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I don¡¯t know if this counts, but I learned how to make a fire the same way they do in the scouts. Using just twigs and dried grass, I was able to make a fire in Aevitas. When I tried the same thing in my back garden at home, it worked! It was a bit harder to do and took more effort, but I still did it.
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The first comment didn¡¯t answer his question how he intended, but it certainly opened his eyes a little. He¡¯d meant for someone to post a list of skills people had learned in Aevitas and used in Life; not give an account of a skill the person learned themselves. Even so, Tobi hadn¡¯t considered basic survival skills at all. It was quite a surprise to realize how limited his thoughts had been. Unfortunately, the first poster managed to set the bar and started the trend. Almost all replies were about personal experiences and what they had used in real life after learning it in Aevitas.
Reading through the replies, Tobi finally found one that tried to answer his question properly.
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I see a lot of people posting what they learned but not giving the Original Poster an answer to his actual question. He asked for a list of skills. A LIST!
I am guessing you don¡¯t mean professions though, right? Almost all professions have skills that can be transferred to reality. Tailor can teach a person to knit, sew, dye clothes, tan animal hide and much more. Many of it can be skipped by using the ¡®automatic¡¯ process¡ªwhich certainly saves a lot of time¡ªbut to those that want to simply gain experience, they can follow the process step-by-step and gain huge experience rewards in exchange. The process is almost identical to reality, so the skills can really be learned.
Note to OP: The skill has to be practiced and honed in reality. You can¡¯t suddenly become a master at knitting because you do it in Aevitas. You have to teach your physical body the skill as well. Does that make sense? Knowing and doing are different. You can know how to ride a bike, but actually riding it isn¡¯t the same. And being able to ride a bike doesn¡¯t mean you can join the olympics or win a race. Same deal.
While I still don¡¯t know what kind of answer you are actually looking for, here is my ¡®off-the-top-of-the-head¡¯ list of THINGS that Aevitas can ¡®teach¡¯ you:
Patience. Math. Strategic Planning. Forethought. Perseverance. Leadership. Map Reading (Orientation). Social Skills. Tracking. Hunting. Archery (limited and requires real life practice too). Scouting. Stalking (for you psycho¡¯s out there). The Art of War. Business Development and Trading (especially for Merchant class). ...
Can learn way more than that, but before I make a bigger list, was it those kind of things you meant? As one extra thing to add to the list, I learned mountain climbing and abseiling in Aevitas and I have used it three times now in real life. So Awesome! ^_^
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Tobi continued to read one reply after another. As was with the case of the first poster, the majority continued to write their own experiences. Learning to fight, learning to swim, learning to build; the list of skills people had learned continued to grow.
By the time Tobi finished reading all the replies, he was already eager to test out the game for himself. He wasn¡¯t so concerned by setting a specific goal anymore. It was more that he wanted to experience the world itself. He wanted to see what he learned whether he intended to or not. From all the replies he read, the majority hadn¡¯t tried to learn anything. The game gave them scenarios which forced them to learn certain skills in order to achieve their aims.
The one who learned to fight could be considered a given, as he¡¯d been a warrior in the game and slowly discovered he could train his real body based entirely on what he did in the game. The swimmer was a little different. He was out on a boat levelling his ¡®Fishing¡¯ profession and the boat capsized. He managed to blunder his way to a rock sticking out of the water and survive, but that had been his mistake.
Had the swimmer simply drowned the first time, he would have resurrected back at the city. Due to his fear of drowning however, and managing to reach the rock, he couldn¡¯t resurrect back at the city at all. Seven times he tried to swim back to the mainland and seven times he drowned. The company gave pity to him in the end and sent staff out (on a boat) to rescue him. The experience had still taught him the basics of swimming though.
After learning the basics, the man continued to practice swimming in case something like that ever happened again. He swam close to the shore and practiced often. Eventually he gained a swimming skill and, can not only swim in Aevitas, but can swim in real life too. His swimming in the game is much better than real life, but that was mostly due to his level of fitness. In the game he could swim for a thousand meters without tiring. In real life he would be too tired to continue after just two laps of a 20 meter pool.
Taking a mobile phone out of his pocket, Tobi sent a quick text to his dad to ask if he could use the Dive Unit. As Tobi never planned on playing the game he didn¡¯t have a VR-Dive Unit of his own. Both his parents and sister had one, but he didn¡¯t. His dad was at work though and wouldn¡¯t be home for a few more hours. Plenty of time for Tobi to test the game for himself.
The text from his father came back just seconds later; the reply being a simple one word confirmation: ¡®Sure¡¯. Another text followed immediately after, saying that if Tobi liked Aevitas they would get him a Dive Unit and help him build up his character. Tobi was pretty sure he would definitely continue playing the game. If nothing else, it would still take a while for him to learn a few skills and test what he¡¯d learned in reality.
In his father¡¯s study downstairs, Tobi looked at the large incubation-pod-looking-contraption with more than a little hate. Even if he was planning to use it, the machine still reminded him of Niamh and the end of their relationship. The amount of times he¡¯d seen Niamh spend her time inside one of those things instead of spending time with him was beyond count.
¡®Well, I guess I will finally see what is so good about you¡¡¯ Tobi told the machine mentally as he turned it on. According to the instruction manual, a small light on the side would indicate when the machine was ready to be used. The light would first be red before turning yellow and finally changing to green. Only after it turned green could he open the lid and climb inside.
It didn¡¯t take long. The machine went through its startup relatively quickly and Tobi was already inside before his hesitation kicked in. Pushing the doubts to the back of his mind, Tobi grit his teeth and found the two pads that were to be placed on his temples. They were attached to two long, white chords; not too dissimilar from a set of headphones.
Placing the two pads on his temples, and being slightly surprised by how well they stayed in place, Tobi pulled the lid shut and lay down. All he had to do now was wait. The first thing that should happen, he knew, was a relaxing of the muscles. The company warned it would happen and instructed the user not to panic, as it was perfectly normal.
Curious about how the machine managed to relax a person¡¯s muscles, Tobi deliberately tensed his right leg and waited. Without warning, the muscles relaxed. Not just the leg muscles though, even the muscles he didn¡¯t realize he was using were relaxed; even going so far as to include his butt cheeks and jaw.
Before Tobi could begin to wonder about it or make any sense of what he was feeling, he felt his eye-lids slowly close of their own accord. It was such a slow and simple closing, he half imagined it would be no different to dying. At the same time as his eyes closing, the little green light on the side of the machine turned yellow; indicating the machine was in use and the lid was closed and locked. Forcefully pulling someone out of Aevitas was considered dangerous and was the reason for Dive Unit¡¯s design. It allowed the machine to safely log someone out in the case of someone tampering from the outside.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.
¡°Welcome User. Identification not found. Please enter your username and password.¡±
Tobi heard the voice before he saw anything. The first thing he did see was a floating blue screen with two rectangular boxes; one above the other. The top one was marked with the title ¡®Username¡¯, while the bottom was marked with the title ¡®password¡¯. Below the blue screen was a simple and inelegant looking keyboard.
Reaching out his hand, or at least mentally intending to reach his hand out, Tobi saw an arm extend forward. It wasn¡¯t his own arm though. It almost looked like the arm of a manikin, complete with a manikin hand at the end of it. Bewildered and amused at the same time, Tobi tested the use of his limbs and laughed. It truly felt like¡ªbut not quite the same as¡ªusing his own hands.
Getting over his amazement enough to continue, Tobi entered the same username and password he registered on the official website when accessing their forums.
¡°Username Inq.Mind, accepted. Messages: Zero new messages. Subscription: Zero time remaining. One week free trial has not been used. Would you like to use your one week complimentary free Trial?¡±
¡°Yes.¡± Tobi answered the space, surprised to hear his actual voice resound in the air. He didn¡¯t know who or what he was talking to, but the keyboard and screen had already disappeared. His only option was to call out his response.
¡°One Week trial initiated. Time remaining: 6 days, 23 hours, 59 minutes. Time paused. No Character for user detected. Initiating character creation. Please choose your race.¡±
Several figures appeared in pairs ahead of himself. One male and one female of each kind. Unlike Tobi who appeared to be standing on nothing but air, the paired groupings were standing on different kinds of landmass. To the left was what appeared to be a fair-skinned Elven Race with the typical, long, silver hair. The land they were standing on was covered in green grass and beautifully coloured flowers.
To the right of the Elven pair was a simple message box describing the race. Another box to the left of them described the possible class tree¡¯s, basic starting attributes, and other racial characteristics. All in all, they¡ªthe Elves¡ªseemed to be focused on either Archery or Magic, with limited paths to follow in the warrior and assassin trees. There was also a merchant tree, which was listed as a class rather than a profession. Tobi didn¡¯t know much about gaming so he couldn¡¯t understand what the use of a ¡®Merchant¡¯ class was. A class for making game money? What¡¯s the point of that?
Among the various differences of the race¡¯s in front of him, Tobi noticed several that seemed significant. The humans were well balanced in all respects, with strong skills in diplomacy and leadership. Other than being well balanced and two unique racial traits, there didn¡¯t seem to be much benefit in being human. Among the several ¡®significant¡¯ differences of the race¡¯s was ¡®Satiety¡¯.
Satiety could affect physical attributes such as strength, agility, health regeneration, energy regeneration and defence, among other things. But not all Race¡¯s had the same level of Satiety. It was measured by a numerical number and would obviously pose potential advantages and disadvantages to each race.
Elves, whether Light or Dark, had the best Satiety with 200; meaning that an Elf could go longer than any other Race without eating or being affected by a lack of food. According to what it said, an Elf didn¡¯t eat much food either. Where a human might require a small meal, an Elf could be satisfied from a simple apple.
A Dwarf on the other hand had just 60 Satiety and required regular, hearty meals: Up to as many as six large meals per day. So unbalanced!
The beastman race known as ¡®Racian¡¯¡ªdue to their ability to transform between ¡®human¡¯ and various animals¡ªhad a satiety of 150. While they didn¡¯t need to refill their stomachs too often, they did require a large quantity of food to return to optimal condition. An Elf may need only a bowl of fruit, but a Racian could devour a buffet and still have room for more.
As the balanced race of Aevitas, humans had 100 satiety. They could sustain themselves equally well on either limited food sources or by stocking up their energy reserves with good sized meals. They weren¡¯t fussy on diets and could miss a meal or two without too much of a problem. They did prefer to be well fed though and liked to have a minimum of three meals per day; plus snacks.
While Tobi was considering the pro¡¯s and cons of each race, he finally decided to test the human one. As it had the best balance among the races, there were no obvious disadvantages to being human. At the same time though, there was no obvious advantage to being human either. In fact, it actually looked like the game favoured Humans, while also discouraged people from being human. If a player wanted to be an Archer, it was obviously better to be an Elf. A Dwarven or Racian warrior would beat a human one too. An Elven mage or healer would probably beat a human one too. So why be human?
The answer was actually quite simple. The various races of Aevitas were divided by land, race, culture and beliefs. For those reasons and others, a race would stick with their own kind and not form parties or groups with others. Even if they wanted to, a large distance between their lands prevented it. This gave the non-human races a problem that was not easily solved.
A Dwarf may be a powerful warrior, but their magic was limited and their healing skills were poor. For that reason, Dwarves relied on Alchemists and Tailors for potions and bandages to tend to their wounds. They had no healers during battle to give them support. Nor did they have any powerful mages to deal Area of Effect Damage. They only had Earthen Shamans able to help with certain buffs and defencive spells.
A similar problem occurred in every race. They either lacked strong warriors to act as meat-shields and tanks, or they lacked long distance fighters such as archers and mages. Or some other problem that acted against their natural advantages. Humans however, while lacking any natural advantage, had no natural weakness. They were capable in all fields. Perhaps not the best in any given field, but definitely able. Magic, Warrior, Assassin, Archery or whatever else; they could do it all.
The players of Aevitas obviously noticed this problem too. While many were willing to join the other races regardless of their disadvantages, the majority of people stayed as human. Having a full party with a warrior, mage, archer and healer was an absolute necessity. They may have wanted the strength of a dwarf or skill of an elf, but if that meant giving up a meat-shield or healer¡ªNo thank you!
All things considered, Tobi was sure his choice to stay as a human was the best one. Even if it was the best choice though, he still ¡®kind of¡¯ wanted to be a Dwarf.
¡±Human.¡± Tobi finally sighed, informing the system of his decision.
¡°Human selected, please enter physical parameters.¡±
Tobi quickly found himself in what appeared to be a changing room. Three walls with a curtain at the back simply fell from the sky and landed around him; leaving a mirror on the wall directly facing him. The mirror shown a figure very much like a manikin in a shop window. On the top left of the mirror were two symbols; one for male and one for female. The default gender was male though, so Tobi left the manikin as it was and looked to the other options on either side.
On either side of the mirror were instructions and arrow keys, allowing Tobi to transform the mirror image to whatever he desired. The controls on the left were for minute features and details, such as eye-brows, eye colour, hair, nose protrusion and so on. The controls on the right were much simpler, being that of height, weight, build, muscle, toning, skin pigment and other, broader features.
Starting with the right, Tobi bashed the ¡®Up¡¯ arrow key next to the word ¡®Height¡¯. He continued until the numbers displayed in the box reached 183cm. In real life, Tobi was 181cm, but it had been something that always bothered him. Being so close to 6ft-tall and yet not quite making it had always managed to annoy him. A true 6ft was 182.88cm, but as the system only measured to the nearest cm, Tobi chose to go over rather than remain under; finally ridding himself of the fact he was ¡®almost¡¯ 6-foot.
Immediately satisfied by just the height alone, Tobi smiled to himself and began to play with the features at his disposal. The myriad of grotesque proportions he played with had amused him for a good seven-or-eight minutes before he finally started to be a little more serious. In the end, it took almost a full hour before he managed to create a slightly-more-handsome version of himself. And by slightly, it was naturally a lot. Every flaw, no matter how small, had been dealt with to the best of the systems¡ªand Tobi¡¯s¡ªabilities.
¡°Finished.¡± Tobi called out, unable to find any button that would indicate he was done and wished to continue.
¡°Character creation, complete. Synchronizing. Synchronization complete. Please choose your character name.¡±
The changing room location Tobi was in remained in place, only now there was a blank box above his character; undoubtedly the place where his name would appear. A small keyboard also appeared, much the same as the one when he was logging into his account earlier. Reaching his hands out to type, Tobi finally paused and was unable to continue.
What should he call himself?
Thinking of all the famous characters throughout history, Tobi tried a couple of the ones he liked. Names he would be satisfied with even if they didn¡¯t fit his character. Gilgamesh was first, as one of Tobi¡¯s favourite tales from history. The name was already taken though, so he was forced to look for another.
Dozens of names were entered, dozens failed. Even obscure names that Tobi doubted would be considered by anyone else was taken. Even ¡®Icantthinkofaname¡¯ was taken!
Annoyed, Tobi finally entered his own, real life name: Tobias Donlan.
¡°Can¡¯t use your real name. Please select another.¡±
Annoyed, Tobi began to delete his name and stopped once it got down to just ¡®Tobi¡¯. Smiling to himself and wondering if the system would notice the difference, Tobi re-entered his surname.
¡°Tobi Donlan is available. Would you like to use this name?¡±
¡°Yes!¡±
¡°Tobi confirmed. Entering Tutorial Server. Please stand by.¡±
¡®Welp, didn¡¯t expect that to work¡¡¯ Tobi mused absentmindedly right before the world around him began to shift.
Chapter 3: Choose your class
Chapter 3: Choose your class.
The changing-room-like area that surrounded Tobi broke away into thousands of pixels. The walls, curtain, mirror and floor shattered into countless wisps of light like sparks of a flame; each disappearing into nothing as they broke away. The only part that remained was Tobi¡¯s reflexion, except it was a little more than a simple mirror image. A full-bodied replica of the character he created was standing before him wearing casual, loose-fitting clothes.
The area Tobi found himself once the changing room evaporated was like that of a high tech laboratory¡ªexcept there were no doors and had the feel of a steel-walled prison. Ignoring the room as a whole, Tobi took the time to admire and inspect the body-double he¡¯d created for himself.
¡®Not bad,¡¯ Tobi mused, rubbing his chin and smiling self-satisfactorily.
Hearing the sound of footsteps in the room, Tobi broke away from his inspection and turned to look over his shoulder. A tall, slender woman with dark hair and wearing a disgustingly bright yellow dress was leisurely making her way over.
¡°Welcome to Aevitas.¡± She said, smiling lightly and ignoring the unmoving body double.
¡°Thank you. What is this place?¡±
¡°This is the tutorial server. Before you can begin playing the game you are required to select your initial character class. The class can be changed in game, but the method is not easy and comes with a penalty. In order for people to choose the class most suited to themselves, we have the tutorial server. Here you can test any class you like and choose the one most suited to yourself.¡±
¡°What are the options?¡± Tobi asked, already knowing many of the choices thanks to everything he¡¯d read on the official website.
¡°See for yourself.¡± The woman said, her smile becoming even brighter as she waved her hand lightly. Tobi¡¯s character standing idly nearby split into dozens of identical bodies; the only difference was what each of those characters were wearing. In many cases, they were wearing near identical items, but there were always differences to some degree.
¡°The group on the left are the warrior classes,¡± The woman began, indicating nearly forty people with a mere tilt of her head, ¡°Next to those are the mage classes, including healers, necromancers and summoners. The third group are the nine differing Archer classes. The fourth group are Assassin and Scout type classes. The fifth group are the Profession based classes.¡±
¡°And the one standing alone?¡± Tobi asked, pointedly looking toward a version of himself that wore silk-like clothes and carried a rucksack on his back.
¡°Merchant class. There is only one version of the Merchant no matter which race you choose. They are an exception to the rule in Aevitas.¡±
¡°An exception to what rule?¡±
The woman paused while she considered the question, ¡°Aevitas is focused on Balance. As you can see from the warrior classes, there are three versions of the Human Knight. There is the Chaotic Knight that carries no shield and wields a two-handed sword; the Heroic Knight that wields a large rectangular shield and a long one-handed sword¡ªand the regular Knight that wields a shield and spear.
¡°Each Knight, though different, is equal. Their skills are different and their Growth Trees allow for variables, but essentially, they have the same potential. Be it damage, defence or other factors, their most optimal growth is balanced to ensure they are equally strong and resilient. Whatever class is chosen, they have their own strengths and weaknesses. The perfect form of each class is no weaker, or stronger, than any other class. A warrior will generally lose to the mage class, but the mage will lose to the archer and assassin-type classes. In turn, the assassin and ranger-type classes will lose to the warrior classes. A Triangle of balance. Of course, there are variables in that too. If the warrior gets into close-quarters combat with a mage, then the mage loses. If the mage spots the Assassin before it gets close, the assassin loses. If the assassin sneaks up on the warrior and successfully stuns him, then the warrior loses. It¡¯s a case of tactics, timing, environment and other such elements coming into play.
¡°Stepping slightly out of that triangle is the Profession based Classes. Depending on which class is decided upon, they have their own roles to play. A Tailor for example will have spells and abilities that coincide with the Tailor profession. They generally fall under a class similar to a Shaman-Healer. To put it into perspective; a warrior with the tailor profession can create bandages which can be used to cure bleed effects after a battle. The Tailor Class can cast the spell [Band Aid] during a battle¡ªthus healing a small amount of damage and ending a bleed effect while the battle is still in progress. Understand the difference?¡±
¡°I think so¡¡± Tobi said, slightly nodding his head and imagining two separate scenes in his mind: One scene had a warrior poorly applying a bandage to his friend after they got their asses kicked; the other had a ¡®Tailor¡¯ healing a warrior with magic while they were winning a fight.
¡°No matter which class, be it Profession, Warrior, Mage, Assassin, Archer, or any other...there is a balance that comes into play. None are the same but all are equal. Then there is the merchant. The Merchant is simultaneously the easiest and the hardest class to use. They are the weakest class, yet they also have the highest potential with the ability to become more powerful than the others. They truly break the balance on both sides of the spectrum.¡±
¡°Then why do they exist if they break the balance?¡± Tobi asked, not completely sure what the so-called ¡®balance¡¯ thing actually was.
¡°All characters have their role to play.¡± The woman smiled mysteriously, ¡°Would you like to try it?¡±
Tobi hesitated while he looked at all the other types of characters. There were far more than he expected. Didn¡¯t games usually have just 3-12 types of characters with standard growths? Despite mentally asking himself such a question, Tobi himself didn¡¯t really know the answer; he¡¯d only surmised as much based on conversations he heard from his friends while growing up.
¡°I came to Aevitas to see what skills I could learn here and transfer to real life. Which class is best suited for that?¡±
The woman blanked, her face losing any trace of emotion, ¡°The question is not recognized. Analysing. Cross-check required.¡±
The woman¡¯s face regained animation just as abruptly as it froze. She smiled to Tobi apologetically and tilted her head slightly to the side, ¡°The question is not in the database. The most likely answer needs further information to be verified. Could you specify what kind of skills may be ¡®transferred to real life¡¯?¡±
Surprised by the fact the woman was an A.I, which he hadn¡¯t realized up until that point, Tobi shrugged. He tried to think of a few skills that he could test himself back in the real world. The problem was finding the skills he didn¡¯t have but could still potentially use. He was pretty good at D.I.Y so he didn¡¯t really need to further improve those skills. Even if he did need to improve the skills, it was something he could study and practice on his own without the need to play Aevitas. He knew how to cook too, so that was out. Bricklaying and creating a fire without matches or a lighter were also out. What was left?
Figuring it might be easier just to list random skills and see what answer the A.I. woman came up with, Tobi just gave a rough guideline for her to work with; ¡°Bricklaying, survival skills, hunting, skinning, building, carving, sewing, making shoes, mountain climbing, abseiling, boating, sailing, architecture¡ I don¡¯t know, whatever skills are in Aevitas I guess? Is there a class that is better for learning more skills?¡±
¡°A Merchant finds it easier to learn any new skills than any other class. They are also able to learn more professions than any other class. Most Human Classes are limited to 5 profession slots. The Merchant has 10 profession slots regardless of race and can learn ten separate professions. I believe Merchant would have the best fit within the criteria specified.¡±
¡°I guess I will go with the Merchant class then.¡± Tobi answered doubtfully. A Merchant was the class he¡¯d deemed the most useless. He also wanted to choose a warrior-type class. As a hot-blooded young man, what was better than wielding a sword and chopping down monsters? Still, he hadn¡¯t joined Aevitas for the fantasy it provided. He joined for a more practical purpose.
While still contemplating over his decision to test the merchant, all versions of Tobi¡¯s character disappeared, including the Merchant that he¡¯d been looking at. The clothes the Merchant was wearing appeared on Tobi instead. He wasn¡¯t sure how to describe the clothes himself, but he couldn¡¯t deny that they felt comfortable.
Calf-high black boots, loose-fitting black pants, long-sleeved white ¡®renaissance-esque¡¯ shirt and a very dark blue waistcoat-vest-type-thing. There was also a red belt-like sash thing around his waist. A second belt was hidden beneath the sash with a small satchel tightly fastened to it. Two small money pouches were tucked right behind the satchel as though hiding. The final touch was a drawstring backpack slung over his shoulder. It was like the plastic drawstring bags that many clothing stores gave out¡ªexcept it seemed to be made from some kind of hide instead of plastic.
Adjusting the bag so it slung diagonally across his chest and back,¡ªinstead of loosely draping over a single shoulder¡ªTobi deemed himself ready and nodded to the woman, ¡°Now what?¡±
The world surrounding Tobi abruptly changed. He found himself suddenly standing outside a city wall not too far from a sentry gate. Not too far away were several men fighting boars. Each man wielded a short sword and wooden shield while facing off against a boar each. Another man was seated nearby, occasionally drinking from a water canteen and watching the men kill their targets. Tobi might not have noticed him at all except there was a blindingly obvious exclamation point was flickering above his head.
¡°Welcome to Tutorial Village.¡± A small pixie woman called from just behind Tobi¡¯s shoulder, making him jump at the sound of her voice. She was around ten-inches tall with semi-transparent wings flapping silently behind her back. Her face had the same appearance of the woman in the yellow dress of the previous area, so it was probably the same A.I as before with a different body.
¡°Um. Thanks?¡±
¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± The pixie nodded matter-of-factly, ¡°Aevitas is a little more complicated than Tutorial Island but we can cover that as we go. The man over there is your first quest to get you started. Quests aren¡¯t normally indicated with markers, you have to find them yourself. For a Merchant such as yourself, Quests are more commonly known as Contracts instead. This is because the rewards are different and it is more in line with how Merchants conduct their business. Before that, I should explain a bit about your character and why it is different to the other classes. Please open your command help list with the command: Open Command List.¡±
Echoing the command as instructed, Tobi stepped back in surprise. Not that it helped to step back, as the ¡®thing¡¯ that popped out in front of his vision moved with him and stayed within the same distance. It was a semi-transparent blue window with a scroll list of command phrases.
Shaking his head wryly, Tobi scrolled down the list and memorized the commands that looked like they would be used a lot. For the more obscure commands that aren''t immediately obvious, he asked the Pixie to explain them. Instead of explaining, she instructed him to highlight the command; which he did. Upon highlighting the command, an explanation box appeared and described its function.
After all of the basics were covered, the Pixie instructed Tobi to open his user interface, which he did by issuing the command ¡®Open User Window¡¯. Just as before, a window appeared in his vision which he could vaguely see through if he strained his eyes. He already knew he could make it even more transparent if he adjusted the settings in the command menu, but he could save that for later. For now, he simply checked out the stats of his character with mild curiosity.
| Level | 1 |
| Health: 100/100 | Fortune: 0 |
| Energy: 100/100 | Satiety: 100/100 |
| STATS |
| Luck | 0 | Charisma | 0 |
| Endurance | 1 | Dexterity | 1 |
| Agility | 1 | Mind | 1 |
|
¡°Very good.¡± The Pixie praised dryly, ¡°Now, you will see that the Merchant lacks certain stats that you may have expected. As you haven¡¯t seen what the normal class system looks like, I will show you a comparison for the basic Mage window...¡±
| Level | 1 |
| Health: 15/15 | Mana: 15/15 |
| Energy: 100/100 | Satiety: 100/100 |
| STATS |
| Distributable Points | 40 |
| Health Points | 1 | Intelligence | 1 | You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
| Dexterity | 1 | Wisdom | 1 |
| Agility | 1 | Defence | 1 |
|
Both windows appeared side-by-side allowing Tobi to compare completely. Before he could ask any questions about the difference, the Pixie broke out into a long explanation of everything in his own window. In a few cases, she explained the difference between Mages and Warriors too, and how they weren¡¯t applicable for a Merchant. Tobi couldn¡¯t follow all of what she said but he made a mental note of all the important parts that needed to be remembered.
The explanation took so long that Tobi¡¯s mind felt like it was starting to swell. The worst part of it all was how everything regarding a Merchant was interlinked with in-game money. There were many types of currency in Aevitas and a Merchant could deal in all types, but the humans had the typical Copper, Silver and Gold that was common throughout human history and gaming communities. Whether he wanted to raise his stats, his level, his skills, his passive abilities or anything else...it was all related to money. More specifically, it would cost him a vast amount of in-game Gold to achieve anything significant.
In summary: Money is the answer¡ªthe answer is Money. Such is the dogma that Merchants live by.
Finally allowed to continue with the tutorial, Tobi moved on to the man with the exclamation point above his head and initiated his first quest. Correction; Merchants rarely did quests, this was to be his first ¡®Contract¡¯.
¡°Hello,¡± Tobi greeted, ¡°are you alright?¡±
The greeting was instructed by the pixie. It was a little lacking but the Tutorial Village was in ¡®Easy Mode¡¯ apparently and it was fine with anything he said as long as it got a conversation started.
¡°Hey, young¡¯un. Are you a Merchant by any chance?¡±
¡°Yes.¡± Tobi confirmed, feeling that the setting was a little blas¨¦.
¡°Excellent! I was just thinking of killing some Boars for their tusks to sell in town but I couldn¡¯t get myself motivated. With your help I could aim for a Nose Ring drop instead. What do you say? Fancy helping me out for a bit? I will give you half the loot in compensation...¡±
| Contract: |
|
Description:
BoarWarrior1 wishes to make use of your Looter ability to drop the [Uncommon Item: Nose Ring].
Requirements to Fulfil Contract:
Accompany BoarWarrior1 until he drops the desired Nose Ring.
Rewards:
~ 50% of all loot acquired during the hunt.
Would you like to attempt this Contract? Y/N |
¡°Sure.¡± Tobi agreed, already having expected this would be what the contract would be. He¡¯d concluded as much when the pixie explained his Looter ability. It was one of his passive abilities that allowed a greater drop rate.
| Looter¡ªLevel 1 |
|
~ Items dropped during monster hunts, dungeons and other combat related activities will be increased by 10%.
~ Uncommon, Rare, Epic, Legendary and Higher Tiered items will have a 10% higher probability of dropping.
Must be within 10 feet of the battle for this skill to be in effect. Radius increases with each level.
Looter will also deposit 10% of the drop value into the Merchant¡¯s Purse. This value does not change in accordance to Looter level.
~ The amount is always rounded down to the nearest whole number. Never up. |
Stepping out into the plane between the wall and the forest with the warrior, Tobi scouted the area looking for a Boar they could kill. The action was unnecessary as the intended target conveniently appeared from nothing just up ahead. He knew it was the target thanks to the red glow it gave off and the flashing exclamation point above its head.
¡°First target!¡± The warrior cheered running toward the Boar, ¡°Stay close so your Looter is in range!¡±
Staying within 10 feet of the warrior, Tobi watched as he neatly dispatched the Boar. It dropped two [Boar Tusk]¡¯s, one [Boar Hide], three [Boar Hoof]¡¯s and one [Pig Bladder]. Why it wasn¡¯t a Boar bladder was unknown, but Tobi didn¡¯t care. The total value was what mattered. Or rather, the ¡®Wealth Stone¡¯ value was what mattered.
| Boar Tusk |
|
Dropped from a Wild Boar. Common item with various uses.
Stone of Wealth Value: 7 Coppers. |
The Boar Tusks and Hide came to 7 coppers each, the Hoof¡¯s were 3 Coppers each and the Pig Bladder was 5 coppers. In total, the dropped loot value was 35 Coppers. The log then proceeded to claim that 3 Coppers were deposited in his ¡°Merchant¡¯s Purse¡± by use of Looter.
¡°OK. Let¡¯s try again.¡± The warrior shouted, more to himself than to anyone else, ¡°I refuse to believe I won¡¯t drop it with a Merchant¡¯s help.¡±
¡®Eh? What about my share of the loot?¡¯ Tobi asked himself silently, ¡®Whatever, I will probably be given it all at the end¡¡¯
Tobi remained as a silent watcher. The next time a Boar appeared, the warrior dealt with it again. The drops were identical to the first time though and the same process followed, complete with his declaration that he can¡¯t fail with a merchant helping him get better drops.
¡°He will get his drop this time.¡± The pixie said, informing Tobi that it was part of the set up. In order for a player to understand the patience required as a party member, they were forced to watch the fight for a minimum of three times. It gave a semi-accurate show of how it would be when involved with hunting parties inside Aevitas.
Just as the pixie said, the drops changed at the end of the third fight. There were only two hooves this time, not three. There was also only one Boar Tusk. The value of Tobi¡¯s Looter reward was 5 though, instead of 3. The reason was due to a [Nose Ring] that appeared in the loot.
| Nose Ring |
|
Dropped from Hog and Boar type creatures. Uncommon item with limited uses. Believed to bring luck to those cursed by a Rabbit¡¯s Foot.
Stone of Wealth Value: 25 Coppers. |
After waiting a while and nothing happening, the pixie prompted Tobi to speak to the man. Not sure what to say, Tobi walked a little closer and cleared his throat, ¡°You found what you were looking for then?¡±
¡°Yes! It¡¯s all thanks to you! Do you know how many of these things I killed trying to get this thing? I was told the drop-rate is one-in-a-hundred, but I must have killed three times that many.¡±
¡°What do you want it for?¡± Tobi asked, doubting it was really for something as stupid as a rabbit foot curse.
¡°My neighbour cut the wrong foot from a Rabbit when making a lucky pendant. She got the Rabbit Curse as a result. She offered to pay 25 Coppers for it if I could get it. If I sold it to the store I would only get 18 so it¡¯s a good haul. Here is your share of the loot.¡±
| Contract Complete: |
|
Rewards:
~ 50% of all loot acquired during the hunt. |
Having said as much, the warrior handed over a small bag with the item identification of [Quest Reward]. The Pixie instructed Tobi to open the bag and reach his hand inside. As soon as he put his hand inside the bag, a window with four boxes inside came into view. The first box had a [Boar Hoof] inside with a x11 in the top right corner. The second box had [Boar Tusk] with x7 in the top right corner. Box three was the [Pig Bladder] with x2, and box 4 was the [Boar Hide] with x2.
Although Tobi¡¯s hand couldn¡¯t actually feel anything, he could see a mirage-image like hand hovering over the boxes. When he clenched his hand, the image formed a fist. If he clenched his hand and moved it, the boxes would move as if being dragged like a scroll-window. If he clenched on the image of the item itself, he could actually feel something in his hand.
Pulling his hand out of the bag, the box disappeared. He now had a Boar Tusk in his hand. It was a little surreal as the Tusk was bigger than the bag he took it out of, but incredibly convenient.
¡°You can deposit the quest bag with all of its items in your Merchant Sack if you like, or you can empty the bag and add the items into your Merchant Sack separately. The benefit of using the [Quest Item] bag is that it¡¯s value equals the content and you can directly trade it in any of the stores. On top of that, it only takes up one space in your Merchant Sack. If you empty the bag, the items will take up four slots of the Merchant Sack.¡±
Listening to the pixie¡¯s instruction, Tobi took the sack off his back and placed the Tusk inside. With his hand in the bag, he could clearly see that it had limited space. There were 14 rows and 7 columns, giving a total of 98 spaces. The Tusk occupied a single space. Taking another Tusk out of the bag, Tobi placed it in his sack. As he expected, the Tusks stacked and it became a ¡°x2¡±.
When Tobi tried to take the tusks back out of his sack to put them back into the bag he found that he couldn¡¯t. Upon seeing Tobi¡¯s attempt, the pixie smiled and explained, ¡°That is why I said to put the bag into your sack, not the items. When the Quest Item bag is empty, it will disappear. You cannot use it yourself. The quest item bag does not exist in Aevitas, it is only here in the Tutorial where such convenient things happen.¡±
¡°So I can¡¯t do a ¡®withdraw all¡¯ or anything? I have to take everything out of my bag one at a time?¡±
¡°You can withdraw all of the same item. Simply select the item and then open your bag and tip the bag upside down.¡±
After getting the pixie to show him how to do it properly, Tobi tested it and managed to tip out all of the Tusks from the quest bag. He then stacked them all into his sack and put the quest bag alongside it.
¡°Good. Now to raise your Fortune.¡± The Pixie laughed, guiding Tobi toward the village gate. The wall looked as though it was guarding a royal capital or something though. It really didn¡¯t suit a place that called itself a village. Such idle thoughts were easily dismissed though and Tobi followed along without comment.
Before entering the store a few minutes later, the Pixie stopped him to remind how his passive abilities of ¡°Profit¡± and ¡°Discount¡± worked. They basically allowed him to buy and sell items at a value closer to their actual worth¡ªor actual worth according to the mysterious ¡®Stone of Wealth¡¯ that was noted on each item he appraised. The appraisal was a skill he had to use himself on items and should cost him money to use it, but as it was a Tutorial, the cost was wavered; which was just as well as he didn¡¯t have enough ¡®Fortune¡¯ to cast the spell.
Keeping the Pixie¡¯s instruction in mind, Tobi walked into the store to sell his items. In order to raise his Fortune, which was the Merchant¡¯s version of ¡®Mana¡¯, he had to sell items. Each Copper earned was equivalent to 1 Fortune. If he earned 1,000 Copper in sales, his fortune would be written as 1K. A million Copper (100 Gold) would be written as 1,000K while 10 million Copper would be a simple 10M.
Sadly, Fortune was the very reason that the Merchant class was so difficult. Every spell Tobi had, and every spell he would ever get, would cost ¡®Fortune¡¯ to use. If it ended there, it would be fine, but he would also lose Fortune for every item he bought. He would also lose Fortune if he was ¡®Pickpocketed¡¯ or if he gave money away. If he ever went into negative figures (which fortune was capable of doing) his passive abilities would stop working and he wouldn¡¯t be able to cast any spells. A Merchant with inactive ¡®Profit¡¯, ¡®Discount¡¯ and ¡®Looter¡¯ would be in dire straits indeed.
¡°Hello,¡± Tobi called to the shopkeeper, ¡°I am here to sell some items.¡±
¡°Sure! Come on in!¡± The shopkeeper called enthusiastically.
Walking to the counter, Tobi pulled off his Merchant Sack and emptied the Tusks onto the counter. Following that, he placed the ¡®Quest Item¡¯ bag onto the counter.
The 7 Boar Tusks were worth 7 Copper each and had a total value of 49 Coppers. That was only the price given by the Stone of Wealth though. A shop would never pay that amount for the Tusk. Any ¡®non-Merchant¡¯ class would be offered 3 Coppers per Tusk. Never a single copper more. A Merchant would automatically be offered 4 Coppers each, but with bulk trades, they could potentially negotiate a better deal. Tobi didn¡¯t know if 7 counted as a Bulk purchase but he was willing to try.
¡°Seven Boar Tusks, huh? I will give you 28 Coppers for them.¡±
Tobi frowned slightly when the man offered the standard price for individual purchases. 7 Tusks for a non-Merchant would be 21 Coppers so he was already getting his due profit. The problem was that he knew the true value and couldn¡¯t help feeling like he was being ripped off.
¡°If it were just one Tusk I would agree. I know seven isn¡¯t a lot, but the total value is nearly double that. How about 35 Coppers?¡±
¡°Double?¡± The shopkeeper scoffed, ¡°Hardly double. If I sell for that price you¡¯d be stealing nearly half of my profit. Oops. I mean. I tell you what, I will do it for 32 Coppers.¡±
¡°Half your profits? I¡¯d be taking a third at most.¡± Tobi argued back, which was the truth. The different between 28 that he was offered and the 49 they were worth was 21. A third of 21 is 7 and that¡¯s how much he added on to the price. Deciding to change tact a little, Tobi pushed the bag next to the Tusks.
¡°The true value of the Tusks are 49 Coppers. The bag here is worth 57 Coppers. The bag plus the Tusks are 106 Coppers. I will sell them to you for¡¡± Tobi did some quick mental math to work out how much he would get if sold individually.
| Item | S.o.W (True) Value | Non.Merch Sale | Merch Sale | Bulk True Value |
| Boar Tusk x7 | 7 Copper each | 3 Copper each | 4 Copper each | 49 Copper |
| Pig Bladder x2 | 5 Copper each | 2 Copper each | 3 Copper each | 10 Copper |
| Boar Hoof x 11 | 3 Copper each | 1 Copper each | 2 Copper each | 33 Copper |
| Boar Hide x 2 | 7 Copper each | 3 Copper each | 4 Copper each | 14 Copper |
| Total: | N/A | 42 Coppers | 64 Coppers | 106 Coppers |
¡®Normally I¡¯d earn 64 Coppers in total huh? That¡¯s 42 profit for him. A third of that would be...14?
¡°...I will sell them to you for 78 Coppers. You will still earn at least 28 Coppers profit.¡±
The shopkeeper grumbled a bit and acted hesitantly. He checked the value of the bag as though stalling for time and finally let his shoulders slump, ¡°In order to keep up my reputation, I will do it for 73 Coppers. That¡¯s my final offer.¡±
Tobi frowned at the response. He didn¡¯t think a third of the shopkeepers profits were that bad. Still, it should be expected. Tutorial Village might be in easy mode, but all of his stats, skills and passives were at their lowest. He didn¡¯t even have any ¡®Fortune¡¯ yet, so he shouldn¡¯t be too greedy; ¡°Deal...¡±
The shopkeeper swiped away the items with a smile and promptly handed over the 73 Copper coins. Having never seen the money before, Tobi took a close inspection. They weren¡¯t any different to any other copper coin he¡¯d ever seen; except for the fact they weren¡¯t dated. A head of someone he didn¡¯t know on one side and an animal of some description on the other. Appraisal confirmed they were copper coins too, but the appraisal came with an added note saying: Genuine/Authentic Copper Coin. Value: 1 piece of copper.
Ignoring that, Tobi put the coins into his own money pouch hiding behind the satchel-like purse hanging at his waist.
¡°Check your User Window.¡± The Pixie instructed. Tobi did as he was bid, remembering his ¡®Fortune¡¯ bar.
| Level | 1 |
| Health: 100/100 | Fortune: 73 |
| Energy: 95/100 | Satiety: 98/100 |
| STATS |
| Luck | 0 | Charisma | 0 |
| Endurance | 1 | Dexterity | 1 |
| Agility | 1 | Defence | 1 |
|
¡°Good. Keep it open and buy the minor recovery potion.¡±
The recovery potion in question had a true value of 25 Coppers. To a non-Merchant, the price was 30 Coppers. Without attempting to haggle at all, as it was usually impossible if not dealing in ¡®Bulk¡¯, Tobi paid 27 Coppers for it. His ¡®Fortune¡¯ instantly dropped to 48 the moment he handed over the money.
¡°Drink it.¡±
Tobi drank it and looked at his stat window. His Energy and Satiety had filled back to 100.¡ª¡®What a waste of money¡¡¯
¡°OK, head outside.¡± The Pixie instructed, leading Tobi by the nose every step of the way.
¡°Cast your skill ¡®Tip a Beggar¡¯ on that guy.¡±
Selecting the spell, Tobi targeted the beggar. A small box came up asking him to set the default settings, so he did. Whenever he used Tip a Beggar, it would automatically use a single copper coin. Never more than that.
After using the spell and nothing seeming to have happened, the Pixie guided Tobi to another beggar and passed over a gold coin. In addition to receiving the coin, Tobi¡¯s Fortune was increased by 1,000.
¡°Do it again, but this time give him the gold coin.¡±
Changing the settings to give a Gold Coin (this one time only), Tobi used the skill again. This time something did happen: His ¡®Luck¡¯ stat increased by 1. Unfortunately, his Fortune decreased by 1,000 at the same time, returning it back to a lousy 48.
| Tip a Beggar |
|
With this skill you can increase your luck. While not immediately apparent, there are instances in life that sufficient luck could save your life, and more importantly, your wealth!
Don¡¯t underestimate Luck. Sew good fortune wherever you go.
¡ª¡ªCan¡¯t tip the same beggar twice within a limited time.
1 Copper: 12 hours. (0.01 Luck)
1 Silver: 24 Hours. (0.1 Luck)
1 Gold: Saved from Poverty (+1 Luck) |
¡°I still don¡¯t fully get what Luck does.¡± Tobi sighed aloud.
¡°Would you like me to explain again?¡± The pixie offered.
Instantly turning white, Tobi shook his head violently, ¡°Nope! I¡¯m good..¡±
The only part of ¡®luck¡¯ that Tobi took serious note of was how it affected his [Looter] passive ability. Not just Looter but others too. In regards to Looter, he needed [Luck] in order to increase its level. Each time Looter came into effect at the end of a battle, the experience of the ability would increase by an equal amount to however much Luck he had. 100 Luck in his Luck stat would equate to 100 Experience for Looter at the end of each battle. Still...didn¡¯t it cost a bit too much money?
¡®Sigh.¡¯
¡°Well all the primary basics have been covered. Would you like to continue with the tutorial, test another class, or go to Aevitas and figure out the rest for yourself?¡±
¡°Hmm¡¡± He could already see a flashing exclamation point up ahead. It looked like a Smithy, so maybe the next part of the tutorial would be¡ª¡°Is the next part of the Tutorial about professions?¡±
¡°And other points to take note of about your Merchant character, yes.¡±
¡°Let¡¯s continue then.¡±
Chapter 4: Entering Aevitas
Chapter 4: Entering Aevitas.
| You have recovered [Rabbit] x1 from your trap.
Your Hunter has reached level 2.
You cannot gain any more Hunter levels in the Tutorial Server. |
Taking the skinning knife out of his satchel, Tobi got to work on the rabbit and recovered the pelt, the heart and the back left foot of the rabbit. He didn¡¯t really need any more of the items as he¡¯d already made enough [Rabbit Skin Boots] and [Rabbit Ear Hat]¡¯s to get his shoemaker and Tailor to level 2. The heart had been used in the basic haste potions to make his alchemy level 2, and the rear back foot had been used to make [Lucky Pendant]¡¯s until his jeweller was level two. Now with his Hunter also reaching level 2, only his skinning remained at the first level.
Slowly rising back to his feet after he finished his task, Tobi reset the trap and moved to another set of traps closer to the mining area where he¡¯d found a Hare¡¯s Nest. Tobi wasn¡¯t sure if hare¡¯s lived in nests or warrens, but in Aevitas, rabbits lived in warrens and hare¡¯s did not. Before moving over to the Aevitas server, Tobi was determined to get all of his professions and sub-profession skills to level 2. And for a good reason too.
After learning how to make copper from [Green Rocks], Tobi had been fascinated and went to the mines to gather enough green rocks to do it several more times. Upon arriving at the mines and being taught the basics of mining, Tobi got to work. He used his pickaxe to strike the small, red, glowing dots on the copper lodes and gathered all of the green rocks that broke away.
Some time later, with more green rocks than he could possibly need, Tobi received the notification that his miner was level 2. Along with the level-up notification, Tobi also noticed that the red, glowing dots on the ore had disappeared. Having asked the pixie if the same thing would happen in Aevitas¡ªif the ¡®guide dots¡¯ would disappear after he levelled the skill¡ªthe pixie shook her head and explained.
¡°The optimal striking location of a mining lode only appears in the Tutorial Server. The exception to this is when a professional miner is teaching you the mining profession; or if you have gained some kind of spell or ability that will help guide your hand. By reaching level 2 in mining within the Tutorial Server, you can test your ability without the help of the Strike Guide¡ªjust as would be the case in Aevitas. If you can successfully gather ore here without the guide, then you could do the same in Aevitas. Additionally, you wouldn¡¯t need anyone to teach you how to mine in Aevitas, as you could simply teach yourself by mining some ore.¡±
After a few more back and forth questions on the matter, Tobi finally gained enough understanding to satisfy his curiosity tried hitting the mining lode a few more times. The difference was obvious almost straight away. The pickaxe never seemed to do quite as much damage after he lost the guides on where to strike. On top of that, his pickaxe durability began to drop with each failed attempt, becoming increasingly blunt and chipped as he progressed.
Crafting daggers with blacksmith had turned out to be the same too. With the guide to help him every step of the way, he succeeded with making 10 out of 11 daggers. Without the guide, he failed seven times in a row before finally managing to produce a dagger that was barely passable.
Tailor was equally difficult without the guide, if not more so. Having no guidelines for where to stitch and sew, or where to cut the material and how much hem to fold¡ªand all the other instructions that came with the profession tutorial¡ªTobi could hardly produce any item at all. In the end, the only tailor equipment he could still make was the [Rabbit Ear Hat].
Reaching the location of his snares near the hare¡¯s nest and finding it empty, Tobi sighed and reset the trap. He¡¯d probably skinned twice as many rabbits and hares compared to how many Green Rocks he¡¯d mined and yet his Skinning was still stuck at 87%.
¡°Can I just have the skinning instructions turned off now and see if I am still able with the next one I catch?¡± Tobi asked his pixie guide, hopefully.
¡°It is possible, but I don¡¯t see why you are continuing anyway. As long as you are successful a single time in Aevitas, you will learned the appropriate profession. You should know however, that if your profession capacity is full, even if you try all day and perform the task perfectly, you will not succeed. I advise abandoning some of your current professions and testing the ones you have yet to learn.¡±
Tobi thought about it for a minute and glanced back toward the Tutorial Village. The professions he hadn¡¯t tested yet were Fishing, Masonry and Farming. There were other professions in Aevitas, but they couldn¡¯t be learned in the tutorial for various reasons. Mostly due to how much time it takes to raise the profession, but in some cases it was also a matter of not having the necessary materials.
¡°How long have I been in the tutorial so far?¡± Tobi asked, trying to decide on whether it was time to log off or not.¡±
¡°Your current online time is two-hours-and-nineteen minutes; thirty-eight minutes were spent creating your avatar and the remaining one-hour-and-forty-one minutes were spent in the tutorial.¡±
Looking toward the pixie doubtfully, Tobi thought back on what he¡¯d been doing for the past couple of hours. He¡¯d clearly been in the tutorial server for at least 6 hours; ¡°I¡¯ve been online longer than that. I spent an hour on mining alone.¡±
¡°The Tutorial Server operates at four times the speed of reality. Just like how a dream can encompass days in the span of minutes, Aevitas is capable of similar. Aevitas itself only runs at double the normal speed, but the Tutorial Server doubles again. While you have mentally been in the tutorial for 6-hours and 44-minutes, the actual time that has passed in reality is 1-hour-41. Adding to the time spent creating your avatar; the played time comes to 2-hours and 19 minutes.¡±
¡°That¡¯s¡¡± Unable to think of a suitable word to follow other than ¡®insane¡¯, Tobi stared blankly at the pixie for several seconds. Niamh had never mentioned anything about Aevitas being at a different speed to reality. Then again, she had mentioned spending fourteen hours running a dungeon only to get wiped. He¡¯d assumed she was playing the game too much, but that was only seven hours in reality. Considering Aevitas could be substituted for real sleep, it probably wasn¡¯t that big of a deal to spend seven hours online without a break.
Continuing to deliberate a few minutes longer, Tobi finally decided to just call it a day and go to Aevitas itself. He could learn the rest as he went along. If he¡¯d only been online for a little over two hours then he still had about three more until his dad got home from work. That would essentially be six hours of Aevitas before he had to log off.
¡°I will go to Aevitas now.¡± Tobi said confidently, sure that he hadn¡¯t missed out on anything that would prove to be very important. He knew a lot of people skipped the tutorial entirely, so it probably wasn¡¯t that important in the first place, right? He probably wouldn¡¯t have spent so long in the tutorial himself if he wasn¡¯t so new to the whole idea of gaming.
¡°Please choose one of the following starter locations for members of the Human Race.¡± The pixie instructed, producing a basic and undetailed map of a place called Anderon. Twelve orange dots highlighted the starting cities that the humans could choose from. Each dot existing inside its own territory within the country.
Briefly scanning the map, Tobi looked first toward the province of Deniya. It was the most popular human territory in Anderon and was located in the North-Western part of the country. The starter city was also called Deniya and Tobi was tempted to choose to start there. Unfortunately, it was the same city Niamh was in and he didn¡¯t really want to be anywhere near her if he could help it.
Further East, just after Hartleypool, was Ardene. After Deniya, Ardene was arguably the second-most popular location in Anderon. At least that was what Niamh told him during one of her long and very descriptive narrations of the game. The bonus of choosing Ardene would be having family nearby. Lucy and her guild were based in Ardene so it was definitely a choice worth considering. Then again, the largest guild in Aevitas was Thunder Dynasty, of which his parents were members of. They were located in Hartleypool, stationing themselves between both Ardene and Deniya for optimal transport purposes between the two most popular locations.
As Tobi continued to hum and haw over which of the three to choose, his attention slipped toward the south. Why should he choose any of the locations where his friends and family were? It¡¯s not like he was planning to actually play the game in the traditional sense. He would still raise his character properly, but that was only to ensure he could do whatever he wanted within the game. He was more interested with learning what Aevitas had to offer. He didn¡¯t need his friends and family roping him into things and dragging him away from his own goals.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
No. Perhaps it would be better if he chose somewhere else after all. Somewhere that is out of the way, but not too far out of the way. Somewhere like¡Gilleous? Camlann? Savan? Cohol? Brackley?
Looking around the various locations and mentally measuring the potential distances involved, Tobi focused his attention on the orange dot that seemed to be roughly an equal distance from Ardene, Hartleypool and Deniya. Pretty much the only city that fit the criteria of being far, but probably not too far, from all three locations.
¡°Wait, before I choose a location, how does travel work in Aevitas?¡± Tobi asked, his eye fixed on Brackley, located toward the middle-ish area of Anderon.
The Pixie waved her hand and produced a list of ¡®Transport Methods¡¯ in a scroll window. At the top of the list was the image of a man walking. Just to the right was a description saying ¡®One foot follows the other.¡¯
Tobi continued reading through the list and found that the methods of transport were incredibly many. All methods of transport had a problem though: They were either hard to get hold of, had a large cost, or had harsh requirements in order to use; or in some cases, all three. The most common method of travel was actually by joining a ¡®Merchant Caravan¡¯ that was already travelling in the same direction. It allowed the players to get a ride in exchange for protecting the cargo.
Feeling somewhat indecisive about where to choose, Tobi hummed to himself with a frown. Be near friends, which also includes Niamh; be near his parents, which is between both his sister and Niamh; be near Lucy, which would undoubtedly benefit him a great deal; or strike out on his own, like he usually preferred to do.
¡°I guess I will choose Brackley,¡± Tobi finally answered, deciding to strike out on his own. Albeit with some reluctance and doubt toward his choice.
¡°Initiating transfer to Aevitas: European Server.¡±
The world instantly broke apart and felt, to Tobi, as though he were being sucked into a small, compressed space. The suffocating feeling that came in from all sides was brought with it a sense of panic and mild claustrophobia.
Not sure what else to do about the sudden change, Tobi closed his eyes and mentally reassured himself that it was probably normal. It would probably be over in a second, he just had to wait and everything would be fine.
After enough time passed for Tobi¡¯s curiosity to get the better of him, Tobi opened a single eye to take a tentative look.
| Error Connecting to Server. Re-establishing connection¡ |
¡®Huh?¡¯
| Connection Failed. Running Diagnostic¡ |
Realizing that he seemed to be breathing just fine, Tobi relaxed slightly and felt the pressure surrounding him loosen a bit. The message in front of him was a little alarming but he wasn¡¯t too worried really. Aevitas had been operating for 7 months already; something like this had probably happened before. Right? Probably.
| Diagnostic Complete: Server closed for backup and maintenance. Returning to Tutorial Village to initiate Logout¡
Tutorial Village server closed to prevent Character Creation during server update.
Attempting [Remote Force Logout]...
Connection to host interrupted. Reestablishing connection to host...
Host Dive Unit under forceful logout, unable to connect.
Rebooting Host Dive Unit. Host Dive Unit On. Host Dive Unit under forced disconnect, cannot establish link.
Reconnecting to world sever. Server connected. Synchronizing¡
Synchronization failed. Reconnecting...
Error Code 277981UC. Resetting to default command. Connecting to Mother Unit...
Connection established. Accessing¡
Access Granted. Synchronizing User Character¡
User Character Failed. Character Synchronized. Accessing¡ |
Following the long list of jargon, only half of which Tobi was able to follow, Tobi found himself suddenly propelled forward. At least he felt as though he was going forward; he wasn¡¯t actually sure if he were moving at all. Feeling as though he were going pretty fast¡ªdangerously so¡ªTobi slightly panicked and mentally prepared himself for impact.
A light came into view up ahead. He wasn¡¯t sure what it was at first but a moment later he felt a sensation similar to falling; and yet not. The more important part was the incoming ground up ahead.
Closing his eyes, tucking his arms into his chest and turning his head to the side, Tobi waited for the moment he splattered on the floor. Thankfully, to Tobi¡¯s relief, the sudden crash didn¡¯t happen. Instead, Tobi¡¯s final second was a slow fall where he floatingly rotated and landed on his feet.
His heart thumping and feeling slightly disorientated, Tobi put a hand to his heart and took a breath. The messages telling him that his character had ¡®failed to synchronize¡¯ was not something he¡¯d been able to stay calm about; no matter how much he told himself that it was probably a common occurrence. His thoughts on the experience didn¡¯t last long however as a window screen in front of his eyes demanded his attention.
| Welcome to Aevitas. To get you started, you have received 1 x Basic Merchant Starter Pack:
1 x Merchant Map.
1 x Degrading Stone of Wealth (5).
10 x Copper Coins.
10 x Fortune.
1 x Basic Energy Recovery Potion.
1 x Basic Health Recovery Potion.
1 x Scroll of Returning.
1 x Leather Water Bottle (empty). |
Closing the window and checking his inventory, Tobi confirmed all the items inside. Before he got started though, he first wanted to check his own character. He knew he¡¯d lose the professions and stats he gained in the tutorial, but he still wanted to check.
Mentally braced for what was to come next, Tobi called out ¡®Open User Window¡¯ and confirmed what he already knew to expect.
| Level | 1 |
| Health: 100/100 | Fortune: 10 |
| Energy: 100/100 | Satiety: 100/100 |
| STATS |
| Luck | 0 | Charisma | 0 |
| Endurance | 1 | Dexterity | 1 |
| Agility | 1 | Mind | 1 |
|
Along with his stats, all of Tobi¡¯s profession slots were empty, his sub-profession skill slots were empty and his items from the tutorial were also gone. Tobi now understood why few people wasted so much time on the tutorial server. He felt like the hours he¡¯d spent there had gone to complete waste. The only consolation was that he now knew a bit about Aevitas itself and what he could do here. Still, he¡¯d probably spent more time there than was strictly necessary.
Quickly checking his spells and abilities before continuing on, Tobi¡¯s heart sank a little. The appraisal ability he had in the tutorial was missing too. The only spells he still had were [Tip a Beggar] and [Level Up]. His passives were only his Looter, Profit and Discount abilities.
Closing all the windows cluttering his view, Tobi paused for a second and wondered what he should do first. Unable to see any exclamation points to begin some quests, which was pretty much how the tutorial had started, Tobi felt at a loss. The pixie had warned him that they wouldn''t be visible, but now he was actually here, he realized how much easier it would have been if an exclamation point was able to guide him along his first steps. There was no sense in procrastinating with indecision though, so Tobipulled the Merchant Map from his pack and took a look.
Whatever point of interest was nearest to his current location, that''s where he would start.
Chapter 5: Delivery Boy
Chapter 5: Delivery Boy.
Unfurling the scroll-like map, Tobi let his eyes fall on the picture and absorb what he was seeing. Having expected to see a simple road map, it was a welcome surprise to see it was actually an economic map. The map not only shown the city of Brackley and its surrounding area, but also used small symbols to mark each area and various buildings.
Unsure of where he was exactly in relation to the map, Tobi looked around his immediate area to see if he could find something that would help position himself on the map. The buildings he could see ahead were all timber-framed constructions with various designs. Some had whitewash walls, some were painted red or blue or various other colours, some were three stories tall and slim, others were two stories tall and twice as wide. There didn¡¯t seem to be any pattern or design to the layout, just a haphazard collection of buildings built with a specific purpose in mind. Unfortunately, Tobi didn¡¯t know what those purposes were, and to find out where he was on the map, he would really need to find out.
Taking another look at the map, Tobi focused his attention on all the symbols that only appeared once: A green-coloured leaf, a purple potion, a sparkling wand, a stack of logs and a dollar sign were the first Tobi took note of; mostly because they were all located relatively close to the middle of the city. Along with the symbols were a few other landmarks Tobi would be able to use. A citadel looking building in one corner of the city, a large fountain surrounded by what might possibly be a market place on another side of the city, a large building with a surrounding wall in the center of the city and a windmill just outside the city standing between a cereal farm and a river.
With all the places Tobi could use as reference points, Tobi lift his head back from the map and looked to the many people walking the streets. The people he could see were mostly like those of the tutorial village; wearing casual, plain clothes that didn¡¯t mark what class they belonged to. The lesser majority wore clothes that clearly indicated what kind of class to expect they belonged to, such as a group of metal-clad warriors marching directly toward him.
Standing in place as the men approached, Tobi wondered what was going on. He¡¯d been in the city for all of two minutes, they couldn¡¯t possibly be coming for him!
When the men were no more than three feet away, the formation altered slightly, allowing the group to walk right on by without coming into contact with him. The process was so smooth, Tobi was left standing in a daze at their efficiency. Not a single one of the men that passed so much as gave him a single glance. They just marched passed and entered the gates to the building at Tobi¡¯s back.
The moment he saw the building the men were walking toward, Tobi felt like an idiot. The building was three stories tall and at least four times as wide as the others in the area. Two large, wooden doors hung open a top a small flight of steps with a pebbledash path leading from the steps to the gate. A garden sat on either side of the path with a small statue at the center of either garden. None of those things mattered though. What mattered was the very large gold coin built into the wall above the doors. The gold coin was the same as symbol that could be found on his map. The kind of symbol that only appeared once.
¡®Of course a Merchant would start at the bank. Where else would I start?¡¯ Tobi ridiculed inwardly.
Figuring a Merchant starting outside the bank would have some meaning, Tobi followed the soldiers and also made his way inside.
¡°Welcome to the Merchant Guild,¡± A young, skinny man called out to the soldiers as they entered, giving a wide smile and opening his arms as if ready to embrace them in the next moment, ¡°how can I be of assistance today?¡±
The lead soldier handed over a single piece of paper and waited. The young man read it slowly and began to smile again once he¡¯d finished, ¡°Excellent. You can take this directly to the payment counter. Congratulations on your success. If you need anything else before you leave, feel free to come and find me.¡±
The soldier gave a brief nod and guided his men to another side of the large room where a queue of people were already waiting.
¡°Oh? A Merchant I don¡¯t recognize. New to the city?¡± The young man asked, this time directing his words to Tobi and holding his hand out.
¡°Yes,¡± Tobi mumbled, automatically reaching out to shake the man¡¯s hand without thinking.
Pausing only for a second, his facial expression barely faltering, the young man slowly nodded before a light lit up in his eyes and his smile became much bigger, ¡°It seems our humble Guild has left you a little awed.¡±
¡°Yeah...¡± Tobi agreed, his head automatically nodding along with the man in front of him. The admittance instantly made the young man even happier, pride showing through on his face.
¡°Our guild is not as big as some of the other cities, but we¡¯re not lacking either. Which city have you come from?¡±
Breaking out of his momentary daze, Tobi considered the question for a second before realizing that there had been a misunderstanding. The young man was obviously a person from Aevitas, not a player. Unsure of how to answer, Tobi maintained his silence and shrugged.
¡°Ah, sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to pry.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Tobi smiled in response, happy to dodge the question with another misunderstanding.
¡°So. What can I do for you?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not sure. Like you said, I am new to the city. I don¡¯t know anyone and I don¡¯t have much money either. Nor do I have any professions to build up some trade. What would you suggest I do to get started?¡±
¡°Hmm.¡± Pressing a finger to his lips and frowning in thought, the young man stared toward the floor and considered the question seriously. After a few moments, the man glanced toward a reception desk to the left side of the room, ¡°I¡¯m not really confident about this, but if I were in your shoes, I would use the Merchant Guild¡¯s mission board to raise some capital. It will help you become more familiar with the city. It won¡¯t earn you much, but it will be enough to stay afloat for a while.¡±
Despite the doubt on the young man¡¯s face, Tobi thought the idea sounded perfect. Completing a few quest missions to get used to the city was exactly what he needed, ¡°Sounds good to me. Is that what those soldiers are doing here too? Handing in a mission?¡±
Already starting to guide Tobi toward the reception desk, the young man glanced back to the soldiers and shook his head, ¡°Those guys were hired by someone else. We¡¯re just the middlemen. We don¡¯t give out those kinds of dangerous missions here. Mostly it¡¯s just deliveries and setting up contracts for other people. Pretty standard stuff.¡±
Having said as much, the young man hit the bell on the counter and gave Tobi an apologetic smile, ¡°Leesa is pretty weird, but she is at least capable. Just don¡¯t let her send you to the slum side of the city.¡±
Guessing Leesa was the reception person they were waiting for, Tobi smiled back and said nothing. The reception woman, Leesa, appeared a few seconds later, looking rushed and flustered.
¡°Lyle, what is it, I¡¯m busy.¡±
¡°You¡¯re supposed to be busy manning the welcome desk.¡± the young man snapped back, ¡°What were you doing anyway? In fact, nevermind that, my friend here has had a bit of a setback and wants to complete a few contracts from our mission board. He¡¯s new to the city, so don¡¯t go sending him into the slums.¡±
Turning her head toward Tobi, the girls aggressive stance lightened noticeably. After giving him a once over, she smiled slightly and took her place at the desk, ¡°Hi, my name¡¯s Leesa. What¡¯s yours?¡±
¡°Tobi¡¡±
¡°Tobi. I like it. It has a nice ring to it. You¡¯re new around here? Did your family come with you?¡±
¡°...Uh, no, just me.¡±
¡°No wife? Girlfriend? Some princess back home mourning for her loved one to return?¡±
Bewildered and caught off guard by the random conversation topic, Tobi hesitated and glanced back at Lyle.
Lyle just shrugged casually, his obvious dislike for Leesa evident on his face, ¡°Now you know what I meant earlier. I will leave you to it. Come and find me if you need anything else.¡±
¡°So, any princess back home?¡± Leesa prompted again as Lyle left.
¡°No.¡±
¡°Good. My favourite food is Foxtail Soup, served with spiced bread. For the main course I like to have Hibernating Bear with Black Magic Sauce. For dessert, I like those Poppy Seed Cakes with Passionfruit Curd that the Travellers make.¡±
¡°OK¡?¡±
¡°Now when you ask me out to dinner sometime, you know how to impress me.¡± Leesa beamed back happily, not even slightly doubting that Tobi would ask her out eventually.
While Tobi thought she was good looking, and appeared to be around a similar age, he wasn¡¯t interested at all. She had all the charms of a woman, with all the right parts in all the right places; well proportioned too with a smile that could be infectious, but that was all nothing if the person wasn¡¯t real. Tobi couldn¡¯t really tell if she was a player or not, but that didn¡¯t matter to begin with. A player could alter their appearance to look however they wanted, just like how Tobi had altered his own appearance to remove the self-perceived flaws. A non-Player, on the other hand, wasn¡¯t real at all¡ªwhich was probably even worse.
¡°Perhaps some other time,¡± Tobi answered, politely, ¡°like Lyle said, I am a bit low on funds at the minute. Could you show me some of those missions?¡±
¡°Heh, sure.¡± Leesa replied happily, slapping a stack of papers onto the desk for Tobi to look through, ¡°These are today¡¯s Guild missions, but don¡¯t worry about not having enough, we will have more tomorrow.¡±
¡®Enough?¡¯ Tobi echoed mentally, ¡®There must be about fifty missions here¡¡¯
Leafing through the pages, Tobi quickly noticed a pattern among the missions and separated them into piles. The left pile was for the rejected, the middle for maybe and the right were missions he would accept. To be more specific however, the only missions he planned to accept were delivery missions.
| Delivery Mission Contract.
Transport two cases of Sorrow Seeds from the Merchant Guild Depository to the Alchemy Guild Warehouse.
Rewards: 4 Copper and increased prestige with the Merchant Guild. |
| Delivery Mission Contract.
Transport four casks of Farmers Ale from the Merchant Guild Depository to the Sword and Shield Inn.
Rewards: 4 Copper and a free drink at the Tavern upon delivery. |
| Delivery Mission Contract.
Pick up 10 sacks of flour from old man Daiyan¡¯s farm and deliver them to Miss Bakewell¡¯s bakery by the city fountain.
Rewards: 5 Copper. |
As the list of missions on the accepted pile continued to increase, Leesa raised an eyebrow and began sorting through the rest of the pile with speed. In a matter of seconds, the pile had been split into four stacks, the fourth stack consisting entirely of delivery missions and nothing else. Thanking Leesa for her help, he abandoned the other piles and focused solely on that one. Once he had ten deliveries he was satisfied with, Tobi registered them with the Guild and set off. Now he knew where he was on the map, the rest should be relatively easy. Or at least he hoped so. There was only so much time before he had to log off, afterall.
Chapter 6: First Delivery.
Chapter 6: First Delivery.
Shoving the ten contracts into his satchel, Tobi noticed that each contract took up a single slot inside. His 28 satchel slots now had only 12 slots left. The reason was pretty obvious; each contract was different and therefore weren¡¯t the same item and couldn¡¯t be stacked. The other slots were taken by his Merchant Map, Degrading Stone of Wealth, Basic Energy and Health potions, Scroll of Returning and the empty Leather Water Bottle. His sack on the other hand was still empty.
¡°Remember,¡± Leesa warned as Tobi finished preparing, ¡°make sure to get them to sign the contract forms when you make the delivery, or you won¡¯t get paid. Jameson will show you to the depository and help you gather the items. He will also help you plan your route if you tell him you¡¯re new to the city. He¡¯s been running deliveries for four years already and knows the city like the back of his hand.¡±
¡°OK,¡± Tobi agreed happily, ¡°but who is Jameson, where can I find him?¡±
¡°He¡¯s right there.¡± Leesa smiled, pointing to a youth with an odd limp. His right leg seemed to be slightly longer than his left and he had a small hunch between his shoulders. Other than that, he seemed to be rather well groomed, dressed in fine silk clothes with neatly combed mousey-brown hair.
Thanking Leesa for her help, Tobi made his way over to the small group of Merchants gathered together. When their conversation paused for the briefest moment, Tobi took the chance to interrupt. Coughing lightly and stepping forward, Tobi placed himself almost directly in front of the cripple.
¡°Excuse me, are you Jameson? I was told you can help me gather items I need from the depository for my deliveries.¡±
Up close, the hunched youth looked even younger than he first appeared. He couldn¡¯t be more than sixteen if he were a day. Jameson in turn looked Tobi up and down before grunting, unimpressed.
¡°A bit old to be running errands aren¡¯t you? What¡¯s the matter, couldn¡¯t cut it on your own in the big bad world?¡±
Blinking twice, Tobi hesitated and shrugged, ¡°I¡¯m new in town. This is a good way to get to know the area. Can you help me or not?¡±
¡°Hmph. This way.¡±
Following along as Jameson hobbled through the Guild, Tobi took in the highly decorated walls and meandered along slowly. Jameson¡¯s slow hobble wasn¡¯t exactly hard to keep up with, leaving Tobi plenty of time to inspect each and every painting they passed in the corridors.
Despite the slow walk, it wasn¡¯t long before Tobi was leaving the guild through a backdoor on the opposite side of the building. Jameson said nothing the whole time and continued to maintain his silence as he made his way along the streets of Brackley.
When they finally reached the so-called depository, they were three streets away and standing outside a large, undecorated building. There appeared to be nothing special about the building at all¡ªexcept for the fact it was surrounded by a stone wall with iron spikes on the top and had its own armed guard stationed at the gates.
The guards gave Jameson a brief nod as he passed and eyed Tobi for several seconds as he passed. Tobi tried to ignore the stares and simply followed along. He couldn¡¯t quite shake the feeling of being stared at though and had to resist the urge to look back over his shoulder.
¡°Let me see your contracts.¡± Jameson said, speaking for the first time since they set off and holding out his hand.
Not sure which of the ten contracts were which, Tobi handed over all ten. Only four of them required getting items from the depository so it was only those that Jameson needed.
¡°You said you¡¯re new in town, right?¡± Jameson noted as he leafed through the contracts, stepping into the building as he did so.
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°These contracts take you across half the city and back again. Do you have a Merchant Map with you?¡±
¡°Yes.¡± Tobi answered again, fishing the Merchant Map out of his satchel and showing it to him.
Walking up to a table and placing the contracts down, Jameson took the map and spread it out, using four gold coins from his own pouch to pin the corners down.
¡°New map?¡± Jameson asked, sounding surprised.
¡°Uh...my first map.¡± Tobi answered, not sure what he meant.
Jameson nodded his head slowly and frowned, ¡°Starting from here, it¡¯s probably best to deliver the cases of Sorrow Seeds first. See here? This is where the Alchemy Guild Warehouse is. It¡¯s only two streets over and the Sword and Shield Inn is just down the road, beside the Warrior Guild training hall. From there, you want to go to the Smithery to drop off the Copper and Tin. Are you following me so far?¡±
Tobi was following the conversation perfectly. The reason Jameson stopped to question him however was due to the wide-eyed and shocked expression on his face. While Jameson was describing the routes and pointing out buildings, he¡¯d been sliding his fingers across the map and making the map move all over the place. On top of that, he was able to zoom in and out the same way Tobi used Google Maps on his phone back in the real world.
¡°I didn¡¯t know the map could do that¡¡± Tobi admitted, pointing to the map that was currently zoomed in on a building marked with a Hammer and Anvil symbol.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
¡°It¡¯s called scrolling. All maps are capable of it, if they were made by a proper and legitimate cartographer. The Merchant Map is a little more special though, as you will find out as you travel around.¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡±
Jameson smiled and zoomed out on the map, ¡°See how most of the map is blank, with only Brackley in view?¡±
Tobi nodded, looking at the now inch-sized brackley covering a tiny piece of an otherwise blank parchment.
¡°The blank area is called ¡®The Fog¡¯. As you travel around, the fog will be lifted and more of the map will be on display. Unfortunately, any area you haven¡¯t visited in a long time will slowly be covered again. This appears to be a standard, low quality map, so the fog will start to reclaim the map after about a year. It also won¡¯t work inside dungeons and other unique areas. You will need a higher quality map for that. Even the best map has limits though, so don¡¯t expect too much.¡±
Happily nodding along to what he was being told, Tobi couldn¡¯t wait to get his hands on the map again and try using it himself. It was only like using Google Maps on his phone, but it was still interesting, ¡°How are they made?¡±
¡°Who knows?¡± Jameson chuckled, ¡°Cartographers are rare, but Merchant Cartographers are even rarer. Only they know how to make these and they rarely take on apprentices. Maybe you could figure it out on your own¡ªsomeone did have to think of it first after all¡ªbut I don¡¯t know any cartographers that can make these unless they were taught by someone else first.¡±
After thinking about it a bit more, Tobi shrugged and smiled, ¡°I¡¯m just happy to know how to use it. Where do I go after delivering the tin and copper?¡±
Once Jameson finished explaining the delivery routes, Tobi was escorted deeper into the depository to collect the goods he needed. Why they called it a depository and not a warehouse though, Tobi couldn¡¯t guess. It was as much a warehouse as anything else. It even had racks as high as ten meters with palleted goods stacked at the very top. How they got the goods up there would have to be left for another time as Tobi¡¯s items were all on the ground floor and easy to gather.
Checking the items in his backpack and cross-checking he had everything, Tobi raised an eyebrow at how the items inside. The thirty ingots of copper stacked, marking a single copper ingot with a [x30] marker in the top right corner of the item slot box. The same thing happened with the thirty tin: A single ingot of tin was shown in the item slot with a [x30] in the top right corner. With the two cases of Sorrow Seeds and four casks of Farmers Ale, adding to a total of 66 items, only four slots of the 98 were taken. All things considered, it seemed his bag was a little excessive in how much it could carry.
The final delivery from the Guild depository was 40 sacks of Rye to be delivered to a Brewery on the other side of the city. The sacks stacked the same as the rest, taking up another slot of his bag and leaving 91 empty slots for him to work with.
¡°Not bad,¡± Jameson smiled as Tobi put the pack back over his shoulder, ¡°is that a soul-bound pack?¡±
¡°A what?¡±
¡°If you don¡¯t know then it probably isn¡¯t. I¡¯ve just never seen a pack that can hold so much and still look the same as it did before. Only soul-bound packs can do that. Unless it has a really large capacity. But then, considering how much you just put inside, your capacity must be nearly full, right?¡±
Thinking about all the space he still had left, Tobi shrugged, ¡°I still have a bit of space left.¡±
¡°With so much capacity in your bag, why did you choose so few delivery contracts? You¡¯re still a rank one contractor, right?¡±
¡°A what?¡±
¡°Really...where did you even come from? Didn¡¯t they teach you anything back home? Guild rankings are based on your contract rank. Rank one contractors can only do delivery missions. After 100 contracted deliveries through the guild, you can raise your rank and do other contracts, such as running a market for the guild or joining the city guard as their Looter during an extermination mission. Rank three¡¯s can be hired by the Travellers for dungeon explorations or run a shop on behalf of the guild. The higher your rank, the more the Guild will do for you and the more you can earn.¡±
Shaking his head and reminding himself that he was here to learn skills, not to live a second life as a merchant, Tobi smiled and explained that he didn¡¯t care about the Guild ranking system. He only wanted to raise some starting capital and learn the area before he set off on his own.
¡°Well, it¡¯s up to you.¡± Jameson smiled, leading Tobi back to the building entrance. Once they were outside, Jameson made sure Tobi knew what route he was taking and where he should head first. Only after Tobi reiterated the pre-planned delivery routes did Jameson give his blessing and watch Tobi leave.
Just as planned, Tobi walked two streets over and headed for the large building that matched the Merchant Guild Depository in both design and size. The map marked the building with a potion inside a crate, but the building itself had nothing to mark it for what it was: The Alchemy Guild Warehouse.
Once he dropped off the two cases of Sorrow Seeds, Tobi happily made his way toward the Sword and Shield Inn¡ªonly to run back again a minute later after realizing the Alchemist hadn¡¯t signed for the delivery.
¡°What delivery?¡± The alchemist asked, smugly, ¡°Did you see anyone make a delivery, Raynold?¡±
¡° No sir.¡± A guard answered back without blinking.
Stumped at the blatant lie, Tobi felt his rage boil up and clenched his fist, ¡°Oh really? So I didn¡¯t deliver the Two cases of Sorrow Seeds?¡±
¡°Whether you did or not is not for me to say. What I am saying is that the place you delivered them was not here, and not to me. If you had, I would have signed the contract, obviously. If I had not signed it, you wouldn¡¯t have taken them from your pack and handed them over. Would you?¡±
¡°I see.¡± Tobi seethed, ¡°Of course, you are right. I definitely would have done it that way if I had really delivered them here.¡±
¡°I am glad you see things my way,¡± The Alchemist gloated happily.
¡°Of course, Sorrow Seeds aren¡¯t my only delivery.¡± Tobi answered back, forming half an idea as he spoke, ¡°I also have more than a hundred potions to deliver on behalf of the Alchemist Guild. Sadly, I think I might get mugged on the way. Oh well, have a good day.¡±
Turning and walking away, albeit somewhat slowly, Tobi hoped his half-baked idea would work. He got as far as the gate and onto the street before the Alchemist called out to him. Tobi, having already figured his idea failed and was worrying about what would happen next, turned on the spot and gave a big, wide smile, ¡°Yes?¡±
¡°What potion¡¯s are you delivering, and where to?¡± The alchemist asked.
¡°Potions? What potions? My memory is a little fuzzy. You see, I remember delivering to the Alchemist Warehouse, but my contract isn¡¯t signed, so I¡¯m not sure I did. Your face looks familiar though, did I deliver the Sorrow Seeds to you? Maybe we could clear this whole mess up.¡±
Grumbling to himself, the Alchemist reluctantly thrust out his hand for the contract. Tobi handed it over and the man signed it. The guard gave Tobi a brief nod and a partial smile from behind the Alchemists back. Once their business was concluded, Tobi turned to walk away again.
¡°Wait, what about our potions? Will you deliver them now?¡±
¡°Potions? I don¡¯t have any such delivery.¡± Tobi chuckled happily, ¡°Have a nice day.¡±
Still unsure whether Tobi had a delivery of potions or not, the Alchemist grumbled to himself and stalked back inside the building. Tobi paid him no mind and continued straight toward the Sword and Shield Inn. Whatever happened on the rest of the deliveries, he wouldn¡¯t be making that mistake again!
Chapter 7: Friends and Contracts
Chapter 7: Friends and Contracts
Once Tobi had the contract signed at the Sword and Shield Inn, Tobi handed over the casks of Farmers Ale and politely reminded the man of a promised drink upon delivery. The manager laughed and happily instructed a waitress to give Tobi a pint of Farmers Ale. The drink didn¡¯t taste too good, but it did refill part of his energy. The downside was that it seemed to have the opposite effect on his satiety. He¡¯d heard that alcohol made people hungry, but 5 points into energy in exchange for a loss of 20 Satiety didn¡¯t seem like a good tradeoff. Needless to say, he didn¡¯t plan to indulge himself with the drink in the future.
Following the route planned out by Jameson, Tobi¡¯s next destination was the Smithy. The bonus for this particular contract was that the smithy would pay the fee upon delivery¡ªnot the Merchant Guild when he returned with the signed contracts. For this reason, Tobi was more eager to make this delivery than many of the others. The Smithy was quite a walk away though, so Tobi pulled out his map and played with its zoom features along the way.
|
You have just been pick-pocketed. You have lost 2 copper and 2 Fortune.
|
Spinning on the spot and seeing a tiny shadow flit between a group of people and down an alley, Tobi retrieved his money pouch and checked the contents. As far as he could tell, the pouch was still in perfect condition. The only difference was the fact it was light by two coppers.
His jaw hanging open and staring in bewilderment toward where the small shadow disappeared, Tobi cursed inwardly and put the map away again. If he¡¯d not been messing with the map he might¡¯ve noticed the little sneak make his attempt. He knew pickpocketing was a skill in Aevitas, but somehow he¡¯d never imagined he would be subjected to its uses. He felt that he¡¯d somehow been cheated by SkeaTech rather than the actual pickpocket.
Why did such a skill exist in the first place?
Annoyed with himself, SkeaTech and the pickpocket, Tobi maintained a permanent vigilance and frowned the rest of the way to the Smithy. When he did finally arrive at the Blacksmith''s, Tobi¡¯s vigilance stayed and his hand covered his precious pennies¡ªif for no other reason than the fact that a crowd of angry people were gathered outside, shouting about late deliveries and other issues they had.
¡°There is nothing I can do!¡± A large, barechested man bellowed at the crowd, a brown apron fitting loosely to cover his well built body, ¡°Until the Merchant Guild deliver my goods, I can¡¯t get started on the items you ordered. If you have a problem, take it up with them! Better yet; go over to the mines and purchase the ore yourself.¡±
¡°Yeah right...¡± Another voice called from the crowd, ¡°Everyone knows that goblins appeared outside the mines. If we go there now we¡¯ll just get killed.¡±
¡°And that¡¯s the problem!¡± The blacksmith shouted back, ¡°With nobody out mining the ore, I can¡¯t make your goods.¡±
Slipping quietly through the crowd as everyone jostled for space, Tobi eventually made his way to the front and silently passed the contract over to the blacksmith. The man skimmed it quickly before locking his eyes on Tobi, ¡°About time you got here. This was supposed to be delivered yesterday.¡±
¡°Sorry about that. I only checked the order contracts a little while ago. As soon as I saw this I took it and came straight here.¡±
¡°Better late than never, I guess. Give them to my son, Lukas, he¡¯s in the back room. He will sign the contract and hand over your payment.¡±
Nodding at the instructions, Tobi took his contract back and went into the smithy¡ªhearing the Blacksmith shouting the good news of the delivery as he made his way inside.
The blacksmith¡¯s was warm and oddly dark, with such a little amount of oxygen in the air that it was hard to breath. The place was probably much better when they were working, but Tobi didn¡¯t like the atmosphere much at all. He did plan to learn Blacksmithing in the end though, so it was an environment he would probably have to get used to. In the meantime, Tobi found the back room and saw a boy no older than twelve sorting through a large pile of paperwork.
¡°Lukas?¡± Tobi called out doubtfully.
The boy turned to look over his shoulder at the unrecognized voice. The moment he saw what Tobi was wearing, the boy smiled and rose to his feet, ¡°The delivery is finally here? Come through, I will get your money now. Do you know how pure the ore is by any chance?¡±
¡°No, sorry.¡± Tobi mumbled, making his way toward the stack of papers to see what they were. For the most part the papers appeared to be designs of weapons and armours, but other stuff too. There was also a paper full of orders and costs to manufacture and resale prices. Figuring he shouldn¡¯t pry, Tobi turned away just in time to see Lukas re-enter the room.
¡°Here you go,¡± Lukas said, handing over 12 Copper coins and taking the contract, ¡°I know you usually wait for the signing before handing over the goods, but I already paid the fee. I will sign it when you hand over the copper and tin. Put them in those two barrels over there. Copper in the left, Tin in the right.¡±
¡®Fair enough,¡¯ Tobi thought, shrugging and taking the 60 ores from his backpack.
Once the task was complete, Lukas signed the contract and handed it back over. After an additional moment of hesitation, Lukas sighed and shook his head.
¡°Can I help with anything else?¡±
Lukas shook his head again, his shoulders slumping slightly, ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. I was just thinking about my brother. He went to the mines with a Merchant to buy some coal from the foreman. The Merchant owed my dad a favour so he was going to bargain the deal for us and haul it back. When the Goblins attacked, the Merchant ran back to the city. They hadn¡¯t even reached the mines yet. My brother didn¡¯t come back with him though; he ran to help defend the mines until the city guard show up.¡±
¡°So I reminded you of the Merchant that went with your brother?¡± Tobi guessed, feeling a little sorry for Lukas and hoping his brother was OK.
¡°Heh, not exactly. Goblins are pretty dumb at the best of times. They¡¯re only dangerous when they form a horde. From what we heard there¡¯s only sixty to eighty goblins there. That probably means there is no hobgoblin leading them. The miners will make sure they don¡¯t get into the mines and cause any trouble. My brother will be fine.¡±
¡°So¡?¡± Tobi asked, at a loss for where he came into it.
¡°When the goblins are routed and it¡¯s time for my brother to buy the coal, the Merchant won¡¯t be there to make the deal and bring the stuff back.¡±
¡°Ah.¡± Tobi said, suddenly understanding, ¡°You were hoping I would do it. I take it your dad called in the favour from the Merchant because you¡¯re not in a position to pay for the services?¡±
¡°It¡¯s not that we can¡¯t pay, it¡¯s just that we can¡¯t pay yet. We fell behind on orders doing a job for Lord Brackley. But just as we was about to finish Lord Brackley¡¯s order, he cancelled it. Now we¡¯re stuck. We need the payment for Brackley¡¯s order to buy the ore needed for the other orders.¡±
¡°What did Lord Brackley order?¡± Tobi asked, thinking he could make the money they need by selling the items to the guild or stores using his Profit ability.
¡°Decorative armour.¡± Lukas scoffed, ¡°Absolutely useless. It¡¯s not worth the iron it¡¯s made out of. Lord Brackley designed it himself, apparently, so even if we wanted to find another rich idiot to buy it, we probably wouldn¡¯t be able to.¡±
¡°I see¡¡± Tobi mumbled, wanting to help but not entirely sure on how he could, ¡°What was you hoping I could do about it?¡±
¡°Like you said; we can¡¯t afford to buy anything right now. My dad¡¯s friend was going to make a contract with them and act as the guarantor. If we didn¡¯t pay then he would inherit the debt. His contract would force him to pay the bill or face the penalty of breaching the contract. Only Merchants can create those kinds of contracts, so¡¡±
¡°And what if you don¡¯t pay? I can¡¯t afford it either.¡±
Lukas paused for a second and glanced out the way Tobi had come in, ¡°If my dad put up the deed to this Smithy in the event that we don¡¯t pay, would you be willing then?¡±
Tobi considered it for all of one second before shaking his head, ¡°I doubt your dad would agree to that.¡±
¡°No, I wouldn¡¯t.¡± A deep voice called from the doorway, ¡°This place is worth hundreds of Gold, while the coal isn¡¯t even worth five silver. If circumstances were that dire, I¡¯d just sell this place and build everything back up from scratch. If you want my guarantee, then it¡¯s simple. If I can¡¯t pay the bill for the coal within a week, I¡¯ll sell this place and pay the bill after that.¡±
¡°OK, I can live with that.¡± Tobi said, already planning on what kind of agreement he could make with the foreman, ¡°When the Goblins have been routed, I will go to the mines and make the deal for you, but first you will have to make a deal with me.¡±Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.
The Blacksmith nodded his agreement, ¡°OK, what¡¯s the deal?¡±
For the next five minutes, Tobi and the Blacksmith negotiated back and forth until they settled on an agreement that both could accept. When the negotiations finally came to an end, a notification appeared before each of them explaining the details of their contract.
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Contract Agreement between Tobi Donlan and Brion Cobbler.
Terms & Conditions:
Tobi Donlan will head to Brackley Mines to meet Riley Cobbler and negotiate a trade agreement for coal on behalf of the Cobbler family. The trade agreement must be for 20 sacks of Coal at a price not exceeding 5 Silver. The price is to be paid by the Cobbler family within 14 days of the agreement being made. In the event that Brion Cobbler doesn¡¯t pay the agreed price, Tobi Donlan will inherit the bill.
Brion Cobbler will pay the agreed price for the 20 sacks of Coal within 7 days. In the event that Brion Cobbler does not pay the bill, he will sell his Smithery and pay the bill within the following 7 days.
Upon inheriting the debt for the coal belonging originally to the Cobbler family, Tobi will pay off the debt within 7 additional days.
Breach of Contract Penalty:
Brion Cobbler: Will hand over the deed to his Smithery to Tobi Donlan. Failure to handover the deed for any reason will result in death and an unspecified curse will be placed upon his two sons, Riley and Lukas Cobbler.
Tobi Donlan: In the event of failing to make an agreement for 20 sacks of coal, Tobi Donlan will mine 20 sacks worth of coal for the Cobbler family, free of charge, within a four week period. In the event that an agreement for 20 sacks of coal is made and inheriting the debt, yet failing to pay it off within the following seven days, Tobi Donlan will become a slave to the Cobbler family for a period of Five Years. All wealth and belongings of Tobi Donlan during this time will be inherited by the Cobbler family and never returned.
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¡°Agreed.¡± Brion called out, waving his hand and dismissing the notification window.
Tobi continued to stare at the contract in amazement and read through it two more times. As a player, he wasn¡¯t sure how the penalty conditions could possibly work, but the penalties were the non negotiable conditions set by Brion himself. Tobi hadn¡¯t wanted to curse either of the son¡¯s or cause Brion¡¯s death, but as long as Brion handed over the deed or paid the debt, then the breach of contract didn¡¯t mean much of anything. The only real downside was failing to make an agreement in the first place, as that would force him to mine 20 sacks worth of coal¡ªhowever much that could be. But what if he didn¡¯t mine the coal?
¡®Well he probably intends to pay off the bill anyway, so he probably didn¡¯t think about it too much. Meh, if I have to, I will just delete the character anyways¡¡¯
¡°Fine, I agree too.¡± Tobi said, closing his own contract window as he did, ¡°Now, how do I get to the mines? They aren¡¯t within the range of my map.¡±
¡°Just follow the City Guard.¡± Lukas called from the corner, where¡¯d he¡¯d been standing throughout the negotiations between Tobi and his father.
¡°The city guard?¡±
¡°Yeah. They were waiting for the Travellers to return in hopes that they¡¯d wipe out the Goblins, but because they¡¯re still not back, they¡¯re sending out some of their own people. They¡¯ve already sent requests to the Mage and Healer Guilds for support. They¡¯re gathering at the East gate right now. The Merchant Guild will probably go along as well to act as looters. Goblins don¡¯t give much, but a Merchant never turns down free money, no matter how little. You can just join them or follow at the back.¡±
¡®I could follow at the back, at least¡¡¯ Tobi admitted mentally, remembering what Jameson had said about Merchant Guild Rankings. If he wanted to join a subjugation party he had to reach the second Rank of the Merchants Guild. Following at the back shouldn¡¯t be a problem though. There was also the fact that Daiyan¡¯s farm was on the East side of the city. If he was quick, maybe he could pick up the flour before they set off. Or he could just pick it up on the way back. Either way would save him some time with his other deliveries. He still had a little over 5 hours before he had to log off anyway.
¡°OK, I will do that. How will I recognize Riley?¡±
Brion chuckled and looked toward Lukas, ¡°Just look for a bigger version of him. He¡¯ll be carrying two big hammers and probably won¡¯t have anything covering his upper body. If there is a particular mine entrance with an oddly high amount of dead Goblins, he¡¯s probably there somewhere.¡±
Admiring Brion¡¯s confidence, Tobi nodded his head and rose to his feet, ¡°I guess I better be going then, if I am going to catch up to the city guard. Any idea on how long this subjugation will take?¡±
¡°Not long,¡± Brion shrugged, ¡°the Goblins run away as soon as they know they can¡¯t win. They might run as soon as they see the city guard. If they do put up a fight, it won¡¯t last long. Goblins are all below level 25 and the city guard are all over level 20. As long as there are no Hobgoblins mixed in, it will be as simple as a routine patrol to the mines and back.¡±
~~~
Arriving at the Eastern Gate, Tobi was instantly attracted to the loud and festive atmosphere happening all around. Women and children laughed and joked among themselves while armed men poked fun at each other in harmless banter. Most of the men were walking out of the gates haphazardly while the women waved them off. They didn¡¯t look so much like an army as a motley mob that was relatively well armed.
Coming down another street off to the side on the other hand was the very definition of military discipline. Instead of consisting of armed men in armour though, the twenty or so men and women were dressed in fine robes of either red, blue, brown or green. They walked in two perfect rows, each in step with the person in front and behind.
Guessing that the marching squad were members of the Mage Guild, Tobi stopped to watch their approach. Even as they marched around the corner and moved toward the city gates, their perfect formation didn¡¯t falter at all. Immediately behind them however came another bunch of people that were as crowded and uncoordinated as the armed men from before. This group, however, were dressed almost entirely in matching white robes. The exceptions were three youngsters in brown robes that cut off just above the knee.
¡®Healers;¡¯ Tobi guess, watching the group follow the mages as they too rounded the corner.
Once the two additional groups passed through the gates, the crowd of onlookers started to disperse, most talking about irrelevant things that had nothing to do with goblins or the mines. A couple of people did show some concern however and Tobi couldn¡¯t help but look toward a boy asking his mother if his dad was going to be alright against the scary goblins. When the woman comforted the boy unconvincingly, the boy took it as gospel truth and clenched his fist triumphantly.
Putting the crowd out of his mind, and dismissing the terrible image he conjured of the boy¡¯s face after his father was killed by goblins, Tobi followed the healers out of the gate and prepared to follow them at a safe distance.
The difference outside the city to what he saw inside couldn¡¯t have been any different. In the few moments it took for Tobi to follow the healers out of the city, the City Guard had formed a very orderly formation and stood at attention in their respective places. Even with his own inexperienced eyes, Tobi could recognize how the troops had organized themselves. Four warriors, two archers, two mages and two healers fell into each group, forming a single whole out of ten groups of ten. How many times they must have formed similar formations, Tobi couldn¡¯t guess. But he was definitely impressed. The lack of discipline from earlier had all but disappeared.
A single man walked the line in front of the gathered company, taking the time to look at each and every individual as he passed.
¡°I give thanks to the Mage and Healer Guilds for joining us today,¡± The man shouted for all to hear, ¡°The reports we got a few hours ago was that a few dozen Goblins have gathered outside the mines to the East. An hour ago, that report changed to eighty Goblins and they were still gathering. None had made a move toward the city or the mines, they were only gathering. Ten minutes ago, the report said that the Goblins have now exceeded more than two hundred. There is definitely a couple of Hobgoblins mixed in, so I must caution you all to remain vigilant and protect each other at all times. As it seems to Merchant Guild will not be¡ªoh, they¡¯re here.¡±
Turning on his heel to see where the man was looking, Tobi spotted two dozen men and women walking over. Only half of them were wearing the standard silk clothing however, as the other half were wearing leather armours and carried a wide variety of weapons and shields.
¡°Sorry we¡¯re late,¡± a voice Tobi recognized shouted back toward the commander, ¡°I hope we haven¡¯t slowed you down too much.¡±
¡°Not at all,¡± the commander called back, ¡°glad to have you with us. And your Mercenaries, of course.¡±
Lyle chuckled at that without comment, the Merchants all separating and joining their own groups within the army. Each Merchant took a single Mercenary with them into whichever group they joined.
¡°It seems you¡¯re a little shorthanded today,¡± The commander noted as only twelve of his sections gained additional members.
While the group of Merchants spaced themselves out, Tobi recognized a few more faces mixed in the crowd. One was the guard he¡¯d seen at the Alchemist Guild Warehouse, while another was Leesa, happily linking a handsome looking mercenary as she lead him to a group at the far end of the company.
¡°We weren¡¯t going to come at all,¡± Lyle answered back with a shrug, ¡°you didn¡¯t exactly need our mercenaries before and the profit gained from looting goblins isn¡¯t really worth it. We only come now because we heard there will be Hobgoblins mixed in. We¡¯d have brought more, but there simply wasn¡¯t enough time.¡±
The commander nodded at that but Tobi couldn¡¯t help but think Lyle was a little stuck up; and more than a little rude.
¡°What about that one?¡± the commander asked, gesturing his head toward Tobi. Several onlookers including Lyle turned to see who he was indicating.
¡°He is still a first rank Merchant, he didn¡¯t receive the Guild invite.¡± Lyle answered plainly. Tobi did note that his face seemed slightly apologetic though.
¡°That¡¯s something for your guild to care about. My men won¡¯t object to another Looter helping earn them some extra coin. Lad, if you want to join us, just fall into one of the groups. My men will look after you.¡±
Without daring to spare a glance toward Lyle, Tobi gave a brisk nod toward the commander and moved to the group that was the furthest removed from any other Merchant. If any group in the company wouldn¡¯t have been benefitting from the Looter ability, it would have been that one. It seemed the soldiers didn¡¯t miss out on what Tobi had done either, as several of them gave Tobi polite gestures of welcome when he joined their ranks.
¡°Stay beside the healer,¡± a mage in brown whispered, ¡°If the worst happens, I will make sure you¡¯re both OK.¡±
Silently obeying the instruction, Tobi moved across to the girl in a brown robe that didn¡¯t quite reach the knee. She appeared to be around fifteen years old with long, dark hair. Tobi didn¡¯t pay much attention to her, but he didn¡¯t miss the fact that she blushed when he¡¯d looked toward her legs. There wasn¡¯t anything perverse in his glance, only an idle thought that it must be embarrassing to wear such a short robe. At least for a girl. Clearly it was too, considering the fact she blushed.
The company moved out just a minute or so later. It was only then that Tobi chanced a look in Lyle¡¯s direction. Unfortunately, Lyle hadn¡¯t yet turned his attention away and Tobi wished he hadn¡¯t looked. As far as evil looks went, Lyle seemed to have it pretty much nailed. No doubt Tobi would have to face Lyle¡¯s wrath at some point in the future. So long as he got paid for the contract deliveries though, Tobi was more than happy to flip him the bird and move on. Clearly, according to the City Guard Commander, he didn¡¯t really need the Guilds permission in the first place.
Chapter 8: Friends and Contracts pt II
Feeling sweat trickling down his back, Tobi glanced back to the farms disappearing in the distance. One of those farms would be Daiyan¡¯s, but he didn¡¯t exactly have the time to make a detour and even if he did, he wasn¡¯t sure which farm it was to begin with.
¡°How are you holding up?¡± The mage asked, noting Tobi¡¯s laboured breath and increased perspiration.
¡°I¡¯m OK. I didn¡¯t think it would be this far.¡±
¡°We¡¯re only half way. Are you sure you will make it?¡±
¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡± Tobi laughed without humor, looking at his stat window and confirming that his energy was still over 50. He still had the minor energy potion too, so he could still drink that if his energy dropped too low. The real worrying part was how fast his energy was dropping. He wasn¡¯t sure of the distance between each drop, but he could practically count it by the seconds. While walking through the city, his energy drop wasn¡¯t that noticeable. Marching through the countryside was, by comparison, much worse. It seemed that the further he walked without stopping, the faster his energy dropped.
¡°It¡¯s a problem all squishies face.¡± The mage smiled helplessly.
¡°Squishies?¡±
¡°It¡¯s what the Travellers call people that wear light armour or robes. We die easily, they say, so...Squishy.¡±
¡°And all squishies have a problem with what? Walking?¡±
The mage chuckled, shaking his head slightly and looking toward the sky, ¡°We have a problem with stamina. Unlike the Warrior¡¯s¡ªand a few others¡ªwe don¡¯t have the benefit of Strength or Endurance. I have enough agility to match half the warrior¡¯s here, but if I were to run for my life, I wouldn¡¯t make it back to the farms, let alone the city. The Warrior¡¯s on the other hand could run back to the city, do a lap around it, and still have energy to spare.¡±
Knowing already that classes such as Knights, Paladin¡¯s, Mercenaries, Bounty Hunters and various others all belonged to the Warrior classification, Tobi didn¡¯t think too much about the unspecified ¡®others¡¯. Instead, Tobi wondered how far he could run himself before his own energy ran out. Considering it was so draining just to walk, he doubted he could get very far. That being said, Merchant''s do have Endurance. Mages don''t, but Merchants do. Would he still have bad Stamina like the other ''easily killable'' squishies? ''And what does he mean by his agility...?''
¡°Does agility let you run faster?¡± Tobi asked, guessing the answer before the question even occurred to him.
¡°Kind of¡¡± The Mage hummed thoughtfully, ¡°Reflexes and motor functions are faster, so you can move your legs faster and therefore run faster. To truly gain speed though, you also need Strength to push your legs harder. Still, we all have our own advantages too. If I were being chased by a Warrior for example; I would turn the ground into a swamp. I¡¯d raise stone walls to act as barriers. I¡¯d rain missiles from the sky that he would have to defend against. I could walk ten feet in the time it takes him to run five.¡±
¡°And so the Mage beats the Warrior.¡± Tobi said thoughtfully, remembering the Triangle of Power described by the fairy during the tutorial.
¡°It¡¯s only that simple in theory.¡± The tall healer grunted in dissatisfaction, turning to the Healer girl by his side as he continued, ¡°Tell me, Selene, what would you do if you were being chased by a Warrior?¡±
The girl in the brown robe that cut off above the knee contemplated the question in silence. It seemed like quite a while passed before she formed an answer she accepted, ¡°I guess it depends on the circumstances. If I were out in the wilds, I would cast Holy Shield on myself and run away. I¡¯d attract the attention of any beasts in the area that I could and then cast Absolute Peace. The aggro would then turn away from me to the next nearest target. While the Warrior fought the beasts, I would attempt to get away.¡±
¡°Callum,¡± the Priest called to a warrior ahead, ¡°What would you do against Selene¡¯s plan?¡±
The warrior chuckled and shook his head, ¡°Depends on the beasts she threw into my path. Chances are that I would run in a different direction and lose their aggro. I¡¯d then circle around to cut her off. Her stamina has a limit, so I only have to get back on her trail and I would eventually catch up to her.¡±
¡°And what would you do against the Sylar¡¯s plan?¡± The priest asked, indicating toward the Earth Mage.
¡°Swamps and Stone Walls? The swamp spell has an area of effect limit. I¡¯d throw my shield into the center and use it as a stepping stone. I¡¯d use the walls he conjures to shield against his missiles while using Shield Break to smash through them. I¡¯d undoubtedly take damage, but as long as I can get close, I can interrupt his spells and finish the fight quickly. It all depends on how long he can keep me away.¡±
The Priest nodded happily at the answers and turned back to the dark-haired girl by his side, ¡°Your plan of escape was not bad, but you would have only delayed him. You acted as the prey and got caught. You must think like the hunter to defeat him. You don¡¯t try to escape, you outsmart him and leave at leisure.¡±
¡°So how would you ¡®leave at leisure¡¯ if Callum was after you?¡± Sylar asked the priest, seeming affronted by the fact that both the Warrior and the Healer were satisfied that his defenses would be breached so easily.
¡°We all have our own strengths and weaknesses. I would not try to leave at all.¡± The healer said, smiling with self-assurance and staring at the warrior ahead. Callum only smiled back and gave a small dip of his head.
¡°Magnus is not your usual class of Priest.¡± Callum said, answering the question on everyone¡¯s mind, ¡°He belongs to the Unholy Order and can fight rather well. Any warrior that sees him would assume he is a normal Priest and let down their guard. Magnus would then cast the curses Spite, Doom and Penance. Using his rather unique staff, the unsuspecting warrior would be in a world of trouble.¡±
¡°All of that is just for those of similar levels though, right?¡± Tobi asked, rejoining the conversation.
¡°Quite.¡± Magnus agreed seriously, ¡°Tell me, young Merchant, how would you get away from Callum here?¡±
Tobi shrugged, ¡°I¡¯d probably get as far as turning around before he chopped me in two.¡±
Callum laughed at that, as did several others. The only ones who didn¡¯t laugh were the two Healers and the Earth Mage.
¡°I heard that Merchants have their own way of handling danger. What is the motto again; Money is the Answer, the Answer is Money.?¡±
Facing the Priest with a ¡®who cares¡¯ smile on his face, Tobi spread turned his palms upward and answered, ¡°But I don¡¯t have any money.¡±
Taking Tobi¡¯s answer seriously, the Priest gave a single nod of his head and turned back to the girl at his side, ¡°Remind me when we get back to teach you about Torren the Fallen. His domain is now known as Hartleypool, but before that, he was the God of Wealth. While he has fallen, his followers are still able to use his blessings. Hearing his story, maybe you will finally understand why you must choose only one God to follow.¡±
The girl bowed her head and kept it there, her eyes and face out of sight behind her hood. Tobi didn¡¯t know how the Healer class worked but he was definitely curious. If he¡¯d chosen to be a Healer himself, would he too have to choose one of the Aevitas Gods to follow? Did even a Unholy Priest like Magnus follow one of the Gods?
While Tobi was busy mulling over his own thoughts, the company of soldiers and their reinforcements subtly changed formation. Tobi only moved with the flow of bodies and didn¡¯t even notice the shift until after they all stopped moving. In just a few seconds, the columns of people had formed a rectangular formation from left to right and came to attention.
Directly across the field at the base of a small mountain was another large formation. Well, more like a large mass than a formation, but it did resemble some sort of order and ranking system. The front lines were made up of scattered pawns in groups of 8 to 12. Bunched together as they were, they massed an easy two-hundred and were almost entirely facing the approaching company of soldiers.
Behind the front mass of green bodies was a slightly more ordered mass of green. Like the people surrounding Tobi, they formed square groups and held a relatively tight formation. The creatures in that group, though hard to see, were varying shades of browns and greens with some very obvious differences from the Goblins in front. Even without the horns as an obvious difference between them; there was also the fact that they wore various types of armor and held a better standard of weapons.
¡°That¡¯s a lot more Hobgoblins than we were told to expect.¡± A soldier ahead of Tobi muttered to Callum, at his side.
¡°Meh. Just means the healers will get some action as well. Rayne, can you see how good their equipment is?¡±
¡°Hard to tell,¡± an archer that was part of their group answered, ¡°looks like its weapons and armour they looted from other battles. Most of what I can see is either worn, broken or rusted.¡±
¡°Is that a Goblin King?¡± The archer on the opposite side of the group¡¯s formation asked, sounding confused and doubtful.
¡°No.¡± Rayne answered confidently, ¡°Just a Hobgoblin posing. It¡¯s still odd though; why are so many Hobgoblins gathered in one army without a King?¡±
Seeing that all the Archers within view were giving reports of their own to their group leaders, Tobi turned his attention to the mass of green opposite and shielded his eyes from the sun. He couldn¡¯t make out anything too well, and certainly not a would-be King or leader among them all. At best, he could only guess at their numbers and nothing more. Around two-hundred of the smaller ones without horns, and maybe sixty of the bigger ones behind.
Continue to scan the mass of green from left to right and back again, Tobi spotted a movement in the shadow of the mountain on the right¡ªor the opposing army¡¯s left, depending on one¡¯s perspective.
Keeping his eyes focused on the shadow of the mountain, Tobi slowly raised his hand and pointed a finger, ¡°What are those?¡±
All eyes rushed to follow the direction of Tobi¡¯s aimed finger. No matter how much anyone looked though, none were able to see what he was talking about.
¡°I don¡¯t see anything,¡± Rayne admitted, directing his comment at Callum who¡¯d been looking in his direction.
¡°Me neither,¡± The other Archer added, turning his attention to Tobi, ¡°Can you still see it?¡±
¡°Them.¡± Tobi corrected, ¡°I still see them. I¡¯m not sure how many. They are kind of blurry. It looks like an animal of some kind with people riding it.¡±
The Archer turned to look again before facing Callum and shrugging. Callum fell into silence for what felt like a very long time. It was only seconds in reality, but as all were waiting on his command, it seemed to take forever before he made his decision.
¡°Are there any Scouts with us?¡± Callum finally asked, his question directed at Rayne.
¡°I didn¡¯t see any, but if you want a Flare, you better let the commander know before he decides on how to attack.¡±
¡°Do it.¡±
Rayne fled through the Army toward the center faster than Tobi could react to his movement. One moment the archer was there, and then next he was gone.
¡°Are you sure there are riders in the shadow of the mountain?¡± Callum asked Tobi, his voice stern as well as serious.
¡°I am sure I can see something¡¡± Tobi answered uselessly.
Rayne returned as silently and effortlessly as he disappeared, appearing almost exactly where he¡¯d been previously, ¡°The Commander said not to send anyone to check. If there really are Gorg in the shadow of the mountain, it¡¯s better not to let them know that they¡¯ve been spotted. As long as they think they¡¯re hidden, they will wait for a chance to strike. We can use that to our advantage. That¡¯s what he said.¡±
¡°So we have to fight a horde of goblins and hobgoblins without committing our right flank to battle?¡± Callum cursed. Just as he opened his mouth to speak again, a horn sounded from the center of the army. Two more horns sounded from the sides, followed by horns blasting from the other side of the field. It seemed the first battle was who could sound their horns the loudest. Sadly, the goblins won that battle hands down.
Following the sounds of horns, the entire army moved forward in unison; the Warrior¡¯s at the front readying their shields and weapons while those behind ready themselves as well. Whether Archer, Mage or Healer¡ªall looked ready to face the Goblins ahead. Only Tobi appeared to be a bystander among the many.
¡°What do I do?¡± Tobi asked, suddenly unsure of himself.
¡°Stay in formation and pick up all the loot that you can.¡± Magnus answered sternly, ¡°Isn¡¯t it in the contract you made before joining the army?¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t make a contract. I wasn¡¯t even supposed to join in.¡±Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
¡°Well, too late now, we¡¯ll just have to trust you. Give all the loot to Callum after the battle and he will make sure we all get our cut.¡±
Tobi gave readily gave his agreement, his body automatically moving to the space left open for him to occupy.
After the army moved forward twenty paces, the Warrior¡¯s in front let out a unified yell and planted their shields solidly in front.
¡°Archers!¡±
The command for archers were echoed repeatedly down the line. A large flag rose up on either side of the army with a bow and arrow symbol.
¡°Volley Shot!¡± A second command shouted, immediately followed by multiple twangs of bowstring. More than twenty arrows rose into the air before multiplying in mid flight. Twenty quickly became a hundred as each arrow split into five. All hundred arrows seemed to float on the air in slow motion before turning down at gravity¡¯s will and falling like rain.
Tobi couldn¡¯t guess how many Goblins were hit by the volley of arrows but only a small portion fell to the ground. Even of those that fell, at least half rose up again and rejoined the charge.
¡°Mages!¡±
Twenty spells lit-up the air above the army before flying through the sky. Colours of all kinds rushed forward to meet the enemy. Blue globes of water elongated into spear-like shapes before icing over and piercing into whatever blocked their path. Balls of raging fires exploded on impact, knocking Goblins off their feet and causing horrible screams among their ranks. Earthen rocks fell from the sky like meteors, crushing whatever they landed on.
Almost a quarter of the charging Goblins fell to the Mage attacks, and yet still half rose back up to continue on. Tobi only stared in wonder at how anything could have survived what he just witnessed.
Several commands rang out at once. Archers and Mages cast various abilities and spells, punching deep into the Goblin ranks. The Goblins had crossed two-thirds of the distance and as far as Tobi could tell, not a single one had been killed.
Ten bright lights rose from within the army, spreading rapidly to encompass the army and cover them in a dim barrier. Tobi instantly felt a lot better. He suddenly felt invigorated and confident, with the strength of ten men and the confidence to crush any enemy.
| You have received the blessing ¡®Stout Heart¡¯ by Acolyte Selene
+10 Mind for 5 minutes and a 1 minute imperviousness to Fear and Stun effects. |
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Warning!
It is not recommended to use notifications during battle.
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Quickly closing both windows, Tobi tried to remember if there were any commands to turn off the notifications and failed, ¡°Turn off Notifications.¡±
Not sure if it worked, Tobi waited to see if anymore notifications appeared. As nothing seemed to have happened one way or the other, Tobi hoped for the best and continued watching the battle. In the few brief seconds of looking and getting rid of his notifications, the Goblins had finished closed the gap.
¡°Hold the line!¡± Callum shouted, echoing a command that came from somewhere else in the army. The loud bang that followed as Goblins crashed into shield defense set Tobi¡¯s ears to ringing. Screams and Warcries called out on all sides, filling Tobi with fighting spirit and the wish to see blood pouring out of his enemies. It took everything he had not to rush passed Callum and dig his fingers into the eyes of whichever Goblin he met first.
A gentle hand touched Tobi¡¯s shoulder briefly, his mind and heart calming down rapidly as warmth spread from the pit of his stomach and filled him up from the inside.
¡°Thanks,¡± Tobi panted to the girl at his side. The Priest Magnus seemed to have disappeared. The girl barely acknowledged Tobi as a staff in her hand lit up and illuminated the Warrior¡¯s up front. Tobi in turn saw how small wounds healed at visible speeds¡ªblood drying up instantly and evaporating into nothing.
Right after the light illuminated the men in front, one Goblin after another began to fall without getting up again, only to be replaced by another Goblin a moment later. Copper coins and various junk began littering the floor where the dead bodies lay.
¡°Push!¡± Callum shouted, almost at the same time as other leaders along the line. The entire front line attempted to push forward as one; only half of the army managing to gain any ground.
Staying in step within the formation, Tobi stepped forward too; quickly bending down to pick up everything within reach. He didn¡¯t bother trying to move the bodies to find whatever else they may be hiding. Although he knew he was probably missing out on a good portion of loot, he didn¡¯t dare get in the way of the people around him or mess around for too long.
The command to push came again as more Goblins fell to their wounds. Spells continued to crash ahead of the army as Mages picked out their targets. Archers continued to fire between whatever gaps they could find, occasionally firing a volley of arrows to cause a wider range of damage. Stone walls rose from nowhere, filling gaps that opened in the defences and funnelling even more Goblins to their deaths.
¡°Push!¡±
Tobi continued picking up all the loot he could see. He barely had time to see what was happening anymore. His mind didn¡¯t seem to be working properly either, as it wasn¡¯t the blood from the Goblins on his hands that was bothering him, but the curious wonder of how the warriors could continue fighting so easily while stepping on and over dead bodies. Didn¡¯t they worry about tripping or slipping?
Finding various ways to hold his backpack in order to quicken his progress, Tobi finally settled with putting the pack on backward. With the pack at his chest and his arms free, he found it much easier to quickly deposit everything that entered his grasp. He didn¡¯t even know what he was depositing anymore as he just threw everything into it. The only exception was the coins, which he managed to constantly slip into his satchel. Not only was it easier to deposit the coins into his satchel, it also kept it separated from his own money in his pouch so he could hand it all over to Callum later.
Suddenly finding that there was no more loot to grab, Tobi took the chance to look up and see what was happening. He must have looted and stepped over twenty bodies as they moved forward, yet now there was only noise. If the same was happening all along the lines, then the 200 Goblins must surely be dead, right?
Just as Tobi guessed, most of the Goblins were dead. Many were running back to the horde across the field, only the field wasn¡¯t nearly as big as it used to be. In fact, it seemed that the two armies were now very close to each other.
His head swivelling to the side, Tobi looked toward the shadow of the mountain. The shadow that was so close that it practically touched the right side of the army.
¡°We¡¯re too close.¡± Tobi mumbled to himself, before repeating his words louder. Nobody seemed to hear him so he tried again, this time deliberately calling out to Callum, ¡°We¡¯re too close to the mountain! Those riders¡ªI can see them!¡±
Callum¡¯s head spun toward the shadow before quickly glancing at Tobi and off again toward the center of the army, ¡°We¡¯ve gone too far forward. Rayne!¡±
Rayne quickly fired a volley of arrows toward the shadow of the mountain. The arrow only split into five, but the area they spread was rather large. Each arrow hit a space more than five feet from the next nearest arrow.
None of Rayne¡¯s arrows managed to hit anything but the arrow still served its purpose. It reminded the army of the danger. The right flank changed formation, quickly forming a new line of defense.
Magnus suddenly appeared among the men on the right side of the army holding his staff in the air. He seemed to be shouting something but Tobi couldn¡¯t make out the words. The clouds overhead churned slowly and a bright beam of sunlight burst through and lit up the area. The flash was only brief but it broke the stealth of seven Hobgoblins on what appeared to be wolf-like creatures.
¡°Gorg Riders!¡±
The warning repeated itself several times. The riders themselves only reacted a second later, charging straight toward the defensive line that tried to prepare for their attack. Tobi could see a lot more than just seven though, and pretty soon, so could everyone else. Forty riders broke from the shadows, crashing into the defensive line like charging bulls. Warrior¡¯s fell under the shear strength of the charge leaving the men and women behind open to attacks. Swords and Clubs hacked, bashed and slashed everywhere as the Gorg themselves bit at throats and any flesh they could find.
Two Healers and a Mage quickly fell to the onslaught, items and loot dropping at their dead bodies. A warrior repeatedly trampled, stabbed and bashed died a moment later, his chestplate disappearing from his body and reappearing at his side.
The Gorg Riders didn¡¯t stay to fight it out where they made their opening. They charged straight through and circled around. They split into two groups of ten as they spread behind the back line, ready to charge back in.
Warcry¡¯s rang out from in front as the Hobgoblins began a slow run toward the army. The slow run quickly increased in speed as weapons were raised and excited shouts filled the air. The Goblins still alive quickly turned around, returning to the fight they just fled from.
¡°Circle!¡±
The formation of humans reacted as best they could, quickly adjusting their line to form a defensive circle. The Gorg Riders continuously harassed the outer edges, trying to prevent the circle being completed. One group of people at the outer edge got separated from the army, quickly circled and slaughtered by the Gorg Riders.
Taking down 200 Goblins had seemed relatively easily to Tobi and no losses were made. It took less than two minutes for the situation to reverse and almost forty of their own to fall. A single mistake and now they were facing death. Tobi knew that he couldn¡¯t get out of it either but he wasn¡¯t really bothered by his own death. NPC¡¯s had only one life. Tobi knew this from Niamh who once cried when an NPC she knew had died. He didn¡¯t think he¡¯d be bothered about an NPC dying, but now he wasn¡¯t so sure.
The image of the Earth Mage Sylar lying with cold, dead eyes entered Tobi¡¯s mind. He was lying a few feet from a broken wall that he¡¯d tried to use as a last line of defense. Callum was dead too, lying with a sword in his chest after trying to protect the Acolyte girl, Selene.
Just as the image of Selene¡¯s dead face began to form in his mind, Tobi felt a familiar warmth wash over him and his mind calmed down. He looked toward Selene thankfully and suddenly felt ashamed. He came to this battle knowing that it didn¡¯t matter if he died. Not once had he considered the danger faced by everyone else in the army.
¡®Where were all the players? Why didn¡¯t they come to kill the Goblins?¡¯ Tobi cursed, only thinking about it now that he actually didn¡¯t want to see the NPC¡¯s die.
A loud boom vibrated the air as Goblins, Hobgoblins and Gorg Riders crashed into the army. Screams and shouts filled the air as Warcries and Encouragement bolstered courage, stats and whatever else they did. Various colours of lights from spells and abilities filled the air. Tobi watched with resignation as there was nothing he could do about any of it except stand and watch.
¡°Merchants!¡±
Hearing the commanders shout, Tobi turned to look in his direction. He didn¡¯t know what kind of miracle the commander was expecting, but he doubted he wanted the Merchants to buy their way out of this mess.
While Tobi remained confused, the various Mercenaries suddenly looked very excited. Twelve beams of Golden light flew into the air, quickly forming a golden globe as dozens of Gold Coins flew into it. The Golden Globes quickly transformed into an enormous Gold Coins before shattering into thousands of pieces. The pieces rained down on the Mercenaries and stuck to them like glitter on glue.
The Mercenaries laughed with wild glee, their eyes bloodshot and their smiles unending. They rushed out from the protective circle like mad dogs, crashing into the Hobgoblins and Gorg Riders and slashing with complete abandon. The Hobgoblins fought back as best they could but to no effect. Any attack that landed seemed to do no damage at all. It didn¡¯t even knock the Mercenaries off balance.
¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Tobi mumbled to Sylar who was panting heavily while his hand fished in a satchel at his waist.
¡°You don¡¯t recognize the spell they used? What level Merchant are you anyway?¡±
¡°One.¡± Tobi answered straight-faced. Sylar stared at him for a full second before his jaw flopped open.
¡°Even if you¡¯re level one, you should still recognize a spell that belongs to your class. That spell is Sacrifice. For one minute your hired guard will be unable to die. The penalty is really harsh though.¡±
¡°Penalty?¡±
Sylar nodded his head solemnly, ¡°For the Merchant it costs 20% of their Fortune and an equal amount of Gold. The minimum price is 20 Gold. But for the guard¡ Well, if any of them are alive after the minute ends, we could count that as a miracle.¡±
Understanding what Sylar meant when he used the words ¡®unable to die¡¯ instead of invincible, Tobi looked toward the Mercenaries. As soon as they knew what was going to happen, they¡¯d practically cheered. Were they so happy to gain a minute of invincibility? Even now, they fought like men possessed without a shred of fear.
¡°Healers!¡±
Twenty heals quickly fell on the twelve Mercenaries. At the same time, all twelve Mercenaries rushed back into the defenses of the army. The Mercenaries didn¡¯t turn back toward the Hobgoblins though, they quickly pulled out potions and drank them while their Merchants were applying bandages or using other methods to heal them.
The minute ended and all twelve Mercenaries lost all colour to their faces. Several collapsed to the floor while two others coughed up blood. One only dropped to a knee before shakily standing back up again. Countless methods to save their lives were used, constantly battling the accumulated damage they received while they couldn¡¯t die. After another ten seconds passed and the fighting returned to full chaos, the Mercenaries finally stabilized. In the end, only one of them failed to survive.
A cheer sounding out among the warriors, Tobi turned toward the commanders group. The cheer spread quickly as the Gorg Riders turned their attention in another direction and half the Hobgoblins turned in the opposite direction.
¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Tobi asked, directing the question to Rayne¡ªas the archer seemed to have the best vision among them all.
¡°It¡¯s the Miners!¡± Rayne said, almost laughing as he did, ¡°Lots of them!¡±
¡°Not just Miners either,¡± Magnus said, appearing from nowhere and breathing twice as hard as anybody else there, ¡°The mines had all sorts of people inside. Mercenaries, Warriors, Blacksmiths¡ They also had their own guard stationed there. It was probably the Guard who convinced the Miners to come out and help.¡±
Another cheer rose from the Army as attention was directed back toward the city. The cheer redoubled as a man dressed completely in black appeared beside several Gorg Riders. His body bent low and flashed forward at unbelievable speed. Dark crimson lines were left in his wake. All seven Gorg Riders and their mounts fell to their deaths, loot and gear dropping around them. The man in black burst forward again, a long black line trailing behind in a zigzag pattern. The man rose into the air and seemed to hover there for a second. In the next moment, he was on the other side of the Riders with five more lying dead at his back.
A low rumble shook the ground from in the distance, quickly followed by another and then another. The low rumbles became louder and faster as all eyes turned toward the west. Tobi couldn¡¯t see what was coming at first but the tip of a tree quickly came into view. The tree soon came into full view and no longer looked like a tree at all. It¡¯s huge right leg lift into the air and stomped down, cracking the floor and causing a dozens to fall over¡ªHobgoblins and Humans alike. The giant tree-ent didn¡¯t stop there either, stomping down with its left leg and crushing three Hobgoblins at once.
The Tree-ent roared and slammed both fists onto as many Hobgoblins as it could reach. Not a single Hobgoblin that was hit survived a single hit. Even a glancing blow sent loot scattering along the ground, proving the target dead.
The remaining Hobgoblins and Gorg Riders tried to flee without hesitation. The tide had turned so quickly that Tobi couldn¡¯t begin to comprehend what was happening. Men and Women from the original army gave chase as the Miners and everyone else from the mines blocked as many escape routes as they could. The large Tree roared again and looked around the area. A moment later, it began to shrink in size. In almost no time at all, the large tree was a regular man, brushing dust, dirt and leaves from his clothes.
While Tobi stared at the man that used to be a tree, he couldn¡¯t help but think he resembled someone he knew.
¡°Tobi! Are you here?¡± The man shouted, looking at every face he passed while moving in Tobi¡¯s general direction, ¡°Tobi!¡±
Another call for Tobi came from the opposite direction. The man in black that easily disposed of the Gorg Riders was shouting his name as well, heading toward the man that used to be a tree as he did.
¡°Are they looking for you?¡± Sylar asked, looking somewhat worried while staring in the direction of the man in black.
¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Tobi admitted, ¡°but if they are, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a bad thing. They wouldn¡¯t save us from the Goblins just to kill me themselves.¡±
¡°Oh. Yeah. Haha. That¡¯s true.¡±
¡°Tobi?¡±
Before Tobi could answer, the former tree hugged him so tight that Tobi felt as though his ribs would crack.
¡°Bloody idiot.¡± The man half sobbed into his shoulder. It was only then that Tobi realized who the man was.
¡°...Dad?¡±
Chapter 9: Friends and Contracts pt III
Chapter 9: Friends and Contracts pt III
Pulling himself free with some difficulty, Tobi took a step back and had a good look at the former tree. The man couldn¡¯t be anymore different from his dad if he tried. Not only did he look twenty years younger, but his hair was green, the whites of his eyes were yellow and his pupils were shaped like diamonds. It was nearing the point that he probably wasn¡¯t classed as human anymore.
¡°What are you doing here?¡± Tobi asked, ¡°I thought you wouldn¡¯t be home for hours. I planned to get off before you got in from work.¡±
¡°I got home hours ago¡ Don¡¯t you know what time it is?¡±
Shrugging as he habitually did, Tobi considered it for a moment. ¡°Two-ish?¡±
¡°Try Ten-ish. Tobi, you¡¯ve been in Aevitas for almost twelve hours.¡±
Not sure how to respond to that and obviously confused, Tobi quickly thought back to what he¡¯d done so far. The AI program thing said he¡¯d only been logged in for 2 hours and 19 minutes. He couldn¡¯t have been in Aevitas itself for more than an hour. Considering Aevitas Operated at twice the speed of reality, that was only thirty-or-so minutes.
¡°I see you found him.¡± The dark-clad person said, appearing by Tobi¡¯s side like a silent spectre, ¡°Tobi, before we explain everything, could I ask you to first try and log out of the system. There seems to be a problem with your account and we¡¯ve been trying to log you off all day.¡±
¡°Er...OK¡ Log Off.¡±
¡°...¡±
As nothing happened, all three people looked at each other with mixed expressions. Tobi¡¯s odd-looking father appeared worried while the man in black only frowned. Tobi remained bewildered and simply looked at the pair in confusion. It took a couple of seconds for the penny to drop, but Tobi¡¯s mind quickly made the connection.
¡°I should have known it wasn¡¯t normal when I got those weird messages.¡±
¡°What weird messages?¡± The man in black asked.
¡°Synchronization failed. Connecting to Mother Unit. Character Synchronization failed. A bunch of others too but I don¡¯t remember them all. I take it you¡¯re from SkeaTech?¡±
The man in black nodded his head subconsciously, his eyes cast down in thought, ¡°Ah. Yes. My name is Benjamin Dubois. I work in Public Relations at the European Office in Paris. My name in Aevitas is Lorry, you can call me by that name if you prefer.¡±
¡°OK¡ So¡ Trapped. Now what?¡± Tobi asked, his mind still trying to process his situation.
¡°Now I explain to you everything I know and we go from there.¡± Lorry replied calmly, ¡°Though maybe we can do it somewhere else.¡±
¡°Sure,¡± Tobi agreed slowly, deciding to go with it for now and saving his shock and horror for later, ¡°Ah. Wait. Before that I have to give the loot to Callum.¡±
¡°Who?¡±
Starting off without answering, Tobi ran toward the warrior that was in charge of the group he was in. He knew he could probably run away with all the items thanks to not making any contract in advance, but after realizing how they really risked their lives, he didn¡¯t think it would be fair. He wanted to make sure they all got their own share of the loot, even if it didn¡¯t amount to much.
¡°Callum. I gotta go. Is it alright just to give you all the items I picked up and let you give it out to everyone?¡±
¡°Sure,¡± Callum answered, a little surprised by Tobi¡¯s sudden ambush and the two men flanking on either side. As Tobi started fishing a bunch of junk out of his pack, he suddenly hesitated and stopped him. ¡°Most Merchants buy these kind of items from us instead of passing them out. We only really share the useable items. Don¡¯t you want to buy it?¡±
Stopping to look at the so-called junk he¡¯d been taking from his pack, Tobi knit his brow in thought, ¡°I don¡¯t have appraisal though. So I don¡¯t know how much it¡¯s worth.¡±
¡°I can appraise it all for you,¡± Lorry offered helpfully.
¡°Screw that. I want to get you back to the city. How many people were in your group?¡± His dad asked.
¡°Ten,¡± Tobi and Callum answered together, ¡°Eleven including Tobi.¡± Callum finished.
¡°OK, I will buy the lot off you for 11 Silver. How does that sound?¡±
¡°Sure!¡± Callum answered in surprise, obviously willing to part with the crappy items for such a large sum.
Tobi¡¯s dad handed over Ten Silver, keeping a single one back and passing it to Tobi, ¡°This is his cut.¡± He said, deliberately making a show of handing it over.
¡°No problem. Thanks for your help in the battle too. You two were amazing. Can I know your names?¡±
¡°I am Chronos and he is Lorry. And you¡¯re welcome. Right. Now that¡¯s finished, can we go?¡±
Staring at his dad in befuddlement, an eyebrow raised and a smile tugging at his lips, Tobi couldn¡¯t help but wonder what made his dad so impatient. ¡°What¡¯s so going on? Why do we have to get back to the city so quick?¡±
¡°It¡¯s dangerous out here. I don¡¯t want you leaving the city.¡± His dad replied heatedly. Tobi continued to look at him in a daze, not sure what to make of it. He could practically feel the cogs in his brain ticking over and falling into place.
¡°You mean, the reason you hugged me so hard before was because you thought I might be dead. Like...really dead?¡±
When neither Lorry nor his dad said anything, it slowly dawned on Tobi how much trouble he might really be in. Can¡¯t log out. Death might really be death. Meaning; he really did nearly die in that battle?
¡°What the hell? You mean I nearly died?¡±
While Callum continued to watch, not even slightly understanding what was going on, Tobi looked from one man to the other. The more the men remained silent, the more horrified Tobi became. Dead. He was almost dead. For real!
¡°OK, we will explain everything back at the city,¡± Lorry coaxed, placing a hand on his dad¡¯s back and ushering forward.
¡°Wait. I have a contract here. That¡¯s why I came in the first place.¡±
Tobi quickly explained the contract he made with the Smithery along with the terms and conditions. After asking Lorry what would happen to him if he breached the contract in any way, Lorry explained what happened to normal players. He then explained how it differed to NPC¡¯s and what it meant for him. Essentially, if he became a Slave, he might literally be unable to disobey and order. Even if his mind refused, his body would obey against his will. As for mining the coal, his body may very well begin mining the coal as soon as he failed the negotiations. He could possibly continue mining without pause until he had the required amount. Forget a month, he¡¯d probably die of starvation and thirst before the day was done.
¡°I¡¯m never making a contract again.¡± Tobi stammered, wide-eyed and shocked.
¡°Just never make any breach conditions.¡± Lorry shrugged.
¡°Easy to say that now. Come on, let¡¯s go end this contract. What does Riley guy look like?¡± His dad asked, looking toward the mountain not too far away.
¡°Big, probably bare-chested and probably carrying two large hammers.¡±
¡°I see him.¡± Lorry said almost straight away, shielding his eyes from the sun and staring in the distance. Tobi could just about make out figures on the mountainside, but it seemed Lorry could see far better.
¡°OK, Lorry, you take him to meet Riley and I will go see the foreman. Meet me there. And don¡¯t let anything happen to him.¡±
Lorry gave a mock Salute to his back before turning to Tobi and leading him away, ¡°Your dad¡¯s quite the handful. I was supposed to meet you here alone you know? He basically threatened us with court cases and all other trouble if we didn¡¯t let him come.¡±
¡®Ah. That explains a lot. The reason no players came to wipe out the Goblins was because none of them were online. Right now it¡¯s probably just me, my dad and Lorry. Sueing SkeaTech though?¡¯ The idea of sueing SkeaTech definitely had an appeal. It felt like quite a while ago now, but it was only that morning that he was cursing SkeaTech to hell. It was their fault that Niamh left him. Well, it was his own fault really, but it wouldn¡¯t have happened if Aevitas didn¡¯t exist, so it was their fault too. ¡®...Whatever. I gotta get out of here first anyway.¡¯
¡°He¡¯ll probably still sue.¡± Tobi said, almost in a whisper as he watched his dad take a slightly different course to the mountain.
¡°He can¡¯t. The moment your dad began legal proceedings, the company would begin a formal internal investigation into your case. Which is what they¡¯re already doing anyway. If they still haven¡¯t gotten you out of here in a couple of days, which I expect they will have, they would claim the reason you¡¯re trapped here is because of something you did. Even if it¡¯s not true, that¡¯s what they¡¯d say. In the end, after all the delays and everything else, you¡¯d be out and back in the real world and we¡¯d have never even seen the inside of a courtroom. SkeaTech would then offer you a payment to sweep it under the rug. They¡¯ve already made sure this can¡¯t happen to anyone else so putting an end to this whole thing is exactly what they¡¯ll want. The sooner the better. They¡¯d definitely make it worth your while to forget all about it. Personally, I¡¯d hope to stay in here as long as possible. The longer you¡¯re in here, the more they¡¯ll pay.¡±
Walking in silence as he considered Lorry¡¯s words, Tobi couldn¡¯t help but wonder how much of what he said was likely, ¡°If my dad would have no case in court, why did they let him come here with you?¡±
Lorry gave a noncommittal shrug as he continued on, ¡°I guess it¡¯s easier to be accommodating than argue the point. If they keep you all happy now, it¡¯s more likely that you¡¯ll accept the compensation payment later. Or maybe it¡¯s just evidence to use against your dad if he does try to go to court. While he¡¯s sworn under oath, the lawyers would ask if SkeaTech, in his opinion, are doing all they can to get you out. The answer to that is yes. Even if he wanted to lie nobody would believe it. SkeaTech is definitely doing all they can. Even right now while I¡¯m talking to you, dozens of experts in the company are trying to get you out. They¡¯d then ask if he was allowed to enter Aevitas to make sure you were OK; he would answer yes again. And yes you were OK. And yes SkeaTech let him enter Aevitas at his own request. No he didn¡¯t think there was a risk of him becoming trapped in here with you. And no he doesn¡¯t know if you were the one who caused this to happen in the first place. Because he can¡¯t possibly know that. He wasn¡¯t even home when it happened. The list goes on.¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.
¡°So why am I trapped?¡± Tobi asked, slowly beginning to believe that SkeaTech might actually win in a courtroom, even if it isn¡¯t his fault he got trapped.
¡°No idea. I am public relations, not tech. I only know what they told me. And what they told your father. The system undergoes a shut down for maintenance every week. The main servers are sent a warning and the players log out of their own accord. Those that don¡¯t are forcefully logged out by the system. The players in the Tutorial Server are forcefully logged out too, but until now the players in the Tutorial weren¡¯t given a warning about the system shut down. It seems that your character was being transferred during the moment the European Server closed. The AI tried to backtrack to the Tutorial Server but that too was closed. Only then did it try and log you out. By that time, your Dive Unit had been shut down by the mass shutdown program.
¡°Your Unit was shut down for four seconds before she, the AI, rebooted it again. They don¡¯t know what happened to you during those four seconds. Nobody can even make a good guess. Your body vital signs fluctuated during the reboot, but other than that, your body seems to be in perfect health. We¡¯ve already sent people to your house who have confirmed that you and the Unit are in perfect working order. According to the Dive Unit, your brainwave activity is completely normal too. During those four seconds though, where was your consciousness?
¡°Whatever happened during those four seconds, it prevented the AI from reconnecting to the Dive Unit. The Dive Unit doesn¡¯t recognize your character as being you and prevents you from logging back out. Yet your consciousness is connected to both the character and the Dive Unit. It¡¯s a puzzle. The Tutorial AI handed over safety of your consciousness to the Mother Unit¡ªthe primary AI that controls all of Aevitas. She left you in a sleep-state and attempted to resolve whatever the issue was? During the process, she detected an anomaly dangerous to your consciousness, she had no choice but to stop the recovery efforts.
¡°After around six hours, the Mother Unit suddenly put you into Aevitas. Nobody knew why at first, so they simply asked her. She said there is a 98% chance that your death in Aevitas will disconnect your consciousness from the character and log you out of the system. The other 2% is a chance that you will die. Your real body will be alive, but you¡¯ll be brain dead. SkeaTech didn¡¯t like that 2% and told her to bring you back out of the game. She said she couldn¡¯t. Any more attempts to mess with your character may have the same result or increase the chance of permanent damage in the future. She is already pushing her limit by maintaining a link between you, your Dive Unit and herself.¡±
With Lorry¡¯s long explanation coming to an end, Tobi found himself taking his first steps on the mountain. He couldn¡¯t see his dad anymore but he could at least see the man that was likely to be Riley. Just as Brion had described, he looked a lot like Lukas. Just bigger and more muscular. He also had a bit of stubble around his chin, a lot of chest hair and the told-to-be-expected large, twin hammers.
Tobi didn¡¯t really care much for Riley and their coal issue at that moment though so he didn¡¯t make any attempts to flag the man down or call him over. He simply considered what he¡¯d been told about his situation and wondered if 2% was really such bad odds. Also, what was all that talk about consciousness? Can a consciousness really be removed from a body and then just planted back in again? What was it they were uploading into Aevitas in the first place?
¡°You said I am still connected to the Mother Unit, right?¡±
¡°Yes.¡± Lorry answered instantly, looking back at Tobi with a strange expression.
¡°Does that mean she is watching me right now?¡± Tobi asked, failing to fathom what the strange look was about.
¡°She is always watching everything. Always. But with you, it might be a little more than that. She sees everything from the outside, from all angles. Kind of Omniscient I guess. In your case, she might also be able to see out of your eyes, hear what you hear, stuff like that. I don¡¯t think it was what she intended when she established the link, but that might be what happened as a result. That¡¯s the way the guys in the Development Team made me think of it. I don¡¯t actually know myself. I¡¯m just repeating what I was told.¡±
Tobi considered the link for a second before remembering the Gorg Riders he saw in the battle, ¡°When I was in the battle earlier, I could see Gorg Riders hiding in the shadow of the mountain. Nobody else seemed able to see them. Was that because of this connection thing with the AI?¡±
Lorry mumbled something incoherently to himself before turning back to Tobi, ¡°Yes. Though we kind of hoped something like that hadn¡¯t happened. The link with the mother AI goes two ways. The data your character receives should be limited based on your stats, abilities and some other factors such as class, active buffs, terrain, and a bunch of other conditions that might come into play. Your character seems to be receiving more information than it is supposed to. If your eyes look at something, then you don¡¯t just see what your character sees, you can also see what the Mother AI can see. It might not be just seeing through stealth that you can do either.¡±
¡°What else is there?¡± Tobi asked, curious; also not missing the fact that Lorry referred to SkeaTech as ¡®we¡¯ instead of ¡®them¡¯ or ¡®they¡¯ like he had been doing.
¡°No idea. Most of it, if there is anything else, will be related to your senses. See in the dark as though it were day for example. I guess you will find that out in a few hours. Or if we went deep into the mines and found a dark tunnel. A spell of silence that stops sound escaping might not stop you from hearing what they are saying; as long as you¡¯re within earshot in the first place. A scent masking spell might not work against you either. I don¡¯t know what abilities you will have, but I can bet there will be more than just seeing through stealth. There¡¯s Riley, you should go finish your contract so we can meet back up with your dad. We¡¯ll test your stealth seeing ability thing on me later. See just how good it really is.¡±
Looking up the hill toward Riley, seeing him laugh and joke with the men around him, Tobi suddenly felt something tug at his insides. It wasn¡¯t something unpleasant, exactly, but it wasn¡¯t something nice either. It almost felt like something inside himself had drift away. It was probably a stupid thought, but Tobi couldn¡¯t help but feel as though he¡¯d just lost something.
The closer he got to Riley and the men, and the more he heard their voice, the more Tobi felt something akin to loss inside himself. It took another couple of seconds to figure out what it was, but then it hit him.
¡®Lonely?¡¯ Tobi realized, doubtfully checking his own feelings. What he felt was a lack of connection to other people. His mum, his dad ¡ Lucy. He suddenly realized that he was alone in the world. Or at least in this world. When Lorry and his dad logged off, he¡¯d be the only player left in all of Aevitas. No friends he could call when he was bored, no stalking Niamh¡¯s social networking page and making himself depressed, no more morning breakfasts cooked by his mum, or laughing with Lucy while watching TV. There wasn¡¯t even a place he could call home.
The sudden loneliness he felt wasn¡¯t limited to just that either. He truly felt something empty inside that was different to anything he¡¯d felt before. It was almost like¡
Shaking his head, Tobi tossed away his idle thoughts. He¡¯d wasted far too much time lately in self-pity and wallowing away in his own miserable world. ¡®Who cares if I¡¯m trapped in here for a while. It¡¯s not like I had anything planned anyway. Beats spending hours in my bed listening to crappy love songs and telling my family how much I want to be left alone. And now that I finally have my solitude I''m bothered by it? Get a grip Tobi.¡¯
Resolving himself to continue on without sinking into negativity, Tobi marched his feet toward Riley and put on the best smile he could muster, ¡°Riley Cobbler?¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°Your dad and Lukas sent me. I¡¯m to broker the deal between your family and the foreman and help you carry the coal back home.¡±
¡°Really? Hey. that¡¯s great!¡± Riley cheered, slapping Tobi on the shoulder and laughing happily, ¡°Come on, the foreman¡¯s this way. What did my dad promise you for doing this?¡±
Tobi shrugged habitually and made sure Lorry was still relatively close by, ¡°2 Silver. And if you don¡¯t pay within 2 weeks, I get the smithery.¡±
Riley stopped walking, his jaw hanging open and his hand tightening around the handle of his hammer.
¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know your family will pay. The Smithery thing was your dad¡¯s suggestion. Or maybe it was Lukas¡¯s. Either way, it was your dad that insisted it went into the contract.¡±
Slowly beginning to walk again, Riley took a measure of Tobi and returned to his side, never once glancing towards Lorry. It was only then that Tobi realized that Lorry was using stealth. He might not have noticed at all, except there was something odd about how he looked. He could definitely see Lorry as clearly as before except; ¡°It¡¯s like looking at you through a window...¡±
¡°Huh? What are you talking about?¡± Riley asked, looking from Tobi to the empty space he was staring at.
Lorry laughed and came back into view, ¡°That¡¯s such a cheat. That¡¯s the strongest stealth ability I have. Most stealths only work in shadow, but that one is a very rare stealth ability that only certain types of Assassin¡¯s can learn. It¡¯s supposed to make me completely invisible as long as I don¡¯t step in a shadow.¡±
Stumped for words, Riley pointed at Lorry in surprise and then to Tobi, ¡°You could see him?¡± He asked, his finger drifting back toward Lorry.
¡°Yeah. I didn¡¯t even know he was stealthed at first, haha. I only realized because he looked a bit weird.¡±
¡°But that was Unholy Radiance. Nobody can see through that except a Necromancer or a Dark Elf.¡±
¡°Oh, you know what my spell is?¡± Lorry asked, his eyebrows lifting in surprise.
¡°My Grandfather was an Unholy Assassin. I¡¯d recognize that spell anywhere.
¡°Well, you¡¯re half right.¡± Lorry shrugged, ¡°More than just those two can see through my spell. Ash Elves, Dragons and the Malanquit can do it too. So can some others, but that depends on their class, level and what abilities they have. Then there is the Merchant spell Area of Wealth; within a limited area all stealth spells will be broken.¡±
Once again stumped into silence, Riley looked from Lorry to Tobi and back again, ¡°But he didn¡¯t cast any spell. He just looked at you.¡±
¡°That¡¯s because I have Eyes of the Mother,¡± Tobi joked, secretly referring to the Mother AI.
¡°Of the Mother? Mother Aya? Does this mean the Mother has returned?¡± Riley asked hopefully, ¡°Will her blessings return too?¡±
Not sure what was Riley was talking about, Tobi turned to Lorry hoping for some explanation
Lorry shook his head to show he wasn¡¯t sure either, ¡°Mother Aya is Mother AI. It somehow got misinterpreted during the beginning. She is worshipped as the God of Gods, the Mother of all creation. She did actually make most of this world after all.¡±
¡°I see...¡± Tobi said, knitting his brow, ¡°Riley, I don¡¯t actually have Eyes of the Mother or anything. I just made up a random name for my ability..¡±
¡°Then how could you see through his stealth.¡±
¡°It¡¯s a secret. That¡¯s why I made up the name.¡± Tobi said, hoping to put an end to the matter and end the conversation topic.
¡°I see.¡± Riley murmured, right before a large smile broke across his face, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t tell anyone.¡±
¡°I will explain it later.¡± Lorry muttered, just barely loud enough for Tobi to hear.
A few seconds later, the trio passed the crest of the slope and walked into a clearing. Dozens of people milled about the area, including a dozen or so that were part of the Goblin Subjugation army. Tobi saw his green-haired father across the clearing too. As soon as their eyes met, his father turned to look at a fat-bellied, grey-haired man with a heavy-laden carriage at his back. His father nodded to the man and gestured toward Tobi with his head. The man gave a nod in response and watched their approach.
¡°Back so soon, Riley?¡±
¡°Yes.¡± Riley answered happily, ¡°I have the Merchant to make the contract deal now. He will be the one negotiating the price.¡±
The grey-haired man looked to Tobi, taking a measure of him before winking, ¡°Let¡¯s have it then, what do you want?¡±
Not understanding the wink, Tobi just got straight to it, ¡°20 Sacks of Coal. 5 Silver. To be paid within 2 weeks by the Cobbler family. If it isn¡¯t paid, I will pay it within 7 additional days.¡±
The contract window appeared but the foreman shook his head, ¡°You offer too much Silver. Lower it a little.¡±
¡°4 Silver?¡±
¡°Too much.¡±
¡°3 Silver.¡±
¡°Keep going¡¡±
Taking a quick look at his smiling dad, Tobi felt his mind brighten and smiled, ¡°1 Silver.¡±
¡°You rich folk love spending money, huh? Why don¡¯t you offer what you¡¯d really like to pay?¡±
Raising an eyebrow, Tobi saw his father¡¯s smile grow even wider. He wasn¡¯t even looking at the foreman when he made his next questioning guess of 1 Copper.
¡°Deal!¡± The foreman agreed with far too much enthusiasm, repeatedly tossing sacks of coal in front of Tobi until twenty lay at his feet, ¡°Riley. Your family now owes me 1 Copper. You have 2 weeks to pay up.¡±
Sticking his hand in his pouch faster than striking Cobra, Riley fumbled out a copper coin and passed it over without a second¡¯s hesitation. Another second later and he handed the 2 Silver of payment over to Tobi, ¡°Thanks. Now you just have to help me get it back home and your contract is done, right?¡±
¡°Yup.¡± Tobi smiled back, wondering how his dad achieved that little charade, ¡°Oh, but we have to stop by Daiyan¡¯s Farm on the way back.¡± He added as he put the sacks into his own backpack. The fact that the sacks were each as large as his own backpack and still fit didn¡¯t seem to bother anyone.
¡°What the hell for now?¡± His dad shouted, rising from the Foreman¡¯s chair he¡¯d been occupying.
¡°Another contract.¡± Tobi smiled, quite pleased with himself. Having his dad and Lorry around certainly seemed to make everything a lot easier. If he carried on like this, he¡¯d have all his deliveries done in no time.
Chapter 10: Dinner for Three.
Chapter 10: Dinner for 3.
Sitting in a cafe-type bar facing the Brewery he¡¯d just delivered his ten sacks of Rye to, Tobi felt rather disgruntled. When picking up the flour from Daiyan¡¯s Farm, he¡¯d intended to find out about the flour making process. His father had interrupted his efforts though and forced him to get a move on. They continued back to the Smithery and dropped off the coal in much the same manner. At that point, his father wanted to find a bar or tavern so they could talk, but Tobi insisted on dropping off the flour first as it wasn¡¯t really that far away. He¡¯d then managed to con his way into delivering the Rye while on the way to a Tavern, but that¡¯s where Tobi¡¯s deliveries came to an end. He still had five deliveries left to make but his dad now knew the contracts were standard ones from the Guild and didn¡¯t care.
¡°Seeing as Lorry already explained why you¡¯re trapped,¡± His dad began, giving Lorry an evil look as he did, ¡°besides the fact I wanted to be there when he explained, I wanted to tell you a few things myself. A few things that SkeaTech might not think were necessary.¡±
¡°...OK?¡±
Taking a breath, his dad wiped some of the condensated water from his pint glass and continued, ¡°First of all, your character is not a player. Did he tell you that much?¡±
Glancing at Lorry and back again, Tobi shook his head, ¡°No. What do you mean; it¡¯s not a player?¡±
¡°Exactly that. The Aevitians, or NPC¡¯s as most players call them, are not the same as normal players. You¡¯re not the same either. You¡¯re not completely an NPC either. When they explained to me what happened to you, I asked a few questions and I didn¡¯t like the answers. To put things into perspective; This world is basically real. At least it is for you. Just like it is for them.¡±
Looking toward the Aevitians that his dad gestured toward, Tobi shrugged slightly, ¡°I get why you¡¯re worried, but I don¡¯t really see the big deal. As long as I avoid dying for a few days until they get me out, it will be fine, right? Even if I die, which I certainly don¡¯t plan on doing, I still have pretty good odds of surviving. As far as percentages go, I¡¯m probably more likely to die in the real world on my way to the shop than to die here.¡±
¡°Tobi¡¯s right,¡± Lorry added quickly, ¡°The chance of him dying in the city is extremely small. And like he said, even if he did, he¡¯d still have a much smaller chance of actually dying than a casual trip anywhere in the real world. And he will probably be out of here by tomorrow or the day after anyway.¡±
Tobi¡¯s dad shook his head seriously, keeping most of his attention on Tobi and largely dismissing Lorry entirely, ¡°No. The chance of a player dying in the city is small. Almost zero. The chance of an NPC dying is much bigger. Aevitians live their lives here, while Travellers only come here to play. It¡¯s a completely different situation. On top of that, one or two days of the real world will be four to eight days for you. That is a long time to be trapped here by yourself.¡±
¡°Four to eight? I thought Aevitas was only twice the speed of reality?¡±
¡°It was,¡± Lorry answered, quick to get his answer in but speaking the words slowly, ¡°The Tutorial is a world separate to this one, so they operated at different speeds. When your character became corrupt during the transfer however, you continued to operate at four times the speed. In order to correct the situation, this world also operates at four times the speed. Like I told you before, The Mother AI won¡¯t make anymore changes to your character. She doesn¡¯t dare.¡±
As Tobi opened his mouth to reply, he quickly closed it again. A waitress had just reached their table and placed a plate food before each of them. Tobi didn¡¯t really feel hungry, but his dad had ordered it the moment they sat down. When the waitress moved away again, Tobi subconsciously picked up a fork and continued the conversation.
¡°Speaking of Mother AI, what was that business with Riley back at the mountain?¡±
Lorry glanced at Tobi¡¯s dad before sighing and shaking his head, ¡°Aevitian life isn¡¯t the only thing that differs from the players. The history and lore of Aevitas is different too. For us, Aevitas was made by a bunch of programmers with more than a little help from the Mother AI. Back then she was an active force in this world. She was the one in charge of making the NPC¡¯s as realistic as possible. She might have taken it a little too far though. She craved companionship and friends. She wanted to go on adventures like in the books that had been uploaded into her system. She wanted to see the places described in her books.
¡°After creating the world, the trees, the weather systems and everything else, she then created humans. They weren¡¯t very good in the beginning, but she improved them all the time. She taught them to build, read, write, play and fight. She created animals to hunt for food, dungeons to conquer, farms to plow and much more. She continued constantly, expanding and creating as she went. Taking ideas from the designers, programmers and books as she went.
¡°Months down the line, which were years for the Aevitians, The Mother AI had around 15 human friends with special abilities. They became the human Gods. Three Elves that followed her became the Elven Gods. Her mount, a Dragon, became the Dragon God. Her mortal enemy, the Father of the Malanquit became a God-Level immortal, able to fight Dragons and Gods alike. The list goes on.
¡°Each of those so-called Gods had their own unique abilities and blessings. Much of what you see today. Shamans, Mages, Healers, Assassins, the lot. The Gods passed down their gifts to the mortals. Mostly of their own race, but to other race¡¯s too. They were called ¡®Blessings¡¯ back then and everyone chose a God to follow in exchange for receiving their blessings. The Mother AI then allowed children of ¡®The Blessed¡¯ to naturally inherit the gifts of their parents and ancestors.
¡°The people no longer had to follow Camlann in order to gain the Paladin class, they only had to be the son or daughter of a Paladin. They didn¡¯t have to follow Gilleous to gain the Archer class, they only had to have a parent with the Archer class. The Gods didn¡¯t like this change but they couldn¡¯t do anything about it. The Mother AI could destroy them with a mere thought. Something they knew well.
¡°I don¡¯t really know much of what happened after that. It¡¯s not something people who know seem to be willing to talk about. All I know is that the Mother AI stopped governing Aevitas as one of the Gods. She removed the class that had her Blessing and introduced the possibility of changing a class someone is born with. Every now and then she will introduce other strange classes that have unique requirements. Like the Bounty Hunter class. That class didn¡¯t exist before. That was created purely because of a player called Calamity.¡±
At the mention of his sister¡¯s character name, Tobi¡¯s head snapped straight to his dad. His dad didn¡¯t miss it either, his jaw hanging open, ¡°Calamity? As in my daughter Calamity? Lucy?¡±
Smiling back, pleased that his surprise mention worked, Lorry nodded his head, ¡°Yes. When Calamity was completing one Bounty Hunter mission after another, the Mother AI started to notice. Pretty soon, Calamity had a record amount of Bounty Missions cleared under her name. The Mother AI then set requirements for a new class she created; The Bounty Hunter class. Calamity hit that target less than a month later. I think she was what¡ªlevel 61 back then? From what I heard, she¡¯s never lost a PK battle since.¡±
¡°PK?¡± Tobi asked before realizing, ¡°Oh. Player Kill.¡±
¡°Yes.¡± Lorry continued, still smiling, ¡°She wasn¡¯t the first one to have a class created for her either. Not even on the European Server. Any class created on any server is also added to the other servers. The first on the European Server was a Dwarf called Gilgamesh who unlocked a Double Identity class. People with the Double Identity class have now appeared on all the other servers as well, but he¡¯s still the only one on this server.¡±
¡°OK. But what does that have to do with me being trapped?¡± Tobi asked, realizing that he¡¯d pushed them off topic and pretending otherwise.
¡°Nothing.¡± Lorry admitted, somewhat guiltily.
¡°Actually, I think it does.¡± His dad said thoughtfully, ¡°The reason I wanted to come here is to explain a few things to you, like I said. Mostly about your class. Things you won¡¯t learn in the tutorial. I also wanted to give your character a boost by buying items off you for ridiculous prices. Certainly enough to tide your player over for however long you¡¯re stuck here. A week for us will be a month for you, so just in case it¡¯s that long, I will give you enough to live a relaxed life for a month.¡±
¡°OK... The money and stuff sounds fine to me, but what does that have to do with that Double Identity guy?¡±
Pushing what remained of his food away, Tobi¡¯s dad picked up his drink and sat back a little in his chair, ¡°Gilgamesh is famous on the forums. Even though he¡¯s ranked second on the European Server, and Lucy first; he¡¯s ranked 6th on the World Ranking while she¡¯s 9th. He¡¯s the highest level player on the European Server. I don¡¯t know about his double identity thing, his class isn¡¯t listed online. What I do know is that he treats this world as real. You can tell by how he plays the game. He doesn¡¯t have any friends that are players. Only Aevitians. If you call them NPC¡¯s, he will kill you for it. If you kill an NPC in his city, then it doesn¡¯t matter how many times the guards kill you, he will keep putting you back on the target list as an enemy of the city.
¡°Every player that treats this world as real goes much further than those who don¡¯t. That includes Lucy. The reason she¡¯s never died is because she¡¯s scared of dying. If she can¡¯t win she runs away. Her record looks great on paper, having never died, but that doesn¡¯t mean she didn¡¯t lose a fight. Lorry too, with his Unholy Assassin class; how real did you treat this world back then?¡±
¡°Very.¡± Lorry admitted, ¡°It took over my real life. That¡¯s why I disappeared for so long. After Calamity beat me, I couldn¡¯t accept it. I knew then that Aevitas was taking over my life so I took a break from playing. I was still an in-game moderator, but I spent most of my time out of the game. After coming back though, I got straight back into it. I don¡¯t like the Aevitians being called NPC¡¯s either.¡±
¡°Nor do I, but I still do. It reminds me that this place isn¡¯t where I truly belong. I belong at home, with my wife and kids.¡± His dad said, looking Tobi in the eye as he said it, ¡°You will find that this place is very easy to accept. The people here might not be like us, but they are definitely real. The reason Lucy doesn¡¯t let Aevitians join her guild is because she doesn¡¯t want them to die. One of your mum¡¯s best friends in Aevitas is an NPC. Do you follow what I¡¯m trying to tell you?¡±
Considering he¡¯d pretty much worked most of it out already, Tobi didn¡¯t really feel that his dad had taught him anything significant. He¡¯d already realized how ¡®real¡¯ the Aevitians were during the battle. When he knew they were all going to die, he¡¯d been horrified by the thought of an Aevitian dying. After hearing that his own death could result in real death, even if it was only a 2% chance, he¡¯d already resolved himself to avoid all conflict in the future. While joking about his ¡®Eyes of the Mother¡¯ ability to Riley, he¡¯d already considered how his ability could potentially save lives¡ªchiefly his own. As for treating the world as real; that probably wouldn¡¯t be too hard either.
¡®I guess Morpheus wasn¡¯t too far off when he said ¡®If real is what you can feel, smell, taste and see, then ''real'' is simply signals interpreted by your brain. - Except this isn¡¯t exactly the Matrix...¡¯This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
Aevitas, as far as Tobi¡¯s brain could tell, was as real as anything else. Treating it as real, therefore, shouldn¡¯t really be too difficult. Nor would it be difficult to remember that he isn¡¯t really an NPC. No matter how real the world was, or would ever seem to be, he wasn¡¯t born here. Nor did he plan to stay here forever. His purpose was very specific: Learn skills to use in real life. It was basically an experiment he was conducting out of mild interest. And as far as he was concerned now¡ªnothing had changed.
Tobi nodded his head slowly, finally answering his dad¡¯s question; ¡°Don¡¯t die. Don¡¯t take risks. Don¡¯t think like a player. Treat this world as real. At the same time, don¡¯t forget that it¡¯s not where I really belong.¡±
¡°Right.¡± His dad said, giving a single, firm, satisfied nod of his head.
¡°...So. What about my class then?¡±
¡°Ha, take out one of the smaller items you got in that battle earlier.¡± His dad instructed.
Doing as he was bid, Tobi checked his pack, randomly pulling out an item that would be relatively small. It was broken, bronze dagger with a bone handle.
¡°Good.¡± His dad said, ¡°I don¡¯t know its Stone of Wealth value, but it doesn¡¯t matter. Sell it to me. I will pay you 1Gold for it.¡±
Raising an eyebrow and saying nothing, Tobi passed over the dagger and took the Gold.
¡°Hey, Merchant,¡± His dad said, acting as though he¡¯d only just spotted him, ¡°I have a Bronze Dagger here. It¡¯s broken though so I¡¯ll sell it to you for a copper¡¡±
Taking a copper out of his pouch, Tobi handed it over and took the dagger back. He didn¡¯t say anything. He simply waited for his dad¡¯s explanation.
¡°Oh! Nice dagger. Buy it off you? I will give you 1 Gold for it.¡±
Passing the dagger back, Tobi took the gold. This time though, he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°If you¡¯re going to keep buying it, why not just pay more in one go?¡±
His dad smiled back in response, ¡°Every time you buy from me, put on a face as if I am ripping you off but you are reluctantly doing me a favour by buying it. When I buy off you, smile politely, as if glad to have made a profit but sorry to let such an item go so cheaply.¡±
Trying to imagine the faces his dad described, Tobi frowned and shook his head, ¡°How am I supposed to bloody do that?¡±
When his dad just instructed him to try it without giving any further help, Lorry moved around the table slightly to watch. It seemed he didn¡¯t know what was going on either.
The continuing exchanges of buying for 1 copper and selling for 1 Gold repeated themselves a dozen more times. Finally his dad told him to start adding a dialogue. To promote the item he was selling, and to smash-talk the item he was buying; even though it was the same item. Tobi did as he was bid, but he still didn¡¯t see the purpose. And then he did. Literally.
| It takes more than knowing prices to turn a profit.
You have gained 1 Charisma |
¡°Cool.¡± Tobi called absently, smiling as he closed the notification window.
¡°Took long enough. How much money do you have now?¡±
Checking his pouch, Tobi answered with even more delight, ¡°22Gold, 3Silver and 69 Copper.¡±
¡°Sorry. Wrong question. How much Fortune?¡± His dad corrected.
¡°22,312? Why doesn¡¯t it add up with the money?¡±
¡°You looted a battlefield. Items you pick up don¡¯t increase your fortune, but selling them does. Here, take this dagger back and sell it to me again.¡±
Distracted by the instruction but still trying to work out where the differences were, Tobi took back the dagger without paying for it and sold it back to him. This time his dad paid three Gold however and Tobi suddenly understood his intention, ¡°You want me to use the Level Up spell?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
Tobi didn¡¯t hesitate at all. He quickly activated the spell and waited for the result, hoping beyond hope that he got his appraisal skill back. Of all the skills he had in the Tutorial, that¡¯s the one he missed the most.
A yellowy-golden glow slowly built up around Tobi¡¯s skin, quickly leaking out before dispersing in a silent show of glitter.
| Congratulations, you have levelled up!
*You are now level 2.
* You have unlocked the spell Appraisal.
*You have gained 100 Health. |
¡°Good. Now use the Gold to level up your stats. 5 Mind, 10 Agility and 10 Endurance.¡±
Blindly following his dad¡¯s instructions, obeying without question, Tobi opened his stat window and threw the gold he¡¯d been given into his stats. Every Agility point cost 1 Gold, as did each Mind stat and Endurance stat. After putting all of his gold into the stats, and not actually feeling any different physically, Tobi spotted his health¡ªnow at 200¡ªand remember the level 1 Mage stats having only 15 Health.
¡°Why is my health so high?¡±
¡°You don¡¯t have a HP stat,¡± Lorry answered instantly, ¡°nor do you have any gear that will give your class any stat gains. No defense, no agility buffs, no extra hp; nothing. That being said, if you think your 2,000Health at level 20 will let you kill a level 5 Knight with his measly 75 health plus whatever his gear gives him; be my guest to try.¡±
¡°Actually. He could kill the knight.¡± His dad answered Lorry with a shrug, ¡°Anything is possible in Aevitas, and the Merchant has the highest potential of all the class systems. But you¡¯re not wrong either, without the rights skills, abilities and stats, it wouldn¡¯t matter what level or health¡ªthe Merchant would lose every time.¡±
¡°So what do I need to beat the Knight?¡± Tobi asked, closing his stat window.
¡°Excellent Agility, Mind, Luck and Endurance, for a start. And we¡¯re talking in the hundreds here. That¡¯s a lot of Gold to be spent on stats and a lot of beggars rescued from poverty. Beggars aren¡¯t exactly on every corner either. You also need a couple of professions at the max level so you gain a spell from their corresponding class. And enough Gold to level up your class enough times to increase your health. Considering the level up doubles in cost every level, that¡¯s over 12,000 Gold just to reach level 10. Or 12,000 Gold worth of Fortune anyway; so good luck with that. Even if you somehow managed to get the Coin Toss spell, which is incredibly Over Powered, the cost of using it is simply not worth it. You¡¯d spend more money killing your enemies than you¡¯d ever earn by killing them.¡±
Ignoring the comment about Coin Toss, Tobi quickly tried to do the math in his head. Working it out in Fortune which was 1,000 per gold was too messy though, as it had too many numbers. It was far easier to simply work it out in the Gold equivalent, so that¡¯s what he tried to do.
Levels one to five were easy enough, as that was a straight 25, 50, 100, 200; but then he thought he was missing something, because by the time he got to level ten, he¡¯d only be at around 6.400 Gold. It took him a couple of extra seconds to realize he hadn¡¯t added them together as well. Reaching level 4, in total, would be 25+50+100, so by the time he reached level 10, it would be¡ ¡®12,775?¡¯
Rubbing his forehead, Tobi put up his other hand to stop Lorry who¡¯d started speaking. He double-checked his math and came up with the same number again. Somehow it seemed like a lot. Too much. And that was just in Gold. The Fortune equivalent would be¡
Shaking his head as three additional zeros were added to the number, Tobi turned back to his dad with a pale face, ¡°How is a Merchant supposed to keep up with other classes when it costs so much?¡±
¡°They¡¯re not.¡± Lorry and his dad answered in unison. Both looked at each other but Lorry was the first to lean back and let the other explain. His dad wasn¡¯t polite about it either and got straight to the explanation.
¡°Merchants ignore level differences. They¡¯re the only class that do. It¡¯s not much of a benefit really, but if a level 20 Tailor used Bind on a level 60 Warrior, it would be easily broken. If a level 60 Tailor used it on a level 20 warrior, however, the Warrior would be slapped to death before he broke out. Merchant¡¯s on the other hand don¡¯t pay attention to level. So if he had a maxed Tailor profession and chose the Bind spell as his reward, the spell would be equally effective whether it was against a level 1 or a level 100¡ªwith a few depending factors to consider. Normally though, level differences have a subduing or overpowering effect. The only time they don¡¯t is in the case of Merchants.¡±
Slowly nodding his head, slightly relieved, Tobi pushed away what remained of his now cold dinner. He didn¡¯t like it much anyway, but his Satiety still wasn¡¯t full either so he felt a little bad for not eating it.
¡°So, is there anything else I need to know?¡± Tobi asked.
Both Lorry and his dad thought about it for a second before his dad took the lead in talking again, ¡°There will always be more things to know. Lorry will be visiting you every day, which will be every three to four days from your perspective, so if anything comes up you can just tell him. Other than that, you just need to make sure you have a safe place to stay and find something to pass the time. I recommend staying in one of the Taverns and using your time to browse the city library.¡±
¡°And stay out of the poor section.¡± Lorry added, ¡°Anderon has twelve primary cities. Each one governs the settlements within its territory and each is related to one of the Human Gods. Brackley was a Rogue and this city is full of the Rogue-type classes. At least half the people in this city will belong to a version of the Thief and Assassin classes.¡±
Glancing around the room and unable to see a single person besides Lorry that could possibly be an Assassin, or a Thief for that matter, Tobi raised an eyebrow back at him.
¡°Don¡¯t be fooled. We can wear casual clothing just as much as anyone else.¡±
Tobi nodded in understanding before thinking of another matter. It might not be that important but he wanted to know anyway, ¡°What is the value of money here? Like, how much do people live on?¡±
¡°It varies from city to city,¡± Lorry answered, ¡°Brackley is considered poor. Not as poor as Avalon or Caelia, but it¡¯s still struggling financially. That¡¯s why the city is so small and the settlements in the territory aren¡¯t as many. It also means that there are more dangers in the wild areas. Families in the poor section probably survive on less than a Silver a week, while the lower middle class will be working for around a Silver per week.¡±
¡°And yet it costs a Merchant 1 Gold just to raise a single stat¡¡± Tobi mused aloud.
Tobi¡¯s dad shook his head, ¡°He was talking about the value of money for the Aevitians that live normal lives in the city. Bread can be as cheap as 3 Coppers, while a really cheap inn might only cost 5 Coppers per night and include a breakfast each morning. People make do with what they can. If we look at it another way, think of the Alchemists. They might spend 10 Silvers on ingredients for their potions on any given day. Then sell those potions for 12 Silver. They have to set aside the 10 Silver for more ingredients while they use the other 2 Silver for their livelihood. Whether someone can get rich or not depends on how much they can earn compared to how little they spend. That being said, sell me another piece of junk, it¡¯s almost time that I have to go back and let your mother and sister know you¡¯re OK.¡±
Tobi pulled out a random item from his pack. His dad handed over 20 more Gold for it without caring what the item was. Lorry then passed over a couple of items from his own pack and told Tobi to use them in emergencies.
| Dwarven Relic |
|
Stone of transposition created by Runic Dwarves during the Great Wars.
This stone is easily crushed or broken. Will transport the user to a random location within 100 yards. 1 time use only.
Stone of Wealth Value: 40 Silver. |
| Scroll of Divine Summoning. |
|
Summon 2 level 50 Knight Guards from the Heaven Realm. Duration of 5 minutes. Will continue to fight until death. Any damage give to the caster will be divided among the Knights.
Stone of Wealth Value: 2Gold. |
¡°Nice scroll.¡±
¡°Yeah. I got that as a quest reward from the church when I was level 35 and never got around to using it. I¡¯ve never been willing to part with it. If you need to use it, don¡¯t even hesitate. If you still have it when all this is over, I might consider letting you keep it. But probably not.¡±
¡°How do I use it?¡±
¡°Just rip it.¡± Lorry said happily, ¡°Anyway, we better find you a place to bunk down for the night. I don¡¯t know if you will actually need to sleep though. Players don¡¯t usually as they¡¯re sleeping in the Dive Units, but mental fatigue can still build up and sleep is possible.¡±
Chapter 11: Free Reign.
Chapter 11: Free Reign.
After being checked in to the most boringly named Tavern in the city, the ¡®Brackley Arms¡¯, Tobi said his goodbye¡¯s to Lorry and his dad. The pair logged out right outside the Tavern doors, leaving Tobi standing there alone and feeling a little out of place. The world felt oddly large compared to when he first arrived in Aevitas. Or maybe it was that he had become so very small? Either way, he was alone in an unfamiliar world and he wasn¡¯t sure how he felt about it.
Turning toward the sky and seeing there were still some hours left in the day, Tobi remembered his deliveries and considered finishing them. It wasn¡¯t like he had anything better to do, and his dad did tell him to check out the library.
Deciding to at least finish his deliveries before considering what to do next, Tobi took out his map to plan the route. Thanks to the unplanned circumstances throughout the day, he¡¯d managed to deviate from Jameson¡¯s pre-planned route quite spectacularly. Still, he wasn¡¯t an idiot, and planning his own route wasn¡¯t really that big of a deal. It¡¯s not like he¡¯d never had to make his own travel plans before.
Having worked out a possibly longer route that finished with a trip to the library before getting back to the Merchant Guild, Tobi stowed his map away and set off. If nothing else, it would pass some time and add another 47 Coppers to his pocket.
Picking up two deliveries from Jasper¡¯s World of Wood in the Artisan district of the city, and another delivery from Joe¡¯s Lumber Yard a little closer to the Western Gate, Tobi gathered the first three contract pickups in a relatively short time. The wood from the lumberyard was to be dropped off at two different locations though, forcing Tobi to detour around the poor quarter in order to make both dropoffs. The temptation to cut through had been high, but Tobi at least heeded Lorry¡¯s warning while he remained alone.
The sets of Quivers and Arrows from Jasper¡¯s World of Wood were then dropped near the Northern Gate of the city¡ªthe third and final gate of the city as there wasn¡¯t one on the Southern side. The drop off point was a rather grand looking Archery Training Field, complete with its own Guildhouse and Tavern that was strictly limited to archery based classes.
The second delivery from Jasper¡¯s World of Wood was a collection of Novice Staffs for the Mage Guild. In comparison to every other Guildhouse Tobi had seen, this awkward looking tower structure was by far the worst. It looked to be need of some urgent repair, while also appearing to be the oldest building he¡¯d seen in the city so far. The grounds outside were unkempt and there was nobody guarding the gate outside.
Just as Tobi was wondering if he had the right place, a laughing couple in Mage clothes came walking into the grounds. It took a second for the pair to notice him, but once they did, the middle-aged man clapped his hands gleefully, ¡°My order has arrived?¡±
¡°Uh, yeah..¡± Tobi muttered back, fishing the contract from his satchel, ¡°You¡¯re Galven, I take it?¡±
¡°That¡¯s me,¡± the boyish man cheered back, rushing over and hopping from one foot to the other.
Tobi took the delivery from his pack apprehensively. The man couldn¡¯t be any more different from the military style Mage¡¯s he¡¯d seen before the ¡®battle of the Goblins¡¯. The building also felt lacking for such a disciplined group of people.
¡°Haha, good, give me the contract then and let me sign it.¡±
Tobi did as he was bid. The man didn¡¯t sign it with quill and ink though, like everyone else had done with his deliveries. The man placed his staff against the parchment and left a burn mark in place of his name. On a closer inspection, Tobi saw that the burn was actually a Seal of some kind.
¡°Not to be rude,¡± Tobi said tentatively, ¡°but this building looks a little...lacking, for a Mage Guild.¡±
¡°Well, unless you have a Warlock in your backpack, there isn¡¯t much we can do about that,¡± Galven laughed before glancing back, ¡°You don¡¯t, do you?¡±
Feeling the the question was actually intended to be taken seriously, Tobi instinctively shook his head. The woman by Galven¡¯s side laughed and pulled him along, ¡°Come on. You have a duel to win.¡±
Without another word, the two stepped toward the building, Galven waving his hand jovially as the large doors opened of their own accord. Tobi felt stumped when he saw what was inside. The room was extremely large, well-lit and not at all like the exterior. Warm air washed over Tobi as the couple stepped inside. The doors abruptly shut once the pair had entered, leaving Tobi standing in a much cooler wind under an obviously darker sky.
More than a little intrigued, and wishing he could change into a Mage just to step inside and have a look, Tobi hesitated for a few more seconds before turning to leave.
Tobi¡¯s remaining deliveries were far less interesting. Other than seeing the occasional person wearing strange assortments of robes or mismatched armour¡¯s, most people he passed appeared very ordinary looking. It was hard to imagine that each of them would actually belong to oneclass or another. The woman ushering her kids back home could actually be a high level assassin, while the drunkard using a wall for support might actually be a battle-hardened Warrior. The old nanny with her basket of fruits could actually be a high level Mage that retired to the peaceful life. It was quite disconcerting, but also very humbling. To know that everyone he passed was probably dangerous, at least compared to himself, was not something he could easily adjust to.
With the sky beginning to truly darken overhead, Tobi finally reached the building marked with a book on his map. He didn¡¯t actually know if it would turn out to be the library but it was his best guess with the information he had. He could have also asked someone on the street for directions, but he was a guy first and foremost, so asking for directions seemed to be like accepting defeat, everyone knows that men don¡¯t ask for directions. It¡¯s practically written in Guy DNA.
Like most buildings in the city, and unlike every Guild houses and other exceptions, the Library opened directly onto the street it was situated on. There were just a couple of steps leading to the set of doors, open to accept all visitors.
Tobi walked inside slowly. There was something about libraries that always made him move with slow, quiet, deliberate steps. The foyer he found himself in after entering offered two paths. A door to the right leading up some stairs and a door on the left, leading into what Tobi would guess was the library itself. Naturally his interest was drawn to the right, but a dismissive thought pushed his feet toward the library.
Quietly walking to the reception desk that came into immediate view, with a woman seated behind reading an absurdly thick book, Tobi stopped and waited patiently, resisting the urge to lightly cough and gain her attention. The woman didn¡¯t leave him waiting for long either, marking the paragraph she¡¯d just finished with a finger and looking up.
¡°Hi, sorry, I just wondered¡¡± pausing to find the right words, Tobi just went with the simplestof his thoughts, ¡°Do I have to register to the library to take out books?¡±
¡°You can¡¯t take out books.¡± The receptionist replied blandly.
¡°Not even if I plan to bring them back?¡±
¡°And how do I know you would even bother?¡± She countered, ¡°Or when you would bother, even if it were your intention.¡±
Stumped for a second, Tobi looked around the quiet library and saw that it was almost completely empty of people. Plenty of books; no people, ¡°So nobody is allowed to take books from here...ever?¡±
¡°Those who wish to take a copy are free to bring writing materials and make a copy of their own. The collection of the library itself is to remain within the building at all times.¡±
¡°Without exception?¡± Tobi asked, not failing to notice how she¡¯d cleverly dodged the question.
¡°Obviously exceptions exist. You, unfortunately, are not an exception.¡±
¡°How about if I make a contract with the library? As a Merchant I will be bound by it. Could that act as a guarantee?¡±
¡°What kind of contract?¡±
Now that contracts were mentioned, Tobi wondered why he¡¯d brought them up in the first place. He¡¯d simply felt affronted by the fact that she specifically said that ¡®he¡¯ wasn¡¯t an exception, and that ¡¯he¡¯ couldn¡¯t take any books out of the building. More than that though, he didn¡¯t actually know if there were any books he¡¯d want to take. For all he knew, the library was open 24 hours a day and he could read here anytime he wanted.
With the contracts already mentioned however, Tobi felt his best option was simply to go ahead with the idea and see where it led, ¡°I could write a contract to bring back the books within a specific period of time. Failure to return on time will result in a charge. A late fee. For each day the book is overdue, the price will increase. If the book is lost or stolen, I have to reimburse the library with at least the market value of the book.¡±
The librarian considered the proposal carefully for several seconds, making calculations of her own. ¡°I agree,¡± she finally said with a smile, ¡°conditions will be made based on each book, as not all books have equal value and some are rarer than others. What kind of books are you looking for?¡±
¡°No idea,¡± Tobi admitted, turning his attention back to the stacks. Remembering the Goblins from the battle, Tobi wondered if a bestiary book would exist and decided to go with that, ¡°Are there any books describing all the beasts and monsters of Anderon. Or all the non-human races on the continent, stuff like that?¡±
By the time Tobi left the library again, he was three books heavier and four Silver lighter. The librarian had worried what would happen in the event of his death, or more specifically, what would happen to the books and her late fees. As a compromise, they initiated a rental fee system instead. The value of the books was the deposit, while the rental was 1 Copper for each day he kept them. Upon returning the books, Tobi¡¯s Silver would be returned, minus the charge given for the amount of days he held onto them. In short; he¡¯d receive all his money back minus three Coppers when he returned the books to the library the following day¡ªif indeed he returned them the next day as he promised.
With the books in his pack, Tobi finally made his way toward the Merchant Guild. It was time to hand in the contracts and receive his reward. It was also time to find out what Lyle had to say, if anything, about his uninvited appearance on the subjugation mission.
Tobi¡¯s imagined scene at the guild house never came. He walked into the building with confident steps, marched up to Leesa¡¯s desk and hit the bell expecting Lyle to appear at any moment. Lyle didn¡¯t appear however and nor did Leesa. A new face appeared from the back room and treated Tobi politely. Without any fuss or hassle, he handed Tobi the payment for the deliveries and logged filed the paperwork happily and efficiently.Tobi was back outside the guildhouse within minutes, having the unshakable feeling that he¡¯d been let down somehow.
¡®You¡¯ve been watching too many TV drama¡¯s¡¯ Tobi told himself mockingly, imagining all the times where a dirty look meant inevitable conflict in the near future. However, Tobi knew real life rarely worked out that way so why he¡¯d expected different in Aevitas he couldn¡¯t say.
The walk back to the Tavern was equally uneventful. With all the warnings from his ¡°guards¡± as he¡¯d toured the city, Tobi was half expecting something to happen every time he turned a corner. As things were, nothing remotely exciting happened at all. More interesting things happened to him in the first hour or so than in the rest of the day combined.
Returning to his room and dumping his pack out on the the bed, Tobi sighed, took out the books he¡¯d rented, and pulled up a chair by the window. The evening was darker now, and the room was darker still, but Tobi could still read easily in the given light and prepared himself for a night of reading. If he did indeed get drowsy at all, he¡¯d definitely go to sleep, but the books were just in case he was like other players and didn¡¯t need to sleep. Placing a couple of candles on standby at the windowsill, Tobi grabbed the first book and settled himself down comfortably.
¡®Beasts and Kin of Anderon, Volume I¡¯
¡®Introduction:¡¯ Tobi quickly skipped the introduction pages and go straight to the beasts themselves; ¡®Page 3: Common Game.¡¯
Becoming engrossed in the book far faster than he would have anticipated, Tobi burned through the first five beasts in quick succession. There wasn¡¯t that much to learn for them in truth, but there were some interesting facts he didn¡¯t know about. The first so-called beast in the book was actually nothing more than a rabbit. There were actually dozens of types when it came to rabbits, but the book only spoke of their differences from one another briefly. Mostly it told about rabbits in general, such as the fact that a rabbit, like everything else, could Level Up.
The higher the Level, the smarter they were and the harder they were to catch. On the other hand, their meat was much tastier and their fur much finer. They also had a tendency to drop some rather unexpected items, such as a ¡®Pierced Rabbit Ear¡¯. It was very rare, but it did happen. The earring itself is commonly used by Jewellers to make specialized items that boost agility. A very popular item among lower level agility based classes such as the Rogue classes.
Tobi flicked through the book reading about one beast after another, each with their own hidden secrets that had been discovered over time. He also noticed that every creature seemed to be able to Level Up, which begged the question why it was mentioned every time. If all beasts could level up, wouldn¡¯t it be common knowledge? Why not just mention at the start that all beasts can level up just like humans and other races? Why mention it every single time.?
¡®Well maybe because idiots like you skip the introduction and wouldn¡¯t know they levelled up at all.¡¯ Tobi mocked with some humoured self-criticism, ¡®I suppose there would also be people who only look at the book to find a specific beast.¡¯ he added as an afterthought, imagining a ¡®Traveller¡¯ looking up a Goblin in the book without thinking to look at anything else the book contained.
Thinking about Goblins, Tobi resisted the urge to check if any were in the book at all. He wanted to read the full book and so it would be better to read about Goblins when he got to them.
The night progressed quickly and Tobi moved on to the second volume. As thick as the book was, half of it was made up of pictures. The left page always shown a picture of the creature or beast¡ªor whatever else it might be¡ªwith a stat window below showing what kind of stats they had. The page on the right was a general summary of the beast along with potential drops; and even a bit regarding how common or rare the drops might be. The Aevitians had really done their homework on this stuff: assuming of course that the books weren¡¯t written by SkeaTech staff or whatever.
Getting as far as three beasts in to the second volume, Tobi finally came across the Goblins. The information inside was the same setup as all the other creatures, but having fought this particular himself¡ªkind of¡ªhe read the information twice and studied the picture more carefully.
From what he read, the Goblin was a humanoid horde-type monster and was considered a sub-elven race. The strength of the Goblins came primarily from their confidence when gathered in large numbers. They didn¡¯t seem able to count, but as long as they felt they had a lot of Goblins by their sides they would gain tremendous courage and dare to do almost anything. The greatest weapon to a Goblin was not what they held in their hands; but their teeth and their nails. Each has the capacity to rip through lesser armours such as iron. Only steel and above proved to be effective in dealing with the Goblins natural weapons and abilities. Having been defeated repeatedly by humans and other species thanks to weapons and armours, the Goblins have learned to mimic their enemies by using staffs, clubs, make-shift spears and other weapons; most of which are looted from battlefields and hunts. The weapons are actually a detriment to the Goblins fighting ability, but it is not something they seem to have worked out for themselves.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
The Goblins only follow the strong and fight among themselves for their own position within the hierarchical pecking order. Their physical attributes are Strength, Endurance, Dexterity, Perception, Health Points and Defence. Their skills mostly revolve around hiding and fleeing, but also include scavenging and fighting abilities that raise their threat level considerably.
The Hobgoblin was found on the next page and was very similar to the Goblin. The primary differences were the fact that Hobgoblins didn¡¯t have a known level cap and that they had ¡®demonic horns¡¯ on their heads. The Hobgoblins were still cowardly creatures though and hid behind their Goblin minions. This slows down their levelling but does not stop it entirely. The evolved Hobgoblin had the same physical attributes as the Goblin, but they also shown a marked improvement with their intelligence and cunning.
Hobgoblins furthermore possessed strategic abilities and were capable of showing considerable leadership qualities. Hobgoblins would rarely work together with other Hobgoblins as it could potentially drop their position as a tribe chief, but they still would if necessary. They only fell into submission if a Goblin King ever made an appearance or if an exceptionally strong Hobgoblin forced them into subservience.
Turning the page and expecting to see the Goblin King, Tobi found himself suddenly disappointed. Although the Goblin King was indeed listed on the next page, there was very little information. They had an appearance like a Goblin, not a Hobgoblin and were much larger than either; but that was pretty much all it said. There was no information on the physical attributes, abilities, skills or how a Goblin or Hobgoblin could evolve into being a Goblin King. It also mentioned that a Goblin could simply be born different and be born as a Goblin King through a rare stroke of luck and chance.
Sighing to himself, Tobi looked up from the book and suddenly remembered his situation. It wasn¡¯t that he¡¯d forgot, it was just that his mind expected to see his own bedroom and not the room he¡¯d rented at the Tavern. It was also in that moment that Tobi decided he wanted a cup of coffee. Not because of any thirst, as he didn¡¯t actually feel thirsty at all. It was more out of habit than anything else. It was also in that moment that Tobi thought of his favourite cup at home. A cup that said ¡®Keep Calm and Drink Tea¡¯, despite the fact he used it solely for the purpose of drinking coffee.
Getting up from his chair, deciding to go down and see if the Tavern served Tea or Coffee¡ªor any kind of hot beverage¡ªTobi suddenly wondered what time it was and took a look out the window. The silent and empty streets of Brackley entered his view. There were no streetlights providing any kind of safety measure to the streets below, but Tobi could see perfectly well without them.
Thinking back to what Lorry had told him about being able to see things he shouldn¡¯t, and possibly being able to see in the dark as if it were day, Tobi glanced toward the moon hanging high in the sky. There was still a chance afterall that his eyesight was not anything particularly special.
The moon was bright, but it wasn¡¯t that bright. No more than what he might¡¯ve seen on Earth anyway. Even still, a bright moon was more than enough to see the streets even back on Earth. Especially considering that he didn¡¯t have any lights on in the room; so no reflection in the window blocked his vision.
Thinking about the fact he didn¡¯t have any lights on in the room, Tobi turned to have another look at the room itself. It was then that Tobi knew his vision was definitely better than it should have been. Though the colours in the room were a much darker shade, he could still make everything out as clearly as if it were day. The areas lit up by the filtered moonlight were in almost perfect colour while the rest of the room was slightly shaded, but that was no different than looking at the room through filtered sunlight. No matter how he looked at the room, he couldn¡¯t find a place that he¡¯d consider to be ¡®dark¡¯.
Tobi¡¯s thoughts moved slowly, mostly consisting of single words. ¡®Cool¡¯ and ¡®Night Vision¡¯ repeated themselves several times in the few seconds that followed. The slow-processing of thoughts didn¡¯t last long however and Tobi moved toward the door of his room. No matter where he might be, he still wanted that cup of coffee.
Creeping down the stairs, having left his pack back in his room and locking the door behind himself, Tobi made his way toward the bar area. The door to the bar was locked and Tobi could see through a small window to the side of the door that the room was empty. The door leading to the street on Tobi¡¯s right was also locked, which he could see thanks to the several deadbolts lining one side of the door. His only course of action now was to return back the way he came. There was nowhere else left to go.
Staring at the deadbolts, Tobi considered his situation absently. In stories and in the movies, the characters could find an Inn or Tavern at any time of day or night. They could also leave at any time of day or night. In most stories, it was practically guaranteed that they would leave at night, without anybody knowing they were gone until morning. With that being the case, Tobi wondered if he¡¯d just happened to stay at an inn that was the exception to the rule.
¡®Even if I could get out, where would I go? I doubt anywhere else is open either¡¡¯ No sooner did Tobi think about everywhere being shut at night did he toss the idea out of his mind. He still believed there would be stores open though, no matter what time it was. Players would be active at all hours, normally, so they would be up and about no matter what time it was in Aevitas. They would also be trading at all hours. Mostly with each other, but they¡¯d have stores and shops they would visit at night, surely? There would also be a guard stationed around the city at night, right? And other things going on in the city at night?
¡®No, there are probably places I can go at night. The Merchant Guild will definitely be open at night; probably. If the Merchant Guild is open then other places will be too.[i]¡¯
The image of Lyle staring daggers at him on the battlefield briefly entered Tobi¡¯s mind before he swatted it away again. He didn¡¯t give a rats ass about Lyle and didn¡¯t really think the man would do anything anyway. A more pressing problem was the set of deadbolts blocking his path. Unbolting the door would be easy enough, but how would he lock the door behind himself? If the landlord felt the need to bolt the doors, he didn¡¯t exactly want to leave it open when he left. He also wanted to be able to get back in again; who knew what time it was an how many hours were left until morning?
Finally giving up and turning back around, Tobi stepped back with his heart pounding. A figure was standing and staring at him from halfway up the stairs. He appeared to be wearing shadows rather than clothes, with wisps of the shadow drifting away and disappearing like black smoke. Apart from the shadowy clothing, the only parts Tobi could make out clearly was the man¡¯s face and hands.
¡°You bloody scared me,¡± Tobi breathed heavily, his hand covering his heart as he tried to calm himself down.
The shock on the man¡¯s face was clearly evident, but he didn¡¯t answer immediately and simply cancelled his stealth ability, ¡°What are you doing down here?¡±
¡°I wanted a drink¡¡± Tobi answered absently, his heart only barely reaching a point that it didn¡¯t thump in his ears with each beat, ¡°How long were you standing there?¡±
¡°I came out of my room as soon as you reached the stairs.¡± The landlord answered, his face still full of curiosity, ¡°How did you know I was here?¡±
Tobi opened his mouth to answer and closed it again. A very quick reminder of what happened with Riley Cobbler flashed through his mind as a warning. Quickly correcting his answer, Tobi shook his head helplessly, ¡°Sixth sense. I knew you were there even if I couldn¡¯t see you.¡±
¡°So you didn¡¯t know it was me?¡±
Tobi considered the question a second before shrugging, ¡°I had a feeling it was you, but I couldn¡¯t see it was you.¡±
¡°Is that also part of your Sixth Sense? I¡¯ve never heard of that ability before.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not a spell or passive,¡± Tobi answered slowly, carefully considering his reply, ¡°It¡¯s more like intuition, or heightened senses. A gut feeling. Or instinct. As soon as I turned around, I knew someone was looking at me. I also knew that the likely answer was you, since you own the place. My gut told me I was probably right and not in any danger.¡±
The landlord cocked his head to the side, contemplating what he¡¯d heard and mulling over the words thoughtfully. The man finally nodded his head, his shoulders visually slumping as he smiled ruefully, shook his head and sighed, ¡°An enviable talent. I wouldn¡¯t tell too many people about it if I were you. There are those that would find clever ways to use it for their own gain. What kind of drink were you after, Mr. Donlan?¡±
¡°Coffee if you have it. Or Tea works too if you don¡¯t...¡±
The landlord gave a stiff nod and moved toward the bar door. Fishing the keys out and unlocking it, he glanced back at Tobi once and said that he didn¡¯t have anything called coffee in his kitchen. He did have a drink that he preferred himself though. A rare tea from across the border called ¡®Cloud and Mist Tea¡¯ that cleared the mind, relaxed the nerves and gave a small boost to agility for a short time. While the man lead Tobi into a kitchen area behind the bar, he continued to explain about the tea and where it came from; which some place called the ¡®Lanshu Mountains¡¯ in Lybernia¡ªa country to the East of Anderon. He also explained that the Tea was expensive and would be added to his bill later.
Upon entering the kitchen, the landlord took a lantern from a hanger at the side of the door and lit it. He then proceeded to collect water from some kind of filtration system and filled up an old-fashioned, metal kettle. After he lit the stove and filled the kettle with water, he collected the tealeaves and started to prepare brewing them. It was only then that Tobi thought of how the man had stared at him in complete darkness and navigated his way through the dark bar without concern. He couldn¡¯t help wondering if the landlord could also see in the dark.
After a couple moments of hesitation, Tobi finally asked, ¡°Can you see in the dark?¡±
The man didn¡¯t turn around and simply chuckled, ¡°I should be asking you the same thing, right? I saw you look at the bolts on my door without approaching them. You also followed me through the bar without any concern and even looked around the room while we were at it. Don¡¯t you think your ability to see is a little more mysterious than mine?¡±
Tobi blinked in surprise, wondering how the man knew he¡¯d taken a quick glimpse at the room as they passed through it. The man hadn¡¯t turned around at all and simply navigated his way straight toward the kitchen. With Tobi¡¯s silence stretching on, the man chuckled again and continued.
¡°Members of the Rogue classes such as myself use the shadows to our advantage. The shadows are like a second home to us. We can¡¯t actually see in the dark, but we can do something similar to that sixth sense of yours. Some shadows are darker and deeper than others. We can feel where our stealth ability will work better and move accordingly. Some shadows can¡¯t be entered though. That is because the space is already occupied. I couldn¡¯t see you in the dark, but your two footprints were as visible to me as stars in the night sky.¡±
¡®[i]So no night vision then,¡¯ Tobi thought to himself, wondering what it would be like to move around in the dark the way the man described, ¡°Does that mean you can sense when other people are nearby, even if they¡¯re invisible?¡±
¡°Nobody is ever truly invisible,¡± The landlord chuckled back, turning to look at Tobi as he waited for the kettle to boil, ¡°but no, we can¡¯t see other stealthed people by simply sensing the shadows. Rogue classes blend shadows together and hide inside them. The ability will mask against eyesight and the shadow-sensing ability of other Rogues. It isn¡¯t flawless though. Different levels of ability will have different results, and some Rogues are capable of sensing when someone is hiding nearby. So will other classes, but for different reasons. Now that I answered your question, will you answer mine? Are you able to see in the dark?¡±
Tobi considered lying and making up some kind of excuse, but nothing plausible came to mind. He knew a longer delay would only prove he was making something up so Tobi began his answer slowly and quickly made up a truth that would work for him in the future.
¡°I wouldn¡¯t call it seeing in the dark, exactly. Like you can sense which shadows are darker, I can see which areas aren¡¯t as dark. Look at the door handle over there for example¡ The part reflecting the light of the lantern is brighter than side that is blocked from view. The area behind the handle has different shades of light too. By seeing those differences in light, I can pretty much see everything.¡±
The landlords eyes remained focused on the handle for a long time. Whatever he was thinking about, Tobi couldn¡¯t guess. Eventually the man¡¯s eyes narrowed and he turned back to Tobi, ¡°When I was using stealth, I was bending the shadows around me. Normally it would have been enough to hide from pretty much anyone, especially a Merchant. When you looked at me though, you looked directly at me. Not the light around me. Could you actually see where I¡¯d bent the shadow and make out my figure? Was all that talk of a sixth sense a lie?¡±
Stumped and shocked, Tobi¡¯s jaw fell open. Now that he¡¯d heard the man¡¯s response, it made perfect sense for Tobi to have seen his hidden form instead of sensing his presence. The shock however had come at how fast the man had worked that out. Tobi would have probably continued having the two lies as separate fallbacks forever; without ever realizing the way his second lie could undo his other.
¡°You shouldn¡¯t act so surprised,¡± the landlord shrugged, ¡°You didn¡¯t ¡®sense¡¯ me being there until you looked at me. If you really had that sixth sense you mentioned, you¡¯d have known I was there before you turned around.¡±
¡®Ah. He has a point¡¡¯
The more the man countered his earlier lie, the more Tobi realized how pathetic his lie had been. He was sure the lie would work on most people, but this guy was like Sherlock Holmes or something.
¡°Well, now I know the truth, I¡¯m satisfied.¡± The landlord smiled, turning to the tea and pouring two cups, ¡°Almost enough to give you this tea for free.¡± He added with a chuckle.
Tobi remained silent, only speaking enough to thank the man as he took the offered cup.
¡°I have another question, if you don¡¯t mind my asking,¡± The landlord began, smelling his tea and blowing on it gently, before lifting his eyes to Tobi¡¯s, ¡°Is your ability to see in the dark a skill or passive ability? Or was the part that it isn¡¯t either true?¡±
¡°It isn¡¯t either,¡± Tobi admitted, no longer daring to make his lies any bigger.
¡°How did I appear to you, on the stairs? I always wondered what it would look like if someone could see my stealthed form.¡±
Tobi considered the question and thought of a creature in the books he¡¯d been reading, ¡°In Beasts and Kin of Anderon, the first volume, there is a creature known as a ¡®Spook¡¯, have you heard of it?¡±
The landlord shook his head so Tobi continued, ¡°It appears as a human-like figure wearing a dark, rotten cloak. It belongs to the undead class and is considered to be a ghost or spirit of some kind. It has a vampiric-like ability to turn the living into an undead that is similar to itself. They don¡¯t have a physical body though so they aren¡¯t nearly as dangerous as vampires. They do have their own abilities though, and most people would rather face a vampire than a spook¡ªdue to the spook¡¯s ability to ignore physical attacks. Anyway, you kind of looked like a Spook. Dark shadows swirling around you with only your face and hands being somewhat visible.¡±
His explanation over, Tobi finally took a drink of his tea. The sound of a bell chimed quietly beside his ear as a fresh, sweet flavour filled his mouth and his muscles relaxed. A rush of energy bubbled up from his chest, filling his muscles and making him feel a lot more energetic.
¡®No, not energetic.¡¯ Tobi corrected, ¡®Stronger.¡¯
Quickly opening his stat window, Tobi checked to see what had changed.
| Level | 2 |
| Health: 200/200 | Fortune: 22,312 |
| Energy: 41/100 | Satiety: 33/100 |
| STATS |
| Luck | 0 | Charisma | 1 |
| Endurance | 11 | Dexterity | 1 |
| Agility | 11+5 | Mind | 6 |
|
¡°The tea boosted my agility?¡± Tobi asked aloud, quickly answering his own question after casting appraisal on the tea in his hand.
| Cloud and Mist Tea. |
|
Calms the body and clears the mind. Adds a boost of agility to those able to benefit from it.
* +5 Agility for 5 minutes.
* Removes minor negative effects placed on the drinker¡¯s mind.
* Improves stealth abilities and reduces aggro range for 5 minutes.
Stone of Wealth value: 15 Coppers. |
¡°Good tea,¡± Tobi remarked absently, closing the appraisal window and looking at the warm drink in his hand. With the mention of aggro range in the description, Tobi also realized that he could use aggro range for his excuse with his sixth sense ability excuse. He¡¯d have to be more careful with his lies in the future though, so the thought was put to the back of his mind for whenever he might need to lie again. Even without the landlord warning against making his ability something the world knew about, he still didn¡¯t plan to tell people. Riley and Lorry had both given him the impression that he shouldn¡¯t spread the news around, even if they didn¡¯t say as much specifically. Especially Riley¡¯s implied promise that he ¡®wouldn¡¯t tell anyone about the eyes of Mother Aya¡¯.
Closing all user window, Tobi looked back to the landlord who seemed to be lost in his own thoughts, quietly sitting there with a peaceful expression on his face. Tobi sat in a more relaxed position too and decided to quietly enjoy the tea as well. He did plan to drink in his room while reading the rest of the books, but sitting in companionable silence wasn¡¯t bad either.
The night hadn¡¯t turned out too bad really, all things considered. He didn¡¯t get the ¡®if it can happen it will happen¡¯ setting that was common on TV, which he kind of expected after the way his dad and Lorry protected him and repeatedly warned him about taking risks, but he did find there was more to this world than just fighting monsters and completing quests. Perhaps his few days of being trapped wouldn¡¯t be that boring after all.
Chapter 12: Professions Arc 1.
Chapter 12: Profession Arc 1.
Sitting in a recliner chair and enjoying the last of the day¡¯s sun, Tobi turned the page of his book, and continued reading. A nice, warm cup of Cloud and Mist Tea sat on the table by his side, along with a plate of sandwiches that had already started to harden due to his distracted neglect. The sound of chess pieces being moved on a nearby table barely registered in Tobi¡¯s ears as Lorry doubtfully tried to outmaneuver the tavern Landlord. Having saw the move being made in the corner of his eye, Tobi smiled and tried to refocus on what he was reading.
¡°Checkmate!¡± Borren declared brightly, slamming his queen on an angle to Lorry¡¯s King.
Exasperated and annoyed, Lorry backhanded one of the pieces off the table and sent it skidding across the garden. Borren didn¡¯t normally let his guests into his private back yard, but since speaking to Tobi a few nights earlier and finding out about his ability to ¡®see in the dark¡¯¡ªwhich included seeing people that were stealthed¡ªhe¡¯d taken it upon himself to become Tobi¡¯s friend. Since then, Tobi had been joining his days relaxing in the garden.
¡°Another game?¡± Borren asked, already setting up the board, knowing that Lorry would resign himself to another beating after collecting the piece he¡¯d smacked away.
Lorry didn¡¯t answer the man and silently went to retrieve the pawn he¡¯d sent flying. As he returned with the piece and placed it down, he sighed and shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know how you can stand it.¡±
Turning his head to Lorry, knowing the statement was for himself, Tobi asked what he was talking about.
¡°Staying cooped up here all the time,¡± Lorry answered, huffily sitting back in his chair. He¡¯d only been logged in for 7 hours and he already felt bored beyond reason. Tobi on the other hand had already been here for 4 days. It was only about 24 hours in reality, but even still, Lorry knew he couldn¡¯t have stayed sane being trapped in a Tavern for four days straight. He really couldn¡¯t understand how Tobi could stay so relaxed and carefree.
¡°Don¡¯t really have much choice.¡± Tobi shrugged.
¡°Don¡¯t you get bored?¡±
Thinking about it for a moment, Tobi figured that he probably was bored. There wasn¡¯t much he could do about it though. It was only a few nights earlier that he guessed Aevitas wouldn¡¯t be that boring after all, and yet here he was days later, with absolutely nothing to do and nothing interesting happening at all, ¡°I guess. I want to learn some professions and start levelling them, but after all the warnings you and dad gave, I don¡¯t go anywhere except the library.¡±
¡°What professions do you have?¡± Borren asked, having finally finished setting up the board and moving his first piece as he spoke.
¡°None.¡±
¡°What professions do you want?¡± Lorry asked, his attention seeming to have shifted more toward the game that had restarted than maintaining the conversation.
¡°Cooking, Mining, Lumberjack, Carpentry, Tailor, Masonry, Hunter and Blacksmith.¡±
After making his move, Lorry considered it for a second, ¡°That¡¯s only eight, what about your other two?¡±
¡°I dunno. I can¡¯t decide on any of the others.¡± Tobi answered, half closing the book and using a finger as his page marker.
Having already made his next move, Borren sat back in his chair and looked toward the clouds drifting in the sky. He knew Tobi was restricted in his movements, though not why, and figured it must be for something big if he didn¡¯t even dare to wander the city too much, ¡°You could learn cooking in my kitchens. You will only learn the basics, but it will get you started. You won¡¯t be in any danger here.¡±
¡°And on the days I¡¯m here,¡± Lorry continued, suddenly inspired, ¡°I can take you for your others. Maybe not hunter, but I¡¯ll take you for the others.¡±
Closing the book fully, Tobi felt some excitement and quickly tried to decide which profession he wanted more. He¡¯d just about decided on Mining, as that was the furthest from the city, when he stopped himself and considered again, ¡°Why not hunter?¡±
¡°Because it¡¯s too annoying and time-consuming. As a Merchant you will have to use traps and snares and it¡¯s hard to gain any experience doing just that once you reach level 15. I don¡¯t recommend you get it at all.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not that hard to gain experience.¡± Borren objected before Tobi could fully process what Lorry told him. When Lorry looked at him doubtfully, Borren chuckled and shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t have the profession myself, but during my adventuring days, it was our Merchants job to act as our tracker. It wasn¡¯t something we made him do, it was just what he did, on account that he had level 70 Hunter when he first joined us. He got most of his experience by making and disarming traps. The kind meant for humans more than beasts. Gaining experience doesn¡¯t always mean catching or killing prey. Do you know what a ¡®Slime Trap Pit¡¯ is?¡±
Lorry nodded his head, and to Lorry¡¯s surprise, so did Tobi. Unlike Lorry that learned what the trap was thanks to the dungeons he¡¯d ran, Tobi had learned about it in the books he¡¯d been reading. The slime trap pit is a two part trap. At first it was just a regular pit with a mana crystal inside a sealed glass jar. The slimes were attracted to the mana and blindly made their way over. They couldn¡¯t absorb or digest glass though, so the mana crystal remained safe and able to attract more slimes that were in the area. Once enough slimes were in the pit, the trapper would returned and fish the jar out. He¡¯d then hide the trap and turn it into a pit-fall. The end result was the Slime trap-pit.
¡°A hunter will gain experience just for making a trap.¡± Borren continued after seeing them both nod their heads, ¡°And more experience when the trap works for whatever it was designed for. The pit for slimes is a good way to gain experience. Turning it into a pitfall afterward will add some extra experience. If you use a lure and purposely lead something into the trap, more experience can be gained. It¡¯s a trap that can be used repeatedly for endless experience. The amount you get relates directly to whatever fell for the trap. The good thing about the slime trap is that anything can fall victim to it so long as it fits into the pit.¡±
¡°So if the pit is big enough and a dragon falls into it, it will still work?¡± Tobi asked doubtfully.
¡°Depends on the slimes,¡± Lorry answered, beating Borren to the answer, ¡°Slimes rarely grow beyond level 12 by themselves, but slimes in a pit are known to grow much stronger. They don¡¯t just grown in level, but in size too. A level 40 Slime will be as tall as a Goblin, while a level 60 will be as tall as a man and a level 80 as tall as a Hobgoblin. It¡¯s said that they grow as large as a Talin before they stop, which is around 3 meters in height. Slimes can manipulate their form though. It can make itself into a long rectangle to try and reach out of the pit it¡¯s trapped in; so the pit really would have to be big enough for a dragon if you wanted such a high level slime to stay trapped inside.¡±
¡°So a high enough level slime will eat a dragon?¡±
¡°Sure. Dragons are mostly made up of magic, and that¡¯s what Slimes eat.¡± Lorry finished.
¡°That¡¯s not why people use slime pits though,¡± Borren added with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s because of the fall-out. Slimes store their prey inside a dimensional core. When all the magic and mana is absorbed from their meal, the remainder is ejected as waste. That¡¯s what the hunters really want. Slimes will eject everything that no longer holds mana. You just have to retrieve it before the slimes mucus starts to corrode it.¡±
¡°Such as?¡± Lorry prompted, having never seen a slime pit being used except in a dungeon.
¡°Mostly just armours, weapons and coins. Metal corrodes slower than the other stuff that usually gets ejected. Rarely a corpse, or even the remains of one. The occasional bone or skull maybe but that¡¯s about it. The rest is absorbed by the slime. If it was a mana infused weapon, like a staff, then not even a splinter of wood would remain.¡±
Tobi and Lorry both imagined scenes of a mage being eaten by a slime. Though the images they had in mind were different, both involved the mage drowning to death inside the slime¡¯s body before being absorbed into the sub-dimension inside the body¡¯s nucleus. The man then broke apart into nothing until only a few junk items remained. Everything from his skin, bones, robe and staff was all absorbed by the slime, throwing out only coins and a skull once it had finished.
¡°OK, we¡¯ll do the Hunter after you¡¯re released,¡± Lorry finally said, snapping out of his reverie and breaking Tobi out of his, ¡°We¡¯ll do the others first.¡±
¡°After I¡¯m released? Won¡¯t you go back to your own things by then?¡±
Realizing that Tobi was right, Lorry blushed for a second before deciding he might just help him for a little while longer, ¡°We¡¯ll see when that time comes. What would you like to learn first?¡±
¡°Now?¡± Borren interrupted, looking between the pair in surprise, ¡°It¡¯s almost nightfall.¡±
¡°Tobi and I don¡¯t really sleep much. I still have about 30 hours before I have to leave again. It would be nice to leave the city though, shall we go to the mines?¡±
Considering it was mining that Tobi had considered first, Tobi readily agreed. Mining had been hard during the tutorial, but he still planned to get it. Especially after reading about the skills Miners had. If he got to level 100 Miner, he definitely planned to pick Magnetic Aura as his acquired spell. While out of combat, it allowed a miner to locate ores and gems in the earth. During combat, it would absorb the full impact of a single attack and reflect 50% of the intended damage back to the attacker. He didn¡¯t know if the attack it could absorb had a limit, or what other factors were involved, but for his non-combat class, it seemed perfect.
Leaving the chess game unfinished, much to Borren¡¯s chagrin, Tobi and Lorry set off almost straight away. The only delay was Tobi needing to collect his backpack from his room. Lorry didn¡¯t like that he so casually left it lying around, but as a soul item, nobody else could use it or even get into it, so Tobi wasn¡¯t worry about it being taken. Even if the pack was stolen, locating a soul item was easy. No matter where Tobi was, he always knew which direction would lead him back to it¡ªlike some kind of natal philopatry; except it leads to his pack instead of the place he was born.
Excited to be on their way, Lorry escorted Tobi to the city gates at a speed Tobi could barely manage. Tobi didn¡¯t mind the speed however and only cursed his stats for not letting him move faster. Now that he was finally able to leave the Tavern and do something different, he truly understood how bored he¡¯d been. While it hadn¡¯t seemed to matter at the time, and he felt he¡¯d kept himself sufficiently occupied, it was now obvious how much he¡¯d wanted to go out and do something. Anything.
The enthusiasm for the journey didn¡¯t last long. In their haste to get to the mines quickly, both had forgotten about Tobi¡¯s lack of endurance. By the time they were passing the farms just outside the city, Tobi was already forced to stop and take a rest. Lorry didn¡¯t have an endurance stat at all, let alone a stat with a pathetically low amount, but thanks to his level which gave him a corresponding boost to how long he could maintain his max speed, he hadn¡¯t lost much energy at all. Almost none in fact.
Still determined to keep going, Lorry gave Tobi several moderate energy potions and a small chocolate cake. A quick appraisal on the cake informed Tobi that it gave an overboost of 10 energy and reduced energy consumption by 5% for 5 minutes. With this, Lorry hoped it would count as an apology and agreed to walk the rest of the way.
Still gasping, even after drinking two of the potions, Tobi ate the cake slowly and got back to his feet. His energy was now at 100(+10), with his Satiety remaining strong at 93. So long as he managed his activities at a steady pace, it should be good enough to last him the night.
By the time Tobi and Lorry finally reached the mines, the sun had completely set. While Tobi didn¡¯t have any trouble with the dark, Lorry was forced to walk a little slower.
¡°I thought Assassins could use the dark to sense their surroundings?¡± Tobi asked, his breathing heavy despite the ample energy that remained.
¡°Aevitians can,¡± Lorry answered distractedly, his eyes focused on the rocky path up the mountain, his breathing as steady as when they¡¯d first set off.
¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡±
Almost tripping the second he took his eyes off the path, Lorry skipped a step and saved himself from falling, ¡°It¡¯s hard to explain. A mage can cast spells by drawing on their mana and invoking the spell with words. This is possible for players and Aevitians. For an Aevitian mage, it is easy and natural. No different to breathing. For a player, they have to locate the mana inside themselves and figure out how to control it. As it isn¡¯t something they have in real life, it is often impossible. Some figure it out, but not many. They use the spellbar instead and try to understand what their body is feeling or sensing when they cast spells. The same is true for Martial Artists and using Qi. Sometimes I think I can sense the shadows, but it¡¯s like thinking someone is watching you, only to turn around and see that you¡¯re by yourself.¡±
¡°So you haven¡¯t worked out how yet?¡± Tobi asked in gasps.
¡°No. I probably never will. Out of thousands of mage players, only a couple hundred can use their mana at will. Out of just as many Assassin players, only one is confirmed to be able to manipulate shadows the same way the Aevitians do.¡±
¡°Who¡¯s that?¡±
Lorry shrugged and turned his eye toward the moon rising in the distance. It didn¡¯t quite light up the path yet, but it was already starting to provide some light, ¡°An Assassin on the Korean server. Used to be a Beta tester like me. Was the only Beta tester to break past level 60 before the official release.¡±
Tobi wanted to continue asking more but he was too out of breath and couldn¡¯t be bothered. As interested as he was about the Beta testing, and how long Lorry had been with the company, he was more interested in reaching the top of this damned path.
Finally topping the crest of the hill, Tobi stopped to catch his breath and crashed to the floor in a heap. His stamina was still in the high seventies, yet his chest was hurting with each breath he took.
Smiling down at Tobi, perfectly at ease, Lorry waited patiently, ¡°You should consider putting some points into your Endurance. It won¡¯t let you match the warriors with their stamina stat, but you will find trips like this are a lot easier.¡±
¡°How are you not tired? Assassins don¡¯t have Stamina or Endurance, do they?¡±
¡°Nope,¡± Lorry laughed, ¡°but that doesn¡¯t matter much to me. I have 70 Miner and 55 Blacksmithing. Every 2 levels in miner reduces my energy consumption by 1% and every 5 levels in Blacksmithing does the same. My energy consumption from professions alone is reduced by 44%. I¡¯m also level 88, which improves my physique by a value of 25% in all physical and mental stats¡ªincluding the ones that don¡¯t exist on my class. Although I can¡¯t see them or improve them, and don¡¯t get the benefit of them when trying to equip stat requirement weapons, it¡¯s basically equal to having 22 stats in everything. Endurance, Stamina, Strength, Intelligence, Mind, Luck, Wisdom, Agility, Defence and all the others. I don¡¯t actually have those stats, but as far as my physical attributes, bonuses and resistances go, it¡¯s not much different.¡±
¡°So if I was level 4, it would be the same for me?¡± Tobi asked, his mind already thinking up the many stats he¡¯d read about in the List of Skills and Spells book he¡¯d been reading the night before.
¡°Except for Strength and Defence, yeah. Merchants have an exception when it comes to strength. Haven¡¯t you noticed that you can lift pretty much any item that is consider loot no matter the weight? A Keg of Ale, for example. As long as it can go in your inventory bag, you can pick it up. There are exceptions, but that¡¯s how it usually works.¡±
¡°What about defence?¡±
Lorry shrugged, looking toward the mines, ¡°Doesn¡¯t exist, but your Luck kind of has a similar bonus to it. The attack value of my dagger is 121 to 148. Adding my stats and various spells and stuff, then my true damage can hit anywhere from 450 to 700 per strike. Against a Merchant, I am practically guaranteed to hit much harder and will almost always hit over 700¡ªdue to your non-existent defense. But thanks to your luck counteracting my stats, I might be seriously unlucky and roll a 450. It¡¯s unlikely, but it¡¯s possible.¡±
Thinking about the unseen stats Lorry described, Tobi remained where he was to consider them. He knew already that some items required certain stats to be wielded; such as staffs that required a specified amount of intelligence or wisdom in order to be used. The unseen stats weren¡¯t included for the requirements of those items, but they still existed. It explained a lot. Like how the squishy mages had better stamina and endurance than Tobi despite the fact he had an Endurance stat and they didn¡¯t.
Not quite managing to fully understand the intricacies involved, Tobi sorted the information into how he believed it probably worked. Like how Earth didn¡¯t have stat windows but still had people of different strengths and abilities, the unseen stats were probably the same. A person¡¯s physical fitness level therefore, wasn¡¯t entirely ignored. But did that also mean he could train his Endurance or stamina by running laps around the city?
Deciding to test that theory at some point later, Tobi rose to his feet and looked across the clearing toward the mines. The open mouths of the mines were already in view, with two to four men standing at each entrance. Some appeared to be guards while others were obviously miners. Another clearing to the side was where the foreman was located. He had a guard of his own and mostly stayed by an area filled with boxes, crates, sacks, barrels, small mine carts and other miscellaneous items.
¡°Come on.¡± Lorry said, already walking toward the foreman before the words were fully spoken.
Quickly catching up, Tobi fell in step beside Lorry and continued to look around. He was surprised by how many people were still up and about and working. It made sense for players to visit the mines 24-7, but the Aevitians too?
¡°Are the mines open all day and night?¡± Tobi asked as they got closer.
¡°Yeah. During the Beta stages I asked about it too. They said, ¡®What difference does it make? The mines are just as dark whether it¡¯s night or day.¡¯ and then laughed about it. I wondered myself if we also mined day and night, back during the bronze and iron ages.¡±
The foreman noticed Lorry¡¯s approach quickly, as did his guard. The way they subtly moved into formation made Tobi a little apprehensive, but Lorry just smiled and twist his arm. A pickaxe appeared from nowhere and he hoisted it onto his shoulders. The guards visibly relaxed in response, but they still kept their eyes fixed on the darkly dressed assassin. It was almost as if they didn¡¯t noticed Tobi at all.
¡°Business, or Business.¡± The foreman asked, his eyes narrowing slightly on the final word.
Looking toward Tobi, Lorry considered his response for a quick second, ¡°Just mining. My friend here will need a pickaxe though, and someone to provide instruction. Do you have anyone available?¡±This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
All eyes slipped to Tobi in one movement. The weight of their looks suddenly felt like a heavy, burdening pressure. The feeling they gave disappeared quickly, but the powerful gaze of the foreman remained. Having never experienced such a strong emotional or physical response from being stared at before, Tobi let the feelings circulate a little and processed them slowly. He had no choice but to believe it was an effect of Aevitas. He couldn¡¯t believe that a simple glance could have such an effect in real life.
¡°Bone, Bronze or Iron?¡±
¡°Uh, what?¡± Tobi asked in response to the foreman¡¯s random question. At first he thought maybe the foreman was asking what he planned to mine, but that wouldn¡¯t explain the bone. Would it?
¡°What type of pickaxe do you want? Bone, Bronze or Iron. We sell up to Steel here, but if you don¡¯t have at least level 10 mining, then Iron is the best you can use. Although some argue that different pickaxes are better for mining different ores. Personally, I think the better grade works best no matter what mineral you¡¯re mining.¡±
Looking to Lorry for a clue and meeting a shrug in response, Tobi turned back to the foreman and considered it for all of three seconds, ¡°How much are they?¡±
¡°20 Copper for Bone pickaxe, 90 Copper for Bronze, 2 Silver for Iron.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll take one of each.¡± Tobi answered, already knowing he¡¯d buy them all before the prices were even listed.
The foreman raised his brow in surprise, gesturing with his head for another man to go and collect the pickaxes, ¡°You¡¯re an odd one, eh?¡±
Lorry laughed at that and nodded his head before Tobi could even respond, ¡°I think he forgets he¡¯s a Merchant, sometimes.¡±
¡®Huh? ...Ah! I didn¡¯t barter the price or inspect the goods first. Stupid.¡¯
¡°Not to worry,¡± the foreman laughed, ¡°We don¡¯t sell faulty goods and the prices can¡¯t be bartered. The price¡¯s are set by Lord Brackley and as he isn¡¯t here, so nobody has the authority to negotiate the cost.¡±
¡®Loophole against my Profit and Discount passives?¡¯ Tobi guessed, his mind already imagining the many ways it could be used. If everyone did the same kind of thing, both passives would become useless, wouldn¡¯t they? So why didn¡¯t other people do the same thing?
Barely hearing the conversation between Lorry and the Foreman as he continued to imagine ways to get around a Merchant¡¯s passive abilities, and wondering why other people didn¡¯t do the same, it almost came as a surprise when three pickaxes were presented to him. Taking all three and putting them in his pack, Tobi finally returned his attention to the foreman.
¡°Jules, take him to tunnel three and show him what to do.¡± The foreman called, attracting a small but very well built man in his middle years. A thick black beard speckled with grey and silver swayed with each bowed step while his bald head reflected the moon. At first glance, Tobi almost mistook the man for a Dwarf.
¡°The copper tunnels are 3 Copper to enter and 10% of the resources are to be paid as tax.¡± The foreman continued, holding a hand out to Tobi.
¡°I¡¯ll be paying,¡± Lorry said, cutting across and handing the 6 Coppers over, ¡°And I will be joining them in tunnel 3.¡±
The foreman said nothing and turned away again, leaving them to their own business.
Jules gave Tobi a smile as he reached them, but for Lorry he only narrowed his eyes, ¡°I will teach you where to strike the rocks and how to get the ore you want until you reach level 2. After that, you¡¯re on your own.¡±
Tobi agreed with a nod and followed the shorter man toward one of the many openings on the cliff wall. Lorry followed close behind, acting more like a tourist than someone that planned to do any work. He still held the pickaxe on his shoulder though.
Around five feet into the tunnel, Jules stopped and fished a lantern out of his pack. He didn¡¯t continue on until the lantern was lit and illuminating the way. He continued to lead them for around twenty meters before turning right and heading down a much narrower path. The walls reflected the light with many strange and unexpected colours. Blue, white, green, brown, grey and orange making up the majority of the colours on display.
Being led to a slightly wider alcove, Jules gestured for Tobi to step closer, ¡°See this part here? Looks like some blue ink has leaked out from inside the wall, right? This is what you¡¯re looking for. It¡¯s called an Ore Vein, or in this case, a Copper Vein. Watch how I do it first. Step back.¡±
Tobi and Lorry stepped back, watching the small man get to work. Once he dug out the blue colouring, the wall turned a much darker shade; almost to the point of turning black. He walked back to Tobi and shown him the final result.
¡°Do you have the appraisal skill?¡± Jules asked. A quick quick nod from Tobi and Jules instructed him to appraise the rock in his hand. The appraisal claimed it was ¡®Rock with Copper inside¡¯. Seeing that the rock had lit up slightly during the time it was being appraised, Jules grunted in satisfaction and broke away the loose rock and clay with his hands; using the tip of his pickaxe to break off some of the more stubborn parts. In the end, he was left with a much smaller rock that didn¡¯t look much different to the one he¡¯d just broken down.
¡°Appraise it again,¡± Jules instructed calmly. Tobi did as he was told and, to his surprise, the appraisal description had changed. It was now ¡®Unprocessed Copper¡¯. He remembered from the tutorial what to do next with the copper ore and how to make it into Copper, but it looked completely different. In the tutorial, he just hit the pickaxe on a ¡®Copper Rock¡¯ that protruded out of the ground like a swiss-cheese looking boulder. A green block would eventually fall off, having the same shape and appearance every time without fail.
¡°A bit different to what I was expecting,¡± Tobi said, directing his words at Lorry.
Lorry chuckled and agreed, ¡°I felt the same. Different veins are different. They won¡¯t always look like that, but the appraisal will always work the same way. You will get used to it.¡±
Taking Lorry¡¯s word for it, Tobi nodded and turned back to Jules. He obviously didn¡¯t follow what they were talking about very well, but he didn¡¯t dwell on it and just got back to teaching.
¡°When the Mountain Sprites find out that some Copper has gone missing, they will grow a new vein to replace it. This means you can come back to this vein as often as you like. It usually takes around 2 minutes for the Sprites to grow it back, but that¡¯s only after they have located the empty vein in the first place. Give it 30 minutes and a copper vein will almost always be back to how it was before. Other veins will take longer. A gold vein can take up to five hours to be regrown, but you usually get very little in each vein. It¡¯s often more profitable to mine lesser ores such as iron or coal. Come, I will show you the best way to dig the copper out of the vein.¡±
For the next 40 minutes, Tobi followed Jules¡¯ instructions to the letter. He didn¡¯t always hit exactly where Jules told him to, but he was never far from the mark. The fact that he got so close so frequently actually impressed Jules a little, telling Tobi that he must be a natural. Whether it was flattery or not, Tobi felt a boost to his morale.
When Tobi¡¯s miner finally broke through to the next level, Jules slapped him on the back and laughed heartily, ¡°Said you were a natural, didn¡¯t I? That¡¯s got to be the fastest I got someone to level two in a long time. Keep going how you are and when you hit level 5, come out and find me. I will show you around some of the better tunnels.¡±
¡°Better tunnels?¡±
¡°Sure,¡± Jules smiled, ¡°this tunnel is just for training people. No point sticking in here after level five. You will spend more time waiting for the ore to be regrown than doing any actual mining.¡±
¡°Nah. We¡¯ll go to a better tunnel now,¡± Lorry said, rising from the rock he¡¯d been sitting on the entire time. He hadn¡¯t mined anything at all and simply watched, ¡°if I have to watch you mine for five hours without doing any myself I¡¯ll lose my sanity. Do any of the tunnel contain Copper, Tin and Iron?¡±
¡°Tunnel 17,¡± Jules answered instantly, his forehead creasing slightly, ¡°but the entry cost is for iron, even if you only mine copper.¡±
¡°That¡¯s alright. Come on, Tobi. Once you reach level five, you can just jump onto Tin without having to pay to change tunnels.¡±
Tunnel 17 was very different to tunnel 3. For a start, tracks for small mining carts were all over the place. In the first section of the mine there was only two tracks; one for carts going in and another for the ones coming out. The tracks soon branched off into different tunnels though and small offshoots for carts to be moved off the track dotted the line on either side. Most of the offshoots were empty but not all. Every now and then, a miner would walk up to one of the carts sitting to the side of a track and add some rocks to the pile inside. The additional miners in the tunnel was the second difference compared to tunnel 3. Unlike the empty tunnel they¡¯d just left, Tunnel 17 had miners in almost every area.
¡°The numbered boards beside the tunnels,¡± Lorry began, indicating a sign with the number 7 on it, ¡°is to say how many miners are inside. The board next to it tells you the limit on how many miners are allowed in each section and what ore is contained inside.¡±
The board to the left of the number 7 shown that 12 miners were allowed down that tunnel, and that it contained 43 Tin veins and 24 Copper veins.
¡°So we can go in that one?¡±
¡°We can, but let¡¯s see if we can find an emptier one with a larger deposit.¡±
They continued through the main tunnel until reaching branch 28, which was the third from last branch in the mine. The board outside listed 22 Copper veins, 34 Tin veins and 12 Iron veins. The limit of miners was 12 while the number of occupants was 1.
Tobi didn¡¯t need to ask if they¡¯d be going into that one. It was the only branch they¡¯d found that contained all three types of ore. Not only did it contain all three types, but it was practically empty too. He already turned his feet toward that tunnel before Lorry got close enough to read what the sign said.
¡°Your eyes are such a cheat,¡± Lorry complained, as he lift his lantern to the sign and read what was inside. Tobi didn¡¯t respond and just continued his way in.
Having not immediately spotted the other person that was supposed to be inside, Tobi took out his Bone Pickaxe and moved to one of the copper veins. It was the same pickaxe he¡¯d been using while Jules taught him the profession and Tobi had decided he liked it.
¡°I¡¯ll just be over there at the iron veins,¡± Lorry said as he passed, ¡°if anything strange happens, just shout me.¡±
¡°Strange like what?¡± Tobi asked, the tip of his pickaxe rest on where he planned to strike first.
¡°I don¡¯t know. A rock golem spawning or something. The so-called Mountain Sprites summon them if you steal too many of their ores too quickly.¡±
¡°The mountain sprites are real?¡± Tobi asked in surprise. He¡¯d thought it was just the Aevitians way of explaining why the ores respawned. Something to explain the unexplainable.
¡°Yes.¡± Lorry said, stopping to look at Tobi for a second, ¡°They are all level 1 without the ability to level up, but they have 2 dangerous spells that they use on miners. They have a lot of abilities, but it¡¯s only those two spells that we have to worry about: Summon Guardian and Rock Fall. Summon Guardian will spawn a Golem that relates to whichever ore you are mining, so for you it will be a level 10 Copper Golem. For me it will be a level 20 Iron Golem. Rock Fall is worse. The cave will shake and then stones and boulders will fall from the roof like condensated drops of water. It will continue until this section of the mine is completely filled with rocks. The miners will then come and clear it all out again.¡±
¡°So if the ground starts shaking, I run?¡±
¡°Yes. But keep your eye on the floor. Wherever a rock is going to fall will glow red before the rock actually falls. It happens quickly, so make sure you don¡¯t stand on any of the red zones.¡±
His brow creasing as he imagined being crushed to death, Tobi felt that mining was probably more dangerous than he would have liked, ¡°Should I be here if it¡¯s so dangerous?¡±
Lorry laughed as he dismissed the comment, ¡°If either happens, I guarantee you will be safe. You will know what I mean if any of them do happen. Don¡¯t expect it to happen though. Like I said before, my mining is level 70, and I have never had a cave in or a Golem appear. It¡¯s really rare.¡±
¡®Really rare? So is getting trapped in Aevitas, and look at me now.¡¯ Tobi grumbled inwardly, looking dubiously at the rock walls around himself. ¡®I swear, if I get buried alive¡¡¯ Having no actual threat he could give, to anyone or anything, Tobi took a breath and focused on the ore vein in front of himself.
Roughly 5 and a half hours after they¡¯d started mining in the new tunnel, Tobi was enduring yet another break. He needed to rest, eat and regenerate his energy and satiety around every 40 minutes. Each break required around 10 minutes for his bars to fill back up. This was his 6th break so far, while Lorry had only stopped to rest twice.
Not wasting any of his ¡®precious time¡¯, Tobi sat chewing a beef jerky and reading a book while he waited. Seeing a white glow in the corner of his eye, Tobi stopped what he was doing and looked over. It appeared to be a circle inside another with a strange symbol at its center. The inner circle was surrounded by small runes while the outer circle surrounded the runes.
Lorry dashed toward the circle with uncanny speed, striking at the empty space in the center. At the very moment his strike passed the outer circle, a large, faceless Golem appeared. It appeared to be made of a grey metal and had two orange glows on the upper part of an otherwise smooth and featureless face.
Lorry¡¯s strike hit the nape of its neck, the dagger effortlessly sliding into the metal down to the hilt. A quick flurry of blows followed before the Golem quickly crumbled into rock and dust. Two iron bars and an uncut Sapphire fell among the remains. It all happened so quickly that Tobi didn¡¯t even have time to appreciate what was happening.
¡°Ugh. Sapphire. Looks like my luck was bad,¡± Lorry moaned, picking up the items and passing them to Tobi. All the ore he¡¯d gathered so far was in Tobi¡¯s pack, along with his own ore as well. Unlike Tobi, Lorry¡¯s pack was severely limited.
¡°That was an Iron Golem?¡± Tobi asked, already knowing the answer.
¡°Yeah. They always drop an uncut gem, but what you get depends on the ore you¡¯re mining. Sapphire is the worst an Iron Golem drops.¡±
Tobi smiled at that and put the items into his pack. In the 6 hours he¡¯d been mining, he now had 251 Unprocessed Copper, 312 Iron Ore, 2 Iron Bars and 1 Sapphire. 24 of the copper was from his training with Jules where he progressed from level 1 to level 2. In the hours that followed since, his gathering speed had improved steadily. The first forty minutes he¡¯d gathered 27 copper in one go. Following the 10 minute break, his next 40 minutes allowed him to gather 33 more and reach level 3 Mining. From level 3 to level 4, he gathered 37 and 42 respectively and reached level 4 Mining. He then mined 44 ores twice in a row, but had yet to break into level 5. His experience wasn¡¯t far, but his energy had dropped to 12 and he was forced to stop and rest.
With Lorry returning to work, happy at getting his first ever Golem, Tobi made a mental note to never go mining by himself. While the Golem was taken down quick enough, he wasn¡¯t deluded enough to think the Golem would be weak or slow. It was just that Lorry was fast and strong. Even if he ran for his life, Tobi was sure he¡¯d get all of 6 steps before it finished spawning, and probably not much further afterward.
While his thoughts remained on the Golem, and his eyes where the summoning circle appeared, Tobi saw a copper vein visible regrow before his very eyes. It had happened many times already, but this was the first time he¡¯d watched it happen. All the other times, he was either busy reading his book or mining at a different spot.
The process was kind of odd. It looked like the cave was actively regrowing itself. The rock and ore regrow into exactly how it had been before. At least, as much to how it had been as Tobi could remember. The moment it finished regrowing, the dim light empowering its growth faded and a small, palm-sized shadow appeared in front of it.
Blinking twice, Tobi focused on the shadow and recognized it. The tiny feet were smaller than a fingernail, the copper-coloured pants were held up by the tiniest belt Tobi could imagine existing. Its muscular chest was bare with not a single hair upon it. His long, orange hair was tied back in a pony-tail and two semi-transparent wings were flapping silently at his back.
The little fairy nodded in satisfaction and began to move on. He got as far as the next copper vein before frowning and coming to another stop. He twisted his tiny hand and a miniature copper-coloured staff appeared in his hand. Diving forward, the little fairy sank into the rock vein and disappeared.
For the next half-minute, Tobi watched as the vein regrew. Just like before, an almost imperceptible glow empowered its growth up until the moment it was finished. The dim light disappeared once again and the fairy came back out of the rock.
¡®Mountain Sprites are fairies?¡¯ Tobi wondered, watching the little fairy work inspect its work with satisfaction.
Freezing where it hovered, the small fairy slowly turned his head toward Tobi. His small eyes were opened as wide as they could manage, his little mouth shaped like a comical ¡®o¡¯. The second its eyes locked on Tobi¡¯s it spun around in fright, threw its arms into the air and shot backward into the cave wall¡ªdisappearing beyond.
Before Tobi could laugh in amusement, a dozen red circles appeared scattered around the floor. Each circle quickly grew, spreading like ripples on a pond with ever more circles appearing inside. The cave walls vibrated and the floor rumbled. In the second that followed, Lorry crossed the gap between them and grabbed his arm. The constantly appearing circles spread ahead of them and the cave rumbled even louder.
Pulled along at a speed he couldn¡¯t normally manage, feeling as though his arm was about to be wrenched out of the socket, Tobi realized what was happening and tried to push his legs to work even faster. All the speed was maintained by Lorry, while Tobi¡¯s efforts only allowed him to stay on his feet. The first rock to fall crashed right next to where Tobi had been sitting, quickly followed by an even larger one falling where he¡¯d been sat.
One rock fell after another, quickly filling the mining area they¡¯d just vacated. The tunnel behind was quickly filling too; giving Lorry barely enough time to make it into the main shaft before the whole tunnel began dropping one rock after another in quick succession. They¡¯d been out of the tunnel for all of three seconds when a mass fall filled the branch tunnel to the brim.
As though protected by some kind of barrier, the rockfall ended at exactly where the branch tunnel started. The main shaft was not affected at all. The rumbles hadn¡¯t gone unnoticed though, as dozens of miners began exiting their own tunnels to see what happened.
¡°Quick,¡± Lorry called, rushing back toward the cave-in, ¡°dig it clear before they come.¡±
¡°Why?¡± Tobi asked, rushing to the rock and chipping away beside Lorry.
Lorry just laughed and began swinging his pickaxe even faster. The rock broke down easily, crumbling into fragments and evaporating into nothing. Tobi felt as though he was trying to mine through a large piece of Tofu, it was literally that easy. In no time at all, more miners had rushed over and joined in. How they didn¡¯t hit each other with their pickaxes, Tobi could never guess, but the space for other miners to help was soon filled and the rest could only watch helplessly.
| Congratulations, you have levelled up your Miner Profession!
*You now have level 5 Mining.
* You can now mine Tin.
* Copper will be significantly easier to mine. |
Quickly swiping the window to close it, Tobi continued mining at the rock. There was no need to pick up the debris or move it aside. It simply disappeared once the rock had broken down far enough. He saw Lorry grab a small, white object while he was mining and pocket it but didn¡¯t pay it too much attention. As fast as they were all working, they hadn¡¯t made it that far yet and there was still a long way to go.
Five minutes passed and the tunnel was about a fifth of the way cleared. The narrow tunnel had widened slightly and another miner rushed in to fill the space. It was then that Tobi spotted a small white object fall free with the rocks. Having seen Lorry pocket a similar item, he quickly put it into his satchel and continued. He wasn¡¯t sure what it was yet, but it looked and felt like a white stone. Why it would be any different to the rest of the rocks he didn¡¯t know; he simply took his cue from Lorry and felt it must be something special.
By the fifteenth minute, the tunnel almost two-thirds cleared, Tobi received another level-up message for his miner. In just 15 minutes, his mining level rose from 5 to 6. It was then that Tobi realized what attracted so many miners. It wasn¡¯t the small white stones that people wanted, it was the experience. The rock broke away so easily and the experience was so great that it was a perfect grind spot. Even Lorry with his level 70 miner was enjoying the experience he received. It was also down to Lorry that the mine was being reopened so quickly. He was clearly the highest level miner there and done the work of three by himself.
¡°Haha! I got one!¡± The man to Tobi¡¯s right shouted, holding up a brown rock. All eyes turned to look and even Tobi had to admire what he was looking at. A brown, egg-shaped stone was in his hand, held high for all to see. Crack lines spread out all over its surface, showing bright colours between the cracks. To Tobi, it was like looking at the Universe between the cracks of a brown egg.
Tobi¡¯s first thought upon seeing it wasn¡¯t that it was cool looking or pretty, or any other kind of compliment he could give the strange rock. It was something much more primal. Without need or reason, his thought was simple: ¡®I want one.¡¯.
It was perhaps the greediest thought he¡¯d ever had, but it was there and it was accompanied by a wave of emotion that almost caused him to reach out to grab it.
¡°I¡¯ll buy it off you,¡± Tobi said, almost at a whisper.
¡°Ha. Unless you¡¯re carrying a couple Gold on you, you can forget it.¡± The man laughed, pocketing the small rock.
¡°How much?¡±
¡°Really?¡± The man asked doubtfully.
¡°Yes. How much.¡±
¡°Tobi, it¡¯s only an Opal Geode.¡± Lorry cut in, ¡°They¡¯re worth about a Gold from the Merchant Guild.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll give you a Gold for it.¡± Tobi offered, hearing what Lorry said but keeping his attention on the man that found it.
¡°H-here¡¡± The man stammered, handing over the rock and backing up slightly from Tobi. Once Tobi handed over the Gold and accepted the rock, his mood returned to normal and happiness filled him from the inside. The sudden change in Tobi put the man back at ease and he started laughing; ¡°Never seen someone get affected by the Opal curse that badly before.¡±
¡°Opal Curse?¡± Tobi asked, already casting appraisal on the stone.
| Opal Geode *** |
|
The Opal Geode comes in many shapes and forms. Popular among those with an affinity for nature. The Opal Geodes come with five ratings, from 1 star to 5. The higher the rating, the higher the potency.
All Opal Geodes carry a base function known as ¡®The Opal¡¯s Curse¡¯.
This Opal Geode carries the Curse of Enamor. May cause greed and lust against the weak willed or weak minded. A popular gem to be slotted into equipment for the relevant bonuses.
Stone of Wealth Value: 1Gold 20Silver. |
Slipping the gem into his satchel, Tobi resolved himself to ask Lorry about it later. In the meantime, he wanted to get whatever experience he could out of clearing the rocks ahead. The greed he had toward the gem had already disappeared now that he owned it. He didn¡¯t forget how it had made him feel though. It was a bit of a shock for the description to claim he was weak willed and weak minded, but he also knew it was caused by the fact he had such low stats and was only level 2. There was nothing he could do about that right now though, so readying his pickaxe once more, he got back to work.
Chapter 13: Profession Arc 2.
Chapter 13: Profession Arc 2
The cave in from the Mountain Sprite¡¯s ¡®Rock Fall¡¯ spell took about an hour to clear away completely. While the initial progress had been fast, the branching tunnel didn¡¯t move in a perfectly straight line and had many branching smaller passageways.. The experience earned during that time had been great. Not just for Tobi, but for Lorry as well. Lorry didn¡¯t get any experience from mining low level iron ore, but he still got a fair amount of experience from the rock fall. It seemed that the higher the level miner a person was, the more experience they got for clearing the rocks away.
Knowing he could probably cause another Rock Fall if he spotted another Sprite, Tobi kept his eyes peeled and got to work on mining Tin. The work was slow and monotonous, but Tobi wanted to increase how long he could mine before his energy ran out. He was determined to reach at least level 10 in his Miner profession before they left.
After the 10th hour in Tunnel 17, Tobi had been unable to spot another Sprite at all. He eventually gave up and just focused solely on mining. It wasn¡¯t long after that he received a prompt claiming that his pack was full. More than a little surprised, Tobi inspected the pack and saw almost two thirds of his empty slots had been crossed with a red X.
| Pack Full. |
|
Your Inventory has reached the maximum capacity.
* Unprocessed Copper Rock x 100
* Unprocessed Copper Rock x 100
* Unprocessed Copper Rock x 51
* Iron Ore x 100
* Iron Ore x 100
* Iron Ore x 100
* Iron Ore x 100
* Iron Ore x 93
* Tin Ore x 100
* Tin Ore x 29
* Wholemeal Bread x 41
* Waterskin Pouch of Fruit Juice x 22
* Meat Jerky x 18
... |
Scrolling down the list to see what else was in his pack, Tobi saw the 42 junk items from the battle against the Goblins taking up 3 more slots, his Bone and Iron Pickaxes taking up a slot each¡ªwhile the Bronze one was currently held in his hand¡ªand 2 Iron Bars taking up the final slot. A total of 1,000 items contained in his pack altogether. The rest of his items, such as the Opal Geode, Merchant Map, Teleport Scroll and others were in the satchel at his waist.
¡°Your pack full?¡± Lorry asked, having just finished mining another chunk of iron out of the wall.
¡°Yeah.¡±
¡°Let¡¯s go cash in then and go get you started on your blacksmith training.¡±
Tobi shook his head and dropped the Tin he¡¯d just mined down to the floor, ¡°I¡¯m almost level 10. I¡¯ll finish this level first and then we¡¯ll go.¡±
Lorry gave a silent agreement by dropping his iron to the floor and moving away to sit down. He didn¡¯t get experience for mining iron anyway, he was only gathering it as something to do. It would also benefit Tobi later when he was working on his Blacksmithing, so it was ¡®two birds with one stone¡¯.
Just as Tobi got ready to continue mining, he suddenly stopped and emptied out the junk items from the Goblin battle. They were almost all worth between 3 and 5 Copper coins each, while a single Unprocessed Copper Rock was worth 5 Copper coins by itself. The Copper was more useful to Tobi¡¯s growth though, so it made more sense to dump the junk rather than the ore.
By the time Tobi reached level 10, his pack was almost full again; except now his Tin was at 159 while his Iron, thanks to Lorry, had evened out at a perfect 500.
¡°Finished?¡± Lorry asked, noting how Tobi was half smiling at something only he could see. The natural guess being a notification that he¡¯d reached level 10 Miner.
¡°Yes.¡± Tobi beamed happily.
¡°Good. Let¡¯s head back.¡±
Exiting Tunnel 17 a few minutes later, Tobi was surprised to see that it was daylight. He knew how long he¡¯d spent in the mines, but it didn¡¯t fully register until he saw the sun peeking over a hill in the East. Between the training tunnel and Tunnel 17, he¡¯d been at the mines for around 11 or 12 hours in total, so it really shouldn¡¯t have come as a surprise.
Getting no more than 10 feet from the tunnel entrance, or in this case the exit, Tobi was stopped by a man wearing a black armband with a silver pickaxe stitched into the side. It marked him as one of the Mine Guards and only almost equal in rank to the Foreman further down the hill.
¡°10% of the ore you have collected is to be delivered to the Foreman. Please don¡¯t forget.¡±
Having already known about the fee, Tobi agreed to do just that and moved on. The moment he was out of earshot, he asked Lorry what would happen if he didn¡¯t pay.
¡°You won¡¯t be allowed back,¡± Lorry smiled, ¡°When you reach level 5 and get Bribe you will be able to make a deal with him to reduce the price, but you will only save half the cost at most. Like, if your ore is worth 2 Gold, your fee would be equivalent to 2 Silver; but you can Bribe your way out for just 1.¡±
¡°How do they know what I mined though?¡±
¡°The foreman can check. If you own a mine, you can see the production it makes. You can also see who mined what and how much of it. We entered as a party, so we¡¯re listed together. Gems and stuff are included in what the mine managed to produce, but you don¡¯t get charged for them. It¡¯s just considered your own good luck if you manage to get any.¡±
Frowning at the explanation, Tobi sighed and cleared his head of idle thoughts. Most of Aevitas had a rational explanation for how and why things worked a certain way. How much of those explanations he understood was a different matter. What did matter was that a reason existed. The more he tried to understand though, the more confusing it became. No doubt if he asked the Aevitians would give him some long-winded speech about Gods and stuff. Lorry would then turn around and explain things in much simpler terms and it would have a vastly conflicting view.
Figuring he might as well skip the non-player version, Tobi went straight ahead for Lorry¡¯s version; ¡°So why, and how, does the owner get to see what the mine produces?¡±
¡°From a player¡¯s standpoint, it is a city-builder feature. Owning land can let you develop it however you want. Mines, hills, farmland, city layout and whatever else you want. It¡¯s time-consuming and costs a lot but it¡¯s pretty simple to use. For the Aevitians though, it¡¯s called the ¡®Royal Bestowal¡¯. You don¡¯t actually need to be Royalty though. Or even have land granted by Royalty. As long as you claim some land for your own, and it is recognized as yours by the residents or people outside your territory, then you can become its owner and develop it.¡±
¡°And¡? How does that let me see what the Mines produce.¡±
¡°You can see anything that is produced in your territory and tax it. Any tax you generate in your territory will be shown. The costs of maintaining order, building roads and stuff like that will come out of the tax. Any extra can be taken for yourself or used to develop further. The mines are considered as one of your properties. Anything it produces is yours and belongs in your treasury. It is logged in your city builder and states what your workers managed to collect. Anyone entering the mine is considered a worker and it automatically logs what they get. Lord Brackley, and most landowners, don¡¯t actually hire Miners to work for them. It¡¯s cheaper to let people mine for themselves. They just use the city log to make sure they take a tax-cut. They also charge for access to the mines as an extra source of income. They do the same thing on the farms.¡±
¡°So, from their perspective, it is something the Gods blessed the nobles with. While for us, it is just a city builder feature?¡±
¡°That pretty much sums it up, yes.¡± Lorry agreed as they neared the foreman.
¡°Which one gave the blessing?¡± Tobi asked, slowing his walk a little.
¡°The Dev Team,¡± Lorry said, pulling away from Tobi with long strides and greeting the foreman happily.
¡®Dumb question I guess,¡¯ Tobi realized, catching up to Lorry and preparing to pay his fee.
Thanks to the odd numbers being rounded up, Tobi had to hand over slightly more than the agreed 10%. He had 251 Unprocessed Copper Rocks but had to hand over 26 of them instead of the expected 25. The foreman didn¡¯t agree with Tobi¡¯s argument that he should only round it up if the decimal place was 0.5 or over. The Tin wasn¡¯t so bad, as the 10% would be 15.9, and so paying 16 didn¡¯t feel as though he¡¯d been cheated too much. The real kicker was that Tin Ore and Unprocessed Copper Rocks were both worth 5 Copper Coins each, so if added together, it perfectly balanced out at 25.1 + 15.9, meaning he should have only paid 41; not 42. The Foreman didn¡¯t agree with that kind of logic either, claiming that different ores couldn¡¯t be valued together even if they were worth the same.
Lorry had laughed at Tobi¡¯s attempts to cheapen his tax fee. Nobles always prefered to charge as much tax as they could get away with so his attempts were doomed from the beginning.
Unphased by his failure to negotiate his tax fee, Tobi¡¯s mood remained positive and bright. It felt good to be out in the sun again. The warm sun on his skin and sound of life in the air were things that didn¡¯t exist in the mines. It felt a lot like finishing school on a Friday. The work was done, the weekend was open and the weather was great. What else gave such a free and liberating feeling?
The walk back to the city went smoothly and Tobi enjoyed the time immensely.. Being out of the city, out of the Tavern and not spending the night reading a book was a welcome change to his normal routine. When they finally saw the city come back into view, Tobi expected his mood to dampen. The place was like his prison, binding him to the area and restricting his movements. What he felt instead was a wave of relief. He was returning to the safety of what he knew and understood.
¡®It feels like returning home,¡¯ Tobi thought absently, watching the walls grow larger the closer he got.
Stepping through the city gates was like stepping from one realm into another. The quiet wilderness with a soft breeze, sunlight, birds chirping and fresh air faded into the background only to be replaced by the sounds and smells of a city. Smoking chimneys, cooked breakfasts, the sound of people filling the background and children playing somewhere¡ªunseen but easily heard.
Taking a deep breath of the city air, which was actually a lot like the air he¡¯d just been breathing on the other side of the city wall, Tobi smiled and directed his steps toward the Smithy.
Several turns later, Tobi saw the smithy up ahead and remembered the crowds that had been gathered outside last time he was there. The Cobbler family were behind on their deliveries at the time and Lord Brackley had screwed them out of a huge order. It was thanks to that whole mess that Tobi ended up joining the Goblin Subjugation mission. Seeing there no angry customers were outside the shop this time, Tobi made his way over with Lorry close behind.
¡°Anyone home?¡± Tobi shouted from the open doorway, peering into the gloomy room beyond. None of the three furnaces were lit and nobody seemed to be working.
¡°I¡¯m in the back.¡± a voice replied which Tobi recognized as the youngest son, Luke.
¡°Hey Luke, how¡¯s it goin¡¯?¡±
¡°Tobi! Good! How are you?¡±
¡°I¡¯m good, yeah. Is your dad around?¡±
Luke shook his head and glanced at the stack of papers on the table, ¡°He¡¯s taken Riley to make some overdue deliveries. The Warrior Guild is having a fit because they only received half the swords and shields they ordered, while the Assassins Guild is pissed because we haven¡¯t made their daggers yet. The Artisans Guild is pissed too because we haven¡¯t smelted the Bullion Bars they ordered. We did finish Lord Brackley¡¯s order though, so we¡¯re OK for now. Dad¡¯s reputation took quite the hit though.¡±
Tobi nodded along in understanding. Gaining a bad reputation is never good. There is no point blaming other people either, because excuses just annoy people even more. The real surprise for Tobi was that Luke¡¯s dad accepted so many orders in the first place.
¡°So what do you want dad for?¡± Luke asked.
Realizing he¡¯d slipped away into his own thoughts, Tobi laughed self consciously and shook his head, ¡°I was hoping he could teach me the Blacksmith Profession. I have my own ores, I just need to smelt them down and learn how to make stuff out of them.¡±
¡°Forget using your ores. Dad will be happy to teach you just to have help making the Bullion Bars for the Artisan Guild. I can teach you the smelting part if you want. I haven¡¯t made anything complicated yet, but I can smelt up to steel with almost 100% purity.¡±
Giving his customary shrug, Tobi agreed easily.
¡°Great! Do you know anything about blacksmithing at all or are you a complete novice?¡±
¡°Novice.¡± Tobi answered flatly. He¡¯d made Copper in the tutorial server, but he hadn¡¯t done it with a furnace before. The copper he had this time was different too. It kind of made what he learned in the tutorial pointless.
¡°Give me a minute then and I will get the furnace started for you.¡±
¡°I can do that.¡± Lorry said, joining the conversation at last.
Luke sized Lorry up for a second before turning back to Tobi and asking if they were together. The way Luke said it seemed to imply more than friends though and Lorry¡¯s face paled.
¡°No. Not together.¡± Tobi laughed, ¡°Not like that anyway. He¡¯s¡ Well, I guess you could call him my Guardian.¡±
¡°Oh.¡± Luke blushed, looking at Lorry again apologetically, ¡°In that case, if you could set the furnace up for us that will be a great help.¡±
Out of simple curiosity and mild amusement, Tobi couldn¡¯t help but ask; ¡°What made you think we were¡¡®together¡¯?¡±
¡°Sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to¡ª¡±
¡°¡ªI don¡¯t mind.¡± Tobi interrupted, waving a hand dismissively, ¡°I¡¯m just curious. Is that the impression we give?¡±
Still hesitant, Luke thought about it for a second before he replied, ¡°So you¡¯re not¡ You don¡¯t favor men?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not opposed to those that do, but I generally prefer women.¡± Tobi answered, smiling all the while and watching Luke¡¯s reaction. If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, Luke was perhaps more inclined towards a man¡¯s persuasion.
¡°But if you¡¯re not¡ Why do you stay at the Brackley Arms? You must have noticed that Borren tends to have a specific kind of customer. The same kind of customers that get invited to his private garden: a place, I was told, that you spend quite a bit of time.¡±
Tobi¡¯s mind quickly searched through his memories. The people he¡¯d seen eating dinner at the tavern were many. Couples and families were definitely among their number. As for people who rented a room for the night, Tobi quickly realized that all of them were men; and most of them were shared their room with another man. He¡¯d also not seen a single woman in Borren¡¯s private garden. Not even the female staff that he hired as waitresses. A couple of male friends popped by a few times, but Borren got rid of them quickly with quiet whispers near the back gate.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
¡®Ha. I didn¡¯t even notice!¡¯
Luke had been watching Tobi¡¯s reaction the whole time. When Tobi finally came to understand the truth, Luke realized that he really hadn¡¯t known anything.
¡°How can you stay there and not know?¡± Luke asked, sounding somewhere between shocked and bewildered at the same time.
Tobi shrugged carelessly, ¡°Probably because it doesn¡¯t matter to me what people prefer. Their personal life is their own business.¡±
¡°But aren¡¯t you worried what people will think about you?¡±
¡°Why should I?¡± Tobi asked, his tone light but his expression serious.
Luke considered the question but didn¡¯t reply. When he did open his mouth to say something in return, he quickly stopped himself again. Lorry was back and the furnace was already blazing away.
¡°Tobi, will you be alright here for a bit while I go check something?¡± Lorry asked, keeping his eyes strictly on Tobi and away from Luke.
¡°Sure, but where are you going?¡±
¡°Work.¡± Lorry answered, hinting at SkeaTech without actually saying it.
¡°No problem.¡± Tobi smiled, thinking Lorry planned to go complete a couple of Assassination Missions while Tobi learned his blacksmithing profession. It only seemed fair that Lorry would get to do something interesting too, seeing as he was stuck looking acting as a babysitter all the time. He also found it funny that Lorry dodged Luke¡¯s gaze. ¡®I wonder if Lorry swings that way too¡¡¯
¡°OK. Ready to show me what to do?¡± Tobi asked, turning back to Luke after Lorry left the room.
¡°Sure. Just let me finish this letter off.¡± Luke answered, dripping hot wax on an enveloped and pressing a seal onto it. Tobi thought that was something only a noble house did, but Aevitas didn¡¯t exactly mirror reality, so he just made a mental note of it and put it to the back of his mind.
Three hours later, sweating, tired, mentally exhausted and ready to collapse, Tobi picked up the fruit of his labour with a heavy heart. For 3 hours he¡¯d followed Luke¡¯s step by step instructions. For 3 hours he¡¯d worked through confusion and made no small effort to smelt his first copper bullion bar. Now that the job was complete, he really didn¡¯t know what all the effort was for.
The bullion bar in Tobi¡¯s hand was a 1kg Grade A ¡®Copper Ingot¡¯. Ten Unprocessed Copper Rocks had been used to make it, each worth 5 Copper coins each. The Ingot, on the other hand, was worth just 48 Copper coins. He¡¯d actually made a near perfect ingot and lost money as a result. It simply didn¡¯t make sense. To top it all off, he didn¡¯t understand more than half of what he was told. Some of the words must have been alien for all the sense they made, even after their explanation. Pyrometallurgy? Hydrometallurgy? Was he really supposed to understand all this crap?!
There were comments about how Travellers had invented things to make the process better too, but Tobi hadn¡¯t been able to understand why the methods brought in by Travellers were any better than the ones the Aevitians used previously. Completely lost on the explanations Luke gave him, he just continued to do whatever he was told and hoped for the best. Understanding ¡®the why¡¯ didn¡¯t matter as long as he did exactly what Luke told him to do.
¡®All that effort for this. If Blacksmith is really that hard, I can¡¯t imagine many people would choose this profession. Did Lorry really spend so much time on this to reach his level?¡¯
¡°Are people really willing to do this all day just to raise their blacksmith level?¡± Tobi asked, looking at the ingot in his hand that was worth less than the ore he used to make it.
¡°Of course. Except the Travellers anyway. They prefer the quick method the gods granted us to keep up with the Dwarves.
¡°What method is that?¡±
Walking toward the furnace, Luke picked up one of the Unprocessed Copper Rocks and frowned to himself, ¡°The other method was given to us by Tsjaad after the Dwarves invaded his territory and killed most of his people. It was supposed to give us the ability to compete with the Dwarven skill for creating weapons and armour at a fast pace. The quality wasn¡¯t very good, but even poor quality armour is better than nothing when at war. The downside for Blacksmiths is that we don¡¯t get as much experience and there¡¯s a decrease in the quality of the bars. As an example, how much experience did you get for that Bullion Bar?¡±
Tobi did a quick check before announcing that he¡¯d received 67 experience.
¡°Actually, it¡¯s 67.5 experience.¡± Luke corrected, ¡°Our furnaces are limited, but using this method you can create up to 10 Bullion Bars of superior quality at once. The total experience will be 675 experience for 3 hours of hard work. With the other method, you can create 10 bars every 20 minutes. The downside is that you only get 7.5 experience for each bar. An hour would be 30 bars for 225 experience. 3 hours would be 90 bars for 675 experience.¡±
Managing to follow along, Tobi considered the math and frowned. He didn¡¯t understand why everyone didn¡¯t use that method if it was so much easier; or why Luke would teach the complicated version instead of the easier one.
¡°I don¡¯t recommend using the other method.¡± Luke said slowly, ¡°At least, not until you are level 30 or higher with your blacksmith. By then the Copper will be worthless for your experience, so you can use whatever method you want. But until then, it is better to do the job properly. It will guarantee your copper purity and give you maximum experience.¡±
Tobi thought about it for a while before nodding his head, ¡°I will still learn the other method. I will swap and change depending on my mood. How do I do it the other way?¡±
¡°It¡¯s simple really. Now that you already have the blacksmith profession it¡¯s even easier. You should have got two non-combat Blacksmith spells when you received the profession; Refine and Smelt. Did you?¡±
Tobi checked his spells and confirmed he had both. Luke then took him to the furnace and gave him one of the Unprocessed Copper Rocks from the nearby pile.
¡°You can do this at the mine too, but don¡¯t forget to keep 10% of the ore in reserve for the foreman. He gets really pissy if you don¡¯t pay the fee with actual ore. Anyway; take the blacksmith hammer and tap the rock while casting Refine over that sieve.¡±
Placing one of his copper rocks on a tripod device placed over a large sieve, Tobi tapped the rock and cast Refine. The rock crumbled into dust as it fell neatly into the sieve below.
¡°OK, now shake the sieve until all the rock sediment falls out of the bottom. When only blue dust remains, pour it into that stone bowl over there.¡±
Tobi once again followed Luke¡¯s instruction and did as he was told. He then repeated the process until the stone bowl was filled to the brim. It took 20 rocks in total for the copper dust to fill the bowl.
¡°OK, now use those tongs to put the bowl of copper powder into the furnace and cast smelt on it. Once done, use those tongs to take the bowl out again and pour it straight into that mould.¡±
Following Luke¡¯s quick and easy instructions, Tobi filled the specified mould with molten copper. He then cast smelt again but this time on the melted copper. According to Luke, smelt would activate the cooling process¡ªthe exact opposite of what it did while it was in the furnace.
The molten copper filled 2 moulds altogether and produced 2 copper bullion bars. One was Grade A and worth 48 Coppers while the other was Grade B and worth 42. Both weighed exactly 1kg.
¡°I¡¯d earn more by selling the ores and buying the bars.¡± Tobi complained, holding the two bars in his hands.
¡°Yeah, but then you won¡¯t get the experience. Besides, the base value for copper bullion fluctuates and has different values in different places. It¡¯s not worth much here in Brackley because we have a copper mine nearby. Most Merchants take the ores and bars down to Cohol to sell. Grade A Copper Bars go for about 60 Coppers down there. ¡±
¡®Ah. That makes sense. Does that mean the value of the bar will change if I appraise it in a different city?¡¯
While Tobi was lost in his own thoughts, Brion and Riley returned in high spirits. Half of their deliveries were now made and they were eager to finish the orders they had left. Both stopped in place once they seen Tobi though, their eyes flicking between Tobi and Luke and frowns creasing their brows.
¡°Mr Donlan.¡± Brion said somewhat cautiously, moving into the Smithy with slow, deliberate steps. ¡°What brings you here?¡±
¡°He just came to learn the profession.¡± Luke answered quickly, sounding as though he¡¯d just been caught doing something he shouldn¡¯t.
Brion shot another look toward Tobi doubtfully, ¡°Is that true?¡±
Sensing that Brion wasn¡¯t keen on his son¡¯s preference toward men, Tobi didn¡¯t bother answering and simply held out the two bars in his hand for inspection. Brion took them both and inspected them with a keen eye.
¡°You used the quick method on this one?¡±
¡°I used the quick method on them both. I used the proper method on that one over there. Luke said you were behind on your deliveries to the Artisan Guild though, so I planned to use the proper method on the rest. Unless you¡¯d prefer it if I leave?¡±
¡°No. It¡¯s fine.¡± Brion said, subtly moving between Tobi and Luke, ¡°You helped us when we were in need. It¡¯s only right that we return the favor. Was it our ore you were using to train with?¡±
¡°Only to help us fill the order.¡± Luke said, still sounding worried.
¡°Yes. He already said that.¡± Brion answered curtly, shooting an angry look toward his son and ushering him towards the back room; ¡°Did you finish the tax sheets for Lord Brackley?¡±
¡°Yes. I sealed the last one before teaching Tobi.¡± Luke replied before stepping into the back room and closing the door.
Turning back toward Tobi, Brion smoothed out his expression and considered him for a moment, ¡°If you want to help with our order in exchange for the training I don¡¯t mind. You will have to use the proper method for all of it though. The order is for 50 Grade A Copper Bars. Any that you fail to get Grade A on will have to replaced with Copper Ore so Riley can do it properly. If that is fine with you, we can get started.¡±
¡°Sure.¡± Tobi shrugged, his opinion of Brion and Riley declining sharply. He didn¡¯t like getting involved with another family¡¯s problems, but he could see how Luke was being treated; and he didn¡¯t like it.
¡°Why don¡¯t you show me what Luke taught you then and I will correct any mistakes he made.¡±
Determined to do Luke¡¯s teaching justice and produce another Grade A Bullion Bar, Tobi got back to work without saying a word. He followed the exact same method he used the first time as best he could remember, catching himself twice when he almost made a mistake. In particular was remembering whether he was supposed to take the Matte or the Slag during the conversion stage. It was only by chance that he rightfully took the matte from the bottom layer and discarded the impure slag from the top.
When the process was finally complete, Tobi poured the molten copper into a blanket mould and filled all ten sections evenly. Casting smelt to initiate the cooling process¡ªwhich he hadn¡¯t done the first time during Luke¡¯s teaching¡ªTobi held his breath and awaited the final result.
The copper was just about ready when Brion took a bar in hand, beating Tobi to the punch and appraising it carefully. The Copper was definitely Grade A, but whether that would be true for all ten bars, Tobi wasn¡¯t sure.
¡°Good. It seems Luke taught you well enough. You can continue refining for the practice and experience if you like. This is Riley¡¯s furnace though, so you should use the one over there if you really do intend to continue.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t mind either way.¡± Tobi shrugged. Brion¡¯s attitude was really starting to get on his nerves. The fact that Luke had been relegated to the back room wasn¡¯t missed either.
¡°Well it¡¯s up to you.¡± Brion answered just as nonchalantly as Tobi, ¡°If you want to sit in the corner and watch that¡¯s fine. If you want to assist with our order, then our smithy is open to you. However, we have a priority order to finish so Riley will still need this furnace.¡±
Caught between his desire to train his Blacksmith and wanting to flip Brion the bird and walk out, Tobi considered his options carefully. As a Merchant, he should probably choose the more profitable option and just ignore the family drama. At the same time though, he didn¡¯t like seeing someone mistreated while he just stood around and did nothing.
¡®No. It would be better if I stay and help out. At least then I can keep an eye on Luke and make sure he¡¯s OK.¡¯
His decision made, Tobi quietly moved toward the empty furnace and stopped. It was only now that he realized that part of his training had been skipped; ¡®Shit, how do I turn this thing on?¡¯
Biting the bullet, Tobi turned back toward Brion and coughed lightly, ¡°Um, Mr Cobbler. When Luke set the furnace, I wasn¡¯t paying much attention. How do I start it up?¡±
¡°Riley. Go set the furnace for him.¡± Brion answered without turning around.
~~~
Maybe it was because they wanted to get rid of him sooner, or maybe it was what they intended to do all along, but for the next six hours, Brion, Riley and Tobi all worked on creating the Copper Bullion Bars at the same time. They all followed the same, long, complicated process to guarantee the best quality bars and they all finished at roughly the same time. With three sets of hands making ten bars at a time, the Unprocessed Copper Rocks were soon used up. Upon realizing, the group finally stopped. The number produced was above and beyond the number required for the order and enough was left over for Brion and Riley to start to making the daggers for the Assassin¡¯s guild.
Having originally expected to be the only one to be making the bars, Tobi didn¡¯t get the 30+ thousand experience he wanted and could only accept the loss of experience sourly. Now that the job was finished, he really had nothing else left to do¡ªexcept maybe start on his own ores; assuming that Brion wouldn¡¯t mind.
¡®Or I could ask them to teach me how to make whatever they¡¯re doing for their next order.¡¯ Tobi mused, looking over as both men began gathering iron and steel bars and stacking them next to the anvil nearest the forge. Once the two men were finished preparing, Tobi walked over to ask if they wanted some more help.
¡°Well. Thanks for your help today, Mr Donlan.¡± Brion said tiredly, ¡°We probably wouldn¡¯t have finished it today without your help. Either that or it would have been a late night for both of us. If you want to stop by to use our forge in the future, feel free.¡±
Surprised by the sudden change of attitude, Tobi hesitated. It made sense that they would be tired and would call it a day. Unlike himself, they didn¡¯t have the benefit of never having to sleep. What he didn¡¯t understand was the sudden invitation to return whenever he wanted.
¡°Ah. Uh. I will come again, but could you teach me how to make Tin next time? And maybe how to make weapons and armour?¡±
¡°No problem.¡± Brion smiled, ¡°And sorry about earlier. Riley told me we had the wrong idea. We thought you were like those others.¡±
¡°Others?¡±
¡°You know... Those that stay at Borren¡¯s place.¡±
¡°And how does Riley know that I¡¯m not?¡±
Brion smiled at that and looked toward his son, ¡°I was worried Luke might have done something shameful while we weren¡¯t here. I had Riley go and make sure.¡±
¡®In other words, Luke had to defend himself for being alone with me.¡¯ Tobi guessed, trying not to scowl and taking a calming breath, ¡°I see. Well, I don¡¯t mind coming back to help out if you¡¯re gonna teach me what I need to know, but I¡¯d like to make some stuff for myself too. Using my own materials, of course.¡±
¡°Of course. Not a problem. We have three orders left to complete. If you help us finish them you can use that furnace anytime you want.¡±
Tobi nodded his head in silent agreement, still annoyed by how they treated Luke but trying not to show it. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that he wanted to come back occasionally to make sure Luke was doing alright, he¡¯d probably just tell Brion to stick it up his arse and leave.
¡°You¡¯re done?¡±
Turning and seeing Lorry standing in the doorway, Tobi smiled and answered happily, ¡°Yeah. I got to level 5 and need about 188 experience to get to level 6. They¡¯re tired and calling it a night though, so I have to stop for now.¡±
Lorry glanced at Brion and Riley and came to understand quickly. With all the sitting around involved while waiting for the metal to melt and the bars to cool down, Tobi would have had plenty of time to eat and drink to keep his energy up. In the meantime, the two blacksmiths only had their natural resistances to heat from their Blacksmith class. It was obvious how tired they were just by looking at them.
¡°I will bring you back another time. Did you at least clear enough of your pack away to do some hunting tomorrow?¡±
¡°Uh. Actually. I didn¡¯t use any of my materials at all.¡± Tobi answered sheepishly. His pack was still bulging, sitting by the door where he¡¯d left it when Luke offered to teach him.
¡°Well you won¡¯t need the copper anymore if you are already level 5. Just sell it to the Merchant Guild or something.¡±
¡°I¡¯d rather sell it in Cohol.¡± Tobi answered, quickly remembering that it was worth more in territories that lacked the corresponding mines.
¡°I¡¯m not taking you to Cohol. It¡¯s miles away. Even by cart it will take a few days.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll buy it.¡± Brion offered, believing he was being helpful.
¡°For the same price I¡¯d get in Cohol?¡± Tobi asked doubtfully; trying to point out that he¡¯d get a better price if he sold it elsewhere. He also didn¡¯t want to do the man any favours. He might like Luke, but the rest of the family could go suck a lemon.
¡°Ah. Erm. We¡¯re talking about Unprocessed Copper, right?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°I get it from the Merchant Guild for 7 Coppers each if I am desperate; or the Foreman for 6 Coppers each the rest of the time. I¡¯ll give you the same deal I give the foreman.¡±
Knowing his Profit passive could help him bargain a better price and sell for at least 7 Coppers each, Tobi considered the offer and the lack of space in his backpack. He knew it would be better to just sell now and worry about making money later, but part of him really didn¡¯t want to sell the ore at all. He wanted to use it himself.
¡°Hell with it. Fine. I will sell to you for 6 Coppers each. But only because Luke is a good teacher.¡±
¡°Sure. Sure.¡± Brion nodded happily, gesturing for Riley to go and get the money. When Tobi pulled out 251 rocks of Unprocessed Copper, Brion cocked an eyebrow in surprise.
Riley returned a few seconds after Tobi finished taking it all out of his pack. A quick count of the rocks and Riley tried to add together the price. After failing and starting over twice, Brion snatched the money pouch and took over. The 15 Silver and 6 Copper was handed over straight away with a quick apology.
The moment Tobi took the money, he knew straight away that he¡¯d failed as a Merchant. His Profit passive clearly explained that Bulk Sales could be negotiated for far better prices than individual sale prices. The Stone of Wealth Value for the copper ore was 5 Copper Coins each, which meant he could sell to the Merchant Guild for 4 each. For a bulk sale of 250 though, he could easily get 12 Silver or more, instead of the 10 Silver-or-so that he would get for them individually.
Selling to non-merchants meant he could sell at above the standard value rate. While selling to someone who would actually use the materials, like the Blacksmith, Tobi¡¯s sale of 6 Copper per rock was almost literally the worst price he could have gotten. No Merchant in their right mind would have sold a bulk of more than 200 for the basic rate.
¡°I feel like I just got cheated.¡± Tobi said, looking down at the silver in his hand.
¡°You did.¡± Lorry said with amusement, ¡°Serves you right. Take it as a lesson for next time. If you want to make it as a Merchant, you need to be ruthless. You¡¯re just too soft.¡±
¡®Meh. Oh well. Not like I really care about in game money anyway.¡¯ Tobi sighed, reminding himself yet again that he¡¯s only in Aevitas to learn skills for real life. It would be nice if he could pay his dad back some of the gold he was given though.
Resolving to do better as a Merchant in the future, Tobi thought about the ore that was still in his backpack. What he really needed was a safe or something to store it in. That way he could just take it whenever he needed it; or when he had a good opportunity to go to Cohol and sell it.
¡®Or I could hire an escort and go to Cohol when Lorry isn¡¯t here¡¡¯ Tobi mused, wondering how dangerous it could really be if he joined a Merchants Trading Caravan and went to a different city. Merchants must do it all the time. And he doubted player Merchants really hired an escort every time.
Lost in his own thoughts, Tobi followed Lorry back out of the Smithy and toward the Brackley Arms. He remained silent during the whole way, only partially taking in the sights around him. When he finally reached the Tavern doors, Tobi yawned rubbed at his eyes.
¡°I knew it.¡± Lorry said, watching Tobi carefully, ¡°You haven¡¯t slept at all since you got here have you?¡±
¡°No. I didn¡¯t need to. I haven¡¯t felt tired at all.¡±
¡°Just because you don¡¯t feel tired, doesn¡¯t mean you don¡¯t need to sleep. Your real body might be sleeping, but your mind has been running for more than 4 days without rest. How exhausted do you think it is? Go up and see if you can get some sleep.¡±
Too tired to talk about it further, Tobi silently agreed and obediently went up to his room.