goods, or run a dungeon you have to deliver.¡± Winston finished. ¡°They can agree, or they can find someone else.¡±

    Therion sighed over the voice communication. ¡°Alright, fine. I¡¯ll go ask and be back.¡± He said before disconnecting.

    ¡°Who was that?¡± Jason asked as they approached the edge of Winston¡¯s farmland.

    ¡°The Silver Sword.¡± Winston replied. ¡°Apparently the Swords have done something stupid again and want me to bail them out. They¡¯re gonna pay be 75,000 gold to plant something for them.¡± Winston said with a grin.

    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of money.¡± Jason said. ¡°If you do it for them, you¡¯re going to piss off the other guilds right?¡±

    ¡°Mostly likely. I¡¯m only really shaving a few days off things. That should only make the guilds annoyed. If I was the swords last hope I would have refused. That would stir up too much enmity. A businessman needs to remain neutral.¡± Winston explained.

    ¡°Than why are you doing it at all?¡±

    ¡°Time¡­. The skill boost I¡¯ll get should take a solid chunk out of the time I¡¯ll need to get to Practiced. I should get a passive skill, and a pretty powerful one from that. I¡¯d guess at least 50% to yield, or something similarly powerful. That would be a bit boring though. It¡¯ll probably be something powerful but odd.¡± Winston said thoughtfully. ¡°Either way, that¡¯s the main reason I¡¯m taking the job. Even If I piss a bunch of people off and have to go into hiding somewhere I¡¯ll still have a sack full of gold and more powerful skills.¡±

    ¡°Good luck¡­¡± Jason said.

    Winston was about to reply when his UI chimed again.

    [You Have Been Summoned By Therion]

    [Summon Location: Sword¡¯s Bastion, Flynn Highlands, West Empire]

    [Summoning Restrictions: User will be returned to this location 4 hours after being summoned. User cannot remove any gear they are wearing while summoned.  User can only bring 50 lbs worth of non equipped items. User cannot bring more than 1000 gold worth of non-equipped items.]

    [Please Choose Accept When User is Ready to be Summoned.]

    ¡°Winston looked to Kishia. Follow Orinoco Back to Base. This shouldn¡¯t take more than an hour.¡±  He told his new apprentice.

    The two nodded and headed off with Kishia walking a bit closer to Jason than was strictly necessary. Winston laughed and accepted the summons.

    [You Have Entered A New Zone]Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    [West Empire]

    [Flynn Highlands]

    [Sword¡¯s Bastion]

    There was a flash of light and Winston was somewhere else. He was in the courtyard of a sprawling castle. Winston looked around in awe, taking in Therion who was standing next to him as well as the entire place. Players and NPC¡¯s were everywhere around him and the building was like nothing he¡¯d ever seen before. It was an incredible sight with its sprawling walls and high towers. Red banners with emblazoned black swords flapped everywhere. It reminded Winston why so many people played this game. There was no way he¡¯d have ever been able to see something like this in the real world.

    Winston just gaped at everything around him.

    ¡°Impressive right. It cost them a damn fortune, and most of two years to build but so many NPC¡¯s and players do business here the Tax revenues are the only reason the guild is still afloat.¡± Therion said.Winston turned to him as he continued. ¡°No time to doddle. Through the next portal.¡± He said, and a portal appeared next to Winston. He walked through.

    [You Have Entered A New Zone]

    [The Shattered Continent]

    [Yazra Desert]

    [Trika]

    Winston¡¯s vision warped and he was gone from the medieval castle and was suddenly in an ancient middle-eastern city. The smell of exotic spices and cooking meat filled his nose as hawkers shouted out in strange accents to attract customers to their small stalls of pots, jewelry, or colorful fabrics. He blinked a few times before a short woman stepped in from of him. She was blonde and dressed in a tight unitard that seemed more like a superhero outfit than armor for a fantasy MMO.

    Winston recognized her at once. ¡°The Flaming Valkyrie. They really are pulling out all the stops.¡± Winston said, a little star stuck. Whereas Silver Sword Therion was a legend, he was more famous for his actions in the games early days than his current play.  The Flaming Valkyrie, or Sarah Stormchaser, was a true expert. Likely in the top 100 players in the world.

    She was a level 66 Aeromancer and her Air Magic Sub-skill was supposed to be at Renown I. She was also one of the few players in the game who could fly long distances and Winston suddenly knew why she was here. This was the closest place to the firelands they could teleport. From here they had to hoof it, or at least they would have. Still, he supposed flying might be fun.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m all the way out in the Shattered Continent that¡¯s halfway to the Russian Sector.¡± He said thoughtfully. It was possible to meet with with players from other sectors. You could choose any location as a spawn point but the normal spawns for each sector were really REALLY far apart. It took months of normal travel to move between them or teleport spells with special regents to cover the distance.

    ¡°Enough gawking, we need to move.¡± Sarah said, before she raised her hands and Winston felt her expelling buckets of magic. The wind gusted, then howled as it lifted Winston into the air. Then they were flying. First over the city as everyting passed in a frantic blur, then out over the desert. Winston screamed, his voice lost in the howl of hurricane force winds before he got used to the sensation of being blown across the land like a leaf stuck in a tornado.

    The land whipped by under him, forming into a single smear of light brown land. They were only a few hundred feet off the ground but they had to be traveling at least a hundred fifty miles an hour. The fear eventually wore off as the minutes dragged on into hours. Every so often his pilot would chug down a mana potion but they were traveling in a matter of minutes what would have taken days on foot or horseback. Even so, the flight was going to be a long one.

    Winston was just glad they started this mid-morning. It would likely be well into evening before they made it to the Firelands. He took the time to log off. Since he wasn¡¯t actually able to do anything there wasn¡¯t much reason to be logged in.

    He wasted the next few hours piddling around in his room before he got back in game. He was still flying and they seemed to be going even faster now. The land was still desert but the terrain had become more extreme. Now sections of desert were interrupted by large chasms that went deep into the earth. As they moved the chasms became larger and deeper until the entire landscape seemed like a giant plate that someone had smashed to pieces.

    Winston started to see pools of magma bubbling up from the bottom of the cracks and he knew they were finally getting close. His entire body felt bruised from being buffeted back and forth in the wind for hours and he was sure his hearing would be shot. Then in the distance Winston saw a massive floating landmass. It was huge and stretched for hundreds of miles in every direction, casting shadows over the cracked and broken land below.

    The flight lasted another half-hour before the wind changed and the two plummeted towards the ground. Then just before they hit the wind gusted again, blunting their momentum. Winston hit the ground on his feet before stumbling forward and falling to his hands and knees as he tired to get his shaking body under control.

    That had not been pleasant for him. He shuddered and slowly stood back up blinking at landscape and the people waiting for him. The land here was nothing but hot stone separated by pools of lava. The temperature had to be at least one-hundred fifty and Winston started to sweat immediately. He turned to the two players next to him.

    The first was a human in slate-grey armor, Winston recognized him at once. Gawain Steelheart was the guild-leader of the Swords of Solomon. He was also supposed to be an ass. Winston believed it, no one else would pick a name so pompous.

    Beside him was a short dark-skinned gnome. Winston held out his hand in greeting. ¡°I¡¯m Win Mills, nice you meet you guys.¡± he said politely.

    The guild leader took his hand and shook it. ¡°Gawain, thanks for coming we¡¯re in a bit of a pickle.¡± The guild-leader said.

    ¡°We just need you to plant this and make it grow something we can use to get up to the Cloud Continent. We¡¯ve marked the spot over there.¡± The gnome said, pointing towards a roped off area. He reached out and handed Winston a small green seed. Winston inspected it.

    [Seed of Gaia]

    [Mystical, Artifact]

    [The seed of Gaia is a concentrated ball of life energy blessed by the Spirit of the Earth. It is capable of growing into any plant the user desires. The plant will grow to full size in one hour, then die twenty four hours later.

    Restrictions: Level 10, person who plants must have a class that grants Herbalism or Farming as a Primary Skill]

    Winston blinked down at it. ¡°Well, seems pretty straightforward.¡± He said to the others.

    The guild had roped off an area right under the edge of the massive floating island. They also seemed to have brought in some real dirt from somewhere and covered up the black stone that made up most of the ground in the firelands.

    Winston decided what he¡¯d need. The dirt they¡¯d brought wouldn¡¯t be enough for something as large as this plant would need to be. So it would have to be something that¡¯s roots could break up the rock and use the heat and lava to grow. It would also have to be something tall, and stable enough to climb easily.

    He wondered how much control he really had over the final product, but he figured he might as well go for broke. He focused his mind on what he wanted then planted the seed. He followed up by casting [Nurture] on it, and started summoning water from the end of his finger.

    It took about five minutes for the seed to sprout. Then it started to grow upwards at a visible rate. First it was just a lump of brown leaves, then the base widened out and the outside fell away to reveal a single stalk of green bamboo.The ground started to crack and roots pushed deep into the stone. Then lines of red began to pulse from the plant as it sucked up the lava below to fuel it¡¯s rise to the heavens.

    The plant grew faster and Winston watched as it stretched upwards.

    ¡°Not bad.¡± The gnome said from behind him. ¡°How are we supposed to get up there though?¡±

    ¡°Just wait for it.¡± Winston said as he watched the bamboo grow. He¡¯d added the last bit in a flash of inspiration, assuming it worked like he thought it did.

    It took a while but as the bamboo grew it started to shift slightly. The outside tube started to grow odd lumps and as they got bigger it formed into a massive protruding spiral that lead from to base to the ever-growing top.

    ¡°A spiral staircase. That¡¯s a nice touch.¡± The gnome said in satisfaction.

    Winston waited a few more minutes before he started dumping more water onto the base. At the rate it was growing he figured it could use all it could get. An hour later a small group of Swords stood looking up at the massive bamboo shoot. The base was ten feet wide and it reached upwards at least a thousand feet.

    ¡°Well, looks like you held up your end of the bargain.¡± Gawain said, he had a smile on his face and Winston couldn¡¯t help but smile back. The bamboo was pretty impressive. ¡°The gold has already been deposited. If you¡¯ve got anything else to do while you¡¯re here I¡¯d hurry up. Your summons will end in a few minutes.¡±

    Winston blinked at him, then rushed up spiral. All of this would have been for nothing if he couldn¡¯t harvest this. He found a tuft of grass poking out from the side of the shoot a hundred or so feet up and smiled as he saw the fist-sized seeds on the end of it. Winston didn¡¯t hesitate and he reached over and plucked them. Green and blue light shot out from him as his screen filled with messages.

    [You Have Leveled Up]

    [You Have reached Level 15]

    [Racial Talent Upgrade]

    [Your Farming Skill Has Increased]

    [Current Rank: Apprentice Rank III]

    [Bonus Crop Yield: (37% + 10%)  47%]

    [Bonus Crop Quality: (24.5% + 25%) 49.5%]

    [Your Grain Sub-Skill Has Increased]

    [Current Rank: Apprentice III]

    [Bonus Grain Crop Yield: 50%

    Bonus Grain Crop Quality: 20.5%]

    Winston sighed it was a shame bamboo counted as a grain. He could have really used to boost elsewhere, but he supposed bamboo was technically a grass so it made sense. As Winston was lamenting not gaining five skill ranks in fruits his screen flashed as he was standing back in the jungle a few-hundred feet from his farm.

 Chapter 37

    Winston walked slowly back towards his farm and took the time to look over his messages. He was especially interested in his racial upgrades. As his skill ranks had climbed his small boost to crop quality had been getting more and more useless. Back when it doubled his quality he¡¯d been pretty happy about it, but now he had somewhere between +30 and +40 percent without his passive or blessings, his meager +15% from his race wasn¡¯t much compared to that.

    Winston fished around in his menu before he found was he was looking for.

    [Racial: Improved Greenthumb]

    [+10% crop yield]

    [+25% crop quality]

    [Racial: Improved Digging Claws]

    [Claw damage is double, Digging Speed Increased]

    Winston frowned slightly at the messages. They were upgrades sure but flat increases weren¡¯t that interesting. He was hoping to pick up something fun. Still, boring didn¡¯t mean useless and a practical upgrade was often more useful than a flashy one.

    Winston waved the windows away and headed towards his farm. He didn¡¯t see Jason or Kishia anywhere so he went into his hut. Jason was asleep, or logged off against one wall while Kishia was leaning against the other. She had her arms wrapped around her legs and tears were streaming over her lizard¡¯s snout.

    Winston felt terrible for her. She¡¯d been used as a bartering chip by her own tribe. Now she was stuck here with him and he didn¡¯t even have a room for her. All he had was a mud hut with no bed, clothes, or real food. She¡¯d been taken from everything she¡¯d ever known and dumped here with a stranger. She was an NPC, but still. Winston¡¯s heart broke a little.

    He walked over and sat down beside her, not saying anything for a while and letting her cry.

    ¡°I know this isn¡¯t what you wanted.¡± He said when she seemed to have calmed a bit.  ¡°I¡¯m not going to tell you things will be ok. I¡¯m not going to tell you your life will get better. I will tell you however, that you can look at all this in a couple of ways. You can think of it as a temporary grounding. Likely you¡¯ll reach level 10 in a month or two and you can go back to your village, or somewhere else all together.¡± He said.

    ¡°Or you can think of it as a second chance. Had you stayed in the village you¡¯d have always been there. You¡¯d have grown up into a woman, found a mate, had children, and died in that village. Now can choose to go back, or go somewhere else all together. The main thing is finding something for you to do.¡± Winston explained, trying to lighten things up a little.

    ¡°You¡¯re not very good at cheering people up.¡± The lizard girl replied sourly.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been told that before.¡± Winston said with a laugh. ¡°Apparently I¡¯m too pessimistic.¡±

    The girl snorted, then rubbed at her eyes as she took a deep breath. ¡°Alright, what do we do first?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s up to you, really. Figure out something you want to do with your time. You can work for me. I¡¯ll pay you, and you can order things to be brought here from Wraith¡¯s Harbor. You can get clothes, weapons, armor, jewelry, magic, whatever. First though it seems like we¡¯re going to need some furniture for this place. You should at least have a bed to sleep on. I¡¯ll have to message Troll and have him buy one.¡± Winston said thoughtfully.

    ¡°As for what work needs done¡­ Well, we need a small garden. I¡¯d like to try and plant the berries from the ginseng although I¡¯m not sure we can get it to grow. We also need to start growing some corn, Bog needs something to eat and I¡¯m basically out of all my grains. Unless she feels like eating fruit all the time we¡¯ll need to supplement her diet with something.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯ll prolly be it for today. Tomorrow the oranges should be ripe, then we¡¯ll be rotating through the various crops as they mature.¡± Winston said as he stood up.

    Kishia stood up as well and the two headed back outside. The rain had let up and the sun was out, baking the moisture out of the ground. Winston pulled up the ginseng from his pack and plucked off the berries. The root was the valuable part, but the berries would let him propagate them.

    ¡°Alright, Farming 101¡± Winston said in his best professor voice. He didn¡¯t really care if the girl wanted to learn or not. He¡¯d teach her as much as he could, for the sake of his reward if nothing else.

    ¡°First step is to find a soil suitable for your plant. In this case it¡¯s not a huge problem because we picked this a few miles from here. That means the soils are basically the same, at least in terms of climate and basic composition.¡± Winston started his lecture as he released his claws and started to dig. He dug a small garden, maybe five feet by five feet and planted the ginseng berries in it.

    He continued to explain about soil moisture and various types of loam as the girl mostly tuned him out. He was trying to figure out how to explain the concept of ¡®Ph¡¯ to a lizard girl who lived in a bronze age tribe when she interrupted him.

    ¡°What is that?¡± She asked, pointing to the animate scarecrow as it carried another load of plants and tossed them into the compost pits.

    ¡°It¡¯s my golem. It¡¯s a scarecrow animated my magic to follow basic commands. It does basic farm work for me. Winston said.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you want me to do?¡± The girl asked.

    ¡°No, I want you to find something you want to do. I mean if that¡¯s farming then great. The more people I have working the more I can expand and the more money I can make,  but it doesn¡¯t have to be farming. I¡¯ve got money again now, so if you want me to buy a forge and tools for you to start blacksmithing I can do that. Or you can learn pottery, or fishing, or glassblowing, or half a hundred other occupations. You can become a priest of Runa, or you can learn magic. Honestly I just want you to find something you¡¯ll work at.¡± Winston explained again.

    Kishia got quiet after that and Winston left her to think it over. She¡¯d have to make up her own mind.

    Winston needed to send Troll a new supply list. Now that he had money again, he¡¯d need to buy some more supplies for his farm. He needed bricks and mortar to build more shrines. He also needed some furniture for his hut. Not only did it being empty annoy him but giving it furniture and making it more ¡®comfortable¡¯ would improve its ability to restore his stamina and hit points. It wouldn¡¯t be a lot since it was pretty shabby but every little bit helped.

    The next big issue for his farm was getting some things ready to start processing the coffee and chocolate. Selling those weren¡¯t as simple as just picking them. The coffee needed to be fermented to get the coating off the beans, then they had to be dried, have the parchment layer removed, then roasted. The game might let him skip the fermenting and the parchment but the roasting would have to happen.

    Winston didn¡¯t have the tools for any of that. Then there was the chocolate. That was an even bigger problem. There were dozens of ways to process chocolate. He still needed to do more research there.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    He popped open his interface and opened the auction house. Then he checked out the price of oranges. In Wraith¡¯s Harbor oranges were worth 75 gold/bu. That was extremely low. Then again it was right next to a massive region of jungle. Players likely picked them in the wild and sold them there. Winston scowled at that price. It wasn¡¯t bad exactly, but it wasn¡¯t particularly good. Without the massive quantities he¡¯d been pulling down of grain, he was going to need to do better than just 75 gold. Winston started opening the prices of other regions.

    In Westriver oranges were going for 125. That was the best price in the Ten Kingdoms but that was a noob zone. Noobs were always running around questing and were too poor for real food. They lived off grilled meat and stew until they got their feet under them or joined a clan. Why spend 12 silver on an orange when you could buy a dozen pounds of meat for the same price.

    The players most likely to want things like oranges and coffee were the hardcore players. They spent most of their lives in game and would pay out the nose for a glass of OJ to go with their breakfast. Winston changed his filters and looked up Chronopolis, The Eternal City. It was the city of the archmagi and the largest city in the game, at least in the American sector. It was located on Vlakeon which was basically on the exact opposite side of the world from Kishik if you used the Ten Kingdoms as the center of Otherworld. It wasn¡¯t really the center, but Other World currently had about 60 confirmed continents and over 5000 zones. To capture it all on one map you needed to make the scale so small everything was tiny dots, or you needed a map the size of a room.

    Winston pulled up the auction info there and grunted. Oranges were going for 160/bu in Chronopolis. That still wasn¡¯t great, at least compared to wheat, but it was progress. Coffee was selling for almost 10 gold a pound, but coffee trees only produced five to ten pounds a harvest. Still that should be north of 1000 gold a week for all he¡¯d planted. He searched for chocolate and whistled softly. For raw beans he could get nearly 100 gold a pound. Then again, from what he was reading online a cacao tree might only produce a pound a year. He frowned at that and kept digging.

    A website on the chemical changes that occured during roasting and the difference between cacao and cocoa distracted Winston for a solid hour before he got back to his search. There was the problem. Beans processed into cocoa were worth nearly three times as much on the auction house as the raw alternative. Most players likely didn¡¯t really know the difference and those who did were happy to buy cheaper and roast it themselves. Well, Winston would have to do the roasting. He already needed a giant roaster for the coffee beans so no surprises really.

    Looked like he was going to need a giant oven as his next project. He was going to looked that up online but noticed it was already dark out. Sighing, he logged out of the game. Seemed he was going to need to send Troll on another shopping spree.

    ****************************

    ¡°You want, four tons of bricks, a ton of sand, a ton of clay, 100 pounds of quick lime, a ton of powdered limestone, two bushel of corn, a bushel of cloudberries, two beds, two mattresses, A stool, one giant metal cauldron, two giant metal pans, and 3 silver braziers.. That it?¡± Troll asked in a flat voice.

    ¡°That¡¯s all I can think of for now.¡± Winston said honestly. ¡°Oh wait, I need another ladder, and some of those giant burlap bags everyone puts coffee beans in.¡± He added. ¡°See if you can get a logo put on them too. Hmmm, I don¡¯t have a logo yet.¡±

    The line was silent for a moment before Troll exploded. ¡°How the hell am I supposed to get all that in my wagon?!¡±

    ¡°Just get another wagon and tie it behind, or buy a few mules or those weird lizards people always use to haul things.¡± Winston said. ¡°I¡¯ll pay you for it.¡±

    ¡°Thats¡­... ¡° Troll sighed. ¡°Fine, whatever, but this is going to cost you.¡±

    ¡°Everything always does.¡± Winston agreed. ¡°Another thing, you know when the next portal out of Wraith Harbor is happening?¡±

    ¡°This friday, as far as I know.¡± Troll replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s a bit too soon.¡± Winston said. ¡°I¡¯ll have to get ahold of the Swords and see when they¡¯ve got a portal open from the Ten Kingdoms to Chronopolis. That or I need to start trying to cultivate some buyers on Kishik. What major cities are even around here.¡± Winston asked.

    ¡°You could try Daggersport. It¡¯s pretty popular among players with seagoing races, or those that like to do the pirate thing. It¡¯s not as huge as some other places but it¡¯s got a solid player population.¡± Troll said.

    ¡°Hmmm, well might be something to look into. Trying to move my goods from here to Chronopolis would take at least two teleports, most likely three, unless we get lucky and someone¡¯s opening a direct line. That would cost at least 5000 gold and we¡¯d still have to get you back here. Which means I¡¯d have to fill about four of your wagons to overflowing to make it worth it.¡± Winston said. ¡° Well, That¡¯s a problem for another day. I¡¯ve gotta have product before I can worry about where to sell it.¡±

    ¡°You could send it by boat. It¡¯s only about a week from Wraith¡¯s Harbor to Daggersport by ship. It wouldn¡¯t be that hard to find a Captain to haul it for you.¡± Troll said.

    ¡°Same problem through, I¡¯ve still gotta have someone to buy it on the otherside.¡± Winston said. ¡°Anyway, just bring that stuff. I¡¯ll likely only have some oranges this week. I didn¡¯t realize how much processing I¡¯m going to need to do for the other stuff.¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter to be. I get paid regardless.¡± Troll said happily. ¡°I¡¯ll be there friday.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Yeah.¡± Winston muttered and ended the call.

    Winston stepped out of his mudhut and into the rain. It was one of those odd days where the sun was shining and it was pouring rain at the same time. The place smelled of wet earth, oranges, coffee, and chocolate. It was bizarre but nice.

    It was then he realized he didn¡¯t really have anything to do today. He supposed he could plant some sugarcane or black pepper but without breaking in a whole new field the quantities really wouldn¡¯t be worth it. He guessed he could start on his well but that seemed like a great deal of work and something he should make his golem do.

    Kisha was near Runa¡¯s shrine and seemed to be looking at the silver flowers growing below. Winston wandered over towards her, wondering what was so interesting.

    ¡°I still have no idea what those are.¡± Winston said as he approached.

    ¡°They¡¯re called Silver-Bloom Moon Lilies.¡± The lizard-girl said confidently.

    ¡°They don¡¯t really look like lilies.¡± Winston said. They looked more like tulips to him but what did he know about flowers. ¡°Besides, how do you know what they¡¯re called? I doubt they grow around here.¡±

    Kishia thought about that for a while then shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t know, but that¡¯s what they are. I used to help the medicine woman look for different flowers maybe that¡¯s why.¡±

    Winston thought about that. Did that mean the girl had a high herbalism score? Did NPC¡¯s even have skill levels, at least what players thought of as a skill level. They had actual levels but did they know what their levels were? He¡¯d never thought to ask.

    ¡°What level are you?¡± He blurted out.

    ¡°Three¡­ Why?¡± She asked as she turned to him.

    Winston thought that over. So she knew she had levels and knew what it was.

    ¡°What about your class?¡±

    The girl looked at him confused. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Nevermind.¡± He said. So it was levels but no classes. Maybe NPC¡¯s just got classes based off of whatever they did, or maybe they had the same underlying skill system that players did. It would be sorta stupid to build a whole skill system then give the NPC¡¯s something else, but Otherworld was an odd game in a lot of ways.

    ¡°Well, would you like to hunt herbs for me? You seem like you¡¯d be good at it, and I¡¯ve got plenty of space here to plant different things.¡± Winston said.

    The girl thought about that, then shrugged. ¡°I guess I could. I¡¯m not sure what else I¡¯d do around here. Playing with dirt and planting things all the time does not sound like fun to me.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s up to you. I¡¯m just trying to find something you might like. You can take Bog with you for protection. I¡¯m sure she¡¯s bored running around here all the time.¡± Winston said.

    ¡°I might go later, it¡¯s still early.¡± She said with little enthusiasm. Winston shrugged and wandered off. The girl was going to have to figure her own life out.

    He was wandering what to do next when his com chimed. It was Trish. Winston smiled and picked it up.

    ¡°WAS IT YOU !?¡± She shouted over the line as soon as it opened.

    Winston winced, then replied. ¡°Was what me?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s video all over the internet and gaming news of a giant bamboo-shoot pulsing with lava and I¡¯ve got eye-witnesses in Trika saying they saw some mole in overalls come out of a portal and fly off with the Flaming Valkyrie.¡± She said, still shouting.

    ¡°That depends. Are you asking as Trish my girlfriend, or Triska Treesinger head of the Bloodhound¡¯s? Cause if it¡¯s the later than I have no idea what your talking about. If it¡¯s the former then yes, it was me.¡± Winston replied.

    She groaned over the voice-chat. ¡°Do you have any idea how much trouble you caused? There was a coalition of at least two dozen guilds working to keep the Swords out of Cloud Kingdom. Now they¡¯re all looking for you.¡±

    Winston shrugged. ¡°They could have raised someone up to the right level in two or three more days. All I did was accelerate things. You guys had to know they¡¯d get around you eventually, even if you didn¡¯t know the details.Everyone will be too busy fighting in the new zone to bother much with me. Sure, I might get PK¡¯d a few times, but that¡¯s life. Worse-case scenario I just delete my character and start over somewhere else. It would take me a few months to get things moving again, but it wouldn¡¯t be impossible. In the end it¡¯s just a game.¡± Winston said.

    He¡¯d be mad if he kept getting PK¡¯d but he doubted he¡¯d really delete his character. He¡¯d just join Gold and Steel if it really came down to it. He had a high enough level in a crafting profession they¡¯d likely take him in, and they did not allow people to kill their crafters. He could also run into the middle of nowhere and just hide.

    Trish sighed again. ¡°I don¡¯t think my guild has figured it out yet, but they might. What are you gonna do if they kick you off their land? Or PK you back to level 10.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go somewhere else. I never really expected this place to be my permanent home. It was just somewhere to hang out in relative safety while I built up my skills. I could use all the money the Swords gave me and get a teleport to the Oceanic Cluster. I can go hang out with the Aussie¡¯s and New Zealanders. They speak English and their woman have hot accents.¡± Winston said.

    ¡°Do you want me to hit you.¡± Trish asked. Winston laughed.

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯m not gonna tell them but I¡¯m not sure how much I can cover for you if they find out.¡± Trish said worriedly.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t expect you to chose me over your guild. It¡¯s why I didn''t join when you offered. Keeping a line between our professional lives and personal ones is a better decision all around.¡± Winston told her.

    ¡°Love you¡­.¡± He added.

    Trish growled and ended the conversation. Winston smiled as he walked back towards his hut.

 Chapter 38

    ¡°That does not look natural.¡± Jason said, his voice a bit odd.

    Wiston whistled softly but didn¡¯t speak up. Whistling had been a hard trick to learn with the shape of his character''s mouth but he hadn¡¯t had much else to do as he toiled in the fields.

    ¡°It¡¯s like a chick who went way over the top with a boob job. Had she stuck with the D¡¯s she might have still been able to sell it, but instead she skipped right to the F¡¯s.¡± Jason continued.

    Winston looked away from his orange trees and gave his friend the side-eye. ¡°You really put a lot of thought into that didn¡¯t you.¡± Winston laughed as he looked back to his trees. He hated to admit it but Jason did have a point.

    The orange trees were all only around seven or eight feet tall, but they were packed with oranges. So many, the branches were being bent down by all the weight. Jason¡¯s comparison wasn¡¯t too far off though. It just looked unnatural. Winston realized his yield calculations had been a bit off.

    ¡°I suppose this is the result of picking a production class in a fantasy game. Other characters get to hurl around lighting and break the laws of physics. I get to plant orange trees that grow unnatural amounts of oranges.¡± Winston said thoughtfully. He checked his character sheet and his eyebrows went up. It was no wonder. With his latest skill upgrades, his new gear, and his blessings this batch or oranges was getting +108% yield.

    ¡°Makes sense. It¡¯s like, just because a 90 pound elf girl has 300 strength doesn¡¯t mean she can lift boulders or punch down city walls. She still only weighs 90 pounds. Physics doesn¡¯t work like that. If a person with superhuman strength punches a city wall the person goes flying and the wall stays there. If they can cheat it only makes sense you should get to.¡± Jason added in agreement.

    ¡°Well, if characters added mass every time they upped their strength it would really cut down on the sex appeal and no game company wants that. What¡¯s a fantasy game without girls in poorly thought out armor designs?¡± Winston added as he carried a wooden ladder to the first orange tree and climbed up.

    He leaned over and looked down at Jason. ¡°You wanna help, or you just board chopping down trees?¡± Winston asked his friend.

    Jason grimaced. ¡°A little of both. You know that fairy quest I got a couple weeks ago?¡±

    ¡°Mmmmhmmm¡± Winston mumbled as he filled his pack with oranges.

    ¡°Well, I found the fifth fairy yesterday.¡± Jason explained. ¡°Now I¡¯ve got a quest to enter a dungeon, but no group to go diving with. Brad said he¡¯d be getting here tomorrow to work on wards for you. With him I might be able to swing it. He is level 50.¡±

    Winston grunted as he reached way off the ladder to grab an orange on a high branch. ¡°If you¡¯re getting him to smash through a low-level dungeon take me with you. Dungeons always have rare resources for miners and herbalists. Maybe I could find some rare seeds. I¡¯ve also got a dungeon quest, but I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s the right dungeon.¡±

    ¡°If your hanging out here go get the barrels out of my hut. We¡¯re going to need a butt load of them.¡± Winston added. Each barrel held about 3 and half bushel, or around 200 pounds of oranges. Winston was expecting to get maybe 30 bushels out of his trees, but with the ridiculous amount of oranges hanging off them he was going to end up with something like 90 bushel. That was way more than he was expecting. He was going to run out of barrels. He¡¯d only bought 30 of them. He¡¯d get by with the crates, but he was going to need restock when Troll got here.

    It was a good problem to have, but it was still a problem. He¡¯d have to get Troll to see if he could find a NPC cooper to make him some casks in pipe or hogshead size.

    That had been another rather informative trip down the google rabbit hole that Winston had run into when he first decided to buy barrels. At first he¡¯d just been seeing if he could make casks and barrels himself, but after learning everything involved in coopering he¡¯d quickly written the idea off. It had however let him find out about different types of coopers, the various standard sizes of barrels and casks, and American beer taxation in the 1860¡¯s.

    The information hadn¡¯t been very useful or relevant, but it had been interesting. Winston had found a lot of information like that since he¡¯d started farming in Otherworld. Jason wandered back over with a barrel over each shoulder and Winston quickly climbed down and dumped out his pack into one, before climbing back up and continuing to pick.

    ¡°Where¡¯s your apprentice at?¡± Jason asked as Winston kept picking oranges and occasionally moving his ladder.

    Winston pointed a few trees away were the lizard girl was picking oranges. She seemed to have shanghaied his golem into carrying barrels for her but she was working at a decent clip. Winston sighed slightly. With her picking instead of the golem Winston would be losing out on a good chunk of XP, but the girl had pitched in on her own accord and it was best not to stamp that out.

    Winston dumped more oranges into the barrel. Then waved to Jason who stuck on the barrel cap. Lucky the game had simplified the process and instead of having to loosen the barrel bands to get the thing in, Jason just had to put it on and twist and the barrel sealed perfectly.

    The large crocodile man picked the barrel up with a grunt and hosted it over one shoulder before he staggered towards the hut. Winston kept picking. His Fruit Sub-skill hit Beginner III by the third tree and Winston smiled happily. With all the fruit trees he had planted he should hit Apprentice rank by friday. Then he¡¯d see what interesting skills the game had to offer him.

    Four hours later Jason, Winston, and Kisha sat sweating against the outside wall of the hut, soaking up what little shade the wall behind them offered.. Twenty-six barrels now sat inside the hut. Each one packed full of oranges.

    ¡°Do you work like this every day?¡± Jason asked, still puffing for air.

    ¡°Pretty much. Although once you get into the groove it¡¯s not too bad. It¡¯s the humidity here that¡¯s brutal. At least in Lunari it was dry.¡± Winston complained.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been to Lunari?¡± Asked Kishia.

    ¡°Just left there. It¡¯s dry, and sorta crappy.¡± Winston said. ¡°Well, I guess it does have a sorta stark beauty.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d love to see another continent.¡± Kishia said.

    ¡°If you work hard and find yourself a profession. I¡¯ll take you to another continent when your apprenticeship is over.¡± Winston promised. ¡°Welp¡­¡± He continued, standing up and brushing off his fur. ¡°I¡¯ve got trig to work on. Last test before Winter break coming up on Wednesday.¡±

    Winston waved to the other two, went into the hut and logged off.

    ***********************

    The next day was apples and pears. The apples trees hadn¡¯t done well. Winston wasn¡¯t sure if it was some actual real life reason or if the game had just decided apple trees didn¡¯t grow well in a jungle. The trees didn¡¯t look sick but they weren¡¯t as full and lush as the pear trees next to them.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    In contrast to the apples the pear trees looked great. Each pear was plump and seemed to glisten in the afternoon sunshine. Winston smiled as he inspected one and saw it was high quality. The apples on the other hand were mostly standard with a bit of low quality mixed in.

    Winston got to picking. Grimacing at the amount of pears he was pulling down. He was so screwed. He was going to be piling fruit on the ground if this kept up. He really needed to build some sort of storage. Then again fruit really didn¡¯t store. It was good for about a week, two at the outside. Even if he whipped up some sort of refrigerator that wouldn¡¯t help. Lots of fruits spoil faster in the cold. No, he would need to muck about with time to make a true storage building.

    That was possible but he¡¯d need a very high level enchanter. Then again¡­ Winston looked from his trees and to the distant road where a wizard in a black robe rode on a pale-green horse. The horse was sprinting down the road at an incredible speed as a dust cloud rose from behind it. Winston smiled. Seems his farm was going to get more crowded. He hopped down off his ladder and walked towards the road to meet his friend.

    ¡°And lo¡¯ a pale horse.¡± Winston said with a grin.

    Brad, or Erithor level 52 Runic Wardmaster, looked down at his mount. The horse was a rather bizarre green color, it looked a bit sickly with the glowing silver runes on its sides.

    ¡°Yeah¡­.. The runes will probably kill it in a few days. Even with Professional IV in magical runes I still can¡¯t get them to stick to anything alive without killing it or warping it into a monster.¡± Brad said, in his normal impassive voice. ¡°Still, buy a twenty gold horse, slap some endurance and speed runes on it and you¡¯ve got an epic mount, at least for a week or so.¡±

    ¡°As cold and practical as always.¡± Winston said, shaking his head.

    Winston pulled up Brad¡¯s info and dropped 5k gold into his account. He still had about 78,000 in there, with the Swords recent deposit.

    ¡°Alright, lets see what you¡¯ve got Mr. Runic Wardmaster.¡± Winston said.

    Brad looked around my orchard and my mud hut then looked back to me.

    ¡°How am I supposed to ward your walls when you don¡¯t have any walls?¡± He asked.

    Winston opened his mouth to respond then froze  ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a very good question.¡± Winston said, suddenly feeling very silly. He too looked around not really sure what he could do to solve the problem. His palisade was still weeks out, and now with so much fruit to pick it would take even longer.

    Brad looked at him and let out a chuckle. ¡°Well, as long as you¡¯re prepared.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s say that a wall is out of the question for the moment. What could we use as a back up?¡± Winston asked.

    ¡°Well, lots of things really.¡± Brad said, scratching his wizard¡¯s goatee. He looked like the evil wizard in an old play, all black robes and sharp goatee. ¡°A few large gemstones, a stone wall, a few magical artifacts, if none of those then I at least need a few big chunks of stone. We can surround the property like Stonehenge and I can rune those up into some wards."

    Winston looked around at the jungle and his eyes landed on the large rock formation. It was huge but if he was to smash it up a bit and move the rock chunks he might be able to get it going.

    Then he looked at the trees still mostly full of fruit and sighed. It seemed sacrifices were going to have to be made. Looks like he¡¯d been missing out of some more xp. He commanded his golem and new apprentice to keep picking while he moved over to the rock formation to take a look with Brad and Jason.

    ¡°So something like this?¡± Winston asked, pointing out a large knob of rock.He had climbed up on the huge formation and was dangling off one side, pointing to a chunk of rock the size of a garbage can.

    ¡°A little bigger would be better.¡± Brad said. ¡°Stone doesn¡¯t hold magic that well so you need a lot for a ward foundation.¡± He said. "That''s why walls work so well. Even if each brick only holds a fraction of a point a mana. It still takes millions of them to make up a wall." Winston adjusted and found a larger outcropping. It was the size of a small yard cart and had to weigh three tones. Winston had no idea how they¡¯d move it once he knocked it off.

    There was nothing for it. Winston went to get his pickaxe and started to chip away at the massive boulder. It took hours to make any progress and it was nearly 9:30 when the rock fell the fifteen feet to the ground.

    [You Have Learned a New Sub-Skill]

    [Quarrying]

    [Current Rank: Novice I]

    Jason had been a step ahead and had gathered up the logs he¡¯d chopped down earlier to make some rollers. The two grunted and sweated as they moved the stone to where Brad indicated. It was directly north of the Shrine, which marked the center of Winston¡¯s territory. The next two days passed quickly as Winston worked himself and his helpers to the bone.

    He hit Beginner IV in fruits on Thursday as he harvested coffee cherries and tossed them into random crates. He and Jason managed to get the South and East stones placed as well. Brad had decided on eight stones and spent his time carving bizarre runes into the massive rocks and pumping in buckets of mana.

    Friday was chocolate day, but that went pretty quickly. The chocolate trees seemed to be alright, but they just didn¡¯t produce much. It only took about an hour to strip the trees of their fruits, then crack them open to get out the cacao beans.

    That put the focus on the stones Brad wanted. Jason and Winston were hacking at the rocks to free a second big stone when Troll pulled in. He really had bought a second wagon and a few land lizards to pull it. Both pulled up next to the hut as he freed his trolls to start unloading.

    Winston climbed down from the rock formation and went to help unload. There were piles of bricks, lime, mortar, and sand. The quicklime had to go inside out of the rain, but the rest could handle the weather. The barrels and crates of oranges, apples, and pears went onto Troll¡¯s wagon. He let Winston take his crates but he had to order a lot more. Winston would need hundreds on hand to keep up with his use.

    ¡°So what do you want me to do with all these?¡± Troll asked, as he waved to all the barrels and crates of fruit.¡±

    Winston sighed. He¡¯d been dreading that question. It wasn¡¯t that it was very complicated. He just hadn¡¯t made up his mind. ¡°The problem is fruit just doesn¡¯t keep. If we managed to ship the fruit to Chronopolis we¡¯d clear something like¡­ 17, maybe 20k if we got lucky with buy orders and someone really wanted some high-quality pears for some reason. That¡¯s 8k more than just dumping them in Wraith Harbor but fruit only keeps a week or two.

    Otherwise I¡¯d stick them in a warehouse for two or three weeks until we had a huge load. It would probably cost us 3 or 4 thousand to port to the 10 kingdoms from Wraith Harbor since its out of the way and firmly in the Hounds territory. Then it¡¯s 1.5ish to Chronopolis from the kingdoms and I¡¯d make at least 50 most likely.¡± Winston said. ¡°That would be pretty good for three weeks wages. I wouldn¡¯t make that much with a college education and a decent job.¡±

    ¡°Well, there are warehouses with time dilation.¡± Troll said. ¡°They are expensive but if you can move enough you can afford it. You¡¯re pretty rich for a player.¡± Winston raised an eyebrow at that.

    ¡°Well alright, for a normal player. I mean it¡¯s not like there¡¯s much money in dungeon running unless you get something really rare. Even top raiders are usually poor unless they play for a clan with a good benefits package. Crafters, merchants, and streamers leave you in the dust though.¡± Troll said.

    Winston laughed. Yes, he¡¯d managed to carve out a decent little job for himself but he was the Otherworld equivalent to a low-level salaryman. The top crafters might spend a month making a single sword but when they could sell it for half a million gold they were still playing in a league way above his.

    That suited Winston just fine. He was still in highschool. If he started pulling too much money out of the game he¡¯d start attracting attention. His parents would be mad enough when they couldn¡¯t claim him on their taxes this year.

    ¡°Well, look into it for me, and see what the teleport from Wraith Harbor will cost us. For now, just dump these on the local AH. There¡¯s no reason to start adding complications until I get the chocolate and coffee going. That¡¯s where we¡¯ll make our real money. Then you can start charging two or three times as much for multi-leg trips and I¡¯ll still be making more money. A rising tide lifts all ships after all.¡±

    Troll grunted and pulled out two large flat metal pans. They were easily eight square feet each. ¡°And what are these for?¡± He asked as he put them down inside Winston¡¯s dirt hut.

    ¡°Roasting pans. Need to roast the coffee and chocolate beans. That¡¯s why I had to buy all that other crap. I¡¯m gonna have to make a big oven for them.¡± Winston explained.

    Troll looked from the pans to the giant pile of various materials. ¡°Have fun with that.¡± He muttered before he hitched his trolls back up to the wagon. ¡°Don¡¯t forget the beds. They¡¯re in that crate.¡± He said, nodding to one towards the back of the wagon as he hopped into the driver''s seat. ¡°Well, I¡¯m out. It¡¯s three days to Wraith¡¯s harbor and three days back. So I wont be getting much rest.¡± He said.

    Winston and Jason grabbed the bed frames and mattresses as Troll pulled away. Winston watched him go and looked down at the piles of various materials. It was going to be a long night.

 Chapter 39

    The first thing on Winston¡¯s agenda Saturday Morning was to fix the soil for his trees. The quality and yield of his trees was his top priority. Everything else was essentially window dressing. The way forward for him was to improve his farming skills.

    The skies were clear for once and Winston sang old Blues songs as he grabbed a shovel full of lime and started to sprinkle it on the ground around his trees. He didn¡¯t use too much, just a bit for testing. He used his empowered claw skill and dug at the soil loosening it up and mixing in the lime without going too deep and disturbing the roots. He gave the apples a bit more than the other trees since they were having the most problems. He tested the soil again and nodded in satisfaction. Next week''s harvest should be much better, in quality if not quantity.

    It was mid-morning when Winston finished. Bog was running in circles and nudging Winston with her head. He really needed to keep working on freeing up more stones, but he owned Bog a few hours of play. He¡¯d been letting her run wild for a while and his loyalty had likely taken a hit.

    ¡°Alright, Alright, I get it.¡± Winston said, pushing her away as he rubbed her back and neck like she was an overgrown dog. ¡°What do you want to do today, you overgrown chicken.¡± Winston said lovingly.

    Bog swaked happily and wiggled around his legs. Then she stood up and started to walk off into the jungle. Winston looked after her for a moment, before he picked up his feet and jogged after her.

    The two made it to the small river then followed it, heading to part of the zone Winston had never seen.The ground became swampy as more small creeks appeared, forming into shallow pools of standing water.. Bog got more excited as they moved and Winston started to get a bit worried. Where was this crazy bird taking him?

    It was then he saw the island. It was on the other side of a shallow pool of water and was packed full of those weird frog-rat things Bog was always chasing around. There were dozens and they milled around in frantic hops.

    Bog squawked a battle cry and charged across the water and onto the island. The frog-rats went mad and started to attack her, but she was a rhino being attacked by hyenas. They could do little to harm her individually but they came by the dozens, by the hundreds. As Winston saw their small claws and teeth drawing blood he lost his temper. Bog wasn¡¯t just his pet. She was his companion, his friend.

    Winston pulled the staff from his pack and raised it as faith started to pour off him. The air became charged, not with magic but with raw divine power. His faith score was only average for a faith class of his level but his faith points were extremely high thanks to his class bonuses. He had lots to waste. More power streamed off him and he started to glow as the air around him took on an air of divine awe.

    Bog needed protection and a shield wasn¡¯t going to be enough. Winston focused his faith and his will and cast [Shield of Faith] but he did his best to shape it as it came out. The faith he¡¯d been pumping out coelesed into blue and silver light.

    The spell had taken the form of see through plate armor, with a watchtower emblazoned on the front of her breastplate and a tiny winged helmet to cover her head. Suddenly the small attacks she¡¯d been taking were getting completely absorbed and she switched from defense to offense. Winston did the same thing and stopped channing his faith and started channeling his mana. Fire flew from the tips of his fingers in a wave.

    Winston had nearly no skills in magic. With only Novice II in [Fire Magic] and without the [Mana Manipulation] skill that most casters had Winston¡¯s flames were pretty much useless. They might do 6 or 7 dps, but that was nothing against anything that was above level 1 or 2. Lucky the tiny frog things were about at that level and Winston had enough mana to make a lot of his crappy fire.

    Great gouts of flame sprayed over everything and the frogs started to scream and turn on Winston. Frograts pounced on him, biting and clawing but he kept pouring out more fire. Finally the creatures started to drop and Winston and Bog mopped up everything that was left. Then combat was over and Bog¡¯s armor had worn off.

    [Your Elemental Magic Skill has Increased]

    [Current Rank: Novice III]

    [Your Shield of Faith Skill has Increased]

    [Creates a Shield of pure faith to protect the caster]

    [Rank: Beginner I]

    [Duration: 60 Seconds]

    [Cooldown: 5 mins]

    [Cost: 30 FP]

    [Effect: Creates a Shield of Faith in Front of the user]

    [Beginner Effect: Armor of Faith]

    [Use may spend 100 faith to create a Shield of Faith as armor that surrounds a creature of the casters choice]

    Winston looked at Bog and shook his head. ¡°Where are you taking me? We both coulda died.¡± Winston said, more than a big sour. Bog just squawked at him and walked on. Winston tossed a few of the corpses into his bag then followed after his bird.

    She lead him deeper onto the little island they¡¯d found until they came upon another of the Frograts huddle down into a nest of branches and fronds. Unlike the others this one was slightly larger and glowed with golden light.

    Bog charged immediately but there was only one enemy this time. It was faster and stronger than the other frog-rats but it was still at least 10 or 15 levels under Bog. She battered him around a bit. Then stomped the creature to death.

    Winston walked over and inspected the creature as Bog started to chew on it with her beak.

    [Golden Frothing]

    [Frothlings are weak, but highly populous herbivores that eat the fruits and plants of the jungle. If a group of frothlings has ample food and territory sometimes a Golden Frothing will be born. These have minor magical powers are imbued with a trace of karmic luck. This makes their cores valuable to some alchemists.]

    Winston sighed as Bog tried to bite at the frothling¡¯s head. She must be after it¡¯s core. Winston sighed and pulled a metal shovel from his pack. He could use the butchering skill on it. That would make the corpse vanish and drop some meat and the core, but Winston wanted this thing¡¯s bones, blood, and bowles. He could make some high quality fertilizer with it. He wondered what would happen to his ginseng if he fertilized them with bonemeal imbued with karmic luck.

    Winston dug out the beasts core, which was disgusting and rather foul process. He hadn¡¯t done more than pull it out when Bog snapped it out of his hands and gulped it down. Then she danced around happily before she let out a distressed squawk and fell over. She started to seize up and her feathers started to fall out.

    Winston¡¯s eyes went wide, but he calmed down a moment later when a pop-up appeared infront of his face.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    [User¡¯s Bonded Pet Evolving]

    [Evolution Details]

    [Starting Species: Giant Grassland Cassowary]

    [Evolution Modifiers]

    [Loyalty: 76]

    [High number of Cloudberries Consumed: +3 air affinity]

    [Medium number of High-Quality Cloudberries Consumed: +4 Air Affinity]

    [Low Number Superior-Quality Cloudberries Consumed: +7 Air Affinity]

    [Golden Forthling Core Consumed: +10 Water Affinity, Special Modifier]

    [Evolution Unlocked]

    [Air-Touched Cassowary]

    [Level: 20 Type: Magical Beast]

    [Sex: Female Loyalty: 76]

    [Strength: 35 Agility: 22]

    [Intellect: 38 Constitution: 37]

    Endurance: 34 Willpower: 22]

    [Specializations:

    Vitality 1

    Mental 2

    Cloud Magic 1]

    [Abilities:]

    [Fowl Charge]

    [Cloud Step]

    Winston waved away the messages and looked on with worry. He at least knew what was happening now but Bog looked to be in terrible pain. The evolution lasted a few minutes and blue feathers started to grow over her in place of her old gray ones. Then she stumbled back to her feet and walked around drunkenly, looking confused and groggy until she came back to herself.

    Once she gathered her wits she seems to glow with joy. She leapt at Winston nearly knocking him down and danced around making a ton of noise. Her body seemed to have leaned out a bit with her new transformation. Winston brought up her stats again and frowned. She¡¯d lost 4 levels, but all her stats had increased accept for a minor decrease to constitution. Her intellect, wisdom, and agility, and improved by a lot and she¡¯d gotten a new ability.

    [Taming Has Increased to Beginner III]

    Winston smiled and started rubbing Bog on her new blue feathers. Their little side-trip had been bizarre but Winston had pocketed quite a few gains from it.

    The two made their way back to the farm. It was nearly noon and Winston had only accomplished a single item on his list today. He still needed to finish cutting and moving the stones for Brad. He needed to start building his oven and now he needed to grind up the bones of the Golden Frothing in his bag.

    Jason waved him down as Winston made it back.

    ¡°Where the hell have you been? I¡¯ve been busting my hump all morning.¡± Jason complined. He¡¯d managed to get another rock into place by himself. That must had been back-breaking work. It was hard with two people but with only one it would be nearly impossible. Winston felt a little bad, but it wasn¡¯t as if he¡¯d been fooling around.

    ¡°Just think how much strength and endurance you¡¯ll gain next time you level. You should be thanking me really.¡± Winston said with a grin.

    Jason flipped him the bird but Winston ignored him.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just finish these stupid rocks. Then you can get back to chopping wood for my wall. You talk to Brad about the dungeon yet?¡± Winston asked.

    ¡°Not exactly. I figured I¡¯d spring it on him when he finished up today.¡± Jason said.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t wait too long. You know Brad. He¡¯d not exactly the chatty or giving type.¡± Winston said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not, am I?¡± Said Brad¡¯s flat voice from behind them. Winston laughed and turned around.

    ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong man. You¡¯re a good friend, I¡¯d trust you with my life, but I wouldn¡¯t ask you to borrow five bucks. You¡¯re who I¡¯d call if I needed a body moved, or someone''s brakes to fail.¡± Winston said.

    Brad scowled at him, but Winston knew him well enough to see the laughter in his eyes. ¡°I can do a dungeon if we hurry. I¡¯ve gotta be back at the guild by next Thursday.¡±

    ¡°That should be enough time unless it¡¯s a really big dungeon.¡± Winston said as he walked back to the rock formation. They¡¯d knocked off a decent bit of it, but it was still huge. He selected another part and started working with his pick.

    Winston and Jason managed to get the rocks cut and moved into place by late in the afternoon. Winston had gained two more ranks in Quarrying, but the work had been hard. Brad was carving runes into the large rocks and making odd arm gestures while muttering a lot.

    Winston decided it was time to start on the oven. He needed to start processing the coffee and chocolate. They¡¯d spoil unless he got them processed and stored properly. He brought up the browser in his UI and went to the instructions for a clay furnace he¡¯d found.

    First they¡¯d used bricks as the base. Then covered that in wet sand, and slapped wet clay around the sand.Then they''d let the clay dry and harden. Then put on another layer of sand, and another of clay. Once the outside hardened again, they¡¯d scooped the sand out from the inside.

    Winston decided he¡¯d do something similar but he wanted at least one layer of brick. It would make things more stable, as well as be easier to shape.

    The first thing he did was dig a small hole. He filled the hole with one part lime and two parts sand, before summoning water form a finger and letting it all mix together. He needed another hand though.

    He looked around for his golem but couldn¡¯t find it. Then he saw Kishia who was over by the shrine again. ¡°Kishia!¡± He called. The lizard girl looked over and he waved to her. She trotted over.

    ¡°Grab a stick and start stirring this.¡± Winston said as he waved to the mortar. The lizard girl frowned at him but did as he asked. Well, she was his apprentice. In fact, she¡¯d basically been sold to him.

    He unleashed his claws and dug a shallow square pit. It was only a few inches deep. He needed the oven to be big. Those pans Troll had brought were wide as well as long. He also needed the wood to be off to one side. So he¡¯d need a sort of side pocket for the actual fire. He wondered about a chimney. None of the ovens he¡¯d seen online had them. He supposed that would screw up the heat, but on the other hand, wouldn¡¯t that make the smoke a problem.

    He shrugged. He didn¡¯t know enough about it. Worse case scenario he¡¯d just knock a hole in the top. Winston shrugged it away and kept working. He got the hole to the dimensions he wanted then got his shovel and started to scoop mortar into it, just enough to fill the bottom. Then it was placing each brick and trying to get them all mostly level.

    Winston looked over his work one last time then shrugged. He placed his head on the ground and looked down the length of the bricks. He stood up again. That was about as good as he was going to be able to manage.

    He looked to the lizard girl and waved her to stop. ¡°Sorry to drag you away, but I needed another set of hands and Jason already left to chop trees.¡± The lizard girl shrugged at him. Then cleaned off her hands and stood up.

    She started to leave then turned back to him. ¡°Can you order some alchemists tool for me? You said you¡¯d let me spend the money you paid me for helping you with the harvest.¡±

    Winston shrugged. ¡°Sure can. I¡¯ll send Troll a message in a day or two. He¡¯ll bring them back next week. I¡¯ll see if I can get him to bring some recipes as well. Not sure what they¡¯ll cost but the low-level ones should be pretty cheap.¡±

    Kisha nodded solemnly then wandered off. Winston watched her go then shrugged. He was glad she¡¯d finally asked for something but he wasn¡¯t sure why she¡¯d been in such a crappy mood today. Either way, he had work to do as usual. The bricks would need at least twelve hours to dry, maybe more in this humidity.

    In the meantime he needed to deal with the frothing corpses. They¡¯d start to stink soon. He headed over to his fertilizer pits and pulled the corpses out of his bag. He tossed one corpse into each pit and folded the dirt over them. He¡¯d mix some lime in later. Now that he had some lime to work and a jungle full of ingredients to experiment with he could start working on different fertilizers like he¡¯d wanted to back at the Sword¡¯s keep.

    He nodded, then headed towards his ginseng garden. The plants had sprouted and were growing but he had no idea how long he should leave them grow. He knew it took years for them to grow in the RL, but then again it took all of two weeks for a fruit tree to grow from a seedling to fruit bearing. Winston would leave them for a month then pick one and see how the game rated it.

    He should also ask Kishia what type they were. She likely knew and she¡¯d never told him. He pulled the Golden Frothling corpse from his pack. He sighed and pulled out a shovel. This was going to be messy. Using a knife would make the games skill-system take over. He¡¯d only have to cut the monsters a few times then the game would disappear the corpse and leave behind some meat, some skin, and possible a special drop based on his skill. He however, needed all the ¡®waste¡¯. That meant he had to use something that was not a knife.

    He looked down at the small garden and the neat rows of rowing ginseng. Then realized he was wasting a good deal of effort. If he was going to all the trouble to cut up a magical frog-monster for fertilizer he might as well get his moneys worth. He picked one of the small plants at random, crouched down and touched it.

    ¡°[Nurture]¡± He said, as power rushed out of him and the plant started to glow slightly. He stood back up and smiled.

    Working on the forthling was just as disgusting as he imagined.The juice and meaty bits he tossed into the garden and mixed into the soil. The bones had an oddly metallic sheen to them and he made sure he pulled most of them out before tossing the rest of the body into the garden and burying it next to the plant he¡¯d cast [Nurture] on. He washed the bones off with some summoned water and stuck them into his pack. He¡¯d wait till Kishia got her alchemy tools and make her grind them.

    As he finished up there was a ripple in the are as purple and red energy crackled over his farm in a dome. It lasted a few seconds then vanished before a message appeared on his screen.

    [Moderate Flaming-Thunder Ward Activated]

    [Tied to Owner: Win Mills]

    [Attributes: Shield = 1:1]

    [Flaming Thunder Strike: 4:1]

    [Mana Capacity: 8642/50,000

    [Recharge Rate: -10/hour]

    Brad walked over to Winston looking satisfied. ¡°The wards finished. If nothing trips it, it should last about a month on it¡¯s own. You can dump in your own mana to keep it going though. If you can dump in enough every day, you should be able to stabilize it, and even start charging it up. The problem is gonna be if you come under attack and it starts draining. As soon as it hits 0 the runes will shatter and it¡¯ll have to be rebuilt from scratch. You¡¯re the owner, so you can walk over to one of the stones and change it¡¯s activation settings.¡± Brad explained in his flat voice.

    ¡°Be sure to whitelist everyone you don¡¯t want it zapping, and you also might wanna put a level floor on the defensive lighting. Otherwise it¡¯ll waste all it¡¯s mana zapping bugs and squirrels.¡± He added.

    Winston nodded, then mentally marked another task off his list and got back to work. He was going to need to move fast if he was going to a dungeon.

 Chapter 40

    Sunday started off busy, much like Saturday. With a few days until the trees were ready for the next harvest and without the ward stones eating up his time. Winston had time to focus on his

    oven. The sky was overcast but it hadn¡¯t started raining yet. Winston was sure it would start later on. It was always raining.

    Winston did a few stretches then walked over to inspect his oven. The bricks had dried wall and the base was mostly flat. Now he basically had to make a sand-castle, cover it in clay, let that dry, and brick the whole thing. The process wasn¡¯t complicated. Winston just used a shovel, piled the sand up and summoned water. Then he shaped the sand into an elongated rectangle with a very wide mouth on one side. The clay went on top and two hours later Winston had finished for the day. The clay would take forever to dry with all the moisture in the air, but he didn¡¯t really need it until next Thursday when the coffee was done.

    ¡°Morning boss, you ready for the dungeon today?¡± Jason said as he grabbed his axe.

    ¡°Are we doing it today? You talked to Brad?¡± Winston asked, as he walked around his hut to his small herb garden. The only thing planted in it was ginseng, but he wanted to see what effect, if any, the frog blood and guts had.

    ¡°Yep. he said he¡¯d do it, but it had to be today. He¡¯s gotta get back to his guild. Apparently they got in a scuffle with another guild and they need their ward master back.¡±Jason said, as he rounded the hut with WInston.

    Kisha was standing in the herb garden looking down at the new herbs. Winston walked up to see what had fascinated her and paused. A few of the plants had gained odd red veins down their leaves the color of blood, while the one with his [Nurture] spell on it had gained golden veins and was larger. In contrast all the plants around the gold one had gotten black veins, and the leaves looked more jagged. Overall they looked evil. Like the golden plant had sucked all of their good out for itself.

    ¡°Interesting effect.¡± Winston said thoughtfully. He was pretty happy. Even the dark evil ginsings should be good for witches and dark potions. ¡°Can you tell what they are? Winston asked his apprentice.¡±

    ¡°Well, the plant you found was a normal Tropical Ginsing. They are pretty common around here, but are useful for a lot of things. The ones with the red-veins are now Blood-Drinker Ginseng. They should be extra good for health potions, maybe even some strengthening mixtures. Not sure about the others, but they feel powerful.¡± The young lizard-girl said. She was talking to Winston but her eyes kept looking over to where Jason was standing. He coughed slightly.

    ¡°Well¡­. I better go get to work. Brad said to be ready to go by 11:00 our time.¡± Jason said before fleeing into the jungle to chop down more trees. Winston chuckled as Kishia watched his friend run away.

    Winston brought up his UI and checked the time. It was 10:00 so he didn¡¯t have much time. What did someone even take to a dungeon? It was like he had potions or armor to get ready. Maybe he should get some food. Winston went and tossed a few oranges into his pack. He should see if Kishia could cook at all. He was tired of eating left-over dried meat from when he¡¯d been in the 10 Kingdoms and the fruit he grew. He was going to go nuts if he had to eat oranges and apples for another month.

    WInston spent the next hour putting in his order with Troll for next week. He needed alchemist tools and ingredients for Kishia, A few half-casks so he could start up his brewing again, and some real food. He was looking at the sky, trying to decide if it was going to rain again when Brad logged back in.

    He looked around then waved Winston over. ¡°Where¡¯s Jason, I thought he was the one who wanted to do this dungeon?¡± He asked as he looked around for the large crocodile.

    ¡°My apprentice was making mooneyes at him so he fled.¡± Winston laughed. Brad actually chuckled.

    ¡°Well, he better get back here soon. I should be able to blast though all the mobs pretty fast but it¡¯s gonna take a while to walk there since you guys don¡¯t have mounts.¡± Winston looked over where bog was running around. He should really look into trying to get a saddle for her. She¡¯d make a decent mount for him. She was big enough to carry his bulk.

    Winston was about to reply when Jason walked back out of the jungle pulling his log-cart. ¡°You guys ready?¡± He asked as he pushed the cart over to the growing pile of logs.

    ¡°Just waiting for you.¡± Winston said. ¡°Now where¡¯s this dungeon at.¡±

    The three players and one bird set off, walking deep into the zone. The jungle started off fairly light but got thicker and more difficult as they moved. The rain also started again and water poured down from the canopy around them, soaking into Winston¡¯s fur. Winston had a lot of stamina but even he was starting to feel it as they entered the third hour of walking.

    ¡°How much further?¡± Brad asked, as he stepped around some large and spiky plant.

    ¡°Another half-mile.¡± Jason said. That would have cheered Winston if walking through the thick jungle wasn¡¯t taking so long. A half-mile might take them another hour. A tiger jumped them right before the dungeon entrance but Brad summoned up a shield and Jason hacked the monster apart with his axe.

    The jungle suddenly stopped, opening up on a large basin, with a water-fall plunging down from the opposite site. Far below was the pool and the entrance to a cave. The visual was stunning. The waterfall cast a rainbow against the green of the jungle and the wet stone.

    ¡°This looks like tomb-raider.¡±  Jason said. ¡°I¡¯m expecting another tiger to pop-out, or maybe a T-rex¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think watching you leap from ledge to ledge will look nearly as good.¡± Winston added. ¡°Well, Kishia might like to watch.¡±

    ¡°Screw you man, She¡¯s like 14 and a lizard.¡± Jason said.

    ¡°Lusty Argonian Maid?¡± Brad asked as he raised his wand.

    Winston laughed but Jason sputtered, both were cut short as Brad started to cast. ¡°Eir, Het, Ra, Nar, Po, Wed.¡± Brad said in a clear voice. Mana poured out of him and as he spoke the wind rose, wrapping around all of them as the rune he conjured manifested into a spell. It worked on completely different principles from Winston¡¯s elemental magic. Instead of manipulating the mana directly like elemental magic. Wizards had to memorize runes, which they could conjure then combine into spells to get different effects. Wizards usually lacked the raw exploding damage potential at higher levels as other magic users, but they had a much larger bag of tricks. Brad proved that point as he stepped over the edge and floated down at the speed of a falling leaf.

    A sorcerer could have done the same thing with air magic, but it would have taken an incredible amount of power and control. For a wizard they just had to have the right runes in their spell book. Once they called the runes and dumped in the magic the spell did the work for them. For a wizard it was only a moderate effort.

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    Winston looked down and stepped off himself.  It was an interesting sensation as he fell slowly down the sixty-feet to the entrance to the dungeon. He had a bit of control over the decent but he still landed in knee-deep water.

    He grumbled as he stepped out with soaked leg-fur. Jason slashed down next to him but Bog cheated. As she neared the water mana flared from her and a tiny cloud formed under one of her legs, giving her a foot-hold to leap daintily onto the dry stone surrounding the pool at the bottom.

    ¡°So that¡¯s what Cloud Step does.¡± Winston said thoughtfully. He¡¯d been wondering ever since her evolution. He looked up to examine the yawning darkness in front of them. It was a large tunnel that lead even further down, into the bones of the earth.

    Winston took a deep breath and stepped forward.

    [You Have Entered a Dungeon]

    [Jugda Caverns]

    [Class: Dungeon]

    [Level: 24]

    That was higher than Winson was expecting, but hopefully that meant this was the dungeon he needed to clear. That would finished at least part of his Runa Quest.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do this!¡± Jason said as he pulled one off the axes of his back. Brad didn¡¯t bother speaking at all and he just walked forward. The tunnel was wide enough for six people across with damp walls and brown stone. It was pitch black inside, but Brad cast lights that seemed to attach to either of them and hang above their heads, illuminating the hall, but killing their night vision.

    They crept down the hall, or at least Winston crept. Jason walked like a stalking panther and Brad strolled casually. The first thing to charge them out of the dark were odd plant-squid things. Jason hurled his axe, burying it into one of the creatures while brad pulled a small wand out from his robe and flicked it at the other as he called three runes. Fire bloomed from the tip and smashed the creature backwards and against the wall, where it fell limp and burning.

    Winston¡¯s fear relaxed. The dungeon was far too high of a level for him, but for Brad this wasn¡¯t even a challenge. He plowed through the all the pulls using only the simplest spells of two and three runes.

    Winston, Bog, and Jason walked along in his wake, not bothering to do too much as Brad exploded all the various mobs. It was only when they came to the first boss-mob that things got a bit complicated. The tunnel widened out into a large room with a giant pillar of plant life in the center. The floor was covered in flowers and thorny vines, the air thick with the scent of plantlife.

    The pillar pulsed oddly and Bard turned back to ask. ¡°Bets?¡±

    ¡°Plants are hiding a giant eyeball that shoots lasers, and a mouth that shoots poison.¡± Jason said.

    ¡°It¡¯ll animate all the vines on the floor to attack us. Probably summon those vines-things as adds.¡± Winston added.

    Brad raised his wand but this time it wasn¡¯t a simple spell. He chanted at least nine runes before he flicked his wand. A fire ball appeared in front of the wizard. Then, as if it was being multiplied two more appeared about five feet away hanging at the same height on either side. Then those fireballs created more fireballs until there were at least thirty small balls of flame half-circling the pillar of plants. Brad flicked his wand again and all the tiny fire-balls streaked forward like miniature shooing stars.

    The effect was immediate, explosions rocket the chamber and a terrible screech filled the space as the boss monster came to life. The plants all detached from the central pillar and started to wave about as the vines on the floor animated and started to lash the air.

    Winston leap aside as one of the vines snapped at him but even so he could still see the pillar. Four mouths opened and giant clouds of green fog started to fill the room as Brad started his next spell. Jason hurled axe after axe at the giant plant monster, while Brad hurled bolts of an off red-lighting that seemed to burn as well as electrocute. Winston was just wondering what he should be doing when the monster let out another screech and fell limp.

    ¡°Well, that was exciting.¡± Winston said. They waited for the poison clouds to dissipate before walking up to the boss, looking for loot. Winston wished he had his wheelbarrow, he imagined all this plant matter would make excellent fertilizer. Still he could get some of it. He looked around for the best chunk until he found a section of root right up against the things main body. Winston tried to cut it off with a knife, but Jason had to take his axe to it to get the root loose. Winston stuffed it into his pack and the boss dissolved into black mist, leaving behind a small pile of gold and a strange pulsing seed.

    [Xargoth¡¯s seed]

    [Rare, Regent]

    [The seed of Xargoth and the core of its power. This seed contains the power of twisted nature, of both growth and corruption. The seed would make an excellent regent for item crafting.]

    ¡°So, that¡¯s poison mouths with no eyes, and vines with no adds. I¡¯ll call it a draw.¡± Bad said.

    Winston shook his head as he swept up the gold. The game divided it between the three. The monsters changed as the tunnels became less covered in plantlife. The next monsters seemed to be some sort of undead plant people, with bodies half-shriveled. They seemed to shrug off some of Brad¡¯s magic so Winston opened up with his faith.

    ¡°Runa let the light of your flame drive back the darkness!¡± Winston shouted as he called faith from his staff. As the blue-silver light washed over the creatures the shriveled plants that made up their bodies started to burn. Screams filled the tunnels as the monsters burned but they didn¡¯t stop. They kept charging forward but Jason polished them off with his axe. The monsters became less like plants and more like zombies or ghouls as they pressed forward. Winston found the whole thing a bit boring.

    With Brad they could just bulldoze through the whole thing. They didn¡¯t have to worry about tactics or pulling extra mobs, they didn¡¯t really even have to try. Brad just mowed everything down, or hurt it so badly Winston and Jason could finish them off. The second, and final boss battle came a few minutes later.

    The boss was in some sort of off archaic temple. The natural rock of the cave had became worked stone, marble by the look of it. Odd cave paintings of twisted figures covered the walls. A ghoul stood in the middle of the room. This one was larger than the other and radiating black power.

    ¡°Buy me a second.¡± Brad said as he started to cast a spell.Winston looked at him incredulously but Jason hurled an axe, before grabbing another and throwing it as well.

    ¡°Bog! Foul Charge¡± Winston shouted as he summoned armor for her. She was tough so she should be able to tank for a while with his armor. It was a shame he couldn¡¯t heal. With his faith pool he¡¯d be as powerful as any priest and have all his farming power besides.

    Bog charged forward and smashed into the boss, his black power seeming to clash with the blue-silver faith of Winston¡¯s armor. Small bolts of power flashed back and forth as the two opposing forcing annihilated each other. The boss reared back and punched the massive bird, she let out a squawk as she cartwheeled across the floor and her amor shattered, but she looked more mad than hurt.

    She rushed back to her feet but was interrupted as Brad finally threw his spell. He¡¯d summoned up some sort of laser-shuriken. He¡¯d warped the air into five lenses witch seemed to reflect and focus a single line of light. It formed into a pentacle and was spinning like a circular saw. Brad had poured so much magic into it reality itself seemed to warp. Then he flug it at the ghoul and it chewed through its body, leaving it to fall into two pieces.

    ¡°Well, that was anticlimactic.¡± Winston said as he walked over to the boss. He¡¯d been hoping for some rare herbs but he honestly didn¡¯t know what he was even looking for. Everything in the plant section had been all vines and some flowers but he wasn¡¯t sure what was valuable and what wasn¡¯t. He should have brought Kishia but he hadn¡¯t wanted to put her in danger.

    Still, it hadn¡¯t been completely for nothing. Jason had walked over to the body that had already started to dissolve into black dust. When Winston got there the only thing left was black stone heart. Behind where the boss had been standing was a chest and Brad headed for it, popping open the top to reveal gold coins and a few precious stones, as well as some scrolls, and a potion of some sort.

    ¡°Can I have this?¡± Winston asked, as he raised the black stone heart. ¡°I can buy it, but I need to sacrifice it to Runa for a quest.¡±

    ¡°My quest is done.¡± Jason said. ¡°I just need to go back to the ferries. Still, my first dungeon and no real loot.¡±

    Winston reached into the pack and pulled out the seed from the first boss before he handed it over to his friend. He was getting the final bosses loot and it wasn¡¯t like he could so much with the seed. If he planted it, it would just turn into a monster. That wouldn¡¯t help his farm. It might bump up his farming skills though, but a giant boss monster would wreak his entire orchard in a few seconds, not to mention blow up the runes he just had made.

    ¡°What¡¯s the take?¡± Winston asked Brad.

    Brad thumbed through the pile of gold, scrolls, and the potion. His head bobbed back and forth slowly as if he was doing some mental math. ¡°Maybe two grand. Likely less.¡± Jason grunted.

    ¡°Not bad for an hours work.¡± Jason said as they found the hidden tunnel that lead back to the surface. Most dungeons had one and climbing back up from the pool would have taken forever. The four of them headed back through the jungle to the farm, making Winston grimace as he noticed the sun already setting. The dungeon had been fast, but the walk had taken forever.

    Half a day and for just two grand. He walked to the center of his farm where the shrine stood with its everburning flame, flickering between silver and blue. Winston closed his eyes and tried to focus on his faith. The game could read thoughts and faith required both will and sincerity. Winston sighed then focused his mind.

    He didn¡¯t try for any fancy speeches but he did try to add a little ceremony with his movements. He took the black stone heart and tossed it into the silver flames. The flames sparked and flared as the evil heart burned in the silver fire. The shrine rumbled a few another few inches as his UI beeped.

    [Divine Mandate Updated]

    [The Goddess Runa has tasked you with helping her claim Jogda has a sanctum. To do so you must complete a series of tasks.]

    [Task: Convince three villages to build a shrine to Runa 0/3]

    [Kill the divine champion of Grisith 0/1]

    [Sacrifice the boss loot form Jugda Caverns 1/1]

    [Reward for Success: Improved Relations with the Goddess Runa, A Divine Power, Experience]

    [Warning:  Divine Mandates are not like quests. They are not optional and failure to complete them will result in a complete loss of skill ranks with the applicable God or Goddess.]

    Winston read the message then waved it away. Christmas Break started Monday so he didn¡¯t have school for at least two weeks. His time restrictions would be lifted and he¡¯d have time to start on his first shrine. Hopefully he could finish his quest before he went back to school.

 Chapter 41

    Winston was on his computer looking over market data and different types of mortar when someone knocked on his door. It was Monday morning but with no school Winston was free to eat breakfast and listen to music as he relaxed.

    ¡°Come in.¡± He said without turning around. Dumping all those oranges in the Wraith Harbor market had pretty much killed it. The place just didn¡¯t have enough demand.

    Josh walked in wearing khakis and a turtleneck. He looked down at Winston in his pajama pants and no shirt and snorted. ¡°Looks like Otherworld has been good for someone. You¡¯re in shape, hell you¡¯ve even got some muscles.¡± Josh said as he looked at Winston.

    Winston looked down at himself. He was still squat but his stomach ponch had shrunk and he¡¯d gained muscles on his arms and back. He didn¡¯t have a six-pack or anything crazy, but he¡¯d come along way. He felt good and he had to admit carrying all that fat around had been exhausting.

    ¡°Yeah, I gotta admit things are going well.¡± Winston said, then smiled. ¡°Trish seems to be pretty happy with the change too.¡± He grinned. The two hadn¡¯t gone all the way but there had been a good deal of making out. Winston was sure the hormones would win eventually.

    ¡°That brings the conversation right to where I wanted it.¡± Josh said. ¡°I wanted to get a present for Jessica, thought you might wanna go shopping since I figured you¡¯d put off your christmas shopping as long as I had.¡±

    Winston frowned. He hadn¡¯t gotten a present for Trisha yet. He also hadn¡¯t spent much time with Josh. Looks like he¡¯d be able to fix both problems at once.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m in. Although, I¡¯m not sure Christmas shopping is supposed to be for male bonding. When do you wanna leave? I¡¯ve gotta finish my oven in game sometime today.¡±  Winston said as he dug through his closet and pulled out a tee-shirt. It hung on him. ¡°Might need a new shirt or two as well.¡± His bank account had been fattened up so he might as well spend some.

    ¡°That¡¯s what happens when you drop 15 or 20 pounds in three monthes.¡± Josh said. ¡°I planned on heading out about 11, so you¡¯ve got a few hours.¡± Josh told him as he headed back out of Winston¡¯s room.

    Winston checked the time on his computer and sighed. He closed the market window. He might have to try a ship this week. He¡¯d have to see what kind of deal Troll could make.

    An hour later Winston and Josh were sitting in the car and headed away from town. Where they lived in was too small for much shopping, so they had a bit of a drive to get to somewhere with options.

    The heater was on full blast but Winston kept his window cracked to feel the December wind. The scenery passed by in a blur.¡°Decided on a school yet?¡± Winston asked as the car sped down the high-way.

    Josh sighed. ¡°I swear everyone is asking me that. I¡¯ve still got five months until I graduate.¡± He growsed but continued. ¡°I¡¯m not good enough to start D1, well, maybe somewhere crappy, but even second string would be a stretch in some places. I don¡¯t know what I want. At a DII I could likely start, at least as a sophomore. Probably get a better education too.¡±

    ¡°Seems you¡¯ve already made up your mind then.¡± Winston said.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ I think so. Colorado Mesa Offered me a full ride and housing with the team. It¡¯s only two states over and the campus is nice. The teams not great, but they¡¯re decent and they have the major I want.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of it.¡± Winston said. ¡°Where is it?¡±

    ¡°Grand Junction, Colorado.¡±

    ¡°Are the girls cute?¡± Winston asked. Josh laughed.

    ¡°College girls are always cute.¡± Josh said with a smile. ¡°Still though, Jessica said she might come with me. She doesn¡¯t really care about school. She¡¯d basically a professional gamer, and I don¡¯t see her giving that up for a degree. Most degrees now aren''t worth the paper their printer on.¡±

    ¡°Do you want her to?¡± Winston asked, carefully.

    Josh sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I mean, I like her. I do, but isn¡¯t her following me to school weird? I mean we¡¯ve been dating for less than a month really.¡±

    ¡°In most cases? Yes. I mean, following a high-school sweetheart to college is generally always a recipe for disaster. At least from what I¡¯ve heard. I mean, I¡¯ve heard at least six different stories that ended in heartbreak. Then again, getting your heartbroken in college and picking up a rebound or two is part of growing up as far as I understand it.¡± Winston said thoughtfully, then went on.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how I¡¯d feel about Trish doing that. We¡¯re still pretty new. I feel like things are going well. Thinking about the future at this point just puts more pressure on us for no reason. We¡¯ve still got a year to feel things out. As for you and Jessica? You kinda fit honestly.¡± Winston said. They weren¡¯t just the two most popular people in school. Their personalities fit. Jessica was a manipulator, but kinder than most people thought. Josh was open and honest, but harder than most people thought. They suited in an odd way.

    Stolen story; please report.

    They finally reached the city and were spat out into streets clogged with shoppers rushing around the grab up gifts in the last few days before Christmas. Winston wasn¡¯t sure what he wanted to get Trish. He¡¯d through to get something useful at first, but Josh told him that was a bad idea.

    That put him onto jewelry shiny rocks were about as useless as you could get and it was their first Christmas together. He¡¯d get something nice but not too nice. Too nice would seem desperate or obsessed, but he didn¡¯t want to get something cheap she¡¯d just toss in a drawer and never put on.

    A half-hour later Winston was looking over a jewelry counter. The store wasn¡¯t too nice but it did have some decent pieces and they weren¡¯t gouging him on the prices too badlyl. Winston was looking at a bracelet in silver dotted with tiny emeralds. It looked like a tree with the roots twined together for the clasp. It would look good with that green shirt she¡¯d been wearing the other day and the tree made him think of her Otherworld avatar.

    As he stood at the counter two more men walked up and started looking over the collection. One was an older man, in his forties, overweight but comfortable with it. Beside him was his son, a younger and skinnier version, he was likely Josh¡¯s age or maybe a year older and already in college.

    ¡°This is crap.¡± Said the younger one. ¡°My first day of Christmas vacation and you drag me out here.¡± He complained.

    The dad sighed. ¡°I¡¯d rather be in game too, but Christmas is on Thursday and I still haven''t gotten anything for your mother. We need to get this wrapped up so I can get back to the Inn. Mary is a good enough cook, but she can¡¯t run the whole place herself.¡±

    Winston¡¯s gold making radar pinged and he turned away from the bracelet to face the older balding man. ¡°You run an inn in Otherworld?¡±

    The man turned to look at Winston then smiled.¡° You play too? Yeah the inn is my pet project. Always wanted to run a bar after I left the service but getting a loan was a nightmare, but for a few hundred gold and a bit of reputation grinding I could get one in Otherworld no problem. I put it in the Mistlands. Lots of Asain themed towns and cultures there. Figured the players might want someplace they could get ale, western style food. The costs are high, but I turn a good profit.¡± He bragged proudly.

    Winston looked at the man and thought about his pitch. Sales wasn¡¯t exactly his strong suit. Then again, if you had a good product and could find a market it wasn¡¯t that complicated. He decided to start slow.

    ¡°I¡¯m a farmer. Got a small orchard going in Kishik. Been making good money with the grain and fruit prices where they are. It¡¯s interesting to play the game from a different perspective you know. I wanted to make a healer at first but I just ended up farming.¡±

    ¡°I play a Berserker, I¡¯ve got Axe¡¯s and Rage both at Professional rank. I raid for the Black Hand.¡± The older boy bragged. Winston nodded in the appropriate places as he went on and on about raids and PvP fights he¡¯d gotten into. Winston tried to get the boys dad back in the conversation. He wanted to at least establish some contact.

    Winston saw Josh walking towards the booth and decided to hurry things along. ¡°Well, that¡¯s my brother he¡¯d probably ready to head back home. If your in the market for some fresh oranges or coffee for your patrons look me up. I¡¯m Win Mills in game.¡± Winston said to the pair as he turned to the woman running the counter. He bought the tree bracelet as the father son pair said goodbye and headed towards a different part of the store.

    Winston wasn¡¯t sure if anything would come of the meeting or not. He did need to start making a brand for himself if he wanted to expand his business. The auction house was all fine and good but it wasn¡¯t the best way to get to his customers.

    Winston and Josh headed back home and Winston got back in game. He had to finish his oven.

    *********************************************

    The orange trees looked much like the week before as the fruit pulled down their branches. The lime seemed to have done its work. The fruit were larger, and if the yields weren¡¯t much better the quality was. That would make sales even more difficult. Dealing with normal goods on the auction house was usually fine, but trying to sell a lot of high-quality goods would be more difficult. The buy orders would be all over the place and not too many people would be actively looking to buy something like oranges, especially in bulk. The grains he¡¯d been dealing in before had been easier, but WInston was going to have to make some choices soon.

    Winston re-summoned a farm-hand and put it to work on the trees as he started laying bricks. With the hardened clay already shaped into what he wanted, putting a layer of bricks on top didn¡¯t take long. He just had to smear on plenty of mortar and stick on the bricks. Either he was getting better or the game was throwing him a bone because it didn¡¯t come out half bad. Not great but decent. He grabbed a shovel and started scooping out the dried sand from inside as the bricks dried.

    [Your Construction Skill has Increased]

    [Current Rank: Novice V]

    It took a while and he had to cheat a bit with earth-magic to get all the sand out, but soon the inside was clean. He watched his golem cap a barrel of oranges and walked into his hut. Inside were empty barrels and the ones holding last weeks coffee and cacao. Winston popped open the barrel cap of the coffee cherries and dumped some into his pack. He focused on getting out the seeds and tried to pour a couple out. They popped out, falling to the floor clean and a light green color. They came out without the goo from the cherries that needed fermented off in the real world, or the thin membrane that had to be removed after roasting. That simplified things nicely, instead of a long multi-step process he now just had to roast them.

    Winston spent the next few minutes hauling the coffee crates over to the compost pits, then worked his way through. He used his pack to get out the seeds and dumped everything else into the fertilizer pits. Before putting the seeds back into the barrels. He ended with only two full barrels of beans, but that was a decent first harvest. There would be more next week.

    Kisha was weeding his small garden. Which was interesting, Winston had never left a field long enough to grow weeds before. Usually he picked things as soon as they were ripe. Which might only take a few hours. The ginseng had been planted nearly a week and a half ago and they were getting a bit weedy, especially after he¡¯d fertilized them. It was a good job for her, but seeing her there made Winston think of another thing he needed to start working on.

    ¡°Do you know where the other villages around here are?¡± Winston asked the young lizard-girl. There were supposed to be two more somewhere, but Winston hadn¡¯t seen them.

    ¡°There¡¯s one far to the West, right on the edge of the jungle.¡± Kishia said. ¡°My aunt used to tell me about it. That¡¯s where my uncle was from. It¡¯s at least two days walk.¡± Winston grimaced at that. He¡¯d have to wait until the next weekend to make the trip. He had too much to do on the farm other-wise, or maybe he could hitch a ride with troll, and hop-off at the edge of the zone. That would be faster.

    ¡°Thanks, Troll should be here in a day or two with your alchemy stuff. I ordered a few recipes and a few simple ingredients as well. I¡¯ll try to plant a few for you.¡± Winston told her. She nodded and smiled slightly. She didn¡¯t seem too happy, but at least in a better mood than the day before. Her moods bounced all over the place.

    Winston let the mortar dry then went to gather some lumber for the ovens. He¡¯d watched a few videos and he¡¯d need to let the wood burn way down before he put the beans in. Then he¡¯d plug the entrance and let the beans bake. Apparently it was quite the process and had to be watched closely. He need another thermometer eventually. He¡¯d bought one for brewing but he¡¯d need another for his oven.

    Winston used a burst of fire mana to start the ovens once he had loaded in a few chunks of wood. Then got out one of his massive roasting pans. He waited for nearly an hour as the smoke cleared and the fires burnt down. Then he put in the first batch of beans and the end plug. He kept it small for the first attempt.. The beans were supposed to crack when they were nearly ready. The first crack was for a city-roast. Most people liked their coffee between the first and second crack. After the second crack was where the lands of dark and french roasts lived, but it was hard to ride that line without burning them outright.

    The beans started to crackle like pop-corn a few minutes in and Winston gave the beans a sixty-count before he started to pull them out. The results were mixed, with some beans light brown and some darker brown. Winston sorted them by color as he worked through the beans he had. As he was working light flared around him. He smiled. Ranking up was taking longer with just his golem working but he should hit Apprentice in fruits by the end of the week.

    [Fruit Sub-Skill has Increased]

    [Current Rank: Beginner V]

    [Bonus Fruit Crop Yield: 25%]

    [Bonus Fruit Quality: 25%]

    It was going to be a good Christmas.

 Chapter 42

    Winston looked over the barrels of fruit packed into his hut with a frown. The yields had been somewhat lower since he¡¯d let his golem do all the work. He only had about 24 barrels of oranges, but at least 20 of those were now high-quality. That was a problem. He¡¯d done more research and there just wasn¡¯t much established market for the higher-quality fruits and vegetables. It wasn¡¯t that they weren¡¯t valuable. It was just that there wasn¡¯t enough supply for people to be seeking them out, at least in bulk.

    Selling a few barrels of them would be easy, but twenty? Even the really big auction hubs wouldn¡¯t have buy orders for all those. He could put up his own sell orders of course, but how many people would be looking for oranges? A few to be sure, but it might take weeks to sell them all. That wasn¡¯t a huge problem. In the auction house they¡¯d stay fresh, but what about the week after that, or the week after that? He¡¯d have to spread them out all over the game world. That would be a nightmare to manage and the portal costs would kill him. If he wasn¡¯t careful he¡¯d end up giving the things away, or just leaving them to rot.

    No, he needed people like that innkeeper in the store. An innkeeper with a busy place could go through a barrel of oranges worth of juice in a single morning. He didn¡¯t want to think about what a glass of OJ made with high-quality oranges would cost, but there would be demand. Same thing with the coffee. If he could find a dozen inns that saw a good number of players and make some deals he¡¯d be able to keep things moving.

    Winston stood on a ladder and picked coffee cherries. It was work, but didn¡¯t take much concentration. He opened up the forums and started looking around for an inn as his hands kept moving. He started with inn¡¯s in Kishik. Wraith Harbor or Daggersport would be the best. That way he could just send Troll and not worry about portals.

    Winston started running some filters in the economy and trade section. Looking for players who owned inns on Kishik. He found quite a few, but only three were close enough to mess with. One in Gavin¡¯s Grotto, an inland city in the jungles a few zones over, one in Daggersport, and one on the beach near the Hound¡¯s compound. The last was more of a beach and surfer bar rather than real inn. Still, they couldn¡¯t make a mimosa without orange juice. Maybe he should plant some limes, you had to have limes for mojitos.

    Winston looked up the names of the three owners. Then composed a message with the mental keyboard as he kept working.

    Fellow Businessmen of Otherworld,

    I am Win Mills, owner of Yawnshu Farms. I have recently started an orange and coffee plantation in Western Kishik. Things are going quite well and harvests have started successfully. I¡¯m currently looking for local establishments that may desire my wares, rather than trying to portal them all back to the kingdoms or other continents. Currently I offer coffee beans, cacao beans(both roasted and unroasted), oranges, apples, and pears.

    If you are interested and would like any. Please respond to this message, or add me as a friend. I have a variety of qualities available, including standard, high, and superior. I sell fruit by the bushel or barrel (3 ? bu) and coffee and chocolate by the pound. Discounts for bulk orders.

    With regards,

    Win Mills

    Winston was about to hit send when he realized what he¡¯d just done. He¡¯d created spam. He laughed aloud as he hit send and 30 gold was sucked out of his account. Sending a mail message was expansive if the user wasn¡¯t on your friends list. It was to keep spam down, and a dollar a message was more than most spammers were willing to pay.

    Winston finished the tree he was on and moved to the next. These were a rich dark red and they smelled great. They has to be superior-quality. The game must have agreed because when he finished picking all the fruit his interface started to flash.

    [You Have Leveled Up]

    [You Have reached Level 16]

    [Name: Win Mills   Level 16]

    [Race: Yawnshu       Class: Grove tender]

    [            Attributes             Status]

    [Str:     52(+3) 55   End: 66(+12)78      Hp: 218/218 Mana: 200/200]

    [Con:    48(+3) 51    Agi: 27                 Stam: 311/311 Panic: 1/12]

    [Cord: 47(+3)50      Int: 37           Hunger: 68/110 Thirst: 24/110]

    [Wis  51(+2) 53       Faith: 56(+11)67         FP:298/298(384/384)]

    [Res:  38(+4) 42 ]

    [Guild: -    Titles: 3]

    [Fame: 15         Friend List: 1/5]

    [Fruit Sub-Skill has Increased]

    [Current Rank: Apprentice I]

    [Bonus Fruit Crop Yield: 29%]

    [Bonus Fruit Quality: 29%]

    [You Have Learned A New Ability]

    [You Have Learned Fruit Basket]

    [Activation: Spell]

    [Cost: 150 Stamina]

    [Duration: 2 Hours]This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    [Rank: N/A]

    [Effect: Creates a basket capable of holding an infinite amount of grown crops. Basket has 99.8% weight reduction.]

    Restrictions: User may summon a number of baskets per day equal to number of summoned Farmhands +1]

    Winston laughed aloud. ¡°Now that¡­ Is a real upgrade.¡± He said happily. Carting around barrels and having to stop picking for logistics had been a pain. With an infinite storage basket he¡¯d have a much simpler time. He wished he¡¯d have had to during his stint with the swords. It would have cut down the time it took to harvest his fields by nearly half.

    Winston rached out a hand and cast his spell. The effect was interesting. Light started to gather in his palm before a basket started to form. It was like someone was using a 3d printer. It started at the top and formed layer by layer until the basket was fully shaped. Then it seemed to ripple as it changed from blue light into a light brown wicker.

    A wave of exhaustion hit him as the spell finished, but he had over 300 stamina now. Spending half wasn¡¯t too much of a strain. He started to pile cherries in the basket and smiled as they vanished. The basket weighed almost nothing and each tree worth of fruit added only a little weight as he finished all the days picking.

    He took the basket over to the pits and dumped the cherries out, leaving the seeds to be put into barrels to wait for roasting. He was getting a good deal of compost piled up. He''d have to do something about that. Once Troll brought the new ingredients for Kishia he''d use the compost for a new garden and plant some of the herbs. It would be good to get a little side business going. Especially if he hadn''t heard from any of the innkeepers.

    He¡¯d have to send Troll through a portal. He had the money to hire a mage himself, but the mage would have to port out to Kishisk and although a personal teleport was cheaper than a full portal Winston was sure he¡¯d have to pick up the bill. That left the question of how many goods would he have to stock-pile to make paying full price for a portal worth while. Winston was setting his goal at 30,000 gold.

    It would be difficult with oranges, apples, and pears, since they didn¡¯t keep well, but he should be able to use coffee and chocolate for that, or he could start trying to make some booze again. Spoilage problems was pretty much the reason people started making booze in the first place, it kept better. If he could make some hard cider, or brandy that would do for the apples and pears, but he¡¯d never heard of people fermenting oranges. He¡¯d heard of orange wine but he was pretty sure that wasn¡¯t made from oranges.

    Still, standard quality coffee was going for nearly 10 gold a pound most places. He had at least 100 pounds of it, around 240 pounds of high-quality, and around 20 pounds of superior from that one tree. Superior coffee could sell for as much as 100 gold a pound. That put his total somewhere around¡­. 8k by his count. That was a good start.

    Winston made up his mind. He¡¯d wait a day to see if any of the innkeepers contacted him, and if not he¡¯d turn all his apples and pears he picked tomorrow into hard cider. Without a still, that was about the best he could do and he had a feeling if he tried to make his own still it would end up as a giant crater and he¡¯d be sent for respawn.

    He still had to start moving bricks to the first lizard-man village but he¡¯d wait a few hours. He was tired and he was on vacation. He walked over and started to dump some of his mana into the ward-stones when the world seemed to explode.

    There was a blinding flash of red light before thunder seemed to crack right on top of Winston¡¯s head. The ground shook and Winston nearly fell as he staggered around half blind and completely deaf.

    There was another flash of light but this time Winston had an idea of what was going on. He looked around the farm and saw a slightly smoking body laying on the ground at the edge of the farm. His interface beeped.

    [You Have Killed A Player]

    [Level Difference 26]

    [PK Penalty: 1h]

    Winston snorted as he watched the body dissolve. It left behind a few gold and a crossbow. Winston shook his head. His ward was like the world¡¯s biggest bug-zapper. He just hoped no-one else would come soon. He didn¡¯t regen enough mana to keep it going.

    Winston reached over and touched the large stone with the ward carved in it. He winced as he saw how much mana had been drained. It had less than 3300 mana left. Winston poured in his own mana but stopped when his head started to swim. His meager mana was a drop in the ocean.

    It looked like he had a bigger problem now. He¡¯d been planning on heading out to start moving building supplies to build his shrine. It seemed that wasn¡¯t going to work now. Not if he had assassins circling. He looked up at the sun as it moved across the midpoint of the sky. Winston shook his head and headed back towards the hut. If he couldn¡¯t leave, he¡¯d just start roasting the new beans. There was always more work.

    ********************************************

    ¡°You sure it¡¯s him.¡± Asked Alex as he looked at the projection hovering above the table in the Hound¡¯s conference room. It was a picture of a mole-man in a straw rice-farmer hat standing next to a mage in a superhero leotard. The were standing in a middle-eastern style city surrounded by players and NPC¡¯s.

    ¡°It¡¯s him.¡± The woman next to him growled. She was covered in tattoos and her muscles bulged around her heavy armor. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. That little sissy just screwed us out of months of planning.¡±

    ¡°Maybe, Maybe not. We always knew our blockade would be temporary.¡± Alex said. ¡°I don¡¯t really blame him either the Swords likely just paid for his first car. Still, we have to do SOMETHING to him. It sets a bad precedent otherwise. We just have to work around Trish and not go over the top. Shame, the scouts we¡¯ve had check out his farm say he¡¯s shipping out a lot of goods. He¡¯s likely making a fortune. It¡¯ll be hard to collect taxes from him if we start killing him.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be us killing them. There are plenty of people who are pissed off at him. We just tell them where he¡¯s at. I¡¯m surprised no-one has took a swing at him already.¡± Vera said.

    Alex laughed aloud. ¡°That¡¯s actually perfect. We tell a few of the other guilds where he is. Let them kill him a few times, then we offer him protection for a fee. It¡¯s the classic protection racket.¡±

    ¡°Won¡¯t he see through it?¡± Vera asked.

    ¡°Of course he will. That doesn¡¯t mean it wont work. That¡¯s why it¡¯s a classic scheme. It doesn¡¯t matter if they know your doing it. He¡¯s a farmer. It¡¯s not like he can''t stop us.¡± Alex said. ¡°Hell, he¡¯ll probably happy to pay. We just have to let him lose a few levels first.¡±

    ¡°Trish won¡¯t be happy.¡± Vera said.

    ¡°Trish is never happy but we can¡¯t do nothing and we can¡¯t go over the top. This is a measured response. It should be fine.¡± Alex replied.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll call up the Crimsuns, The Dark Lions, and the Agentes.¡± Vera agreed.

    ¡°Not the Crumsun¡¯s. They¡¯ll turn this into a massive shit-storm. Just call the smaller guys.¡± Alex rebutted her.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get on it.¡±

    *********************************************************************

    Winston sniffed the first batch of cocoa. It hadn¡¯t come out great, but it wasn¡¯t bad. It had all at least made standard quality. He¡¯d started at too high of a temperature. The next time he¡¯d wait for things to cool further before popping the pan in the oven. Winston poured the roasted beans into a small canvas bag. Then took the last bean for himself and popped it in his mouth. He shuddered as the bitter favor seemed to cling to his tongue.That was going to need a LOT of sugar to turn into anything edible.

    He stood up to start picking apples when he heard someone yelling from the perimeter of the farm. He looked over and smiled. Trish was sitting on her massive boar and waiting at the edge of his ward. Winston laughed and ran over to her as she hopped down and Winston gave her a hug as he picked her up.

    ¡°You came to visit. I was wondering when you¡¯d get a chance to come over and check things out.¡± Winston told her as he sat her down. ¡°Lemme put you on my whitelist.¡± He hurried over to one of the stones and added her to the list of people who could get through the wards.

    ¡°So what¡¯s the special occasion?¡± Winston asked as Trish lead her boar into the farmyard.

    ¡°It¡¯s christmas obviously.¡± Trish said with a laugh.

    ¡°Well yeah, but I¡¯m meeting you tomorrow night for Christmas eve. I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d come to visit in game as well.¡± Winston said.

    ¡°I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. You¡¯ve built yourself a little kingdom here and I wanted to see how it was going .¡± She said as she looked at his little hutt and the brick oven.

    ¡°Want some chocolate?¡± Winston asked. Just finished with the first batch. It¡¯s not great but I scraped a standard-quality. Next couple should be better.¡± Winston told her as he walked over and held up the sack to her.

    ¡°Every girl wants chocolate. I¡¯ll give this to Casey first though. I doubt this is really edible.¡± Trish answered with a grin.

    ¡°It¡¯s edible. It just tastes terrible.¡± Winston laughed, he held out his arm and set off to show Trish his little kingdom.

 Chapter 43

    ¡°So this is how to play the game?¡± Trish asked, as she looked over his orange and coffee grove. The trees were all bright green and the place smelled great as the warm winds rustled the leaves. The sky was cloudy over-heard but that helped cut down on the heat a bit, if not the humidity.

    ¡°Pretty much. It''s honestly a little surprising how much work there is to do. There is always something to build, more crops to harvest, projects to work on, quests to do. It would likely take me a month to get everything where I wanted it. Then I¡¯d likely have even more stuff I wanted to do. I¡¯d build more store-houses, find a better way to transport goods. I¡¯m thinking of an enchanted glass tank for orange juice, I could probably make the glass unbreakable, as well as chill the OJ inside.¡± Winston said, scratching his chin.

    ¡°You¡¯re cute when your being serious.¡± Trish said as she leaned down and kissed him.

    ¡°This is my life, it¡¯ll probably be my job for years, even after I¡¯m out of high-school. If I can keep expanding and find some customers I can make good money.¡± Winston said.

    ¡°Your not going to college?¡± Trish asked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t see much reason to. I¡¯m basically running my own business. I mean, a few accounting and tax classes might be useful but I don¡¯t really feel like sitting through freshman biology, math, english, and the half-hundred other pointless classes just to get a degree like the two million other people. There¡¯s no point.

    Back when degrees were rare they meant a lot. Now everyones got a bachelor''s and I know people who have masters degrees working at Walmart. ¡± Winston explained. ¡°Are you planning on going?¡±

    ¡°Haven¡¯t decided really. I always imagined I would but I¡¯m not sure what I¡¯d want my major to be.¡± Trish said. ¡°Maybe engineering or something? I honestly thought about going into the airforce or navy for a year or two to pay for it.¡±

    ¡°Have you ever even been on a boat?¡± Winston asked.

    Trish shrugged and Winston couldn¡¯t help but watch the motion. Even after being together for months he still loved just looking at her. She really was beautiful, tons of curves and a girl-next-door face. Winston smiled and pulled her back in for another kiss before letting her go again.

    ¡°Well, I wanted to get started on building a shrine but I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be safe. Looks like someone finally found out where I am and what I did. Someone tried to kill me earlier but Brad¡¯s ward did for them. I even got a red name for an hour.¡± Winston told her as the two kept walking through the trees. Kisha was hoeing the garden and Winston lead Trish over to her.

    ¡°Kisha, this is Triska Treesinger, my girlfriend. Trish, this is Kisha my apprentice.¡± Winston said, making introductions.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡± Trish said. Kisha looked at her with a frown, but finally greeted her back. Winston watched as the two sized each other up for a while but finally he sighed and lead Trish away, leaving the lizard-girl to her work.

    ¡°I think my guild found out where you are. They had a couple meetings behind my back yesterday.¡± Trish said. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what they¡¯ll do but it¡¯ll likely be something bad.¡± She sounded more resigned than angry.

    Winston shrugged. ¡°I always knew it would happen. I knew that going in but a few days of getting camped is worth 7 grand. Don¡¯t let it bother you. You¡¯re guild will have to step in eventually, even if they¡¯re the ones that set it up. They can¡¯t have assassins and bounty hunters from other guilds running around their territory for too long. It¡¯ll make them look bad. Likely they¡¯ll just want a bribe of some sort. It¡¯s worth more to them to punish me, then make me pay them off rather than chase me off to someone else''s territory.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re alright with that?¡± Trish asked, a little surprised.

    Winston shrugged.¡°It¡¯s not like throwing a fit or starting a war would accomplish anything. It¡¯s the price of doing business. I¡¯ll just think of it like taxes. After all the only difference between taxes and a protection racket is where the government can convince the people it¡¯s legitimate.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re always so full of positivity.¡± Trish laughed.

    ¡°Speaking of tons of people coming to kill me can you top off my wardstones? I can keep them running if I fill them up when I log on, then again when I get off for the day but I don¡¯t have enough to actually fill them, Especially if I come under attacked again.¡± Winston said.

    Trish smiled. ¡°I suppose I can¡­. But you better have bought me a good present.¡±

    Trish walked over to the nearest stone and started dumping in mana. The stone started to glow and Winston walked over to see how much she was putting in. She didn¡¯t stop until she¡¯d added nearly 2500. That would last him a few days. At least until things really heated up. He doubted the ward would hold. Shame, he¡¯d just bought the damn thing.

    ¡°I hope you¡¯ll like it. It¡¯s not great or anything but I think it suits you.¡± Winston said. ¡°When do you want me to come over tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°Dinner is at six, so that¡¯s fine. They¡¯ll be a ton of people there you won¡¯t know. We¡¯ve got a pretty big family. You sure you don¡¯t want to spend Christmas-eve with your family?¡±

    Winston snorted. ¡°Yeah right, I¡¯ll see them all on Christmas anyway. I¡¯d like to avoid dad as much as possible. He¡¯s been getting worse lately. Its like now that I¡¯m doing something and not letting him get to me he¡¯s becoming even more of an ass.¡±

    ¡°People are like that. Ignoring some bullies will make them get board and stop, ignoring others will make them act more extreme until they cross a line and get slapped down.¡± Trish said.

    ¡°He¡¯s definitely getting there.¡± Winston replied. ¡°Even Josh is starting to get mad at him and it takes a lot to piss Josh off.¡±

    ¡°He has terrible taste in women.¡± Trish muttered. Winston laughed.

    ¡°You really hate Jessica don¡¯t you.¡±A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    Trished sighed heavily. ¡°I really do. She¡¯s such a self-centered little¡­.¡± She made a growling sound that was more cute than ferocious but Winston chose to keep that to himself.

    The two walked around chatting. Winston showed her his oven and all his barrels of fruit. He showed her all his farming abilities and what they could do. He talked about troll, the markets, some of the problems he was having and his plans for solving them. She talked about the guild, the base they¡¯d built on the floating continent, the dungeons they¡¯d run, and the fights they¡¯d gotten into.  Winston had heard of some from the net and streams but many battles hadn¡¯t been reported. The BloodHounds were only a second tier power after all. Only the really big guys got much time on the gaming news. It was pleasant, Trish and Winston saw each other a lot but they only really got to spend time together a night or two every week.

    The sun was setting when the next attack came. This time it was a fireball smashing into his wards that let Winston know someone was there. The wards rippled but held and they let out a rumble like a building thunderhead.

    Trish reacted instantly as if she¡¯d been expecting an attack the entire time. She quickly summoned two spirits. The first one, was a water spirit. It was tall, but shapeless and it stood silently as she summoned a jagged lightning spirit. She absorbed that one. Her hair standing up and her eyes filled with crackling electricity. She rushed towards the North side of Winston¡¯s farm, the direction the attack had come from. Winston ran after, looking for Bog and making sure she wouldn¡¯t run out and get killed.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening!¡± Winston heard Kisha yell from near the garden. Winston swore as he kept running.

    He turned and yelled back to her ¡°Just get in the hut and hide!¡±. Trish and he kept running towards the edge of his wards.

    They made it just as a second fireball came in. Trish waved a hand and her water spirit shot a ball of water at the incoming fire and doused it before it impacted. Then she released a blast of lighting from where the ball had come from. Her attack seemed to have missed because a spike of ice rocketed towards the barrier a few seconds later. The spirit couldn¡¯t stop it and it smashed into the ward, creating another rumble of thunder.

    The grounds North of the Winston¡¯s farm were light jungle, a few thin trees poked out of the thick undergrowth and a slight incline rose to a low hill. The attackers were up on the hill somewhere but It was hard to see anything in the failing light and the thick brush.

    Trish commanded her water spirit forward to attack and let loose another blast of lighting with little effect. Winston didn¡¯t know what to do. If they ran out there they would likely get peppered with spells and arrows until they died.

    Another ice spike flew from a slightly different direction, as if the attacker was moving, but Winston was ready this time. A blue shield appeared in the sky, shattering as the spike impacted but deflecting the frozen missile into the ground. Trish didn¡¯t react,  instead she just watched as her water spirit was hit with arrows and ranged attacks.

    ¡°I count three, two archers and one mage, but there might be a few melee fighters as well.¡± She said. The third ice bolt formed in the distance and Trish hurled her bolt of lighting just as it came rocketing towards the barrier. There was a distant scream that Winston heard even over the clap of thunder. He just managed to deflect that spell again but then two glowing arrows streaked in and hit the barrier. There was a loud ¡®BOOM¡¯ and the ward collapsed.

    ¡°I just paid for that you Assholes!¡± Winston yelled into the twilight. Two more arrows came flying at him but he ducked behind an orange tree. If he couldn¡¯t see them well, they likely couldn¡¯t see him, unless they had night-vision anyway.

    Trish raised her hands as if throwing another lighting-bolt but instead a lighting nova seemed to explode from her. The range was short and it quickly grounded itself but it revealed a girl in a dark hood standing a few feet away from her. The assassin seemed to be stunned because she didn¡¯t move at all as Trish pointed her hand and blasted the girl in the face with a bolt of lighting from about three feet away.

    ¡°Predictable¡­¡± Winston heard Trish mutter.

    He winced as the charred corpse topped backwards. Two more arrows came in and this time they hit. One stuck in Trish¡¯s side while the other seemed to explode and blast her backwards into the orange trees. Winston ran over to her with Bog trailing behind him.

    ¡°Can you heal me?¡± She asked with gritted teeth. She had a hand pressed over the bleeding wound but her eyes were still looking up the small hill.

    ¡°Nope, protection only. I¡¯d use it on you but it¡¯ll light you up like a giant blue torch. I doubt it would stop one of those arrows anyway.¡± Winston said as he peeked around a tree. He couldn¡¯t see anything. Winston tried to come up with some ideas but charging the archers seemed to only viable plan. He just couldn¡¯t see anyway that it would work.

    ¡°I could cast it on Bog. She might draw their attention long enough to get you a shot. She¡¯s got quite a bit of HP for her level.¡± Winston whispered. Trish pulled a red potion out of her pack and drank it as he pulled out the arrow stuck in her side.

    ¡°On three then.¡± Trish said.

    Winston counted to two then yelled ¡°Bog Fowl Charge!¡± As he cast shield of faith. That emptied out his faith points but it had to be done.

    The blue armor and green aura from Bog¡¯s skill lit up the bird as it took off at a dead sprint. Winston took off after her with Trish close on his heels. Two arrows flew at Bog, but they¡¯d misjudged her speed and she crossed the sixty or seventy yards to the attackers in just a few seconds. The next volley came, but this time it was only a single arrow. From the shorter distance Winston could actually see where the shot came from. Trish must have as well because another bolt of lighting bolt flew from behind him and smashed into the archer. That just left the glowing Bog and her battle with her shadowy attacker. She was hurt and the archer was higher level, but in melee Bogs size and strength made up for some of the handicap. Still, with everyone else dead there was no need for her to keep fighting.

    ¡°Bog return!¡± Winston called. She let out an indignant squak but ran back to him. That cleared Trish¡¯s line of fire and another crackle of lighting ended the fight.

    [You Have Leveled Up]

    [You Have reached Level 16]

    [You Have Leveled Up]

    [You Have reached Level 17]

    [Taming Skill has Increased]

    [Current Rank: Beginner II]

    [Shield of Faith has Improved]

    [Current Rank: Beginner III]

    Winston snorted. He couldn¡¯t gain experience from monster killing, but apparently killing five players thirty levels higher than he was could still bump up his level pretty fast. Shame he wouldn¡¯t get to keep those levels once they came back. Then again, the stat gains would have been pretty bad if he had kept them. He¡¯s just leveled up yesterday. Two more levels was way too fast. That was one of the few benefits to losing levels by dying. You lost the attributes from leveling as well, but you could get more if you leveled back up more slowly.

    He looked over at Trish who was looting bodies.

    ¡°You just came out here to protect me, didn''t you?¡± Winston asked.

    ¡°Mostly, but I really did want to see your farm. Why does it bother you being protected by a girl?¡± She asked as he handed over a pair of leather gloves and gold coins that had dropped.

    ¡°Not at all. A fighter I am not. There¡¯s no use acting macho when I have no real means to attack.¡±

    ¡°Good, because if my guild can pretend they¡¯re not the ones that leaked your location than I can pretend I was just out here by coincidence. ¡° Trish said.

    ¡°Yeah, but you won''t be able to stop them. They¡¯ll just keep coming till they manage to kill me. Better to just face it, otherwise they¡¯ll likely burn my whole farm down.¡± Winston said.

    ¡°So you¡¯re giving up?¡± Trish asked, her voice hard.

    Winston turned his head to really look at her. He raised an eyebrow. ¡°You should know me better than that, but bravery is only useful if you¡¯ve got something you can do with it. Right now, they¡¯ve got every advantage. You could take me to the outpost you guys have, or even back to your guildhall but that would just delay the problem. The powers that be want to send me for a few respawns. That¡¯s fine, you can¡¯t lose skill levels and that¡¯s the only really critical part of my build. Vengeance can wait.¡±

    ¡°That sounds more like you.¡± Trish said.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t have any options though.¡± Winston continued. ¡°The goal here isn¡¯t to win its damage control. I need to give them what they want in the way most beneficial to me. How much can that boar of your¡¯s carry?¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Troll will be here early tomorrow to pick up my crops and deliver supplies, but if he comes here he¡¯ll die and I¡¯ll lose everything. I figure we¡¯ve got three or four hours until those idiots get back here. We load your boar with the coffee, chocolate, my gear, and however many barrels of oranges we can fit. Then you take them say¡­ five or six miles towards Waith harbor and leave them somewhere off the road in the jungle. Maybe dig a whole or something to stick them in.¡±

    ¡°We send Troll the coordinates, he picks up my stuff and takes it to market and drops everything off. That way those idiots out there don¡¯t get any of it. Then I just log out. They¡¯ll find my body and kill me, but it¡¯s Christmas, I wasn¡¯t planning on logging in for a day or two anyway. Then you go to your guild and find out what I need to pay them to get them off my ass.¡± Winston finished.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like it.¡± Trish said sourly. Winston shrugged. He didn¡¯t like it either but it was the least painful option. Even if they burned down his farm he¡¯d still have all his money. All of it  was in the bank. Having to replant his trees would be annoying but not the end of the world.

    Kisha came out of the hut and started to look around with wide frightened eyes. ¡°Are they gone?¡± She asked.

    ¡°For now, but they¡¯ll be back in a few hours. Take some coins, fruit, and whatever else you want and head back to your village. It¡¯s going to be too dangerous here for a few days. Come back in three days if you still want to be my apprentice.¡± Winston told her. Kisha¡¯s jaw took on a stubborn look before she looked back towards the hill and got scared again. Then she nodded and started to pack.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s move we don¡¯t have much time.¡±

 Chapter 44

    Winston woke up on Christmas morning feeling antsy. He hadn¡¯t logged into Otherworld for more than a day and he wanted to know how much of his farm was left standing. He and Trish had worked for hours to move as much of his harvested crops and tools out of the farm but he knew there¡¯d be cleanup. Those bastards would search the whole place to find anything worth stealing.

    Today was Christmas though and it would likely be late afternoon before he could get away from all the celebrating. He pulled himself out of bed and got dressed, then hit the bathroom before he stumbled downstairs. His mom was already in the kitchen cooking waffles by the smell of it and Winston pulled up a chair and plopped down at the table, across from his dad and next to Josh.

    He pulled the plate of waffles closer and plucked two down on his plate before slaughtering them in butter and syrup. Next was a sausage patty and two pieces of toast before he was ready to dig in.

    ¡°Still eating plenty I see.¡± John said scornfully. Winston¡¯s fork paused just above the food but he shrugged off the insult and continued to eat as if no one had spoken.  The only problem Winston had found with exercise was that he ate even more now than he did when he was fat. He was nearly always hungry and wondered if he was going to grow taller again. He was only seventeen and guys grew well into their twenties.

    ¡°How was Christmas-eve at Trish¡¯s last night?¡± Josh asked around his own mouthful of waffles. He¡¯d put blueberries on his, which was just blasphemy in Winston¡¯s opinion.

    ¡°About what you¡¯d expect. Lots of old people drinking egg-nog and bitching about the government. Won two dollars playing penny poker, and got into a rather interesting discussion about how the NSA is run by the Graymen with one of her drunken uncles.¡± Winston said.

    Josh laughed and even his mom snorted as she added a plate of bacon to the table. Winston polished off his plate and leaned back in his chair, sighing as let his food digest. ¡°You want some help with the dishes mom?¡± Winston asked.

    ¡°Nope, I got it.¡± She said. ¡°You should head into the living room. We¡¯ll be opening presents soon.¡± Winston nodded and started to clean up the table, picking up the empty plates and putting the butter, syrup and other condiments back in the fridge before turned to head towards the living room.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t done with that.¡± John snapped. Winston rolled his eyes so hard he nearly hurt himself.

    ¡°Than walk the two steps to the fridge and get it back out.¡± Winston said without even turning around.

    ¡°You can¡¯t talk to me like that!¡± his father shouted from the table. Winston turned and looked at him flatly.

    ¡°I can and will. I only give respect to people who deserve it.¡± Winston said, before he walked away and found a spot on the couch.

    ¡°I wish you¡¯d try to get along with him.¡± Josh said to Winston once he¡¯d sat down. He sounded more resigned than hopeful. ¡°You two baerly speak to each other anymore when your not fighting.¡±  Winston shrugged.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see much point. I¡¯ll turn eighteen in 7 months. Then I¡¯m out of here. I¡¯ve got the money for it now, I¡¯d just like to save it to spend on my farm. Hopefully my next summer I won''t have so much crap to work on.¡± Winston said.

    Josh raised an eyebrow. ¡°Are you really making that much?¡±

    ¡°Things have been going well. My biggest payoff wasn¡¯t really something repeatable, but making 1000 dollar a week, isn¡¯t really that hard, even with the value of gold going back down after the expansion.¡± Winston said honestly. The one to ten ratio was closer to one to twelve now, and would likely keep going down for a while. He imagined it would bottom out around 1/18 around next fall, but that was just his guess.

    ¡°You¡¯re making fifty grand a year playing games?¡± Josh asked incredulously.

    ¡°Less than that, with taxes, exchange fees and all the gold I need to reinvest.¡± Winston said. ¡°Forty thousand is a better number and that¡¯s assuming I could work for an entire year without someone coming to kick over my sandcastle.¡±

    ¡°Still, forty-thousand is a full time job, and it¡¯s what twice minimum wage?¡± Josh said.

    Winston shrugged. ¡°Something around there, but I¡¯m working full time hours, four hours a day during the week and usually 10 to 12 on the weekends. It¡¯s hard work and I¡¯ve made a few enemies.¡±

    ¡°How do you make enemies farming?¡± Josh asked incredulously.

    ¡°Break a multi-guild blokade by planting a super-seed left over from the games early days and turning it into a giant bamboo stalk.¡± Winston said.

    Josh¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°And why did you do that?¡±

    ¡°They paid me seven thousand dollars to do it.¡± Winston said honestly. Josh shook his head.

    Winston¡¯s mom and dad came into the room a few minutes later and the family went through the long drawn out tradition of gift opening. Winston got a lot of new clothes, which was good, because few of his old ones fit anymore. Josh got a microwave, minifridge, and futon, obviously for his dorm-room next year, as well as new headphones, some clothes, and a bunch of smaller items.

    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    The giant pile of presents next to Josh was comical compared to the four small clothing boxes Winston had. Even with the obvious favoritism he couldn¡¯t be too mad. Josh really did need all that crap for college next year, and Winston needed the clothes. He would have let the whole thing go had his father not started instigating again.

    ¡°Not gonna say anything?¡± John said snidely. ¡°Not going to complain about how unfair it is.¡±

    ¡°No, that would be childish. Just like badgering one of your own children into an argument so you have a chance to yell at them is childish.¡± Winston had meant what he said after his blow-up during Josh¡¯s birthday. As far as he was concerned he didn¡¯t have parents. That meant there was no reason to get upset when they continued to belittle him. He¡¯d nearly perfected his apathy towards his father. It still hurt but it was a pain he¡¯d grown used to long ago. He could nearly convince himself he really didn¡¯t care what his father thought.

    John¡¯s lips peeled back in what was nearly a snarl, but Josh interrupted him before he could fire back.

    ¡°Dad, stop. What are you doing?¡± Josh asked, sounding honestly confused. ¡°Why are you always picking on him so much? He¡¯s your son too?¡±

    ¡°HE¡¯S NOT MY SON!¡± John shouted. The room went silent and Winston¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡°I¡¯m a bastard?¡± Winston blurted out before he could stop himself. He ignored his father, or step-father, or whatever and turned to his mom. She met his gaze unflinchingly and nodded. She  didn¡¯t look particularly embarrassed about it.

    ¡°I found out Josh was screwing his secretary, turn about seemed fair play.¡± She said.

    ¡°MOM!¡± Josh yelled, sounding horrified, but Winston only had one thing running through his mind.

    ¡°Thank god¡­.¡± He muttered, but no one heard him as everyone else in the room started to yell.

    *********************************************

    They didn¡¯t end up going to their grandmothers like they usually did on Christmas. After the long argument, the name calling, and the gloomy mood, none of them felt like facing the family. Josh stormed out and went to Jessica¡¯s house. John left to find a hotel and Winston¡¯s mom went to see her sister. That left Winston alone in the house and feeling confused.

    He couldn¡¯t say he was unhappy about the revelation. In fact it was a huge relief. Trying to constantly when approval from a father that seemed to hate him for no reason had been a constant source of bitterness for Winston. Now that he¡¯d found out John wasn¡¯t his father at all had taken a great weight of his shoulders and soothed the pain he¡¯d had so long he¡¯d forgotten it was there. If John wasn¡¯t his father than he had no reason to put up with the asshole behavior towards him.

    Winston considered calling Trish and unloading some of his problems on her but it was Christmas. She was with her family and she didn¡¯t deserve WInston dropping a bunch of drama on her. No, he headed back upstairs and climbed into his machine. It was time to see what the damage was and start on the clean up.

    A number of messages greeted Winston as soon as he logged in.

    [You Have Died]

    [You Have lost 1 level]

    [You Have lost 9 gold]

    [Your Pet Bogdona Had Died]

    [She has lost 1 level]

    [You May resurrect her at any time if you have the appropriate skill]

    Winston sighed and performed the thirty-second long resurrection. Bog appeared in a flash of light, looking the same as ever. She waddled over to his and pressed her shoulders against his waist. Winston hugged her and ruffled her feathers as he started to walk back towards his farm.

    The sun was bright and the sky clear. He¡¯d spawned in a glade north of his base but east of the lizard-people village. The walk was only a few hours and Winston decided to spend the time going through his messages. The message icon was flashing with a small three next to it. He open the menu up and started to read.

    It¡¯s me Troll,

    This is all pretty fubar but I got all your stuff loaded and dropped off everything that you wanted. Thanks for getting everything out, I¡¯d have been mad if I drove all the way out there and got killed and robbed. Having to walk all the way back to town after a respawn with nothing to show for it would have really pissed me off.

    Either way, let me know if you want me to come back this week or not. I¡¯m not sure how much damage they did to your farm or if you¡¯ll have a crop this week.

    Winston grunted but flipped to the next message. He wouldn¡¯t know if Troll needed to come back until he saw his farm.

    Dear Win Mills,

    This is Alex head of the Blood Hound¡¯s logistics and support divisions. I talked to you briefly at the guild halloween party back in October. Triska has brought yesterday¡¯s attack to my attention. Although I have no idea what you might have done to incur the ire of so many players your farm is in our territory and the Hound¡¯s will not tolerate such behavior.

    That does however put us in a bind. Although your farm is on our territory, you are not in fact part of our guild. While Triska has strongly hinted that she wishes to up patrols those players have to come from somewhere. Sending out enough high-level players to stop a strike-force of multiple level 40+''s will cost out guild manpower and resources. If you were part of the guild, such things would be your due but as an independent operator you can understand if we are hesitant to expend such resources on your behalf.

    Still, I understand your farm is quite successful and that a pledge of safety from us would mean a great deal to you. If you¡¯d be willing to provide our guild with a small percentage of your earnings, we are perfectly willing to send out the required troops, as well as make it known that your farm is under the Hound¡¯s protection.

    Without such a largess on your part however, it may take our guild a few weeks to free up the requisite manpower to stop the raids.

    Our Deepest Regrets,

    Alex

    Member of the triumvirate of the Blood Hounds

    ¡°That smarmy bastard.¡± Wiston growled. He¡¯d been expecting it but even Winston hadn¡¯t expected them to put it so bluntly. He¡¯d been expecting more innuendo and hints. Instead Alex had just stuck out his hand and expected Winston to fill it with money.

    He supposed that when someone had you over a barrel they could be as blunt as they wanted. Winston decided to put of any decisions until he¡¯d read the rest of his mail. He opened the next letter.

    Win Mills,

    It¡¯s Casey from the from the Hound¡¯s. Trish just brought back some of that coffee and damn¡­ That was good, even if you suck at roasting it evenly. Still, I was wondering what it would set me back to order a bunch. Lots of coffee drinkers at the guild and getting coffee is always tough. Lemme know what you can do for a bulk order.

    Casey

    Finally, some good news. A bulk order of coffee was just what he needed if he was going to have to hand over his hard-earned gold. If they were going to drain him, he¡¯d just have to make more. Winston waved away the message and picked up his pace.

    ¡°Well Bog, let¡¯s go see how bad it¡¯s going to be.¡±

    The farm was both worse and better than Winston had been expecting. One wall of the hut had been broken. Most of the stuff inside trashed, but the barrels were ok and all the furniture had been cheap anyway. Six orange trees had been burnt down by some fire-spell while another three had been ruined because we¡¯d used them for cover. Nothing else was too bad. The oven and the ginseng plants had been left alone oddly enough. The golden ginseng was likely the most valuable thing in the whole farm and it hadn¡¯t been touched.

    That was actually better than Winston was expecting. He had too many orange trees anyway. Losing nine and replacing them with coffee was a better financial choice. They kept longer and were worth more. He wondered vaguely if peach wood was worth anything. If not, he¡¯d just use it in the oven.

    Winston shook his head and found a wheelbarrow. He had a great deal of clean up to do, but first he had to go get his supplies. It was nearly five miles to the spot Trish had stashed his gear and Troll had dropped his off. That was a ten mile round trip and Winston would have to make at least three trips with only a wheelbarrow. He really did need to get a cart. Maybe he¡¯d try to build one. If cavemen could do it, it shouldn¡¯t be that hard. Winston sighed and logged back out. He didn¡¯t have the energy to deal with any of it today.

    It took all of the next day to haul everything back to his farm and two more to chop down all the damaged trees, pull their stumps and replant. Kishia showed back up during the third-day and was more than happy to start playing with her new alchemy gear. That had forced Winston to dig another larger herb garden and plant it with basic herbs for healing and mana potions. With all the extra work, the trees still fruiting, and the wall he now had to start on again because his wards were down. It was nearly new years before he was really to start on his own projects again. He had a feeling he couldn¡¯t put Runa¡¯s quest of much longer or she¡¯d start getting testy.

 Chapter 45

    Sweat and rain worked together to matt down Winston¡¯s fur but he ignored it as he placed the last brick into place. It had been a rough few days. Not so much because of anything bad happening, or even the new family drama, but because he¡¯d had so much crap to do. He¡¯d been working his butt off for five days since Christmas. He¡¯d been logged in nearly constantly and he was getting worn down.

    He¡¯d gotten everything on his farm repaired and at a quarter of the palisade wall done, as well as harvests for all his remaining crops. Today he¡¯d decided to needed to update his Runa quest. It hadn¡¯t had a time limit that he knew of but quests in otherworld had a tendency to get more difficult the longer you left them.

    He¡¯d gotten up early and started on the shrine at the lizard-person village. Now it was nearly lunch time, but the small shrine was almost done. He¡¯d downsized from the larger shrine he¡¯d made at the Sword¡¯s keep. This one was only about three feet high, easier to build and sufficient for the dozen lizard-men of the village.

    Winston placed the small brazier on top of the bricks and stepped back as his quest updated.

    [Quest Update!]

    [You Have built one of three shines to Runa.]

    [Task: Convince three villages to build a shrine to Runa 1/3]

    [Kill the divine champion of Grisith 0/1]

    [Sacrifice the boss loot form Jugda Caverns 1/1]

    Winston waved the messages away and headed back towards his farm at a walk. The rain got harder and lightning flashed overhead. Winston looked up and sped his pace to a jog. It was raining at least 20% of the time in the zone so he was used to it but he didn¡¯t want to be caught in a storm. The wind picked up and the trees started to jerk back and forth. Winston broke into a run with Bog pacing him.

    They didn¡¯t make it. Winton was soaked when he finally got back to his hut. The wind was howling and rain blew sideways just outside hanging furs that acted as a rough door . Winston sighed. He¡¯d had more he¡¯d wanted to get done but it didn¡¯t look like he¡¯d be accomplishing much else today.

    Kelsia was already inside the hut and playing with her alchemy equipment and with Winston and Bog inside as well it was pretty cramped. Kishia seemed to have arranged the empty barrels and crates inside the hut into a make-shift dividing wall. Then she¡¯d set-up all her equipment in the new space.

    Winston tried to use water magic to suck the water out of his fur and met with limited success. Sighing, he peeked into Kishia¡¯s lab and watched her take a tube of blue-liquid out of a make-shift centrifuge. She used an honest-to-god pipet to suck some of it out and dropped it into another flash full of pale green liquid. There was a flash of bizzare light but it died instantly, leaving Kelsa looking down at a flask of disgusting brown liquid.

    She sighed. ¡°I can¡¯t figure this one out. I can do basic mana and basic health no problem, but the stamina potion is giving me fits.¡± She hissed. Winston looked back to the storm outside and shook his head. He didn¡¯t know crap about alchemy but it wasn¡¯t like he had anything else to do. Kishia also was his apprentice and he had to admit he hadn¡¯t been doing a great job actually helping or teaching her. He walked into the lab and sat on an empty crate.

    Winston then took on the awkward roll of trying to help someone with something he knew nothing about. He felt like a parent trying to help a teenage daughter with math he¡¯d forgotten at least twenty years ago.

    Winston popped open a browser and looked frantically for info on stamina potions. Unlike most games, Otherworld didn¡¯t have alchemy recipes, at least not in the traditional sense. Instead there were a number of plants that had various properties. When mixed together that¡¯d create a potion that did something, but there were recipes hard coded into the game. Just things players had found that worked, or had gotten in quests, or found in old books.

    Kelsa was using a fairly obscure recipe and something was off about it.

    ¡°Why¡¯d you do with Havok Fern and Greernut instead of one of the more common mixtures?¡± Winston asked as he looked over Kelsia¡¯s shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s at least twice as difficult as the others.¡± Winston said as he checked an alchemy wiki.

    Kelsia voice sounded a bit annoyed as she worked the pedal driven centrifuge.¡±Because Havok Fern and Greernut are both common here. You could walk a half-mile into the jungle a find a wheelbarrow full of both.¡±

    Winston read the process she was supposed to be using. The greennut had to be opened up, then the meat of the nut was ground into a paste. The paste was then made into a sort of tea. After that a Havok Fern frond was ground into powder, added to water, then stuck into a centrifuge. The middle layer of the solution was sucked out and added to the Greernut tea. At the point some semi-magical and chemical process was supposed to take place and turn it into a stamina potion.

    He watched as Kishia tried twice and failed both times. Each time she tried to add the Havok Fern to the Greernut tea something odd happened. The mixture seemed to go wildly out of control and turned the should be potion into brown sludge. Kishia got more and more frustrated as she kept failing.

    ¡°I think your getting something in the potion that shouldn¡¯t be there causing a bad reaction. Try extracting the part you need. Then run it back through the centrifuge and see if anything else separates out.¡± Winston told her. He didn¡¯t know how the reaction was supposed to happen but it was pretty obvious something foreign was getting in the way and contaminating things.

    Kishia frowned at him but took his suggestion. The second round in the centrifuge showed a tiny layer of liquid that shouldn¡¯t be there. Kishia sucked it out with her pipet, spun it again, found nothing, then finally added it to the mixture. This time the flash was much smaller and the flask turned a bright green. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    More light flashed around Kisha as she leveled up and she through her hands up in the air. ¡°Finally!¡± She shouted then turned and hugged Winston. ¡°thank you¡± She said into his overalls. Winston patted her scaley back a bit awkwardly.

    ¡°Mix me up a few of those. Some of my skills burn stamina and those could be handy in a pinch. Also I think I¡¯m going to try and head to a new village tomorrow. You said one was near the edge of the zone. I¡¯ll wait till Troll¡¯s next visit for that one. There¡¯s still another I need to find somewhere though.¡± Winston told her.

    He might be able to call Trish for that. The Hounds trained noobies in this zone. They should have pretty detailed maps. He might need to bribe her with dinner and a backrub but he was willing to pony up for the cause.

    Winston looked back outside into the raging storm and sighed. He might as well logout. Nothing else was going to get done today.

    ****************************

    Six hours later Winston sat at a table in Marnie''s next to Trish while Josh and Jessica sat across the table from them. It had taken a minor miracle to talk Trish into coming but Josh had invited him and Trish on a double date when he¡¯d logged out of Otherworld. Josh was a bit of a mess at the moment so Winston had decided to try and talk Trish into coming.

    Winston had always had issues with his family. He¡¯d never felt welcome and had years to come to grips with the fact his family was screwed up. Josh on the other hand was the golden boy. He¡¯d gotten nothing from his family but love, assistance, and understanding. Mom¡¯s revelation and John¡¯s anger had really hit him hard.

    He¡¯d spent most of his time since Christmas at Jessica¡¯s or in his system playing Otherworld. He¡¯d only been around a few hours and Winston was worried about him. Winston had agreed to the double date just to see him and try to get a feel for where his head was at.

    Jessica and Trish were glaring at each other across the table. Josh just looked awkward as he sipped his coke. Winston shuddered. He honestly should have figured out long ago they were only half brothers, anyone who preferred Coke instead of Pepsi couldn¡¯t be his real brother.

    He saw Josh looking at his can of Pepsi. Then their eyes met and they both snorted, Maybe they were brothers. Josh looked over at the two girls glaring at each other and took a deep breath.

    ¡°So uhhhhh. What¡¯s everyone been doing in game? I know you and Jessica are big shots.¡± Josh said, trying to break the silence. Winston¡¯s pepsi nearly came out his nose. Seeing his too cool, too charming brother acting awkward was too hilarious. Then again, Winston was way too chicken to try and get some conversation going at this table

    Jessica and Trish both shifted their glares to Josh who shot both of them his best Captain America smile. Jessica seemed to soften a little but the smile just bounced off Trish. She turned her glare on Winston.

    ¡°He¡¯s way too pretty.¡± She grumbled.

    Winston snorted. Another person might have been jealous but you could only be second fiddle to your brother for so long before such things just stopped bothering you. He¡¯d never be as handsome as Josh. He¡¯d never be as popular. All that was fine with Winston. Trish was going home with him.

    ¡°He really is.¡± Winston agreed. ¡°Sometimes you just want to hit him, just to split his lip or bruise one of his cheekbones. Anything so that he¡¯d not so damn perfect.¡±

    Jessica laughed and some of the tension at the table finally broke. Winston decided now was the time for his own conversational volley.

    ¡°What are you guys doing for New Years?¡± Winston asked.

    ¡°Big party at the Sword¡¯s Bastion. Everyone¡¯s going to get hammered, fight some duels, and make trouble. Then everyone can all log out to fix the hangovers and escape from whoever they ended up in bed with.¡± Jessica said. That drew a few laughs from the table.

    ¡°Sound like a typical New Year¡¯s.¡± Winston said. ¡°I just planned on going over to Rugers with Jason, and Brad. We¡¯ll play some video games, drink too many energy drinks, maybe play some poker for a few bucks. You wanna come?¡± He asked Trish.

    She thought about it for a moment, then nodded. ¡°Our guild¡¯s having a party too, but honestly I¡¯d rather hang out with you guys. I¡¯ll be nice to do something out of the game for a change. I¡¯ve been playing too much lately with the expansion and everything going on.¡±

    ¡°Same here.¡± Winston agreed. ¡°It¡¯ll be nice to just hang out with the guys. I feel like it¡¯s been forever. We used to hang out almost every weekend. I¡¯ve been a sorta crappy friend now that I think about it. I started playing so that I wouldn¡¯t be left out. Then went off by myself to do my own thing.¡± He¡¯d been pouring too much of himself into the game. At first it had been the challenge and building up his skills and cash reserves. After the latest sales he had almost 90,000 gold now. He was no longer a small time farmer.

    Maybe he should tear out some of his trees. Work with lower quantities and higher qualities. He could scale back the time he spent in game and be a real high-school student again. He could work smaller scale, pay more attention to fertilizers, soil conditions, and try to go for maximum quality, see if he could hit excellent or masterwork. He didn¡¯t even want to think about what masterwork chocolate would be worth a high level baker. It would be thousands of gold a pound.

    Winston shook off the thoughts. No, he wasn¡¯t there yet. He didn¡¯t have the skills or the tools for something like that. Most of his abilities revolve around boosting production not quality. Still, it was something to think about. If he kept burying himself in game he¡¯d be wasting his last years of high-school. Then again he¡¯d need the money if he did decide to go to college. It wasn¡¯t like his family was going to pay for it. It was a problem for another day and Winston pulled his thoughts back to the dinner.

    The food arrived and soon everyone was eating and chatting as if Jessica and Trish hadn¡¯t been gearing up for a brawl a few minutes before.

    ¡°Now that everyone in a better mood. What is everyone doing in game?¡± Josh asked again.

    ¡°Getting ready to raid the Roc¡¯s Citadel.¡± Jessica said. ¡°First Raid-Class dungeon in the expansion zone. Should be worth a pretty penny but its a pain in the ass working around all the guilds fighting us all the time.¡± She answered and shot a glare towards Trish.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me. We¡¯re trying to build a keep up there. We¡¯ve been purley on defense for at least a week. Should give us some place defensible and teleporter access if we can find a high enough level enchanter for a special anchor. Damn things cost as much as my parent¡¯s house.¡±

    ¡°No kidding. We had to buy two last year and it nearly bank-rupted us.¡± Jessica agreed. Winston caught Josh¡¯s eye and shook his head. Josh had joined the swords but neither of them were part of the world the top level guilds played in.

    ¡°I¡¯ve just been trying to fix my farm.¡± Winston said, a bit self-consciously. ¡°Got ganked. They broke my house and burnt down some of my trees. Finally got everything fixed yesterday.¡±

    ¡°That sucks.¡± Jessica said. ¡°Is that because of you helping us out?¡±

    ¡°Pretty much. Price of doing business though.¡± Winston said. As calm as he sounded he was less calm inside. He¡¯d have to do something to the Hound¡¯s just to show them he¡¯d hit back if pushed too far. He didn¡¯t want a war but giving them a black-eye would be enough. A deal only worked if both sides had relatively equal power.

    Winston was far from the Blood Hounds and they knew it. Which is why they¡¯d dared to screw him over in the first place. He had to show them he could still cause problems if they broke faith.

    The date went pretty well after that. Jessica and Trish weren¡¯t exactly bosom friends, but they¡¯d at least stopped glaring at each other. Two hours later Trish¡¯s car idled in Winston¡¯s driveway She looked over at him with a resigned expression.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to attack my guild aren''t you? You got that look on your face back at Marnie¡¯s. The one you always get when your angry and looking to bite back.¡± Trish asked.

    ¡°Attack is a strong word. Your guild could crush me. It wouldn¡¯t do me any good to make you guys into blood enemies. Besides, it¡¯s your guild and you love it. I¡¯m not going to tear something down you¡¯ve poured some much of yourself into.: Winston said honestly. ¡°No, I need to do something annoying enough to sting, but not enough to really piss you guys off. It¡¯s a tough line to walk but I should be able to manage it.¡±

    ¡°Do you want my help?¡± Trish asked. Winston raised an eyebrow at that.

    ¡°Oh course not. It¡¯s a game and we¡¯re on different teams temporarily. It wouldn¡¯t be fun if you helped me and it would make you look bad. It might cost you your seat as part of the triumvirate. No, it¡¯s gotta be something they know I did on my own.¡± Then Winston remembered something.

    ¡°Oh, I do need a map of the zone I¡¯m in though. I need to find all the monster villages for a quest. I will take your help with that¡± Winston said.

    ¡°Alright, but it¡¯ll cost you.¡± Trish said with a grin.

    ¡°Cost me what?¡± Winston asked before Trish leaned forward and kissed him. Winston decided things were looking up after all.

 Chapter 46

    Jason¡¯s face was comically stern as he dealt five cards to each player at the table. It was lucky the table was large because six high schoolers, plates of snacks, and a mountain of soda cans were taking up most of its large top.

    ¡°Old-school rules, five card draw, jokers are wild.¡± Jason said as he finished doling out the cards and picked up his own hand. Ruger frowned as he looked at his own cards. It was his house the gang had all flocked to for New Year¡¯s. His parents were loaded and his house was huge. The massive finished basement made a great hang out for new-years parties and impromptu poker games. A tv in the middle of the room was on, showing times square and a count-down still three hours out.

    ¡°I thought we were playing Hold-em? Ruger asked Jason.

    ¡°Nope, dealer picks, and Hold-em is for tourists.¡± Jason shot back. Ruger rolled his eyes and Christy laughed. She was Rusger¡¯s younger sister and a Freshmen. She was cute with her caramel skin and curly hair. Winston thought Jason might have a bit of crush but he¡¯d have to be a brave man to hit on Ruger¡¯s sister. Aside from her the whole gang was there. Ruger, Brad, Jason, Winston, and Trish.

    Brad tossed in two chips, a dime worth, and looked at everyone with his normal stoic expression. Winston looked at his own cards, a pair of queens, and called. Trish, Cristy, and Ruger folded leaving Jason to raise. Winston looked at his own cards and threw them into the middle.

    ¡°Oh common, no call for the rich boy?¡± Jason lightly mocked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not rich, I just have a decent job and you don¡¯t keep money by giving it away.¡± Winston said sourly as he reached across the table to grab a handful of chex-mix and pile it on his plate. ¡°Besides I¡¯ve only actually pulled money out of the game one time and it wasn¡¯t even that much.¡±

    Brad called Jason¡¯s raise and they both traded out their cards for new ones. ¡°Really though, how much gold do you have?¡± Jason pressed as he called Brad¡¯s raise. They flipped cards and Jason¡¯s flush died to Brad¡¯s full house.¡°God damn it.¡± He muttered.

    ¡°I unnuo, like 95,000 or something?¡± Winsoton said as Brad swept up all the cards and started to shuffle. Everyone at the table turned to glare at him. ¡°Oh, come on it¡¯s not that much money and I just had half my orchard burnt down¡± Winston shot back.

    Trish elbowed him in the ribs even as Brad dealt the cards. ¡°Seven Card Stud, no wilds.¡± Brad announced to the table. ¡°Did they break my ward?¡± he asked, even as his hands kept moving.

    ¡°Yep.¡± Winston said. ¡°Probably saved my life though, even got me a level.¡± Winston added. Brad didn¡¯t look impressed and it showed with the trash cards he dealt Winston.  Winston grimaced and folded when his turn came around.

    ¡°What are you going to do about it?¡± Jason asked as he tossed his cards away.

    ¡°Not sure yet. You know anyway to annoy one of the games better guilds without seriously pissing them off.¡± Winston asked. ¡°I need to let them know they can¡¯t do whatever they want, but I can¡¯t afford a war either. If I have to run away afterwards the whole exercise will be useless.¡±

    ¡°Gotta be money or time, only thing they¡¯ll really care about.¡± Ruger said as he called the blinds.

    ¡°Carbomb.¡± Brad said as he threw in his own chips.  Everyone at the table turned to look at him. He looked back impassively and shrugged. ¡°Just saying, a wire from the brake-light to the gas tank and no more guild problems.¡± Brad said as he lifted the giant energy drink at his elbow and downed a few swallows.

    ¡°How many of those have you had?¡± Jason asked a bit warily.

    ¡°Four.¡± Brad said as Trish and Christy called.

    ¡°If your heart explodes I¡¯m not giving you CPR.¡± Winston said. ¡°I¡¯m not sure murder is a proper response to being annoyed and losing a few oranges I wasn¡¯t selling anyway. I¡¯m looking for a more measured response.¡±

    Jason laughed. ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like you. Besides a measured response means lots of talking. It means compromises, gives them time for your anger to cool, time for you to get used to things. The man always wants a measured response. That way they can talk you in circles while they ignore you. This country wasn¡¯t build on measured responses. The British ignored us until we started hanging their tax collectors and shooting their soldiers.¡±

    ¡°So you want me to kill a few complete strangers because it¡¯s convenient, too?¡± Winston asked dryly.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s crazy. Brad¡¯s just a borderline sociopath that¡¯s had way too much caffeine.¡± Jason said, waving his and nearly flashing his cards to Winston. ¡°I¡¯m just saying it¡¯s the grand gestures that drive the point home.¡±

    ¡°So what. You want me to find a level 80 wizard to cast Call Meteor on their guildhall?¡± Winston asked. Trish choked on her mountain dew and folded her hand as she tried to wipe the spill off her sweatshirt.

    ¡°Call Meteor is overrated. It looks impressive but most wizards don¡¯t have the right specializations to give it enough umph to get through a guilds wards. I¡¯d go with a earth-specced Sorcerer or a Geomancer. They could just tear the ground out from under the place or open up a lava vent or something. Much harder to ward against something indirect like that.¡± Jason said, Winston looked to Brad who folded his hand and nodded.

    ¡°See even the ward master agrees. Still it might be easier to find a witch or warlock and just give whoever''s responsible a nasty curse rather than trying to blow up their guildhall.¡± Jason said reasonably.

    ¡°You do realize your talking about blowing up my guildhall when I¡¯m sitting right here?¡± Trish said sourly as Ruger dealt the next hand.

    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    ¡°Hold-em, but I left the jokers in.¡± Ruger said as he dealt.

    ¡°We realize but if your going to rat me out there¡¯s not much I can do to stop you and hiding it just seems rude.¡± Winston said as he looked down at his cards. It was a joker and a jack and he raised when action got to him.

    ¡°Haven¡¯t you ever heard of plausible deniability?¡± Christy spoke up from the other side of Trish. ¡°If she doesn¡¯t know about it, she can¡¯t tell her guild the truth about not knowing.¡±

    Winston shrugged. ¡°Well, I wasn¡¯t planning on blowing up her guildhall. That¡¯s the sorta of action that starts a war. I was thinking of raiding a supply convoy or killing some guild herb pickers or something. I do like the curse idea though. Still, a good curse probably runs a good five or ten thousand and I¡¯d need some hair or blood to do it right. That doesn¡¯t seem to likely to come into my hands.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad your not planning on causing tens of thousands of dollars of property damage because someone killed six of your trees.¡± Trish said. She still sounded sour but a bit mollified.

    ¡°It¡¯s not about the trees.¡± Winston tried to explain. ¡°In fact, I¡¯m thinking of killing a few more myself. I planted too many fruit trees and I can¡¯t find buyers for all of it. Coffee will keep longer and is worth more. Still, the point is your guild had my property destroyed first. Part of that was to send a message about helping their enemies. I was fine with that. That the swords bought and paid for. I knew it going in. However, your guild went one step further. They used my death as a platform to extort money from me. That¡¯s not ok, and it¡¯s the kind of behavior that will escallate unless I send a message that I wont put up with it.¡± The flop came down Jack, eight, eight, and Winston smiled as he checked his hand again. It was only Jason and Christy left in the hand and Winston checked as he tried to bait out some more money.

    That seemed to tick Trish off again. ¡°And if I tell them to knock it off? I am a council member.¡±

    ¡°Bad idea.¡± Winston said. ¡°Your council is a triumvirate and they already out voted you once. If you come in on my side it¡¯ll just bring more down on me and you¡¯ll lose authority. That might end in me really getting chased out or you losing your spot on the council.¡± Jason raised and Winston called. causing Ruger¡¯s sister to fold.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to see them try. Vera is too busy fighting and Alex is too busy scheming to get anything accomplished. I¡¯m the only one anyone in the guild respects. If they kick me out half the guild would go with me.¡± Trish said fiercely.

    ¡°That would make things even more annoying for me. Then I really would have to leave.¡± Winston laughed. He raised the pot another quarter as the turn card was dely.  ¡°I need to at least finish my quest first.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t there anything I can do?¡± Tirsh asked. ¡°I¡¯d rather not have my guild and boyfriend in some sort of cold war.¡± She sounded a little plaintive.

    ¡°Oh, I can think of a few things to convince me.¡± Winston said with an exaggerated leer that earned him another elbow. ¡°Seriously though, if you''re that worried about it I can back off. It will cost you though and if they push it the gloves are coming off.¡± Winston already had a plan brewing. If he paid a small clan to raid their guild hall and break their ward it would cost them a fortune to get it fixed.

    Winston¡¯s ward had been expensive enough, but one large enough to cover the guild hall would cost a fortune. Then the guild would have to burn up a bunch of its summons to defend aginst the attack. Since they hadn¡¯t completed the teleportation array back on the floating continent it would take them weeks to get their people back to the expansion zone where they really wanted them. It would be an expensive kick in the balls and shouldn¡¯t cost Winston more than 25 or 30 grand. It was an asshole move, but Winston was in the mood to be an asshole. Trish asking him to back down would also give him an excuse to escalate if they push things.

    It wouldn¡¯t work on a larger guild. A larger guild would have enough players to explore the expansion zone, have multiple raid teams, and still leave some people home to defend. The Hound¡¯s weren¡¯t that big of a guild though. They were up and coming, but they lacked the raw numbers of someone like the Swords or Crimsuns.

    ¡°You¡¯re scheming something.You¡¯ve got that look in your eye.¡± Trish said as Winston re-raised Jason¡¯s raise after the river came down. Jason called with a scowl then flipped over his eight-dues, showing three of a kind. Winston flipped over his cards and Jason said a word best not repeated.

    Winston raked in his chips and the cards as he started to deal. ¡°Hey, you told me I couldn¡¯t do it. I won¡¯t do it. I¡¯m sure your guild is all happiness and light and they¡¯ll just take my bribes and wont mess with me anymore.¡± Winston said in a voice that said he didn¡¯t believe it for a second.

    ¡°You¡¯re a smart-ass.¡± Trish muttered.

    ¡°Better a smart-ass than a dumbass I always say.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve ever said that.¡± Jason muttered.

    *****************************************************************************************************

    Winston tossed the twenty-pound bag of coffee beans into Troll¡¯s wagon with nearly no effort. It had been a long time since his first few days working the farm back in Grimstone keep and his strength and endurance were now nearly five times what they had been.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t miss out too much last week did you?¡± Winston asked Troll as he went back into his hut to grab a barrel or oranges. His orange production had taken a hit but he still had plenty to ship out. The rain had just let up and the sun was boiling the left overs out of the soggy ground.

    ¡°Nope, did some shipping for some of the noobs over at the Hound¡¯s camp and your buddy Orinoco had me ship out a solid ton of Mahogany. Stuff was worth a damn fortune and I made a killing.¡± Troll said smugly. Winston¡¯s mouth opened.

    ¡°That ass. He complained for two hours last night about all the money I was making farming.¡± Winston said with a scowl. Jason had given him crap all through the poker game, especially after Ruger cleaned them all out at the end. ¡°How much did he make?¡±

    ¡°Around 15,000 by the time it was all said and done. He put up a high-price buy order and someone bought it all almost instantly. Mahogany is one of the most popular non-magical woods for woodworkers and apparently it grows everywhere in the jungle.¡± Troll explained. Winston just shook his head as he lifted the barrel up over the edge of the wagon with a grunt and sat it in the wagon bed.

    ¡°That all for this week?¡± Troll asked as one of his trolls loaded the last barrel Winston had waiting for them.

    ¡°Yep, although we need to stop at the Hound¡¯s base and drop off a bag of this coffee. Casey, the Hound¡¯s chef, ordered some from me after Christmas.¡± Winston told him as he whistled for Bog and climbed into the back of the wagon. The bird rushed over to him and hopped in beside him.

    Troll hitched his trolls back up to the pulling harness then flicked his reigns sending the cart into motion and back towards the long road that ran through the zone. The first leg of the trip was a short one, only a few miles down the road to the walled camp that the Hound¡¯s raised their noobies in.

    It was surrounded in earth-works covered in thorny vines. The gate was a massive thing, that seemed to be a couple jungle trees that had been grown into the proper shape. Winston wondered how they¡¯d done it. They must have a powerful druid or plant-mage in the guild somewhere. Two low-level players in standard leather armor were guarding the gate and they looked at the Wagon askance as Troll pulled up and stopped the wagon.

    ¡°Hey guys, is there a Jelly here?¡± Winston asked, as he opened his messages and checked the name he was supposed to drop of the coffee. They blinked and one snorted.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call her that if I was you.¡± One said, he was a standard human as far as Winston could tell. It was a pretty popular race even though it¡¯s racial abilities weren¡¯t that good. The other was some weird thing was face tentacles, maybe a half-illithid or something. Winston didn¡¯t know the game had way too many races.

    ¡°Noted, I just I have something I need to give her. Casey told me to drop it off here.¡± Winston said, as he picked up the bag of coffee and stuck it into his pack. Winston turned back to Troll. ¡°Did you get that gold for me?¡± Winston asked him.

    Trolled nodded his head towards a sealed crate. Winston bent down and used both arms to pick up the crate of gold. One of the guards lead him into one of the wooden builds and into a small office where an elf sat at a desk as she waved into empty air, obviously doing something with her interface.

    ¡°Hey Angelica, this guy says he¡¯s got something to drop off for Casey.¡± Said the guard as he turned around and headed back to the gate.

    ¡°Oh and what¡¯s my grumpy brother want me to bring him.¡± Asked the elf. She was young, younger than Winston and cute if you were into baby-faced blondes. Winston reached into his pack and pulled out the coffee.

    ¡°Coffee and I¡¯d appreciate it if you took this to the main guild as well.¡± Winston said as he sat down the crate and started working on the lid.  ¡°And before you ask it''s a bribe for your guild-leader.¡± Winston said, as he took off the top and stepped back. The girl looked into the box and her eyebrows went up as she saw the piled gold. Winston took a screenshot of the gold and her looking at it, just to make sure it didn¡¯t go missing somewhere between here and the guildhall. He didn¡¯t trust anyone in the hounds besides Trish, and maybe Casey, and Jercrusher. He wouldn¡¯t be surprised if someone would be tempted to steal it and he wasn¡¯t going to spend two-thousand gold on a bribe just for it to get stolen.

    Winston didn¡¯t stick around and headed back out to Trolls wagon before hopping in. It was finally time for him to visit another village and he was hoping he¡¯d be able to wrap the whole thing up quickly. He needed to get back to his farm.

 Chapter 47

    Winston hopped off Troll¡¯s wagon and landed on the dirt path that made up the jungle road. Bog stepped down behind him barely shifting the loaded wagon. Troll waved and the wagon pulled away leaving Winston and Bog standing in the afternoon sun.

    A light breeze played through Bog¡¯s feathers and Winston smiled. Then picked up his feet and headed into the jungle. He needed to find the next village and knock out another section of the quest. Winston pulled up the map he¡¯d gotten from Trish. The showed the entirety of the zone, most of the land-marks and a few common locations of dungeons and lairs. The game randomly generated the monsters and the storylines for them, but the physical landscape stayed generally the same.

    That meant that if you watched a zone long enough, you could have a good idea of where new dungeons would pop up. The inside of the dungeon might get changed, but a cave system would always be a cave system. That made it a prime spot for monsters and monsters would grow in population forming lairs, than outposts, dungeons, and eventually raids. Quests would be seeded in to deal with said monsters, either in the villages, or out in the wilds.

    Winston didn¡¯t really care about dungeons though. He¡¯d already done one and the whole thing had been rather boring. He instead focused on the small hut symbol on the edge of the zone. Winston finally realized why he¡¯d never found the third village. It was only a few miles from the one he sought. The two villages were separated by some sort of chasm.

    The village was only a few miles into the jungle and Winston and Bog made decent time. The jungle here was thin. The zone border was only a mile or two away and the next zone was full of farms, lumber mills, and a few harbor towns built along the coast. There were fewer trees and plants to deaden sound and that¡¯s why Winston and Bog heard the battle before they could see it.

    The pair approached slowly, moving the leaves and fronds of the groundcover aside to see what was happening when a message popped up in from of Winston¡¯s vision.

    [Divine Mandate Updated]

    [The village of Jep¡¯kath is under attack by a rival clan. Prevent their village from being destroyed.]

    Winston stepped through thicket and out into the village. A group of blue-scaled lizard people were trying to defend against another group with dark green scales. The blue-scales had the numbers but they were fighting with everyone. Men, women, children, old lizard-people with greying scales and rheumy eyes clutched sharpened sticks and rusted hoes. On the other side the green scales were all young, had real weapons, and they glowed with dark power.

    Winston¡¯s face twisted as he saw that power. It was a bone-deep reaction as something in him seemed to flare with anger. Then he realized it wasn¡¯t him who was angry, it was Runa. Faith wasn¡¯t like mana, it wasn¡¯t an internal power-source it was an external one. It was part of Runa¡¯s will given to Winston to use in ways he saw fit to further Runa¡¯s goal and it had just met something it hated. The faith of the green-scaled lizards was evil, not just dark, but malevolent.

    Winston didn¡¯t even think. He pulled his staff from his pack and raised it as he strode forward. He channeled his faith and it washed over the lizard-people as he walked into the battle. Without forming any blessing it didn¡¯t actually do anything to the lizard people it washed over. Instead it clashed with the evil faith and black lighting and blue-silver sparks flew in every direction as the opposing faith¡¯s clashed.

    ¡°Bog, Go!¡± He called, stopping long enough to wrap Bog in silver-amour before he started pumping out more faith.The dark-faith was more condensed than his, obviously made by a more powerful priest but Winston could make up quality with quantity and he let the silver light gush out. The blue-scales didn¡¯t know what to do but the green-scales started to push towards him, angry as he chipped away at their dark blessings.

    ¡°Runa! Let the fires of your faith burn. Let light drive back the darkness!¡± Winston cried as he tried something foolish. He¡¯d managed to mix magic and faith before and with his total lack of real offense this seems as good a time for dangerous experimentation as any. He started to pour out a bit of fire magic. Silver-fire seemed a go-to for Runa and with a bit of fire mana for fuel maybe he could get something going.

    Winston focused his will on combining his flame magic and faith into holy-flame. Runa¡¯s domain was meant for protection but if he could spin that into cleansing, and use some fire magic as a bridge it might work. Winston gave it about a forty-percent shot so as he raised his staff he dumped out mana and what was left of his faith.

    ¡°Cleansing Flames!¡± Winston cried and silver fire flew from his staff. It came out as a guttering, sloppy, wave that washed over a few of the closest enemies before it died out and his faith ran dry. A few of them hissed angrily as their blessings broke but Winston had messed something up. ¡°Too much faith and not enough mana¡± he thought as he saw Bog plunge into the battlelines.

    The fight wasn¡¯t going well for the villagers. His faith had slowed them a bit but it wasn¡¯t a combat technique. Without much else to do, Winston released his claws and empowered them before jumping into the fight. He ducked under the arm of an old lizard-man trying to hold of one of the attackers with hooked pole and stabbed his claws into the lizard-man¡¯s chest. The empowered claws went through the scales with ease and the green-scaled lizard man stumbled away. Blood poured out as Winston¡¯s claws stood out and then he was in the middle of the melee.

    He was strong but not agile and had decent HP with no armor. He took a jab in the side from a spear then ducked an obsidian axe. He stabbed someone in the thigh and he honestly wasn¡¯t sure if it was an enemy or an ally as more spears seemed to come in from every direction. He dodged some, got hit by others, and grunted in pain as he tried to lash out with his generally shorter reach. He didn¡¯t do too bad for someone untrained and he plopped down on his butt as he ran out of enemies to fight.

    [Hand-To-Hand Skill has Increased!]

    [Current Rank: Novice III]

    [Fire Magic Sub-Skill Has Increased!]

    [Novice IV]

    [Divine Mandate Updated]The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    [You Have Stopped the Village from being destroyed Protect Jep¡¯kath and kill the enemy dark priest, the Champion of Grisith ]

    Winston groaned as he bled from numerous wounds. Bog was pressed against him and he tried to comfort her as he looked around, trying to figure out what was going on. A number of lizard-people were looking at him oddly but many were looking despondently at the dead and dying or just staring at the ground. It was a long time before anyone came to talk to him.

    It was the old-man who¡¯d had the hooked pole. He looked down at Winston oddly but he looked relieved as he saw the village still standing and his people still alive.

    ¡°Thank you traveler. We may have lost without you and the village would have been destroyed but I¡¯m afraid we have little to offer you.¡± The old lizard said.

    ¡°I do not seek reward. Watching a village be slaughtered is something anyone should prevent.¡± Winston told him. Winston did have things he wanted but now wasn¡¯t the time. Besides, building a shrine here wouldn¡¯t do much good if the village was destroyed. No, he needed to go punch that dark priest¡¯s ticket but Winston had no idea how he¡¯d manage it. Not with just Bog, his shields, and his bad magic skills.

    He brought up his interface and sent a message.

    ¡°Common man¡­. Do you know how long it would take me to get out there?¡± Jason whined over the voice-chat once he¡¯d gotten Winston¡¯s message.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way I can kill a level 20+ dark priest by myself. I¡¯m a farmer. Yeah, Bog is likely good for at least 1 level 20 mob, maybe even a mini-boss around that level with her evolution, but he¡¯ll have minions. I¡¯ve got no offense and causing death and mayhem is a dark priests bread and butter. They¡¯re way better at fighting.¡± Winston told him. ¡°Besides what else do you have to do? Shouldn¡¯t you still be working for me?¡±

    ¡°No, I got all your trees chopped down. You didn¡¯t pay me to build your wall too.¡± Jason replied. ¡°It would take me at least twenty-stright hours of walking to get out there and I¡¯ve gotta earn money too. I can¡¯t just grow it out of the ground like you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a champion of a dark god. It¡¯ll drop solid loot, you might even get a few ranks in a faith skill if you help me out.¡± Winston argued.

    ¡°Solid priest loot, and I wonder who¡¯ll end up with that.¡± Jason said sourly.

    ¡°I¡¯ll owe you a favor.¡± Winston sighed. The chat went quiet for awhile after that. Then Jason sighed.

    ¡°Fine¡­..¡± I¡¯m going to log and get some dinner first then. Seems I¡¯m going to have a lot of walking to do. You should have just told me earlier today. I coulda rode with you and we¡¯d be done by now.¡± Jason complained.

    ¡°Yeah well, I thought I¡¯d save the assasination for last. I didn¡¯t expect the quest would develop this way.¡± Winston told him. Then killed the chat.

    *************************************

    The battle had been a bloody one, if not the slaughter it could have been. It had left the village with a few empty huts and Winston had been given one to live in while Jason made the long trip across the zone.

    Winston had spent the day in the real world. Josh was home and they¡¯d gone out to grab burgers, then Winston had logged back in to deal with his business. He¡¯d gotten a message from one of the inn keepers he¡¯d messaged before and he now had to get a barrel of pears over near the Hound¡¯s guild-hall and a bag of chocolate to a zone deeper into the continent''s interior. He was happy for the business but it was more work.

    School would start again next week and his gaming time would take a big hit. It was one more reason he had to get this quest wrapped up. This war between the villages was obviously the game punishing him for taking so long. Things would just keep getting worse until he did what the divine mandate told him or he failed.

    It was morning two days later when Jason finally showed up. He was dirty from the road and looked more than a bit sour. The lizard-people looked terrified of him so Winston and Bog went out to meet him and the trio walked away from the village.

    ¡°So where¡¯s this priest we need to kill?¡± Jason asked as the trio walked towards the wide chasm nearby. A rope-bridge made of vines and dead-wood spanned the gap and Winston started across. The sun overhead was blazing and without the normal clouds and tree cover Winston was sweating badly.

    ¡°The other village is only a few miles away. Apparently, they used to be one village but they had some sort of falling out a century or so ago, something about two chief''s sons. They didn¡¯t really see each other much until they worked together to make the bridge. Then they started fighting over the same resources.¡± Winston explained.

    ¡°Whatever, they¡¯re NPC¡¯s. Yes, slaughtering monsters just because they¡¯re there isn¡¯t exactly my favorite thing, but this priest warships an evil god right?¡± Jason asked as he followed Winston and Bog over the bridge and gripped one of his axes.

    They met the first guard only a few yards from the end of the bridge. It was two more of the green-skinned lizards from before and Jason hurled an axe at one as soon as they came into view. Winston sent Bog after the other and she tackled and killed him after a short brutal fight.

    Winston shook his head but continued. He wasn¡¯t sure why he felt bad for them. He supposed he¡¯d just gotten used to treating the monster NPC¡¯s as people. They were just bits of code and most of them were evil bits of code. He realized he may have embraced his pacifist farming life a bit too much. Hell, the only things he really did try to kill in game were players. They just always seemed to deserve it more.

    The village was only about a mile more and they made good time before they hunkered down in a large patch of ferns. The village was larger than the one near Winston¡¯s farm by a good bit but all the soldiers they¡¯d sent on the raid the night before seemed to have cost them. The place looked partially empty and Winston saw more than one lizard person crying. They¡¯d lost a lot of their sons and husbands the night before and the lack of guards closer to the village was proof.

    ¡°So where is this bastard?¡± Jason asked.

    ¡°No idea. We could just barge in but we might have to kill everyone to find him. Let¡¯s just spy for a while. We should be able to figure it out.¡± Winston replied.

    Jason and Winston watched. It took them a while as the sun moved through the sky, but just by watching the villagers they homed in on the priest. Most of the villagers were just going about their business but there was one house most of them stayed away from. Some were frightened but others looked at the house in reverence. That was the one they needed.

    The three of them moved closer to the village being semi-stealthy but trying to move fast. They managed to make it all the way to the back of the priests hut without being seen. The game thought Winston had done a decent job hiding because his interface flashed and he reached Novice II in stealth.

    Jason looked to Winston then counted down with his fingers from three. When the last finger went down Jason hacked at the wal of the shoddily build hut with his axe and smashed it to pieces. Winston tossed faith armor on him as they both rushed in with Bog on their heels.

    The priest was setting at a desk and he jumped to his feet even as Jason hurled his axe. The weapon bounced off a black shield and black snakes flew from an old, half-broken, tablet in the priest''s hand. They exploded into black lightning as they clashed with the armor of Winston¡¯s faith.

    Winston started to channel more of his power, hoping to be annoying more than anything else. It was three on one and if Winston could weaken the priests powers by flooding the room with his own faith than Jason and Bog should be enough.

    ¡°Fiends! You come to slay me in my own home. You will scream in the stomach of the great Grisith for all eternity.¡± He screamed. Jason pulled another axe from his bag and hacked at the priest as two lizard-men burst in. Bog hit one, flinging him away but the other closed in on Jason and Winston stepped in to block him with staff in hand.

    Winston had never actually tried to fight with a staff but he didn¡¯t want to switch to his claws. He needed to keep pumping out his faith. This lizard-man stabbed at him with a spear and Winston batted it aside with little grace. Winston decided his best bet was to turn the fighting into a brawl and smashed he an elbow into the lizards chin, even as he gripped the staff and kept pouring out more faith. The warrior stumbled backwards and Winston went after him.

    A scream came from behind him and Winston sighed in relief as he felt the priests dark faith gutter out. Then Jason was beside him and helping him fight off the last warrior. A half minute later it was over.

    [Quest Update!]

    [You Have Killed the divine champion of Grisith. An alter is already active in this village. Destroy the altar to Grisith and it will count as creating an Alter to Runa]

    [Task: Convince three villages to build a shrine to Runa 1/2]

    [Killed the divine champion of Grisith 1/1]

    [Sacrifice the boss loot form Jugda Caverns 1/1]

    [Destroy the altar to Grisith 0/1]

    Jason looked down at the broken tablet that had dropped as loot with a shake of his head. ¡°You¡¯re really going to owe me for this.¡±

 Chapter 48

    ¡°3000? You can¡¯t be serious. It¡¯s a decent priest focus, but it¡¯s only rare. I¡¯m not gonna drop 300 dollars on it.¡± Winston and Jason had been arguing about the broken tablet for hours. Jason had been right that priest loot would be the only thing that would drop but when Winston had offered to buy it from him he¡¯d been pitching a ridiculous price.

    ¡°Why not, its not like you don¡¯t have the money.¡± Jason complined. ¡°And you made me walk all the way out here.¡±

    ¡°I have the money because I don¡¯t waste it overpaying for things and I already told you I¡¯d do you a favor. That and this are two different things.¡± Winston shot back. ¡°Just let me finish up this quest and then we can argue about it. I¡¯ve only got one shrine left to build.¡±

    ¡°Did you bring the stone you needed?¡± Jason asked?

    ¡°No.¡± Winston said, a bit sheepish.

    ¡°Why not? You didn¡¯t even walk, you rose Troll¡¯s wagon. You could have had him haul it over-here?¡±

    ¡°I forgot alright? I had a  lot going on.¡± Winston muttered as he tried to justify himself. ¡°We could just use wood or something. It won¡¯t be as nice but I¡¯m tired of this quest anyway. I should be back at my farm growing coffee beans but instead I¡¯m stuck over here.¡±

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll help. If you give me 1500 for the tablet and take care of my favor when we get back.¡± Jason added. Winston rolled his eyes. Jason was his best friend but he did get whiney sometimes. Then again Winston knew he could too.

    ¡°Whatever.¡± Winston said and the two found a likely tree and got to work. The whole process only took two hours and soon Winston was setting the brazier in his bag on top of the tower of wood. They hadn¡¯t tried to be fancy, they¡¯d just cut grooves in the logs and stacked them into a tower shape. Winston had to admit it wasn¡¯t his best work and his not gaining a skill rank in construction confirmed it.

    Winston knelt before the shrine and said a short prayer. ¡°Runa, Bless this village and these people, let your light wash away the ills they have suffered.¡± The sky rumbled and a flash of lighting came down and lit the brazier with silver fire. Unlike the other time the lighting didn¡¯t stop though. Storm clouds rolled is as silver lighting kept flashing down from the heavens. There was a loud hiss that seemed to shake the sky and Winston and Jason looked up in alarm.

    A giant serpent''s shadow had appeared in the sky above the zone. It thrashed around and the jungle shook with the power of it, even as more silver lighting rained down on it from the skies. The beast screamed then blew apart as a massive bolt of lightning fell on it. Then the skies calmed and more messages appeared in Winston¡¯s vision.

    [Grisith, God of Scales and Silence, has lost Dominion over the Jugda Zone]

    [Grisith Zone Wide Buffs Have Been Lost]

    [Snakes will spawn less frequently and be less powerful]

    [Corruption and Shadow Based Dungeons and Lairs will spawn less regularly]

    [Hidden Locations and Treasures will spawn less frequently]

    [Runa, Ogre Goddess Of Agriculture and Civilization, has gained dominion over the Jugda Zone]

    [Runa Zone Wide Buffs Have Been Gained]

    [Soil Quality of the Zone is slightly increased]

    [Herb spawn rates have Increased]

    [Quality and Rarity of stone deposits Increased]

    [Divine Mandate Completed]

    [Runa Skill Increased to Apprentice III]

    [+30,000 XP]

    [You Have Gained A New Skill]

    [Bless Stone]

    [Instead of using his blessings on the land or people a priest a Runa may pour his faith into stone. The will improve the land around the stone,reinforce the stone, and drive off beasts and preditors. This is especially effective against evil beasts and undead. Additional effects can be achieved as long as they are in line with the will of Runa.]

    [[Activation:Active]

    [Cost: N/A]

    [Rank: Uses [Channel Faith] Rank]

    [Effect: User pours his faith points into stone, blessing it.]

    Winston sighed as he read the skill description. He really wished his faith would give him something a bit more usable. It was useful for farming but seemed to have so little utility for anything else. Now he had a crapper version of enchanting. He didn¡¯t even know what he¡¯d use it for. He was building his new wall out of wood.

    ¡°Get anything good?¡± Jason asked as the storm-clouds in the sky started to dissipate. ¡°That was pretty awesome by the way. Maybe I should get some religion.¡± He said as he absently scratched at some of the scales on his chest. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°Not really... ¡° Winston started, then changed his mind. ¡°Well maybe. I got a sort of watered down enchanting skill but it¡¯s like most of my other skills from Runa. There all useful but not super-useful. Still 30,000 xp and 2 skill levels in my faith skill is pretty nice.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t even level? That¡¯s ridiculous.¡± Jason said.

    ¡°I should be close. I probably would have if I hadn¡¯t died the other day.¡± Winston muttered.

    ¡°That was a week and a half ago. Your not even level 20 yet. It shouldn¡¯t take you a month a level.¡±

    ¡°If I go back to the farm and pick that ginseng I¡¯ve been saving I¡¯ll definitely level.¡± Winston told Jason.

    ¡°Well, then let¡¯s get out of here. It¡¯s gonna take forever to walk all the way back to your farm and I¡¯ve still got a favor to call in.¡±

    *****************************************************

    Two days later they were back on the farm and Winston sighed when he saw all the trees overflowing with ripe fruit. That was the problem with being gone. It threw off his whole rotation. Now everything was ripe at the same time and he¡¯d have to space everything back out again. That would delay harvesting even faster.

    Winston summoned his golem and sent it to harvest his apples and pears. Those he cared the least about and it would get some of the work out of the way. Kishia was tending her alchemy herbs and Winston gave her a wave before he turned to scowl at Jason.

    ¡°Now what was this favor your all frothy about.¡±

    ¡°I want you to plant me some trees. Mostly mahogany, I¡¯ve chopped down most of the ones within a mile of here and they don¡¯t regrow fast enough. If you could also throw in some¡­¡± Jason started waving his hands around as if looking at something in his interface. ¡°Some flaming comet tree¡¯s or a few silverwoods that would be great too.¡±

    ¡°What the hell is a flaming comet tree?¡± Winston asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s not it¡¯s real name. The one the game displays when you inspect it is in elvish and its about 30 letters long with a bunch of unnessisary l¡¯s and h¡¯s. The rough translation is flaming comet tree. It¡¯s grown by some tribes of Jungle elves, mostly in the Russian cluster, but they are worth a fortune. They needs lots of fire mana to grow properly and are great material for wands and staves for fire-wizards, or bows with extra fire damage.¡± He explained.

    ¡°And since every idiot with more than 10 points of intellect and resonance wants to be a fire wizard their worth a mountain of gold.¡± Jason finished.

    ¡°I can give it a shot..¡± Winston said thoughtfully. ¡°Assuming I can get the seeds without bankrupting myself. It¡¯ll cost me a ton to prepare the ground for something like that though. I¡¯ve never tried to grow anything with an elemental mana requirement.¡±Aside from those apple trees back in the Swords he supposed, but those he just planted those on a spot with over-flowing Earth mana. It wasn¡¯t like he¡¯d tried to prepare and maintain the point himself. He shook his head and continued.

    ¡°The Silverwoods and definitely out. Those take perfect elemental balance to grow at all, and even if I managed to get the soil right to make it start growing, keeping everything right for the weeks it would take to mature would cost me at least two fortunes and I¡¯d have to be logged in nearly twenty-four seven to keep an eye on everything. Then again a whole silverwood tree might be worth twenty or thirty thousand gold.¡±

    ¡°Closer to fifty.¡± Jason replied.¡±Think of how many bows and staves you could get out of a whole tree.¡± Winston whistled.

    ¡°For fifty I¡¯d be tempted to try¡­. Let¡¯s just stick with the Mahogany to start with. Those grow around here and should be easy enough assuming you saved some seeds with all the ones you¡¯ve been chopping down. I¡¯ll talk to troll and see if he can get some blood, bones, and bodies of some fire-type beasts, or some cheap fire-type plants I can use as compost and to prime to soil for those crazy exploding trees you want. They¡¯ll be a fun project and should get me a good bit of skill and experience boosting.¡± Winston agreed.

    Jason handed Winston a coin-pouch full of the odd seed-pod/pinecone things that mahogany trees used for seeds before he logged out. Winston wished he could log out but he had way too much to do. Instead he brought up his interface and started trying to find out how far apart he should plant the trees.

    Winston walked around the side of the giant rock formation then shrugged. He¡¯d built his farm in four quarters so whenever he put the next patch of trees was going to mess it up. He supposed this was as good a place as any.  He raised his staff and cast [Clear the Land]. The land rippled and smaller rocks and trees went flying before the grass and other plants blew away leaving a perfect quarter-acre plot.

    Winston started planting. It was shooting. With the quest done he was finally back to doing what he liked best, growing things. He wondered if he¡¯d get a tree-farming skill when Jason chopped them down. Winston spent the next half-hour planting and the next two hours helping his golem pick apples and pears. He picked out the best to be sold to the guy who¡¯d messaged him and the rest got stuffed into his hut in barrels.

    *************************************

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you it¡¯s a bad idea.¡± Trish told Alex and Vera as she sat in the guild¡¯s main conference room. The room was small and the table had only three sides. The table was slightly too large for the room making the people inside uncomfortable. They¡¯d build it that way on purpose to keep meetings from dragging out. Trish was more uncomfortable than usual though. She swore she¡¯d kill Winston when she saw him again. He just couldn¡¯t leave things alone.

    ¡°He flipped the zone deity. It¡¯s a training zone and he made it have few monsters, fewer treasures, and fewer dungeons. That¡¯s exactly the opposite of what a guild wants for their training zone.¡± Alex said.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t even know the zone''s dominion could be changed. Without the system message you¡¯d have never even known. Now your acting like he undid years of work. He¡¯s already paying a bribe, if you push him you¡¯ll regret it.¡± Trish told the other two people at the table. Alex was dressed in his normal guild business clothes, a dark wool suit, while Vera was in her polished armor.

    ¡°Is that a threat?¡± Vera asked sharply. Trish sighed.

    ¡°No, its a fact. I love Winston but he doesn¡¯t take well to being bullied. He doesn¡¯t get even, he goes way over the top. A couple of kids were bullying him in seventh grade and he made one fail out of English by stealing his flash-drive the morning he had to turn in a five-page paper and he got the other kicked out of school by planting drugs in his locker.¡± Trish told them. Their eyes widened.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like someone very stable.¡± Alex said.

    ¡°Winston is perfectly calm and logical until someone really makes him mad. Then all bets are off.¡± Trish said.

    ¡°So your saying we should expect him to raid our supplies or hire mercenaries to kill our people?¡± Vera asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s what he was going to do, but I asked him not to and he agreed, on the condition that you guys just took the money he¡¯d paying you and left him alone.¡± Trish said slowly. She tried hard not to grind her teeth.

    ¡°And what did he say he¡¯d do if we didn¡¯t.¡± Alex asked.

    ¡°He didn¡¯t tell me but it won¡¯t be pretty. I don¡¯t understand why you guys are going after him so hard? Yes he screwed up our blockade of the Sword¡¯s but they would have gotten around it soon anyway. You guys got him back for that and both he and I understand and accept it. That¡¯s how the guild game is played in Otherworld but you guys seemed to be making it personal now.¡± Trish told them. ¡°It doesn¡¯t make any sense from the perspective of the guild to harass a single player so much. We should just take his money and let him grow his coffee trees. If not we¡¯re just bullying him and that¡¯s the kind of petty short-sighted actions that got us fighting against the Sword¡¯s and Crimsun¡¯s in the first place.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re obviously biased.¡± Vera said simply.

    ¡°Yes, I probably am biased. I have to admit I like him more than you guys and this kind of idiotic crap isn¡¯t helping your case. You guys have always been close, but your hedging me out of the decision making process more and more. A triumvirate only works if there are actually three sides, but you guys just keep ganging up against me to do whatever the hell you want and now you¡¯re picking on my boyfriend!¡± She tried to stay calm but by the end she was shouting.

    ¡°This is about the guilds reputation Trish. We¡¯re not just picking on him for no reason. This was a deliberate slight and something we have to address.¡± Alex said calmly. Trish rolled her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s time to vote. All in favor of punitive action?¡± Alex continued. Alex and Vera raised there hands and Trish shook her head in disgust. She¡¯d warned them but she was washing her hands of it now. She¡¯d also recorded the whole meeting and when this blew up in their faces, like she knew it would the video was going up on the guild website. She¡¯d loved this guild once but she¡¯d just about had enough.

 Chapter 49

    Rain was beating down on the rim of Winston¡¯s hat as he looked down at his ginseng.

    ¡°You sure? You could leave them here for longer and they¡¯d just get more valuable.¡± Kishia said from beside him as she examined them as well. She didn¡¯t seem to mind the rain. Her scales just shed all of it but it always matted his fur for hours after a rain.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s time. We need to see what we ended up with and then replant.¡± Winston told her.

    He¡¯d let them grow nearly a month and he¡¯d decided it was time to reap the harvest. He knelt in the dirt and prepared to grab one of the dark evil-looking ginsing¡¯s but thought better of it. They¡¯d been rather foreboding looking when they¡¯d first mutated but now they radiated a sort of ominous darkness and Winston wasn¡¯t sure what would happen if he touched them. Instead he got two short sticks and picked away the loose soil before carefully lifting the plant out, then brought it close to his face to inspect.

    [Herbalism level too low to identify]

    ¡°You know what this is?¡± Winston asked his apprentice. He¡¯d asked her before and she hadn¡¯t known but her herbalism level should be higher now.

    ¡°It¡¯s a Spiked Doom Ginseng. Evil things.¡± She said with disgust. As soon as she said it a box popped open in from of him.

    [Spiked Doom Ginseng]

    [Reagent]

    [Uncommon, Superior]

    [A mutated Tropical Ginseng. The positive karmic luck of this plant has been repeatedly sucked away. That has left it with only the negative luck. As the plant grew older and more robust this negative luck has only increased. Now the plant will bring nothing but ill fortune on those who consume it.]

    He was about to stick it into his pack when Kishia spoke up again. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t put it in there.¡± Winston¡¯s hand paused.

    ¡°Where am I supposed to put it then?¡± Winston said with an eye-roll.

    ¡°Stuffing normal crops and things inside a bag is fine, even the rest of these normal ginsings you¡¯ve grown but you can¡¯t treat medical reagents that way. They¡¯ll lose potency.¡±

    ¡°That¡­ Doesn¡¯t sound right.¡± Winston said. He was pretty sure anything put in a bag stopped aging instantly. If it wasn¡¯t aging how would it lose any potency. This wasn¡¯t a Xianxia novel. He didn¡¯t need a jade box.

    ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± Kishia said stubbornly.

    Winston pulled up his interface and started looking up information. What he found was mixed and mostly hear-say. The Chinese and Korean farmers were pretty adamant about it, at least for the higher grade stuff. The Russians seemed mostly ambiguous and the Americans and Europeans thought it was crap. Winston was pretty sure he was in the latter camp but then again, listening to NPCs was usually a good idea. He was willing to try anything once. How would he be able to tell though? It wasn¡¯t like he could feel the medical efficacy of the plant, unless someone could. The game did have A LOT of skills and classes.

    ¡°What would you recommend?¡± Winston asked.

    ¡°Well, if you wanted to cut down another tree, fresh pear wood might word. Peach would be better but pear shouldn¡¯t be terrible.¡± Kishia told him.

    ¡°That would be great, assuming I had the tools, the time, or the skill.¡± Winston grumbled. He shook his head. He wasn¡¯t going to worry about it for now. Although he¡¯d keep it in mind. Winston slowly worked his way through the black ginsengs, then quickly picked the normal ones and tossed them all into his pack. He¡¯d saved the best for last.

    He took his time with the final specimen, first picking off the berries on top, then slowly digging the plant out of the ground. Instead of forming a normal tube shaped root, this one was almost perfectly spherical, with small hairlike roots shooting off it. Winston carefully picked it out of the ground and held it up for his apprentice. The girl looked at his for a while, then nodded.

    ¡°A Golden-Fate Ginseng¡± She said finally.

    [Golden Fate Ginseng]

    [Reagent]

    [Rare, Excellent]

    [Mutated from a common Tropical Ginseng this was fed the blood, body, and core, of a Golden Frothing. It was nurtured by an experienced farmer and was left to mature before being harvested. It contains the Golden Frothlings karmic fate as well as that it has absorbed from the other ginseng plants around it.]

    Light burst from Winston as his screen filled with popups.

    [You Have Reached Level 18]

    [You Vegetable Sub-Skill Has Increased]

    [Current Rank: Beginner III]

    [[Effect:Bonus Vegetable Crop Yield: 9.5%]

    Bonus Vegetable Crop Quality: 31%]

    [You Have Received A Class Quest]

    [Return To Your Roots]

    [In order to fully understand your class as you prepare for your advancement, you are tasked with returning to the Yawnshu homeland and retrieving one of the Yawnshu¡¯s lost Sun-Crystals they used to illuminate their great underground groves. Travel to the Central Plains in the Western Empire and seek the ruins of your civilization.]Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    [Requirements: Find Sun-Crystal 0/1]

    [Rewards: 50,000 xp, ability to select class specialization once player hits level 20]

    Winston¡¯s face changed from happiness to frustration as he read the messages. He¡¯d been so excited for his class quest and the game had screwed him over. He was expecting some kind of production quest, something similar to when he¡¯d helped out the orcs, but the game had given him a real quest. How was he supposed to complete a real quest? He¡¯d only managed his last quest due to luck, help, and a low-level zone. The western Kingdom was nothing like this specially nurtured training zone. It was the wild-west. He¡¯d have to fight stuff,explore old ruins, and do all the things real players with real combat classes did. Winston could think of few things he¡¯d want to do less. It would take weeks and he wouldn¡¯t be able to farm at all.

    Still, he couldn¡¯t be too mad. He¡¯d leveled up again and he had just picked a rare rarity plant he¡¯d grown himself. The thing had to be worth at least 1500, maybe two or three times that with a little luck. He placed it carefully in his pack. Winston stood and dusted off the knees of his overalls. He¡¯d re-compost, re-lime, and then turn the soil here a few times. Then he¡¯d leave it to set for half a day before replanting the ginseng. The farm never lacked for work to do.

    ******************************

    ¡°This all you have? Where¡¯s your coffee and chocolate?.¡± Troll asked as he stood in his wagon. The height of the wagon made the halfling taller than Winston, if only by a little. The wagon was loaded down with a dozen barrels of various fruits.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been saving them up. There¡¯s no place to get rid of them around here for a decent price and I don¡¯t feel like taking a 50% hit in profits just because I¡¯m out in the boonies.¡± Winston told him. ¡°I wanted to save up a lot, then send them on a boat or through a portal. I keep trying to get Trish to send my stuff through one of her guild shipments but someone else is in charge of their logistics and he apparently had it out for me.¡±

    ¡°Why are you still here then?¡±

    ¡°Where else am I going to go? Besides I just built this farm. Seems stupid to have gone though all the trouble of getting all this set up just to leave again.¡± Winston said. ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t agree with you. It¡¯s been damned annoying to get my crops out but there¡¯s not much I can do about it without hiring a portal of my own.¡±

    ¡°Well, why don¡¯t you do that? You¡¯ve got the money for it don¡¯t you¡± Troll asked as he looked down at Winston. ¡°And help me with this crap. You¡¯re the one that asked me to buy all of it.¡± He said as he waved to a few boxes in the back.

    ¡°I have the money for it and that¡¯s part of the reason I¡¯ve been saving up the chocolate. Need a lot of goods to make it worth it. So far I¡¯ve got about 48 pounds of chocolate I¡¯ve been stockpiling. And what is this crap?¡± Winston said as he got a whiff of what was in the box.

    ¡°Dragon Dung, as they¡¯d say in Harry Potter. Fresh from a red-dragon lair. Cost me, or in this case, you a pretty penny.¡± Troll said smiling.

    ¡°How much?¡± Winston said as he lifted the first box down and picked up a second.

    ¡°About 1500 gold. That one is the body of a salamander.¡± He said nodding at the second box. ¡°Only about level 20, but it was a lot cheaper. They had a balrog corpse from a raid, but I thought the demon blood might cause some fairly horrify mutations. They wanted five grand for it anyway.¡±

    ¡°You spent 1500 gold on literal shit?¡± Winston asked him in horror.

    ¡°You¡¯re the one that told me to and I quote ¡®Pick up any animal or plant parts that are fire attributed you think might be decent¡¯, besides who else but a farmer would need dragon dung. I got you a decent deal. See how things come out first before you knock it. Then I got you this.¡± He  added, as he whipped out a large red gem. ¡°Core from a level 60 fire atronach, 2600 gold. I also got that seed you wanted. That was nearly 3000, but I suppose you can just make more if your going to start growing them.¡±

    ¡°Well, I did have enough money for a portal.¡± Winston muttered.

    ¡°Stop complaining, yes the money you¡¯ve been making has been going down pretty steadily but you¡¯ve still been making money..¡± Troll complained.

    ¡°Fine, and you stop complaining. I know I¡¯m not your only customer.¡± Winston shot back. ¡°If I can get you a portal from Wraith Harbor to the Eternal City will you take my stuff out there?¡±

    ¡°Depends what it pays.¡± Troll said with a shrug.

    ¡°Alright, The swords portal to the Eternal city pretty often and I can send you with them for free. I haven¡¯t cashed in on that yet and it¡¯s about time. I¡¯ve basically decimated the market around here so it¡¯ll be good to liven things up again. I¡¯m getting tired of these nickel and dime deals. I¡¯ll contact the Swords and see when their next portal is, and if I can hire one of their portal mages to pop one from Sword¡¯s Basin to Wraith Harbor. Then you can hop through from this side and go with them from there to Chronopolis.

    ¡°I¡¯ll round up everything I¡¯ve got saved up and we¡¯ll send it all over there and see how we do. I¡¯ll have to decide how to sell it all but we should make money.¡± Winston said.

    ¡°You¡¯re the boss.¡± Troll said with a shrug. ¡°I just haul things.¡±

    ¡°Lemme go get the rest of it.¡± Winston muttered as he went back in the hut to dig out the good stuff.¡±

    In the end he¡¯d sent off Troll with 48 lbs of chocolate, 25 of coffee, and around 30 bushel each of Apples, Pears, and Oranges. He¡¯d even thrown in all the ginseng to top it all off. It wasn¡¯t as much as he¡¯d hoped but he was glad to be rid of it all. Trish seemed awfully worried about things and that meant someone was likely going to come screw things up for him again soon.

    Those were worries for tomorrow, today he needed to take on his next project. He wanted to grow that fire-tree. It would be a good challenge for him and should give him a decent skill boost if he pulled it off. He headed over to the newest area of his farm where he¡¯d planted the mahogany trees. Thirty-six tiny saplings had already pushed up through the soil in six neat rows. Winston chose a spot a good fifty yards further out then knelt in the damn grass to get the boost to his soil-sense ability. He reached into his pack and pulled out the seed.

    It looked a bit like a walnut but was a bright orange color and as he gripped it in his hand he felt the ground under him. The soil was too acidic but only slightly so it also wasn¡¯t sandy enough. Those problems Winston could fix fairly easily. He still had sand left over from his oven project so he could just mix some in until he got it right. The larger problem was with the fire aura.

    Winston had never tried to grow anything that required mana and the sensation was bizarre. He felt a sort of ghostly burning in the soil that was apparently supposed to represent the fire-mana that was missing. There was another sensation over-top of that one though, something soothing but different from mana. Faith maybe? Did the tree require fire-mana saturated ground and also faith saturated ground?

    The fire sensation was much stronger but there was just a trickle of the faith. Thinking about it that wasn¡¯t too surprising. If this was some-sort of an elven special holy-tree then it might need to grow in a sacred grove. Elves were always going around blessing the ground and trees. Winston didn¡¯t have a sacred grove but he had the skills to fake it fairly well. He was a literal grovetender. He¡¯d just have to slap down a few blessed rocks to give it the proper amount of faith or just lay down a blessing everyday and presto, one pseudo-sacred-grove.

    Winston cast a miniature [Clear the Land] and started to dig a 4x4 hole. It took a while but his claws made the work go quickly. He carried over the manure next and stuck a finger in it. It was gross but necessary. His passive activated and his eyes went up. It was way too rich and the fire-mana was pretty weak. Winson would have to dilute it with lots of soil which would spread the fire-mana out even more. Still, there was something else about it, it felt something like a summer storm, but it wasn¡¯t anything Winston recognized.

    Nope, this wasn¡¯t going to do it. He stood back up and started back towards the hut. He found Kishia back in the alchemy room she¡¯d made and coughed lightly to get her attention. She scowled at him slightly and he smiled, before handing over her wages for the week. It was a decent pile of gold and her frown turned into a smile.

    ¡°Any way you can brush this into powder without blowing up my house?¡± Winston asked her as he held out the fire-core. The girl took it and let our a soft hiss. Winston supposed it was the lizard-person equivalent of a whistle.

    ¡°This must have cost a fortune, but grinding it up shouldn¡¯t be too hard.¡± She said.

    ¡°Excellent. I need it to increase the density of fire mana in the soil for the tree Orinico wants me to grow.¡± Winston said.

    ¡°Is he coming back here?¡± She said, a bit too casually.

    ¡°Should be. He¡¯ll be here to chop down all those trees I just planted, as well as the new one I¡¯m working on today.¡± Winston told her with a grin.

    It didn¡¯t take long to grind the core and Winston went and knocked off a few head-sized chunks of stone off the massive rock formation while he waited. Then it was back to the whole. Winston started to mix the soil and dung, trying to get the composition right while adding in fire-core dust to keep up the fire-mana content. It was a long annoying process and Winston kept using his claws to mix and stir everything together. When he got it how he wanted he stood up and grabbed the four rocks. Then he cast his newest skill and dumped a hundred mana into each one.

    The rocks started to glow slightly and a faint aura of rightness washed over Winston. He put the rocks around the plot in the four corners then tested the soil one last time. He nodded and poked a hole in the ground before planting the blazing orange seed.

 Chapter 50

    Shadows moved slowly across Winston¡¯s farm as fat clouds floated across the blue sky. Winston sat with Trish on top of the giant rock formation next to his farm and looked down over his domain. He let the jungles tepid breeze wash over him as he took some time to relax.

    ¡°I liked it better when it was symmetrical.¡± Trish said. Winston laughed. She¡¯d come over this morning and Winston had spent the day hanging out and mostly slacking off. With his quest done and his tree-farm planted he didn¡¯t have as much daily work as he used to. Harvest days were always busy but there were only four of those a week. The other three days were much calmer.

    ¡°So did I. I planned it all out in my head when I started and I planned on expanding it all equally to keep things nice and neat. Now I¡¯ve got this growth off to one side where I had to plant all those damn trees for Jason.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t have HAVE to.¡± Trish told him. ¡°Or you could have waited a few days worked something better out instead of just sticking it on one side of the farm.¡±

    Winston shrugged. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure how much long-term planning I wanted to do and since your here I¡¯m guessing I was right to be suspicious.  Are you here to protect me again?¡± Winston asked her.

    Trish shrugged. ¡°Not really. They¡¯ll just wait till I leave if they really plan on doing something. I¡¯m just sick of all this crap.¡± She said, sounding bitter. ¡°It just sucks too see how little they value me after all this time. Is this why you didn¡¯t join my clan?¡±

    ¡°Part of it. I mean, I can¡¯t join anyone¡¯s clan for months yet. I¡¯m not necessarily opposed to joining a clan but not you¡¯re clan. There¡¯s always going to be conflict in a clan but if you¡¯re someone in a decision making roll it¡¯s going to put pressure on you and I don¡¯t want to do that. I also didn¡¯t get a good impression of them at that party when I met them. And it¡¯s been less than two months and here we are already. Granted, I was a large-ish part of that problem, but it would have come up eventually anyway.¡± Winston said.

    Trish snorted. ¡°Yeah, I get that. Seems you were right too. The part that pisses me off is that I never really noticed how much I¡¯ve been putting up with until this blew up. I¡¯m so sick of the politics. I didn¡¯t get into gaming to deal with politics. We were supposed to be the up and comers, the smaller, less corrupt, guilds trying to topple the monsters. Ya know? Know it turns our we¡¯ve become what I¡¯ve always wanted to fight against.¡± She said with a sigh.

    ¡°You die a hero, or live long enough to become the villain.¡± Winston misquoted.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I hate batman. It¡¯s too dark. Superhero stories are supposed to be about good beating evil, not about trying to overcome internal darkness and a savage world full of grey morality. That¡¯s what the real world is for. I prefer my fiction a little more light-hearted.¡± Trish complained.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m a farmer. No moral ambiguity to be found. I just want to be left alone to grow crops.¡± Winston told her.

    ¡°Your actions and your words don¡¯t really match up, with as much trouble as your always stirring up.¡± Trish said with a laugh. ¡°You wanna log for a bit then hit up Marnie¡¯s for a burger?¡±

    ¡°I gotta call the Swords before Troll gets back to Wraith Harbor, but after that sure. I could eat.¡±Winston told her and brought up his friends list before sending a message to Therion.

    Winston: Hey boss, Can you get one of your underlings to send me your portal chedual for this week? I also wanna know what it would cost to get one of your mages to pop a portal from Wraith Harbor to Sword¡¯s Bastion.¡±

    Therion: No Hi, No hello, just straight for the favors and you don¡¯t want much do you?

    Winston: It¡¯s not a favor when we made a deal. That¡¯s called a transaction, or a trade, or possible an exchange.

    Therion: Whatever¡­ I¡¯ll get someone to message you.

    The message ended and Winston stared at the window for a moment before he shrugged.

    ¡°Get what you needed?¡± Trish asked as she laid down on the rock.

    ¡°Nope, but someone¡¯s going to message me.¡± Winston told her. ¡°Meet in an hour?¡± He asked. Trish gave a thumbs up, before her arm dropped and her avatar closed her eyes and went to sleep. Winston hopped down off the large rock and waited for his interface to beep.

    The dealing took a while. He had to pay 11,250 gold for the portal, which would open at 1:00 on Tuesday.  It was only Saturday now and school started on Monday. Winston sent Troll another message to let him now when the portal would open then logged out. He was starving and he had to get some burgers.

    *****************************************************

    ¡°Are they ready yet?¡± Jason complied as he looked over the field of small trees. Winston rolled his eyes. The new saplings weren¡¯t even up to his waist yet and he was asking if they were ready to cut down.

    ¡°If you want them to be, but I feel like you should wait another week or two. They have only been planted two days.¡± Winston told him with disgust.

    ¡°Don¡¯t get all high and mighty with me. How long is this gonna take?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve got a bonus to tree growing speed but I¡¯d guess at least three weeks, maybe a month. Mahogany trees can grow 200 feet tall, and that¡¯s in the real world without magical blessings and class bonuses. Runa only knows how large they can grow here.¡± Winston told him.

    ¡°Runa only knows? You¡¯re getting way too into the whole faith thing.¡± Jason told him.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    Winston shrugged. ¡°You¡¯ve gotta be sincere with in-game faith. It monitors your brainwaves. That¡¯s how the company got into so much trouble when the game first came out. Big scandal and all that.

    ¡°Wellever, what am I supposed to do for a month?¡± Jason complained.

    ¡°Quests? Skill Training? Maybe you could change zones and let the trees regrow a bit? You need to create a sustainable harvesting plan.¡± Winston offered.

    ¡°You¡¯re no fun.¡±

    ¡°Noted.¡± Winston muttered as he walked over to his tree and knelt down in the dirt. He let the sensations wash over him and tried to pick out how things were going. The tree was growing slowly but Winston knew he had to keep an eye on it. The firemana he¡¯d put in the soil would dissipate steadily so he¡¯d have to keep adding more as it went away. Winston reached forward and touched the little tree, it lit up with a green glow as he cast [Norish] on it. Winston added a few sprinkles of the crushed core then worked it into the soil around the little sapling.

    ¡°What about this guy?¡± Jason asked as he walked over.

    ¡°Probably even longer, although I hope not. This will cost me a fortune if I have to give it more fire materials every day.¡± Winston told him.

    ¡°You¡¯ll still make a fortune.¡± Jason said.

    ¡°Not really. It costs too much. I¡¯ve already spent 7000 gold on it and if it has to grow for a month I¡¯ll need more stuff. I¡¯d guess I¡¯ll spend something like 15-20 thousand on this. Even if we can sell it for 30 or 40 thousand that¡¯s not a huge profit for a month of constant care, especially if we¡¯re splitting it.¡± Winston told him.

    ¡°Most players would consider 10 or 20 thousand gold a pretty good profit.¡± Jason pointed out.

    ¡°Yeah, well, most players are idiots. I¡¯m more interested in the skill levels I¡¯ll get rather than the money. It¡¯s just good to keep track of all your expenses when your running a business. Expenses have a way of sneaking up on you is you aren''t careful.¡±

    ¡°Whatever. I¡¯m gonna go read, Sanderson¡¯s new book is out and if these arn¡¯t ready there¡¯s no point in hanging around your farm.¡± Jason said, before he went into Winston¡¯s hut and logged.

    ¡°See you at School tomorrow.¡± Winston called after him.

    Winston looked over his farm and wasn¡¯t sure what to do. The oranges would be ready for harvest tomorrow but today he was pretty free. He looked over at his trees and finally got an idea. He hadn¡¯t done any brewing for a long time. He¡¯d bought all the stuff for it and just never got around to trying to build up his farm. It was finally time to see if he could do better than his first few ill-fated experiments.

    He walked into his hut and grabbed a crate of apples and pears. There was always a bit of left-over from each harvest and he¡¯d have to just throw them on the compost heap if he didn¡¯t use them. Instead he drug them out into the sun-shine along with his cider press. Since he¡¯d stopped growing grain he didn¡¯t have the ingredients for beer, so he¡¯d have to settle for cider or wine, although wine took a lot of acids and enzymes that he didn¡¯t have. So cider was the most straightforward and simple.

    He pressed the apples and pears into juice and dumped them into a pair of half-casks he¡¯d bought a long time ago for just this purpose. He¡¯d never had pear cider but the concept should be pretty much the same. He tossed in some cinnamon and extra sugar then added the yeast before capping off both barrels. He¡¯d have to crack them once a day to let out the carbon dioxide but he didn¡¯t see much use in dragging out his fancy air-lock for two barrels of cider. He¡¯d make Troll bring back some barley, corn, and hops for him to play with once he got back from Chronopolis.

    Winston went to feed Bog then decided to do some exercise. His last couple of level-ups hadn¡¯t been up to standard that was partly because of how fast they¡¯d been, but it was also because without planting, plowing, and harvesting fields every-day he just wasn¡¯t getting the same level of physical exercise he had been. He brought up his character sheet.

    [ Name: Win Mills   Level 18]

    [ Race: Yawnshu       Class: Grove tender]

    [            Attributes             Status]

    [Str:     58(+3) 61   End: 72(+12)84      Hp: 269/269 Mana: 240/240]

    [Con:    53(+3) 56    Agi: 30                 Stam: 388/388 Panic: 1/12]

    [Cord: 52(+3)55      Int: 41           Hunger: 68/110 Thirst: 24/110]

    [Wis  59(+2) 61       Faith: 63(+11)74         FP:366/366(472/472)]

    [Res:  42(+4) 48 ]

    [Guild: -    Titles: 3]

    [Fame: 15         Friend List: 2/5]

    Yeah, he hadn¡¯t gotten as much strength of stamina as he had been getting. 3 wasn¡¯t bad but he¡¯d been used to getting 4 a level. Constitution was actually slightly better than usual but he had been beaten up a time or two so that was expected. The only significant boost was in his faith points and that was only because of his class bonuses.

    If he didn¡¯t want to lose a lot of potential stat-points he¡¯d need to start exercising. So Winston grabbed a barrel of fruit, tossed it over one shoulder and started to jog around the perimeter of the farm. It was best to head these sorts of problems off early.

    The halls of Ulysses S Grant memorial highschool were filled with an odd sort of resigned happiness the next day. Everyone was happy to see all their friends again after the long break but everyone was acting put-upon since they couldn¡¯t admit they were happy to be back at school.

    Winston felt great. He¡¯d climbed out of his system sore and sweaty just before dinner, then grabbed a shower, eaten supper and watched TV until bed. He¡¯d slept like a baby and was actually awake at school for once.

    He walked into homeroom and sat down in his normal seat. Jason stumbled in just before the bell rang and unlike Winston he looked like he hadn¡¯t slept at all. He had bags under his red rimmed eyes and looked at Winston with blurry eyes.

    ¡°Rough night?¡± Winston asked him. ¡°You should really chase the hookers out before dawn. Otherwise they might charge extra.¡± He added cheerily.

    ¡°You¡¯re an asshole when your awake.¡± Jason grumbled.

    ¡°It would be pretty tough to be an asshole asleep.¡± Winston reasoned.

    ¡°I think you could manage it.¡±

    The two chatted until the bell rang and Winston sat through his morning classes until lunch. Where he met up with with the gang.

    ¡°Do you want me to make you some new wards?¡± Brad asked when Winston sat down with his food.

    ¡°I¡¯d like you to but there¡¯s not much point. I wanted it mostly the hold off the wild-life but I haven¡¯t had any problems with animals. No, if someone comes to mess with me again it¡¯ll be players and the ward wont stop them. They¡¯ll just break it. It¡¯d be a waste of money.¡± Winston said with a shake of his head.

    ¡°Trish¡¯s guild still giving you trouble?¡± Ruger asked, looking between him and Trish.

    Winston shrugged. ¡°Trish thinks so and I¡¯m pretty sure they will. I don¡¯t really know why. It stopped making sense a while ago. I mean, I don¡¯t blame them for the first time. I was mad but I at least understood their motivations. Now it seems oddly personal and I¡¯ve met the other two leaders exactly one time.¡±

    ¡°Well, if you need a new spot to set up a farm come to our guild. We¡¯re not big but there¡¯s quite a bit of free land around our guild-hall. You could rent from us pretty easily and we could use the extra money.¡± Ruger said.

    Wintson nodded at him. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it. We¡¯ll see how things play out but if I do need a new place I¡¯ll look you guys up.¡± The rest of the day went by in a blur and Winston rushed hope to hop back in the game. It was orange day and there was hours of picking to get done. When his screen loaded his view was filled with notifications.

    [You Have Died]

    [You Have lost 1 level]

    [You Have lost 3 gold]

    [Your Pet Bogdona Had Died]

    [She has lost 1 level]

    [You May resurrect her at any time if you have the appropriate skill]

    [Your Apprentice Has Died]

    [No Apprentice Rewards Received]

    Winston found himself standing next to a few stone ruins a couple hours walk from his farm. It was raining again and the tepid rainwater did nothing to cool his growing anger. He started to walk back through the jungle and his rage grew with every step. It was nearly supper time when he finally made it back to the farm and his towering rage transformed into something cold and dangerous as he saw what was left of his farm. Which was nothing.

    His hut had been caved in completely. Everything inside had been smashed to pieces or stolen. All of his trees had been cut down and burned. Even Runa¡¯s shrine had been destroyed. They¡¯d left nothing. More than a month of hardwork and effort all gone in a single day and they¡¯d waited until he¡¯d gone back to school so there was nothing he could have done about it. They¡¯d even killed Kishia, who was a defenseless NPC. It was all gone and for no reason.

    This wasn¡¯t about sending a message or about applying pressure to gain some advantage. This was a naked provation. It was someone with power stomping on someone else just to prove they could. Winston¡¯s teeth ground together as he looked over the ashes of his farm. He brought up his interface and took a screenshot. Then he turned around and started to walk away. If this was how they wanted things to be than that was fine. Before he¡¯d nearly been at cross-purposes with the Blood Hounds but they¡¯d just made it a war.

    Winston smiled grimly as he walked away in the still pouring rain. They apparently didn¡¯t think Winston could hurt them. He¡¯d just have to show them he could.

 Chapter 51

    The next morning passed in a haze of half-remembered conversations. Winston hadn''t slept, instead he''d tossed and turned while a dull burning fury had coursed through him. He was used to brooding. He got that way sometimes but he couldn''t remember anytime he''d been so fundamentally enraged.

    Not even lunch seemed to drag him out of his funk and he was absently eating over-cooked lasagna when Trish put her hand over his to stop the motion of his fork and leaned closer to him.

    "Win, I''m so sorry. I didn''t think they''d go that far. I was expecting some type of push-back but its like I don''t even know them anymore. You stung Alex''s pride for some reason and he''d taking it out on you." Trish said softly. Then her whole demeanor changed and she was just as angry as Winston. "I swear to god I''m going to bury them for this."

    Winston gave her a grim smile. "That''s exactly what I was thinking."

    "You''re still not going to tell me what you''re doing are you." She asked.

    "Nope, because if you get involved you''ll be a traitor. I can burn down their whole world and be completely justified." Winston said.

    "What are we burning?" Jason asked as he plopped down at the table.

    "Lots of things. Have you seen my farm?" Winston asked his friend.

    "Nope, off in the jungle, waiting for your trees to grow." Jason said.

    "Well, you''ll be waiting a while. Trish''s guild burnt my entire farm down."

    "They did what?" Jason asked incredulously.

    "Destroyed everything, even killed Kisha, which I found particularly assholeish. I mean she was level 9 and couldn''t even fight back." Winston said bitterly.

    "What dickheads. You''re going to bury them right? Should we get Brad to look them up IRL?" Jason said seriously.

    "That seems a bit excessive." Winston said. "Although I am tempted, killing someone over a video game does seem a bit tacky."

    Jason didn''t look very convinced of that but Winston managed to put him off. After the short argument Winston found he felt a lot better. It seemed to be getting this off his chest really did make him feel better. His biggest problem at the moment was how long of a walk he had to get anywhere he needed to go and how much his vengeance was going to cost him.

    When Winston got home he logged into Otherworld and began the long walk back to civilization. The trip back to Wraith Harbor would take him days but he wasn''t headed that way. The Hound''s might be waiting for him. Instead he''d decided to go the other direction, farther inland, which would take at least a week most likely.

    He''d checked the online map and the city was called Rhaunar. It was in the zone to the North, but unless he wanted to walk across a bunch of deep Jungle he had to follow the road east before taking a fork over in the next zone and back-tracking a decent bit. It would be a long walk but he had plenty to do in the meantime.

    Winston didn''t bother re-summoning Bog for now. He didn''t have much for her to eat and she''d be board with the long trip. Instead he just left her dead and brought up the web browser. As much as he''d like to take vengeance on his own that just wasn''t a feasible option. No, he had money but no real power. It was time to find some mercs.

    Otherworld had a lot of merc clans and even more that would take deals if offered but didn''t actually advertise as mercs. The in-game contracts were strict enough to keep the big betrays from happening but there were a lot of ways that someone could follow the word of a deal without upholding the spirit.

    Winston looked through the merc options carefully. He needed to find someone it wouldn''t cost a fortune to hire, or someone who''d travel for free. Hiring a group large enough to knock down the wall would be expensive but not horribly so. Having to hire a group like that AND pay for the portals would basically wipe out all the work he''d done since he moved. His current funds were around 80,000 gold. That was quite a bit but mercenaries were expensive. The other problem was that the Blood Hounds were part of the big alliance against the Sword''s and Crimsuns. A lot of the small and mid-sized guilds who normally did merc work were their allies so that cut down the options even more.

    Winston started locally, looking for teams in Kishik that would be willing but all the options were pretty sub-par. There were a few smallish guilds that were willing but he needed a team that would work fast, or at least one that could knock the ward down quickly once they started. The BloodHounds had their attention on the new expansion content but they''d rally to defend their home. He needed a group that would bring the ward down in a hurry, at least if he wanted to enact the second part of his plan.

    Winston switched to more professional outfits. They''d cost him more, but hopefully he''d be able to recoup some of the loss. He dug deeper and deeper into the Mercenary section of the trade-forum before he finally found the one.

    [Want to raid a rival guild but lack the man-power and equipment to deal with their defenses?]

    [Want to knock-down a castle but can''t deal with the wards?]

    [Message us, the Siege Specialists]

    [The Wall-Breakers]

    Winston laughed out loud but moved the window to one side as he brought up his messaging software.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ********************************************************************

    Winston''s knuckles landed on the frame of Josh''s door with a dull thunk. After a cheerful "Come in." Winson opened the door to see Josh setting on one of those low to the floor gamer chairs and playing on his X-box.

    "Sup boss? Don''t see you in here very often. Aren''t you trying to rule Otherworld or something?" Josh said, his normal jovial tone was darker than normal. Josh had been a bit of a mess since Christmas and it was obvious he wasn''t yet back to his normal self. Then again, his dad wasn''t living at home anymore and as much as Winston was happy about it Josh wasn''t.

    "Ruling is always too much work. Nope, just wanted to talk to your girlfriend. She coming over sometime this week?" Winston asked him.

    Josh''s eyebrows shot up. "Some guys would be jealous with you talking like that. Granted, they aren''t as handsome or confidant as I am but couldn''t you just talk to her at school?"

    Winston rolled his eyes. "In a reasonable world that would be true but considering last time I talked to her at school I got beat-up and suspended I think it''s better to not risk it."

    "That''s a point but I think mostly you just don''t want your girlfriend finding out." Josh said with his old grin.

    Wiston didn''t look at all abashed. "I''m not going to lie that''s part of it. Trish REALLY hates Jessica, although after that dinner, it''s not quite so bad and even if you aren''t jealous she will be. I can''t say I really mind her being all jealous and possessive but I think it''s better to avoid the situation altogether."

    Josh shook his head with mock sadness. "Sneaking behind your girls back to see her arch-rival. I''m so ashamed."

    Winston flipped his brother the bird but didn''t say anything.

    "Fine, Fine. She''s coming over Thursday night you can talk to her then." Josh said as he waved magnanimously.

    "We should get some Chinese food Friday after school." Winston said. Josh thought about that for a moment, then nodded.

    "Sounds good. Now, let me get back to slaying these noobs. I''ve gotta finish before 9 so I can get in my workout before bed otherwise my whole week will get screwed up." He said.

    Winston left him to it.

    The next two days crawled by for Winston. He went to school, came home and walked down the dirt road. He left Jugda and entered Drista Plateau. The plateau the zone was named for was farther east but Winston only got to see it from a distance. Instead he took the North-fork when the road split and headed away from it towards Nesik-Falls the zone he was aiming for.

    By Thursday he was thoroughly board and still had at least another week of walking to get anywhere. He hopped out of his system around dinner time and ate with his mom and Josh before going back to his room to get some homework done before Jessica came over.

    Surprisingly, it was Jessica who came up to his room. He figured he''d have to ambush her before she and Josh got too cozy in Josh''s room.

    "What do you want? Your brother told me to needed to talk about something in Otherworld. Which is weird cause I know You''ve got Therion''s contact in game." Jessica said. She looked a bit sour to have her boyfriend time put off.

    "Well, I needed to talk to someone in the Sword''s who wouldn''t just shuffle me off to an underling. Which is exactly what Therion would have done and your the only high-ranking member I''ve got easy access too. Besides I needed someone I could trust and your the least likely to sell me out since you''re seeing my brother." Winston said.

    Jessica rolled her eyes and made a ''well spit it out'' gesture with her hands.

    "Anyway, when I grew that giant bamboo stalk for your guild part of the deal was I got one smallish favor and I want to cash it in. So I need you to let whoever keeps track of such things know. And i thought this one would actually be right up your alley." Winston continued.

    She shifted her weight and crossed her arms in front of her rather nice chest."Just spit it out already."

    Winston scowled at her but kept his temper. She really was beautiful but so damn haughty. He wished his brother luck but he would not have the patience for a girl like Jessica.

    "Anyway¡­ I''ve hired the Wall-Breakers to crash the ward on Trish''s guild next friday. And I''d¡­." Winston started but Jessica cut him off.

    "Why did you hire mercenaries to attack your girlfriends guild? I mean I''ve heard of bad break-ups but you didn''t seem the type."

    Winston sighed. "We didn''t break up. Trish''s guild is run by a triumvirate. She''s only got one vote out of three, and the other two outvoted her when she tried to keep things for escalating between us. We got into a bit of an argument over land-rights but they decided to take the gloves off, so I''ve decided to wrap mine in barbed wire.

    "Their supposed to bring the ward-down next Friday around 2:30 AM our time. I want to use my marker from the Sword''s to get them to send a small team of their best thieves, lock-pickers, and ward-breakers, to rush in as soon as the ward goes down and steal everything that''s not nailed down." Winston said with a grim smile.

    Jessica started to laugh. It started as a chuckle but escalated into deep heaving gales of laughter that bent her over.

    "So does that mean you''ll get the guild moving?" Winston said as he smiled at her. She really was a bit too pretty and seeing her wiping tears from her eyes as she tried to stop laughing humanized her a great deal.

    "Oh¡­ Oh, that good." She said, still laughing but under more control now. "I''ll tell the guild but there''s no way I''m going to miss this. I''ll lead the team myself. My lock-picking is at professional II." She used the hem of her shirt and wiped at her eyes, giving Winston a rather nice view of her toned stomach. "I suppose you''ll be expecting a cut of the loot?"

    "Well, it is me using up my favor so I could probably ask for half, but I''ll settle for 20% if you promise to really stick it to them." Winston said.

    She stuck out her hand to him. "On behalf of the Sword''s. You''ve got yourself a deal."

    ****************************************************

    "What did you say to Jessica?" Trish asked next Wednesday at lunch. "She''s been insufferable all week. She just keeps smiling knowingly at me. You didn''t sleep with her did you?"

    Jason choked on his mashed-potatoes and even Brad had to dab at his mouth a bit. Ruger seemed to have inhaled part of his mountain-dew. Winston just shook his head.

    "Thanks for the vote of confidence." He said dryly. "and she''s dating my brother. That''s just icky. I mean, I suppose it''s not much different than hooking up with a girl who''d had a bunch of other guys before you. Logically it should make that much difference if I want to be all progressive and forward thinking but there''s something about it being family that would just make it too weird for me."

    Jason shook his head in mock-disappointment. "Common, sleeping with your older brothers woman is practically required. It''s like the plot line of every Japanese henti manga."

    "If you''re never going to sleep with any girl who''d been with your brother you should probably leave the country. Otherwise it''s going to really narrow down the field for you." Ruger pitched in.

    Winston snorted and Trish let out a belly laugh. "He is kind of a man-whore." Winston said. "In somewhere as small as this school he''d probably put a pretty good dent in the population but leaving the country might be a bit extreme."

    "Is he really that bad?" Brad asked.

    "Depends who you ask. I mean if you really did the math on it¡­. There are what 120 people in the Senior class, and our class has 112 or something right? Figure on half of those being girls so we''ll use 110 as our base number of available females for easy calculation. That''s assuming he''s not going after anyone younger which he''s too honorable to do.

    "I know of at least 12 girls he''s been with that currently go to this school. That''s more than 10% of the population, and two others he was with from the class that was ahead of his when he was a Junior last year." Winston said honestly.

    "In all fairness, most of that was last year right after he made varsity quarterback. I swear he was basically going through a girl a week but he seems to have grown out of that. He dated Katie for months and now he''s with Jessica again." He finished.

    "That wasn''t a bad subject change but I did notice you never answered my first question. What did you say to Jessica and why is she smiling at me like that?" Trish pressed.

    Winston considered telling her but again, it was best to keep her out of it. She''d likely catch enough blame as it was

    "You''ll find out this weekend but it''s really better if you don''t know." Winston said. Trish glared at him and he smiled.

    "Come over Friday night, Mom''s going to some conference thing for work and Josh will be out with Jessica. I''ll cook dinner and you can try to pry the secret out of me." Winston told her.

    Jason made a gagging sound but Winston ignored him as he finished off his lunch.

 Chapter 52

    Merric Wallbreaker nudged his mount forward as the portal opened and it stepped from Tanner¡¯s Bend in the West Empire to the steamy humidity of Kishik. The rest of his twenty-four man strike team followed behind him on their own mounts or driving the two big covered wagons. The portal snapped shut as the last wagon trundled through and the players took a moment to organize themselves before heading towards the town gate.

    ¡°So where¡¯s this place at?¡± Asked Merric¡¯s brother Austin as he rode on top of one of the big wagons.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you read the brief?¡± Merric asked.

    ¡°Of course not. No point when I¡¯ve got this long ride to ask questions during.¡±

    Merric rolled his eyes. ¡°We¡¯re headed for the Blood Houd¡¯s guild hall. Simple job, standard package. Just break the ward and we¡¯re out.¡± Merric told his annoying younger brother.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t the guild who hired us be here? What¡¯s the point of us breaking the ward if there¡¯s no-one to attack afterwards?¡± Austin asked.

    ¡°No idea and it doesn¡¯t matter. We got 50,000 gold for this little deal. If the client pays us to break a ward we break it. No questions asked. Questions are bad for business.¡± Merric said. ¡°

    ¡°You sound like a mobster.¡± Austin grumbled. ¡°A really clich¨¦ one too.¡±

    ¡°Unlike questions, clich¨¦s are good for business.¡± Merric said with a smile. His brother shook his head in disgust before he spurred his dire-tiger mount forward.

    The trip was a long one and they took a break after a solid ten hours of riding to get some sleep before getting up and heading out again. Merric looked a chipper as ever on top of his shadow-lynx but Austin was looking worn.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to sleep.¡± Merric muttered.

    ¡°Just because you¡¯re in college now doesn¡¯t mean you can boss me around.¡± Austin grumbled. ¡°In fact since your not at home I can do whatever I want. How much longer? I feel like we¡¯ve ridden across half the continent.

    ¡°It¡¯s been three zones, and we were only in the one for an hour. Stop whining. It¡¯s forty minutes until show-time and we¡¯re nearly there.¡± Merric explained.

    The procession headed between a small gap between hills then descended as the path lead down towards a distant beach. Up a few hundred yards from the beach was a large compound made of trees and vines that were grown together to give it shape. The wall seemed to have some stone, but it was overgrown was large plants until the entire place looked like some sort of elvin stronghold.

    ¡°There guild-hall is right on the beach? Ours is in the middle of a damn desert. How is that fair?¡± Austin yelled as it came into sight. ¡°Now I really wanna smash this place up.¡±

    ¡°Well that¡¯s good. Because its just about time.¡± Merric said. They descended the hill down onto the sands and approached to within a hundred yards of the base. Then they started to fan out into a rough line.

    Some of the men walked back to the wagons dragging our weapons and shields, while others brought out two large javelins, that were attached to stakes by long silver chains. Yet more men grabbed large handled cranks on the sides and the wagons and started to turn them.

    The wagon-tops split in the middle and folded down as the men cranked revealing two massive siege ballista. Once cranked down, the same men hopped up into the wagons and started to load the siege engines.

    The men with the javelins walked forward in two teams of four. One member of each group carried the javelins, another a hammer and the last two summoned domes of force for protection as they walked. Although their shields were ready, no fire came from the base as they approached to within thirty yards of the wall. Then the men the the hammer grabbed the stakes on the end of the chains and started to hammer them down into the sand.

    ¡°This is almost sad. Don¡¯t they have anyone on guard?¡± Austin asked as he helped lift a ballista bolt the size of a large man into place and set it carefully on the loaded string.

    ¡°It is two in the morning Mountain time. That¡¯s 4am Eastern and 1am on the west-coast. I bet there is only one or two actual players guarding the place and they are probably sleeping or watching youtube.¡± Merric said as he watched his men¡¯s practiced movements with pride.

    ¡°I would think someone would have noticed something. If this keeps up we¡¯ll crack this baby open without anyone even fighting back.¡± Austin complained.

    The men with the hammers finished driving stakes into the ground which prompted to men with the javelins to lift them up and step forward. They took two steps then hurled the javelins up and over the wall while the silver chains played out behind them. The javelins slammed into the ward and the tips pierced through before the bodies of the javelins stuck fast in the ward. Magic started to crackle and flash as the ward attacked the weapons but the enchanted weapons absorbed the magic and started to glow. The glow crept down the silver chains to the stakes and then grounded into the earth.

    ¡°Those things are almost cheating. Expensive as hell, but they can siphon off 10,000 mana a minute from a ward if no-one knocks them out.¡± Austin mused thoughtfully.

    ¡°Fire!¡± Merric cried and the wagons jumped backwards as the ballista hurled there missiles into the guilds protective dome. As the large projectiles hit the dome let of a clap of thunder and a blinding flash of light but it held. Yells started coming from behind the wall and a few desaltery arrows and spells flew outwards but they were stopped easily by mage-shields.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    ¡°What do you make it 15 mins?¡± Austion asked his brother as he and another player lifted the next bolt.

    ¡°Depends, if they get the grounding javelins out, maybe 20? If not, less than 10.¡±

    *************************************

    Trish groaned as the text alarm on her cell-phone drug her up out of her dream. Her arm flopped around for a moment before it landed on her bed-side table and she pulled her phone over to herself. She cracked open one eye to look at the screen.

    [Guild Alert! Guild Hall Under Attack!]

    [Everyone get in game immediately!]

    ¡°I did warn them.¡± She muttered as she held down the power button on her phone until the screen went black.

    *****************************************

    Jessica sat on a small hill looking down on the beach and Blood-Hound¡¯s guildhall. The matte-gray of her dark-elf skin blended perfectly with the night and her black tight-fitting leathers didn¡¯t even creak as she stretched her legs. It was one of the benefits of a masterwork armor and Journeymen V in stealth.

    She had managed to round up six of her guild¡¯s stealth types, three assassins including her, a thief, a rogue, and a spellthief that specialized in magical locks. She could have gotten more and likely at higher levels but this should be enough for a smash and grab and it was hard to mobilize a large force at 2:30 in the morning.

    She watched another ballista bolt slam into the ward and the giant dome wavered for a moment before firming back up. A large fireball shot out of the keep and slammed into one of the shields around the ballista, the shield broke but another sprung up in its place before the next volley from the guildhall.

    ¡°Looks like the defense is finally stiffening up. They must have started dragging people out of bed and getting them back online.¡± Said the spell-thief. She was a short girl with mousy-brown hair and glasses a few years older than Jessica. The two didn¡¯t see much of each other in the guild normally but the girl had been more than happy to tag along for the job.

    ¡°Not soon enough.¡± Said the thief. ¡°They only got one of those Javlin¡¯s down, and the ward is already fading. Another one or two shots and it¡¯ll be go time.¡± He was a dark-haired boy a year younger than Jessica. He kept staring at her breasts but she did her best to ignore him as the siege engines reloaded again.

    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Jessica said as she stood up and gave a wave. ¡°Let¡¯s start to move in, the ward will go down soon. Rob, Cindy, get the grappling hooks ready. We¡¯ll go over right as the ward breaks.¡±

    The group started to rush down the hill and onto the beach where they circled to the opposite side of the guildhall, away from all the action. Right as they got into position the ward broke with a sound like shattering glass. Two grappling hooks flew upwards and caught, then they climbed up, entered stealth and quickly dispatched the NPC guards on this part of the wall before they hopped down inside and got to work.

    ********************************************

    ¡°THIS IS BULLSHIT!¡± Vera yelled as she pounded the desk with her fist. Her entire face was red and the veins on all her muscles seemed to pulse with her heart beat. He just humiliated our entire guild and you just sit there like it has nothing to do with you.

    The three leading members of the blood hounds were one more sitting in their small cramped meeting room but the mood was quite sour as Alex and Vera glared daggers at Trish.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have anything to do with me.¡± Trish said calmly. ¡°This was never about the guild. This was some stupid personal vendetta that Alex cooked up and you went along with it. I told you to leave it, once he agreed to pay you your money but you got your feeling hurt and now the entire guild is paying for your arrogance.¡± Trish told them.

    ¡°You act like you don¡¯t even care.¡± Alex said, his voice was calm as well but his eyes blazed with anger.

    ¡°I don¡¯t. You guys have made it perfectly clear over the last few months that you¡¯re in charge of this guild and I¡¯m just along for the ride.¡± She shrugged. ¡°But now that everythings gone to hell I¡¯m suddenly back on the team. I¡¯ll pass. You two can sort it out.¡± She waved vaguely. ¡°Besides it¡¯s just money.¡±

    ¡°Just MONEY! We saved for months to buy that ward and it¡¯s completely smashed. ¡°That alone would put us in a bad spot but we¡¯ve still got report coming on about all the stuff that was stolen. They didn¡¯t make it into the main vault, thank god, but even that ward was mostly destroyed and we¡¯ll have to be re-done. Where are we going to get all the money for that?¡± Vera shouted before she rounded on Alex. ¡°What are the latest numbers.¡±

    Alex waved at his interface. ¡°It looks like around 200,000 in damages counting the main ward, the one on the vault and the armory they destroyed. They stole another 120,000 gold worth of items. Mostly high-end reagents, but they grabbed a couple of rare-paintings, and that jeweled sword that was hanging in the main hall, and a huge list of smaller stuff. We¡¯ve still got more reports coming in so that number is likely to go up.¡± Alex said, his voice flat and completely lacking his usual friendly tones.

    ¡°I find it very curious your boyfriend knew exactly where to hit us. We had multiple store-rooms breached and they made a good run at the main vault. Those are spread all over the guildhall and it''s unlikely someone would know where they all were unless they knew exactly where they were going.¡± He continued accusingly.

    Trish snorted. ¡°I didn¡¯t give Win a map of our base. Hell, I doubt he had anything to do with that.¡±

    ¡°I think that little message in the main-hall says otherwise.¡± Vera snarled.

    Trish laughed, she couldn¡¯t help herself. That had been a rather nice touch. In the main hall of the guild someone had written ¡®You Should Have Just Let Me Farm¡¯ in glowing orange paint that seemed to resist any attempt to clean it off.

    ¡°Oh I¡¯m sure he had it done, I just mean he wasn¡¯t in charge of the operation. The Sword¡¯s did it and I¡¯m sure they have at least one spy in our guild.¡± Trish said with a shrug.

    ¡°If you didn¡¯t know his plan how do you know it was the Swords.¡± Alex said with narrowed eyes.

    ¡°He did tell me late last night but Winston¡¯s brother is dating the little sister of one of the Sword¡¯s council members and they owed him a favor.¡± Trish said.

    ¡°So you know about this and didn¡¯t tell us!¡± Vera snapped.

    ¡°It¡¯ll take us months to recoup these losses. Not to mention all the people we had port back from the Expansion Zone. We¡¯ve taken a massive financial hit and this will badly damage our reputation with our allies in the alliance. This is on you!¡± Vera shouted.

    ¡°I poured my time, sweat, and blood into this guild for three years. I helped build this guild up from NOTHING! Now we¡¯ve climbed the ranks, have a sweet guildhall right on the beach and can actually play with the biggest guilds.

    ¡°I asked you for one thing and you refused. Out voting me to have our guild bully a solo player? Are you kidding me? That¡¯s the sort of underhanded shit the Sword¡¯s or Crimson¡¯s would do. That¡¯s what we were supposed to be fighting against! This is you guys reaping what you sowed. I¡¯m done!¡± She said as she stabbed at her interface and a moment later her guild tag vanished.

    ¡°I can find my own way out.¡± She said as she stood up. ¡°I am the one that helped design this place.¡±

    ***************************

    Winston sighed with relief as he walked into Rhaunar. The walk had taken forever but two-zones and a solid eighty-miles later he¡¯d finally made it to another city. It wasn¡¯t a huge city but it at least had a few players milling about and none of them were from the Hound¡¯s. The city sat right on a river that lead out to the sea fifty or so miles from Daggersport. Scows and small ships headed down river carrying hemp, fruit, and lumber where they¡¯d make the short trip over to Daggersport to be loaded into larger ships to head overseas.

    Winston asked around and checked the forums for any portals but with none to be found he paid five gold to an NPC and rode a scow downriver with a load of bananas. He tried to decide how he felt as he watched the land drift by. His time in Kishik had been pretty rewarding in terms of knowledge and skill gains but he was tired of always having crap falling on his head. Losing his farm had infuriated him but with his revenge complete and his bank-account now fattened back up he just felt wrung out. He supposed it would be nice to do something other than farm for a while. He did have that quest to knock out, although now that he¡¯d lost a level it would take quite a bit of work to get to 20.

    We¡¯ll he¡¯d built a farm from scratch once, it should be easier the second time. Especially now that he had more resources and a better construction skills. Maybe he¡¯d try a greenhouse this time. The cloudy sky finally let loose and a light rain began to fall. Winston gritted his teeth. That was one thing he would not miss. Maybe he should try desert farming for a while the West-Empire had at least one big desert and he could grow dates and sorghum as easy as coffee and chocolate. Winston dozed off as the boat rocked in the shallow coastal waters and dreamed of blowing sands and a complete lack of rain.

    End Of Arc 2

 Chapter 53

    Winston¡¯s feet padded across the hard-baked earth as he trudged across the desert land-scape. The West-Empire was only about 25% desert. It had eighteen zones, 4 were desert but only one was ¡®deep desert¡¯. The rest looked like the scenery in New Mexico or Arizona. It was desert but with plenty of cacti and scrub brush.

    It was an odd area of the game. The West-Empire was the only continent connected to the starter-zone by land. That meant the majority of guilds had rushed in and started to set-up guildhalls there, but there were few real cities. It made for a continent with a rather high-player population for somewhere so far from the games ¡®frontlines¡¯, but few players actually quested in West-Empire. It was mostly filled up with gathers and craftsmen from the various guilds.

    He nodded to an she-elf who road by on some sort of scaled horse, then gave a half-wave to a bear-shifter who was mining a large rock-formation. It was odd to see so many players around. He was used to Kishik and Lunari where there might be a dozen players in each zone instead of hundreds.

    The zone with Ruger and Brad¡¯s guild was at least three zones over from where he¡¯d teleported to. It would be a long boring walk, but at least he had messages to keep him company. Troll had heard about his troubles and was taking a week off gaming, but he¡¯d sent over an itemized list of the items he¡¯d sold in Chronopolis.

    [Sales by Item]

    [Oranges - Std: 5 bu  * 80g 400g]

    [High Quality: 17bu * 130g 2,210g]

    [Superior Quality: 8bu * 220g 1760g]

    [Oranges Total: 4370g]

    [Apples - Std: 12 bu  * 40g 480g]

    [High Quality: 14 bu * 90g  1260g]

    [Superior Quality: 6bu * 260g 1560g]

    [Apples Total: 3300g]

    [Pears - Std: 10 bu  * 30g 300g]

    [High Quality: 18bu * 75g  1260g]

    [Superior Quality: 9bu* 180g 1620g]

    [Pears Total: 3180g]

    [Ginseng - Std N/A]

    [High Quality - 4 * 25g = 100g]

    [Superior Quality: 12* 109g = 1308g]

    [Spiked Doom Ginseng - Std N/A]

    [High Quality - 5*375g = 1875g]

    [Superior Quality: 3*519g = 1557]

    [Golden Fate Ginseng: - 2365g]

    [Ginseng Total: 7205]

    [Coffee - Std Qty 3lbs*60g = 180g]

    [High Quality - 20*140g = 2800g]

    [Superior Quality: 2*300g = 600g]

    [Coffee Total: 3580]

    [Chocolate - Std Qty 8lbs*130g = 1040g]

    [High Quality - 33*204g = 6732g]

    [Superior Quality: 7*490g = 3430g]

    [Chocolate Total:11,202]

    Gross Income: 32,837

    AH Cut: 4925g 6s 4c

    Transportation Fees: 2500 +(5% Gross) = 4141g 11s

    Total Profit: 23,768g 6s 10c

    Winston frowned at the number. With the cost of the portal he hadn¡¯t really made that much money, but since his cut of the guild raid had been something close to 26,00g. The entire sordid affair hadn¡¯t cost him much besides time. He still felt annoyed about it all but it was time to make a fresh start.

    He had a but over 74,000 gold in the bank and that should be plenty for starting up a new farm. He hadn¡¯t done a great job with his last one. He¡¯d never felt safe enough to start pouring in money and he supposed his fears had been validated. On the other hand, he should have just gone to Ruger and Brad¡¯s guild to start with. He supposed he¡¯d wanted to be closer to Trish in game, but that had backfired spectacularly.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    He wasn¡¯t sure where Trish had gone in game. She¡¯d told him she quit and left but she hadn¡¯t said to where. He supposed she¡¯d turn up eventually. Maybe she was working on a high-level class quest or something.

    Winston saw an interesting cactus off to the left-side of the road and walked over to grab a fruit off the top. The cactus was fat and short, a bit like a blue-myrtle cactus but with three stalks around a slightly shorter middle stalk. The fruit on the three outside stalks was a bright blue, but the center stalk was a deep purple. Winston thought it might be worth it to extract some seeds.

    The stalks were covered in spines but the fruit weren¡¯t. Winston carefully moved around it and grabbed the purple fruit in the middle.

    [Purple Wave-Cactus Fruit]

    [Food, Regent, Standard]

    [The central fruit of a wave-cactus. The fruit has a sweet and tangy taste.]

    Winston sniffed the fruit. Then bit into it. The insides were fibrous but surprisingly juicy. It tasted like an odd grape-fruit. Not overly sweet, but not unpleasant either. Winston spat out a few of the seeds and stuck them in his pack before eating the rest of the fruit.

    He turned to had back to the road when his interface beeped.

    [Incoming Message]

    Winston raised his eyes. It was a voice message instead of a normal text messag.

    ¡°Hey little bro what¡¯s up!¡± Called a cheerful voice. Winston smiled, but he was surprised.

    ¡°Josh? I didn¡¯t think you plated otherworld too much? And how did you know my ingame name?¡± Winston asked.

    ¡°Had to ask Jessica. And I do play, just not as much as you. Me and the guys get together one or twice a week to beat up some monsters.¡± Josh said.

    ¡°So, what did you message me for? Wanna go grab lunch or something?¡± Winston asked.

    ¡°I actually need your help. You said you were a farmer in game right? Do you have any skills that can heal plants?¡± Josh asked, sounding a bit awkward for once.

    ¡°At least one, possibly another that could do it indirectly. Why do you need to heal a plant?¡± Winston asked.

    ¡°Well, we and the guys found this quest but the NPC that gave it is a dryad. She¡¯s been poisoned by something and nothing we do seems to help. Then I thought of you. Do you think you could heal her?¡± Josh asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s possible. Where are you guys? Traveling around isn¡¯t exactly easy.¡± Winston said.

    ¡°Justice-Hold in the West Empire. Jess said you were leaving Kishik and would probably head to west-empire when I walked to her. Are you close by?¡± Josh asked. Winston brought up his interface and searched for a decent map. He was fairly close, but heading towards Josh would take him further away from Ruger and Brad. Then again, Josh didn¡¯t ask him for favors often.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll head that way. Probably three or four days walk from here.¡± Winston said as he headed back to the road. He needed to keep going to the same direction until he came to the next fork. Then he¡¯d need to go right instead of left.

    ¡°Four days? Don¡¯t you mount. I thought you were rich.¡± Josh asked incredulously.

    Winston grimaced. He¡¯d always planned on making Bog his mount but her body wasn¡¯t really shaped for it and neither was his. He¡¯d have to get some sort of special saddle made to be able to ride her and he didn¡¯t think he¡¯d much enjoy being a mount either.

    ¡°I¡¯m a farmer. I usually just stay in one place.¡± Winston muttered. Josh had a point though. The fact he¡¯d be traveling for days should have at least made him buy a horse or something. Josh just stayed silent on his end.

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll go buy a horse. There should be a few guild halls around him. Someone should be able to sell me one.¡± Winston said finally.

    ¡°Perfect.¡± Josh said happily.

    Winston sighed.

    ************************************

    ¡°So what do you want to buy?¡± Asked a tall tanned-skinned player. He was build broad, like a foot-ball player but he spoke in a soft voice as he showed Winston around the stables. ¡°Most of these belong to the guild members, but the ones in this row are the guilds shared mounts, you can pick any of these.¡±

    Winston had walked for another few hours before logging out the day before to get some sleep before school. He¡¯d searched online and found this small guild-hall which was nearby. The guild only had a couple dozen members and Winston had decided to stop and ask if they had any mounts for sale.

    He¡¯d been lead back to the stables and met Fred, the stablemaster. Winston walked down the row. There were two horses, one looked like a cart horse and was tall and powerful, the other looked more like a racehorse but Winston didn¡¯t bother with either of those. His legs were too short compared to the rest of his body. There was no way he¡¯d be able to sit a horse.

    There was also a chocobo-type creature but again, Winston didn¡¯t think he¡¯d be able to mount it properly. That left him with an odd sort of lizard-creature. It looked a bit like a crocodile, but with a higher-slung body and longer legs. It had a wide-flat back and that was what Winston needed in a mount.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take the lizard. Do you have a saddle for it that would fit me? It¡¯s tough mounting when your legs are as short as mine are.¡± Winston told Fred.

    Fred looked him over for a moment then nodded and lead him back through the stables and to a storage room. The walls held racks with saddles draped over them, but off to one side was a sort of platform with a chair on top. It looked almost like a throne or a palanquin.

    ¡°The guildmaster bought this for a war-elephant mount he wanted but the monster was killed before he could capture it. It¡¯s been sitting in here for months, but if we reworked it a bit, you could use it on that sand-runner.¡± Fred said.

    ¡°And how much would that cost me.¡± Winston said warily.

    ¡°Two-thousand, plus another thousand for the mount.¡± Fred answered quickly.

    Winston just stared at him. 2000 for reworking the odd throne thing wasn¡¯t a terrible price, expensive but not over the top.  The mount though, that couldn¡¯t be worth more than 200 or 300 gold. Mounts were pretty cheap unless you wanted something really good like Trish¡¯s boar or a flying mount. Those could sell for hundreds of thousands of gold but a normal horse was only like 100. Even if the lizard was better and faster 500 would be pushing let alone 1000.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯m giving you more than 2500.¡± Winston said.

    ¡°That¡¯s a top-tier sand-runner. It¡¯s the best mount for this area¡± Fred argued.

    ¡°If it¡¯s the best mount, why are you selling it.¡± Winston countered. He was sure he was getting the bottom of the barrel. He wasn¡¯t going to get ripped off for no reason.

    Fred opened his mouth to say something else but Winston just shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t bother.¡± He said as he turned and left.

    As he was leaving the guild-hall a player rode in on a two-hump camel. The player turned towards the stables but Winston flagged him down.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you 300 gold for your mount.¡± He said, before the player could ask him what he wanted. The player blinked at him a few times then shrugged.

    ¡°Alright.¡± He said, and hopped down, handing Winston the reigns. Winston sent the player the money then tried to get on top of the beast. It was a struggle, but eventually he used the wall of a building and climbed on. He couldn¡¯t sit properly, but he could sort of lean back against the camel¡¯s hump and balance there.

    Winston give the reigns a gentle flick and the camel set off at a slow walk. The motion was awkward but Winston could hold on. Once he started moving with the beasts motion instead of against it his interface beeped.

    [You Have Learned the Skill Riding]

    [Current Rank = Novice I]

    As soon as he got the skill his balance became more steady and he tried to get the camel to speed up. It sped up into a sort of loping jog. Something smoother than a horses trot, but slower. Winston didn¡¯t really care. It beat walking although he had a feeling his back would be killing him by the time he made it to his brother.

 Chapter 54

    Winston rode South-East for a day before swinging onto a road that lead straight south and into the continent''s interior. The desert vegetation started to thicken as the temperature dropped and by the time Winston crossed his third zone-border the desert had turned to grasslands dotted with trees and streams. He brought up his interface and checked on online map. His brother was camped out near a forest in the zone and it took him a bit to find it.

    He turned his camel off the road and headed west skirting a few wheat fields and sheep pastures. He and the animal had reached an accord of sorts. He¡¯d managed to get to Novice II in riding and although his awkward reclined position wasn¡¯t comfortable it was at least mostly stable. He pulled up to the edge of old-growth forest that skirted the edge of a decent sized river that ran East to West across the zone. A few logging camps worked around the outskirts of the forest and Winston had seen more than a few players working the trees with axes in hand.

    Winston found a decent trees away from everyone and tied his camel to it. He wasn¡¯t sure what to do with the animal now that he¡¯d bought it. He supposed he should just find someone to sell it to. It wasn¡¯t really a great mount for most of the game-world.

    Then again, maybe he could evolve it like Bog if he found the right food. Then he could have a super-camel. The thought made him laugh and he stuck his back against a birch tree while he waited for his brother to message him.

    Argus Thunderbelly: Hey Bro What¡¯s up?

    Win Mills: Your name is stupid.

    Argus Thunderbelly: Your name is stupid. I on the other hand am an awesome dwarf.

    Win Mills: Whatever. Where are you? I¡¯m camped out on the edge of the forest.

    His interface chimed with a group invite. Winston accepted and used the small arrow on his interface to guide him towards his brother. He found the group camped out a good mile into the woods near a massive oak tree. The group hadn¡¯t been content with a few tents. Instead they dug a fire-pit, split log for seats , and created sturdy shelters with sticks and canvas instead of simple tents.

    ¡°Pretty nice right?¡± Said a blonde dwarf with his brothers trademark smile. He was wearing a heavy armor, a mix of plate and chainmail with a metal round-shield and hand-axe. ¡°Kevin¡¯s got Apprentice in Camping. He whipped this place up in like an hour. It¡¯s pretty sweet.¡± Camping was one of the more obscure skills on Otherworld. Useful, but often ignored. It provided some solid bonuses to wound recovery and regeneration and could even give buffs at high levels.

    ¡°Let me introduce you to the gang.¡± Josh said in his normal cheerful voice. He waved at the five other people in the small camp. ¡°This is Chad, Kevin, Rob, Levi, and Noah.¡± They all sat around the fire eating what seemed to be a bear. They all wore armor and carried weapons.

    ¡°Are you guys all fighters?¡± Winston asked.

    ¡°Nope, I¡¯m a Defender, Kevin is a Fighter, Rob a Barbarian, Chad is a Duelist, Levi is a Battlemaster, and Noah is a monk¡± Josh refuted. Winston blinked at him.

    ¡°I mean you don¡¯t have any casters, or priests, or even an archer. You have five physical melee classes?¡± Winston reiterated.

    ¡°Of course. What¡¯s the point of using the game for training if your not mixing it up on the front lines?¡± Josh asked. Winston opened his mouth to tell his brother he was being an idiot but stopped. Josh wasn¡¯t playing the game to be good. He was playing the game as a form of exercise and training. Telling Josh that he was making the game way harder on himself than he needed to would be pointless. Josh already knew that. Winston closed his mouth and shook his head.

    ¡°Point.¡± Winston said finally. ¡°So where¡¯s this dryad I¡¯m supposed to be healing.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s over here.¡± Josh said as he walked away from the tent. It was only about fifty yards before Winston saw a massive oak tree. It¡¯s bark looked old and gnarled but the trunk was at least ten feet wide. A section of bark was missing on the side of the tree closest to the camp. A hole was driven deep into the trunk and black veins of some foul poison crept outwards, poisoning the tree.

    Winston learned close to the wound and sniffed lightly. His vision went fuzzy and three red debuff icons popped up on his interface as he stumbled backwards. The black crud smelled like turpentine but it seemed to stick in his nose as he collapsed backwards and wheezed.

    ¡°Ok, not very bright.¡± Winston coughed as he tried to catch his breath.

    ¡°Can you heal it?¡± Josh asked.

    ¡°Not sure.¡± Winston said as the poison debuffs wore off. He staggered to his feet and pulled out his priest staff. Then he started to channel some of his faith towards the tree. The black veins started to sizzle a bit and the hole in the tree started to heal but the black poison didn¡¯t disappear.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t work?¡± Josh asked.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not sure what this poison is. It¡¯s obviously supernatural but it doesn¡¯t feel like faith. Something this dark would have clashed with my faith and they would have nullified each other.¡± Winston said. At least, he thought so. The priest he had fought in Kishik had been near his level. He wasn¡¯t sure what would happen if he pitted his faith against someone at a much higher level than he was. That wasn¡¯t what this felt like though.

    ¡°This feels like some sort of dark nature magic. Maybe witchcraft, or a dark druid or something.¡± Winston said thoughtfully. He wasn¡¯t even sure if a person could be a dark druid but Otherworld was pretty open about such things. ¡°And this is a tree. I thought I was healing a dryad.¡±

    ¡°I am the tree, and the tree is me.¡± Said a soft voice.

    Winston looked up and saw a femanine face pressing out of the tree. It was rather bizarre. Sort of like she¡¯d just pressed her face against the inside of the tree and made it bulge outwards.

    ¡°Hello Moonoak.¡± Josh said.

    ¡°Hello young dwarf. Is this the healer you have brought? He smells of earth and growing things.¡± Said the dryad.

    ¡°He is, although his healing doesn¡¯t seem to have worked.¡± Josh said, shooting Winston a look.

    ¡°Calm down.¡± Winston told him. ¡°I¡¯ve only tried one thing. Although I don¡¯t have a skill for this it should be fine.¡±You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    ¡°What do you mean.¡± Josh asked.

    ¡°I mean, I¡¯ve noticed a few things about the way magic and faith interact in this game. Magic is, on the whole, a lot more versatile than faith. Take a fire sorcerer. They can compact fire into long range attacks, just pour it out as short range AOE, they can create weapons and armor with it, they can shape it into creatures and imbue them with semi-sentience, and those are just some of the options, and sorcerers are one of the least versatile magic classes.

    ¡°Faith on the other hand has a much more narrow scope. I can make a shield because Runa has a very heavy emphasis on protection. I can make armor, but that¡¯s just a different shaped shield. However, my shields are a good deal stronger than a magical equivalent would be, because faith is more absolute than magic.

    ¡°My plant healing power isn¡¯t a real skill, it¡¯s just a side-effect of pouring out Runa¡¯s faith in its most basic form. However, curing a plant of a poison or disease should be exactly the sort of power and agricultural deity would have. Although, it would probably help if she was a fruit tree ,or something edible.¡± Winston explained. There was an offended gasp and Winston looked up at the tree ruefully.

    ¡°So you can heal her?¡± Josh said.

    ¡°I¡¯m at least 90% confident.¡± Winston said. ¡°You owe me for this though. I¡¯m thinking a triple cheese-steak burrito.¡±

    ¡°How can you eat that crap.¡± Josh asked disgusted.

    Just because I¡¯m not fat anymore doesn¡¯t mean my eating habits changed. It just means I actually get exercise now. Winston walked around the tree and took out his staff. Creating a new ability wasn¡¯t easy but as long as it matched up decently with Runa¡¯s domains it shouldn¡¯t be impossible.

    He cleared his throat and started to summon up his power.

    ¡°Runa, Goddess of the walls and fields your servant calls upon your power.¡± Winston tried to sharpen his will and what he wanted to happen. If Runa was a nature goddess he¡¯d have tried to purify the poison or change it into something non-poisonous, but Runa was a goddess of civilization. His best bet would be to just expel it. He had to work within the boundaries of her power. That got his thoughts going in another direction.

    It would probably be more Runa-like to attempt to make the tree resistant or immune to the poison rather than trying to expel or purify it. Runa was all about defense, about construction, about fortifying oneself and one¡¯s people against external aggression. Her power of agriculture was just an extension of that. Agriculture was the most basic and fundamental necessity of civilization. It was what allowed people to live together, to stay put, and to build lives. Yes, Runa seemed more like her followers would have asked to have their fields blessed to prevent things like disease and fungus rather than try to fix them after the fact.

    Winston let his power drain away and coughed awkwardly. He needed to approach this differently.

    ¡°Problems?¡± Josh said dryly.

    Winston ignored him and got himself ready again. This time he skipped the speech and just focused. His goal was to give the tree a boost in resistance so the poison wouldn¡¯t spread and the dryad could fight it off. He wanted to enhance the tree as well as create a sort of barrier around the poison. He raised his staff and gathered his faith, willing the world to change.

    ¡°Fortify Plant!¡± He called as he tapped the tree with his staff. Silver colored power flew from his staff and the tree started to glow. Winston watched the tree as the power took hold.

    [You Have Learned a New Skill]

    [Fortify Plant]

    [Blesses plant to increase it¡¯s fortitude and resistance]

    [Rank: Novice I]

    [Duration: Three Days]

    [Cooldown: N/A]

    [Cost: 200 Faith]]

    [Effect: Increases resistance to disease, poison, fungus, physical trauma, and pests by 500% while active.]

    ¡°Did it work? Did you heal it?¡± Josh asked.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t try to.¡± Winston told him. ¡°I just gave the tree a boost. Although your dryad should have some magic of her own. She should be able to heal the tree herself now that she¡¯s not fighting off the poison.¡±

    Winston and Josh watched curiously as the tree continued to glow. After a few seconds a drop of black poison was pushed out of the tree and ran down the trunk. About a minute later another drop was pushed out.

    ¡°See, she¡¯s got it now.¡± Winston said smugly.

    Josh looked a bit skeptical but shrugged. ¡°If you say so. So we just wait now?¡± Winston shrugged.

    ¡°I guess, I¡¯d say give it a couple hours then you should complete whatever quest your on.¡± Winston said.

    The two headed back to the camp and Winston was given a wooden plate and fork and handed a slab of the roasting bear meat by the barbarian Rob. Winston nodded his thanks and dug in. It was good and Winston was happy to listen to the football thugs chat and badger each other.

    ¡°This is good he said finally. Did you cook this?¡± He asked the dark-haired barbarian.

    ¡°Yep, I¡¯ve got Apprentice level cooking, and I specialize in roasting meat.¡± Rob said proudly.

    Winston nodded at him and lead the conversation to where he wanted it. ¡°What spices did you use on this?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just a basic dry-rub. Salt, paprika, a bit of ground mustard seed. Would be better if I had some brown sugar or pepper but that stuff expensive.¡± Winston nodded. He might try his hand at sugar-cane when he got his new farm going. ¡°Besides that some decent onions or celery seeds would be good as well. Why, you into cooking?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a farmer, I just wanna know what people use and can¡¯t get.¡± Winston said. He wondered what some superior quality onions and celery would be worth, or he could do mustard. That was basically just a weed but he could grow it

    ¡°A farmer eh? Never heard of anyone doing that.¡± Rob said. ¡°What quality plants can you grow?¡±

    ¡°Highest I¡¯ve ever gotten was excellent and that was on a ginseng I raised with my class skills and the blood of a rare-animal.¡±

    ¡°Excellent? That had to be worth a ton of gold.¡± Rob said sounding surprised. ¡°With excellent ingredients that I could get my skill up to practiced no problem.¡±

    ¡°It was worth about 2 and a half grand, but it was rare quality.¡±

    ¡°Damn, your rich. I¡¯d kill for 2000 gold. All my gear is low-level crap.¡± Rob grumbled. Winston shrugged.

    It was around an hour later when a dryad walked into the camp. She looked a bit like Trish but blonde and more petite. Her skin was pale in the setting sun with a discolored patch the the right of her stomach. It looked like a freshly healed scar.

    ¡°I am healed.¡± She said with a slow smile and blue light flashed in the clearing as three of the guys leveled up. ¡°And much of it is thanks to you.¡± She said turning to Winston. ¡°I gift thee with a few of my seeds. May you help them grow as you have done with me.¡± Winston held out his hands and the dryad deposited four acorns.

    [Mystic Acorn]

    [Uncommon, Regent]

    [Oak seeds given to the player by a dryad. It¡¯s rare for them to grant their seeds to humans but if they find someone worthy they will part with some in the hope that they will be planted in distant places and cared for so that the species may spread beyond its mother''s forest.]

    Winston wasn¡¯t sure what he¡¯d do with them, but you couldn¡¯t beat getting a quest reward for a quest he didn¡¯t even have. Winston bowed his head. ¡°It was but a small favor.¡±

    She nodded somberly. ¡°Thank you all again. I must return to my tree.¡± She said as she walked away.

    ¡°Finally.¡± Josh said after she had left. ¡°We¡¯ve been working on this quest chain for two weeks.¡± The guys gave sounds of agreement as Winston stuck the seeds in his pack.

    ¡°Where you guys headed next?¡± Winston asked them. If he was going to do his class quest he¡¯d need to recruit some muscle and these guys would be perfect thug power.

    ¡°Not sure yet. That was the end of the chain so we¡¯re free agents for now. Why you need some muscle?¡± Josh asked, his eyes sharp.

    ¡°Possibly. I¡¯ve got a class quest. I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s going to be a hidden dungeon but it might take quite a bit of hunting around to find it.¡± Winston said.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound fun.¡± The big barbarian said. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go find the dungeon than call us. What zone is it in?¡±

    ¡°The River-Lands. Its only two zones from here.¡± Winston told them.

    ¡°What¡¯s in it for us?¡± Asked Kevin, their fighter. He wore some splint mail and had a huge claymore strapped to his back.

    ¡°Dungeon loot? Hidden dungeons always have better loot than normal dungeons.¡± Winston said honestly.

    ¡°We want paid.¡± Said the big fighter.

    ¡°Then I¡¯m keeping the loot.¡± Winston said. The fighter frown and stepped forward but Josh pushed between them.

    ¡°Let¡¯s all calm down.¡± Josh said camly. ¡°We can work something out. It¡¯s getting late anyway. Dinner will be ready soon RL and I¡¯m sure my real body is starving. We¡¯ll let Win find the dungeon and then we can decide if we want to help.¡±

    Winston sighed and nodded. He wasn¡¯t really in a hurry to finish the quest. He still had three levels before he could even take his class upgrade but if he had the man-power now he might as well use it.

 Chapter 55

    Trollogistics looked up at the sunlight glinting off the crystal spires of Chronopolis. The whole place was more than a bit over-done but he supposed you needed at least a few truly fantastical cities in an MMO as big as Otherworld. He just wished he was in the mood to appreciate it.

    That bastard mole had really backed him into a corner. Granted, hauling his goods to market had made Troll some decent money but his business had really taken off when he¡¯d started picking up and bringing back cargo for the Hounds along the same route. Now Win Mills had broken into their base and robbed them before bailing. That left him to try and clean up the mess.

    ¡°I told you I¡¯d bring the mithril, so I¡¯ll bring it. I¡¯m a businessman. We signed a contract I¡¯ll uphold it. Just because you and my client are fighting doesn¡¯t mean you and I are fighting. You¡¯re both my clients and I¡¯ll treat both of you equally.¡± Troll said into the voice chat. That last part was a lie, but it sounded good

    Win Mills was a gold mine for him and things would only improve in the future. On the other hand the Blood-hounds had just been something he¡¯d picked up on the side to improve his margins. The money was good but he wasn¡¯t going to kill the goose to get the eggs.

    ¡°No, I¡¯ve got it right now. I just have to catch a portal back to Kishik. I¡¯ll have the goods. The question is if you¡¯ll have the money. A ton of mithril ingots isn¡¯t exactly the same as barrels of apples.¡± He said.

    ¡°Yes, I am doubting you. Rumor mill says you just had all your vaults broken into. So I¡¯m a little worried about your end of the deal.¡± Troll said reasonably. It was a cheapshot but he didn¡¯t feel like pulling punches. These guys were pissing him off.

    ¡°No I¡¯m not backing out. I¡¯ll be there in a few days¡­. No i don¡¯t know where he is and even If I did know I wouldn¡¯t tell you.¡± He said sharply before ending the call.

    With his main client out of action he had to find himself some real work. Even if this deal went through it was only take him a few days and last time he talked to Win the boy said he was working on a class quest and it might be weeks before he got back to farming.

    The halfling walked back towards the wagoneers guild. In a city the size of Chronopolis most of the requests were snatched up instantly but he might be able to find something to occupy him for a while if he was willing to take something long distance. That sounded good to him. All this teleporting around wasn¡¯t doing his skills much good. To level he needed to be on the open road.

    Troll walked up to the counter and looked over the board of requests.  Most were simple package deliveries or low-margin hauling jobs from various NPC¡¯s. A few were bulk transport requests from guilds who wanted goods moved from one warehouse to another or back to their guild-halls. Nothing high-value, just the stuff they were willing to risk on an unknown driver. Then he saw a crumpled and blood-stained parchment stuck to the side of the board and hidden by a request to haul 40 bolts of wool across the city. As soon as his hand touched the paper his interface flashed.

    [You Have Received A Quest]

    [Arming the Rebels]

    [The Lunari Liberation Movement requests weapons to further their war against the royal family in the name of the rightful ruler Prince Bethel.]

    [Requirements: Bring 1000 swords and 50 sets of armor to their camp in the depths of the Wind-Ward forest]

    [Time Limit: 10 days]

    [Rewards: 40,000 xp, 10,000 gold, Unknown]

    [Warning the LLM is a rebel faction and anyone caught bringing them weapons will be imprisoned or killed, as well as taking a serious penalty to their reputation.]

    Trollogistics started at the pop-up as he ran the numbers in his head. The gold rewards would be pretty marginal after he bought the swords and armor. Even if he bought the cheapest crap he could find it would still cost him 5 or 6 thousand gold. The time was more of a problem. He still had to get this mirthil back to the Hounds and that would take 3-4 days. It would make things tight but that big of an XP reward, as well as whatever else he¡¯d get was hard to pass up.

    He nodded as he gave the mental accept command then turned and headed back out into the guild¡¯s courtyard. He needed to get moving.

    **********************************

    Winston rode his camel, Jeffrey, into the Riverlands. He regretted buying the mount. It had been an impulse decision but the camel was much faster than walking even if it wasn¡¯t at all suited to the rolling grasslands and streams he was in. Still, the animal was docile enough and the sun was shining so it wasn¡¯t as if Winston was having problems.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.

    No, he was honestly just lost. Without a farm to get back to and with his only real game objective being a quest he didn¡¯t have to complete for three levels he just didn¡¯t know what to do with himself. He was supposed to find a dungeon but each zone in otherworld was large, at least 100 square miles and that was some of the smaller ones. Riverlands was closer to 700 sq miles. Finding a dungeon would likely take weeks, or even longer without a specific quest to guide him there, but Winston¡¯s quest only mentioned the zone, not the location.He supposed he¡¯d have to hunt for quest info in the most time honored MMO fashion. He¡¯d have to hit a tavern.

    Winston followed the road and found a small farm village. The village was little more than a dozen small wooden houses and an inn. A Guild had set-up a guild-hall just outside the city but it looked more like a large manor-house than a keep or defensible structure. Winston rode by it and took his camel up to the inn and slid off its back. He stumbled around for awhile as his legs worked out the kinks. Then he tied Jeffery to the hitching post outside like he was a normal horse and walked into the bar.

    The time in West-Empire seemed to mostly line-up with the RL so it was close to dinner time in game and the bar was at least half-full of people eating and drinking. They were all NPC¡¯s. Mostly human farmers in rough homespun and a black-smith with soot stains and burns in his shirt and beard. Winston found himself an empty table, ordered some stew and cider, and listened to the NPC¡¯s chat.

    The food was good and he got a few lines on quests. Orcs near the road to Green¡¯s Pasture, wolves killing the cattle. All bog-standard quest hooks that Winston knew he could get just by asking but he wasn¡¯t a fighter and killing orcs and wolves didn¡¯t sound very fun. Winston gave up and logged out for dinner.

    When he got back in the game the inn had mostly cleared out, leaving a few of the most persistent drinkers. Winston sighed and left as well. Seemed he¡¯d have to try his luck somewhere else. The sun-light was starting to fail as re-mounted. He could have just bought a room in the inn but he¡¯d just sleep in the woods. He¡¯d re-summon Bog and let her watch over his body as he got some sleep.

    As he left the town he passed the guild-house again and saw a tiny elf-woman swinging a scythe at a small patch of what. Winston¡¯s eyes went up. He¡¯d never seen another player farming before but with her fancy mage-robes she couldn¡¯t be an NPC. Winston rode closer and he hot a better look at her. She was short, with short blonde hair covering her pointed ears and disheveled appearance. She was wearing some sort of mage-robe but it was dirty and sweat streaked and she had a dab of mud on the end of her nose. She was kind of adorable.

    ¡°Problems?¡± Winston asked with a laugh.

    She looked up at him and was startled for a moment before she scowled at him. That made her small delicate face even more adorable and Winston had to remind himself he had a girlfriend. Not to mention this was only her in-game appearance. She was probably a middle-aged housewife with three kids.

    ¡°What do you want? I¡¯m trying to work here.¡± She said. Winston could see that. He could also see the girl had no idea what she was doing. Her form was terrible and she wasn¡¯t accomplishing much other than exhausting herself.

    Winston shrugged from his spot wedged between his camel¡¯s humps. ¡°Was just find a place to log for the night when I saw you out here working. Just thought I¡¯d see what you were up to. What do you need the wheat for?¡± He asked.

    She sighed, as if answering his question would somehow make her situation worse. ¡°I¡¯m a chief and I specialized in pastries. I need tons of flour to practice and bake with but its ridiculously expensive and that¡¯s if you can find any at all. So I thought I¡¯d go direct to the source and grow my own. I mean farming is a skill too and it can¡¯t be that hard right?¡± She said bitterly.

    ¡°How much wheat do you need? You could hire me for a day or two. Wheat¡¯s only a 12 hour growth cycle.¡± Winston offered.

    The girl raised an eyebrow. ¡°Look kid, you¡¯re a little young if your trying to help a damsel in distress to get closer to me.¡±

    Winston shot her a sardonic grin. ¡°I figured as much myself. Besides, I¡¯ve got a girl and she¡¯d have my heart between two pieces of bread if she thought I was hitting on an elf in game. No, I¡¯m looking for a dungeon in this zone for a class quest so I¡¯m going to be here for a while and I¡¯ve got a fairly high farming skill. So It¡¯ll give me something to do while I stumble around the zone looking for the dungeon.¡±

    The girl, or woman, didn¡¯t look completely convinced. So Winston slipped off his camel and dug out his staff. He raised it and called out.

    ¡°Summon Farmhand!¡± Light swirled as stamina, magic, and faith poured out of him and coalesced into a scarecrow golem. Winston pointed at the elf. ¡°Grab her scythe and finish harvesting this field. He commanded.  The woman jumped a little as the golem walked up to her and held its arms out. She handed over the tool and stepped back as the scarecrow started in on the wheat with the precise mechanical motions of an automaton.

    Winston walked over to her. ¡°See, this is much easier on everyone already. Now we can let my golem work while we hammer out a deal.¡± He said a bit smugly. He didn¡¯t have a great deal of confidence when it came to Otherworld in general but he had absolute faith in his farming.

    ¡°I see..¡± She said wryly. ¡°How much is this help going to cost me.¡±

    Winston shrugged. ¡°Again, it depends on how much flour you need. I mean, realistically I could probably do almost 500 bushel of wheat a week, but unless you''re making scones for the entire zone, no-one needs that much wheat.¡±

    ¡°You can grow 500 bushles of wheat..In a week? Then why the hell is it so expensive?¡± She asked with wide eyes.

    ¡°Because no one farms and cooking is a pretty popular profession.¡± Winston said.

    ¡°How am I supposed to pay you when you could make thousands of gold a week. I can¡¯t afford that.¡± She said.

    ¡°And I can¡¯t sit here farming all day everyday. I¡¯ve got school and I¡¯m doing a quest. Let¡¯s say you want¡­ 200 bushel of wheat.  That¡¯s worth what¡­. 2000 gold on the market. You pay me 1000 up front and I¡¯ll get you enough wheat to last a month or more.¡± She opened her mouth to object but Winston talked over her. ¡°Yes 1000 gold is a lot of gold for a casual player, but if your a decent chef you can make it back easily. Besides I¡¯m nearly Practiced in farming. The wheat I grow will all be high-quality and some might even hit superior. Your not just getting a good deal. That¡¯s practically a steal.¡±

    That made her wairy again. ¡°Superior quality wheat is worth hundreds of gold a bushel. You sure your not after me?¡± She asked.

    Winston rolled his eyes. ¡°I just want to do some casual farming while I look around for a dungeon. I¡¯ll admit your porcelain elf look is adorable but I prefer women with a little meat on their bones, no offence.¡±

    That seemed to be the wrong thing to say and her face darkened in anger but it hadn¡¯t been enough to sour the deal apparently. Not surprising with how badly he was getting screwed but that was fine. He wasn¡¯t here to farm for real. He could do that once he had his new class.

 Chapter 56

    Winston slipped into his normal seat at the lunch table with a contented sigh. He¡¯d logged out of Otherworld and gone to bed early last night. He¡¯d gotten all his school work for the week down already and had even done some workouts with Josh in the backyard. He felt good and not even the school¡¯s sub-par lunch selection was dragging him down.

    ¡°You¡¯re looking happy? Find yourself another girlfriend?¡± Trish asked as she sat down next to him.

    Winston snorted. ¡°No, That would not be a reason to celebrate.¡± Winston said teasingly. ¡°I did meet a girl in game last night, but I kinda pissed her off. Besides she¡¯s like 30 or something. Nope, I just got back to wheat farming and got a lot done last night. Think I aced my math quiz today too.

    ¡°What about you? You¡¯ve seemed a bit down since you left your guild and I haven¡¯t heard from you at all in game? What have you been doing.¡± Winston asked.

    Trish sighed as she picked at her steamed vegetables as she shrugged. ¡°Haven¡¯t really been playing at all. I spent a day at the beach in game just to get some sun and get away from everyone but I don¡¯t know what I want to do next.

    ¡°I¡±m was a raid leader but I doubt I¡¯d get a raid slot in another guild with my wierd class and build. I mean, I¡¯m high-level but nothing too special. I just don¡¯t know what I wanna do.¡± Trish said.

    ¡°Got any skill points left? You could take a crafting skill.¡± Winston said. ¡°I¡¯m having a good time with mine.¡± Winston said with a shrug. ¡°Or you could just come hang out with me and the guys. We¡¯ll the guys anyway. Not sure how long I¡¯ll be looking for this stupid dungeon.¡±

    ¡°No can do. Only get new skill points at 25 and 50.¡± Trish said. She was getting ready to say more but Ruger and Brad slapped their own plates down at the table.

    ¡°Speak of the devils.¡± Winston said with a grin.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure you can have more than one devil.¡± Brad interjected as he found his seat.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Jason?¡± Winston asked. ¡°Haven¡¯t seen him all morning.¡±

    ¡°Home sick today I think. Talked to him a bit last night.¡± Ruger answered.

    Winston frowned and sent Jason a quick text on his phone before look back up to Trish. ¡°Well, you wanna go out this weekend? Been a week or two since we had a real date.¡±

    Trish looked interested as she asked. ¡°Have anything in mind?¡±

    Winston didn¡¯t but he frantically tried to come up with something. ¡°It¡¯s a surprise.¡± He said eventually.

    Trish snorted and laughed but didn¡¯t call him out.

    ¡°So when you heading over to our guild? I thought you¡¯d be there by now.¡± Ruger asked as he looked down at his food options.

    ¡°Prolly a week or so I¡¯d guess. Maybe longer.¡± Winston said. ¡°I¡¯ll gonna spend tonight looking around the zone and trying to get some info. We¡¯ll see how I do. If I have to hunt by foot it might be a month, I doubt it though. It¡¯s only a level 20 class quest.¡±

    ¡°Well, we could use you. We¡¯re in a bit of a pickle at the moment.¡± Ruger said.

    ¡°What kinda pickle?¡±

    ¡°Well, we got in a small scuffle with another guild over a dungeon spawn. Not a raid or anything, but one of the big multi-day dungeons. We wiped out a good dozen of them and claimed the dungeon. They tried to hit our guild but couldn¡¯t get through Brad¡¯s wards and we killed them again. Now they are really pissed and ganking all our players they can catch alone.¡± Ruger said with a scowl.

    ¡°And how am I supposed to help with that? I¡¯m a farmer.¡± Winston asked.

    ¡°Yeah, but didn¡¯t you say you¡¯ve got a bunch of skills to help with defense and fortifications?¡± Ruger asked.

    Winston held up and hand and waggled it back and forth. ¡°Maybe¡­.¡± Ruger might have a point. He hadn¡¯t been able to improve his faith by any means but Divine mandates. If he really wanted to up his skills he needed to start using them for what they were meant for and that was for fortifying walls, at least as far as Winston could tell.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t have the ability for it. It¡¯s most I¡¯m just low-level. Hell after my last death I¡¯m only 17, and it¡¯ll take me at least a week of farming to get back to 18.Prolly a month to 20.¡±

    ¡°Then why are you doing that quest now? Shouldn¡¯t you have waited?¡± Ruger asked.

    Winston shrugged. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to get distracted once I got my farm really up and going. I plan to go all-out this time. Out-buildings, silos, a greenhouse, Acres of land, all of it. I even plan on hiring some builders to do the right thing.¡± Winston said.

    ¡°Well hurry your ass up.¡± Ruger said.

    ¡°Yes sir.¡± Winston said as he gave a mock salute.

    *************************************

    Winston moved swiftly as he moved across the field. It had taken him a while to get used to the motion but if he twisted his hands and feet just a little as he pulled his claws out of the earth he could extend the range of the effect and speed up his plowing. As small as he¡¯d made his little field he could do the whole thing in a few minutes.

    He shook the dirt off his claws as he stood upright again and twisted to stretch his back. His golem followed behind him, planting the wheat seeds Winston had been given by Sarah the elf. It was say three of his dungeon hunt and he still had nothing. He¡¯d spent at least two hours a day wandering the areas away from his farm and asking the NPC¡¯s about any rumors or strange cave-systems but he had nothing.

    That didn¡¯t surprise him. He¡¯d always known the quest would be mostly blind searching but it annoyed him he didn¡¯t even have a direction to look in. It was hard to stay motivated when he had no method to measure his progress.

    He let his golem finish the planting and cast [Norish the Land] over his little wheat patch. He was only farming about a 20x20 foot patch, but he¡¯d likely have his 200 bushel done in another day or two. His farming and grain skills had gone up a decent bit during his Kishik excursion. He wouldn¡¯t be hitting Practiced any time soon, but for something small scale like this Apprentice III was definitely over-kill.

    ¡°You make that look easy.¡± Said Sarah as she walked over to inspect his field. ¡°By the look of our storage shed you¡¯ll be done tomorrow wont you?¡± She asked.

    Winston shrugged. ¡°I haven¡¯t really been keeping track. I suppose when it¡¯s not your money you don¡¯t care as much.¡± He said with a laugh.

    ¡°Where are you going to go afterwards?¡±

    ¡°Nowhere really. Maybe find an inn somewhere in the zone to stay. I¡¯m still looking for my dungeon.¡± Winston answered her. Then he looked at her sideways. ¡°Say, you haven¡¯t heard anything about a dungeon have you? Maybe some odd cave systems, old ruins? You now anything dungeony? I mean your guildhall is here you¡¯ve gotta have people all over this zone right?¡±

    ¡°Nope, sorry. I would have told when you said you were looking for a dungeon the first day I hired you. I guess I can ask in guild chat though. Most of our questers and raiders are in different zones, but we¡¯ve got a few gatherers around.¡± She said thoughtfully.

    ¡°Please do, cause I¡¯m coming up with nothing.¡±

    Winston summoned some water from the end of one finger and gave the field a decent spray down while he waited. The water would evaporate in a few minutes but every little but helped.

    A few minutes later Sarah looked up from her interface.

    ¡°Any luck?¡± Winston asked, as he killed the flow of mana and the spray died.

    ¡°Maybe, One of the miners said he found an interesting tunnel South of here in an old quarry. He found it by accident when he was cutting out some limestone blocks. He says the game might have refilled the stone by now, so you might have to mine it out again to get to the tunnel. He doesn¡¯t know if it was actually a dungeon though.¡± Sarah explained.

    Winston shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s at least a hint of something. Even if it¡¯s not the dungeon I¡¯m looking for, or it¡¯s just a cave or a monster lair or something it¡¯s more to go on than I have now. I¡¯ll check it out tomorrow after school.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t the only thing he had to check on tomorrow after school. Jason has missed the whole week. They¡¯d texted, and he¡¯d even talked to Jason a few times online but he hadn¡¯t been in Otherworld and they¡¯d only talked a bit on the phone.

    Winston was going to go see him to drop off his homework and see if he needed anything. Knowing Jason¡¯s family he could be laid up in bed for a month and none of them would give a damn.

    *****************************************

    Winston pounded on the door of the small run-down house. It was a one-story that had been built in the 60¡¯s or 70¡¯s and it obviously hadn¡¯t been cared for. The gutter on the south roof of the house was hanging down and it needed new paint years ago.

    ¡°Jason! Open up dammit. It¡¯s freezing out here.¡± Winston yelled at the door. They¡¯d passed Mid-Winter and the Holidays but it wasn¡¯t likely to warm up until at least March. He pulled his phone from the pocket his coat and dialed Jason¡¯s number.

    He heard the phone ring inside and killed the call. Winston knocked again even louder and was just about to consider doing something drastic when Jason finally answered the door. As soon as Winston saw his face he swore. He had a black eye and his lip was slip, although it was already scabbed over and healing.

    ¡°That old bastard.¡± Winston swore.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t my dad. He¡¯s an ass when he¡¯s drunk but he¡¯d never hit me.¡± Jason said with a sigh.

    ¡°Well, someone did.¡± Winston said.

    ¡°Ya think?¡± Jason snapped. ¡°It was my sister''s new boyfriend. I mean she¡¯s always with some winner or another but this guy¡¯s just nuts.¡±

    ¡°Well, why didn¡¯t you call the cops then. I mean, the guy probably has a record and he beat up a minor.¡± Winston said.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say he beat me up.¡± Jason said bitterly. ¡°And it¡¯s more complicated than that.¡±

    Winston wasn¡¯t sure he agreed but it wasn¡¯t his deal. He¡¯d just come to see if Jason was Ok. He wasn¡¯t going to get involved unless Jason wanted him involved. Besides, it wasn¡¯t like there was much he could do to help anyway.

    ¡°Well, you missed a math quiz, and we¡¯ve got a book report due next week in English.¡± Winston said, changing the subject. Jason nodded and the two made small talk in the doorway for a while before Winston asked.

    ¡°Are you gonna be alright here?¡±

    Jason hesitated before he opened his mouth but Winston talked over him. ¡°Than just come crash on my couch this weekend. Hell, you can have Josh¡¯s room. He¡¯d hardly ever at home anymore since John moved out and mom actually treats me like a human being again.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Jason asked, looking a bit guild, but relieved.

    ¡°Of course I¡¯m sure. Me and Trish are going out tomorrow night but you can just use my system to play Otherworld or something while I¡¯m gone. You should at least stay until Monday. Then we should start looking for someplace to rent. If we split it, we should be able to afford it. You¡¯ll be 18 in february right? And I¡¯ve been looking to move out forever.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re step-dad left and your mom is treating you better now why do you still wanna move out? Cause I¡¯m not being being your roommate if you just gonna use our place as somewhere for you and Trish to shack-up.¡± Jason said with narrowed eyes.

    Winston gasped in mock surprise. ¡°I¡¯m offended by the very suggestion. I''m pure and wholesome boy who¡¯s trying to help out his best friend in his time of need.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a terrible liar.¡±

 Chapter 57

    ¡°Are you sure this is OK?¡± Jason asked nervously as Winston opened the front door of his house. Jason had at least grabbed a pillow and his toothbrush before coming along but he looked very uncomfortable. His face didn¡¯t help the look.

    ¡°I told you it¡¯s fine.¡±Winston said dismissively as he stepped into his living room. His mom was in the kitchen laying those weird lasagna noodles on top of a pan full of meat, sauce, and other vegetables.

    ¡°Hey Winston, it¡¯ll be a bit on supper. Oh, hi Jason. Haven¡¯t seen you in a while. It¡¯s been months since Winston had anyone over but his girlfriend. Thought he¡¯d abandoned all his male friends.¡± She said with a smile.

    ¡°Not quite that bad Mrs. S.¡± Jason said wryly. ¡°But the two can be rather sickening when they¡¯re together.¡±

    ¡°The trials of young love.¡± Winston¡¯s mom said. ¡°It¡¯s going to be a bit on dinner. Lasagna takes forever to cook and I got started late.¡±

    ¡°I told Jason he could crash here this weekend. Is that alright?¡± Winston asked a bit belatedly.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine.  He can have the couch, or sleep in Josh¡¯s room I suppose. He probably won¡¯t be home at all until Monday.¡± Winston¡¯s mom continued.

    Winston nodded and the two headed up to his room and Jason grabbed a seat on Winston¡¯s bed while Winston collapsed into his rickety old computer chair and let out a sigh. ¡°I really need a car. It takes way too long to walk from your house.¡±

    ¡°Well buy one, your rich now.¡± Jason said as he pressed his fingers against his split lip and winced slightly.

    ¡°I keep telling you guys I¡¯m not rich. I just have a decent amount of gold and I¡¯m going to spend a lot of it once I¡¯m done with this stupid quest.¡± Winston said sourly. ¡°Speaking of which, when are you leaving Kishish to meet up with the rest of us?¡±

    Jason thought about that for a minute. A few days? Three at least. It¡¯ll take me that long to chop down all those trees you planted.

    ¡°I thought they burnt all those down.¡± Winston asked.

    ¡°Naaaa.. Just you fruit trees, and your house. They left the saplings, which was great for me. Been chopping down one a day for two weeks.¡± Jason said smugly.

    ¡°Grats for you¡­ Wonder why I never got a tree farming skill though.¡± Winston mused aloud. ¡°Maybe a distance thing?¡±

    ¡°Or the game just doesn¡¯t recognize tree farming as actual farming.¡± Jason said. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s under forestry or something.¡±

    ¡°Possible I guess. Seems a bit of a stretch though. The game¡¯s usually good about that sort of thing.¡± Winston said. ¡°There are a lot of skills that overlap and the game usually lets it slide. I suppose it doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯ll just have to test it out again later.¡±

    ¡°So we just gonna sit around all night or you wanna play something?¡± Jason asked. ¡°I mean we could braid each others hair or something, but playing games seems like a better plan.¡±

    Winston laughed. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go hop on Josh¡¯s computer and we can play some LOTA. Haven''t dusted off my support skills in a while. Need to see if I¡¯ve still got it.¡±

    It turned out he didn¡¯t have it.

    ***********************************

    ¡°BWHAHAHAHHA. I can¡¯t believe you flashed in a straight line and still got hit by that ult. You could have just walked side-ways and avoided it completely. Then that fight in the river. HAHAHAHAHHA. Oh God, I¡¯m dying.¡± Jason laughed harder and Winston sighed as he swung his pickaxe again.

    They¡¯d played LOTA late into the night and although they¡¯d won most of their games the last one had been a calamity. Winston had played terribly and his whole team and been screaming at him while Jason was laughing his head off. The next day he¡¯d used Josh¡¯s system to log into otherworld while Jason had used the system in his room. Now they were voice chatting while Winstion mined and Jason chopped down trees.

    Winston¡¯s mining skill had gotten to Beginner V, but he wasn¡¯t going to spend a point on it, so his progress wasn¡¯t as fast as it could have been and there was a lot of rock to move. It was likely worth a decent bit of money bit without his trusty wagon driver around he had no way to move it. Instead he¡¯d talked to Sarah and she¡¯d sent over a few people with a wagon to haul it back to her guild. Winston had gotten a few hundred gold out of the deal but it was hardly enough to worry about.

    ¡°Well, you weren''t doing so hot with that little trick against Sky-Assasin. You tried to get cute and he got away and killed Ice-Maiden.¡± Winston shot back.

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t my fault.¡± Jason shot back, but Winston hung up the call before he could make excuses. Winston didn¡¯t want to hear it and he had his own work to do.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    The sun was high in the sky when his pick finally broke through the layer of stone and into the darkness below. He peered into the hole but couldn¡¯t see much through the small gap. Winston had been mining for hours and his back and arms ached. He really had been letting himself go a bit in game. An orchard just wasn¡¯t as physically demanding as a wheat farm and his last level up had shown that. Hopefully when he reached level 17 for the third time he¡¯d get a better bonus.

    He logged off to get some lunch and talk with Jason then logged back on to continue his excavation. It took a while to make a whole big enough to pass though. He was short but rather stout and Bog was even wider. It was well into the evening when he¡¯d hollowed out a hole wide enough to go down but he decided to wait until tomorrow.

    He messaged Jason and logged out to play some more LOTA.

    After another night of being thrashed by college kids Winston was glad to get back into otherworld. The first thing he noticed was Bog. She was pacing around restlessly and seemed to be wounded. Some of her feathers were out of place and one section of her back had bloodstains.

    She rushed over to him as soon as he stood up. He examined her wounds but with no real healing spells he didn¡¯t have any way to help her. He should have bought some healing potions. What was the use of having a bunch of money if he never bought anything useful with it.

    ¡°What happened girl?¡± He asked her as he hugged her. She gave him a reproachful squawk before walking a few steps away and pointing to something on the ground with her beak. The bottom of the quarry was rock, but a layer of dust made tracks stand out. Bog¡¯s tracks were three pronged but the middle prong was a good deal longer than the others. This track was tri-pronged as well, but the toes were wider and more evenly sized. They were also a good deal smaller than Bog¡¯s massive feet.

    [Identification Failed]

    Winston snorted. Of course his identification failed. He didn¡¯t have tracking or dungeoneering or any of the skills needed for that sort of thing. The tracks were a mess and he couldn¡¯t follow them. There had obviously been a fight and that had complicated things but it didn¡¯t take much brain power to guess that the monsters had come out of the hole in the ground he¡¯d made.

    He pulled out his staff and willed his faith into it. Without using it for anything it drained away slowly but it did make the staff light up. Which was all he needed it for. He had a ton of FP and could keep his staff lit-up for hours without issue.

    ¡°Common Bog. Let¡¯s see where this rabbit hole goes.¡± Winston said as he ducked through the hole he¡¯d made and into a wider tunnel behind it. The tunnel was only packed earth but wide and surprisingly smooth. It obviously wasn¡¯t natural but he¡¯d expected something much less uniform.

    He could see markings on the floor but the dirt was too hard and dry to leave real tracks. He knew there were monster of some sort down here and his light would make it easy to be spotted.

    He met his first enemies by accident. The tunnel bent sharply to the right and as they rounded the corner his light illuminated a small alcove off the main path with three creatures inside. They were around four-feet tall with reptilian features and burning red eyes. Kobold¡¯s, Winston thought as he spotted them. That explained the footprints.

    His mental musings slowed his reaction time and Bog and the kobolds were already fighting by the time he thought to do anything. Faith poured from his staff as he formed armor around her. The swirling light made it nearly impossible to see what was going on in the pitch black tunnel as the shapes and shadows shifted wildly.

    A kobold swiped a slaw at Winston and he parried it clumsily with his staff before sending a gout of fire into the creatures face. It didn¡¯t hurt the creature but the heat and light made it stagger backwards. Winston used the opening to jab the end of his staff into the kobolds stomach.

    There was an ugly crack and a wheezing sound as Bog stomped on a downed Kobold. Winston went after the one who¡¯d attacked him, beating it around the head with his staff as it tried to defend itself. The last kobold seemed to have had enough and it turned and ran into the darkened tunnel. Bog finished off her victim then came for Winstons. Soon the pair were in silence again, breathing hard and looking down at the copper coins and various curio¡¯s that had dropped.

    None were very valuable so Winsotn shoved them all in his pack. Then he looked into the black hallway and sighed. There was no way he was going to be able to explore this on his own. He didn¡¯t have the skills and he didn¡¯t even know what he was looking for. Bog was the only real combat power he had and if they ran into four or five kobolds they¡¯d be in trouble. It was time to call in the cavalry.

    *********

    It took a day for Josh and his buddies to show up. Winston had texted Josh about the tunnels and asked for his help the night before, but they hadn¡¯t arrived until later Sunday night, which had pushed off the expedition until Monday night. Josh¡¯s football buddies hadn¡¯t been happy but they were all 18. Which meant the game¡¯s time limits didn¡¯t apply to them.

    The weather had turned while Winston had waited for his backup. The sunny skies had clouded over and a light rain soaked everything. Luckily he didn¡¯t have to stay outside for long and as soon as Josh and his buddies had shown up, Winston had lead them all underground.

    ¡°You sure the dungeon is down here? Rob, the barbarian asked as their group walked down the tunnel.

    ¡°No.¡± Winston said honestly. ¡°I mean, I¡¯m sure these tunnels connect to the dungeon somewhere but it could be a mile from here, or twenty miles from here. These tunnels might lead us right to it, or around in circles for days.¡± Winston said.

    ¡°Well aren''t you a ray of sunshine.¡± Said Kyle, another of Josh¡¯s friends.

    ¡°That¡¯s my little bro for you. He¡¯s 17, but acts like he¡¯d 60.¡± Josh teased from where he stood near the front of the line. They were walking in single file and had already clashed with a few groups of kobolds. However, with their numbers and levels the fights were easy.

    The group continued on and the tunnels slowly sloped downward. They came to a few forks and picked the routes that would lead them towards the center of the zone. They walked for nearly four hours, fighting off larger and larger groups of kobolds before they came to a stone door. It was covered in runes but the magic had long since worn out. The kobold hadn¡¯t bothered trying to move the massive door. Instead they¡¯d just tunneled around it. A smaller and rougher tunnel opened on the wall next to the door and turned sharply.

    Winston walked up to the door to examine it more closely and his interface pinged.

    [Secret Dungeon Found!]

    [The Lost City Of Tezem]

    [The Yawnshu people were once the only sentient race that lived on the continent that is now the West Empire. They built massive underground cities and once numbered in the millions. However, over time they came into contact with the evil races of underworld. Those creatures who lived miles below the surface in perpetual darkness and paid homage to the darkest and foulest of Gods. The Yawnshu were excellent artisans but poor warriors. Their civilization was subjected and weakened over time until they were all but exterminated in a war with the dwemer.

    The City of Tezem was one of the last to fall but now is nothing more than a city for kobolds.]

    ¡°Finally. I found it.¡± Winston said with a sigh. Being given a quest with nothing to go on hadn¡¯t been fun. Now he at least knew where he needed to look. He just had to go in, clear the dungeon and he¡¯d be all ready for his class advancement. Then he could start setting up his new farm and get back to doing what he did best. ¡°This is it guys, but we should wait until tomorrow. I doubt this dungeon will be something we can get done in a day.

    ¡°Kevin, set up camp. We¡¯ll have to back-track a bit. If we can¡¯t here we¡¯ll definitely get killed by Kobolds when we log out.¡± Josh said, decisively. ¡°We can meet up here again after school tomorrow.¡±

    The group backtracked a solid mile before picking one of the alcoves some kobolds had been stationed in. Then Kevin started to sit up camp. It was a rather fascinating process to watch. He set up tents, paying special attention to their arrangement, as well as adding a few trip-wires, and other minor traps. It all seemed fairly useless to Winston, but Kevin explained that all the little details added up. The higher quality you could push the camp to, the less likely mobs would discover it. It also provided more buffs.

    Winston that in mind, Winston took a few chunks of the stone he¡¯d mined and imbued them with his faith before sitting them around the camp. He didn¡¯t know what good it would do, but he was curious to see. He climbed into a tent and logged out to go see what Jason was up to.

 Chapter 58

    Winston stood in the mouth of the tunnel with Josh and the rest of his friends packed in around him. They all looked down on the ancient ruins of Tezem with slack-jawed expressions. They¡¯d taken the little side-tunnel around the main door and come out into a huge dimly lit cavern. The floor fell away below them and went down at least thirty-meters into a small city. A set of stone steps lead down from the main stone door only a few paces away. The steps connected to the city''s main thoroughfare that ran at least a mile off into the distance. The buildings were all made of dried earth but the outsides had been shaped into precise geometric shapes. Small ramps lead up the sides and split off into various rooms but all the ramps were exactly the same width and looped in odd ways. Combined with the buildings odd shapes and exquisite precision it made for a breath-taking scene. In the very center of the cavern, stuck to the ceiling, was a large yellow crystal. It had been broken and several large chunks of it had apparently come off and fallen into the city below. It shown with a dim yellow light that only barely illuminated the carven.

    To his human eyes the aesthetics were bizarre but he could see they¡¯d been crafted with meticulous care. That was only part of the reason he was so slack-jawed though. The city was teaming with kobolds. Not hundreds, or thousands, but tens of thousands of the creatures filled the large space.

    ¡°Now what the hell do we do?¡± Asked someone from behind Winston. ¡°There¡¯s no way we can fight all those.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to find someplace with a choke-point. Limit the numbers they can fight us with.¡± Josh said decisively.

    ¡°Dangerous.¡± Winston said. ¡°Unlike you guys, I guarantee some of them can do magic. And a few fireballs thrown into an enclosed space will do for most of us.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you do magic? Asked Kevin.

    ¡°Yeah, really crappy magic. I¡¯m a priest and a pretty crappy one of those honestly. I don¡¯t have any healing spells.¡± Winston explained.

    ¡°We¡¯re still going to have to do it any other way and we¡¯ll just get swarmed. Let¡¯s head for that first building on the left. We¡¯ll push through the kobolds and climb the ramp that leads up to the roof. We¡¯ll hold there and it¡¯ll keep us from being in an enclosed space.¡± Josh said, pointing with his axe.

    ¡°Lets move!¡± Josh cried, he hopped from the tunnel there were in over to the main stairway. Then charged down with his shield raised. The rest of his friends must have been used to his leadership because they charged out right after him. Winston, not wanting to be left behind, called to Bog and ran after them.

    The kobolds were taken completely by surprise and more than a few were trampled as their group sprinted through them. It was obvious they were just civilians. None had weapons and they wore little except loin-clothes or a few cheap trinkets as jewelry. It wasn¡¯t until they reached the bottom of the stairs and neared the ramps that they met some real resistance.

    Five kobolds had stepped forward to block them. They wore leather armor and held crude swords, but their physique was a step above the normal kobolds. Josh didn¡¯t even slow down. He just hid behind his shield as he shouted.

    ¡°PIERCING CHARGE!¡± His shield lit up with golden light and formed into a rough wedge in front of him like a massive cow-catcher on the front of an old steam train. He barreled forward and the kobold¡¯s line was split easily as the rest of the group followed behind him.

    They climbed the oddly twisting ramp at a run only stopping when they reached the top of the building they¡¯d chosen.

    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll hold here for now.¡± Josh said. He wasn¡¯t out of breath at all, none of them were but Winston supposed that was what you got with a group full of melee fighters. He walked over to the edge and looked down. The city was seething like an anthill someone had kicked over. Kobold¡¯s were running everywhere and the air was filled with the sound of frightened and angry hissing.

    The civilian kobolds were running away while groups of more fierce looking kobolds were forming up and heading there direction. Winston really wished their group had a mage, or at least a few archers. Even someone with a short-bow and a few arrows would really help out.

    The first group of warrior kobolds was already heading up the ramp. They looked a bit ragged and Winston decided they were probably the ones who¡¯d tried to stop them at the bottom of the ramp.

    ¡°Get ready. Here they come.¡± He said. Even if his magic was crappy he didn¡¯t have much reason not to use it here. He had the high ground and a free shot. It was basically just a chance to level his skills. Even if he couldn¡¯t really hurt them, holding his magic back wouldn¡¯t help that much.

    He circled his arms in dramatic gesture before pushing his palms forward. Fire erupted from his hands and he tried his best to push the flames out and down towards the kobolds. Sorcerers had a harder time with long distance attacks than wizards. Each wizard spell was basically fire and forget. Once they knew the runes to get a particular spell effect that was it.

    A sorcerer could manipulate their mana directly and create whatever they wanted. Giant flaming trident? No problem. You¡¯d need apprentice level Mana manipulation to be able to give the trident any real substance but a sorcerer was only limited by their imagination and skill levels.

    Winston had no ranks in mana manipulation so his flames just wanted to disperse right as they came out of his hands. It let him create large swathes of low-powered flame at close range, but that was basically all he could do. To get stronger flames and to extend the range he had to compress and control the mana as it left him.

    Winston gritted his teeth and threw his will into his spell. The flames coming from his hands started to creep outwards, first five feet, then ten. He felt something click in his mind and the next five feet came easily. He had to push again to get it to twenty but that was far enough. The kobolds started to hiss angrily as the flames washed over them but they kept charging. His spells were still too weak and extending them out that far was sucking up lots of mana.

    He sighed and stopped his flames. The kobolds gear was slightly charred but they seemed more angry than hurt. He sighed as he stepped back from the edge. He really needed to practice magic more.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    The kobolds made it to the top of the ramp and ran into Josh¡¯s friends. They¡¯d arranged themselves into two rows and were fighting with more discipline than Winston had expected. Josh held the center of the formation with his heavy armor and shield. While the others hacked at the kobolds with whatever weapons they had. They¡¯d obviously been fighting together for quite a while and worked as a seamless team. Winston understood why Josh had started playing. That kind of coordination likely would transfer to the football field.

    Things seemed to go alright for the first few minutes, but fighting was hard work and everyone got tired, even in a video game. The first group of kobolds had died but more had come behind them and even more behind them. Rib, the barbarian finally got caught and he yelled as he fell backwards with a bleeding stump where his left hand should have been. The careful and disciplined line collapsed. Kobolds swarmed onto the roof and Winston finally joined the fight.

    ¡°Shield of Faith!¡± Winston cried. He poured a good half his mana into the spell. Making a massive transparent shield that took up half the ramp. It let the left side of the line stabilize while everyone else tried to deal with the kobolds that were on the roof. They had three people and one bird to fight off at least eight of the foul lizard-like creatures.

    As worried as Winston was, Bog seemed to be in heaven. She hadn¡¯t had a chance to vent in a long time and she happily stomped, rammed, and clawed at the kobolds. Winston put his staff in his pack and released his claws before diving in. He caught a dagger in the side but grunted and gutted the offending kobold with his claws. Two more went down from Josh¡¯s friends and Bog knocked a third over letting Winston claw his throat open. Winston felt his shield break and he took another wound as he called to Bog and rushed to fill the gap.

    The next minute was a mess of red-scaled bodies, slashing claws, and stabbing swords. Winston took a half-dozen minor wounds before someone took his place in the line. Bog was pushed out soon after with a broken wing and a cut on one leg. The line was back up and holding again but they couldn¡¯t keep this up.

    He¡¯d wanted to save the rest of his faith points incase the line broke again and he needed to plug it with another shield. They were desperate though and it was the priests jobs to buff. He pulled out his staff again and started to channel his faith. He poured it out over all his allies holding the line and cast his spell.

    ¡°Armor of Faith!¡± His faith condensed around the six figures fighting. He¡¯d never tried to use it on more than one person before. The effect seemed to have been diluted a bit, since each person only got a breast-plate. Usually they got a full suit of armor with helm when he used it but he supposed it was a good trade-off. He hadn¡¯t had enough faith to give everyone armor.

    The armor seemed to help, but it didn¡¯t let anyone regain stamina or health. Things were not good. Winston was already light-headed from blood loss and he wasn¡¯t the worst injured Everyone in the group and numerous wounds and one was missing his hand. He¡¯d likely have to respawn to get that fixed. Just as the line was about the break the kobolds finally stopped coming. A pile of corpses lay on the ramp and as combat ended they dissolved leaving behind money and items.

    [Elemental Magic Skill Increased!]

    [Current Rank: Novice V]

    [Elemental Magic Has Reached Skill Cap!]

    [You Must Spend a Skill point to improve it further]

    [Fire Magic Sub-Skill has Increased]

    [Current Rank Novice V]

    [Fire Magic Has Reached Skill Cap!]

    [You Have Learned A New Skill!]

    [Mana Manipulation]

    [Mana is the fundamental energy of all magic. Learning how to alter and control mana in its fundamental form is the discipline of mana manipulation. It is a requirement for almost all advanced magic.]

    [Current Rank: Novice I]

    [Shield of Faith has Improved]

    [Current Rank: Beginner IV]

    [Hand-To-Hand Has Increased]

    [Current Rank: Novice IV]

    [Taming Has Increased]

    [Current Rank: Beginner III]

    Winston frantically closed all the message as an odd hissing chant started. It echoed oddly in the large room and Winston walked over to the edge of the roof to look down into the city. The kobolds down there had mostly retreated but the ones left around the base of the building were jumping and waving their arms around as they chanted. A massive kobold was walking down the main street Winston¡¯s direction. He had the same red-scales and reptilian faces the other kobolds, but he was nearly the same size as jason crocodilian avatar, almost seven feet tall with muscles that stood out under his scales.

    As he got closer Winston could see more and more detail. The sword was at least five feet long and was full of pits and chips. It made the weapon look even more vicious and with the dim light and eerie chanting Winston had to admit he was intimidated.

    ¡°Boss monster incoming.¡± Winston said aloud.

    ¡°Alright, keep it together boys. Last hurdle.¡± Josh said. His words seemed to perk everyone up and Winston wondered if he had some sort of leadership skill or if it was just his charisma. Either way it was effective and everyone got back into position as the boss started up the ramp.

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep him occupied. The rest of you circle around to flank. He seems to be a standard bruser, probably with some kind of AOE cleave attack so keep on your toes.¡± Josh continued as everyone formed up and got ready to fight again.

    As the giant kobold finally got to the roof Josh banged his axe on to his shield while Levi, their battle master, shouted.

    ¡°Rallying Cry!¡± Red light blossomed around the fighters as they all stood more straight. The kobold swing it¡¯s massive sword and Josh raised his own shield to block. The rest of the fighters fanned out around the boss and Winston fell back. This fight was out of his weight-class. It was best to leave it to the professionals.

    Once the fight was underway the other fighters rushed in and started to activate all their best abilities.

    ¡°Heavy Blow!¡±

    ¡°Swift Strike!¡±

    ¡°Axe Flurry!¡±

    Light of half a dozen colors flashed as the kobold was bombarded. It roared in anger and green light flared as its sword swung in a crescent. Energy rushed out and Josh¡¯s fighters were all blasted backwards and away. That left Winston and Bog as the only ones standing and the kobolds angry black eyes turned towards them.

    ¡°That¡¯s not good.¡±Winston muttered. ¡°Bog Fowl Charge!¡± He cried as he ran away.

    More green light flared, this time around Bogdonna as she bolted forward at triple speed. The kobold hissed and swung his sword but Bog reacted almost instantly. She leapt into the air, blue light rippling around her as she activated another skill. She jumped again as if the air had turned solid, clearing the sword swing and crashing into the kobolds face and chest light a meaty poultry missile.

    This time it was the kobold who was knocked backwards. Everyone of the rooftop accept Winston was now scrambling to get back up. The fight had turned into a giant mess and Winston could do little but stand back and watch.

    The fight got uglier from there. Someone dove forward and hacked at the kobolds legs drawing blood but taking a vicious pommel-strike for his trouble. Winston head the guy¡¯s teeth shatter and he slumped to the ground spitting blood.

    That turned the tide however. Against five opponents and with a bum leg, the boss couldn¡¯t keep up and a minute later someone finally opened its throat. The boss collapsed and the rest of the group wasn¡¯t far behind.

    ¡°There¡¯s no-way we can finish this dungeon like this. What is it you¡¯re looking for?¡± Josh asked. His blonde hair was plastered to his head with sweat and he was covered in wounds.

    ¡°I need a sun crystal.¡± Winston said, pointing to the dimly glowing crystal in the ceiling. I¡¯m not sure if I need a whole crystal or just part of one. If its a whole crystal we¡¯ll have to go farther into the dungeon. If it¡¯s only part we might be able to find a chunk down in the city.¡±

    ¡°Either way we can¡¯t go now.¡± Josh said with a sigh. ¡°Set up camp here. We¡¯ll need the extra regen bonuses. We¡¯ll rest and hour or two then search the city. Hopefully we¡¯ll find what we need and can leave.¡±

    ¡°What did the boss drop?¡± Someone asked.

    Kevin walked over and picked through the pile of loot. ¡°Healing potion, decent quality but wont help Rob with his hand. Around 200 gold, pretty weak haul there.¡± He muttered to himself. ¡°A few gems, nothing to good except, oh this is a fairly nice ruby. Still, not great and looks like the broken hilt of his sword as a crafting drop. Maybe 1000 gold total, still pretty crappy split 7 ways.¡±

    ¡°Six ways.¡± Winston said, refuting him. ¡°I¡¯m just here to get my quest done. Its for my class upgrade at 20. That¡¯s all I want from here, unless we find some interesting plants.¡±

    ¡°Even six way it¡¯s still pretty sucky.¡± Kevin replied as he divided up the loot. While he did that Josh stood up and walked over to the edge of the roof.

    ¡°Looks like most of the kobolds pulled out of the city below. We should be able to search it without too much trouble. Let¡¯s rest up then start looking.¡±